Degradation of Cry1Ac Protein Within Transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis Rice Tissues Under Field and Laboratory Conditions

To clarify the environmental fate of the Cry1Ac protein from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki (Bt) contained in transgenic rice plant stubble after harvest, degradation was monitored under field conditions using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In stalks, Cry1Ac protein concentration decreased rapidly to 50% of the initial amount during the first month after harvest; subsequently, the degradation decreased gradually reaching 21.3% when the experiment was terminated after 7 mo. A similar degradation pattern of the Cry1Ac protein was observed in rice roots. However, when the temperature increased in April of the following spring, protein degradation resumed, and no protein could be detected by the end of the experiment. In addition, a laboratory experiment was conducted to study the persistence of Cry1Ac protein released from rice tissue in water and paddy soil. The protein released from leaves degraded rapidly in paddy soil under flooded conditions during the first 20 d and plateaued until the termination of this trial at 135 d, when 15.3% of the initial amount was still detectable. In water, the Cry1Ac protein degraded more slowly than in soil but never entered a relatively stable phase as in soil. The degradation rate of Cry1Ac protein was significantly faster in nonsterile water than in sterile water. These results indicate that the soil environment can increase the degradation of Bt protein contained in plant residues. Therefore, plowing a field immediately after harvest could be an effective method for decreasing the persistence of Bt protein in transgenic rice field

Genomic insights into antimicrobial potential and optimization of fermentation conditions of pig-derived Bacillus subtilis BS21

Bacillus spp. have been widely used as probiotic supplements in animal feed as alternatives to antibiotics. In the present study, we screened a Bacillus subtilis strain named BS21 from pig feces. Antimicrobial activities, whole genome mining and UHPLC-MS/MS analysis were used to explore its antimicrobial mechanism. Strain BS21 showed Significant growth inhibition against a variety of animal pathogens, including Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica Pullorum, Salmonella enterica Typhimurium, Citrobacter rodentium, Shigella flexneri and Staphylococcus aureus. Seven gene clusters involved in antimicrobial biosynthesis of secondary metabolites were encoded by strain BS21 genome, including four non-ribosomal peptides (bacillibactin, fengycin, surfactin and zwittermicin A), one ribosomal peptide (subtilosin A), one dipeptide (bacilysin) and one polyketide (bacillaene). Among them, production of surfactin, fengycin, bacillibactin, bacilysin and bacillaene was detected in the supernatant of B. subtilis strain BS21. To develop the potential application of BS21 in animal production, medium components and fermentation parameters optimization was carried out using response surface methodology (RSM). Production of antimicrobial secondary metabolites of strain BS21 was increased by 43.4%, and the best medium formula after optimization was corn flour 2%, soybean meal 1.7% and NaCl 0.5% with optimum culture parameters of initial pH 7.0, temperature 30°C, rotating speed at 220 rpm for 26 h. Our results suggested that strain BS21 has the potential for large-scale production and application as a potential source of probiotics and alternative to antibiotics for animal production

First description of the female of Cyrtodactylus dianxiensis Liu & Rao, 2021, with extended diagnosis of this species (Squamata, Gekkonidae)

Cyrtodactylus dianxiensis Liu & Rao, 2021 was originally described based on only two adult male specimens from Tongbiguan Nature Reserve, Dehong Autonomous Prefecture, western Yunnan, China. So far, no information on the females of this species is available. During comprehensive herpetofaunal investigations in 2022, one female specimen of C. dianxiensis was collected from Tongbiguan Nature Reserve. The female specimen agrees well with the original description of C. dianxiensis, and also shows some slight differences in coloration. This study reported the female specimen of this species for the first time, and provided a description and photos of the female specimen; meanwhile, we extended the diagnosis of this species

Design, synthesis and in vitro anti-Zika virus evaluation of novel Sinefungin derivatives

We report herein the design and synthesis of a series of novel Sinefungin (SIN) derivatives, based on the structures of SIN and its analogue EPZ004777. Our results reveal that target compounds 1ad-af, 1ba-bb and 1bf-bh show better activity (IC50 = 4.56–20.16 μM) than EPZ004777 (IC50 = 35.19 μM). Surprisingly, SIN was founded to be not as active (IC50 > 50 μM) as we and other research groups predicted. Interestingly, the intermediates 9a-b and 11b display potent anti-ZIKV potency (IC50 = 6.33–29.98 μM), and compound 9a also exhibits acceptable cytotoxicity (CC50 > 200 μM), suggesting their promising potential to be leads for further development

Percutaneous ballon compression for recurrent TN —a retrospective study of 33 cases

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical efficacy of percutaneous microballoon compression in the treatment of recurrent TN.MethodsThis retrospective study included 33 patients who underwent percutaneous microballoon compression for the treatment of recurrent TN from March 2019 to May 2022. Postoperative pain recurrence and facial numbness were assessed according to the Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) pain score. Patients’ anxiety and sleep status during follow-up were assessed according to the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).ResultsAll patients (33 cases) were followed up for 12–38 months, with an average follow-up time of 23 months. On postoperative day 1, 31 patients (93.9%) reported no pain, and 2 patients were given drug treatment for pain relief, The total efficacy was 93.9%. Moreover, 2 patients (6.1%) reported significant pain relief 2 weeks postoperatively. There are many complications during and after PBC. The incidence of the trigeminocardiac reflex (TCR) during surgery was 100%, and the incidence of facial numbness, masseter muscle weakness, labial herpes and headache was 97, 60.6, 12.1 and 3%. No patient experienced severe facial numbness, hearing impairment, diplopia, injury to cranial nerves, Meningitis, intracranial haemorrhage or keratitis. 1 patient had recurrence of pain at 6 months post-op, which was relieved by oral medication. 81.8% suffered from anxiety and 54.5% had poor sleep quality before surgery. After the period of PBC, SAS and PSQI scores decreased continuously. There were significant improvements in anxiety and sleep status postoperatively compared with preoperatively.ConclusionPBC is a safe and effective option for the treatment of recurrent TN. The arduous and demanding nature of the clinical course subjects the patient to severe pain, mental, and physical stress. Thankfully, it significantly improves the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and sleep quality

Intelligent Computing: The Latest Advances, Challenges and Future

Computing is a critical driving force in the development of human civilization. In recent years, we have witnessed the emergence of intelligent computing, a new computing paradigm that is reshaping traditional computing and promoting digital revolution in the era of big data, artificial intelligence and internet-of-things with new computing theories, architectures, methods, systems, and applications. Intelligent computing has greatly broadened the scope of computing, extending it from traditional computing on data to increasingly diverse computing paradigms such as perceptual intelligence, cognitive intelligence, autonomous intelligence, and human-computer fusion intelligence. Intelligence and computing have undergone paths of different evolution and development for a long time but have become increasingly intertwined in recent years: intelligent computing is not only intelligence-oriented but also intelligence-driven. Such cross-fertilization has prompted the emergence and rapid advancement of intelligent computing. Intelligent computing is still in its infancy and an abundance of innovations in the theories, systems, and applications of intelligent computing are expected to occur soon. We present the first comprehensive survey of literature on intelligent computing, covering its theory fundamentals, the technological fusion of intelligence and computing, important applications, challenges, and future perspectives. We believe that this survey is highly timely and will provide a comprehensive reference and cast valuable insights into intelligent computing for academic and industrial researchers and practitioners