Abrupt drought–flood alternation (T1) is a meteorological disaster that frequently occurs during summer in southern China and the Yangtze river basin, often causing a significant loss of rice ...production. In this study, the response mechanism of yield decline under abrupt drought–flood alternation stress at the panicle differentiation stage was analyzed by looking at the metabolome, proteome as well as yield and physiological and biochemical indexes. The results showed that drought and flood stress caused a decrease in the yield of rice at the panicle differentiation stage, and abrupt drought–flood alternation stress created a synergistic effect for the reduction of yield. The main reason for the decrease of yield per plant under abrupt drought–flood alternation was the decrease of seed setting rate. Compared with CK0 (no drought and no flood), the net photosynthetic rate and soluble sugar content of T1 decreased significantly and its hydrogen peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase activity increased significantly. The identified differential metabolites and differentially expressed proteins indicated that photosynthesis metabolism, energy metabolism pathway and reactive oxygen species response have changed strongly under abrupt drought–flood alteration stress, which are factors that leads to the rice grain yield reduction.
Although many solar‐driven water evaporators are developed for solar steam generation, most solarthermal energy conversion materials cannot be used repeatedly for constructing solarthermal water ...evaporators with variable shapes and patternable surfaces. Herein, reshapable Ti3C2Tx MXene/graphene oxide (GO)/polyaniline (PANI) (MGP) hybrids with variable shapes and patternable surfaces are fabricated by PANI‐assisted assembly of GO and MXene for efficient solar‐driven purifications of both seawater and wastewater. The variable shapes, patternable surfaces, and reusability of the plastic MGP hybrids are attributed to the strong interactions of PANI with both GO and MXene. Benefiting from the excellent solarthermal energy conversion of hydrophilic GO and MXene, the variable shapes and patternable surfaces of the MGP, and the reduced water vaporization enthalpy, the patternable MGP evaporators with flat and concave pyramid surfaces exhibit average water evaporation rates of as high as 2.89 and 3.30 kg m−2 h−1 under 1‐sun irradiation, respectively. When the plastic MGP is molded to a flower‐shaped evaporator, an outstanding evaporation rate of ≈3.94 kg m−2 h−1 with an exceptional evaporation efficiency of ≈135.6% is achieved under 1‐sun irradiation. The reusable MGP evaporators are highly efficient in generating clean water from both seawater and wastewater with satisfactory ion rejection rates of nearly 100%.
Reshapable Ti3C2Tx MXene/graphene oxide (GO)/polyaniline (PANI) (MGP) hybrids with variable shapes and patternable surfaces are fabricated for efficient solar‐driven purifications of both seawater and wastewater by PANI‐assisted assembly of GO and MXene. The patternable MGP evaporators with a concave pyramid surface and a flower‐like shape exhibit outstanding water evaporation rates of 3.30 and 3.94 kg m−2 h−1 under 1‐sun irradiation, respectively.
Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a pandemic worldwide. Currently, however, no effective drug or vaccine is available to treat or prevent the ...resulting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Here, we report our discovery of a promising anti-COVID-19 drug candidate, the lipoglycopeptide antibiotic dalbavancin, based on virtual screening of the FDA-approved peptide drug library combined with in vitro and in vivo functional antiviral assays. Our results showed that dalbavancin directly binds to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) with high affinity, thereby blocking its interaction with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Furthermore, dalbavancin effectively prevents SARS-CoV-2 replication in Vero E6 cells with an EC
of ~12 nM. In both mouse and rhesus macaque models, viral replication and histopathological injuries caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection are significantly inhibited by dalbavancin administration. Given its high safety and long plasma half-life (8-10 days) shown in previous clinical trials, our data indicate that dalbavancin is a promising anti-COVID-19 drug candidate.
The excessive emission of CO
2
has caused many environmental issues and is severely threatening the eco-system. CO
2
electroreduction reaction (CO
2
RR) that driven by sustainable power is an ideal ...route for realizing the net reduction of CO
2
and carbon recycle. Developing efficient electrocatalysts with low cost and high performance is critical for the wide applications of CO
2
RR electrolysis. Among the various explored CO
2
RR catalysts, non-noble metal (NNM)-based nanomaterials have drawn increasing attentions due to the remarkable performance and low cost. In this mini-review, the recent advances of NNM-based CO
2
RR catalysts are summarized, and the catalysts are classified based on their corresponding reduction products. The preparation strategies for engineering the electrocatalysts are introduced, and the relevant CO
2
RR mechanisms are discussed in detail. Finally, the current challenges in CO
2
RR research are presented, and some perspectives are proposed for the future development of CO
2
RR technology. This mini-review introduces the recent advances and frontiers of NNM-based CO
2
RR catalysts, which should shed light on the further exploration of efficient CO
2
RR electrocatalysts.
Graphical abstract
To enhance the sensitivity of graphene aerogel‐based piezoresistive sensors by weakening their compressive strength while keeping their elasticity, lightweight and lamellar graphene aerogels (LGAs) ...with high elasticity and satisfactory electrical conductance networks are fabricated by bidirectional‐freezing of aqueous suspensions of graphene oxide in the presence of small amounts of organic solvents, followed by lyophilizing and thermal annealing. Because of the lamellar structure of the LGA, its compressive strength along the direction perpendicular to the lamellar surface is much lower than those of both isotropic and unidirectionally aligned graphene aerogels with similar apparent densities, leading to an ultrasensitive LGA‐based piezoresistive sensor with a high sensitivity of −3.69 kPa−1 and a low detection limit of 0.15 Pa. The ultrahigh sensitivity and low detection limit of LGA‐based piezoresistive sensor contribute to detecting subtle pressure at room temperature and in liquid nitrogen with ability to detect dynamic force frequency and sound vibration. Besides, thanks to the fewer junction points between the graphene lamellae, LGAs slices can be integrated as a wide‐range and sensitive bending sensor, which can detect arbitrary bending angles from 0° to 180° with a low detection limit of 0.29°, and is efficient in detecting biosignals of wrist pulse and finger bending.
Soft yet elastic lamellar graphene aerogels are fabricated by bidirectional‐freezing graphene oxide suspension with the addition of ethanol, followed by freeze‐drying and thermal annealing. An aerogel‐derived piezoresistive sensor exhibits both a high sensitivity of −3.69 kPa−1 and a low detection limit of 0.15 Pa, while the aerogel‐based bending sensor shows a wide detecting range and a low detection limit of 0.29°.
COVID-19 is associated with 5.1% mortality. Although the virological, epidemiological, clinical, and management outcome features of COVID-19 patients have been defined rapidly, the inflammatory and ...immune profiles require definition as they influence pathogenesis and clinical expression of COVID-19. Here we show lymphopenia, selective loss of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells and NK cells, excessive T-cell activation and high expression of T-cell inhibitory molecules are more prominent in severe cases than in those with mild disease. CD8+ T cells in patients with severe disease express high levels of cytotoxic molecules. Histochemical studies of lung tissue from one fatality show sub-anatomical distributions of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and massive infiltration of T cells and macrophages. Thus, aberrant activation and dysregulation of CD8+ T cells occur in patients with severe COVID-19 disease, an effect that might be for pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection and indicate that immune-based targets for therapeutic interventions constitute a promising treatment for severe COVID-19 patients.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most prevalent reproductive disorders in women worldwide. Despite rigorous research, the exact molecular mechanism that governs PCOS pathogenesis ...remains unclear. To investigate the potential roles of circular RNAs (circRNAs), this study sequenced ribosomal RNA‐depleted total RNA from exosomes of follicle fluids obtained from PCOS patients using non‐PCOS samples as controls. Bioinformatic analysis identified 167 upregulated and 245 downregulated circRNAs from a total of 16,771 detected candidates. Functional analysis suggests that pathways related to bacterial infection, associated chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress could be targeted by the differential circRNAs in PCOS patients. The obtained sequencing results were further validated by quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction and a circRNA–microRNA interaction network was constructed. The obtained results provide a valuable addition to the published studies on the mechanism of PCOS pathogenesis by revealing a wide variety of new circRNAs, miRNA, and gene targets that merit further investigation.
We have provided the first study on the dysregulation of circRNAs in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome using RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. We identified over 16,771 differentially expressed circRNA candidates, many of which showed implication in pathological processes such as bacterial infection, oxidative stress, and autophagy.
Land use policies have turned southern China into one of the most intensively managed forest regions in the world, with actions maximizing forest cover on soils with marginal agricultural potential ...while concurrently increasing livelihoods and mitigating climate change. Based on satellite observations, here we show that diverse land use changes in southern China have increased standing aboveground carbon stocks by 0.11 ± 0.05 Pg C y
during 2002-2017. Most of this regional carbon sink was contributed by newly established forests (32%), while forests already existing contributed 24%. Forest growth in harvested forest areas contributed 16% and non-forest areas contributed 28% to the carbon sink, while timber harvest was tripled. Soil moisture declined significantly in 8% of the area. We demonstrate that land management in southern China has been removing an amount of carbon equivalent to 33% of regional fossil CO
emissions during the last 6 years, but forest growth saturation, land competition for food production and soil-water depletion challenge the longevity of this carbon sink service.
Abstract
Most triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients fail to respond to T cell-mediated immunotherapies. Unfortunately, the molecular determinants are still poorly understood. Breast cancer is ...the disease genetically linked to a deficiency in autophagy. Here, we show that autophagy defects in TNBC cells inhibit T cell-mediated tumour killing in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we identify Tenascin-C as a candidate for autophagy deficiency-mediated immunosuppression, in which Tenascin-C is Lys63-ubiquitinated by Skp2, particularly at Lys942 and Lys1882, thus promoting its recognition by p62 and leading to its selective autophagic degradation. High Tenascin-C expression is associated with poor prognosis and inversely correlated with LC3B expression and CD8
+
T cells in TNBC patients. More importantly, inhibition of Tenascin-C in autophagy-impaired TNBC cells sensitizes T cell-mediated tumour killing and improves antitumour effects of single anti-PD1/PDL1 therapy. Our results provide a potential strategy for targeting TNBC with the combination of Tenascin-C blockade and immune checkpoint inhibitors.
The accumulation of lipid peroxides is recognized as a determinant of the occurrence of ferroptosis. However, the sensors and amplifying process of lipid peroxidation linked to ferroptosis remain ...obscure. Here we identify PKCβII as a critical contributor of ferroptosis through independent genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 and kinase inhibitor library screening. Our results show that PKCβII senses the initial lipid peroxides and amplifies lipid peroxidation linked to ferroptosis through phosphorylation and activation of ACSL4. Lipidomics analysis shows that activated ACSL4 catalyses polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing lipid biosynthesis and promotes the accumulation of lipid peroxidation products, leading to ferroptosis. Attenuation of the PKCβII-ACSL4 pathway effectively blocks ferroptosis in vitro and impairs ferroptosis-associated cancer immunotherapy in vivo. Our results identify PKCβII as a sensor of lipid peroxidation, and the lipid peroxidation-PKCβII-ACSL4 positive-feedback axis may provide potential targets for ferroptosis-associated disease treatment.
PDF
