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Qi-Wei Fu,1,* Yun-Peng Zi,1,* Wei Xu,1 Rong Zhou,1 Zhu-Yun Cai,1 Wei-Jie Zheng,1 Feng Chen,2 Qi-Rong Qian1 1Department of Orthopedics, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 2State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Calcium phosphate-based biomaterials have been well studied in biomedical fields due to their outstanding chemical and biological properties which are similar to the inorganic constituents in bone tissue. In this study, amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) nanoparticles were prepared by a precipitation method, and used for preparation of ACP-poly(D,L-lactic acid) (ACP-PLA) nanofibers and water-soluble drug-containing ACP-PLA nanofibers by electrospinning. Promoting the encapsulation efficiency of water-soluble drugs in electrospun hydrophobic polymer nanofibers is a common problem due to the incompatibility between the water-soluble drug molecules and hydrophobic polymers solution. Herein, we used a native biomolecule of lecithin as a biocompatible surfactant to overcome this problem, and successfully prepared water-soluble drug-containing ACP-PLA nanofibers. The lecithin and ACP nanoparticles played important roles in stabilizing water-soluble drug in the electrospinning composite solution. The electrospun drug-containing ACP-PLA nanofibers exhibited fast mineralization in simulated body fluid. The ACP nanoparticles played the key role of seeds in the process of mineralization. Furthermore, the drug-containing ACP-PLA nanofibers exhibited sustained drug release which simultaneously occurred with the in situ mineralization in simulated body fluid. The osteoblast-like (MG63) cells with spreading filopodia were well observed on the as-prepared nanofibrous mats after culturing for 24 hours, indicating a high cytocompatibility. Due to the high biocompatibility, sustained drug release, and fast mineralization, the as-prepared composite nanofibers may have potential applications in water-soluble drug loading and release for tissue engineering. Keywords: calcium phosphate, water-soluble drug, nanofibers, drug release, electrospinning

To maximize the light yield of the liquid scintillator (LS) for the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), a 20 t LS sample was produced in a pilot plant at Daya Bay. The optical properties of the new LS in various compositions were studied by replacing the gadolinium-loaded LS in one antineutrino detector. The concentrations of the fluor, PPO, and the wavelength shifter, bis-MSB, were increased in 12 steps from 0.5 g/L and

We describe a space-borne, multi-band, multi-beam polarimeter aiming at a precise and accurate measurement of the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background. The instrument is optimized to be compatible with the strict budget requirements of a medium-size space mission within the Cosmic Vision Programme of the European Space Agency. The instrument has no moving parts, and uses arrays of diffraction-limited Kinetic Inductance Detectors to cover the frequency range from 60 GHz to 600 GHz in 19 wide bands, in the focal plane of a 1.2 m aperture telescope cooled at 40 K, allowing for an accurate extraction of the CMB signal from polarized foreground emission. The projected CMB polarization survey sensitivity of this instrument, after foregrounds removal, is 1.7 μKċarcmin. The design is robust enough to allow, if needed, a downscoped version of the instrument covering the 100 GHz to 600 GHz range with a 0.8 m aperture telescope cooled at 85 K, with a projected CMB polarization survey sensitivity of 3.2 μKċarcmin.

Lensing of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is now a well-developed probe of the clustering of the large-scale mass distribution over a broad range of redshifts. By exploiting the non-Gaussian imprints of lensing in the polarization of the CMB, the CORE mission will allow production of a clean map of the lensing deflections over nearly the full-sky. The number of high-S/N modes in this map will exceed current CMB lensing maps by a factor of 40, and the measurement will be sample-variance limited on all scales where linear theory is valid. Here, we summarise this mission product and discuss the science that will follow from its power spectrum and the cross-correlation with other clustering data. For example, the summed mass of neutrinos will be determined to an accuracy of 17 meV combining CORE lensing and CMB two-point information with contemporaneous measurements of the baryon acoustic oscillation feature in the clustering of galaxies, three times smaller than the minimum total mass allowed by neutrino oscillation measurements. Lensing has applications across many other science goals of CORE, including the search for B-mode polarization from primordial gravitational waves. Here, lens-induced B-modes will dominate over instrument noise, limiting constraints on the power spectrum amplitude of primordial gravitational waves. With lensing reconstructed by CORE, one can "delens" the observed polarization internally, reducing the lensing B-mode power by 60 %. This can be improved to 70 % by combining lensing and measurements of the cosmic infrared background from CORE, leading to an improvement of a factor of 2.5 in the error on the amplitude of primordial gravitational waves compared to no delensing (in the null hypothesis of no primordial B-modes). Lensing measurements from CORE will allow calibration of the halo masses of the tens of thousands of galaxy clusters that it will find, with constraints dominated by the clean polarization-based estimators. The 19 frequency channels proposed for CORE will allow accurate removal of Galactic emission from CMB maps. We present initial findings that show that residual Galactic foreground contamination will not be a significant source of bias for lensing power spectrum measurements with CORE.

We present an analysis of the main systematic effects that could impact the measurement of CMB polarization with the proposed CORE space mission. We employ timeline-to-map simulations to verify that the CORE instrumental set-up and scanning strategy allow us to measure sky polarization to a level of accuracy adequate to the mission science goals. We also show how the CORE observations can be processed to mitigate the level of contamination by potentially worrying systematics, including intensity-to-polarization leakage due to bandpass mismatch, asymmetric main beams, pointing errors and correlated noise. We use analysis techniques that are well validated on data from current missions such as Planck to demonstrate how the residual contamination of the measurements by these effects can be brought to a level low enough not to hamper the scientific capability of the mission, nor significantly increase the overall error budget. We also present a prototype of the CORE photometric calibration pipeline, based on that used for Planck, and discuss its robustness to systematics, showing how CORE can achieve its calibration requirements. While a fine-grained assessment of the impact of systematics requires a level of knowledge of the system that can only be achieved in a future study phase, the analysis presented here strongly suggests that the main areas of concern for the CORE mission can be addressed using existing knowledge, techniques and algorithms.

Future observations of cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarisation have the potential to answer some of the most fundamental questions of modern physics and cosmology, including: what physical process gave birth to the Universe we see today? What are the dark matter and dark energy that seem to constitute 95% of the energy density of the Universe? Do we need extensions to the standard model of particle physics and fundamental interactions? Is the ΛCDM cosmological scenario correct, or are we missing an essential piece of the puzzle? In this paper, we list the requirements for a future CMB polarisation survey addressing these scientific objectives, and discuss the design drivers of the COREmfive space mission proposed to ESA in answer to the "M5" call for a medium-sized mission. The rationale and options, and the methodologies used to assess the mission's performance, are of interest to other future CMB mission design studies. COREmfive has 19 frequency channels, distributed over a broad frequency range, spanning the 60-600 GHz interval, to control astrophysical foreground emission. The angular resolution ranges from 2′ to 18′, and the aggregate CMB sensitivity is about 2 μKċarcmin. The observations are made with a single integrated focal-plane instrument, consisting of an array of 2100 cryogenically-cooled, linearly-polarised detectors at the focus of a 1.2-m aperture cross-Dragone telescope. The mission is designed to minimise all sources of systematic effects, which must be controlled so that no more than 10-4 of the intensity leaks into polarisation maps, and no more than about 1% of E-type polarisation leaks into B-type modes. COREmfive observes the sky from a large Lissajous orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 point on an orbit that offers stable observing conditions and avoids contamination from sidelobe pick-up of stray radiation originating from the Sun, Earth, and Moon. The entire sky is observed repeatedly during four years of continuous scanning, with a combination of three rotations of the spacecraft over different timescales. With about 50% of the sky covered every few days, this scan strategy provides the mitigation of systematic effects and the internal redundancy that are needed to convincingly extract the primordial B-mode signal on large angular scales, and check with adequate sensitivity the consistency of the observations in several independent data subsets. COREmfive is designed as a "near-ultimate" CMB polarisation mission which, for optimal complementarity with ground-based observations, will perform the observations that are known to be essential to CMB polarisation science and cannot be obtained by any other means than a dedicated space mission. It will provide well-characterised, highly-redundant multi-frequency observations of polarisation at all the scales where foreground emission and cosmic variance dominate the final uncertainty for obtaining precision CMB science, as well as 2′ angular resolution maps of high-frequency foreground emission in the 300-600 GHz frequency range, essential for complementarity with future ground-based observations with large telescopes that can observe the CMB with the same beamsize.

We discuss the potential of a next generation space-borne Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) experiment for studies of extragalactic sources. Our analysis has particular bearing on the definition of the future space project, CORE, that has been submitted in response to ESA's call for a Medium-size mission opportunity as the successor of the Planck satellite. Even though the effective telescope size will be somewhat smaller than that of Planck, CORE will have a considerably better angular resolution at its highest frequencies, since, in contrast with Planck, it will be diffraction limited at all frequencies. The improved resolution implies a considerable decrease of the source confusion, i.e. substantially fainter detection limits. In particular, CORE will detect thousands of strongly lensed high-z galaxies distributed over the full sky. The extreme brightness of these galaxies will make it possible to study them, via follow-up observations, in extraordinary detail. Also, the CORE resolution matches the typical sizes of high-z galaxy proto-clusters much better than the Planck resolution, resulting in a much higher detection efficiency; these objects will be caught in an evolutionary phase beyond the reach of surveys in other wavebands. Furthermore, CORE will provide unique information on the evolution of the star formation in virialized groups and clusters of galaxies up to the highest possible redshifts. Finally, thanks to its very high sensitivity, CORE will detect the polarized emission of thousands of radio sources and, for the first time, of dusty galaxies, at mm and sub-mm wavelengths, respectively.

Background: Emerging reports suggest resistance, increased tumor invasiveness and metastasis arising from treatment with drugs targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). It is believed that increased tumoral hypoxia plays a prominent role in the development of these phenomena. Inhibition of tumoral hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1alpha) is thus becoming an increasingly attractive therapeutic target in the treatment of cancer. We hypothesized that the anti-VEGF effect of albendazole (ABZ) could be mediated through inhibition of tumoral HIF-1alpha.Method: In vitro, the effects of ABZ on HIF-1alpha levels in human ovarian cancer cells (OVCAR-3) were investigated using hypoxic chamber or desferrioxamine (DFO) induced-hypoxia. In vivo, the effects of ABZ (150 mg/kg, i.p., single dose) on the tumor levels of HIF-1alpha and VEGF protein and mRNA were investigated by western blotting, RT-PCR and real time-PCR.Results: In vitro, ABZ inhibited cellular HIF-1alpha protein accumulation resulting from placement of cells under hypoxic chamber or exposure to DFO. In vivo, tumors excised from vehicle treated mice showed high levels of both HIF-1alpha and VEGF. Whereas, tumoral HIF-1alpha and VEGF protein levels were highly suppressed in ABZ treated mice. Tumoral VEGFmRNA (but not HIF-1alphamRNA) was also found to be highly suppressed by ABZ.Conclusion: These results demonstrate for the first time the effects of an acute dose of ABZ in profoundly suppressing both HIF-1alpha and VEGF within the tumor. This dual inhibition may provide additional value in inhibiting angiogenesis and be at least partially effective in inhibiting tumoral HIF-1alpha surge, tumor invasiveness and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neomicrocalamus and Temochloa are closely-related genera for which 'inflorescence' structures were incompletely understood and difficult to reconcile. After re-examining the inflorescence morphology, the so-called 'spikelets' of both genera as described should instead be recognised as pseudospikelets with mostly inactive axillary buds. The new bamboo taxa, comprising two varieties of a new species, are placed in Temochloa , representing a new genus record for China and Vietnam., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Zhuo-Yu Cai, You-Yuan Zhang, Yi-Hua Tong, Tien Chinh Vu, Nian-He Xia.)

Tumorous bone defects present significant challenges for surgical bio-reconstruction due to the dual pathological conditions of residual tumor presence and extensive bone loss following excision surgery. To address this challenge, a "thermal switch" smart bone scaffold based on the silicene nanosheet-modified decalcified bone matrix (SNS@DBM) is developed by leveraging the natural affinity between collagen and silicene, which is elucidated by molecular dynamics simulations. Benefitting from its exceptional photothermal ability, biodegradability, and bioactivity, the SNS@DBM "thermal switch" provides an integrated postoperative sequential thermotherapy for tumorous bone loss by exerting three levels of photothermal stimulation (i.e., strong, moderate, and nonstimulation). During the different phases of postoperative bioconstruction, the SNS@DBM scaffold realizes simultaneous residual tumor ablation, tumor recurrence prevention, and bone tissue regeneration. These biological effects are verified in the tumor-bearing nude mice of patient-derived tissue xenografts and critical cranium defect rats. Mechanism research prompts moderate heat stimulus generated by and coordinating with SNSs can upregulate osteogenic genes, promote macrophages M2 polarization, and intensify angiogenesis of H-type vessels. This study introduces a versatile approach to the management of tumorous bone defects., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the accumulation of lipids, the formation of lesion plaques, and the narrowing of arterial lumens. Rhubarb has significant effects against AS, but there is a lack of analysis and exploration of the mechanism of action of the transitional components in serum containing rhubarb., Objective: This work aims to combine serum pharmacochemistry, network pharmacology, and molecular docking to explore active ingredients and mechanism of rhubarb against AS., Method: Firstly, the components of rhubarb in blood samples were identified using HPLC-QTOF/MS. The ingredients-targets-disease interaction network of rhubarb was constructed through network pharmacology. Then, molecular docking between the ingredients and the core targets was carried out using the Autodock Vina software., Results: Eleven active ingredients and five metabolites were preliminarily identified. The network pharmacology results showed that chrysophanol, resveratrol, and emodin might have potential pharmacological effects on AS. The PPI network showed that the key proteins were PTGS2, ESR1, PTGS1, and ELANE. GO analysis revealed that genes were mainly enriched in the inflammatory response and response to exogenous stimuli. Moreover, these genes were related to IL-17 signaling pathways, lipid and atherosclerosis, and other pathways. Molecular docking analyses showed that chrysophanol and emodin have strong binding affinities with the target proteins PTGS2 and PTGS1., Conclusion: A comprehensive strategy combining serum pharmacochemistry with network pharmacology and molecular docking was employed to investigate the active ingredients and the mechanism of rhubarb in treating AS, which provided a basis for studying the pharmacological effects and action mechanisms of rhubarb., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Spatial variability of throughfall ( i.e. the non-uniform characteristics of throughfall at different canopy positions) and its temporal persistence ( i.e. time stability) are related to the quantity and efficiency of soil moisture replenishment, and affect plant competition and community succession dynamics by affecting resource availability. We carried out a meta-analysis with 554 papers (from 2000 to 2022) retrieved from Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) based on keyword search, quantified and compared the amount, spatial heterogeneity, and temporal stability characteristics of penetrating rain in different climate zones and plant functional types. Our results that throughfall proportion was lower in arid regions (72.0%±13.6%) than humid (75.1%±9.3%) and semi-humid areas (79.9%±10.4%). Cold climates had lower values (74.1%±14.6%) than temperate (74.2%±7.5%) and tropical climates (80.9%±14.6%). Shrubs (68.9%±14.9%) generally had lower throughfall proportion than trees (76.7%±9.1%). Broad-leaved trees (75.2%±11.1%) and conifers (75.1%±9.9%) showed similar throughfall proportions, as did evergreen (76.7%±10.0%) and deciduous species (74.7%±11.9%). Additionally, spatial variability (coefficient of variation) did not significantly differ across rainfall zones, temperature zones, or vegetation types. The spatial distribution of throughfall was relatively stable. Canopy structure was the dominant factor affecting temporal stability of throughfall. However, there was a lack of comparison between typical geographic units ( i.e. spatial units with basically consistent geographical environmental conditions) at various temporal scales. Future research should expand upwards to the summary of global spatial scale rules and downwards to the analysis of process based temporal scale mechanisms, to depict the dynamic distribution of penetrating rain and unify observation standards to enhance comparability of different studies, in order to efficiently promote research on canopy penetrating rain and provide ecological and hydrological basis for protecting nature, managing artificial activities, and restoring degraded ecosystems.

ZBP1 is an interferon (IFN)-induced nucleic acid (NA) sensor that senses unusual Z-form NA (Z-NA) to promote cell death and inflammation. However, the mechanisms that dampen ZBP1 activation to fine-tune inflammatory responses are unclear. Here, we characterize a short isoform of ZBP1 (referred to as ZBP1-S) as an intrinsic suppressor of the inflammatory signaling mediated by full-length ZBP1. Mechanistically, ZBP1-S depresses ZBP1-mediated cell death by competitive binding with Z-NA for Zα domains of ZBP1. Cells from mice (Ripk1 D325A/D325A ) with cleavage-resistant RIPK1-induced autoinflammatory (CRIA) syndrome are alive but sensitive to IFN-induced and ZBP1-dependent cell death. Intriguingly, Ripk1 D325A/D325A cells die spontaneously when ZBP1-S is deleted, indicating that cell death driven by ZBP1 is under the control of ZBP1-S. Thus, our findings reveal that alternative splicing of Zbp1 represents autogenic inhibition for regulating ZBP1 signaling and indicate that uncoupling of Z-NA with ZBP1 could be an effective strategy against autoinflammations., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

There is significant value in developing multifunctional drug delivery systems with high therapeutic efficiency for diagnosing and treating tumors. In this study, we synthesized the ATP-triggered and pH-sensitive material ZIF-90 using the liquid-phase diffusion method. This was done to load 10-hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT), and the FA-PEG-NH 2 conjugate was synthesized through an amidation reaction. We further modified the HCPT@ZIF-90 nanocomposite by employing the Schiff base reaction to create the HCPT@ZIF-90-PEG-FA nanomaterial. Drug loading test results revealed a high HCPT drug loading of up to 22.3% by weight. In the drug release experiment, the cumulative drug release of HCPT@ZIF-90 nanomaterials in pH 5.4 and ATP solutions was the highest after 72 hours. The active targeted delivery of FA and the dual-responsive release of HCPT by ZIF-90 significantly enhanced the therapeutic effect of HCPT@ZIF-90-PEG-FA on human colon cancer cells (HCT116). In the cytotoxicity test, when 100 μg mL -1 of HCPT@ZIF-90-PEG-FA was incubated with cells, the cell survival rate was 16.61 ± 1.19%, significantly lower than that of the other experimental groups. This result indicates that HCPT@ZIF-90-PEG-FA exhibits excellent anti-tumor activity. Cell cycle experiments have shown that HCPT@ZIF-90-PEG-FA may inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells by blocking DNA synthesis and halting cell cycle progression. Cell uptake experiments showed that HCPT@ZIF-90-PEG-FA was mainly present in the cytoplasm of HCT1116 cells, indicating successful cellular entry of the drug to exert its therapeutic effect. In vivo experiments also demonstrated that HCPT@ZIF-90-PEG-FA nanomaterials can effectively eradicate HCT116 tumors. The utilization of the nano-drug carrier ZIF-90, along with the modification with PEG-FA, notably improved the therapeutic efficacy of HCPT. These results suggest that the system, with its active targeted delivery of FA and dual-responsive release of HCPT, could present a novel strategy for treating human colorectal cancer., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Notably, clear spatial differences occur in the distribution of air pollution among cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) Region. Clarifying the concentration distribution of PM 2.5 and O 3 at different time scales is helpful to formulate scientific and effective pollution prevention and control measures. Here, the concentrations of PM 2.5 and O 3 were decomposed using a seasonal-trend decomposition procedure based on the loess (STL) method; their long-term, seasonal, and short-term components were obtained; and their temporal and spatial distribution characteristics were studied. The results showed that the decrease in PM 2.5 concentration in the BTH Region from 2017 to 2021 was higher than that of O 3 . There was a positive correlation between PM 2.5 and O 3 concentrations in spring and summer and a negative correlation in autumn and winter. The short-term component and seasonal component had the greatest contribution to PM 2.5 and O 3 concentrations, respectively. There were two principal components in the seasonal and short-term components of PM 2.5 and the long-term and short-term components of O 3 , corresponding to the central and southern part of Hebei Province and the northern part of the BTH Region. Sub-regional distribution of PM 2.5 and O 3 in the BTH Region at different time scales were found. Compared with that in the original series, the long-term component could better reflect the evolution trend of PM 2.5 and O 3 concentrations, and the standard deviation (SD) of the seasonal component and short-term component could be used to measure the fluctuation in PM 2.5 and O 3 concentrations in various cities. The SD of the seasonal and short-term components of the PM 2.5 concentration in every city in front of Taihang Mountain was higher, and the SD of the short-term component of the O 3 concentration in Tangshan was the highest.

Connectivity isomerization of the same aromatic molecular core with different substitution positions profoundly affects electron transport pathways and single-molecule conductance. Herein, we designed and synthesized all connectivity isomers of a thiophene ( TP ) aromatic ring substituted by two dihydrobenzo[b]thiophene ( BT ) groups with ethynyl spacers ( m , n -TP-BT, ( m , n = 2,3; 2,4; 2,5; 3,4)), to systematically probe how connectivity contributes to single-molecule conductance. Single-molecule conductance measurements using a scanning tunneling microscopy break junction (STM-BJ) technique show ∼12-fold change in conductance values, which follow an order of 10 -4.83 G 0 ( 2,4-TP-BT ) < 10 -4.78 G 0 ( 3,4-TP-BT ) < 10 -4.06 G 0 ( 2,3-TP-BT ) < 10 -3.75 G 0 ( 2,5-TP-BT ). Electronic structure analysis and theoretical simulations show that the connectivity isomerization significantly changes electron delocalization and HOMO-LUMO energy gaps. Moreover, the connectivity-dependent molecular structures lead to different quantum interference (QI) effects in electron transport, e.g., a strong destructive QI near E = E F leads the smallest conductance value for 2,4-TP-BT . This work proves a clear relationship between the connectivity isomerization and single-molecule conductance of thiophene heterocyclic molecular junctions for the future design of molecular devices.

Objective: To explore the mediating effect of unhealthy lifestyle and depressive symptom on the associations between life course factors and aging health. Methods: The study included 6 217 participants (aged ≥45 years) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). We used principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) to divide participants into six subgroups based on 70 life course factors. Five key life course factors were identified based on correlation analysis and their contribution to aging health. Physiological dysregulation (PD) was calculated by using eight biomarkers in the 2015 CHARLS biomarker dataset. Linear regression, logistic regression, and mediation models were used to explore the complex associations of life course subgroups, key factors, unhealthy lifestyle, depression symptom with PD. Results: Life course subgroups were significantly associated with PD after adjusting chronological age and gender ( β : 0.08-0.17, all P <0.05). Life-course subgroups and key factors, including adverse experiences in adulthood and lower education level, were significantly associated with unhealthy lifestyle ( β : 0.04-0.52, all P <0.05). Life-course subgroups and key factors, including childhood trauma, parental health in childhood, adverse experiences in adulthood, and lower education level, were significantly associated with depression symptom ( OR : 1.16-4.76, all P <0.05). Mediation analysis showed that unhealthy lifestyle had partial mediating effect on the association of life course subgroups and key factors, including adverse experiences in adulthood, and lower education levels, with PD (3.1%-3.6%). Depression symptom had partial mediating effect on the association of life course subgroups and key factors, including childhood trauma, adverse experience in adulthood, and lower education level, with PD (6.0%-16.2%). Conclusions: Unhealthy lifestyle and depression symptom has partial mediating effect on the impact of life course factors on aging health. It is important to pay attention to these two modifiable factors while targeting childhood trauma and adverse experience in adulthood.

Background: Fas-associated factor 1 (FAF1) is a multidomain protein that interacts with diverse partners to affect numerous cellular processes. Previously, we discovered two Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO)-interacting motifs (SIMs) within FAF1 that are crucial for transcriptional modulation of mineralocorticoid receptor. Recently, we identified Sin3A-associated protein 130 (SAP130), a putative sumoylated protein, as a candidate FAF1 interaction partner by yeast two-hybrid screening. However, it remained unclear whether SAP130 sumoylation might occur and functionally interact with FAF1., Results: In this study, we first show that SAP130 can be modified by SUMO1 at Lys residues 794, 878 and 932 both in vitro and in vivo. Mutation of these three SUMO-accepting Lys residues to Ala had no impact on SAP130 association with Sin3A or its nuclear localization, but the mutations abrogated the association of SAP130 with the FAF1. The mutations also potentiated SAP130 trans-repression activity and attenuated SAP130-mediated promotion of cell growth. Additionally, SUMO1-modified SAP130 was less stable than unmodified SAP130. Transient transfection experiments further revealed that FAF1 mitigated the trans-repression and cell proliferation-promoting functions of SAP130, and promoted SAP130 degradation by enhancing its polyubiquitination in a sumoylation-dependent manner., Conclusions: Together, these results demonstrate that sumoylation of SAP130 regulates its biological functions and that FAF1 plays a crucial role in controlling the SUMO-dependent regulation of transcriptional activity and protein stability of SAP130., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The objective of this work is to elucidate the flowering structures of Chinese bamboos applying the synflorescence concept. To keep in line with grasses, the bamboo synflorescence is defined as a whole culm or a whole branch terminating in an inflorescence. For the first time, the repetitive and fundamental unit of bamboo synflorescences is clearly identified and termed as the "basic flowering branch". The basic flowering branch could be considered as the most simplified synflorescence for a bamboo species. Applying the synflorescence concept, the pseudospikelet is interpreted as a sort of basic flowering branch rather than a spikelet. Consequently, the synflorescence development pattern is consistent throughout the whole family. This study also marks the first recognition of both pseudospikelets and true spikelet flowering branches within the same bamboo synflorescence, which is observed in the genera Brachystachyum , Semiarundinaria and Menstruocalamus .

With favorable colour purity, multi-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) molecules exhibit enormous potential in high-definition displays. Due to the relatively small chemical space of MR-TADF molecules, it is challenging to improve molecular performance through domain-specific expertise alone. To address this problem, we focused on optimizing the classic molecule, DABNA-1, using machine learning (ML). Molecular morphing operations were initially employed to generate the adjacent chemical space of DABNA-1. Subsequently, a machine learning model was trained with a limited database and used to predict the properties throughout the generated chemical space. It was confirmed that the top 100 molecules suggested by machine learning present excellent electronic structures, characterized by small reorganization energy and singlet-triplet energy gaps. Our results indicate that the improvement in electronic structures can be elucidated through the view of the molecular orbital (MO). The results also reveal that the top 5 molecules present weaker vibronic peaks of the emission spectrum, demonstrating higher colour purity when compared to DABNA-1. Notably, the M2 molecule presents a high RISC rate, indicating its promising future as a high-efficiency MR-TADF molecule. Our machine-learning-assisted approach facilitates the rapid optimization of classical molecules, addressing a crucial requirement within the organic optoelectronic materials community.

Neomicrocalamus and Temochloa are closely related to bamboo genera. However, when considered with newly discovered and morphologically similar material from China and Vietnam, the phylogenetic relationship among these three groups was ambiguous in the analyses based on DNA regions. Here, as a means of investigating the relationships among the three bamboo groups and exploring potential sources of genomic conflicts, we present a phylogenomic examination based on the whole plastome, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and single-copy nuclear (SCN) gene datasets. Three different phylogenetic hypotheses were found. The inconsistency is attributed to the combination of incomplete lineage sorting and introgression. The origin of newly discovered bamboos is from introgressive hybridization between Temochloa liliana (which contributed 80.7% of the genome) and Neomicrocalamus prainii (19.3%), indicating that the newly discovered bamboos are closer to T. liliana in genetics. The more similar morphology and closer distribution elevation also imply a closer relationship between Temochloa and newly discovered bamboos., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Cai, Niu, Zhang, Tong, Vu, Goh, Sungkaew, Teerawatananon and Xia.)

Stereoelectronic effects in single-molecule junctions have been widely utilized to achieve a molecular switch, but high-efficiency and reproducible switching remain challenging. Here, we demonstrate that there are three stable intramolecular conformations in the 9,10-diphenyl-9,10-methanoanthracen-11-one (DPMAO) systems due to steric effect. Interestingly, different electronic coupling approaches including weak coupling (through-space), decoupling, and strong coupling (through-bond) between two terminal benzene rings are accomplished in the three stable conformations, respectively. Theoretical calculations show that the molecular conductance of three stable conformations differs by more than 1 order of magnitude. Furthermore, the populations of the three stable conformations are highly dependent on the solvent effect and the external electric field. Therefore, an excellent molecular switch can be achieved using the DPMAO molecule junctions and external stimuli. Our findings reveal that modulating intramolecular electronic coupling approaches may be a useful manner to enable molecular switches with high switching ratios. This opens up a new route for building high-efficiency molecular switches in single-molecular junctions.

Objective: To observe the effects of Xingnao Kaiqiao (regaining consciousness and opening orifices) acupuncture therapy on the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats, and to explore the mechanism of acupuncture against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury., Methods: Seventy-two male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham-operation group, a model group, an acupuncture group and a non-point acupuncture group, with 18 rats in each one. Using modified Longa thread embolization method, the rat model of acute focal cerebral ischemia was prepared; and after 2 h ischemia, the reperfusion was performed to prepared the model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. Immediately after reperfusion, Xingnao Kaiqiao acupuncture method was applied to bilateral "Neiguan" (PC 6) and "Shuigou" (GV 26) in the acupuncture group, while in the non-point acupuncture group, acupuncture was delivered at non-points and all of the needles were retained for 30 min in these two groups. The samples were collected 24 h after reperfusion in the rats of each group. Zea-Longa neurological deficit score was used to evaluate the degree of cerebral neurological impairment, TTC staining was adopted to observe the volume percentage of cerebral infarction, HE staining was provided to observe the morphological changes of brain, and Western blot was applied for detecting the expression of HIF-1α and NLRP3 proteins in the cerebral cortex on the right side., Results: Compared with the sham-operation group, neurological deficit score and volume percentage of cerebral infarction were increased in the model group ( P< 0.01), and HIF-1α and NLRP3 protein expression was elevated ( P< 0.01). Compared with the model group, neurological deficit score and volume percentage of cerebral infarction were decreased ( P< 0.01), and HIF-1α and NLRP3 protein expression was lower ( P< 0.01) in the acupuncture group. There was no significant difference in above indexes in the non-point acupuncture group compared with the model group (P >0.05). Compared with the sham-operation group, the brain tissue of the rats in the model group and the non-point acupuncture group was loose and edema, and the nuclei were shriveled. The brain tissue morphology in the acupuncture group was similar to that of the sham-operation group., Conclusion: Acupuncture can alleviate cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of HIF-1α/NLRP3 signaling pathway to attenuate inflammatory response.

The spatial distribution, accumulation features, and driving factors of O 3 pollution were analyzed using spatial autocorrelation and hotspot analysis and the STIRPAT model based on the high spatiotemporal resolution online monitoring data from 2016 to 2020 in Tianjin. The results showed that the variation characteristics of O 3 concentration in Tianjin from 2016 to 2020 had the trend of pollution occurring in advance and the scope of the pollution expanding. The distribution of O 3 pollution showed significant aggregation from June to October. High-high value clustering areas included six urban districts, Beichen District, Jinnan District, and Jinghai District. O 3 concentration formed high value hot spots in the southwest and low value cold spots in the northeast. Meteorological factors such as temperature, breeze percentage, and sunshine duration, as well as social factors such as NO x emission, VOCs emission, and motor vehicle ownership had significant effects on O 3 concentration. The regression fitting effect of the integrated drive STIRPAT model was better than that of the single meteorological factor or social factor models. In order to promote scientific and efficient prevention and control of ozone pollution during the 14 th Five-Year Plan period, meteorological conditions require attention; under the goal of "peaking carbon dioxide emissions and achieving carbon neutrality," it is necessary for Tianjin to further improve the emission performance of steel, petrochemicals, thermal power, building materials, and other industries, Additionally, clean upgrading, transformation, and green development should be guided for enterprises to reduce VOCs and NO x emissions. At same time, the increase in fuel vehicle numbers should be controlled, and new energy vehicles should be vigorously promoted to reduce vehicle emissions.

The change trend, relationship, and influencing factors of PM 2.5 and O 3 concentrations were analyzed by using a Kolmogorov-Zurbenko (KZ) filter coupled with stepwise multiple linear regression analysis and the spatiotemporal resolution monitoring data of PM 2.5 and O 3 and meteorological data observed in Tianjin from 2013 to 2020. The results showed that a significant decreasing trend of PM 2.5 concentrations by 50.0% was observed from 2013 to 2020, whereas an increasing trend for O 3 concentrations by 25.8% was observed from 2013 to 2020. Compared with that in 2013 to 2017, the monthly difference in PM 2.5 concentrations gradually narrowed from 2018 to 2020, whereas the concentration of O 3 had increased significantly since April, and the occurrence time of O 3 pollution was advanced. The correlation coefficient patterns of O 3 and PM 2.5 showed obvious seasonal distribution characteristics. The correlation coefficients were negatively correlated in winter and positively correlated in the summer, and the correlation coefficients in summer were generally higher than those in other seasons. The correlation coefficients between O 3 and PM 2.5 in different seasons were positively proportional to the fitting slope. The ratios of the fitting slope to correlation coefficients showed an increasing trend, which might reflect that the inhibitory effect of PM 2.5 on O 3 formation in the PM 2.5 -O 3 interaction mechanism might have been weakened due to the impact of emission reduction. A significant decreasing trend was observed for the long-term trend components of the PM 2.5 concentration time series; emission reduction played a leading role, and meteorological factors contributed -3 to 6 μg·m -3 . The changes in the relationship between the PM 2.5 /CO ratio versus NO 2 /SO 2 from negative to positive were observed from 2013-2017 to 2018-2020 in Tianjin, which could indicate the enhanced contribution potential of nitrogen oxides to the main secondary component formation of PM 2.5 under the current emission reduction scenarios, and the main secondary components of PM 2.5 in Tianjin gradually changed from sulfate to nitrate. An overall upward trend was observed for the long-term trend components of the O 3 concentration time series from 2013 to 2020, and the contribution of precursor emissions to the long-term component of O 3 increased from 2013 to 2018 and began to decrease after 2019. The contribution of meteorological factors to the long-term component of O 3 presented an obvious stage change, showing a downward trend from 2013 to 2016 and an upward trend from 2016 to 2020. The O 3 concentration presented a non-linear relationship with NO 2 during the period of intense atmospheric photochemical processes (11:00-16:00) in summer. Compared with that in 2013-2015, the fitting curve of O 3 and NO 2 showed an obvious offset to the low value of NO 2 from 2016 to 2020, which reflected that the NO x emission reduction in this period achieved certain results. Compared with that in 2018, the fitting curve of O 3 and NO 2 moved downward from 2019 to 2020, which may reflect that NO x and VOCs emission reduction had a non-negligible effect on the O 3 decline at this stage.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive accumulation of abnormal protein aggregates, neuronal loss, synaptic dysfunction, and neuroinflammation. Microglia are resident macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS). Evidence has shown that impaired microglial autophagy exerts considerable detrimental impact on the CNS, thus contributing to AD pathogenesis. This review highlights the association between microglial autophagy and AD pathology, with a focus on the inflammatory response, defective clearance, and propagation of Aβ and Tau, and synaptic dysfunction. Mechanistically, several lines of research support the roles of microglial receptors in autophagy regulation during AD. In light of accumulating evidence, a strategy for inducing microglial autophagy has great potential in AD drug development.

The emission reduction effect of major air pollution control measures on PM 2.5 concentrations was assessed using air quality simulations based on the calculation data of emission reductions from different air pollution control measures and the high spatiotemporal resolution online monitoring data of PM 2.5 during the 13th Five-Year Period in Tianjin. The results showed that the total emission reductions of SO 2 , NO x , VOCs, and PM 2.5 from 2015 to 2020 were 4.77×10 4 , 6.20×10 4 , 5.37×10 4 , and 3.53×10 4 t, respectively. SO 2 emission reduction was mainly due to the prevention of process pollution, loose coal combustion, and thermal power. NO x emission reduction was mainly due to the prevention of process pollution, thermal power, and steel industry. VOCs emission reduction was mainly due to prevention of process pollution. PM 2.5 emission reduction was mainly due to the prevention of process pollution, loose coal combustion, and the steel industry. The concentrations, pollution days, and heavy pollution days of PM 2.5 decreased significantly from 2015 to 2020 by 31.4%, 51.2%, and 60.0% compared to those in 2015, respectively. The concentrations and pollution days of PM 2.5 decreased slowly in the later stage (from 2018 to 2020)as compared with those in the early stage (from 2015 to 2017), and the days of heavy pollution remained for approximately 10 days. The results of air quality simulations showed that meteorological conditions contributed one-third to the reduction in PM 2.5 concentrations, and the emission reductions of major air pollution control measures contributed two-thirds to the reduction in PM 2.5 concentrations. For all air pollution control measures from 2015 to 2020, PM 2.5 concentrations were reduced by the prevention of process pollution, loose coal combustion, the steel industry, and thermal power by 2.66, 2.18, 1.70, and 0.51 μg·m -3 , respectively, accounting for 18.3%, 15.0%, 11.7%, and 3.5% of PM 2.5 concentration reductions. In order to promote the continuous improvement in PM 2.5 concentrations during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, under the total coal consumption control and the goal of "peaking carbon dioxide emissions and achieving carbon neutrality," Tianjin should continue to optimize and adjust the coal structure and further promote the coal consumption to the power industry with an advanced pollution control level. At the same time, it is necessary to further improve the emission performance of industrial sources in the whole process, taking environmental capacity as the constraint; design the technical route for industrial optimization, adjustment, transformation, and upgrading; and optimize the allocation of environmental capacity resources. Additionally, the orderly development model for key industries with limited environmental capacity should be proposed, and clean upgrading, transformation, and green development should be guided for enterprises.

Objectives: To comprehensively assess osteoporosis in the lumbar spine, a compositional MR imaging technique is proposed to quantify proton fractions for all the water components as well as fat in lumbar vertebrae measured by a combination of a 3D short repetition time adiabatic inversion recovery prepared ultrashort echo time (STAIR-UTE) MRI and IDEAL-IQ., Methods: A total of 182 participants underwent MRI, quantitative CT, and DXA. Lumbar collagen-bound water proton fraction (CBWPF), free water proton fraction (FWPF), total water proton fraction (TWPF), bone mineral density (BMD), and T-score were calculated in three vertebrae (L2-L4) for each subject. The correlations of the CBWPF, FWPF, and TWPF with BMD and T-score were investigated respectively. A comprehensive diagnostic model combining all the water components and clinical characteristics was established. The performances of all the water components and the comprehensive diagnostic model to discriminate between normal, osteopenia, and osteoporosis cohorts were also evaluated using receiver operator characteristic (ROC)., Results: The CBWPF showed strong correlations with BMD (r = 0.85, p < 0.001) and T-score (r = 0.72, p < 0.001), while the FWPF and TWPF showed moderate correlations with BMD (r = 0.65 and 0.68, p < 0.001) and T-score (r = 0.47 and 0.49, p < 0.001). The high area under the curve values obtained from ROC analysis demonstrated that CBWPF, FWPF, and TWPF have the potential to differentiate the normal, osteopenia, and osteoporosis cohorts. At the same time, the comprehensive diagnostic model shows the best performance., Conclusions: The compositional MRI technique, which quantifies CBWPF, FWPF, and TWPF in trabecular bone, is promising in the assessment of bone quality., Key Points: • Compositional MR imaging technique is able to quantify proton fractions for all the water components (i.e., collagen-bound water proton fraction (CBWPF), free water proton fraction (FWPF), and total water proton fraction (TWPF)) in the human lumbar spine. • The biomarkers derived from the compositional MR imaging technique showed moderate to high correlations with bone mineral density (BMD) and T-score and showed good performance in distinguishing people with different bone mass. • The comprehensive diagnostic model incorporating CBWPF, FWPF, TWPF, and clinical characteristics showed the highest clinical diagnostic capability for the assessment of osteoporosis., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Society of Radiology.)

The results of phylogenetic analysis, based on the whole chloroplast genome and morphological study support the transfer of a long ignored bamboo species, Sasagracilis , to the recently established genus, Sinosasa , in this study. Morphologically, this species differs from all the other known Sinosasa species by having very short (2-3 mm) foliage leaf inner ligules, which is unusual in this genus. A revised description of its morphology and colour photos are also provided., (Xing Li, Jing-Bo Ni, Zhuo-Yu Cai, Yi-Hua Tong, Nian-He Xia.)

The secondary component is an important factor causing PM 2.5 pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration in winter. In this study, the CO tracer method was used to estimate the secondary PM 2.5 concentration of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration in the winter of 2017-2021. The temporal and spatial distribution characteristics were analyzed, and the influencing factors of regional secondary PM 2.5 were discussed. The results showed that the decreasing trend of PM 2.5 concentration in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region in the winter of 2017-2021 was obvious, and the cities with the largest decline were located in the central and southern part of Hebei Province, mainly contributed by primary PM 2.5 . There was a good correlation between secondary PM 2.5 and PM 2.5 in all cities of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, and the proportion of secondary PM 2.5 in Beijing and Tianjin was significantly higher than that in other cities. With the aggravation of pollution degree, the mass concentration of primary PM 2.5 and secondary PM 2.5 increased in varying degrees, and the proportion of secondary PM 2.5 increased significantly. Compared with the direct measurement results, the estimated value obtained by this method was lower as a whole. The selection of appropriate primary aerosol reference value was the key to improving this method and estimating the secondary PM 2.5 concentration.

Pseudosasa was confirmed as polyphyletic by recent phylogenetic analyses, with Chinese species of Pseudosasa distantly related to those from Japan. Among the Chinese species of Pseudosasa , Pseudosasapubiflora is a morphologically unique as well as taxonomically problematic species endemic to South China, of which the generic designation is still uncertain. Molecular analyses based on both plastid and nuclear genomic data demonstrated that this species is closest to the recently published genus Sinosasa . Morphologically, the two are somewhat similar to each other in flowering branches developing at the nodes of every order of branches, raceme-like units of inflorescence with 3-5 short spikelets, each spikelet with few florets including a rudimentary one at the apex, and each floret with 3 stamens and 2 stigmas. However, P.pubiflora is very different from Sinosasa species in many reproductive and vegetative characters, such as the morphology of paracladia (lateral spikelet "pedicels"), the absence or existence of pulvinus at the base of paracladia, the relative length of the upper glume and the lowest lemma, the shape of lodicules and primary culm buds, the branch complement, the morphology of nodes, culm leaves and dried foliage leaf blades, and the number of foliage leaves per ultimate branchlet. The morphological and molecular evidence warrants recognition of a new genus to accommodate this unique species, which is here named Kengiochloa . After consulting related literature and examination of herbarium specimens or specimen photos, a taxonomic revision of K.pubiflora and its synonyms was made, and it was confirmed that four names, viz. P.gracilis , Yushanialanshanensis , Arundinariatenuivagina and P.parilis , should be merged with K.pubiflora , while Indocalamuspallidiflorus and Acidosasapaucifolia are distinct species., (Yi-Hua Tong, Zheng-Yang Niu, Zhuo-Yu Cai, Jing-Bo Ni, Nian-He Xia.)

This study aimed to investigate whether interbout foot cooling (FC) may enhance repeated lower limb power performance and the corresponding physiological responses based on interset FC, which has been demonstrated to enhance leg-press performance. In a repeated-measures crossover design, ten active men (aged 21.5 ± 1.5 years, exercising >3 times per week) performed four bouts of 10-s cycle ergometer sprints with interbout FC at 10°C water for 2.5 min or non-cooling (NC) with a 5-day interval. The results indicated that FC elicited higher total work (27.57 ± 5.66 kJ vs. 26.55 ± 5.76 kJ) and arousal scores than NC (p < 0.05). Furthermore, under the NC condition, participants decreased mean power (p < 0.05) with no alteration of vastus lateralis (VL) electromyography (EMG) activities after the second bout; whereas under the FC condition, participants maintained steady mean power accompanied by increased VL EMG activities in the last two bouts (p < 0.05). Jointly, participants had higher mean power ([3 rd = 10.14 ± 1.15 vs. 9.37 ± 1.30; 4 th = 9.79 ± 1.22 vs. 9.23 ± 1.27] W/kg) and VL EMG activities in the last two bouts under the FC than NC condition (p < 0.05). However, perceived exertion and the heart rate were comparable between the two conditions (p > 0.05). In conclusion, interbout FC elicited a higher arousal level and repeated lower limb power performance, which could be explained by delaying peripheral fatigue via increasing excitatory drive and recruiting additional motor units to compensate for fatigue-related responses and power decrements., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © Academy of Physical Education in Katowice.)

Au-n-octanedithiol-Au molecular junction (Au-SC8S-Au) has been investigated using density functional theory combined with the nonequilibrium Green's function approach. Theoretically calculated results are used to build the relationship between the interface binding structures and single-molecule quantum conductance of n-octanedithiol (SC8S) embodied in a gold nanogap with or without stretching forces. To understand the electron transport mechanism in the single molecular nanojunction, we designed three types of Au-SC8S-Au nanogaps, including flat electrode through an Au atom connecting (Model I), top-pyramidal or flat electrodes with the molecule adsorbing directly (Model II), and top-pyramidal Au electrodes with Au atomic chains (Model III). We first determined the optimized structures of different Au-SC8S-Au nanogaps, and then predicted the distance-dependent stretching force and conductance in each case. Our calculated results show that in the Model I with an Au atom bridging the flat Au (111) gold electrodes and the SC8S molecule, the conductance decreases exponentially before the fracture of Au-Au bond, in a good agreement with the experimental conductance in the literature. For the top-pyramidal electrode Models II and III, the magnitudes of molecular conductance are larger than that in Model I. Our theoretical calculations also show that the Au-Au bond fracture takes place in Models I and III, while the Au-S bond fracture appears in Model II. This is explained due to the total strength of three synergetic Au-Au bonds stronger than an Au-S bond in Model II. This is supported from the broken force about 2 nN for the Au-Au bond and 3 nN for the Au-S bond., (© 2022 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture on the cerebral infarct volume and expressions of Beclin1, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and p62 proteins related to cell autophagy in rats with cerebral ischemia (CI), so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of CI injury., Methods: Male SD rats were randomized into 3 groups: sham operation, model and acupuncture which were further divided into 4 subgroups according to different ischemia time-points: 3, 6, 12 and 24 h ( n =7 in each subgroup). The CI model was established by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO) with surgical suture-embolus. For rats of the acupuncture group, acupuncture was applied to "Shuigou" (GV26) and bilateral "Neiguan" (PC6), and twirled for 1-3 min every time, 10 times altogether, and kept for 30 min. The neurological deficit score accoding to Longa's method was used for assessing the neurological function. The CI volume was measured after 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. The expression levels of autophagy-related proteins Beclin1，LC3 and p62 in the brain tissue were detected using Western blot., Results: Compared with those of the sham operation group，the neurological deficit scores at 2, 3, 6， 12 and 24 h after CI, and the infarct volumes, the expression levels of Beclin1 and the ratios of LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ at 3, 6, 12 and 24 h were considerably increased ( P <0.01, P <0.05), and the expression levels of p62 at 3, 6, 12 and 24 h were significantly decreased ( P <0.01) in the model group. Relevant to the model group, acupuncture stimulation of GV26 and PC6 induced an obvious decrease in the neurological deficit scores at 6, 12 and 24 h, CI volumes at 3, 6, 12 and 24 h, and the expression levels of Beclin1 and the ratios of LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ both at 6 and 12 h ( P <0.01, P <0.05), and an evident increase in the expression levels of p62 at 6, 12 and 24 h after CI ( P <0.05, P <0.01)., Conclusion: Acupuncture stimulation of GV26 and PC6 can reduce the CI volume and improve neurological function in CI rats， which may be related to its efficacy in down-regulating the expression of Beclin1 and the ratio of LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ, and up-regulating the expression of p62 in the ischemic brain tissue， thereby improving autophagy flux.

Due to their specialised flowering biology where frequent or even annual flowering is uncommon, reproductive materials of bamboos are not always available, so hampering taxonomic interpretation and research into other aspects. Bambusacontracta , B.corniculata , B.cornigera and B.subtruncata were established only based on vegetative materials and flowering or fruiting material has been hitherto unknown. The floral morphology of these four species is described for the first time and, correspondingly, epitypes are designated to support a more complete interpretation of the species., (Qiao-Mei Qin, Zhuo-Yu Cai, Jing-Bo Ni, Yi-Hua Tong, Nian-He Xia.)

Background: Facet tropism is defined as the asymmetry between the left and right facet joints relative to the sagittal plane. Published clinical studies have found that facet tropism is associated with cervical disc herniation. However, the relationship between the facet orientation and the side of cervical disc herniation remains controversial. Therefore, this study used the finite-element technique to investigate the biomechanical effects of the sagittal angle of the cervical facet joints on the cervical intervertebral disc., Objective: The biomechanical effects of the sagittal angle of the cervical facet joint on the cervical disc and facet joint were investigated using the finite-element technique., Methods: The finite-element model was constructed using computed tomography scans of a 26-year-old female volunteer. First, a cervical model was constructed from C3 to C7. The model was verified using data from previously published studies. Second, the facet orientation at the C5-C6 level was altered to simulate different sagittal angles of cervical facet joints. Five models, F70, F80, F90, F100, and F110, were simulated with different facet joint orientations (70°, 80°, 90°, 100°, and 110° facet joint angles at the left side, respectively, and 90° facet joint angles at the right side) at the C5-C6 facet joints. In each model, annular fibres stress and facet cartilage pressure were studied under six pure moments and two combined moments., Results: Comparing the stress of the annulus fibres in flexion combined with right axial rotation and in flexion combined with left axial rotation in the same model, no difference in the maximum stress of the annulus fibres was noted between these two different moments in the F90 model, whereas differences of 12.80%, 8.84%, 14.95% and 33.32% were noted in the F70, F80, F100 and F110 models, respectively. The same trend was observed when comparing the maximum stress of the annulus fibres in each model during left and right axial rotation. No differences in annular fibres stress and facet cartilage pressure were noted among the five models in flexion, extension, lateral bending, left axial rotation, and flexion combined with left axial rotation in this study. However, compared with the F70 model in flexion combined with right axial rotation, the annulus fibres stress of the F80, F90, F100, and F110 models increased by 5.53%, 13.03%, 35.04%, and 72.94%, respectively, and the pressure of the left facet joint of these models decreased by 5.65%, 12.10%, 18.41%, and 25.74%, respectively. The same trend was observed in the right axial moment., Conclusion: Facet tropism leads to unbalanced stress distribution on the annulus fibres at the cervical intervertebral disc. The greater the sagittal angle of the facet joint, the greater the annular fibres stress on this side. We hypothesised that the side with the larger sagittal angle of the facet joint exhibits a greater risk of disc herniation., Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Objective: To identify whether naringenin plays a protective role during thoracic aneurysm formation in Marfan syndrome., Methods: To validate the effect of naringenin, Fbn1 C1039G/+ mice, the mouse model of Marfan syndrome, were fed with naringenin, and the disease progress was evaluated. The molecular mechanism of naringenin was further investigated via in vitro studies, such as bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET), atomic force microscope and radioligand receptor binding assay., Results: Six-week-old Fbn1 C1039G/+ mice were fed with naringenin for 20 weeks. Compared with the control group, naringenin significantly suppressed the aortic expansion [ Fbn1 C1039G/+ vs. Fbn1 C1039G/+ +naringenin: (2.49±0.47) mm, n= 18 vs. (1.87±0.19) mm, n= 22, P < 0.05], the degradation of elastin, and the expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and MMP9 in the ascending aorta of Fbn1 C1039G/+ mice. Besides, treatment with naringenin for 6 weeks also attenuated the disease progress among the 20-week-old Fbn1 C1039G/+ mice with established thoracic aortic aneurysms [ Fbn1 C1039G/+ vs. Fbn1 C1039G/+ +naringenin: (2.24±0.23) mm, n= 8 vs. (1.90±0.17) mm, n= 8, P < 0.05]. To understand the underlying molecular mechanisms, we examined the effects of naringenin on angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor (AT1) signaling and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling respectively, which were the dominant signaling pathways contributing to aortopathy in Marfan syndrome as previously reported. The results showed that naringenin decreased angiotensin Ⅱ (Ang Ⅱ)-induced phosphorylation of protein kinase C (PKC) and extracellular regulating kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in HEK293A cell overexpressing AT1 receptor. Moreover, naringenin inhibited Ang Ⅱ-induced calcium mobilization and uclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) signaling. The internalization of AT1 receptor and its binding to β-arrestin-2 with Ang Ⅱ induction were also suppressed by naringenin. As evidenced by atomic force microscope and radioligand receptor binding assay, naringenin inhibited Ang Ⅱ binding to AT1 receptor. In terms of TGF-β signaling, we found that feeding the mice with naringenin decreased the phosphorylation of Smad2 and ERK1/2 as well as the expression of TGF-β downstream genes. Besides, the serum level of TGF-β was also decreased by naringenin in the Fbn1 C1039G/+ mice. Furthermore, we detected the effect of naringenin on platelet, a rich source of TGF-β, both in vivo and in vitro . And we found that naringenin markedly decreased the TGF-β level by inhibiting the activation of platelet., Conclusion: Our study showed that naringenin has a protective effect on thoracic aortic aneurysm formation in Marfan syndrome by suppressing both AT1 and TGF-β signaling.

High-fat diets (HFDs) are related to the incidence of obesity and diabetes, but the effect of high-fat diet-induced brain damage remains to be clarified. In our study, we found that 24 weeks of a HFD effectively induced obesity and a change in fur color in mice. In addition, the mice also exhibited deficits in learning and memory. We further found that autophagic flux was impaired in mice after HFD feeding. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) expression was significantly increased in HFD-fed mice, and HFD feeding inhibited adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation and induced mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) phosphorylation and p70S6K expression. Treatment of HFD-induced BV2 cell model with palmitic acid (PA) was used to further verify a similar result. We concluded that improving tissue hypoxia or enhancing autophagy through the AMPK/mTOR/p70S6K pathway may be a relevant strategy for improving obesity- and ageing-related disorders., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Chen, Yi, Wang, Yuan, Wen, Li, Zou, Liu and Cai.)

The aerosol size distribution is an important physical parameter reflecting the source, formation process, and pollution characteristics of aerosol particles. In order to study the properties of aerosol number concentration and size distributions in the Tianjin urban area,the aerosol number concentration and size distributions ranging from 10-600 nm were detected using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) during February and March, 2019. The results showed that in the Tianjin urban area, the aerosol number concentration,surface area concentration. and volume concentration in the size range of 10-600 nm were 22188.22 cm -3 , 1581.08 μm 2 ·cm -3 , and 70.76 μm 3 ·cm -3 ,respectively, in late winter and early spring. The aerosol number concentration,surface area concentration, and volume concentration spectrum were all unimodally distributed,and the peak value sizes were 109.40, 269.00, and 429.40 nm. The number concentrations of the nucleation mode (10-20 nm),Aitken mode (20-100 nm), and accumulation mode (100-600 nm) aerosols accounted for 1.40%, 52.44%, and 46.16% of the total number concentration. The diurnal variation in aerosol number concentration showed three peaks (06:00-08:00, 12:00-14:00, and 18:00-20:00) on work days and two peaks (07:00-08:00 and 19:00-21:00) on weekends. The peaks appeared 1-2 hours later on weekends,and the increment of aerosol number concentration was attributed to vehicle exhaust emissions. Meteorological factors had a significant influence on the aerosol size distribution in Tianjin; aerosol number concentration values were high in east and southwest wind. On non-precipitation days,the aerosol number size distribution moved to larger size ranges with the increment of relative humidity (RH); as the RH increased from <20% to 50%-60%,the size peak increased from 50 nm to 131 nm. The precipitation removed 100-200 nm aerosol particles discernibly,which resulted in the size peak decreasing to 98 nm.

This study aims to observe the nutritional status of Chinese patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), further investigating its effect on disease progression. One hundred consecutive newly diagnosed ALS patients and fifty controls were included. Weight and body composition were measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis at baseline and follow-ups. The revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R) was used to calculate the rate of disease progression. Patients with ALS had a significantly lower BMI than controls, while no significant difference was found in body composition. Weight loss occurred in 66 (66%) and 52 (67.5%) patients at diagnosis and follow-up, respectively. Patients with significant weight loss (≥ 5%) at diagnosis had significantly lower BMI, fat mass (FM), and FM in limbs and trunk than those without. Fat-free mass (FFM), FM, and FM in limbs were significantly decreased along with weight loss at follow-up (p < 0.01). Patients with lower visceral fat index, lower proportion of FM, and higher proportion of muscle mass at baseline progressed rapidly during follow-ups (p < 0.05). Multivariate linear regression showed that FFM and weight at follow-up were independently correlated with disease progression rate at follow-up (p < 0.05). Weight loss is a common feature in ALS patients, along with muscle and fat wasting during the disease course. Body composition may serve as a prognostic factor and provide guidance for nutritional management in ALS patients., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

As the problem of O 3 pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region becomes increasingly prominent, it is of great significance to explore and analyze the ozone variation characteristics and causes of the pollution process in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region for regional air pollution prevention and control. The observations in this study showed that high O 3 concentration in spring and summer of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region was higher in the south and lower in the north. The high O 3 concentration in Beijing, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang was often accompanied by the influence of southern wind. Based on WRF-Chem model simulation and process analysis technology, the variation characteristics and causes of O 3 in The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in 2019 were deeply analyzed. The diurnal variations in chemical processes, vertical mixing, and transportation in typical cities showed distinct seasonal variations. In summer afternoons, chemical processes were the main source of O 3 concentration increase in each city. Vertical mixing resulted in an increase in O 3 concentration in Tianjin and Shijiazhuang but a decrease in Beijing. Tianjin and Shijiazhuang had a net output, whereas Beijing had a net inflow. In the polluted O 3 process, the chemical process dominated the afternoon O 3 concentration increasing in Beijing and Shijiazhuang, whereas vertical mixing dominated in Tianjin. In addition, there was a net input of O 3 in Beijing and Shijiazhuang and a net output of O 3 in Tianjin. In the clean O 3 process, vertical mixing dominated the increase in O 3 concentration in Beijing and Shijiazhuang in the afternoon, whereas in Tianjin it was chemical processes. At the same time, the net output of O 3 existed in all three cities.

The characteristics, pollutant concentration distribution, and key meteorological factors of PM 2.5 -O 3 compound pollution in Tianjin were analyzed based on the high-resolution online monitoring data of PM 2.5 , O 3, and meteorological data observed in Tianjin from 2013 to 2019. Total PM 2.5 -O 3 compound pollution was 94 days and showed a decreasing trend by year; a significant decreasing trend of PM 2.5 -O 3 compound pollution days were observed in the early stage, with a decline rate of 52.2% from 2013 to 2015. By contrast, in the later period from 2016 to 2019, a fluctuating increasing trend of PM 2.5 -O 3 compound pollution days of 16.7% was observed. PM 2.5 -O 3 compound pollution days mainly occurred from March to September each year with substantial variation by year, mainly occurring in June to August from 2013 to 2016 and in April and September from 2017 to 2019. The peak value of ρ (O 3 ) (301-326 μg·m -3 ) appeared when ρ (PM 2.5 ) ranged from 75 μg·m -3 to 85 μg·m -3 . PM 2.5 -O 3 compound pollution days accounted for 34.4% of total O 3 pollution events in Tianjin, which showed a decreasing trend by year. The peak O 3 concentration and average O 3 concentration during PM 2.5 -O 3 compound pollution were higher than those during simplex O 3 pollution, and the number of days with PM 2.5 and O 3 as the primary pollutant decreased and increased in compound pollution days by year, respectively. The weather situation of PM 2.5 -O 3 compound pollution was categorized into five weather types, namely low pressure, weak high pressure, rear of high pressure, front of cold front, and equalized pressure. The low pressure, front of cold front, and weak high pressure were observed most frequently, accounting for 92.5% of the total weather situation. The occurrence of PM 2.5 -O 3 compound pollution was most probable when the dominant wind direction was the southwest and south, the average wind speed was less than 2 m·s -1 , the temperature was between 20-35℃, and the humidity was between 40%-60%.

Rare diseases refer to the diseases with low prevalence,among which more than 150 kinds involve the kidney.Most of the rare renal diseases have genetic background.Due to complex etiology and diverse clinical phenotypes,most patients have progressed to the final stage of the disease before a clear diagnosis.Gene testing is a powerful tool for the diagnosis of rare renal diseases.The emergence of the next-generation sequencing (NGS) significantly improves the diagnostic efficiency and quality and provides an unprecedented opportunity to understand the molecular genetic basis of rare renal diseases and further select or develop targeted therapies.This article reviews the application progress,challenges,and prospects of NGS in rare kidney diseases.

Pericytes are present tight around the intervals of capillaries, play an essential role in stabilizing the blood-brain barrier, regulating blood flow and immunomodulation, and persistent contraction of pericytes eventually leads to impaired blood flow and poor clinical outcomes in ischemic stroke. We previously show that iptakalim, an ATP-sensitive potassium (K-ATP) channel opener, exerts protective effects in neurons, and glia against ischemia-induced injury. In this study we investigated the impacts of iptakalim on pericytes contraction in stroke. Mice were subjected to cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), then administered iptakalim (10 mg/kg, ip). We showed that iptakalim administration significantly promoted recovery of cerebral blood flow after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. Furthermore, we found that iptakalim significantly inhibited pericytes contraction, decreased the number of obstructed capillaries, and improved cerebral microcirculation. Using a collagen gel contraction assay, we demonstrated that cultured pericytes subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) consistently contracted from 3 h till 24 h during reoxygenation, whereas iptakalim treatment (10 μM) notably restrained pericyte contraction from 6 h during reoxygenation. We further showed that iptakalim treatment promoted K-ATP channel opening via suppressing SUR2/EPAC1 complex formation. Consequently, it reduced calcium influx and ET-1 release. Taken together, our results demonstrate that iptakalim, targeted K-ATP channels, can improve microvascular disturbance by inhibiting pericyte contraction after ischemic stroke. Our work reveals that iptakalim might be developed as a promising pericyte regulator for treatment of stroke., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to CPS and SIMM.)