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Abstract Background Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic intestinal inflammation, resulting in a global healthcare challenge with no real specific medicine. Natural medicines are recognized as a potential clinical alternative therapy, but their applications are limited by poor solubility and low bioavailability. Results In this work, inspired by the natural medicines of ancient China, novel functional carbon dots derived from Magnetite and Medicated Leaven (MML-CDs) were synthesized by hydrothermal method, and confirmed their ultrasmall nano-size (3.2 ± 0.6 nm) and Fe doped surface structure, thereby with excellent gastrointestinal stability, remarkable capabilities in eliminating ROS, and highly biocompatibility. With no external stimuli, the oral administration of MML-CDs demonstrated obvious alleviation to UC. Further experiments pointed that MML-CDs could improve hemostasis capability, suppress inflammation reactions and oxidative stress, and up-regulate the expression of tight junction proteins. Furthermore, MML-CDs also showed well regulation in the dysbiosis of intestinal flora. Conclusion Overall, above evidence reveals that green-synthesized MML-CDs can significantly alleviate intestinal bleeding, inhibit colon inflammation, and repair colonic barrier damage, further regulating intestinal flora and intestinal inflammation microenvironment. Our findings provide an efficient oral administration of MML-CDs as a novel therapy strategy for ulcerative colitis. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is endemic worldwide, seriously affecting the development of the pig industry, but vaccines have limited protective effects against PRRSV transmission. The aim of this study was to identify potential anti-PRRSV drugs. We examined the cytotoxicity of seven compounds formulated based on the mass ratio of glycyrrhizic acid to matrine and calculated their inhibition rates against PRRSV in vitro. The results showed that the seven compounds all had direct killing and therapeutic effects on PRRSV, and the compounds inhibited PRRSV replication in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The compound with the strongest anti-PRRSV effect was selected for subsequent in vivo experiments. Pigs were divided into a control group and a medication group for the in vivo evaluation. The results showed that pigs treated with the 4:1 compound had 100% morbidity after PRRSV challenge, and the mortality rate reached 75% on the 8th day of the virus challenge. These results suggest that this compound has no practical anti-PRRSV effect in vivo and can actually accelerate the death of infected pigs. Next, we further analyzed the pigs that exhibited semiprotective effects following vaccination with the compound to determine whether the compound can synergize with the vaccine in vivo. The results indicated that pigs treated with the compound had higher mortality rates and more severe clinical reactions after PRRSV infection (p

BackgroundDisporopsis, a member of the Liliaceae family and a perennial herb, is predominantly cultivated in southwestern and southeastern China. Its rhizome, referred to as Zhugenqi, serves as a traditional Chinese medicinal herb for the treatment of bone injuries. However, viral diseases have emerged as a significant challenge in the cultivation of Disporopsis.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to identify and characterize viruses present in diseased samples of Disporopsis spp. using high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to enhance the understanding of the virome associated with Disporopsis and to inform diagnostic and control strategies for viral diseases in this plant.MethodsDiseased samples of Disporopsis spp. were subjected to HTS and RT-PCR for virus identification. A total of five viruses were detected, including three novel viruses and two known viruses. The novel viruses were provisionally named Disporopsis chlorotic stripe virus (DCSV), Disporopsis pernyi-associated partitivirus (DaPTV), and Disporopsis pernyi-associated lispi-like virus (DaLV). Sequence identity and phylogenetic analyses were performed to confirm the novelty and taxonomic placement of these viruses.ResultsDCSV exhibited polyprotein sequence identities ranging from 47.6% to 83.6% with other potyviruses, with the highest identity (83.6%) shared with Polygonatum kingianum virus 5 (PKgV5). DaLV shared an amino acid sequence identity of 34.59% with maize suscal virus (MSV), and DaPTV shared an identity of 76.18–85.10% with Paris alphapartitivirus (ParAPV). Phylogenetic analyses supported the potential classification of the three novel viruses as new members of their respective genera. Two isolates of polygonatum mosaic-associated virus 1 (PMaV1) were identified in Disporopsis for the first time, showing divergences of 96.33% and 98.86% from existing isolates. RT-PCR analysis of 67 Disporopsis field samples collected from four cities in China revealed that more than half of the samples tested positive for at least one of the five viruses. PMaV1 and DaLV were the most prevalent, detected in 22 and 34 out of the 67 samples, respectively. Other viruses were detected at low rates and/or had limited distribution.ConclusionThis study provides insights into the virome infecting Disporopsis and offers valuable information for the diagnosis and control of viral diseases in this plant. The identification of five viruses, including three potential new members of their respective genera, contributes to the understanding of the viral threats to Disporopsis cultivation.

Fluorescent materials have garnered significant interest in optical display and information storage fields for their vibrant and distinct color presentation. Extensive research has been conducted on carbon-based fluorescent materials owing to their environmental sustainability, versatility, and adjustable optical properties. However, it is difficult to integrate high-resolution fluorescent structure on various wafer-level substrate for abundant optical display and information storage. This study successfully fabricated wafer-level carbon-based fluorescent flexible film with ∼100 μm thick using a standardized “lithography + annealing” process. The sample demonstrates high fluorescence intensity with a peak at 603 nm and fluorescence lifetime of 0.3517 ns. When excited by light of 365 nm, 485 nm, and 525 nm wavelengths, the film displays yellow, green, and red, showcasing exceptional color tuning capability. This flexible film is portable and can be readily integrated with various substrates, offering significant technical and theoretical support for advancing carbon-based optical display and information storage technologies.

Small private online course-based flipped teaching is an innovative hybrid instructional approach that merges online and offline activities, fostering autonomous learning among students prior to class and facilitating the assimilation of knowledge within the confines of the classroom. To determine the effectiveness of the small private online course‐based flipped teaching model on undergraduate nursing students' self-directed learning abilities, we performed a practice version of the small private online course‐based flipped teaching program as a quasi-experiment, specifically designed for the Surgical Nursing course and assessed its effectiveness in students' self-directed learning abilities. To this end, a total of 264 students from the 2019 nursing major cohort were selected. Three classes comprising 131 students were randomly selected as the experimental group, and three other classes, comprising 133 students, were set as the control group. The results revealed no significant differences in the scores of self-directed learning abilities between the experimental and control groups before the experiment. After the experiment, the average scores on each dimension of the self-directed learning abilities improved significantly, and the final score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group. The small private online course‐based flipped teaching model can promote undergraduate nursing students’ self-directed learning abilities, owing to its practicality and feasibility for the selected course.

Chrysin is a natural flavonoid with powerful neuroprotective capacity. Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI) is associated with oxidative stress and ferroptosis. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and ceruloplasmin (CP) are the critical targets for oxidation reactions and iron transport. But the regulatory mechanism between them is still unclear. Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model in rats and oxygen and glucose deprivation/re-oxygenation (OGD/R) model in PC12 cells were applied. Pathological tissue staining and biochemical kit were used to evaluate the effect of chrysin. The relationship between HIF-1α and CP was verified by transcriptomics, qRT-PCR and Western blot. In CIRI, HIF-1α/CP loop was discovered to be the regulatory pathway of ferroptosis. CIRI led to activation and nuclear translocation of HIF-1α, which promoted CP transcription and translation, and downstream ferroptosis. Inhibition of HIF-1α had opposite effect on CP and ferroptosis regulation. Overexpression of CP increased the expression of HIF-1α, nevertheless, inhibited the nuclear translocation of HIF-1α and alleviated CIRI. Silencing CP promoted HIF-1α elevation in nucleus and aggravated CIRI. Mechanistically, chrysin restrained HIF-1α nuclear translocation, thereby inhibiting CP transcription and translation, which in turn reduced downstream HIF-1α expression and mitigated ferroptosis in CIRI. Our results highlight chrysin restrains ferroptosis in CIRI through HIF-1α/CP loop.

Due to current issues of energy-level mismatch and low transport efficiency in commonly used electron transport layers (ETLs), such as TiO2 and SnO2, finding a more effective method to passivate the ETL and perovskite interface has become an urgent matter. In this work, we integrated a new material, the ionic liquid (IL) hexylammonium acetate (HAAc), into the SnO2/perovskite interface to improve performance via the improvement of perovskite quality formed by the two-step method. The IL anions fill oxygen vacancy defects in SnO2, while the IL cations interact chemically with Pb2+ within the perovskite structure, reducing defects and optimizing the morphology of the perovskite film such that the energy levels of the ETL and perovskite become better matched. Consequently, the decrease in non-radiative recombination promotes enhanced electron transport efficiency. Utilizing HAAc, we successfully regulated the morphology and defect states of the perovskite layer, resulting in devices surpassing 24% efficiency. This research breakthrough not only introduces a novel material but also propels the utilization of ILs in enhancing the performance of perovskite photovoltaic systems using two-step synthesis.

Since their introduction in the United States and Europe in 2007, electronic cigarettes (E-Cigs) have become increasingly popular among smokers. Nicotine, a key component in both tobacco and e-cigarettes, can exist in two forms: nicotine-freebase (FBN) and nicotine salts (NS). While nicotine salt is becoming more popular in e-cigarettes, the effect of nicotine salts on reinforcement-related behaviors remains poorly understood. This study aimed to compare the reinforcing effects of nicotine and nicotine salts in animal models of drug self-administration and explore potential mechanisms that may contribute to these differences. The results demonstrated that three nicotine salts (nicotine benzoate, nicotine lactate, and nicotine tartrate) resulted in greater reinforcement-related behaviors in rats compared to nicotine-freebase. Moreover, withdrawal-induced anxiety symptoms were lower in the three nicotine salt groups than in the nicotine-freebase group. The study suggested that differences in the pharmacokinetics of nicotine-freebase and nicotine salts in vivo may explain the observed behavioral differences. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the reinforcing effects of nicotine as well as potential differences between nicotine-freebase and nicotine salts.

Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are a class of transmembrane proteins that can sense a variety of physical/chemical stimuli, participate in the pathological processes of various diseases and have attracted increasing attention from researchers. Recent studies have shown that some TRP channels are involved in the development of pathological scarification (PS) and directly participate in PS fibrosis and re-epithelialization or indirectly activate immune cells to release cytokines and neuropeptides, which is subdivided into immune inflammation, fibrosis, pruritus and mechanical forces increased. This review elaborates on the characteristics of TRP channels, the mechanism of PS and how TRP channels mediate the development of PS, summarizes the important role of TRP channels in the different pathogenesis of PS and proposes that therapeutic strategies targeting TRP will be important for the prevention and treatment of PS. TRP channels are expected to become new targets for PS, which will make further breakthroughs and provide potential pharmacological targets and directions for the in-depth study of PS.

The endothelium-specific inhibition of either of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complexes impairs endothelial-dependent vasodilatation (EDD), accompanied by decreased nitric oxide bioavailability in both human and mice endothelial cells.

Chrysin is a natural flavonoid compound that has antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. Cerebral ischemia reperfusion (CIR) is closely connected with increased oxidative stress in the hippocampal CA1 region and homeostasis disorder of transition elements such as iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). This exploration was conducted to elucidate the antioxidant and neuroprotective effects of chrysin based on transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) in rats. Experimentally, sham group, model group, chrysin (50.0 mg/kg) group, Ginaton (21.6 mg/kg) group, Dimethyloxallyl Glycine (DMOG, 20.0 mg/kg) + chrysin group and DMOG group were devised. The rats in each group were performed to behavioral evaluation, histological staining, biochemical kit detection, and molecular biological detection. The results indicated that chrysin restrained oxidative stress and the rise of transition element levels, and regulated transition element transporter levels in tMCAO rats. DMOG activated hypoxia-inducible factor-1 subunit alpha (HIF-1α), reversed the antioxidant and neuroprotective effects of chrysin, and increased transition element levels. In a word, our findings emphasize that chrysin plays a critical role in protecting CIR injury via inhibiting HIF-1α against enhancive oxidative stress and raised transition metal levels.

Hypertrophic scars (HSs) develop due to excessive collagen deposition and abnormal fibroblast proliferation during wound healing, significantly impacting patient quality of life. Three dosages of GA ointments were administered to rabbit ear HS models to investigate the potential efficacy and mechanism of gallic acid (GA) on HS. Daily application of ointment was performed on the matrix group, the GA ointment groups, and the silicone gel group for 28 days. (No drug treatment was performed on the skin and model groups as a blank group and vehicle group, and silicone gel ointment was topically administered to the silicone gel group as a positive control group.) Scar specimens were collected for histopathology analysis, RNA sequencing analysis, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot analysis at the first, second, and fourth weeks after the treatment. Low-dose and medium-dose GA effectively suppressed HS formation and markedly decreased fibroblast infiltration levels and scar thickness. Moreover, decreased expression of TRPC3 mRNA and TGF-β1, p-Smad2/3, and Smad2/3 protein was observed in the low- and medium-dose GA groups and the silicone gel group. This study provides evidence for the efficacy of GA in treating HS and sheds light on its potential underlying pharmacological mechanisms.

Ionic liquids (ILs) have found widespread use in controlling the crystallization process of perovskites, optimizing the morphology and enhancing the device performance, especially in the one-step method. However, research regarding the effects of ionic liquids on perovskite devices prepared using the two-step method remains relatively scarce. Here, an IL 1-Hexyl-3-methylimidazolium Tetrafluoroborate (HMIMBF4) is selected as an additive in the perovskite precursor solution for the fabrication of PSCs using the two-step method. Our study involves a systematic exploration of the precise effects of ILs on the morphology of perovskite thin films, defect density, and photovoltaic performance. IL HMIMBF4 is convincingly shown to possess a robust chemical affinity with perovskite components, thereby establishing a basis for the inhibition of ion migration. Concurrently, ILs play a pivotal role in governing the morphology of perovskite while also facilitating the conversion of lead iodide into the perovskite structure. Benefiting from the regulation of the perovskite morphology and defect states by IL HMIMBF4, the devices with an efficiency exceeding 23% is ultimately achieved. Our research provides a comprehensive comprehension and contributes to advancing the utilization of ILs in two-step photovoltaic devices.

AbstractThe reservoir gas disaster has distinct characteristics and is a key factor that threatens the safe and green mining of coal mines in the costorage area of coal and petroleum resources. In order to solve the problem of prevention and control of reservoir gas disasters in coal mines, the characteristics of oil-bed gas disasters in abandoned oil wells in coal mines were analyzed, and the oil-bed gas disaster mechanism of abandoned oil wells without isolation coal pillars was revealed to study the scope of gas disasters around oil wells under the influence of production. The research shows that: (1) abandoned oil well reservoir gas disasters have the characteristics of high gas pressure, high concentration, large lateral influence area, wide vertical sweep range, and frequent disasters, which seriously threaten the safety and green mining of coal mines; (2) divide the reservoir gas disaster of abandoned oil wells into the high-pressure gas disaster in the well and the disaster in the surrounding oil-bed gas enrichment area; (3) according to the numerical simulation results that the maximum damage depth of the coal seam mining floor is 38.6 m and the seepage height of high-pressure oil-bed gas is 40 m, the safety factor k is introduced, and the reservoir gas sweeping range of the abandoned oil well is determined to be 95.4 m below the coal seam to the surface; (4) the comprehensive prevention and control technical scheme of oil-bed gas for controlling high-pressure oil-bed gas in wells by ground plugging and downhole injection and injection of diluent to control enriched areas was proposed, which successfully solved the problem of safe and efficient exploitation of Shuangma coal mine in Ningdong coalfield by abandoned oil wells. The research results provide effective solutions for the realization of green mining in many coal mines in the costorage area of coal and oil resources in China and have important application value for the prevention and control of dynamic disasters in the costorage area of resources.

Coating products are widely used for the interior decoration of residential property. However, there is growing concern regarding their odor emissions and their impact on indoor air quality (IAQ). Most manufacturers and government agencies set odor intensity limits to control the odor of coating products, including their raw materials. However, it is difficult to determine product performance by means of their odor intensity index. Although evaluating odor intensity requires odor assessors to distinguish between different intensity levels, low consensus and reproducibility represent challenges that are difficult to avoid. As the odor concentration index only requires odor assessors to ascertain whether the odor is felt or not, the reproducibility of the evaluation results is relatively better. Moreover, suitable methodologies for determining odor concentrations in volatile coating product emissions have rarely been reported. Therefore, establishing an evaluation method for odor concentration of coating products and exploring its key influencing factors should bridge this gap. We examined the influence of the airbag material on the recovery rate of typical volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using direct injection by GC-MS and established that their adsorption effects were in the order: PET > PVF > PTFE. We then explored the influences of the sample curing and odor emission times on odor concentration. The solvent-based and water-based coatings reached equilibrium after 8 h and 16 h curing, respectively, and after 8 h and 12 h odor emission, respectively. The odor concentrations of real coating samples were measured and compared against their odor intensities. The odor concentration method more accurately and reliably discriminated coating products than the odor intensity approach. Thus, to assist manufacturers in improving coating formulations to reduce the odor impact of coating products, we used headspace gas chromatography to determine the odor substances in water- and solvent-based coatings and analyzed the odor contribution of various volatile compounds using the odor activity value (OAV) method. Butyl acetate, ethylbenzene, and 1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate were the key odorants in solvent-based coatings while 1-butanol, ethylbenzene, and butyl acetate were the key odorants in water-based coatings.

Hypertrophic scar (HS) is a typical pathological response during skin injury, which can lead to pain, itching, and contracture in patients and even affect their physical and mental health. The complexity of the wound healing process leads to the formation of HS affected by many factors. Several treatments are available for HS, whereas some have more adverse reactions and can even cause new injuries with exacerbated scarring. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a rich source, and most botanical drugs have few side effects, providing new ideas and methods for treating HS. This paper reviews the formation process of HS, the therapeutic strategy for HS, the research progress of TCM with its relevant mechanisms in the treatment of HS, and the related new drug delivery system of TCM, aiming to provide ideas for further research of botanical compounds in the treatment of HS, to promote the discovery of more efficient botanical candidates for the clinical treatment of HS, to accelerate the development of the new drug delivery system and the final clinical application, and at the same time, to promote the research on the anti-HS mechanism of multiherbal preparations (Fufang), to continuously improve the quality control and safety and effectiveness of anti-HS botanical drugs in clinical application.

Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) is one of the fundamental materials applied in the productions of batteries, vanadium-aluminium alloys, biomedicine, catalysis, etc. High purity V2O5 can be prepared from an intermediate product, namely ammonium polyvanadate (APV), using roasting after a drying process. In this paper, microwave heating was used as an alternative drying option for APV, which has advantages including selective heating, high heating efficiency, energy-saving, and environmental protection. The authors investigated the microwave heating characteristics of APV and discussed the effects of microwave power, the mass of APV, and initial water content on the efficiency of microwave drying. The dynamic analysis of the APV microwave drying process was also carried out. Four groups of thin-layer drying dynamic models, namely Modified-Page model, Verma model, Sickmplified-Fick's-diffusion model, and Two-term-exponential model, were fitted with the experimental data. Through comparison, the Modified Page model could better describe the microwave drying process of APV.

The substrate impurities scattering will lead to unstable temperature-sensitive behavior and poor linearity in graphene temperature sensors. And this can be weakened by suspending the graphene structure. Herein, we report a graphene temperature sensing structure, with suspended graphene membranes fabricated on the cavity and non-cavity SiO2/Si substrate, using monolayer, few-layer, and multilayer graphene. The results show that the sensor provides direct electrical readout from temperature to resistance transduction by the nano piezoresistive effect in graphene. And the cavity structure can weaken the substrate impurity scattering and thermal resistance effect, which results in better sensitivity and wide-range temperature sensing. In addition, monolayer graphene is almost no temperature sensitivity. And the few-layer graphene temperature sensitivity, lower than that of the multilayer graphene cavity structure (3.50%/°C), is 1.07%/°C. This work demonstrates that piezoresistive in suspended graphene membranes can effectively enhance the sensitivity and widen the temperature sensor range in NEMS temperature sensors.

A few mode fiber temperature sensor filled with PDMS based on vernier effect is proposed. It uses single mode fiber (SMF), few mode fiber (FMF), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to form the SMF-air microcavity-FMF-PDMS-FMF structure. It is to slot the glass capillary tube, place the two FMFs in the slot at a suitable distance, and fill the slot with PDMS multiple times and seal it. The PDMS is used as a sensing microcavity. We insert the SMF from the other end of the glass capillary tube, adjust the distance, fix the SMF and seal the connection. Two end faces of the SMF and the first FMF form an air reference microcavity. Since the refractive index of each medium is different, multiple reflective surfaces are formed to reflect. Because the second FMF is infinitely long, whose right end is beveled, it is considered that the sensor has four reflected beams. When the temperature changes, the length and refractive index of the PDMS microcavity will change, which will cause a change in the interference spectrum of the sensor. And because the vernier effect is formed by the superposition of the two microcavities, the temperature sensitivity can be amplified and the temperature can be measured with high sensitivity. The experimental results show that in the range of 40–56°C, the transmission spectrum of the sensor appears red shift with the increase of temperature, and the temperature sensitivity can reach 3.89nm/°C. The sensor is simple to manufacture, has high sensitivity, and has good application prospects.

Applying microwave heating, in substitution for conventional industrial process heating, renders energy-saving and clean efficient for mineral reduction. In this work, the behavior of low-grade pyrolusite during microwave-assisted heating was systematically investigated, and the phase transformation of pyrolusite during the reduction process was characterized by TG-DTG-DSC and XRD; meanwhile, a model for the reduction mechanism was proposed, with a three-stage reduction process identified. Results indicated that manganese oxide (MnO) powder can be efficiently prepared, and the reduction ratio presented positive relationships with reduction temperature and heating time, obtaining with a high reduction ratio value of 94.4% achieved at 600 °C within a duration time of 40 min. XRD analysis confirmed that the phase transformation during the reduction process followed the conversion sequence as MnO2→Mn2O3→Mn3O4→MnO, and the iron oxides was almost converted to Fe3O4. It was proved that low-grade pyrolusite can be reduced effectively and efficiently to manganese oxide at lower temperature and shorter duration time by microwave heating.

Because of the shortage of natural rutile, synthetic rutile is a widely used substitute welding materials for natural rutile owing to its excellent mechanical and thermal properties. In this work, rutile TiO2 was prepared from oxidation roasting titanium slag, which can be used as special welding materials. The phase microstructure characteristics of the raw materials and the roasted samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic analysis. Results indicated that the contents of sulfur (S) and carbon (C) in titanium slag decreased during oxidation roasting process, and the decreases of sulfur and carbon contents were mainly ascribed to the formation of corresponding oxides. XRD and FT-IR results revealed the formation of rutile TiO2 phase after titanium slag through oxidization roasting; additionally, observed from SEM patterns, the rutile TiO2 phase with a complex short rod-like crystal appeared in the products. Since the contents of sulfur (S), phosphorus (P) and carbon (C) element were all below 0.030% in the prepared rutile TiO2 with the recommended roasting approach (roasted at 1100 °C for 120 min), the present work highlights that Panzhihua titanium slag is a potential resource of titanium for the manufacture of high-quality rutile TiO2 applicable for special welding materials industry.

Summary: During atherosclerosis plaque progression, pathological intraplaque angiogenesis leads to plaque rupture accompanied by thrombosis, which is probably the most important cause of arteries complications such as cerebral and myocardial infarction. Even though few treatments are available to mitigate plaque rupture, further investigation is required to develop a robust optimized therapeutic method. In this study using rabbit and mouse atherosclerotic models, sinoporphyrin sodium (DVDMS)-mediated sonodynamic therapy reduced abnormal angiogenesis and plaque rupture. Briefly, DVDMS is injected to animals, and then the plaque was locally exposed to pulse ultrasound for a few minutes. Furthermore, a small size clinical trial was conducted on patients with atherosclerosis. Notably, a significant reduction of arterial inflammation and angiogenesis was recorded following a short period of DVDMS-mediated sonodynamic therapy treatment. This beneficial outcome was almost equivalent to the therapeutic outcome after 3-month intensive statin treatment. Key Words: apoptosis-induced apoptosis, atherosclerotic plaque, endothelial cell, macrophage, neovascularization, sonodynamic therapy

To address the secondary pollution problem of chemical reduction and the defects of a long bioremediation period for the soil around a chromium (Cr) salt plant in China, calcium polysulfide (CPS) combined with biostimulation (adding nutrient solution with glucose and urea) was used to reduce and stabilize hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] in the soil. The results showed that the remediation effect of adding CPS and nutrient solution was better than that of CPS alone for Cr(VI)-contaminated soil. An amount of 2.15% CPS with the Cr(VI) concentration reduced to approximately 330.0 mg/kg was selected as the optimal reducing agent dosage. Following the addition of 11 g/kg glucose and 13 g/kg urea, the degradation rate of Cr(VI) reached over 92% after 3 days, and the water-soluble fraction decreased by 95.6% after 40 days. The stability of the Cr was significantly enhanced. The correlation and regression analyses of Cr speciation indicated that the water-soluble fraction had significant negative correlations with the iron-manganese (Fe-Mn) oxide-bound fraction and the organic matter-bound fraction. There were significant negative correlations between the exchangeable fraction and the carbonate-bound fraction as well as extremely significant positive correlations between the Fe-Mn oxide-bound fraction and the organic matter-bound fraction. It was speculated that both the Fe-Mn oxide-bound fraction and the organic matter-bound fraction were transformed from the water-soluble fraction, and the exchangeable fraction and the carbonate-bound fraction were mutually transformed. This study enables us to acquire more knowledge about the speciation transformation of Cr in soil and provides an efficient, low-cost, and low-risk technology for the remediation of high Cr(VI)-contaminated soil.

In this paper, the effect of temperature on the corrosion behavior and corrosion resistance of the copper–aluminum laminated composite plates were investigated by salt-spray corrosion, potential polarization curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Moreover, the microstructure of the copper–aluminum laminated composite plate after salt-spray corrosion was observed by scanning electron microscope, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to study the composition of corrosion product. The results revealed that the corrosion products of the copper–aluminum laminated composite plate were Al2O3 and AlOOH. Due to the galvanic corrosion of the copper–aluminum laminated composite plate, the cathode underwent oxygen absorption corrosion during the corrosion process; therefore, the presence of moisture and the amount of dissolved oxygen in the corrosive environment had a great influence on the corrosion process. The increasing temperature would evaporate a large amount of moisture, resulting in the corrosion product—aluminum oxide dehydrated and covered the surface of the material in the process of salt-spray corrosion, which played a role in protecting the material. Therefore, the corrosion resistance of the copper–aluminum laminated composite plate first decreased and then increased. In the salt-spray corrosion environment, the corrosion resistance of the copper–aluminum laminated composite plate reached the lowest at 45 °C, and its corrosion rate was the fastest, at 0.728 g/m2·h. The electrochemical corrosion occurred in the solution, and the impact was small; however, in addition to the protective corrosion products, the ion mobility in the solution also had a certain influence on the corrosion rate, and the ionic activity increased with the increase of temperature. Therefore, the corrosion resistance of the copper–aluminum laminated composite plate gradually decreased as the temperature increased, and its corrosion resistance was the worst at 50 °C.

Supramolecular oleogel is a soft material with a three-dimensional structure, formed by the self-assembly of low-molecular-weight gelators in oils; it shows broad application prospects in the food industry, environmental protection, medicine, and other fields. Among all the gelators reported, amino-acid-based compounds have been widely used to form organogels and hydrogels because of their biocompatibility, biodegradation, and non-toxicity. In this study, four Nα, Nε-diacyl-l-lysine gelators (i.e., Nα, Nε-dioctanoyl-l-lysine; Nα, Nε-didecanoyl-l-lysine; Nα, Nε-dilauroyl-l-lysine; and Nα, Nε-dimyristoyl-l-lysine) were synthesized and applied to prepare oleogels in four kinds of vegetable oils. Gelation ability is affected not only by the structure of the gelators but also by the composition of the oils. The minimum gel concentration (MGC) increased with the increase in the acyl carbon-chain length of the gelators. The strongest gelation ability was displayed in olive oil for the same gelator. Rheological properties showed that the mechanical strength and thermal stability of the oleogels varied with the carbon-chain length of the gelators and the type of vegetable oil. The microstructure of oleogels is closely related to the carbon-chain length of gelators, regardless of oil type. The highest oil-binding capacity (OBC) was obtained in soybean oil for all four gelators, and Nα, Nε-dimyristoyl-l-lysine showed the best performance for entrapping oils.

Abstract Background At present, many laboratories and hospitals all over the world are attempting and exploring the clinical transformation of this tissue engineered bone graft (TEBG) strategy. Many successful cases of bone tissue engineering (BTE) repair were based on young individuals. But there are little studies about the effectiveness of TEBG strategy in physiological aged individuals. Methods In this research, we studied whether aging factor has influence on the skull repair effect of Fetal-TEBG, at the level of the large animal models. We used the fetal bone marrow stromal cells (Fetal-BMSCs) as the seed cells, combining the decalcified bone matrix (DBM) scaffolds, to repair the skull defects of the aged goats and the young goats. The repair effects on both aged goat and young goat were compared by Micro-CT and histology examination. Results The skull defects of the young goats could be repaired better than that of the aged goats after 6 months by Fetal-TEBG; In the aged goats, although not completely repaired, the defects repaired by Fetal-TEBG was better than that repaired by the Control DBM scaffold. Conclusions Aging factor has impact on the bone repair effect of Fetal-TEBG; and the BTE strategy is still efficacious even in the aged individuals. The improvement of the aged state may promote the repair effect of the BTE in the aged individuals.

Abstract Background Bone tissue engineering is not widely used in clinical treatment. Two main reasons hide behind this: (1) the seed cells are difficult to obtain and (2) the process of tissue engineering bone construction is too complex and its efficiency is still relatively low. It is foreseeable that in the near future, the problem of seed cell sources could be solved completely in tissue engineering bone repair. As for the complex process and low efficiency of tissue engineering bone construction, usually two strategies would be considered: (1) the construction strategy based on injectable bone tissue and (2) the construction strategy based on osteogenic cell sheets. However, the application of injectable bone tissue engineering (iBTE) strategy and osteogenic cell sheet strategy is limited and they could hardly be used directly in repairing defects of large segmental bone, especially load-bearing bone. Methods In this study, we built an osteogenic micro-tissue with simple construction but with a certain structure and composition. Based on this, we established a new iBTE repair strategy—osteogenic micro-tissue in situ repair strategy, mainly targeting at solving the problem of large segmental bone defect. The steps are as follows: (1) Build the biodegradable three-dimensional scaffold based on the size of the defect site with 3D printing rapid prototyping technology. (2) Implant the three-dimensional scaffold into the defect site. This scaffold is considered as the “steel framework” that could provide both mechanical support and space for bone tissue growth. (3) Inject the osteogenic micro-tissue (i.e., the “cell-extracellular matrix” complex), which could be considered as “concrete,” into the three-dimensional scaffold, to promote the bone tissue regeneration in situ. Meanwhile, the digested cells were injected as the compared group in this experiment. After 3 months, the effect of in situ bone defect repair of osteogenic micro-tissue and digested cells was compared. Results It is confirmed that osteogenic micro-tissue could achieve a higher efficiency on cell usage and has a better repair effect than the digested cells. Conclusions Osteogenic micro-tissue repairing strategy would be a more promising clinical strategy to solve the problem of large segmental bone defect.

Phenology is an indicator of crop growth conditions, and is correlated with crop yields. In this study, a phenological approach based on a remote sensing vegetation index was explored to predict the yield in 314 counties within the US Corn Belt, divided into semi-arid and non-semi-arid regions. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data product MOD09Q1 was used to calculate the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series. According to the NDVI time series, we divided the corn growing season into four growth phases, calculated phenological information metrics (duration and rate) for each growth phase, and obtained the maximum correlation NDVI (Max-R2). Duration and rate represent crop growth days and rate, respectively. Max-R2 is the NDVI value with the most significant correlation with corn yield in the NDVI time series. We built three groups of yield regression models, including univariate models using phenological metrics and Max-R2, and multivariate models using phenological metrics, and multivariate models using phenological metrics combined with Max-R2 in the whole, semi-arid, and non-semi-arid regions, respectively, and compared the performance of these models. The results show that most phenological metrics had a statistically significant (p < 0.05) relationship with corn yield (maximum R2 = 0.44). Models established with phenological metrics realized yield prediction before harvest in the three regions with R2 = 0.64, 0.67, and 0.72. Compared with the univariate Max-R2 models, the accuracy of models built with Max-R2 and phenology metrics improved. Thus, the phenology metrics obtained from MODIS-NDVI accurately reflect the corn characteristics and can be used for large-scale yield prediction. Overall, this study showed that phenology metrics derived from remote sensing vegetation indexes could be used as crop yield prediction variables and provide a reference for data organization and yield prediction with physical crop significance.

A miniaturized double stop-band FSS for WLAN was proposed based on the structure of a ring patch with internal branches and a cross zigzag loaded line. This construction is obtained by using the multilayer connection method to paint the two layers of the patch that we designed on the top and bottom of the dielectric substrate to simulate the designed construction by using HFSS simulation. Analyzing the frequency response characteristics of the FSS indicates that the construction can generate two transmission band gaps at 1.92-2.17 GHz and 4.94-5.99 GHz in the WLAN wave. This construction has stronger polarization stability and angle stability when the incident electromagnetic wave is 0-60². It also has a simple construction, small size, and significant engineering application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionDue to limited arable land resources, intercropping has emerged as an efficient and sustainable production method for increasing total grain yield per unit land area. Maize–soybean strip intercropping (MSSI) technology is being widely promoted and applied across China. However, the combination of optimal density for achieving higher production efficiency of both soybean and maize remains unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the differences in yield, economic benefits, land, and nitrogen (N) efficiency in MSSI systems under different densities.MethodsFive maize/soybean density combinations (67,500/97,500 plants ha−1, D1; 67,500/120,000 plants ha−1, D2; 67,500/142,500 plants ha−1, D3; 60,000/142,500 plants ha−1, D4; 52,500/142,500 plants ha−1, D5) were set under the same N input in the field experiment.Results and discussionThe results demonstrated that optimizing the density in the intercropping system could enhance production efficiency. Increasing the density of soybean and maize significantly increased the total grain yield (D3 > D2 > D1 > D4 > D5). The D3 treatment, exhibiting the best comprehensive performance, also promoted increases in leaf area index, dry matter accumulation, and N absorption and utilization. Path analysis indicated that density had the most substantial impact on maize yield, while grain number had the greatest influence on soybean yield, with contribution rates of 49.7% and 61.0%, respectively. These results provide valuable insights into optimal field density for summer planting in MSSI, facilitating its wider adoption.

Abstract Background Observational studies have revealed that metabolic disorders are closely related to the development of preeclampsia (PE). However, there is still a research gap on the causal role of metabolites in promoting or preventing PE. We aimed to systematically explore the causal association between circulating metabolites and PE. Methods Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 486 blood metabolites (7,824 participants) were extracted as instrumental variables (P

We elucidate here the temperature and strain rate sensitivity of a duplex stainless steel through the development of deformation maps and by studying the flow behaviour during hot compression tests in the temperature range of 1223–1473 K and at strain rates between 0.01 and 30 s −1. The flow curves exhibited softening after attaining a peak condition and the flow stress increased with the decrease of temperature and increase of strain rate. The observed change in the activation energy is attributed to strain partitioning between the two constituent phases and the deformation maps were characterised by two regions of flow instability. On the other hand, the microstructural evolution indicated that the strain rate and deformation temperature had a significant impact on the flow behaviour. In the flow stability region, the continuous dynamic recrystallisation (DRX) of ferrite was strongly activated, while in the flow instability region, both the continuous dynamic recrystallisation in ferrite and discontinuous DRX in austenite were weak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Due to fungal diseases that threaten immunocompromised patients, along with the limited availability of antifungal agents, there is an urgent need for new antifungal compounds to treat fungal infections. Here, we aimed to identify potential antifungal drugs from natural products using the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe as a model organism since it shares many features with some pathogenic fungi. Here, we identified tubeimoside I (TBMS1), an extract from Chinese herbal medicine, that showed strong antifungal activity against S. pombe. To gain insight into the underlying mechanism, we performed transcriptomics analyses of S. pombe cells exposed to TBMS1. A significant proportion of the differential expressed genes were involved in cell wall organization or biogenesis. Additionally, TBMS1 treatment of S. pombe cells resulted in pleiotropic phenotypes, including increased sensitivity to β-glucanase, enhanced calcineurin activity, translocation of GFP-Prz1 to the nucleus, as well as enhanced dephosphorylation of Prz1, suggesting that TBMS1 disrupted cell wall integrity of S. pombe cells. Notably, calcofluor staining showed that abnormal deposits of cell wall materials were observed in the septum and cell wall of the TBMS1-treated cells, which were further corroborated by electron microscopy analysis. We also found that oxidative stress might be involved in the antifungal action of TBMS1. Moreover, we confirmed the antifungal activities of TBMS1 against several clinical isolates of pathogenic fungi. Collectively, our findings suggest that TBMS1, a novel antifungal compound, exerts its antifungal activity by targeting cell walls, which may pave the way for the development of a new class of antifungals.IMPORTANCEFungal infections pose a serious threat to public health and have become an emerging crisis worldwide. The development of new antifungal agents is urgently needed. Here, we identified compound tubeimoside I (TBMS1) for the first time showing strong antifungal activity, and explored the underlying mechanisms of its antifungal action by using the model yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Notably, we presented multiple evidence that TBMS1 exerts its antifungal activity through targeting fungal cell walls. Moreover, we verified the antifungal activities of TBMS1 against several pathogenic fungi. Our work indicated that TBMS1 may serve as a novel antifungal candidate, which provides an important foundation for designing and developing new cell wall-targeting agents for combating life-threatening fungal infections.

Corn husk, a by-product of corn starch production and processing, contains high-quality dietary fiber (DF). Our study compares and analyzes the impact of Hericium erinaceus solid-state fermentation (SSF) on the structure and physicochemical characteristics of soluble dietary fiber (SDF) of corn husks. The study also investigates the kinetics of SSF of H. erinaceus in this process. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) results revealed significant structural changes in corn husk SDF before and after fermentation, with a significant elevation in the functional group numbers. The data indicate that the fermented corn husk SDF’s water-holding, swelling, and oil-holding capacities increased to 1.57, 1.95, and 1.80 times those of the pre-fermentation SDF, respectively. Additionally, the results suggest that changes in extracellular enzyme activity and nutrient composition during SSF of H. erinaceus are closely associated with the mycelium growth stage, with a mutual promotion or inhibition relationship between the two. Our study offers a foundation for corn husk SDF fermentation and is relevant to the bioconversion of maize processing by-products.

Compromised endothelial-cell (EC) barrier function is a hallmark of inflammatory diseases. mTOR inhibitors, widely applied as clinical therapies, cause pneumonitis through mechanisms that are not yet fully understood. This study aimed to elucidate the EC mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of pneumonitis caused by mTOR inhibition (mTORi). Mice with EC-specific deletion of mTOR complex components (Mtor, Rptor or Rictor) were administered LPS to induce pulmonary injury. Cultured ECs were treated with pharmacologic inhibitors, siRNA, or overexpression plasmids. EC barrier function was evaluated in vivo with Evans blue assay and in vitro by measurement of transendothelial electrical resistance and albumin flux. mTORi increased basal and TNFα-induced EC permeability, which was caused by myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation--dependent cell contraction. Inactivation of mTOR kinase activity by mTORi triggered PKCδ/p38/NF-κB signaling that significantly upregulated TNFa-induced MLCK (MLC kinase) expression, whereas Raptor promoted the phosphorylation of PKCa/MYPT1 independently of its interaction with mTOR, leading to suppression of MLCP (MLC phosphatase) activity. EC-specific deficiency in mTOR, Raptor or Rictor aggravated lung inflammation in LPS-treated mice. These findings reveal that mTORi induces PKC-dependent endothelial MLC phosphorylation, contraction, and hyperpermeability that promote pneumonitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The serine carboxypeptidase-like (SCPL) gene family plays a crucial role in the regulation of plant growth, development, and stress response through activities such as acyltransferases in plant secondary metabolism pathways. Although SCPL genes have been identified in various plant species, their specific functions and characteristics in soybean (Glycine max) have not yet been studied. We identified and characterized 73 SCPL genes, grouped into three subgroups based on gene structure and phylogenetic relationships. These genes are distributed unevenly across 20 soybean chromosomes and show varied codon usage patterns influenced by both mutation and selection pressures. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment suggests these genes are involved in plant cell wall regulation and stress responses. Expression analysis in various tissues and under stress conditions, including the presence of numerous stress-related cis-acting elements, indicated that these genes have varied expression patterns. This suggests that they play specialized roles such as modulating plant defense mechanisms against nematode infections, enhancing tolerance to drought and high salinity, and responding to cold stress, thereby helping soybean adapt to environmental stresses. Moreover, the expression of specific GmSCPLs was significantly affected following exposure to nematode infection, drought, high salt (NaCl), and cold stresses. Our findings underscore the potential of SCPL genes in enhancing stress resistance in soybean, providing a valuable resource for future genetic improvement and breeding strategies.

In this study, qualitative and quantitative analyses of phenolic compounds in the maize germinating seed embryo, radicle, and germ were performed at 0, 48, and 96 h post-germination, followed by the evaluation of their hypoglycemic activity. The results revealed the accumulation of 80 phenolics in different parts of germinated maize, of which 47, 48, and 53 were present in the seed embryo, radicle, and germ. After germination 22, 26, and 34 polyphenols were found to differential accumulate in the seed embryo, radicle, and germ. At 96 h post-germination, the content of monomeric phenols in the germ was higher than that in the radicle and seed embryo. Moreover, the inhibitory activity of polyphenols in the germ towards α-glucosidase and α-amylase was higher than that in the radicle and seed embryo. These results indicate that germination can effectively improve the type and content of phenolic compounds in different parts of maize.

Aims: Vascular senescence, which is closely related to epigenetic regulation, is an early pathological condition in cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis. Inhibition of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAHH) and the consequent increase of S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), a potent inhibitor of DNA methyltransferase, has been associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to investigate whether the inhibition of SAHH accelerates vascular senescence and the development of atherosclerosis. Methods and results: The case-control study related to vascular aging showed that increased levels of plasma SAH were positively associated with the risk of vascular aging, with an odds ratio (OR) of 3.90 (95% CI, 1.17–13.02). Elevated pulse wave velocity, impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation response, and increased senescence-associated β-galactosidase staining were observed in the artery of SAHH+/- mice at 32 weeks of age. Additionally, elevated expression of p16, p21, and p53, fission morphology of mitochondria, and over-upregulated expression of Drp1 were observed in vascular endothelial cells with SAHH inhibition in vitro and in vivo. Further downregulation of Drp1 using siRNA or its specific inhibitor, mdivi-1, restored the abnormal mitochondrial morphology and rescued the phenotypes of vascular senescence. Furthermore, inhibition of SAHH in APOE−/− mice promoted vascular senescence and atherosclerosis progression, which was attenuated by mdivi-1 treatment. Mechanistically, hypomethylation over the promoter region of DRP1 and downregulation of DNMT1 were demonstrated with SAHH inhibition in HUVECs. Conclusions: SAHH inhibition epigenetically upregulates Drp1 expression through repressing DNA methylation in endothelial cells, leading to vascular senescence and atherosclerosis. These results identify SAHH or SAH as a potential therapeutic target for vascular senescence and cardiovascular diseases.

Abstract Background and project Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is viewed as the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Methionine metabolites have been linked to metabolic syndrome and its related diseases. Whether serum methionine metabolites levels are associated with NAFLD remains unclear. The study aimed to assess the association between methionine metabolites and NAFLD. Methods This cross-sectional study included a total of 2814 individuals aged 40–75 years old. All participants underwent anthropometric measurements, laboratory tests, dietary assessment and abdominal ultrasonography. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the association of methionine metabolites with NAFLD. Results Overall, 1446 with and 1368 without NAFLD were enrolled in this study. Participants with NAFLD had significantly higher serum S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) and homocysteine (Hcy) levels, and a lower S-adenosylmethionine/S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAM/SAH) ratio than those without NAFLD (all P

Ancient Chinese poetry and prose (ACPP) are the essence of traditional Chinese culture and also literary gems of the world. Despite the long tradition of previous Chinese Presidents using ACPP in their political addresses, the translation work on the three volumes of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China with much ACPP still poses a daunting challenge to the translation of literary texts in non-literary texts. As experiential meaning is inherent in all kinds of texts, literature, and non-literature, this study, drawing on the sights of Halliday's experiential mode of meaning and register theory in Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), explored how the ACPP's experiential meaning was rendered in the political texts, and factors motivating transitivity patterns and shift tendencies. Statistics showed that the translations tend to reproduce the experiential meaning such that it involves more representations of the flow of events and the creation of relationships among entities, focusing more on construing the experience of the physical world rather than personal emotions, feelings, or cognition. Besides, the target text is also inclined to simplify the experiential meaning by compressing and omitting unnecessary transitivity processes and the participant and circumstance nominalization. This research found that the factors responsible for such tendencies include the features of political texts, language differences, the distribution of process types, the delicacy of the transitivity system, and register variations of fields of activity. With these findings, the study is expected to contribute to the SFL approach of studying literary translation in non-literary texts through the prism of experiential meaning and offer guidance in the translation of political literature with ACPP.

Background: Although earlier menarche age has been associated with ischemic heart disease in previous observational studies, the relationship’s causation has not been shown. Through two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR), we were able to define the causal connection.Methods: We performed Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis to explore the associations between genetically predicted AAM and IHD. Summary-level databases for exposure and outcome were selected from the MR-Base database (https://gwas.mrcieu.ac.uk/). Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) connected to AAM at genome-wide significance level (p < 5 × 10−8) were considered as instrumental variables (IVs). We used four methods to pool MR estimates, including fixed-effects inverse variance weighting (fe-IVW), multiplicative random-effects inverse variance weighting (mre-IVW), weighted median (WM), and MR-Egger regression methods. Sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness of the results. PhenoScanner searches and Multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) analysis was used for assessing confounders.Results: 117 SNPs significantly correlated with AAM were screened as instruments, the results of three main methods showed that genetically earlier AAM may have a causal effect on the higher risk of IHD (fe-IVW: OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.72–0.88, p < 0.001; mre-IVW: OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.70–0.90, p < 0.001; WE: OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.66–0.93, p = 0.006). These results were consistent across sensitivity analyses. MR analysis revealed that there was still a relationship between AAM and IHD even when pleiotropic SNPs of confounders were removed employing PhenoScanner searches. In MVMR, the significant association remained after adjusting for biological sex, but it was attenuated with adjustment of body mass index including childhood and adult.Conclusion: Our MR analysis revealed a substantial genetically determined confounder-mediated relationship between an increase in genetically predicted AAM and a lower risk of IHD. By addressing the intervention of body mass index, the risk of IHD may be lowered.

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is extensively used for plant gene editing. This study developed an efficient CRISPR/Cas9 system for Chinese kale using multiple sgRNAs and two promoters to create various CRISPR/Cas9 vectors. These vectors targeted BoaZDS and BoaCRTISO in Chinese kale protoplasts and cotyledons. Transient transformation of Chinese kale protoplasts was assessed for editing efficiency at three BoaZDS sites. Notably, sgRNA: Z2 achieved the highest efficiency (90%). Efficiency reached 100% when two sgRNAs targeted BoaZDS with a deletion of a large fragment (576 bp) between them. However, simultaneous targeting of BoaZDS and BoaCRTISO yielded lower efficiency. Transformation of cotyledons led to Chinese kale mutants with albino phenotypes for boazds mutants and orange-mottled phenotypes for boacrtiso mutants. The mutation efficiency of 35S-CRISPR/Cas9 (92.59%) exceeded YAO-CRISPR/Cas9 (70.97%) in protoplasts, and YAO-CRISPR/Cas9 (96.49%) surpassed 35S-CRISPR/Cas9 (58%) in cotyledons. These findings introduce a strategy for enhancing CRISPR/Cas9 editing efficiency in Chinese kale.

Chinese kale is a widely cultivated plant in the genus Brassica in the family Brassicaceae. The origin of Brassica has been studied extensively, but the origin of Chinese kale remains unclear. In contrast to Brassica oleracea, which originated in the Mediterranean region, Chinese kale originated in southern China. The chloroplast genome is often used for phylogenetic analysis because of its high conservatism. Fifteen pairs of universal primers were used to amplify the chloroplast genomes of white-flower Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra cv. Sijicutiao (SJCT)) and yellow-flower Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra cv. Fuzhouhuanghua (FZHH)) via PCR. The lengths of the chloroplast genomes were 153,365 bp (SJCT) and 153,420 bp (FZHH) and both contained 87 protein-coding genes and eight rRNA genes. There were 36 tRNA genes in SJCT and 35 tRNA genes in FZHH. The chloroplast genomes of both Chinese kale varieties, along with eight other Brassicaceae, were analyzed. Simple sequence repeats, long repeats, and variable regions of DNA barcodes were identified. An analysis of inverted repeat boundaries, relative synonymous codon usage, and synteny revealed high similarity among the ten species, albeit the slight differences that were observed. The Ka/Ks ratios and phylogenetic analysis suggest that Chinese kale is a variant of B. oleracea. The phylogenetic tree shows that both Chinese kale varieties and B. oleracea var. oleracea were clustered in a single group. The results of this study suggest that white and yellow flower Chinese kale comprise a monophyletic group and that their differences in flower color arose late in the process of artificial cultivation. Our results also provide data that will aid future research on genetics, evolution, and germplasm resources of Brassicaceae.

AimTo examine the relationship of C1 metabolites of the methionine cycle with the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis (SA) in the Chinese population.MethodsA total of 2,991 participants aged 45–75 years old were included for data analyses based on the baseline data of the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Cohort. Three core serum methionine metabolites including serum S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), and homocysteine (Hcy) were measured by UPLC-MS/MS. SA was determined by B-mode ultrasound measured carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) at the common artery and bifurcation segments. Multivariable logistic and linear regression models were performed to estimate the associations of C1 metabolites of the methionine cycle with SA risk or CIMT.ResultsAfter controlling for potential cofounders and other C1 metabolites, in comparison with the lowest quartile, participants in the highest quartile had lower risk of SA by 27.6% (OR = 0.724; 95% CI:0.563–0.93, Ptrend = 0.007) for SAM and 32.2% (OR = 0.678; 95% CI:0.538–0.855, Ptrend < 0.001) for SAM/SAH, while increased SA risk by 27.9% (OR = 1.279; 95% CI: 1.065–1.535, Ptrend < 0.001) for SAH. No significant association was observed for Hcy with SA after further adjustment of SAH and SAM. The results of multivariable linear regression showed similar findings. The highest two standardized coefficients were observed for SAH (β = 0.104 for CCA and 0.121 for BIF, P< 0.001) and SAM/SAH (β = −0.071 for CCA and −0.084 for BIF, P< 0.001). Subgroup analyses suggested more evident associations of SAH with SA were observed in participants of higher cardiovascular risk profiles.ConclusionOur cross-sectional data showed higher serum SAH, but lower SAM/SAH were independently associated with increased risk of SA among the Chinese middle-aged and elderly population.

Pugionium cornutum (L.) Gaertn (also Pugionium) is a special Mongolian vegetable, belonging to the Cruciferous family, growing in arid and semi-arid areas of northern China, with a unique flavor and potential health benefits. This article aims to describe the profile of volatile flavor compounds in fresh and different dehydrated samples, establish the fingerprint, and identify the characteristic compounds. The fresh Pugionium sample and 3 kinds of dehydrated samples were analyzed. Headspace/gas chromatography-ion migration spectrometry (HS/GC-IMS) and solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME/GC-MS) were used for identification and relative quantification. HS/GC-IMS identified 78 compounds, whereas SPME/GC-MS identified 53 compounds. Principal component analysis (PCA), clustering analysis, and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were used as appropriate to investigate variations in volatile compounds among Pugionium samples and identify distinctive compounds. The first two principal components described 76.5% and 69.5% of the variance of the data from HS/GC-IMS and SPME/GC-MS, respectively. By clustering analysis, 4 kinds of Pugionium samples could be classified into four independent groups. The similarity between fresh Pugionium and natural dehydration Pugionium was higher than the other two dehydrated samples, indicating that natural dehydration can better preserve the flavor of Pugionium. Most aldehydes and alcohols increased following different dehydration procedures, whereas esters decreased, and the dehydrated Pugionium samples have more harmonious and less pungent aroma than the fresh Pugionium. PLS-DA model analysis revealed that the marker compounds (VIP scores > 1) discriminating the flavor of the four samples for HS/GC-IMS and SPME/GC-MS were 24 and 15 compounds, respectively, such as 2-phenylethyl isothiocyanate, 1-butene-4-isothiocyanate and other isothiocyanates, 2-propanone, nonanal, gamma-butyrolactone, 2,3-butanediol, 3-methyl-2-butenenitrile, and pentanal. Analysis of volatile compounds might be useful for monitoring the quality of Pugionium and guiding the cooking methods and processing technologies. More study is required to discover if the various volatile flavor compounds have biological or physiological impacts on nutrition.

The denaturation and lower solubility of commercial potato proteins generally limited their industrial application. Effects of high-intensity ultrasound (HIU) (200, 400, and 600 W) and treatment time (10, 20, and 30 min) on the physicochemical and functional properties of insoluble potato protein isolates (ISPP) were investigated. The results revealed that HIU treatment induced the unfolding and breakdown of macromolecular aggregates of ISPP, resulting in the exposure of hydrophobic and R–SH groups, and reduction of the particle size. These active groups contributed to the formation of a dense and uniform gel network of ISPP gel and insoluble potato proteins/egg white protein (ISPP/EWP) hybrid gel. Furthermore, the increase of solubility and surface hydrophobicity and the decrease of particle size improved the emulsifying property of ISPP. However, excessive HIU treatment reduced the emulsification and gelling properties of the ISPP. Meanwhile, HIU treatment changes the secondary structure of ISPP. It could be speculated that the formation of a stable secondary structure of ISPP initiated by cavitation and shearing effect might play a dominant role on gel strengthens and firmness. Meanwhile, the decrease in relative content of β-turn had a positive effect on the formation of small particle to improve emulsifying property of ISPP.

This paper examines how corporate ownership concentration affects stock price crash risk in Chinese listed firms. Results show that ownership concentration is negatively associated with firm-specific crash risk and this negative relation is robust against difference-in-difference test. Further evidence demonstrates that the negative relation between ownership concentration and stock price crash risk is more pronounced in privately held firms than in state-owned firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Monochamus alternatus Hope is one of the insect vectors of pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus), which causes the destructive pine wilt disease. The microorganisms within the ecosystem, comprising plants, their environment, and insect vectors, form complex networks. This study presents a systematic analysis of the bacterial microbiota in the M. alternatus midgut and its habitat niche. Methods Total DNA was extracted from 20 types of samples (with three replicates each) from M. alternatus and various tissues of healthy and infected P. massoniana (pines). 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing was conducted to determine the composition and diversity of the bacterial microbiota in each sample. Moreover, the relative abundances of bacteria in the midgut of M. alternatus larvae were verified by counting the colony-forming units. Results Pinewood nematode infection increased the microbial diversity in pines. Bradyrhizobium, Burkholderia, Dyella, Mycobacterium, and Mucilaginibacter were the dominant bacterial genera in the soil and infected pines. These results indicate that the bacterial community in infected pines may be associated with the soil microbiota. Interestingly, the abundance of the genus Gryllotalpicola was highest in the bark of infected pines. The genus Cellulomonas was not found in the midgut of M. alternatus, but it peaked in the phloem of infected pines, followed by the phloem of heathy pines. Moreover, the genus Serratia was not only present in the habitat niche, but it was also enriched in the M. alternatus midgut. The colony-forming unit assays showed that the relative abundance of Serratia sp. peaked in the midgut of instar II larvae (81%). Conclusions Overall, the results indicate that the bacterial microbiota in the soil and in infected pines are correlated. The Gryllotalpicola sp. and Cellulomonas sp. are potential microbial markers of pine wilt disease. Additionally, Serratia sp. could be an ideal agent for expressing insecticidal protein in the insect midgut by genetic engineering, which represents a new use of microbes to control M. alternatus.