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Abstract The microbial synthesis of sulfonolipids within the human body is likely involved in maintaining human health or causing diseases. However, the enzymes responsible for their biosynthesis remain largely unknown. In this study, we identified and verified the role of 3‐ketocapnine reductase, the third‐step enzyme, in the four‐step conversion of l‐phosphoserine into sulfobacin B both in vivo and in vitro. This finding builds upon our previous research into sulfonolipid biosynthesis, which focused on the vaginal bacterium Chryseobacterium gleum DSM 16776 and the gut bacterium Alistipes finegoldii DSM 17242. Through comprehensive gene mapping, we demonstrate the widespread presence of potential sulfonolipid biosynthetic genes across diverse bacterial species inhabiting various regions of the human body. These findings shed light on the prevalence of sulfonolipid‐like metabolites within the human microbiota, suggesting a potential role for these lipid molecules in influencing the intricate biointeractions within the complex microbial ecosystem of the human body.

Significant changes in brain morphology occur during the third trimester of gestation. The capability of deep learning in leveraging these morphological features has enhanced the accuracy of brain age predictions for this critical period. Yet, the opaque nature of deep learning techniques, often described as ''black box'' approaches, limits their interpretability, posing challenges in clinical applications. Traditional interpretable methods developed for computer vision and natural language processing may not directly translate to the distinct demands of neuroimaging. In response, our research evaluates the effectiveness and adaptability of two interpretative methods—regional age prediction and the perturbation-based saliency map approach—for predicting the brain age of neonates. Analyzing 664 T1 MRI scans with the NEOCIVET pipeline to extract brain surface and cortical features, we assess how these methods illuminate key brain regions for age prediction, focusing on technical analysis with clinical insight. Through a comparative analysis of the saliency index (SI) with relative brain age (RBA) and the examination of structural covariance networks, we uncover the saliency index's enhanced ability to pinpoint regions vital for accurate indication of clinical factors. Our results highlight the advantages of perturbation techniques in addressing the complexities of medical data, steering clinical interventions for premature neonates towards more personalized and interpretable approaches. This study not only reveals the promise of these methods in complex medical scenarios but also offers a blueprint for implementing more interpretable and clinically relevant deep learning models in healthcare settings.

Abstract Background Microbial communities are crucial for ecosystems. A central goal of microbial ecological research is to simplify the biodiversity in natural environments and quantify the functional roles to explore how the ecosystems respond under different environmental conditions. However, the research on the stability and dynamics of lake microbes in response to repeated warming stress is limited. Methods To exclude confounding environmental factors, we conducted a 20-day repeated warming simulation experiment to examine the composition and function dynamics of lake microbial communities. Results Experimental warming significantly altered the community structure of bacteria instead of fungi. Microbial community structure, together with microbial biomass, jointly regulated the function of microbial communities. The plummeting of aerobic denitrifiers Pseudomonadaceae decreased by 99% (P

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) with high‐purity H2 and O2 products and swift response to electricity fluctuation is of great interest for renewable energy, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Ruthenium oxide shows promise as an alternative to iridium oxide catalysts in PEMWE but suffers from severe anodic corrosion. Herein, a pluralistic electronic structure modulation approach is presented to address the instability issue of Ru, by in situ growing MnxRu1−xO2 solid solution on MnO2, coated carbon fibers (MnxRu1−xO2/MnO2/CFs). Due to higher ion electronegativity, Mn dopants in the MnxRu1−xO2 solid solution accept electrons, activating the Ru site. Simultaneously, the MnO2 support donates electrons to prevent Ru site overoxidation and dissolution due to its lower work function than the MnxRu1−xO2 solid solution. As a result, the MnxRu1−xO2/MnO2/CFs catalyst exhibits a low overpotential of 161 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a remarkable stability exceeding 600 h. Profiting by its improved oxygen evolution reaction (OER) kinetic activity, the MnxRu1−xO2/MnO2/CF‐based PEMWE shows a low cell voltage of 1.9 V at 2 A cm−2, and stably operate at current density of 500 mA cm−2 for 24 h. This work shows the potential of the pluralistic electronic structure modulation to boost activity and stability of Ru‐based acidic OER electrocatalysts.

Abstract Surface wettability plays a significant role in reducing solid-liquid frictional resistance, especially the superhydrophilic/hydrophilic interface because of its excellent thermodynamic stability. In this work, poly(acrylic acid)-poly(acrylamide) (PAA–PAM) hydrogel coatings with different thicknesses were prepared in situ by polydopamine (PDA)-UV assisted surface catalytically initiated radical polymerization. Fluid drag reduction performance of hydrogel surface was measured using a rotational rheometer by the plate-plate mode. The experimental results showed that the average drag reduction of hydrogel surface could reach up to about 56% in Couette flow, which was mainly due to the interfacial polymerization phenomenon that enhanced the ability of hydration layer to delay the momentum dissipation between fluid layers and the diffusion behavior of surface. The proposed drag reduction mechanism of hydrogel surface was expected to shed new light on hydrogel-liquid interface interaction and provide a new way for the development of steady-state drag reduction methods.

Abstract As one of the key, long-term occupied sites in the Southern Levant, Jericho was one of the most important early Neolithic centres to witness social and economic changes associated with the domestication of plants and animals. This study applies strontium (87Sr/86Sr), oxygen (δ18O) and carbon (δ13C) isotope analyses to the enamel of 52 human teeth from Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) layers of Jericho to directly study human diet and mobility and investigate the degree of consolidation and the flexibility of social organization of Jericho society in the PPN period. The results indicate only two non-local individuals out of the 44 sampled inhabitants identified by strontium isotope analysis and are consistent with the presence of a largely sedentary community at PPN Jericho with no evidence for large-scale migration. We also construct strontium spatial baselines (87Sr/86Sr map) with local 87Sr/86Sr signatures for the sites across the Southern Levant based on systematic compilation and analysis of available data. In addition, we apply proteomic analysis of sex-specific amelogenin peptides in tooth enamel for sex estimation of the sampled individuals (n = 44), the results of which showed a sex-biased ratio (more male than female detected in this sample pool) in Jericho society during the PPN period, which may be due to the limited sample size or selective ritual practices like particular burial zones used for specific groups. We also pretreated a batch of human bone samples recovered from PPNB Jericho for stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses for dietary investigations. However, the extracted collagen showed poor preservation and no valid δ13C or δ15N data were obtained.

Abstract A large number of Yue style bronzes with regional cultural characteristics were unearthed in Hunan, which is of great significance for studying the cross-regional circulation of bronze technology and metal resources in the south of the Yangtze River during the Late Bronze Age (8 ~ 5 C. BCE) in China. In this study, 30 Yue style bronzes and 3 Chu style bronzes unearthed from five regions in Hunan Province were analyzed for chemical composition, metallography and lead isotopes. The results show that the alloy materials of Hunan Yue style bronze ware are diverse. The containers are mainly leaded tin bronze, with both tin bronze and copper. The weapons or tools are mostly tin bronze, and the alloy composition is primarily tin. The lead isotope ratio analysis results showed three main ore sources: polymetallic deposits in the Nanling Mountains, the eastern Hubei-northern Jiangxi metallogenic belt and the western Henan Qinling-Dabie metallogenic belt. The extensive source of minerals reflects the frequent trade of metal resources between Yue people and the Chu state, which is not only the economic basis for the close relationship between Hunan Yue people and Chu State but also an important driving force for the southward expansion of the Chu state and national integration in Hunan.

Abstract Developing an antibiotic-free wound dressing with effective hemostasis and antibacterial and antioxidant capacity is highly desirable. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol-tannic acid porous nanofiber sponge (3D-TA) was prepared via electrospinning. Compared with two-dimensional (2D) fiber membrane, the unique fluffy 3D-TA nanofiber sponge had high porosity, water absorption and retention ability, hemostatic capacity. Furthermore, the 3D sponge functionalized by tannic acid (TA) endow the sponge with high antibacterial and antioxidant capacity without loading antibiotics. In addition, 3D-TA composite sponges have shown highly biocompatibility against L929 cells. The in vivo experiment shows the 3D-TA is enable to accelerate wound healing. This newly 3D-TA sponges hold great potential as wound dressings for future clinical application.

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) has a high incidence rate among Chinese women. Repeated mechanical stimulation is an important factor causing POP, but the injury mechanism has not yet been elucidated. The purpose of this study is to explore the related mechanisms of pelvic floor supporting tissue damage caused by mechanical force and the application of stem cell therapy. First, we obtained vaginal wall and sacral ligament tissue samples from clinical patients for examination. Pelvic floor support tissues of POP patients displayed high expression of inflammation and immune disorders. Then, we constructed a rat model of childbirth injury. In vivo and in vitro experiments investigated the key mechanism of pelvic floor support tissue injury caused by mechanical force. We discovered that after mechanical force, a large number of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and macrophages rapidly accumulated in pelvic floor tissues. ROS stimulated macrophages to produce NLRP3 inflammatory complex, induced the release of interleukin (IL-1β) and pyroptosis and exacerbated the inflammatory state of damaged tissues, persisting chronic inflammation of fibroblasts in supporting tissues, thus causing the pelvic floor's extracellular matrix (ECM) collagen metabolic disorder. Resultingly impeding the repair process, thereby causing the onset and progression of the disease. Through their paracrine ability, we discovered that adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) could inhibit this series of pathological processes and promote tissue repair, asserting a good therapeutic effect. Simultaneously, to overcome the low cell survival rate and poor therapeutic effect of directly injecting cells, we developed a ROS-responsive PVA@COLI hydrogel with ADSCs. The ROS-scavenging properties of the gel could reshape the site of inflammation injury, enhance cell survival, and play a role in subsequent treatment. The findings of this study could serve as a basis for early, targeted intervention therapy for POP and representing a promising approach.

A central goal of evolutionary developmental biology is to decipher the evolutionary pattern of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that control embryonic development, and the mechanism underlying GRNs evolution. The Nodal signaling that governs the body axes of deuterostomes exhibits a conserved GRN orchestrated principally by Nodal, Gdf1/3, and Lefty. Here we show that this GRN has been rewired in cephalochordate amphioxus. We found that while the amphioxus Gdf1/3 ortholog exhibited nearly no embryonic expression, its duplicate Gdf1/3-like, linked to Lefty, was zygotically expressed in a similar pattern as Lefty. Consistent with this, while Gdf1/3-like mutants showed defects in axial development, Gdf1/3 mutants did not. Further transgenic analyses showed that the intergenic region between Gdf1/3-like and Lefty could drive reporter gene expression as that of the two genes. These results indicated that Gdf1/3-like has taken over the axial development role of Gdf1/3 in amphioxus, possibly through hijacking Lefty enhancers. We finally demonstrated that, to compensate for the loss of maternal Gdf1/3 expression, Nodal has become an indispensable maternal factor in amphioxus and its maternal mutants caused axial defects as Gdf1/3-like mutants. We therefore demonstrated a case that the evolution of GRNs could be triggered by enhancer hijacking events. This pivotal event has allowed the emergence of a new GRN in extant amphioxus, presumably through a stepwise process. In addition, the co-expression of Gdf1/3-like and Lefty achieved by a shared regulatory region may have provided robustness during body axis formation, which provides a selection-based hypothesis for the phenomena called developmental system drift.

Abstract The aim of the present study was to establish a new process for brewing red raspberry wine with immobilized yeast and improve the value of red raspberry. Using the spore filaments of P. chrysogenum as a carrier to co-culture with yeast to obtain immobilized yeast. And the preparation method of immobilized yeast was optimized by single-factor experiment and orthogonal experiments. And the red raspberry wine was brewed in these conditions. The result shows that the optimal preparation conditions for the immobilized yeast of P. chrysogenum were 5 g/L gluconic acid, 5 g/L yeast extract, and the addition amount of P. chrysogenum spores 1 × 105 cfu/ml. Compared with free yeast, the immobilized yeast of P. chrysogenum has better fermenting ability, can better keep the anthocyanins and polyphenols and other active ingredients of red raspberry. The quality of the wine was improved due to increase in aroma components such as alcohols and esters. The immobilized yeast of P. chrysogenum maintained good fermentation performance after three consecutive fermentations.

Feeding behavior is imperative for the survival and reproduction of animals. Depending on the motivation, feeding is induced by metabolic need or hedonic reason, which is associated with energy demand or pleasurable food intake respectively. Although substantial differences exist, neural circuits for metabolic and hedonic feeding are largely intertwined. Here, we review the distinctions and overlaps between metabolic and hedonic feeding to provide insights into the central regulation of feeding.

Abstract Surgery represents a primary clinical treatment of solid tumors. The high risk of local relapse typically requires frequent hospital visits for postoperative adjuvant therapy. Here, device designs and system integration of a stretchable electronic device for wearable cancer treatment are presented. The soft electronic patch harnesses compliant materials to achieve conformal and stable attachment to the surgical wound. A composite nanotextile dressing is laminated to the electronic patch to allow the on‐demand release of anticancer drugs under electro‐thermal actuation. An additional flexible circuit and a compact battery complete an untethered wearable system to execute remote therapeutic commands from a smartphone. The successful implementation of combined chemothermotherapy to inhibit tumor recurrence demonstrates the promising potential of stretchable electronics for advanced wearable therapies without interfering with daily activities.

Counting wheat heads is a time-consuming process in agricultural production, which is currently primarily carried out by humans. Manually identifying wheat heads and statistically analyzing the findings has a rigorous requirement for the workforce and is prone to error. With the advancement of machine vision technology, computer vision detection algorithms have made wheat head detection and counting feasible. To accomplish this traditional labor-intensive task and tackle various tricky matters in wheat images, a high-precision wheat head detection model with strong generalizability was presented based on a one-stage network structure. The model's structure was referred to as that of the YOLO network; meanwhile, several modules were added and adjusted in the backbone network. The one-stage backbone network received an attention module and a feature fusion module, and the Loss function was improved. When compared to various other mainstream object detection networks, our model outperforms them, with a mAP of 0.688. In addition, an iOS-based intelligent wheat head counting mobile app was created, which could calculate the number of wheat heads in images shot in an agricultural environment in less than a second.

Background Kidneys obtained from deceased donors increase the incidence of delayed graft function (DGF) after renal transplantation. Here we investigated the influence of the risk factors of donors with DGF, and developed a donor risk scoring system for DGF prediction. Methods This retrospective study was conducted in 1807 deceased kidney donors and 3599 recipients who received donor kidneys via transplants in 29 centers in China. We quantified DGF associations with donor clinical characteristics. A donor risk scoring system was developed and validated using an independent sample set. Results The incidence of DGF from donors was 19.0%. Six of the donor characteristics analyzed, i.e., age, cause of death, history of hypertension, terminal serum creatinine, persistence of hypotension, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) time were risk factors for DGF. A 49-point scoring system of donor risk was established for DGF prediction and exhibited a superior degree of discrimination. External validation of DGF prediction revealed area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUC) curves of 0.7552. Conclusions Our study determined the deceased donor risk factors related to DGF after renal transplantation pertinent to the Chinese cohort. The scoring system developed here had superior diagnostic significance and consistency and can be used by clinicians to make evidence-based decisions on the quality of kidneys from deceased donors and guide renal transplantation therapy.

Parasitoids are widespread in natural ecosystems and normally equipped with diverse viral factors to defeat host immune responses. On the other hand, parasitoids can enhance the antibacterial abilities and improve the hypoimmunity traits of parasitized hosts that may encounter pathogenic infections. These adaptive strategies guarantee the survival of parasitoid offspring, yet their underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we focused on Cotesia vestalis, an endoparasitoid of the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella, and found that C. vestalis parasitization decreases the number of host hemocytes, leading to disruption of the encapsulation reaction. We further found that one bracovirus C-type lectin gene, CvBV_28-1, is highly expressed in the hemocytes of parasitized hosts and participates in suppressing the proliferation rate of host hemocytes, which in turn reduces their population and represses the process of encapsulation. Moreover, CvBV_28-1 presents a classical bacterial clearance ability via the agglutination response in a Ca2+-dependent manner in response to gram-positive bacteria. Our study provides insights into the innovative strategy of a parasitoid-derived viral gene that has dual functions to manipulate host immunity for a successful parasitism.

Abstract Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) is a calcium-permeable cation channel that has been associated with several types of cancer. However, its biological significance, as well as its related mechanism in endometrial cancer (EC) still remains elusive. In this study, we examined the function of calcium in EC, with a specific focus on TRPV4 and its downstream pathway. We reported here on the findings that a high level of serum ionized calcium was significantly correlated with advanced EC progression, and among all the calcium channels, TRPV4 played an essential role, with high levels of TRPV4 expression associated with cancer progression both in vitro and in vivo. Proteomic and bioinformatics analysis revealed that TRPV4 was involved in cytoskeleton regulation and Rho protein pathway, which regulated EC cell migration. Mechanistic investigation demonstrated that TRPV4 and calcium influx acted on the cytoskeleton via the RhoA/ROCK1 pathway, ending with LIMK/cofilin activation, which had an impact on F-actin and paxillin (PXN) levels. Overall, our findings indicated that ionized serum calcium level was significantly associated with poor outcomes and calcium channel TRPV4 should be targeted to improve therapeutic and preventive strategies in EC.

With the support of cloud computing technology, it is easier for financial institutions to obtain more key information about the whole industry chain. However, the massive use of financial data has many potential risks. In order to better cope with this dilemma and better protect the financial privacy of users, we propose a privacy protection model based on cloud computing. The model provides four levels of privacy protection according to the actual needs of users. At the highest level of protection, the server could not access any information about the user and the raw data, nor could it recover the computational characteristics of the data. In addition, due to the universality of the mathematical principle of linear operators, the model could effectively protect and accelerate all models based on linear operations. The final results showed that the method can increase the speed by 10 times, compared with the privacy protection method that only uses local computing power instead of the cloud server. It can also effectively prevent the user’s privacy from being leaked with relatively minimal delay cost, compared with no privacy protection method. Finally, we design a multi-user scheduling model to deploy the model in a real scenario, which could maximise server power and protect user privacy as well.

Some DNA viruses infect host animals usually by integrating their DNAs into the host genome. However, the mechanisms for integration remain largely unknown. Here, we find that Cotesia vestalis bracovirus (CvBV), a polydnavirus of the parasitic wasp C. vestalis (Haliday), integrates its DNA circles into host Plutella xylostella (L.) genome by two distinct strategies, conservatively and randomly, through high-throughput sequencing analysis. We confirmed that the conservatively integrating circles contain an essential "8+5" nucleotides motif which is required for integration. Then we find CvBV circles are integrated into the caterpillar's genome in three temporal patterns, the early, mid and late stage-integration. We further identify that three CvBV-encoded integrases are responsible for some, but not all of the virus circle integrations, indeed they mainly participate in the processes of early stage-integration. Strikingly, we find two P. xylostella retroviral integrases (PxIN1 and PxIN2) are highly induced upon wasp parasitism, and PxIN1 is crucial for integration of some other early-integrated CvBV circles, such as CvBV_04, CvBV_12 and CvBV_24, while PxIN2 is important for integration of a late-integrated CvBV circle, CvBV_21. Our data uncover a novel mechanism in which CvBV integrates into the infected host genome, not only by utilizing its own integrases, but also by recruiting host enzymes. These findings will strongly deepen our understanding of how bracoviruses regulate and integrate into their hosts.

Strong wind has caused damage to group-arranged quayside container cranes in terminals and ports in recent years. Interference may amplify the wind loads in some cases. However, the interference effect among cranes has rarely been studied. In this study, high-frequency force balance tests were conducted to obtain the wind load of isolated and group-arranged container cranes. The results of the computational fluid dynamics simulation were validated by wind tunnel tests and provided the mean wind loads of all 15 types of member cranes. According to the results from wind tunnel tests, the fluctuating wind loads of each member were generated using the weighted amplitude wave superposition method. Based on dynamic finite element methods, the wind-induced responses were obtained considering the interference effect. It was found that the interference effect is the combined effects of both the shielding effect and the amplification of turbulence. Although in some cases the fluctuating and peak wind loads can increase by up to 16% and 6%, respectively, those in the most unfavorable cases are reduced by the interference effect. The interference factor for extreme nodal deformation is 0.56 and 0.69. The interference effect in container cranes mainly appears as a shielding effect, reducing the wind loads and response of the structures in unfavorable cases.

Amphioxus is a promising model organism for understanding the origin and evolution of vertebrates due to its basal phylogenetic position among chordates. We here compared the mutation efficacy and mutation type of tail tips and gametes of amphioxus founders injected with Cas9 protein and six different sgRNAs targeting five distinct genes, and revealed a strong correlation for mutation efficacy and a mild correlation for mutation type among the two tissues. In addition, we also observed a positive relationship between gene insertions observed in tail tips and gametes of amphioxus founders injected with Tol2 transposase and two different transgenic constructs. Finally, we showed that amphioxus larvae which had their tail tips cut at the 3–4 gill-slit stage were able to recover within 6 days and developed a normal number of gonads at the adult stage, and that F0 larvae carry similar mutation efficacy and type in the posterior end to that in the tail tips after their metamorphosis. Together, these findings suggest a great potential for obtaining valid amphioxus founders with desired mutations and transgenes at as early as the early larval stage, which will certainly speed up the generation of amphioxus mutants and transgenes and make it more cost- and labor-effective.

In this study, C. esculentus porous starch (PS) and C. esculentus cross-linked porous starch (CPS) were prepared by enzymatic modification and sodium phytate cross-linking, and their physicochemical and structural properties were determined. The results showed that the adsorption and emulsification capacities of PS were 1.3606 g/g and 22.6 mL/g, respectively, which were significantly higher than 0.5419 g/g and 4.2 mL/g of C. esculentus starch (NS). The retrogradation curves of starch paste showed that the stability of PS was inferior to that of NS. In addition, the results of texture analysis showed that the gel strength of PS was also significantly reduced relative to NS. The PS exhibited a rough surface with pores and low molecular order and crystallinity according to scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X ray diffractometer (XRD) analyses. As compared to PS, CPS still presented a high adsorption capacity of 1.2744 g/g and the steadiness of starch paste was significantly better. XPS demonstrated the occurrence of the cross-linking reaction. Our results show that enzyme modification and dual modification by combining enzymatic treatment with sodium phytate cross-linking can impart different structures and functions to starch, creating reference material for the application of modified starch from C. esculentus.

After being treated with protease K, peptides extracted from donkey blood were separated, identified, and characterized. The results showed that Sephadex G-25 medium purified with MW < 3 kDa had the highest dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) inhibition capacity. Three-hundred-and-thirty-four peptides were identified with UPLC–MS/MS. Peptide Ranker and molecular docking analysis were used to screen active peptides, and 16 peptides were finalized out of the 334. The results showed that the lowest binding energy between P7(YPWTQ) and DPP-IV was −9.1, and the second-lowest binding energy between P1(VDPENFRLL) and DPP-IV was −8.7. The active peptides(MW < 3 kDa) could cause a reduction in the fasting blood glucose levels of type 2 diabetic mice, improve glucose tolerance, and facilitate healing of the damaged structure of diabetic murine liver and pancreas. Meanwhile, the peptides were found to ameliorate the diabetic murine intestinal micro-ecological environment to a certain extent.

Parasites alter host energy homeostasis for their own development, but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain largely unknown. Here, we show that Cotesia vestalis, an endoparasitic wasp of Plutella xylostella larvae, stimulates a reduction of host lipid levels. This process requires excess secretion of P. xylostella tachykinin (PxTK) peptides from enteroendocrine cells (EEs) in the midgut of the parasitized host larvae. We found that parasitization upregulates PxTK signaling to suppress lipogenesis in midgut enterocytes (ECs) in a non-cell-autonomous manner, and the reduced host lipid level benefits the development of wasp offspring and their subsequent parasitic ability. We further found that a C. vestalis bracovirus (CvBV) gene, CvBV 9-2, is responsible for PxTK induction, which in turn reduces the systemic lipid level of the host. Taken together, these findings illustrate a novel mechanism for parasite manipulation of host energy homeostasis by a symbiotic bracovirus gene to promote the development and increase the parasitic efficiency of an agriculturally important wasp species.

Non-volatile flavor precursors could be used to overcome the flavor loss problems of volatile flavor enhancers during long-term storage. Glu- and Phe-derived Amadori rearrangement products (ARPs) produce pleasant aroma tones thermally but are bitter. We used β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) for debittering Glu-Phe ARPs. ITC analysis indicated that CD-ARP complexes with 1:1 stoichiometry were obtained. NMR analysis indicated that the aromatic ring of Glu-Phe ARPs was embedded in the β-CD cavity. Molecular docking simulations of the bitter taste receptor hT2R1 showed that CD-ARP complex was inactive compared to Glu-Phe ARPs. Complexation with β-CD resulted in the thermal stabilization of Glu-Phe ARPs and a decrease in the degradation rate constant. Compared to Glu-Phe ARPs, the CD-ARP complex in the thermally treated food system slowed down the formation of browning compounds but didn’t inhibit flavor compound formation. The CD-ARP complex is a promising flavor enhancer for applications in flavored and heated foods.

The molting process of the lepidopteran insects is observed for many species. However, the detailed description of the morphological transformation and behavioral sequence during molting are rarely provided and visualized. Here, we described the molting process of the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella by providing the duration and photographic details of staging criteria of each stage using stereo microscopy and a digital video camera. We divided the morphological transformation of egg development and hatching into five stages, the larval–larval ecdysis and the larval–pupal metamorphosis into five stages, the pupal development and eclosion into three stages, and the post-eclosion behavior into four stages. Several new characters in the molting process that were not previously described in other lepidopteran insects were found, i.e., the larvae contracted anterior-posteriorly then dorsal-ventrally during pre-ecdysis, and the antennae waved backward then forward in the post-eclosion behavior. Our findings will deepen the knowledge of the molting biology of lepidopteran insects and facilitate the study of the underlying mechanisms.

Summary: Overeating is a serious issue in modern society, causing many health problems, including obesity. Although the hypothalamus has been previously identified as the key brain structure that regulates body weight homeostasis, the downstream pathways and non-canonical neural circuitry involved in feeding behavior remain largely uncharacterized. Here, we discover that suppressing the activity of GABAergic cells in the anterior ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG), whether directly or through long-projection GABAergic inputs from either the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) or the lateral hypothalamus (LH), is sufficient to promptly induce feeding behavior in well-fed mice. In contrast, optogenetic activation of these cells interrupts food intake in starved mice. Long-term chemogenetic manipulation of vlPAG GABAergic cell activity elicits a corresponding change in mouse body weight. Our studies reveal distinct midbrain GABAergic pathways and highlight an important role of GABAergic cells in the anterior vlPAG in feeding behavior. : Hao et al. uncovered an important role of the GABAergic cells in the anterior ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) and two distinct midbrain GABAergic pathways (the lateral hypothalamus-vlPAG and BNST-vlPAG) in regulation of feeding behavior. Keywords: feeding, vlPAG, GABAergic pathway, lateral hypothalamus, mice

In composting system, the composition of microbial communities is determined by the constant change in the physicochemical parameters. This study explored the dynamics of bacterial and fungal communities during cow manure and corn straw composting using high throughput sequencing technology. The relationships between physicochemical parameters and microbial community composition and abundance were also evaluated. The sequencing results revealed the major phyla included Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi and Actinobacteria, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) illustrated that Actinomycetales and Sordariomycetes were the indicators of bacteria and fungi in the maturation phase, respectively. Mantel test showed that NO3--N, NH4+-N, TN, C/N, temperature and moisture content significantly influenced bacterial community composition while only TN and moisture content had a significant effect on fungal community structure. Structural equation model (SEM) indicated that TN, NH4+-N, NO3--N and pH had a significant effect on fungal abundance while TN and temperature significantly affected bacterial abundance. Our finding increases the understanding of microbial community succession in cow manure and corn straw composting under natural conditions.

Tead4, a critical transcription factor expressed during preimplantation development, is essential for the expression of trophectoderm-specific genes in mice. However, the functional mechanism of TEAD4 in mouse preimplantation development and its conservation across mammals remain unclear. Here, we report that Tead4 is a crucial transcription factor necessary for blastocyst formation in mice. Disruption of Tead4 through base editing results in developmental arrest at the morula stage. Additionally, RNA-seq analysis reveals dysregulation of 670 genes in Tead4 knockout embryos. As anticipated, Tead4 knockout led to a decrease in trophectoderm genes Cdx2 and Gata3. Intriguingly, we observed a reduction in Krt8, suggesting that Tead4 influences the integrity of the trophectoderm epithelium in mice. More importantly, we noted a dramatic decrease in nuclear Yap in outside cells for Tead4-deficient morula, indicating that Tead4 directly regulates Hippo signaling. In contrast, bovine embryos with TEAD4 depletion could still develop to blastocysts with normal expression of CDX2, GATA3, and SOX2, albeit with a decrease in total cell number and ICM cell number. In conclusion, we propose that Tead4 regulates mouse blastocyst formation via Krt8 and Yap, both of which are critical regulators of mouse preimplantation development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]