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The calcareous shell and sessile lifestyle are the representative phenotypes of many molluscs, which happen to be present in barnacles, a group of unique crustaceans. The origin of these phenotypes is unclear, but it may be embodied in the convergent genetics of such distant groups (interphylum). Herein, we perform comprehensive comparative genomics analysis in barnacles and molluscs, and reveal a genome-wide strong convergent molecular evolution between them, including coexpansion of biomineralization and organic matrix genes for shell formation, and origination of lineage-specific orphan genes for settlement. Notably, the expanded biomineralization gene encoding alkaline phosphatase evolves a novel, highly conserved motif that may trigger the origin of barnacle shell formation. Unlike molluscs, barnacles adopt novel organic matrices and cement proteins for shell formation and settlement, respectively, and their calcareous shells have potentially originated from the cuticle system of crustaceans. Therefore, our study corroborates the idea that selection pressures driving convergent evolution may strongly act in organisms inhabiting similar environments regardless of phylogenetic distance. The convergence signatures shed light on the origin of the shell and sessile lifestyle of barnacles and molluscs. In addition, notable non-convergence signatures are also present and may contribute to morphological and functional specificities.

Exploring and designing efficacious metal–organic framework (MOF) electrocatalysts may unravel the thorny aspects limiting oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with molecular accuracy.

A flower-like copper sulfide anode with NH4+ interlayer intercalation, chloride-doping and rich vacancy defects is developed for sodium-ion batteries, demonstrating high reversible capacity and excellent rate capability.

Stem rot, caused by soilborne pathogen Sclerotium rolfsii, is one of the most destructive diseases of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) worldwide. Although microRNAs (miRNAs) are indispensable regulators for plant defense, the miRNA species have not been explored for peanut immunity against the soilborne pathogen Sclerotium rolfsii. Here, we report a miRNA comparative analysis of the durably resistant peanut variety Rizhaohua-1 (Rzh) and the susceptible peanut variety Jitian-1 (JT) in response to infection by Sclerotium rolfsii. We identified a group of known and novel miRNAs that were differentially expressed upon S. rolfsii infection. The predicted target genes included receptor kinases, transcription factors, and genes involved in the production and transport of metabolites. In this study, we have shown that miRNAs regulate a broad range of genes to respond to the pathogen, and eventually establish a systemic defense network to combat disease.

The reservoir evaluation and classification are restrained by the progress of research on the pore structure and fluid occurrence in dolomite intercrystalline pores of the Paleogene lacustrine carbonate rock in the western Qaidam Basin. The experimental method adopted to investigate the fluid occurrence of the lacustrine carbonate rock in the study area can be used as a reference for studying tight reservoirs. By integrating technical approaches such as the thin-section petrographic analysis, SEM, electron probe, mercury injection test, and NMR test, this research studies the petrology, pore type and distribution, and pore structure of the reservoir. Moreover, the pore fluid distribution and threshold pore throat radius for the distribution of movable fluids are investigated by integrating the centrifuging treatment and NMR characterization. Results show that pores of samples in the study area are dolomite intercrystalline pores, intercrystalline dissolved pores, framework dissolved pores of algal limestone (dolostone), dissolved pores of saline minerals, and interlayer fractures, among which dolomite intercrystalline pores and intercrystalline dissolved pores are found with the highest proportions (60%). The dolomite intercrystalline pores and intercrystalline dissolved pores are nano-micropore throats with a narrow distribution. Their capillary pressure curve is characterized by a high plateau and negative skewness, while the NMR relaxation time spectrum is left-skewed and presents higher bond water saturation (over 65%). For intercrystalline pores and intercrystalline dissolved pores, the main storage space for movable fluids is provided by small and medium pores (corresponding to the NMR relaxation time of 1–10 ms and 10–100 ms, respectively), and the experimentally determined threshold pore throat radius for movable fluids is 47 nm. The reservoir is hydrophilic and therefore movable fluids mainly occur in the centers of pores. The samples with higher proportions of coarse pores and pore connectivity are associated with higher proportions of movable fluids. Our analysis shows the dolomite intercrystalline pore has a certain storage capacity and yet inferior connectivity; the proportion of movable fluids that can effectively flow is key to evaluating the effectiveness of reservoirs with dolomite intercrystalline pores.

Chemical stability is one of the key concerns in coordination polymers (CPs). However, technologies to protect CPs against acidic or alkaline aqueous environments have yet to be implemented. Herein we demonstrate an approach for improving the pH stability by utilizing the ligand salt as buffering site to modify the unsaturated coordination sites of CPs. For the selective one-dimensional CP Eu-d-DBTA (d-H

Thinopyrum intermedium (JJJsJsStSt, 2n = 6x = 42), a wild relative of common wheat, possesses many desirable agronomic genes for wheat improvement. The production of wheat–Thinopyrum intermedium introgression lines is a key step for transferring these beneficial genes into wheat. In this study, we characterized three wheat–Thinopyrum intermedium introgression lines TA3681, TA5566, and TA5567 using non-denaturing fluorescence in situ hybridization, genomic in situ hybridization, PCR-based landmark unique gene, and intron targeting markers. Our results showed that TA3681 is a wheat–Thinopyrum intermedium 1St disomic addition line, TA5566 is a wheat–Thinopyrum intermedium non-Robertsonian translocation line carrying two pairs of 3A-7Js translocation chromosomes, and that TA5567 is a wheat–Thinopyrum intermedium non-Robertsonian translocation line carrying a pair of 3A-7Js translocation chromosomes. We developed 13, 36, and 15 Thinopyrum intermedium chromosome-specific markers for detecting the introgressed Thinopyrum chromosomes in TA3681, TA5566, and TA5567, respectively. Stem rust assessment revealed that TA3681 exhibited a high level of seedling resistance to Chinese-prevalent Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici pathotypes, and both TA5566 and TA5567 were highly resistant to Australian P. graminis f. sp. tritici pathotypes, indicating that Thinopyrum intermedium chromosomes 1St and 7Js might carry new stem rust resistance genes. Therefore, the new identified introgression lines may be useful for improving wheat stem rust resistance.

Space charge transfer is crucial for an efficient electrocatalytic process, especially for narrow-band-gap metal sulfides/selenides. Herein, we designed and synthesized a core-shell structure which is an ultrathin MoSe

In the present study, the morphology, refined structure, thermal properties, and dynamic rheological, texture, and digestive properties of common vetch starch, a potential new type of legume starch, were systematically investigated, and compared with commercially available pea and mung bean starch. The results showed that the composition and chemical structure of common vetch starch were similar to the pea and mung bean starch. However, the amylose content (35.69), A-chain proportion (37.62), and relative crystallinity (34.16) of common vetch starch were higher, and the particle size and molecular weight (44,042 kDa) were larger. The value of pasting properties and enthalpy change (ΔH) of gelatinization of common vetch starch was lower and higher than mung bean and pea starch, respectively, and a lower swelling power and pasting index indicate that common vetch starch had higher hot-paste and cold-paste stability. In addition, common vetch starch gel exhibited good rheology, cohesiveness, and anti-digestive properties. These results provide new insights into the broader application of common vetch starch.

Background With the safety of blood transfusion being a major public health concern, the development of a rapid, sensitive, specific, and cost-effective multiplex PCR assay for simultaneous detection of hepatitis B virus(HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis E virus (HEV), and Treponema pallidum(T. pallidum) in blood is crucial. Methods Five primer pairs and probes were designed towards conserved regions of target genes and used to establish a one-step pentaplex real-time reverse transcription PCR(qRT-PCR) assay for simultaneous detection of HBV, HCV, HEV, T. pallidum, and RNase P(housekeeping gene), providing sample quality check. The clinical performance of the assay was further determined with 2400 blood samples from blood donors and patients in Zhejiang province, and compared the results with commercial singleplex qPCR and serological assays. Results The 95% limit of detection(LOD) of HBV, HCV, HEV, and T. pallidum were 7.11 copies/µL, 7.65 copies/µL, 8.45 copies/µL, and 9.06 copies/µL, respectively. Moreover, the assay has good specificity and precision. Compared to the singleplex qPCR assay, the novel assay for detecting HBV, HCV, HEV, and T. pallidum presented 100% clinical sensitivity, specificity, and consistency. Several discrepant results between serological and pentaplex qRT-PCR assays were found. Of 2400 blood samples, there were 2(0.08%) HBsAg positive samples, 3(0.13%) anti-HCV positive samples, 29(1.21%) IgM anti-HEV positive samples and 6(0.25%) anti-T. pallidum positive samples proven negative in nucleic acid detection. 1(0.04%) HBV DNA positive sample and 1(0.04%) HEV RNA positive sample were detected negative by serological testing. Conclusions The developed pentaplex qRT-PCR is the first assay on simultaneous, sensitive, specific, and reproducible detection of HBV, HCV, HEV, T. pallidum, and RNase P in a single tube. It could detect pathogens in blood during the window period of infection and is a good tool for effectively screening blood donors and early clinical diagnosis.

Aptamers are ligand-binding RNA or DNA molecules and have been widely examined as biosensors, diagnostic tools, and therapeutic agents. The application of aptamers as biosensors commonly requires an expression platform to produce a signal to report the aptamer-ligand binding event. Traditionally, aptamer selection and expression platform integration are two independent steps and the aptamer selection requires the immobilization of either the aptamer or the ligand. These drawbacks can be easily overcome through the selection of allosteric DNAzymes (aptazymes). Herein, we used the technique of Expression-SELEX developed in our laboratory to select for aptazymes that can be specifically activated by low concentrations of l-phenylalanine. We chose a previous DNA-cleaving DNAzyme known as II-R1 as the expression platform for its low cleavage rate and used stringent selection conditions to drive the selection of high-performance aptazyme candidates. Three aptazymes were chosen for detailed characterization and these DNAzymes were found to exhibit a dissociation constant for l-phenylalanine as low as 4.8 μM, a catalytic rate constant improvement as high as 20 000-fold in the presence of l-phenylalanine, and the ability to discriminate against closely related l-phenylalanine analogs including d-phenylalanine. This work has established the Expression-SELEX as an effective SELEX method to enrich high-quality ligand-responsive aptazymes.

Myocardial infarction that causes damage to heart muscle can lead to heart failure. The identification of molecular mechanisms promoting myocardial regeneration represents a promising strategy to improve cardiac function. Here we show that IGF2BP3 plays an important role in regulating adult cardiomyocyte proliferation and regeneration in a mouse model of myocardial infarction. IGF2BP3 expression progressively decreases during postnatal development and becomes undetectable in the adult heart. However, it is strongly upregulated after cardiac injury. Both gain- and loss-of-function analyses indicate that IGF2BP3 regulates cardiomyocyte proliferation in vitro and in vivo. In particular, IGF2BP3 promotes cardiac regeneration and improves cardiac function after myocardial infarction. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that IGF2BP3 binds to and stabilizes MMP3 mRNA through interaction with N6-methyladenosine modification. The expression of MMP3 protein is also progressively downregulated during postnatal development. Functional analyses indicate that MMP3 acts downstream of IGF2BP3 to regulate cardiomyocyte proliferation. These results suggest that IGF2BP3-mediated post-transcriptional regulation of extracellular matrix and tissue remodeling contributes to cardiomyocyte regeneration. They should help to define therapeutic strategy for ameliorating myocardial infarction by inducing cell proliferation and heart repair.

This study shows that distinct stage-associated swine gut viromes may be determined by age and/or gut physiology at different growth stages, and enteric viruses probably manipulate carbohydrate decomposition by abundant glycoside hydrolases. These findings fill a gap in the longitudinal pattern of the swine gut virome and lay the foundation for research on the function of swine enteric viruses.

Background Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) induces increased release of extracellular vesicles in the heart and exacerbates myocardial IR injury. We have previously shown that propofol attenuates hypoxia/reoxygenation (HR)-induced injury in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and that microvesicles derived from propofol-treated HUVECs inhibit oxidative stress in endothelial cells. However, the role of microvesicles derived from propofol post-treated HUVECs ((HR + P)-EMVs) in IR-injured cardiomyocytes is unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of (HR + P)-EMVs in cardiac IR injury compared to microvesicles derived from hypoxic/reoxygenated HUVECs (HR-EMVs) and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Methods Hypoxia/reoxygenation (HR) models of HUVECs and AC16 cells and a mouse cardiac IR model were established. Microvesicles from HR-injured HUVECs, DMSO post-treated HUVECs and propofol post-treated HUVECs were extracted by ultra-high speed centrifugation, respectively. The above EMVs were co-cultured with HR-injured AC16 cells or injected intracardially into IR mice. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence were used to determine the levels of oxidative stress and apoptosis in cardiomyocytes. Apoptosis related proteins were detected by Western blot. Echocardiography for cardiac function and Evans blue-TTC staining for myocardial infarct size. Expression of lncCCT4-2 in EMVs and AC16 cells was analysed by whole transcriptome sequencing of EMVs and RT-qPCR. The molecular mechanism of inhibition of myocardial injury by (HR + P)-EMVs was elucidated by lentiviral knockdown of lncCCT4-2, plasmid overexpression or knockdown of CCT4, and actinomycin D assay. Results In vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that HR-EMVs exacerbated oxidative stress and apoptosis in IR-injured cardiomyocytes, leading to increased infarct size and worsened cardiac function. Notably, (HR + P)-EMVs induced significantly less oxidative stress and apoptosis in IR-injured cardiomyocytes compared to HR-EMVs. Mechanistically, RNA sequencing of EMVs and RT-qPCR showed that lncCCT4-2 was significantly upregulated in (HR + P)-EMVs and cardiomyocytes co-cultured with (HR + P)-EMVs. Reduction of lncCCT4-2 in (HR + P)-EMVs enhanced oxidative stress and apoptosis in IR-injured cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, the anti-apoptotic activity of lncCCT4-2 from (HR + P)-EMVs was achieved by increasing the stability of CCT4 mRNA and promoting the expression of CCT4 protein in cardiomyocytes. Conclusions Our study showed that (HR + P)-EMVs uptake by IR-injured cardiomyocytes upregulated lncCCT4-2 in cardiomyocytes and promoted CCT4 expression, thereby inhibiting HR-EMVs induced oxidative stress and apoptosis.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the risk factors and clinical characteristics of granulomatous mastitis (GM) through a case-control study and establish and validate a clinical prediction model (Nomogram). Method: This retrospective study was conducted at Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and Guang’ anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from June 2017 to December 2021. In the design of the case-control study, a total of 1634 GM patients and 186 healthy women during the same time period were included and randomly divided into the modeling group and validation group with a 7:3 ratio. To identify the independent risk factors of GM, univariate and multivariate logistic analyses were conducted and used to develop a Nomogram . The prediction model was internally and externally validated using the Bootstrap technique and validation cohort. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the calibration curve were used to evaluate the discrimination and calibration of the prediction model. Decision curve analysis (DCA) and clinical impact curve (CIC) were utilized to evaluate the clinical significance of the model. Result: The average age of GM patients was 33.14 (mainly 20 to 40). The incidence was high within five years after delivery. It mainly occurs in the unilateral breast. Majority of the patients exhibited local skin alterations, while some also presented with systemic symptoms. Univariate analysis showed GM was relevant to gestation history, menopause, nipple discharge and invagination, high prolactin level, sex hormone intake, thyroid function, SDS score, breast trauma and diet preference (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic analysis showed ages (20-40 years old), high prolactin level, sex hormone intake, breast trauma, nipple discharge or invagination and high SDS score were independent risk factors for GM. The mean area under the curve (AUC) in the modeling group was 0.899, and the AUC in the validation group was 0.889. The internal and external validation demonstrated the model's predictive ability and clinical value. Conclusion: The lactation-related factors are the main risk factors of GM, which could lead to milk siltation or ductal secretion increasing. Meanwhile, hormone disorders could affect the secretion and the expansion of mammary ducts. They all can obstruct or injure the duct, inducing inflammatory reactions and immune responses. Blunt trauma, depressed mood and diet preference can accelerate the process. The Nomogram can effectively predict the risk of GM's occurrence.

Despite the established significance of WRKY proteins and phenylpropanoid metabolism in plant immunity, how WRKY proteins modulate aspects of the phenylpropanoid pathway remains undetermined. To understand better the role of WRKY proteins in plant defence, we identified a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) protein, GhWRKY41, that is, universally and rapidly induced in three disease-resistant cotton cultivars following inoculation with the plant pathogenic fungus, Verticillium dahliae. We show that overexpression of GhWRKY41 in transgenic cotton and Arabidopsis enhances resistance to V. dahliae, while knock-down increases cotton more susceptibility to the fungus. GhWRKY41 physically interacts with itself and directly activates its own transcription. A genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq), in combination with RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses, revealed that 43.1% of GhWRKY41-binding genes were up-regulated in cotton upon inoculation with V. dahliae, including several phenylpropanoid metabolism master switches, receptor kinases, and disease resistance-related proteins. We also show that GhWRKY41 homodimer directly activates the expression of GhC4H and Gh4CL, thereby modulating the accumulation of lignin and flavonoids. This finding expands our understanding of WRKY-WRKY protein interactions and provides important insights into the regulation of the phenylpropanoid pathway in plant immune responses by a WRKY protein.

The main objective of the present work is to investigate the end-gas autoignition and detonation development in a confined space with the presence of wall heat loss by two-dimensional numerical simulations with a hydrogen/air mixture. The effects of turbulence–heat loss interactions, initial temperature, equivalence ratio, and wall temperature on end-gas combustion modes are analyzed in detail. The results show that with the presence of wall heat loss, end-gas autoignition takes place in the hot core regions away from the walls, and the autoignition fronts touching the wall can lead to a much larger wall heat flux than that induced by main flame–wall interactions. In the base cases, increasing the turbulence intensity promotes the end-gas autoignition mode transition from thermal explosion-detonation to thermal explosion-deflagration and finally to no-autoignition, whereas detonation takes place in all cases regardless of the turbulence intensity after the initial temperature or equivalence ratio is raised. However, in these cases with a low equivalence ratio, the detonation propagation is unstable, which can be easily decoupled spontaneously after it encounters the cold flow. It is further found that for the cases with unstable detonation propagation, the burned mass fraction (BMF) dominates the knock intensity, whereas for the cases with stable detonation propagation, the maximum pressure in a chamber will extremely depend on the local and instantaneous interactions between the pressure/shock waves, but the effect of BMF becomes minor.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the most prevalent form of esophageal cancer in China and is closely associated with malignant biological characteristics and poor survival. Ferroptosis is a newly discovered iron-dependent mode of cell death that plays an important role in the biological behavior of ESCC cells. The clinical significance of ferroptosis-related long noncoding RNAs (FRLs) in ESCC remains unknown and warrants further research. The current study obtained RNA sequencing profiles and corresponding clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, and FRLs were obtained through coexpression analysis. Consensus clustering was employed to divide the subjects into clusters, and immune-associated pathways were identified by functional analysis. The current study observed significant differences in the enrichment scores of immune cells among different clusters. Patients from TCGA-ESCC database were designated as the training cohort. A ten-FRL prediction signature was established using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression model and validated using the GEO cohort and our own independent validation database. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to verify the expression of the ten FRLs, and the ssGSEA analysis was employed to evaluate their function. In addition, the IMvigor database was used to assess the predictive value of the signature in terms of immunotherapeutic responses. Multivariate Cox and stratification analyses revealed that the ten-FRL signature was an independent predictor of the overall survival (OS). Patients with ESCC in the high-risk group displayed worse survival, a characteristic tumor immune microenvironment, and low immunotherapeutic benefits compared to those in the low-risk group. Collectively, the risk model established in this study could serve as a promising predictor of prognosis and immunotherapeutic response in patients with ESCC.

This article addresses the event-triggered consensus problem for Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy fractional-order multiagent systems with switching topologies. First, to effectively avoid the frequent communication among agents, a state-based event-triggered consensus strategy is designed, which uses the local information from neighboring agents at sampling moments. Then, several sufficient conditions, which rely on the fractional derivative number and time delay information, are presented to guarantee the consensus of fractional-order multiagent systems based on Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy model. Moreover, Zeno behaviors are precluded by proving that the interval length of the two consecutive event-triggering moments for each agent is greater than a positive constant. Finally, some numerical examples are presented, which not only demonstrated the rationality of our proposed consensus protocol but also shown that the presented consensus method based on the designed event-triggered control protocol has the advantage for avoiding communication congestion compared to the existing results.