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Drug delivery via electrospun nanofibers represents a new approach to treat tissue damage resulting from cancer or cancer treatment. In this study, we proposed a decomposable nanoparticles-incorporated electrospun mat as carrier for anticancer drugs. The anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was initially loaded into SiO2 nanoparticles (DOX@SiO2), and the prepared DOX-loaded nanoparticles were then introduced into the poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/chitosan (PLGA/CS) mixed solution to fabricate drug-loaded composite nanofibers (PLGA/CS/DOX@SiO2) via electrospinning. The prepared nanoparticles and drug-loaded nanofibers were characterized by various methods, and the results indicated that the DOX@SiO2 nanoparticles were dispersively embedded inside PLGA/CS nanofibers. The PLGA/CS/DOX@SiO2 composite nanofibers showed a sustained and controlled drug release profile. Moreover, the released DOX from the composite nanofibers achieved significant antitumor activity, thereby effectively inhibiting the growth of HeLa cells. Thus, the prepared composite nanofibrous mats containing self-decomposable nanocarriers would be potential candidates for cancer treatment.

Autophagy (macroautophagy) is an evolutionarily conserved degradation pathway involved in bulk degradation of cytoplasmic organelles, old protein, and other macromolecules and nutrient recycling during starvation. Extensive studies on functions of autophagy-related genes have revealed that autophagy plays a role in cell differentiation and pathogenesis of pathogenic fungi. In this study, we identified and characterized 14 core autophagy machinery genes (ATGs) in C. neoformans. To understand the function of autophagy in virulence and fungal development in C. neoformans, we knocked out the 14 ATGs in both α and a mating type strain backgrounds in C. neoformans, respectively, by using biolistic transformation and in vivo homologous recombination. Fungal virulence assay showed that virulence of each atg mutants was attenuated in a murine inhalation systemic-infection model, although virulence factor production was not dramatically impaired in vitro. Fungal mating assays showed that all the 14 ATGs are essential for fungal sexual reproduction as basidiospore production was blocked in bilateral mating between each atg mutants. Fungal nuclei development assay showed that nuclei in the bilateral mating of each atg mutants failed to undergo meiosis after fusion, indicating autophagy is essential for regulating meiosis during mating. Overall, our study showed that autophagy is essential for fungal virulence and sexual reproduction in C. neoformans, which likely represents a conserved novel virulence and sexual reproduction control mechanism that involves the autophagy-mediated proteolysis pathway.

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In the context of rural revitalization strategy, this study focuses on how folk intangible cultural heritage provides new ideas for rural revitalization, and further discusses the innovative application of digitalization and intangible cultural heritage. This paper first explains the intangible cultural heritage, and reviews the current situation of the protection and inheritance of domestic intangible cultural heritage. Secondly, it analyzes some problems and principles to be adhered to in the integration of digitalization and intangible cultural heritage. Finally, under the concept of meta-universe, the paper breaks through the obstacles of intangible cultural heritage in time and space, and puts forward corresponding schemes to promote the rural revitalization strategy of intangible cultural heritage empowerment.