Search

IntroductionThe moisture content of corn kernels at harvest in China is relatively high, and wet storage effectively preserves high-moisture corn kernels. However, ensuring effective fermentation during storage is crucial.MethodsTo address this, we systematically investigated the variations in fermentation quality, mycotoxin concentrations, and microbial community composition under different additive treatments. The treatments included CK (control, deionized water), LAB homo- and hetero-lactic acid bacteria: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Weissella confusa MF01, and EN (cellulase), followed by 60 and 90 days of fermentation.ResultsThe results indicated that both LAB and EN treatments significantly reduced the concentrations of deoxynivalenol (DON), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), and zearalenone (ZEN) compared to CK during the wet storage of high-moisture corn kernels. LAB treatment notably increased lactic and acetic acid levels, decreased pH and NH3-N content, and improved crude protein (CP, 8.24% DM) and starch content (73.01% DM) compared to CK. LAB treatment also reduced water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content (5.05% DM). Microbial diversity was reduced in the LAB treatment, as evidenced by decreases in both common and unique operational taxonomic units, while the relative abundance of Weissella increased after 60 days compared to CK. In contrast, despite higher lactic and acetic acid levels in the EN treatment, the pH did not decrease significantly due to higher NH3-N content. Overall, the LAB treatment outperformed other treatments by achieving lower mycotoxin concentrations, better fermentation quality, and superior preservation of nutritional components.DiscussionThis study provides valuable theoretical support and practical guidance for improving the wet storage of high-moisture corn kernels and enhancing their safety and nutritional value during storage.

An integrated computer software system for macromolecular crystallography (MX) data collection at the BL02U1 and BL10U2 beamlines of the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility is described. The system, Finback, implements a set of features designed for the automated MX beamlines, and is marked with a user-friendly web-based graphical user interface (GUI) for interactive data collection. The Finback client GUI can run on modern browsers and has been developed using several modern web technologies including WebSocket, WebGL, WebWorker and WebAssembly. Finback supports multiple concurrent sessions, so on-site and remote users can access the beamline simultaneously. Finback also cooperates with the deployed experimental data and information management system, the relevant experimental parameters and results are automatically deposited to a database.

AbstractMelochia corchorifolia Linnaeus, 1753, is a weedy tropical plant of the Sterculiaceae family and has medicinal value. We sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of M. corchorifolia using Illumina high-throughput sequencing and examined phylogenetic relationships with closely related species. The assembled chloroplast genome of M. corchorifolia was 163,693 bp long and contained a pair of inverted repeats of 29,729 bp, separated by a large single-copy sequence of 84,350 bp and a small single-copy region of 19,885 bp. A total of 136 genes were annotated across the entire chloroplast genome, including 37 transfer RNA, 8 ribosomal RNA, and 91 protein-coding genes. The GC content of the complete cp genome was 37.27%. The phylogenetic tree indicated that M. corchorifolia is closely related to Melochia pyramidata (Malvaceae). These results would provide useful information for future phylogenetic, taxonomic, and evolutionary studies on Sterculiaceae and Malvaceae.

Many insects, including green lacewings, migrate seasonally to exploit suitable breeding and winter habitats. Green lacewings are important natural enemies of insect pests worldwide. Here, four dominant green lacewing species, Chrysoperla nipponensis (Okamoto), Chrysopa pallens (Rambur), Chrysoperla furcifera (Okamoto), and Chrysopa formosa Brauer, were investigated for their ability to migrate between northern and northeastern China across the Bohai Strait from late May to late October each year. Furthermore, there were significant interannual and seasonal differences in the number of migratory green lacewings collected. The number of green lacewings in spring was significantly lower than that in summer and autumn, and the highest average number of green lacewings occurred in June. In addition, there were differences in the sex ratio of migrating green lacewings between months, with a greater proportion of females than males. Finally, the seasonal migration trajectories simulated by the HYSPLIT model revealed that the green lacewings captured on Beihuang Island primarily originated from Shandong Province. Accordingly, these findings contribute to our understanding of green lacewing migration in eastern Asia and aid its incorporation within integrated pest management (IPM) packages for several crop pests. Furthermore, long-term tracking of migrant insect populations can reveal ecosystem services and trophic dynamic processes at the macroscale.

Abstract Plant mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) are a valuable source of genetic information for a better understanding of phylogenetic relationships. However, no mitogenome of any species in the genus of Photinia has been reported. In this study, using NGS sequencing, we reported the mitogenome assembly and annotation of Photinia serratifolia, which is 473,579 bp in length, contains 38 protein-coding genes, 23 tRNAs, and 6 rRNAs, with 61 genes have no introns. The rps2 and rps11 genes are missing in the P. serratifolia mitogenome. Although there are more editing sites (488) in the P. serratifolia mitogenome than in most angiosperms, fewer editing types were found in the P. serratifolia mitogenome, showing a clear bias in RNA-editing. Phylogenetic analysis based on the mitogenomes of P. serratifolia and 8 other taxa of the Rosaceae family reflected the exact evolutionary and taxonomic status of P. serratifolia. However, Ka/Ks analysis revealed that 72.69% of the protein-coding genes in the P. serratifolia mitogenome had undergone negative selections, reflecting the importance of those genes in the P. serratifolia mitogenome. Collectively, these results will provide valuable information for the evolution of P. serratifolia and provide insight into the evolutionary relationships within Photinia and the Rosaceae family.

The codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), is an invasive agricultural pest of pome fruits and walnuts in China that threatens the apple industry in the Loess Plateau and Bohai Bay; it has developed resistance to many insecticides. Sterile insect technique (SIT) combined with area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) can reduce the risk of resistance to insecticides and effectively control some insect pest species. Our previous laboratory experiment found that irradiation with 366 Gy of X-ray caused the males of the codling moth to become sterile. However, the sterility and adaptability of males after being irradiated with 366 Gy X-ray in the field are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of X-ray irradiation on the fitness of male adults that emerged from pupae irradiated with 366 Gy to explore their adaptability and mating competitiveness, and to examine the effect of releasing sterile male insects in orchards in northeast China on the fruit infestation rate of the Nanguo pear. The results showed that 366 Gy of X-ray irradiation significantly reduced the mating competitiveness of males and the hatching rate of the eggs laid by females pairing with sterile males. Meanwhile, the lifespan of the sterile male moths was significantly shorter than that of the normal ones in the field. A pilot test showed that the release twice of sterile male moths in the orchards had no significant effect on the fruit infestation rate. Our field experiments provide a scientific basis for the further optimization of the SIT technology program for controlling C. pomonella.

Plant-derived polysaccharides have demonstrated promising anti-cancer effects via immune-regulatory activity. The aim of the current study was to compare the chemical property and the anticancer effects of polysaccharides extracted from the sporoderm-removed spores of the medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum (RSGLP), which removed the sporoderm completely, with polysaccharides extracted from the sporoderm-broken spores of G. lucidum (BSGLP). We found that RSGLP has a higher extraction yield than BSGLP. HPGPC and GC-MS results revealed that both RSGLP and BSGLP are heteropolysaccharides, but RSGLP had a higher molecular weight and a different ratio of monosaccharide composition than BSGLP. MTT and flow cytometry results demonstrated that RSGLP exhibited much higher dose-efficacy in inhibiting cell viability and inducing apoptosis than BSGLP in 8 cancer cell lines representing colon (HCT116 and HT29), liver (HepG2 and Huh-7), breast (MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7), and lung cancers (NCI-H460 and A549). Furthermore, RSGLP is more effective in inhibiting HCT116 and NCI-H460 xenograft tumor growth and inhibiting tumor-induced splenomegaly than BSGLP in nude mice, suggesting a better effect on regulating immunity of RSGLP. Next, we found that RSGLP is more potent in inhibiting the level of serum inflammatory cytokines in nude mice, and in inhibiting the activation of macrophage RAW264.7 and the expression of the inflammatory mediators IL-1β, TNF-α, iNOS, and COX-2 in vitro. This is the first study to compare the chemical properties, anti-cancer, and immune-regulatory effects of RSGLP and BSGLP using multiple cancer cell lines. Our results revealed that the sporoderm-removed spores of G. lucidum (RSGL) and RSGLP may serve as new anticancer agents for their promising immune-regulatory activity.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress-mediated inflammasome activation play critical roles in the pathogenesis of the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-activated gene-1 (NAG-1), or growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF15), is associated with many biological processes and diseases, including NAFLD. However, the role of NAG-1/GDF15 in regulating oxidative stress and whether this process is associated with absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome activation in NAFLD are unknown. In this study, we revealed that NAG-1/GDF15 is significantly downregulated in liver tissues of patients with steatosis compared to normal livers using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and in free fatty acids (FFA, oleic acid/palmitic acid, 2:1)-induced HepG2 and Huh-7 cellular steatosis models. Overexpression of NAG-1/GDF15 in transgenic (Tg) mice significantly alleviated HFD-induced obesity and hepatic steatosis, improved lipid homeostasis, enhanced fatty acid β-oxidation and lipolysis, inhibited fatty acid synthesis and uptake, and inhibited AIM2 inflammasome activation and the secretion of IL-18 and IL-1β, as compared to their wild-type (WT) littermates without reducing food intake. Furthermore, NAG-1/GDF15 overexpression attenuated FFA-induced triglyceride (TG) accumulation, lipid metabolism deregulation, and AIM2 inflammasome activation in hepatic steatotic cells, while knockdown of NAG-1/GDF15 demonstrated opposite effects. Moreover, NAG-1/GDF15 overexpression inhibited HFD- and FFA-induced oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage which in turn reduced double-strand DNA (dsDNA) release into the cytosol, while NAG-1/GDF15 siRNA showed opposite effects. The reduced ROS production and dsDNA release may be responsible for attenuated AIM2 activation by NAG-1/GDF15 upon fatty acid overload. In conclusion, our results provide evidence that other than regulating lipid homeostasis, NAG-1/GDF15 protects against hepatic steatosis through a novel mechanism via suppressing oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, dsDNA release, and AIM2 inflammasome activation.

Extreme weather poses a threat to global crop production, food security and farmer livelihoods. High temperatures have been identified as detrimental to crop yields; however, how heat stress during the critical flowering stage will influence future maize ( Zea mays L.) yields remains unclear. Here, we combined statistical and process-based models to assess impacts of short-term extreme heat at flowering on Chinese maize yield under climate change. We showed that heat around flowering has a stronger impact on yields than heat at other times in the growing season, especially for temperatures >30 °C. Heat stress during flowering was responsible for 23% of total yield loss from extreme degree days (EDDs) in 1990–2012. An improved process-based model (Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM)-maize) incorporating a grain-temperature function was then applied and indicated that extreme heat at flowering amplified the impacts of climate change on maize production compared to the original model. The improved APSIM-maize predicted an 8.7% yield reduction across the Chinese Maize Belt as EDDs increased more than quadrupled at the end of the century (2070–2099) under a high emissions pathway (SSP585) in comparison with the baseline period (1990–2019). Our study highlights the importance of extreme heat at flowering on maize yield and can inform farmers and policy makers on adaptive measures as well as providing a reference for other crop areas facing similar challenges.

Fatty acid metabolic reprogramming is an important hallmark of cancer cells. In this study, we examined the effects of the green tea polyphenol EGCG on fatty acid and energy metabolisms in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. EGCG significantly inhibited the viability of HCT116 and HT-29 cancer cells, accompanied by decreased lipid droplet formation and triglyceride contents. EGCG deregulated the expression of the key genes involved in fatty acid de novo synthesis, lipid uptake, lipolysis, fatty acid β oxidation, and thermogenesis at both the mRNA and protein levels. Besides, EGCG decreased the mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate (OCR), cytosolic glycolysis, and ATP production in CRC cells. Moreover, EGCG activated AMPK in CRC cells, whereas AMPK inhibitor Compound C increased the cell viability, expression of FASN, and lipid droplet formation in HCT116 cells when cotreated with EGCG. Collectively, EGCG may serve as a potent fatty acid and energy metabolism regulator to inhibit CRC.

The detection of local dielectric properties is of great importance in a wide variety of scientific studies and applications. Here, we report a novel method for the characterization of local dielectric distributions based on surface adhesion mapping by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The two-dimensional (2D) materials graphene oxide (GO), and partially reduced graphene oxide (RGO), which have similar thicknesses but large differences in their dielectric properties, were studied as model systems. Through direct imaging of the samples with a biased AFM tip in PeakForce Quantitative Nano-Mechanics (PF-QNM) mode, the local dielectric properties of GO and RGO were revealed by mapping their surface adhesion forces. Thus, GO and RGO could be conveniently differentiated. This method provides a simple and general approach for the fast characterization of the local dielectric properties of graphene-based materials and will further facilitate their applications in energy generation and storage devices.

We study half-line Schrödinger operators with locally H-1 potentials. In the first part, we focus on a general spectral theoretic framework for such operators, including a Last-Simon-type description of the absolutely continuous spectrum and sufficient conditions for different spectral types. In the second part, we focus on potentials which are decaying in a local H-1 sense; we establish a spectral transition between short-range and long-range potentials and an '2 spectral transition for sparse singular potentials. The regularization procedure used to handle distributional potentials is also well suited for controlling rapid oscillations in the potential; thus, even within the class of smooth potentials, our results apply in situations which would not classically be considered decaying or even bounded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viburnum odoratissinum has very high ornamental and medicinal value. In this study, the chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of V. odoratissinum was characterized using Illumina pair-end sequencing. The complete cp genome was 158,757 bp in length, containing a large single-copy region (LSC) of 87,350 bp and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 18,409 bp, which were separated by a pair of 26,499 bp inverted repeat regions (IRs). The overall GC content was 38.10%. The genome contained 132 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Further, phylogenetic analysis suggested that the V. odoratissinum has a close relationship with Viburnum betulifolium, which belong to Adoxaceae.