Defects‑Rich Heterostructures Trigger Strong Polarization Coupling in Sulfides/Carbon Composites with Robust Electromagnetic Wave Absorption

Defects-rich heterointerfaces integrated with adjustable crystalline phases and atom vacancies,as well as veiled dielectric-responsive character,are instrumental in electromagnetic dissipation.Conventional methods,however,constrain their delicate constructions.Herein,an innovative alternative is proposed:carrageenan-assistant cations-regulated(CACR)strategy,which induces a series of sulfides nanoparticles rooted in situ on the surface of carbon matrix.This unique configuration originates from strategic vacancy formation energy of sulfides and strong sulfides-carbon support interaction,benefiting the delicate construction of defects-rich heterostructures in M_(x)S_(y)/carbon composites(M-CAs).Impressively,these generated sulfur vacancies are firstly found to strengthen electron accumulation/consumption ability at heterointerfaces and,simultaneously,induct local asymmetry of electronic structure to evoke large dipole moment,ultimately leading to polarization coupling,i.e.,defect-type interfacial polarization.Such“Janus effect”(Janus effect means versatility,as in the Greek two-headed Janus)of interfacial sulfur vacancies is intuitively confirmed by both theoretical and experimental investigations for the first time.Consequently,the sulfur vacancies-rich heterostructured Co/Ni-CAs displays broad absorption bandwidth of 6.76 GHz at only 1.8 mm,compared to sulfur vacancies-free CAs without any dielectric response.Harnessing defects-rich heterostructures,this one-pot CACR strategy may steer the design and development of advanced nanomaterials,boosting functionality across diverse application domains beyond electromagnetic response.

普通玉米、糯玉米和蒸汽压片玉米对生长猪能量和营养物质消化率的影响

研究的目的是通过饲喂生长猪普通玉米、糯玉米和蒸汽压片玉米来测定其消化能、代谢能和营养物质的表观消化率。

Kindlin-2 loss in condylar chondrocytes causes spontaneous osteoarthritic lesions in the temporomandibular joint in mice

The progressive destruction of condylar cartilage is a hallmark of the temporomandibular joint(TMJ) osteoarthritis(OA);however, its mechanism is incompletely understood. Here, we show that Kindlin-2, a key focal adhesion protein, is strongly detected in cells of mandibular condylar cartilage in mice. We find that genetic ablation of Kindlin-2 in aggrecan-expressing condylar chondrocytes induces multiple spontaneous osteoarthritic lesions, including progressive cartilage loss and deformation, surface fissures, and ectopic cartilage and bone formation in TMJ. Kindlin-2 loss significantly downregulates the expression of aggrecan, Col2a1 and Proteoglycan 4(Prg4), all anabolic extracellular matrix proteins, and promotes catabolic metabolism in TMJ cartilage by inducing expression of Runx2and Mmp13 in condylar chondrocytes. Kindlin-2 loss decreases TMJ chondrocyte proliferation in condylar cartilages. Furthermore,Kindlin-2 loss promotes the release of cytochrome c as well as caspase 3 activation, and accelerates chondrocyte apoptosis in vitro and TMJ. Collectively, these findings reveal a crucial role of Kindlin-2 in condylar chondrocytes to maintain TMJ homeostasis.

Global Stability of a Viral Infection Model with Defectively Infected Cells and Latent Age

The authors propose and analyze a viral infection model with defectively infected cells and age of the latently infected cells.The existence of steady states is determined by the basic reproduction number of virus.With the Lyapunov's direct method,they establish a threshold dynamics of the model with the basic reproduction number of virus as the threshold parameter.To achieve it,a novel procedure is proposed.Its novelties are two-folded.On one hand,the coefficients involved in the specific forms of the used Lyapunov functionals for the two feasible steady states are determined by the same set of inequalities.On the other hand,for the infection steady state,a new approach is proposed to check whether the derivative of the Lyapunov functional candidate along solutions is negative(semi-)definite or not.This procedure not only simplifies the analysis but also exhibits the relationship between the two Lyapunov functionals for the two feasible steady states.Moreover,the procedure is expected to be applicable for other similar models.

Similarities and differences in gastrointestinal microbiomes between wild and human-cared spotted dolphins(Stenella attenuata)in natural waters

Despite the growing awareness on the importance of gut microbiomes,understanding marine mammal gut microbiomes remains limited due to difficulties in sampling.Spotted dolphins(Stenella attenuata)are widely spread oceanic cetaceans,and there is a gap in knowledge regarding their gut microbiology.In this study,we opportunistically collected samples from both wild and human-cared spotted dolphins in the southern waters of Hainan Island,China.This provided the opportunity to examine the composition and diversity of the gut microbial communities of this cetacean species.Since these dolphins inhabit a similar water environment,different food sources might be the primary factor distinguishing the gut microbiomes of wild and human-cared populations,offering valuable experimental material to investigate potential differences in gut microbial community structure among marine mammals in similar environments but with varying food sources.We found that the gastrointestinal microbial community structure of wild and human-cared dolphins demonstrated significant differences,both overall and at specific locations.However,no significant difference was observed in the microbial diversity of their gastrointestinal tracts,indicating that the disparities primarily lie in microbiota composition.Additionally,we detected numerous potentially pathogenic bacteria,suggesting a comprehensive future study of marine mammal gut microbiology.Such a study might involve determining health indicator factors associated with these microbiomes.Our study not only supplements information on the gut microbiology of spotted dolphins but also delves into the similarities and differences in gastrointestinal microbial communities within the same marine mammal species when food source variations play a significant role in their lives.

Making small molecules in plants:A chassis for synthetic biology-based production of plant natural products

Plant natural products have been extensively exploited in food,medicine,flavor,cosmetic,renewable fuel,and other industrial sectors.Synthetic biology has recently emerged as a promising means for the cost-effective and sustainable production of natural products.Compared with engineering microbes for the production of plant natural products,the potential of plants as chassis for producing these compounds is underestimated,largely due to challenges encountered in engineering plants.Knowledge in plant engineering is instrumental for enabling the effective and efficient production of valuable phytochemicals in plants,and also paves the way for a more sustainable future agriculture.In this manuscript,we briefly recap the biosynthesis of plant natural products,focusing primarily on industrially important terpenoids,alkaloids,and phenylpropanoids.We further summarize the plant hosts and strategies that have been used to engineer the production of natural products.The challenges and opportunities of using plant synthetic biology to achieve rapid and scalable production of high-value plant natural products are also discussed.

Learning from the heaviest ancient whale

A groundbreaking study published in Nature by Bianucci et al.has reported the discovery of a new basilosaurid species,Perucetus colossus(Figure 1).The incomplete fossil skeleton found in Peru is around 39 million years old.This ancient whale challenges the long-held belief that the blue whale represents the largest known animal to have ever lived on Earth.P.colossus is estimated to have had a body mass between 85 and 340 tons,with an average of 180 tons.1 In comparison,extant blue whales have an estimated body mass of 100–150 tons.The new study proposes that P.colossus was adapted to a fully aquatic lifestyle in shallow water with slow swimming speeds,similar to extant manatees.Elevated bone mass would have aided buoyancy control while diving to shallow depths,as seen in modern-day sirenians.This new discovery not only challenges our understanding of mammalian maximum body mass evolution,but it also expands our knowledge of the lifestyle of ancient cetaceans.

The IBI1 Receptor ofβ-Aminobutyric Acid Interacts with VOZ Transcription Factors to Regulate Abscisic Acid Signaling and Callose-Associated Defense

Extemal and internal signals can prime the plant immune system for a faster and/or stronger response to pathogen attack.β-aminobutyric acid(BABA)is an endogenous stress metabolite that induces broad-spectrum disease resistance in plants.BABA perception in Arabidopsis is mediated by the aspartyl tRNA synthetase IBI1,which activates priming of multiple immune responses,including callose-associated cell wall defenses that are under control by abscisic acid(ABA).However,the immediate signaling components after BABA perception by IBI1,as well as the regulatory role of ABA therein,remain unknown.Here,we have studied the early signaling events controlling IBI1-dependent BABA-induced resistance(BABAIR),using untargeted transcriptome and protein interaction analyses.Transcriptome analysis revealed that IBI1-dependent expression of BABA-IR against the biotrophic oomycete Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis is associated with suppression of ABA-inducible abiotic stress genes.Protein interaction studies identified the VOZ1 and VOZ2 transcription factors(TFs)as IBI1-interacting partners,which are transcrip-tionally induced by ABA but suppress pathogen-induced expression of ABA-dependent genes.Furthermore,we show that VOZ TFs require nuclear localization for their contribution to BABA-IR by mediating augmented expression of callose-associated defense.Collectively,our study indicates that the IBI1-VOZ signaling module channels pathogen-induced ABA signaling toward cell wall defense while simultaneously suppressing abiotic stress-responsive genes.

Photo-identification comparison of four Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin populations off southeast China

Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins(Sousa chinensis)inhabit shallow coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific region including southeast China,with at least 6 putative populations identified to date in Chinese waters.However,the connectivity among these populations has not yet been fully investigated.In the present study,we compared and crossmatched photographic catalogs of individual dolphins collected to date in the Pearl River Delta region,Leizhou Bay,Sanniang Bay,and waters southwest of Hainan Island,a total of 3158 individuals,and found no re-sighting of individual dolphins among the 4 study areas.Furthermore,there was a notable difference in the pigmentation pattern displayed by individuals from these 4 regions.We suggest that this may be a phenotypical expression of fine-scale regional differentiation among humpback dolphin groups,possibly distinct populations.Given the considerable conservation management implications it may carry(e.g.definition of management units),further research is much needed.

Early divergence and differential population histories of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin in the Pacific and Indian Oceans

The currently recognized Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin occurs in estuaries and surrounding shallow waters from the South China Sea to the Asian coast of the Indian Ocean.However,a recent study suggested that the humpback dolphin from the Bay of Bengal may represent a distinct phylogenetic species.In this study,we sequenced 915-bp mtDNA segments from five geographic populations in both Chinese and Thai waters;together with previously published sequences,these data revealed that the ancestral Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin might have split during the transition from the Oligocene to Miocene(23.45 Mya,95%HPD:16.65–26.55 Mya),and then dispersed along the Pacific and Indian Ocean coasts of Asia.Genetic differentiation was detected between most of the examined populations,except for only a few pairwise populations in the northern South China Sea.Genetic differentiation/distance between the humpback dolphins from the northern and southern South China Sea met the sub-species threshold value proposed for marine mammals,whereas that between the humpback dolphins in the Pacific and the Indian Ocean was above the species threshold.Bayesian inference of historic gene flow indicated low but constant northward gene flow along the Indian Ocean coast;however,there was a recent abrupt increase in gene flow in the Pacific region,likely due to the shortening coastline at the low stand of sea level.Our results revealed that the current taxonomic classification of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins may not reflect their phylogeography.

Microbial diversity and structure in the gastrointestinal tracts of two stranded short-finned pilot whales(Globicephala macrorhynchus)and a pygmy sperm whale(Kogia breviceps)

Information on the gut microbiome composition of different mammals could provide novel insights into the evolution of mammals and succession of microbial communities in different hosts.However,there is limited information on the gut microbiome composition of marine mammals,especially cetaceans because of sampling constraints.In this study,we investigated the diversity and composition of microbial communities in the stomach,midgut,and hindgut of 2 stranded short-finned pilot whales(Globicephala macrorhynchus)and hindgut of a stranded pygmy sperm whale(Kogia breviceps)by using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing technology.On the basis of the 50 most abundant operational taxonomic units,principal coordinate analysis,and non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis,we confirmed that the gut microbial communities of the 3 whales were different.Our results revealed that the gut microbiome of 1 stranded short-finned pilot whale GM16 was dominated by Firmicutes(mainly Clostridium)and Fusobacteria;whereas that of the other pilot whale GM19 was composed of Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes(mainly Vibrio and Bacteroides,respectively),probably caused by intestinal disease and antibiotic treatment.The gut microbiome of the pygmy sperm whale was dominated by Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes.Moreover,different gastrointestinal tract regions harbored different microbial community structures.To our knowledge,this is the first report of the gut microbiome of short-finned pilot whales,and our findings will expand our current knowledge on microbial diversity and composition in the gastrointestinal tract of cetaceans.

Sexual maturity,seasonal estrus,and gestation in female Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins Tursiops aduncus inferred from serum reproductive hormones

Reproductive hormones in serum concentrations of progesterone,estradiol,and testosterone in female Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins(Tursiops aduncus,n=12)housed in Ocean Park Hong Kong were investigated in the present study.Results showed that,onset of puberty of captive Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins was at 5 years while sexual maturity was at 6.Average serum progesterone concentrations in non-pregnant sexually mature individuals was 0.33(0.25–0.97)ng/mL(interquartile),significantly higher than in immature ones 0.26(0.25–0.38)ng/mL.This study found significant difference in serum estradiol concentrations between individuals at the onset of puberty(9.5±1.7 ng/mL,±SD)and not(below detection limit 9 pg/mL).A slightly seasonal breeding pattern,with progesterone values tend to be higher from February to October(0.38[0.25–1.07]ng/mL)was inferred.During pregnancy,serum progesterone concentrations range from 10.54±8.74 ng/mL(indexed month post-conception[IMPC]0)to 25.49±12.06 ng/mL(IMPC 2),and display a bimodal pattern with 2 peaks in early-(25.49±12.06 ng/mL,IMPC 2)and late-pregnancy(21.71±10.25 ng/mL,IMPC 12),respectively.Serum estradiol concentrations can seldom be detected in early-pregnancy and increase constantly in mid-(9.45±1.83 pg/mL)and late-pregnancy(11.88±3.81 pg/mL),with a spike(15.45±6.78 pg/mL)1 month prior to delivery.Serum testosterone concentrations elevate significantly in IMPC 7(0.36±0.10 ng/mL)compared to other months(0.16±0.10 ng/mL)of the year.The present study provides normal concentration profiles for some reproductive hormones in female Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins and can contribute to the breeding monitoring of this species.Also,our study would shed further light on the reproductive physiology of small cetaceans.

Blubber fatty acid compositions in different geographic populations of finless porpoise in Chinese waters:implications for thermal adaptation

The stratification of blubber fatty acids(FAs)is a widely used strategy in marine mammals and can be influenced by many factors,including their diet,environmental temperature,and physiological status.There are 3 distinct finless porpoise species/subspecies in Chinese coastal and inland waters in a wide range from 20°N to 40°N.The biochemical stratification of the blubbers of finless porpoises in different regions may provide valuable information for understanding their environmental adaptations.The FA compositions of 4 geographic populations of finless porpoise(FP)collected from the Bohai Gulf,East China Sea,South China Sea,and Yangtze River were therefore analyzed and compared.The blubber FA compositions of finless porpoises were dominated by∑MUFAs,followed by∑SFAs and∑PUFAs,and were generally consistent with those of other cetaceans.The blubber of finless porpoises was significantly stratified with increasing levels of∑MUFAs and decreasing levels of∑SFAs and∑PUFAs from the inner to the outer layers.The 3 marine populations shared more similarities in their FA compositions and stratifications compared to the freshwater porpoises,particularly regarding the PUFAs in the inner layers,which might have been mainly influenced by the diet compositions of marine and freshwater porpoises.Contrary to what was expected,in the 3 marine populations,the SFA and MUFA levels showed opposite correlations(negative and positive,respectively)with habitat temperatures,possibly indicating an adaptation mechanism in finless porpoises characterized by a trade-off between the insulation and fluidity properties of the blubber through the adjustment of the compositions and gradients of MUFAs and SFAs across the blubber depth in response to environmental temperature/latitude changes.

Molecular guidance cues in the development of visual pathway

70%-80% of our sensory input comes from vision. Light hit the retina at the back of our eyes and the visual information is relayed into the dorsal lateral geniculate nuclei （dLGN） and primary visual cortex （V1） thereafter, constituting the image-forming visual circuit. Molecular cues are one of the key factors to guide the wiring and refinement of the image-forming visual circuit during pre- and post-embryonic stages. Distinct molecular cues are involved in different developmental stages and nucleus, suggesting diverse guidance mechanisms. In this review, we summarize molecular guidance cues throughout the image-forming visual circuit, including chiasm determination, eye-specific segregation and refinement in the dLGN, and at last the reciprocal con- nections between the dLGN and VI.