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Highlights Multifunctional composite coatings exposed to environmental conditions are prone to aging and potential functional failure due to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This study investigates the impact of UV radiation on the structure and properties of low infrared emissivity composite coatings, comprising ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) as the matrix and antistatic carbon fiber (CF) and flaky floating aluminum powder as fillers. In addition to analyzing the photochemical degradation reactions of the composite coating under UV irradiation, the role of fillers in resisting UV aging is elucidated. The performance parameters examined include infrared (IR) emissivity, surface resistivity, mechanical properties, and dielectric properties. The results indicate that after UV aging, EPDM undergoes the most significant changes, leading to the formation of carbonyl groups. CFs experience mild UV aging and an increase in resistivity. Aluminum powder, on the other hand, remains largely unchanged after UV aging and its addition significantly reduces the UV aging rate of the composite coating, resulting in a low IR emissivity of as low as 0.2 after UV aging. Among them, Coating 4 exhibits the best overall performance after UV aging. The UV aging mechanism of EPDM and the role of fillers were revealed. The UV aging of the coating significantly reduced the infrared emissivity (Reduced from 0.5 to 0.2). Al powder effectively reduced the UV degradation rate of the coating by reflecting UV light. The properties of the double‐formulated coating perform best after UV aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the commercial development of perovskite solar cells, the main challenge lies in achieving efficient devices with high stability. Additive engineering in polycrystalline perovskites is considered as an effective approach to address this challenge by passivating surface defects and reducing carrier losses associated with these defects. In this work, the passivation effect of molecules with different side chain groups on perovskites and the role of binding energy in mitigating carrier loss are studied. The findings reveal that the thiophene group is particularly effective in passivating defects and enhancing hole transport. Consequently, devices treated with 2‐thienylmethylamine hydrochloride (TMAC) demonstrate a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.63%. Furthermore, these TMAC‐treated devices exhibit remarkable stability, maintaining over 93.13% of their initial efficiencies after 1200 h of continuous illumination under maximum power point tracking (MPPT). This research presents a pathway to enhance the optoelectronic performance and stability of perovskite solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemistry of hypercoordination has been a subject of fundamental interest, especially for understanding structures that challenge conventional wisdom. The small ionic radii of Fe ions typically result in coordination numbers of 4 or 6 in stable Fe‐bearing ionic compounds. While 8‐coordinated Fe has been observed in highly compressed oxides, the pursuit of hypercoordinated Fe still faces significant challenges due to the complexity of synthesizing the anticipated compound with another suitable anion. Through first‐principles simulation and advanced crystal structure prediction methods, we predict that an orthorhombic phase of FeF3 with exclusively 8‐coordinated Fe is energetically stable above 18 GPa—a pressure more feasibly achieved compared to oxides. Inspired by this theoretical result, we conducted extensive experiments using a laser‐heated diamond anvil cell technique to investigate the crystal structures of FeF3 at high‐pressure conditions. We successfully synthesized the predicted orthorhombic phase of FeF3 at 46 GPa, as confirmed by in situ experimental X‐ray diffraction data. This work establishes a new ionic compound featuring rare 8‐coordinated Fe in a simple binary Fe‐bearing system and paves the way for discovering Fe hypercoordination in similar systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemistry of hypercoordination has been a subject of fundamental interest, especially for understanding structures that challenge conventional wisdom. The small ionic radii of Fe ions typically result in coordination numbers of 4 or 6 in stable Fe‐bearing ionic compounds. While 8‐coordinated Fe has been observed in highly compressed oxides, the pursuit of hypercoordinated Fe still faces significant challenges due to the complexity of synthesizing the anticipated compound with another suitable anion. Through first‐principles simulation and advanced crystal structure prediction methods, we predict that an orthorhombic phase of FeF3 with exclusively 8‐coordinated Fe is energetically stable above 18 GPa—a pressure more feasibly achieved compared to oxides. Inspired by this theoretical result, we conducted extensive experiments using a laser‐heated diamond anvil cell technique to investigate the crystal structures of FeF3 at high‐pressure conditions. We successfully synthesized the predicted orthorhombic phase of FeF3 at 46 GPa, as confirmed by in situ experimental X‐ray diffraction data. This work establishes a new ionic compound featuring rare 8‐coordinated Fe in a simple binary Fe‐bearing system and paves the way for discovering Fe hypercoordination in similar systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress impedes viticultural plant growth and development by modifying various metabolic pathways. However, the regulatory network response underlying drought stress is not yet clear. In this study, the leaves and roots of "Shine Muscat" ("SM," Vitis labruscana × Vitis vinifera) and "Thompson Seedless" ("TS," V. vinifera L. cv.) were subjected to drought stress to study the regulatory network used by drought stress. Morphophysiological results showed that the malondialdehyde content after 28 days of drought stress increased more significantly in "TS" than "SM." Furthermore, the multiomics analysis studies showed that a total of 3036–6714 differentially expressed genes and 379–385 differentially abundant metabolites were identified in "SM" and "TS" grapevine cultivars under drought stress. Furthermore, the retained intron was the major form of differential alternative splicing event under drought stress. The photosynthesis pathway, antioxidant system, plant hormone signal transduction, and osmotic adjustment were the primary response systems in the two grapevine cultivars under drought stress. We have identified GRIK1, RFS2, and LKR/SDH as the hub genes in the coexpression network of drought stress. In addition, the difference in the accumulation of pheophorbide‐a reveals different drought resistance mechanisms in the two grapevine cultivars. Our study explained the difference in drought response between cultivars and tissues and identified drought stress‐responsive genes, which provides reference data for further understanding the regulatory network of drought tolerance in grapevine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CsPbI3 nanocrystals (CPI NCs) have become a trending research topic due to their impressive potential in functional optoelectronic devices and optical gain applications. Their optical responses are governed by carrier dynamics, which is greatly influenced by temperature and corresponding phase structure due to the effects of inherently electron‐phonon coupling. Notably, CPI NCs have been identified to adopt an unexpectedly stable cubic phase from room temperature to liquid helium temperature. Here, using in situ cryogenic electron diffraction measurements, it is unambiguously demonstrated that CPI NCs undergo consecutive cubic‐tetragonal‐orthorhombic phase transitions from 298 to 100 K. The corresponding temperature‐dependent multiexcitonic dynamics are investigated in each phase by combining time‐resolved photoluminescence and transient absorption spectroscopy. In addition to the temperature dependency, the lifetime of both excitons and biexcitons evidently depends on the phase structures of the CPI NCs, highlighting the crucial effect of crystal structure on the carrier dynamics. Moreover, the biexciton binding energy increases with higher crystal symmetry due to the decrease of the dielectric constant. The findings shed light on the structural phase transition and its relationship to the carrier dynamics in all‐inorganic perovskite NCs, which provides critical insight into the structure‐performance relationship in CPI NCs for promising applications in optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress impedes viticultural plant growth and development by modifying various metabolic pathways. However, the regulatory network response underlying drought stress is not yet clear. In this study, the leaves and roots of "Shine Muscat" ("SM," Vitis labruscana × Vitis vinifera) and "Thompson Seedless" ("TS," V. vinifera L. cv.) were subjected to drought stress to study the regulatory network used by drought stress. Morphophysiological results showed that the malondialdehyde content after 28 days of drought stress increased more significantly in "TS" than "SM." Furthermore, the multiomics analysis studies showed that a total of 3036–6714 differentially expressed genes and 379–385 differentially abundant metabolites were identified in "SM" and "TS" grapevine cultivars under drought stress. Furthermore, the retained intron was the major form of differential alternative splicing event under drought stress. The photosynthesis pathway, antioxidant system, plant hormone signal transduction, and osmotic adjustment were the primary response systems in the two grapevine cultivars under drought stress. We have identified GRIK1, RFS2, and LKR/SDH as the hub genes in the coexpression network of drought stress. In addition, the difference in the accumulation of pheophorbide‐a reveals different drought resistance mechanisms in the two grapevine cultivars. Our study explained the difference in drought response between cultivars and tissues and identified drought stress‐responsive genes, which provides reference data for further understanding the regulatory network of drought tolerance in grapevine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Because of the product item of the control input and the state vector, the identification of bilinear systems is difficult. This paper considers the combined parameter and state estimation problems of bilinear state‐space systems. On the basis of the observability canonical form and the model transformation, an identification model with a linear combination of the system parameters is obtained. Using the hierarchical principle, the identification model is decomposed into three submodels with fewer variables, and a three‐stage least squares‐based iterative (3S‐LSI) algorithm is presented to estimate the system parameters. Furthermore, we derive a state estimator (SE) for estimating the unknown states, and present an SE‐3S‐LSI algorithm for estimating the unknown parameters and states simultaneously. After that, the least squares‐based iterative algorithm is presented as a comparison. By analyzing the estimation results and the calculation amount, these two algorithms can identify the bilinear system effectively but the 3S‐LSI algorithm can improve the computational efficiency. The simulation results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) are known to be major facilitators of the movement of a number of substrates across cell membranes. From a drought‐resistant cultivar of Oryza sativa (rice), we isolated an OsPIP1;3 gene single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that is mostly expressed in rice roots and is strongly responsive to drought stress. Immunocytochemistry showed that OsPIP1;3 majorly accumulated on the proximal end of the endodermis and the cell surface around the xylem. Expression of GFP‐OsPIP1;3 alone in Xenopus oocytes or rice protoplasts showed OsPIP1;3 mislocalization in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)‐like neighborhood, whereas co‐expression of OsPIP2;2 recruited OsPIP1;3 to the plasma membrane and led to a significant enhancement of water permeability in oocytes. Moreover, reconstitution of 10×His‐OsPIP1;3 in liposomes demonstrated water channel activity, as revealed by stopped‐flow light scattering. Intriguingly, by patch‐clamp technique, we detected significant NO3− conductance of OsPIP1;3 in mammalian cells. To investigate the physiological functions of OsPIP1;3, we ectopically expressed the OsPIP1;3 gene in Nicotiana benthamiana (tobacco). The transgenic tobacco plants exhibited higher photosynthesis rates, root hydraulic conductivity (Lpr) and water‐use efficiency, resulting in a greater biomass and a higher resistance to water deficit than the wild‐type did. Further experiments suggested that heterologous expression of OsPIP1;3 in cyanobacterium altered bacterial growth under different conditions of CO2 gas supply. Overall, besides shedding light on the multiple functions played by OsPIP1;3, this work provides insights into the translational value of plant AQPs. Significance Statement: We detected water, CO2 and nitrate transport abilities of rice OsPIP1;3 using different technical approaches. Ectopic expression of the OsPIP1;3 gene in tobacco substantially enhanced plant growth and resistance to water deficit by increasing the photosynthesis rate and root hydraulic conductivity in transgenic plants. This study provides important clues for uncovering the multiple functions played by plant PIP proteins and the related translational value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The combined iterative parameter and state estimation problem is considered for bilinear state‐space systems with moving average noise in this paper. There are the product terms of state variables and control variables in bilinear systems, which makes it difficult for the parameter and state estimation. By designing a bilinear state estimator based on the Kalman filtering, the states are estimated using the input‐output data. Furthermore, a moving data window (MDW) is introduced, which can update the dynamical data by removing the oldest data and adding the newest measurement data. A state estimator‐based MDW gradient‐based iterative (MDW‐GI) algorithm is proposed to estimate the unknown states and parameters jointly. Moreover, given the extended gradient‐based iterative (EGI) algorithm as a comparison, the MDW‐GI algorithm can reduce the impact of noise to parameter estimation and improve the parameter estimation accuracy. The numerical simulation examples validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Polyphenol oxidase ( PPO) mainly contributes to the browning reaction of fruits and vegetables and causes serious damage to the quality of sweet melon products. However, traditional methods to inactivate browning may induce more unexpected risks than ultrasonic processing. Meanwhile, there are no reports on the effect of ultrasound on PPO directly purified from sweet melon. RESULTS The PPO in the original juice was less inactivated than the purified form when treated with ultrasound. As for purified PPO, superior to thermal treatment, less heat was needed to inactivate the PPO with ultrasonic treatment. At intensity lower than 200 W, ultrasound did not significantly affect the structure and activity of PPO ( P > 0.05), and latent PPO was activated. At intensity higher than 200 W, ultrasound inactivated PPO, induced aggregation and dissociation of PPO particles and significantly decreased the α-helix structure content. CONCLUSION Low-frequency high-intensity ultrasound caused an inactivation effect and conformational changes of purified PPO from oriental sweet melons. Changes in the PPO structure induced by ultrasound eventually inactivated the enzyme. Ultrasound may be a potential method to inactivate PPO in oriental sweet melons. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the common complications of diabetes mellitus, which usually progresses to end‐stage renal disease and causes great damage to the health of patients. Endothelin‐1 (ET‐1), a molecule closely associated with the progression of DKD, has increased expression in response to high glucose stimulation and is involved in hemodynamic changes, inflammation, glomerular and tubular dysfunction in the kidney, causing an increase in proteinuria and a decrease in glomerular filtration function, ultimately leading to glomerulosclerosis and renal failure. This paper aims to review the molecular level changes, regulatory mechanisms, and mechanisms of action of ET‐1 under DKD, clinical trials of ET‐1 receptor antagonists in recent years and current problems, to provide basic information and new research directions and ideas for the treatment of DKD and ET‐1‐related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R3907 --> 605.22 --> Background: The gastrocnemius muscle is a superficial two‐headed muscle located in the posterior compartment of the leg, consisting of two heads: medial head and lateral head. The gastrocnemius muscle plays a significant role in our daily activities because its function is plantar flexing the foot at the ankle joint and flexing the leg at the knee joint. We report a very rare case of fatty gastrocnemius. Methods: The abnormal gastrocnemius muscles were encountered during the dissection of the lower limbs of a 63‐year‐old female cadaver. For histological examination, muscular samples were sectioned from the top, middle, and bottom of two heads of both legs. A total of six muscular slides, nerve slides, artery slides were all stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stains. Slides were analyzed using light microscopy. Result: For anatomy analysis, the medial heads of both gastrocnemius muscles of the lower limbs are completely infiltrated by adipose tissue. But the lateral heads of gastrocnemius muscles on both sides are almost healthy. Only the bottom of the lateral head of gastrocnemius muscles shows adipose tissue, but the middle and topdo not. Additionally, the medial heads connect to the tibial nerve and arteries normally. No abnormal adipose tissue was observed in other muscles throughout the body. For histological analysis, the entire medial heads and the bottom lateral heads are replaced by adipose cells, but the middle and top of the lateral heads are healthy muscle cells. No abnormalities or pathologies were observed in the nerves or arteries. Conclusion: Both medial heads of the gastrocnemius muscle appear to have become adipose tissue. While no underlying cause was identified it appears the pathology was spreading to the medial head. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), which is caused by a novel Bunyavirus, has gradually become a threatening infectious disease in rural areas of Asia. Studies have identified a severe cytokine storm and impaired humoral immune response in SFTS. However, the cellular immune response to SFTS virus (SFTSV) infection remains largely unknown. Here we report that SFTS patients had a cytokine storm accompanied by high levels of chemokines. CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of SFTS patients exhibited a more activated phenotype and enhanced the antiviral responses. They increased the expression of CD69 and CD25, secreted a higher level of IFN‐γ and granzyme, and had a stronger proliferative ability than in healthy controls. In convalescent SFTS patients, the expression of CD69 and CD25 on CD8+ T cells was reduced. In addition, we found the ratio and cellularity of CD14+CD16+ intermediate monocytes were increased in peripheral blood of SFTS patients. Both the expression of C‐X‐C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) on CD14+CD16+ intermediate monocytes and the expression of C‐X‐C motif chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) on CD8+ T cells increased dramatically in SFTS patients. Our studies reveal a potential pathway that CD8+ T cells rapidly activate and are mostly recruited by intermediate monocytes through CXCL10 in SFTSV infection. Our results may be of clinical relevance for further treatment and discharge instructions in SFTSV infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the improvement in sequencing technology and the decrease in sequencing cost, increasing amounts of genomic data for pigs have been uploaded to public databases. However, no researchers have to date integrated all currently available data to uncover the global genetic status of pigs. Meanwhile, little is known about the introgression from European to Chinese pigs and its underlying influences. Therefore, we integrated the effective genotype data of 3907 pigs from 193 populations worldwide using population genetic analysis, gene flow analysis and a sharing‐IBD study. These findings illustrate not only the population structure of 59 Chinese native breeds and others but also the amounts of gene flow and introgression that have occurred between Western and Chinese pigs. In addition, we demonstrate the presence of introgressed European haplotypes in Chinese indigenous breeds and identify relevant introgressed regions that contain genes associated with growth and feed efficiency. Moreover, we compare the introgression patterns of Western and Chinese pigs and further discuss possible explanations for why the level of introgression differs between Chinese pig breeds and Western modern breeds. Collectively, this study provides a fine global population structure analysis of pigs and presents evidence of European pigs being interbred with local breeds in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a relapsing and chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract, which seriously threatens human health. Zingerone (ZO) has been proven to be effective for many diseases. The purpose of this study is to investigate the protective effects and potential mechanisms of ZO extracted from ginger on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)‐induced mouse ulcerative colitis (UC). RESULTS: The results showed that ZO alleviated the weight loss of UC model mice, reduced the disease activity index scores, and inhibited the shortening of colon length. ZO also improved DSS‐induced pathological changes in colon tissue and inhibited the secretion of pro‐inflammatory cytokines in colon and mesenteric lymph nodes. Further mechanism analysis found that ZO inhibited DSS‐induced nuclear factor‐κB pathway activation, and regulated peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) expression. To further explore whether PPARγ was involved in the anti‐UC effect of ZO, PPARγ inhibitor GW9662 was used. Although ZO also showed a protective effect on GW9662‐treated colitis mice, the protective role was significantly weakened. Importantly, the administration of GW9662 significantly aggravated UC compared with the ZO + DSS group. In addition, we preliminarily found that ZO had the effects of inhibiting DSS‐induced oxidative stress, maintaining intestinal barrier, and inhibiting the content of LPS and the population of Escherichia coli. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that supplementation with ZO might be a new dietary strategy for the treatment of UC. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral β‐hydroxysulfides are an important class of organic compounds which find broad application in organic and pharmaceutical chemistry. Herein we describe the development of novel biocatalytic and chemoenzymatic methods for the enantioselective synthesis of β‐hydroxysulfides by exploiting ketoreductase (KRED) enzymes. Four KREDs were discovered from a pool of 384 enzymes identified and isolated through a metagenomic approach. KRED311 and KRED349 catalysed the synthesis of β‐hydroxysulfides bearing a stereocentre at the C−O bond with opposite absolute configurations and excellent ee values by novel chemoenzymatic and biocatalytic‐chemical‐biocatalytic (bio‐chem‐bio) cascades starting from commercially available thiophenols/thiols and α‐haloketones/alcohols. KRED253 and KRED384 catalysed the enantioselective synthesis of β‐hydroxysulfides bearing a stereocentre at the C−S bond with opposite enantioselectivities by dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of racemic α‐thioaldehydes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral β‐hydroxysulfides are an important class of organic compounds which find broad application in organic and pharmaceutical chemistry. Herein we describe the development of novel biocatalytic and chemoenzymatic methods for the enantioselective synthesis of β‐hydroxysulfides by exploiting ketoreductase (KRED) enzymes. Four KREDs were discovered from a pool of 384 enzymes identified and isolated through a metagenomic approach. KRED311 and KRED349 catalysed the synthesis of β‐hydroxysulfides bearing a stereocentre at the C−O bond with opposite absolute configurations and excellent ee values by novel chemoenzymatic and biocatalytic‐chemical‐biocatalytic (bio‐chem‐bio) cascades starting from commercially available thiophenols/thiols and α‐haloketones/alcohols. KRED253 and KRED384 catalysed the enantioselective synthesis of β‐hydroxysulfides bearing a stereocentre at the C−S bond with opposite enantioselectivities by dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of racemic α‐thioaldehydes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cinnamoyl lipid compound youssoufene A1 (1), featuring a unique dearomatic carbon‐bridged dimeric skeleton, exhibits increased inhibition against multidrug resistant Enterococcus faecalis as compared to monomeric youssoufenes. However, the formation process of this intriguing dearomatization/dimerization remains unknown. In this study, an unusual "gene‐within‐gene" thioesterase (TE) gene ysfF was functionally characterized. The gene was found to naturally encodes two proteins, an entire YsfF with α/β‐hydrolase and 4‐hydroxybenzoyl‐CoA thioesterase (4‐HBT)‐like enzyme domains, and a nested YsfFHBT (4‐HBT‐like enzyme). Using an intracellular tagged carrier‐protein tracking (ITCT) strategy, in vitro reconstitution and in vivo experiments, we found that: i) both domains of YsfF displayed thioesterase activities; ii) YsfF/YsfFHBT could accomplish the 6π‐electrocyclic ring closure for benzene ring formation; and iii) YsfF and cyclase YsfX together were responsible for the ACP‐tethered dearomatization/dimerization process, possibly through an unprecedented Michael‐type addition reaction. Moreover, site‐directed mutagenesis experiments demonstrated that N301, E483 and H566 of YsfF are critical residues for both the 6π‐electrocyclization and dimerization processes. This study enhances our understanding of the multifunctionality of the TE protein family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cinnamoyl lipid compound youssoufene A1 (1), featuring a unique dearomatic carbon‐bridged dimeric skeleton, exhibits increased inhibition against multidrug resistant Enterococcus faecalis as compared to monomeric youssoufenes. However, the formation process of this intriguing dearomatization/dimerization remains unknown. In this study, an unusual "gene‐within‐gene" thioesterase (TE) gene ysfF was functionally characterized. The gene was found to naturally encodes two proteins, an entire YsfF with α/β‐hydrolase and 4‐hydroxybenzoyl‐CoA thioesterase (4‐HBT)‐like enzyme domains, and a nested YsfFHBT (4‐HBT‐like enzyme). Using an intracellular tagged carrier‐protein tracking (ITCT) strategy, in vitro reconstitution and in vivo experiments, we found that: i) both domains of YsfF displayed thioesterase activities; ii) YsfF/YsfFHBT could accomplish the 6π‐electrocyclic ring closure for benzene ring formation; and iii) YsfF and cyclase YsfX together were responsible for the ACP‐tethered dearomatization/dimerization process, possibly through an unprecedented Michael‐type addition reaction. Moreover, site‐directed mutagenesis experiments demonstrated that N301, E483 and H566 of YsfF are critical residues for both the 6π‐electrocyclization and dimerization processes. This study enhances our understanding of the multifunctionality of the TE protein family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impulsive reaction–diffusion system is a novel assemblage of tools for better understanding ecological dynamics. This paper is devoted to mathematical and biological analysis of an impulsive tritrophic periodic plankton–fish system with diffusion and Beddington–DeAngelis functional response in lakes. On the basis of comparison theory and method of upper and lower solution, we have rigorously analyzed ultimate boundedness and permanence of the reaction–diffusion system under impulsive effects. Significantly, the existence and globally asymptotic stability of a unique positive periodic solution are verified by Brouwer's fixed point theorem and auxiliary function method. Additionally, two particular scenarios are chosen to illustrate our results. It is found that impulsive effects can influence lake ecological dynamics and regulate lake biological structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intercropping approach of Eucalyptus and native trees has been widely recommended, as an ideal replacement for monoculture Eucalyptus plantations (EUs), to ameliorate global biodiversity loss and mitigate environmental change. However, both suitable native tree species (NS) and the best intercropping ratio between Eucalyptus and native trees have not been determined.To fill this gap, a four‐level intercropping gradient of Eucalyptus urophylla planted with eight NS was set up (i.e., 20%NS, 30%NS, 40%NS, 50%NS), monitored and compared with a monoculture E. urophylla plantation (EU) and a randomly mixed plantation of nine NS in southern China.The results showed that, the intercropping ratio of Eucalyptus and native trees had a long‐term effect on tree layer structure and health status, and a cascading effect on the thermodynamic health state of soil microbes. Shade‐tolerant woody species are more suitable for intercropping with Eucalyptus. Intercropping plantations with not less than 30% native trees were more favourable for long‐term survival and growth of both planted Eucalyptus and native trees, and provided much more favourable conditions for the natural immigration of other native trees, which leads to a healthy plant community with significantly higher eco‐exergy than EU. The initial mixing ratio between Eucalyptus and high diversity native trees affected soil fertility through its long‐term effects on the biodiversity and bio‐thermodynamic state of trees and soil microbes.Synthesis and applications. Our results highlight the long‐term positive effect of the intercropping ratio of Eucalyptus and high diversity native trees on multi‐trophic biodiversity conservation, bio‐thermodynamic health development and soil fertility conservation. In the conversion of monoculture EUs to multi‐species plantations, it is recommended to mix more than 30% NS, which have different ecological niches with Eucalyptus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In this study, the relationship between preoperative neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and Alzheimer‐related biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was investigated to determine whether high NLR is a potential risk factor for postoperative delirium (POD) and to evaluate its predictive efficacy. Methods: We selected 1000 patients from the perioperative neurocognitive disorder risk factor and prognosis (PNDRFAP) database and 999 patients from the perioperative neurocognitive disorder and biomarker lifestyle (PNDABLE) database. Patients in the PNDABLE database have been measured for Alzheimer‐related biomarkers in CSF (Aβ40, Aβ42, P‐tau, and tau protein). Mini‐mental state examination was used to assess the preoperative mental status of patients. POD was diagnosed using the confusion assessment method and assessed for severity using the memorial delirium assessment scale. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to explore the association of preoperative NLR with POD. What's more, we also performed sensitivity analysis by adding corrected confounders, and the results were almost unchanged. Spearman's rank correlation was used to determine the associations between NLR and Alzheimer‐related biomarkers. Mediation analyses with 10,000 bootstrapped iterations were used to explore the mediation effects. Finally, we use decision curves and the nomogram model to evaluate the efficacy of preoperative NLR in predicting POD; we also performed external validation using data from Qilu Hospital. Result: Logistic regression results showed that an elevated preoperative NLR was a risk factor for the development of POD in patients (PNDRFAP: OR = 1.067, 95% CI 1.020–1.116; PNDABLE: OR = 1.182, 95% CI 1.048–1.335, p <.05). Spearman's rank correlation analysis showed a positive but weak correlation between NLR and P‐tau/T‐tau (R =.065). The mediating effect results indicate that NLR likely mediates the occurrence of POD through elevated tau protein levels (proportion: 47.47%). The results of the box plots showed statistically significant NLR and CSF biomarkers between the POD and non‐POD (NPOD) groups (p <.05), with higher NLR, P‐tau, and T‐tau in the POD group than in the NPOD group. In contrast, the NPOD group had higher Aβ42 levels compared to the POD group. In addition, we used R package to plot the decision curve and nomogram both suggesting a good predictive effect of preoperative NLR on the occurrence of POD. Conclusion: Elevated preoperative NLR levels may be a risk factor for POD and likely mediate the development of POD through elevated P‐tau/T‐tau levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formamidinium‐cesium triiodide (FAxCs1‐xPbI3) perovskite exhibits excellent phase stability, making it the most promising candidate for commercial perovskite solar cell (PSC) applications, particularly those with inverted structures present a promising contribution to the field of perovskite production. However, this composition often forms small grain sizes and has a large number of defects and PbI2 residues on its surface, which can damage device performance. In this study, a post‐surface engineering strategy called the "clean‐passivation" method is proposed to address the interfacial problem between the perovskite and the electron transport layer (ETL). This method significantly reduces surface and grain boundary defects and eliminates unreacted PbI2, resulting in suppressed iodine decomposition and ion migration during operation. As a result, an excellent power conversion efficiency of 24.27% with superior stability is achieved, as the unencapsulated device maintains 97.12% of its initial efficiency after 1500 h of continuous light soaking. Furthermore, this new surface clean‐passivate strategy can be universally applied to other typical perovskite compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The angular gyrus (AG), given its rich connectivity and its location where multisensory information converges, is a functionally and anatomically heterogeneous structure. Using the state‐of‐the‐art functional gradient approach and transcription‐neuroimaging association analysis, we sought to determine whether there is an overarching hierarchical organization of the AG and if so, how it is modulated by the underlying genetic architecture. Resting‐state functional MRI data of 793 healthy subjects were obtained from discovery and validation datasets. Functional gradients of the AG were calculated based on the voxel‐wise AG‐to‐cerebrum functional connectivity patterns. Combined with the Allen Human Brain Atlas, we examined the spatial correlations between the AG functional gradient and gene expression. The dominant gradient topography showed a dorsoanterior–ventroposterior hierarchical organization of the AG, which was related to its intrinsic geometry. Concurrently, AG functional subdivisions corresponding to canonical functional networks (behavioral domains) were distributed along the dominant gradient in a hierarchical manner, that is, from the default mode network (abstract cognition) at one extreme to the visual and sensorimotor networks (perception and action) at the other extreme. Remarkably, we established a link between the AG dominant gradient and gene expression, with two gene sets strongly contributing to this link but diverging on their functional annotation and specific expression. Our findings represent a significant conceptual advance in AG functional organization, and may introduce novel approaches and testable questions to the investigation of AG function and anatomy in health and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a terahertz monolithic integrated planar band‐pass filter based on coplanar waveguide (CPW) resonators has been proposed. By adopting the feeding line in form of a slotline, the need for air‐bridges in traditional CPW filters is eliminated, achieving good integrability and reducing fabrication difficulty. To further improve the filtering performance, the defected ground structure is used in the design, introducing a finite transmission zero at the lower sideband. The filter is manufactured on the semi‐insulation silicon carbide (SiC) substrate, to fit the existing advanced GaN‐on‐SiC monolithic integration system. Measurement reveals the fractional band‐width of 5.7% at the center frequency of 279 GHz, with an insertion loss of 5.1 dB. With a volume of 500 × 400 × 50 μm (0.45 × 0.36 × 0.045 λ0), the proposed filter improves the performance of the planar filter operating at the terahertz band effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a low temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) based compact millimeter‐wave (MMW) 3‐D substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) filtering antenna was proposed. First, a band‐pass filter with two transmission zeros in the upper and lower sidebands was designed, with a fractional bandwidth of 2.03% at a center frequency of 98.1 GHz. The filtering antenna was developed and manufactured on this premise, by adopting an E‐shape patch antenna, achieving a superior frequency selection characteristic with a 1.63% impedance bandwidth and out‐of‐band gain dropped over 15 dB at 92.7 and 101.2 GHz, respectively. With a compact structure size of 2.4 × 1.6 × 0.5 mm3 (0.78 λ0 × 0.05 λ0 × 0.016 λ0), high gain and high selectivity were realized in the MMW band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species delimitation through which infers species boundaries is emerging as a major work in modern systematics. Hop-hornbeam species in Ostrya (Betulaceae) are well known for their hard and heavy woods. Five species were described in China and their interspecific delimitations remain unclear. In this study, we firstly explored their distributions in all recorded field sites distributed in China. We then selected 110 samples from 22 natural populations of five species from this genus and one type specimen of O. yunnanensis, for molecular barcoding analyses. We sequenced four chloroplast (cp) DNA fragments ( trnH-psbA, trnL-trnF, rps16, and trnG) and the nuclear internal transcribed spacer ( ITS) region for all samples. Sequence variations of Ostrya from four cp DNA fragments identified three groups that showed no correspondence to any morphological delimitation because of the incomplete lineage sorting and/or possible interspecific introgression in the history. However, phylogenetic analyses of ITS sequence variations discerned four species, O. japonica, O. rehderiana, O. trichocarpa, and O. multinervis while O. yunnanensis nested within O. multinervis. Morphological clustering also discerned four species and showed the complete consistency with molecular evidence. Moreover, our phylogenetic analyses-based ITS sequence variations suggested that O. trichocarpa comprised an isolated lineage different from the other Eurasian ones. Based on these results, hop-hornbeams in China should be treated as four separate species. Our results further highlight the importance of ITS sequence variations in delimitating and discerning the closely related species in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral β‐hydroxysulfides are an important class of organic compounds which find broad application in organic and pharmaceutical chemistry. Herein we describe the development of novel biocatalytic and chemoenzymatic methods for the enantioselective synthesis of β‐hydroxysulfides by exploiting ketoreductase (KRED) enzymes. Four KREDs were discovered from a pool of 384 enzymes identified and isolated through a metagenomic approach. KRED311 and KRED349 catalysed the synthesis of β‐hydroxysulfides bearing a stereocentre at the C−O bond with opposite absolute configurations and excellent ee values by novel chemoenzymatic and biocatalytic‐chemical‐biocatalytic (bio‐chem‐bio) cascades starting from commercially available thiophenols/thiols and α‐haloketones/alcohols. KRED253 and KRED384 catalysed the enantioselective synthesis of β‐hydroxysulfides bearing a stereocentre at the C−S bond with opposite enantioselectivities by dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of racemic α‐thioaldehydes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To translate, cross‐cultural adapt and psychometrically validate the Children's Environmental Health Knowledge Questionnaire (ChEHK‐Q) and the Children's Environmental Health Skills Questionnaire (ChEHS‐Q) for community nurses in China. Design: This was an observational, cross‐sectional study undertaken in two phases: (1) translation and cultural adaptation process; (2) psychometric evaluation. Sample: A total of 294 nurses from 23 community health service centers in cities of Henan province participated in the study. Methods: These two questionnaires were analysed psychometrically based on IRT. ChEHK‐Q was analyzed based on basic Rasch Model, and ChEHS‐Q based on Rating Scale Model (RSM). EFA, expert validity, threshold analysis, retest reliability, item and individual reliability were used to evaluate the psychometric attributes of these two questionnaires. Results: The Infit and Outfit values for most items are within reasonable limits. The person reliability of ChEHK‐Q was 0.85 and the item reliability was 0.97. The person reliability of ChEHS‐Q was 0.94 and the item reliability was 0.93. The test‐retest reliability of the ChEHK‐Q was 0.85 and the ChEHS‐Q was 0.87. Conclusions: ChEHK‐Q and ChEHS‐Q are reliable and valid instruments with satisfactory psychometric properties for nurses in China. Future studies should recruit a more representative sample to verify the applicability of these two questionnaires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome plays a crucial role in the innate immune response. During cell division, NLRP3 inflammasome activation must be strictly controlled. In this study, we discover that the anaphase‐promoting complex subunit 10 (APC10), a substrate recognition protein of the anaphase‐promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), is a critical mediator of NLRP3 inflammasome activation. During interphase, APC10 interacts with NLRP3 to promote NLRP3 inflammasome activation, whereas during mitosis, APC10 disassociates from the NLRP3 inflammasome to repress inflammatory responses. This study reveals a distinct mechanism by which APC10 serves as a switch for NLRP3 inflammasome activation during the cell cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkynes generally serve as C2 synthons in transition‐metal‐catalyzed C−H annulations, herein, exploiting electron‐deficient alkynes as unconventional C1 synthons, the chemo‐ and regiospecific synthesis of functionalized 1H‐imidazo[1,5‐a]indol‐3(2H)‐ones via a redox‐neutral rhodium(III)‐catalyzed [4+1] annulation of N‐carbamoyl indoles has been achieved. This process is characterized by high chemo‐ and regioselectivity, broad substrate scope, good tolerance of functional groups, moderate to high yields and mild redox‐neutral conditions, thus affording a robust approach to access valuable 1H‐imidazo[1,5‐a]indol‐3(2H)‐ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging visualises soft tissue contrast in exquisite detail without harmful ionising radiation. In this work, we provide a state-of-the-art review on the use of deep learning in MR image reconstruction from different image acquisition types involving compressed sensing techniques, parallel image acquisition and multi-contrast imaging. Publications with deep learning-based image reconstruction for MR imaging were identified from the literature (PubMed and Google Scholar), and a comprehensive description of each of the works was provided. A detailed comparison that highlights the differences, the data used and the performance of each of these works were also made. A discussion of the potential use cases for each of these methods is provided. The sparse image reconstruction methods were found to be most popular in using deep learning for improved performance, accelerating acquisitions by around 4-8 times. Multi-contrast image reconstruction methods rely on at least one pre-acquired image, but can achieve 16-fold, and even up to 32- to 50-fold acceleration depending on the set-up. Parallel imaging provides frameworks to be integrated in many of these methods for additional speed-up potential. The successful use of compressed sensing techniques and multi-contrast imaging with deep learning and parallel acquisition methods could yield significant MR acquisition speed-ups within clinical routines in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network neuroscience has broadly conceptualized the functions of the brain as complex communication within and between large‐scale neural networks. Nevertheless, whether and how the gut microbiota influence functional network connectivity that in turn impact human behaviors has yet to be determined. We collected fecal samples from 157 healthy young adults and used 16S sequencing to assess gut microbial diversity and enterotypes. Large‐scale inter‐ and intranetwork functional connectivity was measured using a combination of resting‐state functional MRI data and independent component analysis. Sleep quality and core executive functions were also evaluated. Then, we tested for potential associations between gut microbiota, functional network connectivity and behaviors. We found significant associations of gut microbial diversity with internetwork functional connectivity between the executive control, default mode and sensorimotor systems, and intranetwork connectivity of the executive control system. Moreover, some internetwork functional connectivity mediated the relations of microbial diversity with sleep quality, working memory, and attention. In addition, there was a significant effect of enterotypes on intranetwork connectivity of the executive control system, which could mediate the link between enterotypes and executive function. Our findings not only may expand existing biological knowledge of the gut microbiota‐brain‐behavior relationships from the perspective of large‐scale functional network organization, but also may ultimately inform a translational conceptualization of how to improve sleep quality and executive functions through the regulation of gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostheses and robots have been affecting all aspects of life. Making them conscious and intelligent like humans is appealing and exciting, while there is a huge contrast between progress and strong demand. An alternative strategy is to develop an artificial peripheral neural system with high‐performance bionic receptors. Here, a novel functional composite material that can serve as a key ingredient to simultaneously construct different artificial exteroceptive sensors (AE sensors) and artificial proprioceptive sensors (AP sensors) is demonstrated. Both AP sensors and AE sensors demonstrate outstandingly high stretchability; up to 200% stretching strain and possess the superior performance of fast response and high stability. An artificial peripheral neural system integrated with the highly stretchable AP sensor and AE sensor is constructed, which makes a significant breakthrough in the perception foundation of efficient proprioception and exteroception for intelligent prostheses and soft robots. Accurate feedback on the activities of body parts, music control, game manipulation, and wireless typing manifest the enormous superiority of the spatiotemporal resolution function of the artificial peripheral neural system, all of which powerfully contribute to promoting intelligent prostheses and soft robots into sophistication, and are expected to make lives more fascinating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Mg(II)−Sm(III) heterometallic coordination polymer (Cp) with the formula [Sm2(pydc)6Mg3(H2O)6] ⋅ 11H2O (1) (H2pydc=pyridine‐2,6‐dicarbolylic acid) has been solvothermal synthesized by reacting pyridine‐2,6‐dicarbolylic acid, Sm(NO3)3 ⋅ 6H2O, MgCl2 ⋅ 6H2O and imidazole at 393 K for 48 h. It was characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, elemental analysis, IR and TGA. The results show that coordination polymer 1 exhibits a three‐dimensional network structure and crystallizes in hexagonal crystal system, space group P6/mcc, with crystallographic data of a=15.4203(6) Å, b=15.4203(6) Å, c=15.2563(6) Å, α=β=90°, γ=120°, V=3141.7(3) Å3, and Z=2. The twenty‐member water cluster structure and topological structure of compound 1 were analyzed, and its luminescent properties were studied. It presents the characteristic emission spectra of Sm(III) ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metal‐free selective and diverse synthesis of three distinct sets of isoindolinones from 2‐alkynylbenzoic acids and amines has been achieved in a reaction‐condition‐controlled manner. This method exhibits valuable advantageous features such as available starting materials, broad substrate scope, excellent selectivity, good to high yields, good functional group tolerance, simple operation, high bond‐forming efficiency, and step economy, thus providing a convenient and efficient access to a variety of heterocyclic compounds incorporating the bioactive isoindolinone motif. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass‐based carbon materials have attracted much attention in the field of microwave absorption because of their light weight, environmental friendliness, low cost and high efficiency. In this work, carbon matrix of porous microtubule structure with different magnetic particles was synthesized from natural luffa sponge by a simple calcination process. The carbon matrix possesses hierarchical porous structures including micrometer‐scale tubular channels, nanometer‐scale macrospores, mesopores and micropores, of which microspores are the most. The Fe3O4, FeO/α‐Fe, α‐Fe/γ‐Fe and α‐Fe/Fe3C particles were formed in the temperature range of 700–1000 °C. The porous carbon/α‐Fe@Fe3C composites obtained at 1000 °C exhibit excellent microwave absorption (MA) performance, its minimum reflection loss can reach −48.9 dB with only a thickness of 1.5 mm, and the effective absorption bandwidth (RL≤−10 dB) is 3.86 GHz. The porous structure, synergies between dielectric loss and magnetic loss, high attenuation constant are the key factors for good MA performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the function and regulation of SnRK1 have been studied in various plants, its molecular mechanisms in response to abiotic stresses are still elusive. In this work, we identified an AP2/ERF domain‐containing protein (designated GsERF7) interacting with GsSnRK1 from a wild soybean cDNA library. GsERF7 gene expressed dominantly in wild soybean roots and was responsive to ethylene, salt, and alkaline. GsERF7 bound GCC cis‐acting element and could be phosphorylated on S36 by GsSnRK1. GsERF7 phosphorylation facilitated its translocation from cytoplasm to nucleus and enhanced its transactivation activity. When coexpressed in the hairy roots of soybean seedlings, GsSnRK1(wt) and GsERF7(wt) promoted plants to generate higher tolerance to salt and alkaline stresses than their mutated species, suggesting that GsSnRK1 may function as a biochemical and genetic upstream kinase of GsERF7 to regulate plant adaptation to environmental stresses. Furthermore, the altered expression patterns of representative abiotic stress‐responsive and hormone‐synthetic genes were determined in transgenic soybean hairy roots after stress treatments. These results will aid our understanding of molecular mechanism of how SnRK1 kinase plays a cardinal role in regulating plant stress resistances through activating the biological functions of downstream factors. In this work, we reported wild soybean GsSnRK1 bound and phosphorylated GsERF7, which is required for GsERF7 to translocate and transactivate in nucleus. Co‐transformation of these two genes could significantly enhance soybean salt/alkali resistance, suggesting these two proteins interplay to regulate soybean abiotic tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene as a suitable electrode has been extensively used for electrochemical double‐layer capacitors based on its excellent properties, including high electrical conductivity and large specific surface area. However, one of the drawbacks is the unavoidable stacking tendency between the graphene nanosheets, resulting in limited electrochemically specific surface area. Herein, novel graphene nanosheets supported by hollow nitrogen‐doped carbon frameworks derived from ZIF‐8 (GPNC) were fabricated through a simple polyethyleneimine (PEI)‐assisted pyrolysis strategy, to boost capacitance performance. Benefiting from the unique scaffold/support role of hollow nitrogen‐doped carbon frameworks within the graphene interlayer, the GPNC with a large specific surface area, along with ample micropore/mesopore channels and high nitrogen content, is capable of facilitating electron and electrolyte ion migration kinetics and enhancing intrinsic electrochemical activity. Thus, the GPNC exhibits the highest charge storage of 218 F g−1 and superior rate capability of 74 % when the current density increased from 0.5 to 20 Ag−1 in comparison to pristine graphene and common ZIF‐derived carbon/graphene electrodes. The assembled GPNC//GPNC two‐electrode system further delivers a maximum power of 9080 Wkg−1 with outstanding electrochemical retention of 84 % over 10 000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most ovarian cancer patients are chemosensitive initially, but finally relapse with acquired chemoresistance. Multidrug‐resistance is the extremely terrible situation. The mechanism for the acquired chemoresistance of ovarian cancer patients is still not clear. LncRNAs have been recognized as the important regulator of a variety of biological processes, including the multidrug‐resistant process. Here, we carried out the lncRNA sequencing of the ovarian cancer cell line A2780 and the paxitaxel resistant cell line A2780/PTX which is also cross resistant to the cisplatin and epirubicin. Through integrating the published data with the cisplatin resistant lncRNAs in ovarian cancer cell line or ovarian cancer patients, 5 up‐regulated and 21 down‐regulated lncRNAs are considered as the multidrug‐resistant lncRNAs. By real‐time PCR analysis, we confirmed the 5 up‐regulated and 4 down‐regulated multidrug resistant lncRNAs were similarly changed in both the multidrug resistant ovarian cancer cell lines and the multidrug resistant colon cancer cell lines. Furthermore, we conducted the lncRNA‐mRNA co‐expression network to predict the potential multidrug resistant lncRNAs’ targets. Interestingly, the multidrug resistant genes ABCB1, ABCB4, ABCC3, and ABCG2 are all co‐expressed with lncRNA CTD‐2589M5.4. Our results provide the valuable information for the understanding of the lncRNA function in the multidrug resistant process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nanogap engineering of low‐dimensional nanomaterials has received considerable interest in a variety of fields, ranging from molecular electronics to memories. Creating nanogaps at a certain position is of vital importance for the repeatable fabrication of the devices. Here, a rational design of nonvolatile memories based on sub‐5 nm nanogaped single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) via the electromechanical motion is reported. The nanogaps are readily realized by electroburning in a partially suspended SWNT device with nanoscale region. The SWNT memory devices are applicable for both metallic and semiconducting SWNTs, resolving the challenge of separation of semiconducting SWNTs from metallic ones. Meanwhile, the memory devices exhibit excellent performance: ultralow writing energy (4.1 × 10−19 J bit−1), ON/OFF ratio of 105, stable switching ON operations, and over 30 h retention time in ambient conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/Introduction Our previous study found that dexamethasone-induced insulin resistance ( IR) was involved in 5-hydroxytryptamine (5- HT) synthesis and 5-hydroxytryptamine 2 receptor (5- HT2R) in the periphery. The present study examined the effects of inhibitions of both peripheral 5- HT synthesis and 5- HT2R on dexamethasone-induced IR. Materials and Methods Male rats were exposed to dexamethasone for 10 days, then treated with or without a 5- HT2R antagonist, sarpogrelate, a 5- HT synthetic inhibitor, carbidopa, alone or in combination for 20 days. Results Dexamethasone-induced whole-body IR, with glucose intolerance, decreased insulin sensitivity, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia and dyslipidemia, could be effectively abolished by sarpogrelate or/and carbidopa, whereas IR-related actions of dexamethasone in tissues were accompanied by increased 5- HT synthesis in the liver and visceral adipose, and upregulated 5- HT2R (5- HT2 AR and 5- HT2 BR) expression in these two tissues as well as in skeletal muscle. Sarpogrelate or/and carbidopa treatment significantly abolished dexamethasone-caused tissue-specific IR. In the liver, increased gluconeogenesis, triglycerides and very low-density lipoprotein syntheses with steatosis, and downregulated expression of plasmalemmal glucose transporter-2 were markedly reversed. In the visceral adipose and skeletal muscle, downregulated expression of plasmalemmal glucose transporter-4 was significantly reversed, and increased lipolysis was also reversed in the visceral adipose. Dexamethasone-induced activations of hepatic mammalian target of rapamycin serine2448, and S6K threonine389/412 phosphorylation were also abolished markedly by sarpogrelate or/and carbidopa. Co-treatment with sarpogrelate and carbidopa showed a synergistic effect on suppressing dexamethasone actions. Conclusion Inhibitions of both peripheral 5- HT synthesis and 5- HT2R are expected to be a dependable target for treatment of steroid-induced diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]