Preparation and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Elimination Effect of Baicalein-Loaded Hyaluronic acid/β-Cyclodextrin grafted Chitosan Nanoparticles

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA)is a common pathogen causing acquired infections.Antibiotics are routinely employed for bacterial infection treatment.Excessive antibiotic use for bacterial infections heightens resistance,and MRSA resistance is being prevalent[1].MRSA exhibits substantial resistance to conventional antibiotics,which is associated with its biofilm-forming capability.The bacterial biofilm serves as a barrier,restricting nutrient access and slowing internal metabolism,increasing antibiotic resistance.The bacterial biofilm forms a defensive layer,resisting antibiotic penetration while preventing nutrient entry,inducing a slow bacterial metabolism,and increasing bacterial resistance[2].Consequently,biofilm formation and the emergence of resistance to conventional antibiotics have become substantial challenges in the field of infectious diseases.The development of agents to remove biofilm barriers is urgently required because biofilms are extremely hazardous.

A Small Target Detection Method for Sea Surface Based on Guided Filtering and Local Mean Gray Difference

The traditional small target detection algorithm often results in a high false alarm rate on the sea surface background. To address this issue, a small target detection method based on guided filtering and local average gray level difference was proposed in this paper for the sea surface. Firstly, the method enhanced the details of the small targets by employing guided filtering to suppress the background clutter and noise in the sea surface image. Subsequently, the local average gray level difference of each point in the image was calculated to further distinguish the targets from other interference points. Finally, the threshold segmentation method was utilized to obtain the actual small targets on the sea surface. After conducting experiments on various sea surface scenes, the LSCRG, BSF, and ROC curve were computed for the proposed method and five other algorithms. Comparative analysis with BS, Top-hat, TDLMS, Max-median, and LCM demonstrates the superiority of the proposed method for infrared small target detection on the sea surface.

The phased chromosome-scale genome of yellowhorn sheds light on the mechanism of petal color change

Yellowhorn(Xanthoceras sorbifolium), especially its varieties, is the red petal yellowhorn(X. sorbifolium var. purpurea), an important tree species with great ornamental value, and its flower petals change color throughout the flowering period. In this study, we mainly focused on the mechanism of the petal color change with transcriptomics and metabolomics data. A phased chromosome-scale assembly of the red petal yellowhorn genome was generated using the PacBio high-fidelity reads, Illumina short reads, and Phase genomics Proximo Hi-C data. The final de novo assembly yielded 533.67 Mb with a contig N50 of 5.42 Mb, and 27 501 protein-coding genes were predicted. Notably, an alternate haplotig assembly was also obtained. Furthermore, a variation database for the alleles within the genome was constructed. Subsequently, the expression pattern of flower pigmentation-related genes and allelic expression imbalance events were investigated. Apart from 6 genes involved in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway regulated by the activation of 15 MYB-bHLH-WD40s, the increased expression of senescencerelated gene 1(SRG1) and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase(DIOX5) might also result in decreasing content of lutein and increasing abundance of(E/Z)-phytoene, cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside, and cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside. These changes in genes and metabolites were most likely related to the petal color change in red petal yellowhorn. This phased chromosome-scale genome assembly provides more accurate genomic information for future molecular breeding and facilitates allele function studies of the red petal yellowhorn.

Lignans from Patrinia scabiosaefolia improve insulin resistance by activating PI-3K/AKT pathway and promoting GLUT4 expression

Patrinia scabiosaefolia,is used as wild vegetable in China for more than 2000 years,with a variety of pharmacological activities,including anti-inflammatory,anti-tumor and hypoglycemic.Based on our ongoing research on chemical constituents and hypoglycemic activity of P.scabiosaefolia,4 lignan compounds,(+)-isolariciresinol(1),7R,7’R,8S,8’S-(+)-neo-olivil-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(2),4-O-methylcedrusin(3)and patrinian A(4),were isolated and identifi ed.The hypoglycemic activity showed that compounds 2 and 3 could extremely signifi cantly improve insulin resistance at 100(P<0.001),50(P<0.001)and 25μmol/L(P<0.01)in IR 3T3-L1 cells.While compound 4 only promoted glucose uptake by IR 3T3-L1 cells at 100μmol/L(P<0.01).Western blotting experiments showed that compounds 2 and 4 up-regulated the protein expressions of p-IRS,PI-3K,p-AKT and glucose transporter 4(GLUT4),and promoted the transcription of GLUT4 mRNA.Therefore,the mechanisms of compounds 2 and 4 were presumed to improve IR by activating PI-3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Transcriptome and physiological analyses provide insights into the leaf epicuticular wax accumulation mechanism in yellowhorn

Plantations and production of yellowhorn,one of the most important woody oil and urban greening trees widely cultivated in northern China,have gradually become limited by drought stress.The epicuticular wax layer plays a key role in the protection of yellowhorn trees from drought and other stresses.However,there is no research on the mechanism of wax loading in yellowhorn trees.In this study,we investigated the anatomical and physiological characteristics of leaves from different germplasm resources and different parts of the same tree and compared their cuticle properties.In addition,the different expression patterns of genes involved in wax accumulation were analyzed,and a coexpression network was built based on transcriptome sequencing data.Morphological and physiological comparisons found that the sun leaves from the outer part of the crown had thicker epicuticular wax,which altered the permeability and improved the drought resistance of leaves,than did shade leaves.Based on transcriptome data,a total of 3008 and 1324 differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified between the sun leaves and shade leaves in glossy-and non-glossy-type germplasm resources,respectively.We identified 138 DEGs involved in wax biosynthesis and transport,including structural genes(such as LACS8,ECH1,and ns-LTP)and transcription factors(such as MYB,WRKY,and bHLH transcription factor family proteins).The coexpression network showed a strong correlation between these DEGs.The differences in gene expression patterns between G-and NG-type germplasm resources under different light conditions were very clear.These results not only provide a theoretical basis for screening and developing drought-resistant yellowhorn germplasm resources but also provide a data platform to reveal the wax accumulation process of yellowhorn leaves.

Chemical composition and glucose uptake effect on 3T3-L1 adipocytes of Ligustrum lucidum Ait. flowers

Ligustri lucidi Fructus is a traditional Chinese medicine and possesses various bioactivities,including hypoglycemic effect.Ligustrum lucidum Ait flowers are poorly investigated.Thus,we hypothesized that L.lucidum flowers also could have hypoglycemic effect.Chemical composition and glucose uptake effect of L.lucidum flowers on 3T3-L1 adipocytes were investigated.In this study,the components of L.lucidum flowers were investigated by various chromatographic and spectroscopic methods and the effects of L.lucidum flowers on the induction of glucose uptake were investigated by 3T3-L1 adipocytes.Seven compounds were isolated and identified from L.lucidum flowers,including ursolic acid(1),kaempferol-7-O-α-Lrhamnoside(2,KR),β-sitosterol(3),β-daucosterol(4),kaempferitrin(5,KF),10-hydroxy oleuropein(6,HO),and kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside-7-α-L-rhamnopyranoside(7,KGR).The results of glucose uptake showed that total extract(TE),KR,KF and HO from L.lucidum flowers significantly enhanced glucose uptake.This study demonstrated that compounds 2,5-7 were isolated for the first time from this plant and compounds 2 and 7 were isolated for the first time in genus Ligustrum,L.lucidum flowers,KR,KF and HO may possess potential hypoglycemic effect.

High-frequency characterization of high-speed modulators and photodetectors in a link with low-speed photonic sampling

We propose a low-speed photonic sampling for independent high-frequency characterization of a Mach–Zehnder modulator(MZM)and a photodetector(PD)in an optical link.A low-speed mode-locked laser diode(MLLD)provides an ultrawideband optical stimulus with scalable frequency range,working as the photonic sampling source of the link.The uneven spectrum lines of the MLLD are firstly characterized with symmetric modulation within the interesting frequency range.Then,the electro-optic modulated signals are down-converted to the first Nyquist frequency range,yielding the self-referenced extraction of modulation depth and half-wave voltage of the MZM without correcting the responsivity fluctuation of the PD in the link.Finally,the frequency responsivity of the PD is self-referenced measured under null modulation of the MZM.As frequency responses of the MZM and the PD can be independently obtained,our method allows self-referenced high-frequency measurement for a high-speed optical link.In the proof-of-concept experiment,a 96.9 MS/s MLLD is used for measuring a MZM and a PD within the frequency range up to 50 GHz.The consistency between our method and the conventional method verifies that the ultra-wideband and self-referenced high-frequency characterization of high-speed MZMs and PDs.

Influence of an inserted bar on the flow regimes in the hopper

We investigated the influence of an inserted bar on the hopper flow experimentally.Three geometrical parameters,size of upper outlet D1,size of lower outlet D0,and the height of bar H,are variables here.With varying H we found three regimes:one transition from clogging to a surface flow and another transition from a surface flow to a dense flow.For the dense flow,the flow rate follows Beverloo’s law and there is a saturation of inclination of free surfaceθ.We plotted the velocity field and there is a uniform linear relation between the particle velocity and depth from the free surface.We also found that the required value of D_(1) to guarantee the connectivity of flow is little smaller than D_(0).For the transition from a surface flow to a dense flow,there is a jump of flow rate and the minimumθfor flowing is two degrees larger than the repose angle.

Dynamic DNA 5-hydroxylmethylcytosine and RNA 5-methycytosine Reprogramming During Early Human Development

After implantation,complex and highly specialized molecular events render functionally distinct organ formation,whereas how the epigenome shapes organ-specific development remains to be fully elucidated.Here,nano-hmC-Seal,RNA bisulfite sequencing(RNA-BisSeq),and RNA sequencing(RNA-Seq)were performed,and the first multilayer landscapes of DNA 5-hydroxymethylcytosine(5hmC)and RNA 5-methylcytosine(m^(5)C)epigenomes were obtained in the heart,kidney,liver,and lung of the human foetuses at 13-28 weeks with 123 samples in total.We identified 70,091 and 503 organ-and stage-specific differentially hydroxymethylated regions(DhMRs)and m^(5)C-modified mRNAs,respectively.The key transcription factors(TFs),T-box transcription factor 20(TBX20),paired box 8(PAX8),krueppel-like factor 1(KLF1),transcription factor 21(TCF21),and CCAAT enhancer binding protein beta(CEBPB),specifically contribute to the formation of distinct organs at different stages.Additionally,5hmC-enriched Alu elements may participate in the regulation of expression of TF-targeted genes.Our integrated studies reveal a putative essential link between DNA modification and RNA methylation,and illustrate the epigenetic maps during human foetal organogenesis,which provide a foundation for an in-depth understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms underlying early development and birth defects.

西多福韦体外抑制55型人腺病毒的感染

55型人腺病毒(HAdV-55)通常引起急性呼吸道感染疾病,目前临床上还没有有效的抗病毒药物。本研究通过体外实验筛选了14种核苷酸类似物的抗HAdV-55活性。结果发现,西多福韦在HEp-2细胞上能够抑制HAdV-55的感染,为其用于HAdV-55感染疾病的治疗研究提供了依据。

High performance flexible photodetector based on 0D-2D perovskite heterostructure

Flexible photodetectors(PDs)comprised of low-dimensional organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites with perovskite quantum dots are expected to be the next generation wearable optoelectronic devices.A flexible Vis-NIR PD which contains 2D Dion-Jacobson(DJ)perovskite(4AMP)(MA)_(2)Pb_(3)I_(10)(4AMP=4-(aminomethyl)piperidinium,MA=methylammonium)(n3)and micro concentration of CsPbI_(3)perovskite quantum dots(QDs)layered heterostructures was de-signed and synthesized in the current work.Controlled by the optimal concentration of QDs,the device response under 660 nm light was increased to 615%.The device combination as per mass of QDs exhibited strong photosensitivity and high-power output.The band gap between the two is minimal,which formed a matching structure and lowered the energy barrier of carrier transport process.QDs layer filled the gap of perovskite film,forming an almost defect-free heterostructure.QDs layer isolated water and passivated the perovskite layer,which therefore contributed to the high-performance of optoelectronic devices.Under the optimal concentration of QDs with up to 5000 bending cycles and different bending angles,the degradation of PDscouldbe ignored,and the devices tended to show a self-healing phenomenon with increasing bending cycles.The optimized strategy will be conducive to developing flexible,wearable,high-performance and low-cost PDs.

土壤-植物体系中硒生物有效性评价研究进展

硒是哺乳动物必需的微量营养元素.鉴于其缺乏和毒害剂量间范围狭窄,在作物硒生物强化及硒污染土壤修复过程中需对土壤硒的生物有效性进行准确评价.但由于土壤是一个多相非均质的复杂体系,土壤类型较多且土壤性质差异很大,迄今国内外尚没有一个普遍适用的土壤有效硒测定及其有效性的评价方法.因此,本文综述了国内外常用的测定土壤有效硒含量的化学浸提法(包括单一浸提及连续浸提法)和新兴的梯度薄膜扩散技术(DGT法)的优缺点及适用性,提出0.1 mol/L KH2PO4-K2HPO4浸提法作为土壤有效硒测定方法;讨论了运用化学浸提法测定结果、基于此计算获得的特征参数(土壤结合强度(IR值)和移动系数(MF值))、植物硒含量表征土壤硒生物有效性的可行性,旨在为土壤-植物体系中硒生物有效性的评价提供依据.

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Circulating Fetuin-A Levels in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Background and Aims:Accumulated studies have reported the key role of circulating fetuin-A in the development and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)but the results have not been consistent.In this study,we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the relationship between circulating fetuin-A level and the development and classification of NAFLD.Methods:The PubMed,EMBASE,and Cochrane Library databases were searched to obtain the potentially relevant studies up to May 2020.Standardized mean differences(SMD)and 95%confidence intervals of circulating fetuin-A levels were extracted and summarized.Sensitivity,subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis were performed to investigate the potential heterogeneity.Association of circulating fetuin-A level with classification of NAFLD was also reviewed.Results:A total of 17 studies were included,composed of 1,755 NAFLD patients and 2,010 healthy controls.Meta-analysis results showed that NAFLD patients had higher circulating fetuin-A level(SMD=0.43,95%confidence interval[CI]:0.22-0.63,p<0.001)than controls.Subgroup analysis indicated that circulating fetuin-A level was markedly increased in adult NAFLD patients(SMD=0.48,95%CI:0.24-0.72,p<0.001)and not in pediatric/adolescent patients compared to controls.Circulating fetuin-A level was markedly increased in ultrasound-proven NAFLD pediatric/adolescent patients(SMD=0.42,95%CI:0.12-0.72,p=0.007),other than in the liver biopsy-proven NAFLD pediatric/adolescent patients.Body mass index might be the influencing factor to the heterogeneity in adult patients.Circulating fetuin-A level was not associated with the classification of NAFL vs.nonalcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH).Whether the circulating fetuin-A level was associated with the development of fibrosis remains controversial.

Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate,Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate and Entecavir:Which is the Most Effective Drug for Chronic Hepatitis B?A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background and Aims:The therapeutic effect of tenofovir alafenamide fumarate(TAF),tenofovir disoproxil fumarate(TDF)and entecavir(ETV)on chronic hepatitis B(CHB)patients remains inconsistent.The aim of this study was to explore the differences in virological responses to TAF,TDF and ETV in patients with CHB.Methods:Literature searches were conducted of the PubMed,EMBASE,and the Cochrane Library databases to identify randomized controlled trials and observational studies published up to July 21,2020.Statistical comparisons of virological response between TDF,ETV,and TAF were carried out with pooled odds ratio(OR)values.Results:The virological response in TDF-treated CHB patients was notably superior to that of the ETV-treated CHB patients after 12-weeks[OR=1.12,95%confidence interval(CI):0.89–1.41],24-weeks(OR=1.33,95%CI:1.11–1.61),48-weeks(OR=1.62,95%CI:1.16–2.25),72-weeks(OR=1.43,95%CI:0.78–2.62),and 96-weeks(OR=1.56,95%CI:0.87–2.81)treatment.No significant difference was observed for the virological responses in CHB patients after 48-weeks treatment with TAF or TDF.The virological response in TDF+ETV-treated CHB patients was superior to that of TDF-treated CHB patients after 24-weeks,48-weeks(OR=1.54,95%CI:1.17–2.02),96-weeks,and 144-weeks.Conclusions:The virological response in TDF-treated CHB patients was superior to that in ETV-treated CHB patients,but there was no significant difference between TAF and TDF.In addition,the therapeutic effect of TDF+ETV was superior to TDF alone.

First spike latency of ON/OFF neurons in the optic tectum of pigeons

Some shallow and middle optic tectum(OT)neurons have stable,asymmetric full-screen ON and OFF stimu­lus response properties,which makes them candidates for delay encoding.In this paper,we investigated the de­lay encoding mechanism for the neuronal clusters in the OT region of pigeons and determined the mechanism of delay coding in the OT region.By analyzing the responses of the neuron cluster under full-screen switch-on and switch-off stimulation,we found that the delay coding was widespread in the OT region where the ON/OFF stimulation time difference was 4-6 ms.Information theory analysis under grating stimulation and experiments based on single-neuron character reconstruction of neurons showed that OT neuron clusters use the first spike latency(FSL)for the rapid transfer of spatial structure information.Furthermore,4 models were used to pre­dict the first spike latency of these OT neurons.The best simulation results were obtained using an architecture where the ON and OFF paths of multiple retinal ganglion cells(RGCs)were integrated and summed,respec­tively.

Association of TCF7L2 rs7903146 Gene Polymorphism with the Risk of NAFLD and CAD in the Chinese Han Population

Background and Aims:Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Previous studies have suggested that TCF7L2 rs7903146 was related to the risk of developing NAFLD but the conclusions are not consistent and no related study has been conducted in Chinese populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the association be-tween TCF7L2 rs7903146 and the risk of developing NAFLD and CAD in a Chinese Han population. Methods: TCF7L2 rs7903146 genotypes were measured by the MALDI-TOF-MS from 143 NAFLD patients, 159 CAD patients, 131 NAFLD+ CAD patients, and 212 healthy controls. The demographic data and serum lipid profiles of all subjects were collected. The distributions of genotype and allele frequency in each group were also tested. Logistic regression was used to inves-tigate the risk of TCF7L2 rs7903146 with NAFLD and CAD. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 23.0. Results: There were no significant differences in the distri-butions of TCF7L2 rs7903146 genotype and allele frequency in each of the two groups, and the TCF7L2 rs7903146 CT+TT genotype did not increase the risk of developing NAFLD, CAD, and NAFLD+CAD. Except for body mass index in the control group, the differences of clinical parameters between the TCF7L2 rs7903146 T allele carriers and non-carriers in each group were not significant. In the non-obese group, the TCF7L2 rs7903146 CT+TT genotype was a protective factor for the development of NAFLD in the non-obese subjects (odds ratio=0.359, 95% confidence interval: 0.134-0.961, p = 0.041). Conclusions: TCF7L2 rs7903146 was not associated with the risk of developing NAFLD, CAD, and NAFLD + CAD in the Chinese Han population. In the non-obese population, the TCF7L2 rs7903146 CT + TT genotype was a protective factor against the development of NAFLD.

RNA 5-methylcytosine regulates YBX2-dependent liquid-liquid phase separation

5-Methylcytosine(m^(5)C)is one of the most prevalent internal modifications of messenger RNA(mRNA)in higher eukaryotes.Here we report that Y box protein 2(YBX2)serves as a novel mammalian m^(5)C binding protein to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation(LLPS)both in vivo and in vitro,and this YBX2-dependent LLPS is enhanced by m^(5)C marked RNA.Furthermore,the crystal structure assay revealed that W100,as a distinct m^(5)C binding site of YBX2,is critical in mediating YBX2 phase separation.Our study resolved the relationship between RNA m^(5)C and phase separation,providing a clue for a new regulatory layer of epigenetics.