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Electrocardiogram (ECG) outcomes serve as early manifestations of cardiovascular functional or structural changes. While temperature fluctuation has been demonstrated to be a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, few epidemiological studies have reported its relationship with ECG outcomes. In this study, we employed temperature anomaly (TA) as an innovative indicator of temperature fluctuation to quantify its detrimental impacts on ECG outcomes. A longitudinal study design was conducted using the repeated ECG records of the China National Stroke Screening Survey from 2013 to 2019. Only individuals undergoing at least two ECG tests were included. The daily temperature was assimilated by combining three kinds of data: in situ observations, satellite remote sensing measurements and weather research forecast simulations. We used generalized estimating equations to control for autocorrelation among repeated records and to estimate the association between TA and the risk of ECG abnormalities. We found 6837 events of ECG abnormalities in 47,286 individuals with 102,030 visits. Each unit increment of TA increased the risk of ECG abnormalities [odds ratio (OR) = 1.009, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.001–1.017] and the risk of myocardial ischemia (OR = 1.061, 95% CI: 1.012–1.111). Hierarchic analyses presented a similar association of TA with both ECG abnormalities (OR = 1.017, 95% CI: 1.008–1.026) and myocardial ischemia (OR = 1.061, 95%CI: 1.011–1.114) in Northern China, but not in Southern China. The exposure-response relationship was estimated as a U-shaped curve centered at the TA value of zero. Sudden warming tended to increase the risk of ECG abnormalities and myocardial ischemia, and sudden cooling tended to increase the risk of atrial fibrillation. All these detrimental effects of TA could be modified by specific individual characteristics. In summary, ambient temperature fluctuation increased the risk of ECG abnormalities. This result indicated that regular ECG tests could be an early-warning measure for monitoring the adverse health effects of temperature fluctuations. • Temperature anomaly (TA) is an innovative index reflecting temperature fluctuations. • Each unit increment of TA increases the risk of ECG abnormalities. • The exposure-response curve is U-shaped which centered at the TA value of zero. • ECG tests can be used to monitor the health effects of temperature fluctuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac repair depends on angiogenesis and cell proliferation. Previously we identified Canopy 2 (CNPY2) as a secreted angiogenic growth factor which promotes neovascularization. We investigated the role of CNPY2 in cardiac repair following myocardial infarction (MI) and the possible mediators involved using Cnpy2 knockout (KO) mice and human cardiac tissue. Cardiac tissue from patients with end-stage heart failure had significantly lower endogenous CNPY2 expression compared to samples from control patients. CNPY2 expression in mouse hearts significantly decreased following MI. Significantly less leukocyte and endothelial cell proliferation was found in Cnpy2 KO than wild-type (WT) mice post MI which contributed to impaired angiogenesis, tissue repair, and decreased cardiac function (fractional shortening: WT: 21.1 ± 2.1% vs. KO: 16.4 ± 1.6%, p <.01 at day 28 post MI). RT-qPCR revealed significantly increased p16INK4a expression in Cnpy2 KO mouse hearts (WT: 1.0 ± 0.04 vs. KO: 2.33 ± 0.11 [relative expression of p16 INK4a], p <.01) which was confirmed by immunostaining (WT: 8.47 ± 1.22 vs. KO: 12.9 ± 1.22 [% total cells], p <.05) for the p16INK4a protein. Expression of cell cycle-related proteins, cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6, and phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein (pRb) was significantly decreased in Cnpy2 KO mouse hearts. The up-regulation of the p16INK4a/cyclin D1/Rb pathway by knockout of Cnpy2 was accompanied by attenuation of PDK1/Akt phosphorylation. MI exacerbated the detrimental effects of p16INK4a on tissue repair in Cnpy2 KO mice. Overexpression of CNPY2 in the cardiac tissue of transgenic mice reversed the inhibition of cell proliferation through suppression of the p16INK4a pathway. Cardiac injury and progressive heart failure were associated with decreased CNPY2 levels in both humans and mice. Knockout of Cnpy2 resulted in up-regulation of p16INK4a which impaired cardiac function and tissue repair. These data suggest that CNPY2 is an important regulator of p16INK4a and promotes cell proliferation and tissue repair through inhibition of the p16INK4a pathway. CNPY2 treatment may offer a new approach to restore cardiac function after an MI. • Lower CNPY2 expression in cardiac tissue from patients with end-stage heart failure. • CNPY2 expression in mouse hearts decreased significantly following an MI. • Cnpy2 KO mice showed impaired functional recovery post MI. • Cnpy2 KO upregulated p16INK4a to hinder leukocyte and endothelial cell proliferation and heart repair. • Overexpressing CNPY2 reversed inhibited cell proliferation by suppressing p16INK4a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract The NiFe-layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets were decorated on the surface of doped BiVO 4 to structure an integrating photoanode for improving solar photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting efficiency, which is a dynamic research topic to solve the energy crisis and remit environmental pollution caused by fossil fuel combustion. The fabricated photoanode exhibits rapid response to visible light, enhances photocurrent density and shows significant cathodic shift compared to BiVO 4. Moreover, the measured incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) of the photoanode is comparable to that reported in the literature. The amount of evolution oxygen was measured and the faradaic efficiency produced oxygen was also obtained by comparing the theoretical calculation value. The enhancement is attributed to the increase of the carrier density, the effective separation of photogenerated electron-hole and consuming of the photogenerated holes accumulated at the electrode surface, which has been confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) and the intensity modulated photocurrent spectra (IMPS). The work may offer a promising method for designing a high efficiency and low-cost photoanode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tyrosol is one of the main polyphenol compounds in white wine and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), which plays an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory role in vitro. In the present study, we investigated the possible anti-inflammatory mechanism of tyrosol in Escherichia coli (ETEC)-induced diarrhea in mice. ICR mice were randomly divided into control group, ETEC group, and ETEC + Tyrosol group with 10 mice in each group. In addition to the control group, a bacterial diarrhea model was induced in mice by continuous administration of 0.2 ml × 109 CFU/ml ETEC. After 7 days, the ETEC + Tyrosol group was given tyrosol (20 mg/kg) once a day by gavage, during which the body weight of mice and the degree of diarrhea were measured daily. On the 15th day, all animals in this experiment were sacrificed, colon tissue was collected, and colon length was recorded. Our results indicate that tyrosol significantly attenuated the extent of ETEC-induced diarrhea, including inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine, repair of the intestinal epithelial mechanical barrier, and significant inhibition of NF-κB activation. This finding is helpful for the development and further application of tyrosol in the treatment of diarrhea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of nanoporous materials. The development of efficient and environmentally friendly methods for activating MOFs is of great significance for its industrial application. In this work, nanoscale magnetic core-shell Cu-BTC@Fe 3 O 4 was prepared through a secondary growth strategy. The effects of different activation solvents (dichloromethane and ethanol, respectively) and temperatures on the surface area, pore structures and the adsorption of xylene isomers on Cu-BTC@Fe 3 O 4 were investigated. Ethanol as an activation solvent could more easily displace the precursors remaining in the channels of Cu-BTC@Fe 3 O 4 than dichloromethane, while the temperature change has no significant influence on the pore structure. The adsorption separation of xylene isomers on Cu-BTC@Fe 3 O 4 composite materials was studied using the batch vapor-phase adsorption, and liquid-phase breakthrough experiments. The activated Cu-BTC@Fe 3 O 4 (CH 2 Cl 2 -200 ​°C ​− ​C 2 H 5 OH) material has the highest adsorption capacity of 210.26 ​mg ​g−1 for p -xylene (p X). Cu-BTC@Fe 3 O 4 (C 2 H 5 OH) and Cu-BTC@Fe 3 O 4 materials have excellent adsorption capacity for m -xylene (m X), with the values of 200.19 ​mg ​g−1 and 219.63 ​mg ​g−1, respectively, which is about 4 times higher than that of Cu-BTC@Fe 3 O 4 (CH 2 Cl 2). The adsorption capacity sequence of xylene on Cu-BTC@Fe 3 O 4 (C 2 H 5 OH) and Cu-BTC@Fe 3 O 4 materials is m -xylene (m X) ​> ​ p -xylene (p X) ​> ​ o -xylene (o X), and that of other materials is p X ​> ​ m X ​> ​ o X. Nanoscale magnetic core-shell Cu-BTC@Fe 3 O 4 was prepared through a secondary growth strategy towards the adsorption separation of xylene isomers. [Display omitted] • Nanoscale magnetic core-shell Cu-BTC@Fe 3 O 4 was prepared through a secondary growth strategy. • The effects of different activation solvents and temperatures on the xylene isomers adsorption of Cu-BTC@Fe 3 O 4 were studied. • Using ethanol as an activation solvent could more easily displace the precursors remaining in the channels of Cu-BTC@Fe 3 O 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The signal transducers and activators of the transcription (STAT) family play an important role in regulatory and cellular functions by regulating the expression of a variety of genes, including cytokines and growth factors. In the present study, a Pinctada fucata STAT protein, termed PfSTAT, was described. The deduced amino acid sequence of PfSTAT contains the conserved STAT_bind domain and the SH2 domain, and the additional Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) domain, but does not have STAT_alpha and STAT_int domains. Multiple sequence alignments revealed that PfSTAT showed relatively low identity with vertebrate and other invertebrate STATs, and phylogenetic analysis indicated that the evolution of STAT may have been more complex and ancient. Gene expression analysis revealed that PfSTAT is involved in the immune response to polyinosinic–polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) stimulation and in the nucleus insertion operation. This study contributes to a better understanding of PfSTAT in protecting the pearl oyster from disease or injury caused by grafting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two isomorphic metal-organic frameworks, [Co 2 (4-Ptz) 2 (BDC)(DMA)] n ( 1 ) and [Co 2 (4-Ptz) 2 (2-NH 2 -BDC)(DMA)] n ( 2 ) (4-Ptz=5-(4-Pyridyl)tetrazole, H 2 BDC=Terephthalic Acid, 2-NH 2 -H 2 BDC=2-Aminoterephthalic Acid, DMA=N,N-dimethylacetamide), have been successfully constructed through solvothermal reactions. Crystallographic data analysis reveals a binuclear Co(II) cluster-based structure for 1 and 2 , which were constructed by bridging two neighboring Co(II) ions with teterazole rings of 4-Ptz ligand together with one DMA oxygen atom. Simplifying Co 2 cluster as a 6-connecting node, complexes 1 and 2 reveal bcu-6 net. The CO 2 adsorption isotherms measurement at 273 K manifests higher adsorption quantities for 2 (33.8 cm 3 /g) than 1 (26.2 cm 3 /g), which was attributed to the introduction of NH 2 -group in 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current research, the moisture-resistant of Mg-MOF-74 was successfully improved by coating with two-dimensional (2-D) hexagonal boron nitride (h -BN) during the facile hydrothermal synthesis process. Both TEM and SEM results revealed that 2-D h -BN is coated on Mg-MOF-74's surface. The crystal structure, morphology, surface area, thermal stability and CH 4 uptake capacity of Mg-MOF-74 were not drastically influenced by coating with h -BN as examined by XRD, FTIR, SEM, and TEM. Further, the coated Mg-MOF-74 demonstrated better stability than uncoated Mg-MOF-74, when being exposed to high humidity, in terms of surface area and CH 4 uptake capacity. It was observed that the coated Mg-MOF-74 with 1 ​wt % h -BN has reached to 1959 ​m2 ​g−1 surface area and CH 4 uptake capacity of 43 ​cm3 ​g−1 after exposure to high humidity for a duration of 1 month. Thus, this research work has opened a new window towards the improvement of the water stability of Mg-MOF-74. [Display omitted] • The water resistance capacity of Mg-MOF-74 could be improved by coating with two dimensional materials h -BN. • Application of h -BN as coating material of Mg-MOF-74. • h -BN coated Mg-MOF-74 provide high surface area and enhanced CH 4 uptake capacity. • The sample Mg-MOF-74@1 wt.% h -BN exhibited the highest water stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) plays an important role in nonimmune cells and also in T cells and many other cells of the immune system, by regulating the expression of a variety of genes involved in the immune response, organ development, developmental apoptosis and angiogenesis. In the present study, the NFAT homology gene, PfNFAT, from the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata was cloned and its genomic structure and promoter were analyzed. PfNFAT encodes a putative protein of 1226 amino acids, and contains a highly conserved Rel homology region (RHR) with DNA-binding specificity, and a regulatory domain (NFAT homology region, NHR) containing a potent transactivation domain (TAD). The PfNFAT gene consists of 12 exons and 11 introns, and its promoter contains potential binding sites for transcription factors such as NF-κB (Nuclear factor κB), STATx (signal transducer and activator of transcription), AP-1 (activator protein-1) and Sox-5/9 (SRY type HMG box-5/9), MyoD (Myogenic Differentiation Antigen) and IRF (Interferon regulatory factor). Comparison and phylogenetic analysis revealed that PfNFAT shows high identity with other invertebrate NFAT, and clusters with the NFAT5 subgroup. Furthermore, gene expression analysis revealed that PfNFAT is involved in the immune response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) stimulation and in the nucleus inserting operation. The study of PfNFAT may increase understanding of molluscan innate immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the effect of Ficus carica polysaccharide (FCP), isolated from the fruit of F. carica L., at 0%, 0.1%, 0.5% and 1.0% doses supplementation with feed on genes Interleukin 1-β (IL-1β), Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNF-α) and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) gene expression in blood, humoral innate immune parameters and resistant to Flavobacterium columnare of grass carp at weeks 1, 2 and 3. The results revealed that administration of FCP significantly ( P < 0.05) up regulated IL-1β and TNF-α gene expression. HSP70 gene expression was significantly ( P < 0.05) lower in FCP-fed fish at the end of trial. The serum total protein, albumin and globulin did not significantly increased in any diet on the first week whereas it was significantly enhanced in 0.5% and 1.0% supplementation diets on weeks 2 and 3 when compared to control. The serum complement C3 was significantly ( P < 0.05) increased on weeks 1 and 2 when compared to control, however, no significant difference was found in this activity after 3 weeks of treatment. All diets significantly enhanced the serum lysozyme activity, bactericidal activity from weeks 1–2 as compared to control. Grass carp fed with FCP showed remarkably higher resistance against F. columnare (60% survival) compared to the control group (30% survival). These results confirm that FCP can up regulate immune related genes expression, stimulates immune response that per se enhances disease resistance in grass carp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Despite advances in the treatment of acute tissue ischemia significant challenges remain in effective cytoprotection from ischemic cell death. It has been documented that injected stem cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), can confer protection to ischemic tissue through the release of paracrine factors. The study of these factors is essential for understanding tissue repair and the development of new therapeutic approaches for regenerative medicine. We have recently shown that a novel factor secreted by MSCs, which we called HASF (Hypoxia and Akt induced Stem cell Factor), promotes cardiomyocyte proliferation. In this study we show that HASF has a cytoprotective effect on ischemia induced cardiomyocyte death. We assessed whether HASF could potentially be used as a therapeutic agent to prevent the damage associated with myocardial infarction. In vitro treatment of cardiomyocytes with HASF protein resulted in decreased apoptosis; TUNEL positive nuclei were fewer in number, and caspase activation and mitochondrial pore opening were inhibited. Purified HASF protein was injected into the heart immediately following myocardial infarction. Heart function was found to be comparable to sham operated animals one month following injury and fibrosis was significantly reduced. In vivo and in vitro HASF activated protein kinase C ε (PKCε). Inhibition of PKCε blocked the HASF effect on apoptosis. Furthermore, the beneficial effects of HASF were lost in mice lacking PKCε. Collectively these results identify HASF as a protein of significant therapeutic potential, acting in part through PKCε. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The static and dynamic instabilities of a torsional MEMS/NEMS actuator caused by capillary effects are studied, respectively. An instability number, η, is defined, and the critical gap distance, , between the mainplate and the substrate is derived. According to the values of η and g, the instability criteria of the actuator are presented. The dimensionless motion equation of the MEMS/NEMS torsional actuator is derived when it makes nonlinear oscillation under capillary force. The qualitative analysis of the nonlinear equation is made, and the phase portraits are presented on the phase plane. In addition, the bifurcation phenomena in the system are also analyzed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Membrane protein plays an important role in some biochemical process such as signal transduction, transmembrane transport, etc. Membrane proteins are usually classified into five types [Chou, K.C., Elrod, D.W., 1999. Prediction of membrane protein types and subcellular locations. Proteins: Struct. Funct. Genet. 34, 137–153] or six types [Chou, K.C., Cai, Y.D., 2005. J. Chem. Inf. Modelling 45, 407–413]. Designing in silico methods to identify and classify membrane protein can help us understand the structure and function of unknown proteins. This paper introduces an integrative approach, IAMPC, to classify membrane proteins based on protein sequences and protein profiles. These modules extract the amino acid composition of the whole profiles, the amino acid composition of N-terminal and C-terminal profiles, the amino acid composition of profile segments and the dipeptide composition of the whole profiles. In the computational experiment, the overall accuracy of the proposed approach is comparable with the functional-domain-based method. In addition, the performance of the proposed approach is complementary to the functional-domain-based method for different membrane protein types. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We synthesized on cellulose membranes 4942 ten-amino-acid peptides which included all of the sequences predicted for the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) corona virus. We probed these membranes with four pairs of acute and convalescent sera from recovered SARS cases. We correlated positively reacting peptides with the in vitro SARS-CoV neutralizing activity of the samples. We found that convalescent sera with high neutralizing activity recognized exclusively only a limited number of peptides on the membranes. This suggests that antibodies against the epitopes represented by these peptides could be responsible for much of the SARS-CoV neutralizing activity. The findings have implications for monitoring humoral responses to SARS-CoV as well as for developing a successful SARS vaccine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In greenhouse experiments, three strains of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), Serratia sp. J2, fluorescent pseudomonad J3, and Bacillus sp. BB11, were evaluated for biological control of bacterial wilt of tomato caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. A total of four field trials were conducted, each in a different location in Jiangsu and the Hebei provinces. Strains J2, J3, and BB11 provided disease control and increased yield. In trial one in Qixia (1999), disease was reduced 66.1, 73.6, and 68.4% by J2, J3, and BB11, respectively, compared to the control. Yield increases with bacteria in this trial ranged from 49.5 to 70.8%. In trial two in Huaian (2000), disease was reduced 78.1, 94.1, and 86.9% by J2, J3, and BB11, respectively. Yield increases ranged from 180 to 237%. In trial three in Handan (1999), biocontrol efficiencies of 71.3, 63.6, and 78.2% were achieved by J2, J3, and BB11, respectively. Yield increases ranged from 53.5 to 76.2%. In trial 4 in Handan (2000), disease was reduced 74.4, 75.1, and 81.9% by J2, J3, and BB11, respectively, compared to the control. Yield increases with these bacteria ranged from 46.3 to 78.5%. Additional tests were conducted with 1-year-old and 2-year-old formulations of each PGPR strain. Populations of PGPR in the 1-year-old formulations were nearly identical to freshly prepared PGPR formulations. Biological control efficacy was retained by the stored formulations of all three PGPR strains, with 1-year-old formulations providing 68.4–99.5% control and 2-year-old formulations providing 63.4–78.5% control. Yield increases with stored formulations ranged from 35.4 to 67.0%. We conclude that our method of formulating PGPR products provides stable formulations that retain biological control and plant growth-promoting activities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

SRA is a steroid receptor co-activator which acts as a functional RNA and is classified as belonging to the growing family of functional non-coding RNAs. None of the different SRA transcripts described to date encode a detectable SRA protein following in vitro and in vivo translation experiments. We have identified three new SRA-RNA isoforms differing mainly from the originally cloned SRA by an extended 5′ extremity. These long SRA isoforms, able to encode a stable protein in vitro, led to the production in vivo of a nuclear protein when transfected into the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis of RNA and protein extracts from different breast cancer cell lines confirmed the presence of endogenous coding SRA isoforms and their corresponding proteins. Our results demonstrate that full-length SRA-RNAs likely to encode stable proteins are widely expressed in breast cancer cell lines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Endometritis is commonly occurred in dairy cows after calving and results in a great deal of property damage. Although numerous studies have been performed to find the therapeutic agents for endometritis, the incidence of this disease remains high. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the major metabolic products of anaerobic bacteria fermentation in the gut, have been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of sodium butyrate (SB) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endometritis in mice. The mice were administered by intraperitoneal injection of SB at 1 h before LPS injection. 24 h later, the uterus tissues were collected. Hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) stained sections of uterus were used to determine the degree of the damage. Uterine myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity was used to analyze neutrophil granulocytes concentration. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were measured by ELISA. The activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway proteins were detected by Western blot analysis. The results showed that SB significantly attenuated the pathological injury of the uterus tissues. SB also suppressed LPS-induced MPO activity and the production of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β. Furthermore, Western blot analysis showed that SB inhibited the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. In addition, SB could inhibit histone deacetylases. In summary, SB protects against LPS-induced endometritis through HDAC inhibition. Image 1 • Sodium butyrate inhibits the inflammatory response during LPS-induced endometritis. • Sodium butyrate protects against LPS-induced endometritis through inhibition the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. • Sodium butyrate protects against LPS-induced endometritis through HDAC inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The FHTiNs cathode combines the dual effects of chemical adsorption and physical restriction. It reduces the dissolution of polysulfides and promotes the transformation process of polysulfides. Finally, It realizes the result of inhibiting shuttle effect and has good application potential. [Display omitted] Lithium-sulfur battery(LSB)'s commercial manufacturing has been mainly retarded by the "shuttle effect" and low electrical conductivity of polysulfides (LiPSs). Designing a cathode with hollow and hierarchically porous structures was expected to solve the above problems. Herein, a kind of TiN particles with the hierarchical hollow double-shelled structures was synthesized and applied to cathodes of LSB. The Fig-like hollow TiO 2 particles (FHTiO 2 s) were firstly synthesized by the hard-template method. Subsequently, the Fig-like hierarchical hollow double-shelled TiN particles (FHTiNs) were synthesized by the template-free sequential transformation and separation approach (STSA). It was verified that the heating temperature and time were key parameters. Special Fig-like double-shell hollow structures could greatly increase the loading of S, and the excellent initial capacity of FHTiNs cathodes was up to 1159 mAh/g. On the one hand, the Fig-like framework in internal cavity and double-shell structures could promote the ultrahigh specific surface area, and the adsorption to LiPSs was improved by increasing active sites; On the other hand, the shuttle effect of LiPSs was weakened by the fig-like framework and double-shell structures, which slowed down the massive dissolution of sulfur in the electrolyte. As a result, the pleasant rate performance of FHTiNs cathodes was up to 400 mAh/g at 5C. This novel structures and synthesis method provided a new strategy for the designing of LSB cathodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this study were to investigate the effect of xanthophylls (Xan) on the colloidal property and interfacial activity of zein hydrolysate (ZH), and the influence of Xan on the colloidal delivery capacity of ZH was also studied by the construction of emulsions and colloidal particles systems. The result indicated that compared with color-free ZH (CF-ZH), ZH was more sensitive to pH and showed obvious aggregation behavior at acidic pH. ZH exhibited lower critical micelle concentration compared with CF-ZH, suggesting the higher amphiphilic characteristic of ZH. The results from interfacial activity investigations showed that ZH exhibited higher interfacial activity compared with CF-ZH, and the thickness and intensity of the interfacial layer constituted by ZH was increased as a result of the existences of Xan. Compared with CF-ZH, the emulsions stabilized by ZH possessing smaller size and higher physical stability, and the curcumin nanoparticles fabricated in ZH solutions showed higher encapsulation efficiency, smaller particle size, better monodispersity and higher zeta potential. In conclusion, the presence of Xan in ZH obviously changed the colloidal property and improved interfacial activity and colloidal delivery capacity of ZH itself, and it endowed ZH with more extensive application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of biofortification technology in regulating the microbial community of Sichuan bran vinegar (SBV) to enhance its quality has garnered significant attention recently. Here, we utilized Cuqu fortified (JQ) by synthetic microbiota composed of two different strains to enhance SBV fermentation, while simultaneously revealing community succession and metabolic regulatory mechanisms. Compared to control samples, the fortified vinegar grains (ZJV) community exhibited a 1.60-fold increase in bacterial biomass during major stages. Dominant fungi dynamics in ZJV significantly shifted, with a notable increase in Monascus and Rasamsonia. Upregulation of enzymes involved in starch and cellulose degradation led to increased contents of volatiles, 4-ethylguaiacol (4-EG), and raw starch conversion rate in the fermented ZJV by 1.75 times, 40 times, and 21.92%, respectively. Biofortification boosted interspecies interactions, clustering functional microbes into a module. Functional bacteria served as connectors, enhancing fungal-bacterial communication, optimizing information and energy exchange, reducing primary metabolite accumulation like ethanol, and improving nutrient utilization and metabolic conversion for secondary metabolite synthesis. These findings establish crucial groundwork for the practical application of synthetic microbiota in various engineering applications. [Display omitted] • Cuqu fortified by a microbiota composed of two isolates improved the function. • Fortified Cuqu boost interactions by clustering functional microbes into a module. • Functional bacteria optimized trophic network via rising cross domain communication. • Reduce primary metabolite accumulation to enhance nutrient use and conversion. • Contents of volatiles and 4-EG in vinegar increased by 1.75 times and 40 times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in land use and landscapes have a direct impact on the regional eco-environment. It is of great importance to understand the change pattern of land use, landscapes, and their mechanism on the ecological quality, especially ecologically fragile areas. The northern sand-prevention belt (NSPB) is an important ecologically fragile area in China, which has a large influence on the ecological security of the entire country. Based on the land use data of the NSPB in 2000, 2010, and 2018, we studied the spatio-temporal characteristics of land-use change and change in landscape patterns. The ecological quality represented by the remote sensing-based desertification index (RSDI) was calculated using satellite images. The effects of land use and landscape patterns on RSDI were analyzed by geographic detector and geographically weighted regression. Important results include the following: (1) Land-use change in the study area was high during 2000–2010 but slower in 2010–2018. Grassland was the largest land-use type in the NSPB, and varied greatly in terms of total change and spatial location. The major change was the conversion between dense and moderate grass, with 64,860 km2 of dense grass turning into moderate grass, and 48,505 km2 changing the other way. (2) Among the four landscape metrics, patch density, area-weighted mean fractal dimension, and edge density increased, whereas the aggregation index decreased, which indicated that the landscape was developing towards heterogeneity, fragmentation, complexity, and aggregation. Spatially, the landscape metrics presented a strip distribution in the east of the NSPB. (3) The effects of various land-use types on ecological quality, from high to low, were unused land, woodland, dense grass, cropland, moderate grass, built-up land, sparse grass, and waterbody. The areas where the ecological quality was greatly affected by the landscape patterns were concentrated in the agro-pastoral ecotone and the forest-steppe ecotone. The results of this study reveal the trends of land use and landscape patterns in the NSPB over 18 years and can help to understand their mechanism on ecological quality, which is of significance for the management of this area. • LUC in the NSPB was active from 2000 to 2010 and weakened from 2010 to 2018. • The landscape was developing towards heterogeneity, fragmentation, complexity, and aggregation. • The effects of land use and landscape on ecological quality were studied by GD and GWR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aboveground biomass (AGB) in grasslands directly reflects the net primary productivity, making it a sensitive indicator of grassland resource quality and ecological degradation. Accurately estimating AGB over large regions to reveal long-term AGB evolution trends remains a formidable challenge. In this study, we divided Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR) grasslands into three study regions based on their spatial distribution of grassland types. We combined remote sensing data with ground-based sample data collected over the past 19 years from 6114 field plots using the Google Earth Engine platform. We constructed random forest (RF) and traditional regression AGB inversion models for each region and selected the best-performing model through accuracy assessment to estimate IMAR grassland AGB for the period 2000–2022. We also examined the trends in AGB changes and identified the driving forces affecting IMAR grasslands through the application of Theil-Sen estimation, Mann-Kendall trend analysis, and the Geodetector model. The main findings are as follows: (1) Compared with the univariate parametric traditional regression model, the AGB monitoring accuracy of the multivariate non-parametric RF model in the three study regions increased by 5.94%, 5.08% and 19.14%, respectively. (2) The average AGB per unit area of IMAR grasslands from 2000 to 2022 was 731.41 kg/hm2, with alpine meadow having the highest average AGB (1271.70 kg/hm2) and temperate grassland desertification having the lowest (469.06 kg/hm2). IMAR grasslands exhibited an overall increasing trend in AGB over the past 23 years (6.01 kg/hm2•yr), with the increasing trend covering 83.52% of the grassland area and the decreasing trend covering 16.48%. (3) Spatially, IMAR grassland AGB showed a gradual decline from northeast to southwest and exhibited an increasing trend with increasing longitude (45.423 kg/hm2 per degree) and latitude (71.9 kg/hm2 per degree). (4) Meteorological factors were the most significant factors affecting IMAR grassland AGB, with precipitation (five-year average q value of 0.61) being the most prominent. In the western part of IMAR, where precipitation is consistently limited throughout the year, the primary drivers of influence were human activities, with particular emphasis on the number of livestock (with a five-year average q value of 0.44). It is evident that reducing human activity disturbance and pressure in fragile grassland areas or implementing near-natural restoration measures will be beneficial for the sustainable development of grassland ecosystems. The results of this research hold substantial reference importance for the protection and restoration of grasslands, the supervision and administration of grassland resources, as well as the development of policies related to grassland management. [Display omitted] • The aboveground biomass (AGB) of grasslands in IMAR increased over the past 23 years. • IMAR grassland AGB shows an upward trend with increasing longitude and latitude. • Precipitation is the main factor affecting grassland AGB in IMAR. • Human activities have a greater impact on the grassland AGB in western IMAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Bacillus amyloliquefaciens HSSN09 with antagonistic effect on FON was isolated. • B. amyloliquefaciens HSSN09 could effectively control watermelon Fusarium wilt and promote the growth of watermelon seedlings. • Tacrolimus has a very obvious antifungal effect and can be used to control watermelon Fusarium wilt. • Tacrolimus was also able to stimulate the growth of watermelon seedlings. • Tacrolimus or its analogs may play a role as a pleiotropic factor in B. amyloliquefaciens HSSN09 biological control. Watermelon Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (FON) is one of the most devastating diseases in watermelon production. Biological control approaches are efficient and environmentally-friendly, thus have aroused broad interest. However, only a few biocontrol factors/molecules have been characterized due to varied genomes and diversified secreted secondary metabolites of biocontrol microorganisms. We report the screen and identification of a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain HSSN09 with high antagonism to FON and watermelon growth promotion capacity. B. amyloliquefaciens HSSN09 and its secondary metabolites showed inhibition on FON mycelial growth, spore formation and spore germination. Metabolomes of the highly antagonistic strain B. amyloliquefaciens HSSN09, medium antagonistic strain B. amyloliquefaciens FGW53, weakly antagonistic strain B. subtilis JC03 and non-antagonistic strain B. cereus FGW109 were compared with LC-MS/MS. By antagonistic assay, tacrolimus was screened out among the 531 molecules that appeared in the sequencing results of HSSN09 metabolome but not in that of the non-antagonistic strain without significant inhibition on the growth of FON. Among the four tested Bacillus strains, tacrolimus analogue was only observed in the supernatant of HSSN09 by HPLC and MALDI-TOF-MS. We further confirmed the ability of tacrolimus to suppress FON and promote watermelon seedling growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Following a myocardial infarction (MI), fibroblasts differentiate to myofibroblasts, which possess some of the characteristics of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and contribute to wound healing. Previous studies suggested that the miR-143/-145 cluster plays a critical role in SMC differentiation. Therefore, we determined whether miR-145 promoted differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts to myofibroblasts. Following coronary occlusion in mice, myocardial miR-145 expression was downregulated at 3days but was restored at 7days. In vitro studies showed that hypoxia also downregulated miR-145 in cardiac fibroblasts. The number of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) positive cells in fibroblast cultures was employed to determine their transdifferentiation to cardiac myofibroblasts and was increased by 73.5% after transient transfection with miR-145. Ultrastructural analysis of α-SMA stress fibers revealed that ~95% of the α-SMA+ cells treated with miR-145 organized their actin-filament bundles with a specific orientation compared to only 15% in the scrambled control group. This orientation of the SMA bundles and their integration with the filamentous actin fibers of the cytoskeleton permit infarct wound contraction. Structural and functional studies showed that miR-145 induced a myofibroblast phenotype, and miR-145 also potentiated the production of mature collagen by myofibroblasts. Repression of KLF5, a target of miR-145, was validated by a chimeric luciferase construct tagged with the full-length 3′-UTR of KLF5. A dramatic decrease in KLF5 and a corresponding increase in myocardin expression were observed after transfecting cultured fibroblasts with miR-145. Similar results were found in vivo: the transient decrease in miR-145 expression 3days post-MI was associated with an increase in KLF5 and a decrease in myocardin. In addition, in vivo delivery of a miR-145 antagomir 1day prior to and 2 and 6days after MI decreased myofibroblast formation and increased scar size. The antagomir also reversed the suppressed expression of KLF5 protein in the scar region at day 7 after MI. In summary, we describe a novel association between miR-145 and fibroblast differentiation toward myofibroblasts. These observations provide a new approach to promote endogenous scar healing and contracture by stimulating the transdifferentiation of cardiac fibroblasts to myofibroblasts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aim of the study is to demonstrate and understand the acquired immunity in golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) elicited by primary Necator americanus infective third-stage larvae (L3) infection. Hamsters infected with 150 L3 for 1, 2, 3, 6 and 10weeks, were challenged with the same number of L3 and sacrificed 25days post challenge. The primarily infected hamsters exhibited 99–100% protection against subsequent L3 challenge compared to un-infected naive hamsters. The acquired immunity was developed as early as 1week post L3 infection and lasted up to 10weeks. Similar protective immunity was obtained in hamsters infected with N. americanus L3 and then treated orally with a single of 100mg/kg albendazole, followed by challenge with N. americanus L3 4 and 8weeks post-treatment. The infected hamsters exhibited a rise in IgG antibodies against L3 and juvenile adult worm antigens. Histological examination showed that challenging L3 were trapped in the skin of primarily infected hamsters and surrounded or infiltrated by different inflammatory cells. The trapped L3 were damaged and dead followed by the formation of granulomas encasing dead worms. The results demonstrate that hamsters primarily infected with N. americanus L3 develop acquired immunity against re-infection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health problem, and successful genetic manipulation of mycobacteria is crucial for developing new approaches to study the mechanism of pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) and to combat TB. In this study, a series of M.tb furA gene operator/promoter (pfurA) mutants were generated aiming at optimization of the promoter activities in mycobacterial strains. Measured by the lacZ gene-fusion reporter system, change of the initial codon GTG to the preferred ATG resulted in a double increase of β-galactosidase activity, while a 6-bp substitution in the conserved FurA binding AT-rich region upstream of furA gene led to 4-6 folds increase of the activity. It is significant that combination of both mutations showed about 10 folds of β-galactosidase activity higher than that of the prototype pfurA. Furthermore, all of the furA promoters were expressed continuously in vivo during intracellular growth of Mycobacterium bovis BCG, and were induced early upon infection in macrophages. Employing the series of pfurA-based differential expression vectors, M.tb chimeric antigen Ag856A2 known for its excellent immunogenicity, was shown to be expressed at different levels in the recombinant Mycobacterium smegmatis and BCG strains. These results indicated that this differential expression system is feasible to express any target antigen of interest in a modular fashion for the study of gene regulation in mycobacterial strains, and also for the development of different recombinant BCG vaccine candidates against TB or other infectious diseases, which would be beneficial for elicitation of optimal immune response. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To elucidate the endocrine regulation of vitellogenesis in an endoparastic wasp (Pteromalus puparum), the titers of ecdysteroid and juvenile hormone (JH) from the whole bodies are measured using the method of radioimmunoassay and GC–MS, and compared with the levels of vitellogenin (Vg) mRNA in the fat bodies, hemolymph Vg and ovarian vitellin (Vt), respectively. The results show that the ecdysteroid titer and fat body Vg mRNA level have a similar dynamics tendency, and the peak titer is at adult eclosion. The titer of JH III and ovarian Vt also have a similar dynamics tendency, and the peak titer is at 48h after eclosion. The profiles of hemolymph Vg, Vg mRNA in fat bodies and ovarian Vt, are also measured in the wasps after treated with different amounts of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20HE) or JH III in female pupa and adults. The results show that 20HE stimulates Vg synthesis in the fat bodies and its release into the hemolymph, and that JH III only accelerates Vg sequestration in the oocytes. Decapitation, which is believed to terminate synthesis of JH in insects, can not inhibit vitellogenesis and oocyte maturation in P. puparum. Furthermore, Vg gene is expressed with a lower titer of JH and depressed by a higher titer of JH III. These studies suggest that ecdysteroids play a role in Vg synthesis and believed to be the dominant hormones in regulation of vitellogenesis in P. puparum, and JHs are not the essential factors to female reproduction in this wasp. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) disease is a congenital abnormality that is associated with ascending aortic aneurysm yet many of the molecular mechanisms remain unknown. To identify novel molecular mechanisms of aneurysm formation we completed microarray analysis of the proximal (severely dilated) and distal (less dilated) regions of the ascending aorta from five patients with BAV. We identified 180 differentially expressed genes, 40 of which were validated by RT-qPCR. Most genes had roles in inflammation and endothelial cell function including cytokines and growth factors, cell surface receptors and the Activator Protein 1 (AP-1) transcription factor family (FOS, FOSB and JUN) which was chosen for further study. AP-1 was differentially expressed within paired BAV aneurysmal samples (n = 8) but not Marfan patients (n = 5). FOS protein was significantly enriched in BAV aortas compared to normal aortas but unexpectedly, ERK1/2 activity, an upstream regulator of FOS was reduced. ERK1/2 activity was restored when BAV smooth muscle cells were cultured in vitro. An mRNA-miRNA network within paired patient samples identified AP-1 as a central hub of miRNA regulation. FOS knockdown in BAV SMCs increased expression of miR-27a, a stretch responsive miRNA. AP-1 and miR-27a were also dysregulated in a mouse model of aortic constriction. In summary, this study identified a central role for AP-1 signaling in BAV aortic dilatation by using paired mRNA-miRNA patient sample. Upstream analysis of AP-1 regulation showed that the ERK1/2 signaling pathway is dysregulated and thus represents a novel chain of mediators of aortic dilatation in BAV which should be considered in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a complication of diabetes that is caused by uncontrolled high blood sugar. It has been reported that Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) possesses the ability to prevent kidney damage, although the mechanisms remain unclear. The study was to investigate whether and how SM improved DN injury via regulation of metabolome and the molecular mechanisms. In this study, SD rats were fed a high glucose / high fat diet accompanied by 0.5% glucose water. Three weeks later, the rats were given one intraperitoneal injection of 30 mg/kg STZ each day for three days for DN model. The biochemical indicators and metabolomics of plasma, urine and renal tissue were analyzed. Then the western blotting analysis of renal tissue and glomerular mesangial cells were investigated. The results showed that Salvia miltiorrhiza extracts improved the renal injury and regulation of abnormal glycolipid metabolism. The metabolites in serum, urine and renal tissues have been changed significantly. The involved metabolic pathways mainly include phospholipid, arachidonic acid, and pyrimidine metabolisms. Meanwhile, SM inhibited the relative expression levels of wnt4, β-catenin and TGF- β in renal tissue and high-glucose induced glomerular mesangial cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant gray mold disease caused by necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea , has been a serious threat to many important crops. It is urgent and necessary to seek an effective and environmentally friendly control strategy to control grey mold disease during the crop production. Moreover, it is also urgently needed to clear understand how the strategy works. To screening an efficient biocontrol agent in control of gray mold disease caused by B. cinerea , one hundred strains, which have the potential in controlling plant diseases, were selected from our laboratory’s strain library, and employed to our research. The results in the study indicated that Bacillus velezensis could act as a potential and efficient biocontrol agent (BCA), and two B. velezensis strains 5YN8 and DSN012 were screened out with high antagonistic and hydrolase activity, which could significantly control pepper gray mold disease and promote the pepper growth. Further deeply study on biocontrol mechanism indicated that B. velezensis could suppress the growth and spore formation of B. cinerea by secreting some secondary metabolites or releasing numbers of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In the other hand, we also found that B. velezensis could trigger plant basal immunity. The BCA could increase the expression of SA signal markers and plant defense related genes. It was able to induce hydrogen peroxide accumulation and plant related enzyme activities in leaves of pepper as well. This study provides another high-efficiency, and potential strategies for the biological control of gray mold disease. It is the first report of B. velezensis strain which can control gray mold disease, In addition, it is also the first to comprehensively illustrate how the strains can efficiently protect pepper from B. cinerea attacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When two parasitoids exploit a common host simultaneously, competitive interactions between them usually occur, and are more complex among host-killing species. Diglyphus isaea (Walker) and Neochrysocharis formosa (Westwood) are larval parasitoids of agromyzid leafminers. They have widespread distributions and share the same host resources when sympatric. In this study, interactions between these two parasitoids and different parasitoid release modes were investigated. Parasitoids were exposed to leaves infested with late second to early third instar Liriomyza sativae at two different host densities in Petri dishes. The total death rate of N. formosa released alone was density-dependent. And release modes also impacted the total death rate of parasitoids at a high host density. However, the oviposition number of D. isaea was significantly greater than that of N. formosa when they coexisted. In addition, host-feeding proportions were greatest among three host-killing behaviors: parasitism, host feeding and host stinging. These results contribute to a further understanding of parasitoids’ host-killing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum logic gates are essential in quantum information processing. Here, we propose three heralded schemes for universal quantum gates, including the controlled-NOT, Toffoli, and Fredkin gates on atomic systems, assisted by the scattering of photons off single emitters in one-dimensional waveguides. Interestingly, our schemes can turn faulty scattering processes of photons off atoms into the detection of the photon polarization. Furthermore, auxiliary atomic qubits are not needed and only one photon medium is adopted. With current technology, we discuss the feasibility of these universal quantum gates, concluding that they are feasible and scalable in solid-state quantum systems. We provide a different method for realizing universal quantum gates, and it may be useful in quantum information processing in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a heralded quantum repeater based on the scattering of photons off single emitters in one-dimensional waveguides. We show the details by implementing nonlocal entanglement generation, entanglement swapping, and entanglement purification modules with atoms in waveguides, and discuss the feasibility of the repeater with currently achievable technology. In our scheme, the faulty events can be discarded by detecting the polarization of the photons. That is, our protocols are accomplished with a fidelity of 100% in principle, which is advantageous for implementing realistic long-distance quantum communication. Moreover, additional atomic qubits are not required, but only a single-photon medium. Our scheme is scalable and attractive since it can be realized in solid-state quantum systems. With the great progress on controlling atom-waveguide systems, the repeater may be very useful in quantum information processing in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics play an important role in the treatment of leptospirosis. Many antibiotics at appropriate concentrations improved the survival rate and alleviated tissue injury, while, when dosing strategies fall below subtherapeutic levels, worse therapeutic effects are seen. In the present study, we investigated the efficacy of low-dose norfloxacin (10, 20 and 30 mg/kg) and ciprofloxacin (1, 2 and 5 mg/kg) against leptospirosis in a hamster model using Leptospira interrogans serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae. The histopathology and bacterial loads of target organs (liver, kidney and lung) were also studied by treatment with norfloxacin at the dose of 10 mg/kg in this model. Using RT-PCR, the expression of inflammatory factor IL-1β and TNF-α was analyzed by comparing the norfloxacin and untreated group. All untreated animals, serving as a negative control, displayed 50% survival rate, while hamsters treated with norfloxacin at the dose of 10 and 20 mg/kg and ciprofloxacin at the dose of 1 and 2 mg/kg showed a lower survival rate than the untreated group. Furthermore, norfloxacin at the dose of 10 mg/kg increased bacterial loads and aggravated tissue injury of target organs. The delayed induction of IL-1β and TNF-α was found in tissues of norfloxacin group. Our study indicates an increased risk associated with low-dose norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin in leptospirosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of colloidal delivery systems for the encapsulation, protection and increased bioavailability of bioactive ingredients has recently gained increasing interest. The aim of this work was to prepare corn protein hydrolysate-based vitamin D 3 (CPH-VD 3 ) nanocomplexes. UV and FT-IR spectra indicated the existence of non-covalent interactions (i.e. hydrogen bonding) between CPH and VD 3 . The result from X-ray diffraction further suggested the formation of amorphous structure of VD 3 after its complexation with CPH. Additionally, dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscope showed that the CPH-VD 3 complexes exhibited a spherical structure with a size scale from 102 to 121 nm. The encapsulation and loading efficiency of VD 3 could reach 97% and 9%, respectively. Furthermore, the complexation obviously avoided spontaneous particle aggregation of VD 3 against ionic strength ([NaCl] ≤ 200 mmol/L). The remaining ratio of the encapsulated VD 3 after exposure to high levels of UV light was as high as 72%. More importantly, in vitro bioaccessibility of VD 3 could be up to 95% for the complexes. This study demonstrated that CPH could serve as a novel nano-vehicle for VD 3 and it opens up the possibility of using CPH to construct the colloidal delivery system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work two new coordination polymers (CPs) with formulas [Zn 2 (Cl)(BTC)(bmb) 2 ] (1) and [Cd 2 (H 2 O) 2 (BTC) 2 ·H 2 bmb·6H 2 O] (2) (bmb=1,4-bis(2-methylimidazol-1-yl)butane and H 3 BTC ​= ​1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid), have been prepared and characterized by various spectroscopic data. The single crystal X-ray data suggests that 1 comprises a 2D layered network and 2 has a 3D porous framework with pcu -type topology. The photocatalytic properties revealed that 2 could successfully degrade organic dyes such as Rhodamine B (Rh B), methylene orange (MO), and methylene blue (MB). Further, the trapping experiment established the active species in the photodegradation process. [Display omitted] • Two new MOFs were synthesized using mixed strategy. • The two MOFs were modulated by synthesized temperature. • Photocatalytic capability was demonstrated for the MOFs. • The photodegradation process was estimated by trapping experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 29 HDAC6 inhibitors featuring Schisandrin C-analogous Cap were designed and synthesized. • SAR study identified compound 24h as the most attractive one throughout this series. • 24h exhibited single-digit nanomolar IC 50 against HDAC6, along with favorable selectivity over HDAC1, 8 and 11. • In A549 cells, 24h was capable of reversing IL-6-mediated PD-L1 upregulation. • 24h displayed acceptable oral bioavailability, high oral exposure, and long elimination half-life in SD rats. HDAC6 inhibitors (HDAC6is) represent an emerging therapeutic option for triggering anti-cancer immune response. In this work, a novel series of HDAC6is, derived from an in-house analog of the traditional Chinese medicine monomer Schisandrin C, were designed and synthesized for SAR study. Throughout the 29 target compounds, 24a , 24b and 24h exerted single-digit nanomolar enzymatic activity and remarkably elevated subtype selectivity compared to the clinically investigated HDAC6i Ricolinostat (Selectivity index = 3.3). In A549 tumor cells, 24h , as the representative in this series (IC 50 = 7.7 nM; selectivity index = 31.4), was capable of reversing IL-6-mediated PD-L1 upregulation, highlighting its immunomodulatory capability. Importantly, unlike numerous other hydroxamate-based HDACis, 24h displayed an acceptable oral bioavailability in Sprague-Dawley rats, along with high plasma exposure, long elimination half-life and slow clearance. With the aforementioned attractive performance, 24h deserves further in vivo investigation as an immunomodulatory therapeutic agent for batting human malignance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Mast cells (MCs) dynamically participate in wound healing after myocardial infarction (MI) by releasing cytokines. Indeed, MC-deficient mice undergo rapid left ventricular dilation post-MI. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are recruited to the injured region following an MI and have potential for cardiac repair. In the current study, we evaluate the effect of MCs on MSC proliferation and myogenic differentiation. Methods and results MCs were cultured from mouse bone marrow and MC granulate (MCG) was extracted from MCs via freeze-thaw cycles followed by filtration. α-SMA (smooth muscle actin) expression was examined as an indicator of myogenic differentiation. MSC/MC co-culture resulted in decreased MSC differentiation indicated by α-SMA suppression in MSCs. MCG also suppressed α-SMA expression and increased MSC migration and proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Removal of MCG rescued α-SMA expression and MSC differentiation. Platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor blockade using AG1296 also rescued MSC differentiation even after MCG treatment. Real-time PCR and Western blot showed that MCG exerted its effects on MSCs via downregulation of miR-145 and miR-143, downregulation of myocardin, upregulation of Klf4, and increased Erk and Elk1 phosphorylation. Conclusions MCs promote MSC proliferation and migration by suppressing their myogenic differentiation. MCs accomplish this via activation of the PDGF pathway, downregulation of miR-145/143, and modulation of the myocardin-Klf4 axis. These data suggest a potential role for MSC/MC interaction in the infarcted heart where MCs may inhibit MSCs from differentiation and promote their proliferation whereby increased cardiac MSC accumulation promotes eventual cardiac regeneration after MCs cease activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the stability and phase transition of localized modes in Bose–Einstein Condensates (BECs) in an optical lattice with the discrete nonlinear Schrödinger model by considering both two- and three-body interactions. We find that there are three types of localized modes, bright discrete breather (DB), discrete kink (DK), and multi-breather (MUB). Moreover, both two- and three-body on-site repulsive interactions can stabilize DB, while on-site attractive three-body interactions destabilize it. There is a critical value for the three-body interaction with which both DK and MUB become the most stable ones. We give analytically the energy thresholds for the destabilization of localized states and find that they are unstable (stable) when the total energy of the system is higher (lower) than the thresholds. The stability and dynamics characters of DB and MUB are general for extended lattice systems. Our result is useful for the blocking, filtering, and transfer of the norm in nonlinear lattices for BECs with both two- and three-body interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] China has the largest area in the world under greenhouse vegetable. [•] Whiteflies, aphids, spider mites and thrips cause 18% production loss. [•] 14 Natural enemies used against 8 pests in 8 crops between 1988 and 2007. [•] More than 40 species of predators and parasitoids have been applied in greenhouse. [•] The importance of using native species rather than non-native agents is increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Of the 420 bacterial strains isolated from rhizosphere soil and the plant surface as well as the stem, leaf, and root tissue of ginger, 85 were selected for amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) fingerprint analysis based on their antagonistic activity in vitro against Ralstonia solanacearum and on their ability to produce certain enzymes and metabolites. Of these 85, 19 antagonists from different clusters were assessed for their antagonism in greenhouse against Ralstonia wilt of ginger and biocontrol efficacies of these strains were 26.09–69.17%. In order to find out the relationship between potential and practical biocontrol ability we established an assessment system that evaluated their in vitro activity. The correlation coefficient between the assessments in vitro and biocontrol efficacies was 0.87, which indicates that this selection strategy can be used in screening biocontrol agents against plant diseases. In the greenhouse, the following strains showed biocontrol efficacies greater than 50%: Bacillus subtilis strain 1JN2, Myroides odoratimimus 3YW8, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens 5YN8, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia 2JW6. This is the first report of using Myroides sp. and Stenotrophomonas sp. as biocontrol agents against ginger wilt caused by R. solanacearum, and these strains show promise as commercial biocontrol agents. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A series of lanthanide-organic complexes based on polyoxometalates (POMs) [Ln2(DNBA)4(DMF)8][W6O19] (Ln=La(1), Ce(2), Sm(3), Eu(4), Gd(5); DNBA=3,5-dinitrobenzoate; DMF=N,N-dimethylformamide) has been synthesized. These complexes consist of [W6O19]2− and dimeric [Ln2(DNBA)4(DMF)8]2+ cations. The luminescence properties of 4 are measured in solid state and different solutions, respectively. Notably, the emission intensity increases gradually with the increase of solvent permittivity, and this solvent effect can be directly observed by electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The analyses of ESI-MS show that the eight coordinated solvent DMF units of dimeric cation are active. They can move away from dimeric cations and exchange with solvent molecules. Although the POM anions escape from 3D supramolecular network, the dimeric state structure of [Ln2(DNBA)4]2+ remains unchanged in solution. The conservation of red luminescence is attributed to the maintenance of the aggregated state structures of dimeric cations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Previous studies have demonstrated that newborn striatal neurons can functionally integrate with local neural networks in adult rat brain after injury. In the present study, we determined whether these newly generated striatal neurons can develop projections to the substantia nigra, a target of striatal projection neurons. We used 5′-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and a retroviral vector expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) combined with multiple immunostaining labels of newborn striatal neurons, and nigral microinjection of fluorogold (FG) to trace the striatonigral projection in adult rat brain at different weeks following a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). We found that FG positive (FG+) cells could be detected in newly generated neurons (BrdU+-NeuN+ and GFP+-NeuN+) in ipsilateral striatum clearly at 12, but not 2weeks after MCAO. The data suggest that ischemia-induced newborn striatal projection neurons could form long axons that targeted the substantia nigra (striatonigral projection pathway) and that have intact axonal transport from the nerve terminal to cell body. These new striatal neurons express glutamate NR2 and dopamine D2L receptors, which form the molecular basis for responding to the inputs from cortical glutamatergic and nigral dopaminergic projection neurons. Our data provide the first morphological evidence that newborn neurons in the striatum, a non-neurogenic region, can establish new striatonigral neural circuits, important pathways for the maintenance of motor function. These results help us to understand endogenous cellular mechanisms of brain repair, and suggest that increasing adult neurogenesis could be a practical strategy for enhancing the efficacy of rehabilitative therapy in stroke patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The functionalization of porous metal–organic frameworks (Cu3(BTC)2) was achieved by incorporating Keggin-type polyoxometalates (POMs), and further optimized via alkali metal ion-exchange. In addition to thermal gravimetric analysis, IR, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and powder X-ray diffraction, the adsorption properties were characterized by N2 and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) adsorption measurements, including short-chain alcohols (C<4), cyclohexane, benzene, and toluene. The adsorption enthalpies estimated by the modified Clausius–Clapeyron equation provided insight into the impact of POMs and alkali metal cations on the adsorption of VOCs. The introduction of POMs not only improved the stability, but also brought the increase of adsorption capacity by strengthening the interaction with gas molecules. Furthermore, the exchanged alkali metal cations acted as active sites to interact with adsorbates and enhanced the adsorption of VOCs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Angiostrongylus cantonensis causes eosinophilic meningitis and eosinophilic pleocytosis in humans and is of significant socio-economic importance globally. microRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small non-coding RNAs that play crucial roles in gene expression regulation, cellular function and defense, homeostasis and pathogenesis. They have been identified in a diverse range of organisms. The objective of this study was to determine and characterize miRNAs of female and male adults of A. cantonensis by Solexa deep sequencing. A total of 8861,260 and 10,957,957 high quality reads with 20 and 23 conserved miRNAs were obtained in females and males, respectively. No new miRNA sequence was found. Nucleotide bias analysis showed that uracil was the prominent nucleotide, particularly at positions of 1, 10, 14, 17 and 22, approximately at the beginning, middle and the end of the conserved miRNAs. To our knowledge, this is the first report of miRNA profiles in A. cantonensis, which may represent a new platform for studying regulation of genes and their networks in A. cantonensis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Reactions of different metal salts with 3-pyridin-4-yl-benzoic acid (3,4-Hpybz) under ambient condition afford a series of 3-D metal-organic frameworks with two new types of (3,6)-connected net topologies. In the isomorphic complexes [M 2(μ-H2O)(3,4-pybz)4] n (M II=MnII for 1, ZnII for 2, or CdII for 3), the octahedral metal nodes are extended by the 3-connected pybz tectons to constitute 3-D arrays with the Schläfli symbol of (3.4.5)(32.44.55.62.72), whereas [Pb(3,4-pybz)2] n (4) shows a completely different 3-D (42.6)2(44.62.89) framework, which represents a subnet of the (4,8)-connected fluorite lattice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Temperature-related sequence 4 (Trs4) has been identified as a testis-specific gene with expression sensitive to the abdominal temperature changes induced by artificial cryptorchidism. In murine testes, Trs4 mRNA was detected in round spermatids and its protein was localized mainly in the elongating spermatids as well as in the acrosomes and tails of mature spermatozoa. Using a yeast two-hybrid screening system, we identified Rshl-2, Gstmu1, and Ddc8 as putative binding partners of the Trs4 protein in mouse testes. Their interactions were confirmed by in vivo and in vitro binding assays. Further studies demonstrated that Ddc8, a newly identified gene with unknown functions, displayed a similar expression pattern with Trs4 in mouse testes. In particular, Trs4, Ddc8, and Rshl-2 proteins were co-localized to the tails of mature spermatozoa. These results suggested that Trs4 might be involved in diverse processes of spermiogenesis and/or fertilization through interactions with its multiple binding partners. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We have demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing the survival gene Akt can confer paracrine protection to ischemic myocytes both in vivo and in vitro through the release of secreted frizzled related protein 2 (Sfrp2). However, the mechanisms mediating these effects of Sfrp2 have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we studied rat cardiomyoblasts subjected to hypoxia reoxygenation (HR) injury to test the hypothesis that Sfrp2 exerts anti-apoptotic effect by antagonizing pro-apoptotic properties of specific Wnt ligands. We examined the effect of Wnt3a and Sfrp2 on HR-induced apoptosis. Wnt3a significantly increased cellular caspase activities and TUNEL staining in response to HR. Sfrp2 attenuated significantly Wnt3a-induced caspase activities in a concentration dependent fashion. Using a solid phase binding assay, our data demonstrates that Sfrp2 physically binds to Wnt3a. In addition, we observed that Sfrp2 dramatically inhibits the beta-catenin/TCF transcriptional activities induced by Wnt3a. Impressively, Dickkopf-1, a protein that binds to the Wnt coreceptor LRP, significantly inhibited the Wnt3a-activated caspase and transcriptional activities. Similarly, siRNA against beta-catenin markedly inhibited the Wnt3a-activated caspase activities. Consistent with this, significantly fewer TUNEL positive cells were observed in siRNA transfected cells than in control cells. Together, our data provide strong evidence to support the notion that Wnt3a is a canonical Wnt with pro-apoptotic action whose cellular activity is prevented by Sfrp2 through, at least in part, the direct binding of these molecules. These results can explain the in vivo protective effect of Sfrp2 and highlight its therapeutic potential for the ischemic heart. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) of tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum, causes a considerable amount of damage to tomato in Southern China. Biological control is one of the more promising approaches to reduce the disease incidence and yield losses caused by this disease. Based on antagonistic activity against R. solanacearum and three soil-borne fungal pathogens as well as biocontrol efficacy in the greenhouse, two bacterial strains Xa6 (Acinetobacter sp.) and Xy3 (Enterobacter sp.) were selected out of fourteen candidates as potential biocontrol agents. In order to find a suitable antagonist inoculation method, we compared the methods of root-dipping with soil-drenching in the aspects including rhizocompetence, biocontrol efficacy, and effect of promoting plant growth under greenhouse conditions. The drenching treatment resulted in a higher biocontrol efficacy and plant-yield increase, and this method was also easier to operate in the field on a large scale. Field trials were conducted for further evaluation of these two antagonistic strains. In both greenhouse and field experiments, the strain Xy3 had a better control effect against bacterial wilt than Xa6 did, while Xa6 caused higher biomass or yield increases. As recorded on the 75th day after treatment in two field experiments, biocontrol efficacy of Xy3 was about 65% in both field trials, and the yield increases caused by Xa6 were 32.4 and 40.7%, respectively, in the two trials. This is the first report of an Acinetobacter sp. strain used as a BCA against Ralstonia wilt of tomato. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]