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Scope: Disruptions of circadian rhythm cause metabolic disorders and are closely related to dietary factors. In this study, we investigated the interplays between the dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)-induced hepatic steatosis and the circadian clock regulation, in association with lipid homeostasis. Methods and Results: Exposure of mice to 1.5% dietary CLA for 28 days caused insulin resistance, enlarged livers, caused hepatic steatosis, and increased triglyceride levels. Transcriptional profiling showed that hepatic circadian clock genes were significantly downregulated with increased expression of the negative transcription factor, REV-ERBα. We uncovered that the nuclear receptor (NR) PPARα, as a major target of dietary CLA, drives REV-ERBα expression via its binding to key genes of the circadian clock, including Cry1 and Clock, and the recruitment of histone marks and cofactors. The PPARα or REV-ERBα inhibition blocked the physical connection of this NR pair, reduced the cobinding of PPARα and REV-ERBα to the genomic DNA response element, and abolished histone modifications in the CLA-hepatocytes. In addition, we demonstrated that CLA promotes PPARα driving REV-ERBα transcriptional activity by directly binding to the PPAR response element (PPRE) at the Nr1d1 gene. Conclusions: Our results add a layer to the understanding of the peripheral clock feedback loop, which involves the PPARα-REV-ERBα, and provide guidance for nutrients optimization in circadian physiology.

Na4MnV(PO4)3 (NMVP) has emerged as a cost-effective alternative to Na3V2(PO4)3, which is considered a promising cathode material for sodium-ion batteries. However, challenges such as low electronic conductivity, fast capacity fading resulting from the dissolution of Mn and polarization due to irreversible structural transformation impede the widespread application of NMVP. In this study, a facile sol–gel method is employed to dope NMVP with Mo, aiming to address these limitations. Synchrotron extended X-ray absorption fine structure data, neutron powder diffraction results, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate a preferential occupation of the P site by Mo. Mo-doped NMVP demonstrates an outstanding discharge capacity of 97.5 mA h g−1 at 0.2C and 46.4 mA h g−1 at 20C, along with impressive long-term stability, retaining 78.8% capacity after 300 cycles at 1C. DFT calculations reveal a significant reduction in the band gap of Mo-doped NMVP, enhancing electronic conductivity and thereby improving rate capability retention. In operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals changes in the valence of V, Mn, and Mo in the material during charge/discharge, confirming the complete reversibility of redox reactions. The outstanding performance of the novel Mo-doped NMVP cathode highlights its promising potential for application in large-scale energy storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For improving the corrosion resistance of carbon steel in the saline medium with high temperature and CO2-containing environment, tetrabutyl titanate was used to crosslink with urushiol under the compatibilization condition of propylene glycol methyl ether acetate to form a urushiol titanium coating, which was coated on carbon steel substrate surface for preparing high temperature resistant coating. Subsequently, thermogravimetry (TG) was employed to determine the thermal-resistant of urushiol titanium coating. The morphological and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were conducted to evaluate the protective capacity of the coating on carbon steel in simulated saline water by immersion test under high temperature, high pressure and CO2-containing medium. Moreover, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was utilized to evaluate the impedance change of coating in corrosive medium before and after immersion. Results showed that the thermal decomposition temperature of urushiol titanium coating achieved at 275.19 ℃. After immersed in simulated saline solution at 140 ℃ and 155 ℃ with CO2 pressure of 2 MPa for 30 d, the low-frequency impedance values of the coating could reach the respective magnitude of 1011 Ω·cm2 and 1010 Ω·cm2. Moreover, the valence bond characteristics of the coating did not change, and the surface morphology of coating was uniform and closely combined with the substrate, which indicated that the coating showed excellent protective performance against high temperature.

Heat stress (HS) is a significant concern in broiler chickens, which is vital for global meat supply in the dynamic field of poultry farming. The impact of heat stress on the ileum and its influence on the redox homeostatic genes in chickens remains unclear. We hypothesized that adding zinc to the feed of heat-stressed broilers would improve their resilience to heat stress. However, this study aimed to explore the effects of organic zinc supplementation under HS conditions on broiler chickens' intestinal histology and regulation of HS index genes. In this study, 512 Xueshan chickens were divided into four groups: vehicle, HS, 60 mg/kg zinc, and HS + 60 mg/kg zinc groups. Findings revealed that zinc supply positively increased the VH and VH: CD in the ileum of the broilers compared to the HS group, while CD and VW decreased in Zn and HS+Zn supplemented broilers. Zn administration significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), and decreased the enzymatic activities of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) compared to the HS group. In addition, Zn administration significantly increased relative ATP, complex I, III, and V enzyme activity compared to the HS group. Furthermore, the expression of acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4), lactate transporter 3 (LPCAT3), peroxiredoxin (PRX), and transferrin receptor (TFRC) in the protein levels was extremely downregulated in HS+Zn compared to the HS group. Zn supply significantly decreased the enrichment of RORγ, P300, and SRC1 at target loci of ACSL4, LPCAT3, and PRX compared to the HS group. The occupancies of histone active marks H3K9ac, H3K18ac, H3K27ac, H3K4me1, and H3K18bhb at the locus of ACSL4 and LPCAT3 were significantly decreased in HS+Zn compared to the HS group. Moreover, H3K9la and H3K18la at the locus of ACSL4 and LPCAT3 were significantly decreased in HS+Zn compared to the HS group. This study emphasizes that organic Zn is a potential strategy for modulating the oxidative genes ACSL4, LPCAT3, PRX, and TFRC in the ileum of chickens via nuclear receptor RORγ regulation and histone modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The family Lampyridae, commonly known as fireflies, is a cosmopolitan group comprising approximately 100 genera and 2200 species. Oculogryphus Jeng, Engel & Yang, 2007 is a small firefly genus endemic to Asia with only four known species and the phylogenetic position of it remains unresolved. It has been considered enigmatic because of its characteristic morphology intermingling different subfamilies, while its systematic status has never been rigorously tested due to a lack of molecular data. In this study, we obtained a large series of O. chenghoiyanae Yiu & Jeng, 2018 from southeastern China. We successfully sequenced and annotated its complete mitochondrial genome and clarified the systematic status of Oculogryphus. The firefly genus Oculogryphus Jeng, Engel & Yang, 2007 is a rare-species group endemic to Asia. Since its establishment, its position has been controversial but never rigorously tested. To address this perplexing issue, we are the first to present the complete mitochondrial sequence of Oculogryphus, using the material of O. chenghoiyanae Yiu & Jeng, 2018 determined through a comprehensive morphological identification. Our analyses demonstrate that its mitogenome exhibits similar characteristics to that of Stenocladius, including a rearranged gene order between trnC and trnW, and a long intergenic spacer (702 bp) between the two rearranged genes, within which six remnants (29 bp) of trnW were identified. Further, we incorporated this sequence into phylogenetic analyses of Lampyridae based on different molecular markers and datasets using ML and BI analyses. The results consistently place Oculogryphus within the same clade as Stenocladius in all topologies, and the gene rearrangement is a synapomorphy for this clade. It suggests that Oculogryphus should be classified together with Stenocladius in the subfamily Ototretinae at the moment. This study provides molecular evidence confirming the close relationship between Oculogryphus and Stenocladius and discovers a new phylogenetic marker helpful in clarifying the monophyly of Ototretinae, which also sheds a new light on firefly evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]