We report the roll-to-roll (R2R) magnetron sputtering deposition of photochromic oxygen-containing yttrium hydride (YHO) and bilayer YHO/Cu thin films on flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrates, enabling their integration as replaceable coverings or laminates. This scalable fabrication route yields multifunctional coatings that combine reversible optical modulation with antimicrobial activity. The YHO films are nanocrystalline (similar to 13 nm crystallite size) with a fine-grained surface morphology. Single-layer YHO films exhibit similar to 58 % average visible transmittance, whereas YHO/Cu bilayers show similar to 47 % mainly due to reflectance from the Cu film. The films darken reversibly, achieving a relative photochromic contrast of 15-19 % after 1 h of UV-violet illumination, and bleach with a time constant of similar to 10 min after the illumination. Notably, higher deposition pressures yield lower contrast but faster bleaching, indicating an inverse correlation between optical contrast and bleaching speed. The addition of a Cu top film endows potent antimicrobial performance: the best-performing YHO/Cu bilayers achieved a 5.2 log reduction in Escherichia coli, a 2.2 log reduction in Staphylococcus aureus, and complete inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 (>3.8 log reduction) after 24 h of incubation, indicating broad-spectrum efficacy. The R2R production of YHO-based thin films demonstrates the industrial potential of large-area photochromic coatings with integrated antimicrobial functionality.
Inter-plant signals can be transmitted via plant volatiles or exudates as well as through biological connections such as parasitic plants and common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs), formed by mycorrhizal fungi. The molecular mechanisms underlying mycorrhiza-mediated inter-plant signals and their functional significance in plant defence against pathogens represent an emerging area of research, expanding our understanding of inter-plant communication beyond well-studied intra-plant systemic signals and responses such as systemic acquired resistance and induced systemic resistance. By examining mechanistic bases and evolutionary perspectives from both phyto- and mycocentric viewpoints, we aim to clarify how CMNs may contribute to inter-plant information exchange and resulting plant community-level defence against pests and pathogens. Ongoing investigations into cross-kingdom crosstalk offer novel insights into candidate molecular mechanisms, such as small RNA trafficking, potentially involved in CMN-mediated inter-plant signalling. We further highlight the significance of conceptualizing crops as interconnected plant systems, a framework that will be critical in shaping future research directions. Finally, we address the challenges and future perspectives for the development of microbiological plant growth supplements and utilizing CMNs to mediate inter-plant danger signals for sustainable agroecosystem designs.
Abstract Background Long-COVID affects at least 10% of COVID-19 survivors, displaying debilitating symptoms across multiple organ systems. Despite the widespread prevalence, Long-COVID aetiology remains poorly understood, but emerging evidence points to immune dysregulation as a potential mechanism involved in its development or persistence. Methods This study presents a unique analysis of the peripheral blood mononuclear cell transcriptomic profile of COVID-19 and Long-COVID patients at single-cell resolution. We reconstructed the cell state and intercellular communication using differentially expressed gene profiling and ligand–receptor interaction analyses. Results Our results reveal altered T and natural killer cell subset proportions, diminished proliferating lymphocyte and B cell signalling capacity, and the expression of exhaustion and cytotoxicity associated genes 1.5–2 years post-infection, suggesting incomplete immune recovery. Distinct interferon responses in these cell populations at the acute phase for patients who go on to develop Long-COVID indicate early disease mediator potential. Conclusions Collectively, these findings provide insight into the immune processes underlying the progression of COVID-19 into a chronic Long-COVID state. The observed changes in immune cell subsets at the acute phase of the infection may be predictive of Long-COVID progression and could be useful in understanding disease aetiology while the observed long-term effects are crucial to developing therapeutic and diagnostic tools.
Resistance to Vemurafenib (VEM), a targeted BRAFV600E inhibitor, was examined in the metastatic paratetraploid (XX, abnormal Y chromosome) melanoma cell line, SkMel28. During the first week of treatment, pERK suppression coincided with transcriptomic and phenotypic changes related to senescence, autophagy/mitophagy, neuro-melanogenesis, and cell co-alignment. By the second week, MAPK-ERK signalling was restored, coinciding with surmounting the G1/S checkpoint, G2M checkpoint delay, mitotic slippage (MS), and downregulation of senescence and melanogenesis. The dynamics of melanogenesis and MS were highly correlated. By days 12-15, ∼8% of cells with melanin remnants exhibited hyperploidy and multinucleation, some arranged as rosettes, encased by a Zona pellucida-positive structure reminiscent of oocytes, zygotes, or blastulae, occasionally yielding cellularised sub-cells or stalling in diapause. These parasexual processes eventually ceased; cells resumed proliferative clonogenic growth and their initial mito-meiotic, mesenchymal profile. Transcriptomic analysis confirmed the reversal of their cell fate direction: from senescence-induced neuro-melanogenesis to its suppression and activation of female meiosis-like and mitosis states. The transition point of this cell-fate reversal coincided with S-phase resumption, highlighted by replication delay and activation of the FOS-TEAD/Hippo axis of the "female pregnancy" (stress-response, embryonal placentation, vascularisation, stemness, anti-apoptosis) gene ontology module. We conclude that resistance to VEM in SkMel28 cells encompasses the transition between three possible cell fates: (1) senescence/differentiation, (2) reprogramming/blastulation, and (3) recovery of the proliferative mito-meiotic profile. The coexpression of senescence, reprogramming and gametogenetic genes in a dataset of late-stage melanoma patient samples supports these results.
Background: African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes a fatal hemorrhagic disease in domestic pigs and wild boars. While live attenuated vaccines (LAVs) provide protection, their use raises safety concerns. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify viral B-cell antigens associated with protection and to test their potential using highly immunogenic vaccine delivery platforms. Methods: We employed a microarray of 169 ASFV proteins expressed in a cell-free prokaryotic system to identify immunodominant antigens using sera from immune pigs. Six structural proteins were selected and formulated into AP205 virus-like particles (VLPs). Additionally, replication-defective vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based vaccine candidates expressing glycosylated CD2v and EP153R proteins were generated. Three groups of specific pathogen-free pigs were immunized with either VLP- or VSV-based vaccines and challenged with the virulent ASFV Georgia 2007 strain. Control groups included pigs immunized with the attenuated ASFV Estonia 2014 strain and a naïve group. Results: Most vaccine candidates induced detectable antibody responses against target ASFV proteins. However, neither VLP- nor VSV-based vaccines provided protection, as clinical scores, hematology, cytokine responses, and viremia levels were similar to those in the negative control group. In contrast, only the ASFV Estonia 2014 strain elicited a robust T-cell response and protective immunity. Conclusions: These findings highlight the challenges in identifying protective B-cell antigens of ASFV and emphasize the pivotal role of cellular immunity in mediating protection.
