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α-Cobalt(II) (CoII) hydroxide (compound 1) incorporating cyanuric acid layers was synthesized via the solvothermal method. 1exhibited two distinct characteristics, which were different from reported α-CoIIhydroxides. (i) The presence of abundant consecutive hydrogen bonds between the adjacent hydroxide layers enhanced the driving force of crystallization along the direction of the caxis. Thus, 1revealed high crystallinity without the disorder phenomenon. (ii) 1showed low symmetry. The configuration of CoTdsites did not follow the regular triangular net. The low symmetry favored the magnetic anisotropy. Thus, 1revealed ferrimagnetic behavior with a high Néel temperature (TN= 56.8 K) and coercivity (Hc= 36 kOe at 2 K). The ferrimagnetic behavior of 1was validated via the Hubbard Ucorrection density functional theory.

Understanding the nonequilibrium transformation of nanocatalysts under reaction conditions is important because metastable atomic structures may be created during the process, which offers unique activities in reactions. Although reshaping of metal nanoparticles (NPs) under reaction conditions has been widely recognized, the dynamic reshaping process has been less studied at the atomic scale. Here, we develop an atomistic kinetic Monte Carlo model to simulate the complete reshaping process of Pt nanoparticles in a CO environment and reveal the in situ formation of atomic clusters on the NP surface, a new type of active site beyond conventional understanding, boosting the reactivities in the CO oxidation reaction. Interestingly, highly active peninsula and inactive island clusters both form on the (111) facets and interchange in varying states of dynamic equilibrium, which influences the catalytic activities significantly. This study provides new fundamental knowledge of nanocatalysis and new guidance for the rational design of nanocatalysts.

Objectives Prolactinoma is a common intracranial tumor with a high incidence and serious harm to human health. At present, there is only one therapeutic drug in China, bromocriptine, and the Chinese herb Prunella vulgarisL. (P. vulgaris)(PV) has shown certain anti-prolactinoma effects in the early stage. We expect to develop a candidate drug against prolactinoma.Materials and Methods First, the extracts of P. vulgarisL.(PVE)were extracted with water, and the cell proliferation test of rat pituitary tumor cells MMQ was checked by the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Then, core targets and correlative pathways were selected by the “protein–protein interaction” (PPI) network and the “PV–Target–Prolactinoma” network. The core targets and main components simulate the binding by molecular docking. Finally, the PVE and MMQ cells were used to verify the results.Results Through the CCK-8 assay, the PVE inhibited the proliferation of MMQ cells. From the network pharmacology, the 21 targets, 9 signaling pathways, and 20 gene ontology (GO) projects were attained (p< 0.05). As a result the estrogen receptor α (ESR1), RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase(AKT1), and mitogen-activated protein kinase 3(MAPK3)were the core targets of protein against prolactinomas, which was in line with western blotting analysis.Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that the PVE was verified against prolactinomas through the ESR1, MAPK3 targets, and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway.

Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) is becoming as a promising area of interest for treating refractory diseases. In this study, we investigated the effects of FMT on diabetes-associated cognitive defects in mice as well as the underlying mechanisms. Fecal microbiota was prepared from 8-week-aged healthy mice. Late-stage type 1 diabetics (T1D) mice with a 30-week history of streptozotocin-induced diabetics were treated with antibiotics for 7 days, and then were transplanted with bacterial suspension (100 μL, i.g.) once a day for 14 days. We found that FMT from healthy young mice significantly alleviated cognitive defects of late-stage T1D mice assessed in Morris water maze test. We revealed that FMT significantly reduced the relative abundance of Gram-negative bacteria in the gut microbiota and enhanced intestinal barrier integrity, mitigating LPS translocation into the bloodstream and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the hippocampus, thereby reducing T1D-induced neuronal loss and astrocytic proliferation. FMT also reshaped the metabolic phenotypes in the hippocampus of T1D mice especially for alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism. Moreover, we showed that application of aspartate (0.1 mM) significantly inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation and IL-1β production in BV2 cells under a HG/LPS condition. We conclude that FMT can effectively relieve T1D-associated cognitive decline via reducing the gut–brain metabolic disorders and neuroinflammation, providing a potential therapeutic approach for diabetes-related brain disorders in clinic.

This work addresses a major issue in food safety and environmental monitoring by introducing a nanocomposite-based sensor for the efficient detection of carbendazim (CBZ), a common fungicide, in cherry wine. The sensor for the detection of CBZ in cherry wine residue was created using a nanocomposite of polythiophene (PTH) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4). SEM, XRD, and FTIR material characterization techniques yielded strong proof of the PTH-g-C3N4nanocomposite’s effective creation and its prospective uses in a variety of sectors, including environmental remediation and energy storage. The electroception method was used to create a novel electrode based on PTH and g-C3N4. Under ideal conditions, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), a highly sensitive electrochemical technique, were used to measure minuscule amounts of CBZ. The dynamic potential difference (DPV) responses of CBZ at different concentrations at the PTH-g-C3N4/GCE in 0.1 M PBS (pH 7.0) demonstrated that the sensor’s linear range was 100 nM to 85 µM, and that the DPV detection limit and sensitivity were, respectively, 0.37 nM and 3.95562 µA/Mm. The sensor’s ability to identify CBZ concentrations in samples of cherry wine residue was evaluated. The CBZ concentration in actual samples was ascertained using the standard addition curves and the standard addition method. The method’s accuracy and precision were confirmed by the findings, which showed average recovery rates over 90.00% and relative standard deviation (RSD) values below 4.58%.

To investigate the influence of electric parameters and slag system on the solidification quality of electroslag ingot during electroslag remelting, different power supply modes, current strengths and remelting slag systems were used to conduct electroslag remelting experiments on 304L austenitic stainless steel, and the macrostructure of electroslag ingots was analyzed. The results indicate that the depth of the metal pool decreases with the reduction of remelting frequency in the low frequency power supply mode. The effects of different power supply modes, such as low-frequency, direct current straight polarity (DCSP), and direct current reverse polarity (DCRP), on reducing the depth of the metal pool increase in that order. By reducing the remelting current strength in the same power supply mode, the depth of metal pool is reduced. When compared to the binary slag system of 70% CaF2+30% Al2O3, the ternary slag system of 60% CaF2+20% Al2O3+20% CaO is more effective in reducing the depth of the metal pool during remelting. Utilizing the 60% CaF2+20% Al2O3+20% CaO ternary slag system results in a shallower and flatter metal pool, with columnar crystal growth occurring closer to the axial crystal. This effect is observed for both low frequency and direct current (DC) power supply modes.

Graphical abstract:

Durian is an exotic tropical fruit that can be widely found in Southeast Asia countries. Recent years, it has reached historical value in the market owing to its unique flavour and aroma. In this review, the physicochemical and functional properties of different parts of durian fruits were discussed. Durian fruits have also been widely researched on their nutritional properties such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Besides that, the nutraceutical potential of durian fruits were also covered in this review. The by-products of durian fruit such as seeds and peels are discarded as waste by disposing into landfill sites or burning into ash. The slow decomposition at landfill and burning of waste could lead to serious environmental pollution. Hence, the extraction process of durian seeds and their application as a substrate for colouring agent, starch, and flour were reviewed extensively. The potential applications of durian rind was also explored in this review. Insights on the prospects for durian and its by-products reutilization were also briefly described.

For in-depth investigation of the effect of low-frequency and DC remelting on the cleanliness of electroslag ingot, laboratory experiments were performed with different current densities and slag compositions to analyze the variation of oxygen content and inclusions in electroslag ingots. When 70% CaF2+ 30% Al2O3binary slag is used for remelting, the current density has different effects on the cleanliness of electroslag ingots with different power supply modes. At the power frequency of 2 Hz, the oxygen content and the number of inclusions in the electroslag ingot increase significantly with the increase in remelting current density. By contrast, when consumable electrode connected to cathode (DCSP) or consumable electrode connected to anode (DCRP) is employed, the current density has little influence on ingot cleanliness. At the same current density, DCSP remelting has a more adverse effect on ingot cleanliness compared with DCRP remelting. Compared with the use of 70% CaF2+ 30% Al2O3binary slag, using 60% CaF2+ 20% Al2O3+ 20% CaO ternary slag significantly reduces the oxygen content and the number of inclusions in electroslag ingots, regardless of whether low-frequency or DC electroslag remelting occurs. The increase in oxygen and inclusions in electroslag ingot is caused by the electrolysis of Al2O3in the slag pool. The increased inclusions mainly involve Al2O3or Al-containing oxides with small size. As regards the power supply mode, low frequency, DCRP, and DCSP promote the electrolysis of Al2O3in the slag pool. From the perspective of remelting slag composition, the slag with lower Al2O3content can reduce the pollution of electrolysis on electroslag ingot.

Catching high-speed targets in the flight is a complex and typically highly dynamic task. However, existing methods require manual setting of catching height or time, resulting in lack of adaptability and flexibility and cannot deal with multiple targets. To bridge this gap, we propose a planning-with-decision scheme called catch planner. For sequential decision making, a lightweight policy search method based on deep reinforcement learning is proposed. It is jointly trained with motion planning and decoupled from physics to speed up training. For motion planning, we propose a trajectory optimization method that jointly optimizes the highly coupled catching time and terminal state. The core is the flexible-terminal constraint transcription. It converts the three unique constraints of catching into differentiable metrics, including equality constraints for terminal position and time, and inequality constraints that enable reasonable terminal position offset and attitude relaxation. In addition, sparse parameterization based on MINCO class considers both dynamic feasibility and collision avoidance constraints. As a result, a generally constrained quadrotor planning problem is transformed into an unconstrained optimization that can be solved reliably and efficiently. We also propose an online iterative optimization method for predicting differentiable trajectories of targets. Catch planner provides a new paradigm for the combination of learning and planning, where all algorithms can be run in real-time onboard at $100\text{ Hz}$. Extensive experiments are carried out in real-world and simulated scenes to verify the robustness and expansibility when facing a variety of high-speed flying targets.

3′,5′-Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is an important metabolite that is specifically enriched in jujube. However, the effect of cAMP on jujube cellular responses has not been comprehensively studied. Here, we established jujube cell suspension cultures and investigated the calcium influx in response to cAMP treatment through protoplast isolation and fluorescence intensity. Firstly, cAMP treatment could promote jujube growth and increase the content of endogenous cAMP. Using transcriptome analysis with transgenic Arabidopsisplants overexpressing adenylate cyclase (ZjAC) as a positive control, we identified 60 calcium-related differential expressed genes (DEGs) that contributed to the calcium signaling and inter- or intra-cellular responses. Pharmacological treatments such as cAMP and the calcium ionophore A23187 could induce ZjACexpression, the accumulation of cAMP and calcium influx in jujube cells, while ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA) or bithionol treatment inhibited these changes. Moreover, the calcium channels and transporters in calcium influx, such as the ZjCNGC2channel and the mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway, could be activated by cAMP treatment. In summary, our findings demonstrated that cAMP biosynthesis is dependent on calcium influx and the amplifying effect between calcium and cAMP may be involved in intracellular signal induction, which might contribute to the growth and development of jujube.

NbC ceramic surface-reinforced steel matrix composites were prepared by an in-situ reaction method at different temperatures (1,050 °C, 1,100 °C and 1,150 °C) for different times (1 h, 2 h and 3 h). The phase constitution, microstructure and fracture morphology of NbC ceramic surface-reinforced steel matrix composites were analyzed by XRD, SEM and EDS, and the effects of the in-situ reaction temperature and time on the mechanical properties were systematically studied. The results indicate that the NbC reinforcement layer is formed through the reaction between Nb atoms and carbon atoms diffused from the steel matrix to the Nb plate. The thickness of this reinforcement layer increases as the reaction time prolongs. Additionally, an increase in reaction temperature results in a thicker reinforcement layer, although the rate of increase gradually decreases. The relationship among the thickness of the NbC reinforcement layer, the reaction time and temperature was established by data fitting. The optimal tensile performance is achieved at 1,100 °C for 1 h, with a tensile strength of 228 MPa. It is also found that the defects between the reinforcement layer and the steel matrix are related to reaction temperature. At 1,100 °C, these defects are minimal. Fracture mostly occurs in the NbC reinforced layer of the composites, and the fracture mode is characterized by typical intergranular brittle fracture.

Objective: Delayed graft function (DGF) and early graft loss of renal grafts are determined by the quality of the kidneys from the deceased donor. As “non-traditional” risk factors, serum biomarkers of donors, such as lipids and electrolytes, have drawn increasing attention due to their effects on the postoperative outcomes of renal grafts. This study aimed to examine the value of these serum biomarkers for prediction of renal graft function. Methods: The present study consecutively collected 306 patients who underwent their first single kidney transplantation (KT) from adult deceased donors in our center from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019. The correlation between postoperative outcomes [DGF and abnormal serum creatinine (SCr) after 6 and 12 months] and risk factors of donors, including gender, age, body mass index (BMI), past histories, serum lipid biomarkers [cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (DL)], and serum electrolytes (calcium and sodium) were analyzed and evaluated. Results: (1) Donor age and pre-existing hypertension were significantly correlated with the incidence rate of DGF and high SCr level (≥2 mg/dL) at 6 and 12 months after KT (P&lt;0.05); (2) The donor’s BMI was significantly correlated with the incidence rate of DGF after KT (P&lt;0.05); (3) For serum lipids, merely the low level of serum HDL of the donor was correlated with the reduced incidence rate of high SCr level at 12 months after KT [P&lt;0.05, OR (95% CI): 0.425 (0.202–0.97)]; (4) The serum calcium of the donor was associated with the reduced incidence rate of high SCr level at 6 and 12 months after KT [P&lt;0.05, OR (95% CI): 0.184 (0.045–0.747) and P&lt;0.05, OR (95% CI): 0.114 (0.014–0.948), respectively]. Conclusion: The serum HDL and calcium of the donor may serve as predictive factors for the postoperative outcomes of renal grafts after KT, in addition to the donor’s age, BMI and pre-existing hypertension.

To investigate the optimal timing of initial intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment in Kawasaki disease (KD) patients.

Deep-water strata preserved in the distal northern Indian margin record the evolution of the Neotethys Ocean before and during the India-Asia initial collision. These strata are however difficult to date precisely as radiolarian are the only fossils present. We here revise the Cretaceous to Paleocene stratigraphy of deep-water sediments deposited in the distal part of the Indian passive margin, located just south of the Yarlung–Tsangpo suture zone near Saga. Four radiolarian assemblages are illustrated and correlated to the Cecrops septemporatus zone to Aurisaturnalis carinatus zone (late Valanginian to Barremian), the Turbocapsula costata zone (Aptian), the Spoletoensis zone (Albian), and the RP6a subzone (lower Selandian). Four units deposited from the Early Cretaceous to the Paleocene are thus identified (bottom to top): Rilang, Duobeng, Chuangde, and Sangdanlin formations. Such a revised stratigraphic scheme allows correlation with the sedimentary successions exposed in the Gyangze and Zhongba areas. Stratigraphic correlation proves that Indian-derived sandstones below the India to Asia provenance reversal (IAPR) were deposited on the Indian passive margin rather than on Neotethys oceanic crust. Sand injection complex preserved in the lower part of the deep-water sediments is related to extensional tectonics associated with Lower Cretaceous volcanism documented all along the northern margin of India. This study provides a much improved framework to interpret the geological evolution of the deep-water edge of the northern Indian margin during progressive closure of the Neotethys Ocean culminated with the onset of the India-Asia collision.

Tipping elements are components of the Earth system that may shift abruptly and irreversibly from one state to another at specific thresholds. It is not well understood to what degree tipping of one system can influence other regions or tipping elements. Here, we propose a climate network approach to analyse the global impacts of a prominent tipping element, the Amazon Rainforest Area (ARA). We find that the ARA exhibits strong correlations with regions such as the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and West Antarctic ice sheet. Models show that the identified teleconnection propagation path between the ARA and the TP is robust under climate change. In addition, we detect that TP snow cover extent has been losing stability since 2008. We further uncover that various climate extremes between the ARA and the TP are synchronized under climate change. Our framework highlights that tipping elements can be linked and also the potential predictability of cascading tipping dynamics.

In recent years, several industries have increased their demand for processing precision, automatic detection, and visualization interfaces. Therefore, to keep pace with the fourth industrial revolution, machine tool operators install a large number of sensors on machine tools to obtain more precise physical quantities during processing and use a variety of sensors to obtain measurements in various situations. However, these additional sensors on machine tools result in complicated wire layouts, which exhibit negative effects on processing. Such problems lead to the birth of wireless data transmission, which is expected to become the new standard in the future. At present, there is more and more interactive integration between relevant embedded system and the machine tool, which allows information communication between each other in the wireless domain. However, generally, the majority of machine tool operators focus on optimizing the sensing conditions during processing, but they disregard the importance of information security. In the current era of the Internet of Things (IoT), information security is regarded as a crucial factor. For the wireless communication between the IoT equipment for each machine in the machining field, the transmitted data are almost exposed within public space directly due to the loss in constraint and protection of physical wiring. Therefore, such a process can easily be intercepted by other devices that capture information on relevant status of the machine or command messages received by the controller, where intentional individual may possibly control the operating mechanism and progress of entire plant. This leads to theft of relevant secrets in manufacturing technology for the subject company, or intentional shutdown, machine damage, and vicious blackmailing attacks. Therefore, introducing the mechanism of safety protection during wireless signal transmission is an inevitable technology to maintain the company interests and also the necessary study lacking at present. Within the encrypted algorithm under such category, the chaotic system has become the popular option of study based on its characteristic of difficulty in decryption. Therefore, in this study, a signal transmission encryption and decryption system to be used by sensory toolholders during processing was designed. The unpredictability of the chaotic system was utilized, and chaotic synchronization control was used to calculate the encryption and decryption of the key, rendering the key difficult to compromise. Two control methods of the synchronization process were then compared: sliding mode control and proportional–integral–derivative (PID) control. The parameters of the PID controller were calculated using optimization algorithms such as genetic algorithm (GA), hybrid Taguchi-GA, and particle swarm optimization. The experimental results revealed that, compared with the PID control, the sliding mode control featured advantages such as fewer iterations required for synchronization, fewer errors after synchronization, and higher robustness and performance recovery. Thus, the sliding mode control synchronization system was able to generate more complex keys and had superior information security and system stability.

To improve the nutritional properties and bioavailability of wheat bran, the solid-state fermentation by four microbial strains, including Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Saccharomyces boulardii, Bacillus subtilisand Aspergillus nigerwas performed. The results indicated that solid-state fermentation significantly elevated water extractable arabinoxylans (WEAX), soluble dietary fiber (SDF) and phenolic compounds and decreased the phytic acid content in wheat bran. Furthermore, oral administration of B. subtilisfermented wheat bran (BSWB) markedly improved serum lipid profiles, evidenced by decreasing total cholesterol (TCH) by 30.2%, triglycerides (TG) by 17.6% and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) by 34.1% in Kunming mice compared to raw wheat bran (RWB) group, respectively. BSWB also suppressed the inflammation level by reducing the interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) level (p < 0.05). SBWB supplementation markedly elevated the fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) levels in mice. In addition, BSWB and ANWB significantly improved the alpha-diversity of intestinal microbiota manifested by increasing the Shannon and Chao 1 indices (p < 0.05). Also, BSWB and ANWB increased the relative abundance of SCFAs-producing bacteria, including Lachnospiraceae, Muribaculaceae, Bacteroides,and Parabacteroides. In conclusion, our findings suggested that solid-state fermentation improved the nutrient composition and health benefits of wheat bran.

Li-rich layered oxide (LLO), e.g., Li1.12[Mn0.56Ni0.16Co0.08]O2(LRMO), is considered as a promising cathode material due to its superior Li-storage capability. However, the poor cycling stability and large voltage decay, which are related to the phase transition, limit its industrialization process. Herein, a Mo-doped LRMO (Li1.12[Mn0.56Ni0.16Co0.08]0.98Mo0.02O2, LRMO-Mo2.0%) was successfully synthesized via a simple combination of co-precipitation with high-temperature calcination for solving the mentioned above- disadvantages. Compared with the pristine counterpart, the as-prepared LRMO-Mo2.0% shows more excellent electrochemical performance in terms of rate capability (reversible capacity of 118 mA·h·g−1at 5 C), cyclic ability (94.3% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 0.2 C) and discharge midpoint voltage decay (0.11 V after 100 cycles). Systematic investigation of structural evolution and electrochemical kinetics elucidate that the synergic effect of robust oxygen framework and layered/spinel heterostructure is the key to its performance improvement. Such synergy helps to stabilize the layered structure by curbing the structural transformation and oxygen escaping during the electrochemical cycling. This work paved the way for the simple and efficient preparation of highly stable LLO cathode materials.

Sensitive quantification of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG)-conjugated therapeutics for pharmacokinetic determination is critical for mPEGylated drug development. However, sensitive measurement of low-molecular-weight (lmw) mPEG compounds remains challenging due to epitope competition between backbone-specific anti-PEG antibodies. Here, we engineered a high-affinity methoxy-specific anti-mPEG antibody for sensitive quantification of free mPEG molecules and mPEGylated therapeutics. The affinity-enhanced h15-2Y antibody variant shows a 10.3-fold increase in mPEG-binding activity compared to parental h15-2b. h15-2Y-based sandwich ELISA can effectively quantify lmw mPEG5Kand high-molecular-weight (hmw) mPEG20Kat concentrations as low as 3.4 and 5.1 ng mL–1, respectively. Moreover, lmw mPEG compounds (560, 750, 1000, and 2000 Da) can be efficiently quantified via h15-2Y-based competitive ELISA with detection limits at nanomolar levels. This study provides a promising approach for application in the quantitative analysis of the various sizes of mPEG molecules to accelerate the timeline of mPEG-conjugated drug development.

The light provide during incubation can influence hatching characteristics (hatching time, hatchability, etc.) and embryo development in chickens, geese, and turkeys. However, relevant studies on this factor in pigeons are lacking. This study investigated the effects of in ovo photostimulation during embryogenesis on hatching performance, squab quality, and embryo development in pigeons. 400 eggs from paired- bred pigeons were randomly distributed into 4 incubation lighting treatments, with 2 replicates per treatment. The treatments included dark as a control (NL), 12-h light, and 12-h dark photoperiods of white light (WL), red light (RL), and green light (GL) (100 lx at egg level) during the first 15 d of incubation. A total of 1,600 eggs in 4 batches from White King pigeons were used. The results showed that hatching time of the WL group was significantly shorter than that of the dark light group (P< 0.05). The hatchability of fertile eggs in the WL group was significantly higher (P< 0.05), whereas the hatchability of fertile eggs in the RL group was significantly lower (P< 0.05) than that of in the control group. Light stimulation had no effect on time to 90% hatching or average hatching time (P> 0.05). In addition, the hatch window was not extended by light stimulation (P> 0.05). The group incubated under GL showed an increase in embryo weight and relative leg muscle on embryonic d 14 and the hatching day compared to the dark incubation (P< 0.05). Green light stimulated the heart and liver development during the early and middle stages of embryogenesis. It was concluded that white light stimulation during embryogenesis accelerated the hatching process, whereas monochromatic green light had a positive effect on embryo development. Our findings provide important guidance for developing light protocols for pigeon egg incubation.

It is widely accepted that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) exhibits significant intercellular specificity, which poses challenges for its detection using existing m6A quantitative methods. In this study, we introduced Single-cell m6A Analysis (Scm6A), a machine learning-based approach for single-cell m6A quantification. Scm6A leverages input features derived from the expression levels of m6A transregulators and cissequence features, and offers remarkable prediction efficiency and reliability. To further validate the robustness and precision of Scm6A, we first applied Scm6A to single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and calculated the m6A levels in CD4+and CD8+T cells. We also applied a winscore-based m6A calculation method to conduct N6-methyladenosine sequencing (m6A-seq) analysis on CD4+and CD8+T cells isolated through magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) from the same samples. Notably, the m6A levels calculated by Scm6A exhibited a significant positive correlation with those quantified through m6A-seq in different cells isolated by MACS, providing compelling evidence for Scm6A’s reliability. Additionally, we performed single-cell-level m6A analysis on lung cancer tissues as well as blood samples from patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and demonstrated the landscape and regulatory mechanisms of m6A in different T cell subtypes from these diseases. In summary, Scm6A is a novel, dependable, and accurate method for single-cell m6A detection and has broad applications in the realm of m6A-related research.

Prostate cancer (PCa), a prevalent malignancy worldwide, is frequently identified in advanced stages due to the absence of distinctive early symptoms, thereby culminating in the development of chemotherapy-induced drug resistance. Exploring novel resistance mechanisms and identifying new therapeutic agents can facilitate the advancement of more efficacious strategies for PCa treatment.

Sustainable and scalable H2evolution through water photocatalysis is an attractive path for carbon-neutral energy supply; however, it is severely limited by sluggish charge separation and photocorrosion of semiconductor photocatalysts. Here, we demonstrate that earth-abundant carbonate ions, widely existing in daily-life water, serve as a hole mediator to redirect the photogenerated hole transfer pathway and then promote the hole-transfer kinetics. The accelerated hole transfer could efficiently reduce the recombination of electron–hole pairs for continuous H2production with improved photostability of catalysts, including layered indium phosphorus sulfide (In4/3P2S6) and cadmium sulfide. A sustainable H2evolution rate of 5.1 mmol g–1h–1within 60 h or more operation is achieved in the presence of CO32–anions. In situelectron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy studies and transient absorption (TA) measurements reveal that the CO32–/CO3●–redox couple could rapidly shuttle the photogenerated holes from OH●radicals anchored on the catalyst surface, effectively eliminating the recombination of electron–hole pairs and catalyst oxidation for boosted H2generation. The carbonate-ion-mediated hole-transfer strategy provides a new paradigm for designing a cost-effective and advanced photosynthetic system in practical applications.

ABSTRACTThe excessive proliferation and the deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) of airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells facilitates airway remodeling in asthma. This study explores how microRNA-15b-5p (miR-15b-5p) functions in modulating the proliferation, migration, inflammatory response, and ECM deposition of ASM cells. MiR-15b-5p and yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) mRNA expression levels in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-induced ASM cells were, respectively, examined by real-time quantitative polymerase-chain reaction. Besides, the proliferative ability and migrative potential of ASM cells were examined by cell counting kit-8 assay, 5-bromo-2 ‘-deoxyuridine assay, and transwell assays, respectively. Interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 levels in ASM cells were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. YAP1, collagen I, and collagen III expressions in ASM cells were detected by Western blot. With dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, the relations between miR-15b-5p and YAP1 3ʹUTR in ASM cells was examined. MiR-15b-5p expression level was reduced in ASM cells treated with TNF-α. MiR-15b-5p repressed TNF-α-initiated growth and migration of ASM cells and also suppressed IL-6 and IL-8 secretion, and inhibited collagen I and collagen III expressions in ASM cells. Furthermore, it was validated that YAP1 was a downstream target of miR-15b-5p in ASM cells. Notably, YAP1 overexpression attenuated the inhibitory effects of miR-15b-5p up-regulation on the proliferation, migration, and inflammatory response, as well as ECM deposition of TNF-α-induced ASM cells. In conclusion, miR-15b-5p/YAP1 axis modulates the growth, migration, inflammatory response, and ECM deposition of ASM cells, thus participating in the pathogenesis of asthma.

A novel continuum–discrete multiscale coupling (CDMC) method is proposed for lipid bio-membrane to deal with its strain localization problems. This approach differs from classical continuum methods, in which the constitutive models are determined on the basis of macroscale phenomenological experiments. In this multiscale model, the moving least squares (MLS) approximation is used for linking the fully discrete coarse-grained particle model and the corresponding higher-order continuous solid model, and bridging the microscale and macroscale deformation fields. From the numerical point of view, this method can freely select the degree of freedom of a system. Based on the proposed CDMC method, a variationally consistent meshless computational scheme is constructed for simulating the strain localization of lipid bio-membrane sheets. The strain localization behaviors of lipid bio-membrane sheets under tension are simulated by the proposed CDMC method. The effectiveness and accuracy of this method are confirmed comparing with full particle simulations.

Pollution involving pharmaceutical components in bodies of water is an increasingly serious environmental issue. Plasma discharge for the degradation of antibiotics is an emerging technology that may be relevant toward addressing this issue. In this work, a plasma-assisted rotating disk reactor (plasma-RDR) and a photocatalyst—namely, titanium dioxide (TiO2)—were coupled for the treatment of metronidazole (MNZ). Discharge uniformity was improved by the use of a rotating electrode in the plasma-RDR, which contributed to the utilization of ultraviolet (UV) light radiation in the presence of TiO2. The experimental results showed that the degradation efficiency of MNZ and the concentration of generated hydroxyl radicals respectively increased by 41% and 2.954 mg∙L−1as the rotational speed increased from 0 to 500 r∙min−1. The synergistic effect of plasma-RDR plus TiO2on the generation of hydroxyl radicals was evaluated. Major intermediate products were identified using three-dimensional (3D) excitation emission fluorescence matrices (EEFMs) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and a possible degradation pathway is proposed herein. This plasma-catalytic process has bright prospects in the field of antibiotics degradation.

The arrival time difference ratio, an analysis of pulmonary artery and bronchial artery contrast-enhanced US, can provide an accurate method to distinguish benign subpleural pulmonary lesions from malignant ones.

A novel diterpenoid, sinueretone A (1), featuring an unprecedented tricyclo[12.1.0.05,9]pentadecane carbon framework, along with two new (2and 3) and one known (4) casbane diterpenoids were isolated from the South China Sea soft coral Sinularia erecta. The structures of the new compounds, especially their absolute stereochemistry, were established by extensive spectroscopic analysis, various quantum chemical calculations, and/or X-ray diffraction analyses. A plausible biogenetic relationship of 1–4was proposed, which gave an insight for future biomimetic synthesis of the novel compounds. In a bioassay, compounds 1and 2displayed interesting anti-inflammatory activity by the inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor-α protein release.

Nickel-based superalloys with and without Co by partial replacement of W were prepared using double vacuum melting. A comparison of the oxidation in air and hot corrosion behaviors under molten 75wt.%Na2SO4+ 25wt.%NaCl at 900 °C were systematically investigated. The results showed that partial replacement of W with Co promoted the formation of chromia scale and consequently decreased the oxidation rate. Besides, the addition of Co also retarded the internal oxidation/nitridation of Al and consequently promoted the growth of Al2O3scale, which further decreased the scaling rate and improved the adhesion of scale. Moreover, the addition of Co also further improved the hot corrosion resistance under molten Na2SO4–NaCl salts.

Fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) is a leading contributor to the overall global burden of disease. Traditionally, outdoor PM2.5has been characterized using mass concentrations which treat all particles as equally harmful. Oxidative potential (OP) (per μg) and oxidative burden (OB) (per m3) are complementary metrics that estimate the ability of PM2.5to cause oxidative stress, which is an important mechanism in air pollution health effects. Here, we provide the first national estimates of spatial variations in multiple measures (glutathione, ascorbate, and dithiothreitol depletion) of annual median outdoor PM2.5OB across Canada. To do this, we combined a large database of ground-level OB measurements collected monthly prospectively across Canada for 2 years (2016–2018) with PM2.5components estimated using a chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) and satellite aerosol observations. Our predicted ground-level OB values of all three methods were consistent with ground-level observations (cross-validation R2= 0.63–0.74). We found that forested regions and urban areas had the highest OB, predicted primarily by black carbon and organic carbon from wildfires and transportation sources. Importantly, the dominant components associated with OB were different than those contributing to PM2.5mass concentrations (secondary inorganic aerosol); thus, OB metrics may better indicate harmful components and sources on health than the bulk PM2.5mass, reinforcing that OB estimates can complement the existing PM2.5data in future national-level epidemiological studies.

Paleomagnetic records of middle Neoproterozoic (820 to 780 Ma) rocks display high amplitude directional variations that lead to large discrepancies in paleogeographic reconstructions. Hypotheses to explain these data include rapid true polar wander (TPW), a geomagnetic field geometry that deviates from a predominantly axial dipole field, a hyper‐reversing field (>10 reversals/Ma), and/or undiagnosed remagnetization. To test these hypotheses, we collected 1,057 oriented cores over a 85 m stratigraphic succession in the Laoshanya Formation (Yangjiaping, Hunan, China). High precision U‐Pb dating of two intercalated tuff layers constrain the age of the sediments between 809 and 804 Ma. Thermal demagnetization isolates three magnetization components residing in hematite which are not time‐progressive but conflated throughout the section. All samples possess a north and downward directed component in geographic coordinates at temperatures up to 660°C that is ascribed to a Cretaceous overprint. Two components isolated above 660°C reveal distinct directional clusters: one is interpreted as a depositional remanence, while the other appears to be the result of a mid‐Paleozoic (460 to 420 Ma) remagnetization, which is likely widespread throughout South China. The high‐temperature directions are subtly dependent on lithology; microscopic and rock magnetic analyses identify multiple generations of hematite that vary in concentration and distinguish the magnetization components. A comparison with other middle Neoproterozoic paleomagnetic studies in the region indicates that the sudden changes in paleomagnetic directions, used elsewhere to support the rapid TPW hypothesis (ca. 805 Ma), are better explained by mixtures of primary and remagnetized components, and/or vertical axis rotations. Paleomagnetic directions recorded in 820 to 780 million year old rocks from South China exhibit large amplitude changes that vary rapidly, which have been interpreted to indicate extraordinarily fast motion of Earth's crust and mantle, up to 90° within a 5 million year span, with respect to the spin axis of the core. This hypothetical phenomenon, called rapid true polar wander (TPW), could be responsible for dramatic global environmental change at that time. To test this theory, we collected over 1,000 samples from a well exposed section where the incongruous directions are found. Our measurements suggest that some of the rocks acquired a new magnetic signal during a pervasive remagnetization event in South China around 440 million years ago, long after original deposition of the rocks. New hematite growth has a demagnetization spectrum that partially overlaps or completely obscures the original magnetic signal, which was previously unrecognized. This implies that rapid TPW is likely an artifact of magnetic overprinting in ancient rocks from South China. Our results suggest that South China was in a relatively stable position at high latitudes 809 to 804 million years ago. We find no evidence to support exceptionally fast continental drift or an abnormal geomagnetic field geometry during that time. High‐precision ID‐TIMS U‐Pb dating yields deposition ages of the Laoshanya Formation (Yangjiaping, South China) between 809 and 804 MaDiscordant paleomagnetic directions in the red beds are a conflation of three temporally distinct field records residing in hematiteOur results do not support rapid true polar wander or abnormal magnetic field geometry around 805 Ma High‐precision ID‐TIMS U‐Pb dating yields deposition ages of the Laoshanya Formation (Yangjiaping, South China) between 809 and 804 Ma Discordant paleomagnetic directions in the red beds are a conflation of three temporally distinct field records residing in hematite Our results do not support rapid true polar wander or abnormal magnetic field geometry around 805 Ma

The mechanical properties and microstructure of the A356-T6 wheel hub based on low pressure die casting-hot flow forming process were analyzed by means of optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and tensile tests. Results showed that the size of the eutectic region and the morphology of the Si phase were the main factors affecting the mechanical properties and fracture morphology of the wheel hub. There was a uniform distribution of eutectic area and fine Si phase morphology in the microstructure of the upper rim and lower rim, moreover, the ultimate tensile strength and yield strength of the upper rim reached 282.4MPa and 185.1MPa, respectively. The fractures were mainly composed of fine quasi-cleavage platform and dimple. The microstructure of the rim showed a long strip along the deformation direction and the eutectic structure and Si particles were uniformly distributed. Irregular polygonal eutectic regions and coarse rod-like Si particles were accumulating in the spoke, causing a serious decrease in mechanical properties, especially in the spoke center and spoke R angle.

•Two tigecycline-resistant Acinetobactersp. isolates carried chromosome-borne tet(X6) and/or plasmid-borne tet(X3)•ISCR2and pYUSHP10-1–like plasmids facilitate the spread and persistence of tet(X3) in this pig farm.•The acquisition of tet(X6) within chromosome was associated with ISCR2.

Esterification reaction of lactic acid with butanol to produce butyl lactate and its optimal conditions were investigated. Cyclohexane was used as entrainer to remove water to promote reaction yield. Catalyst of NaHSO4 was also used to increase reaction rate. Reaction parameters of butanol/lactic acid ratio, cyclohexane/lactic acid ratio, catalyst amount, and reaction time were optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Results showed that the butanol/lactic acid ratio was the most significant factor for esterification yield while interactions between butanol/lactic acid ratio and cyclohexane/lactic acid ratio, butanol/lactic acid ratio, and reaction time were less significant. The correlation coefficient between predicted values and experiment values was 0.985. The optimal conditions for the experiment are: ethanol/lactic acid ratio 5:1, cyclohexane/lactic acid ratio 1:1, catalyst loading 1.5%, and incubation period 3 hours. The esterification yield reaches 99.8% under these conditions.

In order to reduce the immunoreactivity of sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein (SCP), site-directed mutations were used to replace key amino acids in the conformational epitopes and calcium-binding sites. The mutant SCPs (mSCPs) were expressed in Escherichia coli, and their immunoreactivities were analyzed using iELISA and basophil activation assays. Furthermore, the structural changes of mSCPs were determined from the circular dichroism spectra. The iELISA results showed that mSCPs could effectively inhibit the binding of wild-type SCP (wtSCP) to sensitive serum, with inhibition rates that reached 90%. Moreover, mSCPs could downregulate the expression levels of CD63 and CD203c on the basophil surface. Compared with wtSCP, the peak values were significantly changed, and the calcium binding ability was impaired, which explained the decline in immunoreactivities of the mSCPs. All of the data confirmed that this approach was effective in reducing the immunoreactivity of SCP and could be applied to other shellfish allergens.

The influence of biochar on soil urea hydrolysis process is associated with its potential ability on soil nitrogen amelioration. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of biochar on urea hydrolysis and identify the main factors that drive their consequent behavior. The short-term incubation experiment was conducted to quantify the soil ureCgene copies and urea hydrolysis rate (UHR) as well as the gross N mineralization rate in response to biochar or its extracts pyrolyzed at 300 °C (BC300) and 600 °C (BC600). Biochar soil incorporation enhanced the ureCgene copies, and consequently increased the UHR by 39.49% (BC300) and 39.86% (BC600). Biochar addition also accelerated the gross organic N mineralization and NH4+-N immobilization rates, which proved that biochar stimulated ureolytic microorganism abundance in response to urea hydrolysis. In comparison to control, BC300 extracts increased soil ureCgene copy number by 23.18%, while BC600 extracts showed an inhibition effect of 29.65%. Property analysis revealed that BC300 extracts contained lower concentrations of water-soluble phenols but higher concentrations of water-soluble carbon than BC600, which indicated that the stimulated soil ureolytic microorganism abundance was primarily attributed to an increase in biochar labile carbon. Meanwhile, the inhibition effect may be offset by biochar high pH thereby promoting the urea hydrolysis in BC600-amended soil. This study indicates that the considerable labile carbon in biochar stimulated the thriving of ureolytic microorganisms and, combined with liming effect, buffered the negative effect from phenols or other toxicities, and eventually increased the soil UHR.

Pheochromocytoma is a relatively uncommon tumor, and the histomorphologic and biochemical features that may portend malignant behavior have poor overall consensus across various proposed classification systems. Steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1) is a nuclear protein that mediates transcriptional activity. Current diagnostic applications of SRC-1 are limited, and include distinguishing adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) from renal cell carcinoma, and other mimickers. SRC-1 expression in pheochromocytoma has not been previously studied. Pheochromocytoma cases were retrieved from our Urological Pathology database and expert consultation files of the senior author, from 2015 to 2019. Clinicopathological data were obtained. SRC-1 expression was scored systematically. Thirty-eight cases were included, with a female predominance, and a mean age of 52 years (range, 16 to 75 y). Seven patients had heritable mutations including RET(n=3), VHL(2), SDHB(1), and ATMand PDGFRA(1). Two patients developed clinical metastasis, who individually had ATMand PDGFRAmutations, and SDHB p.V140Fmutation. All heritable tumors were positive for SRC-1, including diffuse/strong staining and intensity in the VHL cases, and diffuse staining with variable intensity in RET cases. Diffuse positivity was seen in most of our heritable cases, providing evidence for a putative link between RET and downstream SRC-1 signaling. An inverse relationship was observed between SRC-1 expression and Pheochromocytoma of the Adrenal Gland Scaled Score/tumor size, suggesting that SRC-1 phenotype may become muted in pheochromocytomas that have malignant potential. SRC-1 expression in aggressive pheochromocytomas, may also be a potential diagnostic pitfall in view of the fact that these tumors may be misinterpreted as ACC in the primary or metastatic setting.

In order to obtain the visual data of linkage structure and network characteristics of hog price among provinces in China, an improved analysis method of social network correlation was proposed in this article. The lift of association rules were introduced to analyze the correlation of hog prices in different provinces in China and taken as the weight matrix of network analysis. Besides, based on social network analysis parameters and UCINET visualization technology, network analysis was carried out on the linkage relation and linkage characteristics. The application results show that, the lift of association rules can quantitatively and precisely obtain the correlation and differences of tendency of hog price, and the established network structure and parameters can visually and quantitatively present the linkage characteristics of hog price among regions and provinces.

The access of rhizobia to legume host is a prerequisite for nodulation. Rhizobia are poorly motile in soil, while filamentous fungi are known to grow extensively across soil pores. Since root exudates-driven bacterial chemotaxis cannot explain rhizobial long-distance dispersal, mycelia could constitute ideal dispersal networks to help rhizobial enrichment in the legume rhizosphere from bulk soil. Thus, we hypothesized that mycelia networks act as vectors that enable contact between rhizobia and legume and influence subsequent nodulation. By developing a soil microcosm system, we found that a facultatively biotrophic fungus, Phomopsis liquidambaris, helps rhizobial migration from bulk soil to the peanut (Arachis hypogaea) rhizosphere and, hence, triggers peanut–rhizobium nodulation but not seen in the absence of mycelia. Assays of dispersal modes suggested that cell proliferation and motility mediated rhizobial dispersal along mycelia, and fungal exudates might contribute to this process. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis indicated that genes associated with the cell division, chemosensory system, flagellum biosynthesis, and motility were regulated by Ph. liquidambaris, thus accounting for the detected rhizobial dispersal along hyphae. Our results indicate that rhizobia use mycelia as dispersal networks that migrate to legume rhizosphere and trigger nodulation. This work highlights the importance of mycelial network-based bacterial dispersal in legume–rhizobium symbiosis.

Universality is a principle that fundamentally underlies many critical phenomena, ranging from epidemic spreading to the emergence or breakdown of global connectivity in networks. Percolation, the transition to global connectedness on gradual addition of links, may exhibit substantial gaps in the size of the largest connected network component. We uncover that the largest gap statistics is governed by extreme-value theory. This allows us to unify continuous and discontinuous percolation by virtue of universal critical scaling functions, obtained from normal and extreme-value statistics. Specifically, we show that the universal scaling function of the size of the largest gap is given by the extreme-value Gumbel distribution. This links extreme-value statistics to universality and criticality in percolation.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Liquid dispersion by impacting on wire mesh benefits many mass transfer processes. However, most of studies focused on the dispersion behaviors of liquid impacting on a one-layer wire mesh. In this work, the intensification of droplet dispersion by impacting on multilayer wire mesh was investigated as well as considering the influence of surface wettability. The dispersion characteristics (cone angle of dispersion θconeand average diameter of daughter droplets davg) were systematically analyzed. θconeenlarged by 44% and davgdecreased by 12% on average when increasing the water contact angle of the wire mesh from α-70° to α-155°. Empirical correlations for predicting θconeand davgwere proposed. The predicted values agreed well with the experimental data. The intensification of liquid dispersion by using multilayer wire mesh was applied in the inner cavity zone of a rotating packed bed (RPB), leading to a significant improvement of gas–liquid mass transfer performance.

An Al2O3-coated stainless steel wire mesh packing was prepared, aiming to serve as the monolithic catalyst support applied in a rotating packed bed (RPB) reactor. Before the application, the wetting behavior and gas–liquid mass transfer performance of Al2O3-coated wire mesh packing were investigated in this work. The results showed that the Al2O3-coated stainless steel fiber had on average 18.8% longer liquid spreading length compared with the uncoated stainless steel fiber. The gas–liquid effective interfacial area (ae) and the volumetric liquid-side mass transfer coefficient (kLae) of the RPB with Al2O3-coated wire mesh packing were on average 25.9 and 45.7% higher than those with uncoated wire mesh packing, respectively. The Al2O3-coated wire mesh packing has great prospects for the catalytic reactions in the RPB reactor by providing double functions of mass transfer intensification and the monolithic catalyst support.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world, and is well-known for its bad prognosis. Potassium calcium-activated channel subfamily N member 4 (KCNN4) is a type of intermediate conductance calcium-activated potassium channel, and increasing evidence suggests that KCNN4 contributes to the regulation of invasion and metastasis in a number of cancers. However, its clinical significance and biological function remain unclear in the HCC disease process. In this study, the expression levels of KCNN4 in 86 HCC samples were compared with corresponding paracancerous tissues. sh-RNA was used to reduce the expression of KCNN4 in Hep3B HCC cells in vitro; this was confirmed by Real time-PCR and western blotting. Wound healing, transwell assays and high content analysis were performed to investigate the tumor-promoting characteristics of KCNN4 in Hep3B HCC cells. As results, KCNN4 expression was significantly associated with preoperative serum alpha-fetoprotein level (p=0.038) and TNM stage (p=0.039). Additionally, patients with high KCNN4 amplification in HCC tissue exhibited shorter disease-free survival, whereas there was no statistical significance between KCNN4 amplification and overall survival. Wound healing and transwell assays showed that knockdown of KCNN4 expression could reduce migration and invasion abilities of HCC cells. High content analysis result showed that down-regulated KCNN4 could inhibit the ability of HCC cell proliferation. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is active in cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, senescence, and apoptosis. Matrix metallopeptidase 9 and extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) were important biomarkers of MAPK/ERK pathway, knockdown of KCNN4 reduced the expression of MMP9 and ERK1/2. These findings showed that KCNN4 promotes HCC invasion and metastasis through the MAPK/ERK pathway.

This review aims to provide a better understanding on different cooking methods and their effects on the safety and quality on the fish. Each cooking method offers different desired properties and negative impact to the fish in terms of nutritional composition, sensory quality, lipid oxidation, and microbiological aspect. Several cooking techniques had a long history of preparing fish with desirable taste and flavour such as steaming, boiling, smoking, and traditional frying. Recent years, new emerging cooking techniques such as air frying, microwave cooking, sous vide, mild oven cooking, and ohmic thermal cooking had also been explored for fish cooking. These techniques had been developed with the intention to improve the nutritional quality of the food through advanced technology in reducing heating temperature and cooking duration to as low as 50 °C and 10 s. These allow the preservation of nutrients, while reducing undesirable compounds such as acrylamide and other oxidative compounds. Besides that, the sensory quality and stability of the cooked fish may also improve from the low occurrence of lipid oxidation. Nevertheless, more studies are required for the use of emerging cooking techniques on fish. This review provides insight into the impact of different parameters used in different cooking methods on the quality and safety of different fish species. The need for optimization of the parameters for different cooking techniques was also emphasized. More innovative cooking techniques that is environmental friendly with higher energy efficiency should be explored for fish cooking to improve sustainability.

Obesity is defined as abnormal or excessive accumulation of body fat, which always causes serious harm to body health. In this work, an anti-obesity strain, Lactiplantibacillus plantarumBHP03 (L. plantarum), was explored. This strain showed good reproductive and acid production abilities. And its simulated intestinal fluid tolerance was better than that of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosusGG（LGG). The in vitrolipid-lowering indicators (inhibition rate of pancreatic lipase, bile-acid salt binding capacity) of L. plantarumBHP03 were at the same level as LGG, but L. plantarumBHP03 exhibited better ability to clear cholesterol. Further, L. plantarumBHP03 was used to intervene high-fat diet mice by oral administration. The results showed that high (109CFU/day) and low (108CFU/day) doses of L. plantarumBHP03 could alleviate excessive weight gain caused by high-fat diet and improve the symptoms of hepatorenal enlargement and liver fatty lesions. In addition, high dose L. plantarumBHP03 significantly reduced the content of the serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in mice. Moreover, high dose L. plantarumBHP03 enhanced the species richness of intestinal flora in mice fed with high-fat diet, decreasing the abundance of harmful bacteria such as Staphylococcusand increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Dubosiella, Akkermansia, Bifidobacteriumand Lactobacillus. Therefore, it could be concluded that high dose L. plantarumBHP03 was more effective in preventing obesity and balancing gut microbiota. These findings may provide a theoretical basis for the application of lactobacilli to develop functional foods related to anti-obesity.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are the processing products of primary miRNAs (pri-miRNAs) that regulate the expression of target genes. Recent studies have demonstrated that some pri-miRNAs can encode small peptides (miPEPs) that perform significant biological functions. The function of miPEPs in tomatoes, an important model horticultural crop, remains to be investigated. Here, we characterized the primary sequence of tomato miR396a using 5′ RACE and confirmed the presence of miPEP396a in tomato by verifying the translational activity of the start codon. It primarily resides in the nucleus to exert its function and additionally regulates the expression of pri-miR396a, miR396a, and its target genes. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses showed that in vitrosynthesis of miPEP396a significantly increased the expression of genes related to phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and hormones in tomato. Meanwhile, our in vitroapplication of miPEP396a in tomato significantly inhibited the elongation of tomato primary roots. In conclusion, our results indicate that miPEP396a regulates root growth in tomato by specifically promoting miR396a expression, provide insight into the function of miPEPs in tomato and potential applications.