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Whether it is possible to create suitable plants for cadmium phytoremediation by introducing Datura stramonium L. genes into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) remains unclear. Hydroponic experiments were performed on N. tabacum L. var. MTLY, a newly developed hybrid variety, and the parents. Seedlings at the six-leaf stage were treated with 0 (control), 10 µM, 180 µM and 360 µM CdCl2 for 7 days, and their differences in Cd tolerance and accumulation and physiological and metabolic responses were evaluated. When subjected to 360 µM Cd, the growth of "MTLY", in terms of the dry weight, plant height and root length, was obviously better than N. tabacum L. var. LY2 (female parent). In contrast to D. stramonium (male parent) and "LY2", "MTLY" accumulated more Cd in shoots (127.6–3837.1 mg kg−1) and roots (121.6–1167.7 mg kg−1). Moreover, unlike "LY2", "MTLY" could accumulate more Cd in its shoots than roots. Its bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) values reached 95.9–149.7 and 1.0–3.5, respectively, which were far greater than those of "LY2". High-dose Cd stress significantly increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and decreased chlorophyll contents in tobacco seedlings, especially in "LY2". Various enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants in the three materials showed different responses to Cd stress. The change of the phenolic compounds and alkaloids in "MTLY" was basically similar to that in D. stramonium, but their levels were apparently higher than those in "LY2". Results indicated that distant hybridization could be one of the effective methods for introducing metal-hyperaccumulator genes into a high biomass species, which contributed to enhancing the Cd tolerance, accumulation and detoxification in tobacco. This study has great significance in obtaining elite germplasm for phytoremediation. The exact mechanisms in molecules and genetics and the practical effectiveness in cadmium-contaminated soil remain to be further elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensifer alkalisoli YIC4027T is a dominant rhizobium that has been isolated from the root nodules of Sesbania cannabina. Motility and chemotaxis are critical to maintaining competitiveness in establishing the symbiotic relationship. E. alkalisoli carries two gene clusters, che1 and che2, containing chemotaxis-related gene homologues. To determine the respective role of each gene cluster, we constructed mutants and compared them with the wild type in a free-living state and in symbiosis with the host plant. A swimming analysis revealed that the che1 cluster was the major pathway controlling the chemotaxis and swimming bias, while the che2 cluster had a minor role in these behaviors. However, the Δche2 mutant was impaired in exopolysaccharide (EPS) production. During symbiosis, the Δche1 mutant was more severely impaired in its competitive root colonization and nodulation ability than the Δche2 mutant. Taken together, our data strongly suggested that both of the che clusters contribute to the competitive symbiotic association, the che1-like homologue being the main regulator of the chemotactic response and the che2 cluster regulating EPS production. These data illustrated a novel strategy of motile rhizobia bacteria to utilize the two pathways containing the homologous genes to enhance the efficiency of nodule formation by regulating distinct motility parameters or other cellular functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resultant microstructures of Mg-xBi (x = 3, 6 and 9 wt. %) extruded at 380 °C are studied to reveal the effect of increasing Bi content and possible dynamic recrystallization mechanisms. It was observed that a homogenous grain size microstructure (an average grain size of ~ 30 µm) was attained in Mg-3Bi alloy. Then, a microstructure of gradient grain size (~ 18 µm near the center and ~ 8 µm near the surface, of the extruded bar) was seen in the Mg-6Bi sample. With further increasing Bi, the microstructure becomes homogenized again but with a much finer grain size (~ 7 µm). We attribute this change in grain size microstructure homogeneity mainly to the effect of different levels of undissolved constituent Mg3Bi2 phase in Mg-xBi before extrusion and possibly also the effect of plastic strain along the radial direction of the extruded bar based on finite element modelling results. These two factors, which we propose, impact the particle-stimulated-nucleation-driven dynamic recrystallization mechanisms and finally lead to the observed change of microstructure homogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the prognostic value of the peripheral neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with chronic internal carotid artery occlusion (CICAO) complicated by cerebral infarction. Patients and Methods: The clinical data of 99 CICAO patients complicated by cerebral infarction were retrospectively analyzed. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was used to assess their 3-month prognosis, and a multivariate logistic regression model was established to explore risk factors for poor prognosis. Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that NLR (OR=2.114; 95% CI: 1.129– 3.959) and baseline National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS; OR=1.288, 95% CI: 1.053– 1.574) score were risk factors of poor prognosis. The area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve of NLR in predicting the 3-month outcome after onset was 0.717 (95% CI: 0.606– 0.828, P< 0.000). The optimal cut-off value was 3.22, with a sensitivity of 0.743 and a specificity of 0.791. Conclusion: NLR is an independent risk factor for the poor prognosis of CICAO patients complicated by cerebral infarction and can serve as an indicator for clinical prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. By conducting a systematic review of the efficacy of acupoint application on children with asthma. Methods. We searched Chinese databases (CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang) and English databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library) for studies from the establishment of the database to October 2021. The included literature studies were randomized control studies investigating the treatment of asthma in children by acupoint application. The primary outcomes included the cure rate, the resolution time of cough, and the resolution time of wheezing. The secondary outcomes included pulmonary function and interleukins. Stata 15 and RevMan 5.4 were used to analyze the extracted data. Results. A total of 24 related studies were included containing 2716 cases. The meta-analysis showed that TCM group was superior to control group in terms of cure rate, pulmonary function (FEV1), and resolution time of wheezing in children with asthma [RR = 1.26,95% (1.21,1.31), P < 0.05 ; SMD = 0.81, 95%CI (0.05,1.56), P < 0.05 ; WMD = −1.40, 95%CI (−1.75, −1.05), P < 0.05 ]. Conclusions. The present study shows that acupoint application is an effective treatment for children with asthma in China, especially in alleviating wheezing and improving quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is an opportunistic pathogen and has emerged as one of the most troublesome pathogens. Drug resistance in A. baumannii has been reported on a global scale. Minocycline was found to be active against multi-drug resistant A. baumannii and was approved by the FDA for the infections caused by sensitive strains of A. baumannii. However, the emergence of minocycline resistance and its toxic effects still need to be addressed. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the synergistic effects of metformin combined with minocycline on minocycline-resistant A. baumannii. Results: The effect of metformin on the antibacterial activity of minocycline was determined by checkerboard and time-killing assay. Further, it was observed by biofilm formation assay that metformin combination with minocycline can inhibit the formation of biofilm. Outer membrane integrity, membrane permeability, membrane potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were monitored to explore the underlying synergistic mechanisms of metformin on minocycline. And the results shown that metformin can destroy the outer membrane of A. baumannii, enhance its membrane potential, but does not affect the membrane permeability and ROS. Conclusion: These findings suggested that the combination of metformin and minocycline has the potential for rejuvenating the activity of minocycline against minocycline-resistant A. baumannii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CRISPR-Cas system is a bacterial and archaea adaptive immune system and is a newly recognized mechanism for controlling antibiotic resistance gene transfer. Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is an important organism responsible for a variety of nosocomial infections. A. baumannii infections have become problematic worldwide because of the resistance of A. baumannii to multiple antibiotics. Thus, it is clinically significant to explore the relationship between the CRISPR-Cas system and drug resistance in A. baumannii. This study aimed to analyze the genomic characteristics of the A. baumannii strain AB3 containing the type I-Fb CRISPR-Cas system, which was isolated from a tertiary care hospital in China, and to investigate the relationship between the CRISPR-Cas system and antibiotic resistance in this strain. The whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of the AB43 strain was performed using Illumina and PacBio sequencing. The complete genome of AB43 consisted of a 3,854,806 bp chromosome and a 104,309 bp plasmid. The specific characteristics of the CRISPR-Cas system in AB43 are described as follows: (1) The strain AB43 carries a complete type I-Fb CRISPR-Cas system; (2) Homology analysis confirmed that the cas genes in AB43 share high sequence similarity with the same subtype cas genes; (3) A total of 28 of 105 A. baumannii AB43 CRISPR spacers matched genes in the bacteriophage genome database and the plasmid database, implying that the CRISPR-Cas system in AB43 provides immunity against invasive bacteriophage and plasmids; (4) None of the CRISPR spacers in A. baumannii AB43 were matched with antimicrobial resistance genes in the NCBI database. In addition, we analyzed the presence of antibiotic resistance genes and insertion sequences in the AB43 strain and found that the number of antibiotic resistance genes was not lower than in the "no CRISPR-Cas system" strain. This study supports the idea that the CRISPR-Cas system may inhibit drug-resistance gene expression via endogenous gene regulation, except to the published mechanism that the CRISPR-Cas system efficiently limits the acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes that make bacteria sensitive to antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sequential process, CO 2 osmotic treatment combined with subcritical fluid defatting was developed to prepare low-fat walnut kernel preserving shape integrity. The influence of operating parameters involving osmotic pressure and subcritical butane defatting repeats on the defatting effect has been investigated. CO 2 osmotic at 25 MPa resulted in defatting rate as 37.12% and minimum perfect kernel rate (81.48%). Increase of defatting repeats from one to three times led to exploding quantities of defatting rate (from 9.98% to 40.61%) but no significant varies of perfect kernel rate (p > 0.5). With the increase of defatting rate, the amount of oil bodies in walnut cells decreased, and defatting rate presented negative correlated with hardness and chewiness of products. Hexanal, nonanal and heptaldehyde were the predominant volatile compounds. After defatting, they may be removed as accompanying components and showed a slight downward trend. However, results of electronic nose revealed that there was no significant difference among flavor of walnut with different defatting rate (p > 0.5). Slight defatting caused significant variations in the taste of walnuts. As the defatting rate exceeded 18.65%, products expressed similar taste. Overall, coupling CO 2 osmotic treatment with subcritical fluid defatting proved to be great potential for application in shape-preserving defatting. • CO 2 osmotic pressure combined with subcritical butane defatting was developed to prepare low-fat and shape-preserving walnut. • Walnuts with different defatting rates revealed no significance overall flavor. • Products with higher defatting rates (above 18.65%) presented similar taste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Phenotypic plasticity is observed widely in plants and often studied with reaction norms for adult plant or end‐of‐season traits. Uncovering genetic, environmental and developmental patterns behind the observed phenotypic variation under natural field conditions is needed.Using a sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) genetic population evaluated for plant height in seven natural field conditions, we investigated the major pattern that differentiated these environments. We then examined the physiological relevance of the identified environmental index by investigating the developmental trajectory of the population with multistage height measurements in four additional environments and conducting crop growth modelling.We found that diurnal temperature range (DTR) during the rapid growth period of sorghum development was an effective environmental index. Three genetic loci (Dw1, Dw3 and qHT7.1) were consistently detected for individual environments, reaction‐norm parameters across environments and growth‐curve parameters through the season. Their genetic effects changed dynamically along the environmental gradient and the developmental stage. A conceptual model with three‐dimensional reaction norms was proposed to showcase the interconnecting components: genotype, environment and development.Beyond genomic and environmental analyses, further integration of development and physiology at the whole‐plant and molecular levels into complex trait dissection would enhance our understanding of mechanisms underlying phenotypic variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unicystic ameloblastoma (UAM) in the pediatric population is a rare clinical entity that has not been well addressed in the literature. Radical approaches affect a growing young patient's physical and psychological development, so conservative approaches are widely used for management in children. This report describes the case of a 9‐year‐old girl with UAM of the mandible, which also involved the impaction of the first and second premolars. Marsupialization with orthodontic treatment was performed to shrink the lesion and upright the first premolar involved in the tumor. Ten months after marsupialization, the lesion had healed entirely. The combination of conservative surgery and orthodontic treatment effectively shrank the lesion, preserving mandibular growth, preserving the involved first and second premolars, and promoting the eruption of the teeth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying mechanisms and pathways involved in gene–environment interplay and phenotypic plasticity is a long-standing challenge. It is highly desirable to establish an integrated framework with an environmental dimension for complex trait dissection and prediction. A critical step is to identify an environmental index that is both biologically relevant and estimable for new environments. With extensive field-observed complex traits, environmental profiles, and genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms for three major crops (maize, wheat, and oat), we demonstrated that identifying such an environmental index (i.e., a combination of environmental parameter and growth window) enables genome-wide association studies and genomic selection of complex traits to be conducted with an explicit environmental dimension. Interestingly, genes identified for two reaction-norm parameters (i.e. , intercept and slope) derived from flowering time values along the environmental index were less colocalized for a diverse maize panel than for wheat and oat breeding panels, agreeing with the different diversity levels and genetic constitutions of the panels. In addition, we showcased the usefulness of this framework for systematically forecasting the performance of diverse germplasm panels in new environments. This general framework and the companion CERIS-JGRA analytical package should facilitate biologically informed dissection of complex traits, enhanced performance prediction in breeding for future climates, and coordinated efforts to enrich our understanding of mechanisms underlying phenotypic variation. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and genomic selection have been extensively used for the analysis of complex traits, but the lack of an environmental dimension when using phenotypes summarized across environments impedes our understanding of gene–environment interplay and phenotypic plasticity. This study presents an integrated framework that not only reveals the genetic effect dynamics along an identified environmental index but also enables accurate performance prediction and forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Alpine Merino is a new breed of fine-wool sheep adapted to the cold and arid climate of the plateau in the world. It has been popularized in Northwest China due to its superior adaptability as well as excellent production performance. Those traits related to body weight, wool yield, and wool fiber characteristics, which are economically essential traits in Alpine Merino sheep, are controlled by QTL (Quantitative Trait Loci). Therefore, the identification of QTL and genetic markers for these key economic traits is a critical step in establishing a MAS (Marker-Assisted Selection) breeding program. Results: In this study, we constructed the high-density genetic linkage map of Alpine Merino sheep by sequencing 110 F1 generation individuals using WGR (Whole Genome Resequencing) technology. 14,942 SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) were identified and genotyped. The map spanned 2,697.86 cM, with an average genetic marker interval of 1.44 cM. A total of 1,871 high-quality SNP markers were distributed across 27 linkage groups, with an average of 69 markers per LG (Linkage Group). Among them, the smallest genetic distance is 19.62 cM for LG2, while the largest is 237.19 cM for LG19. The average genetic distance between markers in LGs ranged from 0.24 cM (LG2) to 3.57 cM (LG17). The marker density in the LGs ranged from LG14 (39 markers) to LG1 (150 markers). Conclusions: The first genetic map of Alpine Merino sheep we constructed included 14,942 SNPs, while 46 QTLs associated with body weight, wool yield and wool fiber traits were identified, laying the foundation for genetic studies and molecular marker-assisted breeding. Notably, there were QTL intervals for overlapping traits on LG4 and LG8, providing potential opportunities for multi-trait co-breeding and further theoretical support for selection and breeding of ultra-fine and meaty Alpine Merino sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the world is facing two significant challenges: low-carbon development and overcapacity. Government departments must reexamine their development strategy of energy industry. Implementing environmental regulatory policies and technological innovation can help alleviate coal industry's overcapacity, while sustainable development requires joint actions of governments, enterprises, and the market. Based on the evolutionary game theory, this study constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model of local government, power industry, and coal enterprise. Under the premise of bounded rationality, the evolution path of each player in the game under the market incentive environmental regulation is analyzed, and the influence of the change of parameters of each player on the result is numerically simulated. The study found that strengthening environmental regulation by local governments is an inevitable choice to promote the transformation and upgrading of coal industry and power industry. In addition, reducing law enforcement costs and technological innovation costs are the fundamental point of the coordinated development of the three parties. Technological innovation in the power industry will reduce the probability of coal companies' choosing clean production strategies, while seeking low-cost clean production technology and financial support is the key to coal companies' optimization of production capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The quality and yield of wool determine the economic value of the fine-wool sheep. Therefore, discovering markers or genes relevant to wool traits is the cornerstone for the breeding of fine-wool sheep. In this study, we used the Illumina HiSeq X Ten platform to re-sequence 460 sheep belonging to four different fine-wool sheep breeds, namely, Alpine Merino sheep (AMS), Chinese Merino sheep (CMS), Aohan fine-wool sheep (AHS) and Qinghai fine-wool sheep (QHS). Eight wool traits, including fiber diameter (FD), fiber diameter coefficient of variance (FDCV), fiber diameter standard deviation (FDSD), staple length (SL), greasy fleece weight (GFW), clean wool rate (CWR), staple strength (SS) and staple elongation (SE) were examined. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to detect the candidate genes for the eight wool traits. Results: A total of 8.222 Tb of raw data was generated, with an average of approximately 8.59X sequencing depth. After quality control, 12,561,225 SNPs were available for analysis. And a total of 57 genome-wide significant SNPs and 30 candidate genes were detected for the desired wool traits. Among them, 7 SNPs and 6 genes are related to wool fineness indicators (FD, FDCV and FDSD), 10 SNPs and 7 genes are related to staple length, 13 SNPs and 7 genes are related to wool production indicators (GFW and CWR), 27 SNPs and 10 genes associated with staple elongation. Among these candidate genes, UBE2E3 and RHPN2 associated with fiber diameter, were found to play an important role in keratinocyte differentiation and cell proliferation. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment results, revealed that multitude significant pathways are related to keratin and cell proliferation and differentiation, such as positive regulation of canonical Wnt signaling pathway (GO:0090263). Conclusion: This is the first GWAS on the wool traits by using re-sequencing data in Chinese fine-wool sheep. The newly detected significant SNPs in this study can be used in genome-selective breeding for the fine-wool sheep. And the new candidate genes would provide a good theoretical basis for the fine-wool sheep breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tail adipose as one of the important functional tissues can enhance hazardous environments tolerance for sheep. The objective of this study was to gain insight into the underlying development mechanisms of this trait. A quantitative analysis of protein abundance in ovine tail/rump adipose tissue was performed between Chinese local fat- (Kazakh, Hu and Lanzhou) and thin-tailed (Alpine Merino, Tibetan) sheep in the present study by using lable-free approach. Results showed that 3400 proteins were identified in the five breeds, and 804 were differentially expressed proteins, including 638 up regulated proteins and 83 down regulated proteins in the tail adipose tissues between fat- and thin-tailed sheep, and 8 clusters were distinguished for all the DEPs' expression patterns. The differentially expressed proteins are mainly associated with metabolism pathways and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor signaling pathway. Furthermore, the proteomics results were validated by quantitative real-time PCR and Western Blot. Our research has also suggested that the up-regulated proteins ACSL1, HSD17β4, FABP4 in the tail adipose tissue might contribute to tail fat deposition by facilitating the proliferation of adipocytes and fat accumulation in tail/rump of sheep. Particularly, FABP4 highly expressed in the fat-tail will play an important role for tail fat deposition. Our study might provide a novel view to understanding fat accumulation in special parts of the body in sheep and other animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lutein is a strong antioxidant with anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and cardioprotective effects and could be a promising candidate for the treatment of hypertensive heart disease (HHD), but is not clinically appealing because of its low oral bioavailability and main distribution in the eyes. To address this, a biomimetic drug delivery system-MMLNPs was established by coating macrophage membranes (MMs) onto lutein-loaded poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (LNPs). This study characterized the physical properties of biomimetic nanoparticles and examined the targeting capability, therapeutic effects and mechanism, and biosecurity of administering them for cardiac fibrosis therapy in the transverse aortic constriction (TAC) model and in vitro. Transmission electron microscope mapping and dynamic light scattering analysis proved that MMLNPs were spherical nanoparticles camouflaged by a layer of cell membrane and had negative zeta potential. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry analysis showed that MMs on the biomimetic nanoparticles hindered the phagocytosis of macrophages and facilitated the targeting of activated endothelial cells. Ex vivo fluorescence imaging experiments demonstrated the targeting of biomimetic nanoparticles to the injured heart. EdU assay indicated that MMLNPs have the same potential to inhibit angiotensin (Ang) II-induced cardiac fibroblast proliferation as free lutein. Furthermore, echocardiography showed that MMLNPs improved cardiac function and structure, and Masson staining and western blotting showed that MMLNPs ameliorated cardiac fibrosis. We found MMLNPs inhibited the interleukin (IL)-11/ERK signaling pathway which was up-regulated in the TAC model compared to the sham-operated mouse. Biochemical testing and hematoxylin and eosin staining proved that the long-term use of MMLNPs lacked biological toxicity. Collectively, MMLNPs might be a promising nanodrug delivery approach to attenuate pressure overload (PO)-induced cardiac fibrosis. Schematic illustration of the synthetic process for MMLNPs nanoplatform and the targeted therapy for pressure overload-induced cardiac fibrosis. [Display omitted] • A drug-loaded biomimetic nano-delivery system for hypertensive cardiac fibrosis was developed. • Lutein-loaded biomimetic nano-delivery system significantly ameliorated cardiac fibrosis in vitro and in vivo. • Lutein-loaded biomimetic nano-delivery system might improve cardiac fibrosis by inhibiting IL-11/ERK signaling pathway. • The system has high potential for clinical translation in the future because of its high biosafety and anti-fibrotic efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, rapeseed was pretreated by steam explosion pretreatment technology and subsequently pressed to prepare rapeseed oil. GC, UPLC, and HPLC techniques were employed to analyze the quality characteristics of the rapeseed oil, including the canolol content and other quality characteristics. Additionally, the effect of steam explosion pretreatment technology on the canolol content of rapeseed oil was studied and the formation mechanism of canolol elucidated. The results revealed that when the steam explosion pressure reached 1.0 MPa, the canolol content of the tested oil increased from 41.21 to 2,168.69 mg/kg (52.63‐fold increase) and that sinapic acid played a significant role in the conversion of canolol. Thus, the sinapine was converted into the intermediate (sinapic acid) by hydrolysis, which in turn was transformed into canolol through decarboxylation. The instantaneous high‐energy environment generated by steam explosion pretreatment could intensify the hydrolysis and decarboxylation reactions of sinapine and sinapinic acid, thereby significantly increasing the canolol content of the oil. To prove the superiority of steam explosion pretreatment, we compared it with other pretreatment technologies, including traditional high‐temperature roasting and popular microwave pretreatment. The results revealed that rapeseed oil prepared by steam explosion pretreatment displayed the best quality characteristics. This study can be a reference for the preparation process of rapeseed oil with superhigh canolol content and superior quality characteristics using steam explosion pretreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, flaxseed was pretreated by steam explosion technology and subsequently pressed to prepare flaxseed oil. GC, UPLC, HPLC, and GC‐MS techniques were used to analyze the quality characteristics of the prepared flaxseed oil. These included the food safety risk indices, micronutrient components, and oxidative stability. The effects of different steam explosion pressures on the quality characteristics and relative volatile components of flaxseed oil were also investigated. The results revealed that steam explosion pretreatment technology could significantly increase the oil yield, improve micronutrient content, and strengthen the oxidation stability of the product. Moreover, the food safety risk indices (e.g., benzopyrene) were controlled within a reasonable range, while the fatty acid content remained almost unchanged. Notably, the relative pyrazine content in the total volatile components of flaxseed oil was 68.25% when the steam explosion pressure reached 1.2 MPa. This was considered as the main factor that contributed to the unique concentrated fragrance of the produced flaxseed oil. To prove the superiority of the steam explosion pretreatment, we compared this technique with traditional high‐temperature roasting and popular microwave pretreatment techniques. The results revealed that flaxseed oil prepared by steam explosion pretreatment displayed the best quality characteristics and most concentrated fragrance. Thus, steam explosion technology shows great potential for application to produce high‐quality concentrated fragrance flaxseed oil. This study provides significant reference and guidance for the preparation process of flaxseed oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the peak power of traction substation as much as possible and make better use of the configu-ration capacity of battery energy storage system (BESS) in urban rail transit, a BESS control strategy based on energy transfer is proposed. Based on the actual subway line data, the load characteristics of urban rail transit with different departure intervals are analyzed by using the simulation platform of urban rail transit traction power supply system. Then, based on the characteristics of urban rail traffic load and the high energy density of the battery, the SOC dynamic adjustment module and discharge threshold dynamic adjustment module were added. The discharge threshold is dynamically adjusted according to the SOC of the battery, and part of regenerative braking energy absorbed by the energy storage device is transferred from off-peak/flat peak period to peak period for release. The simulation model and 90 kW physical platform are used to verify the proposed control strategy, and the results show that the control strategy can effectively realize energy transfer. Not only can achieve energy saving and voltage stability, but also can effectively reduce the peak power of traction substation, bring more economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal extraction conditions of rapeseed cake oil using subcritical R134a/butane were established by response surface methodology. The quality of subcritical R134a/butane extraction oil (SRBEO) was compared with supercritical CO2 extraction oil (SCO2EO) and hexane extraction oil (HXEO). The results showed the highest extraction yield obtained by subcritical R134a/butane in the condition of R134a‐butane ratio of 1.5 kg/kg, at 45°C for 50 min. Compared with SCO2EO and HXEO, the extraction yield and β‐carotene content of SRBEO (87.76%, 357.21 μg/100g) were the highest. The content of phospholipids and canolol in SRBEO (3.01 mg/g, 118.51 mg/100 g) was higher than SCO2EO (not detected, 95.82 mg/100 g) and less than HXEO (25.78 mg/g, 131.85 mg/100 g). The tocopherols in SRBEO were equivalent to SCO2EO but phytosterol content of SRBEO (560.19 mg/100 g) was less than SCO2EO (591.40 mg/100 g). For fatty acids, the three extraction oils had slight difference. Thus, subcritical R134a/butane extraction appeared to be feasible for rapeseed cake oil extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of hydrophilic carbon dots (HCDs) with imidazolium dicyanamide ionic liquids (ILs) as precursor revealed a unique structure-activity relationship for the IL-HCDs. Their hydrophilicity, fluorescence nature and cytotoxicity are closely correlated to the alkyl side chain length of the imidazolium cationic moiety. (1) The hydrophilicity of the precursor ILs decreases with the alkyl chain length of their imidazolium cations (from ethyl, butyl, hexyl, octyl to decyl). On the contrary, that of the IL-HCDs increases with the alkyl chain length due to the emergence of C O C, NH 2 moiety. (2) The passivation effect of alkyl chain plays a dominative role in the enhancement of quantum yield (QY, from 4.6% to 48.0%) of IL-HCDs. The doping of nitrogen-containing moieties contributes marginally. (3) The increase of alkyl chain length leads to the weakening of IL-HCDs/bovine serum albumin (BSA) affinity with a decrease on the quenching constants from 12.59 × 104 to 1.779 × 104 L mol−1. (4) The cytotoxicity of IL-HCDs increases with the length of alkyl chain in the imidazolium cation, though the hydrophilicity of IL-HCDs is increased. In addition, the cytotoxicity of IL-HCDs/BSA is lower than that of IL-HCDs. The protective effect of BSA in the IL-HCDs/BSA 'protein corona' could be utilized to improve the biocompatibility of IL-HCDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to digestion complex environments, protein's ability to bind bile salts (BS) will be altered. This study aimed to assess the different effects of in vitro digestion on the BS-binding capacity of fermentation-organic acid compound-modified and unmodified WPI. According to the results, modified WPI can increase the degree of hydrolysis, reduce the sulfhydryl group content, and expose aromatic amino acids during digestion, indicating that the BS-binding ability of WPI is dependent on the hydrogen bond content. The more residual of surface hydrophobicity and β-sheet and β-turn contents suggested that exposure of hydrophobic groups of modification would promote BS-binding with hydrophobic of modified WPI in simulated digestion, consistent with the change in sulfhydryl content and surface hydrophobicity. This further confirms the higher binding ability of WPI for BS through hydrophobic interactions. In addition, the apparent viscosity and viscoelasticity of modified WPI were increased, which contributed to improved BS binding. Further, the modification enhanced the content of fragmented polymers with a molecular weight less than or equal to 3.3 kDa after digestion. Based on peptidomics, it was concluded that FLPYPYYAKP and ALKALPMHIRL were polypeptides with strong cholesterol-lowering effects, with a significant difference between modified and unmodified WPI. • Residual tyrosine and tryptophan side chains of modified WPI promoted BS binding. • Viscosity and viscoelasticity of the modified WPI was beneficial to BS binding. • Modification enriched the content of fragmented polymers (≤3.3 kDa MW) and hydrophobic amino acids after digestion. • Cholesterol-lowering peptides of FLPYPYYAKP and ALKALPMHIRL were improved by modification after in vitro digestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Improved capacity of genomics and biotechnology has greatly enhanced genetic studies in different areas. Genomic selection exploits the genotype-to-phenotype relationship at the whole-genome level and is being implemented in many crops. Here we show that design-thinking and data-mining techniques can be leveraged to optimize genomic prediction of hybrid performance. We phenotyped a set of 276 maize hybrids generated by crossing founder inbreds of nested association mapping populations for flowering time, ear height, and grain yield. With 10 296 310 SNPs available from the parental inbreds, we explored the patterns of genomic relationships and phenotypic variation to establish training samples based on clustering, graphic network analysis, and genetic mating scheme. Our analysis showed that training set designs outperformed random sampling and earlier methods that either minimize the mean of prediction error variance or maximize the mean of generalized coefficient of determination. Additional analyses of 2556 wheat hybrids from an early-stage hybrid breeding system and 1439 rice hybrids from an established hybrid breeding system validated the approaches. Together, we demonstrated that effective genomic prediction models can be established with a training set 2%–13% of the size of the whole set, enabling an efficient exploration of enormous inference space of genetic combinations. Optimal design for genomic selection in hybrid crops can be achieved by integrating data-mining methods and quantitative genetics knowledge. Empowered by genome-wide marker information, designing the training set allows an efficient and systematic exploration of the large space of potential genetic combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Upconversion fluorescence analysis is an increasingly popular novel technique with biological and biomedical applications owing to its high detection sensitivity, non-invasive mode and superior photo-stability. Herein, water-soluble green β -NaYF 4 :Yb, Er UCNPs were prepared via a facile wet-chemical technique, then conjugated with rabbit anti-2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid immunoglobulin G (2, 4-D-IgG) and rabbit anti-fenitrothion IgG (fenitrothion-IgG), respectively. The content of 2, 4-D-IgG and fenitrothion-IgG in labeled-samples were quantitatively analyzed by the Coomassie-Brilliant-Blue method. The 2, 4-D-IgG (or fenitrothion-IgG) labeled with β -NaYF 4 :Yb, Er UCNPs conjugates can be used as fluorescent bio-labels for the detection of 2, 4-D and fenitrothion under 980 nm near-infrared excitation. An immunochromatographic strip was then successfully constructed based on the antibody-UCNPs conjugates. The detection limits of 2, 4-D and fenitrothion pesticide residues were 5 ng/mL and 11 ng/mL, respectively. The experimental results indicate that the biocompatible green UCNPs have great advantages as bio-labeling materials for low-molecular-weight pesticide residue analysis. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • The 2,4-D-IgG (or fenitrothion-IgG) labeled with UCNPs conjugates were prepared. • An immunochromatographic strip was constructed by the antibody-UCNPs conjugates. • The detection limits of 2, 4-D and fenitrothion are 5 and 11 ng/mL, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum (RS) has become one of the most destructive plant diseases in agricultural crops. Obtaining effective strains with disease control activity is an urgent prerequisite for biological control efficiency. This study was performed to explore if the root-associated diazotrophic rhizobacteria in ginger plants have any potential to induce resistance to RS. Three bacterial strains named N10, SJN3 and SJN5 were obtained from the rhizosphere soil of ginger root and were further evaluated regarding their high inhibitory activity in the preliminary screening and in vitro antagonistic activity against RS. Inoculation with N10, SJN3 and SJN5 showed 47.61%, 49.33% and 43.15% relative disease incidence, respectively. N10 and SJN5 showed the most successful biocontrol efficacy and reduced disease incidence by 39.98% and 45.61%, respectively. Moreover, N10 and SJN5 promoted root length by 25.5% and 26.6%, shoot dry weight by 12.5% and 20.1% and root dry weight by 15.4% and 17.9%, respectively. According to the 16S rDNA partial sequence, N10, SJN3 and SJN5 belonged to the genus Pantoea, Burkholderia and Arthrobacter, respectively. Fluorescent in situ hybridization assay revealed that SJN5 cells were distributed on the root surface and formed a condensed biofilm. This result suggests that this strain, which shows nitrogen fixation and antagonism toward RS, not only can increase plant growth, but can also inhibit plant diseases. The findings of the present study expand our current understanding on the application of diazotrophs as a bacterial biocontrol agent, especially for Arthrobacter sp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The present work addresses the challenge of estimating the twin thickening stresses. Single twinning events were captured in solution treated and peak-aged Mg-6Zn alloy subjected to {10 1 ¯ 0} nanoindentation. Markedly different responses of twinning to aging are seen compared to slip. 3D EBSD and high resolution EBSD are combined with crystal plasticity finite element modelling to fully characterize the twinning event. A model is then derived to allow us to estimate the influence of alloying with Zn and peak aging on the stresses required for twin thickening using the depth of the pop-in and the nanoindentation hardness before twinning. The stress for twin thickening increases from 6 MPa to 26 MPa and 74 MPa with an error of ± 10% due to the addition of solute Zn and the presence of particles formed during peak aging respectively. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Basal slip and prismatic slip are activated before twinning for spherical nanoindentation in magnesium. • A single twinning event induces one pop-in event. • A model is established to estimate the stress for twin thickening in magnesium. • Twin thickening is strengthened by zinc addition and more significantly by precipitates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The robust finite-time H∞ control for a kind of uncertain delay systems with large delay period (LDP) is discussed in this paper. First, a switching technique is exploited to transform the original system into a switched delay system. Second, within the limitation of frequency and length rate of LDP, a state feedback controller is designed to guarantee that the closed-loop system is robust finite-time bounded. Third, the finite-time H∞ performance analysis for the closed-loop system is developed. Finally, two examples are presented to clarify the validity of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional self-interest hypothesis is far from perfect. Social preference has a significant impact on every firm’s decision making. This paper incorporates reciprocal preferences and consumers’ low-carbon awareness (CLA) into the dyadic supply chain in which a single manufacturer plays a Stackelberg-like game with a single retailer. This research intends to investigate how reciprocity and CLA may affect the decisions and performances of the supply chain members and the system’s efficiency. In this study, the following two scenarios are discussed: (1) both the manufacturer and the retailer have no reciprocal preferences and (2) both of them have reciprocal preferences. We derive equilibriums under both scenarios and present a numerical analysis. We demonstrate that reciprocal preferences and CLA significantly affect the equilibrium and firms’ profits and utilities. First, the optimal retail price increases with CLA, while it decreases with the reciprocity of the retailer and the manufacturer; the optimal wholesale price increases with CLA and the retailer’s reciprocity, while it decreases with the manufacturer’s reciprocity. The optimal emission reduction level increases with CLA and the reciprocity of both the manufacturer and the retailer. Second, the optimal profits of the participants and the supply chain increase with CLA, the participants’ optimal profits are concave in their own reciprocity and increase with their co-operators’ reciprocity. Third, the participants’ optimal utilities increase with CLA and their reciprocity. Finally, the supply chain efficiency increases with the participants’ reciprocity, while the efficiency decreases with CLA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Wool is an important raw material in the textile industry. Its fiber fineness is directly related to the wool product quality. Higher quality wool products require finer wool fiber diameters. Therefore, methods for more effectively optimizing the wool fiber diameter have become an important research focus. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are efficient and stable molecular markers which have been extensively used to study wool fiber diameter. The SLIT3 and ZNF280B genes are involved in multiple biological processes and have multiple biological functions. However, the relationship between their polymorphisms and wool fiber diameter remains unreported. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between different genotypes and wool fiber diameter by typing SNP sites in SLIT3 and ZNF280B. Our results revealed the major genotypes in the SLIT3 and ZNF280B genes which effect wool fiber diameter. These SNP sites may potentially be used as molecular marker sites for optimizing wool fiber diameter. The SLIT3 gene encodes a secreted protein, and the ZNF280B gene is a member of the transcription factor family. Both genes have multiple biological functions. This study was conducted to investigate the association between SLIT3 and ZNF280B gene polymorphisms and wool fiber diameter and to determine potential molecular marker sites for breeding sheep with fine wool. We used Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR to type the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci in the SLIT3 and ZNF280B genes within 1081 Alpine Merino sheep and associated these SNPs with wool fiber diameter. The results revealed one SNP in SLIT3 and ZNF280B, which were each related to sheep fiber diameter. The wool fiber diameters of sheep with the CC genotype in SLIT3 g.478807C>G and AA genotype in ZNF280B g.677G>A were the smallest and differed significantly from the diameters of other genotypes (p < 0.05). These results suggest potential molecular marker sites for fine-wool sheep breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study addresses the challenge of determining the stress required for the initiation of deformation modes in Mg alloys. Nanoindentation is employed to detect the onset of basal slip and tensile twinning. A Mg-6 wt. % Zn alloy and a series of Mg-Gd binary alloys with concentrations between 0.3 and 4 wt. % Gd are examined in the extruded state. Nanoindentation tests were conducted on {10 1 ¯ 0} and {11 2 ¯ 0} crystal planes using a 5 μm radius spherical indenter. It is shown that the initial yielding point in the load trace corresponds to the appearance of basal slip lines on the sample surface. A pop-in event is seen to accompany the appearance of twinning. We find that the addition of Zn strengthens the basal slip but shows mild influence on twin initiation. For alloying with Gd, an impact on basal slip and twinning is only seen at the highest solute levels. A means of examining the alloying effect on twin growth is proposed and revealed that solute Zn has a greater impact on twin growth than initiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting phenotype with genomic and environmental information is critically needed and challenging. Machine learning methods have emerged as powerful tools to make accurate predictions from large and complex biological data. Here, we review the progress of phenotype prediction models enabled or improved by machine learning methods. We categorized the applications into three scenarios: prediction with genotypic information, with environmental information, and with both. In each scenario, we illustrate the practicality of prediction models, the advantages of machine learning, and the challenges of modeling complex relationships. We discuss the promising potential of leveraging machine learning and genetics theories to develop models that can predict phenotype and also interpret the biological consequences of changes in genotype and environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wool fiber is a textile material that is highly valued based on its diameter, which is crucial in determining its economic value. To analyze the molecular mechanisms regulating wool fiber diameter, we used a Data-independent acquisition-based quantitative proteomics approach to analyze the skin proteome of Alpine Merino sheep with four fiber diameter ranges. From three contrasts of defined groups, we identified 275, 229, and 190 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Further analysis using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways revealed that pathways associated with cyclic adenosine monophosphate and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling are relevant to wool fiber diameter. Using the K-means method, we investigated the DEP expression patterns across wool diameter ranges. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis, we identified seven key proteins (CIDEA, CRYM, MLX, TPST2, GPD1, GOPC, and CAMK2G) that may be involved in regulating wool fiber diameter. Our findings provide a theoretical foundation for identifying DEPs and pathways associated with wool fiber diameter in Alpine Merino sheep to enable a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the genetic regulation of wool fiber quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Alpine Merino sheep are a new breed of sheep adapted to the cold and arid ecological zone 2400–4070 m above sea level; the breed has important economic significance for high-altitude areas. This study evaluated the effects of different dietary energy levels (9.7 MJ/kg, 10.1 MJ/kg, 10.5 MJ/kg) on the growth and meat quality of weaned Alpine Merino lambs. The results showed that compared with the low-energy diet (9.7 MJ/kg), the high-energy (10.5 MJ/kg) diet promoted the growth and development of lambs, increased the live weight and carcass weight of lambs before slaughter, significantly reduced the yellowness and redness scores of lamb muscles, and increased the meat's content of monounsaturated fatty acids. This experiment was conducted to study the effects of dietary energy level on the growth performance and meat quality of weaned Alpine Merino lambs. The study ran for a total of 104 days (20-day pretrial, 84-day trial). From three groups of test lambs, we randomly selected ten lambs per group to determine slaughter performance, meat quality characteristics, and organ indexes. The slaughter performances of the lambs improved as the dietary energy level increased. The live weight before the slaughter of the lambs was significantly higher in the high group than in the low and medium groups. The carcass weight was significantly higher in the high group than in the low group. Dietary energy level had little effect on the organ weight of lambs. Meat quality differed among the three dietary energy levels. The muscle yellowness and redness scores decreased significantly as the energy levels increased. The C18:0, C21:0, C20:1, C18:2n6c, and C20:2 contents in the muscle were significantly higher in the high group than in the medium and low groups. The C18:3n6 content in the muscle was significantly higher in the low group than in the medium group. The C20:5n3 content in the longissimus dorsi was significantly higher in the high group than in the medium and low groups. The monounsaturated and unsaturated fatty acid contents in the muscle were significantly higher in the high group than in the low group. A dietary energy level of 10.5 MJ/kg is suitable for fattening weaned male Alpine Merino lambs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat stress is an important environmental factor affecting livestock production worldwide. Primary hepatocytes and preadipocytes derived from Hu sheep were used to establish a heat stress model. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that heat induction significantly increased the expression levels of heat stress protein (HSP) genes and the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation modification genes: methyltransferase-like protein 3 (METTL3), methyltransferase-like protein 14 (METTL14), and fat mass and obesity associated protein (FTO). Heat stress simultaneously promoted cell apoptosis. Transcriptome sequencing identified 3980 upregulated genes and 2420 downregulated genes related to heat stress. A pathway enrichment analysis of these genes revealed significant enrichment in fatty acid biosynthesis, degradation, and the PI3K-Akt and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathways. Overexpression of METTL3 in primary hepatocytes led to significant downregulation of HSP60, HSP70, and HSP110, and significantly increased mRNA m6A methylation; FTO interference generated the opposite results. Primary adipocytes showed similar results. Transcriptome analysis of cells under METTL3 (or FTO) inference and overexpression revealed differentially expressed genes enriched in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, as well as the PI3K-Akt and Ras signaling pathways. We speculate that METTL3 may increase the level of m6A methylation to inhibit fat deposition and/or inhibit the expression of HSP genes to enhance the body's resistance to heat stress, while the FTO gene generated the opposite molecular mechanism. This study provides a scientific basis and theoretical support for sheep feeding and management practices during heat stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, Al dopants were introduced into HfO x film by different methods to modulate the oxygen vacancies in the film or near the interface, and the resistive switching characteristics were investigated. By transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, an interfacial layer was formed at HfO x /Al interface. The occurrence of interfacial layer resulted in the larger switching voltages and resistances in LRS for HfO x /Al/HfO x and HfO x /Al samples compared with HfO x :Al sample with uniform Al dopants and no interface. Besides, the different reset processes for Al-doped HfO x samples were demonstrated. Much uniform distribution of resistances can be observed for all Al-doped HfO x samples due to the control of oxygen vacancies by Al doping and the good retention properties were achieved for all samples. The models for underlying physical mechanisms were also proposed to illustrate the switching behaviors of the prepared samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical study of the nano-indentation of the AZ31 alloy was performed in order to analyze the stress fields at the onset of twinning. The model considers indentation of the ( 1 0 1 ¯ 0 ) and ( 1 2 ¯ 1 0 ) planes by a spherical indenter with radii of 5, 10 and 50 μm. Material behavior is described by a crystal plasticity constitutive model with three critical resolved shear stresses for different slip modes. The CRSS values were obtained by fitting to experimental load-displacement curves. The stress and strain distributions are analyzed with a view to understanding twin initiation. The twins initiate during indentation at the stress level order of magnitude higher compare to uniaxial tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of Al doping concentration on resistive switching characteristics of Pt/Al-doped HfO x /Cu structures was investigated. According to the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis and the first-principle calculation, the Al doping introduced more oxygen vacancies in HfO x film and these oxygen vacancies can be easily generated along Al dopants. Significant enhancement in resistive switching behaviors was achieved for 6.8% Al-doped HfO x film in terms of ON/OFF ratio, switching voltages and uniformity, whereas the higher Al doping concentration of 9.4% caused excess oxygen vacancies in the film, resulting in the degeneration of switching performance. A schematic diagram based on the formation and rupture of oxygen vacancy filaments was proposed to illustrate the distinct switching behaviors of HfO x and Al-doped HfO x samples. The results indicated that the concentration and distribution of oxygen vacancies played an important role on resistive switching behavior. The reliability properties for the prepared HfO x samples were also investigated. This work might provide a guidance for the further optimization of HfO x -based memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal extraction parameters of Dendranthema indicum extract using supercritical carbon dioxide extraction were organized by response surface methodology (RSM) with Box - Behnken design (BBD). The peak extraction yield (9.37%) was obtained in the condition of 750 W of microwave power, 40 °C of extraction temperature, 26 MPa of extraction pressure, and 105 min of extraction time. Subsequently, molecular distillation was applied to separate essential oil from D. indicum extract. The separation yield of D. indicum essential oil obtained at 80 (DIEO80) and 90 °C (DIEO90) were 0.21 g/100 g and 0.44 g/100 g, respectively, which was lower than those of 100, 110 and 120 °C, while they presented transparent with no precipitate. DIEO90 possessed the strongest antioxidant activities (16.08 μmol TE/g for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activity, 46.05 μmol TE/g for ferric reducing antioxidant power, respectively). Furthermore, alkenes, alcohols and esters were identified the main volatile flavor components for D. indicum extract and essential oils. The proportions of major contributing components such as 1,8-cineol (6.45%–15.04%), isopinocarveol (6.02%–11.78%), (E)-α-bergamotene (3.02%–5.62%), (E)-β-famesene (2.80%–12.92%), germacrene D (2.83%–8.23%), 6-ethenyl-2,2,6-trimethyloxan-3-ol (5.86%–6.88%), (6-Ethenyl-2,2,6-trimethyl-oxa- n-3-yl) acetate (9.11%–10.51%) and β-elemene (4.16%–6.44%). Though molecular distillation, compounds with low boiling points were enriched in DIEO80 and DIEO90, and compounds with high boiling points were in other oils. Overall, the sequential green process based on supercritical carbon dioxide extraction with molecular distillation is an efficient method for extraction and separation of essential oil. • Supercritical CO 2 extraction combined with molecular distillation is developed to extract and separate essential oil. • Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction is optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) with Box- Behnken design (BBD). • Molecular distillation at lower temperature obtained lower yield but superior properties. • Dendranthema indicum essential oil obtained at 90 °C presented the strongest antioxidant activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coexistence of resistive switching and magnetism modulation of Co doped HfO x samples with different doping concentrations was reported in this work. The chemical composition, especially oxygen vacancies was analyzed by XPS technology and the influence of Co dopants on resistive switching and magnetism were demonstrated both experimentally and theoretically by first principles calculation. Improved switching performance such as on/off ratio, uniformity and reliability can be obtained by Co doping. In addition, 5.3 % Co doped HfO x sample behaved different magnetism properties in high resistance state and low resistance state (magnetization change of 61.4 %) due to the modulation of defects concentration. The switching behavior and magnetism were both related to the defects in HfO x film. Therefore, the filamentary model consisting of oxygen vacancies and Co ions were proposed to illustrate switching behavior and its relationship with magnetism. Results provide a new idea to clarify the switching mechanism of RRAM, and indicate the promising applications of Co doped HfO x film in the multifunctional electromagnetic devices. [Display omitted] • Coexistence of resistive switching behavior and magnetism was demonstrated. • Oxygen vacancy and magnetism were analyzed both theoretically and experimentally. • Multilevel resistances were obtained by electrical and magnetic modulation. • Oxygen vacancies and Co dopants both contributed to the resistive switching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is urgent to explore non-noble metal electrocatalysts with high efficiency and durability for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which is key to a spectrum of sustainable energy technologies. The electronic regulation via foreign ion/atom doping presents a valid route to improve the intrinsic activity of earth-abundant electrocatalysts. In this research, a facile and cost-effective self-assembly strategy is developed to fabricate the vanadium-doped nickel phosphide electrocatalysts (V-Ni 2 P) with a three-dimensional nanosheets structure. Then the effect of initial vanadium concentration on the morphology and properties of the target catalyst is investigated. It is found that the V-Ni 2 P electrocatalyst obtained at the NH 4 VO 3 concentration of 1 mg mL−1 only requires a low overpotential of 228 mV to afford an OER current density of 80 mA cm−2, with a Tafel slope of 76 mV dec–1 and excellent electrocatalytic stability. On the other hand, enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance can also be acquired based on this unique structure under alkaline conditions. Finally, a water electrolysis device is assembled using V-Ni 2 P as the cathode and anode materials. To afford a current density of 50 mA cm−2, this device only needs a small voltage of 1.65 V, suggesting the potential of V-Ni 2 P as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting. This study provides a reference for the preparation of a highly active electrocatalyst with controllable composition and microstructure. [Display omitted] • The V-Ni 2 P electrocatalyst was fabricated via a simple and cost-effective self-assembly strategy. • The unique nanosheet arrays structure were anchored on matrix to fabricate the V-Ni2P electrode. • The sample demonstrates the excellent electrochemical performance for overall water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Eight undescribed sesquiterpene coumarins, together with six known ones were isolated from Ferula bungeana for the first time. • Eight undescribed sesquiterpene coumarins enriched in F. bungeana have the hydroxyl or carbonyl group at C-7′ and a hydroperoxyl group at C-7′ or C-8′. • The hydroperoxyl group in sesquiterpene coumarins was reported firstly. • Ferubungeanol B (2) and samarcandin acetate (9) could significantly inhibit NO production in LPS-induced BV-2 microglial cells. This is the first study to profile natural sesquiterpene coumarins (SCs) in Ferula bungeana , a medicinal plant of the genus Ferula in China. Eight undescribed sesquiterpene coumarins (1 – 8), along with six known ones (9 – 14) were obtained from the whole plant of F. bungeana. These unreported SCs (1 – 8) enriched the structural diversity of natural SCs, especially these with the hydroxy or carbonyl group at C-7′ and a hydroperoxy group at C-7′ or C-8′. Compounds (9 – 14) were reported for the first time from this plant. The in vitro anti-neuroinflammatory activity assay showed that compounds 2 and 9 showed stronger inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV-2 microglia, compared with positive control minocycline, and compounds 5 and 10 showed moderate inhibitory effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The basic requirements of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for field applications are that they have an affinity for the host plant and that they can colonize the rhizosphere. Here, a new technique was established using soybean agglutin (SBA) as a tool to isolate soybean-specific PGPR. Thirty-three PGPR strains with an affinity for soybean were obtained via the screening method with SBA. All 33 isolates were able to produce indole acetic acid and solubilize inorganic phosphate and potassium. Most isolates (93.94%) were able to solubilize organic phosphate and almost half (45.45%) were able to produce siderophores. More than 40% of the isolates exhibited all five plant growth-promoting traits. The isolate Enterobacter sp. strain DN9 was selected for further analyses of its rhizosphere colonization and soybean growth-promoting effects because of its excellent activity in phosphate and potassium solubilization. The luciferase lux AB gene was electrotransformed into DN9, and the labelled DN9 (DN9-L) was able to survive in the soybean rhizosphere and colonize new spaces as the soybean roots elongated. This strain positively affected root system development and soybean seedling growth. In pot and field experiments, the isolates DN9, DW1, and DW13 significantly increased the nutrient contents in rhizosphere soil and soybean leaves. On average, the seed number per plant and the seed weight per plant were increased by 20% and 24% respectively, in plants inoculated with these PGPR strains in the pot experiment. In a field experiment, compared with uninoculated plants, those inoculated with DW1 showed 46.78% higher pod number per plant and 5.23% higher seed oil content; those inoculated with DW13 showed 79.82% higher seed number per plant and 65.10% higher seed weight per plant; and those inoculated with DN9 showed 9.13% higher 100-seed weight. These results show that SBA can be used as a tool to isolate efficient PGPR to enhance soybean production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the preparation of carbon dots (CDs), a variety of carbon sources and synthetic protocols are available which endow CDs with variable and unpredictable properties. In the present study, three CDs were developed with ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide as the precursor through ethanol-thermal and hydrothermal strategies, termed as E-CDs and H-CDs, respectively. The features of these carbon dots, i.e., their physicochemical and optical properties, their interactions with bovine serum albumin (BSA) as well as their imaging capability were investigated with respect to the CDs prepared with microwave assisted approach (W-CDs). E-CDs and H-CDs were demonstrated to exhibit similar framework structures and optical properties, and they exhibited larger particle-sizes than that of W-CDs. In addition, the increase of ethanol-thermal and hydrothermal reaction time strengthened the quantum yields of the CDs and promoted their binding capability with BSA. E-CDs and H-CDs showed similar cytotoxicity on normal (LX-2) and cancer (SK-Hep-1) cells. We further found that these CDs may readily enter the cells within 5 min, while the fluorescence of hydrophilic E-CDs and H-CDs was very weak with respect to that of hydrophobic W-CDs in cell imaging. On the other hand, all the CDs exhibited little impact on the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species. The present study is conducive to guide the preparation of suitable carbon dots for different application scenarios. [Display omitted] • BmimDCN was used as precursor to prepare CDs through solvothermal methods. • Ethanol solvent and increased reaction time promoted QYs of CDs and binding to BSA. • CDs showed similar cytotoxicity on liver normal and cancer cells. • CDs had little impact on the level of intracellular ROS. • The cancer cells could take up the CDs within 5 min, and emitted weak fluorescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initiation of hair follicle (HF) is the first and most important stage of HF morphogenesis. However the precise molecular mechanism of initiation of hair follicle remains elusive. Meanwhile, in previous study, the more attentions had been paid to the function of genes, while the roles of non-coding RNAs (such as long noncoding RNA and microRNA) had not been described. Therefore, the roles of long noncoding RNA(LncRNA) and coding RNA in sheep skin during the initiation of sheep secondary HF were integrated and analyzed, by using strand-specific RNA sequencing (ssRNA-seq).A total of 192 significant differentially expressed genes were detected, including 67 up-regulated genes and 125 down-regulated genes between stage 0 and stage 1 of HF morphogenesis during HF initiation. Only Wnt2, FGF20 were just significant differentially expressed among Wnt, Shh, Notch and BMP signaling pathways. Further expression profile analysis of lncRNAs showed that 884 novel lncRNAs were discovered in sheep skin expression profiles. A total of 15 lncRNAs with significant differential expression were detected, 6 up-regulated and 9 down-regulated. Among of differentially expressed genes and LncRNA, XLOC002437 lncRNA and potential target gene COL6A6 were all significantly down-regulated in stage 1. Furthermore, by using RNAhybrid, XLOC005698 may be as a competing endogenous RNA ‘‘sponges” oar-miR-3955-5p activity. Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway analyses indicated that the significantly enriched pathway was peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) pathway (corrected P-value < 0.05), indicating that PPAR pathway is likely to play significant roles during the initiation of secondary HF.Results suggest that the key differentially expressed genes and LncRNAs may be considered as potential candidate genes for further study on the molecular mechanisms of HF initiation, as well as supplying some potential values for understanding human hair disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prophage vB_LdeS-phiJB (phiJB) was induced by mitomycin C and UV radiation from the Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus SDMCC050201 isolated from a Chinese yoghurt sample. It has an isometric head and a non-contractile tail with 36,969 bp linear double-stranded DNA genome, which is classified into the group a of Lb. delbrueckii phages. The genome of phiJB is highly modular with functionally related genes clustered together. Unexpectedly, there is no similarity of its DNA replication module to any phages that have been reported, while it consists of open-reading frames homologous to the proteins of Lactobacillus strains. Comparative genomic analysis indicated that its late gene clusters, integration/lysogeny modules and DNA replication module derived from different evolutionary ancestors and integrated into a chimera. Our results revealed a novel chimeric phage of commercial Lb. delbrueckii and will broaden the knowledge of phage diversity in the dairy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cu-doped and undoped HfO films were fabricated by magnetron sputtering. The effect of Cu doping on resistive switching (RS) of HfO film was demonstrated. Improvements in ON/OFF ratio and switching parameters were observed. The multilevel behavior of Cu/HfO:Cu/Si sample was also investigated by controlling the current compliance during set process and at least three low resistance states (LRSs) for data storage could be obtained. The three LRSs and the high resistance state can be distinguished in a range of 10 and the HfO:Cu sample exhibited good reliability. The RS behavior of HfO:Cu sample can be well interpreted by the proposed filamentary model. The oxygen vacancies and Cu ions in the film are both responsible for the RS behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive manganese (Mn) exposure gives rise to various neurological disorders, including motor dysfunction and cognitive impairment. Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of Mn neurotoxicity. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully clarified. Immunoproteasome is a specialized proteasome. Recent studies have shown that immunoproteasome, especially catalytic subunit PSMB8, is highly associated with various neurological diseases. Whether PSMB8 is involved in Mn-neurotoxicity is still unknown. In this study, in vivo and in vitro models were established, and our data showed that Mn exposure upregulated the expression and activity of PSMB8. Selective inhibition of PSMB8 mitigated neuroinflammation with reduced microglial activation and fewer TNF-α, iNOS, and CCL12 production in Mn-treated mice and BV2 cells. Learning and memory tests and Golgi staining further confirmed that inhibition of PSMB8 alleviated Mn-induced recognition memory impairments and synapse deficits. Besides, we found that blocking of PERK signaling inhibited Mn-induced elevation of PSMB8. And inhibition of PSMB8 reduced the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65. Together, our data demonstrated that PSMB8 played an essential role in microglia-mediated neuroinflammation upon Mn exposure, and the underlying mechanisms may be via PERK/NF-κB pathways. These results provide a novel target for the prevention and treatment of Mn-neurotoxicity. [Display omitted] • Manganese upregulated the expression and activity of PSMB8. • Inhibition of PSMB8 mitigated microglial activation. • Inhibition of PSMB8 alleviated Mn-induced recognition impairment. • Blocking of PERK signaling reduced Mn-induced elevation of PSMB8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]