A Multifunctional and Fast-Response Lysosome-Targetable Fluorescent Probe for Monitoring pH and Isoxaflutole

A new chemosensor, namely N-(2-morpholinoethyl)acetamide-4-morpholine-1,8-naphthimide (MMN), was designed and synthesized through an amidation reaction. MMN was fabricated as a multifunctional fluorescent probe for monitoring pH and isoxaflutole. MMN exhibited excellent stability in MeCN/H₂O (v/v, 9/1), with an obvious “off–on” fluorescence response toward pH changes due to intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), where the linear response ranges of MMN in the weakly acidic system were from 4.2 to 5.0 and from 5.0 to 6.0 with apparent pK_a = 4.62 ± 0.02 and 5.43 ± 0.02. Based on morpholine as the lysosome targetable unit, MMN could selectively locate lysosomes in live cells. MMN also successfully detected the presence of H⁺ in test papers. Finally, MMN could specifically recognize isoxaflutole at a detection limit of 0.88 μM. A possible sensing mechanism was identified based on density function theory calculations. These results indicate that MMN could be a superior potential chemosensor for detecting pH and isoxaflutole selectively and sensitively and could be used in real sample detection.     

Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes Equations Describing Turbulent Flow and Heat Transfer Behavior for Supercritical Fluid

Supercritical fluid has been widely applied in many industrial applications.The traditional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes(RANS)equations are directly applied for turbulent flow and heat transfer of the supercritical fluid,ignoring turbulent effect of the thermal physical properties due to the intense nonlinearity.This paper deduces a set of Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations for supercritical fluid(SCF-RANS equations)to depict turbulent flow and heat transfer of the supercritical fluid taking all the physical parameters as variables.The SCF-RANS equations include many new correlation terms due to fluctuation of the thermal physical properties.Model methods for the new correlation term have been discussed for closing the SCF-RANS equations.Some of them have relatively mature models,while others are completely new and need profound physical theoretical analysis for proposing reasonable models.This paper provides referable information for these new correlations as far as authors know.The SCF-RANS equations not only provide the formulation special for flow and heat transfer of the supercritical fluid,but also represent the most sophisticate form of the RANS equations,for every involved physical property has been considered as variable without any simplification.     

Roles and Applications of Red Blood Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Health and Diseases

Red blood cell-derived extracellular vesicles (RBCEVs) are vesicles naturally produced by red blood cells and play multiple roles such as acting as cell-to-cell communication messengers in both normal physiological and diseased states. RBCEVs are highly promising delivery vehicles for therapeutic agents such as biomolecules and nucleic acids as they are easy to source, safe, and versatile. RBCEVs autonomously target the liver and pass the blood–brain barrier into the brain, which is highly valuable for the treatment of liver and brain diseases. RBCEVs can be modified by various functional units, including various functional molecules and nanoparticles, to improve their active targeting capabilities for tumors or other sites. Moreover, the RBCEV level is significantly shifted in many diseased states; hence, they can also serve as important biomarkers for disease diagnoses. It is clear that RBCEVs have considerable potential in multiple medical applications. In this review, we briefly introduce the biological roles of RBCEVs, presented interesting advances in RBCEV applications, and discuss several challenges that need to be addressed for their clinical translation.     

Cytokinin Confers Brown Planthopper Resistance by Elevating Jasmonic Acid Pathway in Rice

Plants have evolved a sophisticated defense system that employs various hormone pathways to defend against attacks by insect pests. Cytokinin (CK) plays an important role in plant growth and stress tolerance, but the role of CKs in plant–insect interaction remains largely unclear. Here, we report that CKs act as a positive regulator in rice resistance against brown planthopper (BPH), a devastating insect pest of rice. We found that BPH feeding promotes CK biosynthesis and signaling in rice. Exogenous application of CKs significantly increased the rice resistance to BPH. Increasing endogenous CKs by knocking out cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (OsCKXs) led to enhanced resistance to BPH. Moreover, the levels of the plant hormone jasmonic acid (JA) and the expression of JA-responsive genes were elevated by CK treatment and in OsCKXs knockout plants. Furthermore, JA-deficient mutant og1 was more susceptible to BPH, and CK-induced BPH resistance was suppressed in og1. These results indicate that CK-mediated BPH resistance is JA-dependent. Our findings provide the direct evidence for the novel role of CK in promoting insect resistance, and demonstrate that CK-induced insect resistance is JA-dependent. These results provide important guidance for effective pest management strategies in the future.     

采用MATLAB图像处理技术在鱼病诊断中的应用

本文介绍了一种可以对水产养殖中鱼的病变情况进行监控的系统。通过MATLAB软件中强大的图像处理功能,对读入的图像进行中值滤波、灰度处理和二值处理,然后根据收缩与扩张的原理,编写程序,对二值图像进行数次收缩与扩张,以去除杂质点,最后采用区域矩特征的概念,统计出白色像素的数目,与统计数据相比较,即可判断出是否出现鱼类病变死亡等异常情况。     

Rollback reconstruction for TDC enhanced perfusion imaging

Tomographic perfusion imaging is a significant imaging modality for stroke diagnosis.However,the low rotational speed of the C-arm(6-8 s per circle)is a chal-le...     

A review on Ti3C2Tx-based nanomaterials:synthesis and applications in gas and humidity sensors

Ti3C2Tx,which is a novel two-dimensional (2D)material,has received enormous interest in the field of sensor technology due to its large surface area,excellent e...     

Collaborative Action of Microglia and Astrocytes Mediates Neutrophil Recruitment to the CNS to Defend against Escherichia coli K1 Infection

Escherichia coli K1 is a leading cause of neonatal bacterial meningitis. Recruitment of neutrophils to the central nervous system (CNS) via local immune response plays a critical role in defense against E. coli K1 infection; however, the mechanism underlying this recruitment remains unclear. In this study, we report that microglia and astrocytes are activated in response to stimulation by E. coli K1 and/or E. coli K1-derived outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) and work collaboratively to drive neutrophil recruitment to the CNS. Microglial activation results in the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α, which activates astrocytes, resulting in the production of CXCL1, a chemokine critical for recruiting neutrophils. Mice lacking either microglia or TNF-α exhibit impaired production of CXCL1, impaired neutrophil recruitment, and an increased CNS bacterial burden. C-X-C chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2)-expressing neutrophils primarily respond to CXCL1 released by astrocytes. This study provides further insights into how immune responses drive neutrophil recruitment to the brain to combat E. coli K1 infection. In addition, we show that direct recognition of E. coli K1 by microglia is prevented by the K1 capsule. This study also reveals that OMVs are sufficient to induce microglial activation.