Fluorine-Nitrogen Codoped Carbon Dots for Visualization Imaging of Nucleic Acids via Two-Photon Fluorescence Lifetime Microscopy.

Fluorescence imaging is a key tool for visualizing the morphology and dynamics of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) in living cells to understand their role in regulating the growth, development, and reproduction of organisms. However, effective probes capable of simultaneously targeting both DNA and RNA, as well as tools for analyzing their distribution and relative ratios in organisms, are currently lacking. Therefore, fluorine-nitrogen codoped carbon dots with two-photon absorption (F-NCDs) were synthesized by the hydrothermal method and exhibited stable fluorescence, good biocompatibility, and a fluorescence lifetime sensitive to nucleic acids (DNA and RNA).

Rapid Acquisition of High-Pixel Fluorescence Lifetime Images of Living Cells via Image Reconstruction Based on Edge-Preserving Interpolation.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) has established itself as a pivotal tool for investigating biological processes within living cells. However, the extensive imaging duration necessary to accumulate sufficient photons for accurate fluorescence lifetime calculations poses a significant obstacle to achieving high-resolution monitoring of cellular dynamics. In this study, we introduce an image reconstruction method based on the edge-preserving interpolation method (EPIM), which transforms rapidly acquired low-resolution FLIM data into high-pixel images, thereby eliminating the need for extended acquisition times.

Parallel gut-to-brain pathways orchestrate feeding behaviors.

The caudal nucleus of the solitary tract (cNTS) in the brainstem serves as a hub for integrating interoceptive cues from diverse sensory pathways. However, the mechanisms by which cNTS neurons transform these signals into behaviors remain debated. We analyzed 18 cNTS-Cre mouse lines and cataloged the dynamics of nine cNTS cell types during feeding.

Cannabidiol ameliorates PTSD-like symptoms by inhibiting neuroinflammation through its action on CB2 receptors in the brain of male mice.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental health disease related to traumatic experience, and its treatment outcomes are unsatisfactory. Accumulating research has indicated that cannabidiol (CBD) exhibits anti-PTSD effects, however, the underlying mechanism of CBD remains inadequately investigated. Although many studies pertaining to PTSD have primarily focused on aberrations in neuronal functioning, the present study aimed to elucidate the involvement and functionality of microglia/macrophages in PTSD while also investigated the modulatory effects of CBD on neuroinflammation associated with this condition.

Brain endothelial GSDMD activation mediates inflammatory BBB breakdown.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the central nervous system from infections or harmful substances; its impairment can lead to or exacerbate various diseases of the central nervous system. However, the mechanisms of BBB disruption during infection and inflammatory conditions remain poorly defined. Here we find that activation of the pore-forming protein GSDMD by the cytosolic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) sensor caspase-11 (refs.

Rhodamine-based fluorescent probe for dynamic STED imaging of mitochondria.

Stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy holds tremendous potential and practical implications in the field of biomedicine. However, the weak anti-bleaching performance remains a major challenge limiting the application of STED fluorescent probes. Meanwhile, the main excitation wavelengths of most reported STED fluorescent probes were below 500 nm or above 600 nm, and few of them were between 500-600 nm.

Will changes in charging and gasoline prices affect electric vehicle sales? Evidence from China.

Electric vehicles and gasoline vehicles are substitutes for each other, and the cost of fuel is an important factor when consumers are faced with choices. Understanding the influence of changes in gasoline prices and charging prices on electric vehicle sales is of reference significance for promoting electric vehicles in the private sector. This paper uses data covering 212 prefecture-level cities from January, 2020, to August, 2022, for analysis, and the results show that different income groups have different sensitivities to the difference in oil and electricity prices.

Integrated neural tracing and in-situ barcoded sequencing reveals the logic of SCN efferent circuits in regulating circadian behaviors.

The circadian clock coordinates rhythms in numerous physiological processes to maintain organismal homeostasis. Since the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is widely accepted as the circadian pacemaker, it is critical to understand the neural mechanisms by which rhythmic information is transferred from the SCN to peripheral clocks. Here, we present the first comprehensive map of SCN efferent connections and suggest a molecular logic underlying these projections.

Greenhouse gas emission inventory of drinking water treatment plants and case studies in China.

The Chinese government claimed to reach carbon dioxide emissions peaking by 2030 and achieve carbon neutralization by 2060. In this context, it's meaningful and urgent to estimate GHG emissions amount in every sectors. The growing concern about reducing GHG emissions has been shared by many water companies.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy for early diagnosis and severity prediction of preeclampsia with Nile Blue probe.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a common pregnancy complication and the leading cause of maternal and perinatal mortality. Unfortunately, the early diagnostic methods for PE are still rare. Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) technology has proven to be applicable for diagnosis of various diseases.

Dynamic Volumetric Imaging of Mouse Cerebral Blood Vessels In Vivo with an Ultralong Anti-Diffracting Beam.

Volumetric imaging of a mouse brain in vivo with one-photon and two-photon ultralong anti-diffracting (UAD) beam illumination was performed. The three-dimensional (3D) structure of blood vessels in the mouse brain were mapped to a two-dimensional (2D) image. The speed of volumetric imaging was significantly improved due to the long focal length of the UAD beam.

Multi-Exposure Image Fusion via Deformable Self-Attention.

Most multi-exposure image fusion (MEF) methods perform unidirectional alignment within limited and local regions, which ignore the effects of augmented locations and preserve deficient global features. In this work, we propose a multi-scale bidirectional alignment network via deformable self-attention to perform adaptive image fusion. The proposed network exploits differently exposed images and aligns them to the normal exposure in varying degrees.

Environmental regulation and its influence on energy efficiency and environmental performance: do technology innovation and financial efficiency matter?

Global warming has recently become a significant concern for world leaders. Financial efficiency, environmental regulations, and green technologies are widely recognized as important contributors to a clean environment. Consequently, the primary motive of this study is to investigate the impact of financial efficiency, environmental regulations, and green technologies on CO2 emissions and energy efficiency in top polluted economies over the period 1995 to 2020.

Green growth and environmental sustainability in China: the role of environmental taxes.

This study aims to investigate the impact of environmental-related taxes on green growth and CO2 emissions in China covering the time 1996-2019. To get the short- and long-run estimates, we have applied the bounds testing approach. Estimates of the study provide some important results.

Determinants of China's renewable energy industry development: do eco-innovation and financial inclusion matter?

Fossil fuels are causing irreparable damage to the environment and lead to the depletion of reservoirs of coal, oil, and gas, which may give rise to the issue of energy scarcity and security. Therefore, policymakers and empirics have looked for alternative sources of energy that are affordable, reliable, and clean sources of energy. Consistent with this view, we have tried to examine the impact of eco-innovation and financial inclusion on renewable energy development in China.

Revealing the effectiveness of green technological progress and financial innovation on green economic growth: the role of environmental regulation.

Green economic growth is the best alternative strategy for sustainable development. Existing literature investigated the determinants of green economic growth in China and provides mixed results. Thus, our study explores the impact of green environmental technology, financial innovation, and environmental regulations on green economic growth by controlling the impact of renewable energy consumption, trade, and education.

The double-edged role of the digital economy in firm green innovation: micro-evidence from Chinese manufacturing industry.

The digital economy, which gradually emerged with a new generation of information technologies, has become an unavoidable reality for manufacturing firms in conducting green innovation activities. In this context, using matched panel data at the province and manufacturing firm levels in China during the period 2011-2019 as the sample, this article examines the nonlinear impact of the digital economy on firm green innovation, and further identifies the moderation mechanism of government quality and the heterogeneity of its effects. The two-way fixed-effects model reveals that there is not a simple linear association between the digital economy and firm green innovation as traditionally perceived, but rather an inverted U-shaped relationship that first promotes and then inhibits, which remains robust after applying endogenous and robustness tests.

Nanodrug Transmembrane Transport Research Based on Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy.

Although conventional fluorescence intensity imaging can be used to qualitatively study the drug toxicity of nanodrug carrier systems at the single-cell level, it has limitations for studying nanodrug transport across membranes. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) can provide quantitative information on nanodrug concentration and diffusion in a small area of the cell membrane; thus, it is an ideal tool for studying drug transport across the membrane. In this paper, the FCS method was used to measure the diffusion coefficients and concentrations of carbon dots (CDs), doxorubicin (DOX) and CDs-DOX composites in living cells (COS7 and UOS) for the first time.

Low-Power Two-Color Stimulated Emission Depletion Microscopy for Live Cell Imaging.

Stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy is a typical laser-scanning super-resolution imaging technology, the emergence of which has opened a new research window for studying the dynamic processes of live biological samples on a nanometer scale. According to the characteristics of STED, a high depletion power is required to obtain a high resolution. However, a high laser power can induce severe phototoxicity and photobleaching, which limits the applications for live cell imaging, especially in two-color STED super-resolution imaging.

Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Lactococcus response to environmental stress: Mechanisms and application of cross-protection to improve resistance against freeze-drying.

The review deals with lactic acid bacteria in characterizing the stress adaptation with cross-protection effects, mainly associated with Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Lactococcus. It focuses on adaptation and cross-protection in Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Lactococcus, including heat shocking, cold stress, acid stress, osmotic stress, starvation effect, etc. Web of Science, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and PubMed databases were used for the systematic search of literature up to the year 2020.

Dual-color STED super-resolution microscope using a single laser source.

STED (stimulated emission depletion) microscopy is one of the most promising super-resolution fluorescence microscopies，due to its fast imaging and ultra-high resolution. In this paper, we present a dual-color STED microscope with a single laser source. Polarization beam splitters are used to separate the output from a supercontinuum laser source into four laser beams, including two excitation beams (488, 635 nm) and two depletion beams (592, 775 nm).

Identification of a Novel Esterase from Marine Environmental Genomic DNA Libraries and Its Application in Production of Free All- trans-Astaxanthin.

Astaxanthin is a pigment with various functions. Free astaxanthin is obtained mainly through saponification methods, which could result in many byproducts. Enzymatic methods using lipases have been used in a few cases, while there are no reports on the use of esterases for the production of free astaxanthin.