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The diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) is commonly based on the subjective evaluation by experienced psychiatrists using clinical scales. Hence, it is particularly important to find more objective biomarkers to aid in diagnosis and further treatment. Alpha-band activity (7-13 Hz) is the most prominent component in resting electroencephalogram (EEG), which is also thought to be a potential biomarker. Recent studies have shown the existence of multiple sub-oscillations within the alpha band, with distinct neural underpinnings. However, the specific contribution of these alpha sub-oscillations to the diagnosis and treatment of MDD remains unclear. In this study, we recorded the resting-state EEG from MDD and HC populations in both open and closed-eye state conditions. We also assessed cognitive processing using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). We found that the MDD group showed significantly higher power in the high alpha range (10.5–11.5 Hz) and lower power in the low alpha range (7–8.5 Hz) compared to the HC group. Notably, high alpha power in the MDD group is negatively correlated with working memory performance in MCCB, whereas no such correlation was found in the HC group. Furthermore, using five established classification algorithms, we discovered that combining alpha oscillations with MCCB scores as features yielded the highest classification accuracy compared to using EEG or MCCB scores alone. Our results demonstrate the potential of sub-oscillations within the alpha frequency band as a potential distinct biomarker. When combined with psychological scales, they may provide guidance relevant for the diagnosis and treatment of MDD. • MDD group showed significantly higher power in the high alpha range and lower power in the low alpha range. • High alpha power in the MDD group is negatively correlated with working memory performance in MCCB. • Combining alpha oscillations with MCCB scores as features yielded the highest classification accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While strategies such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy have become the first-line standard therapies for patients with advanced or metastatic cancer, acquired resistance is still inevitable in most cases. The introduction of antibody‒drug conjugates (ADCs) provides a novel alternative. ADCs are a new class of anticancer drugs comprising the coupling of antitumor mAbs with cytotoxic drugs. Compared with chemotherapeutic drugs, ADCs have the advantages of good tolerance, accurate target recognition, and small effects on noncancerous cells. ADCs occupy an increasingly important position in the therapeutic field. Currently, there are 13 Food and Drug Administration (FDA)‒approved ADCs and more than 100 ADC drugs at different stages of clinical trials. This review briefly describes the efficacy and safety of FDA-approved ADCs, and discusses the related problems and challenges to provide a reference for clinical work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Striae Distensae (SD) is a common dermatological lesion. The mechanism of formation is unclear, the prevailing theory is mechanical pulling of the skin and hormonal changes. Traditional SD treatment methods include topical drugs, photoelectric therapy, stripping and others, but each has limitations. Stromal vascular fraction gel (SVF‐gel) is a filler physically prepared from granular fat, enriched with adipose‐derived stem cells (ADSCs) and extracellular matrix (ECM). A good effect in the treatment of neck lines, wounds, acne, and other aspects. SD formation and treatment goals are comparable to those of neck lines. In this study, SVF‐gel filling will be used to treat mature SD, and its effectiveness and safety will be discussed in detail. Methods: From December 2019 to June 2022, recruit patients who want to treat SD caused by obesity or pregnancy among those who have "autologous fat aspiration" to change their body shape. Preoperatively, the area to be treated for SD was marked, autologous fat aspiration was performed, and the aspirated fat was prepared as SVF‐gel and filled into the preoperatively marked SD. All patients had preoperative and postoperative follow‐up with planar photographs and VISIA skin analyzer photographs to assess surgical results and safety from subjective and objective perspectives. Results: A total of 36 patients were enrolled, with 31 of them successfully followed up on. The mean Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) score six months after surgery was 1.87 ± 0.03. At six months postoperatively, the overall patient satisfaction rate was 90%. The depth, area, and color of SD improved six months after surgery, and no serious complications occurred in any of the patients. Conclusions: SVF‐gel is a safe and effective method of improving mature SD and can be used as a clinical treatment option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Facial rejuvenation is becoming more and more popular, particularly among middle‐aged persons. There are currently many techniques for improving the aforementioned situations, but each has its drawbacks. Our study aimed to discuss the treatment effect of a composited technique for reversing both lower eyelid and midface aging. Methods: The patient's face was designed and measured before surgery. During surgery, a traditional lower blepharoplasty incision was made. The layer between the orbital septum and the orbicularis oculi muscle was separated to approximately 4‐5 mm below the infraorbital, then the orbital septum and orbicularis retaining ligament were found to be released. A self‐made suspension curving needle subconsciously passed through the brim of the superficial cheek fat pad via the "U‐type" path and raised them to the proper location. Then sutured them to the infraorbital rim periosteum, as well as the suborbicularis oculi fat (SOOF) and the orbital septum fat. Secured the outside canthus to keep the lower lid position stable. Results: From February 2020 to November 2022, 106 patients underwent the new surgical procedure and were successfully followed up for 20 ± 6.5 months postoperatively. The mean GAIS score was 2.42 ± 0.78, patient satisfaction rate was 95%. All of the Barton grades were decreased. The nasal base level suspension points were elevated to a level of 5 ± 2 mm. 3D measurement data revealed significant improvements. Conclusions: The composited technique is a safe and effective way to reverse the aging of the lower eyelid and midface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron‐enriched scaffolds have demonstrated unique features and promising performance in the field of catalysis towards the activation of small gas molecules. However, there is still a lack of facile approaches capable of achieving high B doping and abundant porous channels in the targeted catalysts. Herein, construction of boron‐ and nitrogen‐enriched nanoporous π‐conjugated networks (BN‐NCNs) was achieved via a facile ionothermal polymerization procedure with hexaazatriphenylenehexacarbonitrile [HAT(CN)6] sodium borohydride as the starting materials. The as‐produced BN‐NCN scaffolds were featured by high heteroatoms doping (B up to 23 wt. % and N: up to 17 wt. %) and permanent porosity (surface area up to 759 m2 g−1 mainly contributed by micropores). With the unsaturated bonded B species acting as the active Lewis acid sites and defected N species acting as the active Lewis base sites, those BN‐NCNs delivered attractive catalytic performance towards H2 activation/dissociation in both gaseous and liquid phase, acting as efficient metal‐free heterogeneous frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) catalysts in hydrogenation procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron‐enriched scaffolds have demonstrated unique features and promising performance in the field of catalysis towards the activation of small gas molecules. However, there is still a lack of facile approaches capable of achieving high B doping and abundant porous channels in the targeted catalysts. Herein, construction of boron‐ and nitrogen‐enriched nanoporous π‐conjugated networks (BN‐NCNs) was achieved via a facile ionothermal polymerization procedure with hexaazatriphenylenehexacarbonitrile [HAT(CN)6] sodium borohydride as the starting materials. The as‐produced BN‐NCN scaffolds were featured by high heteroatoms doping (B up to 23 wt. % and N: up to 17 wt. %) and permanent porosity (surface area up to 759 m2 g−1 mainly contributed by micropores). With the unsaturated bonded B species acting as the active Lewis acid sites and defected N species acting as the active Lewis base sites, those BN‐NCNs delivered attractive catalytic performance towards H2 activation/dissociation in both gaseous and liquid phase, acting as efficient metal‐free heterogeneous frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) catalysts in hydrogenation procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of facile methodologies to afford robust supported metal nanocatalysts under mild conditions is highly desirable yet challenging, particularly via strong metal‐support interactions (SMSI) construction. State‐of‐the‐art approaches capable of generating SMSI encapsulation mainly focus on high temperature annealing in reductive/oxidative atmosphere. Herein, ultra‐stable metal nanocatalysts based on SMSI construction were produced by leveraging the instantaneous high‐energy input from ultrasonication under ambient conditions in H2O, which could rapidly afford abundant active intermediates, Ti3+ ions, and oxygen vacancies within the scaffolds to induce the SMSI overlayer formation. The encapsulation degree could be tuned and controlled via the reducibility of the solvents and the ultrasonication parameters. This facile and efficient approach could be further extended to diverse metal oxide supports and noble metal NPs leading to enhanced performance in hydrogenation reactions and CO2 conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of facile methodologies to afford robust supported metal nanocatalysts under mild conditions is highly desirable yet challenging, particularly via strong metal‐support interactions (SMSI) construction. State‐of‐the‐art approaches capable of generating SMSI encapsulation mainly focus on high temperature annealing in reductive/oxidative atmosphere. Herein, ultra‐stable metal nanocatalysts based on SMSI construction were produced by leveraging the instantaneous high‐energy input from ultrasonication under ambient conditions in H2O, which could rapidly afford abundant active intermediates, Ti3+ ions, and oxygen vacancies within the scaffolds to induce the SMSI overlayer formation. The encapsulation degree could be tuned and controlled via the reducibility of the solvents and the ultrasonication parameters. This facile and efficient approach could be further extended to diverse metal oxide supports and noble metal NPs leading to enhanced performance in hydrogenation reactions and CO2 conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catecholamine, along with adrenergic receptor (ARs), plays a pivotal role in mediating the immune function of vertebrates under stressful environment. However, the immunomodulatory role of adrenergic receptors in invertebrates remains largely unknown, hindering the development of effective stress management strategies in invertebrate aquaculture. In the present study, an α2 type adrenergic receptor, designated as Mg α2AR, was identified in an economically important species, the Pacific oyster Magallana gigas. The Mg α2AR was consisted of seven transmembrane domains and one short carboxyl terminus. The mRNA transcript of Mg α2AR was expressed in haemocytes and all the examined tissues, with the highest expression level in haemocytes, particularly in granulocyte (9.28-fold of that in agranulocyte, p < 0.05). By immunofluorescence analysis, Mg α2AR was found primarily localized in the cytoplasmic membrane of granulocytes. The mRNA expression of Mg α2AR in haemocytes increased significantly at 6 h, and peaked at 12 h (4.71-fold of that in control group, p < 0.01) after LPS stimulation in vivo. After transfection and expression of Mg α2AR in HEK293T cells, a significant decrease in cAMP concentration, rather than in Ca2+ concentration, was observed upon treatment with the agonist NE (p < 0.05), while the administration of the α2 adrenergic receptor antagonist (Ida) yielded opposite results. The expressions of Mg IL17–5, Mg TNF-1, and Mg TNF-2 in oyster haemocytes were also downregulated following treatment with α2AR antagonist Ida, which was 0.44-fold, 0.54-fold, and 0.32-fold of that in the NE+ LPS group (p < 0.01), respectively. After Mg α2AR was knockdown by RNAi, the transcripts of Mg IL17–5, Mg TNF-1, and Mg TNF-2 significantly decreased. These results collectively suggested that the granulocytes highly-expressed Mg α2AR could induce the expressions of TNFs and IL-17 by reducing the intracellular cAMP level in the immune response of oysters. These findings provide a novel insight into the immunomodulatory role of adrenergic receptors in mollusks, and also offer valuable information for the development of effective stress management strategies in aquaculture. • An α2 type adrenergic receptor expressed in oyster granulocytes was identified. • Mg α2AR could respond to LPS stimulation during the early stage of immune response. • Mg α2AR down-regulated cAMP concentration and induce the expression of cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alumina oxide supported nickel (Ni/Al2O3) catalysts generally suffer from fast deactivation caused by coking and formation of nickel aluminate (NiAl2O4) in dry reforming of methane (DRM). Herein, for the first time, a self-stabilization mechanism of the Ni/Al2O3 catalyst (with 0.1 wt% Ni loading) was revealed and effectively applied for DRM. Namely, the conversion of catalytically active Ni species into catalytically inert NiAl2O4 spinel in DRM over the Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalyst could be mitigated by repeated reduction-reaction treatments owing to the increasing amount of Ni located on the NiAl2O4 isolation layer rather than the reactive γ-Al2O3. The self-stabilization could be achieved over Ni/α-Al2O3 as well, even with a faster rate, since the NiAl2O4 isolation layer can be directly formed in the first reduction-reaction cycle due to its small surface area and weak metal-support interaction. These observations not only highlight the importance of an isolation layer for protecting the catalyst from deactivation, but also provide a novel and efficient self-stabilization approach for catalytic DRM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A facile method is developed to afford high entropy catalyst under ambient condition. • The high entropy phase formation was driven by ultrasonication. • Copper single atoms were integrated in the lattice of high entropy oxide support. • The catalyst was stable under high temperature-involved conditions. Facile and controllable methodologies capable of providing single atom catalysts (SACs) with high-density active metal sites and sintering-resistance under harsh conditions are highly desired and grand challenges in heterogeneous catalysis. Herein, the entropy effect was leveraged to stabilize and manipulate the electronic properties of copper SACs. The as-developed ultrasonication-driven approach could integrate highly concentrated Cu SAs within the lattice of fluorite-structured high entropy oxide (HEFO) under ambient conditions (CuO-HEFO). The dual benefits from the high entropy effect of the support and the in-situ lattice engineering led to the generation of abundant Cu1+ species and oxygen defects, together with ultra-high stability and sintering-resistance under extremely harsh conditions. This was confirmed by deploying non-high entropy support (CuO-CeO 2) or Cu sites located on the surface of HEFO (CuO@HEFO). The catalytic activity of CuO-HEFO surpassed that of CuO-CeO 2 and CuO@HEFO in CO oxidation together with well-maintained long-term stability and resistance to gas impurities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The posterior cerebellum is responsible for the understanding and learning of sequences of actions by others, which are a prerequisite for social understanding. This study investigates this cerebellar function while navigating toward a goal in a social context. Participants undertook a novel social navigation task requiring them to memorize and subsequently reproduce a protagonist's trajectory through a grid toward a desirable goal. As a nonsocial control condition, a ball underwent the same trajectory by passively rolling through the grid toward the same endpoint. To establish that memorizing and reproducing a trajectory is a critical cerebellar function, two non-sequencing control conditions were created, which involved the observation only of the trajectory by the protagonist or ball. Our results showed that the posterior cerebellar Crus II was involved in memorizing both social and nonsocial trajectories, along with the parahippocampal gyrus and other cortical areas involved in social cognition. As hypothesized, cerebellar Crus I was more active when memorizing social as opposed to nonsocial trajectories. Moreover, cerebellar Crus I and II, and lobule VI, were activated when reproducing both social and nonsocial trajectories. These findings highlight the involvement of the posterior cerebellar Crus in supporting human goal-directed social navigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of infectious diseases occur in mainland China every year. Cyclic oscillation is a widespread attribute of most viral human infections. Understanding the outbreak cycle of infectious diseases can be conducive for public health management and disease surveillance. In this study, we collected time-series data for 23 class B notifiable infectious diseases from 2004 to 2020 using public datasets from the National Health Commission of China. Oscillatory properties were explored using power spectrum analysis. We found that the 23 class B diseases from the dataset have obvious oscillatory patterns (seasonal or sporadic), which could be divided into three categories according to their oscillatory power in different frequencies each year. These diseases were found to have different preferred outbreak months and infection selectivity. Diseases that break out in autumn and winter are more selective. Furthermore, we calculated the oscillation power and the average number of infected cases of all 23 diseases in the first eight years (2004 to 2012) and the next eight years (2012 to 2020) since the update of the surveillance system. A strong positive correlation was found between the change of oscillation power and the change in the number of infected cases, which was consistent with the simulation results using a conceptual hybrid model. The establishment of reliable and effective analytical methods contributes to a better understanding of infectious diseases' oscillation cycle characteristics. Our research has certain guiding significance for the effective prevention and control of class B infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutaminase, an amidohydrolase enzyme that hydrolyzes glutamine to glutamate, plays crucial roles in various immunomodulatory processes such as cell apoptosis, proliferation, migration, and secretion of cytokines. In the present study, a glutaminase homologue (designated as CgGLS-1) was identified from Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, whose open reading frame was of 1836 bp. CgGLS-1 exhibited high sequence identity with vertebrate kidney-type GLS, and closely clustered with their homologues from mollusc C. virginica. The enzyme activity of recombinant CgGLS-1 protein (rCgGLS-1) was estimated to be 1.705 U/mg. CgGLS-1 mRNA was constitutively expressed in all the tested tissues of oysters, with the highest expression level in hemocytes. CgGLS-1 mRNA expression in hemocytes was significantly up-regulated and peaked at 6 h (2.07-fold, p < 0.01) after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. The CgGLS-1 protein was mainly distributed in the cytoplasm with a significant co-location with mitochondria in oyster hemocytes. The content of Glu in the oyster serum was significantly decreased after the inhibition of CgGLS-1 using specific inhibitor Bis-2- [5-(phenyl acetamido)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl] ethyl sulfide (BPTES), and the expression levels of CgmGluR6, CgAP-1, cytokines CgIL17-5 and CgTNF-1 were significantly decreased after BPTES and LPS stimulation. The transcripts of CgCaspase3 as well as the apoptosis index of hemocytes were also decreased. These results collectively suggest that CgGLS-1 is the enzyme to synthesize Glu in oyster, which can modulate anti-bacterial immunity by regulating the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines CgIL17-5 and CgTNF-1, as well as hemocyte apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract As one of the most important neuropeptides identified only in invertebrates of Mollusca, Annelida and Arthropoda, FMRFamide (Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH 2) involves in multiple physiological processes, such as mediating cardiac frequency and contraction of somatic and visceral muscles. However, its modulatory role in the immune defense has not been well understood. In the present study, an FMRFamide precursor (designed as Cg FMRFamide) was identified in oyster Crassostrea gigas , which could be processed into nineteen FMRFamide peptides. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Cg FMRFamide shared high similarity with other identified FMRFamides in mollusks. The mRNA of Cg FMRFamide was mainly concentrated in the tissues of visceral ganglia, hepatopancreas and hemocytes, and a consistent distribution of FMRFamide peptide was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry assays. The mRNA expression level of Cg FMRFamide in hemocytes was significantly up-regulated after immune stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After the concentration of FMRFamide was increased by exogenous injection, the in vivo expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokine Cg IL17-5, as well as the apoptosis-related Cg Caspase-1 and Cg Caspase-3 in hemocytes were promptly increased (p < 0.05), but the concentration of signal molecule nitric oxide (NO) was significantly down-regulated (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, an increased phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase in hemocytes was also detected after the FMRFamide injection. These results collectively demonstrated that the conserved FMRFamide could not only respond to immune stimulation, but also regulate the expression of immune effectors and apoptosis-related genes, which might be mediated by p38 MAP kinase pathway, thereby effectively involved in clearing pathogens and maintaining homeostasis in oysters. Highlights • Highlight: • An invertebrate specific FMRFamide precursor was identified from oyster Crassostrea gigas. • The expression of Cg FMRFamide in hemocytes was significantly upregulated in response to immune stimulation. • Cg FMRFamide could regulate the expression of nitric oxide, Cg IL-17-5 and apoptosis-related genes. • Cg FMRFamide could induce the phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase in hemocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wide band gap and high recombination of photoinduced electron-hole decreases the photocatalytic activity of BiOCOOH. In this work, remarkable piezocatalytic decomposition of RhB by BiOCOOH nanostructure has been discovered. Coupling with piezocatalysis, the photocatalytic degradation capacity under visible light and UV light could be enhanced. BiOCOOH nanotube showed higher piezo-photocatalytic activity than BiOCOOH microspheres. BiOCOOH nanotube decomposes 99% RhB under coexcitation of UV light and ultrasonic vibration in 30 min, which is higher than single piezocatalysis (67.8%) and photocatalysis (77.5%). The distinct piezocatalytic and piezo-photocatalytic activity are attributed to the enhanced electron-hole separation by the piezopotential induced under ultrasonic vibration. • Piezocatalytic activity of BiOCOOH nanostructures has been discovered. • Synergetic effect of light and ultrasonic vibration enhances photocatalytic activity. • BiOCOOH nanotube shows higher piezo-photocatalytic efficiency than its microsphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountain-cultivated ginseng ( MCG) can be considered a mimic of wild ginseng, whose seeds are sowed artificially, cultivated in the natural environment, and returned to the wild state before being used clinically. Cultivated ginseng ( CG) and MCG are mainly used as the commercial material for clinical applications. However, MCG is much more expensive but effective than CG. The aim of this study is to explore the differences in the pharmacokinetics and brain concentration of Rg1, Re, Rb1, and Rd after oral administration of MCG, CG, and pure ginsenosides. An ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated to determine the concentration of the four ginsenosides in rat plasma and brain tissue. Compared with the pure group, the area under the curve ( AUC) of all the four ginsenosides for CG and MCG increased. The mean brain concentrations of the four ginsenosides were found to be 10- to 15-fold lower than the corresponding contents in the plasma, and the poor permeability of ginsenosides into blood-brain barrier was indicated by the low concentrations of the four ginsenosides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO2 Conversion, Encapsulation, Hydrogenation, Strong Metal-Support Interactions, Ultrasonication The encapsulation degree of metal nanoparticles by reducible oxide overlayers can be modulated by the ultrasonication parameters. Keywords: CO2 Conversion; Encapsulation; Hydrogenation; Strong Metal-Support Interactions; Ultrasonication EN CO2 Conversion Encapsulation Hydrogenation Strong Metal-Support Interactions Ultrasonication 1 1 1 05/05/23 20230508 NES 230508 B A strong-metal support interaction b construction was induced via ultrasonication in water as described by Zhenzhen Yang, Sheng Dai et al. in their Communication (e202214322). [Extracted from the article]

Cover Picture: Ultrasonication-Induced Strong Metal-Support Interaction Construction in Water Towards Enhanced Catalysis (Angew. Keywords: CO2 Conversion; Encapsulation; Hydrogenation; Strong Metal-Support Interactions; Ultrasonication EN CO2 Conversion Encapsulation Hydrogenation Strong Metal-Support Interactions Ultrasonication 1 1 1 05/05/23 20230508 NES 230508 B A strong-metal support interaction b construction was induced via ultrasonication in water as described by Zhenzhen Yang, Sheng Dai et al. in their Communication (e202214322). CO2 Conversion, Encapsulation, Hydrogenation, Strong Metal-Support Interactions, Ultrasonication. [Extracted from the article]

Hemocytes comprise diverse cell types with morphological and functional heterogeneity and play indispensable roles in immunological homeostasis of invertebrates. The morphological classification of different hemocytes in mollusk has been studied since the 1970's, yet the involvement of the different sub-populations in immune functions is far from clear. In the present study, three types of hemocytes were morphologically identified and separated as agranulocytes, semi-granulocytes and granulocytes by flow cytometry and Percoll ® density gradient centrifugation. The granulocytes were characterized functionally as the main phagocytic and encapsulating population, while semi-granulocytes and agranulocytes exhibited low or no such capacities, respectively. Meanwhile, the lysosome activity and the productions of ROS and NO were all mainly concentrated in granulocytes under both normal and immune-activated situations. Further, the mRNA transcripts of some immune related genes, including Cg TLR, Cg Clathrin, Cg ATPeV, Cg Lysozyme, Cg Defensin and Cg IL-17, were mainly expressed in granulocytes, lower in semi-granulocytes and agranulocytes. These results collectively suggested that the granulocytes were the main immunocompetent hemocytes in oyster C . gigas , and a differentiation relationship among these three sub-population hemocytes was inferred based on the gradual changes in morphological, functional and molecular features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), a rate-limiting enzyme to catalyze the reaction converting the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate to inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), not only functions in nervous system, but also plays important roles in immunomodulation in vertebrates. However, GAD has rarely been reported in invertebrates, and never in molluscs. In the present study, one GAD homologue (designed as Cg GAD) was identified from Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas . The full length cDNA of Cg GAD was 1689 bp encoding a polypeptide of 562 amino acids containing a conserved pyridoxal-dependent decarboxylase domain. Cg GAD mRNA and protein could be detected in ganglion and hemocytes of oysters, and their abundance in hemocytes was unexpectedly much higher than those in ganglion. More importantly, Cg GAD was mostly located in those granulocytes without phagocytic capacity in oysters, and could dynamically respond to LPS stimulation. Further, after being transfected into HEK293 cells, Cg GAD could promote the production of GABA. Collectively, these findings suggested that Cg GAD, as a GABA synthase and molecular marker of GABAergic system, was mainly distributed in hemocytes and ganglion and involved in neuroendocrine-immune regulation network in oysters, which also provided a novel insight to the co-evolution between nervous system and immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter to suppress the immune-mediated pro-inflammatory reactions, and it has been used in the treatment of many inflammation-related diseases in vertebrates, while its immunomodulatory role in invertebrates has never been reported. In the present study, GABA was found to exist in the hemolymph of Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas , and its concentration decreased slightly from 8.00 ± 0.37 μmol L −1 at normal condition to 7.73 ± 0.15 μmol L −1 at 6 h after LPS stimulation, and then increased to 9.34 ± 0.15 μmol L −1 , 8.86 ± 0.68 μmol L −1 at 12 h and 48 h, respectively. After LPS stimulation, the mRNA expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines ( Cg IL-17 and Cg TNF) and immune effectors ( Cg SOD and Cg BPI), and the protein expression of NOS increased significantly, and these increased trends were remarkably inhibited by GABA stimulation. At the same time, the phagocytosis rate and apoptosis rate of immunocytes also increased obviously after LPS stimulation, whereas the increase was repressed with the addition of GABA. The results collectively demonstrated that GABA was an indispensable inhibitory agent for both humoral and cellular immune response, which mainly functioned at the late phase of immune response to avoid the excess immune reactions and maintain the immune homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study established ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector for determining psilocin and its pharmacokinetics in rat plasma after orally administering an extract of Gymnopilus spectabilis. The extract was separated on an ODS C18 column (2.3μm, 100mm×2.1mm I.D.) by gradient elution with (A) water containing 50mM AcONH4 and (B) acetonitrile. The wavelength was set at 265nm and the injection volume was 10μL. Under these conditions, the calibration curve was linear over the concentration range 0.2–20μg/mL with a correlation coefficient of r 2 =0.9992. The inter- and intraday precision levels were less than 7% and the accuracies (%) were within the range 92.0–102.5%. The method was sufficiently valid to be applied to a pharmacokinetics study of psilocin in rat plasma. The pharmacokinetic parameters of psilocin in rat plasma after the oral administration of a G. spectabilis extract were as follows: C max, 0.43±0.12μg/mL; T max, 90±2.1min; AUC0→t , 1238.3±96.4 (μg/mL) min; and T 1/2, 117.3±40.3min. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • It provides the 1st comprehensive review on thermo-photo coupled CRM processes. • Three types of thermo-photo coupled CRM processes are elaborated respectively. • Key challenges and future opportunities in this emerging field are highlighted. CO 2 reforming of methane (CRM) is a promising approach to convert CO 2 and CH 4 into value-added chemicals. The recent development of thermo-photo coupled catalytic CRM not only addresses the low efficiency of photocatalysis but also reduces the high energy input needed for thermal catalysis. Despite the great potential of the novel thermo-photo coupled CRM technology, a comprehensive review in this field is still lacking. Herein, a critical discussion on the progress of thermo-photo coupled catalytic CRM is provided, after addressing the general issues for conventional thermocatalytic and photocatalytic CRM. The novel thermo-photo coupled CRM processes are divided into three categories, depending on the utilization form of solar energy and the involvement degree of the thermal energy. Then, the mechanism understanding and catalysts development for the three kinds of thermo-photo coupled CRM processes are delineated, respectively. Finally, with a firm belief in the great promise of the thermo-photo coupled catalytic CRM technologies, our suggestions to drive the prosperous development of the processes are stated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The posterior cerebellum and anterior basal ganglia are critical subcortical structures for learning and identifying dynamic action sequences, in concert with the neocortex. The present analysis investigates the role of action sequences during social mentalizing, termed here dynamic or sequential social mentalizing. Although the role of the cerebellum in dynamic social mentalizing was extensively investigated during the last decade, the basal ganglia were long ignored. We conducted an activation likelihood estimation coordinate‐based meta‐analysis of sequential social mentalizing tasks (with 485 participants in 17 studies). These tasks required participants to make social mentalizing inferences ranging from low‐level goals to high‐level beliefs and traits, while either memorizing, generating or predicting temporal sequences of the social actions involved (i.e., social sequencing condition), or not (i.e., social non‐sequencing control condition), or did so for nonsocial objects (i.e., nonsocial sequencing control condition). The tasks also occasionally included inconsistencies in social behavior. Results revealed that the cerebellum exhibited a preference for social, sequencing, and inconsistent information, while the basal ganglia showed a preference for sequencing and inconsistency, without a general preference for social input. Meta‐analytic connectivity analysis further showed evidence of coactivation between mentalizing areas of the cerebellum, basal ganglia and cerebral neocortex. The present work underscores the role of subcortical structures in social mentalizing about dynamic action sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study analyzed the effect of silicon (Si) application on the occurrence of ginseng black spot caused by Alternaria panax. We explored the differences in soil physical and chemical factors and microbial community structure following Si application as well as the key factors that affected the occurrence of ginseng black spot in soil. Potted Panax ginseng plants were used to assess the effect of Si treatment on ginseng black spot. Soil physical and chemical properties were comprehensively analyzed. Bacterial communities were analyzed using Illumina HiSeq sequencing targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Results: After inoculation with A. panax, the morbidity (and morbidity index) of ginseng with and without Si was 52% (46) and 83% (77), respectively. Soil physical and chemical analysis showed that under the ginseng black spot inoculation, bacterial communities were mainly affected by pH and available potassium, followed by ammonium nitrogen and available Si. NMDS and PLS-DA analyses and the heat maps of relative abundance revealed that Si application elevated the resistance of ginseng black spot as regulated by the abundance and diversity of bacterial flora in rhizosphere soils. Heatmap analysis at the genus level revealed that A. panax + Si inoculations significantly increased the soil community abundance of Sandaracinus, Polycyclovorans, Hirschia, Haliangium, Nitrospira, Saccharothrix, Aeromicrobium, Luteimonas, and Rubellimicrobium and led to a bacterial community structure with relative abundances that were significantly similar to that of untreated soil. Conclusions: Short-term Si application also significantly regulated the structural impact on soil microorganisms caused by ginseng black spot. Our findings indicated that Si applications may possibly be used in the prevention and treatment of ginseng black spot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ginseng has been used to alleviate age-related dementia and memory deterioration for thousands of years. This study investigated the protective effect of red ginseng saponins against scopolamine-induced cerebral injury. Meanwhile, pharmacokinetics of ginsenosides in normal and scopolamine-treated rats were compared. After scopolamine injection, glutathione, catalase and superoxide dismutase levels were significantly decreased when compared with control group. Compared with SA group, pretreatment of rats with red ginseng saponins could increase glutathione, catalase and superoxide dismutase level. Treatment with red ginseng saponins significantly decreased malondialdehyde level. In the pharmacokinetic analysis, a pattern recognition analysis method was used to investigate the pharmacokinetics of the absorbed compounds in blood. The pharmacokinetic parameters of Rg1, Rg2, Rh3, Rg5 and Rk1 in model group had higher area under the curve (AUC), mean residence time (MRT) and peak plasma concentration (Cmax) values; area under the curve (AUC) values and peak plasma concentration (Cmax) of model group was significantly different from that of normal group (p < 0.05). The Cmax value of Rk3, Rh1, Rh2 and Rh4 in model group was higher than normal group, but their AUC values were not significantly different. There was no significantly difference in time at Cmax (Tmax), AUC and Cmax values of Rb1, Rb2 Re, Rc, Rd and Rf between the model and normal group. 16 ginsenosides were grouped into three separate clusters according to principal component analysis (PCA) score plot based on pharmacokinetic data. The results suggested red ginseng saponins have significant protective effect against scopolamine-induced memory deficit and scopolamine-induced rats could lead to the changes of pharmacokinetic behaviors of ginsenosides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the human cerebellum has a surface that is about 80% of that of the cerebral cortex and has about four times as many neurons, its functional organization is still very much uncharted. Despite recent attempts to provide resting-state and task-based parcellations of the cerebellum, these two approaches lead to large discrepancies. This article describes a comprehensive task-based functional parcellation of the human cerebellum based on a large-scale functional database, NeuroSynth, involving an unprecedented diversity of tasks, which were reliably associated with ontological key terms referring to psychological functions. Involving over 44,500 participants from this database, we present a parcellation that exhibits replicability with earlier resting-state parcellations across cerebellar and neocortical structures. The functional parcellation of the cerebellum confirms the major networks revealed in prior work, including sensorimotor, directed (dorsal) attention, divided (ventral) attention, executive control, mentalizing (default mode) networks, tiny patches of a limbic network, and also a unilateral language network (but not the visual network), and the association of these networks with underlying ontological key terms confirms their major functionality. The networks are revealed at locations that are roughly similar to prior resting-state cerebellar parcellations, although they are less symmetric and more fragmented across the two hemispheres. This functional parcellation of the human cerebellum and associated key terms can provide a useful guide in designing studies to test specific functional hypotheses and provide a reference for interpreting the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steam reforming of methane (SRM) is one of the most important industrial processes, which produces 95% of hydrogen used in the USA. However, SRM is an endothermic reaction, which requires a high energy input and a high reaction temperature (＞800 °C) for the current process. Furthermore, its products must be subjected to a water–gas shift (WGS) process. A photocatalytic process is expected to solve the energy issue and to eliminate the necessity of WGS for SRM. However, the hydrogen yield from the current photocatalytic steam reforming of methane (PSRM) is very low (μmol h−1 g−1 level), which is far below industrial interest. This work demonstrates that a Pt/blackTiO2 catalyst dispersed on a light-diffuse-reflection-surface is excellent for efficient visible-light PSRM. Under visible light illumination on the catalyst by filtering UV light from AM 1.5G sunlight, CH4 and H2O were directly converted into H2 and CO2 without WGS, leading to a high H2 yield of 185 mmol h−1 g−1 with a quantum efficiency of 60% at 500 °C. The yield is 3 orders of magnitude larger than the reported values, which can be attributed to the synergistic effect between potential and kinetic energies. This opens up a new opportunity for hydrogen production from water and natural gas using solar energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is a member of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) highly conserved from yeast to mammals and participates in regulating many physiological and pathological processes. In the present study, a novel JNK was identified from oyster Crassostrea gigas (designated as Cg JNK) and its biological functions were investigated in response against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. The Cg JNK consists of 415 amino acids, which includes a serine/threonine protein kinase (S_TKc) domain with a conserved Thr-Pro-Tyr (TPY) motif. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Cg JNK shared high similarity with other members of the JNK subfamily. CgJNK mRNA was detected in all the tested tissues and CgJNK mRNA expression levels in hemocytes were significantly up-regulated from 6 to 72 h after LPS stimulation and reached the highest level (16.1-fold, p  < 0.01) at 24 h. The phosphorylation level of Cg JNK in C. gigas hemocytes was increased at 2 h after LPS stimulation. The subcellular localization of Cg JNK phosphorylation in hemocytes was analyzed after LPS stimulation, and Cg JNK phosphorylation could be detected in both cytoplasm and nucleus of oyster hemocytes at 2 h post LPS stimulation. Additionally, the interleukins ( Cg ILs) were detected in hemocytes of CgJNK -knockdown oysters. CgIL17-1 , CgIL17-2 , CgIL17-4 and CgIL17-6 transcripts were decreased significantly in CgJNK -knockdown oysters at 24 h post LPS stimulation. In summary, these results suggested that Cg JNK played an important role in the immune response of oysters by regulating IL expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interferon regulatory factors (IRFs), a family of transcription factors with a novel helix-turn-helix DNA-binding motif, play important roles in regulating the expression of interferons (IFNs) and IFN-stimulated genes. In the present study, an interferon regulation factor 1 was identified from oyster Crassostrea gigas (designated Cg IRF-1), and its immune function was characterized to understand the regulatory mechanism of interferon system against viral infection in invertebrates. The open reading frame (ORF) of Cg IRF-1 was 990 bp, encoding a polypeptide of 329 amino acids with a typical IRF domain (also known as DNA-binding domain). The mRNA transcripts of Cg IRF-1 were detected in all the tested tissues with the highest expression level in hemocyte. Cg IRF-1 protein was distributed in both nucleus and cytoplasm of the oyster hemocyte. The mRNA expression of Cg IRF-1 in hemocytes was significantly up-regulated at 48 h after poly (I:C) stimulation ( p  < 0.05). The recombinant Cg IRF-1 (r Cg IRF-1) could interact with classically IFN-stimulated response elements (ISRE) in vitro . The relative luciferase activity of interferon-like protein promotor reporter gene (pGL- Cg IFNLP promotor) was significantly ( p  < 0.05) enhanced in HEK293T cell after transfection of Cg IRF-1. These results indicated that Cg IRF-1 could bind ISRE and regulate the expression of Cg IFNLP as a transcriptional regulatory factor, and participated in the antiviral immune response of oysters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to summarize the experience of precise nursing in 6 patients who experienced failed allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (allo-HSCTs) that underwent second allo-HSCT salvage treatment. The key points of nursing care included strictly implementing infection prevention and control measures to prevent secondary infections, precise symptom management to improve the graft survival rate of patients, formulating reasonable nutrition programs to meet their requirements, and paying attention to the psychological care of patients to enhance their self-confidence in overcoming diseases. The patients developed different degrees of complications in the process of transplantation. During the transplantation, 2 patients had oral mucositis, 2 had hemorrhagic cystitis, 3 had a perianal infection, and one had lower gastrointestinal bleeding. After careful treatment and nursing, the neutrophils transplanted in the 6 patients were alive at a median of 16.5 (13-20) days after the second allo-HSCT, and the patients were successfully transferred out of the laminar flow chamber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The practice of manipulating gonadal development in fish through alterations in photoperiod has found widespread application in aquaculture. In sturgeon cultivation, where caviar production is the primary objective, challenges such as delayed gonadal maturation, lengthy reproductive cycles, and substantial individual variations hindered caviar output. Thus, in this study, the impact of artificial nighttime lighting (18 L, 6D and 24 L: 0D) was explored on the growth, ovarian development, and serum hormone levels of adult Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) within a flow-through system and compared with control group exposed to natural light. After a 145-days experiment, both 18 L and 24 L groups present significant impacts on growth and ovarian development. The average egg diameters of sturgeon were increased and the individual variations of fish gonadal development were reduced in treatment groups. The percentages of sturgeon suitable for caviar production with large egg diameters (≥ 2.7 mm) in 18 L and 24 L groups were increased by 10.11 % (18 L) and 9.45 % (24 L) compared to the control group. Meanwhile, the percentage of sturgeons without eggs decreased by 10.45 % (18 L) and 9.03 % (24 L) compared to the control. No significant impact of light treatment was observed on the polarization index (PI), gonadosomatic index (GSI), eggosomatic index, egg production rate, egg color, and caviar quality grade. However, the light treatment also exhibits a significant impact on 11-keto testosterone (11-kt), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and luteinizing hormone (LH). Thus, based on the experimental outcomes and sustainability of the process, 18 L:6D photoperiod is recommended for Russian sturgeon aquaculture to achieve high-quality caviar. [Display omitted] • The ovarian development of Acipenser gueldenstaedtii was more uniform by nighttime supplementary lighting. • The percentages of A. gueldenstaedtii suitable for caviar production in treatment groups were increased by 10.11 % and 9.45 %. • Nighttime LED supplementary lighting may induce ovarian development in A. gueldenstaedtii by affecting 11-kt and IGF-1 levels. • In this study, 18 L is recommended as the light duration of A. gueldenstaedtii breeding with caviar as the target product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astakine has been reported to be a hematopoietic growth factor of prokineticin homolog firstly found in arthropods freshwater crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus . In the present study, an astakine homologous gene was identified from Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (designated CgAstakine). The full length cDNA of CgAstakine encoded a polypeptide of 103 amino acids containing a prokineticin (PK) domain homologous to that in astakine from freshwater crayfish P. leniusculus . The deduced amino acid sequence of CgAstakine shared higher similarity with those of other invertebrate astakines than prokineticins from vertebrates. The mRNA of CgAstakine was highly expressed in hepatopancreas and adductor muscle of oyster, while the CgAstakine protein was mainly distributed in hepatopancreas, gill and hemocytes. The mRNA expression of CgAstakine in hemocytes was significantly increased ( p < 0.01) and maintained at a high level from 3 h to 9 h after Vibrio anguillarum challenge. After the oyster hemocytes were incubated with 5 μg/mL recombinant CgAstakine protein (rCgAstakine) for 24 h in vitro , the proliferation of hemocytes was significantly increased to 1.89 fold of that in control group ( p < 0.05). Moreover, the total count of oyster hemocytes was significantly upregulated (2.45 fold of that in control group, p < 0.05) at 12 h after the oysters were received an injection of rCgAstakine (0.5 μg/g). These results collectively indicated that CgAstakine could modulate the hemocytes proliferation both in vitro and in vivo , and probably involved in the hematopoietic process fighting against the invasion of foreign pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in social neuroscience have highlighted the critical role of the cerebellum and especially the posterior cerebellar Crus in social mentalizing (i.e., theory of mind). Research in the past 5 years has provided growing evidence supporting the view that the posterior cerebellum builds internal action models of our social interactions to predict how other people's actions will be executed, and what our most likely responses to these actions will be. This paper presents an overview of a series of fMRI experiments on novel tasks involving a combination of (a) the learning or generation of chronological sequences of social actions either in an explicit or implicit manner, which (b) require social mentalizing on another person's mental state such as goals, beliefs, and implied traits. Together, the results strongly confirm the central role of the posterior cerebellar Crus in identifying and automatizing action sequencing during social mentalizing, and in predicting future action sequences based on social mentalizing inferences about others. This research program has important implications: It provides for the first time (a) fruitful starting points for diagnosing and investigating social sequencing dysfunctions in a variety of mental disorders which have also been related to cerebellar dysfunctions, (b) provides the necessary tools for testing whether non-invasive neurostimulation targeting the posterior cerebellum has a causal effect on social functioning, and (c) whether these stimulation techniques and training programs guided by novel cerebellar social sequencing insights, can be exploited to increase posterior cerebellar plasticity in order to alleviate social impairments in mental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phthalocyanines (Pc)‐derived materials represent an attractive category of porous organic scaffolds featured by extensive π‐conjugated networks, but their construction is still limited to the solution‐based pathways, producing materials with inferior conductivity and porosity. Herein, a mechanochemistry‐driven approach was developed leveraging the on‐surface polymerization of aromatic nitrile monomers with ortho‐positioned dicyano groups in the presence of metal catalysts (magnesium, zinc, or aluminum) under neat and ambient conditions. Diverse Pc‐functionalized conjugated porous networks (Pc‐CPNs) were obtained featured by extensively and fully π‐conjugated skeletons, high surface areas, and hierarchical porosities. The monomers in this mechanochemical approach could be extended to those difficult to be handled in solution‐based procedures. The Pc‐CPNs displayed attractive electrochemical performance as supercapacitor and anodes in batteries, together with superb long‐term stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phthalocyanines (Pc)‐derived materials represent an attractive category of porous organic scaffolds featured by extensive π‐conjugated networks, but their construction is still limited to the solution‐based pathways, producing materials with inferior conductivity and porosity. Herein, a mechanochemistry‐driven approach was developed leveraging the on‐surface polymerization of aromatic nitrile monomers with ortho‐positioned dicyano groups in the presence of metal catalysts (magnesium, zinc, or aluminum) under neat and ambient conditions. Diverse Pc‐functionalized conjugated porous networks (Pc‐CPNs) were obtained featured by extensively and fully π‐conjugated skeletons, high surface areas, and hierarchical porosities. The monomers in this mechanochemical approach could be extended to those difficult to be handled in solution‐based procedures. The Pc‐CPNs displayed attractive electrochemical performance as supercapacitor and anodes in batteries, together with superb long‐term stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezocatalysis is realized in hydrothermally-derived CuBi 2 O 4 nanorods for the first time. Through bi-harvesting of photo- and vibration energies, 98.1% Rhodamine B (RhB) can be degraded, which is significantly higher than ∼38.7% from single photocatalysis and ∼72.8% from single piezocatalysis. The enhanced catalytic activity is attributed to the intensified separation of electron-hole under the piezoelectric potential. Results show that CuBi 2 O 4 is promising catalyst to decompose the organic pollutant in nature water. •Piezocatalysis activity has been realized in CBO for the first time. • Harvesting light and vibration energy has been realized in CBO. • Bi-catalytic degradation of RhB is higher than photocatalysis or piezocatalysis. • h + become the most important active specie instead of ·OH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Norepinephrine (NE) is involved in regulating cytokine expression and phagocytosis of immune cells in the innate immunity of vertebrates. In the present study, the modulation mechanism of NE on the biosynthesis of TNFs in oyster granulocytes was explored. The transcripts of Cg TNF-1, Cg TNF-2 and Cg TNF-3 were highly expressed in granulocytes, and they were significantly up-regulated after LPS stimulation, while down-regulated after NE treatment. The phagocytic rate and apoptosis index of oyster granulocytes were also triggered by LPS stimulation and suppressed by NE treatment. The mRNA expressions of Cg MAPK14 and Cg Relish were significantly induced after NE treatment, and the translocation of Cg Relish from cytoplasm to nucleus was observed. The concentration of intracellular Ca2+ in granulocytes was significantly up-regulated upon NE incubation, and this trend reverted after the treatment with DOX (specific antagonist for NE receptor, Cg A1AR-1). No obvious significance was observed in intracellular cAMP concentrations in the PBS, NE and NE + DOX groups. Once Cg A1AR-1 was blocked by DOX, the mRNA expressions of Cg MAPK14 and Cg Relish were significantly inhibited, and the translocation of Cg Relish from cytoplasm to nucleus was also dramatically suppressed, while the mRNA expression of Cg TNF-1 and the apoptosis index increased significantly to the same level with those in LPS group, respectively. These results collectively suggested that NE modulated TNF expression in oyster granulocyte through A1AR-p38 MAPK-Relish signaling pathway. • Granulocytes were the main sub-population of haecmocytes to synthesize TNFs in response to LPS stimulation. • NE could regulate phagocytosis, apoptosis and TNFs expression in oyster granulocyte. • NE modulated phagocytosis, apoptosis and TNFs expression in granulocyte through A1AR-p38 MAPK-Relish signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agranulocytes in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas are a group of haemocytes that are significantly different from semi-granulocytes and granulocytes on the morphology. Agranulocytes are the smallest haemocytes characterized by a spherical shape, the largest ratio of nucleus to cytoplasm, and no granules in the cytoplasm. The lack of unique cell surface markers impedes the isolation of agranulocytes from total haemocytes. Previous transcriptome sequencing analysis of three subpopulations of haemocytes revealed that a homologue of CD9 (designed as Cg CD9) was highly expressed in agranulocytes of oyster C. gigas (data not shown). In the present study, Cg CD9 was identified to share a similarity of 60% with other vertebrates CD9s, and it harbored a typical four transmembrane domain and a conserved Cys-Cys-Gly (CCG) motif. The mRNA transcript of Cg CD9 was found to be highly expressed in agranulocytes, which was 6.63-fold (p < 0.05) and 3.68-fold (p < 0.05) of that in granulocytes and semi-granulocytes, respectively. A specific monoclonal antibody of Cg CD9 (named 3D8) was successfully prepared by traditional hybridoma technology, and a single positive band at 25.2 kDa was detected in the haemocyte proteins by Western Blotting, indicating that this monoclonal antibody exhibited high specificity and sensitivity to Cg CD9 protein. The ELISA positive value of 3D8 monoclonal antibody to recognize agranulocytes, semi-granulocytes and granulocytes was 17.35, 4.48 and 1.55, respectively, indicating that monoclonal antibody was specific to agranulocytes. Immunocytochemistry assay revealed that Cg CD9 was specifically distributed on the membrane of agranulocytes. Using immunomagnetic beads coated with 3D8 monoclonal antibody, Cg CD9+cells with a purity of 94.53 ± 5.60% were successfully isolated with a smaller diameter, a larger N:C ratio and no granules in cytoplasm, and could be primary culture in the modified L-15 medium in vitro. Collectively, these results suggested that Cg CD9 was a specific cell surface marker for agranulocytes, which offered a tool for high-purity capture of agranulocytes from total haemocytes in C. gigas. • Cg CD9 was identified as a specific surface marker for agranulocytes in oyster Crassostrea gigas. • The specific monoclonal antibody of Cg CD9 was developed for the isolation of agranulocytes from total haemocytes. • The isolated Cg CD9+agranulocytes could be cultured in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cadmium (Cd) contamination in soil poses a serious safety risk for the development of medicine and food with ginseng as the raw material. Microorganisms are key players in the functioning and service of soil ecosystems, but the effects of Cd-contaminated ginseng growth on these microorganisms is still poorly understood. To study this hypothesis, we evaluated the effects of microorganisms and Cd (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0, and 10.0 mg kg-1 of Cd) exposure on the soil microbial community using Illumina HiSeq high-throughput sequencing. Results: Our results indicated that Cd-contaminated soil affected the soil microbial diversity and composition, and bacterial diversity was affected more than fungal diversity in Cd-contaminated soil, especially according to Shannon indices. The abundance of the soil microbial community decreased and the composition changed according to the relative abundances at the phylum level, including those of Saccharibacteria and Gemmatimonadetes in bacteria and Mortierellomycota in fungi. The LEfSe algorithm was used to identify active biomarkers, and 45 differentially abundant bacterial taxonomic clades and 16 differentially abundant fungal taxonomic clades were identified with LDA scores higher than 4.0. Finally, a heatmap of Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and canonical discriminant analysis (CDA) indicated that some key biomarkers, Arenimonas, Xanthomonadales, Nitrosomonadaceae, Methylophilales, Caulobacterales, Aeromicrobium, Chitinophagaceae, Acidimicrobiales, Nocardioidaceae, Propionibacteriales, Frankiales, and Gemmatimonadaceae, were positively correlated with the total and available Cd (p<0.05) but negatively correlated with AK, AP, and pH (p<0.05) in the bacterial community. Similarly, in the fungal community, Tubaria, Mortierellaceae, and Rhizophagus were positively correlated with the total and available Cd but negatively correlated with AK, AP, TK, and pH. Conclusion: Cd contamination significantly affected microbial diversity and composition in ginseng-growing soil. Our findings provide new insight into the effects of Cd contamination on the microbial communities in ginseng-growing soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rab protein plays an important role in a variety of cellular activities, especially the fusion process of the inner membrane during endocytosis. In the present study, a Rab1 protein (Cg Rab1) was identified from the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. The full-length cDNA sequence of Cg Rab1 was of 2248 bp with an open reading frame of 618 bp, encoding a polypeptide of 205 amino acids containing a Rab domain. The deduced amino acid sequence of Cg Rab1 shared 94.2% and 89.3% identity with Rab1 from Pomacea canaliculata and Homo sapiens respectively. In the phylogenetic tree, Cg Rab1 was firstly clustered with the Rab1s from Aplysia californica and Pomacea canaliculata to form a sister group with Rab1 from invertebrates. The recombinant Cg Rab1 protein (r Cg Rab1) was able to bind GTP. The mRNA transcripts of Cg Rab1 were highly expressed in oyster haemocytes, and its expression level in oyster haemocytes was significantly up-regulated at 24 h after the stimulations with Vibro splendidus , which was 2.43-fold (p < 0.01) of that in the control group. After the expression of Cg Rab1 was knocked down (0.38-fold of that in EGFP-RNAi experimental group) by RNAi，the protein expression of Cg cathepsin L1 were reduced (0.63-fold, p < 0.01) compared with that in EGFP-RNAi experimental group. The phagocytic rate and phagocytic index of haemocytes in Cg Rab1-RNAi oysters decreased after V. splendidus stimulation, which was 0.50-fold (p < 0.01) and 0.58-fold (p < 0.01) of that in EGFP-RNAi experimental group. These results indicated that Cg Rab1 was involved in the process of haemocytes phagocytosis by regulating the expression of Cg cathepsin L1 in oyster C. gigas. • A Rab1 homologue protein (CgRab1) was identified from oyster Crassostrea gigas. • CgRab1 mRNA expression level in haemocytes was up-regulated after V. splendidus stimulation. • The recombinant protein of CgRab1 was able to bind GTP in vitro. • CgRab1 regulated the expression of CgcathepsinL1 and involved in the phagocytosis of haemocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The portable device can effectively and stably capture the characteristics of different subjects in the alpha band (8-13Hz) over long periods, as well as capturing their individual differences (no alpha peak, 1 alpha peak, or 2 alpha peaks). • Alpha-band activity can reveal the uniqueness of the subjects compared to others within one minute. • A descriptive model to dissect the oscillatory and non-oscillatory components in the alpha band, demonstrating the different contributions of fine oscillatory features to individual differences (especially amplitude and bandwidth). In recent years, brainprint recognition has emerged as a novel method of personal identity verification. Although studies have demonstrated the feasibility of this technology, some limitations hinder its further development into the society, such as insufficient efficiency (extended wear time for multi-channel EEG cap), complex experimental paradigms (more time in learning and completing experiments), and unclear neurobiological characteristics (lack of intuitive biomarkers and an inability to eliminate the impact of noise on individual differences). Overall, these limitations are due to the incomplete understanding of the underlying neural mechanisms. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the neural mechanisms behind brainwave recognition and simplify the operation process. We recorded prefrontal resting-state EEG data from 40 participants, which is followed up over nine months using a single-channel portable brainwave device. We found that portable devices can effectively and stably capture the characteristics of different subjects in the alpha band (8-13Hz) over long periods, as well as capturing their individual differences (no alpha peak, 1 alpha peak, or 2 alpha peaks). Through correlation analysis, alpha-band activity can reveal the uniqueness of the subjects compared to others within one minute. We further used a descriptive model to dissect the oscillatory and non-oscillatory components in the alpha band, demonstrating the different contributions of fine oscillatory features to individual differences (especially amplitude and bandwidth). Our study validated the feasibility of portable brainwave devices in brainwave recognition and the underlying neural oscillation mechanisms. The fine characteristics of various alpha oscillations will contribute to the accuracy of brainwave recognition, providing new insights for the development of future brainwave recognition technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the impact of humidity and temperature on the spread of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) by statistically comparing modelled pandemic dynamics (daily infection and recovery cases) with daily temperature and humidity of three climate zones (Mainland China, South America and Africa) from January to August 2020. We modelled the pandemic growth using a simple logistic function to derive information of the viral infection and describe the growth of infected and recovered cases. The results indicate that the infected and recovered cases of the first wave were controlled in China and managed in both South America and Africa. There is a negative correlation between both humidity (r = − 0.21; p = 0.27) and temperature (r = −0.22; p = 0.24) with spread of the virus. Though this study did not fully encompass socio-cultural factors, we recognise that local government responses, general health policies, population density and transportation could also affect the spread of the virus. The pandemic can be managed better in the second wave if stricter safety protocols are implemented. We urge various units to collaborate strongly and call on countries to adhere to stronger safety protocols in the second wave. • The relationship between temperature and humidity on spread of COVID-19 was studied. • Mainland China, Africa and South American countries have different saturation points. • Temperature and humidity negatively correlated with COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The programmed cell death protein 4 (PDCD4) is a newly defined transcriptional and translational inhibitor, which plays a key role in regulating the synthesis of inflammatory cytokines in vertebrates species. In the present study, the full-length cDNA of PDCD4 from oyster Crassostrea gigas (designed as Cg PDCD4) was identified to explore its possible involvement in immune response. The open reading frame of pdcd 4 gene was of 1344 bp encoding a polypeptide of 447 amino acids with two conserved MA-3 domains. The deduced amino acid sequence of Cg PDCD4 shared 60.18% similarity with PDCD4 from Mizuhopecten yessoensis. The mRNA transcripts of Cg PDCD4 could be detected in all the tested tissues with a higher expression level in adductor muscle and hemocytes. The mRNA expression of Cg PDCD4 in hemocytes was significantly down-regulated at 3 h and 6 h (0.61-fold and 0.42-fold of that in PBS group, p < 0.01, respectively) after LPS stimulation. In hemocytes, Cg PDCD4 protein was found to be mainly located in the cytoplasm. After the mRNA expression of Cg PDCD4 in hemocytes was knocked down (0.40-fold of that in EGFP-RNAi group) by Cg PDCD4 dsRNA (ds Cg PDCD4) injection, the Cg IL17-5 transcripts were up-regulated (20.11-fold of that in PBS group, p < 0.01) post LPS stimulation, which was significantly higher than that in dsEGFP-injected oysters (7.06-fold of that in PBS group, p < 0.01). Meanwhile, the nuclear translocation of Cg Rel (homologue of Rel/NF-κB) was significantly enhanced (about 1.36-fold of that in PBS group, p < 0.01), but it was similar as that in EGFP-RNAi group (about 1.52-fold of that in PBS group, p < 0.01) after LPS stimulation. All the results suggested that Cg PDCD4 in oysters played the same role as PDCD4 of vertebrates in negatively regulating the production of interleukin in immune response, but the underpinning signal pathway was not conserved during evolution. • A PDCD4 homologous was identified from Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. • The expression of Cg PDCD4 could be induced rapidly by LPS stimulation. • Cg PDCD4 could inhibit the expression of Cg IL17-5 after LPS stimulation. • Cg PDCD4 regulated Cg IL17-5 in a different pathway than NF-κB/Rel transcriptional pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor necrosis factors (TNFs) are a group of multifunctional inflammatory cytokines involved in various pathological and immune processes. Recently, a few primitive TNFs have been characterized from molluscs, which play important roles in modulating cell apoptosis, phagocytosis and production of immune-related enzymes. In the present study, a novel TNF (named as Cg TNF-2) with the activity to mediate antibacterial response was identified from the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. The open reading frame of Cg TNF-2 was of 783 bp encoding a putative polypeptide of 261 amino acids with a typical TNF domain. The deduced amino acid sequence of Cg TNF-2 shared high identity with that of TNFs previously identified from other molluscs, such as 96.1% identity with that in oyster C. hongkongensis , 33.7% identity with that in scallop Mizuhopecten yessoensis and 33.0% identity with Cg TNF-1 in oyster C. gigas. There were two distinct TNF branches of vertebrate and invertebrate in the phylogenetic tree, and Cg TNF-2 was firstly clustered with TNF-14 from C. hongkongensis , and then clustered with other molluscan TNFs. The mRNA transcripts of Cg TNF-2 were widely expressed in various oyster tissues, with the highest expression level in hemocytes. The expression level of Cg TNF-2 increased significantly at 6 h (2.45-fold and 6.20-fold, respectively, p < 0.05) after peptidoglycan and lipopolysaccharides treatments, and peaked at 12 h (31.86-fold and 7.90-fold, respectively, p < 0.05). The recombinant protein of Cg TNF-2 (r Cg TNF-2) inhibited the growth of human alveolar basal epithelial (A549) cells at a concentration of 800 ng/mL. After the oysters received an injection of r Cg TNF-2, the serum from those oysters exhibited significantly higher antibacterial activity compared to that from control group, evidenced by inhibiting the growth of Vibrio splendidus. Moreover, the lysozyme activity as well as the contents of nitric oxide in the oyster serum also increased significantly. The above results collectively suggested that Cg TNF-2 was a novel member of bivalve TNF-α family, which could prompt the antibacterial activity by inducing the lysozyme activity and the production of nitric oxide in the innate immune response of oyster. • A novel TNF (Cg TNF-2) was identified from C. gigas and belonged to TNF-α family. • Cg TNF-2 was highly expressed in hemocytes and could be induced by LPS and PGN. • Cg TNF-2 regulated the antibacterial response by lysozyme activity and synthesis of NO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dicer, as a member of ribonuclease III family, functions in RNA interference (RNAi) pathway to direct sequence-specific degradation of cognate mRNA. It plays important roles in antiviral immunity and production of microRNAs. In the present study, a Dicer gene was identified from oyster Crassostrea gigas , and its open reading frame (ORF) encoded a polypeptide (designed as Cg Dicer) of 1873 amino acids containing two conserved ribonuclease III domains (RIBOc) and a double-stranded RNA-binding motif (DSRM). The deduced amino acid sequence of Cg Dicer shared identities ranging from 18.5% to 46.6% with that of other identified Dicers. The mRNA transcripts of Cg Dicer were detectable in all the examined tissues of adult oysters, with the highest expression in hemocytes (11.21 ± 1.64 fold of that in mantle, p < 0.05). The mRNA expression level of Cg Dicer in hemocytes was significantly up-regulated (36.70 ± 11.10 fold, p < 0.01) after the oysters were treated with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). In the primarily cultured oyster hemocytes, the mRNA transcripts of Cg Dicer were significantly induced at 12 h after the stimulation with poly(I:C), which were 2.04-fold (p < 0.05) higher than that in control group. Immunocytochemistry assay revealed that Cg Dicer proteins were mainly distributed in the cytoplasm of hemocytes. The two most important functional domains of Cg Dicer, DSRM and RIBOc, were recombinant expressed in Escherichia coli transetta (DE3), and the recombinant DSRM protein displayed significantly binding activity to dsRNA and poly(I:C) in vitro , while the recombinant RIBOc protein exhibited significantly dsRNase activity to cleave dsRNA in vitro. These results collectively suggested that Cg Dicer functioned as either an intracellular recognition molecule to bind dsRNA or an effector with ribonuclease activity, which might play a crucial role in anti-viral immunity of oyster. • A conserved homologue of vertebrates Dicer was identified from oyster. • The mRNA of Cg Dicer was significantly up-regulated after poly(I:C) or dsRNA stimulation. • r Cg Dicer displayed significantly binding activity to poly(I:C) and dsRNA. • r Cg Dicer exhibited significantly dsRNase activity to cleave dsRNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ascomycota and Basidiomycota are the dominant phyla in Panax ginseng -growing soil. • Changes induced by all treatments on soil fungal communities are evaluated. • Adding different leaf litter alters the composition of fungal community. • Basidiomycota were negatively affected by total nitrogen. • Some active biomarkers may be involved in the decomposition of different leaf litters. Soil fungi communities play a vital role in the plant-soil ecosystem and affect plant growth and health, but the underlying mechanism controlling soil fungi communities in understory wild ginseng soil is still unknown. To study that mechanism, a pot culture experiment adding different leaf litters based on a completely randomized design was carried out. The results indicated that 1990 operational taxonomic units were obtained from eighteen samples. Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, the two dominant phyla, accounted for 84.57% of the total valid reads at the phylum level. The observed species and Chao 1 index in treatment E were significantly lower than those in the other treatments, although no significant differences were found among the Shannon index of all treatments (p > 0.05). Different types of leaf litter significantly changed the fungal community composition; specifically, Ascomycota was higher in broad leaf litter treatments (A, C, D and E) than in the coniferous leaf litter treatment (B), but Basidiomycota showed the opposite trend, indicating that Ascomycota and Basidiomycota could be used to identify the species of coniferous and broad leaves. The active biomarker fungal (Bmf), 36 different phylotypes, were identified by a linear discriminant analysis effect size algorithm in all treatments, and some Bmf may participate in the decomposition of different tree litters. Additionally, the changes in fungal community diversity and composition were closely related to the changes in soil microbial biomass carbon, total nitrogen and available phosphorus in all treatment soils. Overall, our study indicated that leaf litter changed the soil fungal community structure, and some Bmf were directly involved in leaf litter decomposition. Bmf is more indicative and helpful for distinguishing leaf species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the bivalve C1q domain containing proteins (C1qDCs) are either only composed of the globular head domain, or contain an N-terminal coiled-coil domain, presumed to cover a role in oligomerization. On the other hand, collagen regions, widespread in vertebrate C1qDCs, are very uncommon in bivalves. In the present study, a C1qDC with a collagen-like domain (designated Cg C1qDC-6) was identified from the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas and its possible involvement in immune responses was also characterized. The coding sequence of Cg C1qDC-6 was of 756 bp, encoding a peptide of 251 amino acids with an N-terminal signal peptide, a central collagen-like domain, and a C-terminal ghC1q domain. Cg C1qDC-6 was clustered with the C1qDCs from several mollusks in the phylogenetic tree. Cg C1qDC-6 was detected at both mRNA and protein levels in all tested tissues including hepatopancreas, gonad, gill, mantle, adductor muscle, and hemocytes. The recombinant Cg C1qDC-6 protein (r Cg C1qDC-6) exhibited binding activity to various pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) including LPS, PGN, mannose and Poly I:C, and microorganisms including Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Vibrio splendidus), Gram-positive bacteria (Micrococcus luteus and Staphylococcus aureus), and fungus (Pichia pastoris). The phagocytic rates of oyster hemocytes towards V. splendidus pre-incubation with r Cg C1qDC-6 were significantly enhanced (p < 0.05). In the chemotaxis assay, r Cg C1qDC-6 could mediate the migration of oyster hemocytes in a dose-dependent manner, which exhibited a positive chemotactic effect at low concentration (<10 nM). These results collectively indicated that Cg C1qDC-6 could serve as a pattern recognition receptor and mediate the hemocyte phagocytosis and migration to eliminate the invading pathogens. • Cg C1qDC-6 was the only one C1qDC with a collagen-like domain identified in Pacific oyster. • Cg C1qDC-6 distributed in various oyster tissues, and can recognize and bind broadly PAMPs and microorganisms. • Cg C1qDC-6 displayed chemotactic activity on oyster hemocytes. • The phagocytic rate of hemocytes was enhanced after the bacteria was pre-incubated with Cg C1qDC-6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Rusty root is a widespread problem in ginseng production, which can reduce ginseng quality and root price. The formation of rusty root is a complex process caused by multiple factors, primarily soil physicochemical factors and microorganisms. However, the precise roles played by these factors in the development of this disease remain unclear, especially the role of microorganisms. Deciphering the structure of the rhizosphere microbial communities will provide a more comprehensive and deeper understanding of rusty root disease. Rhizosphere microbial communities from five ginseng fields with different rusty root grades and indices were characterized by MiSeq sequencing. The pattern of beta diversity indicated that rusty root disease might be positively correlated with bacterial community structure, but not with fungal community structure. Rusty root may be caused by excessive Fe (II) oxidation and Fe (III) deposition accompanied by aluminum (Al) and manganese (Mn), in which nitrate-dependent Fe (II)-oxidizing bacteria, including Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Nitrospirae, play a driving role. Moreover, the accumulation of iron (Fe), Al, and Mn could enhance growth and weak invasion of some fungi, thus exacerbating the rust symptoms. However, no correlation was found between the relative abundance of the genus Ilyonectria and rusty root grade or index (P > 0.05); suggesting that Ilyonectria species may not be essential for rusty root disease. Thus, the oxidation and deposition of rhizosphere Fe, Al, and Mn facilitated by nitrate-dependent Fe (II)-oxidizing bacteria might be key factors contributing to rusty root disease. Further studies on the inhibition of Fe, Al, and Mn transformation and accumulation, and application of iron/nitrogen-cycling related bacteria in ginseng soil might elucidate effective methods for preventing rusty root. Highlights • Rusty root could be a physiological disorder but not an infectious disease. • Rusty root may be caused by Fe (II) oxidation and deposition. • Nitrate-dependent Fe(II) oxidizing bacteria play a driving role in rusty root. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]