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The purpose of this study was to obtain polysaccharides from Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer stems (PGSPs), agro-byproducts with development potential, and fully explore the potential value in P. ginseng stems. Two novel polysaccharides firstly from P. ginseng stems (PGSP-1 and PGSP-2) were obtained by water extraction and alcohol precipitation method and column chromatography, and then characterized by FT-IR, HPGPC, HPLC, SEM, TGA, GC–MS and NMR. The results demonstrated that PGSP-1 (Mw = 723.83 kDa) and PGSP-2 (Mw = 620.48 kDa) were characterized →4)-β-D-Galp-(1→, →6)-α-D-Glcp-(1 → and →2)-α-L-Rhap-(1 → as the skeleton, →4,6)-β-D-Galp-(1 → and →2,6)-α-D-Manp-(1 → as the cross junction, α-L-Araf-(1 → as the terminal unit, and PGSP-1 still contained →4)-β-D-Galp, while PGSP-2 contained →4)-β-D-Xylp-(1→, →3)-β-D-GlcpA-(1→, →4)-β-D-GalpA-(1 →) and α-D-Glcp-(1→, with different microstructures and thermal stability. And the results of hypoglycemic activity revealed that both PGSP-1 and PGSP-2 showed excellent inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase and α-amylase, in which PGSP-2 had the better performance. The inhibition kinetics result showed that PGSPs on α-glucosidase and α-amylase were non-competitive type and mixed type inhibition. This study provided a theoretical basis for making full use of and exploiting the economic value of agro-byproducts such as P. ginseng stems and offered a theoretical reference for the effective utilization of PGSP as a functional component to prevent and reduce T2DM.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic non-specific inflammatory disease involving the mucosa and submucosa of the rectum and colon. Lindera aggregate (Sims) Kosterm is a traditional Chinese herb used for thousands of years in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. Previously, we have demonstrated that the extracts of Lindera aggregate have good anti-UC effects, but their pharmacodynamic active components have not been fully clarified. Therefore, we explored the therapeutic effect of Linderanine C (LDC), a characteristic component of Lindera aggregata, on UC and its mechanism in this study. Firstly, we found that LDC could significantly reduce the disease activity index of UC and improve shortened colon and pathological changes in vivo. Colon tissue transcriptomics suggested that the anti-UC effect of LDC might be related to its anti-inflammatory activity. Cellular experiments revealed that LDC could inhibit the expression of the M1 cell marker CD86 in RAW264.7 cells, reduce the production of inflammatory mediators such as IL-6 and TNF-α, and have good anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. Cellular transcriptomics reveal the potential involvement of the MAPK signaling pathway in the anti-inflammatory effect of LDC. The co-culture assay confirmed that LDC could significantly reduce inflammation-mediated intestinal epithelial cell injury. In conclusion, LDC was able to inhibit macrophage M1 polarization and reduce inflammatory mediator production by inhibiting the MAPK signaling pathway, effectively improving UC.

Belite-Ye’elimite-Ternesite (BYT) clinker has many advantages compared to Portland cement (PC) clinker, including low sintering temperature and low carbon emission. In this study, we systematically investigated the hydration reaction of BYT clinker in the present of gypsum (CaSO4·2 H2O) and compared the properties of BYT clinker with different gypsum additions. The results showed that the gypsum additions of 5 % and 10 % promoted the early exothermic reaction of BYT clinker. In the hydration process of BYT clinker, an inhibitory effect of gypsum was found on the hydration of belite. In addition, the mechanism for the influence of gypsum additions on the hydration behavior of BYT clinker was illustrated that when the content of gypsum was more than 15 %, the production of AFm (C6A$H12) and strätlingite (C2ASH8) was limited due to the massive formation of AFt (C6A$3H32). The addition of gypsum improved pore size distribution and compressive strength. Especially, the 1-day and 56-day compressive strength of BYT clinker increased by 41.6 % and 47.4 %, with gypsum additions of 5 % and 20 %, respectively.

The activation of inert C–H bonds remains a challenge in current chemistry. Here, we report the excellent reactivity of the anionic gallylene species [LGa:][Na(THF)3] (L = [(2,6-iPr2C6H3)NC(CH3)]22−, 1) that allows the selective activation one ortho sp2 C–H bond of several azobenzene and azide derivatives at ambient temperature, with the transfer of the hydrogen atom to one of the nitrogen atoms. The process leads to the formation of the aryl amido products [LGa-κ2N,C-PhNN(H)(p-R-C6H3)][Na(solvent)3] (2, R = H solvent = DME (1,2-Dimethoxyethane); 3, R = –OMe, solvent = DME; 4, R = –NMe2 solvent = THF), [LGa-κ2N,C-(m-CH3-C6H4)NN(H)(m-CH3-C6H3)][Na(15-C-5)2] (5) with new Ga–C and Ga–N bonds. Moreover, 1 is also effective for the C–H activation of two azides RN3 (R = 2,4,6-Me3C6H2 or 2,6-iPr2C6H3), resulting in the formation of gallium amides [LGa(NH-2-(CH2)-4,6-Me2C6H2)][Na(15-C-5)2] (6) and [LGa(NH-2,6-iPr2C6H3)2][Na(THF)5] (7) through intra- or intermolecular sp3 C–H amination. Significantly, these reactions occur for the highly challenging activation of inert C(sp2)–H and C(sp3)–H bonds, thus demonstrating the excellent reactivity of the Ga(I) species 1. The products 2–7 were characterized by X-ray crystallography, 1H and 13C NMR, UV–vis spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

IntroductionThis systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the risk of second primary cancers (SPCs) among retinoblastoma (Rb) patients, both hereditary and nonhereditary. Previous studies have reported on the long-term risk of SPCs in these patient populations, but a comprehensive synthesis of the existing evidence is lacking.MethodsA systematic search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library from inception to 12 March 2023, supplemented by manual screening. Eligible studies were identified, and data were extracted. The primary outcome measure was the standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of SPCs in Rb patients. Summary estimates were calculated using random or fixed effects models. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.ResultsTen studies, including nine high-quality studies, were included in this review. The summary estimate of SIR for SPCs among hereditary Rb patients was 17.55 (95% CI=13.10-23.51), while the pooled estimate of SIR for SPCs among nonhereditary Rb patients was 1.36 (95% CI=0.90-2.04). Significant differences in SIRs for different SPC types were observed (P=0.028), including nasal cavity tumor (SIR=591.06, 95% CI=162.79-2146.01), bone tumor (SIR=442.91, 95% CI=191.63-1023.68), soft tissue sarcoma (SIR=202.93, 95% CI=114.10-360.93), CNS (SIR=12.84, 95% CI=8.80-18.74), and female breast cancer (SIR=3.68, 95% CI=2.52-5.37). Chemotherapy and radiation therapy were associated with an increased risk of SPCs among hereditary Rb patients.DiscussionThe findings of this review indicate that hereditary Rb patients have a significantly elevated risk of developing SPCs, whereas nonhereditary Rb patients do not show the same risk. Furthermore, significant differences were observed in the SIRs of different SPC types. Treatment techniques, specifically chemotherapy and radiation therapy, were associated with an increased risk of SPCs among hereditary Rb patients. These findings highlight the importance of radiation protection for Rb patients and the need for further research and tailored management strategies for this high-risk population.

Zinc-ion capacitors (ZICs), combining the merits of both high-energy zinc-ion batteries and high-power supercapacitors, are known as high-potential electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices. However, the research on ZICs still faces many challenges because of the lack of appropriate cathode materials with robust crystal structures and rich channels for stable and fast Zn2+ ion transport. In this study, we synthesized a robust, conductive, two-dimensional metal–organic framework (MOF) material, zinc-benzenehexathiolate (Zn-BHT), and investigated its electrochemical performance for zinc storage. Zn2+ ions could insert into/extricate from the host structure with a high diffusion rate, enabling the Zn-BHT cathode to exhibit a surface-controlled charge storage mechanism. Due to its unique structure, Zn-BHT exhibited a good reversible discharge capacity approaching 90.4 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, as well as a desirable rate capability and good cycling performance. In addition, a ZIC device was fabricated using the Zn-BHT cathode and a polyaniline-derived porous carbon (PC) anode, which depicted a high working voltage of up to 1.8 V and a high energy density of ~37.2 Wh kg−1. This work shows that conductive MOFs are high-potential electrode materials for ZICs and provide new enlightenment for the development of electrode materials for EES devices.

Abstract Thanks to the high power/energy densities together with lower cost, potassium ion hybrid capacitors (PIHCs) have broad application prospects. Nevertheless, the significant volume changes during K+ intercalation/deintercalation together with the misfit between anode as well as cathode limit their further development. Herein, hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbon (N-HPC) is fabricated and used as two electrodes materials for PIHCs. The three-dimensional hierarchical porous structure and large interlayer distance of N-HPC afford enough space to alleviate the volume expansion of potassium. Furthermore, the suitable N doping enables additional active sites towards K+ storage and improves electrical conductivity of electrodes. Hence, the constructed PIHCs assembled with dual N-HPC electrodes deliver a high energy density of 103.5 Wh kg‒1 at 1000.0 W kg‒1. Meanwhile, the PIHCs devices also display superior cycling stability, achieving a capacity retention rate of 70.2% after 10,000 cycles at 1.0 A g‒1. Graphical Abstract Hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbon (N-HPC) is fabricated and used as two electrode materials for PIHCs. The three-dimensional porous structure of N-HPC, the larger inter-layer distance, and the synergy of N-doped introduction of more active sites make it have good magnification properties. At the same time, the assembled PIHCs cycle of 10000 laps has an excellent cycle retention rate.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) stands as the predominant age-related neurodegenerative disorder, for which efficacious treatment remains elusive. An auspicious avenue for this disease lies in natural compounds sourced from tranditional medicine and plant origins. Parthenolide (PTN) is a natural product with multiple biological functionsand. Recent investigations have illuminated PTN's protective properties against neurological maladies; however, its potential therapeutic role against AD remains uncharted. This study aims to explore the role of PTN in treating AD. Our in vitro findings underscore PTN's bioactivity, as evidenced by its capacity to curtail apoptosis, reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and restore mitochondrial membrane potential in PC12 cells. Moreover, PTN treatment demonstrates a capacity to ameliorate deficits in spatial learning and memory in the 3 ×Tg-AD murine model. Notably, PTN's therapeutic efficacy surpasses that of a clinical agent, donepezil. Mechanistically, PTN's neuroprotective effects stem from its adept regulation of the AMPK/GSK3β(ser9)/Nrf2 signaling pathway and protection on neuronal cells from ROS-related apoptosis. Although the molecular target and the pre-clinical evaluations of PTN need to be further explored, this study indicates PTN as a potential agent or lead compound for the drug development against AD.

The utilization of calcined coal gangue (CCG) and limestone for the preparation of blended cement is an efficient approach to address the issue of coal gangue disposal. However, the compressive strength development of blended cement is slow, particularly at high substitution levels of CCG. Therefore, this study aimed to promote the hydration and mechanical properties of the calcined coal gangue–limestone blended cements by increasing the curing temperature. In this study, the samples were cured at two different temperatures, namely 20 and 40 °C. The four groups of samples contained 15 wt.%, 30 wt.%, 45 wt.% and 60 wt.% cement substitutions using CCG and limestone (2:1 mass ratio). The compressive strength, hydration and microstructure were investigated at the ages of 1 to 28 d. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetry (TG) were used to study the hydration behavior of samples. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to determine the microstructure of the samples. The results indicate that an increase in curing temperature significantly promotes the compressive strength of the calcined coal gangue–limestone blended cements from 1 to 28 d. The microstructural analysis indicates that increasing the curing temperature not only promotes cement hydration but also facilitates the reaction of CCG, which precipitated more hydrates such as C-A-S-H gel, Hc and Mc. These hydrates are conducive to refining the pore structures and densifying the microstructure, which sufficiently explains the enhanced compressive strength of the calcined coal gangue–limestone blended cements.

Salinity is one of the most common environmental stress factors, which has a substantial influence on the growth, metabolism, and distribution of crustaceans, while transport of ions and water are considered to play important roles in response to salinity stress. The Chinese shrimp (Fenneropenaeus chinensis) is an important shrimp species cultured in northern China and salinity conditions influence its commercial farming significantly. The study aims to elucidate the potential roles of ion-transport related genes Na+/K+-ATPase α subunit (NKAα), cytoplasmic carbonic anhydrase (CAc), and V-type H+-ATPase subunits (VHA-C, VHA-F, and VHA-G), and water channels of aquaporins (AQP3 and AQP4) in F. chinensis under high-salinity stress. The open reading frames (ORFs) of these genes were cloned, validated, and characterized based on blast against the transcriptomic data. Tissue distribution analysis revealed the predominant expression of these genes in the gills. Then, qPCR was used to examine the expression patterns of genes in the post-larvae shrimp and the gills of adult shrimp in response to hyper-osmotic challenges with two salinities (40 and 45). The results showed that the relative expression levels of these genes were all significantly decreased (p

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of high salinity combined with stocking density on Litopenaeus vannamei. Three salinity gradients, namely, 28 g/L, 36 g/L, and 44 g/L, and two stocking densities, namely, 300 and 600 shrimp/m3, were used to analyze the synergistic effect of high salinity and stocking density on the growth performance, digestibility, and energy budgets of L. vannamei. The experimental testing period lasted 45 days. The research results showed that a salinity level of 36 g/L was the most suitable salinity level for shrimp growth under both high and low stocking densities. The body weight, specific growth rate, and relative weight gain of the shrimp in the 36 g/L salinity group were significantly higher than those in the other two salinity groups under both high and low stocking densities. The high-density farming group with 600 shrimp/m3 exhibited a significant inhibition of shrimp growth compared to the low-density group under the same salinity conditions. The activities of amylase, lipase, and protease in the high-density-group shrimp gradually decreased with an increase in salinity, and the three digestive enzymes had the same overall effect of changing trends. This indicates that under high-density farming conditions, the increase in salinity is not conducive to the digestive function of shrimps. At the same time, the proportion of respiratory energy to feeding energy gradually decreased in the high-density group and with the increase in salinity. However, under the same salinity conditions, the higher the stocking density, the higher the energy consumed by respiration compared to the low-density group. In addition, the expression of the growth-related gene’s small nuclear ribonucleoprotein polypeptide G (SNRPG) under high stocking density was significantly lower than that in the low-density group at a salinity of 28 g/L, and ribosomal protein L7 (RPL7) expression was also significantly lower under high stocking density than that in the low-density group at a salinity of 44 g/L. The expression levels of molting-related genes retinoid X receptor (RXR), ecdysone receptor (ECR), and ecdysone-induced protein 75 (E75) were significantly higher in the 36 g/L salinity group compared with the other two salinity groups under high-stocking-density treatment. The findings indicate that the synergistic effects of salinity and stocking density have a significant impact on the growth of L. vannamei, and excessive salinity would inhibit its growth in the process of high-density culturing.

Hydrogen energy has the advantages of high energy density,green and sustainability,which make it an ideal energy source for human society.Hydrogen generation by seawater electrocatalysis becomes the strategic direction of hydrogen energy industry in the future.The activity and stability of cathode hydrogen evolution catalyst are vital to this hydrogen energy strategy.Although the precious metal Pt-based electrocatalysts have shown excellent catalytic performance on hydrogen evolution,the high price and scarce resources limit their large-scale application.Therefore,nonprecious metal electrocatalysts have attracted much research attention.Starting from the principle of hydrogen evolution reaction,important parameters of overpotential,Tafel slope,Faraday efficiency,specific activity and mass activity,etc.were introduced to evaluate catalytic performances.The review summarized recent progress on multiple nonprecious metal electrocatalysts for cathode hydrogen generation by seawater electrocatalysis,and the problems of current research was clarified.Additionally,the future research of nonprecious metal electrocatalysts in cathode for large-scale hydrogen generation by seawater electrocatalysis was prospected from the following aspects:1) Designing nonprecious metal catalysts with high activity and stability;2) Optimizing production and preparation process of nonprecious metal catalyst;3) Using advanced test and characterization to construct reaction models;4) Deepening theoretical calculation for the mechanism research.

Variations with respect to perspective, lighting, weather, and interference from dynamic objects may all have an impact on the accuracy of the entire system during autonomous positioning and during the navigation of mobile visual simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) robots. As it is an essential element of visual SLAM systems, loop closure detection plays a vital role in eradicating front-end-induced accumulated errors and guaranteeing the map’s general consistency. Presently, deep-learning-based loop closure detection techniques place more emphasis on enhancing the robustness of image descriptors while neglecting similarity calculations or the connections within the internal regions of the image. In response to this issue, this article proposes a loop closure detection method based on similarity differences between image blocks. Firstly, image descriptors are extracted using a lightweight convolutional neural network (CNN) model with effective loop closure detection. Subsequently, the image pairs with the greatest degree of similarity are evenly divided into blocks, and the level of similarity among the blocks is used to recalculate the degree of the overall similarity of the image pairs. The block similarity calculation module can effectively reduce the similarity of incorrect loop closure image pairs, which makes it easier to identify the correct loopback. Finally, the approach proposed in this article is compared with loop closure detection methods based on four distinct CNN models with a recall rate of 100% accuracy; said approach performs significantly superiorly. The application of the block similarity calculation module proposed in this article to the aforementioned four CNN models can increase the recall rate’s accuracy to 100%; this proves that the proposed method can successfully improve the loop closure detection effect, and the similarity calculation module in the algorithm has a certain degree of universality.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) has become a major public health problem affecting the elderly population, and there is currently no effective treatment. Although the pathogenesis of AD is unclear, neurotoxicity induced by oxidative stress plays an important role in the progression of AD. Ginseng, the root and rhizome of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, is used not only as an herbal medicine but also as a functional food to support bodily functions. Ginsenoside Rk3 (Rk3), the main bioactive component in ginseng, has a strong antioxidant effect and has not been reported in AD. In this study, we showed that Rk3 improved neuronal apoptosis, decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and restored mitochondrial membrane potential in PC12 and primary neuronal cells. In vivo, we found that Rk3 improved spatial learning and memory deficit in precursor protein (APP)/presenilin 1 (PS1) double transgenic mouse model of AD. Additionally, Rk3 increases glutathione reductase (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels while inhibits malondialdehyde (MDA) production, apoptosis and activation of glial cells in APP/PS1 mice. Mechanistically, we found that the protective effect of Rk3 is in correlation with the activation of AMPK/Nrf2 signaling pathway. In conclusion, the findings of this study provide support for Rk3 as a new strategy for the treatment of AD.

The largest ever investment in shale gas resources has induced potential environmental threats in China. The assessment and forecasting of environmental impacts associated with shale gas production is highly challenging due to the characteristics of high uncertainty, nonlinearity, and complexity. This paper proposes a new hybrid model by combining the pressure-state-response (PSR) framework with the firefly algorithm (FA) and a nonlinear auto-regressive (NAR) dynamic neural network (the PSR-FA-NAR model) to detect and forecast the state of the environment as well as send warning signals for shale gas production. Then, an empirical sample, the Changning-Weiyuan national-level shale gas pilot zone that produces more than 50% of Chinese shale gas output, is used to test the effectiveness of the proposed model. The results show that Changning play will predictably face severe environmental threats imposed by rapid development, and the model is not only able to capture nonlinearity time-series and present cause-effect relationships but is also able to improve the predictive performance and forecasting accuracy. It proves that the PSR-FA-NAR model can effectively address the problems with high dimensionality, complexity, and nonlinearity and provides a practical methodology to quantify and identify the potential environmental impacts of unconventional oil and gas production.

Heart failure is a fairly common outcome of hypertension. Recent studies have highlighted the key role of the non-hemodynamic activity of angiotensin II (Ang II) in hypertensive heart failure via inducing cardiac inflammation. Drugs that disrupt Ang II-induced cardiac inflammation may have clinical utility in the treatment of hypertensive heart failure. A naturally occurring compound, corynoline, exhibit anti-inflammatory activities in other systems. C57BL/6 mice were injected with Ang II via a micro-osmotic pump for four weeks to develop hypertensive heart failure. The mice were treated with corynoline by gavage for two weeks. RNA-sequencing analysis was performed to explore the potential mechanism of corynoline. We found that corynoline could inhibit inflammation, myocardial fibrosis, and hypertrophy to prevent heart dysfunction, without the alteration of blood pressure. RNA-sequencing analysis indicates that the PPARα pathway is involved Ang II-induced cardiac fibrosis and cardiac remodeling. Corynoline reversed Ang II-induced PPARα inhibition both in vitro and in vivo. We further found that corynoline increases the interaction between PPARα and P65 to inhibit the NF-κB pro-inflammatory pathway in H9c2 cells. Our studies show that corynoline relieves Ang II-induced hypertensive heart failure by increasing the interaction between PPARα and P65 to inhibit the NF-κB pathway.

Orthogonal antisymmetric composite laminates embedded with shape memory alloys (SMAs) wires have the potential to improve the sound quality of vibro-acoustics by taking advantage of the special superelasticity, temperature phase transition, and pre-strain characteristics of SMAs. In this research, space discretion and mode decoupling were employed to establish a vibro-acoustic sound quality model of SMA composite laminates. The association between the structural material parameters of SMA composite laminates and the sound quality index is then approached through methodologies. Numerical analysis was implemented to discuss the effects of SMA tensile pre-strain, SMA volume fraction, and the ratio of resin-to-graphite in the matrix on the vibro-acoustic sound quality of SMA composite laminates within a temperature environment. Subsequently, the sound quality test for SMA composite laminates is thus completed. The theoretically predicted value appears to agree well with the experimental outcomes, which validates the accuracy and applicability of the dynamic modeling theory and method for the sound quality of SMA composite laminates. The results indicate that attempting to alter the SMA tensile pre-strain, SMA volume fraction, and matrix material ratio can be used to modify loudness, sharpness, and roughness, which provides new ideas and a theoretical foundation for the design of composite laminates with decent sound quality.

Apatite Sr-Nd and zircon Hf-O isotopes are broadly used to trace magma sources and constrain magma evolution processes, further improving our understanding of the origin of granitoids. We present zircon U-Pb ages, whole-rock major and trace elements, and whole-rock Sr-Nd-Hf, zircon Hf-O, and apatite Sr-Nd isotopic data for the coarse-grained quartz monzonite, biotite monzogranite, and granite porphyry in the Yushulinzi pluton in the Liaodong Peninsula, the eastern North China Craton, to establish their magma sources and petrogenesis. The coarse-grained quartz monzonite, biotite monzogranite, and granite porphyry were formed contemporaneously, with zircon U-Pb ages of 123–119 Ma. They share enriched whole-rock Sr-Nd-Hf and zircon Hf isotopic compositions, and the coarse-grained quartz monzonite has crust-like δ18O values (5.7–6.7‰). The coarse-grained quartz monzonite and biotite monzogranite have variable apatite (87Sr/86Sr)i ratios and negative apatite εNd(t) values. These isotopic characteristics indicate that the different rock types in the Yushulinzi pluton were derived from the partial melting of ancient crustal material in the North China Craton. Their geochemical and petrographic characteristics indicate that the crystal-melt segregation model can be employed to elucidate the genetic links among different rock types, with the coarse-grained quartz monzonite representing crystal accumulation and the biotite monzogranite and granite porphyry representing interstitial melts extracted from a crystal-rich magma chamber. Furthermore, the variable apatite Sr isotopic compositions and subtle differences in the peak zircon εHf(t) values of the studied rock samples confirm the possibility of a contribution from shallow crustal components and materials with high εHf(t) values during magma evolution, which is not readily revealed by their whole-rock Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic compositions. These results demonstrate that in situ apatite Sr-Nd and zircon Hf-O isotopic analyses have the potential to provide distinctive insights into the magma sources and evolution of magmatic systems.

Background and purpose: An overdose of acetaminophen (APAP) causes acute liver damage and lead to liver failure. Therefore, it is of great clinical significance to find drugs for the treatment of APAP-induced liver injury. Diacerein is clinically used drug for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Here, we evaluate the pharmacological effects and potential mechanisms of diacerein in APAP-induced liver injury. Methods and results: C57BL/6 mice were treated with diacerein by gavage, followed by intraperitoneal injection of APAP (400 mg/kg) to induce acute liver injury in mice. RNA-sequencing analysis and in vitro kinase assay were performed to explore the underlying mechanisms of diacerein. The experimental results showed that pretreatment with diacerein could inhibit APAP-induced elevation of serum AST and ALT levels, hepatic histopathological damage, oxidative stress, hepatocyte death, and mitochondrial damage in mice. The RNA-sequencing analysis and in vitro kinase assay indicated that indicating that JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) is involved in that liver-protective effects of Diacerein. Diacerein could directly and selectively inhibit JNK kinase phosphorylation in cell-free system. We further confirmed that diacerein inhibits APAP-activated JNK pathway to reduce injury response in mouse livers and cultured AML12 cells. Deficiency of JNK in AML12 cells abolished the anti-injury effects of diacerein. Conclusion: Our experimental results suggest that diacerein protects APAP-induced liver injury by the inhibition of JNK kinase phosphorylation, rendering diacerein may serve as a potential therapeutic drug for the prevention of acute liver injury.

Aquaporins (AQPs) are major intrinsic proteins that facilitate the transport of water, small solutes, and ions through membranes. In mammals, the classical aquaporin AQP4 plays a central role in the preservation of central nervous system (CNS) water homeostasis. Litopenaeus vannamei is a typical euryhaline crustacean, with a salinity tolerance range of 0.5–78. Compared to those reared at low-salinity, shrimps cultured at high-salinity have better taste and qualities, but slower growth, lower product yield, and higher mortality. Thus, there is an urgent need to research the osmoregulation of L. vannamei under high-salinity. Previous studies mainly focus on the osmoregulation of gill and hepatopancreas, whereas there is a lack of research on the osmoregulatory roles of CNS in L. vannamei. In the current study, we first presented another two classical AQPs from L. vannamei, of which the arthropod-specific big brain aquaporin (LvBib) was expressed as C-terminal splice variants (LvBib_L and LvBib_S), and the aquaporin-like protein (LvAqpl) was a new type of aquaporin in crustaceans. Tissue distribution revealed that LvAqp4, LvAqpl, and LvBib_L were mostly expressed in the CNS of brain and thoracic ganglion. Then, the expression pattern of aquaporins in brain and thoracic ganglion were examined under both acute and chronic high-salinity stresses. The LvAqpl was found to be down-regulated in both tissues in the two experiments; LvAqp4 was elevated in both tissues under acute stress, whereas it was decreased in the thoracic ganglion during early periods of adaption to high-salinity; LvBib_L was up-regulated in brain but down-regulated in thoracic ganglion under acute stress, whereas it showed the opposite expression pattern during chronic stress. The results suggest that these aquaporins have an important role in the CNS response to high-salinity challenge. Our study provides a base for future mechanistic studies on the role of classical aquaporins in osmoregulation.

Abstract Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs), typically constructed with metallic nodes and organic linkers, have influenced the development of modular solid materials. Their adjustable molecular structure provides a remarkable variety of MOF‐based solid‐state structures towards diverse applications. However, the low conductivity of traditional MOFs extremely hinders their applications in electronic and electrochemical devices. The emerging conductive MOFs, generally possessing two‐dimensional layered structures, are endowed with both the structural merits of common MOFs and exceptional electronic/ionic conductivities. Besides, the selection and optimization of ligands and metal centers, as well as synthetic methods enormously affects the intrinsic conductivity of conductive MOFs. The distinctive crystal structures and superb conductivity promise their appealing applications in electrochemical energy‐related fields. In the review, we mainly summarize representative crystal features, conducting mechanisms and recent advances in rational design and synthesis of conductive MOFs, along with their versatile applications as electrodes for electrochemical capacitors and rechargeable batteries, and as catalysts towards electrocatalysis. Finally, the involved challenges and future trends/prospects of the conductive MOFs for electrochemical energy‐related applications are further proposed.

Hydrogen energy is considered as an ideal energy with the advantages of green, sustainability, and high energy density, and water splitting is one of the efficient strategies for green hydrogen without carbon emission. As for cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), besides the Pt-based electrocatalysts with excellent electrocatalytic activities on HER, transition metal nitrides (TMNs) as cheap and facile-prepared electrocatalysts have shown remarkable electrocatalytic activities. Incorporation of N atom in metal interstitial lattice results in the unique structure of TMN with high electronic conductivity, strong chemical stability, and d-band contraction. Although the intrinsic electrocatalytic activities of TMNs are mostly lower than those of Pt, it also attracted much attention to the development of TMN with higher intrinsic activity by electronic structure modulation. Here, we review the recent improvement strategies for the intrinsic electrocatalytic activities of TMN catalysts on HER by electronic structure modulation, such as facet, alloying, doping, vacancy, heterostructure, and hybridization. Some important breakthroughs of TMNs have been made; however, the scale application of TMNs with high activity in commercial water electrolyzer is urgent to explore. The future development of TMNs is proposed to focus on developing facile synthesis methods, elucidating regulation mechanism and catalytic mechanism, and enhancing activity and stability.

Euryhaline crustaceans cope with external salinity changes by mechanisms of osmoregulation. In the current study, we first cloned and confirmed the ORF sequences of the ion-transportation-related genes Na+/K+-ATPase α subunit (NKAα), cytoplasmic carbonic anhydrase (CAc), and V-type H+-ATPase G subunit (VHA-G), and water channels of aquaporins (AQP3, AQP4, and AQP11) from kuruma shrimp (Marsupenaeus japonicus). Further tissue expression patterns showed a higher expression of MjAQP4, MjCAc, MjNKAα, and MjVHA-G in the gills, as well as a higher expression of MjAQP3 and MjAQP11 in the intestine and muscle, respectively. Then, qPCR analysis was used to assess the mRNA expression levels of those osmoregulatory genes in both post-larvae and adult shrimp when they were exposed to acute salinity stress or salinity acclimation. The results revealed significantly decreased expression levels of MjAQP3, MjAQP11, MjNKAα, and MjCAc, and higher expression levels of MjAQP4 and MjVHA-G when the post-larvae shrimp were directly subjected to 10‰ or 50‰ salinity. Moreover, similar expression patterns were also observed in the post-larvae shrimp during the accommodation to 10‰ or 50‰ salinity. As to the adult shrimp, significantly higher expression levels of those genes were observed in the gills after exposure to 10‰ salinity, whereas only the expression levels of MjAQP3, MjAQP11, and MjNKAα were up-regulated in the gills at 40‰ salinity. In contrast, the expression of MjVHA-G was significantly decreased at 40‰ salinity. Finally, during the acclimation to 10‰ salinity, the expression levels of MjAQP3, MjAQP11, and MjNKAα were also significantly elevated, while the expression of MjCAc was significantly decreased in the gills. In addition, the expression levels of MjAQP3, MjAQP4, MjCAc, and MjVHA-G were significantly decreased in the gills during the acclimation to 55‰ salinity. The findings of the study suggest that the examined genes are critical for the adaptation of aquatic crustaceans to changing environmental salinity. Our study lays as the foundation for further research on osmoregulation mechanisms in M. japonicus.

Abstract High temperature constitutes a serious threat to crops. 3′,5′‐cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is increasingly proved to play important roles in plants. However, the mechanism of cAMP‐mediated thermotolerance in root remains unclear. This study was designed to investigate cAMP roles in thermotolerance of maize root. Adenylyl cyclase (AC) catalyzes ATP to generate cAMP. For two identified maize AC genes, ZmRPP13‐LK3 and ZmPSiP, the predictive ABA response element was found in their promoter fragments. Both ABA and heat stress treatment increased the promoter activity of ZmRPP13‐LK3 and ZmPSiP. In the roots of maize ABA‐deficient mutant vp5, the heat‐caused increase of these two gene expression and cAMP content was obviously less than that in the roots of its wild‐type Vp5. cAMP pretreatment decreased H2O2 and malondialdehyde content, but increased the activities of superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase in roots compared to no pretreatment under heat stress. By iTRAQ proteomics analysis, 268 cAMP‐mediated differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified from maize roots exposed to heat stress. The integrated analysis of these DEPs showed that cAMP was involved in many important biological processes, including ion uptake, protein degradation via autophagy or ubiquitin–proteasome system, a rapid delivery of stress‐related cargo molecules by vesicle trafficking, and adaptation response by defense proteins. To determine whether the gene expression of these DEPs was regulated by cAMP and ABA, the gene expression of randomly selected 15 DEPs as ion transporters and heat shock proteins was analyzed, and the results indicated that cAMP and ABA pretreatment also enhanced the expression of their genes. Additionally, the cAMP pretreatment increased Ca2+, PO43−, and NO3− uptake, but reduced K+ uptake in roots under heat stress. All above‐mentioned results suggest that ABA‐mediated cAMP signaling may contribute to better thermotolerance in maize roots.

This investigation focuses on the three novel polysaccharides from Cordyceps militaris and then discusses their characterization and anti-complementary activity. The three polysaccharides from C. militaris (CMP-1, CMP-2 and CMP-3) were prepared using a DEAE-52 cellulose column. The HPLC, HPGPC, FT-IR and Congo red analyses were used to characterize their monosaccharides, molecular weight and stereo conformation, which demonstrated that the three polysaccharides were homogenous polysaccharides with different molecular weights and were composed of at least ten monosaccharides with different molar ratios, and all had a triple-helix conformation. The evaluation of anti-complementary activity demonstrated that the three polysaccharides significantly inhibited complement activation through the classical pathway and alternative pathway. Preliminary mechanism studies indicated that CMP-1, CMP-2 and CMP-3 acted with C2, C5, C9, factor B, factor B, and P components in the overactivation cascade of the complement system. The analysis of the Pearson correlation and network confirmed that the ribose, glucuronic acid and galacturonic acid composition were negatively correlated with the anti-complementary activity of polysaccharides. These results suggested that the three novel polysaccharides are potential candidates for anti-complementary drugs.

This study focuses on the acetylation modification of polysaccharides from Rhododendron dauricum leaves (RDPs) with a high degree of substitution (DS) and then discusses their characterization and biological activity. The optimum acetylation conditions of RDPs were optimized by response surface methodology, which were reaction time 3 h, reaction temperature 50 °C, and the liquid-solid ratio 16 mL/g. Under the optima schemes, two eco-friendly acetylated polysaccharides from R. dauricum leaves (AcRDP-1 with DS of 0.439 ± 0.025 and AcRDP-2 with DS of 0.445 ± 0.022) were prepared. The results of structural characterization showed that the AcRDP-1 (9.3525 × 103 kDa) and AcRDP-2 (4.7016 × 103 kDa) were composed of mannose, glucose, galactose, and arabinose with molar ratios of 1.00:5.01:1.17:0.15 and 1.00:4.47:2.39:0.88, respectively. Compared with unmodified polysaccharides, the arabinose content and molecular weight of the two acetylated polysaccharides decreased, and their triple helix conformation disappeared, and further improved their anticomplementary activity. The two acetylated polysaccharides showed stronger a complement inhibition effect than the positive drug by blocking C2, C3, C4, C5, C9, and factor B targets in the classical and alternative pathways. This research indicated that acetylation modification could effectively enhance the anticomplementary activity of RDPs, which is beneficial for the development and utilization of R. dauricum leaves.

With gradual warming or increased frequency and magnitude of high temperature, heat stress adversely affects plant growth and eventually reduces plant productivity and quality. Plants have evolved complex mechanisms to sense and respond to heat stress which are crucial to avoiding cell damage and maintaining cellular homeostasis. Recently, 33″,55″-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) has been proved to be an important signaling molecule participating in plant adaptation to heat stress by affecting multi-level regulatory networks. Significant progress has been made on many fronts of cAMP research, particularly in understanding the downstream signaling events that culminate in the activation of stress-responsive genes, mRNA translation initiation, vesicle trafficking, the ubiquitin-proteasome system, autophagy, HSPs-assisted protein processing, and cellular ion homeostasis to prevent heat-related damage and to preserve cellular and metabolic functions. In this present review, we summarize recent works on the genetic and molecular mechanisms of cAMP in plant response to heat stress which could be useful in finding thermotolerant key genes to develop heat stress-resistant varieties and that have the potential for utilizing cAMP as a chemical regulator to improve plant thermotolerance. New directions for future studies on cAMP are discussed.

Complement is an important innate immune defence machinery. Once dysregulated, it is often linked to pathogenesis of diverse autoimmune diseases. Artesunate (ART) is a well-known anti-malarial compound. Recently, ART has been highlighted by its potential therapeutic effects on certain complement-related autoimmune diseases. However, the underlying mechanisms are hitherto unknown. In the present study, we found that ART mediated complement interception as validated by analysis of complement haemolytic assay. In cell-based setup using dying Jurkat cells, ART-mediated complement interception was also confirmed. Further, we newly established an ELISA system selectively allowing complement activation via the classical pathway, the lectin pathway and the alternative pathway, respectively. ELISA analysis revealed that ART dose-dependently inhibited C4 activation, C3 activation and terminal complement complex assembly via the effector pathways. ART was found to blockade C1q, C3 and C5 with a lesser extent to properdin. The interaction of ART with C1q was determined to be mediated via C1q globular head region. FACS analysis using ART-conjugated mesoporous silica particles revealed that ART specifically bound the key therapeutic targets of C1q, C3 and C5 on microparticles. In conclusion, we for the first time report the anti-complement bioactivities of ART and suggest a potential therapeutic benefit of ART in the complement-related human diseases.

Aqueous non-lithium based rechargeable batteries are emerging as promising energy storage devices thanks to their attractive rate capacities, long-cycle life, high safety, low cost, environmental-friendliness, and easy assembly conditions. However, the aqueous electrolytes with high ionic conductivity are always restricted by their intrinsically narrow electrochemical window. Encouragingly, the highly concentrated “water-in-salt” (WIS) electrolytes can efficiently expand the stable operation window, which brings up a series of aqueous high-voltage rechargeable batteries. In the mini review, we summarize the latest progress and contributions of various aqueous electrolytes for non-lithium (Na+, K+, Zn2+, Mg2+, and Al3+) based rechargeable batteries, and give a brief exploration of the operating mechanisms of WIS electrolytes in expanding electrochemically stable windows. Challenges and prospects are also proposed for WIS electrolytes toward aqueous non-lithium rechargeable metal ion batteries.

Abstract Background Lignocellulosic ethanol could offer a sustainable source to meet the increasing worldwide demand for fuel. However, efficient and simultaneous metabolism of all types of sugars in lignocellulosic hydrolysates by ethanol-producing strains is still a challenge. Results An engineered strain Escherichia coli B0013-2021HPA with regulated glucose utilization, which could use all monosaccharides in lignocellulosic hydrolysates except glucose for cell growth and glucose for ethanol production, was constructed. In E. coli B0013-2021HPA, pta-ackA, ldhA and pflB were deleted to block the formation of acetate, lactate and formate and additional three mutations at glk, ptsG and manZ generated to block the glucose uptake and catabolism, followed by the replacement of the wild-type frdA locus with the ptsG expression cassette under the control of the temperature-inducible λ pR and pL promoters, and the final introduction of pEtac-PA carrying Zymomonas mobilis pdc and adhB for the ethanol pathway. B0013-2021HPA was able to utilize almost all xylose, galactose and arabinose but not glucose for cell propagation at 34 °C and converted all sugars to ethanol at 42 °C under oxygen-limited fermentation conditions. Conclusions Engineered E. coli strain with regulated glucose utilization showed efficient metabolism of mixed sugars in lignocellulosic hydrolysates and thus higher productivity of ethanol production.

The South China Block had experienced a significant tectonic transition during the Mesozoic in response to the subduction of the Paleo- and the Pacific Ocean. Large-scale granitic intrusions with massive mineralization are widespread in South China, and their tectonic settings are not defined. The Xitian intrusion is ideal for probing the geodynamic setting and mineralization in South China because they comprise an abundance of microgranular enclaves (MEs) and diverse types of granite associated with mineralization. Age determined by zircon U-Pb dating suggests that the MEs and their host granites are coeval within error, of ca. 152 Ma. The MEs have a similar initial Hf-O isotopic composition as host granites, and the rapid cooling mineral textures indicate that they are autoliths. Geochemical data show that the host granites are high-K, calc-alkaline, and transitional from metaluminous to peraluminous, slightly enriched in light rare earth elements (LREEs) relative to heavy rare earth elements (HREEs), with obvious negative Eu anomalies, belonging to I-type. The Nb/Ta and Zr/Hf ratios indicate the volatile penetrates the magmatic-forming process, and the fluid with abundant volatile could extract metal element effectively from the mantle.

BACKGROUND:Dyslipidemia was present in most of the patients with coronary heart disease. Epidemiological evidence suggests that anthocyanin has some effects on the serum lipid. However, these results are controversial. This study aimed at collecting current clinical evidence and evaluating the effects of anthocyanin supplementation on total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in dialysis patients. METHODS:The search included PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database (up to July 2015) to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the association between anthocyanin and serum lipids. RevMan (version 5.2) was used for Meta-analysis. Meta-regression analysis, sensitivity analysis and Egger's weighted regression tests were performed by using STATA software (version 12.0; StatCorp, College Station, TX, USA). RESULTS:Six studies (seven arms) involving 586 subjects were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that anthocyanin supplementation has significant effects on TC [MD = -24.06, 95% CI(-45.58 to -2.64) mg/dL, I2 = 93%], TG [MD = -26.14, 95%CI(-40.20 to -3.08) mg/dL, I2 = 66%1], LDL-C [MD = -22.10, 95% CI (-34.36 to -9.85) mg/dL, I2 = 61%], and HDL-C(MD = 5.58, 95% CI (1.02 to 10.14) mg/dL;I2 = 90%). CONCLUSION:Anthocyanin supplementation significantly reduces serum TC, TG, and LDL-C levels in patients with dyslipidemia, and increases HDL-C. Further rigorously designed RCTs with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm the effectiveness of anthocyanin supplementation for dyslipidemia, especially hypo high density lipoprotein cholesterolemia.

The potential energy curves (PECs) of the X2Π and A2Π electronic states of the SO+ ion are calculated using the complete active space self-consistent field method, which is followed by the internally contracted multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) approach for internuclear separations from 0.08 to 1.06 nm. The spin-orbit coupling effect on the spectroscopic parameters is included using the Breit-Pauli operator. To improve the quality of PECs and spin-orbit coupling constant (A0), core-valence correlation and scalar relativistic corrections are included. To obtain more reliable results, the PECs obtained by the MRCI calculations are corrected for size-extensivity errors by means of the Davidson modification (MRCI+Q). At the MRCI+Q/aug-cc-pV5Z+CV+DK level, the A0 values of the SO+(X2Π1/2, 3/2) and SO+(A2Π1/2, 3/2) are 362.13 and 58.16 cm−1 when the aug-cc-pCVTZ basis set is used to calculate the spin-orbit coupling splitting, and the A0 of the SO+(X2Π1/2, 3/2) and SO+(A2Π1/2, 3/2) are 344.36 and 52.90 cm−1 when the aug-cc-pVTZ basis set is used to calculate the spin-orbit coupling splitting. The conclusion is drawn that the core-valence correlations correction makes the A0 slightly larger. The spectroscopic results are obtained and compared with those reported in the literature. Excellent agreement exists between the present results and the measurements. The vibrational manifolds are calculated, and those of the first 30 vibrational states are reported for the J = 0 case. Comparison with the measurements shows that the present vibrational manifolds are both reliable and accurate.

This paper calculates the potential energy curves of the 14 Λ-S and 49 Ω states, which come from the first three dissociation channels of the SiN− anion. These calculations are conducted using the valence internally contracted multireference configuration interaction and the Davidson correction approach. Core-valence correlation and scalar relativistic corrections are taken into account. The potential energies are extrapolated to the complete basis set limit. The spin-orbit coupling is computed using the state interaction approach with the Breit–Pauli Hamiltonian. We found that the X1Σ+ (υ′′ = 0–23) and a3Σ+ (υ′ = 0–2) states of SiN− are stable at the computed adiabatic electron affinity value of 23,262.27 cm−1 for SiN. Based on the calculated potential energy curves, the spectroscopic parameters and vibrational levels were determined for all stable and metastable Λ-S and Ω states. The computed adiabatic electron affinity of SiN and the spectroscopic constants of SiN− (X1Σ+) are all in agreement with the available experimental data. The d3Σ+, 25Σ+, 15Δ, and 15Σ− quasi-bound states caused by avoided crossings were found. Calculations of the transition dipole moment of a3Σ+1 to X1Σ+0+ are shown. Franck-Condon factors, Einstein coefficients, and radiative lifetimes of the transition from the a3Σ+1 (υ′ = 0–2) to the X1Σ+0+ state are evaluated.

A newLondon-Eyring-Polanyi-Sato (LEPS) potential energy surface (PES) is used in the O + CH4 → OH + CH3 reaction via the quasiclassical trajectory method (QCT). Comparing with the experiments and the former ab initio calculations, the new LEPS PES describes the actual potential energy surface of the O + CH4 reaction successfully. The four polarization dependent “generalized” differential cross sections (PDDCS) are presented in the center of mass frame. In the meantime, the distribution of dihedral angle [P(φr), the distribution of angle between k and j' (P(θr)] and the angular distribution of product rotational vectors in the form of polar plots in θr andφr (P(θr, φr) are calculated. The isotope effect for the reactions O + CD4 is also calculated. These results are in good agreement with the experiments.

Electrode materials and electrolytes play a vital role in device-level performance of rechargeable Li-ion batteries (LIBs). However, electrode structure/component degeneration and electrode-electrolyte sur-/interface evolution are identified as the most crucial obstacles in practical applications. Thanks to its congenital advantages, atomic layer deposition (ALD) methodology has attracted enormous attention in advanced LIBs. This review mainly focuses upon the up-to-date progress and development of the ALD in high-performance LIBs. The significant roles of the ALD in rational design and fabrication of multi-dimensional nanostructured electrode materials, and finely tailoring electrode-electrolyte sur-/interfaces are comprehensively highlighted. Furthermore, we clearly envision that this contribution will motivate more extensive and insightful studies in the ALD to considerably improve Li-storage behaviors. Future trends and prospects to further develop advanced ALD nanotechnology in next-generation LIBs were also presented.

PurposeThere is a need to supplement or supplant the conventional diagnostic tools, namely, cystoscopy and B-type ultrasound, for bladder cancer (BC). We aimed to identify novel DNA methylation markers for BC through genome-wide profiling of BC cell lines and subsequent methylation-specific PCR (MSP) screening of clinical urine samples.Experimental designThe methyl-DNA binding domain (MBD) capture technique, methylCap/seq, was performed to screen for specific hypermethylated CpG islands in two BC cell lines (5637 and T24). The top one hundred hypermethylated targets were sequentially screened by MSP in urine samples to gradually narrow the target number and optimize the composition of the diagnostic panel. The diagnostic performance of the obtained panel was evaluated in different clinical scenarios.ResultsA total of 1,627 hypermethylated promoter targets in the BC cell lines was identified by Illumina sequencing. The top 104 hypermethylated targets were reduced to eight genes (VAX1, KCNV1, ECEL1, TMEM26, TAL1, PROX1, SLC6A20, and LMX1A) after the urine DNA screening in a small sample size of 8 normal control and 18 BC subjects. Validation in an independent sample of 212 BC patients enabled the optimization of five methylation targets, including VAX1, KCNV1, TAL1, PPOX1, and CFTR, which was obtained in our previous study, for BC diagnosis with a sensitivity and specificity of 88.68% and 87.25%, respectively. In addition, the methylation of VAX1 and LMX1A was found to be associated with BC recurrence.ConclusionsWe identified a promising diagnostic marker panel for early non-invasive detection and subsequent BC surveillance.

DNA methylation plays an important role in biological processes in human health and disease. Recent technological advances allow unbiased whole-genome DNA methylation (methylome) analysis to be carried out on human cells. Using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing at 24.7-fold coverage (12.3-fold per strand), we report a comprehensive (92.62%) methylome and analysis of the unique sequences in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from the same Asian individual whose genome was deciphered in the YH project. PBMC constitute an important source for clinical blood tests world-wide. We found that 68.4% of CpG sites and 80% displayed allele-specific expression (ASE). These data demonstrate that ASM is a recurrent phenomenon and is highly correlated with ASE in human PBMCs. Together with recently reported similar studies, our study provides a comprehensive resource for future epigenomic research and confirms new sequencing technology as a paradigm for large-scale epigenomics studies.