Genotype selection identified elite lines through quantitative trait loci mapping of agronomically important traits in wheat.

Wheat is one of the most important staple foods in the world. Genetic characterization of wheat agronomically important traits is crucial for yield improvement through molecular breeding. In this study, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was developed by crossing a local adapted high yield variety Jimai 22 (JM22) with an external variety Cunmai no.1 (CM1). A high-density genetic map containing 7,359 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers was constructed. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping identified 61 QTL for eight yield-related traits under six environments (years). Among them, 17 QTL affecting spike number per plant, grain number per spike and thousand grain weight showed high predictability for theoretical yield per plant (TYP), of which, 12 QTL alleles positively contributed to TYP. Nine promising candidate genes for seven of the 12 QTL were identified including three known wheat genes and six rice orthologs. Four elite lines with TYP increased by 5.6%-15.2% were identified through genotype selection which carried 7-9 favorable alleles from JM22 and 2-3 favorable alleles from CM1 of the 12 QTL. Moreover, the linked SNPs of the 12 QTL were converted to high-throughput kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers and validated in the population. The mapped QTL, identified promising candidate genes, developed elite lines and KASP markers are highly valuable in future genotype selection to improve wheat yield. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-024-01496-3.

Coupling Electrochemical Leaching with Solvent Extraction for Recycling Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries.

We propose coupling electrochemical leaching with solvent extraction to separate and recover Li and Co from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Electrochemical leaching occurs in the aqueous electrolyte for converting solid LiCoO2 into soluble Li+ and Co2+, in which electrons act as reductants to reduce Co(III) to Co(II). Simultaneously, solvent extraction occurs at the interface of aqueous and organic phases to separate Co2+ and Li+. By capturing and utilizing the protons from P507, leaching yields for both Co and Li exceed ∼7 times than acid leaching without solvent extraction. The extraction efficiency of Co2+ reaches 86% at 60 °C, 3.5 V, while simultaneously retaining the majority of Li+ in the H2SO4 solution. The total leaching amount was improved because the organic phase provides protons to help the leaching of Co2+, and the continuous extraction process of Co(II) maintains the low Co2+ concentration in the aqueous solution. The synergistic interaction between electrochemical leaching and solvent extraction processes significantly reduces the consumption of chemicals, enhances the utilization efficiency of protons, and simplifies the recovery process. The leaching kinetics of Li and Co both conforms well to the residue layer diffusion control model and the activation energy (Ea) values of the leaching for Li and Co are 4.03 and 7.80 kJ/mol, respectively. Lastly, the economic and environmental assessment of this process also demonstrates the advantages of this method in reducing inputs, lowering environmental pollution, and enhancing economic benefits.

Revealing the delithiation process of spent LiMn2O4 and LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 batteries during the biomass-assisted gasthermal and carbothermal reduction.

The utilization of biomass-assisted pyrolysis in the recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries has emerged as a promising and reliable process. This article furnishes theoretical underpinnings and analytical insights into this method, showcasing sawdust pyrolysis reduction as an efficient means to recycle spent LiMn2O4 and LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 batteries. Through advanced thermogravimetry-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis complemented by traditional thermodynamic demonstration, the synergistic effects of biomass pyrolysis reduction are elucidated, with minor autodecomposition and major carbothermal and gasthermal reduction pathways identified. The controlled manipulation of transition metals has demonstrated the capability to modulate surface pyrolysis gas catalytic reactions and facilitate the preparation of composite materials with diverse morphologies. Optimization of process conditions has culminated in recovery efficiency exceeding 99.0 % for LiMn2O4 and 99.5 % for LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2. Economic and environmental analyses underscore the advantages of biomass reduction and recycling for these two types of spent LIBs: low energy consumption, environmental compatibility, and high economic viability.

A near-infrared-II light-response BODIPY-based conjugated microporous polymer for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of cationic dyes and H2O2 production.

A BODIPY-containing conjugated microporous polymer (CMP, LBFD-1) was modified with calixarene to develop a hydrophilic CMP (LBFD-2) with broader absorption extending to the near-infrared-II region. LBFD-2 exhibited an H2O2 production rate of 2.14 mmol g-1 h-1 in the air without any sacrificial agents. The removal efficiency (η) of LBFD-2 towards methylene blue and rhodamine B reached >99.5% within 20 and 40 min in light. LBFD-2 can withstand diverse environmental changes, showing excellent reusability and potential for practical applications in real-water systems.

Quaternization of a Triphenylamine-Based Conjugated Porous Organic Polymer to Immobilize PtCl62- for the Photocatalytic Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol.

Photocatalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) for converting it to nontoxic 4-aminophenol (4-AP) is one of the most efficient approaches for removing toxic 4-NP. Using porous organic polymers (POPs) as the support to immobilize noble metal catalysts has exhibited remarkable reduction performance but is rarely reported. Herein, a cationic triphenylamine-based POP was synthesized by quaternization to immobilize PtCl62- to prepare an efficient photocatalyst named DCM-TPA-Pt for the reduction of 4-NP to 4-AP in the presence of NaBH4. Different from reported methods which realize immobilization by doping or complexing, the support and PtCl62- are combined through electrostatic interaction with milder reaction conditions to produce a photocatalyst in this work. DCM-TPA-Pt shows excellent photocatalytic reduction performance, reaching 99.9% conversion within 3 min, and its pseudo-first-order constant is 0.0305 s-1, surpassing most of the reported photocatalysts. Moreover, DCM-TPA-Pt also exhibits equal reduction efficiency after five continuous cycles, which highlights its potential utilization in practical applications.

Trifunctional phosphorus-doped cobalt molybdate catalyst in self-driven coupling systems for synchronized sulfur recovery and hydrogen evolution.

This study introduces a self-driven system that effectively achieves synchronized sulfur recovery and hydrogen production using a Zn-air battery. The system ingeniously integrates the sulfur oxidation reaction (SOR) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) into a single, efficient process. Central to this system is the trifunctional phosphorus-doped cobalt molybdate catalyst (P-CoMoO4/NF), which exhibits superior performance in both HER (ηj = 100 = 0.13 V) and SOR (ηj = 100 = 0.30 V) with remarkable stability (∼360 h), reaching 0.64 V at 100 mA cm-2 for simultaneous sulfur ion degradation and hydrogen production. Through density functional theory simulations and extensive characterizations, it has been shown that phosphorus doping in the cobalt molybdate catalyst facilitates electron redistribution, enhancing the catalyst's conductivity, generating more oxygen vacancies, and promoting improved mass and electron transfer. This modification also lowers the energy barrier for adsorbing reaction intermediates, thus increasing the hydrogen production rate and sulfur oxide conversion in this self-powered system. In summary, this research marks a substantial advancement in the development of trifunctional catalysts and proposes an eco-friendly, cost-effective strategy for integrated reaction systems, paving the way for sustainable energy solutions.

Development of the second version of Global Prediction System for Epidemiological Pandemic.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe global public health emergency that has caused a major crisis in the safety of human life, health, global economy, and social order. Moreover, COVID-19 poses significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. The prediction and early warning of infectious diseases on a global scale are the premise and basis for countries to jointly fight epidemics. However, because of the complexity of epidemics, predicting infectious diseases on a global scale faces significant challenges. In this study, we developed the second version of Global Prediction System for Epidemiological Pandemic (GPEP-2), which combines statistical methods with a modified epidemiological model. The GPEP-2 introduces various parameterization schemes for both impacts of natural factors (seasonal variations in weather and environmental impacts) and human social behaviors (government control and isolation, personnel gathered, indoor propagation, virus mutation, and vaccination). The GPEP-2 successfully predicted the COVID-19 pandemic in over 180 countries with an average accuracy rate of 82.7%. It also provided prediction and decision-making bases for several regional-scale COVID-19 pandemic outbreaks in China, with an average accuracy rate of 89.3%. Results showed that both anthropogenic and natural factors can affect virus spread and control measures in the early stages of an epidemic can effectively control the spread. The predicted results could serve as a reference for public health planning and policymaking.

An overview for monitoring and prediction of pathogenic microorganisms in the atmosphere.

Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has exerted a profound adverse impact on human health. Studies have demonstrated that aerosol transmission is one of the major transmission routes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Pathogenic microorganisms such as SARS-CoV-2 can survive in the air and cause widespread infection among people. Early monitoring of pathogenic microorganism transmission in the atmosphere and accurate epidemic prediction are the frontier guarantee for preventing large-scale epidemic outbreaks. Monitoring of pathogenic microorganisms in the air, especially in densely populated areas, may raise the possibility to detect viruses before people are widely infected and contain the epidemic at an earlier stage. The multi-scale coupled accurate epidemic prediction system can provide support for governments to analyze the epidemic situation, allocate health resources, and formulate epidemic response policies. This review first elaborates on the effects of the atmospheric environment on pathogenic microorganism transmission, which lays a theoretical foundation for the monitoring and prediction of epidemic development. Secondly, the monitoring technique development and the necessity of monitoring pathogenic microorganisms in the atmosphere are summarized and emphasized. Subsequently, this review introduces the major epidemic prediction methods and highlights the significance to realize a multi-scale coupled epidemic prediction system by strengthening the multidisciplinary cooperation of epidemiology, atmospheric sciences, environmental sciences, sociology, demography, etc. By summarizing the achievements and challenges in monitoring and prediction of pathogenic microorganism transmission in the atmosphere, this review proposes suggestions for epidemic response, namely, the establishment of an integrated monitoring and prediction platform for pathogenic microorganism transmission in the atmosphere.

CXCL4/CXCR3 axis regulates cardiac fibrosis by activating TGF-ß1/Smad2/3 signaling in mouse viral myocarditis.

BACKGROUND: Severe myocarditis is often accompanied by cardiac fibrosis, but the underlying mechanism has not been fully elucidated. CXCL4 is a chemokine that has been reported to have pro-inflammatory and profibrotic functions. The exact role of CXCL4 in cardiac fibrosis remains unclear. METHODS: Viral myocarditis (VMC) models were induced by intraperitoneal injection of Coxsackie B Type 3 (CVB3). In vivo, CVB3 (100 TCID50) and CVB3-AMG487 (CVB3: 100 TCID50; AMG487: 5 mg/kg) combination were administered in the VMC and VMC+AMG487 groups, respectively. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, severity score, Masson staining, and immunofluorescence staining were performed to measure myocardial morphology in VMC. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were performed to quantify inflammatory factors (IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, and CXCL4). Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB) levels were analyzed by commercial kits. CXCL4, CXCR3B, α-SMA, TGF-ß1, Collagen I, and Collagen III were determined by Western blot and immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: In vivo, CVB3-AMG487 reduced cardiac injury, α-SMA, Collagen I and Collagen III levels, and collagen deposition in VMC+AMG487 group. Additionally, compared with VMC group, VMC+AMG group decreased the levels of inflammatory factors (IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α). In vitro, CXCL4/CXCR3B axis activation TGF-ß1/Smad2/3 pathway promote mice cardiac fibroblasts differentiation. CONCLUSION: CXCL4 acts as a profibrotic factor in TGF-ß1/Smad2/3 pathway-induced cardiac fibroblast activation and ECM synthesis, and eventually progresses to cardiac fibrosis. Therefore, our findings revealed the role of CXCL4 in VMC and unveiled its underlying mechanism. CXCL4 appears to be a potential target for the treatment of VMC.

Wallace melon juice fermented with Lactobacillus alleviates dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis in mice through modulating gut microbiota and the metabolism.

Fermented foods have shown promise in preventing or treating ulcerative colitis (UC) via regulating intestinal flora and correcting metabolic disorders. However, the prevention effect of fermented Wallace melon juice (FMJ) on UC is unclear. In this study, the effects of FMJ on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced UC were investigated via 16S rRNA sequencing and non-targeted metabolomics. The results showed that FMJ was effective in alleviating the symptoms of UC, reducing histological damage and oxidative stress, decreasing the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. After FMJ treatment, the level of propionic acid, butyric acid, and valeric acid increased by 14.1%, 44.4%, and 52.4% compared to DSS-induced UC mice. Meanwhile, the levels of harmful bacteria such as Oscillospira, Bacteroidetes, and Erysipelotrichaceae and Clostridium decreased, while the levels of beneficial bacteria such as Akkermansia, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium increased. Fecal metabolomics analysis identified 31 differential metabolites, which could regulate metabolic disorders in UC mice by controlling the primary bile acid biosynthesis, purine metabolism, and pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis pathway. Additionally, the abundances of butyric acid, bile acids, and pantothenic acid were positively correlated with Allobaculum, Bifidobacterium, and other beneficial bacteria (R2 > 0.80, p < 0.01). The results indicated that FMJ played a role in regulating the structure of intestinal flora, which in turn helped in repairing metabolic disorders and alleviated colitis inflammation.

Kinetic and thermodynamic-based studies on the interaction mechanism of novel R. roxburghii seed peptides against pancreatic lipase and cholesterol esterase.

Pancreatic lipase (PL) and cholesterol esterase (CE) are vital digestive enzymes that regulate lipid digestion. Three bioactive peptides (LFCMH, RIPAGSPF, YFRPR), possessing enzyme inhibitory activities, were identified in the seed proteins of R. roxburghii. It is hypothesized that these peptides could inhibit the activities of these enzymes by binding to their active sites or altering their conformation. The results showed that LFCMH exhibited superior inhibitory activity against these enzymes compared to the other peptides. The inhibition mechanisms of the three peptides were identified as either competitive or mixed, according to inhibition models. Further studies have shown that peptides could bind to the active sites of enzymes, thus affecting their spatial conformation and restricting substrate entry into the active site. Molecular simulation further proved that hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions played a vital role in the binding of peptides to enzymes. This study enriches our understanding of interaction mechanisms of peptides on PL and CE.

Brucella infection and Toll-like receptors.

Brucella consists of gram-negative bacteria that have the ability to invade and replicate in professional and non-professional phagocytes, and its prolonged persistence in the host leads to brucellosis, a serious zoonosis. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the best-known sensors of microorganisms implicated in the regulation of innate and adaptive immunity. In particular, TLRs are transmembrane proteins with a typical structure of an extracellular leucine-rich repeat (LRR) region and an intracellular Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain. In this review, we discuss Brucella infection and the aspects of host immune responses induced by pathogens. Furthermore, we summarize the roles of TLRs in Brucella infection, with substantial emphasis on the molecular insights into its mechanisms of action.