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Semi‐arid alpine ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau are experiencing rapid climate change and extensive anthropogenic activity, concomitant with the encroachment of shrubs. Shrub encroachment will lead to changes in both the ecosystem structure and functioning of the semi‐arid alpine steppes. Yet, the encroaching impacts of shrubs on the above‐ and belowground ecosystem functioning of the semi‐arid alpine steppes remain uncertain. To quantify shrub encroachment impacts on ecosystem functioning of the semi‐arid alpine steppes, two alpine steppe sites encroached by shrub species are investigated, with one site encroached by leguminous shrub species (Caragana spinifera) and another site encroached by non‐leguminous shrub species (Dasiphora fruticosa). Results shows that the individual ecosystem functions and the ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) of alpine steppes are significantly enhanced following both leguminous and non‐leguminous shrubs encroachment. We conclude that shrub encroachment tends to facilitate the belowground EMF (BEMF) but has neutral effects on the aboveground EMF (AEMF) in alpine steppes. Our findings also highlight that soil nutrients play critical roles in driving ecosystem functioning responses to shrubs encroachment. These findings further our understanding of shrub encroachment impacts on the ecosystem functioning of the semi‐arid alpine steppes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excellent flame resistance is supposed to be taken into consideration for electronic packaging materials due to the spontaneous combustion of short circuits, except for good mechanical and dielectric properties. Herein, a hyperbranched polyborosiloxane (HPSiB) flame retardant was synthesized via a simple one‐pot transesterification as a multifunctional additive for cyanate ester (CE) resin. The HPSiB with many active terminals features good compatibility with the resin matrix, while catalyzing the curing reaction that conducts at a lower temperature. With as little as 2 wt% HPSiB incorporated, the HPSiB/bisphenol A cyanate ester (BADCy) resin achieves a UL‐94 V0 rating and 32.4% LOI value, and its peak heat release and total smoke production are simultaneously reduced. Its flexural strength and impact strength were significantly enhanced by 30.0% and 85.4%. Besides, the minimum values of dielectric constant and loss can reach 2.77 and 0.0024 at 10 GHz, which are, respectively, reduced by 7.9% and 88.5%. The integration of unique hyperbranched SiOB backbone of HPSiB with CE crosslinked network was responsible for the enhanced overall performance. This work paves a facile strategy to develop multifunctional flame retardant as a promising candidate for the high‐performance electronic packaging materials. Highlights: A novel hyperbranched polyborosiloxane flame retardant was synthesized.HPSiB shows good compatibility and catalyzes the curing reaction of CE resin.HPSiB/CE resin with significantly enhanced flame retardancy was obtained.Simultaneously high toughness and low dielectric loss were achieved.Hyperbranched structure containing SiOB chains led to the great enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish dietary niche is a core focus, and it reflects the diversity of resources, habitats, or environments occupied by a species. However, whether geographic segregation among different populations triggers dietary diversification and concomitant fish niche shift remains unknown. In the present study, we selected the Black Amur bream (Megalobrama terminalis) is a migratory fish species that plays an important role in the material transfer and energy cycling of river ecosystems, inhabiting southern China drainage with multiple geographic populations. Here, we utilized the combined analyses of 18S rDNA high‐throughput sequencing in fish gut contents and fatty acid (FA) in muscle tissues to evaluate potential spatial patterns of habitat and resource use for M. terminalis in three rivers of southern China. Our results showed that prey items of the Xijiang (XR) population (Pearl River) exhibited the highest species diversity and richness among the three geographic populations. Moreover, diet composition of M. terminalis was affected by spatial differences associated with geographic segregation. Analyses of FA biomarkers indicated that the highest levels of C16:0, C18:3n‐3, and C18:2n‐6c were found in Wanquan (WS) population (Wanquan River). The XR population exhibited a distinct FA profile characterized by higher amounts of arachidonic acid (ARA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The Moyang (MY) population (Moyang River) acted as the linkage between WS and XR populations and consisted of middle levels of saturated FAs (SFAs) and polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs). The XR population displayed a greater FA niche width compared with WS population. Furthermore, we observed a close positive relationship between the niche width and α‐diversity indices of dietary resources for FA proflies. Our study provides valued information to develop different conservation strategies among different populations and improve fisheries management for M. terminalis and other endemic species in local rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keloid are a fibroproliferative disorder caused by abnormal healing of skin, specifically reticular dermis, when subjected to pathological or inflammatory scars demonstrating redness, elevation above the skin surface, extension beyond the original wound margins and resulting in an unappealing cosmetic appearance. The severity of keloids and risk of developing keloids scars are subjected to elevation by other contributing factors such as systemic diseases, general health conditions, genetic disorders, lifestyle and natural environment. In particular, recently, daily physical work interpreted into mechanical force as well as the interplay between mechanical factors such as stress, strain and stiffness have been reported to strongly modulate the cellular behaviour of keloid formation, affect their location and shape in keloids. Herein, we review the extensive literature on the effects of these factors on keloids and the contributing predisposing mechanisms. Early understanding of these participating factors and their effects in developing keloids may raise the patient awareness in preventing keloids incidence and controlling its severity. Moreover, further studies into their association with keloids as well as considering strategies to control such factors may help clinicians to prevent keloids and widen the therapeutic options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymers play a crucial role in promoting the progress of high‐performance inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, few polymers have simultaneously achieved defect passivation and device encapsulation in PSCs. Herein, a telechelic silicone polymer (poly(dimethylsiloxane‐co‐methylsiloxane acrylate) [PDMA]) is introduced, which possesses crosslinking capability to enable structure regulation through a condensation reaction. By leveraging the advantages of the polymers before and after crosslinking, a synergistic strategy of defect healing and device encapsulation for PSCs is developed via the application of the targeted polymer. PDMA as additives anchors tightly at the grain boundaries (GBs) and bridges the perovskite grains, achieving defect passivation and GBs crosslinking, increasing the efficiency of inverted PSCs from 22.32% to 24.41%. Crosslinked PDMA (CPDMA) is used as an encapsulant to encapsulate the entire device, enabling non‐destructive encapsulation at room temperature and inhibiting perovskite degradation under photothermal aging. Remarkably, the PDMA‐modified device with CPDMA encapsulation maintains 98% of its initial efficiency after 1200 h under continuous illumination at 55 ± 5 °C and retains 95% of its original efficiency after 1000 h of damp heat testing, meeting one of the IEC61215:2016 standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An oxidant‐free photocatalytic [2+2+m] cyclization of 2‐cyanoaryl acrylamides with 2‐bromocarbonyls is reported, enabling the assembly of biologically important N‐heterocycle‐fused quinolinones including benzo[1,6]naphthyridinones and pyrrolo[3,2‐c]‐quinolines. This photocatalytic protocol proceeds through a radical relay pathway including alkene difunctionalization along with an intramolecular cyano insertion and subsequent site‐specific functionalization of inert C(sp3)−H bond enabled by cyano‐derived iminyl radical‐mediated 1,n‐hydrogen atom transfer. Notably, this transformation selectively formed two distinct C−C bonds, one C−N bond, and one quaternary carbon center in a one‐pot procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ocean circulation is modulated by meandering currents and eddies. Forecasting their evolution is a key target of operational models, but their forecast skill remains limited. We propose a machine learning approach that improves the output of an ocean circulation model by learning and predicting its systematic biases. This method can be applied a priori to any region, and is tested in the Gulf of Mexico, where the Loop Current (LC) and the large anticyclonic eddies that detach from it are major forecasting targets. The LC dynamics are recurrent and lie on a low‐dimensional dynamical attractor. Building upon the information gained analyzing this low dimensional attractor, we improve the representation of sea surface anomalies in model outputs through information from satellite altimeter data using a Sequence‐to‐Sequence model, which is a special class of Recurrent Neural Network. Building upon the HYCOM‐NCODA analysis system, we deliver a correction to the forecast at the observation resolution. For at least 15 days the proposed method learns to forecast the systematic bias in the HYCOM‐NCODA, outperforming persistence, and improving the forecast. This data‐driven approach is fast and can be implemented as an added step to any dynamical hindcasting or forecasting model. It offers an interesting avenue for further developing hybrid modeling tools. In these tools, fundamental physical conservations are preserved through the integration of partial differential equations which obey them. In addition, the method highlights specific deficiencies of the hindcast system that deserve further investigation in the future. Plain Language Summary: Predicting the evolution of ocean circulation using a physically constrained models is critical for weather forecasting and for quantifying nutrient transport and water mass exchanges, but models are far from perfect. We propose a generalized data‐driven method to improve a circulation model performance by identifying and predicting its systematic biases, and we test it in the Gulf of Mexico. We use a recurrent neural network to improve and predict the evolution of sea surface anomalies over 7–15 days using information obtained from satellite altimetry data. The results show that our proposed data‐driven method is fast and accurate and can be easily implemented as an additional step to other dynamic models, providing an interesting avenue for further development of hybrid forecasting tools. Key Points: Machine learning tools are used to improve model predictive skill using observationally based data setsOur method has great potential to extend the current prediction length from about 7 days to 11–15 days without significantly compromising accuracy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adequate distribution of mineral sulphur (S) nutrition to nodules mediated by sulphate transporters is crucial for nitrogen fixation in symbiosis establishment process. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain largely unknown. In this study, we characterized the function of Early Senescent Nodule 2 (MtESN2), a gene crucial to nitrogen fixation in Medicago truncatula. Mutations in MtESN2 resulted in severe developmental and functional defects including dwarf shoots, early senescent nodules, and lower nitrogenase activity under symbiotic conditions compared to wild‐type plants. MtESN2 encodes an M. truncatula sulphate transporter that is expressed only in roots and nodules, with the highest expression levels in the transition zone and nitrogen‐fixing zone of nodules. MtESN2 exhibited sulphate transport activity when expressed in yeast. Immunolocalization analysis showed that MtESN2‐yellow fluorescent protein fusion protein was localized to the plasma membranes of both uninfected and infected cells of nodules, where it might transport sulphate into both rhizobia‐infected and uninfected cells within the nodules. Our results reveal an unreported sulphate transporter that contributes to effective symbiosis and prevents nodule early senescence in M. truncatula. Summary statement: In the present study, we performed detailed phenotypic studies of loss‐of‐function mutants and functional characterization of MtESN2 and found that MtESN2 is a sulphate transporter localized on the plasma membrane of infected and uninfected nodule cells with an important role in nitrogen fixation. Our findings have expanded knowledge of an indispensable role of the subgroup II sulphate transporter MtESN2 in legume‐rhizobial symbiosis and nodule senescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A meta‐analysis investigation to measure the connotation between perioperative glycemic control (GC) approach and sternal wound infection (SWI) in individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) experiencing cardiac surgery (CS). A comprehensive literature inspection till February 2023 was applied and 2654 interrelated investigations were reviewed. The 12 chosen investigations enclosed 1564 individuals with DM and CS in the chosen investigations' starting point, 790 of them were using strict GC, and 774 were using moderate GC. Odds ratio (OR) in addition to 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to compute the value of the Connotation between the perioperative GC approach and SWI in individuals with DM experiencing CS by the dichotomous and continuous approaches and a fixed or random model. Strict GC had significantly lower SWI (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, −0.22–0.50, P <.001) compared with those with moderate GC in individuals with DM and CS. Strict GC had significantly lower SWI compared with those with moderate GC in individuals with DM and CS. However, caused of the small sample sizes of several chosen investigations for this meta‐analysis, care must be exercised when dealing with its values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MnSe and Co0.85Se embedded in nitrogen‐doped carbon nanofibers (MnSe/Co0.85Se/N‐CNFs) were synthesized by electrospinning and high‐temperature calcination, and evaluated for the first time as sodium/potassium‐ion battery anode material via constant current charge/discharge, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.Ex‐situ XRD revealed the potassium storage mechanism of MnSe/Co0.85Se/N‐CNFs, indicating that its capacity was mainly provided by the conversion reaction. Compared with MnSe/N‐CNFs and Co0.85Se/N‐CNFs, the reversible capacity and cycling performance of MnSe/Co0.85Se/N‐CNFs were significantly improved due to the synergistic effect of bimetals. The MnSe/Co0.85Se/N‐CNFs electrode showed a charging capacity of 262.3 mAh g−1 after 700 cycles at 1 A g−1 in Na‐ion batteries and a discharge capacity of 183.4 mAh g−1 after 400 cycles at 0.1 A g−1 in K‐ion batteries, The results showed that binder‐free binary metal MnSe/Co0.85Se/N‐CNFs have a certain development prospect as anode for sodium/potassium‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Defined as a contour line from the hairline, the zygomatic arch, to the ramus and gonial angle area of the mandible, posterior facial frame (PFF) is an important aesthetic units of the face. With the development of hyaluronic acid fillers and the improvement of injection techniques, minimally invasive injection has become one of the first options to improve PFF. However, effective and systematic injection methods to improve PFF are rarely reported in the literature. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 200 patients treated with area four technique for PFF. According to the clinical manifestations, PFF was divided into four types, and the injection strategies of the different types were described. GAIS (Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale) at 1 month and 3 months by patients after treatment was evaluated as primary end point. Nine‐item aesthetic assessment scores reviewed by two independent observers with experience were performed. Results: GAIS showed that patients' profile was remarkably improved for 90% of total number of subjects. Before and 3 months after treatment, the assessed scores of the lateral cheek lifting (3.17 ± 0.21 vs. 2.56 ± 0.31) and PFF (3.78 ± 0.56 vs. 2.19 ± 0.48) were statistically significant reduced (p < 0.01). The jawline contouring scale (2.32 ± 0.45 vs. 1.23 ± 0.31) and the lateral cheek fullness scale (3.01 ± 0.23 vs. 2.09 ± 0.17) showed a statistically moderate decrease (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Area four technique provides a safe and convenient method for classifying and treating patients with insufficent PFF, which makes up for the multisite systematic injection of the face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speciation is a central topic in evolutionary biology. However, how genomic divergence originates and accumulates in the face of gene flow during ecological adaptation remains poorly understood. Closely related species that have adapted to distinct environments but inhabit some overlapping ranges provide an ideal system to evaluate this issue. Here, we combine population genomics and species distribution models (SDMs) to examine genomic divergences between two sister plant species, Medicago ruthenica and M. archiducis‐nicolai, that occur in northern China and the northeast Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, respectively, with overlapping distributions in the border of the two regions. M. ruthenica and M. archiducis‐nicolai are well‐delimited based on population genomic data, although hybrids exist in sympatric sampling locations. Coalescent simulations and SDMs suggest that the two species diverged from each other in the Quaternary but have been in continuous contact with gene flow occurring between the two species since then. We also discovered positive selection signatures associated with genes both outside and within genomic islands in both species that are probably involved in adaptations to arid and high‐altitude environments. Our findings provide insights into how natural selection and climatic changes in the Quaternary initiated and maintained interspecific divergence of these two sister species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural bear bile powder (NBBP), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been clinically used to treat liver dysfunction, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Recently it has been proved that NBBP has a good effect on regulating lipid disorders. However, the active ingredients and the anti‐hyperlipidemic effects are unclear. The high‐fat diet (HFD) induced hyperlipidemic model rats were treated with NBBP for 4 weeks and were examined for, lipid profile, liver function parameters, hepatic antioxidant status and histopathology of liver, epididymal adipose tissues. The NBBP treatment effectively improved serum lipid levels and normalized antioxidant status. A total of 16 constituents of NBBP were charactered via UHPLC‐Q‐TOF‐HRMS. We screened eight potentially active compounds and corresponded to 75 anti‐hyperlipidemic target proteins. PPI analysis showed that ALB, TNF, EGFE, PPARG, and PPARA are core proteins. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that NBBP might treat hyperlipidemia (HLP) by regulating a series of signaling pathways involving immune system, inflammatory response, and metabolism. Molecular docking revealed that gene had high affinities to NBBP compounds. In conclusion, UHPLC‐Q‐TOF‐HRMS analysis, network pharmacology, and in vivo experiments in this study provided essential references for revealing the potential mechanism of NBBP in the prevention and treatment of HLP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desertification in alpine grasslands is exacerbated by rapid climate change and intensive anthropogenic activity, which will substantially threaten the structure and function of alpine grassland ecosystems. Artificial reseeding was a widely used strategy for the restoration of alpine sandy grasslands. However, it is still unclear whether reseeding restoration can improve multiple ecosystem functions of sandy meadows. To narrow these knowledge gaps, we evaluated the changes in plant communities, soil conditions, and ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) across native meadow, sandy meadow, and restored meadow on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, and further identified the links between individual and multiple ecosystem functions. Artificial reseeding had contributed to the promotion of plant diversity, productivity, soil fertility, and soil carbon and nitrogen sequestrations. However, the recovery levels of plant diversity, productivity, and soil fertility in the restored meadow were still far lower than that in the native meadow. The results revealed that the EMF index of the restored meadow increased greatly compared with the sandy meadow, but it did not recover to that of the native meadow level. In addition, short‐term reseeding improved the aboveground EMF index more than the belowground EMF index. The EMF indexes and most individual ecosystem functions showed positive correlations with plant diversity and productivity. These findings indicated an important role of artificial reseeding in the restoration of ecosystem functions in the alpine sandy meadow, and it had critical implications for the regional ecological security and sustainable development of alpine grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic semiconductor nanocrystals are important building blocks for miniaturized room‐temperature optoelectronic and excitonic devices, benefitting from their large oscillator strength, high quantum yield, and large exciton binding energy. Specifically, 1D organic semiconductor nanowires have been widely studied with promising applications such as nanoscale light sources and optical waveguides. Although both amplified spontaneous emission and lasing have been well demonstrated in organic semiconductor nanowires under pulsed laser excitation, amplification of guided photons during propagation along the nanowire has been rarely investigated. Here, a highly polarized luminescent organic semiconductor nanowire with self‐amplified photon guiding capability under continuous‐wave laser excitation is reported. The nanowire waveguide itself functions as a gain medium to provide optical gain during its photoluminescence propagation, with the value of gain depending on temperature and excitation laser power. This research reveals the optical gain effect in the organic semiconductor waveguide system, which paves the way for on‐chip energy‐efficient photonic communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the uniformity of one‐pixel width and continuity of the thinned edges, this paper proposes an edge thinning algorithm acting on grey‐scale edge images based on 24 self‐defined single‐pixel connection patterns. First, for binary or blurred grey‐scale gradient edge images, a distance–greyscale coupling algorithm is proposed to achieve gradient enhancement in the edge width direction. Then the elimination rules of noise points and gradient calculation method are given. Secondly, the marking rules of the first three pixels of each edge are given. The next pixel to be marked must meet that the new last three pixels belong to the 24 connection modes. Whether the qualified pixels are retained depends on its grey value and the local edge gradient. The algorithm is tested on four types of images. The results show that the proposed method can guarantee uniform, smooth, and connected one‐pixel‐wide lines that lie at the centre of the initial edges. The algorithm and the existing algorithms are performed on portrait image and four scenarios of the indoor datasets. Five evaluation indicators are statistically analyzed to prove the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Speciation among populations connected by gene flow is driven by adaptation to different environments, but underlying gene–environment associations remain largely unknown. Here, 162 individuals from 32 populations were sampled to obtain 191,648 independent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the genomes of two closely related spruce species, Picea asperata and Picea crassifolia, which occur on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and in surrounding regions. Using the SNP data set, genotype–environment associations and demographic modelling were used to examine local adaptation and genetic divergence between these two species. While morphologically similar, the two Picea species were genetically differentiated in multiple analyses. These species diverged despite continuous gene flow, and their initial divergence was dated back to the late Quaternary. The effective population sizes of both species have expanded since their divergence, as confirmed by niche distribution simulations. A total of 6365 genes were associated with the tested environmental variables; of these, 41 were positively selected in P. asperata and were mainly associated with temperature, while 83 were positively selected in P. crassifolia and were primarily associated with precipitation. These results deepen our understanding of the adaptive divergence and demographic histories of these two spruce species and highlight the importance of genomic data in deciphering the environmental selection underlying Quaternary interspecific divergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been used for women with infertility. However, the efficacy of CBT among the infertile female population remains inconclusive. We performed a systematic literature search using the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE (OVID), EMBASE (OVID), CINAHL, PsycINFO (OVID), Web of Science, and ProQuest databases from the inception to May 2022. The Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. Revman 5.4 was conducted for statistical analysis, and meta‐analyses were performed to calculate the pooled effects of CBT. Sixteen articles were finally included in the meta‐analysis. The results of the meta‐analysis revealed large, significant effects of cognitive‐behavioural interventions that can effectively reduce depression, anxiety symptoms, psychological distress, perceived stress, infertility‐specific stress, and improve the quality of life in women with infertility. However, the pooled MD using a fixed‐effects model was 0.25, 95% CI [−0.33, 0.84], P = 0.40, and no significant differences in BMI were observed among those who received CBT therapy compared with those who did not. CBT effectively alleviates depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and infertility‐specific stress levels and improves the quality of life among women with infertility. Future studies should explore the sustainability and long‐term effect of cognitive‐behavioural interventions in women with infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains one of the most lethal human malignancies worldwide. Due to the insidious onset and the rapid progression, most patients with PC are diagnosed at an advanced stage rendering them inoperable. Despite the development of multiple promising chemotherapeutic agents as recommended first-line treatment for PC, the therapeutic efficacy is largely limited by unwanted drug resistance. Recent studies have identified exosomes as essential mediators of intercellular communications during the occurrence of drug resistance. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms and complex signaling pathways of exosome- mediated drug resistance will contribute to the improvement of the design of new oncologic therapy regimens. This review focuses on the intrinsic connections between the chemoresistance of PC cells and exosomes in the tumor microenvironment (TME). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many clonally propagated species, the accumulation of somatic mutations is the principal driver of declines in yield and quality. However, somatic mutations may also promote genetic diversification. Thus, elucidating somatic mutation rates and patterns is important to understand the genetic basis undergirding the emergence of commercially valuable traits and developmental processes. In this study, we studied the effect of short‐time clonal domestication of Populus alba var. pyramidalis, a species that has been propagated by cutting for the last 67 years. We found that: (1) the somatic mutation rate for P. alba var. pyramidalis is 9.24 × 10−9, which is higher than rates observed in related species; (2) there were more mutations near heterozygous regions, and a larger proportion of CpG and CHG sites were associated with somatic mutations, which may be related to the blocking of DNA repair by methylation; and (3) deleterious mutations were not shared by multiple individuals, and all occurred in heterozygous states, demonstrating the strong selective pressures that act against deleterious mutations. Taken together, the results of our study provide a global view of somatic mutation that will aid efforts to understand the genetic basis of commercially valuable traits and to improve clonally breeding species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in species number from poles to the equator is one of the most fundamental patterns in ecology. Although several hypotheses have been proposed, there is a lack of consensus on the mechanisms underlying this pattern. While most hypotheses provide plausible explanation for high tropical diversity of tropical clades, it is unclear if similar mechanisms drive the diversity of extra‐tropical clades. Here, we investigated the environmental drivers influencing the diversity pattern of a Mediterranean plant genus Medicago and dissect their effects across continents and biomes. We compiled a comprehensive dataset on the distribution of all Medicago species and mapped their distribution at the spatial resolution of 100 × 100 km2. We used generalized linear models to quantify the relative effects of environmental factors on the richness patterns of Medicago and its two life forms. Next, using geographically weighted regression, we explored the variation in richness–environment relationship across latitude. We found that Quaternary climate change and environmental energy were important explanatory variables, and their effects were consistent at global, continental and biome scales. However, we found contrasting effect of environmental energy in temperate and tropical regions, with species richness increasing with energy in the temperate and decreasing in the tropics. We also found strong affinity of Medicago species to its ancestral Mediterranean climatic niche. Our results suggest that the spatial variation in Medicago richness patterns may be strongly influenced by heat tolerance as opposed to the tropical clades that depend upon cold tolerance. This dependency on heat tolerance can be attributed to strong niche conservatism exhibited by Medicago species. Our findings provide new insights into the richness‐energy hypothesis and suggest that high environmental energy may not necessarily yield high species diversity but may also lower species diversity, especially of extra‐tropical clades towards the tropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential predictability of fields at the ocean surface in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is investigated through five ensembles of regional ocean simulations between 2014 and 2016. The ensembles explore two horizontal resolutions and different representations of the riverine inflow, and focus on the interactions between the Loop Current system (LCS) and the riverine system. The potential predictability of the surface fields is high when simulated by an ocean‐only model forced by appropriate atmospheric forcing and boundary conditions, and the ensembles simulate similar LCS behavior up to 5 months. The ensemble spread provides a mean to quantify the potential predictability. The ensembles confirm that LCS‐riverine interactions are modulated by the LC mesoscale variability. The relationship is two‐ways, with the LCS being influenced by—And not only influencing—The freshwater plume. Whenever the freshwater flux is strong, the northward extension of the LCS is constrained by the intensified salinity fronts. This influence is slightly stronger if the riverine inflow is simulated in an active fashion with a meridional velocity component proportional to the flux. Sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity (SSS) predictability have opposite seasonality in their signal, with the SST (SSS) being more predictable in summer (winter). Partially resolving submesoscale instabilities and improving the realism of the riverine fluxes' representation causes the spread to increase, especially in SST. When increasing resolution, the spread increases also for surface vorticity due to feedbacks between the mesoscale and submesoscale circulations. The intraseasonal and interannual signal in vorticity is however similar among ensembles. Plain Language Summary: In this work we ask the questions: How predictable may be the circulation and the sea surface fields in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM), and what is the role of the riverine input? Under the assumption of a nearly perfect model and known atmospheric forcing and oceanic boundary fields, we simulate the GoM circulation through five groups of simulations with similar set‐ups (ensembles) which members differ only in their initial conditions. Each ensemble spans 32 months and we explore two horizontal resolutions and different representations of the riverine inflow. The predictability of the main current in the GoM, the so‐called Loop Current, is high under the conditions of our simulations. The northward extension of the Loop Current, however, is influenced by the riverine input and its representation. This influence is stronger if the riverine inflow is simulated accounting for a meridional velocity component proportional to the freshwater flux. The sea surface temperature (SST) field is more predictable in Summer, and the salinity (SSS) in winter. Increasing model resolution, on the other hand, decreases the predictability due to feedbacks between the mesoscale (several tens of kilometers in scale) and submesoscale (less than five km in scale) circulations. Key Points: The interaction of the Loop Current (LC) system and the river input in the northern Gulf of Mexico is two waysThe interaction depends on model resolution and riverine input configurationSpread of Sea surface temperature and Sea surface salinity show opposite seasonality. Increasing spatial resolution decreases the predictability of surface relative vorticity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As contemporary star materials, 2D monolayer semiconductors have drawn huge research interests owing to their striking electrical and optical properties, rendering them ideal candidates as building blocks for novel optoelectronic devices. Towards light emitting devices with extended functions, it is necessary to manipulate the polarization of light emission from monolayer semiconductors. However, most of these monolayer semiconductors exhibit no or very limited polarization sensitivity inherited from their structural anisotropy, making it challenging to develop highly polarized light sources. Herein, by embedding monolayer tungsten diselenide (WSe2) in a nanowire‐on‐film nanocavity, highly polarized light emission is demonstrated, featuring degree of polarization (DoP) of ≈99%. The highly anisotropic light emission originates from the near‐field coupling between the WSe2 monolayer with the polarization‐dependent gap plasmons of the nanowire‐on‐film nanocavity. Moreover, as the width of the nanowire essentially defines the gap‐plasmon resonance of the nanowire‐on‐film nanocavity, the anisotropy of the highly polarized light emission is systematically tuned by changing the nanowire width. The findings pave the way for engineering anisotropic optical properties of monolayer semiconductors and will boost the development of functional polarization‐sensitive 2D optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, with the rapid development of virtual reality technology, 3D printing technology has gradually gained people's attention. Copper alloy parts have a wide range of uses in our lives, but due to the high technology required, production is more difficult. In order to make copper alloy parts more widely used, this paper uses 3D printing technology to print copper alloy parts, and through comparative experiments, the printed copper alloy parts are analyzed in detail. In the printing process, by adjusting the printing parameters, different parts are printed, and the printing results are analyzed for different parameters. The experimental results show that the experimental 3D printing technology can successfully print copper alloy parts. During the printing process, the input parameters have an extremely important effect on the results. The experimental results show that there are related parameters in the printing process, such as layer height, length, density, etc., which will cause deviations in the printing results. Among them, the layer height and length have the most important effect on the results, accounting for more than 50% of the deviation value. This shows that based on virtual reality technology, the use of 3D printing copper alloy parts is achievable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three bipyridine‐proline chiral ligands (Z) with different structural units as highly active species were successfully introduced on Zn‐modified bimodal mesoporous silicas (BMMs). The representative heterogeneous catalysts (ZZnBMMs‐n) containing different molar ratios of Z/Zn (5, 20, 50, 100, 200%) were prepared, and their catalytic performances were evaluated in the asymmetric aldol reactions between p‐nitrobenzaldehyde and cyclohexanone, showing the satisfactory activities (yields) and good stereoselectivity (dr and ee). Meanwhile, their microstructural features and physicochemical properties were characterized by various methods. Particularly, the fractal evolution, the pair distance distribution function, and the Porod plots of the ZZnBMMs catalysts were demonstrated by SAXS analysis. The results revealed that the interfacial layer thickness and their mass fractal (Dm) value gradually increased with the enhanced molar ratios of Z/Zn, along with the decrease of pore size and densification of volume, suggesting the successful Z‐grafting into the mesoporous channels of Zn‐modified matrixes. The essential relationships between the fractal features and their catalytic performance (yield, dr and ee) were explored, showing the larger the Dm values, the better catalytic performance. Besides, the uniform distributions of Zn and S elements in ZZnBMMs catalysts and the formation of enamine‐imine intermediates during the asymmetric aldol reactions were confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Achnatherum splendens Trin. (Gramineae) is a constructive species of the arid grassland ecosystem in Northwest China and is a major forage grass. It has good tolerance of salt and drought stress in alkaline habitats. Here, we report its chromosome‐level genome, determined through a combination of Illumina HiSeq sequencing, PacBio sequencing and Hi‐C technology. The final assembly of the ~1.17 Gb genome sequence had a super‐scaffold N50 of 40.3 Mb. A total of 57 374 protein‐coding genes were annotated, of which 54 426 (94.5%) genes have functional protein annotations. Approximately 735 Mb (62.37%) of the assembly were identified as repetitive elements, and among these, LTRs (40.53%) constitute the highest proportion, having made a major contribution to the expansion of genome size in A. splendens. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that A. splendens diverged from the Brachypodium distachyon–Hordeum vulgare–Aegilops tauschii subclade around 37 million years ago (Ma) and that a clade comprising these four species diverged from the Phyllostachys edulis clade ~47 Ma. Genomic synteny indicates that A. splendens underwent an additional species‐specific whole‐genome duplication (WGD) 18–20 Ma, which further promoted an increase in copies of numerous saline–alkali‐related gene families in the A. splendens genome. By transcriptomic analysis, we further found that many of these duplicated genes from this extra WGD exhibited distinct functional divergence in response to salt stress. This WGD, therefore, contributed to the strong resistance to salt stress and widespread arid adaptation of A. splendens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extinct taxa may be detectable if they were ancestors to extant hybrid species, which retain their genetic signature. In this study, we combined phylogenomics, population genetics and fluorescence in situ hybridization (GISH and FISH) analyses to trace the origin of the alpine tetraploid Allium tetraploideum (2n = 4x = 32), one of the five known members in the subgenus Cyathophora. We found that A. tetraploideum was an obvious allotetrapoploid derived from ancestors including at least two closely related diploid species, A. farreri and A. cyathophorum, from which it differs by multiple ecological and genomic attributes. However, these two species cannot account for the full genome of A. tetraploideum, indicating that at least one extinct diploid is also involved in its ancestry. Furthermore, A. tetraploideum appears to have arisen via homoploid hybrid speciation (HHS) from two extinct allotetraploid parents, which derived in turn from the aforementioned diploids. Other modes of origin were possible, but all were even more complex and involved additional extinct ancestors. Our study together highlights how some polyploid species might have very complex origins, involving both HHS and polyploid speciation and also extinct ancestors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt and drought stresses are major environmental pressures in agriculture worldwide and affect crop productivity and quality. The previous reports of the R2R3‐MYB transcription factor (TF) genes found that overexpression of these TF genes regulated the expression of key enzyme‐encoding genes of flavonoid biosynthesis pathway, leading to the increased flavonoid accumulation. However, the roles of the cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) R2R3‐MYB transcription factor gene GhMYB4 in regulating flavonoid accumulation and abiotic stress tolerance have not been investigated. In this study, the GhMYB4 gene was isolated from cotton. The observed subcellular localization in onion (Allium cepa L.) epidermal cells demonstrated that GhMYB4 was concentrated in the nucleus. A transactivation assay showed that this gene was transcriptionally active. The increased flavonoid accumulation and enhanced salt and drought tolerance of Arabidopsis overexpression plants were revealed. Under salt and drought stresses, proline and soluble sugar contents significantly increased, whereas H2O2 and malondialdehyde contents significantly decreased in transgenic plants. Further enzymatic analysis showed significant increases of superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and peroxidase activities in transgenic plants. Real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that overexpression of GhMYB4 up‐regulated the genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis, proline biosynthesis, and reactive oxygen species scavenging in plants under salt and drought stresses. The overall results demonstrate that GhMYB4 has the potential to promote production of growth‐benefiting flavonoids and improve tolerance to abiotic stresses in plants. Core Ideas: The cotton GhMYB4 gene improved flavonoids accumulation.GhMYB4 enhanced salt and drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis plants.Overexpression of GhMYB4 increased the expression of genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesisGhMYB4 overexpression up‐regulated the expression of genes related to abiotic stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fat grafts are increasingly applied in augmenting soft tissue defects and correcting static wrinkles, but the outcome is always unpredictable because of high absorption rate. Perilipin1 (Plin1) and perilipin2 (Plin2), two perilipin family proteins on lipid droplets in adipocytes, are reported to be used as biomarkers to evaluate adipocyte regeneration in vivo. Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of glabellar wrinkle correction with autologous fat grafting and to observe human adipose regeneration in a nude mouse model. Patients/Methods: Ten patients with 16 moderate or severe glabellar wrinkles underwent wrinkle correction by subcutaneously injecting autologous lipoaspirates obtained from the abdomen. The injection dose was 0.05 ml per 5 mm. The aspirated adipose tissue (0.05 ml) was also injected under the scalps of nude mice. Fat grafts were explanted at 3, 7, 15, 30, and 120 days after transplantation and the dynamic cellular changes were evaluated by HE staining and immunostaining of Plin1 and Plin2. Results: Among the sixteen wrinkle lines, thirteen were obviously improved 4 months after procedure. Eight of the ten patients were satisfied with their wrinkle correction effects. The fat grafts demonstrated a continuous changing process from degeneration to regeneration in the mouse model without significant absorption and necrosis. It was Plin1, not Plin2 that was expressed in mature adipocytes. After transplantation, Plin1 expression was lost in dead fat cells while Plin2 expression was activated in newly regenerated adipocytes. After 120 days, all the surviving adipocytes were negative for Plin2 but positive for Plin1 again. Conclusions: Micro‐volume fat transplantation was an easy and safe method to improve glabellum wrinkle lines, and the regenerative process of human adipose tissue could be verified in the mouse model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicago ruthenica has been recently cultivated as a new forage crop and has been recognized as a source of genes to improve abiotic stress tolerance in cultivated alfalfa because of its remarkable tolerance to drought, salinity‐alkalinity, and cold and snowy winters. Here, we reveal a chromosome‐scale genome sequence of M. ruthenica based on Illumina, PacBio, and Hi‐C data. The assembled genome consists of 903.56 Mb with 50,268 annotated protein‐coding genes, which is larger and contains relatively more genes than Medicago truncatula (420 Mb and 44,623 genes) and Medicago sativa spp. caerulea (793 Mb and 47,202 genes). All three species shared the ancestral Papilionoideae whole‐genome duplication event before their divergence. The more recent expansion of repetitive elements compared to that in the other two species was determined to have contributed greatly to the larger genome size of M. ruthenica. We further found that multiple gene and transcription factor families (e.g., SOS homologous genes, NAC, C2H2, and CAMTA) have expanded in M. ruthenica, which might have led to its enhanced tolerance to abiotic stress. In addition, M. ruthenica harbors more genes involved in the lignin and cellulose biosynthesis pathways than the other two species. Finally, population genomic analyses revealed two genetic lineages, reflecting the west and east of its geographical distribution, respectively. The two lineages probably diverged during the last glaciation and survived in multiple refugia at the last glacial maximum, followed by recent expansion. Our genomic data provide a genetic basis for further molecular breeding research on M. ruthenica and alfalfa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orchitis is one of the leading causes of male animal infertility and is associated with inflammatory reactions caused by the bacterium. It has been reported that there is a mutual coupling effect between endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and inflammatory response. Our studies showed that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) could cause testicular damages, apoptosis, ERS, and inflammatory responses in spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs); ERS‐related apoptosis proteins were activated and the expression of ERS genes was significantly upregulated; meanwhile, the expression of Toll‐like receptor 4 and inflammation factors was apparently increased with LPS treatment. Moreover, melatonin (MEL) could rescue testicular damage, and significantly inhibited the expression of ERS‐related apoptosis genes, ERS markers, and inflammatory factors in SSCs and MEL played repairing and anti‐infection roles in LPS‐induced testicular damage. Therefore, MEL may be used as a drug to prevent and control bacterial infections in male reproductive systems. However, the specific molecular mechanism of MEL to resist ERS and inflammatory response remains to be further studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most studies on the acquisition of advantageous traits in transgenic animals only focus on monogenic traits. In practical applications, transgenic animals need to possess multiple advantages. Therefore, multiple genes need to be edited simultaneously. CRISPR/Cas9 technology has been widely used in many research fields. However, few studies on endogenous gene mutation and simultaneous exogenous gene insertion performed via CRISPR/Cas9 technology are available. In this study, the CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to achieve myostatin (MSTN) point mutation and simultaneous peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ (PPARγ) site‐directed knockin in the bovine genome. The feasibility of this gene editing strategy was verified on a myoblast model. The same gene editing strategy was used to construct a mutant myoblast model with MSTN mutation and simultaneous PPARγ knockin. Quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescence staining, and western blot analyses were used to detect the expression levels of MSTN and PPARγ in the mutant myoblast. Results showed that this strategy can inhibit the expression of MSTN and promote the expression of PPARγ. The cell counting kit‐8 cell proliferation analysis, 5‐ethynyl‐2′‐deoxyuridine cell proliferation analysis, myotube fusion index statistics, oil red O staining, and triglyceride content detection revealed that the proliferation, myogenic differentiation, and adipogenic transdifferentiation abilities of the mutant myoblasts were higher than those of the wild myoblasts. Finally, transgenic bovine embryos were obtained via somatic cell nuclear transfer. This study provides a breeding material and technical strategy to breed high‐quality bovine and a gene editing method to realize the mutation of endogenous genes and simultaneous insertion of exogenous genes in genomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome size varies greatly across the flowering plants and has played an important role in shaping their evolution. It has been reported that many factors correlate with the variation in genome size, but few studies have systematically explored this at the genomic level. Here, we scan genomic information for 74 species from 74 families in 38 orders covering the major groups of angiosperms (the taxonomic information was acquired from the latest Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG IV) system) to evaluate the correlation between genome size variation and different genome characteristics: polyploidization, different types of repeat sequence content, and the dynamics of long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTRs). Surprisingly, we found that polyploidization shows no significant correlation with genome size, while LTR content demonstrates a significantly positive correlation. This may be due to genome instability after polyploidization, and since LTRs occupy most of the genome content, it may directly result in most of the genome variation. We found that the LTR insertion time is significantly negatively correlated with genome size, which may reflect the competition between insertion and deletion of LTRs in each genome, and that the old insertions are usually easy to recognize and eliminate. We also noticed that most of the LTR burst occurred within the last 3 million years, a timeframe consistent with the violent climate fluctuations in the Pleistocene. Our findings enhance our understanding of genome size evolution within angiosperms, and our methods offer immediate implications for corresponding research in other datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spermatogenesis is a complex process that originates from and depends on the spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). The number of SSCs is rare, which makes the separation and enrichment of SSCs difficult and inefficient. The transcription factor PAX7 maintains fertility in normal spermatogenesis in mice. However, for large animals, much less is known about the SSCs' self‐renewal regulation, especially in dairy goats. We isolated and enriched the CD49f‐positive and negative dairy goat testicular cells by magnetic‐activated cell sorting strategies. The RNA‐ sequencing and experimental data revealed that cells with a high CD49f and PAX7 expression are undifferentiated spermatogonia in goat testis. Our findings indicated that ZBTB16 (PLZF), PAX7, LIN28A, BMPR1B, FGFR1, and FOXO1 were expressed higher in CD49f‐positive cells as compared to negative cells and goat fibroblasts cells. The expression and distribution of PAX7 in dairy goat also have been detected, which gradually decreased in testis tissue along with the increasing age. When the PAX7 gene was overexpressed in dairy goat immortal mGSCs‐I‐SB germ cell lines, the expression of PLZF, GFRα1, ID4, and OCT4 was upregulated. Together, our data demonstrated that there is a subset of spermatogonial stem cells with a high expression of PAX7 among the CD49f+ spermatogonia, and PAX7 can maintain the self‐renewal of CD49f‐positive SSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Due to the high energy density of lithium‐ion batteries, they have become the main power sources for electric vehicles. However, lithium‐ion batteries suffer from severe capacity fading during their electrochemical cycles. Therefore, it is significant to develop perfect electrode materials for lithium‐ion batteries. It is known that the traditional anode materials have low specific capacity value and poor cycle performance. To overcome this problem, a novel anode material is designed in our work. RESULTS: In electrochemical tests, the initial specific capacity of the NiCo2O4 spheres/nanosheets (NCOs/n) electrode is as high as 1426 mAh g−1 at the current density of 0.2 C. The capacity of the NCOs/n electrode can maintain at 1020 mAh g−1 at the current density of 1C after 1000 cycles. CONCLUSIONS: The as‐prepared NCOs/n electrodes exhibit high specific capacity value and superior cycle stability in high current densities. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Axially‐unfixed 2,2′‐bipyridine‐based chiral catalysts were synthesized using enantiopure amino acids as chiral sources, which were successfully used in asymmetric aldol reactions of p‐nitrobenzaldehyde with cyclohexanone, while the bulkier aldehyde derivatives (2‐naphthaldehyde, 9‐anthracenecarboxaldehyde, and 1‐pyrenecarboxaldehyde) were selected to further elucidate the catalytic properties. Particularly, the influences of the bipyridine‐proline chiral structures and the polarities of used solvents (petroleum ether, toluene, CH2Cl2, ethanol, DMF, DMSO, and water) on the catalytic performance were investigated. The results indicated that the structure of bipyridine catalysts, the molecular volume of aldehydes, and the polarity of solvents have significant effects on the catalytic activities, in which, the smaller steric effects were conducive to the improvement of the yields and stereoselectivities for asymmetric aldol reaction, along with the increased polarity of used solvents and the decreased molecular volume of aldehydes. Meanwhile, the chemical identity of all compounds was confirmed by 1H‐NMR, 13C‐NMR, HRMS, and HPLC analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloned animals generated by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) have been reported for many years; however, SCNT is extremely inefficient, and zygotic genome activation (ZGA) is required for SCNT‐mediated somatic cell reprogramming. To identify candidate factors that facilitate ZGA in SCNT‐mediated reprogramming, we performed siRNA‐repressor and mRNA‐inducer screenings, which reveal Dux, Dppa2, and Dppa4 as key factors enhancing ZGA in SCNT. We show that direct injection of ZGA inducers has no significant effect on SCNT blastocyst formation; however, following the establishment of an inducible Dux transgenic mouse model, we demonstrate that transient overexpression of Dux not only improves SCNT efficiency but also increases that of chemically induced pluripotent stem cell reprogramming. Moreover, transcriptome profiling reveals that Dux‐treated SCNT embryos are similar to fertilized embryos. Furthermore, transient overexpression of Dux combined with inactivation of DNA methyltransferases (Dnmts) further promotes the full embryonic development of SCNT‐derived animals. These findings enhance our understanding of ZGA‐regulator function in somatic reprogramming. Synopsis: Transient overexpression of ZGA‐inducer Dux not only enhances the efficiency of SCNT, but also of chemically‐induced somatic cell reprogramming. Combined with inactivation of DNA‐methyltransferases, it further improves the full‐term development of cloned embryos. Transient overexpression of Dux can improve the efficiency of SCNT.Dux is able to facilitate fully chemically‐induced somatic reprogramming.Combined Dux overexpression and Dnmt3a/b knockdown further enhances SCNT efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) methylation is the most common and abundant modification on mammalian messenger RNA (mRNA) and regulates the pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Research has shown that melatonin plays a fundamental role in DNA and histone modifications. However, the effect of melatonin on RNA modification is unknown. Here, for the first time, we investigated the effect of melatonin on m6A modifications in long‐term‐cultured ESCs. Pluripotency studies indicated that 10 μmol/L melatonin sufficiently maintained ESCs with stemness features over 45 passages (more than 90 days). Notably, treatment of ESCs with melatonin led to a significant decrease in the nuclear presence of m6A methyltransferase complex and decreased global m6A modification. Depletion of melatonin receptor 1 (MT1) by CRISPR/Cas9 significantly reduced the effects of melatonin on ESC pluripotency and m6A modification. Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP‐seq) revealed that melatonin promotes stabilization of core pluripotency factors, such as Nanog, Sox2, Klf4, and c‐Myc, by preventing m6A‐dependent mRNA decay. Using cell signaling pathway profiling systems, melatonin was shown to regulate m6A modification predominantly through the MT1‐JAK2/STAT3‐Zfp217 signal axis. This study reveals a new dimension regarding melatonin regulation of gene expression at the RNA level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There were no ideal markers to predict the development of radiation pneumonitis (RP). We want to investigate the value of variations of lymphocytes and T lymphocyte subsets in predicting RP after radiotherapy (RT) of lung cancer based on previous clinical findings. A total of 182 lung cancer patients who received RT were retrospectively analyzed. Circulating lymphocytes and T lymphocyte subsets were measured before, during, and after RT. Patients were evaluated from the start of RT to 6 months post‐RT. A mice model with acute radiation‐induced lung injury was established and circulating lymphocytes were measured weekly until 8 weeks after irradiation. Univariate and multivariate analyses were adopted to identify risk factors of RP. Lymphocyte levels significantly decreased (P <.001) in patients before RP symptoms developed that also was able to be seen in the mice model and the values recovered during remission of symptoms. The decrease in lymphocyte count reflected the severity of RP. Meanwhile, CD4+ T lymphocyte count was significantly lower during the occurrence of symptoms in patients with RP than in those without RP (P <.001), and it improved along with RP recovery. Levels of lymphocytes and CD4+ T lymphocyte subsets proved as independent predictors of RP. Here we showed that lower peripheral blood levels of lymphocytes and CD4+ T lymphocyte were associated with an increased risk of RP, which was validated by this mice model, and thus are associated with differences in radiation‐induced lung toxicity among individuals and help identify those who are susceptible to developing RP after RT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of La2O3 on the oxidation resistance of SiC ceramic at 1973 K was investigated using isothermal oxidation test and first‐principles calculations. The SiC ceramic with La2O3 shows a better oxidation resistance compared with that without La2O3 due to the in situ formed La2Si2O7 in SiO2 glass layer after oxidation at 1973 K. First‐principles calculations based on density functional theory were applied to analyze the solution behaviors of La atom in the surface of SiO2 and La2Si2O7. The solution energy of La atom in SiO2 (0 1 1) is −19.05 eV, which is far less than −4.19 eV in La2Si2O7 (2 0 1) with a La vacancy, thus resulting in that La atom in La2Si2O7 (2 0 1) diffuses into SiO2 (0 1 1). The SiO2 lattice with an interstitial La atom is more stable than that with a substitutional La atom and the interstitial La breaks the nearest Si–O bond to form La–O and La–Si bonds, which is beneficial to improving the high‐temperature stability of SiO2. Experimental and theoretical results indicate that the formation of refractory La2Si2O7 phase enhances the stability of SiO2 glass layer, so as to protect SiC ceramic from further oxidation at 1973 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]