An Outbreak of Foodborne Botulism Caused by BoNT/A3 in Pickled Eggs - Weihai City, Shandong Province, China, July 2024.

What Is Already Known About This Topic?: Foodborne botulism is caused by botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT). () is a strictly anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium, which is a key pathogen capable of producing BoNT. BoNTs can be classified into seven serotypes (A to G) based on their antigenic properties.

Density functional theory calculation for understanding the roles of biochar in immobilizing exchangeable Al and enhancing soil quality in acidic soils.

Soil acidification poses a significant threat to agricultural productivity and ecological balance. While lime is a common remedy, it can have limitations, including nutrient deficiencies and potential soil compaction. Therefore, exploring alternative and sustainable amendments is crucial.

A Novel System for Simultaneous Real-Time Determination of N-Enriched Ammonia, Hydroxylamine, Nitrite, and Nitrate.

Ammonium (NH), hydroxylamine (NHOH), nitrite (NO), and nitrate (NO) account for the most important reactive nitrogen (N) species in the N cycle, playing a key role in N elimination and N retention, as well as the production of nitrogenous trace gases. However, it is still challenging to fulfill simultaneous real-time determination of all four N compounds enriched in N. This study successfully established a novel system by coupling an utomatic imultaneous ample reparation unit to a embrane nlet ass pectrometer (4n-ASSP-MIMS) for rapid online N fraction analysis of all four key compounds in the N cycle.

Fire Reduces Soil Nitrate Retention While Increasing Soil Nitrogen Production and Loss Globally.

Elucidating the response of soil gross nitrogen (N) transformations to fires could improve our understanding of how fire affects N availability and loss. Yet, how internal soil gross N transformation rates respond to fires remains unexplored globally. Here, we investigate the general response of gross soil N transformations to fire and its consequences for N availability and loss.

Heterologous expression of Halostachys caspica pathogenesis-related protein 10 increases salt and drought resistance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana.

Pathogenesis-related proteins (PR), whose expressions are induced by biotic and abiotic stress, play important roles in plant defense. Previous research identified the salt-induced HcPR10 gene in the halophyte Halostachys caspica as a regulator of plant growth and development through interactions with cytokinin. However, the mechanisms by which HcPR10 mediates resistance to abiotic stress remain poorly understood.

Mitigating the health risk of antibiotic resistance genes through reductive soil disinfestation in protected agroecosystems.

Soil used to grow vegetable crops is usually subjected to various soil management strategies. However, the effects of these management strategies on antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which have important implications for human health, are still poorly understood. Here, we examined the effects of reductive soil disinfestation (RSD) on soil ARG profiles, the composition of the bacterial community, and the interactions between ARG hosts and nonhosts in soils under different fertilization regimes.

Exploration of a brain-inspired photon reservoir computing network based on quantum-dot spin-VCSELs.

Based on small-world network theory, we have developed a brain-inspired photonic reservoir computing (RC) network system utilizing quantum dot spin-vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (QD spin-VCSELs) and formulated a comprehensive theoretical model for it. This innovative network system comprises input layers, a reservoir network layer, and output layers. The reservoir network layer features four distinct reservoir modules that are asymmetrically coupled.

Jiedu recipe, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis by inhibiting the release of tumor-derived exosomes in a hypoxic microenvironment.

Objective: Tumor-derived exosomes (TDEs) play crucial roles in intercellular communication. Hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment enhances secretion of TDEs and accelerates tumor metastasis. Jiedu recipe (JR), a traditional Chinese medicinal formula, has demonstrated efficacy in preventing the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Surface acoustic wave platform integrated with ultraviolet activated rGO-SnS nanocomposites to achieve ppb-level dimethyl methylphosphonate detection at room-temperature.

Dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) is commonly used as an alternative for demonstrating to detect sarin, which is one of the most toxic but odorless chemical nerve agents. Among various types of DMMP sensors, those utilizing surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology provide notable advantages such as wireless/passive monitoring, digital output, and a compact, portable design. However, key challenges for SAW-based DMMP sensors operated at room temperature lies in simultaneous enhancement of sensitivities and reduction of detection limits.

Bifunctional and recyclable polyesters by chemoselective ring-opening polymerization of a δ-lactone derived from CO and butadiene.

When aiming at the direct use of CO for the preparation of advanced/value-added materials, the synthesis of CO/olefin copolymers is very appealing but challenging. The δ-lactone 3-ethylidene-6-vinyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-one (EVP), synthesized by telomerization of CO with 1,3-butadiene, is a promising monomer. However, its chemoselective ring-opening polymerization (ROP) is hampered by unfavorable thermodynamics and the competitive polymerization of highly reactive C=C double bonds under usual conditions.

Monitoring Gene Sequences of Using a Love-Mode Surface Acoustic Wave Biosensor Coated with Cellulose Acetate/Polyethylenimine Nanofibers and Au Nanoparticles.

Love-mode surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors show great promise for biodetection applications owing to their low cost, digital output, and wireless passive capability, but their performance is often restricted by the availability of suitable sensitive membrane layers. Herein, a composite layer of electrospun fibers made from cellulose acetate and polyethylenimine, coated with gold nanoparticles, is proposed as a porous and sensitive membrane coated onto a love-mode SAW biosensor for monitoring gene sequences of . The results showed that the developed sensor exhibited an impressive sensitivity of 122.

Bulky Phosphazenium Salt Controlling Chemoselective Terpolymerization of Epoxide, Anhydride and CO: From Well-Defined Block to Truly Random Copolymers.

Copolymers with precise compositions and controlled sequences are great appealing for high-performance polymeric materials, but their synthesis is very challenging. In this study, tetrakis[tris(dimethylamino)phosphoranylidenamino] phosphonium chloride (P5Cl) and triethylboron (TEB) were chosen as the binary catalyst to synthesize both well-defined block and truly random poly(ester-carbonate) copolymers via the one-pot/one-step terpolymerization of epoxide/anhydride/CO under metal-free conditions. The bulky nature of phosphazenium cation not only led to loose cation-anion pairs and enhanced the reactivity, but also provided the chain-end an appropriate protection and improved the controllability.

Bioactive sphingolipids as emerging targets for signal transduction in cancer development.

Sphingolipids, crucial components of cellular membranes, play a vital role in maintaining cellular structure and signaling integrity. Disruptions in sphingolipid metabolism are increasingly implicated in cancer development. Key bioactive sphingolipids, such as ceramides, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P), and glycosphingolipids, profoundly impact tumor biology.

Signature Search Polestar: a comprehensive drug repurposing method evaluation assistant for customized oncogenic signature.

Summary: The burgeoning high-throughput technologies have led to a significant surge in the scale of pharmacotranscriptomic datasets, especially for oncology. Signature search methods (SSMs), utilizing oncogenic signatures formed by differentially expressed genes through sequencing, have been instrumental in anti-cancer drug screening and identifying mechanisms of action without relying on prior knowledge. However, various studies have found that different SSMs exhibit varying performance across pharmacotranscriptomic datasets.

Enhancing soil gross nitrogen transformation through regulation of microbial nitrogen-cycling genes by biodegradable microplastics.

Microplastics (MPs) in agricultural plastic film mulching system changes microbial functions and nutrient dynamics in soils. However, how biodegradable MPs impact the soil gross nitrogen (N) transformations and crop N uptake remain significantly unknown. In this study, we conducted a paired labeling N tracer experiment and microbial N-cycling gene analysis to investigate the dynamics and mechanisms of soil gross N transformation processes in soils amended with conventional (polyethylene, PE) and biodegradable (polybutylene adipate co-terephthalate, PBAT) MPs at concentrations of 0 %, 0.

Association between frailty and hypoproteinaemia in older patients: meta-analysis and systematic review.

Objective: Frailty and hypoproteinaemia are common in older individuals. Although there is evidence of a correlation between frailty and hypoproteinaemia, the relationship between frailty and hypoproteinaemia in hospitalized/critically ill and older community residents has not been clarified. Therefore, the aim of our meta-analysis was to evaluate the associations between frailty and hypoproteinaemia in different types of patients.

Nutrient responses of vascular plants to N-fixing tree Alnus hirsuta encroachment in a boreal peatland.

The N-fixing trees Alnus spp. have been widely encroaching into boreal peatlands, but the nutrient responses of native vascular plants remain unclear. Here, we compared nutrient concentrations and isotope signal of six common plants (Betula fruticosa, Salix rosmarinifolia, Vaccinium uliginosum, Rhododendron tomentosum, Chamaedaphne calyculata, and Eriophorum vaginatum) between Alnus hirsuta island and open peatland and assessed plant nutrient responses to A.

Nitrifying niche in estuaries is expanded by the plastisphere.

The estuarine plastisphere, a novel ecological habitat in the Anthropocene, has garnered global concerns. Recent geochemical evidence has pointed out its potential role in influencing nitrogen biogeochemistry. However, the biogeochemical significance of the plastisphere and its mechanisms regulating nitrogen cycling remain elusive.

Prodrug-inspired adenosine triphosphate-activatable celastrol-Fe(III) chelate for cancer therapy.

Celastrol (CEL), an active compound isolated from the root of , exhibits broad anticancer activities. However, its poor stability, narrow therapeutic window and numerous adverse effects limit its applications in vivo. In this study, an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) activatable CEL-Fe(III) chelate was designed, synthesized, and then encapsulated with a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive polymer to obtain CEL-Fe nanoparticles (CEL-Fe NPs).

High-Strength, Thin, and Lightweight Solid Polymer Electrolyte for Superior All-Solid-State Sodium Metal Batteries.

The utilization of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) in all-solid-state sodium metal batteries has been extensively explored due to their excellent flexibility, processability adaptability to match roll-to-roll manufacturing processes, and good interfacial contact with a high-capacity Na anode; however, SPEs are still impeded by their inadequate mechanical strength, excessive thickness, and poor stability with Na anodes. Herein, a robust, thin, and cost-effective polyethylene (PE) film is employed as a skeleton for infiltrating poly(ethylene oxide)-sodium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (PEO/NaTFSI) to fabricate PE-PEO/NaTFSI SPE. The resulting SPE features a remarkable thickness of 25 μm, lightweight property (2.