Search

Laccases are the key enzymes responsible for plant lignin biosynthesis and responses to environment stress. However, the roles of LAC genes in plant disease resistance are still largely unknown, especially in grapevine, one of the most important horticultural crops in the world. Its quality and yield are very vulnerable to gray mold disease caused by Botrytis cinerea. In total, 30 VvLAC genes were identified and found to be unevenly distributed on seven chromosomes; they were classified into seven groups based on phylogenetic analysis according to the criteria applied in Arabidopsis thaliana. Collinearity and synteny analyses identified some orthologous gene pairs in Vitis vinifera and a few paralogous gene pairs among grape and peach. The VvLAC gene family has diverse gene structures and a highly conserved motif composition. The prominent presence of the MYB cis-elements in each VvLAC promoter highlighted MYB transcriptional factors as the main regulators of VvLAC genes. Furthermore, twenty-five VvLAC genes with functional redundancy are probably implicated in grape lignin biosynthesis. The expression patterns of the LAC genes in grape leaves of Chinese wild V. amurensis ‘Shuangyou’ (SY), a germplasm highly resistant to B. cinerea, were investigated through transcriptomic data and qRT-PCR verification. Combined with the phylogenetic analysis, with AtLACs participating in lignin metabolism, and the cis-element analysis, VaLAC14, VaLAC19, VaLAC24 and VaLAC30 were identified as key candidate genes for lignin biosynthesis in the grape response to B. cinerea. This study supplies a comprehensive understanding of the classification, evolution, structure and responses of the grape LAC genes against B. cinerea. It also provides valuable genetic resources for functional characterization towards enhancing grapevine disease resistance.

The Neogene fluvial–lacustrine sediments of the Tianshui Basin provide records of the interactions among tectonic activity, and climatic and ecological changes on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau (NE TP), from ∼12.4 to 2.6 Ma. We investigated the n-alkane record of a sedimentary sequence from the Tianshui Basin, which reveals shifts in the productivity and sources of n-alkanes. The productivity of n-alkanes doubled many times during ∼4.2–3.2 Ma, accompanied by the increased contribution from aquatic plants; in addition, non-emergent macrophytes occurred sporadically after ∼4.2 Ma but became a significant n-alkane source after ∼3.2 Ma. Changes in the inferred Late Miocene ecology of the region are consistent with the major climate transition in response to global cooling. The oscillations of the types and concentrations of n-alkanes during 4.2–3.2 Ma were likely related to the evolution of the East Asian monsoon (EAM), driven by the tectonic uplift of NE TP and global cooling. The major increase in aquatic plants and biological productivity of this region at ∼3.2 Ma may have been caused by the strengthening of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and the regional tectonic uplift.

Abstract Background Deciphering proportions of constitutional cell types in tumor tissues is a crucial step for the analysis of tumor heterogeneity and the prediction of response to immunotherapy. In the process of measuring cell population proportions, traditional experimental methods have been greatly hampered by the cost and extensive dropout events. At present, the public availability of large amounts of DNA methylation data makes it possible to use computational methods to predict proportions. Results In this paper, we proposed PRMeth, a method to deconvolve tumor mixtures using partially available DNA methylation data. By adopting an iteratively optimized non-negative matrix factorization framework, PRMeth took DNA methylation profiles of a portion of the cell types in the tissue mixtures (including blood and solid tumors) as input to estimate the proportions of all cell types as well as the methylation profiles of unknown cell types simultaneously. We compared PRMeth with five different methods through three benchmark datasets and the results show that PRMeth could infer the proportions of all cell types and recover the methylation profiles of unknown cell types effectively. Then, applying PRMeth to four types of tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we found that the immune cell proportions estimated by PRMeth were largely consistent with previous studies and met biological significance. Conclusions Our method can circumvent the difficulty of obtaining complete DNA methylation reference data and obtain satisfactory deconvolution accuracy, which will be conducive to exploring the new directions of cancer immunotherapy. PRMeth is implemented in R and is freely available from GitHub ( https://github.com/hedingqin/PRMeth ).

The blast furnace is the dominant high-temperature reactor in the modern ironmaking industry. Iron oxide in iron ores can be converted to metallic iron through blast furnace smelting, and this high-temperature melting can be used to separate the molten iron from the gangue components. The formation and thickness of the hot-surface slag crust on the copper stave in the high-temperature area of the middle and lower parts of the blast furnace are crucial for the safe operation and long campaign of the blast furnace. To enhance the precision of determining the thickness of the slag crust in this specific region, samples were extracted from the hot surface of the copper cooler situated in the high-temperature area. This extraction was carried out during the maintenance procedure of the blast furnace stockline. Subsequently, the thermal conductivity and melting performance of the slag crust were measured. The slag crust thicknesses corresponding to the various temperature measurement sites of the stave were determined by developing a mathematical model for the heat transfer of the copper stave. The actual slag crust thickness measurement data were acquired while the blast furnace stockline was in operation, and the data were then utilized to corroborate the model’s predictions. A blast furnace with an effective volume of 3200 m3 was used to test the model. The average thickness of the hot-surface slag crust was computed for cases that occurred between 2020 and 2022. The data’s correlations with the blast furnace’s technical and economic indices during the same time period were examined. The findings indicated that the blast furnace’s operation indices improved with a thinner slag crust, but there was also a higher chance of damage to the copper stave’s internal cooling water pipes. Taking into account the technical and economic indices as well as a long campaign of the blast furnace, 150–200 mm is recommended as the appropriate average slag crust thickness on the surface of the copper stave in the high-temperature section.

Oil-water two-phase flow commonly occurs in the process of crude oil electric dehydration. Here, through dynamic changes in the water content and conductivity of oil-water two-phase flow in the process of electric dehydration, the influence of water content and conductivity on the efficiency and stability of electric dehydration is analyzed. Using real-time in-line measurements of water content and conductivity, the electric dehydration system is kept in an optimal state, which provides a basis for realizing efficient oil-water separation. Measurements of the physical parameters of oil-water two-phase flow is affected by many factors, such as the temperature of the two-phase flow, composition of the two-phase flow medium, structure of the measurement sensor, coupling of the conventional resistance–capacitance excitation signal, and processing of the measurement data. This complexity causes, some shortcomings to the control system, such as a large measurement error, limited measurement range, inability to measure the medium water phase as a conductive water phase, etc., and not meeting the requirements of the electric dehydration process. To solve that the conductivity and water content of high-conductivity crude oil emulsions cannot be measured synchronously, the RC relationship of oil-water emulsions is measured synchronously using dual-frequency digital demodulation technology, which verifies the feasibility of our test method for the synchronous measurement of physical parameters of homogeneous oil-water two-phase flow. Experimental results show that the novel measuring method (which is within the target measuring range) can be used to measure water content 0~40% and conductivity 1 ms/m~100 ms/m. The measuring error of the water content is less than 2%, and the measuring error of the conductivity is less than 5%.

Abstract Dielectric capacitors play an important role in advanced electronic and power systems such as portable electronic devices, hybrid electric vehicles and electronic weapon systems, and the improvement of energy storage density will have a positive effect on reducing the volume and weight of equipment. Here, a series of single‐layer dielectrics with boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) uniformly dispersed and multilayer dielectrics with BNNSs showing a positive gradient distribution (PGD) and inverse gradient distribution (IGD) in the poly(vinylidene fluoride‐trifluoroethylene‐chlorotrifluoroethylene) (P[VDF‐TrFE‐CTFE]) matrix were prepared by high‐speed electrospinning and hot press technology. It is found that the best performance is observed inthe lowest interlayer gradient component in both PGD and IGD composite dielectrics. However, the performance of PGD is better than that of IGD, and the 3‐5‐3 multilayer dielectric in the positive gradient structure has the best electrical performance. Its maximum energy storage density of the 3‐5‐3 composite dielectrics is 12.93 J/cm3 at the applied electric field of 380 kV/mm. The above research results show that the gradient structure design plays an important role in optimising the breakdown strength and energy storage characteristics of composite dielectrics.

Laccase (LAC) is the key enzyme responsible for lignin biosynthesis. Here, 57 PgLACs from pomegranate were identified and distributed on eight chromosomes and one unplaced scaffold. They were divided into six groups containing three typical Cu-oxidase domains. Totally, 51 cis-acting elements in the promoter region of PgLACs are involved in response to ABA, GA, light, stress, etc., indicating diverse functions of PgLACs. The expression profiles of 13 PgLACs during the seed development stage showed that most PgLACs expressed at a higher level earlier than at the later seed development stage in two pomegranate cultivars except PgLAC4. Also, PgLAC1/6/7/16 expressed at a significantly higher level in soft-seed ‘Tunisia’; on the contrary, PgLAC37 and PgLAC50 with a significantly higher expression in hard-seed ‘Taishanhong’. Combined with their distinguishing cis-acting elements, it was concluded that PgLAC1/6/7 may respond to GA via TATC-box and GARE-motif, and PgLAC16 repressed the promotor activity of embryo mid-maturation genes via RY-element so as to contribute to softer seed formation, whereas PgLAC37/50 may participate in seed formation and accelerate seed maturity via ABRE and G-box elements. Collectively, the dramatic gene expressions of PgLAC1/6/7/16/37/50 will provide valuable information to explore the formation of soft- and hard-seed in pomegranate.

In the past decade, methamphetamine (METH) abuse has sharply increased in the United States, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. METH abuse not only leads to serious drug dependence, but also produces irreversible neurotoxicity. Currently, there are no approved pharmacotherapies for the treatment of METH use disorders. Cannabidiol (CBD), a major non-psychoactive (and non-addictive) cannabinoid from the cannabis plant, shows neuroprotective, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory properties under METH exposure. At present, however, the mechanisms underlying these properties remain unclear, which continues to hinder research on its therapeutic potential. In the current study, computational simulations showed that CBD and METH may directly bind to the dopamine receptor D1 (DRD1) via two overlapping binding sites. Moreover, CBD may compete with METH for the PHE-313 binding site. We also found that METH robustly induced apoptosis with activation of the caspase-8/caspase-3 cascade in-vitro and in-vivo, while CBD pretreatment prevented these changes. Furthermore, METH increased the expression of DRD1, phosphorylation of Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) at serine 421 (Ser421), and level of intracellular Ca2+in-vitro and in-vivo, but these effects were blocked by CBD pretreatment. The DRD1 antagonist SCH23390 significantly prevented METH-induced apoptosis, MeCP2 phosphorylation, and Ca2+ overload in-vitro. In contrast, the DRD1 agonist SKF81297 markedly increased apoptosis, MeCP2 phosphorylation, and Ca2+ overload, which were blocked by CBD pretreatment in-vitro. These results indicate that CBD prevents METH-induced neurotoxicity by modulating DRD1-mediated phosphorylation of MeCP2 and Ca2+ signaling. This study suggests that CBD pretreatment may resist the effects of METH on DRD1 by competitive binding.

Apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) is one of the most cultivated fruit crops in China. Apple trees frequently encounter waterlogging stress, mainly due to excess rainfall, soil compaction, or poor soil drainage, results in yellowing leaves and declined fruit quality and yield in some regions. However, the mechanism underlying the response to waterlogging has not been well elucidated. Therefore, we performed a physiological and transcriptomic analysis to examine the differential responses of two apple rootstocks (waterlogging-tolerant M. hupehensis and waterlogging-sensitive M. toringoides) to waterlogging stress. The results showed that M. toringoides displayed more severe leaf chlorosis during the waterlogging treatment than M. hupehensis. Compared with M. hupehensis, the more severe leaf chlorosis induced by waterlogging stress in M. toringoides was highly correlated with increased electrolyte leakage and superoxide radicals, hydrogen peroxide accumulation, and increased stomata closure. Interestingly, M. toringoides also conveyed a higher ethylene production under waterlogging stress. Furthermore, RNA-seq revealed that a total of 13,913 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were differentially regulated between M. hupehensis and M. toringoides under waterlogging stress, especially those DEGs involved in the biosynthesis of flavonoids and hormone signaling. This suggests a possible link of flavonoids and hormone signaling to waterlogging tolerance. Taken together, our data provide the targeted genes for further investigation of the functions, as well as for future molecular breeding of waterlogging-tolerant apple rootstocks.

Rootstocks play a vital role in regulating the environmental adaptability and controlling the growth and development of apple trees. M9T337, an excellent apple rootstock widely used in commercial orchards, could confer dwarf tree architectures, early fruiting and suitability for high-density planting. However, the rooting ability of M9T3337 is low when it is vegetatively propagated, and researchers have not yet established an efficient micropropagation system. The present study systematically evaluated the multiplication in adventitious shoots and the in vitro formation of adventitious roots to determine the effects of the culture media and plant growth regulators of M9T337 and a rapid micropropagation system was developed. For the shoot multiplication, the highest multiplication index of 3.93 was obtained on Murashige and Skoog (MS) media supplemented with 2.0 mg/L 6-BA, 0.1 mg/L NAA and 0.3 mg/L GA3 from 12 combinations of 6-BA and NAA. Stronger and taller adventitious shoots were grown on MS supplemented with 1.8 mg/L 6-BA and 0.5 mg/L NAA. The optimal media with 100% rooting was obtained using 1/2 MS supplemented with 0.3 mg/L IBA or MS supplemented with 0.6 mg/L IBA for the rooting induction, resulting in mean rooting numbers of 13.00 and 11.33, respectively. Additionally, the effect on rooting of adding 0.3 mg/L IBA or not on the 1/2 MS and MS media was compared; the results suggested that an appropriate IBA concentration was the key to successful rooting. The rooted plantlets were acclimatised in a shaded greenhouse with an 84% survival rate. The established micropropagation system could be used for the rapid propagation of M9T337 for commercial production.

As a predominant phenolic compound in apple fruits, chlorogenic acid (CGA) benefits human health due to its various antioxidant properties. However, little has been known regarding the molecular mechanism underlying the CGA accumulation in apple fruits. In this study, we measured the CGA content and relative enzymes’ activities during fruit development in two different flesh-colored cultivars ‘Huashuo’ and ‘Red Love’. The CGA content in both cultivars decreased sharply from 30 days after full bloom (DAFB) to 60 DAFB. Notably, the CGA content in fruit flesh was relatively higher than that in the peel. Further, the activities of C3H and HCT enzymes downstream of the CGA biosynthesis showed the similar changing trend as CGA content. Based on the transcriptome data of ‘Huashuo’ fruit at 30 DAFB and 60 DAFB, 23 differentially expressed CGA synthesis-related genes were screened. Gene expression analyses further showed that MdHCT1/2/4/5/6 and MdC3H1/2/3 were positively correlated to the variation of CGA content in two cultivars. These findings establish a theoretical foundation for further mechanism study on CGA biosynthesis and provide guidance for nutrient improvement in apple breeding programs.

Heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) is a multifunctional protein and belongs to the small HSP family. It has been shown that HSP27 is involved in viral replication as a cellular chaperone, but the function of HSP27 during porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infections remains unexplored. Here, we found that PRRSV replication can induce HSP27 expression and phosphorylation in vitro. HSP27 overexpression promoted PRRSV replication, whereas its knockdown reduced PRRSV proliferation. Additionally, suppressing HSP27 phosphorylation reduced PRRSV replication and the level of viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), a marker of the viral replication and transcription complexes (RTCs). Furthermore, HSP27 can interact with multiple viral nonstructural proteins (nsps), including nsp1α, nsp1β, nsp5, nsp9, nsp11 and nsp12. Suppressing the phosphorylation of HSP27 almost completely disrupted its interaction with nsp1β and nsp12. Altogether, our study revealed that HSP27 plays an important role in PRRSV replication.

The Qilian Shan, which is located along the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, plays a key role in understanding the dynamics of the outward and upward growth of the plateau. However, when and how tectonic deformation evolved into the geographic pattern which is currently observed in the Qilian Shan are still ambiguous. Here, apatite fission track (AFT) thermochronology and sedimentology were conducted to interpret the low-temperature tectonic deformation/exhumation events in well-dated Late Miocene synorogenic sediment sequences in the Xining Basin, which is adjacent to the southern flank of the Qilian Shan. These new low-temperature thermochronological results suggest that the Qilian Shan experienced four stages of tectonic exhumation during the late Mesozoic–Cenozoic. The Late Cretaceous exhumation events in the Qilian Shan were caused by the diachronous Mesozoic convergence of the Asian Plate and Lhasa Block. In the early Cenozoic (ca. 68–48 Ma), the Qilian Shan quasi-synchronously responded to the Indian–Asian plate collision. Subsequently, the mountain range experienced a two-phase deformation during the Eocene–Early Miocene due to the distal effects of ongoing India–Asia plate convergence. At ca. 8 ± 1 Ma, the Qilian Shan underwent dramatic geomorphological deformation, which marked a change in subsidence along the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau at that time. Our findings suggest that the paleogeographic pattern in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau was affected by the pervasive suture zones in the entire Qilian Shan, in which the pre-Cenozoic and Indian–Asian plate motions reactivated the transpressional faults which strongly modulated the multiperiodic tectonic deformation in northern Tibet during the Cenozoic. These observations provide new evidence for understanding the dynamic mechanisms of the uplift and expansion of the Tibetan Plateau.

Melatonin acts both as an antioxidant and as a growth regulatory substance in plants. Pseudomonas fluorescens endophytic bacterium has been shown to produce melatonin and increase plant resistance to abiotic stressors through increasing endogenous melatonin. However, in bacteria, genes are still not known to be melatonin-related. Here, we reported that the bacterial phenylalanine 4-hydroxylase (PAH) may be involved in the 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) biosynthesis and further influenced the subsequent production of melatonin in P. fluorescens. The purified PAH protein of P. fluorescens not only hydroxylated phenylalanine but also exhibited l-tryptophan (l-Trp) hydroxylase activity by converting l-Trp to 5-HTP in vitro. However, bacterial PAH displayed lower activity and affinity for l-Trp than l-phenylalanine. Notably, the PAH deletion of P. fluorescens blocked melatonin production by causing a significant decline in 5-HTP levels and thus decreased the resistance to abiotic stress. Overall, this study revealed a possible role for bacterial PAH in controlling 5-HTP and melatonin biosynthesis in bacteria, and expanded the current knowledge of melatonin production in microorganisms.

The Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the North Qaidam-Qilian Shan fold-thrust belt in the northern Tibetan Plateau is important to understanding the tectonic rejuvenation of orogeny and growth of the plateau. However, the deformation processes in this region remain controversial. This study presents new apatite fission track (AFT) data from Paleogene strata in the northern Qaidam Basin to investigate the time of deformation in this site. Thermal modeling of these partially annealed detrital AFT ages shows a thermal history with a noticeable transition from heating to cooling after ∼10 Ma. This transition is attributed to the intensified thrusting and folding of the northern Qaidam Basin since ∼10 Ma. Integrated with published tectonics and thermochronology results, we suggest the North Qaidam-Qilian Shan fold-thrust belt experienced prevailing tectonism since the late Miocene.

In this study, we synthesized polyacrylic acid (PAA)-Ca (Eu) nanoclusters as a luminescence sensor of phosphate ion by a complex method, and we aimed to achieve the quantitative detection of PO43− based on the sensitivity of the charge transfer band of Eu3+ to anionic ligand. The resulting PAA-Ca(Eu) nanoclusters showed a well-dispersed and a dot-like morphology, with an ultra-small diameter (the average size of 2.17 nm) under high resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM) observation. A dynamic light scattering particle size analyzer (DLS) showed a hydrodynamic size of 2.39 nm. The (PAA)-Ca (Eu) nanoclusters as a luminescence sensor showed a significantly higher sensitivity for PO43− than other anions (CO32−, SiO32−, SO42−, SO32−, Br−, Cl−, F−). The luminescence intensity displayed a linear increase (y = 19.32x + 74.75, R2 > 0.999) in a PO43 concentration range (0–10 mM) with the concentration of PO43− increase, and the limit of detection was 0.023 mM. The results showed good recovery rates and low relative standard deviations. These (PAA)-Ca (Eu) nanoclusters are hopeful to become a luminescence sensor for quantitatively detecting PO43−.

Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.), an economically important tree fruit worldwide, frequently suffers from temperature stress during growth and development, which strongly affects the yield and quality. Heat shock protein 20 (HSP20) genes play crucial roles in protecting plants against abiotic stresses. However, they have not been systematically investigated in apple. In this study, we identified 41 HSP20 genes in the apple ‘Golden Delicious’ genome. These genes were unequally distributed on 15 different chromosomes and were classified into 10 subfamilies based on phylogenetic analysis and predicted subcellular localization. Chromosome mapping and synteny analysis indicated that three pairs of apple HSP20 genes were tandemly duplicated. Sequence analysis revealed that all apple HSP20 proteins reflected high structure conservation and most apple HSP20 genes (92.6%) possessed no introns, or only one intron. Numerous apple HSP20 gene promoter sequences contained stress and hormone response cis-elements. Transcriptome analysis revealed that 35 of 41 apple HSP20 genes were nearly unchanged or downregulated under normal temperature and cold stress, whereas these genes exhibited high-expression levels under heat stress. Subsequent qRT-PCR results showed that 12 of 29 selected apple HSP20 genes were extremely up-regulated (more than 1,000-fold) after 4 h of heat stress. However, the heat-upregulated genes were barely expressed or downregulated in response to cold stress, which indicated their potential function in mediating the response of apple to heat stress. Taken together, these findings lay the foundation to functionally characterize HSP20 genes to unravel their exact role in heat defense response in apple.

Adventitious root (AR) formation is indispensable for vegetative asexual propagation. Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) functioned indirectly as precursor of IAA in regulating AR formation. Ethylene affects auxin synthesis, transport, and/or signaling processes. However, the interactions between auxin and ethylene that control AR formation in apple have not been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the effects of IBA and its interaction with ethylene on AR development in apple. The results revealed that IBA stimulated the formation of root primordia, increased the number of ARs, and upregulated expression of genes (MdWOX11, MdLBD16, and MdLBD29) involved in AR formation. Comparison of different periods of IBA application indicated that IBA was necessary for root primordium formation, while long time IBA treatment obviously inhibited root elongation. RNA-seq analysis revealed that many plant hormone metabolism and signal transduction related genes were differentially expressed. IBA stimulated the production of ethylene during AR formation. Auxin inhibiting ARs elongation depended on ethylene. Together, our results suggest that the inhibitory role of auxin on AR elongation in apples is partially mediated by stimulated ethylene production.

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the association between plasma P-selectin levels and the severity of coronary heart disease (CHD) in a Chinese Han population. Methods We enrolled 219 patients with CHD and 168 healthy individuals without CHD as a control group. Coronary stenosis was evaluated based on the number of diseased coronary arteries and the Gensini scoring system. P-selectin levels were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the association between CHD and plasma P-selectin level was analyzed. Results P-selectin levels were significantly higher in CHD patients compared with controls. Levels were highest in patients with three-vessel disease and lowest in those with one-vessel disease, with significant differences among the groups. P-selectin levels were also highest in the high-score and lowest in the low-score group according to Gensini score, with significant differences among the groups. P-selectin level was significantly positively correlated with Gensini score and C-reactive protein level. Elevated P-selectin was identified as an independent risk factor for CHD. Conclusion P-selectin levels were increased in Chinese Han patients with CHD. P-selectin level is an independent risk factor for CHD and may serve as a biomarker reflecting the severity of CHD in the Chinese Han population.

Abstract The red clay and loess‐paleosol sediments of the Xiaoshuizi and Halagu planation surfaces of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP) provide insights into the response of paleo‐atmospheric circulation and surface processes to TP uplift and global climate changes. We present silicate Sr‐Nd isotope compositions and bulk sediment grain‐size parameters of the red clay and loess‐paleosol sequences, with the aim of reconstructing changes in the transporting wind systems and sediment source regions. The results indicate that the red clay on the planation surface was transported mainly by the westerlies from the Tarim Basin and the Qilian Mountains, while the loess‐paleosol sediments were transported mainly by the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) from the Badain Jaran Desert, Tengger Desert, and Qaidam Basin. These shifts in transport mechanism and source were likely related to major changes in the topography of the TP and the expansion of Northern Hemisphere glaciation since the Middle Pliocene. In addition, we reconstructed the evolution of the paleo‐atmospheric circulation from the Late Miocene to the Middle Pliocene. During the Late Miocene, both the paleo‐EAWM and East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) were weak, and westerly winds dominated the climate of the study area. During the Early Pliocene, both the paleo‐EAWM and EASM exerted an increasing influence on the study area. We ascribe the slight enhancement of the paleo‐EAWM to the gradual growth of the northern TP and the significant enhancement of the paleo‐EASM to global climate changes.

Improving the energy storage density of dielectrics without sacrificing charge-discharge energy storage efficiency and reliability is crucial to the performance improvement of modern electrical and electronic systems, but traditional methods of doping high-dielectric ceramics cannot achieve high energy storage densities without sacrificing reliability and storage efficiency. Here, an all-organic energy storage dielectric composed of ferroelectric and linear polymer with a sandwich structure is proposed and successfully prepared by the electrostatic spinning method. Additionally, the effect of the ferroelectric/linear volume ratio on the dielectric properties, breakdown, and energy storage is systematically studied. The results show that the structure has good energy storage characteristics with a high energy storage density (9.7 J/cm3) and a high energy storage efficiency (78%). In addition, the energy storage density of the composite dielectric under high energy storage efficiency (90%) is effectively improved (25%). This result provides theoretical analysis and experience for the preparation of multilayer energy storage dielectrics which will promote the development and application of energy storage dielectrics.

This paper aims to determine the electric field intensity in the emulsion dehydration from the microscopic perspective. For this purpose, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and density functional theory (DFT) were adopted to model the surface feature, hydrophilic groups, and hydrophobic groups of three types of Span surfactants, namely, Span 20, Span 60, and Span 80. Considering the stability of the microemulsion and application of electric fields, the structural changes and the nature of the surfactants were discussed in details under the external electric field. The results show that the simulated interfacial tension agrees well with the experimental data, an evidence to the rationality and reliability of the simulation system; the surfactant hydrophilic groups could form medium-strong hydrogen bonds with water; the deformation of surfactant space structure enhanced the role of hydrogen bonding under the electric field, thus reducing the emulsion stability. The research findings shed new light on the molecular simulation of Span surfactants.

β-galactosidases are cell wall hydrolases that play an important role in fruit softening. However, PpBGALs mechanism impacting on ethylene-dependent peach fruit softening was still unclear. In this study, we found that PpBGAL4, -6, -8, -10, -16, and -17 may be required for ethylene-dependent peach softening and PpBGAL10, -16 may make a main contribution to it among 17 PpBGALs. Utilization of virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) showed that fruits were firmer than those of the control at 4 and 6 days after harvest (DAH) when PpBGAL10 and PpBGAL16 expression was down-regulated. Suppression of PpBGAL10 and PpBGAL16 expression also reduced PpPG21 and PpPME3 transcription, and polygalacturonase (PG) and pectinmethylesterases (PME) activity. Overall, total cell wall material and protopectin slowly declined, water-soluble pectin slowly increased, and cellulose and hemicellulose was altered significantly at 4 DAH, relative to control fruit. In addition, PpACO1 expression and ethylene production were also suppressed at 4 DAH because of inhibiting PpBGAL10 and PpBGAL16 expression. These results suggested that down-regulation of PpBGAL10 and PpBGAL16 expression delays peach fruit softening by decreasing PG and PME activity, which inhibits cell wall degradation and ethylene production.

Microbial co-inoculation is considered to be an innovative approach and had been applied worldwide. However, the underlying mechanisms of microbial co-inoculants constructions, especially the trait-based combination of distinctly different microbial species remains poorly understood. In this study, we constructed two microbial co-inoculants with the same three strains with emphasis on the microbial, soil and plant traits. Microbial co-inoculants 1 (M1) were constructed according to soil fertility, microbial activity and cucumber nutrient requirement with a 2:1:2 ratio (Ensifer sp. NYM3, Acinetobacter sp. P16 and Flavobacterium sp. KYM3), while microbial co-inoculants 2 (M2) were constructed according to soil fertility and cucumber nutrient requirement with a 1:10:1 ratio without considering the difference in the nutrient supply capability of microbial species. The results showed that M1 and M2 both obviously increased cucumber yields. The M1 had significant highest pH value, total nitrogen (TN) and invertase activity (IA). The M2 had significant highest available phosphate (AP), NO3-N, urea activity (UA), and alkaline phosphatase activity (APA). Gammaproteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Nitrospirae, and Armatimonadetes were significantly increased, while Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were significantly decreased by microbial co-inoculations (M1 and M2). The bacterial lineages enriched in M1 were Gammaproteobacteria and TM7. Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Deltaproteobacteria were enriched in M2. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) analysis showed that the bacterial communities were strongly separated by the different microbial inoculation treatments. The functional groups of intracellular_parasites were highest in M1. The functional groups of phototrophy, photoautotrophy, nitrification, fermentation, cyanobacteria, oxygenic_photoautotrophy, chitinolysis and animal_parasites_or_symbionts were highest in M2. Based on correlation analysis, it inferred that the M1 and M2 might promote cucumber yields by mediating bacterial community structure and function about nitrogen fixing and urea-N hydrolysis, respectively. Collectively, these results revealed that microbial co-inoculants had positive effects on cucumber yields. Trait-based integration of different microbial species had significant effects on soil properties and bacterial communities. It indicated that microbial activity should be considered in the construction of microbial co-inoculants. This will expand our knowledge in bacteria interaction, deepen understanding of microbial inoculants in improving plant performance, and will guide microbial fertilizer formulation and application in future.

AIM: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a dominant factor contributing to diabetic death. Rutaecarpine has many cardiovascular biological effects and anti-high-glucose activity. Therefore, this paper aimed to investigate the impact of rutaecarpine on high glucose (HG)-elicited cardiomyocyte injury. METHOD: Cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) and 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine (EdU), TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) assays judged H9c2 cell activity and apoptosis, and oxidative stress was assessed by corresponding assay kits. The expression of apoptosis, oxidative stress, autophagy-associated factors and TRPV1 were examined with western blot. IF assay tested GFP-LC3 expression. RESULTS: As a result, rutaecarpine had no obvious effect on the viability of H9c2 cells while elevated HGexposed H9c2 cell viability. Rutaecarpine inhibited the apoptosis and oxidative stress of H9c2 cells induced by HG. In addition, rutaecarpine activated TRPV1 to induce autophagy. However, inhibition of TRPV1 inactivated the autophagy, which drove HG-evoked H9c2 apoptosis and oxidative stress. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, rutaecarpine suppressed HG-stimulated H9c2 cell viability injury, apoptosis as well as oxidative stress via promoting TRPV1-mediated autophagy (Fig. 6, Ref. 40). Text in PDF www.elis.sk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]