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ObjectiveComplex chromosome rearrangements (CCR) are rare structural abnormalities involving at least three breakpoints, categorized into three types based on their structure: type A (three-way rearrangements), type B (double two-way translocations), and type C (exceptional CCR). However, thus far, limited data exists on preimplantation genetic testing for chromosomal structural rearrangements (PGT-SR) in CCR carriers. This study aims to evaluate the clinical outcomes and influencing factors of PGT-SR in couples with CCR.MethodsFifteen couples with unique CCR recruited from 793 couples following PGT-SR between January 2017 and May 2023. In addition, a total of 54 CCR cases, 39 previously reported as well as 15 newly added, were included in the analysis of factors associate with normal/balanced embryos.ResultsA total of 100 blastocysts were biopsied and analyzed in 15 CCR couples after 17 PGT-SR cycles, with 16.0% being euploid, 78.0% aneuploid and 6.0% mosaic. 11 normal/balanced embryos and one mosaic embryo were transferred, resulting in eight live births. Furthermore, based on the combined data from 54 CCR carriers, the proportion of normal/balanced embryos was 10.8%, with a significant decrease observed among female carriers compared to male heterozygotes (6.5% vs. 15.5%, p = 0.002). Type B exhibited the lowest rate of euploid embryos at only 6.7%, followed by type A at 11.6% and type C at 14.0%, although the differences were not significant (p = 0.182). After completing the multivariate generalized estimating equation (GEE) analysis, type B (p = 0.014) and female carrier (p = 0.002) were identified as independent risk factors for fewer euploid embryos.ConclusionThe occurrence of balanced CCR in patients with reproductive abnormalities may be more frequent than we expected. Despite the proportion of normal/balanced embryos being significantly low, which can be influenced by CCR type and carrier’s sex, PGT-SR may improve the reproductive outcomes among CCR cases. These findings can optimize the clinical management and genetic counseling of CCR carriers seeking assisted reproductive technology (ART).

The natural regeneration of Juglans mandshurica (Juglans mandshurica Maxim.) is challenging. To elucidate its regeneration patterns, we conducted a comparative analysis of the spatial distribution and regeneration indices of Juglans mandshurica seedlings across different habitats, from the forest edge to the inner forest, over a span of 1000 m. Our findings revealed significant differences in seedling growth and regeneration patterns among these habitats. The growth indicators of Juglans mandshurica seedlings were notably higher at the forest edge compared to other habitats. The proportion of Juglans mandshurica seedlings was lower than that of 1- and 2-year-old seedlings, with only 7% being young seedlings at the forest edge. Juglans mandshurica renewal seedlings were aggregated, with the degree of aggregation as follows: 15 m > forest edge > 60 m > 30 m. The regeneration index was highest at the forest edge (1.0) and decreased with distance: 15 m (0.62), 30 m (0.52), 60 m (0.42). Shrub species and other seedlings at the forest edge showed a significant negative correlation with the Juglans mandshurica seedling numbers (p < 0.05). At 15 m, tree species displayed a significant (p < 0.05) or highly significant (p < 0.01) negative correlation. Stand closure at 30 m exhibited a substantial (p < 0.05) or highly significant (p < 0.01) negative correlation with the Juglans mandshurica regeneration index. At 60 m, the tree species, number, and basal area at breast height showed a significant (p < 0.05) or highly significant (p < 0.01) negative correlation with the Juglans mandshurica regeneration index. The forest edge had the highest renewal index and effectiveness, making it a priority for the conservation and management of Juglans mandshurica renewal. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the conservation and sustainable management of Juglans mandshurica populations.

The main units of persimmon proanthocyanidins (PAs) are composed of flavan-3-ols including epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and gallocatechin gallate (GCG). Precise quantification of GCG is challenging due to its trace amounts in persimmon. In this study, to establish the optimal UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS technique for the determination of PAs monomer composition in persimmon fruit flesh of different astringency types, mass spectrometry and chromatographic conditions were optimized. The results showed that when operating in negative ion mode, using a T3 chromatographic column (a type of C18 column with high-strength silica), acetonitrile as the organic phase, a 0.1% mobile phase acid content, and a mobile phase flow rate of 0.2 mL/min, the chromatographic peak shape and resolution of the PAs monomer composition improved. Additionally, there was no tailing phenomenon observed in the chromatographic peaks. At the same time, the intra-day and inter-day precision, stability, and recovery of the procedure were good. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of stability was less than 5%. The intra-day precision was in the range of 1.14% to 2.36%, and the inter-day precision ranged from 1.03% to 2.92%, both of which were less than 5%. The recovery rate ranged from 94.43% to 98.59% with an RSD less than 5%. The results showed that the UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS technique established in this study can not only be used for the quantification of EGCG and GCG in persimmon fruit flesh but also be suitable for analyzing other PAs monomer compositions, providing robust support for the related research on persimmon PAs.

IntroductionThinning has a crucial impact on the carbon dynamics of forest ecosystems. The inconsistencies about the effects of thinning on carbon stocks in previous studies may be attributed to different thinning plans that designed to achieve different management goals.MethodsThis study focuses on Cunninghamia lanceolata as the research object and investigates three treatments: crop tree release (CTR), traditional thinning (TM), and no thinning (CK). The different thinning methods (CTR and TM) had different management objectives and selection of crop trees principle, although with the same thinning density. The short-term effects of CTR and TM treatments on tree growth and carbon storage in Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations were analyzed and compared.ResultsBoth CTR and TM were beneficial to the growth of individual trees when compared to CK, with CTR being more beneficial. The average annual increments in DBH, TH, and volume of a single tree in CTR increased by 62.50%, 61.29%, and 74.07% higher than CK, respectively. So CTR was the best for large-diameter timber yield, which was 77.40% higher than CK, whereas CK had a higher proportion of medium- and small-diameter timber yield. However, CTR had an insignificant short-term boosting effect on stand volume, and its timber volume was considerably higher than that in TM treatment, but not as high as in CK. Therefore, the carbon storage in the tree layer, litter, and different soil layers under different treatments showed that CTR and TM were significantly lower than CK. And the total carbon storage in the three treatments showed that CK > CTR > TM, with CTR showing a 13.07% higher than TM. On the contrary, thinning could effectively improve understory vegetation carbon storage. The carbon storage in the herb and shrub layers under CTR increased by 47.77% and 183.44%, respectively, compared to CK.DiscussionAlthough thinning could significantly promote the growth of individual trees and understory vegetation, their total carbon storage in the short term was lower than that in CK. CTR showed a higher carbon sequestration and sink capacity than TM. It suggests that CTR, as a special type of thinning method, should be encouraged to selected because it has the chance to achieve a faster carbon sequestration rate than traditional thinning and it also can produce higher-quality timber.

Synthesizing ring structure aviation fuels from biomass-derived platform molecules is challenging, especially for bridged ring structure aviation fuels which are typically achieved from fossil-derived chemicals. Herein, we report the synthesis of a series of ring structure biofuels in two steps by a combination of a solvent-free Michael-cyclization reaction and a hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) reaction from lignocellulose-derived 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione. These biofuels are obtained with high overall yields up to 90%, which exhibit high densities of 0.81 g cm−3-0.88 g cm−3 and high volumetric neat heat of combustion (VNHOC) values of 36.0 MJ L−1-38.6 MJ L−1. More importantly, bridged-ring structure hydrocarbons can also be achieved in two steps by a combination of a Robinson annulation reaction and an HDO reaction to afford the final products at high overall yields up to 90%. The bridged-ring structure products have comparable high densities and high VNHOC values to the best artificial fuel JP-10 (0.94 g cm−3 and 39.6 MJ L−1). The results demonstrate a promising way for the synthesis of high-density aviation fuels with different fuel properties at high yields.

Abstract Lead sulfide (PbS) presents large potential in thermoelectric application due to its earth‐abundant S element. However, its inferior average ZT (ZTave) value makes PbS less competitive with its analogs PbTe and PbSe. To promote its thermoelectric performance, this study implements strategies of continuous Se alloying and Cu interstitial doping to synergistically tune thermal and electrical transport properties in n‐type PbS. First, the lattice parameter of 5.93 Å in PbS is linearly expanded to 6.03 Å in PbS0.5Se0.5 with increasing Se alloying content. This expanded lattice in Se‐alloyed PbS not only intensifies phonon scattering but also facilitates the formation of Cu interstitials. Based on the PbS0.6Se0.4 content with the minimal lattice thermal conductivity, Cu interstitials are introduced to improve the electron density, thus boosting the peak power factor, from 3.88 μW cm−1 K−2 in PbS0.6Se0.4 to 20.58 μW cm−1 K−2 in PbS0.6Se0.4−1%Cu. Meanwhile, the lattice thermal conductivity in PbS0.6Se0.4−x%Cu (x = 0–2) is further suppressed due to the strong strain field caused by Cu interstitials. Finally, with the lowered thermal conductivity and high electrical transport properties, a peak ZT ~1.1 and ZTave ~0.82 can be achieved in PbS0.6Se0.4 − 1%Cu at 300–773K, which outperforms previously reported n‐type PbS.

In the EAST tokamak, we have developed an internal transport barrier (ITB) high-confinement mode (H-mode) scenario characterized by dominant electron heating and centrally peaked electron temperature profiles, facilitated primarily through the combustion of lower hybrid current drive and electron cyclotron radio heating (ECRH). Hard x-ray diagnostics reveal a marked increase in the population of fast electrons with energy from 30 keV to 80 keV, concurrent with augmented ECRH power during H-mode plasma operations. This surge in fast electron population precedes the formation of the electron temperature ITB (Te-ITB). Within the Te-ITB H-mode discharge, a mild and long-lived m / n = 1/1 mode (where m and n denote the toroidal and poloidal mode numbers, respectively) emerges proximal to the ITB region. This mode precipitates a redistribution of fast electrons, contributing to an increase in the safety factor near the magnetic axis and thereby promoting the stability of the Te-ITB. Furthermore, we explore the influence of fast electrons on plasma pressure and examine the effects of the profile of fast electrons on the central Te. Strategies to maintain the m / n = 1/1 mode at a moderate amplitude are also discussed, highlighting their significance in the sustained management of Te-ITB.

Since the last IAEA-FEC in 2021, significant progress on the development of long pulse steady state scenario and its related key physics and technologies have been achieved, including the reproducible 403 s long-pulse steady-state H-mode plasma with pure radio frequency (RF) power heating. A thousand-second time scale (∼1056 s) fully non-inductive plasma with high injected energy up to 1.73 GJ has also been achieved. The EAST operational regime of high β _P has been significantly extended ( H _98y2 > 1.3, β _P ∼ 4.0, β _N ∼ 2.4 and n _e / n _GW ∼ 1.0) using RF and neutral beam injection (NBI). The full edge localized mode suppression using the n = 4 resonant magnetic perturbations has been achieved in ITER-like standard type-I ELMy H-mode plasmas with q _95 ≈ 3.1 on EAST, extrapolating favorably to the ITER baseline scenario. The sustained large ELM control and stable partial detachment have been achieved with Ne seeding. The underlying physics of plasma-beta effect for error field penetration, where toroidal effect dominates, is disclosed by comparing the results in cylindrical theory and MARS-Q simulation in EAST. Breakdown and plasma initiation at low toroidal electric fields (

Since 2010, the cases and incidences of human brucellosis have been increasing annually in Qinghai (QH) Province. Molecular epidemiology and phylogenetic analyses of strains from this region are crucial to better understand the transmission of the disease and the evolutionary patterns of Brucella strains. In this study, classical bio-typing assay, multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis, and the whole-genome sequencing–single-nucleotide polymorphism approach were used to illustrate the epidemiological and evolutionary patterns of Brucella melitensis. A total of 54 B. melitensis bv. 3 strains were isolated and molecularly characterized, with all strains belonging to the East Mediterranean lineages. Cross-regional transmission events (i.e., between counties) were caused by common sources of infection, suggesting that predominant circulating genotypes are endemic in different regions. Strengthening surveillance in animal brucellosis and controlling infected animals’ cross-border movement are necessary. Two strains isolated from humans and marmots were clustered in the same sub-clade, implying the possible existence of direct and/or indirect contact between sheep (and goats) and wildlife (marmots), but this needs to be verified by further investigations. The global-scale phylogenetic analysis indicated that 54 strains sorted into six subclades, four of which formed independent lineages, suggesting that the increase in the incidence rate of human brucellosis may be caused by local circulating lineages. Further strengthening the serology and pathogen surveillance of animals (wildlife) and humans will contribute to an in-depth understanding of the transmission chain of human brucellosis in this region.

Thermoelectric material is capable of realizing direct conversion between heat and electricity. Here, the authors obtain high thermoelectric performance in PbSe at low-medium temperatures by importing dense dislocations.

The high-Z impurity accumulation in the plasma core could degrade the plasma performance and may affect sawtooth crash and trigger tearing modes (TMs) in experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST). Triggering of m/n = 3/2 TM (m and n are the poloidal and toroidal mode numbers, respectively) and m/n = 2/1 TM by a large sawtooth crash is observed and studied under the condition of high-Z impurity accumulation in core plasma in EAST tokamak. This work mainly focuses on the relationship among impurity, sawtooth crashes, and TMs. When there is a certain amount of impurity in the plasma core, sawtooth crash leads to impurity transport, resulting the changes in impurity concentration, and by inducing the density perturbation near the rational surface, TMs become destabilized. The experimental analyses indicate that the outward impurity transport after a sawtooth crash plays an important role in the destabilization of TMs.

In this study, the multifaceted asymmetric radiation from the edge (MARFE) was observed in high-density discharges or during impurity gas injection on the EAST tokamak. The MARFE onset indicated by spectral and radiation signals can also be detected by the POlarimeter-INTerferometer (POINT) diagnostic, which measures the horizontal line-integrated density and the Faraday rotation. The fluctuation amplitude of the density signal resulting from the MARFE oscillation increases with the edge safety factor, which is consistent with the thermal instability theory. By combining density and the Faraday rotation, the local current shrinkage in the MARFE region is observed during the MARFE movement. The density and the current profile calculated by the POINT become more peak during the MARFE, which may lead to a strong magnetohydrodynamic instability that can result in disruption.

Abstract Background Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic intracellular protozoon that is estimated to infect about 30% of the world’s population, resulting in toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised patients and adverse outcomes in cases of primary infection during pregnancy. Exosomes are tubular vesicles secreted by cells, and function in intercellular communication. It has been reported that the exosomes secreted by T. gondii-infected immune cells transmit infection signals to the uninfected cells. However, the mechanism and effect of the exosome transmission are still vague. We therefore investigated the function of the exosomes transmitted from DC2.4 cells infected with the T. gondii RH strain (Tg-DC-Exo) to the uninfected cells, as well as their roles in anti-infection. Methods We conducted exosome isolation and identification with ultracentrifugation, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), and western blot (WB) analysis. Exosome uptake by recipient cells was identified by PKH67 assay. The signal transmission and the abundance of miR-155-5p were determined using transwell assay and qRT-PCR. For detection of immune responses, cytokine secretion was evaluated. The T. gondii B1 gene was determined to evaluate tachyzoite proliferation. Results We observed that Toxoplasma infection upregulated miR-155-5p expression in DC2.4 cell-secreted exosomes, and those exosomes could be ingested by murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Tg-DC-Exo and miR-155-5p stimulated host proinflammatory immune responses including increased production of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α, and proinflammatory marker-inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). The NF-κB pathway was activated by downregulation of SOCS1, leading to inhibition of T. gondii tachyzoite proliferation in RAW264.7 cells. Conclusions Our findings provide a novel mechanism for how infected cells transmit infection signals to the uninfected cells through exosome secretion after T. gondii infection, followed by inflammatory responses and anti-infection reactions, which may help us develop a new strategy for toxoplasmosis prevention, especially in immunocompromised patients. Graphical Abstract

Background: Ticagrelor and clopidogrel are commonly used antiplatelet agents, and we conducted a pharmacovigilance analysis using the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) to provide a reference for safe and reasonable clinical use.Methods: Data were collected in FAERS from 2012 Q1 to 2022 Q2 for data cleaning. We used system organ classes (SOCs) and prefer terms (PTs) from the Medical Dictionary of Regulatory Activity (MedDRA version 25.1). Adverse event reports were retrieved at the PT level. Adverse reaction (ADR) signals of ticagrelor and clopidogrel were mined by calculating reporting odds ratios (ROR), proportional reporting ratios (PRR), information component (IC) and empirical Bayesian geometric mean (EBGM). After that, further analysis of the hemorrhagic signals and their clinical information were performed.Results: The number of ADR reports where the primary suspect (PS) drugs were 15,133 for ticagrelor and 23,860 for clopidogrel. Significant ADR signals were identified by the SOC analysis for ticagrelor including cardiac disorders (ROR 4.87, PRR 4.46), respiratory disorders (ROR 2.45, PRR 2.28), and vascular disorders (ROR 2.22, PRR 2.16). Clopidogrel included blood disorders (ROR 2.86, PRR 2.77), vascular disorders (ROR 2.71, PRR 2.61), and cardiac disorders (ROR 2.29, PRR 2.22). At the PT level, the more frequent ADR signals for ticagrelor were dyspnoea, contusion, and haemorrhage, while clopidogrel were gastrointestinal haemorrhage, anaemia, and drug interaction. The hemorrhagic signals of both were mainly focused on the SOC level of gastrointestinal disorders, injury disorders and vascular disorders and nervous system disorders. The death and life-threatening rate of ticagrelor was 7.76 percentage higher than that of clopidogrel.Conclusion: Clinicians need to pay attention to not only common ADRs but also be alert to new ADR signals when choosing to use ticagrelor and clopidogrel. This study provides a reference for the reasonable and safe clinical use of ticagrelor and clopidogrel.

Abstract Background Proanthocyanidins (PAs) are important plant secondary metabolites that confer flavor, nutritional value, and resistance to pathogens. Persimmon is one of the PA richest crops. Mature fruits can be inedible because of the astringency caused by high PA levels and need to go through a de-astringency treatment before consumption. The molecular basis for PA accumulation is poorly known, particularly transcriptional regulators. We characterised three genotypes (‘Luotiantianshi’ (LT), ‘Mopanshi’ (MP), and ‘Youhou’ (YH)) with different PA accumulation patterns using an approach that combined PacBio full-length sequencing and Illumina-based RNA sequencing to build high-quality full-length transcriptomes. Additionally, we analysed transcriptome dynamics of the three genotypes (LT, MP, and YH) at four key fruit developmental stages. Results A total of 96,463 transcripts were obtained. We identified 80,075 protein-coding sequences (CDSs), 71,137 simple sequence repeats (SSRs), and 27,845 long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC), principal component analysis (PCA), and differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) analyses indicated that the four different developmental stages within a genotype exhibited similar transcriptome activities. A total of 2,164 transcripts specific to each fruit developmental stage were detected. The transcripts specific to early stages were attributed to phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis. Co-expression network analyses revealed MEbrown and MEblue modules were strongly associated to PA accumulation. From these two modules, 20 hub TFs are potential regulators for PA accumulation. Among them, Cluster_78388 (SBP protein), Cluster_63454 (bZIP protein), and Cluster_66595 (MYB protein) appear to involve in the PA biosynthesis in Chinese genotypes. Conclusions This is the first high-quality reference transcriptome for commercial persimmon. Our work provides insights into the molecular pathways underlying PA accumulation and enhances our global understanding of transcriptome dynamics throughout fruit development.

In comparison with ectomycorrhizal (EM) tree species, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) trees have different litter quality and nitrogen cycle modes, which may affect mycorrhizal colonization and the community composition and diversity. However, available studies addressing the mycorrhizal fungal colonization rate, diversity and community composition in mixed forest stands composed of AM and EM trees are rare. In the present study, we assessed litter quality, soil physicochemical properties and correlated them with mycorrhizal community characteristics in rhizosphere soils of monoculture and mixture plantation stands of AM tree species (Fraxinus mandschurica Rupr.) and EM tree species (Larix gmelinii Rupr., Picea koraiensis Nakai) in Northeast China. We hypothesized that (1) the effect of mixture pattern on mycorrhizal colonization rate and diversity would change with tree species, (2) the effect of mixture pattern on mycorrhizal community composition would be less pronounced in comparison with that of tree species. We found that mixture did not change AMF colonization rate regardless of mixture identity, whereas mixture and tree species exerted significant effects on EMF colonization rate. For AMF community, both M-AS (Fraxinus mandschurica Rupr. and Picea koraiensis Nakai) and M-AL (Fraxinus mandschurica Rupr. and Larix gmelinii Rupr.) mixtures significantly increased Pielou index and Simpson index, whereas only M-AS significantly increased Sobs. For EMF community, mixture significantly affected examined diversity indices except for Chao1. Mixture significantly shifted AMF and EMF community, and the magnitude was tree species dependent. The dominant genera in AMF and EMF communities in plantation stands were Glomus and Tomentella, respectively. The EnvFit analysis showed that the determinant factors of EMF community are soil moisture, pH, nitrate nitrogen content, dissolved organic nitrogen content, soil organic matter content, soil organic carbon/total nitrogen and litter carbon/total nitrogen. In conclusion, mixed conifer-broadleaf trees significantly changed soil physicochemical properties, litter quality as well as mycorrhizal fungi community diversity and composition.

Recently, stationary plasma with a world-record pulse length of 1056 s was achieved on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). In this work, the core magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) events as well as mode coupling processes have been investigated in EAST long pulse operation with electron heating dominant and pure radio frequency wave heating low collisionality, by using several diagnostics and the nonlinear numerical code M3D together. A saturated m / n = 1/1 kink mode was observed in the core region, where a stable internal transport barrier was found in the electron temperature channel. The frequencies and 2D structures of these modes were studied by a combination of soft X-ray (SXR) imaging and electron cyclotron emission diagnostics. The frequency of the m / n = 1/1 mode exhibited a feature of chirping down with time, and this chirping rate corresponds to the rate of electron diamagnetic drift frequency change. A twisted pattern (‘Taichi structure in shape’) was reconstructed by SXR tomography of the m / n = 1/1 mode. The perturbations of electron temperature and density caused by m / n = 1/1 are different in size, the latter one being much smaller. The destabilization of m / n = 1/1 was due to the strong central heating combined with electron cyclotron resonance heating and lower hybrid current drive. In the presence of the m / n = 1/1 mode, a negative current was generated on the magnetic axis, which anomalously broadened the core current profile. A m / n = 3/2 tearing mode triggered by m / n = 1/1 mode was also observed. The m / n = 3/2 mode has a smaller frequency than the m / n = 1/1 mode, and carries an m / n = 3/2 island with detectable size. A novel 3D MHD model that separately evolves the plasma density and temperature is applied to the m / n = 3/2 triggered by m / n = 1/1. It is found that a toroidal current density at the q = 1.5 surface, caused by non-axisymmetric density perturbation during the m / n = 1/1 nonlinear growth phase, was generated and hence the destabilization of the m / n = 3/2 tearing mode. Both the modeled electron temperature and density perturbations agree well with experimental observations. In the last section of this paper, the interaction between the m / n = 1/1 mode and fast electrons as well as the active control of this mode are also presented.

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular pathogen that exerts its virulence through inhibiting host’s innate immune responses, which is mainly related to the type II interferon (IFN-γ) response. IFN-γ inducible tripartite motif 21 (TRIM21), an E3 ligase, plays an important role in anti-infection responses against the intracellular pathogens including bacteria, virus, and parasite. We found that T. gondii virulence factor ROP18 of the type I RH strain (TgROP18I) interacted with human TRIM21, and promoted the latter’s phosphorylation, which subsequently accelerated TRIM21 degradation through lysosomal pathway. Furthermore, TRIM21 protein level was found to be upregulated during RH and CEP strains of T. gondii infection. TRIM21 knocking down reduced the ubiquitin labeling on the parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM) [which led to parasitophorous vacuole (PV) acidification and death of CEP tachyzoites], and relieved the inhibition of CEP proliferation induced by IFN-γ in human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) cells which was consistent with the result of TRIM21 overexpression. On the other hand, TRIM21 overexpression enhanced the inhibition of CEP proliferation, and inhibited the binding of IκB-α with p65 to activate the IFN-γ-inducible NF-κB pathway, which might be resulted by TRIM21-IκB-α interaction. In brief, our research identified that in human cells, IFN-γ-inducible TRIM21 functioned in the innate immune responses against type III T. gondii infection; however, TgROP18I promoted TRIM21 phosphorylation, leading to TRIM21 degradation for immune escape in type I strain infection.

Diospyros L. is the largest, most widely distributed, and economically important genus of the family Ebenaceae. However, various researchers disagree on the number of species and geographical distribution of Diospyros in China. For the purpose of providing a scientific basis for the effective protection and rational use of Diospyros, the present study involved a comprehensive review of the literature, electronic databases, and herbaria as well as field investigations. The results showed as the following. (1) While 174 scientific names have been published for various taxa of Diospyros in China, by screening and excluding synonyms, 65 species names were considered acceptable; these account for about 12% of the total species of Diospyros globally. (2) A review of herbarium specimens documented that Diospyros occurs in 28 administrative regions of China, more than the literature records. Species richness decreases from south to north in China while Guangxi, Yunnan, Guangdong, and Hainan have the greatest number of species. (3) Among the 65 relatively reliable Diospyros species, 45 species are endemic to China and 18 species are stenochoric. Some species may have become extinct as a result of environmental degradation and the status of some germplasm remain unresolved. In brief, Chinese Diospyros includes abundant, China-specific, and widely distributed features. Nevertheless, comprehensive species delimitation and the analysis of phylogenetic relationships will still require further study. Keywords: Diospyros L., Ebenaceae, species number, geographic distribution

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) is an important fruit crop in East Asia and has great commercial potential due to the high demand for fresh edible fruits or processed dried persimmon, as well as its being a source of raw materials for the chemical industry. Genetic engineering has shown great potential in persimmon fruit improvement and compensated for the limitations of conventional breeding. In this study, we developed an efficient transformation system and in vivo regeneration protocol by using the leaf disc culture of ‘Gongcheng Shuishi’ persimmon through the optimization of different basic media and hormone combinations. Based on the secondary induction system on 1/2DKW (DKW medium) + ZT (2.0 mg/L) + TDZ (0.5 mg/L) and MS (1/2 N) + ZT (2.0 mg/L) + IAA (0.1 mg/L), the callus induction rate and adventitious bud induction rate were 96.0% and 94.0%, respectively, and RNA interference of DkANR (ANR, anthocyanidin reductase) was achieved after transformation, thus resulting in a reduction in proanthocyanidin accumulation. The GFP (green fluorescent protein) fluorescence signal was visualized in the transgenic seedlings with GFP gene cotransformation. A total of 17.9% of the positive regenerated transgenic seedlings with empty vector were confirmed by both hyg gene and 35S promoter PCR analysis. Southern blotting assays showed that 20 positive transgenic persimmon seedlings were obtained from 135 regenerated transformants derived from DkANRi. Altogether, a reliable and highly efficient transformation system was achieved in persimmon, which may contribute to gene function identification and genetic improvement in the future.

Soil microorganisms are an integral part of the soil and are highly sensitive to environmental changes. The shift in plant community and soil properties following forest succession may cause differences in soil bacterial and fungal community composition. Some studies suggested following the succession of the community, the species composition tends to switch from r-strategy groups to k-strategy groups. However, generalization on the changing pattern has not been worked out. Three forests at an early-, intermediate-, and late-stage (ES, IS, LS) of the succession of broad-leaved Korean pine forest in the Lesser Hinggan Mountains were surveyed to study the variation in soil bacterial and fungal community composition as the succession proceeds. Soil microbial community composition and related soil factors were analyzed by systematic sampling. Significant differences in soil microbial community composition were detected between forests at different stages. The bacterial diversity increased, while the fungal diversity decreased (p < 0.05) from the early to the late successional forest. The fungi to bacteria ratio (F/B) and the (Proteobacteria + Bacteroidetes) to (Actinobacteria + Acidobacteria) ratio increased substantially with succession (p < 0.05). At the phylum level, Bacteroidetes, Ascomycota and Mortierellomycota were dominant in the ES forest, while Actinobacteria and Basidiomycota were prevalent in the LS forest. At the class level, Gammaproteobacteria, Acidobacteriia, Bacteroidia, Sordariomycetes and Mortierellomycetes were dominant in the ES forest, whereas Subgroup_6, Agaricomycetes, Geminibasidiomycetes and Tremellomycetes were dominant in the LS forest. Soil water content (SWC) and available phosphorus (AP) had significant effects on the bacterial community composition (p < 0.05). Soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), the carbon–nitrogen ratio (C/N), total potassium (TK) and SWC had significant effects on the fungal community composition (p < 0.05). SOC and TN were positively correlated with r-strategy groups (p < 0.05) and were significantly negatively correlated with k-strategy groups (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that the soil bacterial and fungal community composition changed significantly in forests across the successional stages, and the species composition switched from r-strategy to k-strategy groups. The bacterial and fungal community diversity variation differed in forests across the successional stages. The changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen content resulted in the shifting of microbial species with different ecological strategies.

To conveniently prepare the immobilized enzyme for green synthesis of vitamin A palmitate, thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (TLL) was assembled with apatite derived from calcium phosphate in solution to form TLL@apatite hybrid nanoflowers (hNFs) by mimetic biomineralization. The obtained hNFs was characterized by SEM and applied in the enzymatic synthesis of vitamin A palmitate. Under optimal condition, when palmitic acid and vitamin A acetate were used as substrates, the yield of the target product was up to 90.4%, about 1.5 folds of that using free TLL. In addition, when each cycle for catalytic synthesis was carried out in petroleum ether with 20% water content as solvent for 12 h, the hNFs still retains 65.8% of initial catalytic synthetic ability after 10 cycles. These results demonstrated the hNFs was a kind of green biocatalyst with high catalytic activity and high stability with great potential in the green pharmaceuticals industry.

Persimmon proanthocyanidin (PA) biosynthesis is controlled by structural genes and regulated by transcription factors (TFs). MicroRNAs are a key factor involved in regulating gene expression at the posttranscriptional level whose functions in persimmon PA biosynthesis are poorly understood. Here, we identified a microRNA, miR858b, that putatively targets two R2R3-MYB TFs, DkMYB19 and DkMYB20. DkMYB19, DkMYB20, and miR858b showed divergent expression patterns during fruit development, and the interaction between miR858b and DkMYB19 or DkMYB20 was experimentally validated by 5′ RNA ligase-mediated RACE, LUC enzyme activity analysis, and GFP signal detection. The DkMYB19 localized to the nucleus as well as the cytoplasm and DkMYB20 localized to the nucleus. The overexpression of miR858b led to the downregulation of DkMYB19 and DkMYB20, which reduced the content of PA, whereas a reduction in miR858b activity upregulated DkMYB19 and DkMYB20, resulting in a high content of PA in leaves transiently expressing a small tandem target mimic construct for blocking miR858 (STTM858b) in vivo. The transient transformation of miR858b in fruit discs in vitro also reduced the content of PA, while the content of PA increased under the transient transformation of fruit discs with STTM858b, DkMYB19, or DkMYB20. A similar phenomenon was observed upon the overexpression of miR858b in wild-type (WT) Arabidopsis and DkMYB19 or DkMYB20 in persimmon leaf calli. These findings suggested that miR858b repressed the expression of DkMYB19 and DkMYB20, which contributed to the PA accumulation in persimmon.

Persimmon fruits accumulate a large amount of proanthocyanidins (PAs), which makes an astringent sensation. Proanthocyanidins (PAs) are the polymers of flavan-3-ols stored in plant vacuoles under laccase activation. A laccase gene, DkLAC2, is putatively involved in PAs biosynthesis and regulated by microRNA (DkmiR397) in persimmon. However, the polymerization of PAs in association with miRNA397 still needs to be explored in persimmon. Here, we identified pre-DkmiR397 and its target gene DkLAC2 in ‘Eshi 1’ persimmon. Histochemical staining with GUS and dual luciferase assay both confirmed DkmiR397-DkLAC2 binding after co-transformation in tobacco leaves. Diverse expression patterns of DkLAC2 and DkmiR397 were exhibited during persimmon fruit development stages. Moreover, a contrasting expression pattern was also observed after the combined DkLAC2-miR397 transformation in persimmon leaves, suggesting that DkmiR397 might be a negative regulator of DkLAC2. Similarly, the transient transformation of DkmiR397 in persimmon fruit discs in vitro also reduced PA accumulation by repressing DkLAC2, whereas the up-regulation of DkLAC2 increased the accumulation of PAs by short tandem target mimic STTM-miR397. A similar expression pattern was observed when overexpressing of DkLAC2 in Arabidopsis wild type (WT) and overexpression of DkLAC2, DkmiR397 in persimmon leaf callus. Our results revealed that the role of DkmiR397 repressed the expression of DkLAC2 concerning PA biosynthesis, providing a potential target for the manipulation of PAs metabolism in persimmon.

Fishbone instabilities and internal transport barriers (ITBs) are frequently and sequentially observed in tokamak plasmas. Recently, the relationship between fishbone instabilities and ITBs was numerically studied, mainly on the basis of experimental results (Liu et al 2020 Nucl. Fusion 60 122001). It was identified that a radial electric field can be generated by the fishbone itself, which may act as a trigger for ITB formation. To gain a deeper understanding of this subject, in this work we further demonstrate the multiple interactions between fishbone instability and ITBs in Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) experiments (discharge #56933) using the hybrid kinetic-MHD code M3D-K. In multiple- n simulations, it is found that a zonal electric field can be induced in the nonlinear fishbone stage, leading to a relatively large E × B zonal flow that is sufficient to suppress the dominant microinstability before ITB formation; this should account for ITB triggering. After the ITB is triggered, the equilibrium pressure gradient increases and fast ions from the neutral beam injection accumulate in the ITB region. Linear simulations are performed to analyze the effect of ITB formation on fishbone instability. It is shown that due to the change of the pressure gradient during ITB expansion, the change in the bootstrap current density profile modifies the q -profile and then stabilizes the fishbone mode. Additionally, the accumulation of the fast ions leads to a broadening of fast ion distribution around the ITB region, which also has a stabilizing effect on the fishbone mode.

Background: Breast milk jaundice (BMJ) is the first cause of neonatal jaundice; however, its underlying mechanism is yet to be deciphered. We conducted a study to investigate intestinal flora in neonates with BMJ and used metabolomics to decipher the possible mechanisms by which intestinal flora induces jaundice.Methods: Microbiota collected from the feces of BMJ patients and jaundice-free breastfeeding newborns was used for 16S rRNA sequencing. In addition, differences in fecal metabolites were analyzed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The relationship between intestinal microbiota and the differences in fecal metabolites was then analyzed.Results: There was no significant difference in the richness and diversity of intestinal flora between BMJ and the control group; however, there were differences in the structure. At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Firmicutes was higher in the control group compared to the BMJ group, whereas Proteobacteria was higher in the infants with BMJ. Additionally, at the genus level, the relative abundance of Haemophilus was higher in the control group, whereas the relative abundances of Escherichia, Morganella, and Rothia were lower. More remarkably, the major differences in metabolites between the two groups were glyceric acid, succinic acid, and phenylalanine. Additionally, the abundance of Escherichia was positively correlated with succinic acid and cadaverine levels.Conclusions: The intestinal flora colonization status in BMJ patients is immature. This study reports for the first time that the study of intestinal flora, especially Escherichia, plays an important role in BMJ, and found that it may be associated with the regulation of succinic acid metabolic pathways.

A novel thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) PCFs possessing a high loaded ratio and high elasticity was simply prepared by vacuum absorption following wet spinning, then coated by waterborne polyurethane (WPU). Octadecane (OCC), hexadecanol (HEO), and stearic acid (SA), which have different tendencies to form hydrogen bonds with TPU, were selected as PCMs, and their thermal behavior, thermal storge properties, and elasticity were systematically studied, respectively. The hierarchical pore structure though from the sheath to the core part of TPU filaments weakened the influence of the nonfreezing layer and hydrogen bond on the crystallization behavior of PCMs. The resulting HEO/TPU fiber has the highest enthalpy of 208.1 J/g compared with OCC and SA. Moreover, the HEO/TPU fiber has an elongation at break of 354.8% when the phase change enthalpy is as high as 177.8 J/g and the phase change enthalpy is still 174.5 J/g after fifty cycles. After ten tensile recovery cycles, the elastic recovery rate of HEO/TPU fiber was only 71.3%. When the HEO in the fiber was liquid state, the elastic recovery rate of HEO/TPU fiber promoted to 91.6%. This elastic PCFs have excellent thermal cycle stability, elastic recovery, and temperature sensitivity. It has great application potential in the fields of flexible wearable devices, intelligent fabrics, and temperature sensors.

Neutral beam injection (NBI) system has been proved to affect sawtooth activities through both producing energetic particles and supplying torque applied to the plasma. The impact of NBI on sawtooth crashes has been studied in the EAST tokamak, which is equipped with co- and counter NBIs. Statistical analysis shows that both strong co- and counter-NBI yield stronger sawtooth activities than cases when heating power is weak. A minimum sawtooth period is observed at a counter-NBI power of 0.2 MW. This is linked to zero-plasma rotation and a non-rotating precursor mode of the sawtooth instability. This indicates that the sawtooth instability is stabilized by plasma rotation as previously suggested. The fast-ion content differs between co- and counter-NBI, so energetic particles might additionally contribute to the sawtooth activities.

In China, brucellosis is an endemic disease and the main sources of brucellosis in animals and humans are infected sheep, cattle and swine. Brucella melitensis (biovars 1 and 3) is the predominant species, associated with sporadic cases and outbreak in humans. Isolates of B. abortus, primarily biovars 1 and 3, and B. suis biovars 1 and 3 are also associated with sporadic human brucellosis. In this study, the genetic profiles of B. melitensis and B. abortus isolates from humans and animals were analyzed and compared by multi-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA). Among the B. melitensis isolates, the majority (74/82) belonged to MLVA8 genotype 42, clustering in the 'East Mediterranean' group. Two B. melitensis biovar 1 genotype 47 isolates, belonging to the 'Americas' group, were recovered; both were from the Himalayan blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur, a wild animal). The majority of B. abortus isolates (51/70) were biovar 3, genotype 36. Ten B. suis biovar 1 field isolates, including seven outbreak isolates recovered from a cattle farm in Inner Mongolia, were genetically indistinguishable from the vaccine strain S2, based on MLVA cluster analysis. MLVA analysis provided important information for epidemiological trace-back. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to associate Brucella cross-infection with the vaccine strain S2 based on molecular comparison of recovered isolates to the vaccine strain. MLVA typing could be an essential assay to improve brucellosis surveillance and control programs.