Search

SUMMARY: Stem strength is an important agronomic trait affecting plant lodging, and plays an essential role in the quality and yield of plants. Thickened secondary cell walls in stems provide mechanical strength that allows plants to stand upright, but the regulatory mechanism of secondary cell wall thickening and stem strength in cut flowers remains unclear. In this study, first, a total of 11 non‐redundant Paeonia lactiflora R2R3‐MYBs related to stem strength were identified and isolated from cut‐flower herbaceous peony, among which PlMYB43, PlMYB83 and PlMYB103 were the most upregulated differentially expressed genes. Then, the expression characteristics revealed that these three R2R3‐MYBs were specifically expressed in stems and acted as transcriptional activators. Next, biological function verification showed that these P. lactiflora R2R3‐MYBs positively regulated stem strength, secondary cell wall thickness and lignin deposition. Furthermore, yeast‐one‐hybrid and dual luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that they could bind to the promoter of caffeic acid O‐methyltransferase gene (PlCOMT2) and/or laccase gene (PlLAC4), two key genes involved in lignin biosynthesis. In addition, the function of PlLAC4 in increasing lignin deposition was confirmed by virus‐induced gene silencing and overexpression. Moreover, PlMYB83 could also act as a transcriptional activator of PlMYB43. The findings of the study propose a regulatory network of R2R3‐MYBs modulating lignin biosynthesis and secondary cell wall thickening for improving stem lodging resistance, and provide a resource for molecular genetic engineering breeding of cut flowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are identified as a non-classical way to mediate iron efflux except ferroportin. Interestingly, recent studies indicated that EVs pathway is a novel way involved in iron efflux. Mitochondria-derived vesicles (MDVs) are the potential mediator to load mitochondrial iron into EVs. Additionally, iron-replete cells resist excess iron-induced damage by secreting iron-loaded EVs, and the uptake of these EVs induces oxidative damage in the recipient cell. Importantly, iron-loaded EVs play a key role in aberrant iron distribution, which drives the progress of diseases like nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and neurodegenerative diseases. Herein, we summarize extant research on intracellular iron export with an emphasis on EVs and put our eyes on the relationship between iron-loaded EVs with both parent and target cells. Iron-loaded EVs will be an important avenue for later research on their vital role in iron redistribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IRF4 is a master member of the interferon regulatory factor (IRF) family playing vital regulatory roles in immune system development and function. Tetrapods have a single-copy IRF4 gene, while teleosts harbor duplicated IRF4 genes. This work describes three IRF4 paralogs from yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco), designated PfIRF4A, PfIRF4B and PfIRF4B-like. These genes all contain a typical IRF structural architecture. Phylogenic and synteny analyses indicate that they should arise from the teleost-specific whole-genome duplication. PfIRF4 genes are abundantly expressed in the immune-related tissues and upregulated by PolyI:C, LPS, and Edwardsiella ictaluri. Ectopic expression of these genes inhibits the activation of fish type Ⅰ IFN promoters and downregulates the transcription levels of IFN-responsive genes, thus allowing the efficient replication of a fish rhabdovirus, spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV). PfIRF4s possess a repressive effect on MyD88-mediated activation of IFN and NF-κB. Some differences are observed between each individual paralog. PfIRF4B is the main form expressed across the tissues and the most up-regulated one after pathogen induction. It exerts a stronger inhibitory effect on IFN antiviral response than the other two paralogs. PfIRF4A and PfIRF4B-like are primarily present in the nucleus, while PfIRF4B displays colocalization and direct associations with MyD88 in the cytoplasm. Overall, the data demonstrate that three PfIRF4 paralogs show shared and individual functional properties in the negative regulation of type Ⅰ IFN response. • Three IRF4 paralog genes arose from gene duplication exist in yellow catfish. • PfIRF4s act as negative mediators of type Ⅰ IFN responses. • Three IRF4 paralogs display shared and individual properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming has multifarious adverse effects on plant growth and productivity. Nonetheless, the effects of endogenous phytomelatonin on the high‐temperature resistance of plants and the underlying genetic mechanisms remain unclear. Here, herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC) gene involved in phytomelatonin biosynthesis was shown to respond to high‐temperature stress at the transcriptional level, and its transcript level was positively correlated with phytomelatonin production. Moreover, overexpression of PlTDC enhanced phytomelatonin production and high‐temperature stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco, while silencing PlTDC expression decreased these parameters in P. lactiflora. In addition, a 2402 bp promoter fragment of PlTDC was isolated, and DNA pull‐down assay revealed that one APETALA2/ethylene‐responsive element‐binding factor (AP2/ERF) transcription factor, PlTOE3, could specifically activate the PlTDC promoter, which was further verified by yeast one‐hybrid assay and luciferase reporter assay. PlTOE3 was a nucleus‐localized protein, and its transcript level responded to high‐temperature stress. Additionally, transgenic tobacco overexpressing PlTOE3 showed enhanced phytomelatonin production and high‐temperature stress tolerance, while silencing PlTDC expression obtained the opposite results. These results illustrated that PlTOE3 bound the PlTDC promoter to enhance high‐temperature stress tolerance by increasing phytomelatonin production in P. lactiflora. This study is to elucidate the effects of endogenous phytomelatonin on the high‐temperature resistance of plants, and the results illustrated that PlTOE3 bound the PlTDC promoter to enhance high‐temperature stress tolerance by increasing phytomelatonin production in herbaceous peony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petal blotches are commonly observed in many angiosperm families and not only influence plant–pollinator interactions but also confer high ornamental value. Tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa Andr.) is an important cut flower worldwide, but few studies have focused on its blotch formation. In this study, anthocyanins were found to be the pigment basis for blotch formation of P. suffruticosa , and peonidin-3,5-di- O -glucoside (Pn3G5G) was the most important component of anthocyanins, while the dihydroflavonol-4-reductase gene was the key factor contributing to blotch formation. Then, the R2R3-myeloblastosis (MYB) transcription factor PsMYB30 belonging to subgroup 1 was proven as a positive anthocyanin regulator with transcriptional activation and nuclear expression. Furthermore, silencing PsMYB30 in P. suffruticosa petals reduced blotch size by 37.9%, faded blotch color and decreased anthocyanin and Pn3G5G content by 23.6% and 32.9%, respectively. Overexpressing PsMYB30 increased anthocyanin content by 14.5-fold in tobacco petals. In addition, yeast one-hybrid assays, dual-luciferase assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays confirmed that PsMYB30 could bind to the promoter of the anthocyanin synthase (ANS) gene and enhance its expression. Altogether, a novel MYB transcription factor, PsMYB30, was identified to promote petal blotch formation by activating the expression of PsANS involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis, which provide new insights for petal blotch formation in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Surface frosted FBG achieves a high starting temperature. • The laser heating efficiency is improved by 2.2 times by surface frosting. • The sensitivities of the surface frosted FBG anemometer are improved by up to 313%. Sensitivity enhancement of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based hot-wire anemometer is achieved by using a surface-frosted and silver-coated FBG. The FBG is heated into a hot wire by using a 1480 nm laser through core-to-cladding mode coupling by a core-offset fiber splice and light-to-heat conversion by the coated silver film. Temperature and hence Bragg wavelength of the FBG are changed with airflow velocity due to the velocity-dependent cooling effect. By surface frosting of the FBG, the absorption efficiency of the silver coating to the heating laser is improved greatly that increases the initial temperature and hence enhances measurement sensitivity of the anemometer. Experimental results show that high sensitivities of −2285, −505, −150, and −6.2 pm/(m/s) are achieved at airflow velocities of 0.1, 0.5, 1.5, and 18 m/s, respectively. Compared with the corresponding sensitivities of the no-frosted FBG anemometer, the sensitivities are improved by up to 313 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compressible, hydrophobic, and photothermal plant fiber sponge is developed by a simple and efficient physical foaming strategy combined with in-situ vapor and thermal reduction treatment. With favorable hydrophobicity, compressibility, and photothermal conversion capacity, the sponges can be used as an absorbent for high-efficient cleanup of viscous crude oil spill. [Display omitted] • A physical foaming strategy combined with vapor and thermal reduction strategy is developed for preparing hydrophobic plant fiber sponges. • The sponges possess good hydrophobicity, compressibility, photothermal conversion capacity, and high oil absorptive capacity. • The sponges are ideal self-heating absorbent for viscous crude oil spill cleanup. Developing solar-assisted self-heating hydrophobic absorbents for efficient cleanup of viscous crude oil spills is attracting attention. However, using a simple, environment-friendly, and scalable fabrication approach to prepare solar-heating absorbent remains a big challenge. Due to the viscosity of crude oil can enormously decrease with increasing temperature, the self-heating absorbent which can in-situ raise the temperature to decrease the viscosity of crude oil shows potential application in accelerating the absorption and recovery of crude oil. Here, a hydrophobic and photothermal reduced graphene oxide and hexamethyldisilane synergistically modified plant fiber sponge (PFS@rGO@HMDS) is developed by an easy and efficient mechanical foaming strategy combined with in-situ vapor and thermal reduction treatment. The obtained PFS@rGO@HMDS exhibits good hydrophobicity (135° in water contact angle), excellent mechanical compressibility and durability, high solar absorption (>97.84 %), and oil absorptive capacity (27.3–52.0 g/g). Benefiting from the excellent photothermal conversion capacity, the surface temperature at the equilibrium of PFS@rGO@HMDS can reach 71.2 °C under 1 sun irradiation to reduce the viscosity of crude oil and realize the rapid crude oil spill remediation. The PFS@rGO@HMDS also can be used in a continual absorbent system to accomplish the ongoing and quick repair of viscous oil spills from the seawater surface, showcasing its enormous potential for use in huge-scale oil spill clean-up and recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stem strength plays a crucial role in the growth and development of plants, as well as in their flowering and fruiting. It not only impacts the lodging resistance of crops, but also influences the ornamental value of ornamental plants. Stem development is closely linked to stem strength; however, the roles of the SPL transcription factors in the stem development of herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) are not yet fully elucidated. In this study, we obtained and cloned the full-length sequence of PlSPL14, encoding 1085 amino acids. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed that the expression level of PlSPL14 gradually increased with the stem development of P. lactiflora and was significantly expressed in vascular bundles. Subsequently, utilizing the techniques of virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and heterologous overexpression in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), it was determined that PlSPL14-silenced P. lactiflora had a thinner xylem thickness, a decreased stem diameter, and weakened stem strength, while PlSPL14-overexpressing tobacco resulted in a thicker xylem thickness, an increased stem diameter, and enhanced stem strength. Further screening of the interacting proteins of PlSPL14 using a yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assay revealed an interactive relationship between PlSPL14 and PlSLR1 protein, which acts as a negative regulator of gibberellin (GA). Additionally, the expression level of PlSLR1 gradually decreased during the stem development of P. lactiflora. The above results suggest that PlSPL14 may play a positive regulatory role in stem development and act in the xylem, making it a potential candidate gene for enhancing stem straightness in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) is one of the color-leaved ornamental spring plants, with graceful appearance and splendid color. However, the underlying mechanism of this coloration variation from purple to green has not been studied in P. lactiflora. In th study, the leaves in purple, purple–green, and green stages were compared in terms of anatomical, physiological, and molecular. We found that the variation of leaf color from purple to green was mainly determined by the change in pigments distributed in the leaf surface. Physiological experiments showed a significant increase in chlorophyll contents and a notable reduction in anthocyanin contents in leaves from the purple to green stages. We further found that the anthocyanin biosynthesis-related dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) gene and anthocyanin synthase (ANS) gene as well as chlorophyll biosynthesis-related glutamyl-tRNA reductase (HEMA) gene showed a decreased trend in leaves from purple to green stages, whereas the chlorophyll degradation-related chlorophyll b reductase (NYC) gene showed a rising trend. Alteration of DFR and ANS gene expression might reduce anthocyanin accumulation, whereas increased HEMA gene expression would enhance chlorophyll biosynthesis and reduced NYC gene expression would inhibit chlorophyll degradation. Consequently, reduction in anthocyanins and enhanced deposition of chlorophylls resulted in leaf coloration variation from purple to green in P. lactiflora, which could improve our understanding of its mechanism for further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanomaterials with enzyme-like catalytic features (nanozymes) find wide use in analytical sensing. Apart from catalytic characteristics, some other interesting functions coexist in the materials. How to combine these properties to design multifunctional nanozymes for new sensing strategy development is challenging. Besides, in nanozymes it is still a challenge to conveniently control the catalytic process, which also hinders their further applications in advanced biochemical analysis. To remove the above barriers, here we design a light-controllable multifunctional nanozyme, namely manganese-inserted cadmium telluride (Mn–CdTe) particles, that integrates oxidase-like activity with luminescence together, to achieve the fluorometric/colorimetric dual-mode detection of toxic mercury ions (Hg2+) at ambient pH. The Mn–CdTe exhibits a light-triggered oxidase-mimicking catalytic behavior to induce chromogenic reactions, thus enabling one to start or stop the catalytic progress easily via applying or withdrawing light irradiation. Meanwhile, the quantum dot material can exhibit bright photoluminescence, which provides the fluorometric channel to sense targets. When Hg2+ is introduced, it rapidly leans toward Mn–CdTe through electrostatic interaction and Te–Hg bonding and induces the aggregation of the latter. As a result, the luminescence of Mn–CdTe is dynamically quenched, and the masking of active sites in aggregated Mn–CdTe leads to the decrease of light-initiated oxidase-mimetic activity. According to this principle, a new fluorometric/colorimetric bimodal method was established for Hg2+ determination with excellent performance. A 3D-printed portable platform combining paper-based test strips and an App-equipped smartphone was further fabricated, making it possible to achieve in-field sensing of the analyte in various matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A solvent & coupling agent-free method with only one-step reaction was proposed to prepare silica-immobilized UV absorber (SiO 2 –531). • SiO 2 –531 could be homogeneously dispersed in the matrix of polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT). • SiO 2 –531 showed significantly improved migration resistance and thermal stability compared with free UV absorber. • PBAT/SiO 2 –531 composites showed even better anti-UV aging performance than PBAT/SiO 2 composites with twofold added free UV absorber. Prolonging the service life of polymer materials by enhancing their aging resistance is an effective and practical way to reduce the polymer waste. In this work, to improve the migration resistance and thermal stability of commercial UV absorber used in polymer composites, a solvent & coupling agent-free method with only one-step reaction was proposed to immobilize a commercial UV absorber 2‑hydroxy-4-(octyloxy)benzophenone (UV-531) onto the surface of silica nano particles (SiO 2). UV-531 was chemically bonded on the surface of SiO 2 with the loading weight of 12%. The as-prepared immobilized UV-531 (SiO 2 –531) could be homogeneously dispersed in the matrix of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and showed significantly improved migration resistance and thermal stability compared with free UV-531. For example, the initial decomposition temperature of SiO 2 –531 is about 200 °C higher than that of free UV-531. Therefore, PBAT/SiO 2 –531 composites showed even better anti-UV aging performance than PBAT/SiO 2 composites with twofold added free UV-531 during accelerated ultraviolet weathering and long-term natural climatic aging tests. For example, PBAT/SiO 2 –531 composites can maintain higher retentions of tensile strength and elongation at break than PBAT/SiO 2 composites with free UV-531 does after accelerated UV aging. Hopefully, the proposed facile method to enhance the anti-UV aging efficiency of commercial UV absorber may potentially uncover an extensive family of building blocks for constructing highly anti-aging plastic composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reference 1 Zhao D., Tang Y., Xia X., Sun J., Meng J., Shang J., Tao J. Integration of Transcriptome, Proteome, and Metabolome Provides Insights into How Calcium Enhances the Mechanical Strength of Herbaceous Peony Inflorescence Stems. Due to the authors having made an error, the control group and the control (enlargement) group in S3 and the nano-CaCO SB 3 sb group and the nano-CaCO SB 3 sb (enlargement) group in S4 of Figure 7A (marked in red) need to be corrected. Integration of Transcriptome, Proteome, and Metabolome Provides Insights into How Calcium Enhances the Mechanical Strength of Herbaceous Peony Inflorescence Stems. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract: Emerging evidence has demonstrated that chronic ethanol exposure induces iron overload, enhancing ethanol-mediated liver damage. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of the naturally occurring compound quercetin on ethanol-induced iron overload and liver damage, focusing on the signaling pathway of the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin. Adult male C57BL/6J mice were pair-fed with isocaloric-Lieber De Carli diets containing ethanol (accounting for 30% of total calories) and/or carbonyl iron (0.2%) and treated with quecertin (100 mg/kg body weight) for 15 weeks. Mouse primary hepatocytes were incubated with ethanol (100 mM) and quercetin (100 μM) for 24 h. Mice exposed to either ethanol or iron presented significant fatty infiltration and iron deposition in the liver; these symptoms were exacerbated in mice cotreated with ethanol and iron. Quercetin attenuated the abnormity induced by ethanol and/or iron. Ethanol suppressed BMP6 and intranuclear SMAD4 as well as decreased hepcidin expression. These effects were partially alleviated by quercetin supplementation in mice and hepatocytes. Importantly, ethanol caused suppression of SMAD4 binding to the HAMP promoter and of hepcidin messenger RNA expression. These effects were exacerbated by anti-BMP6 antibody and partially alleviated by quercetin or human recombinant BMP6 in cultured hepatocytes. In contrast, co-treatment with iron and ethanol, especially exposure of iron alone, activated BMP6/SMAD4 pathway and up-regulated hepcidin expression, which was also normalized by quercetin in vivo. Quercetin prevented ethanol-induced hepatic iron overload different from what carbonyl iron diet elicited in the mechanism, by regulating hepcidin expression via the BMP6/SMAD4 signaling pathway. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Quercetin counteracted ethanol-derived hepatic oxidative stress and liver damage. [•] Quercetin alleviated ethanol-induced liver iron overload and “free” iron disorder. [•] Quercetin inhibited ethanol-stimulated DMT1, ZIP14 and TRPML1 responsible for “free” iron uptake and release. [•] In addition, quercetin suppressed ethanol-stimulated TfR1 and Ft light chain expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nanobiotechnology has been recently viewed as a promising strategy to improve therapy efficacy by promoting the accumulation of hydrophobic bioactive compounds in tissues. The aim of present study was to formulate a novel quercetin-loaded cationic nanostructured lipid carriers (QR-CNLC) and to evaluate its biodistribution in vivo after oral administration. QR-CNLC were prepared by emulsifying at high temperature and subsequent solidifying at low temperature using various functional ingredients, and its characteristics, including physical index, release profile in vitro, and tissue distribution in vivo, were investigated. The results demonstrated that QR-CNLC exhibited an average particle size 126.6nm, a zeta potential of 40.5mV and 89.3% entrapment efficiency. QR-CNLC performed slower release compared with quercetin solution in vitro. QR-CNLC showed higher AUC (area under tissue concentration–time curve) value and higher C max value in lung, liver and kidney compared with control group. The value of relative intake rate (r e ) for lung, liver and kidney was 1.57, 1.51 and 1.68, respectively, which revealed that quercetin can be significantly accumulated in lung, kidney and liver after oral administration of QR-CNLC compared with quercetin suspension. In conclusion, cationic nanostructured lipid carriers may be an attractive nanocarrier system for oral delivery of hydrophobic functional components. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The shading treatment which decreases light intensity affects the ornamental characteristics in herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.), including flower color, leaf shape and stem straightness. However, the morphological, microstructural and lignin-related responses of its stems to shading have not been systematically and deeply studied. Here, we focused on these responses to shading treatment in herbaceous peony stems. Morphological results showed that shading treatment significantly bended stems, decreased stem diameters, lightened stem weights and reduced stem strength. Microstructural observations demonstrated that shading treatment decreased vascular bundle number, xylem area, xylem ratio and secondary cell wall (SCW) thickness. Lignin-related analysis revealed that shading treatment markedly decreased lignin content in cell walls especially S-lignin and G-lignin, deposition in SCWs and related enzyme activities. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis showed that shading treatment suppressed lignin-related processes, lignin biosynthetic pathway and lignin-related transcriptional activators. Collectively, shading treatment suppressed lignin biosynthesis and reduced lignin deposition in SCW, leading to undeveloped secondary xylem and bender stems. These findings provide a fundamental understanding of the morphological, microstructural and lignin-related responses of herbaceous peony stem to shading. • Shading treatment led to slender and bender stems in herbaceous peony. • Shading treatment inhibited xylem and SCW development, resulting in bender stems. • Shading treatment reduced lignin content, deposition, composition and related enzyme activities. • Shading treatment suppressed lignin biosynthesis and its transcriptional regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic reduction of CO 2 to methane constitutes an important reaction for mitigating the climate change and reducing the dependence on fossil energy resources. In this study, morphology effect of MnO x support on Ru catalysts was investigated for CO 2 methanation. Significantly higher methanation rates and methane selectivities were obtained over Ru loaded on Mn 3 O 4 hexagonal nanoplates compared to Ru supported on Mn 3 O 4 octahedron catalysts. HR-TEM measurements revealed that the reduced RuHNS and RuONS catalyst consisted of MnO crystal phase with exposing (200) & (111) and (111) crystal facet, respectively. The CH 4 yield of RuHNS was almost twice as high as RuONS, and the TOFs (Turnover frequency) calculated for these were 4.00 and 2.08 10−2S−1, respectively Moreover, as revealed by various physicochemical characterization techniques such as Raman, temperature-programmed reduction with hydrogen (H 2 -TPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and temperature-programmed surface reaction with carbon dioxide (CO 2 -TPSR), which are responsible for the observed catalytic behavior, allowing reactants to adsorb more easily and lowering the energy barrier for both H 2 and CO 2. The present work highlights the importance of support morphology of Ru loaded on reducible support on CO 2 methanation. [Display omitted] • MnO x morphology dictates the catalytic performance of Ru/MnO x catalyst in CO 2 methanation. • The reduced Ru/MnO x catalyst consists of MnO crystal phase with exposing (200) & (200) and (111) crystal facet. • Ru/MnO(200) catalyst exhibits superior activity due to abundant surface oxygen vacancies. • Large Ru nanoparticles supported on MnO show high hydrogenation activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: Senescence of vascular cells contributes to the development of cardiovascular diseases and the overall aging. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of resveratrol (Res) on amelioration of vascular cell aging and the role of SIRT1/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase pathway. Methods and Results: Adult male Wistar rats were treated with a high-fat/sucrose diet (HFS) in the presence or absence of Res for 3 months. HFS and in vitro treatment with high glucose increased the senescence cells and reactive oxygen species production in rat aorta and cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs), respectively, which was attenuated by Res treatment. Res protected against HFS- or high-glucose-induced increase in NADPH oxidase p47phox expression and decrease in SIRT1 level. Apocynin, a NADPH oxidase inhibitor, down-regulated p47phox protein expression, but had no influence on SIRT1 protein; sirtinol, a SIRT1 inhibitor, aggravated the decrease in SIRT1 protein level and the increase in p47phox protein expression induced by high glucose. Conclusion: Our studies suggested that Res was able to reverse the senescence process in aorta induced by HFS in rats or induced by the exposure to high glucose in cultured BAECs. The underlying mechanism is at least SIRT1/NADPH oxidase pathway dependent. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background and Aims The tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa Andr.) has been widely cultivated as a field plant, and petal blotch is one of its important traits, which not only promotes proliferation but also confers high ornamental value. However, the regulatory network controlling blotch formation remains elusive owing to the functional differences and limited conservation of transcriptional regulators in dicots. Methods We performed phylogenetic analysis to identify MYB44-like transcription factors in P. suffruticosa blotched cultivar 'High noon' petals. A candidate MYB44-like transcription factor, PsMYB44, was analysed via expression pattern analysis, subcellular localization, target gene identification, gene silencing in P. suffruticosa petals and heterologous overexpression in tobacco. Key Results A blotch formation-related MYB44-like transcription factor, PsMYB44, was cloned. The C-terminal of the PsMYB44 amino acid sequence had a complete C2 motif that affects anthocyanin biosynthesis, and PsMYB44 was clustered in the MYB44-like transcriptional repressor branch. PsMYB44 was located in the nucleus, and its spatial and temporal expression patterns were negatively correlated with blotch formation. Furthermore, a yeast one-hybrid assay showed that PsMYB44 could target the promoter of the late anthocyanin biosynthesis-related dihydroflavonol-4-reductase (DFR) gene, and a dual-luciferase assay demonstrated that PsMYB44 could repress PsDFR promoter activity. On the one hand, overexpression of PsMYB44 significantly faded the red colour of tobacco flowers and decreased the anthocyanin content by 42.3 % by downregulating the expression level of the tobacco NtDFR gene. On the other hand, PsMYB44 -silenced P. suffruticosa petals had a redder blotch colour, which was attributed to the fact that silencing PsMYB44 redirected metabolic flux to the anthocyanin biosynthesis branch, thereby promoting more anthocyanin accumulation in the petal base. Conclusion These results demonstrated that PsMYB44 negatively regulated the biosynthesis of anthocyanin by directly binding to the PsDFR promoter and subsequently inhibiting blotch formation, which helped to elucidate the molecular regulatory network of anthocyanin-mediated blotch formation in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As the main source of reactive oxygen species (ROS), hepatic microsomes are susceptible to ROS attack, especially upon CYP2E1 activation by ethanol. The objective of this study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of quercetin, by inducing haem oxygenase-1 (HO-1), on ethanol-induced microsomal oxidative stress. Chronic alcohol administration to adult rats (4.0g/kg for 90days) resulted in microsomal redox disturbance and liver dysfunction, accompanying CYP2E1 upregulation and HO-1 downregulation of both protein expression and enzymatic activity. Quercetin (100mg/kg) induced HO-1, which was not completely suppressed by ethanol. Moreover, quercetin pretreatment to ethanol-fed rats lowered CYP2E1 induction, partially normalised ethanol-overwhelmed microsomal antioxidative system, decreased ROS level and lipid peroxidation, and alleviated the leakage of transaminases. Given the beneficial effect of HO-1, its induction by quercetin may contribute to the protective role against CYP2E1-mediated oxidative stress on hepatic microsomes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Lipid metabolism disorder and oxidative stress play an important role on the development and progression of alcoholic liver disease (ALD), and mitochondria compartment is presumed as the main source and susceptible target of intracellular ROS. The objective of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of quercetin, a naturally occurring flavonoids possessing both antioxidant and hypolipidemic effect, on ethanol-induced dyslipidemia and oxidative damage focused on mitochondria. Chronic alcohol administration for adult male rats (4.0g/kg for 90days) resulted in the leakage of alanine and especially aspartate aminotransferases, and morphological malformation mainly evidenced by sustained lipid infiltration and degenerative changes on mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum, which was markedly alleviated by quercetin (100mg/kg.bw.) pretreatment. Furthermore, quercetin prophylaxis evidently ameliorated ethanol-stimulated mitochondrial dysfunction manifested by decreased membrane potential and induced permeability transition though suppressing glutathione depletion, enzymatic inactivation of manganese superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, ROS over-generation, and lipid peroxidation in mitochondria. Quercetin, thus, may protect rat, especially hepatic mitochondria, from chronic ethanol toxicity through its hypolipidemic effect and antioxidative role, highlighting a promising preventive strategy for ALD by naturally occurring phytochemicals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a commonly used indoor ornamental foliage, particularly in the middle and lower regions of the Yangtze River in China. It typically grows in the tropical area, and it is yet unclear whether prolonged winter temperatures cause plant damage and impact its development. In this study, the E. aureum chilling injury response was explored by maintaining it at 1 °C. Based on the acquired results, low-temperature stress (LTS) induced wilting and yellowing of leaves and diminished chloroplast pigment concentrations, particularly the chlorophyll b content. LTS also induced overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within E. aureum and enhanced the relative electrical conductivity and superoxide dismutase activity. In addition, with prolonged LTS, the anatomical structure of E. aureum was severely damaged, resulting in a marked reduction in the photochemical activity of the photosystem Ⅱ reaction center and suppressed photosynthesis. Moreover, results of the transcriptomic analysis revealed that LTS induced the expression of genes involved in the α-linolenic acid metabolic pathway, plant hormone network, host plant–pathogen association, and MAPK axis, suggesting that LTS would activate its resistant response to cold stress. These results unraveled the physiological and transcriptomical response of E. aureum to chilling injury, which would lay a theoretical foundation for the cultivation of low-temperature-tolerant varieties of E. aureum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have focused more on the facilitating effect of nature exposure on positive behavioural consequences. However, less attention has been paid to whether nature exposure can inhibit internalized problem behaviours, such as Internet addiction. Within the framework of the stimuli‐organism‐response theory, the present study examined the relationship between nature exposure and Internet addiction and investigated the mediating roles of anthropomorphism of nature and awe. In China, we recruited 1469 adolescents (mean age = 13.90 years old, SD = 0.59, 53.2% girls). Mediation analyses indicated that awe partially mediated the relationship between nature exposure and adolescents' Internet addiction. The anthropomorphism of nature and awe served as sequential mediating roles in the relationship between nature exposure and adolescents' Internet addiction. This study provides a nature‐based perspective on the prevention and intervention of adolescents' Internet addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heart is the central organ of the circulatory system, and its proper development is vital to maintain human life. As fetal heart development is complex and poorly understood, we use single-cell RNA sequencing to profile the gene expression landscapes of human fetal hearts from the four-time points: 8, 10, 11, 17 gestational weeks (GW8, GW10, GW11, GW17), and identified 11 major types of cells: erythroid cells, fibroblasts, heart endothelial cells, ventricular cardiomyocytes, atrial cardiomyocytes, macrophage, DCs, smooth muscle, pericytes, neural cells, schwann cells. In addition, we identified a series of differentially expressed genes and signaling pathways in each cell type between different gestational weeks. Notably, we found that ANNEXIN, MIF, PTN, GRN signalling pathways were simple and fewer intercellular connections in GW8, however, they were significantly more complex and had more intercellular communication in GW10, GW11, and GW17. Notably, the interaction strength of OSM signalling pathways was gradually decreased during this period of time (from GW8 to GW17). Together, in this study, we presented a comprehensive and clear description of the differentiation processes of all the main cell types in the human fetal hearts, which may provide information and reference data for heart regeneration and heart disease treatment. [Display omitted] • Gene expression map of human fetal hearts from the four-time points were identified. • Dynamic alteration of cell subpopulations and gene expression during heart development. • ANNEXIN, MIF, PTN, GRN, OSM signalling pathways are crucial in heart development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of urban expansion, ecological protection cannot be delayed. The construction of ecological networks is of considerable significance to ecosystem services. However, in the process of constructing a corridor network, there is no uniform standard for the selection of ecological sources and the determination of cost factors. The InVEST model is an effective complement to ecosystem service assessment for sensitively measuring external threats and their threat intensity. Therefore, taking Wuhan as an example, we combined InVEST and the least cost path model (LCP) to construct a multi-target corridor network with comprehensive cost factors for birds and small terrestrial mammals. The results showed that: (1) The InVEST model provided a reliable basis for ecological source screening by demonstrating the distribution of habitat quality. (2) The corridor with a length of 12–25 km presented a "U" shape, and the impact of urbanization on small terrestrial mammals was more significant than that of birds. (3) The integrated network pattern proposed by the "point-line-plane" principle would provide a reference for urban ecological construction and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clouds play a critical role in adjusting the global radiation budget and hydrological cycle; however, obtaining accurate information on the cloud base height (CBH) is still challenging. In this study, based on Lidar and aircraft soundings, we investigated the features of the CBH and determined the thresholds of the environmental relative humidity (RH) corresponding to the observed CBHs over Southeast China from October 2017 to September 2018. During the observational period, the CBHs detected by Lidar/aircraft were commonly higher in cold months and lower in warm months; in the latter, 75.91% of the CBHs were below 2000 m. Overall, the RHs at the cloud base were mainly distributed between 70 and 90% for the clouds lower than 1000 m, in which the most concentrated RH was approximately 80%. In addition, for the clouds with a cloud base higher than 1000 m, the RH thresholds decreased dramatically with increasing CBH, where the RH thresholds at cloud bases higher than 2000 m could be lower than 60%. On average, the RH thresholds for determining the CBHs were the highest (72.39%) and lowest (63.56%) in the summer and winter, respectively, over Southeast China. Therefore, to determine the CBH, a specific threshold of RH is needed. Although the time period covered by the collected CBH data from Lidar/aircraft is short, the above analyses can provide some verification and evidence for using the RH threshold to determine the CBH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PlbHLH87 was cloned in Paeonia lactiflora and could respond to high-temperature stress. • PlbHLH87 was localized in the nucleus and exhibited transcriptional activation activity. • Overexpressing PlbHLH87 enhanced high-temperature tolerance, while silencing it caused severe damage. Herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) exhibits captivating floral displays, however, its intolerance to high-temperature stress has seriously inhibited its popularization in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and its southern regions in China. The bHLH transcription factor family is widely distributed in plants and plays a crucial role in stress response. In this study, a bHLH transcription factor PlbHLH87 was isolated from P. lactiflora , and it was exhibited nuclear localization and transcriptional activation ability, indicating its involvement in gene regulation. PlbHLH87 showed increased expression levels in response to high-temperature stress, and transgenic plants with PlbHLH87 overexpression showed strengthened high-temperature resistance, while plants with silenced PlbHLH87 suffered severe damage under high-temperature stress. Various physiological indices demonstrated that PlbHLH87 could help to reduce reactive oxygen species accumulation, maintain the integrity of cell membranes and protect Photosystem II. These findings highlighted the critical role of PlbHLH87 in conferring high-temperature stress tolerance, which would be useful for molecular breeding of enhanced high-temperature tolerance in P. lactiflora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Chinese Healthy Eating Index (CHEI) is a valid instrument to assess the diet quality of the Chinese population, but evidence regarding the relationship between CHEI and the risk of diabetes remains limited. We aimed to investigate the prospective association of CHEI with diabetes among Chinese adults. Methods: 1563 adults free of diabetes at baseline and with at least two survey data from 1997 to 2018 were included. Dietary information was collected by three consecutive 24-h recalls combined with household food inventory, and long-term diet quality was evaluated by the CHEI. Diabetes was defined as self-reported physician-diagnosed diabetes and/or fasting blood glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/L, and/or HbA1c ≥ 6.5%. Cox proportional hazard models and restricted cubic spline analysis were used to estimate the associations between CHEI and diabetes. Results: During a median follow-up of 12.0 years, 192 (10.3%) participants developed new-onset diabetes. Generally, a five-point higher CHEI score was significantly associated with a 17% lower risk of diabetes (HR, 0.83; 95%CI 0.71–0.97). In stratified analysis, inverse associations between CHEI and diabetes were more vigorous in females (HR, 0.68; 95%CI 0.54–0.85) than in males (P for interaction = 0.01). In addition, there was an L-shaped association between CHEI and diabetes risk in the whole population (P for non-linearity = 0.026), while no significant non-linear association was observed in females or males, respectively. Conclusion: Our results suggested that a long-term higher-quality diet evaluated by CHEI was significantly associated with lower risks of diabetes, and the favorable associations were more pronounced among females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: The relationship between sugar‐free beverage (SFB) intake and childhood obesity among Chinese children is unknown. Objectives: To describe the status of SFB consumption among children and adolescents in China and assess the association between SFB intake and different types of obesity. Methods: The study was based on the baseline data of an ongoing cohort project named Evaluation and Monitoring on School‐based Nutrition and Growth in Shenzhen (EMSNGS). Food frequency questionnaires were used to collect information on SFB consumption in 3227 students aged 9–17. Physical and clinical examinations were conducted by trained investigators and clinicians. Multivariable binary logistic regression models were performed to assess the association between SFB intake and general obesity, overweight/obesity, abdominal obesity, metabolically unhealthy overweight (MUOW)/metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO). Results: The median age of the participants was 13.28 years. Among the participants, 55.2% were boys, and 66.1% were adolescents. The median SFB consumption was 16.67 mL/d. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, each 100 mL increase in daily SFB intake was associated with an increased risk of overweight/obesity (OR = 1.14; 95%CI: 1.06–1.23), abdominal obesity (OR = 1.12; 95%CI: 1.03–1.23), and MUOW/MUO (OR = 1.12; 95%CI: 1.02–1.21), respectively. Stratified analyses showed that family income may have an impact on the association between SFB intake and overweight/obesity (P for interaction = 0.021) and abdominal obesity (P for interaction = 0.031). Conclusion: SFB intake was positively associated with childhood obesity in Chinese children, particularly among individuals with high‐income families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To measure the equity of urban park green space, spatial matching between service supply and user group demand should be taken into consideration. However, if the demographic data, with the administrative division as the basic unit, are directly applied to characterize the spatial distribution of a user group, it may introduce inevitable deviation into the evaluation results due to the low-resolution nature and modifiable areal unit problem of such data. Taking the central area of Wuhan as an example, the population data spatialization method based on land use modeling was used to build a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model of land cover type and demographic data, and the spatial distribution of the population of the 150 m grid was obtained by inversion. Then, the equity of park green space in Wuhan central city was evaluated by population spatial data and network accessibility. The results showed that (1) the range of park green space in the central urban area of Wuhan was within a walking distance of 15 min, accounting for 25.8% of the total study area and covering 54.2% of the population in the study area; (2) the equity of park green space in Hongshan District was the worst; (3) and the use of population spatial data can measure equity on a more precise scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weak stem mechanical strength severely restrains cut flowers quality and stem weakness can be alleviated by calcium (Ca) treatment, but the mechanisms underlying Ca-mediated enhancement of stem mechanical strength remain largely unknown. In this study, we performed a comparative transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analysis of herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) inflorescence stems treated with nanometer Ca carbonate (Nano-CaCO3). In total, 2643 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 892 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were detected between the Control and nano-CaCO3 treatment. Among the 892 DEPs, 152 were coregulated at both the proteomic and transcriptomic levels, and 24 DEPs related to the secondary cell wall were involved in signal transduction, energy metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and lignin biosynthesis, most of which were upregulated after nano-CaCO3 treatment during the development of inflorescence stems. Among these four pathways, numerous differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) related to lignin biosynthesis were identified. Furthermore, structural observations revealed the thickening of the sclerenchyma cell walls, and the main wall constitutive component lignin accumulated significantly in response to nano-CaCO3 treatment, thereby indicating that Ca can enhance the mechanical strength of the inflorescence stems by increasing the lignin accumulation. These results provided insights into how Ca treatment enhances the mechanical strength of inflorescence stems in P. lactiflora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Daminozide is a plant growth retardant that inhibits 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase activity in the gibberellin biosynthesis pathway, but few studies have focused on its effect on the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway involved in flower color. In the present study, the effect of daminozide on the regulation of flower color was investigated. An herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) cultivar ‘Fenzhu Pan’ was used as the material and treated with daminozide. Color parameters of petals were measured; flavonoid composition and content as well as flavonoid biosynthetic gene expression were monitored. The results showed that daminozide treatment caused less red coloration in herbaceous peony. The content of total anthocyanins was decreased by 23%, and the content of total anthoxanthins was increased by 8%; thus, it appeared that less red coloration in daminozide-treated flowers was associated with restricted anthocyanin accumulation. Furthermore, the gene expression patterns of flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase, dihydroflavonol 4-reductase and anthocyanidin synthase were lower after daminozide treatment, which could decrease anthocyanin accumulation and lead to less red coloration in flowers. These findings would improve our understanding of daminozide regulation of flower color in herbaceous peony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel type of nanosilica‐supported ultraviolet absorber (SiO2‐N‐0) was successfully prepared by chemically grafting 2,4‐dihydroxybenzophenone (UV‐0) onto the surface of nanosilica (SiO2) with the aid of a coupling agent via a sol–gel method, which was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. SiO2‐N‐0 was then incorporated into poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) to fabricate biodegradable composite film with a casting method. As expected, SiO2‐N‐0 was homogeneously dispersed in PBAT matrix, leading to higher mechanical strength and lower water vapor transmission of PBAT/SiO2‐N‐0 film than those of PBAT/SiO2/UV‐0 film. More importantly, because of its low migration and volatility, SiO2‐N‐0 endowed PBAT film with excellent aging resistance under ultraviolet radiation than did the corresponding low molecular ultraviolet absorber UV‐0. Taken together, these results suggest that thus prepared PBAT/SiO2‐N‐0 composite film may find many applications, especially as biodegradable agricultural mulch film. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:4154–4161, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to analyse performance of a modified heat recovery ventilator in air conditioner cooling breeding rabbit house in hot season. The heat recovery ventilator was employ to reduce the energy consumption of cooling rabbit house, alleviate the contradiction between air conditioner cooling and ventilation. During the operation of the air-conditioner, air temperature in the rabbit house maintained 22-27 °C when the ambient air temperature varied 31-39 °C. The heat recovery ventilator was used to reduce energy consumption of the air-conditioner. The experiment was carried out in two rabbit houses with heat recovery ventilator (treatment house) and without heat recovery ventilator (control house). Compared with the control house, the air temperature in the treatment house was higher by 1.4 °C, while the NH3 and CO2 concentration in the treatment house decreased by 10% and 21%, respectively. The application of the heat recovery ventilator reduced 10.2% energy consumption of the air-conditioner during the hot season, and the sensible heat efficiency of the heat recovery ventilator was 63%. The heat recovery ventilator was economic to operate when the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor was more than 5.1 °C. There is 501 h available time every year for the operation of the hot season in southeast China, and the calculated annual electricity saving was 4.6 kWh for every square meter of rabbit house. Pressure drop of the heat exchanger and the duct ventilation organization are potential factors for improving performance of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstarct Iron is a life-supporting micronutrient that is required in the human diet, and is essential for maintaining physiological homeostasis. Properly harnessing a redox-active metal such as iron is a great challenge for cells and organisms because an excess of highly reactive iron catalyzes the formation of reactive oxygen species and can lead to cell and tissue damage. Quercetin is a typical flavonoid that is commonly found in fruits and vegetables and has versatile biological effects. From a classical viewpoint, owing to its unique chemical characteristics, quercetin has long been associated with iron metabolism only in the context of its iron-chelating and ROS-scavenging activities. However, within the field of human iron biology, expanding concepts of the roles of quercetin are flourishing, and great strides are being made in understanding the interactions between quercetin and iron. This progress highlights the varied roles of quercetin in iron metabolism, which involve much more than iron chelation alone. A review of these studies provides an ideal context to summarize recent progress and discuss compelling evidence for therapeutic opportunities that could arise from a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Whether cigarette smoking and moderate drinking are associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)has not been fully described. This study investigated the separate and joint effects of smoking and moderate drinking on Chinese men with NAFLD. Methods: Across-sectional assay from DFTJ Cohort study was performed with a size of 9432 elderly Chinese men excluding excessive alcohol consumption (<210g/week). Fatty liver was diagnosed by standardized ultrasonographic inspection. The odds ratio (OR) of alcohol consumption and smoking for the prevalence of NAFLD were analyzed using multiple logistic regression with multiple adjustments. Results: The prevalence of NAFLD in current smokers (pack-year≥40) and drinkers (80~210g/week or drinking duration≥35years) was significantly higher than that in non-smokers and non-drinkers, respectively. The combination of current smoking (pack-year≥40) and drinking (80~210g/week) was associated with the highest risk of NAFLD (OR 1.85; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28–2.68;P<0.01). The similar combined effect was found in participants with pack-year≥40 and drinking duration≥35 years (OR 1.72; 95% CI 1.26–2.34;P<0.01). Moreover, an interaction was observed between current smoking and moderate drinking in NAFLD. Conclusions: In elderly Chinese men, cigarette smoking and moderate alcohol consumption exerts an evident joint effect and interaction on the prevalence of NAFLD, although both are significantly and independently associated with NAFLD prevalence. Such findings highlight particular significance of avoidance of cigarette and alcohol on NAFLD prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high reactive sulfocompound, sulfur monochloride, was chemically supported onto the surface of silica (silica-s-S 2 Cl 2 ) by the reaction between chloric atom and silanol hydroxyl to obtain a novel vulcanizing agent, silica supported sulfur monochloride (silica-s-S 2 Cl 2 ). Silica-s-S 2 Cl 2 can be homogeneously dispersed in SBR matrix as a modifier and cure the styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) without sulfur as a novel high-efficiency vulcanizing agent. The sulfur and Bis[3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl] Tetrasulfide (TESPT) silane coupling agent vulcanized SBR composites were mainly polysulfide crosslinks, on the contrary, the vulcanization by silica-s-S 2 Cl 2 give priority to the mono- and disulfides crosslinks. The highlight of this work lies in the fact that apparent improvement has been achieved by novel and high efficient functional particles due to the silica surface supported with sulfur monochloride, which may open up new opportunities for the preparation of functional nano-fillers in rubber industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine the bidirectional association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: The data was derived from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort study, which was established in 2008 and followed until October 2013. NAFLD was classified as none, mild, moderate/severe based on ultrasound examination. The analysis to examine the association between NAFLD and incident T2DM risk included 18,111 participants free of diabetes at baseline and the duration of follow-up was 4.60 ± 0.60 years. Cox proportional regression model was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) for the association. The analysis to investigate the association between T2DM and incident NAFLD risk included 12,435 participants free of NAFLD at baseline. Logistic regression model was used to calculate the odd ratio (OR) of NAFLD. Results: Compared with those without NAFLD, individuals with mild or moderate/severe NAFLD had a monotonic elevated risk of developing T2DM (HR: 1.88 [95% CI: 1.63–2.18] and 2.34 [1.85–2.96], respectively) after adjustment for potential confounders. In a parallel analysis, compared to participants with fasting plasma glucose < 6.1 mmol/L, the ORs of developing NAFLD in subjects with impaired fasting glucose and T2DM were 1.35 (95% CI: 1.16–1.57) and 1.40 (95% CI: 1.22–1.62), respectively. Conclusions: Our results provide compelling evidence that the NAFLD-T2DM association is bidirectional in Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cut flower quality is severely restrained by stem bending due to low stem strength. Melatonin has been shown to function in many aspects of plant growth and development, yet whether it can enhance stem strength, and the corresponding underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We investigated the role of melatonin in enhancement of stem strength in herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) by applying exogenous melatonin and changing endogenous melatonin biosynthesis. Endogenous melatonin content positively correlated with lignin content and stem strength in various P. lactiflora cultivars. Supplementation with exogenous melatonin significantly enhanced stem strength by increasing lignin content and the S/G lignin compositional ratio, up-regulating lignin biosynthetic gene expression. Moreover, overexpression of TRYPTOPHAN DECARBOXYLASE GENE (TDC) responsible for the first committed step of melatonin biosynthesis in tobacco, significantly increased endogenous melatonin, which further increased the S/G ratio and stem strength. In contrast, silencing PlTDC in P. lactiflora decreased endogenous melatonin, the S/G ratio and stem strength. Finally, manipulating the expression of CAFFEIC ACID O-METHYLTRANSFERASE GENE (COMT1), which is involved in both melatonin and lignin biosynthesis, showed even greater effects on melatonin, the S/G ratio and stem strength. Our results suggest that melatonin has a positive regulatory effect on P. lactiflora stem strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a worldwide public health concern, mainly afflicting older adults. Although the etiology of OA remains unclear, environmental factors are increasingly considered as non-negligible risk factors. This study aims to evaluate the associations of urinary metals with OA risk and the mediated effect of biological aging.Methods: Nine urinary metal concentrations were detected among 12,584 U.S. adults based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), including barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), cesium (Cs), molybdenum (Mo), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), thallium (Tl), and uranium (Tu). Multivariable logistic regression and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression were used to explore the associations of single metal and mixed metals with OA risk, respectively. Furthermore, biological aging was measured from different perspectives, including cell senescence (telomere length) and whole-body aging (phenotypic age and biological age). Mediation analyses were conducted to investigate the mediated effects of aging on the associations of metals with OA risk.Results: In the single-exposure model, Cd, Co, and Cs were identified to be positively associated with OA risk, with odds ratios (OR) ranging from 1.48 to 1.64 (all P < 0.05). Mixed-exposure analyses showed consistent associations (OR 1.23, 95%CI 1.10 to 1.37) and highlighted that Cd, Co, and Cs were responsible for the outcomes. Additionally, Cd, Co, Cs, Pb, and Tl were positively associated with biological aging markers, while all biological aging markers had significant associations with OA risk. Further mediation analyses showed that the associations of single metal (mainly Cd and Cs) and mixed metals with OA risk parallelly mediated by the above biological aging markers, with the proportion of mediation ranging from 16.89 to 69.39% (all P < 0.05). Moreover, such associations were also serially mediated through telomere length-biological age path and telomere length-phenotypic age path (the proportion of mediation: 4.17-11.67%), indicating that metals accelerated cell senescence to lead to whole-body aging and finally aggravated OA progress.Conclusions: These findings suggested that exposure to metals increased OA risk, which was possibly and partly mediated by biological aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) is a popular high-end cut flower, but stem bending caused by low stem strength severely decreases its quality. To enhance stem strength, the regulatory effects of exogenous silicon were investigated in P. lactiflora. The results showed that silicon application enhanced stem strength by increasing the thickness of secondary cell walls and the layers of thickened secondary cells. Moreover, more lignin accumulated, particularly G-lignin and S-lignin, and the activities of lignin biosynthetic enzymes increased with silicon application. In addition, based on transcriptome analysis, silicon application induced the expression of genes participating in lignin biosynthesis pathway. Among them, hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA: shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase gene (HCT1) was isolated from P. lactiflora and found to be mainly localized in the cytoplasm of cells. Overexpression of PlHCT1 increased the layers of thickened secondary cells and lignin accumulation in tobacco, resulting in enhanced stem strength and demonstrably straight stems. Finally, silicon content, lignin content and PlHCT1 expression in P. lactiflora cultivars with high stem strengths were totally higher than those in cultivars with low stem strengths. These results indicated that silicon application enhanced stem strength by promoting lignin accumulation in P. lactiflora , which has prospects for stem quality improvement in general. [Display omitted] • Silicon increased the net photosynthesis rate and SPAD value. • Silicon enhanced stem strength by promoting lignin accumulation. • Silicon increased lignin biosynthetic enzyme activities and gene expression. • HCT1 expression was induced and localized in the cytoplasm of cells. • Overexpression of HCT1 increased lignin, resulting in enhanced stem strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive observational and numerical simulations have been performed to better characterize the role of aerosols in affecting the clouds and precipitation. However, due to the large uncertainties of aerosol property, the effect of aerosols on clouds and precipitation over the arid and semiarid region (briefly called 'drylands') of East Asia (EA) is still unclear. Basing on observations and model simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), we investigated the aerosol's effects on the cloud properties and precipitation over the drylands of EA from 1850 to the present and projected forward to 2,300. It is found that, during 1850–2005, with the mean aerosol optical depth (AOD) over the drylands of EA increasing, the cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC) increases, while the cloud effective droplet radius (CEDR) decreases significantly at a rate of −0.40 μm·century−1. Besides, the cloud water path (CWP) and precipitation show slightly increasing trends with the AOD increasing. Additionally, the effect of aerosols on cloud properties is saturated when the AODs reach 0.21 and 0.15 over the arid region (AR) and semiarid region (SR), respectively. According to the prediction for the period 2006–2300, the AOD and CDNC tend to decline over the drylands of EA, while the CWP, CEDR and precipitation show increasing trends. Particularly, the aerosol, clouds and precipitation indicate more significant changes over the SR in EA during 2006–2300. In future research, there is an urgent need to quantify the contribution of aerosol‐cloud interaction to the precipitation change over the drylands of EA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Senescence, characterized by permanent cycle arrest, plays an important role in diabetic nephropathy (DN). However, the mechanism of renal senescence is still unclear, and the treatment targeting it remains to be further explored. Materials and Methods: The DN mice were induced by HFD and STZ, and 3 types of renal cells were treated with high glucose (HG) to establish in vitro model. Senescence‐related and autophagy‐related markers were detected by qRT‐PCR and Western blot. Further, autophagy inhibitors and co‐immunoprecipitation were used to clarify the mechanism of CO. Additionally, the specific relationship between autophagy and senescence was explored by immunofluorescence triple co‐localization and ELISA. Results: We unravelled that senescence occurred in vivo and in vitro, which could be reversed by CO. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that CO inhibited the dysfunction of autophagy in DN mice partly through dissociating Beclin‐1‐Bcl‐2 complex. Further results showed that autophagy inhibitors blocked the improvement of CO on senescence. In addition, the data revealed that autophagy regulated the degradation of senescence‐related secretory phenotype (SASP) including Il‐1β, Il‐6, Tgf‐β and Vegf. Conclusions: These results suggested that CO protects DN mice from renal senescence and function loss via improving autophagy partly mediated by dissociating Beclin‐1‐Bcl‐2 complex, which is possibly ascribed to the degradation of SASP. These findings bring new ideas for the prevention and treatment of DN and the regulation of senescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/Introduction: Elevated serum cancer antigen 19‐9 (CA19‐9) levels have been found in diabetes patients in most observational studies; however, whether there is a causal association between CA19‐9 and diabetes mellitus is unclear. Materials and Methods: Our study was carried out based on the Dongfeng‐Tongji cohort comprising 27,009 individuals. We first investigated the associations between serum CA19‐9 levels and incident diabetes mellitus risk in a prospective cohort study (12,700 individuals). Then, we explored the potential causal relationship between CA19‐9 and diabetes mellitus risk in a cross‐sectional study (3,349 diabetes mellitus patients and 8,341 controls) using Mendelian randomization analysis. A weighted genetic risk score was calculated by adding the CA19‐9 increasing alleles in five single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (rs17271883, rs3760776 and rs3760775 in FUT6, rs11880333 in CA11, rs265548 in B3GNT3, and rs1047781 in FUT2), which were identified in a previous genome‐wide association study on serum CA19‐9 levels. Results: In the prospective study, a total of 1,004 incident diabetes mellitus patients were diagnosed during a mean 4.54‐year follow‐up period. Elevated serum CA19‐9 level was associated with a higher incident diabetes risk after adjustment for confounders, with a hazard ratio of 1.20 (95% confidence interval 1.11–1.30) per standard deviation (12.17 U/mL) CA19‐9 increase. Using the genetic score to estimate the unconfounded effect, we did not find a causal association of CA19‐9 with diabetes risk (odds ratio per weighted CA19‐9‐increasing allele: 0.99, 95% confidence interval 0.94–1.04; P = 0.61). Conclusions: The present study did not support a causal association of serum CA19‐9 with diabetes risk. CA19‐9 might be a potential biomarker of incident diabetes mellitus risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing the catalysts for methanol steam reforming (MSR) via interfacial construction still remains many challenges. In this study, the effects of ZnO content on the performance of Zn y Ce 1 Zr 9 O x were studied for MSR. The best-performing Zn 1 Ce 1 Zr 9 O x catalyst exhibited full methanol conversion and higher H 2 production rate of 0.31 mol·h−1·g cat −1 at 400 °C. Characterization results revealed the synergistic effect among ZnO, CeO 2 and ZrO 2 after forming a solid solution and the incorporation of Zn2+ into Ce 1 Zr 9 O x matrix not only modulate the ratio of surface O Latt /O Ads , but also generate new Zn–O–Zr interfacial structure corresponding to the lattice/bridge oxygen to increase the selectivity of CO 2. The excess oxygen vacancies on the samples surface favor the decomposition of methanol to generate the undesired CO. This study proposes a new design strategy for developing highly efficient composite MSR catalysts by control of the lattice/bridge oxygen and surface oxygen vacancy. • The proper amount of ZnO in Zn y Ce 1 Zr 9 O x effectively enhanced MSR reactivity. • The synergistic effect of ZnO, CeO 2 and ZrO 2 enhanced catalytic activity. • The high MSR reactivity correlated with the lattice oxygen and Zn–O–Zr structure. • Zn 1 Ce 1 Zr 9 O x catalyst exhibited outstanding stability in MSR reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Observational studies indicated that resting heart rate (RHR) was associated with diabetes mellitus (DM) risk; however, it remains unclear whether the association between RHR and DM is causal. We aimed to examine whether there was causal association of RHR with DM risk. Methods: A prospective study including 16,201 middle-aged and older Chinese (7031 males and 9170 females) derived from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort was performed. Cox proportional hazard regression models were conducted to estimate the associations between RHR and incident DM risk. In 7481 participants, 65 single nucleotide polymorphisms related to RHR were genotyped. A genetic risk score (GRS) of RHR was calculated based on the RHR-associated variants. The causal associations of RHR with DM risk were investigated by Mendelian randomization analysis. Results: During a mean (SD) follow-up of 4.5 (0.5) years, 1110 diabetes were identified. Compared with the referential RHR group (≤ 60 beats per minute [bpm]), individuals with RHR > 80 bpm have a higher incident diabetes risk, with a hazard ratio of 1.40 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05–1.88). With per SD increase in the weighted genetic risk score, the resting heart rate increased by 0.71 bpm (95% CI 0.49–0.93). By using the GRS to estimate the unconfounded effect, we found that higher resting heart rate did not have a causal effect on diabetes risk (OR 1.00 [95% CI 0.95–1.05]). Conclusions: The present study supported a positive but not a causal association of RHR with incident diabetes risk. More studies are needed to verify our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study aimed to explore the causal effect of depression on the risk of gallstone disease, and the mediation effects of metabolic traits. A retrospective cohort study on Chinese elderly from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort (including 18,141 individuals) was conducted to estimate the adverse effect of probable depression on the risk of gallstone disease. Two-sample Mendelian randomization was performed in European and East-Asian ancestries, to verify the causal relationship between major depression and gallstone disease. We further applied two-step Mendelian randomization to explore the mediation effects of metabolic traits. In the cohort study, probable depression was associated with an increased risk of gallstone disease within 5 years, with RR (95% CI) of 1.33 (1.12, 1.58) in multivariable regression, and 1.34 (1.11, 1.61) following propensity score weighting. Bidirectional Mendelian randomization in European ancestry revealed a positive causal effect (OR: 1.21; 95% CI : 1.07 to 1.37) of genetically predicted major depression liability on gallstone disease, based on the inverse variance weighted method. Little evidence was presented from other complementary approaches, and the analysis in East-Asian ancestry (IVW estimated OR : 1.03; 95% CI : 0.92 to 1.15). The indirect effect via waist circumference and HDL-C were 1.06 (95% CI : 1.02 to 1.10) and 1.01 (95% CI : 1.00 to 1.01) respectively, which mediated 25.8% and 3.78% of the causal relationship. Our study suggested a higher risk of gallstone disease in the population with probable depression, while the two-sample Mendelian randomization provided weak evidence for the causal relationship, which was moderately mediated by abdominal obesity. • Depression is associated with a higher risk of gallstone disease. • Mendelian randomization is a valuable approach for causal inference. • Major depression may causally predict the incidence of gallstone disease. • Abdominal obesity mediates the causal effect of depression on gallstone disease. • The causal relationship needs to be further verified in East-Asian populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD), a spectrum of liver abnormalities induced by chronic alcohol abuse, continues to be the major cause of life-threatening liver disease in developed countries. Autophagy and exosomes were individually confirmed to be involved in the pathogenesis of ALD. Here, we sought to identify the role of autophagy and exosomes in the liver protective effects of quercetin. We observed decreased hepatic LC3II/LC3I and increased p62 level in ethanol-fed mice, and these changes were alleviated by quercetin. Meanwhile, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) showed elevated serum exosomes numbers in ethanol-fed mice, which was combated by quercetin. Ethanol induced elevated LDH, ALT, and AST in HepG2 supernatant, which was alleviated by cytochalasin D (exosomes uptake inhibitor). Moreover, quercetin reduced ethanol-induced LDH and ALT elevation in vitro, and the effects of quercetin were reversed by Rab27a overexpression (induce exosomes release) or wortmannin treatment (autophagy inhibitor). Transcriptomic analysis supported that quercetin reversed the change of lysosome related genes disturbed by ethanol. Meanwhile, western blot analysis exhibited decreased hepatic expression of LAMP2 and ATPA6V1B2, and active Cathepsin B/Cathepsin B by quercetin treatment, indicating quercetin alleviated lysosome dysfunction in ethanol-fed mice. Baf A treatment or transfection of siTFEB offset quercetin's effects in ethanol-induced LDH and ALT elevation, exosomes release, and autophagy inhibition (LC3II/I and p62 accumulation). Taken together, quercetin coordinately activates autophagy and combats exosomes release by restoring lysosome function, and further mitigates ethanol-induced liver damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A solid-phase preparation method was applied to obtain a novel, green and effective functional nanoparticle, silica-supported sulfur monochloride (silica-s-S 2 Cl 2 ), by the chemical reaction between chlorine atom and silicon hydroxyl on the silica surface. Through this chemical reaction, silica surface supported with high content of sulfur, and the functional nanoparticles can not only vulcanize the rubber instead of sulfur or other vulcanizing agent with high performance, but also improve the filler-rubber interaction as a modifier due to the improved modification effect. 29 Si NMR, Raman spectroscopy, Element analysis and TGA confirm that the sulfur monochloride is chemically bonded on the silica surface. Cure properties measurement, morphology of filler dispersion, mechanical properties measurement, immobilized polymer layer and oxidation induction time increment together show that the novel vulcanizing agent silica-s-S 2 Cl 2 instead of sulfur in rubber vulcanization gives rise to significant improvement in the crosslinking density and the interfacial adhesion between silica particles and the rubber matrix, which is on account of the promoted vulcanizing on the functional silica nanoparticles surface with the supported sulfur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]