Enhanced hydrogen storage properties of Mg by the synergistic effect of grain refinement and NiTiO_(3)nanoparticles

As a promising hydrogen storage material,the practical application of magnesium is obstructed by the stable thermodynamics and sluggish kinetics.In this paper,three kinds of NiTiO3catalysts with different mole ratio of Ni to Ti were successfully synthesized and doped into nanocrystalline Mg to improve its hydrogen storage properties.Experimental results indicated that all the Mg-NiTiO3composites showed prominent hydrogen storage performance.Especially,the Mg-NiTiO3/TiO2composite could take up hydrogen at room temperature and the apparent activation energy for hydrogen absorption was dramatically decreased from 69.8±1.2(nanocrystalline Mg)k J/mol to 34.2±0.2 k J/mol.In addition,the hydrogenated sample began to release hydrogen at about 193.2℃and eventually desorbed 6.6 wt%H2.The desorption enthalpy of the hydrogenated Mg-NiTiO3-C was estimated to be 78.6±0.8 k J/mol,5.3 k J/mol lower compared to 83.9±0.7 k J/mol of nanocrystalline Mg.Besides,the sample revealed splendid cyclic stability during 20 cycles.No obvious recession occurred in the absorption and desorption kinetics and only 0.3 wt%hydrogen capacity degradation was observed.Further structural analysis demonstrates that nanosizing and catalyst doping led to a synergistic effect on the enhanced hydrogen storage performance of Mg-NiTiO3-C composite,which might serve as a reference for future design of highly effective hydrogen storage materials.

Inhibition of Differentiation by Transforming Growth Factor β1 in Rhabdomyosarcoma Cells

OBJECTIVE To study the effect of transforming growth factor?1 (TGF-β1)on differentiation of rhabdomyosarcoma(RMS)cells METHODS RD(human embryonal RMS cell line)cells,cultured in differentiation medium containing 9-cis retinoic acid(9CRA),were treated with TGF-β1.Proliferation of the cells was examined by the MTT assay.The differentiation specific proteins(sarcomeric actin and MyHC)and myogenic transcription factors(MyoD1 and myogenin)in the RD cel s were assessed by immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS Compared to control cel s,treatment with lower concentrations of TGF-?1(0.1 and 0.2 ng/ml)induced an increase in OD values after 4 d(P<0.01),whereas higher concentrations of TGF-?1(2 and 5 ng/ml)led to a reduction of cell viability(P<0.01).After exposure to 9CRA,the viability of the cells decreased significantly(P<0.01),while sarcomeric actin,MyHC and myogenin were induced.These changes were antagonized by TGF-β1(0.1 ng/ml).No changes were observed in expression of MyoD1. CONCLUSION The RMS cells,derived from myogenic progenitors are committed to a myogenic fate,but are arrested in the differentiation course by the addition of TGF-?1 which represses some of the myogenic transcription factors.

Clubroot resistance introgression in interspecific hybrids between Raphanus sativus and Brassica napus

Clubroot is a prevailing soil-borne disease affecting rapeseed production worldwide.However,few clubroot resistant rapeseed accessions were available for breeding.Identification and introgression of new clubroot resistant genes from closely related species by distant hybridization is an effective strategy.In the present study,9 radish(Raphanus sativus L.,2n=18,RR)lines resistant to Plasmodiophora brassicae pathotype 4 were used as donors to transfer clubroot resistance into a susceptible rapeseed(Brassica napus L.,2n=38,AACC)line by distant hybridization combined with embryo rescue.Nine intergeneric crosses were made but only 1(411×93039)produced F1 plants both from embryo rescue and natural seed-setting.Authenticity of triploid F1 hybrids(2n=28,ACR)were verified by flower color,cytological observation and molecular marker analysis,and 2 genuine F1 hybrids were identified.After chromosome doubling,these synthetic allohexaploid plants(2n=56,AACCRR)became partially fertile(pollen viability rate=35%)and were backcrossed with rapeseed parent to generate a BC1 population(2n=47,AACCR).Totally 178 BC1 plants were obtained,of which the majority(96.1%)were resistant to clubroot.These backcrossing progenies could be used for the breeding of new rapeseed varieties resistant to clubroot.

An improved high-oleic line created by chemical mutagen of ‘Huayu 40’

By using chemical mutagenesis, ‘Huayu 40’, a normal-oleic(NO) large-seed high yielding peanut cultivar with wide adaptability was transformed into mutants with desirable high-oleic(HO) quality traits, comparable productivity and adaptability. Of the 3 chemical treatments, viz. 5 mM ethyl methane sulfonate(EMS), 25 mM EMS and 15 mM sodium azide(NaN_3), only NaN_3 produced HO M_2 mutant plants. High oleate phenotype was initially identified by near infrared spectroscopy(NIRS) screening, and was further confirmed by gas spectrometry(GC) analysis. Sequence analysis showed that HO plant had a 448 G>A mutation in FAD2 A and a 441_442 insA mutation in FAD2 B, respectively. Although the direct use of high yielding and stress resistant cultivars/lines to induce quality mutations might be a judicious choice to accelerate breeding, our results showed that chemical mutagenesis could quickly create HO peanut materials and expand the genetic bases of HO peanuts.

An Intronic Variant of CHD7 Identified in Autism Patients Interferes with Neuronal Differentiation and Development

Genetic composition plays critical roles in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder(ASD).Especially,inherited and de novo intronic variants are often seen in patients with ASD.However,the biological significance of intronic variants is difficult to address.Here,among a Chinese ASD cohort,we identified a recurrent inherited intronic variant in the CHD7 gene,which is specifically enriched in East Asian populations.CHD7 has been implicated in numerous developmental disorders including CHARGE syndrome and ASD.To investigate whether the ASD-associated CHD7 intronic variant affects neural development,we established human embryonic stem cells carrying this variant using CRISPR/Cas9 methods and found that the level of CHD7 mRNA significantly decreased compared to control.Upon differentiation towards the forebrain neuronal lineage,we found that neural cells carrying the CHD7 intronic variant exhibited developmental delay and maturity defects.Importantly,we found that TBR1,a gene also implicated in ASD,was significantly increased in neurons carrying the CHD7 intronic variant,suggesting the intrinsic relevance among ASD genes.Furthermore,the morphological defects found in neurons carrying CHD7 intronic mutations were rescued by knocking down TBR1,indicating that TBR1 may be responsible for the defects in CHD7-related disorders.Finally,the CHD7 intronic variant generated three abnormal forms of transcripts through alternative splicing,which all exhibited loss-of-function in functional assays.Our study provides crucial evidence supporting the notion that the intronic variant of CHD7 is potentially an autism susceptibility site,shedding new light on identifying the functions of intronic variants in genetic studies of autism.

Waterlogging risk assessment for winter wheat using multi-source data in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River

Waterlogging is a serious agro-meteorological disaster caused by excessive soil water,which usually causes tremendous crop yield losses.The region of middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River in China is an important production base of winter wheat,and is an area prone to waterlogging.The risk assessment of winter wheat waterlogging can provide more thorough understanding about the risk-prone environment related with food safety in this region.This study combined a variety of environmental and agricultural factors and assessed the waterlogging risk of winter wheat from the aspects of sensitivity of hazard formative environments,hazard risk,and vulnerability of hazard-affected body using multi-source data.Furthermore,it constructed a compound waterlogging risk assessment model to classify the study area into high,relatively high,moderate,and low risky areas,respectively.The results showed that the proposed model could more comprehensively reflect the occurrence mechanism of winter wheat waterlogging by synchronizing geographical,agricultural,and meteorological factors.The waterlogging regionalization based on the model could reasonably represent the spatial distribution and differentiate regional characteristics of winter wheat waterlogging in the study area.

Highly Prevalent SARS-CoV-2 Antigenemia in COVID-19 Patients

Background:Many issues,such as severity assessment and antibody responses,remain to be answered eagerly for evaluation and understanding of COVID-19.Immune lesion is one of key pathogenesis of the disease.It would be helpful to understand the disease if an investigation on antigenemia and association was conducted in the patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.Methods:A total of 156 patients admitted to the First People’s Hospital of Hefei or Anhui Provincial Hospital on January to February 2020 were involved in this study.SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid(NP)antigen,specific IgM/IgG antibodies,and RNA were detected in sequential sera from three COVID-19 patients,and additional 153 COVID-19 patients by means of NP-antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,colloidal gold quick diagnosis,and real-time RT-PCR,respectively.The clinical types of COVID-19 patients were classified into asymptomatic,mild,moderate,severe,and critical,following on the Chinese guideline of COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment.The demographic and clinical data of patients were obtained for comparable analysis.Results:NP antigen was detected in 5 of 20 sequential sera collected from three COVID-19 patients with typically clinical symptoms,and 60.13%(92/153)expanded samples collected within 17days after illness onset.No SARS-CoV-2 RNA segment was detected in these sera.The NP positive proportion reached a peak(84.85%,28/33)on 6 to 8days after illness onset.Both NP concentration and positive proportion were increased with the increase of clinical severity of COVID-19.Compared to NP negativepatients,NP positive patients had older age[years,medians(interquartileranges(IQR)),49(6)vs.31(11)],lowerpositive proportion of NP specific IgM[27.17%(25/92)vs.59.02%(36/61)],and IgG[21.74%(20/92)vs.59.02%(36/61)]antibodies,and longer duration[days,medians(IQR),24(10)vs.21(13)]from illness to recovery.Conclusions:SARS-CoV-2 NP antigenemia occurred in COVID-19,and presented highly prevalent at early stage of the disease.The antigenemia was related to clinical severity of the disease,and may beresponsible for the delay of detectable SARS-Cov-2IgM.