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Excessive methylglyoxal (MG), which is produced by plants in response to biotic or abiotic stress, could be removed by the glyoxalase system. Glyoxalase I is the main component of the glyoxalase system, and it plays an important role in conferring abiotic stress tolerance of plants. In this study, glyoxalase I activity of different daylily (Hemerocallisspp.) varieties was measured and compared, showing that glyoxalase I activity was positively correlated with salt tolerance in daylily. In addition, a putative glyoxalase I gene (HfGlX I-1) of daylily was cloned and introduced to tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana). Results showed that the glyoxalase I activity of transgenic plants was higher than that of wild-type plants, indicating that HfGlX I-1served as glyoxalase I. Furthermore, transgenic tobacco showed tolerance to abiotic stress, including drought, high concentrations of sodium chloride and zinc chloride. Our results could establish the potential selection system of salt-tolerant daylily and provide a molecular tool to modify the biotic tolerance of ornamental plants.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease are incurable diseases with progressive loss of neural function and require urgent development of effective treatments. Carnosol (CL) reportedly has a pharmacological effect in the prevention of dementia. Nevertheless, the mechanisms of CL’s neuroprotection are not entirely clear. The present study aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of CL-mediated neuroprotection through Caenorhabditis elegansmodels. First, CL restored ND protein homeostasis via inhibiting the IIS pathway, regulating MAPK signaling, and simultaneously activating molecular chaperone, thus inhibiting amyloid peptide (Aβ), polyglutamine (polyQ), and α-synuclein (α-syn) deposition and reducing protein disruption-mediated behavioral and cognitive impairments as well as neuronal damages. Furthermore, CL could repair mitochondrial structural damage via improving the mitochondrial membrane protein function and mitochondrial structural homeostasis and improve mitochondrial functional defects via increasing adenosine triphosphate contents, mitochondrial membrane potential, and reactive oxygen species levels, suggesting that CL could improve the ubiquitous mitochondrial defects in NDs. More importantly, we found that CL activated mitochondrial kinetic homeostasis related genes to improve the mitochondrial homeostasis and dysfunction in NDs. Meanwhile, CL up-regulated unc-17, cho-1, and cha-1genes to alleviate Aβ-mediated cholinergic neurological disorders and activated Notch signaling and the Wnt pathway to diminish polyQ- and α-syn-induced ASH neurons as well as dopaminergic neuron damages. Overall, our study clarified the beneficial anti-ND neuroprotective effects of CL in different aspects and provided new insights into developing CL into products with preventive and therapeutic effects on NDs.

Endometrial carcinoma is one of the most common gynecologic malignancies. CXCL17-CXCR8 (GPR35) axis is reported to play an indispensability role in tumors. Our purpose is to screen possible prognostic and immune-related factors in endometrial carcinoma by detecting the mRNA and protein expression of CXCL17 and CXCR8. We use the qRT-PCR method to test the mRNA expression of CXCL17 and CXCR8 in 35 pairs of endometrial carcinoma and adjacent tissue. The protein expression of CXCL17 and CXCR8 in 30 cases of normal proliferative endometrium, 30 cases of endometrial atypical hyperplasia and 50 cases of endometrial carcinoma was detected by tissue microarray immunohistochemistry. There was no significant difference in the positive expression rate between endometrial adenocarcinoma tissue and endometrial atypical hyperplasia tissue (P> 0.05). But significantly better than normal proliferative tissue (P< 0.001). Correlation analysis of CXCR8 and CXCL17 in endometrial carcinoma showed a positive correlation (r= 0.9123, P< 0.0001). For patients with endometrial cancer, the overall survival (OS) of patients with high CXCL17 expression was significantly higher than that low CXCL17 expression (log-rank test, P< 0.0001), whereas CXCR8 had no statistical significance. But the expression of CXCR8 is an independent prognostic factor of OS in endometrial carcinoma patients. Our study showed that CXCL17 and CXCR8 may be involved in the occurrence and development of endometrial cancer. High expression of CXCL17 may be used as a biomarker for predicting survival. Because CXCL17 and CXCL18 are related to lymphocytes and immune regulation, they are expected to become potential targets for immunotherapy.

Endoscopy is the primary modality for detecting asymptomatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and precancerous lesions. Improving detection rate remains challenging. We developed a system based on deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for detecting esophageal cancer and precancerous lesions [high-risk esophageal lesions (HrELs)] and validated its efficacy in improving HrEL detection rate in clinical practice (trial registration ChiCTR2100044126 at www.chictr.org.cn). Between April 2021 and March 2022, 3117 patients ≥50 years old were consecutively recruited from Taizhou Hospital, Zhejiang Province, and randomly assigned 1:1 to an experimental group (CNN-assisted endoscopy) or a control group (unassisted endoscopy) based on block randomization. The primary endpoint was the HrEL detection rate. In the intention-to-treat population, the HrEL detection rate [28 of 1556 (1.8%)] was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group [14 of 1561 (0.9%), P= 0.029], and the experimental group detection rate was twice that of the control group. Similar findings were observed between the experimental and control groups [28 of 1524 (1.9%) versus 13 of 1534 (0.9%), respectively; P= 0.021]. The system’s sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for detecting HrELs were 89.7, 98.5, and 98.2%, respectively. No adverse events occurred. The proposed system thus improved HrEL detection rate during endoscopy and was safe. Deep learning assistance may enhance early diagnosis and treatment of esophageal cancer and may become a useful tool for esophageal cancer screening.

Even though graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is a star material in the field of photocatalytic, its further applications have been plagued by the rapid recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. In this work, gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were designed to overcome these shortcomings by its Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR), thereby enhancing the light absorption of g-C3N4. The research manifests that the introduction of Au NPs improves the photoelectrochemical performance of g-C3N4under light conditions, leading to the generation of high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). AGC (Au/g-C3N4) exhibits superior efficacy against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureusand Staphylococcus albus), Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli), viruses (Bacteriophage MS2), and degraded antibiotics (tetracycline hydrochloride) with efficient efficiency. This work illustrated that the combination of g-C3N4and Au NPs could be a promising way to develop high-performance photocatalytic and may shed light on the application of wastewater treatment.

Sasais a taxonomically problematic genus of bamboos mainly distributed in Japan and China. Recent phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that Sasais polyphyletic, with Chinese species of Sasabeing distantly related to species from Japan. Based on newly collected flowering materials from China, it was found that the Chinese species hitherto placed in Sasasubg. Sasahave racemose synflorescences, 2–3 florets per spikelet with a rudimentary terminal floret, and 3 stamens and 2 stigmas per floret. This distinguishes them from the type of Sasaand other species of that genus, which have paniculate synflorescences, 4–10 florets per spikelet, and 6 stamens and 3 stigmas per floret. Together with several differences in vegetative characters between these two groups, this morphological distinction warrants recognition of a new genus for the Chinese species hitherto placed in Sasasubg. Sasa. The results of our molecular phylogenetic analyses also strongly support the monophyly of the Chinese representatives of Sasasubg. Sasa. The new genus Sinosasais described to accommodate the Chinese species, including three previously recognized species and four new species.

Novel promoters that confer root-specific expression would be useful for engineering resistance against problems of nutrient and water absorption by roots. In this study, the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to identify seven genes with root-specific expression in rice. The isolation and characterization of upstream promoter regions of five selected genes rice root-specific promoter (rRSP) 1 to 5 (rRSP1–rRSP5) and A2P (the promoter of OsAct2) revealed that rRSP1, rRSP3, and rRSP5 are particularly important with respect to root-specific activities. Furthermore, rRSP1, rRSP3, and rRSP5 were observed to make different contributions to root activities in various species. These three promoters could be used for root-specific enhancement of target gene(s).

Magnesium alloy is very attractive in many industrial applications due to its low density. The structure-property relationships of the magnesium alloy under quasi-static loading have been extensively investigated. However, the dynamic behavior, particularly the mechanism of high-rate plastic deformation, of the magnesium alloy requires more in-depth investigations. In this paper, the effect of aging treatment on the quasi-static and dynamic properties of a typical rare earth Mg-Gd-Y magnesium alloy is investigated. In particular, the plastic deformation mechanism under dynamic compression loading is discussed. Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) was used to carry out dynamic compression tests with controllable plastic deformation by using stopper rings. The experimental results demonstrate that both static and dynamic properties of the Mg-Gd-Y alloy vary under various aging treatment conditions (under-aged, peak-aged and over-aged conditions), due to two different kinds of second phases: remnant micro size phase from solid solution treatment and nano precipitation from aging treatment. The results of microstructure characterization and statistic analysis of the metallographic phase are presented. The area fraction of the twinned grains increases due to aging treatment and dynamic loading. The main plastic deformation mechanism of the rare earth Mg-Gd-Y magnesium alloy is possibly dislocation slip, rather than twinning for the conventional AZ31 magnesium alloy under high strain rate loading.

Magnesium alloy is very attractive in many industrial applications due to its low density. The structure-property relationships of the magnesium alloy under quasi-static loading have been extensively investigated. However, the dynamic behavior, particularly the mechanism of high-rate plastic deformation, of the magnesium alloy requires more in-depth investigations. In this paper, the effect of aging treatment on the quasi-static and dynamic properties of a typical rare earth Mg-Gd-Y magnesium alloy is investigated. In particular, the plastic deformation mechanism under dynamic compression loading is discussed. Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) was used to carry out dynamic compression tests with controllable plastic deformation by using stopper rings. The experimental results demonstrate that both static and dynamic properties of the Mg-Gd-Y alloy vary under various aging treatment conditions (under-aged, peak-aged and over-aged conditions), due to two different kinds of second phases: remnant micro size phase from solid solution treatment and nano precipitation from aging treatment. The results of microstructure characterization and statistic analysis of the metallographic phase are presented. The area fraction of the twinned grains increases due to aging treatment and dynamic loading. The main plastic deformation mechanism of the rare earth Mg-Gd-Y magnesium alloy is possibly dislocation slip, rather than twinning for the conventional AZ31 magnesium alloy under high strain rate loading.

AbstractMagnesium alloy is very attractive in many industrial applications due to its low density. The structure-property relationships of the magnesium alloy under quasi-static loading have been extensively investigated. However, the dynamic behavior, particularly the mechanism of high-rate plastic deformation, of the magnesium alloy requires more in-depth investigations. In this paper, the effect of aging treatment on the quasi-static and dynamic properties of a typical rare earth Mg-Gd-Y magnesium alloy is investigated. In particular, the plastic deformation mechanism under dynamic compression loading is discussed. Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) was used to carry out dynamic compression tests with controllable plastic deformation by using stopper rings. The experimental results demonstrate that both static and dynamic properties of the Mg-Gd-Y alloy vary under various aging treatment conditions (under-aged, peak-aged and over-aged conditions), due to two different kinds of second phases: remnant micro size phase from solid solution treatment and nano precipitation from aging treatment. The results of microstructure characterization and statistic analysis of the metallographic phase are presented. The area fraction of the twinned grains increases due to aging treatment and dynamic loading. The main plastic deformation mechanism of the rare earth Mg-Gd-Y magnesium alloy is possibly dislocation slip, rather than twinning for the conventional AZ31 magnesium alloy under high strain rate loading.

Photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A in aqueous solution by UV-TiO2 was studied in self-made photocatalysis reactor. The results showed that BPA was degraded effectively in UV-TiO2 photocatalysis system, and the processe followed Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model. When TiO2 was dosed at 1.0 g/L, air amount was 1.2 L/min, BPA initial concentration was 10 mg/L with pH=5.5, and irradiated by a 15 W low pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp, the removal rate of BPA was up to 97%, and BPA was completely removed in 80 min when pH≥9.5; The photocatalytic removal rate constant was strongly related to the above factors.

To study the effect of lower-molecular weight heparin in the prevention of pancreatic encephalopathy (PE) in the patient with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).