The Chinese herbal medicine Fufang Zhenzhu Tiaozhi ameliorates diabetic cardiomyopathy by regulating cardiac abnormal lipid metabolism and mitochondrial dynamics in diabetic mice

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is an important complication leading to the death of patients with diabetes, but there is no effective strategy for clinical treatments. Fufang Zhenzhu Tiaozhi (FTZ) is a patent medicine that is a traditional Chinese medicine compound preparation with comprehensive effects for the prevention and treatment of glycolipid metabolic diseases under the guidance of "modulating liver, starting pivot and cleaning turbidity". FTZ was proposed by Professor Guo Jiao and is used for the clinical treatment of hyperlipidemia. This study was designed to explore the regulatory mechanisms of FTZ on heart lipid metabolism dysfunction and mitochondrial dynamics disorder in mice with DCM, and it provides a theoretical basis for the myocardial protective effect of FTZ in diabetes. In this study, we demonstrated that FTZ protected heart function in DCM mice and downregulated the overexpression of free fatty acids (FFAs) uptake-related proteins cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36), fatty acid binding protein 3 (FABP3) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 (CPT1). Moreover, FTZ treatment showed a regulatory effect on mitochondrial dynamics by inhibiting mitochondrial fission and promoting mitochondrial fusion. We also identified in vitro that FTZ could restore lipid metabolism-related proteins, mitochondrial dynamics-related proteins and mitochondrial energy metabolism in PA-treated cardiomyocytes. Our study indicated that FTZ improves the cardiac function of diabetic mice by attenuating the increase in fasting blood glucose levels, inhibiting the decrease in body weight, alleviating disordered lipid metabolism, and restoring mitochondrial dynamics and myocardial apoptosis in diabetic mouse hearts.

Advanced NASICON-Type Na4Fe3(PO4)2(P2O7) Cathode for High-Performance Na+/Li+ Batteries

Na₄Fe₃(PO₄)₂(P₂O₇) (NFPP) is an attractive candidate for Na⁺ batteries (SIBs) and Li⁺ batteries (LIBs). However, the real implementation of NFPP has been critically restrained by the inferior intrinsic electronic conductivity. Herein, in situ carbon-coated mesoporous NFPP, obtained via freeze drying and heat treatment, demonstrates highly reversible insertion/extraction of Na⁺/Li⁺. Mechanically, the electronic transmission and structural stabilities of NFPP are significantly enhanced by the graphitized carbon coating layer. Chemically, the porous nanosized structure shortens Na⁺/Li⁺ diffusion paths and increases the contact area between the electrolyte and NFPP, ultimately rendering fast ion diffusion. Greatly, long-lasting cyclability (88.5% capacity retention for over 5000 cycles), decent thermal stability at 60 °C, and impressive electrochemical performances are demonstrated in LIBs. The insertion/extraction mechanisms of NFPP in both SIBs and LIBs are systematically investigated, confirming its small volume expansion and high reversibility. The superior electrochemical performances and the insertion/extraction mechanism investigation confirm the feasibility of utilizing NFPP as a cathode material for Na⁺/Li⁺ batteries.

Shift from flooding to drying enhances the respiration of soil aggregates by changing microbial community composition and keystone taxa

Changes in the water regime are among the crucial factors controlling soil carbon dynamics. However, at the aggregate scale, the microbial mechanisms that regulate soil respiration under flooding and drying conditions are obscure. In this research, we investigated how the shift from flooding to drying changes the microbial respiration of soil aggregates by affecting microbial community composition and their co-occurrence patterns. Soils collected from a riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China, were subjected to a wet-and-dry incubation experiment. Our data illustrated that the shift from flooding to drying substantially enhanced soil respiration for all sizes of aggregate fractions. Moreover, soil respiration declined with aggregate size in both flooding and drying treatments. The keystone taxa in bacterial networks were found to be Acidobacteriales, Gemmatimonadales, Anaerolineales, and Cytophagales during the flooding treatment, and Rhizobiales, Gemmatimonadales, Sphingomonadales, and Solirubrobacterales during the drying treatment. For fungal networks, Hypocreales and Agaricalesin were the keystone taxa in the flooding and drying treatments, respectively. Furthermore, the shift from flooding to drying enhanced the microbial respiration of soil aggregates by changing keystone taxa. Notably, fungal community composition and network properties dominated the changes in the microbial respiration of soil aggregates during the shift from flooding to drying. Thus, our study highlighted that the shift from flooding to drying changes keystone taxa, hence increasing aggregate-scale soil respiration.

First breeding record of the black-headed penduline tit (Remiz macronyx) in China

Black-headed penduline tit (Remiz macronyx) is a poorly known bird species mainly distributed in Iran, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan. The distribution of black-headed penduline tit is disjointed and fragmented, and it occurs only along lakes or rivers surrounded by extensive reedbeds. Four subspecies of R. macronyx have been recognized (macronyx, neglectus, nigricans, and ssaposhnikowi). The ssaposhnikowi subspecies was previously known to occur only around lakes in southeastern Kazakhstan. In this study, we reported the first confirmed breeding record of R. m. ssaposhnikowi in the Nalati wetland, Ili, Xinjiang, China, extending the distribution range of the black-headed penduline tit by 350 km to the east. We also obtained new information about the morphology and breeding behavior of R. m. ssaposhnikowi, which can be useful for the taxonomy of penduline tits, especially in distinguishing black-headed penduline tits from Eurasian penduline tits (R. pendulinus).

IL12/18/21 pre-activation enhances the anti-tumor efficacy of expanded γδT cells and overcomes resistance to anti-PD-L1 treatment

γδT cells are promising candidates for cellular immunotherapy due to their immune regulation through cytokine production and MHC-independent direct cytotoxicity against a broad spectrum of tumors. However, current γδT cell-based cancer immunotherapy has limited efficacy, and novel strategies are needed to improve clinical outcomes. Here, we report that cytokine pre-treatment with IL12/18, IL12/15/18, IL12/18/21, and IL12/15/18/21 effectively enhanced the activation and cytotoxicity of in vitro-expanded murine and human γδT cells. However, only adoptive transfer of IL12/18/21 pre-activated γδT cells significantly inhibited tumor growth in a murine melanoma model and a hepatocellular carcinoma model. Both IL12/18/21 pre-activated antibody-expanded and zoledronate-expanded human γδT cells effectively controlled tumor growth in a humanized mouse model. IL12/18/21 pre-activation promoted γδT cell proliferation and cytokine production in vivo and enhanced IFNγ production and activation of endogenous CD8+ T cells in a cell-cell contact- and ICAM-1-dependent manner. Furthermore, the adoptive transfer of IL12/18/21 pre-activated γδT cells could overcome the resistance to anti-PD-L1 therapy, and the combination therapy had a synergistic effect on the therapeutic outcomes. Moreover, the enhanced anti-tumor function of adoptively transferred IL12/18/21 pre-activated γδT cells was largely diminished in the absence of endogenous CD8+ T cells when administered alone or in combination with anti-PD-L1, suggesting a CD8+ T cell-dependent mechanism. Taken together, IL12/18/21 pre-activation can promote γδT cell anti-tumor function and overcome the resistance to checkpoint blockade therapy, indicating an effective combinational cancer immunotherapeutic strategy.

Time-course effects and mechanisms of hypobaric hypoxia on nervous system in mice

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of time course on neurological impairment after acute hypobaric hypoxia exposure in mice and clarify the mechanism of acclimatization, so as to provide a suitable mice model and identify potential target against hypobaric hypoxia for further drug research.

METHOD

Male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to hypobaric hypoxia at a simulated altitude of 7000 m for 1, 3, and 7 days (1HH, 3HH and 7HH respectively). The behavior of the mice was evaluated by novel object recognition (NOR) and morris water maze test (MWM), then, the pathological changes of mice brain tissues were observed by H&E and Nissl staining. In addition, RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was performed to characterize the transcriptome signatures, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and western blot (WB) were used to verify the mechanisms of neurological impairment induced by hypobaric hypoxia.

RESULT

The hypobaric hypoxia condition resulted in impaired learning and memory, decreased new object cognitive index, and increased escape latency to the hidden platform in mice, with significant changes seen in the 1HH and 3HH groups. Bioinformatic analysis of RNA-seq results of hippocampal tissue showed that 739 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) appeared in the 1HH group, 452 in the 3HH group, and 183 in the 7HH group compared to the control group. There were 60 key genes overlapping in three groups which represented persistent changes and closely related biological functions and regulatory mechanisms in hypobaric hypoxia-induced brain injuries. DEGs enrichment analysis showed that hypobaric hypoxia-induced brain injuries were associated with oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and synaptic plasticity. ELISA and WB results confirmed that these responses occurred in all hypobaric hypoxic groups while attenuated in the 7HH group. VEGF-A-Notch signaling pathway was enriched by DEGs in hypobaric hypoxia groups and was validated by RT-PCR and WB.

CONCLUSION

The nervous system of mice exposed to hypobaric hypoxia exhibited stress followed by gradual habituation and thus acclimatization over time, which was reflected in the biological mechanism involving inflammation, oxidative stress, and synaptic plasticity, and accompanied by activation of the VEGF-A-Notch pathway.

Gap-free genome assembly and comparative analysis reveal the evolution and anthocyanin accumulation mechanism of Rhodomyrtus tomentosa

Rhodomyrtus tomentosa is an important fleshy-fruited tree and a well-known medicinal plant of the Myrtaceae family that is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. However, studies on the evolution and genomic breeding of R. tomentosa were hindered by the lack of a reference genome. Here, we presented a chromosome-level gap-free T2T genome assembly of R. tomentosa using PacBio and ONT long read sequencing. We assembled the genome with size of 470.35 Mb and contig N50 of ~43.80 Mb with 11 pseudochromosomes. A total of 33 382 genes and 239.31 Mb of repetitive sequences were annotated in this genome. Phylogenetic analysis elucidated the independent evolution of R. tomentosa starting from 14.37MYA and shared a recent WGD event with other Myrtaceae species. We identified four major compounds of anthocyanins and their synthetic pathways in R. tomentosa. Comparative genomic and gene expression analysis suggested the coloring and high anthocyanin accumulation in R. tomentosa tends to be determined by the activation of anthocyanin synthesis pathway. The positive selection and up-regulation of MYB transcription factors were the implicit factors in this process. The copy number increase of downstream anthocyanin transport-related OMT and GST gene were also detected in R. tomentosa. Expression analysis and pathway identification enriched the importance of starch degradation, response to stimuli, effect of hormones, and cell wall metabolism during the fleshy fruit development in Myrtaceae. Our genome assembly provided a foundation for investigating the origins and differentiation of Myrtaceae species and accelerated the genetic improvement of R. tomentosa.

Electric Eel Biomimetics for Energy Storage and Conversion

The electric eel is known as the most powerful creature to generate electricity with a discharge voltage up to 860 V and peak current up to 1 A. These surprising properties are the results of billions of years of evolution on the electrical biological structure and bulk, and now have triggered great research interest in electric eel biomimetics for designing innovated configurations and components of energy storage and conversion devices. In this review, first, the bioelectrical behavior of electric eels is surveyed, followed by the physiological structure to reveal the discharge characteristics and principles of electric organs and electrocytes. Additionally, underlying electrochemical mechanisms and models for calculating the potential and current of electrocytes are presented. Central to this review is the recent progress of electric-eel-inspired innovations and applications for energy storage and conversion, particularly including novel power sources, triboelectric nanogenerators, and nanochannel ion-selective membranes for salinity gradient energy harvesting. Finally, insights on the challenges at the moment and the perspectives on the future research prospects are critically compiled. It is suggested that energy-related electric eel biomimetics will greatly boost the development of next-generation high performance, green, and functional electronics.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of gastrointestinal stromal tumor patients receiving surgery with or without TKI therapy: a retrospective real-world study

PURPOSE

To retrospectively analyze the clinical characteristics of patients undergoing surgical treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) in Ruijin Hospital and explore the relevant prognosis clinical factors after surgical treatment.

METHODS

We screened out 1015 patients with GISTs diagnosed and treated during January 2010 to December 2019. We performed univariate analysis by the log-rank test and multivariate analysis by COX regression. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of the whole group.

RESULTS

All 1015 patients in the whole group received radical surgery, and the proportion of patients with high, intermediate, and low risk was 31.1%, 21.7%, and 47.3%, respectively. Among the 480 low-risk patients, surgery could achieve radical therapy; only the Ki-67 index was related to DFS and OS (DFS: p = 0.032, OS: p = 0.009) among the 140 intermediate-risk patients with tumors located in the stomach, whether received Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) therapy did not affect the prognosis of patients (DFS: p = 0.716, OS: p = 0.848). Among the 331 high-risk patients, those with non-gastric tumors (those outside the stomach, duodenum, and small intestine, HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.19-2.00, p < 0.001), tumor diameter > 10 cm (hazard ratio, HR 2.63, 95% confidence interval, CI 2.09-4.03, p < 0.001), as well as high-risk patients with mitotic rate > 10/50 HPF (HR 2.74, 95% CI 2.00-3.76, p < 0.001), the overall prognosis was obviously worse than that of other patients. For some high-risk patients, prolonged postoperative imatinib therapy could significantly improve the survival of patients (HR 0.43, 95% CI 0.15-0.66, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

For the vast majority of GIST patients, surgery can be curative; but in intermediate-risk patients, the Ki-67 index and postoperative TKI treatment are closely related to prognosis. For intermediate-risk patients whose primary tumor is the stomach, the value of TKI-targeted therapy after surgery seem be not necessary in our study. However, for some high-risk patients, the prognosis of patients can be improved by appropriately prolonging the treatment time of TKI.

The characteristics of the complete chloroplast genome of Staurogyne concinnula (Hance) O. Kuntze (Acanthaceae)

Staurogyne concinnula (Hance) O. Kuntze (Acanthaceae) is an important ornamental herb mainly distributed in the southern region of China, including Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, and Taiwan provinces. However, the complete chloroplast genome of S. concinnula, which could serve as a genetic resource for studies on its taxonomy and evolution, is poorly studied at present. In this study, we reported the complete chloroplast genome of S. concinnula that was assembled using high-throughput sequencing data. The chloroplast genome was 153,783 bp long, with a typical quadripartite structure containing a small single-copy region (SSC; 17,855 bp), a large single-copy region (LSC; 84,636 bp) and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs; each 25,646 bp). The overall GC content of the chloroplast genome was 38.04%. A total of 86 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 8 rRNA genes, and 37 tRNA genes were predicted. Phylogenetic analysis based on the combined sequences of 86 PCGs with the other 16 closely related species of Acanthaceae indicated that S. concinnula is closely related to Avicennia marina. The genomic data and finding from the phylogenetic studies of S. concinnula could provide useful information and give light to in-depth studies on the evolution pattern of the understudied species, as well as Staurogyne.

Effects of Photobiomodulation and Low-Intensity Stretching on Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness: A Randomized Control Trial

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of photobiomodulation (PBM), low-intensity stretching, and their combination on delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in the untrained population. The relationships between DOMS and muscle function and functional performance were also tested. Methods: Fifty-four participants were randomized into four groups. Eccentric exercise was used to induce DOMS. Each group received either no treatment, PBM, stretching or PBM combined with stretching at 24, 48, and 72 h postexercise. Pressure pain threshold (PPT), numerical rating scale (NRS), single-leg forward jump (SLFJ), and maximum isometric voluntary contraction (MIVC) were measured at baseline, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after eccentric exercise. Between-group differences were tested using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance and the relationships between DOMS and MIVC, and SLFJ were examined using Pearson's correlation analysis. Results: The PPT at the vastus medialis and vastus lateral in the PBM combined with stretching group was significantly lower than that in control group at 72 h (p = 0.045) and 48 h (p = 0.037) postexercise. No significant between-group difference in PPT was found for the rest occasions. There was no significant between-group difference in NRS, MVIC, and SLFJ on any occasion (p ≥ 0.052). DOMS was not correlated with MIVC and SLFJ (p ≥ 0.09). Conclusions: PBM or low-intensity stretching did not affect DOMS and functional performance in untrained individuals. The combination of PBM and low-intensity stretching increased pain sensitivity and did not relieve soreness. The DOMS was not associated with either muscle function or functional performance.

New Direct Limit on Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay Half-Life of ^{128}Te with CUORE

The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso of INFN in Italy is an experiment searching for neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay. Its main goal is to investigate this decay in ^{130}Te, but its ton-scale mass and low background make CUORE sensitive to other rare processes as well. In this Letter, we present our first results on the search for 0νββ decay of ^{128}Te, the Te isotope with the second highest natural isotopic abundance. We find no evidence for this decay, and using a Bayesian analysis we set a lower limit on the ^{128}Te 0νββ decay half-life of T_{1/2}>3.6×10^{24}  yr (90% CI). This represents the most stringent limit on the half-life of this isotope, improving by over a factor of 30 the previous direct search results, and exceeding those from geochemical experiments for the first time.

CHRDL2 promotes cell proliferation by activating the YAP/TAZ signaling pathway in gastric cancer

The encoding product of Chordin-like 2 (CHRDL2) is a member of the chordin family of proteins, which has been shown to be aberrantly expressed in several types of solid tumors. The regulatory underlying mechanisms of CHRDL2, however, remain poorly understood in gastric cancer (GC). In the present study, we determined that CHRDL2 was abnormally upregulated in human gastric cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. We also showed that CHRDL2 was positively associated with T stage, the pathological stage, distant metastasis, and poor patient prognosis. Furthermore, the serum level of CHRDL2 was obviously higher in GC patients than normal people, and is positively correlated with later TNM stage, deeper T stage, later N stage and poorer differentiation. Moreover, we verified that overexpressing CHRDL2 promoted the proliferation and cell cycle transition of GC cells both in vitro and in vivo, whereas the opposite results were observed in CHRDL2-depleted cells. In addition, the phosphorylation levels of Yes-associated protein (YAP), transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) and the total levels MST2 were decreased in CHRDL2 overexpressing cells. Consistent with previous findings, we observed the converse results in CHRDL2-silenced GC cells. Additionally, knockdown of YAP and overexpression of STK3 (MST2) could reverse the effects of CHRDL2 overexpression-induced proliferation of GC cells in vitro. Taken together, CHRDL2 plays a key role by activating the YAP/TAZ pathway in gastric cancer. Therefore, CHRDL2 could serve as a potential therapeutic tool for the treatment of gastric cancer.

Phytotoxic, insecticidal, and antimicrobial activities of Ajania tibetica essential oil

The chemical profile of Ajania tibetica essential oil (EO) and its phytotoxic, insecticidal, and antimicrobial activities were assessed. Monoterpenes (79.05%) and sesquiterpenes (10.33%) were dominant in the EO, with camphor, (+/-)-lavandulol and eucalyptol being the major constituents, representing 55.06% of the total EO. The EO possessed potent phytotoxicity against Poa annua and Medicago sativa starting from 0.5 mg/mL, and when the concentration rose to 5 mg/mL, seed germination of both tested species was 100% suppressed. Ajania tibetica EO displayed significant pesticidal activity against Aphis gossypii with an LC50 value of 17.41 μg/mL; meanwhile, the EO also showed antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Verticillium dahlia and Aspergillus niger using broth microdilution and disc diffusion methods. For the tested bacterial and fungal strains, the EO exhibited a repressing effect, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 0.3125 to 1.25 mg/mL for bacteria and from 1.25 to 2.5 mg/mL for fungi, whereas the minimum microbicidal concentrations (MMCs) were 5 mg/mL for bacteria and 2.5 mg/mL for fungi. Our study is the first report on the chemical profile as well as the phytotoxicity, insecticidal and antimicrobic activity of A. tibetica EO, indicating its potential value as an alternative synthetic pesticide.

miR-877-5p Inhibits Epithelial Mesenchymal Transformation of Breast Cancer Cells by Targeting FGB

PURPOSE

This present study is aimed at exploring the FGB expression in breast cancer (BC) and the role of FGB in BC.

METHODS

A total of 150 pairs of BC tissues and adjacent tissues from BC surgery patients were collected. RT-qPCR was utilized to evaluate the mRNA expression of FGB and miR-877-5p. Immunohistochemistry was applied to evaluate the protein expression of FGB. Chi-square test was performed to evaluate the relationship between FGB expression level and clinical characteristics. Cell proliferation was examined using CCK-8 assay. Cell invasion was evaluated by transwell assay. Flow cytometry assay was applied to measure cell apoptosis. The protein expression was evaluated by western blot. BALB/C nude mice were used to establish the xenograft tumor model.

RESULTS

FGB was more highly expressed in BC tumor, and the expression of FGB was relevant to TNM stage and lymph node metastasis and showed a positive correlation. FGB was proved to be directly regulated via miR-877-5p and enhanced proliferation and invasion of BC cells. FGB downregulation markedly inhibited the tumor growth, including tumor weight and volume. In addition, the Ki-67 expression was observably declined in the sh-FGB group. The protein expression of E-cadherin was markedly raised in the sh-FGB group while the protein expression of N-cadherin and vimentin was markedly declined in the sh-FGB group.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, miR-877-5p inhibits epithelial mesenchymal transformation, cell proliferation, and invasion of BC cells via downregulating FGB.

The first high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of Phyllanthaceae (Phyllanthus cochinchinensis) provides insights into flavonoid biosynthesis

We report the genome assembly of P. cochinchinensis, as the first high-quality chromosome-level genome of Phyllanthaceae which is rich in medicinal plants. Phyllanthus cochinchinensis, a member of the Phyllanthaceae, is one of the famous medicinal plants in South China. Here, we report a de novo chromosome-level genome assembly for P. cochinchinensis using a combination of Nanopore and Illumina sequencing technologies. In total, the assembled genome consists of 284.88 Mb genomic sequences with a contig N50 of 10.32 Mb, representing ~ 95.49% of the estimated genome size. By applying Hi-C data, 13 pseudochromosomes of P. cochinchinensis were constructed, covering ~ 99.87% of the assembled sequences. The genome is annotated with 59.12% repetitive sequences and 20,836 protein-coding genes. Whole-genome duplication of P. cochinchinensis is likely shared with Ricinus communis as well as Vitis vinifera. Homologous genes within the flavonoid pathway for P. cochinchinensis were identified and copy numbers and expression level of related genes revealed potential critical genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis. This study provides the first whole-genome sequence for the Phyllanthaceae, confirms the evolutionary status of Phyllanthus from the genomic level, and provides foundations for accelerating functional genomic research of species from Phyllanthus.

Efficient activation of persulfate by C@Fe3O4 in visible-light for tetracycline degradation

A C@Fe₃O₄ material, Fe₃O₄ coated with carbon, was prepared by a simple one-pot hydrothermal method. The C@Fe₃O₄ material was investigated with persulfate (PS) and light to degrade tetracycline (TC) as a function of pH, aeration conditions and quenching. Experimental results suggest that TC was effectively degraded in the C@Fe₃O₄/PS/Vis system. In addition, due to the availability of different main active species in this catalytic system, TC degradation was possible under both strong acid and strong alkali pH conditions. The presence of dissolved oxygen can also generate oxygen-active species, such as superoxide radicals (O₂•^-) and singlet oxygen (¹O₂), to decompose TC organic matter in solution. Simply put, C@Fe₃O₄/PS/Vis catalytic system removed pollutants by the formation of O₂•^-, ¹O₂, hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and sulfate radicals (SO₄•^-) species for degrading TC. In addition, the stability of the C@Fe₃O₄ material was found to be outstanding.

The differences of hemogram, myelogram, and driver gene mutations in classic myeloproliferative neoplasms

The aim of this study was to explore and compare routine blood features and pathological characteristics of bone marrow tissues in essential thrombocythemia (ET), polycythemia vera (PV), primary myelofibrosis, prefibrotic stage (prePMF) and overt fibrotic stage (overtPMF), and the correlation between common driver gene mutations and clinical manifestations of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Methods: We analyzed 259 MPN patients treated at Tongji Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January 2016 to December 2020. Results: Among ET, PV, prePMF, and overtPMF, the median leukocyte counts of PV and prePMF were significantly higher than those of ET. The average hemoglobin level of overtPMF was significantly lower than that of ET, PV, and prePMF. ET and prePMF had higher platelet counts than PV and overtPMF, whereas ET had the lowest platelet distribution width. Regarding hematopoietic tissues in the bone marrow, enlarged megakaryocytes were easily found in ET, PV, and prePMF, whereas the average diameter of megakaryocytes in prePMF was smaller than in ET, and PV showed various sizes of megakaryocytes. An increased M/E ratio and dilation of sinus were seen more frequently in PMF. Additionally, JAK2-positive patients tended to have significantly higher leukocyte counts than CALR-positive patients in ET and PMF.

Structure/Interface Coupling Effect for High-Voltage LiCoO2 Cathodes

LiCoO₂ (LCO) is widely applied in today's rechargeable battery markets for consumer electronic devices. However, LCO operations at high voltage are hindered by accelerated structure degradation and electrode/electrolyte interface decomposition. To overcome these challenges, co-modified LCO (defined as CB-Mg-LCO) that couples pillar structures with interface shielding are successfully synthesized for achieving high-energy-density and structurally stable cathode material. Benefitting from the "Mg-pillar" effect, irreversible phase transitions are significantly suppressed and highly reversible Li⁺ shuttling is enabled. Interestingly, bonding effects between the interfacial lattice oxygen of CB-Mg-LCO and amorphous Co_x B_y coating layer are found to elevate the formation energy of oxygen vacancies, thereby considerably mitigating lattice oxygen loss and inhibiting irreversible phase transformation. Meanwhile, interface shielding effects are also beneficial for mitigating parasitic electrode/electrolyte reactions, subsequent Co dissolution, and ultimately enable a robust electrode/electrolyte interface. As a result, the as-designed CB-Mg-LCO cathode achieves a high capacity and excellent cycle stability with 94.6% capacity retention at an extremely high cut-off voltage of 4.6 V. These findings provide new insights for cathode material modification methods, which serves to guide future cathode material design.

Complete genome sequence and phylogenetic analysis of medicinal plant Abrus cantoniensis for evolutionary research and germplasm utilization

Abrus cantoniensis Hance, a native medicinal plant in southern China, is officially recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Here, we presented the first high-quality genome in Abrus genus, A. cantoniensis genome, as well as the detailed genomic information. The assembled genome size was 381.27 Mb with a scaffold N50 of 18.95 Mb, and 98.97% of the assembled sequences were anchored on 11 pseudochromosomes. The A. cantoniensis genome comprised 25,058 protein-coding genes and 45.12% of the assemblies were repetitive sequences. Comparative genome analysis suggested that chromosome translocation and inversion played an important role in the differentiation of Abrus. In addition, 24 toxin-related genes were identified, which formed two tandem gene clusters on chromosomes 2 and 3. The chromosome-level genome of A. cantoniensis obtained in this work provides a valuable resource for understanding the evolution, active ingredient biosynthesis, and genetic improvement for A. cantoniensis and Abrus species.

Immune suppressive function of IL-1α release in the tumor microenvironment regulated by calpain 1

Interleukin-1α (IL-1α) plays an important role in inflammation and hematopoiesis. Many tumors have increased IL-1α expression. However, the immune regulatory role of secreted IL-1α in tumor development and whether it can be targeted for cancer therapy are still unclear. Here, we found that tumoral-secreted IL-1α significantly promoted hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in vivo. Tumoral-released IL-1α were found to inhibit T and NK cell activation, and the killing capacity of CD8⁺ T cells. Moreover, MDSCs were dramatically increased by tumoral-released IL-1α in both spleens and tumors. Indeed, higher tumoral IL-1α expression is associated with increased tumoral infiltration of MDSCs in HCC patients. Further studies showed that tumoral-released IL-1α promoted MDSC recruitment to the tumor microenvironment through a CXCR2-dependent mechanism. Depletion of MDSCs could diminish the tumor-promoting effect of tumoral-released IL-1α. On the contrary, systemic administration of recombinant IL-1α protein significantly inhibited tumor development by activating T cells. In fact, IL-1α protein could promote T cell activation and enhance the cytotoxicity of CD8⁺ T cells in vitro. Thus, our study demonstrated that tumoral-released IL-1α promoted tumor development through recruiting MDSCs to inhibit T cell activation, while systemic IL-1α directly promoted anti-tumor T cell responses. We further identified calpain 1 as the major intracellular protease mediating tumoral IL-1α secretion. Calpain 1 KO tumors had diminished IL-1α release and reduced tumor development. Thus, our findings provide new insights into the functions of secreted IL-1α in tumor immunity and its implications for immunotherapy.