2,5-Thiophenedicarboxylic Acid Bridging Hexameric CeIII-Substituted Selenotungstate and Its Application for Detecting Mucin 1.

The development of polyoxometalate chemistry not only is derived from the continuous discovery of novel polyoxometalates (POMs) but also stems from the exploitation of their new functionalities. In this work, we obtained a rigid sulfur-containing heterocyclic ligand-linking aggregate [N(CH3)4]10Na6H6[Ce8(H2O)26W8(HTDA)2(TDA)2O20][SeW4O18]2[SeW9O33]4·112H2O (1) (H2TDA = 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid). Its polyanionic unit consists of one [Ce4(H2O)13W4O10(HTDA)(TDA)O10]18+ cluster and two kinds of Keggin-type [SeW4O18] and [SeW9O33] segments. It is noteworthy that H2TDA ligands not only work as connectors to link two symmetrical {[Ce4(H2O)13W4(HTDA)(TDA)O10][SeW4O18][SeW9O33]2}11- units but also function as ornaments to graft to the polyanionic backbone. Furthermore, 1 and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) were deposited on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) by the electropolymerization (EPM) method, resulting in a 1-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (1-PEDOT) composite film, which can provide sufficient binding sites to immobilize Au nanoparticles (Au NPs). Hereafter, the Au NPs-immobilized 1-PEDOT modified electrode (Au/1-PEDOT/GCE) was used to construct an electrochemical aptasensor to detect mucin 1, showing a low detection limit of 29.5 fM in the Tris solution. This work not only demonstrates that rigid heterocyclic ligands are beneficial for the creation of novel rare-earth-substituted selenotungstate hybrids but also provides more enlightenment for POM-based materials used for electrochemical detection of cancer markers.

Data-Driven Distributed Predictive Control for Voltage Regulation and Current Sharing in DC Microgrids With Communication Constraints.

The use of nonideal communication networks makes communication constraints become a topical issue in the research of dc microgrids. How to design a distributed secondary control scheme for voltage recovery and accurate current sharing in islanded dc microgrids subject to communication constraints is of interest in this article. In order to restore the bus voltage to the rated value, a nonlinear element is first introduced into the primary control layer. Then, the closed-loop system of primary control is modeled as a data-driven time-varying linear system. Based on the established model, considering communication constraints, a distributed secondary predictive control strategy is developed to achieve accurate current sharing. While actively compensating for network delays and packet losses, the proposed method renders mathematical physical models unnecessary for the traditional predictive control, and simultaneously completes the multitask in dc microgrids. Finally, several case studies are conducted on a hardware microgrid experimental platform, which not only verifies the effectiveness of the designed data-driven predictive control strategy but also tests microgrid properties such as the plug-and-play ability.

Mechanistic study on the promotion of Ca2+ leaching in steel slag through high-temperature solid waste modification.

Indirect carbonation of steel slag is an effective method for CO2 storage, reducing emissions, and promoting cleaner production in the steel industry. However, challenges remain, such as low Ca2+ leaching rates and slag management complexities arising from variations in mineral compositions. To address this, a high-temperature modification process is proposed to alter the mineral composition and facilitate the synergistic utilization of calcium and iron. This study delves into the effects of various solid waste modifications on the leaching of Ca2+ and the total iron content within steel slag. Results show that high-basicity modified slag forms Ca2(Al, Fe)2O5, reducing calcium leaching. Low-alkalinity modified slag produces calcium-rich aluminum minerals and also reduces the leaching of Ca2+ ions. At a basicity of 2.5, coal gangue, fly ash, and blast slag achieve maximum Ca2+ leaching rates of 88.93%, 89.46%, and 90.17%, respectively, with corresponding total iron contents of 41.46%, 37.72%, and 35.29%. Upgraded coal gangue exhibits a 50.02% increase in calcium leaching and a 15.58% increase in total iron content compared to the original slag. This enhances CO2 fixation and iron resource utilization. Overall, the proposed indirect carbonation and iron enrichment modification offer a novel approach for the resource utilization and environmental stability of steel slag.

ERK signaling expands mammalian cortical radial glial cells and extends the neurogenic period.

The molecular basis for cortical expansion during evolution remains largely unknown. Here, we report that fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling promotes the self-renewal and expansion of cortical radial glial (RG) cells. Furthermore, FGF-ERK signaling induces bone morphogenic protein 7 (Bmp7) expression in cortical RG cells, which increases the length of the neurogenic period. We demonstrate that ERK signaling and Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling mutually inhibit each other in cortical RG cells. We provide evidence that ERK signaling is elevated in cortical RG cells during development and evolution. We propose that the expansion of the mammalian cortex, notably in human, is driven by the ERK-BMP7-GLI3R signaling pathway in cortical RG cells, which participates in a positive feedback loop through antagonizing SHH signaling. We also propose that the relatively short cortical neurogenic period in mice is partly due to mouse cortical RG cells receiving higher SHH signaling that antagonizes ERK signaling.

Robust Cooperative Control for Heterogeneous Uncertain Nonlinear High-Order Fully Actuated Multiagent Systems.

This research is intended to address a robust cooperative control problem of heterogeneous uncertain nonlinear high-order fully actuated multiagent systems (HUN-HOFAMASs). A nonlinear HOFA system model is used to describe the multiagent systems (MASs) with heterogeneous uncertain nonlinear dynamics, which is called the HUN-HOFAMASs. A predictive terminal sliding-mode control-based robust cooperative control scheme is presented to address this problem. In this scheme, heterogeneous nonlinear dynamics of original system are offset to establish a linear constant HOFA system with the help of full actuation feature. Then, a terminal sliding-mode variable for enhancing the system robustness is introduced to handle the uncertainties. Furthermore, a linear incremental prediction model is developed in a HOFA form by means of a Diophantine equation. According to this model, the multistep terminal sliding-mode predictions are yielded to optimize the robust cooperative control performance and compensate for the network-induced communication constraints in the feedback and forward channels. Based on a linear matrix inequality (LMI) method, a necessary and sufficient criterion is derived to discuss the simultaneous consensus and stability of closed-loop HUN-HOFAMASs. The simulation and comparison results of cooperative flying around of multiple spacecraft system are shown to illustrate the capability and advantage of the presented predictive terminal sliding-mode control for robust cooperative control.

A Two Phases Multiobjective Trajectory Optimization Scheme for Multi-UGVs in the Sight of the First Aid Scenario.

Timely delivery of first aid supplies is significant to saving lives when an accident happens. Among the promising solutions provided for such scenarios, the application of unmanned vehicles has attracted ever more attention. However, such scenarios are often very complex, while the existing studies have not fully addressed the trajectory optimization problem of multiple unmanned ground vehicles (multi-UGVs) against the scenario. This study focuses on multi-UGVs trajectory optimization in the sight of first aid supply delivery tasks in mass accidents. A two-stage completely decoupling fuzzy multiobjective optimization strategy is designed. On the first stage, with the proposed timescale involved tridimensional tunneled collision-free trajectory (TITTCT) algorithm, collision-free coarse tunnels are build within a tridimensional coordinate system, respectively, for the UGVs as the corresponding configuration space for a further multiobjective optimization. On the second stage, a fuzzy multiobjective transcription method is designed to solve the decoupled optimal control problem (OCP) within the configuration space with the consideration of priority constrains. Following the two-stage design, the computational time is significantly reduced when achieving an optimal solution of the multi-UGV trajectory planning, which is crucial in a first aid task. In addition, other objectives are optimized with the aspiration level reflected. Simulation studies and experiments have been curried out to testify the effectiveness and the improved computational performance of the proposed design.

Mathematically Improved XGBoost Algorithm for Truck Hoisting Detection in Container Unloading.

Truck hoisting detection constitutes a key focus in port security, for which no optimal resolution has been identified. To address the issues of high costs, susceptibility to weather conditions, and low accuracy in conventional methods for truck hoisting detection, a non-intrusive detection approach is proposed in this paper. The proposed approach utilizes a mathematical model and an extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) model. Electrical signals, including voltage and current, collected by Hall sensors are processed by the mathematical model, which augments their physical information. Subsequently, the dataset filtered by the mathematical model is used to train the XGBoost model, enabling the XGBoost model to effectively identify abnormal hoists. Improvements were observed in the performance of the XGBoost model as utilized in this paper. Finally, experiments were conducted at several stations. The overall false positive rate did not exceed 0.7% and no false negatives occurred in the experiments. The experimental results demonstrated the excellent performance of the proposed approach, which can reduce the costs and improve the accuracy of detection in container hoisting.

Consensus-based secondary control for DC microgrids with communication delays via a networked predictive control strategy.

In today's cyber-physical microgrid systems, the consensus-based secondary control is generally utilized to settle the voltage deviation and rough current allocation issues at the primary control level. However, time delays follow inevitably the introduction of sparse communication networks, and most existing works adopt passive tolerance approaches. To actively alleviate the unavoidable delay effect in microgrids' communication networks, a networked predictive control (NPC) strategy is proposed for an islanded DC microgrid subject to time delays in this paper. Firstly, the predictive approaches for both voltage and current are developed based on the cyber-physical microgrid model. Unlike the practice of passively tolerating time delays, the NPC strategy is proposed to actively compensate for the effect of communication delays by estimating real-time voltage and current values using the previously obtained prediction models. Moreover, to prove the generality of the developed method, the microgrid systems' stability can be derived from the Schur stability of the closed-loop system, thus the DC microgrid can achieve voltage regulation and proportional current sharing simultaneously. Finally, the performance of our method against the time delay effect is validated by extensive experiments on an islanded 48-V DC microgrid system, in terms of its feasibility, delay tolerance ability, and robustness to load changes and communication faults. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the NPC strategy.

Observer-based HOFA predictive cooperative control for networked multi-agent systems under time-variant communication constraints.

This research focuses on a cooperative control problem for networked multi-agent systems (NMASs) under time-variant communication constraints (containing time-variant communication delays and time-variant data losses) in the forward and feedback channels. From the perspective of high-order fully actuated (HOFA) system theory, a HOFA system model is adopted to describe the NMAS, which is called the networked HOFA multi-agent system (NHOFAMAS). Because of complicated working scenarios over the network, the states of NMASs are immeasurable and the communication constraints are always present, such that an observer-based HOFA predictive control (OB-HOFAPC) method is designed to implement the cooperative control when existing the immeasurable states and time-variant communication constraints. In this method, a HOFA observer is established to estimate the immeasurable states for constructing a consensus control protocol. Then, an incremental prediction model (IPM) in a HOFA form is developed via a Diophantine equation to take the place of a reduced-order prediction model. Through this IPM, multi-step output ahead predictions are derived to optimize the cooperative control performance and compensate for time-variant communication constraints in real-time. The depth discussion gives a sufficient and necessary criterion to analyze the simultaneous consensus and stability for closed-loop NHOFAMASs. The capability and advantage of OB-HOFAPC method are illustrated via numerical simulation and experimental verification on a cooperative flying-around task of three air-bearing spacecraft simulators.

Gut microbiota and serum metabolome reveal the mechanism by which TCM polysaccharides alleviate salpingitis in laying hens challenged by bacteria.

This paper aimed to evaluate the effect of 3 kinds of TCM polysaccharides instead of antibiotics in preventing salpingitis in laying hens. After feeding the laying hens with Lotus leaf polysaccharide, Poria polysaccharide, and Epimedium polysaccharide, mixed bacteria (E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus) were used to infect the oviduct to establish an inflammation model. Changes in antioxidant, serum immunity, anti-inflammatory, gut microbiota, and serum metabolites were evaluated. The results showed that the 3 TCM polysaccharides could increase the expression of antioxidant markers SOD, GSH, and CAT, and reduce the accumulation of MDA in the liver; the contents of IgA and IgM in serum were increased. Decreased the mRNA expression of TLR4, NFκB, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL1ß, IL6, and IL8, and increased the mRNA expression of anti-inflammatory factor IL5 in oviduct tissue. 16sRNA high-throughput sequencing revealed that the 3 TCM polysaccharides improved the intestinal flora disturbance caused by bacterial infection, increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Bacteroides and Actinobacillus, and decreased the abundance of harmful bacteria such as Romboutsia, Turicibacter, and Streptococcus. Metabolomics showed that the 3 TCM polysaccharides could increase the content of metabolites such as 3-hydroxybutyric acid and isobutyl-L-carnitine, and these results could alleviate the further development of salpingitis. In conclusion, the present study has found that using TCM polysaccharides instead of antibiotics was a feasible way to prevent bacterial salpingitis in laying hens, which might make preventing this disease no longer an issue for breeding laying hens.

BMP7 expression in mammalian cortical radial glial cells increases the length of the neurogenic period.

The seat of human intelligence is the human cerebral cortex, which is responsible for our exceptional cognitive abilities. Identifying principles that lead to the development of the large-sized human cerebral cortex will shed light on what makes the human brain and species so special. The remarkable increase in the number of human cortical pyramidal neurons and the size of the human cerebral cortex is mainly because human cortical radial glial cells, primary neural stem cells in the cortex, generate cortical pyramidal neurons for more than 130 days, whereas the same process takes only about 7 days in mice. The molecular mechanisms underlying this difference are largely unknown. Here, we found that bone morphogenic protein 7 (BMP7) is expressed by increasing the number of cortical radial glial cells during mammalian evolution (mouse, ferret, monkey, and human). BMP7 expression in cortical radial glial cells promotes neurogenesis, inhibits gliogenesis, and thereby increases the length of the neurogenic period, whereas Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling promotes cortical gliogenesis. We demonstrate that BMP7 signaling and SHH signaling mutually inhibit each other through regulation of GLI3 repressor formation. We propose that BMP7 drives the evolutionary expansion of the mammalian cortex by increasing the length of the neurogenic period.

Secure Predictive Coordinated Control of High-Order Fully Actuated Networked Multiagent Systems Under Random DoS Attacks.

This research addresses a coordinated control problem for high-order fully actuated networked multiagent systems (HOFANMASs) under random denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. A type of Bernoulli processes is exploited to denote the successful rate of launching random DoS attacks happened to the forward and feedback channels. When acting these attacks successfully, random data losses and disorders are caused in the forward and feedback channels. A high-order fully actuated (HOFA) secure predictive coordinated control scheme is provided to achieve the security coordination. In this scheme, a dynamic model of networked multiagent system is established with the help of a HOFA system model, which is called the HOFANMAS. Then, a prediction model in an incremental HOFA (IHOFA) form is developed by means of a Diophantine equation, which aims at constructing the multistep ahead output predictions for the optimization of coordinated control performance and the compensation of random data losses and disorders. Furthermore, a necessary and sufficient condition is proposed to analyze the consensus and stability of closed-loop HOFANMASs. The effectiveness and superiority of HOFA secure predictive control scheme can be demonstrated via simulated and experimental results of formation control for three air-bearing spacecraft (ABS) simulators.

Zero-Strain Na3 V2 (PO4 )2 F3 @Rgo/CNT Composite as a Wide-Temperature-Tolerance Cathode for Na-Ion Batteries with Ultrahigh-Rate Performance.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are widely considered a hopeful alternative to lithium-ion battery technology. However, they still face challenges, such as low rate capability, unsatisfactory cycling stability, and inferior variable-temperature performance. In this study, a hierarchical Na3 V2 (PO4 )2 F3 (NVPF) @reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/carbon nanotube (CNT) composite (NVPF@rGO/CNT) is successfully constructed. This composite features 0D Na3 V2 (PO4 )2 F3 nanoparticles are coated by a cross-linked 3D conductive network composed of 2D rGO and 1D CNT. Furthermore, the intrinsic Na+ storage mechanism of NVPF@rGO/CNT through comprehensive characterizations is unveiled. The synthesized NVPF@rGO/CNT exhibits fast ionic/electronic transport and excellent structural stability within wide working temperatures (-40-50 °C), owing to the zero-strain NVPF and the coated rGO/CNT conductive network that reduces diffusion distance for ions and electrons. Moreover, the stable integration between NVPF and rGO/CNT enables outstanding structural stability to alleviate strain and stress induced during the cycle. Additionally, a practice full cell is assembled employing a hard carbon anode paired with an NVPF@rGO/CNT cathode, which provides a decent capacity of 105.2 mAh g-1 at 0.2 C, thereby attaining an ideal energy density of 242.7 Wh kg-1 . This work provides valuable insights into developing high-energy and power-density cathode materials for SIBs.

Feeding behavior and hormoligosis associated with imidacloprid resistance in Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri.

Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid insecticide used for managing the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, which serves as vector of phytopathogens causing citrus greening. However, development of resistance to neonicotinoids among populations of D. citri has coincided with occasional control failures in the field. The objectives of this research were to (1) survey current levels of imidacloprid resistance in Florida citrus; (2) compare feeding behavior between imidacloprid-resistant and susceptible D. citri using electrical penetration graph recordings, and (3) investigate the possible amplification of insecticide hormoligosis associated with resistance. Field surveys confirmed that the susceptibility of D. citri populations to imidacloprid has decreased in commercial Florida citrus groves compared with a laboratory-susceptible population. Following 12 generations of selection, resistance to imidacloprid increased by 438 fold compared with the susceptible strain. Imidacloprid-susceptible D. citri feeding on citrus exhibited significantly more bouts associated with intercellular pathway (C), phloem penetration (D), phloem salivation (E1), and nonprobing (Np) activities than imidacloprid-resistant counterparts. However, there were no differences observed in the frequency or duration of phloem ingestion or xylem feeding between susceptible and resistant D. citri. There was no statistical difference in fecundity between resistant and susceptible strains. However, the fecundity of imidacloprid-susceptible female D. citri treated with a sublethal concentration of imidacloprid (LC25 ) increased significantly compared with controls, while such hormoligosis was less pronounced among imidacloprid-resistant psyllids. Our results suggest that imidacloprid-resistant psyllids may cease feeding sooner than susceptible counterparts following sublethal exposure to this insecticide, indicative of a behavioral resistance mechanism.

C500 variants conveying complete mucosal immunity against fatal infections of pigs with Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis C78-1 or F18+ Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis (S. Choleraesuis) C500 strain is a live, attenuated vaccine strain that has been used in China for over 40 years to prevent piglet paratyphoid. However, this vaccine is limited by its toxicity and does not offer protection against diseases caused by F18+ Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), which accounts for substantial economic losses in the swine industry. We recently generated a less toxic derivative of C500 strain with both asd and crp deletion (S. Choleraesuis C520) and assessed its efficacy in mice. In addition, we demonstrate that C520 is also less toxic in pigs and is effective in protecting pigs against S. Choleraesuis when administered orally. To develop a vaccine with a broader range of protection, we prepared a variant of C520 (S. Choleraesuis C522), which expresses rSF, a fusion protein comprised of the fimbriae adhesin domain FedF and the Shiga toxin-producing IIe B domain antigen. For comparison, we also prepared a control vector strain (S. Choleraesuis C521). After oral vaccination of pigs, these strains contributed to persistent colonization of the intestinal mucosa and lymphoid tissues and elicited both cytokine expression and humoral immune responses. Furthermore, oral immunization with C522 elicited both S. Choleraesuis and rSF-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA antibodies in the sera and gut mucosa, respectively. To further evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of these strains as mucosal delivery vectors via oral vaccination, we evaluated their protective efficacy against fatal infection with S. Choleraesuis C78-1, as well as the F18+ Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli field strain Ee, which elicits acute edema disease. C521 conferred complete protection against fatal infection with C78-1; and C522 conferred complete protection against fatal infection with both C78-1 and Ee. Our results suggest that C520, C521, and C522 are competent to provide complete mucosal immune protection against fatal infection with S. Choleraesuis in swine and that C522 equally qualifies as an oral vaccine vector for protection against F18+ Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

Digital twin based monitoring and control for DC-DC converters.

The monitoring and control of DC-DC converters have become key issues since DC-DC converters are gradually playing increasingly crucial roles in power electronics applications such as electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. As an emerging and transforming technology, the digital twin, which is a dynamic virtual replica of a physical system, can potentially provide solutions for the monitoring and control of DC-DC converters. This work discusses the design and implementation of the digital twin DC-DC converter in detail. The key features of the physical and twin systems are outlined, and the control architecture is provided. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed digital twin method, four possible cases that may occur during the practical control scenarios of DC-DC converter applications are discussed. Simulations and experimental verification are conducted, showing that the digital twin can dynamically track the physical DC-DC converter, detect the failure of the physical controller and replace it in real time.

2D-Layer-Structure Bi to Quasi-1D-Structure NiBi3 : Structural Dimensionality Reduction to Superior Sodium and Potassium Ion Storage.

Layer-structured bismuth (Bi) is an attractive anode for Na-ion and K-ion batteries due to its large volumetric capacity and suitable redox potentials. However, the cycling stability and rate capability of the Bi anode are restricted by the large volume expansion and sluggish Na/K-storage kinetics. Herein, a structural dimensionality reduction strategy is proposed and developed by converting 2D-layer-structured Bi into a quasi-1D structured NiBi3 with enhanced reaction kinetics and reversibility to realize high-rate and stable cycling performance for Na/K-ion storage. As a proof of concept, the quasi-1D intermetallic NiBi3 with low formation energy, metallic conductivity, and 3D Na/K-ion diffusion pathways delivers outstanding capacity retention of 94.1% (332 mAh g-1 ) after 15 000 cycles for Na-ion storage, and high initial coulombic efficiency of 93.4% with improved capacity retention for K-ion storage. Moreover, investigations on the highly reversible Na/K-storage reaction mechanisms and cycling-driven morphology reconstruction further reveal the origins of the high reversibility and the accommodation to volume expansion. The finding of this work provides a new strategy for high-performance anode design by structural dimensionality manipulation and cycling-driven morphology reconstruction.

Cytomodulin-10 modified GelMA hydrogel with kartogenin for in-situ osteochondral regeneration.

The incidence of osteochondral defect is increasing year by year, but there is still no widely accepted method for repairing the defect. Hydrogels loaded with bioactive molecules have provided promising alternatives for in-situ osteochondral regeneration. Kartogenin (KGN) is an effective and steady small molecule with the function of cartilage regeneration and protection which can be further boosted by TGF-ß. However, the high cost, instability, and immunogenicity of TGF-ß would limit its combined effect with KGN in clinical application. In this study, a composite hydrogel CM-KGN@GelMA, which contained TGF-ß1 analog short peptide cytomodulin-10 (CM-10) and KGN, was fabricated. The results indicated that CM-10 modified on GelMA hydrogels exerted an equivalent role in enhancing chondrogenesis as TGF-ß1, and this effect was also boosted when combined with KGN. Moreover, it was revealed that CM-10 and KGN had a synergistic effect on promoting the chondrogenesis of BMSCs by up-regulating the expression of RUNX1 and SOX9 at both mRNA and protein levels in vitro. Finally, the composite hydrogel exhibited a satisfactory osteochondral defect repair effect in vivo, showing similar structures close to the native tissue. Taken together, this study has revealed that CM-10 may serve as an alternative for TGF-ß1 and can collaborate with KGN to accelerate chondrogenesis, which suggests that the fabricated CM-KGN@GelMA composite hydrogel can be acted as a potential scaffold for osteochondral defect regeneration. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Kartogenin and TGF-ß have shown great value in promoting osteochondral defect regeneration, and their combined application can enhance the effect and show great potential for clinical application. Herein, a functional CM-KGN@GelMA hydrogel was fabricated, which was composed of TGF-ß1 mimicking peptide CM-10 and KGN. CM-10 in hydrogel retained an activity like TGF-ß1 to facilitate BMSC chondrogenesis and exhibited boosting chondrogenesis by up-regulating RUNX1 and SOX9 when being co-applied with KGN. In vivo, the hydrogel promoted cartilage regeneration and subchondral bone reconstruction, showing similar structures as the native tissue, which might be vital in recovering the bio-function of cartilage. Thus, this study developed an effective scaffold and provided a promising way for osteochondral defect repair.

Culicoides jiangchengensis, a new species of the subgenus Sinocoides (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) based on integrative taxonomy from China.

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides are important in both medicine and veterinary medicine because their blood-feeding regime enable them to transmit a variety of pathogens. In this study, the morphological characteristics of the new species of Culicoides (Sinocoides) jiangchengensis Wang et Liu sp. nov are described and compared with the other species of female Culicoides in the subgenus Sinocoides. Three morphological characteristics of C. jiangchengensis, such as without sensory pit in 3rd palpus segment, sensilla coeloconica on flagellomeres 1,9-13, and m1 and m2 cell of the wings with pale spots, were different from the other nine species of culicoides in subgenus Sinocoides. Genetically, C. jiangchengensis are most closely related to C. malipoensis, but they were located in different branches and the minimum interspecific distance between them was 12.6%. In addition, a checklist of 10 species in the subgenus Sinocoides Chu, 1983 (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae: Culicoides) in China, including the new species C. jiangchengensis Wang et Liu sp. nov., is provided, and an updated key to species of the subgenus Sinocoides Chu, 1983 was presented.

Lotus leaf extract can attenuate salpingitis in laying hens by inhibiting apoptosis.

This study aimed to determine whether the lotus leaf extract (LLE) had the effect of treating salpingitis in laying hens. First, the salpingitis model was established by the method of bacterial infection. Differential genes between salpingitis and healthy laying hens were identified by transcriptome sequencing, and GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed. Groups of treatment of antibiotics and LLE were established to verify the feasibility of the lotus leaf extract in treating salpingitis. Furthermore, the active component and pharmacological effects of LLE were identified using the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and network pharmacology technique. At last, the mechanism of LLE treating salpingitis was further evaluated by DF-1 cells infected with bacteria. The results showed that LLE significantly reduced the levels of TLR4 and IFN-γ (P < 0.05), accelerated the levels of IgA and IgG (P < 0.05), regulated the levels of SOD and MDA (P < 0.05) in laying hens with salpingitis. A total of 1,874 differential genes were obtained according to the transcriptome sequencing. It was revealed a significant role in cell cycle and apoptosis by enrichment analysis. In addition, among the 28 components identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, 20 components acted on 58 genes, including CDK1, BIRC5, and CA2 for treating salpingitis. After bacterial infection, cells were damaged and unable to complete the normal progression of the cell cycle, leading to cell cycle arrest and further apoptosis formation. However, with the intervention of LLE, bacterial infection was resisted. The cells proliferation was extensively restored, and the expression of NO was increased. The addition of LLE significantly decreased cell apoptosis. The G1 phase increased, the S phase and the G2 phase decreased in the model group; after the intervention of LLE, the G1 phase gradually returned to the average level, and G2 and S phases increased. The mRNA expression levels of BIRC5, CDK1, and CA2 were consistent with the predicted results in network pharmacology. At the same time, the mRNA expression levels of Caspase-3 and Caspase-7 were reduced after added with LLE. The mRNA expression levels of TNF-α, TRADD, FADD, Caspase-8, Caspase-10, and Caspase-9 (P < 0.05), which would inhibit death receptor activation and decrease the apoptotic cascade, were upregulated after bacterial infection. However, the results in LLE groups were downregulated (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the mRNA expression levels of BCL-2 in LLE groups were increased significantly compared with it in model group (P < 0.05). Notably, LLE administration inhibited apoptosis and regulated the cell cycle distribution in the salpingitis induced by bacterial infection. These results indicated that the LLE attenuated bacterial-induced salpingitis by modulating apoptosis and immune function in laying hens.