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With global warming, high temperature stress has become a main threat to the growth of cool-season turfgrasses, including perennial ryegrass. As one of the conserved plant microRNA families, miR408s are known to play roles in various abiotic stresses, including cold, drought, salinity, and oxidative stress, but no report, thus far, was found for heat. Here, perennial ryegrass plants overexpressing rice Os-miR408 were used to investigate the role of miR408 in plant heat tolerance. Both wild type (WT) and miR408 transgenic perennial ryegrass plants (TG) were subjected to short-term heat stress at 38 °C for 72 h (experiment 1) or at 42 °C for 48 h (experiment 2), and then let recover for 7 days at optimum temperature. Morphological changes and physiological parameters, including antioxidative responses of TG and WT plants, were compared. The results showed that miR408 downregulated the expression of two putative target genes, PLASTOCYANIN and LAC3. Additionally, overexpression of Os-miR408 improved thermo-tolerance of perennial ryegrass, demonstrated by lower leaf lipid peroxidation and electrolyte leakage, and higher relative water content after both 38 and 42 °C heat stresses. In addition, the enhanced thermotolerance of TG plants could be associated with its morphological changes (e.g., narrower leaves, smaller tiller angles) and elevated antioxidative capacity. This study is the first that experimentally reported a positive role of miR408 in plant tolerance to heat stress, which provided useful information for further understanding the mechanism by which miR408 improved plant high-temperature tolerance, and offered a potential genetic resource for breeding heat-resistant cool-season turfgrass in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the significant hotspots analysis method (Getis-Ord Gi* significance statistics), space-time cube model (STC) and the Mann–Kendall trend test method, this paper proposes a G-STC-M spatio-temporal analysis method based on Archaeological Sites. This method can integrate spatio-temporal data variable analysis and the space-time cube model to explore the spatio-temporal distribution of Archaeological Sites. The G-STC-M method was used to conduct time slice analysis on the data of Archaeological Sites in the study area, and the spatio-temporal variation characteristics of Archaeological Sites in East China from the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty were discussed. The distribution of Archaeological Sites has temporal hotspots and spatial hotspots. Temporally, the distribution of Archaeological Sites showed a gradual increasing trend, and the number of Archaeological Sites reached the maximum in the Qing Dynasty. Spatially, the hotspots of Archaeological Sites are mainly distributed in Jiangsu (30°~33° N, 118°~121° E) and Anhui (29°~31° N, 117°~119° E) and the central region of Zhejiang (28°~31° N, 118°~121° E). Temporally and spatially, the distribution of Archaeological Sites is mainly centered in Shanghai (30°~32° N, 121°~122° E), spreading to the southern region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper examines the long-run relationship between school bullying and later adult health. • Victims have worse health status even after several decades. • Negative health consequences are mainly on those from low-income families or without family support. This paper examines the long-run relationship between school bullying exposure and later adult health using a nationally representative household survey data from China. Our results show that victims are more likely to have low self-reported health, chronic diseases, physical functional limitations, and mental health problems even after several decades. The negative health consequences are more concentrated on the disadvantaged who come from low-income households or lack family support. The main findings are also consistent with qualitative evidence of our online survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CO2 solubilities (including CO2 Henry's constants) and viscosities in ionic liquids (ILs)/deep eutectic solvents (DESs)-based hybrid solvents were comprehensively collected and summarized. The literature survey results of CO2 solubility illustrated that the addition of hybrid solvents to ILs/DESs can significantly enhance the CO2 solubility, and some of the ILs-based hybrid solvents are super to DESs-based hybrid solvents. The best hybrid solvents of IL–H2O, IL–organic, IL–amine, DES–H2O, and DES–organic are [DMAPAH][Formate] (2.5:1) + H2O (20 wt %) (4.61 mol/kg, 298 K, 0.1 MPa), [P4444][Pro] + PEG400 (70 wt %) (1.61 mol/kg, 333.15 K, 1.68 MPa), [DMAPAH][Formate] (2.0:1) + MEA (30 wt %) (6.24 mol/kg, 298 K, 0.1 MPa), [TEMA][Cl]-GLY-H2O 1:2:0.11 (0.66 mol/kg, 298 K, 1.74 MPa), and [Ch][Cl]-MEA 1:2 + DBN 1:1 (5.11 mol/kg, 298 K, 0.1 MPa), respectively. All of these best candidates show higher CO2 solubility than their used pure ILs or DESs, evidencing that IL/DES-based hybrid solvents are remarkable for CO2 capture. For the summarized viscosity results, the presence of hybrid solvents in ILs and DESs can decrease their viscosities. The lowest viscosities acquired in this work for IL–H2O, IL–amine, DES–H2O, and DES–organic hybrid solvents are [DEA][Bu] + H2O (98.78 mol%) (0.59 mPa·s, 343.15 K), [BMIM][BF4] + DETA (94.9 mol%) (2.68 mPa·s, 333.15 K), [L-Arg]-GLY 1:6 + H2O (60 wt %) (2.7 mPa·s, 353.15 K), and [MTPP][Br]-LEV-Ac 1:3:0.03 (16.16 mPa·s, 333.15 K) at 0.1 MPa, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to meet climate goals, both CO 2 capture and storage (CCS) and CO 2 capture and utilization (CCU) have been identified as increasingly important technologies for mitigating CO 2 emissions that are difficult to avoid. In this work, the CO 2 utilization, or more specifically, the CO 2 conversion to fuels and urea, considering the large demand for CO 2 , as well as the CO 2 mineralization are surveyed and reviewed. The content of this review includes technologies – all the way from the laboratory studies to the industrial applications – their current status, and future potential. CCS is included for a comparison concerning the costs. Also, aspects as the CO 2 impurities and the effect of it as well as various requirements concerning the CO 2 impurity are included. Many recent studies show that CCU, especially CO 2 conversion to fuels, will play an essential role in mitigating CO 2 emissions, while developed methods and technologies are not yet mature. More research work needs to be conducted to improve the process efficiency via developing catalysts and reducing the cost of producing H 2 that is used as a reactant for fuel synthesis. Moreover, current literature also shows that impurities will affect the process of both CCS and CCU, while the work of studying their influence, especially on CCU, is still scarce. The cost of CCS has been estimated combined with impurities, while studies on cost estimation for CCU are still limited, and the cost, in general, is relatively high with the currently available technologies. • CCU plays an essential role in mitigating CO 2 emissions, while development is immature. • The costs of CCS and CCU are relatively high compared to the present price of emitting CO 2 emissions. • The impurities will affect the process of both CCS and CCU, but the work, especially on CCU, is still scarce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic liquids (ILs) with remarkable performance offer opportunities to advance green and low-carbon chemical processes. Thus, much work is focused on building an innovative theory and knowledge framework to unravel the nature of ILs. Moreover, there is an increasing trend to utilize ILs in rapidly emerging fields. Aiming to provide an overview of the recent advances and challenges of ILs in the development of green processes for renewable resources, this review highlights the properties and functions of ILs in IL gating and as electrolyte additives, modifiers, exfoliation agents, nucleation substrates, tunable solvents, versatile carriers and biosensor components in three representative and revolutionary production processes, namely, new energy, electronic information materials, and biotechnologies. The innovative applications of ILs demonstrate their potential to create a landscape of low-carbon, high-end and smart technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the cellulose phase separation behavior was investigated by using ionic liquids (ILs) as novel solvents to acquire a green process for cellulose fiber spinning. The cloud point titration method combined with the turbidity correlation equation was used to obtain the ternary diagram of IL/cellulose/coagulator throughout the whole compositional range. The effects of the type of ILs, the cellulose materials, the kind of coagulators and the regeneration temperatures for cellulose fiber manufacturing process on the phase separation behavior were studied systematically. It was found that the linearized cloud point (LCP) curve correlation fits to experimental data well and can be used to quantify the optimized coagulator, and among the studied cases, the system of [EMIM]DEP, cotton pulp and water with the regeneration temperature at 298.15 K is the best. Meanwhile, COSMO-RS was used to predict the interaction between solvent, cellulose and coagulator, and the comparison with the LCP correlation shows good agreement. The crystal structure of the regenerated cotton pulp was determined with XRD, and the result evidences that the crystal structure of the regenerated cellulose transforms from cellulose I to cellulose II. The crystallinity decreases from 96.0% (raw cotton pulp) to 85.6% after 24 h dissolution in [EMIM]DEP at 363.15 K, and it has a slight deviation from 24 h to 72 h, which illustrates that the spinning process can run continuously at 363.15 K when using [EMIM]DEP as the solvent. Unlabelled Image • A green process for cellulose fiber spinning was acquired by experimental determination and COSMO-RS prediction. • The ternary diagram of IL/cellulose/coagulator throughout the whole compositional range was obtained. • The COSMO-RS prediction shows good agreement with the linearized cloud point curve correlation. • [EMIM]DEP, cotton pulp and water with the coagulation temperature at 298.15 K is the best system for cellulose spinning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studied the high-temperature stability of dissimilar steel welded joints between G115 and Sanicro25 steel. The joints were exposed to 700 °C for time up to 2000h. The microstructure evolution of base metal (BM) and fine-grain heat-affected zone (FGHAZ) were analyzed. Tensile, microhardness, and impact experiments were conducted on the joints, and the explanations for the changes in mechanical performance are derived from the microstructure. The results showed that the Laves phase were precipitated after aging for 100 h, which has two nucleation methods. Nucleation adjacent to M 23 C 6 is the main way in this research. Laves phase mainly grows up to consume M 23 C 6. The microstructure in BM and FGHAZ is obviously different after aging. After aging for 1000 h, mechanical properties such as tensile strength, Vickers hardness, impact energy, elongation and area reduction are reduced, except for the yield strength. The softening caused by the microstructure evolution of FGHAZ is the main reason for the joint fracture in FGHAZ. • The Laves phase were precipitated after aging for 100 h, which has two nucleation methods. • All the mechanical performance decrease except the yield strength after aging for 1000 h. • The Laves phase in the heat-affected zone grows abnormally in the aging range of 1000h–1500h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MicroRNA396 (miR396) plays an important role in the regulation of plant growth and development by repressing the expression level of its target growth-regulating factor (GRF) family genes. In our previous study, we found that overexpression of miR396 negatively regulated both tillering and biomass yield in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). We, therefore, speculated that blocking the expression of miR396 could enhance switchgrass tillering and biomass yield. Here, we produced transgenic switchgrass plants overexpressing a target mimicry form of miR396 (MIM396) in wild type (WT) and Os-MIR319b overexpressing switchgrass plant (with higher enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency, but reduced tillering), in which the expression of miR396 was blocked. The phenotype and biological yields of these plants were analyzed. Results: Blocking miR396 to improve its target PvGRFs expression in switchgrass improved the tiller number and dry weight of transgenic plants. Further morphological analysis revealed that MIM396 plants increased the number of aerial branches and basal tillers compared to those of wild-type plants. The enzymatic efficiency of MIM396 plants was reduced; however, the total sugar production per plant was still significantly higher than that of wild-type plants due to the increase in biomass. In addition, blocking miR396 in a transgenic switchgrass plant overexpressing Os-MIR319b (TG21-Ms) significantly increased the PvGRF1/3/5 expression level and tiller number and biomass yield. The miR156-target gene PvSPL4, playing a negative role in aerial and basal buds outgrowth, showed significant downregulated in MIM396 and TG21-Ms. Those results indicate that miR396-PvGRFs, through disrupting the PvSPL4 expression, are involved in miR319-PvPCFs in regulating tiller number, at least partly. Conclusions: MIM396 could be used as a molecular tool to improving tiller number and biomass yield in switchgrass wild type and miR319b transgenic plants. This finding may be applied to other graminaceous plants to regulate plant biological yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Two machine learning models of RF-IFC and GBR-IFC are built. • The N 2 solubility in a series of ILs is predicted by the two models. • The COSMO-derived descriptors are taken as input parameters. • Both two models show reliable prediction results for N 2 solubility in ILs. The inertness of nitrogen (N 2) results in extremely low N 2 solubility in most solvents. However, in some important reactions, such as the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) driven by light or electrical energy, sufficient N 2 feedstock in electrolyte allows the reaction to proceed more smoothly. In this context, the study concerning N 2 solubility is of great significance. Previous research has demonstrated that ionic liquids (ILs) have many special characteristics and can be taken as green solvents to enhance N 2 solubility. Herein, two quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) models are established to predict the N 2 solubility in ILs by combining machine learning methods of random forest (RF) and gradient boosting regressor (GBR) with ionic fragments contribution (IFC) method. Firstly, a database with 385 N 2 solubilities in 38 ILs at various temperatures and pressures is collected, in which the ILs are separated into 27 ionic fragments. Then COSMO-derived descriptors for the cations and anions of ILs are calculated and used as input variables. In specific, the determination of coefficient (R2) for the training sets by RF-IFC and GBR-IFC is 0.9983 and 0.9999, respectively. The application examples of N 2 solubility in 1-hexyl-3-methyl-imidazolium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate ([HMIM][eFAP]) confirm the availability and usefulness of RF-IFC and GBR-IFC models, indicating that both two models are feasible and reliable for predicting N 2 solubility in ILs, and hopefully can be used to design and screen ILs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important factor secreted by skeletal muscle, myonectin can regulate lipid metabolism and energy metabolism, but its role in the utilization of peripheral free fatty acids (FFAs) by porcine intramuscular fat cells remains to be further investigated. In this study, porcine intramuscular adipocytes were treated with recombinant myonectin and palmitic acid (PA), either alone or in combination, and then were examined for their uptake of exogenous FFAs, intracellular lipid synthesis and catabolism, and mitochondrial oxidation of fatty acids. The results showed that myonectin decreased the area of lipid droplets in intramuscular adipocytes (p < 0.05) and significantly increased (p < 0.05) the expression levels of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL). Moreover, myonectin can up-regulate the expression of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK). Myonectin significantly promoted the uptake of peripheral FFAs (p < 0.01), improved (p < 0.05) the expression of fatty transport protein 1 (FATP1) and fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) in intramuscular adipocytes. Myonectin also significantly increased (p < 0.05) the expression levels of fatty acid oxidation markers: transcription factor (TFAM), uncoupling protein-2 (UCP2) and oxidative respiratory chain marker protein complex I (NADH-CoQ) in mitochondria of intramuscular adipocytes. In summary, myonectin promoted the absorption, transport, and oxidative metabolism of exogenous FFAs in mitochondria, thereby inhibiting lipid deposition in porcine intramuscular adipocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• QSPR models combining IFC with SVM and ANN are developed. • The solubilities of CO 2 and N 2 in ILs are predicted by IFC-SVM and IFC-ANN models. • The two models of IFC-SVM and IFC-ANN are compared. • The two models show reliable results in predicting CO 2 and N 2 solubility in ILs. • The two models are expected to guide the screening of ILs in the future. Ionic liquids (ILs) with many unique features can act as green solvents to dissolve some gases. In this study, two databases are collected to predict the CO 2 and N 2 solubility in various kinds of ILs with different temperature and pressure ranges. Firstly, 13,055 CO 2 solubility data in 164 kinds of ILs and 415 N 2 solubility data in 38 kinds of ILs are established. The hundreds of ILs are divided into dozens of ionic fragments (IFs). Then, the quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) model is built by combining ionic fragments contribution (IFC) with support vector machine (SVM) and artificial neural network (ANN) to establish the relationship between gas solubility and ILs structure. As a result, for CO 2 solubility prediction, the determination of coefficient (R2) is 0.9855 and 0.9732 for training sets by IFC-SVM and IFC-ANN, respectively, while for N 2 solubility prediction, the R2 is 0.9966 and 0.9909 for training sets by IFC-SVM and IFC-ANN, respectively. The result indicates that both IFC-SVM and IFC-ANN models can accurately and reliably predict CO 2 and N 2 solubility in ILs, so as to guide the screening of ILs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The localized plasmon resonance (LSPR) is recognized as an effective way to convert incident light energy and significantly boost the catalytic reaction. However, a comprehensive understanding of the plasmon-thermo coupling mechanism is still lacking. To address this knowledge gap, we investigate reaction pathway and plasmonic enhancement mechanism of the photo-thermo coupled catalytic reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reactions over Au/γ-Al 2 O 3. The results indicate that both formate and carboxyl pathways contribute to the overall reaction. The m-formate pathway is suggested as the main reaction mechanism at low reaction temperature over small Au NPs. Spectro-kinetics and theoretical calculation analyses indicate that the plasmonic energy preferentially transfers to HCOO* via a combination of hot electron and resonance energy transfer mechanisms. The plasmonic energy facilitates the dehydration of HCOO* to CO, which is the rate-determining step (RDS) of the overall RWGS reaction. [Display omitted] • Plasmon enhances the CO 2 hydrogenation rate by ∼211.8 % over Au/Al 2 O 3. • m-HCOO* is demonstrated as the main reaction intermediate over small-size Au/Al 2 O 3. • br-HCOO* is proven as a reaction intermediate contributing to CO production. • Plasmon preferentially enhances the br-HCOO* pathway via promoting its dehydration. • Both "hot" electrons and resonance energy transfer are the promoting mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Sequestering microRNA396 by overexpression of MIM396 enhanced alfalfa resistance to Spodoptera litura larvae, which may be due to increased lignin content and enhanced low-molecular weight flavonoids and glucosinolates biosynthesis. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa), the most important leguminous forage crop, suffers from the outbreak of defoliator insects, especially Spodoptera litura, resulting in heavy losses in yield and forage quality. Here, we found that the expression of alfalfa microRNA396 (miR396) precursor genes and mature miR396 was significantly up-regulated in wounding treatment that simulates feeding injury by defoliator insects. To verify the function of miR396 in alfalfa resistance to insect, we generated MIM396 transgenic alfalfa plants with significantly down-regulated miR396 expression by Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation. The MIM396 transgenic alfalfa plants exhibited improved resistance to Spodoptera litura larvae with increased lignin content but decreased JA accumulation. Most of the miR396 putative target GRF genes were up-regulated in MIM396 transgenic lines, and responded to the wounding treatment. By RNA sequencing analysis, we found that the differentially expressed genes related to insect resistance between WT and MIM396 transgenic plants mainly clustered in biosynthesis pathways in lignin, flavonoids and glucosinolates. In addition to the phenotype of enhanced insect resistance, MIM396 transgenic plants also displayed reduced biomass yield and forage quality. Our results broaden the function of miR396 in alfalfa and provide genetic resources for studying alfalfa insect resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper ions play a crucial role in the progression of cancers. Tumor tissue is rich in copper ions, and copper chelators could potentially scavenge these copper ions and thus exert an antitumor effect. In this study, we report the synthesis of a novel thieno[3,2‐c]pyridine compound we have called "JYFY‐001" that can act as the copper chelator thanks to the inclusion of an N‐(pyridin‐2‐yl)acetamide moiety that targets copper ions. JYFY‐001 potently inhibited cancer proliferation, inducing cell apoptosis and impairing the extracellular acidification rate and oxygen consumption rate of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. JYFY‐001 also inhibited the growth of a CRC‐transplanted tumor in a dose‐dependent manner, inducing apoptosis of the tumor cells and promoting the infiltration of lymphocytes in the CRC‐transplanted tumor tissues. JYFY‐001 also enhanced the antitumor effects of the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) inhibitor. The relatively benign nature of JYFY‐001 was demonstrated by the effect on normal cell viability and acute toxicity tests in mice. Our findings suggest that JYFY‐001 is a prospective copper chelator to be used as a targeted drug and a synergist of immunotherapy for CRC treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing technologies to store hydrogen efficiently, safely, and economically is essential to achieve the application of hydrogen, among which V-based body-centered cubic (BCC) alloys are a promising material with a high theoretical storage capacity, but, the high cost of V hinder their practical applications. In this work, a novel V alloy with only 5 at% V was developed by suction casting (SC) method, reaching a dehydriding capacity up to 2.9 wt% H. The microstructural control and de-/hydrogenation mechanism for the developed alloys were further investigated systemically. It showed that the low-V alloy prepared by traditional casting displayed Laves phase, and the practical capacity only reached 2 wt% H. Instead, when the suction casting was used in preparation, the developed alloy maintained the single BCC phase and yielded 3.6 wt% H practical capacity, already comparable with V-based alloys. In addition, for the low V SC alloy, after hydriding, the phase structure was transformed from BCC to face-center cubic (FCC), easy to be recovered back to the original BCC structure. The hydrogenation kinetic is controlled by the nucleation growth mechanism with low activation energy, and the enthalpy change △H , was further confirmed by the differential scanning calorimetry curves. This work provided a significant guide for designing a new-generation hydrogen storage alloys with low cost and excellent hydrogen storage performances. [Display omitted] • The body-centered cubic phase of low-V alloys was prepared by a novel method of suction casting. • The low-V alloys have the remarkable dehydrogenation performances with the maximum of 2.9 wt%. • Kinetic and thermodynamic mechanisms of the low-V alloys upon de-/hydrogenation were clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanadium-based alloys are considered to be one of the most promising hydrogen storage materials due to their high hydrogen storage capacity under ambient conditions. However, their complex activation at high temperature and poor stability pose serious challenges for large-scale applications. In this work, a series of TiCr 3 V 16 Ce x (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 1) hydrogen storage alloys were developed with different Ce contents using arc melting. The hydrogen storage and desorption performance, activation mechanism, and hydrogen absorption mechanism of the prepared alloys were investigated. Physical characterization confirms that the alloy is body-centered cubic (BCC) with Ce dopants, which exist in the form of oxides. The pressure-composition-temperature (PCT) test showed that the hydrogen storage plateau pressure of the Ce-doped alloy is increased compared to the Ce-free counterparts, while the hydrogen storage capacity decreased slightly with increasing Ce content. In addition, the influence of Ce doping on the alloy kinetics and thermodynamics is also discussed. The results showed that the TiCr 3 V 16 Ce x (x = 0.2, 0.4, 1) alloys could absorb and release hydrogen at room temperature without activation. As an optimum, the TiCr 3 V 16 Ce 0.2 alloy shows a hydrogen absorption rate of up to 3.69 wt%, and an effective hydrogen desorption capacity of 2.29 wt% at 25 °C. After hydrogen absorption and desorption cycles, the alloy almost maintains its original capacity. The Ce-doped BCC alloy developed in this work provides a new route to achieve high hydrogen storage performance under mild conditions. • The addition of Ce in the TiCr 3 V 16 Ce x alloys significantly decreases the activation temperature. • Hydrogen can be absorbed/desorbed for the TiCr 3 V 16 Ce 0.2 alloy at low temperature as 25 °C. • The desorption hydrogen rate increases with the addition of Ce in TiCr 3 V 16 Ce x alloys. • The TiCr 3 V 16 Ce 0.2 alloy has high cycle stability in hydrogen storage and desorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity and its related metabolic disorders, including insulin resistance and fatty liver, have become a serious global public health problem. Previous studies have shown Methionine Enkephalin (MetEnk) has the potential on adipocyte browning, however, its effects on the potential mechanisms of its regulation in browning as well as its improvement in energy metabolic homeostasis remain to be deciphered. C57BL/6J male mice were fed with high-fat diet (HFD) to induce obesity model, and MetEnk was injected subcutaneously to detect changes in the metabolic status of mice, adipocytes and HepG2 cells were also treated with MetEnk, and transcriptomic, metabolomic were used to detect the changes of lipid metabolism, mitochondrial function, inflammation and other related factors. We found that MetEnk effectively protected against obesity weight gain in HFD-induced C57BL/6J mice, significantly improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, reduced the expression levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), promoted white fat browning, moreover, using a combination of transcriptomic, metabolomic and inhibitors, it was found that MetEnk improved mitochondrial function, promoted thermogenesis and lipolysis by activating cAMP/PKA pathway in adipocytes, further analysis found that MetEnk also promoted lipolysis and alleviated inflammation through AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway in mice liver and HepG2 cells. Our study provides profound evidence for the role of MetEnk in improving lipid metabolism disorders. This study provides a mechanical foundation for investigating the potential of MetEnk to improve obesity and its associated metabolic disorders. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin is a biopolymer generated from the pulp and paper industry as a natural resource. Lignin valorization is advantageous for biorefineries to produce aromatic compounds, fragrance, biofuel, material, and commodity chemicals, which could be an alternative of crude oil-derived products. However, several barriers are involved in natural lignin extraction and depolymerization, which need to be solved for its full utilization. The electrochemical oxidative upgrading of lignin into the oxygenated molecule is a promising method, which cleaves the C–O and C–C bond by direct oxidative or indirect oxidative method. As promising solvents, electrolytes, as well as catalysts in organic synthesis and electrochemical processes, ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have gained significant attention as dissolution media and catalysts for lignin depolymerization. In this work, aromatic carbon-rich lignin macromolecule depolymerization in ILs/DESs was reviewed to gain a better understanding of barriers, covering the interaction of ILs/DESs with lignin structure, degradation mechanism, thermochemical and electrochemical transformations, as well as COSMO-RS theoretical modeling and screening. In-situ generation of free radicals as catalysts (reactive oxygen species or H 2 O 2) for lignin degradation into value-added products was also discussed. All these studies give importance to ILs/DESs for thermochemical, electrochemical lignin cleavage and upgrading to value-added products for achieving sustainable future goals. [Display omitted] Synopsis: sketch representing the lignin valorization in the ionic liquids and their products. The pictorial demonstration shows the electrochemical oxidation of lignin model compounds in ILs/DESs and COSMO-RS study. ILs/DESs play an important role in dissociating the proton from molecules to generate anion, which donate the electron to anode and generate free radicals in electrolyte media. ILs/DESs electrolyte systems have seen high O 2 diffusion coefficients, which is realistic for ORR to generate ROS and H 2 O 2 as co-catalyst for oxidation (please not considered as H-type electrochemical cell). • Lignin oxidative degradation mechanism in ionic liquids (ILs)/deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are presented. • ILs and (DESs) are interacted via hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking with lignin for dissolution. • The electrochemical free radicals (ROS, H 2 O 2) generation for lignin degradation into value-added products was also discussed. • The theoretical modeling COSMO-RS was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Internal voltage losses in PEM water electrolysis cell can be deconvoluted. • The electrical resistance of catalyst layers in PEMWE cells is in-situ measured. • The electrical resistances of the anode catalyst layers changed dynamically during operation. • The sensing methodology could be applied to other energy storage/conversion systems. Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) technology has been regarded as one of the most promising ways to fulfill a sustainable energy system when coupled with renewable energies. Understanding the working mechanisms and losses in PEMWE devices is critical for achieving the desired performance and durability that targets wide commercial applications. This work demonstrates a novel four-wire sensing technique for acquiring the internal voltage losses in an operating PEMWE cell, which deconvolutes the total cell voltage into five parts. Most importantly, the ohmic resistances on anode and cathode catalyst layers are in-situ and operando measured. The two catalyst layer resistances show completely different values and trends under the same operating conditions, which is mainly due to the electrical conductivity difference between the two layers. The ohmic resistance of the anode catalyst shows an exponential decay with current density, which is in accordance with previously published visualization results, and shows a dependency on temperature; while the ohmic resistance of the cathode catalyst layer is a constant and not related to operating conditions. With the adoption of the technique, a phenomenon in which the ohmic resistance of the anode catalyst changes dynamically during the cell testing is captured and recorded for the first time. These findings provide very valuable data and results for understanding the catalyst layer working mechanisms, and also help to optimize the future catalyst layer. The four-wire sensing technique developed in this study is a promising tool for diagnosis, analysis, and optimization not only for PEMWE devices, but also potentially for other energy storage and conversion devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen has been widely accepted as the best alternative energy carrier to store intermittent renewable energies. Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) represents a promising technology to produce highly pure hydrogen with high efficiency and low footprint. While great progress has been made on components, materials and even fabrication processes, new materials or complicated processes still require refinement in the process of continuously improving PEMWE performance and durability. In this study, we demonstrate a facile treatment on membranes, aiming at improving cell performance at low costs. By adopting the hydration in DI water or 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 , or by varying the treatment sequence with the catalyst layer deposition, the PEMWE performance was tuned with the overpotential improvement as high as 50 mV at 2.0 A cm−2. The PEMWE cells after different treatments were characterized both ex-situ and in-situ, and the mechanism was also proposed. The H 2 SO 4 treatment swelled the micro micelle structure of the Nafion membranes, resulting in a higher proton conductivity and better cell performance compared with those from DI water treatment. In addition, the treatment sequence also had great impact, and the treatment after the catalyst layer deposition would result in better performance due to the reduced resistance and better kinetics. Not only the types of membrane, but also the thickness should be measured and reported when tested, which is more critical when compared across the published works from different groups. This work could also provide a guideline for future membrane treatment and PEMWE cell testing. [Display omitted] • Various membrane treatment methods were in-situ and ex-situ characterized. • Significant performance improvements were achieved through membrane treatment. • When and how to treat the membrane affects the morphology of the catalyst layer. • A low-cost and promising membrane treatment technique was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Post-resistance progress in paclitaxel (PTX) treatment remains a major challenge in tumor treatment. A high dose of PTX was used for cell lines to analyze the changes in molecular expression. The miR-378d was sharply reduced in surviving cells, but the role of miR-378d in Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remained unclear. Methods: We analyzed the relationship between miR-378d expression and the clinicopathological features of ESCC. We constructed miR-378d silent expression cell lines to study phenotypes and molecular mechanisms. Results: The miR-378d expression was associated with good prognosis in patients with ESCC. miR-378d inhibition promoted chemo-resistance, monoclonal formation, EMT, migration, invasion, stemness, and metastasis of ESCC cells. miR-378d can target downregulated AKT1. Conclusions: Therefore, miR-378d expression is a good prognostic factor of patients with ESCC and regulates the malignant phenotype of tumor cells through AKT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient bioactivation of CO2 provides an alternative new strategy for producing high value chemicals and fuels. Normally, in vitro activation of CO2 can be achieved by using formate dehydrogenase (FDH). However, the CO2 solubility and the activity of commercial FDHCb remain a tough challenge for the efficient bioactivation of CO2. Here, we report a new "ionozyme" strategy created by using ionic liquids (ILs) as a solvent and enzyme stabilizer, resulting in a 142.3-fold increase in CO2 conversion over FDHCb. The ionozyme (FDHPa-[CH][Pro]-[TMGH][PhO]) was first developed by combing a discovered novel FDHPa with an efficient synergistic ionic microenvironment. The remarkable performance of this ionozyme is attributed to forming key intermediates [CH][ProCOO] and [TMGH][PhOCOO], stabilizing the enzyme structure with increased solvation structure, and shortening the distance (3.9 Å) between NADH and CO2 to favor the hydride transfer by facilitating their relative orientation and forming new hydrogen bonds at the active sites. This bioactivation of CO2 by this specific ionozyme represents ideal starting points for the sustainable carbon cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Biomass gasification and CO 2 electrochemical reduction were firstly combined. • Combination of biomass gasification and CO 2 electrochemical reduction achieves profit. • Electricity price is the key indicator for all the combined processes. Combining CO 2 electrochemical reduction (CO 2 R) and biomass gasification for producing methanol (CH 3 OH) is a promising option to increase the carbon efficiency, reduce total production cost (TPC), and realize the utilization of byproducts of CO 2 R system, but its viability has not been studied. In this work, systematic techno-economic assessments for the processes that combined CO 2 R to produce CO/syngas/CH 3 OH with biomass gasification were conducted and compared to stand-alone biomass gasification and CO 2 R processes, to identify the benefits and analyze the commercialization potential of different pathways under current and future conditions. The results demonstrated that the process that combined biomass gasification with CO 2 R to CO represents a viable pathway with a competitive TPC of 0.39 €/kg-CH 3 OH under the current condition. For all the combined cases, electricity usage for CO 2 R accounts for 36–76% of total operating cost, which plays a key role for TPC. Sensitivity analysis confirmed that the process that combined biomass gasification with CO 2 R to CO is sensitive to the price of electricity, while both CO 2 R performance and prices of stack and electricity are important for the processes that combined with CO 2 R to syngas/CH 3 OH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a notorious mycotoxin commonly found in Fusarium -contaminated crops, which causes great loss in livestock farming and serious health problems to humans. In the present work, we found that crude peroxidase extraction from soybean hulls could use H 2 O 2 as a co-substate to oxidize ZEN. Molecular docking and dynamic simulation also supported that ZEN could bind to the active site of soybean hull peroxidase (SHP). Subsequently, SHP extracted from soybean hulls was purified using a combined purification protocol involving ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography and size exclusion chromatography. The purified SHP showed wide pH resistance and high thermal stability. This peroxidase could degrade 95 % of ZEN in buffer with stepwise addition of 100 μM H 2 O 2 in 1 h. The two main ZEN degradation products were identified as 13-OH-ZEN and 13-OH-ZEN-quinone. Moreover, SHP-catalyzed ZEN degradation products displayed much less cytotoxicity to human liver cells than ZEN. The application of SHP in various food matrices obtained 54 % to 85 % ZEN degradation. The findings in this study will promote the utilization of SHP as a cheap and renewable biocatalyst for degrading ZEN in food. • SHP could directly oxidize ZEN with H 2 O 2 as a co-substrate. • 13-OH-ZEN and 13-OH-ZEN-quinone were the main ZEN oxidation products. • SHP-catalyzed ZEN degradation could be regarded as detoxification. • The application of SHP in food matrices obtained 54 % to 85 % ZEN degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical properties of the G115/Sanicro25 dissimilar steel welded joints were characterized by room temperature tensile and microhardness. The microstructures of fine-grain heat affected zone (FGHAZ) and base metal (BM) in the G115 steel side were characterized by optical microscopy, SEM, TEM, and XRD. The results show that as the strain increases, weld beam first yields and hardens, the stress on the specimen is further increased, then Sanicro25 steel yields and hardens, and G115 steel yields finally, the specimen broken in the FGHAZ of G115 steel side. The FGHAZ of G115 steel side softens after post-weld heat treatment (PWHT). The size of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) on the G115 side after welding is 3.7 mm. After PWHT, dynamic recovery occurs in the FGHAZ of the G115 side. The precipitates increase, martensite laths are polygonal, dislocation density is reduced, residual austenite disappears. The FGHAZ with large residual stress after welding undergoes stress relaxation during PWHT. Residual stress in the FGHAZ is reduced, the dislocation density is reduced, which reduces the effect of dislocation strengthening and martensite lath strengthening. The strength of the FGHAZ is lowered than BM. • The deformation of the joint is uneven. • After PWHT, dynamic recovery occurred in the FGHAZ, dislocation density reduced. • Decreased dislocation strengthening effect is the main cause of fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic liquids (ILs) show the superiority in dissolving and spinning of cellulose. In this work, wood pulp and microcrystalline cellulose were dissolved respectively in two ILs, 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Amim]Cl) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate ([Emim]DEP), to investigate the regularity of cellulose degradation in ILs. A novel method for determining degree of polymerization of cellulose employed ILs was proposed and its accuracy was compared with the traditional method. The results indicated that cellulose depolymerized seriously with the increase of time and temperature in [Amim]Cl than in [Emim]DEP. In addition, after cellulose dissolving for 72 h, none of the reducing sugar remained in the recycled [Emim]DEP, however, more than 2% reducing sugar can be measured in the recycled [Amim]Cl. These results are consistent with FT-IR investigation, i.e., [Amim]Cl shows greater dissolution capability for cellulose than [Emim]DEP. Therefore, [Emim]DEP shows great prospects in the continuous industrial spinning process under the determined temperature of 90–100 °C. Unlabelled Image • A novel method for determining the DP of cellulose employed ILs was proposed. • The new method of measuring DP is environmentally friendly. • Regularity of cellulose degradation in ILs was obtained. • [Emim]DEP shows brilliant prospect in the continuous industrial spinning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve alfalfa (Medicago sativa) biomass yield and abiotic stress resistance is a challenge due to its autotetraploidy and self-incompatibility. Previously we have generated transgenic alfalfa lines overexpressing miR156 and showing excellent plant architecture. In this study, we investigated the regulation network of miR156 in these transgenic alfalfa lines. Based on 83,202 non-redundant full-length transcripts in a pool of roots, stems, leaves, flowers, pods, and apical buds, we identified 154 candidate genes as potential downstream targets of miR156, especially for M. sativa SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein-like genes (MsSPLs), and then identified 26 MsSPL gene family members in alfalfa genome. The expressions of MsSPL 5B and MsSPL3 were downregulated in root and leaf respectively, whereas that of MsSPL4 was significantly downregulated in stem, leaf, root, and apical bud tissues due to miR156 overexpression. We revealed the key role of MsSPL4- mediated regulatory pathways in the substantial correlations between agronomic traits and gene expression, and further found several involved hub genes showing significant correlation with MsSPL4. In addition, MsSPL4 overexpression in tobacco enhanced salinity tolerance but inhibited bud induction. Our results provide strong evidence for understanding the roles of miR156 and MsSPLs in regulating plant architecture and abiotic stress responses in alfalfa. • miR156/SPL4 related to biomass yield & stress resistance. • Salt tolerance of MsSPL4 was confirmed. • A full-length transcriptome of alfalfa was built. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies using third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) as maintenance therapy after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for patients with Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ALL) harboring the T315I mutation remain scarce. We conducted a cohort study to evaluate the safety and outcomes of ponatinib maintenance therapy after HCT in Ph+ALL patients with T315I mutation. BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations were assessed using direct sequencing. Twenty-six Ph+ALL patients with T315I mutation who received allogeneic HCT were enrolled. After HCT, ponatinib was administered as a prophylactic regimen (n = 12) or a preemptive therapy (n = 7). Seven patients did not receive maintenance therapy. Adverse events (AEs) occurred in 69.4 % of patients with ponatinib maintenance, but most presented with mild toxicities. Serious non-hematological AEs were not observed. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and cumulative incidence of relapse in patients receiving prophylactic ponatinib were 81.5 %, 91.7 %, and 18.5 %, respectively, whereas they were 39.8 %, 46.0 %, and 48.4 % in the total cohort, respectively. The measurable BCR-ABL transcripts in the first three months after HCT was associated with poor DFS and OS, even with ponatinib therapy. We concluded that maintenance therapy with ponatinib is safe after HCT. Patients with T315I mutation who received prophylactic regimen showed promising results with an acceptable relapse rate and encouraging survival. However, patients with measurable BCR-ABL transcripts early post-transplant had poor outcomes. • Reports about maintenance therapy with ponatinib post-HCT in Ph+ALL patients harboring T315I mutation remain scarce. • After transplant, maintenance therapy with ponatinib was safe with acceptable toxicities. • Prophylactic regimen with ponatinib after HCT had encouraging outcomes. • Measurable BCR-ABL transcripts early post-HCT was associated with dismal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• COSMO-RS is used for screening > 103 ILs with highly efficient in lignin dissolving. • Calculations and experiment prove the dissolving of IL is mainly modulated by H-bond. • [PMpyrr][OAC] ILs with the ability to dissolve lignin strongly. • The solubility of lignin in IL is related to the structure of lignin model. As the second most abundant terrestrial polymer, lignin has emerged as a major sustainable source for the production of fuels, chemicals, and materials. However, efficient screening of solvents for lignin dissolving faces great challenges. In this work, COSMO-RS was used to screen 3886 ionic liquids (ILs) composed of 58 cations and 67 anions, to find out the most effective ones for lignin dissolving by considering the critical items of logarithmic infinite dilution activity coefficient (lnγ∞) and σ-profiles. The substantial improvement of lignin dissolution was achieved in [PMpyrr][OAc] IL by both simulations and experiments validations. Moreover, it was found that the anions dominate the dissolution process and the strongly polar anions exhibit better dissolution ability. Furthermore, the underlying mechanism originated from the hydrogen bond (H-bond) between ILs and lignin was also revealed and systemically analyzed from donor and acceptor ability, indicating that high lignin solubility is reached in the ILs with stronger ability to form H-bond acceptors. This work leads to possible ways toward developing more selective and efficient lignin dissolution methods based on solvent properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • COSMO-RS was shown to be an effective way to screen ILs for artemisinin processing. • The measured solubilities were consistent with the calculated values. • The IL anion plays a major role in the dissolution of artemisinin in ILs. • Hydrogen bond facilitates the dissolution of artemisinin in ILs. Organic solvents are usually used to extract artemisinin from Artemisia annua L., and they can also be the solvents for the subsequent purification or derivatization to produce compounds with more efficient antimalarial effect. However, these solvents are volatile, explosive and toxic. The designable material ionic liquids (ILs) are alternative solvents to replace traditional ones. In this work, a reliable method for screening ILs with high solvation capability for artemisinin was developed. The infinite dilution activity coefficients of artemisinin in 903 ILs, composed by 43 cations and 21 anions, were calculated by COSMO-RS, and the results implied that the solubility of artemisinin in ILs mainly depends on the anions. Solubilities of artemisinin in 14 representative ILs were tested, and the results were in good accordance with those obtained in COSMO-RS calculation. The stability of artemisinin in some typical ILs was also studied, which indicated that this drug was stable in [EMIM][BF 4 ], [EMIM][CF 3 Ac], [EMIM][NTF 2 ], [BPY][NTF 2 ], [EMIM][SCN], and [EMIM][Ac]. The excess enthalpy analysis demonstrated that artemisinin interacted with ILs mainly through hydrogen bond. Extraction of artemisinin using the optimal IL indicated that more artemisinin could be extracted from the leaves when compared with petroleum ether (254.73 mg/mol IL vs. 14.16 mg/mol solvent), further verifying accuracy of the simulation results. Therefore, structures of ILs with high solvation capacity for artemisinin can be obtained by the COSMO-RS method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) is a prevalent contaminant in agricultural products, presenting significant risks to animal health. CotA laccase from Bacillus licheniformis has shown significant efficacy in degrading mycotoxins in vitro test. The efficacy of Bacillus CotA laccase in animals, however, remains to be confirmed. A 2 × 2 factorial design was used to investigate the effects of Bacillus CotA laccase level (0 or 1 U/kg), AFB 1 challenge (challenged or unchallenged) and their interactions on ducks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Bacillus CotA laccase in alleviating AFB 1 toxicosis of ducks., Results: Bacillus CotA laccase alleviated AFB 1 -induced declines in growth performance of ducks accompanied by improved average daily gain (ADG) and lower feed/gain ratio (F/G). Bacillus CotA laccase ameliorated AFB 1 -induced gut barrier dysfunctions and inflammation testified by increasing the jejunal villi height/crypt depth ratio (VH/CD) and the mRNA expression of tight junction protein 1 (TJP1) and zonula occluden-1 (ZO-1) as well as decreasing the expression of inflammation-related genes in the jejunum of ducks. Amino acid metabolome showed that Bacillus CotA laccase ameliorated AFB 1 -induced amino acid metabolism disorders evidenced by increasing the level of glutamic acid in serum and upregulating the expression of amino acid transport related genes in jejunum of ducks. Bacillus CotA laccase ameliorated AFB 1 -induced liver injury testified by suppressing oxidative stress, inhibiting apoptosis, and downregulating the expression of hepatic metabolic enzyme related genes of ducks. Moreover, Bacillus CotA laccase degraded AFB 1 in digestive tract of ducks, resulting in the reduced absorption level of AFB 1 across intestinal epithelium testified by the decreased level of AFB 1 -DNA adduct in the liver, and the reduced content of AFB 1 residues in liver and feces of ducks., Conclusions: Bacillus CotA laccase effectively improved the growth performance, intestinal health, amino acid metabolism and hepatic aflatoxin metabolism of ducks fed AFB 1 diets, highlighting its potential as an efficient and safe feed enzyme for AFB 1 degradation in animal production., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The level of measurable residual disease (MRD) before and after transplantation is related to inferior transplant outcomes, and post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation measurable residual disease (post-HSCT MRD) has higher prognostic value in determining risk than pre-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation measurable residual disease (pre-HSCT MRD). However, only a few work has been devoted to the risk factors for positive post-HSCT MRD in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This study evaluated the risk factors for post-HSCT MRD positivity in patients with ALL who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT)., Methods: A total of 1683 ALL patients from Peking University People's Hospital between January 2009 and December 2019 were enrolled to evaluate the cumulative incidence of post-HSCT MRD. Cox proportional hazard regression models were built for time-to-event outcomes. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine independent influencing factors from the univariate analysis., Results: Both in total patients and in T-cell ALL or B-cell ALL, pediatric or adult, human leukocyte antigen-matched sibling donor transplantation or haploidentical SCT subgroups, positive pre-HSCT MRD was a risk factor for post-HSCT MRD positivity (P <0.001 for all). Disease status (complete remission 1 [CR1] vs. ≥CR2) was also a risk factor for post-HSCT MRD positivity in all patients and in the B cell-ALL, pediatric, or haploidentical SCT subgroups (P = 0.027; P = 0.003; P = 0.035; P = 0.003, respectively). A risk score for post-HSCT MRD positivity was developed using the variables pre-HSCT MRD and disease status. The cumulative incidence of post-HSCT MRD positivity was 12.3%, 25.1%, and 38.8% for subjects with scores of 0, 1, and 2-3, respectively (P <0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed the association of the risk score with the cumulative incidence of post-HSCT MRD positivity and relapse as well as leukemia-free survival and overall survival., Conclusion: Our results indicated that positive pre-MRD and disease status were two independent risk factors for post-HSCT MRD positivity in patients with ALL who underwent allo-HSCT., (Copyright © 2024 The Chinese Medical Association, produced by Wolters Kluwer, Inc. under the CC-BY-NC-ND license.)

Aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) contamination is a serious threat to nutritional safety and public health. The CotA-laccase from Bacillus licheniformis ANSB821 previously reported by our laboratory showed great potential to degrade AFB 1 without redox mediators. However, the use of this CotA-laccase to remove AFB 1 in animal feed is limited because of its low catalytic efficiency and low expression level. In order to make better use of this excellent enzyme to effectively degrade AFB 1 , twelve mutants of CotA-laccase were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis. Among these mutants, E186A and E186R showed the best degradation ability of AFB 1 , with degradation ratios of 82.2% and 91.8% within 12 h, which were 1.6- and 1.8-times higher than those of the wild-type CotA-laccase, respectively. The catalytic efficiencies ( k cat /K m ) of E186A and E186R were found to be 1.8- and 3.2-times higher, respectively, than those of the wild-type CotA-laccase. Then the expression vectors pPICZαA-N-E186A and pPICZαA-N-E186R with an optimized signal peptide were constructed and transformed into Pichia pastoris GS115. The optimized signal peptide improved the secretory expressions of E186A and E186R in P. pastoris GS115. Collectively, the current study provided ideal candidate CotA-laccase mutants for AFB 1 detoxification in food and animal feed and a feasible protocol, which was desperately needed for the industrial production of CotA-laccases.

The sustainable development of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) requires a dramatic reduction in Ir while maintaining good catalytic activity and stability for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, high-surface-area Ta 2 O 5 with abundant oxygen vacancies is synthesized via a facile process, followed by anchoring IrRuO x onto a Ta 2 O 5 support (IrRuO x /Ta 2 O 5 ). IrRuO x and Ta 2 O 5 work synergistically to afford excellent catalytic performance for the acidic OER. At 0.3 mg Ir cm -2 , IrRuO x /Ta 2 O 5 only needed an overpotential of 235 mV to deliver 10 mA cm -2 in an acidic half cell and needed a cell potential of 1.91 V to deliver 2 A cm -2 in a PEM water electrolyzer. The characterization results show that doping Ir into RuO x significantly improves the stability and the electrochemically active surface area of RuO x . In IrRuO x /Ta 2 O 5 , IrRuO x interacts with Ta 2 O 5 through more electron-rich Ir, indicating strong synergy between the catalyst and the support. The use of a metal oxide support improves the catalyst dispersion, optimizes electronic structures, facilitates mass transport, and stabilizes active sites. This work demonstrates that compositing Ir with less expensive Ru and anchoring catalyst nanoparticles on platinum-group metal (PGM)-free metal oxide supports represents one of the most promising strategies to reduce Ir loading and achieve an activity-stability trade-off. Such a strategy can benefit future catalyst design for other energy storage and conventional processes.

Increasing the ultraviolet radiation (UV) level, particularly UV-B due to damage to the stratospheric ozone layer by human activities, has huge negative effects on plant and animal metabolism. As a widely grown cool-season forage grass and turfgrass in the world, perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne ) is UV-B-sensitive. To study the effects of miR164, a highly conserved microRNA in plants, on perennial ryegrass under UV stress, both Os miR164 a overexpression (OE164) and target mimicry (MIM164) transgenic perennial ryegrass plants were generated using agrobacterium-mediated transformation, and UV-B treatment (~600 μw cm -2 ) of 7 days was imposed. Morphological and physiological analysis showed that the miR164 gene affected perennial ryegrass UV tolerance negatively, demonstrated by the more scorching leaves, higher leaf electrolyte leakage, and lower relative water content in OE164 than the WT and MIM164 plants after UV stress. The increased UV sensitivity could be partially due to the reduction in antioxidative capacity and the accumulation of anthocyanins. This study indicated the potential of targeting miR164 and/or its targeted genes for the genetic manipulation of UV responses in forage grasses/turfgrasses; further research to reveal the molecular mechanism underlying how miR164 affects plant UV responses is needed.

Deoxynivalenol (DON), primarily generated by Fusarium species, often exists in agricultural products. It can be transformed to 3- epi -deoxynivalenol (3- epi -DON), with a relatively low toxicity, via two steps. DDH in Pelagibacterium halotolerans ANSP101 was proved to convert DON to 3-keto-deoxynivalenol (3-keto-DON). In the present research, AKR4, a NADPH-dependent aldo/keto reductase from P. halotolerans ANSP101, was identified to be capable of converting 3-keto-DON into 3- epi -DON. Our results demonstrated that AKR4 is clearly a NADPH-dependent enzyme, for its utilization of NADPH is higher than that of NADH. AKR4 functions at a range of pH 5-10 and temperatures of 20-60 °C. AKR4 is able to degrade 89% of 3-keto-DON in 90 min at pH 7 and 50 °C with NADPH as the cofactor. The discovery of AKR4, serving as an enzyme involved in the final step in DON degradation, might provide an option for the final detoxification of DON in food and feed.

Cottonseed meal (CSM) is the major by-product of the cottonseed oil extraction process with high protein content. However, the presence of free gossypol (FG) in CSM severely restricts its utilization in the food and animal feed industries. The development of a biological strategy for the effective removal of FG in CSM has become an urgent need. In this study, three bacterial laccases including CotA from Bacillus licheniformis , CueO from Escherichia coli , and LcLac from Loigolactobacillus coryniformis were heterologously expressed and investigated for their FG degradation ability. The results showed that CotA laccase displayed the highest FG-degrading capacity among the three laccases, achieving 100% FG degradation at 37 °C and pH 7.0 in 1 h without the addition of a redox mediator. Moreover, in vitro and in vivo studies confirmed that the hepatotoxicity of FG was effectively eliminated after oxidative degradation by CotA laccase. Furthermore, the addition of CotA laccase could achieve 87% to 98% FG degradation in defatted CSM within 2 h. In conclusion, CotA laccase can be developed as an effective biocatalyst for the detoxification of FG in CSM.

The cholesterol-lowering effect of lactic acid bacteria with high activity of bile salt hydrolase (BSH) is unclear. We believe that distinguishing BSH substrate specificity is necessary to study the effect of various BSH enzymes. We engineered a BSH mutant enzyme recombinant strain named F67A, which exclusively hydrolyzes taurocholic acid (TCA) using site-directed mutagenesis, and a previously lab-constructed BSH recombinant strain, YB81 that exclusively hydrolyzes glycocholic acid (GCA). We also constructed the recombinant strain named NB5462, which carries the empty pSIP411 plasmid and was used as a blank control strain. The intestinal flora in pseudo-germ-free (PGF) mice in which intestinal flora were eliminated via antibiotics, and F67A successfully reduced serum cholesterol levels in high-cholesterol diet-fed mice, whereas YB81 did not yield the same results. However, YB81 regained its cholesterol-lowering capacity in specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice with intact intestinal flora. The cholesterol-lowering mechanism of F67A involved modifying the bile acid pool through BSH enzyme activity. This adjustment regulated the expression of intestinal farnesoid X receptor and subsequently elevated hepatic cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1), effectively reducing cholesterol levels. Conversely, GCA, the substrate of YB81, was found in minimal quantities in mice, preventing it from inducing changes in bile acid pools. In the presence of intestinal flora, the YB81 BSH enzyme induced notable alterations in bile acids by regulating changes in the intestinal flora and BSH within the flora, ultimately resulting in cholesterol reduction. This is the first study investigating the substrate specificity of BSH, demonstrating that different substrate-specific BSH enzymes exhibit cholesterol-lowering properties. Additionally, we elaborate on the mechanism of BSH-mediated enterohepatic axis regulation.

Aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) contamination seriously threatens nutritional safety and common health. Bacterial CotA-laccases have great potential to degrade AFB 1 without redox mediators. However, CotA-laccases are limited because of the low catalytic activity as the spore-bound nature. The AFB 1 degradation ability of CotA-laccase from Bacillus licheniformis ANSB821 has been reported by a previous study in our laboratory. In this study, a Q441A mutant was constructed to enhance the activity of CotA-laccase to degrade AFB 1 . After the site-directed mutation, the mutant Q441A showed a 1.73-fold higher catalytic efficiency ( k cat /K m ) towards AFB 1 than the wild-type CotA-laccase did. The degradation rate of AFB 1 by Q441A mutant was higher than that by wild-type CotA-laccase in the pH range from 5.0 to 9.0. In addition, the thermostability was improved after mutation. Based on the structure analysis of CotA-laccase, the higher catalytic efficiency of Q441A for AFB 1 may be due to the smaller steric hindrance of Ala441 than Gln441. This is the first research to enhance the degradation efficiency of AFB 1 by CotA-laccase with site-directed mutagenesis. In summary, the mutant Q441A will be a suitable candidate for highly effective detoxification of AFB 1 in the future., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Background: Medicago sativa is the most important forage world widely, and is characterized by high quality and large biomass. While abiotic factors such as salt stress can negatively impact the growth and productivity of alfalfa. Maintaining Na + /K + homeostasis in the cytoplasm helps reduce cell damage and nutritional deprivation, which increases a salt-tolerance of plant. Teosinte Branched1/ Cycloidea/ Proliferating cell factors (TCP) family genes, a group of plant-specific transcription factors (TFs), involved in regulating plant growth and development and abiotic stresses. Recent studies have shown TCPs control the Na + /K + concentration of plants during salt stress. In order to improve alfalfa salt tolerance, it is important to identify alfalfa TCP genes and investigate if and how they regulate alfalfa Na + /K + homeostasis., Results: Seventy-one MsTCPs including 23 non-redundant TCP genes were identified in the database of alfalfa genome (C.V XinJiangDaYe), they were classified into class I PCF (37 members) and class II: CIN (28 members) and CYC/TB1 (9 members). Their distribution on chromosome were unequally. MsTCPs belonging to PCF were expressed specifically in different organs without regularity, which belonging to CIN class were mainly expressed in mature leaves. MsTCPs belongs to CYC/TB1 clade had the highest expression level at meristem. Cis-elements in the promoter of MsTCPs were also predicted, the results indicated that most of the MsTCPs will be induced by phytohormone and stress treatments, especially by ABA-related stimulus including salinity stress. We found 20 out of 23 MsTCPs were up-regulated in 200 mM NaCl treatment, and MsTCP3/14/15/18 were significantly induced by 10 μM KCl, a K + deficiency treatment. Fourteen non-redundant MsTCPs contained miR319 target site, 11 of them were upregulated in MIM319 transgenic alfalfa, and among them four (MsTCP3/4/10A/B) genes were directly degraded by miR319. MIM319 transgene alfalfa plants showed a salt sensitive phenotype, which caused by a lower content of potassium in alfalfa at least partly. The expression of potassium transported related genes showed significantly higher expression in MIM319 plants., Conclusions: We systematically analyzes the MsTCP gene family at a genome-wide level and reported that miR319-TCPs model played a function in K + up-taking and/ or transportation especially in salt stress. The study provide valuable information for future study of TCP genes in alfalfa and supplies candidate genes for salt-tolerance alfalfa molecular-assisted breeding., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

This paper estimates the relationship between personality traits measured by the "Big Five Model" and occupational status with a nationally representative household survey from China. I find that four of the five personality traits except extraversion are significantly associated with occupational status in terms of occupational choices, occupational prestige, and socioeconomic status. In particular, conscientiousness is the most important predictor among the five dimensions of personality traits. The findings also suggest that the returns of personality traits to occupational status are higher for females., Competing Interests: The author has declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Yanrong Liu. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Patients with gastric cancer exhibit considerable genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity, necessitating the establishment of a model for personalized medicine screening. Here, we successfully established three-dimensional cell spheroids (3D cell spheroids) from fresh gastric cancer tissues (n = 30) as in vitro models for further therapeutic screening. Hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemical staining of whole spheroids and parental tumor tissues revealed that the 3D cell spheroids recapitulated the parental tissue structure and maintained the histological characteristics of the parental tumor tissue during long-term expansion in vitro. Further, transcriptome sequencing verified that the cell spheroids could recapitulate the gene expression profile characteristics of the parental tumor tissue. Drug susceptibility testing of the 3D cell spheroids demonstrated that these cell spheroids can be used as a reliable model for drug prediction., Competing Interests: None., (AJCR Copyright © 2023.)