Pleiotropic Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) Mining for Regulating Wheat Processing Quality- and Yield-Related Traits.

To investigate the genetic basis of processing quality- and yield-related traits in bread wheat ( L., AABBDD), a systematic analysis of wheat processing quality- and yield-related traits based on genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of 285 regional test lines of wheat from Hebei province, China, was conducted. A total of 87 quantitative trait loci (QTL), including twenty-one for water absorption (WA), four for wet gluten content, eight for grain protein content, seventeen for dough stability time (DST), thirteen for extension area (EA), twelve for maximum resistance (MR), five for thousand-grain weight (TGW), one for grain length, and six for grain width were identified.

A review of material design for high performance triboelectric nanogenerators: performance improvement based on charge generation and charge loss.

As a type of innovative device, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are capable of converting mechanical energy into electrical energy through the triboelectric effect. Based on the working mechanism, the output performance of TENGs heavily relies on the triboelectric materials used. The modification of triboelectric materials is the most efficient way to improve the output performance of TENGs.

Quaternary Dielectric Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Self-Powered Electrochemical Systems.

The energy conversion efficiency of conventional binary dielectric triboelectric nanogenerators is not satisfactory due to the limitations of material selection and triboelectrification, which motivates the design of more efficient multicomponent structures to reveal the charge accumulation mechanism for improving the energy conversion efficiency. Herein, a rotating quaternary dielectric triboelectric nanogenerator (Q-TENG) is designed to construct a self-powered system integrating illumination, sensing, and electrochemical decolorization. Through the equivalent capacitance model, the mechanisms for charge generation, transfer, and accumulation in a Q-TENG are elucidated to achieve efficient matching of quaternary dielectric materials and high output performance.

Achieving Ultrahigh DC-Power Triboelectric Nanogenerators by Lightning Rod-Inspired Field Emission Modeling.

Direct current triboelectric nanogenerators (DC-TENGs) are a groundbreaking technology to capture micromechanical energy from the natural environment, which is crucial for directly powering sensor networks. However, the research bottleneck in enhancing the triboelectric electrification capability and charge storage capability of dielectrics has hindered the overall performance breakthroughs of the DC-TENG. Here, a field emission model-based DC-TENG (FEM-TENG) is proposed, inspired by lightning rods.

Molecular epidemiology and phylogenetic analysis of influenza viruses A (H3N2) and B/Victoria during the COVID-19 pandemic in Guangdong, China.

Background: Non-pharmaceutical measures and travel restrictions have halted the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and influenza. Nonetheless, with COVID-19 restrictions lifted, an unanticipated outbreak of the influenza B/Victoria virus in late 2021 and another influenza H3N2 outbreak in mid-2022 occurred in Guangdong, southern China. The mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unknown.

Modified transport medium for improving influenza virus detection.

Background: Accurate detection of influenza virus in clinical samples requires correct execution of all aspects of the detection test. If the viral load in a sample is below the detection limit, a false negative result may be obtained. To overcome this issue, we developed a modified transport medium (MTM) for clinical sample transportation to increase viral detection sensitivity.

[Corrigendum] All‑ retinoic acid alters the expression of the tight junction proteins Claudin‑1 and ‑4 and epidermal barrier function‑associated genes in the epidermis.

Following the publication of the above article, the authors contacted the Editorial Office to explain that they had identified a pair of duplicate images in the control (Vehicle) group of mouse images in Fig. 1A on p. 1792.

Asymmetric Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Platensilin, Platensimycin, Platencin, and Their Analogs via a Bioinspired Skeletal Reconstruction Approach.

Platensilin, platensimycin, and platencin are potent inhibitors of β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase (FabF) in the bacterial and mammalian fatty acid synthesis system, presenting promising drug leads for both antibacterial and antidiabetic therapies. Herein, a bioinspired skeleton reconstruction approach is reported, which enables the unified synthesis of these three natural FabF inhibitors and their skeletally diverse analogs, all stemming from a common -pimarane core. The synthesis features a diastereoselective biocatalytic reduction and an intermolecular Diels-Alder reaction to prepare the common -pimarane core.

The Impact of Medical Resources and Oral Antiviral Drugs on SARS-CoV-2 Mortality - Hong Kong SAR, China, 2022.

Introduction: The Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) demonstrates increased transmissibility compared to earlier strains, contributing to a significant number of fatalities in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), China. Adequate medical resources and medications are essential in mitigating these deaths. This study evaluates the effects of supplementary resources from the Chinese mainland during the fifth wave of the pandemic in HKSAR.

CytoSIP: an annotated structural atlas for interactions involving cytokines or cytokine receptors.

Therapeutic agents targeting cytokine-cytokine receptor (CK-CKR) interactions lead to the disruption in cellular signaling and are effective in treating many diseases including tumors. However, a lack of universal and quick access to annotated structural surface regions on CK/CKR has limited the progress of a structure-driven approach in developing targeted macromolecular drugs and precision medicine therapeutics. Herein we develop CytoSIP (Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), Interface, and Phenotype), a rich internet application based on a database of atomic interactions around hotspots in experimentally determined CK/CKR structural complexes.

Pectate lyase genes from Radopholus similis and their application in pathotype identification.

Radopholus similis is a destructive, migratory, and endophytoparasitic nematode. It has two morphologically indistinguishable pathotypes (or physiological races): banana and citrus pathotypes. At present, the only reliable method to differentiate the two pathotypes is testing the infestation and parasitism of nematodes on Citrus spp.

Dickkopf-1 drives perineural invasion via PI3K-AKT signaling pathway in head and neck squamous cancer.

Perineural invasion (PNI) leads to the poor prognosis of head and neck squamous cancer (HNSCC) patients, but the mechanism of PNI remains unclear. Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), a secretory protein in the Wnt signaling pathway, was found indeed upregulated in HNSCC cells and tissues. Higher expression of DKK1 was statistically relevant to T stage, N stage, PNI, and poor prognosis of HNSCC.

Synergistic Brilliance: Engineered Bacteria and Nanomedicine Unite in Cancer Therapy.

Engineered bacteria are widely used in cancer treatment because live facultative/obligate anaerobes can selectively proliferate at tumor sites and reach hypoxic regions, thereby causing nutritional competition, enhancing immune responses, and producing anticancer microbial agents in situ to suppress tumor growth. Despite the unique advantages of bacteria-based cancer biotherapy, the insufficient treatment efficiency limits its application in the complete ablation of malignant tumors. The combination of nanomedicine and engineered bacteria has attracted increasing attention owing to their striking synergistic effects in cancer treatment.

SperMD: the expression atlas of sperm maturation.

The impairment of sperm maturation is one of the major pathogenic factors in male subfertility, a serious medical and social problem affecting millions of global couples. Regrettably, the existing research on sperm maturation is slow, limited, and fragmented, largely attributable to the lack of a global molecular view. To fill the data gap, we newly established a database, namely the Sperm Maturation Database (SperMD, http://bio-add.

Generation and characterization of nanobodies targeting human pepsinogens.

Human pepsinogens (mainly pepsinogen I and pepsinogen II) are the major inactive precursor forms of the digestive enzyme pepsin which play a crucial role in protein digestion. The levels and ratios of human pepsinogens have demonstrated potential as diagnostic biomarkers for gastrointestinal diseases, particularly gastric cancer. Nanobodies are promising tools for the treatment and diagnosis of diseases, owing to their unique recognition properties.

Aggregation-Induced Emission Photosensitizer-Engineered Anticancer Nanomedicine for Synergistic Chemo/Chemodynamic/Photodynamic Therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) photosensitizers (PSs) is a promising therapeutic strategy to achieve better anticancer results. However, eradicating solid tumors completely by PDT alone can be difficult owing to the inherent drawbacks of this treatment, and the combination of PDT with other therapeutic modalities provides opportunities to achieve cooperative enhancement interactions among various treatments. Herein, this work presents the construction of a biocompatible nanocomposite, namely CaO@DOX@ZIF@ASQ, featuring light-responsive reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and tumor-targeting oxygen and hydrogen peroxide discharge, as well as controlled doxorubicin (DOX) and copper ion release, thus allowing the combined PDT/CT/CDT effect by AIE PS-enhanced PDT, DOX-based chemotherapy (CT), and copper-involved Fenton-like reaction-driven chemodynamic therapy (CDT).

ROS-induced oxidative stress is a major contributor to sperm cryoinjury.

Study Question: What is the mechanism behind cryoinjury in human sperm, particularly concerning the interplay between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and autophagy, and how does it subsequently affect sperm fate?

Summary Answer: The freeze-thaw operation induces oxidative stress by generating abundant ROS, which impairs sperm motility and activates autophagy, ultimately guiding the sperm toward programmed cell death such as apoptosis and necrosis, as well as triggering premature capacitation.

What Is Known Already: Both ROS-induced oxidative stress and autophagy are thought to exert an influence on the quality of frozen-thawed sperm.

Study Design, Size, Duration: Overall, 84 semen specimens were collected from young healthy fertile males, with careful quality evaluation.

AI in medical education: medical student perception, curriculum recommendations and design suggestions.

Medical AI has transformed modern medicine and created a new environment for future doctors. However, medical education has failed to keep pace with these advances, and it is essential to provide systematic education on medical AI to current medical undergraduate and postgraduate students. To address this issue, our study utilized the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model to identify key factors that influence the acceptance and intention to use medical AI.

Significance of tumor markers combined with neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, D-dimer and T-lymphocyte in the diagnosis of colon cancer.

Objective: To analyze the value of combined detection of tumor markers, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), D-dimer and T lymphocyte in the diagnosis of colon cancer.

Methods: This is a retrospective study. A total of 80 patients with colon cancer and 80 patients with benign colon mass admitted to Baoding NO.

Conversion of Dielectric Surface Effect into Volume Effect for High Output Energy.

Improving the output energy and durability of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) remains a considerable challenge for their practical applications. Owing to the interface effect of triboelectrification and electrostatic induction, thinner films with higher dielectric constants yield a higher output; however, they are not durable for practical applications. Herein, the dielectric surface effect is changed into a volume effect by adopting a millimeter-thick dielectric film with an inner porous network structure so that charges can hop in the surface state of the network.

Mode-locked fiber laser based on a small-period long-period fiber grating inscribed by femtosecond laser.

We demonstrate stable mode-locked pulses in an erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) using a femtosecond laser-inscribed small-period long-period grating (SP-LPG). The SP-LPG has a period of 25 µm and a length of 2.5 mm.

Achieving Continuous Self-Powered Energy Conversion-Storage-Supply Integrated System Based on Carbon Felt.

Efficient harvesting and storage of dispersed irregular energy from the environment are crucial to the demand for the distributed devices of the Internet of Things (IoTs). Here, a carbon felt (CF)-based energy conversion-storage-supply integrated system (CECIS) that contains a CF-based solid-state supercapacitor (CSSC) and a CF-based triboelectric nanogenerator (C-TENG) is presented, which is capable of simultaneously energy storage and conversion. The simple treated CF not only delivers a maximal specific capacitance of 402.