The slow rate of extracellular electron transfer (EET) of electroactive microorganisms remains a primary bottleneck that restricts the practical applications of bioelectrochemical systems. ...Intracellular NAD(H/
) (i.e., the total level of NADH and NAD
) is a crucial source of the intracellular electron pool from which intracellular electrons are transferred to extracellular electron acceptors via EET pathways. However, how the total level of intracellular NAD(H/
) impacts the EET rate in Shewanella oneidensis has not been established. Here, we use a modular synthetic biology strategy to redirect metabolic flux towards NAD
biosynthesis via three modules: de novo, salvage, and universal biosynthesis modules in S. oneidensis MR-1. The results demonstrate that an increase in intracellular NAD(H/
) results in the transfer of more electrons from the increased oxidation of the electron donor to the EET pathways of S. oneidensis, thereby enhancing intracellular electron flux and the EET rate.
Prime editing is a novel and universal CRISPR/Cas-derived precision genome-editing technology that has been recently developed. However, low efficiency of prime editing has been shown in transgenic ...rice lines. We hypothesize that enhancing pegRNA expression could improve prime-editing efficiency. In this report, we describe two strategies for enhancing pegRNA expression. We construct a prime editing vector harboring two pegRNA variants for W542L and S621I double mutations in ZmALS1 and ZmALS2. Compared with previous reports in rice, we achieve much higher prime-editing efficiency in maize. Our results are inspiring and provide a direction for the optimization of plant prime editors.
Polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS) foam as one of next‐generation polymer foam materials shows poor surface adhesion and limited functionality, which greatly restricts its potential applications. ...Fabrication of advanced PDMS foam materials with multiple functionalities remains a critical challenge. In this study, unprecedented self‐adhesive PDMS foam materials are reported with worm‐like rough structure and reactive groups for fabricating multifunctional PDMS foam nanocomposites decorated with MXene/cellulose nanofiber (MXene/CNF) interconnected network by a facile silicone foaming and dip‐coating strategy followed by silane surface modification. Interestingly, such self‐adhesive PDMS foam produces strong interfacial adhesion with the hybrid MXene/CNF nano‐coatings. Consequently, the optimized PDMS foam nanocomposites have excellent surface super‐hydrophobicity (water contact angle of ≈159o), tunable electrical conductivity (from 10−8 to 10 S m−1), stable compressive cyclic reliability in both wide‐temperature range (from −20 to 200 oC) and complex environments (acid, sodium, and alkali conditions), outstanding flame resistance (LOI value of >27% and low smoke production rate), good thermal insulating performance and reliable strain sensing in various stress modes and complex environmental conditions. It provides a new route for the rational design and development of advanced PDMS foam nanocomposites with versatile multifunctionalities for various promising applications such as intelligent healthcare monitoring and fire‐safe thermal insulation.
Polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS) foam usually exhibits poor surface adhesion and limited functionality, restricting the potential applications. Here, self‐adhesive PDMS foams with worm‐like rough structure and reactive groups are fabricated by a facile silicone foaming approach. Decorating with MXene/cellulose nanofiber interconnected network and using silane modification, exceptional multifunctionalities PDMS nanocomposites are prepared, showing versatile applications in thermal insulating and smart sensing fields.
The fire detection plays a critical role in the maintenance of public security. Previous approaches of early fire warning, based on smoke or temperature response must be set in the proximity of a ...fire. They cannot provide the additional information of fire location or size and are susceptible to complicated situations. It is still a big challenge to make rapid and accurate early fire warning in precombustion because of the lack of reliable alarm signals. Herein, a precursor molecular sensor (PMS) is designed and synthesized that can present the chemical structure transformation to form phthalocyanines (Pcs) and release a color change signal at about 180 °C, learning from the plant chlorophyll metabolism. Further, the PMS is assembled to an early fire warning component (EWC) and an intelligent image recognition algorithm is introduced for unburned fire detection. The EWC generates a colorful alarm within 20 s at 275 °C. Therefore, the facile PMS provides a reliable real‐time monitoring strategy to the early fire warning detection in precombustion.
A bioinspired color changing molecular sensor is designed to achieve early fire detection based on transformation of phthalonitrile to phthalocyanine, learning from the plant chlorophyll metabolism. An intelligent image recognition algorithm is applied and the sensor generates colorful alarm within 20 s at 275 °C. This study provides a reliable real‐time monitoring strategy to the early fire detection in precombustion.
There are two shortcomings existing in the current color image encryption. One is that high correlation between
R
,
G
,
B
components of the original image may be neglected, the other is that the ...encryption has little relationship with the plain image, and then it is vulnerable to be broken. In order to solve these two problems and present secure and effective image encryption scheme, we introduce a novel chaos-based image encryption algorithm for color images based on three-dimensional (3-D) bit-plane permutation. In the proposed algorithm, the color plain image is firstly converted to 24 bit planes by
RGB
splitting and bit plane decomposition, next three-dimensional bit-plane permutation is performed on bit planes, position sequences for permutation are obtained from the 3D Chen chaotic system, and then the three confused components are gotten. Secondly, three key matrices are generated by a 1D chaotic system and a multilevel discretization method, and finally, the color cipher image is obtained by diffusing the confused components using key matrices. The SHA 256 hash function value of the plain image is obtained and combined with the given parameters to calculate the parameters and initial values of the chaotic system, so that the proposed scheme highly depends on the plain image and it may effectively withstand known-plaintext and chosen-plaintext attacks. Simulation results and security analyses demonstrate that our algorithm not only has good encryption effect, but can also resist against common attacks, so it is reliable to be applied for image secure communications.
Quality control can decrease variations in the performance of colonoscopists and improve the effectiveness of colonoscopy to prevent colorectal cancers. Unfortunately, routine quality control is ...difficult to carry out because a practical method is lacking. The aim of this study was to develop an automatic quality control system (AQCS) and assess whether it could improve polyp and adenoma detection in clinical practice.
First, we developed AQCS based on deep convolutional neural network models for timing of the withdrawal phase, supervising withdrawal stability, evaluating bowel preparation, and detecting colorectal polyps. Next, consecutive patients were prospectively randomized to undergo routine colonoscopies with or without the assistance of AQCS. The primary outcome of the study was the adenoma detection rate (ADR) in the AQCS and control groups.
A total of 659 patients were enrolled and randomized. A total of 308 and 315 patients were analyzed in the AQCS and control groups, respectively. AQCS significantly increased the ADR (0.289 vs 0.165, P < .001) and the mean number of adenomas per procedure (0.367 vs 0.178, P < .001) compared with the control group. A significant increase was also observed in the polyp detection rate (0.383 vs 0.254, P = .001) and the mean number of polyps detected per procedure (0.575 vs 0.305, P < .001). In addition, the withdrawal time (7.03 minutes vs 5.68 minutes, P < .001) and adequate bowel preparation rate (87.34% vs 80.63%, P = .023) were superior for the AQCS group.
AQCS could effectively improve the performance of colonoscopists during the withdrawal phase and significantly increase polyp and adenoma detection. (Clinical trial registration number: NCT03622281.)
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Pathological angiogenesis is a critical component of diseases, such as ocular disorders, cancers, and atherosclerosis. It is usually caused by the abnormal activity of biological processes, such as ...cell proliferation, cell motility, immune, or inflammation response. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators of these biological processes. However, the role of lncRNA in diabetes mellitus-induced microvascular dysfunction is largely unknown.
To elucidate whether lncRNA-myocardial infarction-associated transcript (MIAT) is involved in diabetes mellitus-induced microvascular dysfunction.
Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we demonstrated increased expression of lncRNA-MIAT in diabetic retinas and endothelial cells cultured in high glucose medium. Visual electrophysiology examination, TUNEL staining, retinal trypsin digestion, vascular permeability assay, and in vitro studies revealed that MIAT knockdown obviously ameliorated diabetes mellitus-induced retinal microvascular dysfunction in vivo, and inhibited endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation in vitro. Bioinformatics analysis, luciferase assay, RNA immunoprecipitation, and in vitro studies revealed that MIAT functioned as a competing endogenous RNA, and formed a feedback loop with vascular endothelial growth factor and miR-150-5p to regulate endothelial cell function.
This study highlights the involvement of lncRNA-MIAT in pathological angiogenesis and facilitates the development of lncRNA-directed diagnostics and therapeutics against neovascular diseases.
Inflammation is a complex physiological process that poses a serious threat to people's health. However, the potential molecular mechanisms of inflammation are still not clear. Moreover, there is ...lack of effective anti-inflammatory drugs that meet the clinical requirement. Procyanidin A1 (PCA1) is a monomer component isolated from Procyanidin and shows various pharmacological activities. This study further demonstrated the regulatory role of PCA1 on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammatory response and oxidative stress in RAW264.7 cells. Our data showed that PCA1 dramatically attenuated the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as NO, iNOS, IL-6, and TNF-α in RAW264.7 cells administrated with LPS. PCA1 blocked IκB-α degradation, inhibited IKKα/β and IκBα phosphorylation, and suppressed nuclear translocation of p65 in RAW264.7 cells induced by LPS. PCA1 also suppressed the phosphorylation of JNK1/2, p38, and ERK1/2 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, PCA1 increased the expression of HO-1, reduced the expression of Keap1, and promoted Nrf2 into the nuclear in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Cellular thermal shift assay indicated that PCA1 bond to TLR4. Meanwhile, PCA1 inhibited the production of intracellular ROS and alleviated the depletion of mitochondrial membrane potential in vitro. Collectively, our data indicated that PCA1 exhibited a significant anti-inflammatory effect, suggesting that it is a potential agent for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
In this work, by using two kinds of viologen ligands three POM‐based Compounds were obtained under hydrothermal conditions, namely AgI(bmypd)0.5(β‐Mo8O26)0.5 (1) (bmypd ⋅ ...2Cl=1,1′‐Biphenyl‐4,4′‐bis(methylene)bis(4,4′‐bipyridyinium)dichloride), AgI2(bypy)4(HSiW12O40)2 ⋅ 14H2O (2) and AgI(bypy)(γ‐Mo8O26)0.5 (3) (bypy⋅Cl=1‐Benzyl‐4,4′‐bipyridyinium chloride). The structures were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT–IR), Powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and single crystal X‐ray diffraction. Compounds 1–3 show excellent photochromic ability with fast photoresponse under the irradiation of ultraviolet light with different degrees of color changes. So compounds 1–3 can be used as visible ultraviolet detectors. Compounds 1–3 also possess photoluminescence properties with fast and excellent fluorescence quenching effect. Compounds 1–3 also can be used as inkless and erasable printing materials with suspensions of 1–3 applied to filter paper. Compounds 1–3 can also produce color changes in amine vapor environment, especially in an NH3 atmosphere. Compounds 1–3 can be used as organic amine detectors.
Three polyoxometalate‐viologen Compounds were designed and constructed by using two viologen ligands. Compounds 1–3 show excellent photochromic features with fast photoresponse under irradiation of ultraviolet light with different degrees of color changes. These Compounds exhibit amine detecting and inkless and erasable printing properties, and they can be prepared into a mixed matrix film as a good UV detector.
Background
Accumulating evidence indicated that miRNAs are important regulators involved in cancer biology.
Aims
We aimed to investigate the biological functions and potentially underlying molecular ...mechanism of miR-525-5p in CC.
Methods
RT-PCR and Western blot assay were performed to detect mRNA and protein expression. Cell proliferation, anoikis resistance, and cell invasion were analyzed.
Results
We observed that the expression of miR-525-5p was declined in several CC cell lines. Additionally, introduction of miR-525-5p dramatically hampered cell viability, invasiveness, and migration ability through modulating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marked genes as reflected by the upregulation of E-cadherin, as well as the downregulation of vimentin and N-cadherin. Furthermore, administration of miR-525-5p markedly reduced anchorage-independent growth and anoikis resistance accompanied by a decrease in the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and an increase in the expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bax, C-caspase 3, and C-PARP1. Most importantly, analysis using publicly available algorithms predicted that UBE2C was a direct and functional target of miR-525-5p. Luciferase assays coupled with RT-PCR and Western blot analysis further verified that miR-525-5p negatively regulated UBE2C expression. Interestingly, miR-525-5p modulated ZEB1/2 expression via targeting UBE2C. Mechanically, administration of UBE2C partially blunted the salutary effects of miR-525-5p on invasive ability, EMT, and anoikis resistance, indicating that miR-525-5p acts as a tumor suppressor in CC largely through repression of UBE2C/ZEB1/2 signaling.
Conclusions
Taken together, our data identify a novel signaling axis of miR-525-5p/UBE2C/ZEB1/2 in repressing EMT and anoikis resistance, and likely serve as a potential therapeutic target for CC metastasis and prognosis as well as a therapeutic application.
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