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Moringa oleifera addition to animal diets can improve the growth performance, intestinal health, and immunity of animals, without adverse effects. We investigated the effects of Moringa oleifera on the growth performance, meat quality, and intestinal health of broilers. Moringa oleifera and fermented Moringa oleifera could improve the flesh color and breast muscle tenderness of broilers (p

ABSTRACTAnnexin A2 is a Ca2+ regulated protein belonging to the Annexin family and is found in the cytoplasm and cell membrane. It can exist in a monomeric form or in a heterotetrameric form with the S100A10 dimer. The research on Annexin A2 in tumours is currently active, and studies on its role in pathogen infection are increasing. Annexin A2 plays a crucial role in the life cycle of viruses by mediating adhesion, internalization, uncoating, transport, and release. In the case of parasites, bacteria, mycoplasma, fungi, and other pathogens, Annexin A2 binds to the ligand on the pathogen, which mediates the pathogen’s adhesion to the host cell, ultimately leading to infection and damage to the host. Furthermore, some studies have developed biological or chemical drugs that target Annexin A2, which have demonstrated promising anti-infective effects. Thus, targeting Annexin A2 may present a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of diverse infectious diseases. In summary, this paper provides an overview of Annexin A2 and its role in various pathogens. It highlights its regulation of pathogen infection and its potential as a therapeutic target for the treatment of infectious diseases.

Effective water and fertilizer management modes (WFMMs) are crucial for mitigating non-point source pollution, enhancing grain quality, and improving resource utilization in paddy fields. Nevertheless, screening WFMMs that can effectively synergize these benefits is challenging, particularly in the wake of climate change. A two-year lysimeter experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of WFMMs on water balance components, nitrogen and phosphorus loss loads, grain yield and quality, and nitrogen utilization efficiency. Four treatments were established, including flooding irrigation (FI) and alternate wetting and drying irrigation (AWD), paired with conventional fertilizers (CF) and sulfur-coated fertilizer (SCF). A multi-criteria evaluation framework was developed to assess the potential values of WFMMs under diverse hydrological conditions using the vertical and horizontal scattering degree method. The results indicated that the AWD regime increased irrigation and drainage by approximately 8% compared to CF during the wet season, while reducing irrigation, percolation, and augmenting capillary rise during the dry season. Irrigation had not a significant effect on rice yield and quality. Compared to CF, AWD significantly increased nitrogen accumulation at maturity and nitrogen recovery efficiency by 20% and 31% on average. The SCF had a significant effect on the nitrogen accumulation at maturity, nitrogen recovery efficiency, N partial factor productivity, yield (increased 8–9% across two years), and protein content (increased ∼8% across two years), but at the cost of higher leachate concentration when compared to CF. Integration of AWD and SCF treatments demonstrates the potential for improved water productivity, yield, and nitrogen utilization efficiency, along with an enhanced ability to purify pollutants. The vertical and horizontal scattering degree method assessment showed that the AWD+SCF treatment exhibits superior performance in water saving, pollution reduction, yield and quality, and nitrogen efficient utilization, which was amplified during the dry season. These findings offer novel perspectives for optimizing WFMMs under varying hydrological conditions in hilly areas of Southern China.

The reference evapotranspiration (ETo) pertains to the evapotranspiration of cold-season grasses with an approximate height of 0.12 m or full-covered alfalfa with a height of 0.50 m. Accurate short-term ETo forecasts are indispensable for informed irrigation decisions by relevant departments and individuals. Four deep learning (DL) models, including Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), Bidirectional LSTM (Bi-LSTM), and Bidirectional GRU (Bi-GRU), as well as two calibrated empirical models (Hargreaves-Samani (HS) and reduced-set Penman–Monteith (RPM)), were used to evaluate the performance of the ETo forecast with a lead time of 1–7 d using temperature forecasts in different climates. The results reveal that the DL models and calibrated HS and RPM models exhibited comparable trends in the ETo forecasts for lead times of 1–7 d. Nonetheless, the DL models consistently outperformed the HS and RPM models across the diverse climatic regions in China. The DL models displayed an average root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) of less than 0.887 and 0.633 mm/d, respectively. Moreover, the mean correlation coefficient (R) and accuracy (ACC) exceeded 0.807% and 89.701%, respectively. Among the DL models, the LSTM model demonstrated slightly superior performance in short-term daily ETo forecasts in diverse climates. The LSTM model exhibited RMSE and MAE ranges of 0.563–0.875 mm/d and 0.418–0.626 mm/d, respectively, along with R and ACC ranges of 0.81–0.90 and 89.94–98.11%, respectively. Furthermore, even with an increase in lead time, the DL models continued to exhibit strong predictive capabilities, consistently surpassing the performance of the HS and RPM models. Overall, the trained DL models presented an exceptional ability to forecast the short-term daily ETo in various climatic regions of China. These models require only a few input variables and readily available data, making them highly advantageous for practical applications in ETo forecasting. Such models hold promise for significantly enhancing regional agricultural water-resource planning and management.

Abstract Accumulation of misfolded proteins leads to many neurodegenerative diseases that can be treated by lowering or removing mutant proteins. Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized by the intracellular accumulation of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) that can be soluble and aggregated in the central nervous system and causes neuronal damage and death. Here, an intracellular antibody (intrabody) fragment is generated that can specifically bind mHTT and link to the lysosome for degradation. It is found that delivery of this peptide by either brain injection or intravenous administration can efficiently clear the soluble and aggregated mHTT by activating the lysosomal degradation pathway, resulting in amelioration of gliosis and dyskinesia in HD knock‐in (KI‐140Q) mice. These findings suggest that the small intrabody peptide linked to lysosomes can effectively lower mutant proteins and provide a new approach for treating neurodegenerative diseases that are caused by the accumulation of mutant proteins.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary L-theanine (LTH) supplementation on finishing pigs' antioxidant capacity and lipid metabolism. Results showed that dietary LTH supplementation increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes and decreased the content of malondialdehyde in serum, longissimus dorsi muscle (LD muscle), and liver of finishing pigs (P

Fractional‐order vector vortex beams (VVBs) have recently been demonstrated as new carriers of fractional‐strength optical vortices. However, the inherent mechanism of the new vortex beams, formed by the combination of both unstable states, to propagate stably in free space requires clarification. In this study, this scientific problem is solved by revealing the physical essence of propagable fractional‐strength optical vortices in free space. Therefore, three new viewpoints regarding these unique vortex beams are proposed: Abbe's diffraction limit, the phase evolution of the vortex beam, and the binary time vector property of phase. First, due to Abbe's diffraction limit, the inherent polarization modes are intertwined, thereby maintaining the entire unique vortex beam in free space. In the second case, the phase evolution of the vortex beam is the physical cause for the polarization rotation of fractional‐order VVBs. Third, the phase is not merely a scalar attribute of the light beam and demonstrates a binary time vector property. This study provides entirely different physical viewpoints on the phase of the vortex beam and Abbe's diffraction limit, which may deepen the knowledge on the behavior of light beams in classical optics.

Landslide susceptibility assessment is considered the first step in landslide risk assessment, but current studies mostly rely on GIS platforms or other software for data preprocessing. The modeling process is relatively complicated and multi-models cannot be integrated. With regard to this issue, this study develops a Python system for automatic assessment of regional landslide susceptibility. The Python system implements landslide susceptibility assessment through three modules: geographic data processing, machine learning modeling and result evaluation analysis. For geographic data processing, ten landslide influencing factors can be used to construct an evaluation factor dataset and reclassify the thematic maps based on the frequency ratio method. Four built-in machine learning models (logistic regression (LR), multi-layer perceptron (MLP), support vector machine (SVM) and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost)) are integrated into the system to complete susceptibility modeling and calculation. Additionally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves can be automatically generated to evaluate the accuracy. The system was then applied into Lantian County in Shaanxi Province as a demonstration example. The results show that the areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of the four models are 0.838 (LR)、0.882 (SVM)、0.809 (MLP) and 0.812 (XGBoost), respectively, indicating that the SVM model was the most suitable model for landslide susceptibility assessment in Lantian County in the Loess Plateau of China. The system has now been made open source on Github, which can effectively improve the efficiency of regional landslide susceptibility assessment, especially provide tools for data processing and modeling for non-professionals.

BackgroundGeneralized anxiety disorder (GAD) is common among perimenopausal women. Acupuncture may be an effective treatment for GAD, but evidence is limited. The pathogenesis of GAD is not yet clear, but it is related to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and its excretion, cortisol (CORT), and the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of manual acupuncture (MA) vs. placebo acupuncture (PA) for perimenopausal women with GAD.MethodsThis study is a single-center, randomized, single-blind clinical trial conducted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. A total of 112 eligible patients with GAD were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive MA (n = 56) or PA (n = 56) three times per week for 4 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the HAMA score. The secondary outcome measures were the GAD-7 and PSQI scores and the levels of CORT and ACTH. The evaluation will be executed at the baseline, 2 weeks, the end of the treatment, and a follow-up 3-month period.ResultsSignificant improvements in HAMA (p

Abstract Introduction This study aimed to investigate the treatment effect of G protein‐coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) agonist G1 combined with hypothermia (HT) on cognitive impairment and anxiety‐like behavior after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in rats. Methods Fifty male rats were randomly assigned to one of five groups: Sham group, SAH group, SAH + G1 group, SAH + HT group, and SAH + G1 + HT group. The SAH rat model was established by modified endovascular puncture in all groups except the Sham group. Neurological function after the operation was assessed by Garcia scoring. The degree of rat cerebral edema was determined using dry‐wet weighing method on the 28th day after operation. Moreover, the behavioral test was performed on rats on the 4th and 28th days after operation. Results Compared with Sham group, the Garcia score of each SAH rat model group decreased significantly on the first day and thereafter increased gradually. However, the recovery rate of each treatment group was higher than the SAH group (no treatment), and the Garcia score of SAH + G1 + HT group was much higher than the SAH group on the seventh day after operation. In addition, each treatment group could obviously reduce the cerebral edema degree of SAH rats, among which rats in SAH + G1 + HT group had lower cerebral edema degree than SAH + G1 group and SAH + HT group. Behavioral test results showed that the combination of GPR30 agonist G1 and HT markedly improved the learning and memory ability of SAH rats, alleviated their anxiety‐ and emotion‐related behavior, and enhanced their social interaction. Conclusion GPR30 agonist G1 combined with HT reduces cognitive impairment and anxiety‐like behavior in rats with SAH.

Spatial self-phase modulation (SSPM) is widely used to characterize the nonlinear refractive index of two-dimensional layered materials and design passive nonlinear photonic devices. In this work, we investigate the SSPM phenomena of black phosphorus dispersed in agarose solid under the excitation of on-axis and off-axis integer and half-integer vortex beams. It is found that with the increase of the off-axis distance of the Gaussian vortex beam, the pattern of the far-field self-diffraction intensity gradually breaks from the initial ring and finally evolves into a tail outside the self-diffraction ring. Moreover, for half-integer vortex beams, the size of the innermost tail of the self-diffraction ring is nearly half smaller than that of the second outer tail. The underlying mechanism of the observed SSPM phenomenon is also analyzed. Interestingly, the trailing number and rotation direction of the self-diffraction ring pattern quantitatively reflect the magnitude and sign of the topological charge (TC) of the off-axis vortex beam, respectively. This work provides a novel method to measure the TC of off-axis vortex beam in the nonlinear optics regime.

Background: Paternal uniparental disomy (UPD) of chromosome 7 is extremely rare, and only a few postnatal cases have been reported. The effects on growth were discordant in these cases, and the relevance of paternal UPD(7) to growth caused by imprinting remains questionable.Case presentation: Here, we report a prenatal case that underwent invasive prenatal diagnosis due to the high risk of Down’s syndrome and failed noninvasive prenatal screening. The fetus had a normal karyotype and no apparent copy number variation. Homozygous copy-neutral regions on chromosome 7 were identified using a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array; the data for the parent–child trios showed that the fetus carried the whole paternal isodisomy of chromosome 7. Whole exome and Sanger sequencing revealed a homozygous frameshift mutation in SUGCT at 7p14.1, from the heterozygous carrier father, with no contribution from the mother. The parents decided to continue with the pregnancy after genetic counseling, and the neonate had normal physical findings at birth and showed overweight after birth during a long-term intensive follow-up.Conclusion: We report the first prenatal case who carried paternal UPD(7) and homozygous SUGCT mutation with an overweight phenotype after birth. The overweight may be caused by paternal UPD(7) or homozygous frameshift mutation of SUGCT, or both of them, but it is unclear which contributes more.

Long-term exposure to microgravity is considered to cause liver lipid accumulation, thereby increasing the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among astronauts. However, the reasons for this persistence of symptoms remain insufficiently investigated. In this study, we used tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomics techniques, as well as non-targeted metabolomics techniques based on liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS), to comprehensively analyse the relative expression levels of proteins and the abundance of metabolites associated with lipid accumulation in rat liver tissues under simulated microgravity conditions. The differential analysis revealed 63 proteins and 150 metabolites between the simulated microgravity group and the control group. By integrating differentially expressed proteins and metabolites and performing pathway enrichment analysis, we revealed the dysregulation of major metabolic pathways under simulated microgravity conditions, including the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis and butanoate metabolism, indicating disrupted liver metabolism in rats due to weightlessness. Finally, we examined differentially expressed proteins associated with lipid metabolism in the liver of rats exposed to stimulated microgravity. These findings contribute to identifying the key molecules affected by microgravity and could guide the design of rational nutritional or pharmacological countermeasures for astronauts.

Condensate gas reservoirs are a special kind of reservoir because of the presence of multiphase flow in their production. The accurate calculation of the multiphase flow productivity in horizontal wells is of great significance for reservoir development. In this study, the total pseudopressure and the equivalent total flow are defined to solve the multiphase nonlinear problem in the oil–gas–water three-phase control flow equation, and to establish a three-phase productivity equation considering the non-Darcy effect. It provides a solution for the three-phase productivity calculation of horizontal wells in water-bearing condensate gas reservoirs. The example verification and error analysis of three horizontal wells, except for the gas production error of Well Y3 and the average error of the production data of other gas wells, is below 4%. The fitting effect of Well Y2 is better than that of the other two horizontal wells, and the average error of the oil, gas, and water phases is below 3%. This method provides a practical and simple engineering tool for the analysis of the productivity of condensate gas reservoirs considering multiphase flow.

Granitic rocks forming in the syn- to post-orogenic stages can trace the compositional and structural complexity of the crust beneath an orogenic belt. The Qinling orogenic belt undertook multiple stages of tectonics and magmatism, resulting in the multifaceted evolution and compositional diversity of the crust. In the present study, the Guangtoushan and Miba plutons in South Qinling were chosen to reveal the crustal heterogeneity in study area via isotopic geochemistry and zircon geochronology. The Guangtoushan pluton was emplaced between ~215 Ma and ~202 Ma and the Miba pluton formed at ~213 Ma, as constrained by zircon U-Pb isotopic dating. Granitic rocks of the Miba pluton are characterized by amphibole bearing and homogeneous composition, with relatively depleted Sr-Nd isotopic compositions (initial 87Sr/86Sr values of 0.7060 to 0.7084 and initial εNd values of −5.4 to −9.5) and high Pb isotopic values. The Guangtoushan pluton contains muscovite and complex inherited zircon grains and has variable Sr-Nd isotopic composition (initial 87Sr/86Sr values of 0.7050 to 0.7091 and initial εNd values of −4.5 to −12.9) and low Pb isotopic values. Felsic magmas of the Guangtoushan pluton should be derived mainly from meta-sedimentary rocks beneath South Qinling, while the Miba pluton originated primarily from partial melting of meta-igneous rocks. The compositional diversity recorded in the Early Mesozoic plutons was caused by the heterogeneous crust, and partial melting was induced by heating of the up-welling asthenosphere in a post-collision setting.

(1) Background: Crop yields in China’s arid and semi-arid regions are limited by water shortages. Exploring the interactions and resource utilization among agroforestry species is key to maintaining diversified agricultural production. (2) Objective: An apple–watermelon agroforestry system and watermelon sole-cropping system were compared to quantify how resource availability (light, water) and watermelon performance (leaf photosynthetic rate, growth, and yield) change with irrigation strategies. (3) Methods: A three-year apple and watermelon field experiment was conducted in a young apple orchard in the arid area of central Ningxia to test the effect of light competition and irrigation systems on light environment, leaf photosynthetic rate, plant growth, and yield in watermelon. The experiment encompassed two planting patterns: (i) apple–watermelon agroforestry (AF) and watermelon sole-cropping (SC) and (ii) three irrigation quotas (W1: 105 mm, W2: 210 mm, and W3: 315 mm). (4) Results: The results show that the agroforestry planting pattern extended the growth period of watermelon and increased the leaf area index. Mean daily shade intensity increased by 16.02% from 2020 to 2022. The land equivalent ratio (LER) was >1 in 2021 and 2022. The SWC, leaf photosynthetic rate, LAI, and yield of watermelon in an agroforestry planting pattern were lower than when in a sole-cropping planting pattern. However, under the W1 irrigation strategy, the total soluble solids of the agroforestry planting pattern were 2.27% higher than those of the sole-cropping pattern, and the yield of the agroforestry planting pattern was 2.59% higher than that of the sole-cropping pattern. Under the W3 irrigation strategy, the average watermelon weight in the agroforestry planting pattern was 2.85% higher than that of the sole-cropping pattern. A path analysis showed that the agroforestry planting pattern can increase the yield by increasing soil water content, which is different from the sole-cropping pattern. (5) Conclusions: The results confirm that the apple–watermelon agroforestry planting pattern reduced watermelon yields. However, the LER of the agroforestry system was greater than 1.0. It is reasonable to plant watermelons in young apple forests.

Background and aims: This research aimed to evaluate the effects of consecutive intercropping on soil phosphorus (P) partitioning, concentrations, and sensitivity to P fertilizer application, elucidating its impact on soil P bioavailability. Methods: A field experiment investigated soil P fractions and content under continuous wheat and faba bean intercropping. Three P levels (0, 45, and 90 kg P2O5 ha−1 denoted as P0, P1, and P2, respectively) and three planting patterns (monocropped wheat (MW), monocropped faba bean (MF), and wheat and faba bean intercropping (W//F)) were established since 2014. Aboveground P uptake by wheat and faba bean was determined. The soil P fractions and content were analyzed after six-, seven-, and eight-year continuous field experiments. Results: Wheat and faba bean intercropping increased wheat aboveground P uptake by 28.3–42.7% compared to MW under P1 and P2 levels and presented a P uptake advantage (LERPuptake > 1), although W//F had no impact on faba bean P uptake. Consequently, continuous intercropping for 8 years decreased soil available P reserves by 9.0–23.4% in comparison to the weighted average value of MW and MF (It). Faba bean consumed greater non-labile and labile P than wheat with low P input. W//F had nearly no impact on the labile P pool but reduced the non-labile P pool by 5.0–12.1% under all P levels and lowered the moderately labile P pool by 1.7–4.7% at P0 and P1 levels compared to It with consecutive intercropping for 8 years. Consecutive intercropping of wheat and faba bean primarily decreased the proportion of Resin-P in the labile P pool and the proportion of Residual-P in the non-labile P pool. According to the structural equation model, crop P uptake mainly originated from soil available P, which was directly affected by non-labile P (Residual-P and Conc. HCl-P). In addition, intercropping changed the contribution of each P faction to crop P uptake compared to MW and MF, and P uptake in intercropping primarily depended on Conc. HCl- P and Dil. HCl-P. Therefore, consecutive intercropping decreased soil non-labile P and drove soil available P depletion, and intercropping’s increase of P uptake was related to the non-labile P mobilized to moderately labile and labile P. Conclusions: Continuous wheat and faba bean intercropping reduced non-labile P and led to soil available P depletion under low P input. This practice stimulated non-labile P mobilization, enhancing soil P fraction effectiveness and facilitating P uptake in intercropping. Continuous intercropping of wheat and faba bean is as an effective method to maximize the biological availability of soil P and reduce P application rates.

Mesoporous titanium nanoparticles (MTN) have always been a concern and are considered to have great potential for overcoming antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In our study, MTN modified with functionalized UV-responsive ethylene imine polymer (PEI) was synthesized. The characterization of all products was performed by different analyses, including SEM, TEM, FT-IR, TGA, XRD, XPS, and N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. The typical antibacterial drug berberine hydrochloride (BH) was encapsulated in MTN-PEI. The process exhibited a high drug loading capacity (22.71 ± 1.12%) and encapsulation rate (46.56 ± 0.52%) due to its high specific surface area of 238.43 m2/g. Moreover, UV-controlled drug release was achieved by utilizing the photocatalytic performance of MTN. The antibacterial effect of BH@MTN-PEI was investigated, which showed that it could be controlled to release BH and achieve a corresponding antibacterial effect by UV illumination for different lengths of time, with bacterial lethality reaching 37.76% after only 8 min of irradiation. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the nanoparticles have also been studied. The MIC of BH@MTN-PEI was confirmed as 1 mg/mL against Escherichia coli (E. coli), at which the growth of bacteria was completely inhibited during 24 h and the concentration of 5 mg/mL for BH@MTN-PEI was regarded as MBC against E. coli. Although this proof-of-concept study is far from a real-life application, it provides a possible route to the discovery and application of antimicrobial drugs.

Recent research has identified ADAR1 as a participant in the regulation of lipid accumulation in mice. However, there are no reports on the roles of ADAR1 in proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation of porcine preadipocytes. In this study, we investigated the role of ADAR1 in differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis of porcine preadipocytes using CCK-8, EdU staining, cell cycle detection, RT-qPCR, Western blot, a triglyceride assay and Oil Red O staining. The over-expression of ADAR1 significantly promoted proliferation but inhibited the differentiation and apoptosis of porcine preadipocytes. The inhibition of ADAR1 had the opposite effect on the proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of porcine preadipocytes with over-expressed ADAR1. Then, the regulation mechanisms of ADAR1 on preadipocyte proliferation were identified using RNA-seq, and 197 DEGs in response to ADAR1 knockdown were identified. The MAPK signaling pathway is significantly enriched, indicating its importance in mediating fat accumulation regulated by ADAR1. The study’s findings will aid in uncovering the mechanisms that regulate fat accumulation through ADAR1.

This study aimed to identify active miRNA editing sites during adipose development in Ningxiang pigs and analyze their characteristics and functions. Based on small RNA-seq data from the subcutaneous adipose tissues of Ningxiang pigs at four stages—30 days (piglet), 90 days (nursery), 150 days (early fattening), and 210 days (late fattening)—we constructed a developmental map of miRNA editing in the adipose tissues of Ningxiang pigs. A total of 505 miRNA editing sites were identified using the revised pipeline, with C-to-U editing types being the most prevalent, followed by U-to-C, A-to-G, and G-to-U. Importantly, these four types of miRNA editing exhibited base preferences. The number of editing sites showed obvious differences among age groups, with the highest occurrence of miRNA editing events observed at 90 days of age and the lowest at 150 days of age. A total of nine miRNA editing sites were identified in the miRNA seed region, with significant differences in editing levels (p < 0.05) located in ssc-miR-23a, ssc-miR-27a, ssc-miR-30b-5p, ssc-miR-15a, ssc-miR-497, ssc-miR-15b, and ssc-miR-425-5p, respectively. Target gene prediction and KEGG enrichment analyses indicated that the editing of miR-497 might potentially regulate fat deposition by inhibiting adipose synthesis via influencing target binding. These results provide new insights into the regulatory mechanism of pig fat deposition.

Accurately assessing the state of health (SOH) of lithium batteries is of great significance for improving battery safety performance. However, the current assessment for SOH suffers from the difficulty of selecting health features and the lack of uncertainty using data-driven methods. To this end, this paper proposes a health state assessment method for lithium-ion batteries based on health feature extraction and an improved Informer model. First, multiple features that can reflect the SOH of lithium-ion batteries were extracted from the charging and discharging time, the peak value of incremental capacity curve (ICC), and the inflection point value of differential voltage curve, etc., and the correlation between multiple health features and the health state was evaluated by gray correlation analysis. Then, an improved Informer model is proposed to establish a health state estimation method for lithium-ion batteries. Finally, the proposed algorithm is tested and validated using publicly available battery charge/discharge datasets and compared with other algorithms. The results show that the method in this paper can realize high-precision SOH prediction with a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 0.011, and the model fit reaches more than 98%.

Background: Previous studies have proven that Purinostat Mesylate (PM) is a new HDAC inhibitor and exhibits significant antitumor efficacy. However, the clinical application of PM was greatly limited by its poor solubility in water and low bioavailability.Objective:To increase the solubility of PM through pharmaceutical research, and prepare it into an injection that meets the needs of intravenous use to promote its clinical application.MethodsThe prepared PM/HP-β-CD inclusion complex was studied by computer simulation, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR spectroscopy), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Then, the antitumor effects of PM/HP-β-CD inclusion complex were studied by in vitro cytotoxicity assay, apoptosis assay, pharmacokinetic study and in vivo antitumor assay.Results:Phase Solubility Analysis revealed that PM and HP-β-CD were compatible and the solubility of PM increased almost 220 times, to 2.02 mg/mL. The interaction mechanism studies revealed that PM could be embedded into the cavity of HP-β-CD through the side of the aminobenzene ring. Cell viability and apoptosis assays showed that PM/HP-β-CD complex maintained the good anti-cancer activity of PM, and PM/HP-β-CD complex has a better anti-tumor effect and lower toxicity than LBH589 and Hyper-CVAD/RTX in vivo. All the results suggest that HP-β-CD can solve the problem of PM administration and provide a way for clinical application of PM.Conclusions: In this study, an injectable formulation of PM in HP-β-CD (10% w/v) was prepared to improve its water solubility. Our research provides a way for clinical administration of PM, which has been under phase I clinical trial for the treatment of relapsed or refractory B-cell-related hematologic malignancies in China and the USA.KEY MESSAGESWe developed a preparation of Purinostat Mesylate that can be administered intravenously, reducing the toxicity associated with oral administration.This preparation has an outstanding therapeutic effect on SU-DHL-6 xenograft tumour, indicating its clinical value, which has been under phase I clinical trial for the treatment of relapsed or refractory B-cell-related haematologic malignancies in China and the USA.

ABSTRACTAirway epithelial cells function as both a physical barrier against harmful substances and pathogenic microorganisms and as an important participant in the innate immune system. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) plays a crucial role in modulating inflammatory responses during respiratory infections. However, the signalling cascade that induces MMP-9 secretion from epithelial cells infected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of MMP-9 secretion in airway epithelial cells infected with M. pneumoniae. Our data clearly showed that M. pneumoniae induced the secretion of MMP-9 from bronchial epithelial cells and upregulated its enzymatic activity in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Using specific inhibitors and chromatin co-precipitation experiments, we confirmed that the expression of MMP-9 is reliant on the activation of the Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR6-dependent mitogen-activated protein kinase/nuclear factor- κB/activator protein-1 (MAPK/NF-κB/AP-1) pathways. Additionally, epigenetic modifications such as histone acetylation and the nuclear transcription factor Sp1 also regulate MMP-9 expression. M. pneumoniae infection also decreased the expression of the tumour suppressor reversion-inducing cysteine-rich protein with Kazal motifs (RECK) by inducing Sp1 phosphorylation. Overexpression of RECK significantly impaired the M. pneumoniae-triggered increase in MMP-9 enzymatic activity, although the level of MMP-9 protein remained constant. The study demonstrated that M. pneumoniae-triggered MMP-9 expression is modulated by TLR2 and 6, the MAPK/NF-κB/AP-1 signalling cascade, and histone acetylation, and M. pneumoniae downregulated the expression of RECK, thereby increasing MMP-9 activity to modulate the inflammatory response, which could play a role in airway remodelling.

Abstract An industrial robot with a six-axis force/torque sensor is usually used to produce a zero-gravity environment for testing space robotic operations. However, using traditional force control methods, such as admittance control, causes position-controlled industrial robots to undergo from force divergence owing to intrinsic time delay. In this paper, a new force control method is proposed to eliminate the force divergence. A hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulator with an industrial robot is first presented. The free-floating satellite dynamics and the motion mapping from the satellites to simulator are both established. Thus, the effects of measurement delay and dynamic response delay on contact velocity and force are investigated. After that, a real-time estimation method for contact stiffness and damping is proposed based on the adaptive Kalman filter. The measurement delay is compensated by a phase lead model. Moreover, the identified contact parameters are adopted to modify contact forces, and thus the dynamics response delay can be compensated for. Finally, a co-simulation and experiments were conducted to verify the force control method. The results show that contact stiffness and damping could be identified exactly and that the simulation divergence could be prevented. This paper proposes an active compliance control method that can deal with force constrained tasks of a position-controlled robot in unknown environments.

Abstract Background Sanfu herbal patch (SHP) is widely used in the prevention and treatment of bronchial asthma in China, but its efficacy and mechanism of action are not completely clear. This trial aims to determine the efficacy of SHP and the underlying mechanism. Methods/design We will conduct a multi-centre parallel randomised controlled trial consisting of 72 participants with bronchial asthma recruited and randomly allocated at a ratio of 1:1 into two groups. The patients in one group will receive three courses of SHP treatment, and the patients in the other group will receive placebo treatment, with 24 weeks of follow-up evaluation for both groups. The primary outcome, i.e. forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), which refers to the change in FEV1 from the beginning of the baseline to the end of 3 treatment sessions (TSs), will be assessed and compared via Student’s t test or the Mann–Whitney U test. Other outcomes will include questionnaire surveys and laboratory indicators. Detailed and complete statistical analyses in a double-blinded fashion will be provided for evaluating this trial. Discussion The data we obtain will be examined based on the above statistical analysis, which will help to reduce the risk of external reporting bias and data-driven results. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( http://www.chictr.org.cn ), ChiCTR1900024616. Registered on 19 July 2019.

The U.S. policy toward North Korea has always been issue of great concern and research focus. According to the grain production data of North Korea, and combined with perspectives from experts of China, the United States and South Korea, this paper tries to make a tentative judgment of the hawk/dove tendency of the five U.S. Presidents' remarks on North Korea from 1989 to 2019. The results show that: (1) The hawkish tendency in the presidents' attitudes has a certain relationship with North Korea's grain production. However, dove tendency is related to grain yield and its fluctuation rate, and the impact of the rate on the dove stance is even greater than the impact of production. (2) When North Korea's grain production increases, the presidents' stance on North Korea's policy tends to be tough; but when its grain production decreases, the presidents' attitudes towards North Korea will become relatively moderate. (3) The fluctuation rate of grain production in North Korea will affect the dove tendency of the presidents. Their stance will be more moderate if the rate decrease. But if the rate rises, the moderation of the statements will retreat.

Controlling the high-power laser transmittance is built on the diverse manipulation of multiple nonlinear absorption processes in the nonlinear optical materials. Here, the authors demonstrate the crucial role of hot-carrier effect to tune the nonlinear absorption response in quasi-2D perovskite films.

Abstract Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) released by activated neutrophils typically consist of DNA-histone complexes and granule proteins. NETs were originally identified as a host defense system against foreign pathogens and are strongly associated with autoimmune diseases. However, a novel and predominant role of NETs in cancer is emerging. Increasing evidence has confirmed that many stimuli can facilitate NET formation in an NADPH oxidase (NOX)-dependent/NOX-independent manner. In cancer, NETs have been linked to cancer progression, metastasis, and cancer-associated thrombosis. In this review, we aimed to summarize the current available knowledge regarding NET formation and focused on the role of NETs in cancer biological behaviors. The potential target for cancer therapy will be further discussed.

Abstract Objective The present study aims to explore the correlation of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), drosophila mothers against decapentaplegic protein gene (SMAD) 2/3/4, and leukemia inhibitory factors (LIF) with the cyst formation of hepatic Echinococcus granulosus in young children. Methods A total of 40 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for children's hydatid disease in people's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region between January 2020 and June 2021 were enrolled a s the study subjects. The cystic fluid of these children was collected as the case group and the corresponding infected viscera or pericystic tissue as the control group, with 40 cases in each group. In vitro cultured protoscolice of hydatid cyst, four groups including control group, LIF siRNA group, LIF factor group and SMAD4 siRNA group were divided by inhibiting TGF-β/SMADs signal pathway. Each assay was performed in triplicate. The expression of TGF-β, SMAD2/3/4 and LIF were detected. Results The results of the clinical trial showed that the contents of SMAD2 and SMAD3 were increased in the case group compared with the control group; the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The expression levels of TGF-β, Smad4, and LIF increased in the case group compared with the control group; however, the differences were not statistically significant. The results of further in vitro experiments, the expression levels of TGF-β, SMAD 2/3/4, and LIF after adding siRNA to interfere with Smad4 decreased in the case group compared with the control group; the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the expression levels of TGF-β, SMAD2/3/4, and LIF increased after treatment with added LIF in the case group, and the expression levels of TGF-β, SMAD2/3/4, and LIF decreased after adding siRNA to interfere with LIF in the case group; the differences were all statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion SMAD2 and SMAD3 have a certain clinical relevance with hydatidosis in young children. The LIF expression level may be related to the cystic transformation of protoscoleces. It has been suggested that the TGF-β/Smads/LIF signaling pathway may be present in the process of protoscoleces cyst formation; this provides a research basis for the prevention and treatment of post-infection parasitism of E. multilocularis eggs in young children.

Abstract Background Chrysanthemum seticuspe has emerged as a model plant species of cultivated chrysanthemums, especially for studies involving diploid and self-compatible pure lines (Gojo-0). Its genome was sequenced and assembled into chromosomes. However, the genome annotation of C. seticuspe still needs to be improved to elucidate the complex regulatory networks in this species. Results In addition to the 74,259 mRNAs annotated in the C. seticuspe genome, we identified 18,265 novel mRNAs, 51,425 novel lncRNAs, 501 novel miRNAs and 22,065 novel siRNAs. Two C-class genes and YABBY family genes were highly expressed in disc florets, while B-class genes were highly expressed in ray florets. A WGCNA was performed to identify the hub lncRNAs and mRNAs in ray floret- and disc floret-specific modules, and CDM19, BBX22, HTH, HSP70 and several lncRNAs were identified. ceRNA and lncNAT networks related to flower development were also constructed, and we found a latent functional lncNAT–mRNA combination, LXLOC_026470 and MIF2. Conclusions The annotations of mRNAs, lncRNAs and small RNAs in the C. seticuspe genome have been improved. The expression profiles of flower development-related genes, ceRNA networks and lncNAT networks were identified, laying a foundation for elucidating the regulatory mechanisms underlying disc floret and ray floret formation.

2D multiferroic materials have garnered broad interests due to their magnetoelectric properties and multifunctional applications. Here, the authors discover a multiferroic feature in physical vapor deposition synthesized 2D metallic p-doped SnSe.

Abstract As one of the promising next-generation probiotics (NGPs), Akkermansia muciniphila, a well-known mucin-degrading bacterium, has been proven to be closely related to the metabolic diseases of its human host. However, the role of A. muciniphila in the host’s intestinal health remains ambiguous. Here, we comprehensively summarize and discuss the characteristics, the distribution, and the colonization of A. muciniphila in the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT). We propose that the application of A. muciniphila as a biomarker for longevity, for diagnostics and prognostics of intestinal diseases, or for intestinal health should be cautiously considered. Precise dietary regulation can mediate the treatment of intestinal diseases by altering the abundance of A. muciniphila. Although the beneficial role of A. muciniphila and its component in intestinal inflammation has been discovered, in gnotobiotic mice with specific gut microbiota, certain genotype, and colorectal cancer, or in animal models infected with a specific pathogen, A. muciniphila may be related to the occurrence and development of intestinal diseases. Genomic analysis, emphasizing the strain-level phylogenetic differences of A. muciniphila, indicates that a clear description and discussion of each strain is critical before its practical application. Our review provides much needed insight for the precise application of A. muciniphila.

Organic radicals have potential applications in a variety of fields, including energy conversion. Here, the authors report Eu-based coordination polymers that enable the stabilization of organic radicals up to 350 °C; these systems can be used to enhance solar steam generation.

IntroductionIn recent years, extensive research has been conducted on the synchronous behavior of neural networks. It is found that the synchronization ability of neurons is related to the performance of signal reception and transmission between neurons, which in turn affects the function of the organism. However, most of the existing synchronization methods are faced with two difficulties, one is the structural parameter dependency, which limits the promotion and application of synchronous methods in practical problems. The other is the limited adaptability, that is, even when faced with the same control tasks, for most of the existing control methods, the control parameters still need to be retrained. To this end, the present study investigates the synchronization problem of the fractional-order HindmarshRose (FOHR) neuronal models in unknown dynamic environment.MethodsInspired by the human experience of knowledge acquiring, memorizing, and application, a learning-based sliding mode control algorithm is proposed by using the deterministic learning (DL) mechanism. Firstly, the unknown dynamics of the FOHR system under unknown dynamic environment is locally accurately identified and stored in the form of constant weight neural networks through deterministic learning without dependency of the system parameters. Then, based on the identified and stored system dynamics, the model-based and relearning-based sliding mode controller are designed for similar as well as new synchronization tasks, respectively.ResultsThe synchronization process can be started quickly by recalling the empirical dynamics of neurons. Therefore, fast synchronization effect is achieved by reducing the online computing time. In addition, because of the convergence of the identification and synchronization process, the control experience can be constantly replenished and stored for reutilization, so as to improve the synchronization speed and accuracy continuously.DiscussionThe thought of this article will also bring inspiration to the related research in other fields.

As research on gut microbes progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that a small family of microbiota--fungi, plays a crucial role in animal health. However, little is known about the fungal composition in the pig intestine, especially after a dietary fiber diet and hybrid genetics, and the changes in host pathogenicity-associated genes they carry. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of diet and genetics on the diversity and structure of porcine intestinal fungi and to describe, for the first time, the host pathogenicity-related genes carried by porcine intestinal fungi. Samples of colonic contents were collected for metagenomic analysis using a 3 × 2 parsing design, where three pig breeds (Taoyuan, Duroc, and crossbred Xiangcun) were fed high or low fiber diets (n = 10). In all samples, we identified a total of 281 identifiable fungal genera, with Ascomycota and Microsporidia being the most abundant fungi. Compared to Duroc pigs, Taoyuan and Xiangcun pigs had higher fungal richness. Interestingly, the fiber diet significantly reduced the abundance of the pathogenic fungus Mucor and significantly increased the abundance of the fiber digestion-associated fungus Neocallimastix. Pathogenic fungi exert their pathogenicity through the genes they carry that are associated with host pathogenicity. Therefore, we obtained 839 pathogenicity genes carried by the spectrum of fungi in the pig intestine by comparing the PHI-base database. Our results showed that fungi in the colon of Taoyuan pigs carried the highest abundance of different classes of host pathogenicity-related genes, and the lowest in Duroc pigs. Specifically, Taoyuan pigs carried high abundance of animal pathogenicity-related genes (CaTUP1, CPAR2_106400, CaCDC35, Tfp1, CaMNT2), and CaTUP1 was the key gene for Candida pathogenicity. The intestinal fungal composition of crossbred Xiangcun pigs and the abundance of host pathogenicity-associated genes they carried exhibited a mixture of characteristics of Taoyuan and Duroc pigs. In conclusion, our results provide the first comprehensive report on the effects of dietary fiber and genetics on the composition of intestinal fungi and the host-associated pathogenicity genes they carry in pigs. These findings provide a reference for subsequent pig breeding and development of anti-pathogenic fungal drugs.

ABSTRACT: Yucca schidigera extract (YSE) is a green feed additive that is known to reduce toxic gas emissions and promote intestinal health in animal production. This study investigated the potential of dietary YSE supplementation to mitigate the negative effect of Clostridium perfringens and coccidia infection on productive performance and gut health in laying hens. A total of 48 Lohmann gray laying hens (35 wk of age) were randomly allotted to 1 of 2 groups (n = 24) fed with either a basal diet or a YSE-supplemented diet for 45 d. From d 36 to 45, half of the hens in each group were orally administrated with Clostridium perfringens type A and coccidia. This challenge impaired productive performance and egg quality (P < 0.05), destroyed jejunal morphology and functions (P < 0.05), induced jejunal epithelial cell apoptosis (P < 0.05), and downregulated the antioxidant capacity and Nrf2 pathway expression of jejunal mucosa (P < 0.05) in laying hens. Supplementing YSE in the laying hen diet, to some extents, improved productive performance and egg quality (P < 0.05), and alleviated the effect of challenge on morphology, functions, cell apoptosis, and antioxidant capacity in the jejunum (P < 0.05). Overall, the results suggested that dietary YSE supplementation might mitigate the negative effects of Clostridium perfringens and coccidia infection on gut health, and thereby improve the productive performance and egg quality of laying hens, possibly through enhancing the antioxidant capacity of the jejunum.

Introduction: Middle ear cholesteatoma is characterized by the hyperproliferation of keratinocytes. In recent decades, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification has been shown to play an essential role in the pathogenesis of many proliferative diseases. However, neither the m6A modification profile nor its potential role in the pathogenesis of middle ear cholesteatoma has currently been investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to explore m6A modification patterns in middle ear cholesteatoma.Materials and methods: An m6A mRNA epitranscriptomic microarray analysis was performed to analyze m6A modification patterns in middle ear cholesteatoma tissue (n = 5) and normal post-auricular skin samples (n = 5). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed to predict the potential biological functions and signaling pathways underlying the pathogenesis of middle ear cholesteatoma. Subsequently, m6A modification levels were verified by methylated RNA immunoprecipitation–qPCR (MeRIP–qPCR) in middle ear cholesteatoma tissue and normal skin samples, respectively.Results: A total of 6,865 distinctive m6A-modified mRNAs were identified, including 4,620 hypermethylated and 2,245 hypomethylated mRNAs, as well as 9,162 differentially expressed mRNAs, including 4,891 upregulated and 4,271 downregulated mRNAs, in the middle ear cholesteatoma group relative to the normal skin group. An association analysis between methylation and gene expression demonstrated that expression of 1,926 hypermethylated mRNAs was upregulated, while expression of 2,187 hypomethylated mRNAs and 38 hypermethylated mRNAs was downregulated. Moreover, GO analysis suggested that differentially methylated mRNAs might influence cellular processes and biological behaviors, such as cell differentiation, biosynthetic processes, regulation of molecular functions, and keratinization. KEGG pathway analysis demonstrated that the hypermethylated transcripts were involved in 26 pathways, including the Hippo signaling pathway, the p53 signaling pathway, and the inflammatory mediator regulation of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, while the hypomethylated transcripts were involved in 13 pathways, including bacterial invasion of epithelial cells, steroid biosynthesis, and the Hippo signaling pathway.Conclusion: Our study presents m6A modification patterns in middle ear cholesteatoma, which may exert regulatory roles in middle ear cholesteatoma. The present study provides directions for mRNA m6A modification-based research on the epigenetic etiology and pathogenesis of middle ear cholesteatoma.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of betaine on lipid metabolism and m6A RNA methylation in finishing pigs fed a low-energy diet. The results showed that betaine significantly enhanced serum concentration of triglyceride and reduced the relative weight of flare fat (P

ABSTRACT Malonyl-CoA reductase (MCR) is a NADPH-dependent bi-functional enzyme that performs alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase (CoA-acylating) activities in the N- and C-terminal fragments, respectively. It catalyzes the two-step reduction of malonyl-CoA to 3-hydroxypropionate (3-HP), a key reaction in the autotrophic CO2 fixation cycles of Chloroflexaceae green non-sulfur bacteria and the archaea Crenarchaeota. However, the structural basis underlying substrate selection, coordination, and the subsequent catalytic reactions of full-length MCR is largely unknown. For the first time, we here determined the structure of full-length MCR from the photosynthetic green non-sulfur bacterium Roseiflexus castenholzii (RfxMCR) at 3.35 Å resolution. Furthermore, we determined the crystal structures of the N- and C-terminal fragments bound with reaction intermediates NADP+ and malonate semialdehyde (MSA) at 2.0 Å and 2.3 Å, respectively, and elucidated the catalytic mechanisms using a combination of molecular dynamics simulations and enzymatic analyses. Full-length RfxMCR was a homodimer of two cross-interlocked subunits, each containing four tandemly arranged short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) domains. Only the catalytic domains SDR1 and SDR3 incorporated additional secondary structures that changed with NADP+–MSA binding. The substrate, malonyl-CoA, was immobilized in the substrate-binding pocket of SDR3 through coordination with Arg1164 and Arg799 of SDR4 and the extra domain, respectively. Malonyl-CoA was successively reduced through protonation by the Tyr743–Arg746 pair in SDR3 and the catalytic triad (Thr165–Tyr178–Lys182) in SDR1 after nucleophilic attack from NADPH hydrides. IMPORTANCE The bi-functional MCR catalyzes NADPH-dependent reduction of malonyl-CoA to 3-HP, an important metabolic intermediate and platform chemical, from biomass. The individual MCR-N and MCR-C fragments, which contain the alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase (CoA-acylating) activities, respectively, have previously been structurally investigated and reconstructed into a malonyl-CoA pathway for the biosynthetic production of 3-HP. However, no structural information for full-length MCR has been available to illustrate the catalytic mechanism of this enzyme, which greatly limits our capacity to increase the 3-HP yield of recombinant strains. Here, we report the cryo-electron microscopy structure of full-length MCR for the first time and elucidate the mechanisms underlying substrate selection, coordination, and catalysis in the bi-functional MCR. These findings provide a structural and mechanistic basis for enzyme engineering and biosynthetic applications of the 3-HP carbon fixation pathways.

Mycoplasmas, the smallest known self-replicating organisms, possess a simple structure, lack a cell wall, and have limited metabolic pathways. They are responsible for causing acute or chronic infections in humans and animals, with a significant number of species exhibiting pathogenicity. Although the innate and adaptive immune responses can effectively combat this pathogen, mycoplasmas are capable of persisting in the host, indicating that the immune system fails to eliminate them completely. Recent studies have shed light on the intricate and sophisticated defense mechanisms developed by mycoplasmas during their long-term co-evolution with the host. These evasion strategies encompass various tactics, including invasion, biofilm formation, and modulation of immune responses, such as inhibition of immune cell activity, suppression of immune cell function, and resistance against immune molecules. Additionally, antigen variation and molecular mimicry are also crucial immune evasion strategies. This review comprehensively summarizes the evasion mechanisms employed by mycoplasmas, providing valuable insights into the pathogenesis of mycoplasma infections.

Microcystins (MCs), a group of most widespread freshwater cyanotoxins that possess strong neurotoxicity, can adversely affect brain structures and functions and are linked to neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the essential role of lipids in brain structures and functions, the brain lipidome profile of mammals exposed to MCs remains unexplored, hindering a clear understanding of the neurotoxic effects of MCs and underlying mechanisms. In this study, we performed untargeted lipidomic profiling using ultra-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) on the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of mice orally exposed to 30 and 300 μg/kg body mass/day of microcystin-leucine arginine (MC-LR) for 180 days to evaluate the impacts of MC-LR on the brain lipidome profile and functions. Our results show that MC-LR resulted in a decline in cognitive parameters, as assessed by the Morris water maze test. Interestingly, apparent neurodegenerative changes were observed in the prefrontal cortex, but not in the hippocampus. Comprehensive lipidomic analyses uncovered profound, region-specific changes in the phospholipid and sphingolipid profile at the levels of lipid subclasses, lipid species, and fatty acyl composition. These changes showed overall decrease trends of lipid content in the prefrontal cortex yet increasing trends in the hippocampus. We identified distinct transcriptional regulations of lipid metabolism and apoptosis by MC-LR in the two regions, which appeared to underlie the neurodegenerative changes. Collectively, this study uncovers region-specific changes in the brain lipidome profile and functions induced by MCs, shedding light on the role of lipid dysfunction in neurotoxicity mechanism of MCs.

Human immunodeficiency virus type one (HIV-1) infection remains a major public health problem worldwide. Early diagnosis of HIV-1 is crucial to treat and control this infection effectively. Here, for the first time, we reported a novel molecular diagnostic assay called reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification combined with a visual gold nanoparticle-based lateral flow assay (RT-LAMP-AuNPs-LFA), which we devised for rapid, specific, sensitive, and visual identification of HIV-1. The unique LAMP primers were successfully designed based on the pol gene from the major HIV-1 genotypes CRF01_AE, CRF07_BC, CRF08_BC, and subtype B, which are prevalent in China. The optimal HIV-1-RT-LAMP-AuNPs-LFA reaction conditions were determined to be 68°C for 35 min. The detection procedure, including crude genomic RNA isolation (approximately 5 min), RT-LAMP amplification (35 min), and visual result readout (

Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) is the most destructive citrus disease worldwide, mainly caused by ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas). It encodes a large number of Sec-dependent effectors that contribute to HLB progression. In this study, an elicitor triggering ROS burst and cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana, CLIBASIA_04425 (CLas4425), was identified. Of particular interest, its cell death-inducing activity is associated with its subcellular localization and the cytoplasmic receptor Botrytis-induced kinase 1 (BIK1). Compared with CLas infected psyllids, CLas4425 showed higher expression level in planta. The transient expression of CLas4425 in N. benthamiana and its overexpression in Citrus sinensis enhanced plant susceptibility to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 ΔhopQ1-1 and CLas, respectively. Furthermore, the salicylic acid (SA) level along with the expression of genes NPR1/EDS1/NDR1/PRs in SA signal transduction was repressed in CLas4425 transgenic citrus plants. Taken together, CLas4425 is a virulence factor that promotes CLas proliferation, likely by interfering with SA-mediated plant immunity. The results obtained facilitate our understanding of CLas pathogenesis.

Dietary fiber (DF) has long been looked as an essential “nutrients” both for animals and humans as it can promote the intestinal tract development and modulate the intestinal epithelium functions and the gut microbiota. This study was conducted to investigate the influences of wheat bran fiber (WBF) on growth performance and intestinal epithelium functions in Xiangcun pigs. Twenty Xiangcun pigs with 60 days of age were divided to two groups and exposed to a basal diet (BD) or BD containing 4.3% wheat bran fiber (WFD). WFD improved the average daily gain (ADG) and feed-to-gain ratio (F:G) (p

Van der Waals crystals allow for magnetism down to the monolayer limit, however, this magnetism, and frequently the material itself, is fragile. Ferrites, conversely, have robust material stability and magnetic order, but are three dimensional. Here the authors succeed in creating a single unit cell thickness of Cobalt Ferrite via chemical vapour deposition, with hard magnetic properties, and curie temperature exceeding room temperature.

The stress relaxation ageing behavior and mechanical/corrosion properties of the alloys pre-treated by conventional T4 temper without pre-deformation and cryogenic pre-deformation with different levels (20%–80%) have been investigated and compared by hardness test, stress relaxation ageing test, tensile test, intergranular corrosion test and microstructure characterization. Pre-deformation by cryo-rolling could increase the steady-rate relaxation rate at 120 °C by 35%–360% and effectively prolong the duration of the variable-rate relaxation stage compared with the T4 treatment. The dislocation movement facilitated by the recovery is responsible for the significant increase in the stress relaxation rate. Increasing the pre-deformation level markedly improves the strength and localized corrosion resistance but lowers the elongation in the stress relaxation aged alloy. Cryogenic pre-deformation promotes the heterogeneous nucleation of relatively large η2-type phases at dislocations apart from the uniform formation of fine η2-type phases in the matrix. High density dislocations retain after stress relaxation ageing at the investigated temperature. The dislocation hardening could offset the softening due to the precipitate coarsening and leads to a higher strength in the alloy pre-deformed by 50–80%. The modified grain boundary precipitation consisting of narrower precipitation-free zones and discontinuous grain boundary precipitates contribute to the better corrosion resistance in the cryo-rolled alloy.

Abstract In this work, we systematically investigate the dibaryons with charm number $$C=1$$ C = 1 and strangeness number $$S=\pm $$ S = ± 1 from the interactions of a charmed baryon and a strange baryon $$\Lambda _c\Lambda $$ Λ c Λ , $$\Lambda _c\Sigma ^{(*)}$$ Λ c Σ ( ∗ ) , $$\Sigma _c^{(*)}\Lambda $$ Σ c ( ∗ ) Λ , and $$\Sigma ^{(*)}_c\Sigma ^{(*)}$$ Σ c ( ∗ ) Σ ( ∗ ) , and corresponding interactions of a charmed baryon and an antistrange baryon $$\Lambda _c{\bar{\Lambda }}$$ Λ c Λ ¯ , $$\Lambda _c{\bar{\Sigma }}^{(*)}$$ Λ c Σ ¯ ( ∗ ) , $$\Sigma ^{(*)}_c{\bar{\Lambda }}$$ Σ c ( ∗ ) Λ ¯ , and $$\Sigma ^{(*)}_c{\bar{\Sigma }}^{(*)}$$ Σ c ( ∗ ) Σ ¯ ( ∗ ) . With the help of the effective Lagrangians with SU(3), heavy quark, and chiral symmetries, the potentials of the interactions considered are constructed by light meson exchanges. To search for the possible molecules, the quasipotential Bethe–Salpeter equation with the interaction potential kernel is solved to find poles from scattering amplitude. The results suggest that attractions widely exist in charmed-strange system with $$C=1$$ C = 1 and $$S=-1$$ S = - 1 . The S-wave bound states can be produced from most of the channels. Few bound states are also produced from the charmed-antistrange interactions. Couple-channel effect are considered in the current work to discuss the couplings of the molecular states to the channels considered. More experimental research for these charmed-strange dibaryons are suggested.