High glucose- or AGE-induced oxidative stress inhibits hippocampal neuronal mitophagy through the Keap1-Nrf2-PHB2 pathway in diabetic encephalopathy.

Diabetic encephalopathy (DE) is a severe complication of diabetes, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the roles and underlying mechanisms of high glucose (HG)- and advanced glycosylation end product (AGE)-induced oxidative stress (OS) in the cognitive decline in DE. The DE mouse model was established using a high-fat diet and streptozotocin, and its cognitive functions were evaluated using the Morris Water Maze, novel object recognition, and Y-maze test. The results revealed increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitophagy inhibition, and decreased prohibitin 2 (PHB2) expression in the hippocampal neurons of DE mice and HG- or AGE-treated HT-22 cells. However, overexpression of PHB2 reduced ROS generation, reversed mitophagy inhibition, and improved mitochondrial function in the HG- or AGE-treated HT-22 cells and ameliorated cognitive decline, improved mitochondrial structural damage, and reversed mitophagy inhibition of hippocampal neurons in DE mice. Further analysis revealed that the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1)-nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway was involved in the HG- or AGE-mediated downregulation of PHB2 in HT-22 cells. These results demonstrate that HG- or AGE-induced OS inhibits the mitophagy of hippocampal neurons via the Keap1-Nrf2-PHB2 pathway, thereby contributing to the cognitive decline in DE.

Fission Dynamics of a Ferrofluid Droplet on a Smooth Plate under a Nonuniform Magnetic Field.

A ferrofluid droplet on a plate undergoes interesting fission under a magnetic field. In this article, a recently developed simplified multiphase lattice Boltzmann method coupled with a self-correction solution for the magnetic potential equation is employed to explore this complex flow phenomenon. It is found that the droplet fission follows a four-pattern process under a nonuniform magnetic field. The mechanisms behind this behavior are influenced by the strength and gradient of the magnetic field, surface tension, droplet size, and the wetting boundary condition. These findings provide valuable insights into the application of ferrofluids in droplet microfluidics and contribute to advancements in this field.

The dynamic nexus between economic growth, renewable energy use, urbanization, industrialization, tourism, green supply chain management, and CO2.

Since 2012, China has pursued an "ecological civilization" policy to promote green energy, increase environmental protection, and transition to more sustainable growth models. The complicated positive trends in energy consumption, more sustainable economic growth, and ecological management are obscured by China's persistent, significant dependence on fossil fuels, particularly coal. The study aims to analyze how renewable energy use in China affects carbon dioxide emissions and how those impacts change over time, as well as urbanization, industrialization, tourism, and green supply chain management. The DOLS dynamic system method used historical data from 1995 to 2022. The DOLS results show a positive and statistically significant economic growth coefficient in the long term, suggesting that an increase of only one percent in CO2 emissions rise would be proportional to a surge in economic growth. Furthermore, using renewable energy sources correlates with long-term sustainability negatively and significantly. The results show reducing CO2 emissions and boosting renewable energy use by 1 %. Furthermore, the long-run coefficients for industrialization and urbanization are positive and statistically significant, indicating that a 1 % increase in either component results in a comparable increase in CO2 emissions. Sustainable logistics and tourism have negative and statistically significant coefficients, meaning that a one percent increase will gradually decrease carbon dioxide emissions. The estimated findings hold up when using other estimators, such as the commonly used co-integrating regression (CCR) strategy and fully modified least squares (FMOLS). When Granger causality is coupled, the test also catches the variables' causal link. test. To achieve environmental sustainability, the essay suggests using robust regulatory policy tools to curb ecological deterioration.

SGLT2 inhibitors ameliorate NAFLD in mice via downregulating PFKFB3, suppressing glycolysis and modulating macrophage polarization.

Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor (SGLT2i) is a novel class of anti-diabetic drug, which has displayed a promising benefit for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this study, we investigated the protective effects of SGLT2i against NAFLD and the underlying mechanisms. The db/db mice and western diet-induced NAFLD mice were treated with dapagliflozin (1 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.g.) or canagliflozin (10 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.g.) for 8 weeks. We showed that the SGLT2i significantly improved NAFLD-associated metabolic indexes, and attenuated hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. Notably, SGLT2i reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, downregulated M1 macrophage marker expression and upregulated M2 macrophage marker expression in liver tissues. In cultured mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages and human peripheral blood mononuclear cell-derived macrophages, the SGLT2i (10, 20 and 40 µmol/L) significantly promoted macrophage polarization from M1 to M2 phenotype. RNA sequencing, Seahorse analysis and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the SGLT2i suppressed glycolysis and triggered metabolic reprogramming in macrophages. By using genetic manipulation and pharmacological inhibition, we identified that the SGLT2i targeted PFKFB3, a key enzyme of glycolysis, to modulate the macrophage polarization of M1 to M2 phenotype. Using a co-culture of macrophages with hepatocytes, we demonstrated that the SGLT2i inhibited lipogenesis in hepatocytes via crosstalk with macrophages. In conclusion, this study highlights a potential therapeutic application for repurposing SGLT2i and identifying a potential target PFKFB3 for NAFLD treatment.

Inhibition of colorectal cancer in Alzheimer's disease is mediated by gut microbiota via induction of inflammatory tolerance.

Epidemiological studies have revealed an inverse relationship between the incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and various cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). We aimed to determine whether the incidence of CRC is reduced in AD-like mice and whether gut microbiota confers resistance to tumorigenesis through inducing inflammatory tolerance using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). AD-like mice experienced a significantly decreased incidence of CRC tumorigenesis induced by azoxymethane-dextran sodium sulfate as evidenced by suppressed intestinal inflammation compared with control mice. However, FMT from age-matched control mice reversed the inhibitory effects on the tumorigenesis of CRC and inflammatory response in AD-like mice. The key bacterial genera in gut microbiota, including Prevotella, were increased in both the AD-like mice and in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) but were decreased in patients with CRC. Pretreatment with low-dose Prevotella-derived lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induced inflammatory tolerance both in vivo and in vitro and inhibited CRC tumorigenesis in mice. Imbalanced gut microbiota increased intestinal barrier permeability, which facilitated LPS absorption from the gut into the blood, causing cognitive decline in AD-like mice and patients with aMCI. These data reveal that intestinal Prevotella-derived LPS exerts a resistant effect to CRC tumorigenesis via inducing inflammatory tolerance in the presence of AD. These findings provide biological evidence demonstrating the inverse relationship between the incidence of AD and CRC.

The association between female age and pregnancy outcomes in patients receiving first elective single embryo transfer cycle: a retrospective cohort study.

This study aimed to explore the relationship between female age and pregnancy outcomes in patients undergoing their first elective single embryo transfer (eSET) of in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. The retrospective cohort study encompassed 7089 IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) patients of the Reproductive Medicine Center, Henan Provincial Peoples' Hospital of China, from September 1, 2016, to May 31, 2022. Patients all received the first eSET in their IVF/ICSI cycles. A generalized additive model (GAM) was employed to examine the the dose-response correlation between age and pregnancy outcomes, namely the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and ongoing pregnancy rate (OPR). Logistic regression model was employed to ascertain the correlation between the CPR/OPR and age. The study cohort has an average age of 30.74; 3843 patients got clinical pregnancy rate of 61.40% and ongoing pregnancy rate of 54.21%. The multiple pregnancy rate of is 1.24%. For patients aged 34 and above, the CPR decreased by 10% for every 1-year increase in age (adjusted OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.84-0.96, p < 0.0001). Similarly, the OPR decreased by 16% for every 1-year increase in age (adjusted OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.81-0.88, p < 0.0001). Patients aged 35-37 years had an acceptable OPR of 52.4% after eSET, with a low multiple pregnancy rate (1.1%). Pregnancy outcomes were significantly better in blastocyst cycles compared to cleavage embryo cycles, and this trend was more pronounced in older patients. There was a non-linear relationship between female age and pregnancy outcomes in patients undergoing their first eSET cycles. The clinical pregnancy rate and ongoing pregnancy rate decreased significantly with age, especially in women older than 34 years. For patients under 37 years old, single embryo transfer should be prioritized. For patients over 38 years old with available blastocysts, eSET is also recommended.

Influential factors associated with core competencies of diabetes specialist nurses and correlation with self-directed learning ability: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the current status of the core competencies and self-directed learning ability of diabetes specialist nurses and to explore the relationship between these core competencies and their self-directed learning ability. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey design was used. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted via a web-based questionnaire platform in China from January 14 to April 24, 2023. The survey included a general information questionnaire, a diabetes specialist nurses' core competencies self-assessment scale, and a nursing staff's self-directed learning ability evaluation scale. The data was collected online. Descriptive, correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted using SPSS 26.0 software. RESULTS: 118 diabetes specialist nurses from 11 cities participated in this study. A positive correlation was observed between the core competencies of diabetes specialist nurses and their self-directed learning ability. The characteristics affecting the core competencies of diabetes specialist nurses included age, participation in external learning and communication and self-directed learning. CONCLUSIONS: The training of diabetes specialist nurses can focus on core competencies, and the ability to self-direct learning can be used as an entry point to customize feasible theoretical and practical courses. The training system can further improve diabetes specialist nurses' core competencies and self-directed learning abilities. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: A reference can be established that nursing managers and nursing educators can use to develop training programs for specialist nurses by validating the link between their core competencies and self-directed learning skills. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Participants were involved solely in the data collection process. No participant contributions were required for the study's design, outcome measurement or implementation.

Chemical and structural transformations of lignin in sesame seed hull during roasting.

To investigate the mechanism of lignin degradation during sesame roasting, structural transformations of milled wood lignin (MWL) from sesame seed hull samples roasted at 190-250 °C for 30 min were investigated. The findings revealed that, with increasing temperature, the degradation extent of carbohydrates from lignin carbohydrate complex in the fractions deepened, which reduced total sugar content (from 8.59 % to 0.45 %). Compared to that of the original sesame seed hull lignin (LSSH), the molecular weight of MWL fractions showed a tendency to decline (Mw 4377-2235 Da) with the rise of roasting temperature (210-250 °C). During roasting, lignins in the sesame seed hull underwent degradation and condensation. Due to demethoxylation, the H-type lignin proportion increased from 2.7 % to 26.1 %. Compared to G- and C-type lignin, S-type lignin was more stable. The ß-O-4 linkages decreased from 5.8 to 1.2/100 Ar due to CO bond breaking, and ß-ß linkages from 26.3 to 9.6/100 Ar decreased due to condensation of CC. As the roasting temperature increased, more chemical bonds between lignin structural units were broken, resulting in the generation of more phenolic hydroxyl groups (1.80-2.53 mmol/g). This study helps to elucidate the contribution of lignin degradation during roasting to the oxidative stability of sesame oil.

Revealing brain cell-stratified causality through dissecting causal variants according to their cell-type-specific effects on gene expression.

The human brain has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several complex diseases. Taking advantage of single-cell techniques, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have taken it a step further and revealed brain cell-type-specific functions for disease loci. However, genetic causal associations inferred by Mendelian randomization (MR) studies usually include all instrumental variables from GWAS, which hampers the understanding of cell-specific causality. Here, we developed an analytical framework, Cell-Stratified MR (csMR), to investigate cell-stratified causality through colocalizing GWAS signals with single-cell eQTL from different brain cells. By applying to obesity-related traits, our results demonstrate the cell-type-specific effects of GWAS variants on gene expression, and indicate the benefits of csMR to identify cell-type-specific causal effect that is often hidden from bulk analyses. We also found csMR valuable to reveal distinct causal pathways between different obesity indicators. These findings suggest the value of our approach to prioritize target cells for extending genetic causation studies.

Characteristics of the top 100 cited electroencephalography articles on aging: a bibliometric analysis.

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a widely used tool in neuroscience. To explore the features of the top 100 cited articles related to EEG and aging over the past decade, we conducted a bibliometric analysis using Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) data as of January 21, 2024. The selected top 100 cited papers were analyzed using VOSviewer and Excel. We examined the distribution of publication years, authors, institutions, countries/regions, and journals. Hotspots were identified through keyword analysis. The analyzed articles were published between 2014 and 2021, with the majority being published before 2020 (n=91). Citation counts in WoSCC ranged from 24 to 250, with a median of 40 and a mean of 53. A total of 818 authors from 283 institutions in 35 countries/territories contributed to these top papers. The United States of America (USA) (n=37), Germany (n=14), and Canada (n=11) ranked in the top three in terms of total publications or citations. The predominant journals were in the fields of Neuroscience (n=58), Geriatrics & Gerontology (n=22), Clinical Neurology (n=13), and Anesthesiology (n=9), which published most of the high-quality articles. Key themes included EEG, aging, Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, functional connectivity, and alpha oscillations. Emerging topics included sleep, machine learning, delirium, postoperative cognitive function, virtual reality, monitoring, resting state, coherence, and transcranial direct current stimulation. In conclusion, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the trends in scientific literature on EEG in aging over the past decade. Authors and institutions from North America, Europe, and East Asia led in contributions. Journals focusing on neuroscience, geriatrics, and anesthesiology published the majority of articles. Degenerative neurological diseases and cognitive impairment were prominent topics, suggesting future studies should explore EEG's diagnostic utility for these disorders.

An oncogenic role of lncRNA SNHG1 promotes ATG7 expression and autophagy involving tumor progression and sunitinib resistance of Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a malignant tumor with high incidence in adult kidney. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently been recognized as important regulators in the development of RCC. However, whether lncRNA SNHG1 is associated with RCC progression remains to be elucidated. Here, the role of SNHG1 in RCC autophagy and sunitinib resistance was evaluated. Expression of SNHG1 in RCC tissues and cells was assessed using RT-qPCR. Western blot was utilized to measure the levels of autophagy-related molecules and ATG7. RNA pull-down and RIP assays were performed to confirm the molecular axis between SNHG1/PTBP1/ATG7. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis were analyzed by CCK-8, EdU, transwell and flow cytometry, respectively. The subcellular localization of SNHG1 was determined by an intracellular fractionation assay. The fluorescence intensity of GFP-LC3 autophagosome in RCC cells was detected. IHC staining was performed to test ATG7 expression in tumor tissues from nude mice. Here, a positive correlation of upregulated SNHG1 with poor prognosis of RCC patients was observed in RCC tissues and cells. SNHG1 knockdown suppressed tumor growth and reversed sunitinib resistance and autophagy of RCC cells. Additionally, SNHG1 was found to directly bind to PTBP1, thereby positively regulating ATG7 expression. Furthermore, we verified that SNHG1 mediated the malignant behavior of RCC cells through the PTBP1/ATG7 axis. To sum up, SNHG1 regulates RCC cell autophagy and sunitinib resistance through the PTBP1/ATG7 axis, which highlights a promising therapeutic target for RCC treatment.

Dynamic changes in fungal communities and functions in different air-curing stages of cigar tobacco leaves.

Introduction: Air curing (AC) plays a crucial role in cigar tobacco leaf production. The AC environment is relatively mild, contributing to a diverse microbiome. Fungi are important components of the tobacco and environmental microbiota. However, our understanding of the composition and function of fungal communities in AC remains limited. Methods: In this study, changes in the chemical constituents and fungal community composition of cigar tobacco leaves during AC were evaluated using flow analysis and high-throughput sequencing. Results: The moisture, water-soluble sugar, starch, total nitrogen, and protein contents of tobacco leaves exhibited decreasing trends, whereas nicotine showed an initial increase, followed by a decline. As determined by high-throughput sequencing, fungal taxa differed among all stages of AC. Functional prediction showed that saprophytic fungi were the most prevalent type during the AC process and that the chemical composition of tobacco leaves is significantly correlated with saprophytic fungi. Conclusion: This study provides a deeper understanding of the dynamic changes in fungal communities during the AC process in cigar tobacco leaves and offers theoretical guidance for the application of microorganisms during the AC process.

Long noncoding RNA MEG3 regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis by disrupting microRNA-9-5p-mediated inhibition of NDRG1 in prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNA MEG3 has been described to be involved in the regulation of gene expression and cancer progression. However, the role of lncMEG3 in prostate cancer (PCa) remains largely uncharted. METHODS: Differential expression of lncMEG3 was identified in PCa tissues using RNA-sequencing analysis. qRT-PCR was performed to examine the level of lncMEG3. Additionally, cellular fractionation and fluorescent in situ hybridization techniques were employed to determine the localization. Subsequently, functional assays were conducted to evaluate the impact of lncMEG3 and miR-9-5p on PCa proliferation and apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. The interaction between lncMEG3 and miR-9-5p was confirmed using RNA immunoprecipitation. Moreover, luciferase reporter assays were also utilized to investigate the relationship between miR-9-5p and NDRG1. RESULTS: We observed downregulation of lncMEG3 in PCa cells and tissues. Patients with lower levels of lncMEG3 had a higher likelihood of experiencing biochemical recurrence. Overexpression of lncMEG3 resulted in the inhibition of PCa cell proliferation and the promotion of apoptosis. Moreover, lncMEG3 is competitively bound to miR-9-5p, preventing its inhibitory effect on the target gene NDRG1. This ultimately led to the inhibition of PCa cell proliferation and the promotion of apoptosis. Furthermore, increasing lncMEG3 levels also demonstrated inhibitory effects on PCa proliferation and promotion of apoptosis in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings uncover a crucial role for lncMEG3 in inhibiting PCa proliferation and promoting apoptosis through disruption of miR-9-5p-mediated inhibition of NDRG1.

Circ_0082878 contributes to prostate cancer progression via the miR-455-3p/WTAP axis.

Circ_0082878 has been found to be strongly expressed in prostate cancer (PCa). However, its roles and potential mechanism in PCa have not been investigated. This study aims to clarify it. RNase R digestion method was adopted for verifying the circular structure of circ_0082878. RT-qPCR assay is aimed to detect the expressions of circ_0082878, miR-455-3p and WTAP in PCa tissues and cells. For identifying cell proliferation, migration and invasion abilities, CCK-8 and transwell assay were used. To show the correlation between miR-455-3p and WTAP or circ_0082878, the luciferase reporter gene, RNA RIP and RNA pull-down experiments were employed. We employed western blot to detect protein level of WTAP. In addition, the impact of circ_0082878 on PCa cells in vivo was also studied. It was found that circ_0082878 and WTAP were highly expressed in PCa tissues and cells, whereas miR-455-3p was lowly expressed. Inhibition of circ_0082878 restrained the growth of PCa in vitro and in vivo. Regarding mechanism, miR-455-3p was the target of circ_0082878, and WTAP was the target of miR-455-3p. Circ_0082878 could downregulate the level of miR-455-3p, and inhibiting of miR-455-3p expression could partially eliminate the inhibitory impact of low expression of circ_0082878 on the proliferation and migration of PCa cells. Additionally, over-expression of miR-455-3p resulted in the reduced level of WTAP, and WTAP over-expression counteracted the tumor suppressive impact of miR-455-3p in PCa cells. Moreover, the obtained findings indicated that circ_0082878 may exert tumor-promoting activity in PCa via sponging miR-455-3p and then upregulating WTAP. This indicates that the circ_0082878/miR-455-3p/WTAP axis can probably become the possible therapeutic target for PCa.

Effects of microbial agent and microbial fertilizer input on soil microbial community structure and diversity in a peanut continuous cropping system.

INTRODUCTION: The soil harbors a diverse array of microorganisms, and these are essential components of terrestrial ecosystems. The presence of microorganisms in the soil, particularly in the rhizosphere, is closely linked to plant growth and soil fertility. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study is to assess the potential advantages of integrating microbial inoculants with compound fertilizer in enhancing peanut yield. METHODS: We utilized Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology to conduct our investigation. The experimental design consists of four treatment groups: compound fertilizers (CF), compound fertilizers supplemented with microbial agents (CF + MA), compound fertilizers supplemented with microbial fertilizers (CF + MF), and compound fertilizers supplemented with both microbial agents and microbial fertilizers (CF + MM). RESULTS: The experimental results demonstrated a significant increase in peanut yield upon application of CF + MA, CF + MF, and CF + MM treatments. During the blossom stage and pod-setting stage, the soil's catalase, urease, and acid phosphatase activities were significantly increased in the CF + MA, and CF + MM treatments compared to the CF treatment. The application of CF + MA resulted in an increase in bacterial richness in the rhizosphere soil of peanuts, as indicated by the sequencing results. The application of CF + MA, CF + MF, and CF + MM resulted in a reduction of fungal diversity. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria were the dominant bacterial phyla, while Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the dominant phyla in the fungal component of the rhizosphere soil microbiome across all experimental treatments. CONCLUSION: Microbial agents and fertilizers modify the peanut rhizosphere soil's microbial community structure, as per our findings. The abundance of potentially beneficial bacteria (Bradyrhizobium, Rhizobium, and Burkholderia) and fungi (Trichoderma and Cladophialophora) could increase, while pathogenic fungi (Penicillium and Fusarium) decreased, thereby significantly promoting plant growth and yield of peanut.

Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Boost Tumorigenesis of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma via Exosome-Mediated Paracrine SNHG1.

Despite the dominant roles of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have attached much attention in tumorigenesis, the CAFs-derived molecular determinants that regulate renal cell carcinoma (RCC) development remains elusive. Our previous study uncovered an oncogenic SNHG1 in the immune escape of RCC, whereas CAFs-derived exosomes could be a source accounting for increasing SNHG1 in RCC cells, this is still a mystery. The obtained CAFs and normal fibroblast (NFs) from fresh RCC and adjacent tissues were firstly identified using western blot and immunofluorescent staining. The enrichment of SNHG1 was validated by RT-qPCR. CAFs-derived exosomes were isolated from conditioned medium using ultracentrifugation method and ExoQuick-TC system. The internalization of exosomes, transfer of SNHG1, was measured by immunofluorescence. Regulation of conditioned medium or exosomal SNHG1 from CAFs on RCC biological functions was evaluated by CCK-8, EdU incorporation, colony formation, and transwell assays to assess the RCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. SNHG1 was significantly upregulated in CAFs isolated from RCC stroma. Exosomes derived from CAFs transferred SNHG1 to RCC cells and resulted in an increased SNHG1 expression in RCC cells. The exosomes excreted by CAFs promoted RCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, whereas the promotion effect of CAFs-exosomes on RCC progression was attenuated by SNHG1 knockdown. The present study revealed a new mechanism of exosomal SNHG1 extracted from CAFs enhanced RCC progression and may provide a potential target for the treatment of RCC.

Transcriptome analysis of two tobacco varieties with contrast resistance to Meloidogyne incognita in response to PVY MSNR infection.

Root-knot nematode (RKN) disease is a major disease of tobacco worldwide, which seriously hinders the improvement of tobacco yield and quality. Obvious veinal necrosis-hypersensitive responses are observed only in RKN-resistant lines infected by Potyvirus Y (PVY) MSNR, making this an effective approach to screen for RKN-resistant tobacco. RNA-seq analysis, real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and functional enrichment analysis were conducted to gain insight into the transcription dynamics difference between G28 (RKN-resistant) and CBH (RKN-susceptible) varieties infected with PVY MSNR. Results showed that a total of 7900, 10576, 9921, 11530 and 12531 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the two varieties at 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 d after infection, respectively. DEGs were associated with plant hormone signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and photosynthesis-related metabolic pathways. Additional DEGs related to starch and sucrose metabolism, energy production, and the indole-3-acetic acid signaling pathway were induced in CBH plants after infection. DEGs related to phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, abscisic acid, salicylic acid, brassinosteroids, and jasmonic acid signaling pathway were induced in G28 after infection. Our findings reveal DEGs that may contribute to differences in PVY MSNR resistance among tobacco varieties. These results help us to understand the differences in transcriptional dynamics and metabolic processes between RKN-resistant and RKN-susceptible varieties involved in tobacco-PVY MSNR interaction.

Fabrication of well-dispersed cellulose nanocrystal reinforced biobased epoxy composites using reversibility of covalent adaptable network.

Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) shows great potential in reinforced composites but it is difficult to disperse in epoxy thermosets due to its poor dispersity in epoxy monomers. Herein, we reported a novel approach to disperse CNC in epoxidized soybean oil (ESO)-derived epoxy thermosets uniformly by using the reversibility of dynamic imine-containing ESO-derived covalent adaptable network (CAN). The crosslinked CAN was deconstructed by an exchange reaction with ethylenediamine (EDA) in dimethyl formamide (DMF), leading to a solution of deconstructed CAN with plenty of hydroxyl and amino groups, which could form strong hydrogen bonds with hydroxyl groups of CNC and thus facilitated and stabilized dispersion of CNC in the deconstructed CAN solution. Epoxy composite with well-dispersed CNC was finally achieved by a reformation of CAN through the removal of DMF and EDA. In this way, the epoxy composites with CNC content up to 30 wt% were successfully prepared and showed drastically reinforced mechanical properties. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of the CAN were improved by up to ∼70 % and ∼45 times with the incorporation of 20 and 30 wt% CNC, respectively. The composites showed excellent reprocessability without significant loss in mechanical properties after reprocessing.

Stereoselective behaviors and enantiomeric effects of paclobutrazol on microorganisms during Chinese cabbage pickling process.

Studies on the differences between chiral pesticide enantiomers have caused widespread concern in the last decade. In the current work, the selective behaviors and different biological activities of paclobutrazol enantiomers during Chinese cabbage pickling process were evaluated. Results of degradation kinetics indicated that when paclobutrazol reside in raw material (Chinese cabbage) and was introduced into the pickling process, the degradation rates of the two paclobutrazol enantiomers were significantly different, the half-lives of (2R, 3R)-paclobutrazol (R-paclobutrazol) and (2S, 3S)-paclobutrazol (S-paclobutrazol) were 18.24 and 6.19 d, respectively. Besides, the conversion between the two enantiomers could also be observed, and the conversion rate of R-paclobutrazol to S-paclobutrazol was slower than that of reverse process. In addition, from the analysis of 16S rRNA and ITS sequencing, we inferred that the degradation of paclobutrazol was probably due to the presence of Pseudomonas and Serratia. Moreover, there has a significant difference in biological activity between R-paclobutrazol and S-paclobutrazol and shown an obviously enantiomeric effects on microbial community composition of pickling system. Besides, the analysis of microbial community displayed R-paclobutrazol might inhibit the growth of Erwinia (a sort of plant pathogens). Results from this study served to enhance our understanding of chiral pesticide residues on food safety and the potential risks to human health.