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Purpose: The incidence of vascular dementia (VaD), as one of the main types of dementia in old age, has been increasing year by year, and exploring its pathogenesis and seeking practical and effective treatment methods are undoubtedly the key to solving this problem. Phosphoglycerate translocase 5 (PGAM5), as a crossroads of multiple signaling pathways, can lead to mitochondrial fission, which in turn triggers the onset and development of necroptosis, and thus PGAM5 may be a novel target for the prevention and treatment of vascular dementia., Methods: Animal model of vascular dementia was established by Two-vessel occlusion (2-VO) method, and cellular model of vascular dementia was established by oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) method. Neuronal damage was detected in vivo and in vitro in different groups using different concentrations of the PGAM5-specific inhibitor LFHP-1c, and necroptosis and mitochondrial dynamics-related factors were determined., Results: In vivo experiments, 10 mg/kg -1 and 20 mg/kg -1 LFHP-1c improved cognitive deficits, reduced neuronal edema and vacuoles, increased the number of nissl bodies, and it could modulate the expression of Caspase family and Bcl-2 family related proteins and mRNAs and ameliorate neuronal damage. Simultaneously, in vitro experiments, 5 μM, 10 μM and 20 μM LFHP-1c increased the activity and migration number of model cells, reduced the number of apoptotic cells, ameliorated the excessive accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species, inhibited the over-activation of caspase-family and Bcl-2-family related proteins and mRNAs, and improved the mitochondrial dynamics of the fission and fusion states. Moreover, in vivo and in vitro experiments have shown that LFHP-1c can also upregulate the expression level of BDNF, inhibit the expression content of TNF-α and ROS, regulate the expression of proteins and mRNAs related to the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL pathway and mitochondrial dynamics, and reduce neuronal apoptosis., Conclusions: Inhibition of PGAM5 expression level can reduce neuronal damage caused by chronic cerebral ischemia and hypoxia, which mainly prevents necroptosis by targeting the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL signaling pathway and regulates the downstream mitochondrial dynamics homeostasis system to prevent excessive mitochondrial fission, thus improving cognition and exerting cerebroprotective effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Both natural revegetation and cropping have great impact on long-term soil carbon (C) sequestration, yet the differences in their underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated trends in soil organic C (SOC) accumulation during natural revegetation (VR) and cropping processes over 24 years, and explored the contributions of microbial necromass and plant-derived C to SOC formation and their primary controls. Over the course of 24 years of land use/cover change (LUCC) from 1995, SOC content exhibited a more substantial increase in VR (0.31 g kg -1  a -1 ) than in cropland (0.14 g kg -1  a -1 ) during Stage II (>10 y after LUCC), and recalcitrant organic carbon explained more of the SOC variation than easily oxidizable carbon. The higher SOC content in VR was attributed to a greater contribution of plant-derived C (14-28 %) than that in cropland (3-11 %) to SOC and a consistently lower ratio of cinnamyl (C)- to vanillyl (V)-type phenols in VR across all the assessed years. Although there were higher proportion of microbial necromass of SOC (41-84 %) in cropland than in VR, the differences were not significant. The dominant bacterial phylum of Chloroflexi and soil nitrogen content were the primary biotic and abiotic factors regulating microbial-derived and plant-derived C in both cropland and VR. However, soil phosphorus content was the main factor in cropland, while climatic factors such as mean annual precipitation were more important in VR. These results provided evidence that long-term natural revegetation enhanced SOC sequestration by greater contribution of plant-derived C to SOC formation compared to cropping. These findings underscore the synergistic contribution of vegetation and microorganisms to long-term SOC sequestration, offering insights into the different mechanisms of carbon formation during VR and cropping processes, and providing support for optimizing land management to achieve global carbon neutrality goals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Hongling Qin reports financial support was provided by the National Ecosystem Science Data Center. Baoli Zhu reports financial support was provided by the National Key Research and Development Program of China. Baoli Zhu reports financial support was provided by Hunan Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. Hongling Qin reports was provided by the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

As ionic liquids (ILs) continue to be prepared, there is a growing need to develop theoretical methods for predicting the properties of ILs, such as gas solubility. In this work, different strategies were employed to obtain the solubility of CO 2 and N 2 , where a conductor-like screening model for real solvents (COSMO-RS) was used as the basis. First, experimental data on the solubility of CO 2 and N 2 in ILs were collected. Then, the solubility of CO 2 and N 2 in ILs was predicted using COSMO-RS based on the structures of cations, anions, and gases. To further improve the performance of COSMO-RS, two options were used, i.e., the polynomial expression to correct the COSMO-RS results and the combination of COSMO-RS and machine learning algorithms (eXtreme Gradient Boosting, XGBoost) to develop a hybrid model. The results show that the COSMO-RS with correction can significantly improve the prediction of CO 2 solubility, and the corresponding average absolute relative deviation (AARD) is decreased from 43.4% to 11.9%. In contrast, such an option cannot improve that of the N 2 dataset. Instead, the results obtained from coupling machine learning algorithms with the COSMO-RS model agree well with the experimental results, with an AARD of 0.94% for the solubility of CO 2 and an average absolute deviation (AAD) of 0.15% for the solubility of N 2 ., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Qin, Wang, Ma, Li, Liu and Ji.)

Background: Globally, Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the common neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly with increasing morbidity and disability, and its clinical pathogenesis is not clear., Objective: To compare the differences in disease severity and blood biomarkers levels and their correlation between patients with early-onset Parkinson's disease (EOPD) and late-onset Parkinson's disease (LOPD)., Methods: A total of 342 patients diagnosed with PD were retrospectively collected. PD patients were categorized into EOPD (24 patients) and LOPD (318 patients) according to the age of onset of the disease. The Hoehn-Yahr (HY) staging was used to assess the severity of the disease in PD patients. Subjective rating scales such as the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) were used to assess the motor and non-motor functions of the patients. The differences of objective blood biomarkers such as triglyceride (TG) between the two groups were investigated. The correlation between them and PD was explored by logistic analysis., Results: Percentage of EOPD group with HY staged as intermediate to late and Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease-Autonomic (SCOPA-AUT), Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's disease Rating Scale-III (MDS-UPDRS-III), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score and TG, non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (N-HDL-C), homocysteine (HCY), apolipoprotein B (Apo-B), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were lower than those in the LOPD group (P < 0.05); and the proportion of HY staged as early stage, Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and Fatigue severity scale (FSS) scores and the levels of vitamin B12 were higher than those in the LOPD group (P < 0.05). The results of Multifactorial Logistic regression analysis showed that N-HDL-C [OR = 1.409, 95 % CI (1.063, 1.868)], Apo-B [OR = 0.797, 95 % CI (0.638, 0.997)], Vitamin B12 [OR = 0.992, 95 % CI (0.987, 0.998)] and hs-CRP [OR = 1.124, 95 % CI (1.070, 1.182)] were independent factors affecting the severity of PD, with significant differences between groups (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: N-HDL-C, Apo-B, Vitamin B12, and hs-CRP levels play an important role in the progression of PD., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Stroke is a debilitating condition with high morbidity, disability, and mortality that significantly affects the quality of life of patients. In China, the WenYang FuYuan recipe is widely used to treat ischemic stroke. However, the underlying mechanism remains unknown, so exploring the potential mechanism of action of this formula is of great practical significance for stroke treatment., Objective: This study employed network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vivo experiments to clarify the active ingredients, potential targets, and molecular mechanisms of the WenYang FuYuan recipe in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, with a view to providing a solid scientific foundation for the subsequent study of this recipe., Materials and Methods: Active ingredients of the WenYang FuYuan recipe were screened using the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform. Network pharmacology approaches were used to explore the potential targets and mechanisms of action of the WenYang FuYuan recipe for the treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. The Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion/Reperfusion 2 h Sprague Dawley rat model was prepared, and TTC staining and modified neurological severity score were applied to examine the neurological deficits in rats. HE staining and Nissl staining were applied to examine the pathological changes in rats. Immunofluorescence labeling and Elisa assay were applied to examine the expression levels of certain proteins and associated factors, while qRT-PCR and Western blotting were applied to examine the expression levels of linked proteins and mRNAs in disease-related signaling pathways., Results: We identified 62 key active ingredients in the WenYang FuYuan recipe, with 222 highly significant I/R targets, forming 138 pairs of medication components and component-targets, with the top five being Quercetin, Kaempferol, Luteolin, β-sitosterol, and Stigmasterol. The key targets included TP53, RELA, TNF, STAT1, and MAPK14 (p38MAPK). Targets related to cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury were enriched in chemical responses, enzyme binding, endomembrane system, while enriched pathways included lipid and atherosclerosis, fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, AGE-RAGE signaling in diabetic complications. In addition, the main five active ingredients and targets in the WenYang FuYuan recipe showed high binding affinity (e.g. Stigmasterol and MAPK14, total energy <-10.5 Kcal/mol). In animal experiments, the WenYang FuYuan recipe reduced brain tissue damage, increased the number of surviving neurons, and down-regulated S100β and RAGE protein expression. Moreover, the relative expression levels of key targets such as TP53, RELA and p38MAPK mRNA were significantly down-regulated in the WenYang FuYuan recipe group, and serum IL-6 and TNF-a factor levels were reduced. After WenYang FuYuan recipe treatment, the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway and downstream NF-kB/p38MAPK signaling pathway-related proteins were significantly modulated., Conclusion: This study utilized network pharmacology, molecular docking, and animal experiments to identify the potential mechanism of the WenYang FuYuan recipe, which may be associated with the regulation of the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway and the inhibition of target proteins and mRNAs in the downstream NF-kB/p38MAPK pathway., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The combined application of chemical and organic fertilizers has been recognized to enhance soil fertility and foster the soil microbial ecosystem. However, the optimal ratio of chemical and organic fertilizers in oilseed rape cultivation is still uncertain, and the role of rhizosphere effect is still unclear. Thus, this study aimed to elucidate the impacts of varying ratios of chemical and organic fertilizers on the structure and potential functionalities of rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil microbial communities. The interplay of microbial communities with soil properties and oilseed rape root exudates was investigated in controlled pot cultivations receiving varying ratios of chemical and organic fertilizers. Results indicated clear segregation in the soil bacterial community, influenced by both fertilization treatments and rhizosphere effects. The bacterial community structure significantly correlated with nitrate nitrogen, organic acids, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content. Rhizosphere effects led to increased bacteria abundance, reduced diversity, and decreased network stability. Notably, F3 treatment receiving 25% chemical and 75% organic fertilizers showed a significantly higher abundance at 1.43 × 10 11 copies g -1 dry soil, accompanied by increased species and genetic diversity, and ecological network complexity. This treatment also yielded the highest aboveground biomass of oilseed rape. However, the application of organic fertilizers also increased the risk of plant pathogenicity. This study reveals the impact of fertilizers and rhizosphere effects on soil microbial community structure and function, shedding light on the establishment of more effective fertilization schemes for oilseed rape agriculture., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wang, Qin, Zhang, Tang, Long, Xu and Zhu.)

In this study, a porous structure for a porous liquid storage medium is generated, and the homogenization theory based on displacement boundary conditions is used to predict the effective mechanical properties. The relationship between the porous material's macroscopic mechanical properties and microstructure is next analyzed. In order to establish the relationship between the microstructure of porous materials and their macroscopic mechanical properties, assuming that the pores grow along the z direction, a method is proposed to generate 3D open-cell porous materials based on six design parameters (i.e., the number of pores, porosity, irregularity of pore distribution, the randomness of pore growth in the x and y directions, and randomness of pore size). Since the porosity of oil-bearing materials ranges from 20 to 30%, the porosity of the RVE (Representative Volume Element) was kept under control at about 25%, and the effect of the six design factors on the mechanical properties of the RVE was investigated. Utilizing SLA 3D printing technology, specimens were produced, and compression tests were used to show how useful the results of the numerical analysis were. The results demonstrated that after the number of RVE pores reaches 9, the numerical results have good repeatability. The irregularity of the initial pore distribution has little effect on the effective mechanical properties of the RVE. At the same time, the increase in the randomness of pore growth and the randomness of pore size increases the degree of weakening of the mechanical properties in the z-direction, while reducing the degree of weakening in the x and y directions, but the latter has a smaller impact. Furthermore, there is a superimposition effect of design parameters on the RVE., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Water and fertilizer managements are the most common practices to maximize crop yields, and their long-term impact on soil microbial communities has been extensively studied. However, the initial response of microbes to fertilization and soil moisture changes remains unclear. In this study, the immediate effects of nitrogen (N)-fertilizer application and moisture levels on microbial community of paddy soils were investigated through controlled incubation experiments. Amplicon sequencing results revealed that moisture had a stronger influence on the abundance and community composition of total soil bacteria, as well as ammonia oxidizing-archaea (AOA) and -bacteria (AOB). Conversely, fertilizer application noticeably reduced the connectivity and complexity of the total bacteria network, and increasing moisture slightly exacerbated these effects. NH 4 + -N content emerged as a significant driving force for changes in the structure of the total bacteria and AOB communities, while NO 3 - -N content played more important role in driving shifts in AOA composition. These findings indicate that the initial responses of microbial communities, including abundance and composition, and network differ under water and fertilizer managements. By providing a snapshot of microbial community structure following short-term N-fertilizer and water treatments, this study contributes to a better understanding of how soil microbes respond to long-term agriculture managements., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Han, Qin, Wang, Yao, Zhang, Guo and Zhu.)

Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy of Zhuang Medicine Lotus Acupuncture Cupping Stasis Therapy on patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and its action mechanism., Methods: 36 patients are randomly divided into Lotus Acupuncture Cupping Stasis Therapy group, pure cupping group and gabapentin group, with a total of five observation points for the first, fifth, tenth, fifteenth, and twentieth sessions of therapy (one session every three days). At each observation point, the venous blood of the patients is taken, and the contents of and changes in WNT3a, Frizzled8, β-catenin, IL-18, TNF-α, NR2B, NK-1 and SP are tested by ELISA, RT-PCR and WesternBlot, respectively. The VAS scores and safety of the patients in the three groups are compared., Results: With increased time spent in therapy, the VAS scores of patients in each group decreased gradually and there was a significant reduction in pain in patients in the Lotus Acupuncture Cupping Stasis Therapy group compared to the gabapentin and pure cupping groups (P<0.05). The levels of IL-18, TNF-α, NK-1, SP, WNT3a, Frizzled 8 and β-catenin in the serum of all patients experienced a constant decline over time (P<0.05); the levels of the aforesaid factors in the serum of patients in the Lotus Acupuncture Cupping Stasis Therapy group dropped remarkably after the tenth session of therapy compared to those in gabapentin and pure cupping groups (P<0.05)., Conclusions: Zhuang Medicine Lotus Acupuncture Cupping Stasis Therapy can significantly reduce the pain of PHN patients, with a good therapeutic effect, and it is worthy of clinical use., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Cu nanowires and a nanoporous Ag matrix were fabricated through directional solidification and selective dissolution of Ag-Cu eutectic alloys. Ag-39.9at.%Cu eutectic alloys were directionally solidified at growth rates of 14, 25, and 34 μm/s at a temperature gradient of 10 K/cm. The Cu phase in the Ag matrix gradually changed from lamellar to fibrous with an increase in the growth rate. The Ag matrix phase was selectively dissolved, and Cu nanowires of 300-600 nm in diameter and tens of microns in length were prepared in 0.1 M borate buffer with a pH of 9.18 at a constant potential of 0.7 V (vs. SCE). The nanoporous Ag matrix was fabricated through selective dissolution of Cu fiber phase in 0.1 M acetate buffer with a pH of 6.0 at a constant potential of 0.5 V (vs. SCE). The diameter of Ag pores decreased with increasing growth rate. The diameter and depth of Ag pores increased when corrosion time was extended. The depth of the pores was 30 μm after 12 h.

Rising temperature affects microbial composition and function in agriculture field, especially under nitrogen fertilization. In this study, we investigated the bacterial community of paddy soil incubated at controlled temperatures (5 °C, 15 °C, 25 °C, and 35 °C). Results showed that the response of bacterial communities to temperature was not uniform. Temperature elevation from 15 to 25 °C abruptly shifted the soil bacterial community, whereas elevation from 5 to 15 °C and from 25 to 35 °C had a marginal effect. The bacterial α-diversity was higher at 5 °C and 15 °C, owing to the massively distributed taxa with low abundance. However, as the temperature increased to 25 °C and 35 °C, these taxa were diminished, whereas Firmicutes significantly increased, resulting in a strong decline in α-diversity. Simultaneously, bacterial network complexity significantly increased at 25 °C and 35 °C, indicating the bacteria had closer interactions. Nitrogen application aggravated the variation in bacterial diversity and network complexity among temperatures. Interestingly, most complex network was observed under higher temperatures in fertilized soils. Collectively, these results indicate that nitrogen exacerbates the response of the soil bacterial community to temperature, and association between diversity and network complexity may be present., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Bioceramic scaffolds for repairing mandibular bone defects have considerable effects, whereas pore architecture in porous scaffolds on osteogenesis in specific structures is still controversial. Herein 6 mol% magnesium-substituted calcium silicate scaffolds were fabricated with similar porosity (∼58%) but different cylindrical pore dimensions (Ø 480, 600, and 720 μm) via digital light processing-based three-dimensional (3D) printing technique. The mechanical properties, bioactive ion release, and bio-dissolution of the bioceramic scaffolds were evaluated in vitro, and the facilitation of scaffolds on bone formation was investigated after implanting in vivo. The results showed that as the pore dimension increased, the scaffolds indicated similar surface microstructures, but their compressive strength was enhanced gradually. There was no significant difference in vitro bio-dissolution between the 480 and 600 μm groups, whereas the 720 μm group showed a much slower dissolution and ion release. Interestingly, the two-dimensional/three-dimensional (2D/3D) micro-CT reconstruction analysis of rabbits' mandibular bone defects model showed that the 600 μm group exhibited evidently higher ratio of the newly formed bone volume to total volume (BV/TV) and trabecular number (Tb. N) values and lower ratio of the scaffolds residual volume to total volume (RV/TV) compare to the other two sizes. Furthermore, the histological analysis also revealed a considerably higher new bone ingrowth rate in the 600 μm group than the other two groups at 4-12 weeks post-implantation. Totally, it is proved from these experimental studies that the DLP-based accurately fabricated calcium (Ca) silicate bioceramic scaffolds with appropriate pore dimensions (i.e., 600 μm in pore size) are promising to guide new bone ingrowth and thus accelerate the regeneration and repair of cranial maxillofacial or periodontal bone defects., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) has affected numerous elderly individuals worldwide. Panax notoginseng has been shown to ameliorate AD symptoms, and notoginsenoside R2 is a key saponin identified in this plant. Purpose: In the current study, we aimed to explore whether notoginsenoside R2 could improve the prognosis of AD. Methods: Herein, primary rat cortical neurons were isolated and they were treated with amyloid beta-peptide (A β ) 25-35 oligomers. Cellular apoptosis was examined via flow cytometry and Western blotting. miR-27a and SOX8 mRNA expression levels were quantified by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, the interaction between miR-27a and SOX8 was investigated by utilizing a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Finally, an AD mouse model was established to validate the in vitro findings. Results: Notoginsenoside R2 alleviated A β 25-35-triggered neuronal apoptosis and inflammation. During this process, miR-27a expression was decreased by notoginsenoside R2, and miR-27a negatively modulated SOX8 expression. Furthermore, activation of SOX8 upregulated β -catenin expression, thus suppressing apoptosis and neuroinflammation. Conclusions: Our animal experiments revealed that notoginsenoside R2 enhanced the cognitive function of AD mice and inhibited neuronal apoptosis. Notoginsenoside R2 ameliorated AD symptoms by reducing neuronal apoptosis and inflammation, thus suggesting a novel direction for AD pharmacotherapy.

High yields and environment-related issues because of over-fertilization in rice (Oryza sativa L.) production is a major concern in China. Partial replacement of mineral fertilizer (MF) with organic matter is considered a win-win approach for resource-saving and environmentally friendly rice production. Here, we examined the effects of reduced MF and in situ crop residue on the rice yield and soil fertility in the long term. A 27-year field experiment (a randomized block design with three replicates) in subtropical China was conducted to test the feasibility of the substitution in a double rice paddy ecosystem. The treatments were CT (no fertilizer application considered as control), NPK (mineral fertilizer N, P, and K), and RFC (reduced MF and in situ crop residue to supplement the reduced NPK dose). The crop residue included half of the rice straw and green manure contents, which were retained in situ in the RFC treatment. The RFC maintained the same rice yield and soil fertility levels as NPK. In general, soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) content in RFC increased by 10.3% -20.8%, and 7.5% -28.0%, respectively, than that in NPK from the 5th to the 25th years. There was no significant difference in the content and net accumulation of SOC, TN, and TP and soil available nutrients between the RFC and NPK treatments after 25 years. The average annual yields were 9690 and 9872 kg ha -1 for the NPK and RFC treatments, respectively. There was no difference in the yield of the first, second, and annual rice crops between RFC and NPK in most years (six of the fifty-four seasons showed a significant difference). RFC increased the partial factor productivity (PFP), agronomic efficiency (AE) of MF, and yield stability (CV) (p < 0.05). Positive nutrient balance and a reduced loss of nutrients are evident reasons for achieving better indicators (PFP, AE, and CV) for nutrient compensation and organic nutrient utilization in the RFC treatment. The partial replacement of MF with in situ crop residue retention, is a simple and efficient way to maintain the soil fertility and rice yield as NPK in southern China., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A superamphiphobic coating is usually prepared via a reduction reaction and then deposited onto the surface of the substrate. This technology is difficult to control and achieve high bond strength, which easily leads to powder shedding. To overcome this issue, electroplating technology is usually preferred for preparing adhesion coatings. However, the coating prepared using this method is usually suitable only for hard steel substrates, and not for soft substrates such as carbon brushes. Herein, we demonstrate an air spray technology for preparing anti-greasy and conductive superamphiphobic graphite-1 H ,1 H ,2 H ,2 H -perfluorooctyltrichlorosilane-SiO 2 (GPS) coatings suitable for both soft substrates (carbon brushes) and hard substrates (collector rings). The sheet resistance of the coating with 10% graphite content is 4.8 × 10 -3 Ω □ -1 for a 10 μm thin coating, corresponding to a resistivity of 4.8 μΩ cm. More importantly, the prepared coating has excellent liquid repellency, such as water, rapeseed oil and n -hexane. In addition, the coating has excellent anti-greasy and mechanical properties, which provide a brand-new solution for the greasy pollution in the engineering field. These advantages will enhance the application of superamphiphobic GPS coating in the fields of hydropower, wind power and transportation, and so on., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Cerebral ischemia is the most common cause of hippocampal neuronal death and the most prevalent cause of stroke with high mortality rate. Ferroptosis has been suggested to affect the role of hippocampal neurons. This study explores the influence of lentivirus infection-induced ferritin overexpression in hippocampal neuronal injury and death through simulations in August Copenhagen Irish rat models. Twenty-four-hour cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury was induced in the rats after 90-min middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Ferritin overexpression was induced through lentivirus infection. The Morris Water Maze (MWM) test and tau hyperphosphorylation test were performed on hippocampal neurons to establish a MCAO model. The effect of ferritin overexpression on hippocampal neuronal death was evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin staining and annexin V/propidium iodide flow cytometry. The MWM test revealed that MCAO modeling decreased the cognitive and locomotor capacity of the rats, whereas ferritin overexpression partially reversed the effect of MCAO. In addition, the hyperphosphorylation of tau caused by MCAO was reduced by ferritin. Pathogenic changes, impaired viability, increased apoptosis, and elevated caspase-9 cleavage in hippocampal neurons were clearly recovered by ferritin. Moreover, robust reactive oxygen species production and glutathione consumption, which was induced by MCAO modeling, were ameliorated by ferritin. Furthermore, two key modulators of ferroptosis, p53 and SLC7A11, were demonstrated to be upregulated by MCAO modeling and downregulated by ferritin. Ferritin reduction is essential for cerebral ischemia-induced hippocampal neuronal ferroptosis mediated via p53 and SLC7A11., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Biological nitrogen (N 2 ) fixation as a source of new N input into the soil by free-living diazotrophs is important for achieving sustainable rice agriculture. However, the dominant environmental drivers or factors influencing N 2 fixation and the functional significance of the diazotroph community structure in paddy soil across a climatic gradient are not yet well understood. Thus, we characterized the diazotroph community and identified the ecological predictors of N 2 fixation potential in four different climate zones (mid-temperate, warm-temperate, subtropical, and tropical paddy soils) in eastern China. Comprehensive nifH gene sequencing, functional activity detection, and correlation analysis with environmental factors were estimated. The potential nitrogenase activity (PNA) was highest in warm-temperate regions, where it was 6.2-, 2.9-, and 2.2-fold greater than in the tropical, subtropical, and mid-temperate regions, respectively; nifH gene abundance was significantly higher in warm-temperate and subtropical zones than in the tropical or mid-temperate zones. Diazotroph diversity was significantly higher in the tropical climate zone and significantly lower in the mid-temperate zone. Non-metric multidimensional scaling and canonical correlation analysis indicated that paddy soil diazotroph populations differed significantly among the four climate zones, mainly owing to differences in climate and soil pH. Structural equation models and automatic linear models revealed that climate and nutrients indirectly affected PNA by affecting soil pH and diazotroph community, respectively, while diazotroph community, C/P, and nifH gene abundance directly affected PNA. And C/P ratio, pH, and the diazotroph community structure were the main predictors of PNA in paddy soils. Collectively, the differences in diazotroph community structure have ecological significance, with important implications for the prediction of soil N 2 -fixing functions under climate change scenarios.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most prevalent representation of dementia, is a neurodegenerative disease resulting from the degenerative disturbance of the central nervous system. Previous studies have indicated that miR-107 is reduced in the brain neocortex of patients with AD; however, its underlying mechanism is not clear. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the question of whether miR-107 participates in AD development. The study confirmed that the miR-107 expression levels were dramatically decreased in patients with AD and in beta-amyloid (Aβ) (Aβ)-treated SH-SY5Y cells compared with control groups. Upregulation of miR-107 reversed the inhibitory role of Aβ on cell proliferation and viability. In addition, miR-107 upregulation also ameliorated the Aβ-induced inflammation and apoptosis of SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, using bioinformatic prediction, dual-luciferase reporter assay (DLRA), quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and Western blot (WB), miR-107 was confirmed to reduce the expression level of FGF7, and it subsequently deactivated the FGFR2/PI3K/Akt pathway. Moreover, FGF7 overexpression counteracted the role of miR-107 in the viability, proliferation, inflammation, and apoptosis of Aβ-induced SH-SY5Y cells.

Inspired by the gas-trapped mechanism underwater of Argyroneta aquatica , we prepared a superhydrophobic yarn with a fiber network structure via a facile and environmentally friendly method. Attributed to the low surface energy, the superhydrophobic fiber network structure on the yarn is able to trap and transport bubbles directionally underwater. The functional yarn has good superhydrophobic and superaerophilic properties underwater to realize the directional transport of bubbles underwater without being pumped. We designed demonstration experiments on the antibuoyancy directional bubble transportation, which indicated the feasibility in the applications of gas-related fields. Significantly, on further testing, where the superhydrophobic yarn is put into a U-shaped pipe, we obtain a gas-siphon underwater with a high flux. The superhydrophobic fiber structure yarn can trap the gas underwater to enable the self-starting behavior while no manual intervention is used. The gas-siphon can convey gas over the edge of a vessel and deliver it at a higher level without energy input, which is driven by the differential pressure. The relationship between the differential pressure and the volume flux of transport bubbles is investigated. The experimental results show that the prepared superhydrophobic yarn has the advantages of good stability, easy preparation, and low cost in bubble continuous transportation underwater, which provides a novel strategy for the development and application of new technologies such as directional transportation, separation, exhaustion, and collection of gases in water.

Hypothesis: Hydrogels are widely used in the field of water lubrication and friction, such as artificial cartilage, because of their good wettability and flexibility. Moreover, compared with single network hydrogel, Triple-network (TN) hydrogel has higher fracture stress. Therefore, the research and preparation of a TN hydrogel with good mechanical properties and friction properties will be of great help to the improvement and application of hydrogel properties., Experiments: A chemical-physical crosslinked triple-network (TN) hydrogel was prepared using PVA, PVP and AA as raw materials. By controlling the content of Zn 2+ in TN hydrogel, conducting tension-compression test and friction test, we studied the effect of Zn 2+ on the mechanical properties and friction properties of hydrogel., Findings: The results showed that TN hydrogel had the best mechanical properties when the content of Zn 2+ was 0.4 g. The fracture stress was 1.87 MPa, the strain rate was 175%, and the compressive stress was 3.5 MPa under 80% compressive deformation. At room temperature, TN hydrogel had good self-healing property and could maintain a high mechanical recovery rate, with a maximum recovery rate of 87%. The friction test results manifested that the hydrogel had a low friction coefficient, and the minimum friction coefficient was 0.15. The PVA/PVP/PAA-TN hydrogel prepared by this method has widened the application scope of hydrogel, making it more applicable in the field of high friction coefficient and mechanical properties., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The treatment of neural deficiency after cerebral infarction is challenging, with limited therapeutic options. The transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to the ischemic penumbra is a potential therapeutic approach. In the present study, a cerebral infarction model was generated by performing middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in SD rats. The expression of CXCR4 increased, and the number of MSCs migrating to the peri-infarct area was higher in rats transplanted with preconditioned MSCs than in rats transplanted with untreated MSCs. The rate of apoptosis, as evaluated by TUNEL staining and immunoblotting assays, was reduced in rats receiving preconditioned MSCs. A significant amelioration of neural regeneration and improved neurological function were observed in rats injected with preconditioned MSCs compared with those injected with untreated MSCs. However, the application of an siRNA targeting CXCL12 significantly inhibited the protective role of preconditioned MSCs against apoptosis and promoted the migration of MSCs to the ischemic area, leading to impaired neuronal regeneration and limited recovery of neuronal function. Hypoxic preconditioning of MSCs prior to transplantation suppressed apoptosis and increased their migration abilities, leading to the promotion of neuronal regeneration and improvement in neural function after transplantation. This preconditioning strategy may be considered as a potential approach for the modification of MSCs prior to cell transplantation therapy in patients with cerebral infarction. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: We found that hypoxic preconditioning of MSCs improved their ability to promote neuronal regeneration and the recovery of neuronal function. Moreover, we showed that CXCR4 inhibited apoptosis, improved cell homing, and promoted neuronal differentiation, without influencing angiogenesis. Our study provides a relatively safe preconditioning method for potential use for cell transplantation therapy in ischemic cerebral infarction. The results presented here will facilitate the development of novel strategies and techniques to improve the tolerance and migration ability of transplanted cells for the treatment of cerebral infarction sequelae., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Fungal denitrifiers play important roles in soil nitrogen cycling, but we have very limited knowledge about their distribution and functions in ecosystems. In this study, three types of arable soils were collected across different climate zones in China, including quaternary red clay soils, alluvial soils, and black soils. The composition and abundance of fungal nirK -containing denitrifiers was determined by MiSeq high-throughput sequencing and qPCR, respectively. Furthermore, a substrate-induced inhibition approach was used to explore N 2 O emissions from fungal denitrification. The results showed that the arable soils contained a wide range of nirK -containing fungal denitrifiers, with four orders and eight genera. Additionally, approximately 57.30% of operational taxonomic unit (OTUs) belonged to unclassified nirK -containing fungi. Hypocreales was the most predominant order, with approximately 40.51% of the total number of OTUs, followed by Sordariales, Eurotiales, and Mucorales. It was further indicated that 53% of fungal nirK OTUs were shared by the three types of soils (common), and this group of fungi comprised about 98% of the total relative abundance of the nirK -containing population, indicating that the distribution of fungal nirK -containing denitrifiers was quite homogenous among the soil types. These common OTUs were determined by multiple soil characteristics, while the composition of unique OTUs was manipulated by the specific properties of each soil type. Furthermore, fungal N 2 O emissions were significantly and positively correlated with fungal nirK abundance in the soils, whereas it was not clearly related to fungal nirK compositions. In conclusion, although the arable soils hosted diverse nirK -containing fungal denitrifiers, fungal nirK compositions were highly homogenous among the soil types, which could be a consequence of enduring agricultural practices. The abundance of fungal nirK -containing denitrifiers, rather than their composition, may play more significant roles in relation to N 2 O emission from fungal denitrification.

An efficient Fe(TPP)Cl catalyzed insertion reaction of in situ generated benzylic carbenes from N-tosylhydrazones into X-H (X = Si, Sn, Ge) was developed. Silanes bearing tertiary, secondary, and primary (3°, 2°, and 1°) Si-H bonds all reacted well to afford insertion products in moderate to high yields (up to 97%), and the reaction time could be significantly shortened to 1 h under microwave irradiation. A programmable stepwise double insertion strategy was developed for the synthesis of unsymmetrical tetrasubstituted silanes.

Rice fields are an important source of nitrous oxide (N 2 O), where rice plants could act as a key factor controlling N 2 O fluxes during the flooding-drying process; however, the microbial driving mechanisms are unclear. In this study, specially designed equipment was used to grow rice plants and collect emitted N 2 O from the root-growing zone (zone A), root-free zones (zones B, C, and D) independently, at tillering and booting stages under flooding and drying conditions. Soil samples from the four zones were also taken separately. Nitrifying and denitrifying community abundances were detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The N 2 O emission increased significantly along with drying, but the N 2 O emission capabilities varied among the four zones under drying, while zone B possessed the highest N 2 O fluxes that were 2.7~4.5 times higher than those from zones C and D. However, zone A showed N 2 O consumption potential. Notably, zone B also harbored the highest numbers of narG-containing denitrifiers and amoA-containing nitrifiers under drying at both tillering and booting stages. This study demonstrates that drying caused significant increase in N 2 O emission from rhizosphere soil, in which the higher abundance of AOB would help to produce more nitrate and significantly higher narG-containing microbes would drive more N 2 O production and emission.

Objective: Paddy soils contain relatively greater organic matter and water contents than other soils thereby limiting effective mRNA extraction. A modification of the conventional mRNA soil extraction method specific to paddy soils is described., Results: Two main modifications for co-extraction of DNA and RNA are: (1) addition of 20 % (w/v) sodium dodecyl sulphate to 10 % (w/v) hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide extraction buffer, and (2) fresh soil, initially frozen at -80 °C, is immediately immersed in extraction buffer. The high-quality total RNA extracted can be directly used in downstream analyses without an additional step to remove humic acid. RNA purification was conducted to remove 5S rRNA, and the mRNA was enriched by selectively digesting rRNA. cDNA synthesised by reverse transcriptase was not contaminated by the reagents or genomic DNA., Conclusion: The modified method for mRNA extraction from paddy soil is suitable for analysing the expression of microbial genes from fresh paddy soil.

A new ratiometric nanosensor is developed for selective and ultrasensitive detection of melamine based on conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE)-stabilized silver nanoparticles (P1-AgNPs) by perfectly combining the advantages of CPE and AgNPs. P1 featuring a π-delocalized backbone bearing pyridinyl groups can act as an excellent dual-emission fluorescent probe as well as a polymer localizer for AgNPs. In the presence of melamine, the fluorescence intensity at 386nm increases owing to the turn-on of the fluorescence of P1, whereas FL intensity at 488nm decreases due to the melamine-induced aggregation and subsequent aggregation-enhanced emission quenching of P1-AgNPs, therefore leading to the ratiometric fluorescent sensing of analyte. Moreover, analyte-induced aggregation of P1-AgNPs also allows the ratiometric colorimetric measurement of melamine. Under the optimum conditions, this facile ratiometric nanosensor favors the fluorescent and colorimetric determination of melamine in liquid milk products with the detection limit as low as 0.1 and 0.45nM, respectively., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Carbon dioxide (CO(2)) assimilation by autotrophic bacteria is an important process in the soil carbon cycle with major environmental implications. The long-term impact of fertilizer on CO(2) assimilation in the bacterial community of paddy soils remains poorly understood. To narrow this knowledge gap, the composition and abundance of CO(2)-assimilating bacteria were investigated using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and quantitative PCR of the cbbL gene [that encodes ribulose-1,5-biphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO)] in paddy soils. Soils from three stations in subtropical China were used. Each station is part of a long-term fertilization experiment with three treatments: no fertilizer (CK), chemical fertilizers (NPK), and NPK combined with rice straw (NPKM). At all of the stations, the cbbL-containing bacterial communities were dominated by facultative autotrophic bacteria such as Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Bradyrhizobium japonicum, and Ralstonia eutropha. The community composition in the fertilized soil (NPK and NPKM) was distinct from that in unfertilized soil (CK). The bacterial cbbL abundance (3-8 × 10(8) copies g soil(-1)) and RubisCO activity (0.40-1.76 nmol CO(2) g soil(-1) min(-1)) in paddy soils were significantly positively correlated, and both increased with the addition of fertilizer. Among the measured soil parameters, soil organic carbon and pH were the most significant factors influencing the community composition, abundance, and activity of the cbbL-containing bacteria. These results suggest that long-term fertilization has a strong impact on the activity and community of cbbL-containing bacterial populations in paddy soils, especially when straw is combined with chemical fertilizers.

Background: Denitrification is a microbial process that has received considerable attention during the past decade since it can result in losses of added nitrogen fertilisers from agricultural soils. Paddy soil has been known to have strong denitrifying activity, but the denitrifying microorganisms responsible for fertilisers in paddy soil are not well known. The objective of this study was to explore the impacts of 17-year application of inorganic and organic fertiliser (rice straw) on the abundance and composition of a nosZ-denitrifier community in paddy soil. Soil samples were collected from CK plots (no fertiliser), N (nitrogen fertiliser), NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilisers) and NPK + OM (NPK plus organic matter). The nitrous oxide reductase gene (nosZ) community composition was analysed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism, and the abundance was determined by quantitative PCR., Results: Both the largest abundance of nosZ-denitrifier and the highest potential denitrifying activity (PDA) occurred in the NPK + OM treatment with about four times higher than that in the CK and two times higher than that in the N and NPK treatments (no significant difference). Denitrifying community composition differed significantly among fertilisation treatments except for the comparison between CK and N treatments. Of the measured abiotic factors, total organic carbon was significantly correlated with the observed differences in community composition and abundance (P < 0.01 by Monte Carlo permutation)., Conclusion: This study shows that the addition of different fertilisers affects the size and composition of the nosZ-denitrifier community in paddy soil., (Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Field investigation, laboratory analysis and wind tunnel simulation showed that in Wuchuan County of Inner Mongolia, low precipitation, frequent and high wind velocity, coarse soil texture, and thawing and freezing were the main causes of soil wind erosion happened very easily in spring. In late winter and early spring, the vegetation coverage was in order of shrub-land>natural grassland>rainfed farmland, and thus, increasing the surface cover of rainfed farmland should be an urgent need to control the wind erosion in Wuchuan County. The soil wind erosion rate decreased exponentially with increasing soil moisture content, and 6% soil moisture content was a turning point from severe to light. The topsoil moisture content under different land use patterns was in order of natural grassland> rainfed farmland >shrub-land. With increasing wind velocity, soil wind erosion rate increased by power function, and 18 m x s(-1) wind velocity was a switching point to aggravate the wind erosion.