Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Calmodulin-Like Proteins in Tobacco

Calmodulin-like (CMLs) proteins are critical in calcium signaling and essential for plant growth, development, and stress responses. In many species, the CMLs families have been identified and described. However, the characterization and expression profiling of CMLs genes in tobacco is retrievable. In this study, a comprehensive whole-genome identification and analysis, and 75 NtCML genes were identified in tobacco, each containing two to four EF-hand domains. Most NtCML proteins exhibited conserved gene structures and motifs. Notably, most NtCML proteins were intron-less and distributed across 18 chromosomes. Two pairs of tandemly duplicated genes and seven pairs of segmentally duplicated genes were identified within the tobacco genome. Furthermore, 22 pairs of orthologous CMLs genes were discovered between Arabidopsis and tobacco. Cis-acting element analysis revealed that elements associated with hormones, stress responses, and plant growth and development were found in the promoter regions. Expression analysis indicated that some NtCML genes displayed tissue-specific expression patterns. Specifically, NtCML12, NtCML18, NtCML27, and NtCML28 showed significant upregulation during cold acclimation treatment. These results indicate that tobacco CMLs act as Ca2+ signal transducers, regulating plant growth and abiotic stress responses.

Energy harvesting of droplet-based triboelectric nanogenerators:From mechanisms toward performance optimizations

Triboelectric Nanogenerator(TENG),which couples the contact electrification(CE)and electrostatic induction effects,provides a promising route to efficiently harvest energy from droplets.Despite the seemingly modest energy derived from individual droplet,its widespread and abundant nature across diverse scenarios,including rainfalls,misty environments,water-logged and altitude variations ground,presents significant untapped energy potential.This underscores the practical importance of harvesting droplet energy as a vital component in fulfilling the demand for sustainable energy.Herein,we delve into the recent advancements in droplet energy harvesting using TENG.Initially,the electric double layer(EDL)of droplet-based TENGs is discussed in-depth,including the“two-step”formation process of EDL,as well as the sources and influencing factors of electrostatic charges on solid surface.Subsequently,three common work modes of droplet-based TENGs are introduced,and the energy harvesting process and the maximum efficiency of DEG which possess the droplet-characteristic feature are detailed description.Additionally,the performance and advantages of droplet-based TENGs are outlined,followed by a summary of strategies aimed at enhancing the output performance of droplet-based TENGs.Finally,potential applications and future prospects of droplet-based TENGs are discussed,that are essential for propelling the advancement in the field of droplet energy harvesting via TENG.

Effect of an external magnetic field on improved electroslag remelting cladding process

Obtaining a uniform interface temperature field plays a crucial role in the interface bonding quality of bimetal compound rolls.Therefore,this study proposes an improved electroslag remelting cladding(ESRC)process using an external magnetic field to improve the uniformity of the interface temperature of compound rolls.The improved ESRC comprises a conventional ESRC circuit and an external coil circuit.A comprehensive 3D model,including multi-physics fields,is proposed to study the effect of external magnetic fields on the multi-phys-ics fields and interface temperature uniformity.The simulated results demonstrate that the nonuniform Joule heat and flow fields cause a non-uniform interface temperature in the conventional ESRC.As for the improved ESRC,the magnetic flux density(B_(coil))along the z-axis is pro-duced by an anticlockwise current of the external coil.The rotating Lorentz force is generated from the interaction between the radial current and axial B_(coil).Therefore,the slag pool flows clockwise,which enhances circumferential effective thermal conductivity.As a result,the uniformity of the temperature field and interface temperature improve.In addition,the magnetic flux density and rotational speed of the simulated results are in good agreement with those of the experimental results,which verifies the accuracy of the improved ESRC model.Therefore,an improved ESRC is efficient for industrial production of the compound roll with a uniform interface bonding quality.

In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Hot Water Extracts from 7 Different Sources of Ganoderma Lucidum

[Objectives] To study the in vitro antioxidant activity of hot water extracts from 7 different sources of Ganoderma lucidum mushroom.[Methods] The in vitro antioxidant activity of hot water extracts from 7 different sources of G. lucidum was studied from total reducing capacity,scavenging of hydroxyl free radical( ·OH),superoxide anion( O_2^(2-)·),and DPPH free radical.[Results]Under the same concentration,hot water extracts wild G. lucidum in Maoer Mountain showed the strongest reducing capacity with the absorbency being 2. 48,the highest scavenging capacity of hydroxyl free radical( · OH) with the scavenging rate being 99. 46%,and the strongest scavenging ability of DPPH free radical with its scavenging rate being 96. 62%. The ability of scavenging superoxide anion free radical( O_2^(2-)·) ranked the third.[Conclusions]The hot water extracts from Maoer Mountain wild G. lucidum showed the highest antioxidant ability in three aspects,indicating that Maoer Mountain wild G. lucidum has high development potential.

Regulation of pathological blood-brain barrier for intracranial enhanced drug delivery and anti-glioblastoma therapeutics

The blood-brain barrier(BBB)is an essential component in regulating and maintaining the homeostatic microenvironment of the central nervous system(CNS).During the occurrence and development of glioblastoma(GBM),BBB is pathologically destroyed with a marked increase in permeability.Due to the obstruction of the BBB,current strategies for GBM therapeutics still obtain a meager success rate and may lead to systemic toxicity.Moreover,chemotherapy could promote pathological BBB functional restoration,which results in significantly reduced intracerebral transport of therapeutic agents during multiple administrations of GBM and the eventual failure of GBM chemotherapy.The effective delivery of intracerebral drugs still faces severe challenges.However,strategies that regulate the pathological BBB to enhance the transport of therapeutic agents across the barrier may provide new opportunities for the effective and safe treatment of GBM.This article reviews the structure and function of BBB in physiological states,the mechanisms underlying BBB pathological fenestration during the development of GBM,and the therapeutic strategies of GBM based on BBB intervention and medicinal drugs transporting across the BBB.

Wind and Snow Impacts on Urban Space Planning:A Multiphase Numerical Simulation

The wind and snow environment outside the planned space plays a key role in the comfort and safety of the human habitat in severe cold regions. Traditional studies of the external environment of human settlements, however, frequently overlook the combined impacts of wind and snow environments. Furthermore, in urban meteorological studies, it is impossible to accurately assess the wind and snow environment in specific areas or locations. In this study, a refined Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD) multiphase flow numerical method was used to simulate a planning space's wind and snow environment. The study classified the Snowstorm Weather Grade(SWG) by incorporating the Snowstorm Weather Index(SWI) to generate calculation results of the wind environment and snow environment. In particular, 150 measurement points in the planning space were chosen for analysis and evaluation of their wind and snow environments. The results demonstrated that the SWI index can effectively correlate to the wind and snow environment calculation results. In addition, the graph of SWI showed that 55% of the measurement points had a moderate wind and snow grade SWI, which exceeds the average grade for the entire region. The practical application shows that the wind and snow environment assessment indexes and technical methods developed in this paper can be successfully applied to wind and snow environment studies in other cold cities.

Overview of epigenetic degraders based on PROTAC, molecular glue, and hydrophobic tagging technologies

Epigenetic pathways play a critical role in the initiation, progression, and metastasis of cancer. Over the past few decades, significant progress has been made in the development of targeted epigenetic modulators(e.g., inhibitors). However, epigenetic inhibitors have faced multiple challenges,including limited clinical efficacy, toxicities, lack of subtype selectivity, and drug resistance. As a result,the design of new epigenetic modulators(e.g., degraders) such as PROTACs, molecular glue, and hydrophobic tagging(Hy T) degraders has garnered significant attention from both academia and pharmaceutical industry, and numerous epigenetic degraders have been discovered in the past decade. In this review,we aim to provide an in-depth illustration of new degrading strategies(2017-2023) targeting epigenetic proteins for cancer therapy, focusing on the rational design, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, clinical status, and crystal structure information of these degraders. Importantly, we also provide deep insights into the potential challenges and corresponding remedies of this approach to drug design and development. Overall, we hope this review will offer a better mechanistic understanding and serve as a useful guide for the development of emerging epigenetic-targeting degraders.

Spatial heterogeneity and source apportionment of soil metal(loid)s in an abandoned lead/zinc smelter

Metal smelting have brought severe metal(loid)s contamination to the soil.Spatial distribution and pollution source analysis for soil metal(loid)s in an abandoned lead/zinc smelter were studied.The results showed that soil was contaminated heavily withmetal(loid)s.The mean of lead(Pb),arsenic(As),cadmium(Cd),mercury(Hg)and antimony(Sb)content in topsoil is 9.7,8.2,5.0,2.3,and 1.2 times higher than the risk screening value for soil contamination of development land of China(GB36600-2018),respectively.Cd ismainly enriched in the 0–6mdepth of site soil while As and Pbmainly deposited in the 0–4mlayer.The spatial distribution of soil metal(loid)s is significantly correlated with the pollution source in the different functional areas of smelter.As,Hg,Sb,Pb and copper(Cu)were mainly distributed in pyrometallurgical area,while Cd,thallium(Tl)and zinc(Zn)was mainly existed in both hydrometallurgical area and raw material storage area.Soil metal(loid)s pollution sources in the abandoned smelter are mainly contributed to the anthropogenic sources,accounting for 84.5%.Specifically,Pb,Tl,As,Hg,Sb and Cumainly from atmospheric deposition(55.9%),Cd and Zn mainly from surface runoff(28.6%),While nickel(Ni)mainly comes from parent material(15.5%).The results clarified the spatial distribution and their sources in different functional areas of the smelter,providing a new thought for the risk prevention and control of metal(loid)s in polluted site soil.

High performance wide frequency band triboelectric nanogenerator based on multilayer wave superstructure for harvesting vibration energy

Efficiently converting the random vibration energy widely existed in human activities and natural environments into electricity is significant to the local power supply of sensor nodes in the internet of things.However,the conversion efficiency of energy harvester is relatively low due to the limitation of device’s intrinsic frequency.In this work,a multi-layered,wavy super-structuredtriboelectric nanogenerator(SS-TENG)is designed,whose output performances can be greatly promoted by combining the charge excitation mechanism.The steel sheet acts not only as an electrode but also as a supporter for the overall frame of SSTENG,which effectively improves the space utilization rate and results in a volume charge density up to 129 mC·m^(−3).In addition,the resonant frequency width of the SS-TENG can be widened by changing the parameters of the superstructure.For demonstration,the SS-TENG can sustainably drive two temperature and humidity sensors in parallel by harvesting vibration energy.This work may provide an effective strategy for harvesting vibration energy and broadening frequency response.