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Abstract Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is an important sugar and biofuel crop in the world. It is frequently subjected to drought stress, thus causing considerable economic losses. Transgenic technology is an effective breeding approach to improve sugarcane tolerance to drought using drought-inducible promoter(s) to activate drought-resistance gene(s). In this study, six different promoters were cloned from sugarcane bacilliform virus (SCBV) genotypes exhibiting high genetic diversity. In β-glucuronidase (GUS) assays, expression of one of these promoters (PSCBV-YZ2060) is similar to the one driven by the CaMV 35S promoter and >90% higher compared to the other cloned promoters and Ubi1. Three SCBV promoters (PSCBV-YZ2060, PSCBV-TX, and PSCBV-CHN2) function as drought-induced promoters in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. In Arabidopsis, GUS activity driven by promoter PSCBV-YZ2060 is also upregulated by abscisic acid (ABA) and is 2.2–5.5-fold higher when compared to the same activity of two plant native promoters (PScRD29A from sugarcane and PAtRD29A from Arabidopsis). Mutation analysis revealed that a putative promoter region 1 (PPR1) and two ABA response elements (ABREs) are required in promoter PSCBV-YZ2060 to confer drought stress response and ABA induction. Yeast one-hybrid and electrophoretic mobility shift assays uncovered that transcription factors ScbZIP72 from sugarcane and AREB1 from Arabidopsis bind with two ABREs of promoter PSCBV-YZ2060. After ABA treatment or drought stress, the expression levels of endogenous ScbZIP72 and heterologous GUS are significantly increased in PSCBV-YZ2060:GUS transgenic sugarcane plants. Consequently, promoter PSCBV-YZ2060 is a possible alternative promoter for genetic engineering of drought-resistant transgenic crops such as sugarcane.

Objective: To explore the anti-fatigue effect of hemp seed oligopeptides, and its effect and mechanism between male and female individuals. Methods: Equal number of male and female mice were randomly divided into a blank control group, a positive control group and low, medium and high dose groups. The blank control group was given normal saline, the positive control group was given whey protein. Gavage treatment was carried out with the corresponding drug for 28 days. Body weight, exhaustive swimming time, blood lactic acid （BLA）, urea nitrogen （BUN）, liver glycogen （LG） contents of mice were measured. Results: Regardless of gender, flax seed oligopeptide had no significant effect on the body weight of mice, but could significantly prolong the exhaustive swimming time of mice, reduce the levels of blood lactic acid and blood urea nitrogen, and increase the content of liver glycogen. Considering gender factors, the body weight of female mice was significantly increased by medium dose of hemp seed oligopeptide, while the body weight of male mice was significantly decreased. Low dose of flax seed oligopeptide significantly prolonged exhaustive swimming time and decreased blood urea nitrogen content of male mice, but significantly increased body weight, exhaustive swimming time and liver glycogen content and decreased blood urea nitrogen content of female mice. High dose of hemp seed oligopeptide significantly increased the exhaustive swimming time and liver glycogen content, and significantly decreased the body weight and blood urea nitrogen content of male mice, while significantly increased the body weight, exhaustive swimming time and liver glycogen content, and significantly decreased the blood lactic acid value and blood urea nitrogen content of female mice. Conclusion: Hemp seed oligopeptide has anti-fatigue effect, and the dose has a significant effect on anti-fatigue effect in different genders.

Abstract Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive cancer with distant metastasis. Accumulated evidence has demonstrated that exosomes are involved in TNBC metastasis. Elucidating the mechanism underlying TNBC metastasis has important clinical significance. In the present study, exosomes were isolated from clinical specimens and TNBC cell lines. Colony formation, EdU incorporation, wound healing, and transwell assays were performed to examine TNBC cell proliferation, migration, and metastasis. Macrophage polarization was evaluated by flow cytometry and RT-qPCR analysis of polarization markers. A mouse model of subcutaneous tumor was established for assessment of tumor growth and metastasis. RNA pull-down, RIP and Co-IP assays were used for analyzing molecular interactions. Here, we proved that high abundance of circRHCG was observed in exosomes derived from TNBC patients, and increased exosomal circRHCG indicated poor prognosis. Silencing of circRHCG suppressed TNBC cell proliferation, migration, and metastasis. TNBC cell-derived exosomes promoted M2 polarization via delivering circRHCG. Exosomal circRHCG stabilized BTRC mRNA via binding FUS and naturally enhanced BTRC expression, thus promoting the ubiquitination and degradation of TFEB in THP-1 cells. In addition, knockdown of BTRC or overexpression of TFEB counteracted exosomal circRHCG-mediated facilitation of M2 polarization. Furthermore, exosomal circRHCG promoted TNBC cell proliferation and metastasis by facilitating M2 polarization. Knockdown of circRHCG reduced tumor growth, metastasis, and M2 polarization through the BTRC/TFEB axis in vivo. In summary, exosomal circRHCG promotes M2 polarization by stabilizing BTRC and promoting TFEB degradation, thereby accelerating TNBC metastasis and growth. Our study provides promising therapeutic strategies against TNBC.

The instant powder of Ejiao, vigna angularis and semen coicis (IPEVS) were prepared with Ejiao Low Mol.Wt. Peptid, vigna angularis and semen coicis as main raw materials, maltodextrin, xylitol and β-cyclodextrin as auxiliary materials. The effects of processing technology of raw material powder and the amount of excipients on IPEVS were tested by single factor and response surface method. The results showed that the optimum technological conditions were as follows: the ratio of vigna angularis to semen coicis was 1∶1, baking time was 50 min, baking temperature was 120 ℃, the addition amount of Ejiao Low Mol.Wt. Peptid was 4%, maltodextrin was 24%, xylitol was 10%, β-cyclodextrin was 9%. Under this condition, the wettability of IPEVS was 129 s, the dispersibility was 5 s, and it had good taste and toning property. The moisture content is 2.3%, the protein content is 13%, the content of polysaccharide is 47%, the total number of colony is less than 3 000 cfu/g, the number of coliform is less than 90 MPN/100 g, which accords with the national requirement.

近年来，高脂血症患病率在全球范围内增长，多不饱和脂肪酸降脂作用的研究引起国内外学者高度关注并取得重要进展。为对深入研究多不饱和脂肪酸对血脂调节的相关机制及进一步开发多不饱和脂肪酸来源的药物或功能性食品提供参考,综述了近年来国内外对多不饱和脂肪酸降脂作用机制的研究进展，主要集中于激活脂质代谢相关转录因子及信号通路、调节炎症因子、改善氧化应激反应、提高脂联素水平、减少瘦素含量及表观遗传修饰等方面，并指出近年来多不饱和脂肪酸降脂研究中存在的共性问题。多不饱和脂肪酸作为一种独特的生物活性物质，已在降血脂、抗氧化、抗炎、免疫调节等多种方面展示出显著的药理活性，具有很大的发展潜力。 In recent years, the prevalence of hyperlipidemia has increased worldwide, the research on the lipid-lowering effect of polyunsaturated fatty acids has attracted great attention and made important progress. In order to provide reference for further research on the mechanism of polyunsaturated fatty acids regulating blood lipids and further development of drugs or functional foods derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids, the recent progress on the lipid-lowering mechanism of polyunsaturated fatty acids at home and abroad were reviewed, mainly focusing on activation of lipid metabolis-related transcription factors and pathways, regulation of inflammatory factors, reduction of oxidative stress, improvement of adiponectin level, reduction of leptin content and epigenetic modification. Some common problems in lipid-lowering studies of polyunsaturated fatty acids in recent years were pointed out. As a unique bioactive substance, polyunsaturated fatty acids have shown significant pharmacological activities in lowering blood lipid, antioxidation, anti-inflammatory and immune regulation,and have great potential for development.

Many studies have revealed that reward-associated features capture attention. Neurophysiological evidence further suggests that this reward-driven attention effect modulates visual processes by enhancing low-level visual salience. However, no behavioral study to date has directly examined whether reward-driven attention changes how people see. Combining the two-phase paradigm with a psychophysical method, the current study found that compared with nonsalient cues associated with lower reward, the nonsalient cues associated with higher reward captured more attention, and increased the perceived contrast of the subsequent stimuli. This is the first direct behavioral evidence of the effect of reward-driven attention on low-level visual perception.

BackgroundWhile the physical and chemical properties of airborne particulate matter (PM) have been extensively studied, their associated microbiome remains largely unexplored. Here, we performed a longitudinal metagenomic survey of 106 samples of airborne PM2.5 and PM10 in Beijing over a period of 6 months in 2012 and 2013, including those from several historically severe smog events.ResultsWe observed that the microbiome composition and functional potential were conserved between PM2.5 and PM10, although considerable temporal variations existed. Among the airborne microorganisms, Propionibacterium acnes, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter lwoffii, Lactobacillus amylovorus, and Lactobacillus reuteri dominated, along with several viral species. We further identified an extensive repertoire of genes involved in antibiotic resistance and detoxification, including transporters, transpeptidases, and thioredoxins. Sample stratification based on Air Quality Index (AQI) demonstrated that many microbial species, including those associated with human, dog, and mouse feces, exhibit AQI-dependent incidence dynamics. The phylogenetic and functional diversity of air microbiome is comparable to those of soil and water environments, as its composition likely derives from a wide variety of sources.ConclusionsAirborne particulate matter accommodates rich and dynamic microbial communities, including a range of microbial elements that are associated with potential health consequences.