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We present a new 3-D radially anisotropic seismic velocity model EARA2024 of the crust and mantle beneath East Asia and the northwestern Pacific using adjoint full-waveform inversion tomography. We construct the EARA2024 model by iteratively minimizing the waveform similarity misfit between the synthetic and observed waveforms from 142 earthquakes recorded by about 2000 broad-band stations in East Asia. Compared to previous studies, this new model renders significantly improved images of the subducted oceanic plate in the upper mantle, mantle transition zone, and uppermost lower mantle along the Kuril, Japan, Izu-Bonin and Ryukyu Trenches. Complex slab deformation and break-offs are observed at different depths. Moreover, our model provides new insights into the origins of intraplate volcanoes in East Asia, including the Changbaishan, Datong-Fengzhen, Tengchong and Hainan volcanic fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The intestinal mucosal immune system, renowned for its precise and sensitive regulation, can provide comprehensive and effective protection for the body, among which the ileum is a critical induction site for regulating mucosal immune homeostasis. Moniezia benedeni parasitizes the small intestine of sheep and can cause serious pathological damage or even death to the host when the infection is severe. In this study, 5 sheep infected with Moniezia benedeni were selected as the infected group, and 5 uninfected sheep were selected as the control group. The ileal transcriptome profile characteristics of Moniezia benedeni infection were analyzed based on RNA-seq sequencing technology, aiming to lay a foundation for further exploring the perception mechanism of sheep intestines to Moniezia benedeni infection and formulating effective prevention and control strategies. Results: The results showed that a total of 3,891 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in the ileum tissues of sheep between the infected and control groups with 2,429 up-regulated genes and 1,462 down-regulated genes. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of differential genes, as well as Clue GO analysis showed that differential genes were significantly enriched in immune and metabolic-related biological processes and signaling pathways. Particularly, in immune-related signaling pathways, the B cell receptor signaling pathway was significantly down-regulated, while in metabolic regulation related signaling pathways, Bile secretion, Fat digestion and absorption and Vitamin digestion and absorption were notably up-regulated. On this basis, the differential core genes related to immune metabolism were verified by qRT-PCR method. The results showed that OVAR, CD3E, CD8A, CD4 and CD28 were significantly up-regulated (P < 0.05), while CIITA, BLNK, BCL6 and CD79A were significantly down-regulated (P < 0.05), which were consistent with transcriptome sequencing data. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that Moniezia benedeni infection significantly affected the immune and metabolic processes in sheep ileum, particularly, it significantly inhibited the activation process of host B cells, and also led to an overactive function of bile acid metabolism. This finding provides a solid foundation for further elucidating the response mechanism of Peyer's patches in sheep ileum to Moniezia tapeworm infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding of the velocity structure and basement morphology within the basin is crucial for seismic hazard mitigation and the study of basin evolution. To explore the intricate structure of the Binchuan Basin in western Yunnan, China, we deployed a linear dense array in the northern region of the Binchuan Basin, with inter‐station distance ranging from 50 to 100 m. We propose a novel receiver function processing workflow. Initially, we extracted coherent receiver functions based on the dense array, followed by a inversion of basement morphology, S‐wave velocities, and sedimentary layer's average Vp/Vs ratio jointly with frequency‐dependent teleseismic apparent shear velocity and receiver function waveforms. The results show that S‐wave velocity anomalies correspond to the unconsolidated sediments. The thickness of the sedimentary layer ranges from ∼0.5 to ∼0.75 km. The basement morphology suggests the basin is controlled by normal faults. Additionally, intra‐basin faults displayed higher fault displacement to length ratios (∼0.27) than most isolated normal faults (10−3–10−1), which may result from accumulated fault displacement due to interactions between fault segments. These results emphasize the significant role of N–S trending intra‐basin faults in basin evolution, suggesting that micro‐block rotations and transitional movements within the Northwestern Yunnan Rift Zone are primary mechanisms shaping the Binchuan Basin. We further proposed a multi‐stage model for the evolution of the Binchuan Basin. The robustness testing validates that the proposed processing flow is an effective approach to comprehensively image the basin velocity structure and the basement morphology. Plain Language Summary: Our study focused on imaging the fine structure of the Binchuan Basin in western Yunnan, China, which is crucial for seismic hazard evaluation and understanding the basin's evolution. We proposed a new workflow to examine the basin's structure and characteristics. By setting up a linear dense seismometer array in the northern region of the Binchuan Basin, we gathered valuable data. Our findings showed a connection between areas with lower seismic velocity and sedimentary layers. Basement depth ranges from 0.5 to 0.75 km. Intra‐basin faults, with a higher ratio of maximum fault displacement to length compared to typical faults, suggest their crucial role in basin evolution due to accumulated fault displacement. The basement morphology suggests the evolution of the basin is controlled by normal faults. Our results also suggest micro‐block rotations and rift zone movements as key factors in shaping the Binchuan Basin. These findings establish a detailed model for the basin's evolution. Additionally, our synthetic tests confirmed the effectiveness of our newly proposed method in understanding basin structures comprehensively. Key Points: We proposed a new workflow using teleseismic signals to study basin sediment layers and basement morphologyS‐wave velocity, Vp/Vs ratio, and sediment layer thickness structures of the Binchuan Basin were inverted using the proposed methodA geological model for the evolution of the Binchuan Basin was proposed to explain the high fault displacement to length ratio [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limonium bicolor , known horticulturally as sea lavender, is a typical recretohalophyte with salt glands in its leaf epidermis that secrete excess Na+ out of the plant. Although many genes have been proposed to contribute to salt gland initiation and development, a detailed analysis of alternative splicing, alternative polyadenylation patterns, and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been lacking. Here, we applied single-molecule long-read mRNA isoform sequencing (Iso-seq) to explore the complexity of the L. bicolor transcriptome in leaves during salt gland initiation (stage A) and salt gland differentiation (stage B) based on the reference genome. We identified alternative splicing events and the use of alternative poly(A) sites unique to stage A or stage B, leading to the hypothesis that they might contribute to the differentiation of salt glands. Based on the Iso-seq data and RNA in situ hybridization of candidate genes, we selected the lncRNA Btranscript_153392 for gene editing and virus-induced gene silencing to dissect its function. In the absence of this transcript, we observed fewer salt glands on the leaf epidermis, leading to diminished salt secretion and salt tolerance. Our data provide transcriptome resources for unraveling the mechanisms behind salt gland development and furthering crop transformation efforts towards enhanced survivability in saline soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heptafluoro-iso-butyronitrile (i-C3F7CN) represents a feasible eco-friendly replacement gas for the most potent greenhouse gas sulfur hexafluoride in various high-voltage power transmission equipment. The reaction mechanisms for the in situ synthesis of i-C3F7CN from heptafluoro-iso-butyramide [i-C3F7C(O)NH2] in the presence of trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) and pyridine (Py) in dimethylformamide solution have been studied within density functional theory with M06-2X exchange–correlation functional with the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set and the high-level ab initio complete basis set quadratic CBS-QB3 method. It is revealed that the unimolecular dehydration of i-C3F7C(O)NH2 can be catalyzed efficiently by TFAA in terms of both kinetic and thermodynamic aspects, producing i-C3F7CN and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). Furthermore, Py is capable of reducing the energy barrier of the rate-determining step through hydrogen abstraction to form pyridinium hydrogen. The synergic effect of the TFAA/Py co-catalyst plays a pivotal role in the production of i-C3F7CN as the Gibbs free energy barrier can be lowered by more than 40 kcal/mol with the ratio of TFAA:2Py, in accordance with the experimental observation. The present theoretical work provides new insights into the rational design on the novel catalysts for large-scale synthesis of the perfluorinated nitriles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The neuroimmune network plays a crucial role in regulating mucosal immune homeostasis within the digestive tract. Synaptosome-associated protein 25 (SNAP-25) is a presynaptic membrane-binding protein that activates ILC2s, initiating the host's anti-parasitic immune response. Methods: To investigate the effect of Moniezia benedeni (M. benedeni) infection on the distribution of SNAP-25 in the sheep's small intestine, the recombinant plasmid pET-28a-SNAP-25 was constructed and expressed in BL21, yielding the recombinant protein. Then, the rabbit anti-sheep SNAP-25 polyclonal antibody was prepared and immunofluorescence staining was performed with it. The expression levels of SNAP-25 in the intestines of normal and M. benedeni-infected sheep were detected by ELISA. Results: The results showed that the SNAP-25 recombinant protein was 29.3 KDa, the titer of the prepared immune serum reached 1:128,000. It was demonstrated that the rabbit anti-sheep SNAP-25 polyclonal antibody could bind to the natural protein of sheep SNAP-25 specifically. The expression levels of SNAP-25 in the sheep's small intestine revealed its primary presence in the muscular layer and lamina propria, particularly around nerve fibers surrounding the intestinal glands. Average expression levels in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were 130.32 pg/mg, 185.71 pg/mg, and 172.68 pg/mg, respectively. Under conditions of M. benedeni infection, the spatial distribution of SNAP-25-expressing nerve fibers remained consistent, but its expression level in each intestine segment was increased significantly (P < 0.05), up to 262.02 pg/mg, 276.84 pg/mg, and 326.65 pg/mg in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, and it was increased by 101.06%, 49.07%, and 89.16% respectively. Conclusions: These findings suggest that M. benedeni could induce the SNAP-25 expression levels in sheep's intestinal nerves significantly. The results lay a foundation for further exploration of the molecular mechanism by which the gastrointestinal nerve-mucosal immune network perceives parasites in sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes greatly limits the efficiency of photocatalyst based on semiconductor. In order to address this issue, we predicted a novel ferroelectric polarized heterojunction photocatalyst, CdS/In2Se3, which enables the spontaneous overall water splitting reaction. The CdS/In2Se3 heterojunction exhibits a band-edge staggered alignment and it is easy to form a direct Z-scheme charge transfer pathway. Besides, the built-in electric field (Eint) in the CdS/In2Se3 heterojunction promoted the charge transfer of CdS/In2Se3, leading to an improved separating efficiency of photo-generated carriers. Moreover, the vertical intrinsic polarized electric field (Ep) not only alters the position of the band edge but also reduces the bandgap limitations commonly associated with photocatalytic materials. Furthermore, the CdS/In2Se3 heterojunctions demonstrate separate catalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on the surface of the CdS monolayer and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on the surface of In2Se3, respectively. Notably, the CdS/In2Se3-down configuration enables spontaneous photocatalytic water splitting in pH = 7, while the CdS/In2Se3-up configuration efficiently facilitates the HER process. This study highlights the significant advantages of CdS/In2Se3 heterojunctions as photocatalytic materials, offering unique insights into the development and research of this promising heterojunction architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineral oils and synthetic and natural esters are the predominant insulating liquids in electrical equipment. Structure–activity relationship models to predict the key properties of pure insulating liquids, including pulse breakdown strengths, AC breakdown voltages, dielectric constants, flash points, and kinematic viscosities, have been proposed for the first time. Dependence of the specific properties on the molecular structures has been illustrated quantitatively in terms of surface area, statistical total variance, and average deviation of positive and negative electrostatic potentials, as augmented by molecular weight, volume, and ovality. Moreover, the individual contribution of the functional groups to viscosity has been revealed by an additive approach. The predicted properties are in good agreement with the experimental data. The present theoretical work provides new insights on the development of novel dielectric fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating lightning is of key significance in understanding the lightning mechanism and mitigating lightning hazards. We reported an experiment of investigating lightning through three‐dimensional (3D) thunder locating using a Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) array in Hefei, China. In this experiment, we recast a 7.7 km long urban telecom optical fiber cable as 3,850 sensors using the DAS technique. From dense DAS recording, we manually identified 101 thunder events during six positive cloud‐to‐ground (CG) lightning flashes within 20 min. The DAS recorded thunder signals are dominated by direct acoustic waves rather than air‐ground coupled surface waves. The thunder events were then located using the arrival times of thunder signals. The locations and amplitudes of thunder events are generally consistent with those from the conventional lightning detection data set and broadband magnetic field. There is likely a correlation between the maximum strength of thunder events and the highest peak current for individual CG flashes. Moreover, the comparison with weather radar observations indicates that lightning usually originated from areas of high reflectivity (e.g., ≥50dBz) with diffusely distributed (from ground surface to ∼5 km altitude) thunder events and extended in a narrow altitude range of 3–5 km to areas with low radar reflectivity. Plain Language Summary: Lightning is one of the most serious natural hazards. Locating lightning is of key importance in mitigating lightning hazards, which has been achieved by detecting lightning signals (either electromagnetic pulses or thunder bursts) at distributed detectors over various ranges. In this study, we reported an experiment of thunder observation with the emerging Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technique. We recast a 7.7 km long urban telecom optical fiber cable as 3,850 microphones using the DAS technique. Using the dense sensors, we identified a total of 101 thunder events within 20 min during the lifetime of thunderstorm. Based on the DAS signal, we can also triangulate the thunder sources with a fairly good accuracy, and the geometries of thunder events generally show good correlation with radar reflectivity. Nevertheless, our study demonstrates the feasibility of effectively tracking lightning with existing optic cables, and this technique has a broad application, especially in urban areas. Key Points: Urban telecom optic fiber cable was used as a Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) array to detect and locate thunder events in 3‐D spaceThe DAS records of thunder events are dominated by direct acoustic waves rather than air‐ground coupled surface wavesLightning locations constructed with DAS observations are in good agreement with radar reflectivity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcumin and paclitaxel are widely used as anti-tumor hydrophobic model drugs for the designation of smart tumor-targeting nanocarriers and the study of the correlation between structural characteristics of nanoparticles and in vivo therapeutic efficacy. Various signaling pathways on cell growth and proliferation have been comprehensively studied in vitro and in vivo under the action of curcumin and paclitaxel nanoparticles. In this paper, we prepared EGFR-targeted GE11 peptide-modified curcumin and paclitaxel compound liposomes (CUR-PTX@GE11-L). The tumor suppression mechanism of CUR-PTX@GE11-L is observed from the aspects of drug release behavior, changes of cell morphology, liver retention, and tumor-targeting efficiency. We hope it can provide a new vision for the rational construction of smart nanoscale drug delivery system through the observation of cytotoxic effects of CUR-PTX@GE11-L, especially on the cellular morphology change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Salt glands are the unique epidermal structures present in recretohalophytes, plants that actively excrete excess Na+ by salt secretory structures to avoid salt damage. Here, we describe a transmembrane protein that localizes to the plasma membrane of the recretohalophyte Limonium bicolor. As virus‐induced gene silencing of the corresponding gene LbRSG in L. bicolor decreased the number of salt glands, we named the gene Reduced Salt Gland. We detected LbRSG transcripts in salt glands by in situ hybridization and transient transformation. Overexpression and silencing of LbRSG in L. bicolor pointed to a positive role in salt gland development and salt secretion by interacting with Lb3G16832. Heterologous LbRSG expression in Arabidopsis enhanced salt tolerance during germination and the seedling stage by alleviating NaCl‐induced ion stress and osmotic stress after replacing or deleting the (highly) negatively charged region of extramembranous loop. After screened by immunoprecipitation‐mass spectrometry and verified using yeast two‐hybrid, PGK1 and BGLU18 were proposed to interact with LbRSG to strengthen salt tolerance. Therefore, we identified (highly) negatively charged regions in the extramembrane loop that may play an essential role in salt tolerance, offering hints about LbRSG function and its potential to confer salt resistance. Significance Statement: LbRSG (Reduced Salt Gland) was characterized as a transmembrane protein participating in salt gland development and salt resistance of recretohalophyte Limonium bicolor by interacting with Lb3G16832, and the negatively charged regions in the extramembranous loop were verified to play an essential role in salt tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis. This study facilitated research on the molecular mechanisms of salt gland development and the design of salt‐tolerant crops for agricultural production in saline soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited organic carbon in drinking water constrains the removal of nitrate‑nitrogen (NO 3 - -N) via aerobic denitrification. This paper reports the use of silica-coated nano zero-valent iron (nZVI@SiO 2 ) as a stable and sustainable electron donor to enhance aerobic denitrification. The nZVI@SiO 2 , synthesized via a one-step method, was resistant to oxidation and exhibited excellent stability. In conjunction with aerobic denitrifying bacteria, nZVI@SiO 2 achieved NO 3 - -N and total nitrogen TN removal efficiencies of 90.64 % and 80.94 %, respectively. This represents an increase of 24.15 % in the efficiency of TN removal compared with that of the nZVI system. The activity of the nZVI system diminished gradually after just three cycles, whereas nZVI@SiO 2 maintained NO 3 - -N and TN removal efficiencies of 89.33 % and 78.08 %, respectively, after four cycles, respectively, indicating its sustainable ability to enhance aerobic denitrification. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy demonstrated enhanced electron transfer efficiency of nZVI@SiO 2 . Furthermore, nZVI@SiO 2 significantly promoted the activity of the electron transfer system, ATP levels, nitrate/nitrite reductase activity, contents of complexes I and III, and extracellular polymeric substances. nZVI@SiO 2 significantly enhanced electron generation, transfer, and consumption during biological denitrification by functioning as both an electron donor and mediator. The findings implicate nZVI@SiO 2 as a means to enhance nitrogen removal by aerobic denitrifying microorganisms in oligotrophic water via sustained donation of electrons., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is important in mediating humoral immunity and in the maintenance of immune homeostasis in the intestinal mucosa. Oregano essential oil (OEO) is a natural herbal extract that possesses antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. As the effects of OEO on intestinal mucosal immunity in Holstein dairy bulls remained unclear, we investigated the effect of dietary supplementation of OEO on IgG levels and IgG + cells residing in the intestinal tract in Holstein dairy bulls., Methods: Twelve Holstein bulls in good health of approximately 10 months of age were selected for the experiment and randomly equally divided into two groups. The control (CK) group was fed a basal ration, and in the OEO group, the basal ration was supplemented with OEO (20 g/head/day). After 300 days of feeding, tissue samples of the jejunum, ileum, and colon of the bulls in each group were collected for histopathological analysis, immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, respectively., Results: The jejunum, ileum, and colon of bulls in the CK group had obvious pathological damage, whereas the structure of each intestinal segment was clear and intact. In the OEO group, pathological damage was significantly reduced. IgG + plasma cells were diffusely distributed in the lamina propria of the jejunum, ileum, and colon in the CK and OEO groups, with no significant difference between the groups. OEO supplementation significantly reduced the number of IgG+ plasma cells in each intestinal segment, with the highest decrease rate being noted for the ileum (22.87%), followed by the colon (19.45%) and jejunum (8.52%). ELISA test results and immunohistochemical results were mutually verified. The change in IgG content was consistent with the trend of change in the number of IgG + plasma cells., Discussion: Our findings suggest that OEO supplementation does not alter the diffuse spatial distribution of IgG + plasma cells in the intestines of Holstein dairy bulls, but lowers immunoglobulin levels to normal levels, significantly reduces intestinal damage, and may enhance mucosal immune defence barrier function by inhibiting inflammatory reactions., Competing Interests: QC was employed by Jing Chuan Xu Kang Food Co., Ltd. ZZ was employed by Gansu Huarui Agriculture Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Xu, Zhang, Kong, Wang, Pan, Shi, Liu, He, Ma, Cheng, Zhang and Lei.)

The rapid recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes greatly limits the efficiency of photocatalyst based on semiconductor. In order to address this issue, we predicted a novel ferroelectric polarized heterojunction photocatalyst, CdS/In 2 Se 3 , which enables the spontaneous overall water splitting reaction. The CdS/In 2 Se 3 heterojunction exhibits a band-edge staggered alignment and it is easy to form a direct Z-scheme charge transfer pathway. Besides, the built-in electric field ( E int ) in the CdS/In 2 Se 3 heterojunction promoted the charge transfer of CdS/In 2 Se 3 , leading to an improved separating efficiency of photo-generated carriers. Moreover, the vertical intrinsic polarized electric field ( E p ) not only alters the position of the band edge but also reduces the bandgap limitations commonly associated with photocatalytic materials. Furthermore, the CdS/In 2 Se 3 heterojunctions demonstrate separate catalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on the surface of the CdS monolayer and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on the surface of In 2 Se 3 , respectively. Notably, the CdS/In 2 Se 3 -down configuration enables spontaneous photocatalytic water splitting in pH = 7, while the CdS/In 2 Se 3 -up configuration efficiently facilitates the HER process. This study highlights the significant advantages of CdS/In 2 Se 3 heterojunctions as photocatalytic materials, offering unique insights into the development and research of this promising heterojunction architecture.

Introduction: T cells are the core of the cellular immunity and play a key role in the regulation of intestinal immune homeostasis. In order to explore the impact Moniezia benedeni ( M. benedeni ) infection on distributions of CD3 + T cells in the small intestine of the sheep., Methods: In this study, sheep pET-28a-CD3 recombinant plasmid were constructed and expressed in BL21 receptor cells, then the rabbit anti-sheep CD3 polyclonal antibody was prepared through recombinant protein inducing. The M. benedeni -infected sheep (infection group, n  = 6) and healthy sheep (control group, n  = 6) were selected, and the distributions of CD3 + T cells in intestinal laminae propria (LP) and mucous epitheliums were observed and analyzed systematically., Results: The results showed that the rabbit anti-sheep CD3 polyclonal antibody had good potency and specificity. In the effector area of small intestine, a large number of CD3 + T cells were mainly diffusely distributed in the intestinal LP as well as in the mucous epitheliums, and the densities of intestinal LP from duodenum to jejunum to ileum were 6.01 cells/10 4  μm 2 , 7.01 cells/10 4  μm 2 and 6.43 cells/10 4  μm 2 , respectively. Their distribution densities in mucous epitheliums were 6.71 cells/10 4  μm 2 , 7.93 cells/10 4  μm 2 and 7.21 cells/10 4  μm 2 , respectively; in the infected group, the distributions of CD3 + T cells were similar to that of the control group, and the densities in each intestinal segment were all significantly increased ( p  < 0.05), meanwhile, the total densities of CD3 + T cells in duodenum, jejunum and ileum were increased by 33.43%, 14.50%, and 34.19%. In LP and mucous epitheliums, it was increased by 33.57% and 27.92% in duodenum; by 25.82% and 7.07% in jejunum, and by 27.07% and 19.23% in ileum, respectively., Discussion: It was suggested that M. benedeni infection did not change the spatial distributions of CD3 + T cells in the small intestine of sheep, but significantly increased their densities, which lays a foundation for further research on the regulatory mechanism of sheep intestinal mucosal immune system against M. benedeni infection., Competing Interests: BX was employed by Lanzhou Safari Park Management Co. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Chai, Yao, Pan, Huang, Wang, Xu, Fan, He, Wang and Zhang.)