Assessing right ventricular peak strain in myocardial infarction patients with mitral regurgitation by cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking.

Background: Although it is known that mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) may increase the right ventricular (RV) afterload, leading to RV dysfunction, the exact detrimental effects on RV function and myocardial peak strain remain unresolved. In this study, we assessed the impact of MR on the impairment of RV myocardial deformation in patients with MI and explored the independent influential factors of RV peak strain. Methods: A total of 199 MI participants without or with MR were retrospectively assessed in this study. The cardiovascular magnetic resonance examination protocol included a late gadolinium-enhanced (LGE) imaging technique and a cine-balanced steady-state free precession sequence. Statistical tests, including two independent sample t-test or Mann-Whitney U-test, analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis test, and multiple linear regression analysis models were performed. Results: The MI (MR+) group exhibited significantly lower RV strain parameters in the radial, circumferential and longitudinal directions when compared to the control and the MI (MR-) groups (both P<0.05). The RV global longitudinal peak strain (GLPS) in the MI group significantly decreased when compared with that in the control group (P<0.05). As moderate-severe MR worsened in patients with MI, RV myocardial global peak strain and the peak systolic strain rate (PSSR) gradually decreased. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that left ventricular (LV) GLPS, triglycerides, and age were independently correlated with RV GLPS (all P<0.05). RV end-systolic volume (RVESV) acted as an independent association factor for RV global peak strain. Conclusions: MR may exacerbate the impairment of RV peak strain and functions in patients with MI. LV GLPS was positively correlated with RV GLPS. However, RVESV, triglycerides, and age acted as independent risk factors associated with worsening RV GLPS.

Deep learning-based reconstruction enhances image quality and improves diagnosis in magnetic resonance imaging of the shoulder joint.

Background: Accelerated magnetic resonance imaging sequences reconstructed using the vendor-provided Recon deep learning algorithm (DL-MRI) were found to be more likely than conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences to detect subacromial (SbA) bursal thickening. However, the extent of this thickening was not extensively explored. This study aimed to compare the image quality of DL-MRI with conventional MRI sequences reconstructed via conventional pipelines (Conventional-MRI) for shoulder examinations and evaluate the effectiveness of DL-MRI in accurately demonstrating the degree of SbA bursal and subcoracoid (SC) bursal thickening. Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study enrolled 41 patients with chronic shoulder pain who underwent 3-T MRI (including both Conventional-MRI and accelerated MRI sequences) of the shoulder between December 2022 and April 2023. Each protocol consisted of oblique axial, coronal, and sagittal images, including proton density-weighted imaging (PDWI) with fat suppression (FS) and oblique coronal T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) with FS. The image quality and degree of artifacts were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale for both Conventional-MRI and DL-MRI. Additionally, the degree of SbA and SC bursal thickening, as well as the relative signal-to-noise ratio (rSNR) and relative contrast-to-noise ratio (rCNR) were analyzed using the paired Wilcoxon test. Statistical significance was defined as P<0.05. Results: The utilization of accelerated sequences resulted in a remarkable 54.7% reduction in total scan time. Overall, DL-MRI exhibited superior image quality scores and fewer artifacts compared to Conventional-MRI. Specifically, DL-MRI demonstrated significantly higher measurements of SC bursal thickenings in the oblique sagittal PDWI sequence compared to Conventional-MRI [3.92 (2.83, 5.82) vs. 3.74 (2.92, 5.96) mm, P=0.028]. Moreover, DL-MRI exhibited higher detection of SbA bursal thickenings in the oblique coronal PDWI sequence [2.61 (1.85, 3.46) vs. 2.48 (1.84, 3.25) mm], with a notable trend towards significant differences (P=0.071). Furthermore, the rSNRs of the muscle in DL-MRI images were significantly higher than those in Conventional-MRI images across most sequences (P<0.001). However, the rSNRs of bone on Conventional-MRI of oblique axial and oblique coronal PDWI sequences showed adverse results [oblique axial: 1.000 (1.000, 1.000) vs. 0.444 (0.367, 0.523); and oblique coronal: 1.000 (1.000, 1.000) vs. 0.460 (0.387, 0.631); all P<0.001]. Additionally, all DL-MRI images exhibited significantly greater rSNRs and rCNRs compared to accelerated MRI sequences reconstructed using traditional pipelines (P<0.001). Conclusions: In conclusion, the utilization of DL-MRI enhances image quality and improves diagnostic capabilities, making it a promising alternative to Conventional-MRI for shoulder imaging.

Decoding of compressive data pages for optical data storage utilizing FFDNet.

Coded aperture-based compression has proven to be an effective approach for high-density cold data storage. Nevertheless, its limited decoding speed represents a significant challenge for its broader application. We introduce a novel, to the best of our knowledge, decoding method leveraging the fast and flexible denoising network (FFDNet), capable of decoding a coded aperture-based compressive data page within 30.64 s. The practicality of the method has been confirmed in the decoding of monochromatic photo arrays, full-color photos, and dynamic videos. In experimental trials, the variance between decoded results obtained via the FFDNet-based method and the FFDNet-absent method in terms of average PSNR is less than 1 dB, while realizing a decoding speed enhancement of over 100-fold when employing the FFDNet-based method.

Study on the thermal behaviour of spontaneous combustion of open-pit minerals.

To study thermal behaviour during spontaneous combustion of an open-pit coal mine, mixed slag (coal, oil shale, and coal gangue) was taken as the research object. Laser thermal conductivity analyser and differential scanning calorimetry were used to test thermophysical parameters and heat release characteristics of the minerals. The parameters can be employed to calculate the apparent activation energy using the Arrhenius equation and evaluate the thermal behaviour of open-pit mixed slag. The results indicate that thermophysical parameters have stage characteristics. Thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity of minerals, especially mixed slag, have a strong correlation with temperature. Heat flow of minerals exhibits five characteristic stages, and heat flow of the samples is consistent with the change in heating rate. During the heating process, thermal diffusivity and heat flow of the mixed slag are between those of a single mineral. Except for the mixed slag at 15 and 20 °C/min, the initial exothermic temperature of the other samples is mainly concentrated at 50-80 °C. Thermal energy release of the sample is mainly concentrated in the accelerated exothermic stage and rapid exothermic stage. Thermal energy release of mixed slag in rapid exothermic stage is always greater than that in accelerated exothermic stage, and the proportion of thermal energy release in these two stages exceeds 98 %. The apparent activation energy during the accelerated exothermic stage is lower, making it easier to release heat, and rapid exothermic stage is relatively high, which can readily lead to heat accumulation. Thermal analysis reveals that the thermal behaviour of mixed slag is significantly different from that of a single mineral. Its unique exothermic characteristics can provide a more accurate theoretical basis for the prevention and control of environmental pollution caused by slag spontaneous combustion.

Environmental DNA: The next chapter.

Molecular tools are an indispensable part of ecology and biodiversity sciences and implemented across all biomes. About a decade ago, the use and implementation of environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect biodiversity signals extracted from environmental samples opened new avenues of research. Initial eDNA research focused on understanding population dynamics of target species. Its scope thereafter broadened, uncovering previously unrecorded biodiversity via metabarcoding in both well-studied and understudied ecosystems across all taxonomic groups. The application of eDNA rapidly became an established part of biodiversity research, and a research field by its own. Here, we revisit key expectations made in a land-mark special issue on eDNA in Molecular Ecology in 2012 to frame the development in six key areas: (1) sample collection, (2) primer development, (3) biomonitoring, (4) quantification, (5) behaviour of DNA in the environment and (6) reference database development. We pinpoint the success of eDNA, yet also discuss shortfalls and expectations not met, highlighting areas of research priority and identify the unexpected developments. In parallel, our retrospective couples a screening of the peer-reviewed literature with a survey of eDNA users including academics, end-users and commercial providers, in which we address the priority areas to focus research efforts to advance the field of eDNA. With the rapid and ever-increasing pace of new technical advances, the future of eDNA looks bright, yet successful applications and best practices must become more interdisciplinary to reach its full potential. Our retrospect gives the tools and expectations towards concretely moving the field forward.

Enhancing insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes mellitus using apelin-loaded small extracellular vesicles from Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells: a novel therapeutic approach.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), characterized by ß-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance (IR), presents considerable treatment challenges. Apelin is an adipocyte-derived factor that shows promise in improving IR; however, it is limited by poor targeting and a short half-life. In the present study, engineered small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) derived from Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) loaded with apelin were used to address the limitations of the therapeutic application of apelin. METHODS: WJ-MSCs were transduced to obtain engineered sEVs loaded with overexpressed apelin (apelin-MSC-sEVs) and the control sEVs (MSC-sEVs). T2DM mice were injected with apelin-MSC-sEVs and MSC-sEVs, and blood glucose monitoring, glucose and insulin tolerance tests, confocal microscopy, and immunocytochemical analysis were performed. IR models of 3T3-L1 adipocytes were employed to detect GLUT4 expression in each group using western blotting; the affected pathways were determined by measuring the changes in Akt and AMPK signaling and phosphorylation. RESULTS: Upon successful engineering, WJ-MSCs demonstrated significant overexpression of apelin. The genetic modification did not adversely impact the characteristics of sEVs, ranging from surface protein markers, morphology, to particle size, but generated apelin-overexpressed sEVs. Apelin-MSC-sEVs treatment resulted in notable enhancement of Akt and AMPK pathway activities within 3T3-L1 adipocytes and adipose tissues of T2DM mice. Furthermore, the apelin-loaded sEVs significantly reduced plasma glucose levels, increased pancreatic ß-cell proliferation, improved insulin and glucose tolerance, and modulated pro-inflammatory cytokine profiles, compared to mice treated with the control sEVs. CONCLUSION: Our study developed novel genetically engineered apelin-loaded sEVs derived from WJ-MSCs, and demonstrated their potent role in augmenting insulin sensitivity and regulating inflammatory responses, highlighting their therapeutic promise in T2DM management. The findings open new avenues for the development of clinically viable treatments for T2DM in humans using the apelin-loaded sEVs.

Typhoon- and pollution-driven enhancement of reactive bromine in the mid-latitude marine boundary layer.

Tropospheric reactive bromine is important for atmospheric chemistry, regional air pollution, and global climate. Previous studies have reported measurements of atmospheric reactive bromine species in different environments, and proposed their main sources, e.g. sea-salt aerosol (SSA), oceanic biogenic activity, polar snow/ice, and volcanoes. Typhoons and other strong cyclonic activities (e.g. hurricanes) induce abrupt changes in different earth system processes, causing widespread destructive effects. However, the role of typhoons in regulating reactive bromine abundance and sources remains unexplored. Here, we report field observations of bromine oxide (BrO), a critical indicator of reactive bromine, on the Huaniao Island (HNI) in the East China Sea in July 2018. We observed high levels of BrO below 500 m with a daytime average of 9.7 ± 4.2 pptv and a peak value of ∼26 pptv under the influence of a typhoon. Our field measurements, supported by model simulations, suggest that the typhoon-induced drastic increase in wind speed amplifies the emission of SSA, significantly enhancing the activation of reactive bromine from SSA debromination. We also detected enhanced BrO mixing ratios under high NOx conditions (ppbv level) suggesting a potential pollution-induced mechanism of bromine release from SSA. Such elevated levels of atmospheric bromine noticeably increase ozone destruction by as much as ∼40% across the East China Sea. Considering the high frequency of cyclonic activity in the northern hemisphere, reactive bromine chemistry is expected to play a more important role than previously thought in affecting coastal air quality and atmospheric oxidation capacity. We suggest that models need to consider the hitherto overlooked typhoon- and pollution-mediated increase in reactive bromine levels when assessing the synergic effects of cyclonic activities on the earth system.

Left atrial appendage closure in conjunction with radiofrequency ablation: Effects on left atrial functioning in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Objective: In the present study, we investigated the impact of left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) following catheter ablation (CA) on the left atrial structure and functioning of patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: Patients with paroxysmal AF were enrolled in this single-center prospective cohort study between April 2015 and July 2021; 353 patients received CA alone, while 93 patients received CA in combination with Watchman LAAC. We used age, gender, CHA2DS2-VASc, and HAS-BLED scores as well as other demographic variables to perform propensity score matching. Patients with paroxysmal AF were randomly assigned to the CA combined with Watchman LAAC group (combined treatment group) and the simple CA group, with 89 patients in each group. The left atrial structure, reserve, ventricular diastole, and pump functions and their changes in patients were assessed using routine Doppler echocardiography and 2D speckle tracking echocardiography over the course of a 1-year follow-up. Results: At 1-week follow-up, the reserve, ventricular diastole, and pump functions of the left atrium (LA) increased in both groups; these functions were gradually restored at the 1- to 3-month follow-up; they were close to or returned to their pre-operative levels at the 3-month follow-up; and no significant differences were found compared with the pre-operative levels at the 12-month follow-up. In the first 3 months, the reserve (Ƹ, SRs) and pump functions (SRa) in the combined treatment group decreased significantly when compared with the simple CA group, and the differences were statistically significant. Conclusion: Patients with paroxysmal AF may experience a short term, partial effect of LAAC on LA reserve and pump functions, which are gradually restored and the effect disappears by 12 months.

Analytical approaches for assessing protein structure in protein-rich food: A comprehensive review.

This review focuses on changes in nutrition and functional properties of protein-rich foods, primarily attributed to alterations in protein structures. We provide a comprehensive overview and comparison of commonly used laboratory methods for protein structure identification, aiming to offer readers a convenient understanding of these techniques. The review covers a range of detection technologies employed in food protein analysis and conducts an extensive comparison to identify the most suitable method for various proteins. While these techniques offer distinct advantages for protein structure determination, the inherent complexity of food matrices presents ongoing challenges. Further research is necessary to develop and enhance more robust detection methods to improve accuracy in protein conformation and structure analysis.

Research on quantitative detection technology of raccoon-derived ingredient adulteration in sausage products.

This project presents a quantitative detection method to identify raccoon-derived ingredient adulteration in sausage products. The specific copy gene of the raccoon was selected as the target gene. According to the specificity of its primer and probe, the quantitative detection method of raccoon microdrops by droplet digital PCR was established. In addition, the accuracy of the proposed method was verified by artificially mixed samples, and the applicability of this method was tested based on the commercially available products. The experimental results indicate that the raccoon mass (M) and raccoon-extracted DNA concentration have a good linear relationship when the sample content is 5-100 mg, and there is also a significant linear relationship between DNA content and DNA copy number (C) with R 2 = .9982. Therefore, using DNA concentration as the median signal, the conversion equation between raw raccoon mass (M) and DNA copy number (C) could be obtained as follows: M = (C + 177.403)/16.954. The detection of artificially mixed samples and commercial samples shows that the method is accurate and suitable for quantitative adulteration detection of various sausage products in the market.

Clinical phenotype of a Kallmann syndrome patient with IL17RD and CPEB4 variants.

Background: This study aimed to characterize the clinical phenotype and genetic variations in patients with Kallmann syndrome (KS). Methods: This study involved the collection and analysis of clinical data from an individual with sporadic KS. Following this, peripheral blood samples were obtained from the patient and his parents. Genomic deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted and subjected to whole-exome sequencing and genomic copy number variation (CNV) detection. Finally, Sanger sequencing was performed to validate the suspected pathogenic variants. Results: Whole-exome sequencing confirmed that the child carried both the IL17RD variant (c.2101G>A, p.Gly701Ser) inherited from the mother and the new CPEB4 variant (c.1414C>T, p.Arg472*). No pathogenic CNVs were identified in CNV testing. Conclusion: Bioinformatics analysis shows that the IL17RD protein undergoing Gly701Ser mutation and is speculated to be phosphorylated and modified, thereby disrupting fibroblast growth factor signaling. This study also suggested that the CPEB4 might play a crucial role in the key signaling process affecting olfactory bulb morphogenesis. Overall, the findings of this study broaden the gene expression profile of KS-related pathogenic genes. This offers a new avenue for exploring the pathogenic mechanism of KS and provides valuable insights for precise clinical diagnosis and treatment strategies for this condition.

High glutamine increases stroke risk by inducing the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in moyamoya disease.

At present, there is limited research on the mechanisms underlying moyamoya disease (MMD). Herein, we aimed to determine the role of glutamine in MMD pathogenesis, and 360 adult patients were prospectively enrolled. Human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) were subjected to Integrin Subunit Beta 4 (ITGB4) overexpression or knockdown and atorvastatin. We assessed factors associated with various signaling pathways in the context of the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), and the expression level of related proteins was validated in the superficial temporal arteries of patients. We found glutamine levels were positively associated with a greater risk of stroke (OR = 1.599, p = 0.022). After treatment with glutamine, HBMECs exhibited enhanced proliferation, migration, and EndMT, all reversed by ITGB4 knockdown. In ITGB4-transfected HBMECs, the MAPK-ERK-TGF-ß/BMP pathway was activated, with Smad4 knockdown reversing the EndMT. Furthermore, atorvastatin suppressed the EndMT by inhibiting Smad1/5 phosphorylation and promoting Smad4 ubiquitination in ITGB4-transfected HBMECs. We also found the protein level of ITGB4 was upregulated in the superficial temporal arteries of patients with MMD. In conclusion, our study suggests that glutamine may be an independent risk factor for hemorrhage or infarction in patients with MMD and targeting ITGB4 could potentially be therapeutic approaches for MMD.

[Spatial and Temporal Distribution Characteristics of Ozone Concentration and Health Benefit Assessment in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region from 2015 to 2020].

To evaluate the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of ambient ozone (O3) in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) Region, the land use regression (LUR) model and random forest (RF) model were used to simulate the ambient O3 concentration from 2015 to 2020. Meanwhile, all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortalities as well as economic losses attributed to O3 were also estimated. The results showed that upward trends with fluctuation were observed for ambient O3 concentration, mortalities, and economic losses attributable to O3 exposure in the BTH Region from 2015 to 2020. The areas with high O3 concentration and great changes were concentrated in the central and southwestern regions, whereas the concentration in the northern region was low, and the change degree was small. The spatial distribution of the mortalities was also consistent with the spatial distribution of O3 concentration. From 2015 to 2020, the economic losses regarding all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality increased in 13 cities of the BTH Region, whereas the economic losses of respiratory mortality decreased in 4 cities in the BTH Region. The results indicated that the priority areas for O3 control were not uniform. Specifically, Beijing, Tianjin, Hengshui, and Xingtai were vital areas for O3 pollution control in the BTH Region. Differentiated control measures should be adopted based on the characteristics of these target areas to decline O3 concentration and reduce health impacts and economic losses associated with O3 exposure.

The role of SWI/SNF complexes in digestive system neoplasms.

Chromatin remodeling is a critical step in the DNA damage response, and the ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers are a group of epigenetic regulators that alter nucleosome assembly and regulate transcription factor accessibility to DNA, preventing genomic instability and tumorigenesis caused by DNA damage. The SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex is one of them, and mutations in the gene encoding the SWI/SNF subunit are frequently found in digestive tumors. We review the most recent literature on the role of SWI/SNF complexes in digestive tumorigenesis, with different SWI/SNF subunits playing different roles. They regulate the biological behavior of tumor cells, participate in multiple signaling pathways, interact with multiple genes, and have some correlation with the prognosis of patients. Their carcinogenic properties may help discover new therapeutic targets. Understanding the mutations and defects of SWI/SNF complexes, as well as the underlying functional mechanisms, may lead to new strategies for treating the digestive system by targeting relevant genes or modulating the tumor microenvironment.

Sulfated glyco-based hydrogels as self-healing, adhesive, and anti-inflammatory dressings for wound healing.

Hydrogels have emerged as a new type of wound dressing materials that involved in different stages of the healing processes. However, most of the existing wound dressings mainly offer a protective and moisturizing layer to prevent cross-infection, while the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties are frequently induced by extra addition of other bioactive molecules. Here, a novel type of sulfated glyco-functionalized hydrogels for wound dressing was prepared through the hybrid supramolecular co-assembly of carbohydrate segments (FG, FGS and FG3S), fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-diphenylalanine (Fmoc-FF), and diphenylalanine-dopamine (FFD). Implanting sulfated carbohydrates can mimic the structure of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), promoting cell proliferation and migration, along with anti-inflammatory effects. In situ polymerization of FFD introduced a secondary covalent network to the hydrogel, meanwhile, providing anti-oxidation and adhesion properties to wound surfaces. Furthermore, the dynamic supramolecular interactions within the hydrogels also confer self-healing capabilities to the wound dressing materials. In vivo experiments further demonstrated significantly accelerated healing rates with the multifunctional hydrogel FG3S-FFD, indicating high application potential.

Single-cell sequencing analysis confirms the association of ANRIL with the increased smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration gene signatures in pulmonary artery hypertension in silico.

PURPOSE: Smooth muscle cell (SMC) dysregulation is part of the pathological basis of pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). We aimed to explore the heterogeneity of SMCs in PAH. METHODS: The profile GSE210248 was obtained from NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus, containing the scRNA-seq data of pulmonary arteries (PA) from three patients with PAH and three healthy donors. After quality control, normalization, and dimension reduction, cell clustering analysis was performed. Differential expression analysis and functional enrichment analysis were carried out successively in smooth muscle cells (SMCs). The enrichment scores of cell cycle and cell migration gene sets in SMCs were calculated. Then, the Spearman correlation coefficients between antisense non-coding RNA in the INK4 locus (ANRIL) expression and two gene sets were computed. RESULTS: Eight cell clusters were identified in PA from samples. The proportion of SMCs was increased in PAH samples. SMCs were divided into five subclusters with diverse biological functions. Muscle contraction-related SMC1 was decreased, while extracellular matrix organization-related SMC2, immune and inflammatory response-related SMC4 and SMC5 were increased in PAH samples compared with healthy donors. The enrichment scores of cell cycle and cell migration gene sets in SMCs were higher in PAH samples than in donors. ANRIL was down-regulated significantly in PAH samples and was negatively related to the scores of two gene sets. CONCLUSION: SMCs exhibited significant heterogeneity in PAH. The altered abilities of SMC proliferation and migration in PAH were associated with ANRIL expression.

Efficient Ultraviolet Circularly Polarized Luminescence in Zero-Dimensional Hybrid Cerium Bromides.

Ultraviolet circularly polarized luminescence (UV-CPL) with high photon energy shows great potential in polarized light sources and stereoselective photopolymerization. However, developing luminescent materials with high UV-CPL performance remains challenging. Here, we report a pair of rare earth Ce3+-based zero-dimensional (0D) chiral hybrid metal halides (HMHs), R/S-(C14H24N2)2CeBr7, which exhibits characteristic UV emissions derived from the Ce 5d-4f transition. The compounds show simultaneously high photoluminescent quantum yields of (32-39)% and large luminescent dissymmetry factor (|glum|) values of (1.3-1.5)×10-2. Thus, the figures of merits of R/S-(C14H24N2)2CeBr7 are calculated to be (4.5-5.8)×10-3, which are superior to the reported UV-CPL emissive materials. Additionally, nearly 91% of their PL intensities at 300 K can be well preserved at 380 K (LED operating temperature) without phase transition or decomposition, demonstrating the excellent structural and optical thermal stabilities of R/S-(C14H24N2)2CeBr7. Based on these enantiomers, the fabricated UV-emitting CP-LEDs exhibit high polarization degrees of ±1.0%. Notably, the UV-CPL generated from the devices can significantly trigger the enantioselective photopolymerization of diacetylene with remarkable stereoselectivity, and consequently yield polymerized products with the anisotropy factors of circular dichroism (gCD) up to ±3.9×10-2, outperforming other UV-CPL materials and demonstrating their great potential as UV-polarized light sources.

Utilization of CRISPR-Cas genome editing technology in filamentous fungi: function and advancement potentiality.

Filamentous fungi play a crucial role in environmental pollution control, protein secretion, and the production of active secondary metabolites. The evolution of gene editing technology has significantly improved the study of filamentous fungi, which in the past was laborious and time-consuming. But recently, CRISPR-Cas systems, which utilize small guide RNA (sgRNA) to mediate clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas), have demonstrated considerable promise in research and application for filamentous fungi. The principle, function, and classification of CRISPR-Cas, along with its application strategies and research progress in filamentous fungi, will all be covered in the review. Additionally, we will go over general matters to take into account when editing a genome with the CRISPR-Cas system, including the creation of vectors, different transformation methodologies, multiple editing approaches, CRISPR-mediated transcriptional activation (CRISPRa) or interference (CRISPRi), base editors (BEs), and Prime editors (PEs).

MoS2-mediated active hydrogen modulation to boost Fe2+ regeneration in solar-driven electro-Fenton process.

The sluggish kinetics of Fe2+ regeneration seriously hinders the performance of Fenton process. However, the conventional Fenton system excessively stifle hydrogen-producing reactions, ignoring the significance of active hydrogen (H*) in Fe3+ reduction. Herein, a strategy of H* modulation is developed by decorating molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) on a graphite felt (GF) cathode to boost Fe2+ regeneration in solar-driven electro-Fenton (SEF) process. With MoS2 regulation, moderately dispersed MoS2 on GF can serve as a bifunctional cathode, where the H* and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) are simultaneously generated through H+ reduction and O2 reduction, respectively. The in-situ generated H2O2 can trigger Fenton reactions with Fe2+, while the H* with robust reducing potential can significantly expedite Fe3+ reduction, consequently enhancing the HO• production. Both DFT calculations and EPR experiments confirm that H* can be activated via MoS2 decoration. The results show that Fe2+ concentration in the MoS2 @GF-SEF system remains at 15.74 mg/L (56.21%) after 6 h, which is 17.89 times that of the GF-SEF system. Moreover, the HO• content and organics degradation rate in the MoS2 @GF-SEF are 3.61 and 5.30 times those of the GF-SEF, respectively. This study provides a practical cathode strategy of H* modulation to enhance HO• production and electro-Fenton process. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: Boosting Fe2+ regeneration is of great value for the Electro-Fenton process. Herein, report a strategy to achieve this goal based on a MoS2 @GF cathode. Remarkably, the MoS2 @GF system exhibits exceptional efficiency for both various refractory organic compounds with environmentally hazardous effects and sterilization aspects, which can also work over a wide range of pH values (3-11). Specially, this system is driven only by solar energy. These characteristics make the electro-Fenton system more suitable for practical wastewater treatment.

A Stress Reduction Intervention for Lactating Mothers Alters Maternal Gut, Breast Milk, and Infant Gut Microbiomes: Data from a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: This secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigated how the maternal gut, breast milk, and infant gut microbiomes may contribute to the effects of a relaxation intervention, which reduced maternal stress and promoted infant weight gain. METHODS: An RCT was undertaken in healthy Chinese primiparous mother-infant pairs (340/7-376/7gestation weeks). Mothers were randomly allocated to either the intervention group (IG, listening to relaxation meditation) or the control group (CG). Outcomes were the differences in microbiome composition and the diversity in the maternal gut, breast milk, and infant gut at 1 (baseline) and 8 weeks (post-intervention) between IG and CG, assessed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of fecal and breastmilk samples. RESULTS: In total, 38 mother-infant pairs were included in this analysis (IG = 19, CG = 19). The overall microbiome community structure in the maternal gut was significantly different between the IG and CG at 1 week, with the difference being more significant at 8 weeks (Bray-Curtis distance R2 = 0.04 vs. R2 = 0.13). Post-intervention, a significantly lower α-diversity was observed in IG breast milk (observed features: CG = 295 vs. IG = 255, p = 0.032); the Bifidobacterium genera presented a higher relative abundance. A significantly higher α-diversity was observed in IG infant gut (observed features: CG = 73 vs. IG = 113, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The findings were consistent with the hypothesis that the microbiome might mediate observed relaxation intervention effects via gut-brain axis and entero-mammary pathways; but confirmation is required.