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Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for human and animal health, and toward an understanding of the uptake and translocation of Se in plants is important from the perspective of Se biofortification. In this study, we conducted hydroponic experiments to investigate the mechanisms of organic Se [selenomethionine (SeMet) and selenomethionine-oxide (SeOMet)] uptake, translocation, and the interactions between SeMet and SeOMet in rice. We also investigated differences in the dynamics of organic and inorganic Se uptake by rice roots. Concentration-dependent kinetic results revealed that SeMet uptake during a 1 h exposure was 3.19–16.0 times higher than that of three other Se chemical forms, with uptake capacity ( V max ) values ordered as follows: SeMet>SeOMet>selenite>selenate. Furthermore, time-dependent kinetic analysis revealed that SeMet uptake by roots and content in shoots were initially clearly higher than those of SeOMet, although the differences gradually diminished with prolonged exposure time; while no significant difference was found in the transfer factor of Se from rice roots to shoots between SeMet and SeOMet. Root uptake of SeOMet was significantly inhibited by carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) (30.4%), AgNO 3 (41.8%), and tetraethylammonium chloride (TEACl) (45.6%), indicating that SeOMet uptake is a metabolically active process, and that it could be mediated via aquaporins and K + channels. Contrarily, SeMet uptake was insensitive to CCCP, although markedly inhibited by AgNO 3 (93.1%), indicating that rice absorbs SeMet primarily via aquaporins. Furthermore, Se uptake and translocation in rice treated simultaneously with both SeMet and SeOMet were considerably lower than those in rice treated with SeMet treatment alone and notably lower than the theoretical quantity, indicating interactions between SeMet and SeOMet. Our findings provide important insights into the mechanisms underlying the uptake and translocation of organic Se within plants.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination of crop plants has aroused a worldwide concern because of the threats posed to human health through accumulation in the food chains. Selenium (Se) can alleviate the Cd-induced phytotoxicity, but the relevant underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Therefore, with wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) and rice ( Oryza sativa L.) chosen as the target plants in this study, the effects of selenite or selenate on Cd accumulation and subcellular distribution were investigated through greenhouse hydroponic experiments; and simultaneously, the effects of pre-Se treatment with selenite or selenate on Cd accumulation and root-to-shoot translocation in the studied plants were also included. Results showed the addition of Se slightly changed the Cd content in plant roots in a time-dependent manner; however, with the obvious decreasing trend on the Cd transfer factor (TF), its content in plant shoots was significantly reduced by selenite or selenate in a plant species-dependent manner. At 48 h of exposure, the supplementation of selenite and selenate significantly decreased the Cd content by 40.4% and 38.0% in wheat shoots, and by 72.2% and 40.9% in rice shoots, respectively. Additionally, the order of Cd proportion distributed to the different subcellular fractions of plant tissues was as follows: cell wall > soluble cytosol > organelle, irrespective of the Se treatments or the plant species. However, selenate increased the Cd percentage in soluble cytosol of wheat shoots, while selenite increased that percentage in the cell wall of rice shoots; and the Cd proportion in soluble cytosol of the studied plant roots was significantly enhanced owing to selenite or selenate addition. Moreover, similar to the co-application, the pre-Se treatment with inorganic Se also reduced the Cd accumulation and translocation both in wheat and rice. Our results proved that the inorganic Se could decline the Cd accumulation and translocation in the crop plants, although selenite was found more effective than selenate regarding such effects.

The introduction of a pneumatic supporting system composed of gas springs and hydrostatic bearings in the free‐piston Stirling generator (FPSG) can effectively increase the power density of the nuclear space power plant. In this paper, a 1 kW FPSG with pneumatic supporting system was developed, and the working characteristics of dual gas springs were obtained under an external driving condition. A quasi‐one‐dimensional numerical model is established, the relative error between piston strokes is within 5%, and the maximum phase uncertainty is 5.36° between experimental and numerical results. The generator outputs 1011.3 W with a total thermo‐electric efficiency of 14.85% under the rated condition, and the hysteresis loss of gas springs is 535.6 W, which accounts for 7.85% of the total power input, and the global stiffness reaches 96.43 N/mm. A multitude of influencing factors (including operational, constitutive, and sealing parameters) on the performance of gas springs are evaluated. An expression for the correction coefficient of stiffness with respect to five influencing parameters is established through data regression, as well as an empirical formula for the hysteresis loss as a percentage of the total input power. The correlations indicate that the order of weights affecting the performance of gas springs is as follows: compression ratio, configuration factor, gap thickness, gap length, and wall temperature.

Zinc (Zn) and organic fertilizer (OF) play a dual role in both promoting plant growth and modulating cadmium (Cd) uptake. However, the individual and combined effects of soil-applied Zn and OF on Cd accumulation in wheat remain insufficiently understood, with reported outcomes varying from inhibition to promotion of Cd uptake. Therefore, this study systematically investigated the effect of Zn, organic fertilizer, and their combined treatment on the uptake dynamics of Cd and Zn in wheat plants across different growth stages. The pot culture experiments demonstrated that applying 20 mg/kg ZnSO4 alone significantly reduced grain Cd content by 22.3% at the mature stage. Increasing the Zn dose to 40 mg/kg further enhanced the reduction, lowering Cd accumulation by 38.9% and decreasing Cd levels from 0.23 to 0.14 mg/kg. The application of 1% OF in alkaline soil enhanced soil Cd availability but did not significantly affect Cd accumulation in various wheat organs. The combination of Zn and organic fertilizer resulted in a relatively modest grain Cd reduction of 8.4–23.0%. Generally, Zn application alone was more effective in reducing Cd accumulation in wheat, while organic fertilizer may require careful use due to its Cd-mobilizing effect in alkaline soil. The combination of Zn and organic fertilizer showed limited benefits for Cd mitigation.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple food worldwide, and agronomic biofortification with selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) is a simple and effective way to increase nutrient intake. This study aimed to evaluate the combined effects of Zn and Se on the biofortification of wheat grain. Zinc sulfate (ZnSO4·H2O, 1.74, 2.61 and 3.48 kg Zn hm−2) and sodium selenite (Na2SeO3, 15 and 30 g Se hm−2) were sprayed individually or simultaneously at key stages of wheat growth (the jointing, booting, and filling stage) under field conditions. On the basis of soil Zn application, the foliar application of Zn or Se alone greatly increased grain Zn by 12.07–71.88% (up to 41.66–64.30 mg kg−1), and grain Se content by 131.81–527.21% (up to 0.21–0.50 mg kg−1), while the soil application of Zn had little effect on grain Zn. Compared with the foliar application of Zn or Se alone, the co-application of Se increased the grain Zn content by 1.74–16.15%, while the co-application of Zn significantly reduced grain Se content by 25.43–86.34% and the effect was more pronounced with an increase in Zn dosage. Moreover, positive correlations were found between Zn and copper (Cu) in grains, and wheat grains could provide adequate dietary intakes of manganese (Mn), Cu, and molybdenum (Mo) for humans. In summary, the soil application of 11 kg Zn hm−2 combined with the foliar application of 2.61 kg Zn hm−2 and 30 g Se·hm−2 is a feasible Zn-Se co-enrichment strategy, which would provide the recommended nutrient intake (RNI) of 113.63–124.72% (female) and 68.18–74.84% (male) of Zn and 81.30–95.85% of Se.

As an important type of non-coding RNA molecule, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have varied roles in many biological processes, and have been studied extensively over the past few years. However, little is known about lncRNA-mediated regulation during cattle growth and development. Therefore, in the present study, RNA sequencing was used to determine the expression level of mRNAs and lncRNAs in the liver of adult Leiqiong cattle under the condition of growth retardation and normal growth. We totally detected 1,124 and 24 differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs, respectively. The differentially expressed mRNAs were mainly associated with growth factor binding, protein K63-linked ubiquitination and cellular protein metabolic process; additionally, they were significantly enriched in the growth and development related pathways, including PPAR signaling pathway, vitamin B6 metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism. Combined analysis showed that the co-located differentially expressed lncRNA Lnc_002583 might positively influence the expression of the corresponding genes IFI44 and IFI44L, exerting co-regulative effects on Leiqiong cattle growth and development. Thus, we made the hypothesis that Lnc_002583, IFI44 and IFI44L might function synergistically to regulate the growth of Leiqiong cattle. This study provides a catalog of Leiqiong cattle liver mRNAs and lncRNAs, and will contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying growth regulataion.

This study presents a thermodynamic–dynamic model of a free‐piston Stirling engine (FPSE) with nonlinear coefficients of spring, load damping, and pressure for working spaces. The effects of the nonlinear coefficients of hardening and softening springs on the movement and operating frequency of a displacer and piston are investigated. Subsequently, the influences of the nonlinear pressure terms of the working space and buffer spaces, as well as the nonlinear coefficients of the load on the amplitudes of the two pistons, frequency, and output powers are discussed. The results indicate that the low nonlinear coefficients of the spring have a minor effect on the amplitudes and frequency. As the high nonlinear coefficients of the hardening spring increase, the amplitudes and output power decrease, while the frequency increases. As the nonlinear terms of the softening spring increase, the amplitudes and output power reach maximum values, but the frequency is reduced by 3.55%. The effects of the nonlinear pressure terms on the amplitudes and output power are not evident. However, an increase in the nonlinear load leads to a significant decrease in the FPSE's performance.

Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are a key feature of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and marker of subclinical autoimmunity. Little is known about longitudinal ANA titers in individuals from the general population or in predicting clinical disease course in persons with rheumatic diseases. We performed an exploratory analysis from an academic health system between 1999 and 2020 to assess intra-individual variation in ANAs longitudinally in persons with SLE, other ANA-associated rheumatic diseases, and ANA+ controls without rheumatic disease. Persons with SLE had a higher odds of positive ANA compared to those with other ANA-associated rheumatic diseases [OR 2.10, 95% CI (1.82, 2.43)] controlling for time and demographics (age, sex, race, ethnicity). Compared to ANA+ controls, the ANA titer strength was significantly higher for both the ANA-associated rheumatic disease (0.33 log units higher) and SLE groups (0.42 log units higher) controlling for demographics and time (  < 0.001 for both). Over time from the first positive ANA, titer strength significantly decreased for all three groups, with average monthly decreases ranging between 0.001 to 0.004 log titer units (  ≤ 0.001 for all). Based on this analysis of electronic health data spanning two decades, ANA titers may be more dynamic than previously accepted in patients with SLE and ANA-associated rheumatic diseases, with average titers tending to be higher in early disease and decreasing over time.

Advanced atherosclerotic lesions and vascular calcification substantially increase the risk of cardiovascular events. However, effective strategies for preventing or treating advanced atherosclerosis and calcification are currently lacking. This study investigated the efficacy of DT-109 (Gly-Gly-Leu) in attenuating atherosclerosis and calcification in nonhuman primates, exploring its broader therapeutic potential. In this study, twenty male cynomolgus monkeys were administered a cholesterol-rich diet ad libitum for 10 months. Then, the animals were treated either orally with DT-109 (150 mg/kg/day) or a vehicle (H 2 O) for 5 months while continuing on the same diet. Plasma lipid levels were measured monthly and at the end of the experiment, pathological examinations of the aortas and coronary arteries and RNA sequencing of the coronary arteries were performed. To explore possible molecular mechanisms, the effects of DT-109 on smooth muscle cells (SMCs) were examined in vitro. We found that DT-109 administration significantly suppressed atherosclerotic lesion formation in both the aorta and coronary arteries. Pathological examinations revealed that DT-109 treatment reduced lesional macrophage content and calcification. RNA sequencing analysis showed that DT-109 treatment significantly downregulated the pro-inflammatory factors NLRP3 , AIM2 , and CASP1 , the oxidative stress factors NCF2 and NCF4 , and the osteogenic factors RUNX2 , COL1A1 , MMP2 , and MMP9 , while simultaneously upregulating the expression of the SMCs contraction markers ACTA2 , CNN1 , and TAGLN . Furthermore, DT-109 inhibited SMC calcification and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in vitro. These results demonstrate that DT-109 effectively suppresses both atherosclerosis and calcification. These findings, in conjunction with insights from our previous studies, position DT-109 as a novel multifaceted therapeutic agent for cardiovascular diseases.

Continuous and in situ detection of biomarkers in biofluids (for example, sweat) can provide critical health data but is limited by biofluid accessibility. Here we report a sensor design that enables in situ detection of solid-state biomarkers ubiquitously present on human skin. We deploy an ionic–electronic bilayer hydrogel to facilitate the sequential dissolution, diffusion and electrochemical reaction of solid-state analytes. We demonstrate continuous monitoring of water-soluble analytes (for example, solid lactate) and water-insoluble analytes (for example, solid cholesterol) with ultralow detection limits of 0.51 and 0.26 nmol cm −2 , respectively. Additionally, the bilayer hydrogel electrochemical interface reduces motion artefacts by a factor of three compared with conventional liquid-sensing electrochemical interfaces. In a clinical study, solid-state epidermal biomarkers measured by our stretchable wearable sensors showed a high correlation with biomarkers in human blood and dynamically correlated with physiological activities. These results present routes to universal platforms for biomarker monitoring without the need for biofluid acquisition. Biomarkers in biofluids are widely used for medical diagnosis, but their use is limited by accessibility. Here the authors present a stretchable wearable sensor allowing in situ detection of solid-state biomarkers on human skin, hence avoiding biofluid acquisition.