Green Signal Research Articles

Salmonella dry surface biofilm: morphology, single-cell landscape, and sanitization.

In this study, Salmonella Typhimurium dry surface biofilm (DSB) formation was investigated in comparison with wet surface biofilm (WSB) development. Confocal laser scanning microscopic analysis revealed a prominent green cell signal during WSB formation, whereas a red signal predominated during DSB formation. Electron microscopy was also used to compare the features of DSB and WSB. Overall, WSB was unevenly scattered over the surface, whereas DSB was evenly dispersed. In contrast to WSB cells, which have a distinct plasma membrane and outer membrane layer, DSB cells are contained in large capsules and compressed. Next, microbiome single-cell transcriptomics was used to investigate the functional heterogeneity of the Salmonella DSB microbiome, with nine clusters successfully identified. Although over 60% of the dried cells were metabolically inactive, the rest of the Salmonella cells still demonstrated specific antioxidative and virulence capabilities, suggesting a possible concern for low-moisture food (LMF) safety. Finally, because sanitization in LMF industries must be conducted without water, a list of 39 flavonoids was tested for their combined effect with 70% isopropyl alcohol (IPA) against DSB, and morin induced the greatest reduction in the green:red ratio from 3.67 to 0.43. Significantly higher reductions of Salmonella viability in DSB were achieved by 10-, 100-, 1,000-, and 10,000-µg/mL morin (1.69 ± 0.25, 3.21 ± 0.23, 4.32 ± 0.24, and 5.18 ± 0.16 log CFU/sample reductions) than 70% IPA alone (1.55 ± 0.20 log CFU/sample reduction) (P < 0.05), indicating the potential to be formulated as a dry sanitizer for the LMF industry.IMPORTANCEDSB growth of foodborne pathogens in LMF processing environments is associated with food safety, financial loss, and compromised consumer trust. This work is the first comprehensive examination of the characteristics of Salmonella DSB while exploring its underlying survival mechanisms. Furthermore, morin dissolved in 70% IPA was proposed as an efficient dry sanitizer against DSB to provide insights into biofilm control during LMF processing.

4K Indocyanine Green Endoscope Contributes to Preserve Normal Pituitary Functions Through Visualization of Normal Pituitary Body With Indocyanine Green Signals in the Operation for Rathke Cleft Cyst: 2-Dimensional Operative Video.

4K Indocyanine Green Endoscope Contributes to Preserve Normal Pituitary Functions Through Visualization of Normal Pituitary Body With Indocyanine Green Signals in the Operation for Rathke Cleft Cyst: 2-Dimensional Operative Video.

Plasma Cell Leukemia with atypical CCND1/IGH fusion and Monocytoid morphology; A Rare Case Finding

Abstract Introduction/Objective Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is a rare and aggressive form of plasma cell dyscrasia, often presenting as a variant of multiple myeloma (MM). It is characterized by the presence of ≥5% circulating plasma cells in peripheral blood, either as a primary or secondary manifestation of MM. Methods/Case Report Our case is of a 77-year-old male who presented with epigastric tenderness and bi-basilar crackles. Laboratory results showed severe hypercalcemia, elevated creatinine, leukocytosis, and elevated absolute neutrophil and lymphocyte counts. Imaging revealed widespread lytic lesions in the ribs, scapulae, thoracolumbar spine, and bony pelvis. Peripheral blood smear showed significant macrocytic anemia with rare polychromatophilic cells, numerous immature plasmacytoid cells (&amp;gt;20% of total cell count) and monocytoid morphology. Flow cytometry confirmed a population of monotypic plasma cells (28% of total cells). Bone marrow biopsy revealed a hypercellular plasma cell infiltrate with complex clonal karyotypic abnormalities, including the t(11;14)(q13;q32), rearrangements of 1p, and gain of 1q. FISH analysis showed an atypical CCND1/IGH fusion in 57% of cells, with one fusion, two orange (CCND1), and two green (IGH) signals. The case presented demonstrates a rare instance of an atypical CCND1/IGH fusion in plasma cell leukemia with monocytoid morphology, which poses diagnostic challenges. Prompt and accurate diagnosis is essential for managing the condition, given its consistently poor prognosis despite advancements in therapy over the past decade. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) NA Conclusion Our case highlights the importance of recognizing rare molecular abnormalities in PCL and suggests that further research into the molecular pathways involved in the disease is needed to improve diagnosis, treatment options and clinical outcomes.

Efficiency of dynamic traffic signal control in work zones with shuttle operation: theory and practice

Portable traffic signals with fixed-time signal plans are a common type of traffic control at work zones with shuttle traffic. The most-used alternatives are flagging and intelligent transport systems with traffic-actuated signals. These can provide more efficient traffic control, but existing policies often do little to encourage their practical application. This paper provides a clear and accessible overview of shuttle operations and a comparison of the main signal control types while addressing some knowledge gaps, such as whole-day operation efficiency. The relations between different variables of the signal plan and traffic flow are derived to build a theoretical framework and models for both deterministic and random arrivals to estimate delays and to find the optimal signal plan setting for a wide range of circumstances. The hypothetical scenarios are supported by a case study. Traffic and signal control data from several construction phases of a work zone with shuttle operation were gathered, processed, analysed, and used to compare different control scenarios. The results provide solid evidence for the efficiency of the dynamic systems. The magnitude of the difference is heavily affected by circumstances. The efficiency of the green signal almost doubled with the dynamic control. The case study also revealed a severe impact of road conditions (milling) on the work zone capacity. Several standards and policies are proposed based on the findings to encourage wider and more efficient adoption of traffic-actuated signals in work zones.

Color-induced cognitive conflicts affect muscle activity prior to gait initiation in the Go/No-go task.

In traffic rule, green/blue means go, and red means stop. It has been shown that this prior knowledge about traffic signal colors can affect reaction times (RTs). For example, RTs are longer when responding to a red "Go" signal and withholding the response to a blue "No-go" signal (Red Go/Blue No-go task) than when responding to a blue "Go" signal and withholding the response to a red "No-go" signal (Blue Go/Red No-go task), when responses are provided by button press. However, it remains unknown whether this holds in different actions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of prior knowledge of color on gait initiation in a Go/No-go task. Seventeen participants performed Green Go/Red No-go and Red Go/Green No-go tasks, in which they stepped forward from a force plate in response to a green or red signal and withhold the response to red or green signal, respectively. We recorded the center of pressure (COP) and electromyogram (EMG) from the bilateral tibialis anterior muscles during gait initiation. The onset of COP movement and toe-off time as well as COP displacements did not differ between the Go/No-go tasks. The EMG onset for the stance leg was delayed in the Red Go/Green No-go than Green Go/Red No-go task. These findings suggest that the conflict between prior knowledge of color related to traffic rule and the meaning of the stimulus color affects muscle activity but not COP characteristics during gait initiation, highlighting two distinct motor control mechanisms, where the initial phase is influenced by cognitive load while the subsequent phase remains unaffected. This dissociation suggests that the later phase of gait initiation relies on robust spinal loops and central pattern generators, which are less influenced by cognitive factors such as prior knowledge.

Recording and Interpretation of Active Calcium Transients in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes.

Calcium plays a pivotal role in the excitation-contraction coupling process in cardiomyocytes, a critical multi-parametric event leading to rhythmic contraction. Over the past few decades, calcium signaling in cardiomyocytes has been extensively studied in cardiovascular sciences. However, a standard methodology is needed not only to trace the calcium within cells but also to remove signal processing biases and to accurately interpret the features of calcium transient signals in relation to cardiomyocyte electrophysiology. This article outlines the use of genetically encoded calcium indicator (GCaMP) human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) to record calcium transients. These cells express a green fluorescent signal when calcium binds to intracellular calmodulin, a key regulator of calcium signaling. The extraction and processing of calcium transient waveforms are performed using ImageJ and MATLAB software. Key features of these waveforms are then identified and categorized based on their physiological relevance to cardiomyocyte function. Additionally, this work includes a Support Protocol for the successful replating of cardiomyocytes onto non-traditional culture platforms, such as metallic sensors and polymer-based substrates, to facilitate data multiplexing. The three Basic Protocols outlined here provide a comprehensive approach for maintaining, expanding, and differentiating the GCaMP hiPSCs, video recording of calcium transients, and the subsequent signal extraction, preprocessing, analysis, and data visualization. © 2024 The Author(s). Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Maintenance, expansion, and differentiation of genetically encoded calcium indicator hiPSCs Support Protocol: Replating GCaMP hiPSC-CMs for stimulation and multielectrode array studies Basic Protocol 2: Video recording from calcium transients of GCaMP hiPSC-CMs Basic Protocol 3: Signal extraction, preprocessing, analysis, and data visualization.

Effects of anti-rainbow trout germ-cell monoclonal antibody on germ cells and gonadal tissues in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The development of sterilization technology is important to improve the production efficacy of aquaculture and prevent genetically modified fish from escaping. Immunosterilization is a novel sterilization method that has already been used in mammals. In this study, anti-rainbow trout germ-cell monoclonal antibodies (anti-GC mAbs) were injected into immature rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, and their effects were analyzed. First, anti-GC mAbs labeled with Alexa Fluor 488 were injected into the body cavity of larvae 20 days (group 1) and 102 days (group 2) after fertilization. Second, anti-GC mAbs were injected into the body cavity of yearling trout (group 3), and their impacts on gonadal tissue were analyzed in terms of histology and gene expression levels. As a result, anti-GC mAbs were observed to bind to some primordial GCs in group 1, whereas there were no obvious positive cells in male testes of group 2. In contrast, green fluorescent signals were observed in an arrangement parallel to the ovarian lamina in female ovaries of group 2, which was similar to the arrangement of positive signals on ovarian tissue sections immunostained with anti-GC mAbs. GCs in group 1 were observed again after 76 days, and double-positive cells remained. In group 3, there were changes in the expression levels of GC-specific genes, but the changes were not seen as biologically meaningful. Moreover, there was no histological abnormality in gonadal tissues after immunization. In conclusion, these results suggested that anti-GC mAbs could only reach GCs in early developmental stages or in the ovary, and injection of anti-GCs mAbs did not have harmful effects on GCs after binding.

Application of Artificial Intelligence Technology in Optimizing Control Parameters of Traffic Signal Group Systems

On the basis of introducing the concept of intersection signal state phase difference, the author proposes a proportional signal phase difference design scheme for traffic signal system control, on the basis of the HCM signal delay calculation formula, a standardized signal cycle and effective green signal ratio optimization design model were compiled, thus forming a complete set of optimization design modes for the control parameters of the urban main road traffic signal group system. The experimental results indicate that, the entire simulation experiment took 6000 seconds to compare the traditional fuzzy algorithm with the controller implemented by the author's fuzzy neural network, each case was simulated 5 times, the data in the Table is the average of 5 times, compared with traditional fuzzy algorithms, the author's method shows an improvement of 20.8% to 45.67% in average vehicle delay time, especially when the traffic flow is different in the east-west and north-south directions, the improvement is more significant.

Parathyroid gland identification and angiography classification using simple machine learning methods.

Near-infrared indocyanine green angiography allows experienced surgeons to reliably evaluate parathyroid gland vitality during thyroid and parathyroid operations in order to predict postoperative function. To facilitate equal performance between surgeons, we developed an automatic computational quantification method using computer vision that portrays expert interpretation of visualized parathyroid gland near-infrared indocyanine green angiographic fluorescence signals. Near-infrared indocyanine green-parathyroid gland angiography video recordings (Fluobeam® LX, Fluoptics, Grenoble-part of Getinge-Göteborg) from patients undergoing endocrine cervical surgery in a high-volume unit were used for model development. Computation (MATLAB, Mathworks, Ireland) included segmentation-identification of the parathyroid gland (by autofluorescence), image stabilization (by linear translation) and adjusted time-fluorescence intensity profile generation. Relative upslope and maximum intensity ratios then trained a simple logistic regression model based on expert interpretation and outcome (including hypoparathyroidism), with subsequent unseen testing for validation. The model was trained on 37 patient videos (45 glands, 29 judged well perfused by parathyroid gland angiography experts), achieving feature data separation with 100% accuracy, and tested on 22 unseen videos (27 glands, 15 judged well perfused), including four in real time. Segmentation-guided parathyroid gland detection correctly identified all parathyroid glands during unseen testing along with three additional non-parathyroid gland regions (90% positive predictive value). Subsequent time-fluorescence intensity profile extraction with vitality prediction was shown feasible in all cases within 5 min, with a 96.3% model accuracy (sensitivity and specificity were 93.3 and 100% respectively) when compared with expert judgement. Automatic parathyroid gland perfusion quantification using simple machine learning computational methods discriminates parathyroid gland perfusion in concordance with expert surgeon interpretation, providing a means for near-infrared indocyanine green-parathyroid gland signal evaluation.

Constructing Mechanochromic Fluorescent Interphase via Core-Shell Microcapsules: A Route for Interface Reinforcing and Damage Self-Reporting of CFRP Composites.

Perylenediimide-chitosan/γ-poly (glutamic acid) microcapsules sizing (PDI-CS/γ-PGA) core-shell microcapsule is designed and used to establish a novel interphase in carbon fiber/epoxy (CF/EP) composite, and the interfacial property, as well as the damage self-reporting of the composite, is compared with desized carbon fiber (CF-desized)/EP and commercial carbon fiber (CF-COM)/EP composite. The ruptured PDI-CS/γ-PGA microcapsule exhibits strong "turn-on" green fluorescence from the released PDI upon mechanical stimuli. The anchoring of PDI-CS/γ-PGA microcapsule on carbon fiber with PDI-CS/γ-PGA microcapsules sizing (CF@PDI-CS/γ-PGA) surface results in increased chemical activity and roughness, exhibiting a weak green fluorescence signal instead of non-fluorescence on CF-desized and CF-COM surface. The transverse fiber bundle tensile (TFBT) strength of CF@PDI-CS/γ-PGA composite is 80.97% and 31.09% higher than those of CF-desized/EP and CF-COM/EP composite, which is attributed to the mechanical interlocking and chemical bonding interaction between carbon fiber and epoxy matrix by introducing PDI-CS/γ-PGA microcapsule with spherular structure and active groups. After microdroplet testing, the strong "turn-on" green fluorescence signal of the released PDI from the microcapsules is detected in the interfacial debonding regions, realizing the microscopic damage self-reporting of CF@PDI-CS/γ-PGA composite.

Visual detection of anti‐icing fluids freezing by a low‐temperature viscosity‐sensitive aggregation‐induced emission probe

AbstractIcing detection is critically important for preventing safety accidents and economic losses, especially concerning ice formation from invalidated anti‐icing fluids (water and ethylene glycol) under extreme conditions. Traditional technologies like ultrasonics and capacitor‐antenna face challenges with limited detection areas, lower accuracy, and susceptibility to electromagnetic interference. Here, we introduce a novel viscosity‐ultrasensitive fluorescent probe 4′,4‴‐(2,2‐diphenylethene‐1,1‐diyl) bis‐(3,5‐dicarboxylate) (TPE‐2B4C) based on AIEgens for monitoring ice formation of anti‐icing fluids in low‐temperature environments. TPE‐2B4C, consisting of four sodium carboxylate groups and multiple freely rotating benzene rings, demonstrates outstanding solubility in anti‐icing fluids and exhibits no fluorescent background signal even at low temperatures (&lt;−20°C). Upon freezing, TPE‐2B4C relocates from the water phase to higher viscosity ethylene glycol, causing restriction of benzene rings and a significantly increased green fluorescence signal. TPE‐2B4C can successfully determine whether the anti‐icing fluids are icing from −5 to −20°C with a high contrast ratio. Due to its simple setup, fast operation, and broad applicability, our new method is anticipated to be employed for rapid, real‐time, and large‐scale icing detection.

Dual response signal CdTe QDs@ZIF-8 with butterfly spectrum for dual-mode fluorescence/colorimetric detection of tetracycline in animal feeds.

In this study, a ratiometric fluorescent sensor CdTe QDs@ZIF-8 with butterfly spectra is successfully constructed by in situ encapsulating mercaptopropionic acid-modified CdTe quantum dots in zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) with a simple strategy, and used for the detection of tetracycline in fluorescence/smartphone colorimetry dual-mode. ZIF-8 not only reduces the agglomeration of the quantum dots but also surprisingly generates a new green fluorescence signal at 524nm while the red fluorescence of the CdTe quantum dots at 650nm quenches when tetracycline is added. The two opposing fluorescence signals create a butterfly-shaped fluorescence spectrum, allowing the sensor to detect tetracycline over a linear range of 0-70μM with the detection limit (LOD) of 0.0155μM by using a ratiometric fluorescence technique. What is more, based on the obvious color change of the fluorescent sensor gradually from red to green under UV light, a highly stable point-of-care testing sensor has been developed for on-site detection of tetracycline through color recognition by smartphones, which can be used for real-time detection of this antibiotic in the range of 0-1000μM with the LOD of 0.0249μM. This work provides a simple and efficient method for the on-site detection of tetracycline.

Manufacturer Encroachment on a Sustainable Supply Chain under Asymmetric Green Information

This paper investigates manufacturer encroachment on a sustainable supply chain, where the manufacturer holds exclusive information on product greenness and is responsible for both corporate social responsibility (CSR) and greening. The manufacturer and the retailer play a signaling game whereby CSR effort and wholesale price serve as joint green signals. Findings reveal that, firstly, encroachment induces higher CSR efforts from manufacturers. When customers exhibit a strong CSR preference, the resulting CSR increment leads to increased offline demand and drives up both wholesale and retail prices in a mutually beneficial manner. This phenomenon is referred to as the CSR effect, yielding a win-win encroachment. Secondly, when signaling product greenness to highly CSR-sensitive customers, the high-greenness manufacturer principally distorts her CSR effort downward to an extent unprofitable for the low-greenness manufacturer to mimic and subordinately distorts the wholesale price downward to counter CSR-induced demand decrement and mitigate CSR cost pass-through downstream. Finally, the win-win encroachment pattern is characterized by encroachment profit and signal expense sharing, with encroachment strengthening downward-distorted signaling while signaling weakens the CSR effect. These insights contribute valuable guidance for green manufacturers in CSR decision-making, which functions as a component of green signaling and facilitates transitioning to dual-channel sustainable supply chains.

Aminophenylboronic acid-modified nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots and their applications in lysine sensing based on interplaying fluorescent mechanisms.

Using nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) and 3-aminophenylboronic acid (APBA), a novel fluorescence nanosensorwas developed. This nanosensor exhibits high selectivity and sensitivity for lysine detection. Its sensing mechanism involves the suppression of electron transfer from APBA to the N-GQDs unit, thereby inhibiting photoinduced electron transfer and initiating internal charge transfer. At an optimal pH of 7, the protonated α-amine and ε-amine groups of lysine interact with the amide and boronic acid moieties, respectively. This interaction results in a redshift of fluorescence, substantially enhancing the response signal. A linear response was observed within a concentration range 0.40-3.01μM, with the detection limit being 0.005μM. A similar linear range was also achieved for the determination of lysine in human serum. Density functional theory calculations correlating molecular orbits and geometries support UV-vis and fluorescence findings. Additionally, the nanosensor wassuccessfully applied to detect lysine in living cells and real samples, including milk and honey. For practical application, we construct a lysine-specific sensing platform using a commercial chip (TCS34725) that collects red, blue, and green signals, thereby facilitating the convenient use of the nanosensor. Overall, this study offers new perspectives on the development and application of fluorescent nanosensors for detecting individual amino acids.

Environmental information disclosure and corporate financial performance: Evidence from China

AbstractCorporate environmental disclosure has gained prominence in capital markets, yet opinions vary on whether its benefits outweigh its costs. Based on a sample of Chinese listed A‐share firms spanning 2010–2020, we reveal that the environmental information disclosed by listed companies significantly enhances the economic value added. Key mechanisms include positive media attention, institutional investor shareholding and corporate R&amp;D investment. Additionally, government investment in environmental governance plays a positive moderating role. Furthermore, we also find that non‐monetised disclosures bring more benefits than monetised ones. Also green signals have a peer effect in the same industry and province.

Unbalanced MYC break-apart FISH patterns indicate the presence of a MYC rearrangement in HGBCL-DH-BCL2

AbstractFluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using break-apart probes is recommended for identifying high-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 rearrangements (HGBCL-DH-BCL2). Unbalanced MYC break-apart patterns, in which the red or green signal is lost, are commonly reported as an equivocal result by clinical laboratories. In a cohort of 297 HGBCL-DH-BCL2, 13% of tumors had unbalanced MYC break-apart patterns with loss of red (LR; 2%) or loss of green (LG; 11%) signal. To determine the significance of these patterns, MYC rearrangements were characterized by sequencing in 130 HGBCL-DH-BCL2, including 3 LR and 14 LG tumors. A MYC rearrangement was identified for 71% of tumors with LR or LG patterns, with the majority involving immunoglobulin loci or other recurrent MYC rearrangement partners. The architecture of these rearrangements consistently preserved the rearranged MYC allele, with the MYC gene predicted to be on the derivative chromosome containing the signal that is still present in nearly all cases. MYC protein expression, MYC messenger RNA expression, and the proportion of tumors expressing the dark-zone signature was not significantly different between balanced and unbalanced groups. These results support a recommendation that unbalanced MYC break-apart FISH patterns be reported as positive for MYC rearrangement in the context of diagnosing HGBCL-DH-BCL2.

A Rapid Method for Screening Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern-Triggered Immunity-Intensifying Microbes.

PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI) is the first layer of plant defense response that occurs on the plant plasma membrane. Recently, the application of a rhizobacterium, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain PMB05, has been demonstrated to enhance flg22Pst- or harpin-triggered PTI response such as callose deposition. This PTI intensification by PMB05 further contributes to plant disease resistance to different bacterial diseases. Under the demand for rapid and large-scale screening, it has become critical to establish a non-staining technology to identify microbial strains that can enhance PTI responses. Firstly, we confirmed that the expression of the GSL5 gene, which is required for callose synthesis, can be enhanced by PMB05 during PTI activation triggered by flg22 or PopW (a harpin from Ralstonia solanacearum). The promoter region of the GSL5 gene was further cloned and fused to the coding sequence of gfp. The constructed fragments were used to generate transgenic Arabidopsis plants through a plant transformation vector. The transgenic lines of AtGSL5-GFP were obtained. The analysis was performed by infiltrating flg22Pst or PopW in one homozygous line, and the results exhibited that the green fluorescent signals were observed until after 8 h. In addition, the PopW-induced fluorescent signal was significantly enhanced in the co-treatment with PMB05 at 4 h after inoculation. Furthermore, by using AtGSL5-GFP to analyze 13 Bacillus spp. strains, the regulation of PopW-induced fluorescent signal was observed. And, the regulation of these fluorescent signals was similar to that performed by callose staining. More importantly, the Bacillus strains that enhance PopW-induced fluorescent signals would be more effective in reducing the occurrence of bacterial wilt. Taken together, the technique by using AtGSL5-GFP would be a promising platform to screen plant immunity-intensifying microbes to control bacterial wilt.

One-pot Synthesis of FITC-Doped Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization and Cellular Imaging

This study aimed to develop, evaluate and analyse the potential of mesoporous silica nanoparticles doped with fluorescein isothiocyanate (MSNFITC) as an agent for bioimaging. The synthesis of MSNFITC nanoparticles was achieved by using a CTAB formaldehyde method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) were employed to conduct a detailed characterization of the size and morphology of MSNFITC. The efficacy of dye doping was validated via fluorescence and UV absorbance spectroscopy. The produced MSNFITC had a uniform size distribution (65.5 ± 0.825nm) and a spherical shape. Spectroscopic investigations showed distinct peaks at 495 nm (absorbance) and 520 nm (fluorescence emission), indicative of FITC. Biocompatibility experiments on HeLa cells, even exposed to high concentrations (100 μg/mL) of MSNFITC, showed minimal cytotoxicity effects. Furthermore, the effective uptake of nanoparticles by HeLa cells was demonstrated through a strong green fluorescence signal that is distinctive for FITC. Given their advantageous features and biocompatibility with living organisms, the MSNFITC nanoparticles can potentially be highly effective agents for studying cells through bioimaging.

Creating a novel method for chicken primordial germ cell health monitoring using the fluorescent ubiquitination-based cell cycle indicator reporter system

The most current in vitro genetic methods, including gene preservation, gene editing and developmental modelling, require a significant number of healthy cells. In poultry species, primordial germ cells (PGCs) are great candidates for all the above-mentioned purposes, given their easy culturing and well-established freezing method for chicken. However, the constant monitoring of cultures can be financially challenging and consumes large amounts of solutions and accessories. This study aimed to introduce the Fluorescent Ubiquitination-based Cell Cycle Indicator (FUCCI) complex into the chicken PGCs. FUCCI is a powerful transgenic tool based on the periodic protein expression changes during the cell cycle. It includes chromatin licensing and DNA replication factor 1 attached monomeric Kusabira-Orange and Geminin-attached monomeric Azami-Green fluorescent proteins, that cause the cells to express a red signal in the G1 phase and a green signal in S and G2 phases. Modification of the chicken PGCs was done via electroporation and deemed to be successful according to confocal microscopy, DNA sequencing and timelapse video analysis. Stable clone cell lines were established, cryopreserved, and injected into recipient embryos to prove the integrational competency. The cell health monitoring was tested with medium change experiments, that proved the intended reactions of the FUCCI transgene. These results established the future for FUCCI experiments in chicken, including heat treatment and toxin treatment.

How does the issuance of green bonds impact stock price crash risk: An analysis utilizing the NCSKEW and DUVOL

China's rapid development in the context of carbon neutrality has positioned it as the global leader in green bond issuance. As the Chinese A-share market continues to slump, adverse shocks are accumulating. Thus, the question arises: How will the issuance of green bonds (GB) impact stock price crash risk (SPCR)? The present study utilizes datasets of Chinese A-share listed firms from 2012 to 2022 and conducts a differences-in-difference analysis to address this inquiry. The findings indicate that issuing GB can significantly reduce SPCR, suggesting that GB plays a stabilizing role in the capital market. This effect remains robust after consideration of parallel trend testing, placebo tests, propensity score matching, replacement of explained variables, and controlling for geographic and industrial factors. The mechanism studies demonstrate that the issuance of GB can effectively alleviate financing constraints faced by companies and reduce SPCR through the financing constraints mechanism. The issuance can also enhance firm exposure and attract investor attention, thereby mitigating SPCR through the investor attention mechanism. The issuance contributes to the formation of a positive reputation image among investors and can diminish SPCR through the investor sentiment mechanism. The heterogeneity analyses show that the depressive effect of issuing GB on SPCR is more pronounced in state-owned enterprises, heavily polluting industries, and regions with a higher degree of marketization. Further discussion suggests that given the influence of externalities, the green signals released when a firm issues GB can spread within the capital market, generating a positive spillover effect on the decrease in SPCR of other firms in the same region and a negative spillover effect on the increase in SPCR of other firms in the same industry. This study not only confirms GB's stabilization role in the capital market, but also offers theoretical insights for improving the institutional design of the green bond market and promoting sustainable green development.