Search

GPR119 agonists are being developed to safeguard the function of pancreatic β‐cells, especially in the context of non‐alcoholic fatty pancreas disease (NAFPD) that is closely associated with β‐cell dysfunction. This study aims to employ a drug repurposing strategy to screen GPR119 agonists and explore their potential molecular mechanisms for enhancing β‐cell function in the context of NAFPD. MIN6 cells were stimulated with palmitic acid (PA), and a NAFPD model was established in GPR119−/− mice fed with a high‐fat diet (HFD). Terazosin, identified through screening, was utilized to assess its impact on enhancing β‐cell function via the MST1‐Foxo3a pathway and mitophagy. Terazosin selectively activated GPR119, leading to increased cAMP and ATP synthesis, consequently enhancing insulin secretion. Terazosin administration improved high blood glucose, obesity, and impaired pancreatic β‐cell function in NAFPD mice. It inhibited the upregulation of MST1‐Foxo3a expression in pancreatic tissue and enhanced damaged mitophagy clearance, restoring autophagic flux, and improving mitochondrial quantity and structure in β‐cells. Nevertheless, GPR119 deficiency negated the positive impact of terazosin on pancreatic β‐cell function in NAFPD mice and abolished its inhibitory effect on the MST1‐Foxo3a pathway. Terazosin activates GPR119 on the surface of pancreatic β‐cells, enhancing mitophagy and alleviating β‐cell dysfunction in the context of NAFPD by suppressing the MST1‐Foxo3a signalling pathway. Terazosin could be considered a priority treatment for patients with concomitant NAFPD and hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous efforts have been made to fabricate Li2TiO3 tritium breeding ceramics with satisfactory density and mechanical strength while maintaining a fine grain structure. In this study, high‐energy ball milling was performed to promote grain refinement and amorphization of TiO2 and Li2CO3 powders, thereby preparing Li2TiO3 ceramic at a reduced sintering temperature. In the presence of high‐energy ball milling, powder mixtures with particle sizes of 24–29 nm were obtained, and the formation of β‐Li2TiO3 occurred at 400°C. The relative density and crushing load of Li2TiO3 ceramic pebbles improved as the ball‐to‐powder ratio and milling time increased. The Li2TiO3 ceramic pebbles sintered at 900°C exhibited a tiny grain size, satisfactory relative density (89%), and excellent crushing load (121 ± 13 N). The results also demonstrated that Li2TiO3 ceramic possessed the maximum thermal conductivity and ionic conductivity under the conditions of a 20:1 ball‐to‐powder ratio and 20 h milling time, that is, 5.028 W/m·K and 1.87×10−2 S/m at room temperature. Overall, the high‐energy ball milling process has shown advantages in the fabrication of tritium breeding ceramics with fine‐grained structure and excellent comprehensive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the security sliding mode control problem of uncertain discrete‐time systems under an unreliable network, in which denial of service and deception attacks may randomly occur in each sensor‐to‐controller channel. Two 2‐valued variables are introduced to model the available state signals for the controller side under random attacks. Meanwhile, by means of mapping rule, n$$ n $$ independent Markov chains are reformulated into a new Markov chain. And then, a hybrid‐attack‐probability dependent sliding function is constructed, and a desirable sliding mode controller is designed by adopting compensation strategy and available state signals. Moreover, sufficient conditions are derived, under which the closed‐loop system achieve stochastic stability along a quasi sliding mode. Moreover, a cone complementarity linearization (CCL)‐based iterative solving algorithm is proposed. Finally, simulation results are provided to verify the proposed security control approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have suggested a correlation between the ubiquitin‐proteasome system (UPS) and age‐related macular degeneration (AMD), with its phenotypic severity ranging from mild visual impairment to blindness, but the mechanism for UPS dysfunction contributing to disease progression is unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of ubiquitin protein ligase E3D (UBE3D) in aging and degeneration in mouse retina. Conditional knockout of Ube3d in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of mice led to progressive and irregular fundus lesions, attenuation of the retinal vascular system, and age‐associated deterioration of rod and cone responses. Simultaneously, RPE‐specific Ube3d knockout mice also presented morphological changes similar to the histopathological characteristics of human AMD, in which a defective UPS led to RPE abnormalities such as phagocytosis or degradation of metabolites, the interaction with photoreceptor outer segment, and the transport of nutrients or waste products with choroidal capillaries via Bruch's membrane. Moreover, conditional loss of Ube3d resulted in aberrant molecular characterizations associated with the autophagy–lysosomal pathway, oxidative stress damage, and cell‐cycle regulation, which are implicated in AMD pathology. Thus, our findings strengthen and expand the impact of UPS dysfunction on retinal pathophysiology during aging, indicating that genetic Ube3d deficiency in the RPE could lead to the abnormal formation of pigment deposits and secondary fundus alterations. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent and debilitating condition, that is, directly associated with cholesterol metabolism. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms of OA remain largely unknown, and the role of cholesterol in this process has not been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to investigate the role of a novel circular RNA, circARPC1B in the relationship between cholesterol and OA progression. Methods: We measured total cholesterol (TC) levels in the synovial fluid of patients with or without OA to determine the diagnostic role of cholesterol in OA. The effects of cholesterol were explored in human and mouse chondrocytes in vitro. An in vivo OA model was also established in mice fed a high‐cholesterol diet (HCD) to explore the role of cholesterol in OA. RNAseq analysis was used to study the influence of cholesterol on circRNAs in chondrocytes. The role of circARPC1B in the OA development was verified through circARPC1B overexpression and knockdown. Additionally, RNA pulldown assays and RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation were used to determine the interaction between circARPC1B and Vimentin. CircARPC1B adeno‐associated virus (AAV) was used to determine the role of circARPC1B in cholesterol‐induced OA. Results: TC levels in synovial fluid of OA patients were found to be elevated and exhibited high sensitivity and specificity as predictors of OA diagnosis. Moreover, elevated cholesterol accelerated OA progression. CircARPC1B was downregulated in chondrocytes treated with cholesterol and played a crucial role in preserving the extracellular matrix (ECM). Mechanistically, circARPC1B is competitively bound to the E3 ligase synoviolin 1 (SYVN1) binding site on Vimentin, inhibiting the proteasomal degradation of Vimentin. Furthermore, circARPC1B AAV infection alleviates Vimentin degradation and OA progression caused by high cholesterol. Conclusions: These findings indicate that the cholesterol‐circARPC1B‐Vimentin axis plays a crucial role in OA progression, and circARPC1B gene therapy has the opportunity to provide a potential therapeutic approach for OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas is one of the main greenhouse gases. The detection of CO2 gas content is of great significance to the study of the greenhouse effect. The CO2 detection system based on the principle of tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) was demonstrated. A distributed feedback (DFB) laser with a central wavelength of 1580 nm was used as the laser source, multipass gas cell (MPGC) was used as gas cell, and indium gallium arsenic (IGA) photodetector was used to complete photoelectric conversion, and the original extracted second harmonic signal was smooth and denoised by wavelet transform. The signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) of the wavelet‐filtered spectrum improved from 6.88 to 13.87 dB, an improvement of 2.02 times. Principal component analysis was used to reduce the complexity of the data by compressing the spectrum from 800 dimensions to 2 dimensions. For the concentration inversion, the back‐propagation deep neural network (BP‐DNN) model was used to perform standard gas concentration step experiments and compared with the back‐propagation neural network (BPNN). The experimental results show that the BP‐DNN inversion of CO2 concentration has improved computational accuracy and the root mean square error (RMSE) is 3.55 times lower than that of the traditional BPNN, showing favorable application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was to examine the protective effects of curcumin/cyclodextrin polymer inclusion complex (CUR/CDP) on ethanol‐induced liver injury in mice and to explore its potential mechanisms. In the ethanol‐induced acute injury mouse model, the effects of pretreatment with silymarin, cyclodextrin polymer (CDP), curcumin (CUR) and CUR/CDP at low, middle, and high doses were evaluated by biochemical and histopathological examination. The liver index, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in serum of the mice were measured. The superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐PX) activities, and malondialdehyde (MDA) level in liver tissue were assessed by assay kits. Moreover, hematoxylin–eosin (HE) staining was carried out to observe pathological changes of liver. Western blotting was performed for determining the changes in the expressions of DNA damage‐associated proteins. The results showed that compared with the control group, the liver index and the levels of ALT, AST, LDH, and MDA in the ethanol treatment group were significantly increased and the activities of GSH‐Px and SOD were obviously decreased. However, pretreatment with silymarin, CUR, and CUR/CDP reversed the change of above indicators except CDP. Moreover, CUR/CDP at high dose further weakened the liver index, inhibited the biochemical indexes, and enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes to a greater extent than silymarin and CUR. Western blot analysis indicated that CUR/CDP significantly down‐regulated the expressions of DNA damage‐related proteins including p‐ATM, γ‐H2AX, p‐p53, and p‐p38MAPK, which inhibited ethanol‐induced the G2/M arrest and ultimately prevented liver function from oxidative stress injury. These results indicated that CUR/CDP possessed good protective effect on mice liver damage in vivo by increasing the activities of GSH‐Px and SOD to suppress DNA damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel discovery that the coinage‐metal near‐plane superatoms (CM‐NPSs) formed by embedding actinide elements into the coinage metal rings can realize the "Z"‐type tilted quasi‐one‐dimensional (1D) direct assembly is reported. This success can be attributed to the strong bonding between the overlapping parts of adjacent superatomic motifs. First‐principles calculations reveal that the motifs maintain their geometric and electronic structures robustly during the assembly process. With the accumulation of motifs, the intensity of the absorption peak increases continuously in the ultraviolet‐visible (UV‐Vis) absorption spectra range of 300–450 nm, resulting in the hyperchromic effect, which is closely related to the degree of the participation of Th atoms. Furthermore, the absorption spectra show a continuously tunable feature in the 450–900 nm range, as the interlayer stacking pattern leads to a pronounced redshift. More importantly, the valence 5f‐shells of Th atoms have an increased contribution to the final orbitals of electronic transition, which demonstrates the advantages of the active high angular momentum electrons of actinide elements in spectral properties. These findings provide a valuable reference for the direct artificial assembly of near‐plane superatoms and optical properties of superatomic assemblies embedded with rare elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of janagliflozin in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) inadequately controlled with metformin monotherapy. Materials and methods: This multicentre phase 3 trial included a 24‐week, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled period, followed by a 28‐week extension period. Patients (N = 421) with HbA1c of 7.0% or higher and 10.5% or less were randomized (1:1:1) to receive once‐daily placebo, janagliflozin 25 or 50 mg. After the 24‐week treatment period, patients on placebo were re‐randomized (1:1) to janagliflozin 25 or 50 mg for the additional 28‐week treatment, whereas patients on janagliflozin maintained the same therapy. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline in HbA1c to week 24. Results: At week 24, the placebo‐adjusted least squares mean changes of HbA1c were –0.58% and –0.58% with janagliflozin 25 and 50 mg, respectively (P <.0001 for both). The proportion of patients achieving HbA1c less than 7.0% was higher with janagliflozin 25 and 50 mg compared with placebo (41.8%, 41.7% and 28.0%, respectively). Both janagliflozin doses provided significant reductions in fasting plasma glucose, 2‐hour postprandial glucose, body weight and systolic blood pressure, and improvements in high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and insulin sensitivity compared with placebo (P <.05 for all). The trends in improvement of these variables were retained during the 28‐week extension period. No severe hypoglycaemia occurred throughout the whole 52‐week treatment. Conclusions: Janagliflozin 25 or 50 mg once‐daily added to metformin therapy significantly improved glycaemic control, reduced body weight and systolic blood pressure, improved high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and insulin sensitivity, and was generally well‐tolerated by Chinese T2D patients who had poor glycaemic control with metformin monotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Diabetes is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Melanoma accounts for the majority of skin cancer deaths. Artificial intelligence has been applied in many types of cancers, and in melanoma in recent years. However, no systematic review summarized the application of artificial intelligence in melanoma. Aims: This study aims to systematically review previously published articles to explore the application of artificial intelligence in melanoma. Materials & Methods: PubMed database was used to search the eligible publications on August 1, 2020. The query term was "artificial intelligence" and "melanoma." Results: A total of 51 articles were included in this review. Artificial intelligence technique is mainly used in the evaluation of dermoscopic images, other image segmentation and processing, and artificial intelligence diagnosis system. Discussion: Artificial intelligence is also applied in metastasis prediction, drug response prediction, and prognosis of melanoma. Besides, patients' perspectives of artificial intelligence and collaboration of human and artificial intelligence in melanoma also attracted attention. The query term might not include all articles, and we could not examine the algorithms that were built without publication. Conclusion: The performance of artificial intelligence in melanoma is satisfactory and the future for potential applications is enormous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study was to explore the protective effects of the curcumin/cyclodextrin polymer (CUR/CDP) inclusion complex on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)‐induced LO2 cells damage. In this study, a H2O2‐induced cells oxidative injury model was established to test the protective effects of the CUR/CDP inclusion complex. The cell viability of cells was detected by the thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The extracellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, catalase (CAT) activity, and malondialdehyde (MDA) level were detected by assay kits. The cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was detected using the dichlorodihydrofluorescein (DCF) fluorescence assay. Western blotting analysis was conducted to assess the changes of phosphorylated‐p53 and caspase‐3. The results showed that 700 μM H2O2‐treated LO2 cells for 3 h resulted in a significant decrease of cell viability to 53.00 ± 1.68%, which established the cell oxidative injury model. Cells treated with H2O2 led to a significant increase of extracellular LDH activity, MDA content, and ROS level, and decreased CAT activity. Treatment with CUR/CDP significantly reversed the changes of the above indicators. Moreover, CUR/CDP treatment at 20 and 40 μg/ml inhibited H2O2‐induced increase in phosphorylated‐p53 and caspase‐3 expression, indicating that CUR/CDP suppressed cell apoptosis to alleviate liver injury. The results of those studies demonstrated that CUR/CDP had a protective effect on the oxidative damage of LO2 cells, and it could be developed as a new type of natural liver protection product to apply in the prevention of liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This article investigates the problem of sliding mode control (SMC) for continuous‐time systems under the requirement of finite‐time boundedness (FTB), in which the state signals are periodically sampled and transmitted to the controller according to the pre‐designed event‐triggering condition. A key issue is how to utilize the less available state information to achieve the FTB of the closed‐loop system. To this end, the continuous‐time SMC law is changed into an implementable form dependent on the available sampled state via event triggering transmission. It is shown that the state trajectory of the controlled system can be driven onto the specified sliding surface before the given finite time, and then, remain within a domain around this sliding surface. Due to the characteristic of the periodic event‐triggered scheme (ETS), the known partitioning strategy on the SMC with FTB is infeasible for this present case. Instead, we shall analyze the FTB of the closed‐loop system over the whole given time, meanwhile, a selection condition on the robust term is given via the given time parameter. Finally, the numerical simulation results are provided to illustrate the proposed periodical event‐triggered SMC scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, observer‐based sliding mode control is considered for networked control systems subject to quantization, in which packet dropout may happen when the measurement output is transmitted from the sensor to the controller. Firstly, a compensating scheme is proposed to deal with the effect of packet loss modelled as a Bernoulli process. Then, by means of available output information and state observer, the desirable sliding mode controller is designed. Furthermore, both the reachability and the stochastic stability of sliding mode dynamics can be attained and the corresponding sufficient conditions are derived. Finally, numerical simulation results are provided to illustrate the proposed control law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variation trends in surface relative humidity (RH) are analyzed from 1961 to 2015 in China and its eight subregions based on monthly mean surface RH data from 2,474 stations provided by the National Meteorological Information Center of China (NMIC). The annual mean surface RH is 59% in China, with a clear maximum and minimum in South China (SC, 80%) and over the Tibetan Plateau (TP, 45%). From 1961 to 2002, the regional RH shows increasing trends in most regions of China, but a particularly sharp reduction in RH is evident since 2003 in each subregion and throughout China, leading to a decreasing RH in China from 1961 to 2015. The decline is larger in East China (EC, −0.58% decade−1) and SC (−0.59% decade−1) than that in the West of Northwest China (WNC, −0.11% decade−1) and North China (NC, −0.05% decade−1), and the decreasing trend is −0.30% decade−1 throughout all of China. A drier trend has been observed in most regions of China, especially in urban and high‐altitude areas, which suggests that the water vapour supply from the ocean is limited, accompanied by weakened monsoons, and the increase in sunshine duration in northwestern China also causes a decrease in surface RH. On the other hand, urbanisation will also lead to local urban dry island effects in some regions with large populations and rapid urbanization. Finally, the RH would decrease more rapidly under the RCP8.5 scenario than under the RCP4.5 scenario because of the asymmetrical increase in vapour pressure and saturation vapour pressure under increasing temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow and Yangtze River basins are the most important basins in China due to their environment and natural and socioeconomic conditions, and they are highly sensitive to extreme climate events. In this study, we used daily maximum and minimum temperature data gathered from 892 meteorological stations to analyse the spatiotemporal variations in temperature extremes in the Yellow and Yangtze River basins during 1961–2014 and identified correlations with the geographic location and atmospheric circulation patterns. The results indicated that annual mean maximum and minimum temperatures (TXm and TNm), most warm extremes and some cold extremes (minimum of the minimum temperature and maximum temperature, TNn and TXn) generally showed low values in the northwestern region of the Yellow and Yangtze basins, while the diurnal temperature range (DTR) and some cold extremes (ice days, ID0 and frost days, FD0) were generally higher in the northwest of the two basins. TXm, TNm, all warm extremes and some cold extremes (TNn and TXn) showed significant increasing trends in both basins. The increase in the extreme temperature was between 0.17–0.38°C/decade in the Yellow basin, while the interval was 0.15–0.38°C/decade in the Yangtze basin. DTR decreased by −0.07 days/decade in the former and −0.05 days/decade in the latter. Furthermore, warm event days increased by 1.38–3.52 and 1.42–2.65 days/decade in the Yellow and Yangtze basins, respectively. At the same time, the cold event days decreased by −1.90 to −3.47 and −0.20 to −2.70 days/decade in the respective basins. In terms of the spatial patterns, most stations that displayed significant trends were located over the Loess Plateau in the Yellow River basins; Sichuan basin and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River basins. Moreover, almost all of the temperature extremes exhibited the largest trends in spring and winter in the two basins. Most temperature extremes showed strong correlations with longitude and altitude and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) displayed significant correlations with almost all of the temperature extremes, except DTR, TNn and TXn; the East Atlantic/Western Russia (EA/WR) was also related to many temperature extremes. Finally, most temperature observations showed abrupt changes in the 1990s, and the timing in the Yangtze River basin was generally later than that in the Yellow River basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the sliding mode control problem is investigated for a class of discrete‐time systems with fading measurements. The channel fading is modelled as the Rice fading model to characterise the fading phenomenon via wireless sensor network. An integral‐like sliding surface involving fading parameters is first constructed. And then, a sliding mode controller is designed by using fading measurements and channel parameters. It is shown that the state trajectories can be driven to the neighbourhood around the specified sliding surface and the stochastic stability with prescribed H∞ performance can be attained. Finally, a numerical example is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transmission congestion threatens the reliability and economy of power systems. It becomes more severe with the increase of load demands and peak−valley differences. In recent years, energy internet zones (EIZs) have attracted wide attention, and many demonstration projects have been developed. EIZs connect the supply and consumption of multi-energy like electricity, gas, heat, and cooling. Thus, EIZs' electricity load demands can be flexibly adjusted by controlling their multi-energy flows. The controlling method should consider not only demand response but also heat, cooling, and gas energy balance. The integration of EIZs provides a new solution for transmission congestion management (TCM). First, an EIZ's optimal controlling strategy considering its multi-energy flow requirements was proposed. Then, the optimal re-dispatch problem for TCM was studied, taking into account EIZs' and traditional generators' adjustment costs. Re-dispatch determines the output adjustment schedules and compensation prices, while the EIZ's controlling strategy controls multi-energies' supply and consumption. A simplified Songjiang transmission system in Shanghai was adopted to illustrate the proposed methods. It was proven that the EIZs' integration could reduce the re-dispatch costs in TCM and increase EIZs' profits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preharvest sprouting ( PHS) is one of the major constraints of wheat production in areas where prolonged rainfall occurs during harvest. Ta PHS1 is a gene that regulates PHS resistance on chromosome 3A of wheat, and two causal mutations in the positions +646 and +666 of the Ta PHS1 coding region result in wheat PHS susceptibility. Three competitive allele-specific PCR ( KASP) markers were developed based on the two mutations in the coding region and one in the promoter region and validated in 82 wheat cultivars with known genotypes. These markers can be used to transfer Ta PHS1 in breeding through marker-assisted selection., Screening of 327 accessions of wheat A genome progenitors using the three KASP markers identified different haplotypes in both diploid and tetraploid wheats. Only one Triticum monococcum accession, however, carries both causal mutations in the Ta PHS1 coding region and shows PHS susceptibility. Five of 249 common wheat landraces collected from the Fertile Crescent and surrounding areas carried the mutation (C) in the promoter (−222), and one landrace carries both the causal mutations in the Ta PHS1 coding region, indicating that the mis-splicing (+646) mutation occurred during common wheat domestication., PHS assay of wheat progenitor accessions demonstrated that the wild-types were highly PHS-resistant, whereas the domesticated type showed increased PHS susceptibility., The mis-splicing Ta PHS1 mutation for PHS susceptibility was involved in wheat domestication and might arise independently between T. monococcum and Triticum aestivum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Changes in phospholipid composition and consequent loss of membrane integrity are correlated with loss of seed viability. Furthermore, phospholipid compositional changes affect the composition of the triacylglycerols (TAG), i.e. the storage lipids. Phospholipase D (PLD) catalyses the hydrolysis of phospholipids to phosphatidic acid, and PLDα is an abundant PLD isoform. Although wild-type (WT) seeds stored for 33 months were non-viable, 30%-50% of PLDα-knockdown (PLD-KD) soybean seeds stored for 33 months germinated. WT and PLD-KD seeds increased in lysophospholipid levels and in TAG fatty acid unsaturation during ageing, but the levels of lysophospholipids increased more in WT than in PLD-KD seeds. The loss of viability of WT seeds was correlated with alterations in ultrastructure, including detachment of the plasma membrane from the cell wall complex and disorganization of oil bodies. The data demonstrate that, during natural ageing, PLDα affects the soybean phospholipid profile and the TAG profile. Suppression of PLD activity in soybean seed has potential for improving seed quality during long-term storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Plant-parasitic nematodes are primary biotic factors limiting the crop production. Current nematode control strategies include nematicides, crop rotation and resistant cultivars, but each has serious limitations. RNA interference (RNAi) represents a major breakthrough in the application of functional genomics for plant-parasitic nematode control. RNAi-induced suppression of numerous genes essential for nematode development, reproduction or parasitism has been demonstrated, highlighting the considerable potential for using this strategy to control damaging pest populations. In an effort to find more suitable and effective gene targets for silencing, researchers are employing functional genomics methodologies, including genome sequencing and transcriptome profiling. Microarrays have been used for studying the interactions between nematodes and plant roots and to measure both plants and nematodes transcripts. Furthermore, laser capture microdissection has been applied for the precise dissection of nematode feeding sites (syncytia) to allow the study of gene expression specifically in syncytia. In the near future, small RNA sequencing techniques will provide more direct information for elucidating small RNA regulatory mechanisms in plants and specific gene silencing using artificial microRNAs should further improve the potential of targeted gene silencing as a strategy for nematode management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many traditional Chinese medicine compositions can moisturize the skin and utilize in cosmetics. Using a combination of Chinese Medicine Materials and guided by Traditional Chinese Medicine principles, this study selected Echinacea purpurea to protect the skin barrier, Dendrobium nobile to clear heat and promote fluid production, Sophora flavescens to clear heat for diminished inflammation, and Aloe vera combined Lycium barbarum to nourish yin, to together form a "poly TCM moisturizing formulation." These poly plant extracts were investigated and optimized for the stability, safety, and moisturizing ability. The combination moisturizing effect was determined by measuring the expression of FLG mRNA, CLDN-1 mRNA, and AQP3 protein. Toxicological analysis included a red blood cell hemolysis test and a 3T3 phototoxicity test. It has been observed that by using polysaccharide yield as the evaluation criterion showed optimal extraction at a material-to-liquid ratio of 1:100, an extraction temperature of 100°C, and an extraction time of 3 hours. Moisturizing effect experiments showed that the expression of FLG mRNA, CLDN-1 mRNA, and AQP3 protein was significantly increased. Toxicological tests showed that the composition was safe and caused no irritating effects. Based on these results, this poly traditional Chinese medicine moisturizing formulation is safe within moisturizing effects and can be used as a moisturizing raw material in cosmetics., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)