Danggui Sini decoction alleviates oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy by regulating gut microbiota and potentially relieving neuroinflammation related metabolic disorder

BACKGROUND

Danggui Sini decoction (DSD), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has the function of nourishing blood, warming meridians, and unblocking collaterals. Our clinical and animal studies had shown that DSD can effectively protect against oxaliplatin (OXA)-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN), but the detailed mechanisms remain uncertain. Multiple studies have confirmed that gut microbiota plays a crucial role in the development of OIPN. In this study, the potential mechanism of protective effect of DSD against OIPN by regulating gut microbiota was investigated.

METHODS

The neuroprotective effects of DSD against OIPN were examined on a rat model of OIPN by determining mechanical allodynia, biological features of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) as well as proinflammatory indicators. Gut microbiota dysbiosis was characterized using 16S rDNA gene sequencing and metabolism disorders were evaluated using untargeted and targeted metabolomics. Moreover the gut microbiota mediated mechanisms were validated by antibiotic intervention and fecal microbiota transplantation.

RESULTS

DSD treatment significantly alleviated OIPN symptoms by relieving mechanical allodynia, preserving DRG integrity and reducing proinflammatory indicators lipopolysaccharide (LPS), IL-6 and TNF-α. Besides, DSD restored OXA induced intestinal barrier disruption, gut microbiota dysbiosis as well as systemic metabolic disorders. Correlation analysis revealed that DSD increased bacterial genera such as Faecalibaculum, Allobaculum, Dubosiella and Rhodospirillales_unclassified were closely associated with neuroinflammation related metabolites, including positively with short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and sphingomyelin (d18:1/16:0), and negatively with pi-methylimidazoleacetic acid, L-glutamine and homovanillic acid. Meanwhile, antibiotic intervention apparently relieved OIPN symptoms. Furthermore, fecal microbiota transplantation further confirmed the mediated effects of gut microbiota.

CONCLUSION

DSD alleviates OIPN by regulating gut microbiota and potentially relieving neuroinflammation related metabolic disorder.

Dynamic DNA N 6-adenine methylation (6mA) governs the encystment process, showcased in the unicellular eukaryote Pseudocohnilembus persalinus

The formation of resting cysts commonly found in unicellular eukaryotes is a complex and highly regulated survival strategy against environmental stress that involves drastic physiological and biochemical changes. Although most studies have focused on the morphology and structure of cysts, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that control this process. Recent studies indicate that DNA N 6-adenine methylation (6mA) could be dynamically changing in response to external stimuli; however, its potential role in the regulation of cyst formation remains unknown. We used the ciliate Pseudocohnilembus persalinus, which can be easily induced to form cysts to investigate the dynamic pattern of 6mA in trophonts and cysts. Single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing reveals high levels of 6mA in trophonts that decrease in cysts, along with a conversion of symmetric 6mA to asymmetric 6mA. Further analysis shows that 6mA, a mark of active transcription, is involved in altering the expression of encystment-related genes through changes in 6mA levels and 6mA symmetric-to-asymmetric conversion. Most importantly, we show that reducing 6mA levels by knocking down the DNA 6mA methyltransferase PpAMT1 accelerates cyst formation. Taken together, we characterize the genome-wide 6mA landscape in P. persalinus and provide insights into the role of 6mA in gene regulation under environmental stress in eukaryotes. We propose that 6mA acts as a mark of active transcription to regulate the encystment process along with symmetric-to-asymmetric conversion, providing important information for understanding the molecular response to environmental cues from the perspective of 6mA modification.

Targeting vulnerable microcircuits in the ventral hippocampus of male transgenic mice to rescue Alzheimer-like social memory loss

BACKGROUND

Episodic memory loss is a prominent clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is closely related to tau pathology and hippocampal impairment. Due to the heterogeneity of brain neurons, the specific roles of different brain neurons in terms of their sensitivity to tau accumulation and their contribution to AD-like social memory loss remain unclear. Therefore, further investigation is necessary.

METHODS

We investigated the effects of AD-like tau pathology by Tandem mass tag proteomic and phosphoproteomic analysis, social behavioural tests, hippocampal electrophysiology, immunofluorescence staining and in vivo optical fibre recording of GCaMP6f and iGABASnFR. Additionally, we utilized optogenetics and administered ursolic acid (UA) via oral gavage to examine the effects of these agents on social memory in mice.

RESULTS

The results of proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses revealed the characteristics of ventral hippocampal CA1 (vCA1) under both physiological conditions and AD-like tau pathology. As tau progressively accumulated, vCA1, especially its excitatory and parvalbumin (PV) neurons, were fully filled with mislocated and phosphorylated tau (p-Tau). This finding was not observed for dorsal hippocampal CA1 (dCA1). The overexpression of human tau (hTau) in excitatory and PV neurons mimicked AD-like tau accumulation, significantly inhibited neuronal excitability and suppressed distinct discrimination-associated firings of these neurons within vCA1. Photoactivating excitatory and PV neurons in vCA1 at specific rhythms and time windows efficiently ameliorated tau-impaired social memory. Notably, 1 month of UA administration efficiently decreased tau accumulation via autophagy in a transcription factor EB (TFEB)-dependent manner and restored the vCA1 microcircuit to ameliorate tau-impaired social memory.

CONCLUSION

This study elucidated distinct protein and phosphoprotein networks between dCA1 and vCA1 and highlighted the susceptibility of the vCA1 microcircuit to AD-like tau accumulation. Notably, our novel findings regarding the efficacy of UA in reducing tau load and targeting the vCA1 microcircuit may provide a promising strategy for treating AD in the future.

A novel transgenic mouse line with hippocampus-dominant and inducible expression of truncated human tau

BACKGROUND

Intraneuronal accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau is a defining hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, mouse models imitating AD-exclusive neuronal tau pathologies are lacking.

METHODS

We generated a new tet-on transgenic mouse model expressing truncated human tau N1-368 (termed hTau368), a tau fragment increased in the brains of AD patients and aged mouse brains. Doxycycline (dox) was administered in drinking water to induce hTau368 expression. Immunostaining and Western blotting were performed to measure the tau level. RNA sequencing was performed to evaluate gene expression, and several behavioral tests were conducted to evaluate mouse cognitive functions, emotion and locomotion.

RESULTS

Dox treatment for 1-2 months at a young age induced overt and reversible human tau accumulation in the brains of hTau368 transgenic mice, predominantly in the hippocampus. Meanwhile, the transgenic mice exhibited AD-like high level of tau phosphorylation, glial activation, loss of mature neurons, impaired hippocampal neurogenesis, synaptic degeneration and cognitive deficits.

CONCLUSIONS

This study developed a well-characterized and easy-to-use tool for the investigations and drug development for AD and other tauopathies.

Generating hematopoietic cells from human pluripotent stem cells: approaches, progress and challenges

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have been suggested as a potential source for the production of blood cells for clinical application. In two decades, almost all types of blood cells can be successfully generated from hPSCs through various differentiated strategies. Meanwhile, with a deeper understanding of hematopoiesis, higher efficiency of generating progenitors and precursors of blood cells from hPSCs is achieved. However, how to generate large-scale mature functional cells from hPSCs for clinical use is still difficult. In this review, we summarized recent approaches that generated both hematopoietic stem cells and mature lineage cells from hPSCs, and remarked their efficiency and mechanisms in producing mature functional cells. We also discussed the major challenges in hPSC-derived products of blood cells and provided some potential solutions. Our review summarized efficient, simple, and defined methodologies for developing good manufacturing practice standards for hPSC-derived blood cells, which will facilitate the translation of these products into the clinic.

CircFOXK2 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression and leads to a poor clinical prognosis via regulating the Warburg effect

BACKGROUND

The Warburg effect is well-established to be essential for tumor progression and accounts for the poor clinical outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. An increasing body of literature suggests that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are important regulators for HCC. However, few circRNAs involved in the Warburg effect of HCC have hitherto been investigated. Herein, we aimed to explore the contribution of circFOXK2 to glucose metabolism reprogramming in HCC.

METHODS

In the present study, different primers were designed to identify 14 circRNAs originating from the FOXK2 gene, and their differential expression between HCC and adjacent liver tissues was screened. Ultimately, circFOXK2 (hsa_circ_0000817) was selected for further research. Next, the clinical significance of circFOXK2 was evaluated. We then assessed the pro-oncogenic activity of circFOXK2 and its impact on the Warburg effect in both HCC cell lines and animal xenografts. Finally, the molecular mechanisms of how circFOXK2 regulates the Warburg effect of HCC were explored.

RESULTS

CircFOXK2 was aberrantly upregulated in HCC tissues and positively correlated with poor clinical outcomes in patients that underwent radical hepatectomy. Silencing of circFOXK2 significantly suppressed HCC progression both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, circFOXK2 upregulated the expression of protein FOXK2-142aa to promote LDHA phosphorylation and led to mitochondrial fission by regulating the miR-484/Fis1 pathway, ultimately activating the Warburg effect in HCC.

CONCLUSIONS

CircFOXK2 is a prognostic biomarker of HCC that promotes the Warburg effect by promoting the expression of proteins and miRNA sponges that lead to tumor progression. Overall, circFOXK2 has huge prospects as a potential therapeutic target for patients with HCC.

Regional estimates of nitrogen budgets for agricultural systems in the East African Community over the last five decades

The great challenge of reducing soil nutrient depletion and assuring agricultural system productivity in low-income countries caused by limited synthetic fertilizer use necessitates local and cost-effective nutrient sources. We estimated the changes of the nitrogen budget of agricultural systems in the East African Community from 1961 to 2018 to address the challenges of insufficient nitrogen inputs and serious soil nitrogen depletion in agricultural systems of the East African Community region. Results showed that total nitrogen input increased from 12.5 kg N ha^-1yr^-1 in the 1960s to 21.8 kg N ha^-1yr^-1 in the 2000s and 27 kg N ha^-1yr^-1 in the 2010s. Total nitrogen crop uptake increased from 12.8 kg N ha^-1yr^-1 in the 1960s to 18.2 kg N ha^-1yr^-1 in the 2000s and 21.8 kg N ha^-1yr^-1 in the 2010s. Soil nitrogen stock increased from -2.0 kg N ha^-1yr^-1 in the 1960s to -0.5 kg N ha^-1yr^-1 in the 2000s and 0.3 kg N ha^-1yr^-1 in the 2010s. Our results allow us to substantiate for the first time that soil nitrogen depletion decreases with increasing input of nitrogen in agricultural systems of the East African Community region. This suggests that increases in nitrogen inputs through biological nitrogen fixation and animal manure are the critical nitrogen management practices to curb soil nitrogen depletion and sustain agricultural production systems in the East African Community region in order to meet food demand for a growing population.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13593-023-00881-0.

Medial septum tau accumulation induces spatial memory deficit via disrupting medial septum-hippocampus cholinergic pathway

Tau accumulation and cholinergic impairment are characteristic pathologies in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the causal role of tau accumulation in cholinergic lesion is elusive. Here, we observed an aberrant tau accumulation in the medial septum (MS) of 3xTg and 5xFAD mice, especially in their cholinergic neurons. Overexpressing hTau in mouse MS (MShTau ) for 6 months but not 3 months induced spatial memory impairment without changing object recognition and anxiety-like behavior, indicating a specific and time-dependent effect of MS-hTau accumulation on spatial cognitive functions. With increasing hTau accumulation, the MShTau mice showed a time-dependent cholinergic neuron loss with reduced cholinergic projections to the hippocampus. Intraperitoneal administration of donepezil, a cholinesterase inhibitor, for 1 month ameliorated the MS-hTau-induced spatial memory deficits with preservation of MS-hippocampal cholinergic pathway and removal of tau load; and the beneficial effects of donepezil was more prominent at low dose. Proteomics revealed that MS-hTau accumulation deregulated multiple signaling pathways with numerous differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Among them, the vacuolar protein sorting-associated protein 37D (VP37D), an autophagy-related protein, was significantly reduced in MShTau mice; the reduction of VP37D was restored by donepezil, and the effect was more significant at low dose than high dose. These novel evidences reveal a causal role of tau accumulation in linking MS cholinergic lesion to hippocampus-dependent spatial cognitive damages as seen in the AD patients, and the new tau-removal and autophagy-promoting effects of donepezil may extend its application beyond simple symptom amelioration to potential disease modification.

Landscape of immune cell infiltration in clear cell renal cell carcinoma to aid immunotherapy

The tumor microenvironment, comprised of tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating immune cells, is closely associated with the clinical outcome of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients. However, the landscape of immune infiltration in ccRCC has not been fully elucidated. Herein, we applied multiple computational methods and various datasets to reveal the immune infiltrative landscape of ccRCC patients. The tumor immune infiltration (TII) levels of 525 ccRCC patients using a single-sample gene were examined and further categorized into immune infiltration subgroups. The TII score was characterized by distinct clinical traits and showed a significant divergence based on gender, grade, and stage. A high TII score was associated with the ERBB signaling pathway, the TGF-β signaling pathway, and the MTOR signaling pathway, as well as a better prognosis. Furthermore, patients with high TII scores exhibited greater sensitivity to pazopanib. The low TII score was characterized by a high immune infiltration level of CD8+ T cells, T follicular helper cells, and regulatory T cells (Tregs). Moreover, the immune check point genes, including CTLA-4, LAG3, PD-1, and IDO1, presented a high expression level in the low TII score group. Patients in the high TII score group demonstrated significant therapeutic advantages and clinical benefits. The findings in this study have the potential to assist in the strategic design of immunotherapeutic treatments for ccRCC.

Dual Size/Charge-Switchable Nanocatalytic Medicine for Deep Tumor Therapy

Elevating intratumoral levels of highly toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) by nanocatalytic medicine for tumor-specific therapy without using conventional toxic chemodrugs is recently of considerable interest, which, however, still suffers from less satisfactory therapeutic efficacy due to the relatively poor accumulation at the tumor site and largely blocked intratumoral infiltration of nanomedicines. Herein, an ultrasound (US)-triggered dual size/charge-switchable nanocatalytic medicine, designated as Cu-LDH/HMME@Lips, is constructed for deep solid tumor therapy via catalytic ROS generations. The negatively charged liposome outer-layer of the nanomedicine enables much-prolonged blood circulation for significantly enhanced tumoral accumulation, while the positively charged Fenton-like catalyst Cu-LDH released from the liposome under the US stimulation demonstrates much enhanced intratumoral penetration via transcytosis. In the meantime, the co-released sonosensitizer hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME) catalyze the singlet oxygen (1O2) generation upon the US irradiation, and deep-tumoral infiltrated Cu-LDH catalyzes the H2O2 decomposition to produce highly toxic hydroxyl radical (·OH) specifically within the mildly acidic tumor microenvironment (TME). The efficient intratumoral accumulation and penetration via the dual size/charge switching mechanism, and the ROS generations by both sonosensitization and Fenton-like reactions, ensures the high therapeutic efficacy for the deep tumor therapy by the nanocatalytic medicine.

Comparative secretome of white-rot fungi reveals co-regulated carbohydrate-active enzymes associated with selective ligninolysis of ramie stalks

In the present research, Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Irpex Lacteus simultaneously degraded lignin and cellulose in ramie stalks, whereas Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus eryngii could depolymerize lignin but little cellulose. Comparative proteomic analysis of these four white-rot fungi was used to investigate the molecular mechanism of this selective ligninolysis. 292 proteins, including CAZymes, sugar transporters, cytochrome P450, proteases, phosphatases and proteins with other function, were successfully identified. A total of 58 CAZyme proteins were differentially expressed, and at the same time, oxidoreductases participated in lignin degradation were expressed at higher levels in P. eryngii and P. ostreatus. Enzyme activity results indicated that cellulase activities were higher in P. chrysosporium and I. lacteus, while the activities of lignin-degrading enzymes were higher in P. eryngii and P. ostreatus. In addition to the lignocellulosic degrading enzymes, several proteins including sugar transporters, cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, peptidases, proteinases, phosphatases and kinases were also found to be differentially expressed among these four species of white-rot fungi. In summary, the protein expression patterns of P. eryngii and P. ostreatus exhibit co-upregulated oxidoreductase potential and co-downregulated cellulolytic capability relative to those of P. chrysosporium and I. lacteus, providing a mechanism consistent with selective ligninolysis by P. eryngii and P. ostreatus.

Glioma glycolipid metabolism: MSI2-SNORD12B-FIP1L1-ZBTB4 feedback loop as a potential treatment target

Abnormal energy metabolism, including enhanced aerobic glycolysis and lipid synthesis, is a well-established feature of glioblastoma (GBM) cells. Thus, targeting the cellular glycolipid metabolism can be a feasible therapeutic strategy for GBM. This study aimed to evaluate the roles of MSI2, SNORD12B, and ZBTB4 in regulating the glycolipid metabolism and proliferation of GBM cells. MSI2 and SNORD12B expression was significantly upregulated and ZBTB4 expression was significantly low in GBM tissues and cells. Knockdown of MSI2 or SNORD12B or overexpression of ZBTB4 inhibited GBM cell glycolipid metabolism and proliferation. MSI2 may improve SNORD12B expression by increasing its stability. Importantly, SNORD12B increased utilization of the ZBTB4 mRNA transcript distal polyadenylation signal in alternative polyadenylation processing by competitively combining with FIP1L1, which decreased ZBTB4 expression because of the increased proportion of the 3' untranslated region long transcript. ZBTB4 transcriptionally suppressed the expression of HK2 and ACLY by binding directly to the promoter regions. Additionally, ZBTB4 bound the MSI promoter region to transcriptionally suppress MSI2 expression, thereby forming an MSI2/SNORD12B/FIP1L1/ZBTB4 feedback loop to regulate the glycolipid metabolism and proliferation of GBM cells. In conclusion, MSI2 increased the stability of SNORD12B, which regulated ZBTB4 alternative polyadenylation processing by competitively binding to FIP1L1. Thus, the MSI2/SNORD12B/FIP1L1/ZBTB4 positive feedback loop plays a crucial role in regulating the glycolipid metabolism of GBM cells and provides a potential drug target for glioma treatment.

A Highly Strained Phase in PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 Films with Enhanced Ferroelectric Properties

Although epitaxial strain imparted by lattice mismatch between a film and the underlying substrate has led to distinct structures and emergent functionalities, the discrete lattice parameters of limited substrates, combined with strain relaxations driven by film thickness, result in severe obstructions to subtly regulate electro-elastic coupling properties in perovskite ferroelectric films. Here a practical and universal method to achieve highly strained phases with large tetragonal distortions in Pb-based ferroelectric films through synergetic effects of moderately (≈1.0%) misfit strains and laser fluences during pulsed laser deposition process is demonstrated. The phase possesses unexpectedly large Poisson's ratio and negative thermal expansion, and concomitant enhancements of spontaneous polarization (≈100 µC cm-2) and Curie temperature (≈800 °C), 40% and 75% larger than that of bulk counterparts, respectively. This strategy efficiently circumvents the long-standing issue of limited numbers of discrete substrates and enables continuous regulations of exploitable lattice states in functional oxide films with tightly elastic coupled performances beyond their present levels.

Mitochondrial Damage-Induced Innate Immune Activation in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Promotes Chronic Kidney Disease-Associated Plaque Vulnerability

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis progression and high incidence of cardiovascular events, hinting that atherosclerotic plaques in CKD may be vulnerable. However, its cause and mechanism remain obscure. Here, it is shown that apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mouse with CKD (CKD/ApoE-/- mouse) is a useful model for investigating the pathogenesis of plaque vulnerability, and premature senescence and phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) contributes to CKD-associated plaque vulnerability. Subsequently, VSMC phenotypes in patients with CKD and CKD/ApoE-/- mice are comprehensively investigated. Using multi-omics analysis and targeted and VSMC-specific gene knockout mice, VSMCs are identified as both type-I-interferon (IFN-I)-responsive and IFN-I-productive cells. Mechanistically, mitochondrial damage resulting from CKD-induced oxidative stress primes the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway to trigger IFN-I response in VSMCs. Enhanced IFN-I response then induces VSMC premature senescence and phenotypic switching in an autocrine/paracrine manner, resulting in the loss of fibrous cap VSMCs and fibrous cap thinning. Conversely, blocking IFN-I response remarkably attenuates CKD-associated plaque vulnerability. These findings reveal that IFN-I response in VSMCs through immune sensing of mitochondrial damage is essential for the pathogenesis of CKD-associated plaque vulnerability. Mitigating IFN-I response may hold promise for the treatment of CKD-associated cardiovascular diseases.

High-Efficacy and Polymeric Solid-Electrolyte Interphase for Closely Packed Li Electrodeposition

The industrial application of lithium metal anode requires less side reaction between active lithium and electrolyte, which demands the sustainability of the electrolyte-induced solid-electrolyte interface. Here, through a new diluted lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate-based (LiDFOB) high concentration electrolyte system, it is found that the oxidation behavior of aggregated LiDFOB salt has a great impact on solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation and Li reversibility. Under the operation window of Cu/LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 full cells (rather than Li/Cu configuration), a polyether/coordinated borate containing solid-electrolyte interphase with inner Li2O crystalline can be observed with the increasing concentration of salt, which can be ascribed to the reaction between aggregated electron-deficient borate species and electron-rich alkoxide SEI components. The high Li reversibility (99.34%) and near-theoretical lithium deposition enable the stable cycling of LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2/Li cells (N/P < 2, 350 Wh kg-1) under high cutoff voltage condition of 4.6 V and lean electrolyte condition (E/C ≈ 3.2 g Ah-1).

Highly Accessible Atomically Dispersed Fe-N x Sites Electrocatalyst for Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

Atomically dispersed transition metal-N x sites have emerged as a frontier for electrocatalysis because of the maximized atom utilization. However, there is still the problem that the reactant is difficult to reach active sites inside the catalytic layer in the practical proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) testing, resulting in the ineffective utilization of the deeply hided active sites. In the device manner, the favorite structure of electrocatalysts for good mass transfer is vital for PEMFC. Herein, a facile one-step approach to synthesize atomically dispersed Fe-N x species on hierarchically porous carbon nanostructures as a high-efficient and stable atomically dispersed catalyst for oxygen reduction in acidic media is reported, which is achieved by a predesigned hierarchical covalent organic polymer (COP) with iron anchored. COP materials with well-defined building blocks can stabilize the dopants and provide efficient mass transport. The appropriate hierarchical pore structure is proved to facilitate the mass transport of reactants to the active sites, ensuring the utilization of active sites in devices. Particularly, the structurally optimized HSAC/Fe-3 displays a maximum power density of up to 824 mW cm-2, higher than other samples with fewer mesopores. Accordingly, this work will offer inspirations for designing efficient atomically dispersed electrocatalyst in PEMFC device.

Correlation analysis of microribonucleic acid-155 and microribonucleic acid-29 with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and the prediction and verification of target genes

AIMS/INTRODUCTION

Microribonucleic acid-155 (microRNA155) and microRNA29 are reported to inhibit glucose metabolism in some cell and animal models, but no evidence from susceptible populations that examines the relationship between microRNA155 or microRNA29 and type 2 diabetes mellitus currently exists. Furthermore, target genes regulated by microRNA155 and microRNA29 that affect glucose and lipid metabolism remain unknown.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Human participants were divided into normal weight (n = 72), obesity (n = 120) and type 2 diabetes (n = 59) groups. The contents of microRNA155 and microRNA29 abundance in serum were measured, and candidate genes potentially related to glucose and lipid metabolism targeted by either microRNA155 or microRNA29 were screened. Overexpression of microRNA155 and microRNA29 in HepG2 cells was used to verify candidate gene expression, and measure the effects on glucose and lipid metabolism.

RESULTS

Serum levels of microRNA155 and microRNA29 show a significant increase in individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes compared with normal weight individuals. Identified target genes for microRNA155 were MAPK14, MAP3K10, DUSP14 and PRKAR2B. Identified target genes for microRNA29 were PEX11A and FADS1. Overexpression of microRNA155 or microRNA29 in HepG2 cells was found to downregulate the expression of identified target genes, and result in inhibition of triglyceride synthesis and glucose incorporation.

CONCLUSIONS

MicroRNA155 and microRNA29 were significantly higher in type 2 diabetes patients compared with the control patients, their levels were also positively correlated with fasting plasma glucose levels, and over-expression of microRNA155 or microRNA29 were found to downregulate glucose and lipid metabolism target genes, and reduce lipid synthesis and glucose incorporation in HepG2 cells.

Surface/Interface Chemistry Engineering of Correlated-Electron Materials: From Conducting Solids, Phase Transitions to External-Field Response

Correlated electronic materials (CEMs) with strong electron-electron interactions are often associated with exotic properties, such as metal-insulator transition (MIT), charge density wave (CDW), superconductivity, and magnetoresistance (MR), which are fundamental to next generation condensed matter research and electronic devices. When the dimension of CEMs decreases, exposing extremely high specific surface area and enhancing electronic correlation, the surface states are equally important to the bulk phase. Therefore, surface/interface chemical interactions provide an alternative route to regulate the intrinsic properties of low-dimensional CEMs. Here, recent achievements in surface/interface chemistry engineering of low-dimensional CEMs are reviewed, using surface modification, molecule-solid interaction, and interface electronic coupling, toward modulation of conducting solids, phase transitions including MIT, CDW, superconductivity, and magnetism transition, as well as external-field response. Surface/interface chemistry engineering provides a promising strategy for exploring novel properties and functional applications in low-dimensional CEMs. Finally, the current challenge and outlook of the surface/interface engineering are also pointed out for future research development.

RNF219/α-Catenin/LGALS3 Axis Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Bone Metastasis and Associated Skeletal Complications

The incidence of bone metastases in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has increased prominently over the past decade owing to the prolonged overall survival of HCC patients. However, the mechanisms underlying HCC bone-metastasis remain largely unknown. In the current study, HCC-secreted lectin galactoside-binding soluble 3 (LGALS3) is found to be significantly upregulated and correlates with shorter bone-metastasis-free survival of HCC patients. Overexpression of LGALS3 enhances the metastatic capability of HCC cells to bone and induces skeletal-related events by forming a bone pre-metastatic niche via promoting osteoclast fusion and podosome formation. Mechanically, ubiquitin ligaseRNF219-meidated α-catenin degradation prompts YAP1/β-catenin complex-dependent epigenetic modifications of LGALS3 promoter, resulting in LGALS3 upregulation and metastatic bone diseases. Importantly, treatment with verteporfin, a clinical drug for macular degeneration, decreases LGALS3 expression and effectively inhibits skeletal complications of HCC. These findings unveil a plausible role for HCC-secreted LGALS3 in pre-metastatic niche and can suggest a promising strategy for clinical intervention in HCC bone-metastasis.

Optically Controllable 2D Material/Complex Oxide Heterointerface

Heterostructures play a vital role in functional devices on the basis of the individual constituents. Non-conventional heterostructures formed by stacking 2D materials onto structurally distinct materials are of great interest in achieving novel phenomena that are both scientifically and technologically relevant. Here, a heterostructure based on a 2D (molybdenum ditelluride) MoTe2 and an amorphous strontium titanium oxide (a-STO) thin film is reported. The heterostructure functions as a high-performance photodetector, which exhibits anomalous negative photoresponse in the pristine device due to the scattering effect from the light-induced Oδ- ions. The photoresponsivity and the specific detectivity are found to be >104 AW-1 and >1013 Jones, respectively, which are significantly higher than those in standard MoTe2 devices. Moreover, through tuning the light programming time, the photodetection behavior of the MoTe2/a-STO heterostructure experiences a dynamic evolution from negative to positive. This is due to the optically controllable modulation of the interfacial states, which is further confirmed by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements. It is envisioned that the 2D material/a-STO heterostructure could be a potential platform for exploring new functional devices.

Adsorption kinetics and mechanism of di-n-butyl phthalate by Leuconostoc mesenteroides

Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) poses a risk to humans as a ubiquitous environmental contaminant. A strain of Leuconostoc mesenteroides DM12 was chosen from lactic acid bacteria strains to study the DBP binding mechanisms. Adsorption of DBP by strain DM12 reached the highest binding rate of 87% after 11 hr of incubation, which could be explained by pseudo-second-order kinetics. The adsorption isotherm coincided with the model of Langmuir-Freundlich, indicating physical and chemical adsorption processes involved. Further, NaIO4 and TCA treatments were used to analyze the DBP binding mechanism of strain DM12, which indicated that peptidoglycan on the bacterial cell wall was involved in the process. The O-H, C-O, and N-H bonds were possibly involved in the binding process as the main functional groups.

Interaction between iron and dihydromyricetin extracted from vine tea

In this research, the interaction between dihydromyricetin (DMY) obtained from vine tea and iron ions (Fe (II) and Fe (III)) was investigated at pH 3.0, 5.0, and 7.0 with UV absorption and fluorescence quenching spectroscopy. The effects of DMY on the stability and solubility of iron ion were also studied. The results showed the presence of iron ions changed the UV absorption spectra of DMY at the experimental pH values. And the fluorescence spectra showed that iron ion had enhanced fluorescence effect on DMY. In addition, DMY was capable of protecting Fe (II) from being oxidized and improving the solubility of Fe (III).

ATM-Dependent Recruitment of BRD7 is required for Transcriptional Repression and DNA Repair at DNA Breaks Flanking Transcriptional Active Regions

Repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is essential for genome integrity, and is accompanied by transcriptional repression at the DSB regions. However, the mechanisms how DNA repair induces transcriptional inhibition remain elusive. Here, it is identified that BRD7 participates in DNA damage response (DDR) and is recruited to the damaged chromatin via ATM signaling. Mechanistically, BRD7 joins the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), the nucleosome remodeling and histone deacetylation (NuRD) complex at the damaged DNA and recruits E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF168 to the DSBs. Furthermore, ATM-mediated BRD7 phosphorylation is required for recruitment of the PRC2 complex, NuRD complex, DSB sensor complex MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN), and RNF168 to the active transcription sites at DSBs, resulting in transcriptional repression and DNA repair. Moreover, BRD7 deficiency sensitizes cancer cells to PARP inhibition. Collectively, BRD7 is crucial for DNA repair and DDR-mediated transcription repression, which may serve as a therapeutic target. The findings identify the missing link between DNA repair and transcription regulation that maintains genome integrity.

Effect of red koji as a Starter Culture in "Wanergao": A Traditional Fermented Food in China

The objective of this study was to explore the effect of red kojis on essential indices of Wanergao. The results showed that red koji-inoculated Wanergao showed higher pH values (4.38 ± 0.06 and 4.39 ± 0.06) and lower TA values (1.61 ± 0.05 and 1.63 ± 0.05) compared to the control group. LAB and yeast in the starter culture group gradually increased to 7.57 ± 0.12, 7.64 ± 0.15 log cfu.g-1 and 8.59 ± 0.21, 8.64 ± 0.23 log cfu.g-1, respectively. During fermentation, the dominant microorganism was Lactobacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Compared to the Wanergao made using traditional backslopping, the red koji-inoculated Wanergao contained more amylases, EAA and DAA contents compared to the control sample. The red kojis and control samples presented different hardness, chewiness, and cohesiveness, as well as similar values in springiness, gumminess, and adhesiveness. Sensory analysis also showed higher chewiness aroma and resilience of Wanergao in the starter culture group than in the control group.

Controllable and Diversiform Topological Morphologies of Self-Assembling Supra-Amphiphiles with Aggregation-Induced Emission Characteristics for Mimicking Light-Harvesting Antenna

Controllable construction of diversiform topological morphologies through supramolecular self-assembly on the basis of single building block is of vital importance, but still remains a big challenge. Herein, a bola-type supra-amphiphile, namely DAdDMA@2β-CD, is rationally designed and successfully prepared by typical host-guest binding β-cyclodextrin units with an aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active scaffold DAdDMA. Self-assembling investigation reveals that several morphologies of self-assembled DAdDMA@2β-CD including leaf-like lamellar structure, nanoribbons, vesicles, nanofibers, helical nanofibers, and toroids, can be straightforwardly fabricated by simply manipulating the self-assembling solvent proportioning and/or temperature. To the best of knowledge, this presented protocol probably holds the most types of self-assembling morphology alterations using a single entity. Moreover, the developed leaf-like lamellar structure performs well in mimicking the light-harvesting antenna system by incorporating with a Förster resonance energy transfer acceptor, providing up to 94.2% of energy transfer efficiency.

SUMOylation of PUM2 promotes the vasculogenic mimicry of glioma cells via regulating CEBPD

Glioma is the most common form of primary central nervous malignant tumors. Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is a blood supply channel that is different from endothelial blood vessels in glioma. VM is related to tumor invasion and metastasis. Therefore, it plays an important role to target therapy for glioma VM. Our experimental results showed abnormal expression of UBE2I, PUM2, CEBPD, and DSG2 in glioma cells. The Co-IP and Immunofluorescence staining were used to detect that PUM2 can be modified by SUMO2/3. The interaction between PUM2 and CEBPD mRNA was detected by the RIP assays. The interaction between transcription factor CEBPD and promoter region of DSG2 was detected by the ChIP assays and luciferase assays. The capacity for migration in glioma cells was observed by the laser holographic microscope. The capacity for invasion in glioma cells was detected by Transwell method. The VM in glioma cells was detected by three-dimensional cell culture method. The experimental results found that the upregulation of UBE2I in glioma tissues and cells promotes the SUMOylation of PUM2, which decreases not only the stability of PUM2 protein but also decreases the inhibitory effect of PUM2 on CEBPD mRNA. The upregulation of CEBPD promotes the binding to the upstream promoter region of DSG2 gene, further upregulates the expression of DSG2, and finally promotes the development of glioma VM. In conclusion, this study found that the UBE2I/PUM2/CEBPD/DSG2 played crucial roles in regulating glioma VM. It also provides potential targets and alternative strategies for combined treatment of glioma.

Effect of wind farms on wintering ducks at an important wintering ground in China along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway

Wind farms offer a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels and can mitigate their negative effects on climate change. However, wind farms may have negative impacts on birds. The East China Coast forms a key part of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, and it is a crucial region for wind energy development in China. However, despite ducks being the dominant animal taxon along the East China Coast in winter and considered as particularly vulnerable to the effects of wind farms, the potential negative impacts of wind farms on duck populations remain unclear. We therefore assessed the effects of wind farms on duck abundance, distribution, and habitat use at Chongming Dongtan, which is a major wintering site for ducks along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, using field surveys and satellite tracking. We conducted seven paired field surveys of ducks inside wind farm (IWF) and outside wind farm (OWF) sites in artificial brackish marsh, paddy fields, and aquaculture ponds. Duck abundance was significantly higher in OWF compared with IWF sites and significantly higher in artificial brackish marsh than in aquaculture ponds and paddy fields. Based on 1,918 high-resolution satellite tracking records, the main habitat types of ducks during the day and at night were artificial brackish marsh and paddy fields, respectively. Furthermore, grid-based analysis showed overlaps between ducks and wind farms, with greater overlap at night than during the day. According to resource selection functions, habitat use by wintering ducks was impacted by distance to water, land cover, human activity, and wind farm effects, and the variables predicted to have significant impacts on duck habitat use differed between day and night. Our study suggests that wintering ducks tend to avoid wind turbines at Chongming Dongtan, and landscape of paddy fields and artificial wetlands adjoining natural wetlands is crucial for wintering ducks.

High-Efficiency Silicon Inverted Pyramid-Based Passivated Emitter and Rear Cells

Surface texturing is one of the most important techniques for improving the performance of photovoltaic (PV) device. As an appealing front texture, inverted pyramid (IP) has attracted lots of research interests due to its superior antireflection effect and structural characteristics. In this paper, we prepare high-uniform silicon (Si) IPs structures on a commercial monocrystalline silicon wafer with a standard size of 156 × 156 mm² employing the metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) and alkali anisotropic etching technique. Combining the front IPs textures with the rear surface passivation of Al₂O₃/SiN_x, we fabricate a novel Si IP-based passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC). Benefiting from the optical superiority of the optimized IPs and the improvement of electrical performance of the device, we achieve a high efficiency of 21.4% of the Si IP-based PERC, which is comparable with the average efficiency of the commercial PERC solar cells. The optimizing morphology of IP textures is the key to the improvement of the short circuit current I_sc from 9.51 A to 9.63 A; meanwhile, simultaneous stack SiO₂/SiN_x passivation for the Si IP-based n⁺ emitter and stack Al₂O₃/SiN_x passivation for rear surface guarantees a high open-circuit voltage V_oc of 0.677 V. The achievement of this high-performance PV device demonstrates a competitive texturing technique and a promising prospect for the mass production of the Si IP-based PERC.

Resting state functional network switching rate is differently altered in bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder

The clinical misdiagnosis ratio of bipolar disorder (BD) patients to major depressive disorder (MDD) patients is high. Recent findings hypothesize that the ability to flexibly recruit functional neural networks is differently altered in BD and MDD patients. This study aimed to explore distinct aberrance of network flexibility during dynamic networks configuration in BD and MDD patients. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging of 40 BD patients, 61 MDD patients, and 61 matched healthy controls were recruited. Dynamic functional connectivity matrices for each subject were constructed with a sliding window method. Then, network switching rate of each node was calculated and compared among the three groups. BD and MDD patients shared decreased network switching rate of regions including left precuneus, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, and bilateral dorsal medial prefrontal cortex. Apart from these regions, MDD patients presented specially decreased network switching rate in the bilateral anterior insula, left amygdala, and left striatum. Taken together, BD and MDD patients shared decreased network switching rate of key hubs in default mode network and MDD patients presented specially decreased switching rate in salience network and striatum. We found shared and distinct aberrance of network flexibility which revealed altered adaptive functions during dynamic networks configuration of BD and MDD.

22% Efficiency Inverted Perovskite Photovoltaic Cell Using Cation-Doped Brookite TiO2 Top Buffer

Simultaneously achieving high efficiency and high durability in perovskite solar cells is a critical step toward the commercialization of this technology. Inverted perovskite photovoltaic (IP-PV) cells incorporating robust and low levelized-cost-of-energy (LCOE) buffer layers are supposed to be a promising solution to this target. However, insufficient inventory of materials for back-electrode buffers substantially limits the development of IP-PV. Herein, a composite consisting of 1D cation-doped TiO2 brookite nanorod (NR) embedded by 0D fullerene is investigated as a top modification buffer for IP-PV. The cathode buffer is constructed by introducing fullerene to fill the interstitial space of the TiO2 NR matrix. Meanwhile, cations of transition metal Co or Fe are doped into the TiO2 NR to further tune the electronic property. Such a top buffer exhibits multifold advantages, including improved film uniformity, enhanced electron extraction and transfer ability, better energy level matching with perovskite, and stronger moisture resistance. Correspondingly, the resultant IP-PV displays an efficiency exceeding 22% with a 22-fold prolonged working lifetime. The strategy not only provides an essential addition to the material inventory for top electron buffers by introducing the 0D:1D composite concept, but also opens a new avenue to optimize perovskite PVs with desirable properties.

Enhanced Solar Photothermal Catalysis over Solution Plasma Activated TiO2

Colored wide-bandgap semiconductor oxides with abundant mid-gap states have long been regarded as promising visible light responsive photocatalysts. However, their catalytic activities are hampered by charge recombination at deep level defects, which constitutes the critical challenge to practical applications of these oxide photocatalysts. To address the challenge, a strategy is proposed here that includes creating shallow-level defects above the deep-level defects and thermal activating the migration of trapped electrons out of the deep-level defects via these shallow defects. A simple and scalable solution plasma processing (SPP) technique is developed to process the presynthesized yellow TiO2 with numerous oxygen vacancies (Ov), which incorporates hydrogen dopants into the TiO2 lattice and creates shallow-level defects above deep level of Ov, meanwhile retaining the original visible absorption of the colored TiO2. At elevated temperature, the SPP-treated TiO2 exhibits a 300 times higher conversion rate for CO2 reduction under solar light irradiation and a 7.5 times higher removal rate of acetaldehyde under UV light irradiation, suggesting the effectiveness of the proposed strategy to enhance the photoactivity of colored wide-bandgap oxides for energy and environmental applications.

Fine-mapping of ZDHHC2 identifies risk variants for schizophrenia in the Han Chinese population

BACKGROUND

ZDHHC2 is a member of the DHHC protein family, mediating palmitoylation of postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95) and A-kinase-anchoring protein 79/150 (AKAP79/150). Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified ZDHHC2 as a candidate gene for schizophrenia (SCZ). We aimed to fine-map variants of ZDHHC2 conferring risk to SCZ in the Han Chinese population.

METHODS

Targeted sequencing of whole-exome sequences including untranslated regions (UTRs) along with neighboring regions in 1,827 schizophrenic patients and 1,004 normal controls of Han Chinese origin.

RESULTS

A total of 123 variants, including five common and 118 rare variants, were identified. Among common variants, rs73198534, rs530313445, and rs74406481 were significantly associated with SCZ. Nine nonsynonymous rare variants, p.Glu96fs, p.Arg127X, p.Val145Ile, p.Ala177Thr, p.Arg269Gln, p.Asn312His, p.Glu319Lys, p.Gln340X, and p.Ile347Val, identified only in patients; eight are located in the important domains, including two stop-gain variants. The 3D structural analysis and functional prediction revealed that all these eight variants may affect AMPAR expression or function, and influence the synaptic plasticity by regulating the palmitoylation of PSD95 and AKAP79/150.

CONCLUSION

Our results first show strong supportive evidences of the association between the ZDHHC2 and SCZ, and also provide a fine-mapping of variants of this gene in Han Chinese SCZ patients.

Dopant-Free Crossconjugated Hole-Transporting Polymers for Highly Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells

Currently, there are only very few dopant-free polymer hole-transporting materials (HTMs) that can enable perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) to demonstrate a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of greater than 20%. To address this need, a simple and efficient way is developed to synthesize novel crossconjugated polymers as high performance dopant-free HTMs to endow PVSCs with a high PCE of 21.3%, which is among the highest values reported for single-junction inverted PVSCs. More importantly, rational understanding of the reasons why two isomeric polymer HTMs (PPE1 and PPE2) with almost identical photophysical properties, hole-transporting ability, and surface wettability deliver so distinctly different device performance under similar device fabrication conditions is manifested. PPE2 is found to improve the quality of perovskite films cast on top with larger grain sizes and more oriented crystallization. These results help unveil the new HTM design rules to influence the perovskite growth/crystallization for improving the performance of inverted PVSCs.

Genome-wide adaptive evolution to underground stresses in subterranean mammals: Hypoxia adaption, immunity promotion, and sensory specialization

Life underground has provided remarkable examples of adaptive evolution in subterranean mammals; however, genome-wide adaptive evolution to underground stresses still needs further research. There are approximately 250 species of subterranean mammals across three suborders and six families. These species not only inhabit hypoxic and dark burrows but also exhibit evolved adaptation to hypoxia, cancer resistance, and specialized sensory systems, making them an excellent model of evolution. The adaptive evolution of subterranean mammals has attracted great attention and needs further study. In the present study, phylogenetic analysis of 5,853 single-copy orthologous gene families of five subterranean mammals (Nannospalax galili, Heterocephalus glaber, Fukomys damarensis, Condylura cristata, and Chrysochloris asiatica) showed that they formed fou distinct clusters. This result is consistent with the traditional systematics of these species. Furthermore, comparison of the high-quality genomes of these five subterranean mammalian species led to the identification of the genomic signatures of adaptive evolution. Our results show that the five subterranean mammalian did not share positively selected genes but had similar functional enrichment categories, including hypoxia tolerance, immunity promotion, and sensory specialization, which adapted to the environment of underground stresses. Moreover, variations in soil hardness, climate, and lifestyles have resulted in different molecular mechanisms of adaptation to the hypoxic environment and different degrees of visual degradation. These results provide insights into the genome-wide adaptive evolution to underground stresses in subterranean mammals, with special focus on the characteristics of hypoxia adaption, immunity promotion, and sensory specialization response to the life underground.

Plasma membrane vesicles of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate acetaminophen-induced damage in HepG2 cells: a novel stem cell therapy

BACKGROUND

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is the common cause of acute liver failure (ALF) due to the oxidative damage of multiple cellular components. This study aimed to investigate whether plasma membrane vesicles (PMVs) from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) could be exploited as a novel stem cell therapy for APAP-induced liver injury.

METHODS

PMVs from hUCMSCs were prepared with an improved procedure including a chemical enucleation step followed by a mechanical extrusion. PMVs of hUCMSCs were characterized and supplemented to hepatocyte cultures. Rescue of APAP-induced hepatocyte damage was evaluated.

RESULTS

The hUCMSCs displayed typical fibroblastic morphology and multipotency when cultivated under adipogenic, osteogenic, or chondrogenic conditions. PMVs of hUCMSCs maintained the stem cell phenotype, including the presence of CD13, CD29, CD44, CD73, and HLA-ABC, but the absence of CD45, CD117, CD31, CD34, and HLA-DR on the plasma membrane surface. RT-PCR and transcriptomic analyses showed that PMVs were similar to hUCMSCs in terms of mRNA profile, including the expression of stemness genes GATA4/5/6, Nanog, and Oct1/2/4. GO term analysis showed that the most prominent reduced transcripts in PMVs belong to integral membrane components, extracellular vesicular exosome, and extracellular matrix. Immunofluorescence labeling/staining and confocal microscopy assays showed that PMVs enclosed cellular organelles, including mitochondria, lysosomes, proteasomes, and endoplasmic reticula. Incorporation of the fusogenic VSV-G viral membrane glycoprotein stimulated the endosomal release of PMV contents into the cytoplasm. Further, the addition of PMVs and a mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant Mito-Tempo into cultures of APAP-treated HepG2 cells resulted in reduced cell death, enhanced viability, and increased mitochondrial membrane potential. Lastly, this study demonstrated that the redox state and activities of aminotransferases were restored in APAP-treated HepG2 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that PMVs from hUCMSCs could be used as a novel stem cell therapy for the treatment of APAP-induced liver injury.

Effect of Sleeve Gastrectomy on Kisspeptin Expression in the Hypothalamus of Rats with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to determine changes in the expression levels of kisspeptin-1 (Kiss1) in the hypothalamus during the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and after treatment with sleeve gastrectomy (SG).

METHODS

This study used chronic dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) alone and DHEA plus a high-fat diet (HFD) to generate a PCOS rat model. Subsequently, SG was performed in the animals with PCOS and the effects on glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, sex hormones, estrous cyclicity, adiponectin, and Kiss1 expression in the hypothalamus were investigated.

RESULTS

Impaired glucose tolerance, decreased insulin sensitivity, reduced adiponectin levels, disrupted estrous cyclicity, and elevated sex hormone levels associated with PCOS models were restored to normal following SG. In addition, SG was able to restore the increase in the expression of Kiss1 mRNA and Kiss1-positive neurons in the arcuate nucleus of rats with PCOS. Interestingly, although SG did not result in a significant loss of body weight in rats administered DHEA under a chow diet, it resulted in comparable metabolic improvements and Kiss1 expression in rats that had been administered DHEA along with an HFD.

CONCLUSIONS

The recovery of normal levels of Kiss1 expression in the hypothalamus after SG in this study suggests that Kiss1 might play an important role in the development of PCOS and its improvement by SG.

Dysbiosis of Gut Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Acute Ischemic Stroke and the Subsequent Risk for Poor Functional Outcomes

BACKGROUND

The intestinal microbiota and its metabolites have been reported to play an important role in stroke. Gut microbiota-originating short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) modulate brain functions directly or indirectly through immune, endocrine, vagal, and other humoral pathways. However, relatively few investigations have evaluated the gut microbiome and SCFAs spectrum or their potential associations with stroke outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with different stroke severities.

METHODS

We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing and gas chromatography to compare the fecal microbial composition and SCFA spectrum between AIS patients (n = 140) and healthy controls (n = 92). Their associations with 90-day poor functional outcomes were evaluated by logistic regression models.

RESULTS

We found that the intestinal microbiota distinguished AIS patients from healthy controls. A lack of SCFAs-producing bacteria and a low fecal SCFAs level defined dysbiosis in AIS patients, especially those with increased stroke severity. The SCFAs levels were negatively correlated with stroke severity and prognosis. Reduced SCFAs levels, especially acetate, were associated with an increased risk of 90-day poor functional outcomes even after adjustments.

CONCLUSIONS

Dysbiosis of SCFAs-producing bacteria and SCFAs in AIS patients increased the subsequent risk for poor functional outcomes, indicating that SCFAs could be potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for stroke.

Transcriptome analysis of lateral buds from Phyllostachys edulis rhizome during germination and early shoot stages

BACKGROUND

The vegetative growth is an important stage for plants when they conduct photosynthesis, accumulate and collect all resources needed and prepare for reproduction stage. Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plant species. The rapid growth of Phyllostachys edulis results from the expansion of intercalary meristem at the basal part of nodes, which are differentiated from the apical meristem of rhizome lateral buds. However, little is known about the major signaling pathways and players involved during this rapid development stage of bamboo. To study this question, we adopted the high-throughput sequencing technology and compared the transcriptomes of Moso bamboo rhizome buds in germination stage and late development stage.

RESULTS

We found that the development of Moso bamboo rhizome lateral buds was coordinated by multiple pathways, including meristem development, sugar metabolism and phytohormone signaling. Phytohormones have fundamental impacts on the plant development. We found the evidence of several major hormones participating in the development of Moso bamboo rhizome lateral bud. Furthermore, we showed direct evidence that Gibberellic Acids (GA) signaling participated in the Moso bamboo stem elongation.

CONCLUSION

Significant changes occur in various signaling pathways during the development of rhizome lateral buds. It is crucial to understand how these changes are translated to Phyllostachys edulis fast growth. These results expand our knowledge on the Moso bamboo internodes fast growth and provide research basis for further study.

Ethnicity and health inequalities: an empirical study based on the 2010 China survey of social change (CSSC) in Western China

BACKGROUND

In China, ethnic minorities often live in frontier areas and have a relatively small population size, and tremendous social transitions have enlarged the gap between eastern and western China, with western China being home to 44 ethnic minority groups. These three disadvantages have health impacts. Examining ethnicity and health inequality in the context of western China is therefore essential.

METHODS

This paper is based on data from the 2010 China Survey of Social Change (CSSC2010), which was conducted in 12 provinces, autonomous regions and province-level municipalities in western China and had a sample size of 10,819. We examined self-rated health and disparities in self-rated health between ethnic minorities and Han Chinese in the context of western China. Self-rated health was coded as poor or good, and ethnicity was coded as ethnic minority or Han Chinese. Ethnic differences in self-rated health was examined by using binary logistic regression. Associations among sociodemographic variables, SES variable, health behaviour variable, health problem variables and self-rated health were also explored.

RESULTS

Fourteen percent of respondents reported their health to be poor. A total of 15.75% of ethnic minorities and 13.43% of Han Chinese respondents reported their health to be poor, indicating a difference in self-rated health between ethnic minorities and Han Chinese. Age, gender, marital status, education, alcohol, and health problems were the main factors that affected differences in self-rated health.

CONCLUSION

In western China, there were obvious ethnic disparities in self-rated health. Elderly ethnic minorities, non-partnered ethnic minorities, ethnic minorities with an educational level lower than middle school, and ethnic minorities with chronic disease had higher odds of poor self-rated health.

TaDA1, a conserved negative regulator of kernel size, has an additive effect with TaGW2 in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Kernel size is an important trait determining cereal yields. In this study, we cloned and characterized TaDA1, a conserved negative regulator of kernel size in wheat (Triticum aestivum). The overexpression of TaDA1 decreased the size and weight of wheat kernels, while its down-regulation using RNA interference (RNAi) had the opposite effect. Three TaDA1-A haplotypes were identified in Chinese wheat core collections, and a haplotype association analysis showed that TaDA1-A-HapI was significantly correlated with the production of larger kernels and higher kernel weights in modern Chinese cultivars. The haplotype effect resulted from a difference in TaDA1-A expression levels between genotypes, with TaDA1-A-HapI resulting in lower TaDA1-A expression levels. This favourable haplotype was found having been positively selected during wheat breeding over the last century. Furthermore, we demonstrated that TaDA1-A physically interacts with TaGW2-B. The additive effects of TaDA1-A and TaGW2-B on kernel weight were confirmed not only by the phenotypic enhancement arising from the simultaneous down-regulation of TaDA1 and TaGW2 expression, but also by the combinational haplotype effects estimated from multi-environment field data from 348 wheat cultivars. A comparative proteome analysis of developing transgenic and wild-type grains indicated that TaDA1 and TaGW2 are involved in partially overlapping but relatively independent protein regulatory networks. Thus, we have identified an important gene controlling kernel size in wheat and determined its interaction with other genes regulating kernel weight, which could have beneficial applications in wheat breeding.

The optimization of fermentation conditions for Pichia pastoris GS115 producing recombinant xylanase

Xylanase is a member of an important family of enzymes that has been used in many biotechnological processes. However, the overall cost of enzyme production has been the main problem in the industrial application of enzymes. To obtain maximum xylanase production, statistical approaches based on the Plackett-Burman design and response surface methodology were employed. The results of the statistical analyses demonstrated that the optimal conditions for increased xylanase production were the following: inoculum size, 3.8%; maize meal, 4.5%; histidine, 0.6%; methanol, 1%; culture volume, 20%; bean pulp, 30 g L-1; and Tween-80, 0.8%; and pH 5.0. Verification of the optimization demonstrated that 3273 U mL-1 xylanase was observed under the optimal conditions in shake flask experiments. SDS-PAGE results showed that the size of xylanase protein was about 23 kDa. The results showed that the xylanase produced by fermentation came from Aspergillus Niger by MALDI-TOF-MS. The optimized medium resulted in 2.1- and 1.4-fold higher the activity of xylanase compared with the unoptimized medium (the main nutrients are maize meal and bean pulp) and laboratory medium (the main nutrients are yeast extract and peptone), respectively. The optimization of fermentation conditions is an effective means to reduce production cost and improve xylanase activity.

Stringing Bimetallic Metal-Organic Framework-Derived Cobalt Phosphide Composite for High-Efficiency Overall Water Splitting

Water electrolysis is an emerging energy conversion technology, which is significant for efficient hydrogen (H2) production. Based on the high-activity transition metal ions and metal alloys of ultrastable bifunctional catalyst, the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are the key to achieving the energy conversion method by overall water splitting (OWS). This study reports that the Co-based coordination polymer (ZIF-67) anchoring on an indium-organic framework (InOF-1) composite (InOF-1@ZIF-67) is treated followed by carbonization and phosphorization to successfully obtain CoP nanoparticles-embedded carbon nanotubes and nitrogen-doped carbon materials (CoP-InNC@CNT). As HER and OER electrocatalysts, it is demonstrated that CoP-InNC@CNT simultaneously exhibit high HER performance (overpotential of 153 mV in 0.5 m H2SO4 and 159 mV in 1.0 m KOH) and OER performance (overpotential of 270 mV in 1.0 m KOH) activities to reach the current density of 10 mA cm-2. In addition, these CoP-InNC@CNT rods, as a cathode and an anode, can display an excellent OWS performance with η10 = 1.58 V and better stability, which shows the satisfying electrocatalyst for the OWS compared to control materials. This method ensures the tight and uniform growth of the fast nucleating and stable materials on substrate and can be further applied for practical electrochemical reactions.

Genome sequencing of the Australian wild diploid species Gossypium australe highlights disease resistance and delayed gland morphogenesis

The diploid wild cotton species Gossypium australe possesses excellent traits including resistance to disease and delayed gland morphogenesis, and has been successfully used for distant breeding programmes to incorporate disease resistance traits into domesticated cotton. Here, we sequenced the G. australe genome by integrating PacBio, Illumina short read, BioNano (DLS) and Hi-C technologies, and acquired a high-quality reference genome with a contig N50 of 1.83 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 143.60 Mb. We found that 73.5% of the G. australe genome is composed of various repeat sequences, differing from those of G. arboreum (85.39%), G. hirsutum (69.86%) and G. barbadense (69.83%). The G. australe genome showed closer collinear relationships with the genome of G. arboreum than G. raimondii and has undergone less extensive genome reorganization than the G. arboreum genome. Selection signature and transcriptomics analyses implicated multiple genes in disease resistance responses, including GauCCD7 and GauCBP1, and experiments revealed induction of both genes by Verticillium dahliae and by the plant hormones strigolactone (GR24), salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Experiments using a Verticillium-resistant domesticated G. barbadense cultivar confirmed that knockdown of the homologues of these genes caused a significant reduction in resistance against Verticillium dahliae. Moreover, knockdown of a newly identified gland-associated gene GauGRAS1 caused a glandless phenotype in partial tissues using G. australe. The G. australe genome represents a valuable resource for cotton research and distant relative breeding as well as for understanding the evolutionary history of crop genomes.

Transvaginal ovarian drilling followed by controlled ovarian stimulation from the next day improves ovarian response for the poor responders with polycystic ovary syndrome during IVF treatment: a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Poor response patients with PCOS who are not susceptible to gonadotropin stimulation are more likely to have canceled cycles or poor clinical outcomes during IVF treatment. However, some limitations exist in the present therapies. In this study, we evaluated the effects of using the transvaginal ovarian drilling (TVOD) followed by controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) from the second day of these poor responders.

METHODS

During IVF, 7 poor responders with PCOS and 28 PCOS patients (14 normal and 14 high responders) were recruited. All patients received COS with the gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist protocol. For the poor responders, after undergoing 10 to 14 days of ovulation induction with no response, the TVOD was applied and then ovarian stimulation was performed from the next day at the same gonadotropin dose. Serum samples during COS and follicular fluid samples from the dominant follicles on the oocyte pick-up (OPU) day in all three groups were collected. Besides, follicular fluid from small follicles (diameter < 1 cm) in the normal and high responders on the OPU day and those in the poor responders on the TVOD day were gathered. Hormonal levels were examined in all samples using immunometric assays.

RESULTS

All the poor responders restored ovary response after receiving TVOD. There was no significant difference in the stimulation duration, total gonadotrophin dose used and the clinical outcomes among the three groups. The body mass index, serum and follicular levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and testosterone in poor responders were higher than those in the other two groups, and the application of TVOD significantly decreased the levels of AMH and testosterone in both serum and follicular fluid.

CONCLUSIONS

TVOD followed by ovulation induction from the next day is effective and convenient for poor responders with PCOS. The decline of AMH and testosterone resulted from TVOD may be the main reason resulting in the recovery of ovary sensitivity to gonadotropins. The small sample size is the primary limitation of this study, future studies using a large population cohort and monitoring the long-term outcomes of this strategy will be required.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ChiCTR1900023612. Registered 04 June 2019-Retrospectively registered.

Light-Driven WSe2-ZnO Junction Field-Effect Transistors for High-Performance Photodetection

Assembling nanomaterials into hybrid structures provides a promising and flexible route to reach ultrahigh responsivity by introducing a trap-assisted gain (G) mechanism. However, the high-gain photodetectors benefitting from long carrier lifetime often possess slow response time (t) due to the inherent G-t tradeoff. Here, a light-driven junction field-effect transistor (LJFET), consisting of an n-type ZnO belt as the channel material and a p-type WSe2 nanosheet as a photoactive gate material, to break the G-t tradeoff through decoupling the gain from carrier lifetime is reported. The photoactive gate material WSe2 under illumination enables a conductive path for externally applied voltage, which modulates the depletion region within the ZnO channel efficiently. The gain and response time are separately determined by the field effect modulation and the switching speed of LJFET. As a result, a high responsivity of 4.83 × 103 A W-1 with a gain of ≈104 and a rapid response time of ≈10 µs are obtained simultaneously. The LJFET architecture offers a new approach to realize high-gain and fast-response photodetectors without the G-t tradeoff.

Whole-genome resequencing-based QTL-seq identified AhTc1 gene encoding a R2R3-MYB transcription factor controlling peanut purple testa colour

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea. L) is an important oil crop worldwide. The common testa colours of peanut varieties are pink or red. But the peanut varieties with dark purple testa have been focused in recent years due to the potential high levels of anthocyanin, an added nutritional value of antioxidant. However, the genetic mechanism regulating testa colour of peanut is unknown. In this study, we found that the purple testa was decided by the female parent and controlled by a single major gene named AhTc1. To identify the candidate gene controlling peanut purple testa, whole-genome resequencing-based approach (QTL-seq) was applied, and a total of 260.9 Gb of data were generated from the parental and bulked lines. SNP index analysis indicated that AhTc1 located in a 4.7 Mb region in chromosome A10, which was confirmed by bulked segregant RNA sequencing (BSR) analysis in three segregation populations derived from the crosses between pink and purple testa varieties. Allele-specific markers were developed and demonstrated that the marker pTesta1089 was closely linked with purple testa. Further, AhTc1 encoding a R2R3-MYB gene was positional cloned. The expression of AhTc1 was significantly up-regulated in the purple testa parent YH29. Overexpression of AhTc1 in transgenic tobacco plants led to purple colour of leaves, flowers, pods and seeds. In conclusion, AhTc1, encoding a R2R3-MYB transcription factor and conferring peanut purple testa, was identified, which will be useful for peanut molecular breeding selection for cultivars with purple testa colour for potential increased nutritional value to consumers.

The miR-193a-3p-MAP3k3 Signaling Axis Regulates Substrate Topography-Induced Osteogenesis of Bone Marrow Stem Cells

Substrate topographical features induce osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs), but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. As microRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in osteogenesis and bone regeneration, it would be meaningful to elucidate the roles of miRNAs in the intracellular signaling cascade of topographical cue-induced osteogenic differentiation. In this study, the miRNA expression profile of the topographical feature-induced osteogenic differentiation group is different from that of the chemical-factors-induced osteogenic differentiation group. miR-193a-3p is sensitive to substrate topographical features and its downregulation enhances osteogenic differentiation only in the absence of osteogenesis-inducing medium. Also, substrate topographical features specifically activate a nonclassical osteogenetic pathway-the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Loss- and gain-of-function experiments demonstrate that miR-193a-3p regulates the MAPK pathway by targeting the MAP3k3 gene. In conclusion, this data indicates that different osteogenic-lineage-related intracellular signaling cascades are triggered in BMSCs subjected to biophysical or chemical stimulation. Moreover, the miR-193a-3p-MAP3k3 signaling axis plays a pivotal role in the transduction of biophysical cues from the substrate to regulate the osteogenic lineage specification of BMSCs, and hence may be a promising molecular target for bone regenerative therapies.

Tojapride prevents CaSR-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation in oesophageal epithelium irritated by acidic bile salts

Impairment of the oesophageal epithelium in patients with reflux oesophagitis (RE) is a cytokine-mediated injury rather than a chemical burn. The present study was conducted to explore CaSR/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway activation and cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 release in oesophageal epithelia injured by refluxates and the effects of Tojapride on that signal regulation. Using a modified RE rat model with Tojapride administration and Tojapride-pretreated SV40-immortalized human oesophageal epithelial cells (HET-1A) exposed to acidic bile salts pretreated with Tojapride, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of Tojapride on oesophageal epithelial barrier function, the expression of CaSR/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway-related proteins and the release of downstream cytokines in response to acidic bile salt irritation. In vivo, Tojapride treatment ameliorated the general condition and pathological lesions of the oesophageal epithelium in modified RE rats. In addition, Tojapride effectively blocked the CaSR-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation in modified RE rats. In vitro, Tojapride treatment can reverse the harmful effect of acidic bile salts, which reduced transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), up-regulated the CaSR-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome pathway and increased caspase-1 activity, LDH release and cytokines secretion. Taken together, these data show that Tojapride can prevent CaSR-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation and alleviate oesophageal epithelial injury induced by acidic bile salt exposure.

Genome-wide quantitative trait loci reveal the genetic basis of cotton fibre quality and yield-related traits in a Gossypium hirsutum recombinant inbred line population

Cotton is widely cultivated globally because it provides natural fibre for the textile industry and human use. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs)/genes associated with fibre quality and yield, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was developed in upland cotton. A consensus map covering the whole genome was constructed with three types of markers (8295 markers, 5197.17 centimorgans (cM)). Six fibre yield and quality traits were evaluated in 17 environments, and 983 QTLs were identified, 198 of which were stable and mainly distributed on chromosomes 4, 6, 7, 13, 21 and 25. Thirty-seven QTL clusters were identified, in which 92.8% of paired traits with significant medium or high positive correlations had the same QTL additive effect directions, and all of the paired traits with significant medium or high negative correlations had opposite additive effect directions. In total, 1297 genes were discovered in the QTL clusters, 414 of which were expressed in two RNA-Seq data sets. Many genes were discovered, 23 of which were promising candidates. Six important QTL clusters that included both fibre quality and yield traits were identified with opposite additive effect directions, and those on chromosome 13 (qClu-chr13-2) could increase fibre quality but reduce yield; this result was validated in a natural population using three markers. These data could provide information about the genetic basis of cotton fibre quality and yield and help cotton breeders to improve fibre quality and yield simultaneously.