Hydrogel structures equipped with internal microchannels offer more in vivo‐relevant models for construction of tissues and organs in vitro. However, currently used microfabrication methods of constructing microfluidic devices are not suitable for the handling of hydrogel. This study presents a novel method of fabricating hydrogel‐based microfluidic chips by combining the casting and bonding processes. A twice cross‐linking strategy is designed to obtain a bonding interface that has the same strength with the hydrogel bulk, which can be applied to arbitrary combinations of hydrogels. It is convenient to achieve the construction of hydrogel structures with channels in branched, spiral, serpentine, and multilayer forms. The experimental results show that the combination of gelatin and gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) owns the best biocompatibility and can promote cell functionalization. Based on these, a vessel‐on‐a‐chip system with vascular function in both physiological and pathological situations is established, providing a promising model for further investigations such as vascularization, vascular inflammation, tissue engineering, and drug development. Taken together, a facile and cytocompatible approach is developed for engineering a user‐defined hydrogel‐based chip that can be potentially useful in developing vascularized tissue or organ models.

BackgroundHistone deacetylases (HDACs) function as key epigenetic factors in repressing the expression of genes in multiple aspects of plant growth, development and plant response to abiotic or biotic stresses. To date, the molecular function of HDACs is well described in Arabidopsis thaliana, but no systematic analysis of this gene family in soybean (Glycine max) has been reported.ResultsIn this study, 28 HDAC genes from soybean genome were identified, which were asymmetrically distributed on 12 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that GmHDACs fall into three major groups previously named RPD3/HDA1, SIR2, and HD2. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that YFP-tagged GmSRT4, GmHDT2 and GmHDT4 were predominantly localized in the nucleus, whereas GmHDA6, GmHDA13, GmHDA14 and GmHDA16 were found in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. Real-time quantitative PCR showed that GmHDA6, GmHDA13, GmHDA14, GmHDA16 and GmHDT4 were broadly expressed across plant tissues, while GmHDA8, GmSRT2, GmSRT4 and GmHDT2 showed differential expression across various tissues. Interestingly, we measured differential changes in GmHDACs transcripts accumulation in response to several abiotic cues, indicating that these epigenetic modifiers could potentially be part of a dynamic transcriptional response to stress in soybean. Finally, we show that the levels of histone marks previously reported to be associated with plant HDACs are modulated by cold and heat in this legume.ConclusionWe have identified and classified 28 HDAC genes in soybean. Our data provides insights into the evolution of the HDAC gene family and further support the hypothesis that these genes are important for the plant responses to environmental stress.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12870-018-1454-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique coupled with machine learning was proposed to perform four metal elements quantitative analysis and pollution source discrimination in atmospheric sedimentation.

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The hematopoietic function of HOXC4 has not been extensively investigated. Our research indicated that induction of HOXC4 in co-culture system from D10 significantly promoted productions of most hematopoietic progenitor cells. CD34−CD43+ cells could be clearly classified into CD34−CD43 low and CD34−CD43 high sub-populations at D14. The former cells had greater myelogenic potential, and their production was not significantly influenced by induction of HOXC4 . By contrast, the latter cells had greater potential to differentiate into megakaryocytes and erythroid cells, and thus had properties of erythroid–megakaryocyte common progenitors, which abundance was increased by ∼2-fold when HOXC4 was induced from D10. For CD34−CD43 low , CD34+CD43+, and CD34−CD43 high sub-populations, CD43 level served as a natural index for the tendency to undergo hematopoiesis. Induction of HOXC4 from D10 caused more CD43+ cells sustain in S-phase with up-regulation of NF-κB signaling, which could be counteracted by inhibition of NF-κB signaling. These observations suggested that promotion of hematopoiesis by HOXC4 is closely related to NF-κB signaling and a change in cell-cycle status, which containing potential of clinical applications.

Immunological/inflammatory factors are implicated in the development of psychosis. Complement is a key driver of inflammation; however, it remains unknown which factor is better at predicting the onset of psychosis. This study aimed to compare the alteration and predictive performance of inflammation and complement in individuals at clinical high risk (CHR). We enrolled 49 individuals at CHR and 26 healthy controls (HCs). Twenty-five patients at CHR had converted to psychosis (converter) by the 3-year follow-up. Inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β, 6, 8, 10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), macrophage colony-stimulating factor levels, and complement proteins (C1q, C2, C3, C3b, C4, C4b, C5, C5a, factor B, D, I, H) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at baseline. Except for TNF- alpha, none of the inflammatory cytokines reached a significant level in either the comparison of CHR individuals and HC or between CHR-converters and non-converters. The C5, C3, D, I, and H levels were significantly lower (C5, p = 0.006; C3, p = 0.009; D, p = 0.026; I, p = 0.016; H, p = 0.019) in the CHR group than in the HC group. Compared to non-converters, converters had significantly lower levels of C5 (p = 0.012) and C5a (p = 0.007). None of the inflammatory factors, but many complement factors, showed significant correlations with changes in general function and symptoms. None of the inflammatory markers, except for C5a and C5, were significant in the discrimination of conversion outcomes in CHR individuals. Our results suggest that altered complement levels in the CHR population are more associated with conversion to psychosis than inflammatory factors. Therefore, an activated complement system may precede the first-episode of psychosis and contribute to neurological pathogenesis at the CHR stage.

We report an approach that polymerizable handle-modified nanosized metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are used as independent monomers to be covalently organized by crosslinking molecules (CLMs) into an orderly MOF-assembled hybrid monolithic stationary phase, overcoming the respective problems of previously reported MOF-mixed or embedded stationary phases so far. It has a hierarchical micro-, meso-, and macropore structure throughout the monolithic matrix that is donated from MOF themselves, formed via CLM crosslinking in-between MOFs and expended by porogenic solvents, and a tunable surface chemistry derived inherently from MOFs, regulated by CLMs and initiated by the mobile phases as well. Such a pore structure and surface chemistry display multiplex interactions of sieving and electrostatic repulsion in addition to the polarity-based interactions that synergistically govern the partitioning way and degree of target molecules between the stationary and mobile phases, thus offering the ability to simultaneously separate small and large molecules during one chromatographic run on a nano-flow capillary high-performance liquid chromatography platform. A baseline mutual separation with the HETP and R s of, for example, 9.2 μm butylbenzene and 4.56 (butylbenzene and pentylbenzene), 7.9 μm (phenylalanine) and 3.50 (tryptophan and phenylalanine), and 7.0 μm (myoglobin) and 1.91 (bovine serum albumin and myoglobin) was achieved when UiO-66/NHmethacrylate was exemplified as a model of MOFs and 1,6-hexanediol dimethacrylate and stearyl methacrylate together as CLMs. Not limited to the MOFs and CLMs demonstrated here, other available MOFs and CLMs or newly designed and synthesized ones are expected to be used for constructing one's own desired monolithic stationary phases toward her/his particular purposes.

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