Single‐entity electrochemistry is a powerful tool that enables the study of electrochemical processes at interfaces and provides insights into the intrinsic chemical and structural heterogeneities of ...individual entities. Signal processing is a critical aspect of single‐entity electrochemical measurements and can be used for data recognition, classification, and interpretation. In this review, we summarize the recent five‐year advances in signal processing techniques for single‐entity electrochemistry and highlight their importance in obtaining high‐quality data and extracting effective features from electrochemical signals, which are generally applicable in single‐entity electrochemistry. Moreover, we shed light on electrochemical noise analysis to obtain single‐molecule frequency fingerprint spectra that can provide rich information about the ion networks at the interface. By incorporating advanced data analysis tools and artificial intelligence algorithms, single‐entity electrochemical measurements would revolutionize the field of single‐entity analysis, leading to new fundamental discoveries.
This Minireview summarizes the latest advances in data processing techniques for single‐entity electrochemistry towards achieving automation, real‐time monitoring, increased sensitivity, as well as improved temporal and current resolution.
Functional DNA walkers with substantial nanostructures have been extensively investigated; however, their stability still faces challenges when exposed to diverse nuclease in clinical biological ...samples, resulting in the unreliability of actual assessment. This work proposed a target-driven annular DNA walker with enhanced stability enabling the sensitive and reliable response to different concentrations of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1), by preparing silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) as electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emitters. Specifically, the SiQDs showed significant strong and stable ECL signals by purifying the microenvironment of SiQDs through the dialysis removal of the gel-like layers surrounding the SiQDs. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of their ECL signal had been improved 16.59 times under consecutive scanning compared to that of SiQDs without dialysis, demonstrating a significant improvement in ECL stability. Subsequently, in the presence of APE1, the designed annular DNA walker was activated to move along the numerous quenching probes within the continuous cross-based DNA orbits, which were immobilized to the SiQD-modified electrode, providing ECL readout signals. The linear range of this ECL biosensor was 1.0 × 10–13 U·μL–1 to 1.0 × 10–7 U·μL–1, and the limit of detection (LOD) was as low as 1.766 × 10–14 U·μL–1. This work provides a novel structure of a DNA walker with nuclease resistance for clinical sample detection and designs a new strategy for synthesizing SiQDs with favorable ECL performance, tremendously expanding the ECL application of SiQDs.
Members of the genus Novius Mulsant, 1846 (= Rodolia Mulsant, 1850) (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae), play important roles in the biological control of cotton cushion scale pests, especially those ...belonging to Icerya. Since the best-known species, the vedalia beetle Novius cardinalis (Mulsant, 1850) was introduced into California from Australia, more than a century of successful use in classical biological control, some species of Novius have begun to exhibit some field adaptations to novel but related prey species. Despite their economic importance, relatively little is known about the underlying genetic adaptations associated with their feeding habits. Knowledge of the genome sequence of Novius is a major step towards further understanding its biology and potential applications in pest control.
We report the first high-quality genome sequence for Novius pumilus (Weise, 1892), a representative specialist of Novius. Computational Analysis of gene Family Evolution (CAFE) analysis showed that several orthogroups encoding chemosensors, digestive, and immunity-related enzymes were significantly expanded (P < 0.05) in N. pumilus compared to the published genomes of other four ladybirds. Furthermore, some of these orthogroups were under significant positive selection pressure (P < 0.05). Notably, transcriptome profiling demonstrated that many genes among the significantly expanded and positively selected orthogroups, as well as genes related to detoxification were differentially expressed, when N. pumilus feeding on the nature prey Icerya compared with the no feeding set. We speculate that these genes are vital in the Icerya adaptation of Novius species.
We report the first Novius genome thus far. In addition, we provide comprehensive transcriptomic resources for N. pumilus. The results from this study may be helpful for understanding the association of the evolution of genes related to chemosensing, digestion, detoxification and immunity with the prey adaptation of insect predators. This will provide a reference for future research and utilization of Novius in biological control programs. Moreover, understanding the possible molecular mechanisms of prey adaptation also inform mass rearing of N. pumilus and other Novius, which may benefit pest control.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Antibiotic compounds in natural waters are normally present at low concentrations. In this paper, an easy and highly sensitive screening method using graphene oxide–functionalized magnetic composites ...(GO@NH
2
@Fe
3
O
4
) combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was established for twelve quinolone antibiotics. GO@NH
2
@Fe
3
O
4
composites were utilized as adsorbents for magnetic solid-phase extraction. This method combines the advantages of magnetic solid-phase extraction and MALDI-TOF MS, which allows for fast detection of quinolones at low concentrations. To improve absorption efficiency, the following parameters were individually optimized: sample acidity, extraction time, amount of adsorbent used, eluent used, and desorption time. Under the optimum conditions, the established method gave a low detection limit of 0.010 mg/L and allowed the high-throughput screening of twelve quinolone antibiotics (enoxacin, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, pefloxacin, fleroxacin, gatifloxacin, enrofloxacin, levofloxacin, sparfloxacin, danofloxacin, difloxacin, and lomefloxacin). The proposed method, having an easily prepared sorbent with a high affinity for quinolones and a convenient, high-throughput detection step, has been shown to have merit for the detection of antibiotics in water samples.
Graphical abstract
Schematic illustration of the (A) preparation of GO@NH
2
@Fe
3
O
4
and (B) operating procedure for the MSPE and MALDI-TOF MS detection of QNs
Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae), with about 210,000 new cases per year worldwide. Although numerous risk loci have been uncovered by genome-wide ...association studies, the effects of common genetic variants are relatively modest. To identify possible new genetic locus involved in susceptibility to leprosy, whole exome sequencing was performed for 28 subjects including 14 patients and 12 unaffected members from 8 leprosy-affected families as well as another case and an unrelated control, and then the follow-up SNP genotyping of the candidate variants was studied in case-control sample sets. A rare missense variant in mitochondrial ribosomal protein S5 (MRPS5), rs200730619 (c. 95108402T>C p. Tyr137Cys) was identified and validated in 369 cases and 270 controls of Chinese descent (Padjusted = 0.006, odds ratio OR = 2.74) as a contributing factor to leprosy risk. Moreover, the mRNA level of MRPS5 was downregulated in M. leprae sonicate-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Our results indicated that MRPS5 may be involved in leprosy pathogenesis. Further studies are needed to determine if defective MRPS5 could lead to impairment of energy metabolism of host immune cells, which could further cause defect in clearing M. leprae and increase susceptibility to infection.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Bacterial symbionts can play a key role in the interactions between trophic levels. Certain symbionts are known to confer protection against natural enemies of their arthropod hosts. However, whether ...natural enemies evolve and adapt to prey symbionts is not well understood.
In this study, we found that a free‐living strain of aphid symbiont Serratia symbiotica, SsMj, was the most discriminative biomarker of the aphid feeding in the microbiota of aphidophagous (aphid‐feeding) ladybirds. Moreover, SsMj persisted in the digestive tract of starved ladybirds and did not decay together with ingested aphid materials, suggesting horizontal transmission across trophic levels.
We further found that SsMj did not necessarily exhibit a negative impact on aphidophagous ladybirds of the Coccinellini tribe in contrast with other, non‐aphidophagous, ladybirds. First, starvation did not significantly change SsMj relative abundance or alpha microbiota diversity of an aphidophagous ladybird. Second, diets containing SsMj did not decrease the performance of the aphidophagous ladybirds. Third, infection with SsMj through injection had a minor impact on the survival of aphidophagous ladybirds.
Together, our evidence suggests that the aphid symbiont S. symbiotica can be horizontally transmitted to ladybird predators. At the same time, the group of ladybirds that have adapted to feeding on aphids have also evolved to establish a nearly neutral relationship with S. symbiotica, suggesting adaptation to a prey symbiont.
Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
细菌共生菌可以在不同营养级间生物的相互作用中起关键作用。其中一些共生菌可以帮助它们的节肢动物宿主抵御天敌。但是，我们仍不清楚天敌是否进化去适应它们猎物的共生菌。
本研究，我们发现一株营自由生活的蚜虫共生菌Serratia symbiotica(命名为SsMj)，是瓢虫取食蚜虫后瓢虫微生物组中相对丰度上升程度最大的细菌。不仅如此，SsMj不会随蚜虫一起被瓢虫消化掉，而是留存在瓢虫的消化道，说明它发生跨营养级的传播。
我们进一步发现SsMj不一定对蚜食性的瓢虫有负面的影响。首先，饥饿不会显著影响蚜食性瓢虫体内的SsMj相对丰度和微生物组的alpha多样性。然后，蚜食性的瓢虫不会因为取食添加SsMj的食物而表现力下降。最后，通过注射感染SsMj较轻微地降低蚜食性瓢虫的存活率。相对而言，SsMj对其它瓢虫有显著的负面影响。
总的来说，我们的证据表明一种蚜虫的共生菌S. symbiotica可以水平传播至蚜虫的捕食者瓢虫。另一方面，瓢虫中一个偏好食蚜的支系则通过适应进化，与S. symbiotica建立了一种近乎中性的关系。
Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
The parasubthalamic nucleus (PSTN) is considered to be involved in motivation, feeding and hunting, all of which are highly depending on wakefulness. However, the roles and underlying neural circuits ...of the PSTN in wakefulness remain unclear. Neurons expressing calretinin (CR) account for the majority of PSTN neurons. In this study in male mice, fiber photometry recordings showed that the activity of PSTN
neurons increased at the transitions from non-rapid eye movement (non-REM, NREM) sleep to either wakefulness or REM sleep, as well as exploratory behavior. Chemogenetic and optogenetic experiments demonstrated that PSTN
neurons were necessary for initiating and/or maintaining arousal associated with exploration. Photoactivation of projections of PSTN
neurons revealed that they regulated exploration-related wakefulness by innervating the ventral tegmental area. Collectively, our findings indicate that PSTN
circuitry is essential for the induction and maintenance of the awake state associated with exploration.
Increased oxidative stress and inflammation has a role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Drugs with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, such as ...N-acetylcysteine, might provide a useful therapeutic approach for COPD. We aimed to assess whether N-acetylcysteine could reduce the rate of exacerbations in patients with COPD.
In our prospective, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, we enrolled patients aged 40-80 years with moderate-to-severe COPD (post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s FEV1/forced vital capacity <0·7 and FEV1 of 30-70% of predicted) at 34 hospitals in China. We stratified patients according to use of inhaled corticosteroids (regular use or not) at baseline and randomly allocated them to receive N-acetylcysteine (one 600 mg tablet, twice daily) or matched placebo for 1 year. The primary endpoint was the annual exacerbation rate in patients who received at least one dose of study drug and had at least one assessment visit after randomisation. This study is registered with the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry, ChiCTR-TRC-09000460.
Between June 25, 2009, and Dec 29, 2010, we screened 1297 patients, of whom 1006 were eligible for randomisation (504 to N-acetylcysteine and 502 to placebo). After 1 year, we noted 497 acute exacerbations in 482 patients in the N-acetylcysteine group who received at least one dose and had at least one assessment visit (1·16 exacerbations per patient-year) and 641 acute exacerbations in 482 patients in the placebo group (1·49 exacerbations per patient-year; risk ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·67-0·90; p=0·0011). N-acetylcysteine was well tolerated: 146 (29%) of 495 patients who received at least one dose of N-acetylcysteine had adverse events (48 serious), as did 130 (26%) of 495 patients who received at least one dose of placebo (46 serious). The most common serious adverse event was acute exacerbation of COPD, occurring in 32 (6%) of 495 patients in the N-acetylcysteine group and 36 (7%) of 495 patients in the placebo group.
Our findings show that in Chinese patients with moderate-to-severe COPD, long-term use of N-acetylcysteine 600 mg twice daily can prevent exacerbations, especially in disease of moderate severity. Future studies are needed to explore efficacy in patients with mild COPD (GOLD I).
Hainan Zambon Pharmaceutical.
Interactions at the single-molecule interface play vital roles in biology and nanotechnology. However, nanopore technology hardly describes the transient interaction kinetics of small molecules due ...to fast translocation events and weak ionic current fluctuations. Here, we employed an improved frequency spectrum method for analyzing the ion current fluctuations induced by small molecules entering the nanopore. This frequency spectrum analysis method allows for the analysis of transient current changes beyond the instrumental temporal resolution. The parameter (peak amplitude, a m) from the frequency spectrum is used for analyzing the transient interaction kinetics on poly(dA)2 with the aerolysin nanopore. A nearly consistent linear relationship of a m and interaction rate (1/τon) reveals the kinetics of the interaction by the a m value. Moreover, we analyzed the ionic current generated by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) molecules through the aerolysin nanopore. The results demonstrate that kinetics hidden in the open-pore current noise is accessible by this frequency spectrum analysis method, thereby providing insights into elucidating the molecular transient interactions.
A 69‐year‐old male patient was admitted by 10 h severe chest pain. Computed tomography angiography showed a 7.3 cm aneurysm of the aortic arch. We used a three‐dimensional parametric surface planar ...topological guide plate to prepare a guide plate in 40 min. The plate was used to localize the opening of the aortic arch branches on table to create a physician‐modified stent graft (PMSG). The aneurysm was successfully repaired by the triple inner branched PMSG, with no endoleak and all the branched arteries patency in follow‐up. This technique could not only make accurate fenestration but also meet the need for emergency surgery.
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