Explore the vast range of titles available.

Background Sulfur (S) is essential for life while cadmium (Cd) is known to be both extremely toxic and ubiquitous in natural environments. Interactions between S and Cd from soil to plant could provide insights into the dynamics of environmental contaminants and the mechanisms of regulation. Geological sulfur from pyrite (FeS 2 ) and atmospheric sulfur from coal combustion deposits (H 2 SO 4 ) significantly affect soil acidification, potentially increasing the bioavailability of Cd. To investigate the influence of different sulfur sources on cadmium (Cd) uptake, transfer, accumulation, and the regulation of physiological responses in pepper, we conducted a controlled pot experiment. The study utilized yellow soil and 'Z2' line pepper ( Capsicum spp .) as the test plant. We assessed the fresh weight, Cd concentration in various plant parts, and the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and cysteine (Cys) during the fruiting phase under varying concentrations of Cd. Results Under Cd stress, supplementation with FeS 2 and H 2 SO 4 markedly enhanced pepper growth, increasing biomass by over 30%. Among these, geological sulfur (FeS 2 ) demonstrated a more pronounced effect compared to H 2 SO 4 . Overall, the cadmium content of each part of FeS 2 treatment was lower than H 2 SO 4 under cadmium-induced stress. And at medium cadmium level, a concentration of 100 mg/kg of FeS 2 resulted in a 16.51% relative reduction in fruit Cd content from 2.12 mg/kg in the 1.5 mg/kg Cd treatment to 1.78 mg/kg. Both sulfur sources increased GSH and Cys content, particularly under high Cd stress, with FeS 2 raising GSH and Cys levels by 3.33–61.87% and 43.29–71.94%, H 2 SO 4 increased 15.65–66.43% and 48.02–74.58%, respectively ( P  ≤ 0.05). The highest GSH content occurred in leaves, whereas fruits had the highest Cys content. Conclusion FeS 2 and H 2 SO 4 can promote pepper growth and enhancing the synthesis of GSH and Cys, which mitigates Cd toxicity. On the whole, the cadmium content of each part of FeS 2 treatment was lower than H 2 SO 4 under cadmium stress conditions. Highlights Geological sulfur from pyrite (FeS2) and atmospheric sulfur from coal combustion deposits (H2SO4) could have distinct effects on the bioavailability of cadmium in soil, then influence Cd accumulation and metabolic responses in plants. Less Cd accumulation in all parts of the plant under geological sulfur source treatment compared to exogenous source treatment. GSH and Cys play essential roles in helping pepper mitigate Cd toxicity and promote normal growth under Cd stress, GSH functions in leaves, while Cys plays a significant role in fruits. Graphical Abstract

Coix lacryma-jobi L. is a traditional medicinal plant in east Asia and is an important crop in Guizhou province, southwest China, where there are elevated levels of soil mercury and arsenic (As). Exposure to multiple potentially toxic elements (PTEs) may affect plant accumulation of metal(loid)s and food safety in regions with high geological metal concentrations. Field experiments were conducted to study the effects of PTEs on metal(loid) accumulation and physiological response of C. lacryma in different plant parts at three pollution levels. Total root length, number of root tips, number of branches, and number of root crosses increased with increasing pollution level, with increases in highly polluted areas of 44.2, 57.0, 79.6, and 97.2%, respectively, compared to lightly polluted areas. Under multi-element stress the activity of C. lacryma antioxidant oxidase showed an increase at low and medium PTE concentrations and inhibition at high concentrations. The As contents were all below the maximum limit of cereal food contaminants in China (GB 2762-2022, As < 0.5 mg kg −1 ). The stems had high Tl bioconcentration factors but the translocation factors from stem to grain were very low, indicating that the stems may be a key plant part restricting Tl transport to the grains. C. lacryma increased root retention and reduced the transport effect, thus reducing metal accumulation in the grains. C. lacryma adapted to PTE stress through root remodeling and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities.

To reveal the variation characteristics of the pressure drop during the corn hot air drying process and provide some reference for designing the drying process, a pressure drop model focusing on the dynamic drying process was established based on the response surface methodology and the variation characteristics of the pressure drop has been analyzed in the present work. In detail, a corn convective drying apparatus was established, and a center rotation regression experiment was conducted followed by a Box–Behnken design by considering hot air temperature (T), corn flow velocity (vc), air velocity (va), and thickness of the materials layer (L) as independent variables while and the pressure drop (δP) was considered as the dependent variable. The results show that the va has the most significant impact on the δP, followed by L, vc, and T. The established model δPRSM shows a better fitting and prediction performance (R2 = 0.969, Cook’s distance < 1) than that of commonly used models. In addition, the minimize δP was determined as 368.392 Pa, and the corresponding drying conditions are T of 60 °C, vc of 0.06 m/s, va of 0.2 m/s, and L of 500 mm, and the hot air temperature should be within 72 °C, which can form the basis for designing the corn hot air drying process.

Objectives CLCN4 variations have recently been identified as a genetic cause of X-linked neurodevelopmental disorders . This study aims to broaden the phenotypic spectrum of CLCN4 -related condition and correlate it with functional consequences of CLCN4 variants. Methods We described 13 individuals with CLCN4 -related neurodevelopmental disorder. We analyzed the functional consequence of the unreported variants using heterologous expression, biochemistry, confocal fluorescent microscopy, patch-clamp electrophysiology, and minigene splicing assay. Results We identified five novel (p.R41W, p.L348V, p.G480R, p.R603W, c.1576 + 5G > A) and three known (p.T203I, p.V275M, p.A555V) pathogenic CLCN4 variants in 13 Chinese patients. The p.V275M variant is found at high frequency and seen in four unrelated individuals. All had global developmental delay (GDD)/intellectual disability (ID). Seizures were present in eight individuals, and 62.5% of them developed refractory epilepsy. Five individuals without seizures showed moderate to severe GDD/ID. Developmental delay precedes seizure onset in most patients. The variants p.R41W, p.L348V, and p.R603W compromise the anion/exchange function of ClC-4. p.R41W partially impairs ClC-3/ClC-4 association. p.G480R reduces ClC-4 expression levels and impairs the heterodimerization with ClC-3. The c.1576 + 5G > A variant causes 22 bp deletion of exon 10. Conclusions We further define and broaden the clinical and mutational spectrum of CLCN4 -related neurodevelopmental conditions. The p.V275M variant may be a potential hotspot CLCN4 variant in Chinese patients. The five novel variants cause loss of function of ClC-4. Transport dysfunction, protein instability, intracellular trafficking defect, or failure of ClC-4 to oligomerize may contribute to the pathophysiological events leading to CLCN4 -related neurodevelopmental disorder.

The ability to identify and isolate lineage-specific stem cells from adult tissues could facilitate cell replacement therapy. Leydig cells （LCs） are the primary source of androgen in the mammalian testis, and the prospective iden- tification of stem Leydig cells （SLCs） may offer new opportunities for treating testosterone deficiency. Here, in a transgenic mouse model expressing GFP driven by the Nestin （Nes） promoter, we observed Nes-GFP~ cells located in the testicular interstitial compartment where SLCs normally reside. We showed that these Nes-GFP~ cells expressed LIFR and PDGFR-e, but not LC lineage markers. We further observed that these cells were capable of clonogenic self-renewal and extensive proliferation in vitro and could differentiate into neural or mesenchymal cell lineages, as well as LCs, with the ability to produce testosterone, under defined conditions. Moreover, when transplanted into the testes of LC-disrupted or aging models, the Nes-GFP＋ cells colonized the interstitium and partially increased testosterone production, and then accelerated meiotic and post-meiotic germ cell recovery. In addition, we further demonstrated that CD51 might be a putative cell surface marker for SLCs, similar with Nestin. Taken together, these results suggest that Nes-GFP~ cells from the testis have the characteristics of SLCs, and our study would shed new light on developing stem cell replacement therapy for testosterone deficiency.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has lasted for two years and caused millions of infections and deaths in humans. Although the origin of SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans remains unknown, infection in animals has been frequently reported in varieties of animals all over the world. Both experimental and natural infections of SARS-CoV-2 in different animal species provide useful information on viral host range and pathogenicity. As the pandemic continues to evolve, SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals will be expanding. In this review, we summarized SARS-CoV-2 testing and infection in animals as well as SARS-CoV-2 strains and transmission in animals. Current data showed that at least 18 different animal species tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. These 18 animal species belong to pet, captive, farmed, and wild animals. Fifteen of the eighteen animal species were known to be positive for the Delta variant and ten animal species were infected with two different types of variants. Human-to-animal, animal-to-animal, and animal-to-human transmission events were suggested in different outbreaks involved in animal infection with SARS-CoV-2. Continued testing, immunization, and surveillance are warranted.

Soil is an essential part of the critical zone, and soil-microbe-plant system serves as a key link among lithosphere, biosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere. As one of the habitats with the richest biodiversity, soil plays a critical role in element biogeo- chemistry on the earth surface （weathered crust）. Here we review the soil biological processes that are relevant to mineral weathering, element cycling, and transformation, with an emphasis on rock weathering mediated by soil microbes, plant root and the rhizosphere.

The pathogenic profiles of seven Shewanella spp. positive cases identified during diarrhea surveillance in Beijing, China, in 2023 were characterised. Sentinel hospitals collected patient information and stool samples, while regional centres for disease control (CDC) performed cultures and real time PCR. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS), average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis, phylogenetic analysis, virulence gene and resistance gene analysis of the Shewanella spp. isolates were conducted, as well as phenotypic resistance analysis. The detection rate in the stool samples collected from 354 diarrhea patients was 1.98% (7/354). The time of disease onset of six out of the seven patients ranged from July 17–22, 2023. The incubation period ranged from 8 to 12 h with 3–50 episodes/day. Three subjects reported having consumed potentially contaminated seafood. The seven isolated strains of Shewanella spp. (named as S1-S7) were closely related to S. algae , belonged to the algae clade, and were all novel ST (sequence typing) strains. A total of 125,738 SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism) were identified in the core genomes of the seven Shewanella strains. Twenty-six virulence-related genes in five categories were identified, with chemotaxis and flagella-related genes being the most abundant (26.92%, 7/26), followed by secretion system- and serum resistance-related genes at 23.08% (6/26) and 15.38% (4/26), respectively. Shewanella spp. were detected in patients with diarrhea at a certain level. Seafood should be the key food category for monitoring and seafood markets should become a key monitoring site for Shewanella spp. The novel STs of the algae clade isolated from diarrhea patients in this study may potentially help in tracking circulating strains. Further in-depth investigations are required to precisely elucidate the correlation between Shewanella infections and human diarrhea and the pathogenic characteristics of this infection.

In recent years, microneedles (MNs) have emerged as a novel transdermal drug delivery technology, offering advantages such as avoidance of the first-pass effect, pain-free and minimally invasive administration, and convenient application. However, conventional MNs still face challenges, including slow detachment of MN tips from the base substrate and limited transdermal efficiency. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in MNs-mediated gas delivery for rapid separation, enhanced drug penetration, and combined therapy. The discussion encompasses the benefits and limitations of MNs and recent developments in MN-facilitated gas delivery to accelerate separation rate and improve delivery efficiency. By analyzing the therapeutic roles of various gases (e.g., H , O , NO, H S, CO, CO ) and their synergistic potential when combined with MNs, this review also provides insights and references for the further application of gas-assisted MN systems for combined therapy in various disease treatments.

Background Twelve students experienced symptoms of acute respiratory infection (ARI) at a training base in Beijing from August 26 to August 30, 2015. We investigated the cause of this ARI outbreak. Methods In partnership with the local center for disease control, we collected a total of twelve pharyngeal swab specimens as well as demographic information for the affected patients. We used multiplex real-time PCR to screen for sixteen common respiratory viruses in these samples. To isolate HAdV, we inoculated Hep-2 cells with the human adenovirus (HAdV)-positive samples and then carried out sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the hexon, fiber, and penton genes of the isolated adenoviruses. In addition, we analyzed the entire genome of one strain isolated from the index case to identify single-nucleotide substitutions. Results We identified ten HAdV-positive students using multiplex real-time PCR. None of the students were co-infected with other viruses. We successfully isolated seven HAdV strains from the pharyngeal swab specimens. The coding sequences of the hexon, fiber, and penton genes of these seven HAdV strains were identical, suggesting that they represented seven strains from a single virus clone. One HAdV isolate obtained from the index case, BJDX-01-2015, was selected for whole genome analysis. From this isolate, we obtained a 34,774-nucleotide sequence. The genome of BJDX-01-2015 clustered with HAdV-B55 in phylogenetic analyses and had 99.97% identity with human adenovirus 55 isolate HAdV-B/CHN/BJ01/2011/55 (GenBank accession no. JX491639). Conclusions We identified HAdV-B55 as the strain associated with the August 2015 ARI outbreak at a training base in Beijing. This was the first reported outbreak in Beijing due to HAdV-B55. Continuous surveillance of respiratory adenoviruses is urgently needed to understand the epidemiological and evolutionary features of HAdV-B55, and an epidemiological modeling approach may provide further insights into this emerging public health threat. Furthermore, the clinical laboratory data from this outbreak provides important reference for the clinical diagnosis and may ultimately aid in informing the development of strategies to control and prevent respiratory tract infections caused by HAdV-B55.