Treatment with β-sitosterol ameliorates the effects of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by suppressing cholesterol overload, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and apoptosis

β-Sitosterol is a type of phytosterol that occurs naturally in plants.Previous studies have shown that it has anti-oxidant,anti-hyperlipidemic,anti-inflammatory,immunomodulatory,and anti-tumor effects,but it is unknown whetherβ-sitosterol treatment reduces the effects of ischemic stroke.Here we found that,in a mouse model of ischemic stroke induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion,β-sitosterol reduced the volume of cerebral infarction and brain edema,reduced neuronal apoptosis in brain tissue,and alleviated neurological dysfunction;moreover,β-sitosterol increased the activity of oxygen-and glucose-deprived cerebral cortex neurons and reduced apoptosis.Further investigation showed that the neuroprotective effects ofβ-sitosterol may be related to inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress caused by intracellular cholesterol accumulation after ischemic stroke.In addition,β-sitosterol showed high affinity for NPC1L1,a key transporter of cholesterol,and antagonized its activity.In conclusion,β-sitosterol may help treat ischemic stroke by inhibiting neuronal intracellular cholesterol overload/endoplasmic reticulum stress/apoptosis signaling pathways.

A human-sensitive frequency band vibration isolator for heavy-duty truck seats

In this study,a human-sensitive frequency band vibration isolator(HFBVI)with quasi-zero stiffness(QZS)characteristics for heavy-duty truck seats is designed to improve the comfort of heavy-duty truck drivers on uneven roads.First,the analytical expressions for the force and displacement of the HFBVI are derived with the Lagrange equation and d'Alembert's principle,and are validated through the prototype restoring force testing.Second,the harmonic balance method(HBM)is used to obtain the dynamic responses under harmonic excitation,and further the influence of pre-stretching on the dynamic characteristics and transmissibility is discussed.Finally,the experimental prototype of the HFBVI is fabricated,and vibration experiments are conducted under harmonic excitation to verify the vibration isolation performance(VIP)of the proposed vibration isolator.The experimental results indicate that the HFBVI can effectively suppress the frequency band(4-8 Hz)to which the human body is sensitive to vertical vibration.In addition,under real random road spectrum excitation,the HFBVI can achieve low-frequency vibration isolation close to 2 Hz,providing new prospects for ensuring the health of heavy-duty truck drivers.

The occurrence,inheritance,and segregation of complex genomic structural variation in synthetic Brassica napus

"Synthetic"allopolyploids recreated by interspecific hybridization play an important role in providing novel genomic variation for crop improvement.Such synthetic allopolyploids often undergo rapid genomic structural variation(SV).However,how such SV arises,is inherited and fixed,and how it affects important traits,has rarely been comprehensively and quantitively studied in advanced generation synthetic lines.A better understanding of these processes will aid breeders in knowing how to best utilize synthetic allopolyploids in breeding programs.Here,we analyzed three genetic mapping populations(735 DH lines)derived from crosses between advanced synthetic and conventional Brassica napus(rapeseed)lines,using whole-genome sequencing to determine genome composition.We observed high tolerance of large structural variants,particularly toward the telomeres,and preferential selection for balanced homoeologous exchanges(duplication/deletion events between the A and C genomes resulting in retention of gene/chromosome dosage between homoeologous chromosome pairs),including stable events involving whole chromosomes("pseudoeuploidy").Given the experimental design(all three populations shared a common parent),we were able to observe that parental SV was regularly inherited,showed genetic hitchhiking effects on segregation,and was one of the major factors inducing adjacent novel and larger SV.Surprisingly,novel SV occurred at low frequencies with no significant impacts on observed fertility and yield-related traits in the advanced generation synthetic lines.However,incorporating genome-wide SV in linkage mapping explained significantly more genetic variance for traits.Our results provide a framework for detecting and understanding the occurrence and inheritance of genomic SV in breeding programs,and support the use of synthetic parents as an important source of novel trait variation.

Silicon-based dielectric elastomer with amino-complexed hybrids towards high actuation performance

For improving the actuation performance at low electric fields of dielectric elastomers,achieving high dielectric constant(εr)and low modulus(Y)simultaneously has been targeted in the past decades,but there are few ways to accomplish both.In contrast to the classical strategies such as incorporating plasticizers or ceramic to prepare the silicon-based dielectric elastomers,here,blending an amino-complexed hybrid(polyethyleneimine(PEI)-Ag)with polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)elastomer is reported as an alternative strategy to tailor theεr and Y.PEI-Ag not only exhibits excellent dielectric enhancement properties but also minimizes the PDMS crosslinking through amino-complexed reaction between PEI and Pt catalysts.The prepared dielectric elastomers have aεr of 7.2@10^(3)Hz and Y of 1.14 MPa,leading to an actuation strain of 22.27%at 35 V/μm.Hence,incorporating such novel hybrids based on dual amino-complexed effect on both matrix and particles sufficiently promotes the actuated performance of dielectric elastomers.

Effects of Common Myokines on Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus, a type of chronic metabolic disease, is occurring more frequently and causes severe threats to human health. In vivo, exercise can stimulate skeletal muscle cells to secrete and release myokines into blood circulation, which will participate in metabolism and act on multiple organs or systems. Recently, the relationship between myokines and diabetes mellitus was a hot research topic, and myokines may be potential targets for the diagnosis, monitoring, prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus. In this review, we elucidated the multiple effects of common myokines in the pathogenesis and therapy of diabetes mellitus, which will provide a theoretical foundation of the mechanism in the positive effects of exercises on humans.

不同引发剂量对纤维状聚苯胺电化学性能的影响

以樟脑磺酸为掺杂酸,采用低温化学氧化聚合法合成了纤维状聚苯胺。通过透射电镜、扫描电镜、红外光谱等探讨了单体苯胺与引发剂过硫酸铵的摩尔比对聚苯胺形貌和结构的影响。利用循环伏安、恒流充放电以及交流阻抗等技术对样品的电化学性能进行了测试。结果表明,苯胺与过硫酸铵摩尔比为2:1获得的聚苯胺在电流密度为0.5 A/g时的比电容最高,为762.4 F/g。甚至在高电流密度下(10 A/g)仍保持530.6 F/g的比电容。经1000圈的恒流充放电后,容量保持率为74.4%。相比之下,优化的聚苯胺具有最高的比电容和倍率特性,在超级电容器中有广泛的应用前景。

Diversity and conservation of Chinese wild begonias

Begonia, one of the most diverse plant taxa and the fifth or sixth largest angiosperm genus, consists of over1800 accepted species. The number of species recognized within this genus has greatly increased over the past 20 years, rising from 80 to 200 species in China alone. Based on recent field surveys, the number of begonia species in China is predicted to be between 250 and 300. Given the large number of begonia species that still remain to be described, further taxonomical work is urgently required. This is especially true for Chinese Begonia, in which there is a huge diversity of habitat, habit, plant size, leaf type, flower and fruit morphology, and most species are narrowly distributed in isolated habitats that are subject to negative disturbances from climate change, as well as agricultural and industrial activities. Although the conservation status for the majority of species has been evaluated using the standards of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the results don't represent the truth in many species, and also about11.5% of which are data-absent. In addition, illegal collection and over-harvesting of wild begonias for ornamental or medicinal use has increased due to the rapid development of internet commerce. Far more often than predicted, these species should be categorized as rare and endangered and require immediate protection. Ex situ conservation of Chinese begonias started in 1995 and over 60% of the total species have been so far introduced into cultivation by several major botanical gardens in China. However, only few research institutions, limited funds and human resources have been involved in Begonia conservation;moreover, no project has conducted reintroduction. Therefore, more conservation-based work remains to be done. Improved conservation of Chinese begonias in the future depends on further field survey, an improved understanding of population diversity, and integrative approaches, including in situ and ex situ conservation, seed banking, and plant reintroduction. Species-targeted conservation zones should be established for endangered species excluded from the existing nature reserves. Additionally, laws pertaining to plant protection should be extended to prevent the illegal collection and transaction of wild plants, particularly for those species with unique habitats and small populations.

GPP(composition of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides and Polyporus umbellatus polysaccharides) protects against DSS-induced murine colitis by enhancing immune function and regulating intestinal flora

Previous study have demonstrated that a compound composed of water-soluable Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides(GLP)and Polyporus umbellatus polysaccharides(PUP)in a ratio of 3:1 named GPP enhances innate immune function in mice through enhancing the function of macrophage cells and activity of natural killer(NK)cells.Here in our research,we further investigated the effect of GPP on the diversity and composition of intestinal flora,and explored its effect on colitis model mice.The immunoregulatory verification experiments of GPP were conducted in both normal and DSS-induced mice model.Our research showed that GPP increased the diversity of intestinal microorganisms in mice with the extension of administration time.Daily GPP intake attenuated DSS-induced colon injury,protected the splenic lymphocyte proliferation ability,enhanced the serum hemolysin synthesis,and increased peripheral phagocytes and NK cell activity in model mice.Comparisons of the predominant gene pathways of the bacterial microbiota showed that DNA repair and recombination,base mismatch repair pathways was stronger in GPP-treatment group than in control group,indicating the possible molecular mechanisms of immune function regulation.Our study showed that GPP regulated immune function in both health and colitis model,and had a positive effect on maintaining intestinal flora homeostasis.

Emerging catalytic materials for practical lithium-sulfur batteries

High-energy lithium-sulfur batteries(LSBs)have experienced relentless development over the past decade with discernible improvements in electrochemical performance.However,a scrutinization of the cell operation conditions reveals a huge gap between the demands for practical batteries and those in the literature.Low sulfur loading,a high electrolyte/sulfur(E/S)ratio and excess anodes for lab-scale LSBs significantly offset their high-energy merit.To approach practical LSBs,high loading and lean electrolyte parameters are needed,which involve budding challenges of slow charge transfer,polysulfide precipitation and severe shuttle effects.To track these obstacles,the exploration of electrocatalysts to immobilize polysulfides and accelerate Li-S redox kinetics has been widely reported.Herein,this review aims to survey state-of-the-art catalytic materials for practical LSBs with emphasis on elucidating the correlation among catalyst design strategies,material structures and electrochemical performance.We also statistically evaluate the state-of-the-art catalyst-modified LSBs to identify the remaining discrepancy between the current advancements and the real-world requirements.In closing,we put forward our proposal for a catalytic material study to help realize practical LSBs.

Quercetin-derivatives painting the yellow petals of American lotus(Nelumbo lutea)and enzymatic basis for their accumulation

American lotus(Nelumbo lutea)is one of the two species in Nelumbo and has only yellow flower.Identification of total flavonoids showed wild American lotus contained almost only flavonols with quercetin 3-O-glucuronide to be the dominant pigment.The variation tendency of the total flavonol content was coincident with yellow color variation of petals during flower development.To understand the mechanism of accumulation and constituent of pigments in petals,three pivotal genes,NlFLS1,NlFLS2 and NlFLS3,which were predicted to encode flavonol synthases were isolated and characterized by analyses of basic bioinformatics,temporal and spatial expression patterns and enzymatic activity.Their temporal expression levels showed the same variation tendency,which was also consistent with the development-dependent variation of total flavonol content.Spatial expression patterns indicated the three genes should function in petals.All the three proteins were demonstrated to be bifunctional dioxygenase,possessing both flavonol synthase activity and flavanone 3-hydroxylase activity.Besides,other flavonol biosynthesis related genes were also investigated on their expression levels to give more clues on the mechanism.Substrate preferences of the three FLSs,substrate competitions between the FLSs and other flavonol biosynthesis related enzymes,and the greatly differential expression levels between F3’H(flavonoid 3-hydroxylase)and F3’5’H(flavonoid 3,5-hydroxylase)contributed to the flavonol constituent in the petals of America lotus,namely abundant quercetin-derivatives while very few kaempferol-derivatives and myricetin-derivatives.

Molecular identifi cation and population diff erentiation of Aurelia spp.ephyrae in sea cucumber aquaculture ponds of northern China

Aurelia spp.ephyrae have been reported to form blooms in sea cucumber aquaculture ponds in the Bohai and Yellow Seas.To identify the species,we carried out a genetic analysis of Aurelia spp.ephyrae and medusae based on mitochondrial 16 S rRNA gene.Samples offour Aurelia sp.ephyrae populations were collected in sea cucumber aquaculture ponds and samples offour Aurelia sp.medusae populations were collected in coastal waters.Using a BLASTn search,we found that both the ephyrae collected in the aquaculture ponds and medusae collected in coastal waters belong to Aurelia coerulea.Seventeen haplotypes were recovered from the 16 S rRNA gene.The overall haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity of the 166 A.coerulea individuals were 0.686%and 0.329%,respectively,indicating high haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity.Moreover,the haplotype diversity of ephyrae populations were generally lower than that of medusae populations with close sampling points.The genetic differentiation between ephyrae populations collected in the sea cucumber aquaculture ponds and A.coerulea medusae collected in coastal waters was not significant,suggesting the ephyrae populations in the sea cucumber culture ponds were part of the same genetic group as the medusae populations in the coastal waters.Phylogeographic analysis of the 16 S rRNA region revealed that there was no significant correlation between the haplotypes and the geographic distribution of populations.Pairwise fixation index values showed significant genetic differentiation and limited gene flow between A.coerulea population of Weifang and other locations.

Effects of Qidi Tangshen granules and their separate prescriptions on podocytes in mice with diabetic nephropathy

Objective:Previous studies have found that Qidi Tangshen granules(QDTS),a combination therapy of supplementing essence(Tianjing,TJ)and unblocking the collaterals(Tongluo,TL),can reduce kidney damage in db/db mice.This study aimed to explore the effect of QDTS and their separate prescriptions on podocytes in mice with diabetic nephropathy.Methods:The db/db mice were used in this experiment as an animal model,while wild-type C57BL/6J mice were used as normal controls.At the age of 12 weeks,the db/db mice were randomly divided into 5 groups(db/db,db/dbþvalsartan,db/dbþQDTS,db/dbþTJ and db/dbþTL).The urine albumin excretion ratio(UAE)was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay before and after the intervention.The ultrastructure of the kidney podocytes was observed by transmission electron microscopy.The protein expression levels of nephrin and desmin were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results:QDTS and their separate prescriptions significantly decreased the UAE and attenuated the renal pathological injury.QDTS and their separate prescriptions also reduced the fusion rate of the foot processes and increased the expression of nephrin protein.In contrast,QDTS and their separate prescriptions(TJ and TL)reduced the expression level of desmin protein.Conclusion:QDTS and their separate prescriptions might reduce diabetes-induced renal injury by reducing podocyte damage.The therapeutic effect of QDTS was more pronounced than TJ and TL.

Ononin inhibits triple-negative breast cancer lung metastasis by targeting the EGFR-mediated PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway

The spreading of cancer cells from the primary tumor site to other parts of the body,known as metastasis,is the leading cause of cancer recurrence and mortality in patients with triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC).Overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)is observed in approximately 70%of TNBC patients.EGFR is crucial for promoting tumor metastasis and associated with poor prognosis.Therefore,it is vital to identify effective therapeutic strategies targeting EGFR inhibition.Ononin,an isoflavonoid found in various plants,such as clover and soybeans,has been shown to have anticancer properties in several cancers.In the present study,we aimed to investigate the effects of ononin on TNBC lung metastasis and the associated molecular pathways.We used various assays,including cell viability,colony formation,Transwell,wound healing,ELISA,Western blotting,and staining techniques,to achieve this objective.The results demonstrated that ononin effectively suppressed cellular proliferation and induced apoptosis,as evidenced by the cell viability assay,colony formation assay,and expression of apoptosis markers,and reduced the metastatic capabilities of TNBC cells.These effects were achieved through the direct suppression of cell adhesion,invasiveness and motility.Furthermore,in TNBC xenograft lung metastatic models,ononin treatment significantly reduced tumor growth and lung metastasis.Additionally,ononin reversed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)by downregulating the expression of EMT markers and matrix metalloproteinases,as confirmed by Western blot analysis.Furthermore,ononin treatment reduced EGFR phosphorylation and suppressed the PI3K,Akt,and m TOR signaling pathways,which was further confirmed using EGFR agonists or inhibitors.Importantly,ononin treatment did not exert any toxic effects on liver or kidney function.In conclusion,our findings suggest that ononin is a safe and potentially therapeutic treatment for TNBC metastasis that targets the EGFRmediated PI3K/Akt/m TOR pathway.Further studies are warranted to validate its efficacy and explore its potential clinical applications.

A Brassica carinata pan-genome platform for Brassica crop improvement

Dear Editor,Brassica carinata(Bc Bc Cc Cc),an important agricultural crop cultivated for the edible oil,leafy vegetable,high-value protein stockfeed,and biofuel markets,contains favorable genetic variation that can be exploited to develop climate-resilient and wateruse-efficient Brassica crops(Seepaul et al.,2021).Although several quantitative trait loci(QTLs)for flowering time,seed quality traits,and pod shatter resistance(PSR)have been identified based on high-density genetic linkage maps(Zou et al.,2014;Raman et al.,2017;Zhang et al.,2017),this information alone is insufficient for practical genetic improvement and breeding applications.

基于线粒体COI基因分析钩手水母的群体遗传结构

钩手水母(Gonionemus vertens)为大西洋和太平洋广布种, 是我国习见的有毒水母种类之一。本文对采自黄渤海海域4个地理群体的104个钩手水母线粒体COI基因序列进行扩增, 并结合GenBank上其他182个钩手水母同源序列进行序列变异分析。在286个基因序列中共检测出52个多态位点, 定义了14种单倍型。总群体的单倍型多样性和核苷酸多样性分别为0.743 ± 0.012和1.046% ± 0.097%, 与其他几种大型水母相比, 钩手水母总群体的遗传多样性处于较高水平。AMOVA结果显示, 60.17%的分子变异源于群组间, 13.37%的分子变异源于群体内, 26.46%的分子变异源于组内群体间, 群组间、群体内和组内群体间的遗传分化均极显著。Fst值统计检验表明, 中国厦门群体与乐亭、东营、烟台、大连群体间存在显著的遗传分化, 大连与东营、烟台群体间也存在显著的遗传分化。系统分析结果显示, 钩手水母群体间存在2个明显的单倍型谱系分支。不同的钩手水母地理群体间具有复杂的遗传模式, 钩手水母复杂的生活史、扩散能力、地理隔离和海流分布可能是影响钩手水母遗传结构的重要因素。

分析师调研成本与乐观性倾向——基于关系性契约视角的经验证据

文章基于制度经济学引入关系性契约理论,构建成本-收益模型,阐释分析师与所调研上市公司互动行为中的底层逻辑,探究成本因素对分析师契约行为的影响,并借助社会网络分析方法,以分析师在调研网络中的位置衡量分析师为构建及维系关系所投入的专用性资产(成本)。研究发现:分析师的成本投入会使其产生自我履约行为(乐观性倾向),声誉因素和企业违约风险对分析师自我履约行为具有削弱作用。研究结论有助于进一步理清分析师隐性成本投入的影响机理,为监管层规范分析师行为提供依据。

Hierarchical electrospun nanofibers treated by solvent vapor annealing as air filtration mat for high-efficiency PM2.5 capture

Recently, air pollution has become more serious and started to have a dramatic effect on the health of humans in many large cities. Generally, outdoor personal protection,such as commercial masks, cannot effectively prevent the inhalation of many pollutants. Particulate matter(PM) pollutants are a particularly serious threat to human health. Here we introduce a new efficient air filtration mat that can be used for outdoor protection. The new efficient air filter’s nanocomposite materials were successfully fabricated from poly(ε-caprolactone)/polyethylene oxide(PCL/PEO) using an electrospinning technique and solvent vapor annealing(SVA).SVA treatment endows the wrinkled fiber surface and enhances the PM2.5 capture capacity of protective masks. This nanowrinkled air filtration mat can effectively filter PM2.5 with a removal efficiency of 80.01% under seriously polluted conditions(PM2.5 particle concentration above 225 mg m-3).Our field test in Qinhuangdao indicated that the air filtration mat had a high PM2.5 removal efficiency under thick haze.Compared to commercial masks, the fabricated SVA-treated PCL/PEO air filter mat demonstrated a simpler and ecofriendly preparation process with excellent degradation characteristics, showing wide potential applications with a high filtration efficiency.

Ferromagnetism at 230 K in(Ba_(0.7)K_(0.3))(Zn_(0.85)Mn_(0.15))_2As_2 diluted magnetic semiconductor

We report the ferromagnetism with Cure temperature Tcat 230 K in a new diluted magnetic semiconductor(DMS)(Ba0.7K0.3)(Zn0.85Mn0.15)2As2isostructural to ferropnictide 122 superconductors synthesized via low temperature sintering.Spin is doped by isovalence substitution of Mn2+for Zn2+,while charge is introduced by heterovalence substitution of K1+for Ba2+in(Ba0.7K0.3)(Zn0.85Mn0.15)2As2DMS,being different from(Ga,Mn)As where both spin&charge are induced simultaneously by heterovalence substation of Mn2+for Ga3+.The(Ba0.7K0.3)(Zn0.85Mn0.15)2As2DMS shows spontaneous magnetization following T3/2dependence expected for a homogeneous ferromagnet with saturation moment 1.0μB for each Mn atom.

An Atypical Thioredoxin Imparts Early Resistance to Sugarcane Mosaic Virus in Maize

Sugarcane mosaic virus （SCMV） causes substantial losses of grain yield and forage biomass in susceptible maize worldwide. A major quantitative trait locus, Scmvl, has been identified to impart strong resistance to SCMV at the early infection stage. Here, we demonstrate that ZmTrxh, encoding an atypical h-type thioredoxin, is the causal gene at Scmvl, and that its transcript abundance correlated strongly with maize resistance to SCMV. ZmTrxh alleles, whether they are resistant or susceptible, share the identical coding/proximal promoter regions, but vary in the upstream regulatory regions. ZmTrxh lacks two canon- ical cysteines in the thioredoxin active-site motif and exists uniquely in the maize genome. Because of this, ZmTrxh is unable to reduce disulfide bridges but possesses a strong molecular chaperone-like activity. ZmTrxh is dispersed in maize cytoplasm to suppress SCMV viral RNA accumulation. Moreover, ZmTrxh- mediated maize resistance to SCMV showed no obvious correlation with the salicylic acid- and jasmonic acid-related defense signaling pathways. Taken together, our results indicate that ZmTrxh exhibits a distinct defense profile in maize resistance to SCMV, differing from previously characterized dominant or recessive potyvirus resistance genes.

Superconductivity above 70 K observed in lutetium polyhydrides

The binary polyhydrides of heavy rare earth lutetium that shares a similar valence electron configuration to lanthanum have been experimentally discovered to be superconductive.The lutetium polyhydrides were successfully synthesized at high pressure and high temperature conditions using a diamond anvil cell in combinations with the in-situ high pressure laser heating technique.The resistance measurements as a function of temperature were performed at the same pressure of synthesis in order to study the transitions of superconductivity(SC).The superconducting transition with a maximum onset temperature(Tc)71 K was observed at pressure of 218 GPa in the experiments.The Tcdecreased to 65 K when pressure was at 181 GPa.From the evolution of SC at applied magnetic fields,the upper critical field at zero temperatureμ0Hc2(0)was obtained to be~36 T.The in-situ high pressure X-ray diffraction experiments imply that the high TcSC should arise from the Lu4H23phase with Pm3n symmetry that forms a new type of hydrogen cage framework different from those reported for previous light rare earth polyhydride superconductors.