Activated Carbon Derived from Waste Oil Shale Semi-Coke for Supercapacitor Application.

As fossil fuels gradually deplete, oil shale, one of the world's largest energy resources, has attracted much attention. Oil shale semi-coke (OSS) is the main byproduct of oil shale pyrolysis, which is produced in large quantities and causes severe environmental pollution. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore a method suitable for the sustainable and effective utilization of OSS. In this study, OSS was used to prepare activated carbon by microwave-assisted separation and chemical activation, which was then applied in the field of supercapacitors. Raman, XRD, FT-IR, TEM, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption were adopted to characterize activated carbon. The results showed that ACF activated with FeCl3-ZnCl2/carbon as a precursor has larger specific surface area, suitable pore size, and higher degree of graphitization compared with the materials prepared by other activation methods. The electrochemical properties of several active carbon materials were also evaluated by CV, GCD, and EIS measurements. The specific surface area of ACF is 1478 m2 g-1, when the current density is 1 A g-1, the specific capacitance is 185.0 F g-1. After 5000 cycles of testing, the capacitance retention rate was as high as 99.5%, which is expected to provide a new strategy of converting waste products to low-cost activated carbon materials for high-performance supercapacitors.

[Role of autophagy in cadmium-induced damage to the blood-testis barrier in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of autophagy in cadmium chloride (CdCl2)-induced damage to the blood-testis barrier (BTB) in mice. METHODS: Twenty four-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups and intraperitoneally injected with CdCl2 at 0 mg/kg/d (the control), 0.5 mg/kg/d (low-dose), 1.0 mg/kg/d (medium-dose) and 2.0 mg/kg/d (high-dose) respectively for 28 consecutive days. Then the morphological changes of the testis tissue was observed by HE staining, the integrity of BTB measured with the biotracer, and the expressions of the BTB components ZO-1 and N-Cadherin proteins detected by Western blot. The TM4 Sertoli cells were treated with CdCl2at 0, 2.5, 5 and 10 µmol/L respectively for 24 hours, followed by determination of the expression levels of ZO-1 and N-Cadherin as well as the autophagy-related proteins LC3II and p62. Then the cells were again treated with CdCl2 in the presence of the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) at 5 µmol/L or the autophagy inducer rapamycin (Rap) at 50 nmol/L for 24 hours, followed by measurement of the expressions of LC3II, p62, ZO-1 and N-Cadherin by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the cadmium-exposed mice showed increased interstitial space in the seminiferous tubules, formation of intracellular cavitation in the germ cells with decreased layers and disordered arrangement, and damaged integrity of the BTB. The expressions of the ZO-1 and N-Cadherin proteins were significantly down-regulated in the testis tissue of the mice in the medium- and high-dose CdCl2 groups (P < 0.05), and even more significantly in the CdCl2-exposed cells in comparison with those in the control mice (P < 0.01), while the expressions of the LC3II and p62 proteins were remarkably up-regulated (P < 0.05). The expressions of ZO-1, N-Cadherin, LC3II and p62 were also up-regulated in the cells co-treated with CQ and CdCl2 (P < 0.01), those of ZO-1, N-Cadherin and p62 down-regulated (P< 0.05) and that of LC3II up-regulated (P < 0.05) in the cells co-treated with Rap and CdCl2. CONCLUSION: CdCl2 can damage the integrity of the mouse BTB, which may be attributed to its ability to enhance the autophagy in Sertoli cells and regulate the expressions of BTB proteins.

[Terpinen-4-ol inhibits proliferation of VSMCs exposed to high glucose via regulating KLF4/NF-κB signaling pathway].

This study aimed to observe the effect of terpinen-4-ol(T4O) on the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs) exposed to high glucose(HG) and reveal the mechanism via the Krüppel-like factor 4(KLF4)/nuclear factor kappaB(NF-κB) signaling pathway. The VSMCs were first incubated with T4O for 2 h and then cultured with HG for 48 h to establish the model of inflammatory injury. The proliferation, cell cycle, and migration rate of VSMCs were examined by MTT method, flow cytometry, and wound healing assay, respectively. The content of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin(IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α) in the supernatant of VSMCs was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA), Cyclin D1, KLF4, NF-κB p-p65/NF-κB p65, IL-1ß, and IL-18. The KLF4 expression in VSMCs was silenced by the siRNA technology, and then the effects of T4O on the cell cycle and protein expression of the HG-induced VSMCs were observed. The results showed that different doses of T4O inhibited the HG-induced proliferation and migration of VSMCs, increased the percentage of cells in G_1 phase, and decreased the percentage of cells in S phase, and down-regulated the protein levels of PCNA and Cyclin D1. In addition, T4O reduced the HG-induced secretion and release of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α and down-regulated the expression of KLF4, NF-κB p-p65/NF-κB p65, IL-1ß, and IL-18. Compared with si-NC+HG, siKLF4+HG increased the percentage of cells in G_1 phase, decreased the percentage of cells in S phase, down-regulated the expression of PCNA, Cyclin D1, and KLF4, and inhibited the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. Notably, the combination of silencing KLF4 with T4O treatment further promoted the changes in the above indicators. The results indicate that T4O may inhibit the HG-induced proliferation and migration of VSMCs by down-regulating the level of KLF4 and inhibiting the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway.

SCUBE3 downregulation modulates hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting CCNE1 via TGFß/PI3K/AKT/GSK3ß pathway.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to verify the role of signal peptide-CUB-EGF-like domain-containing protein3 (SCUBE3) in the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. METHODS: The role of SCUBE3 in HCC cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle in vitro were detected using MTT assay, colony formation assay, 5-ethynyl-2´-deoxyuridine assay (EDU), Celigo cell counting assay, Caspase3/7 activity assay, and flow cytometry. The effect of SCUBE3 on HCC cell proliferation in vivo was inspected by a xenograft tumour model in nude mice. The related mechanisms were further studied. RESULTS: The level of SCUBE3 was upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of SCUBE3 inhibited proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and induced cell cycle arrest in HCC cell lines in vitro and in vivo. Screening of cell cycle-related proteins revealed that CCNL2, CDK6, CCNE1, and CCND1 exhibited a significantly different expression profile. We found that SCUBE3 may promote the proliferation of HCC cells by regulating CCNE1 expression. The pathway enrichment analysis showed that the TGFß signalling pathway and the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway were significantly altered. Co-immunoprecipitation results showed that SCUBE3 binds to the TGFßRII receptor. SCUBE3 knockdown inhibited the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway and the phosphorylation of GSK3ß to inhibit its kinase activity. CONCLUSIONS: SCUBE3 promotes HCC development by regulating CCNE1 via TGFß/PI3K/AKT/GSK3ß pathway. In addition, SCUBE3 may be a new molecular target for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of HCC.

Gamma-Irradiation-Induced Degradation of the Water-Soluble Polysaccharide from Auricularia polytricha and Its Anti-Hypercholesterolemic Activity.

The water-soluble polysaccharides (APPs) isolated from the edible mushroom Auricularia polytricha were irradiated by γ-ray at doses of 10, 100, and 1000 kGy. The effect of gamma irradiation on the degradation of the polysaccharide was investigated. After irradiation treatment, the viscosity and molecular weight of APPs decreased with the increase in the irradiation dose. The changes in the enthalpy of APPs after irradiation treatment were observed. Meanwhile, SEM showed that R-APPs were crushed into fragments and the surfaces became smooth and wrinkled after irradiation. In further spectrum analysis, it was found that the glycoside bonds of the polysaccharides were broken and accompanied by the formation of double bonds. This suggested that gamma irradiation could cause the depolymerization and oxidation of polysaccharides. In addition, irradiated APPs could reduce the body weight of hyperlipidemia mice. The levels of serum and liver TC, TG, and serum LDH-c significantly decreased in hyperlipidemia mice after treatment by irradiated APPs. It indicated that gamma irradiation significantly improved the anti-hypolipidemic activity of APPs. The relationship between the physicochemical properties and hypolipidemic activity of polysaccharides was interpreted, which provides a theoretical basis for the further development of APP products. Gamma irradiation is a viable technology for macromolecular modification for degradation.

Evaluation of Two Major Rhodiola Species and the Systemic Changing Characteristics of Metabolites of Rhodiola crenulata in Different Altitudes by Chemical Methods Combined with UPLC-QqQ-MS-Based Metabolomics.

Rhodiola species have a long history of use in traditional medicine in Asian and European countries and have been considered to possess resistance to the challenges presented by extreme altitudes. However, the influence of different Rhodiola species on quality is unclear, as well as the influence of altitude on phytochemicals. In this study, the phenolic components and antioxidant abilities of two major Rhodiola species are compared, namely Rhodiolacrenulata and Rhodiola rosea, and the metabolomes of Rhodiolacrenulata from two representative elevations of 2907 and 5116 m are analyzed using a UPLC-QqQ-MS-based metabolomics approach. The results show that the phenolic components and antioxidant activities of Rhodiolacrenulata are higher than those of Rhodiola rosea, and that these effects in the two species are positively correlated with elevation. Here, 408 metabolites are identified, of which 178 differential metabolites (128 upregulated versus 50 downregulated) and 19 biomarkers are determined in Rhodiola crenulata. Further analysis of these differential metabolites showed a significant upregulation of flavonoids, featuring glucosides, the enhancement of the phenylpropanoid pathway, and the downregulation of hydrolyzed tannins in Rhodiola crenulata as elevation increased. Besides, the amino acids of differential metabolites were all upregulated as the altitude increased. Our results contribute to further exploring the Rhodiola species and providing new insights into the Rhodiola crenulata phytochemical response to elevation.

Ultrasensitive Photoelectrochemical Biosensor Based on DNA Tetrahedron as Nanocarrier for Efficient Immobilization of CdTe QDs-Methylene Blue as Signal Probe with Near-Zero Background Noise.

Usually, photoelectrochemical (PEC) assays were devoted to the direct modification of photoactive materials on sensing interface, thereby producing high initial signal and unneglected background noise, which could further result in low sensitivity and restricted detection limit during the detection of targets. In this work, a PEC biosensor with near-zero background noise was established for ultrasensitive microRNA-141 (miRNA-141) detection based on DNA tetrahedron (TET) as nanocarrier for efficient immobilization of CdTe quantum dots (QDs)-Methylene Blue (MB) (TET-QDs-MB complex) as signal probe. First, CdTe QDs as PEC signal indicator was bound to the TET through DNA hybridizations. Then, massive MB as PEC signal enhancer was attached to DNA duplex of the TET immobilized with CdTe QDs via intercalation. Thereafter, the as-prepared TET-QDs-MB complex was considered as an efficient PEC signal probe owing to its excellent photovoltaic properties, thereby avoiding direct modification of photoactive materials on sensing interface and producing a near-zero background noise to improve the sensitivity of this PEC biosensor. Besides, the detection sensitivity could be further improved with the help of the duplex specific nuclease (DSN) enzyme-assisted target cycling amplification strategy. The proposed PEC biosensor performs a wide linear range from 50 aM to 50 pM with a low detection limit of 17 aM for miRNA-141, paving a new and promising horizon for highly accurate and ultrasensitive monitoring of multifarious analytes such as proteins, DNAs, and miRNAs in bioanalysis and disease diagnosis.

Terahertz nonreciprocal isolator based on a magneto-optical microstructure at room temperature.

We investigated THz nonreciprocal circularly polarized transmission in thin longitudinally magnetized InSb film, especially focusing on its non-eigen nonreciprocal transmission mechanism at room temperature. Then, based on this effect, we presented a THz isolator for linear polarized waves. The nonreciprocal transmission of the InSb film in this device is converted and enhanced by a pair of orthogonal artificial birefringence gratings. After the optimization, the isolation reaches 24 dB, and the insertion loss is <0.5 dB at room temperature and a low magnetic field.

Comparative mitogenomics reveals large-scale gene rearrangements in the mitochondrial genome of two Pleurotus species.

In the present study, we assembled the mitogenomes of Pleurotus citrinopileatus and Pleurotus platypus. The circular mitogenome of the two Pleurotus species comprises a set of 14 conserved protein-encoding genes (PEGs), 2 RNA genes (small subunit ribosomal RNA and large subunit ribosomal RNA), and 24 tRNAs, with sizes of 60,694 and 73,807 bp, respectively. They contain 4 and 10 introns with 3 and 10 intronic open reading frames (ORFs), respectively. Thirteen position classes (Pcls) of introns were found in the cox1 gene of four Pleurotus species. The number and class of Pcl varied among different Pleurotus species, indicating that numerous events of loss and gain occurred during evolution of Pleurotus. Comparative mitogenomic and collinearity analyses reveal that large-scale gene rearrangements may have occurred during the evolution of Pleurotus citrinopileatus and Pleurotus platypus, including gene rearrangements and inversions, which may be related to the observed high amounts of repetitive DNA elements (5.62 and 5.45%, respectively). Phylogenetic analysis based on concatenated mitochondrial protein sequences reveals that concatenated mitochondrial genes are suitable as molecular markers for phylogenetic analysis. This serves as the first report on large-scale rearrangements in the mitochondria of the genus Pleurotus, thereby improving our understanding of the evolution of the Pleurotus genus and other macrofungi.

Ectomycorrhization of Tricholoma matsutake with Quercus aquifolioides affects the endophytic microbial community of host plant.

Tricholoma matsutake (S. Ito et Imai) is an ectomycorrhizal basidiomycete associated with Pinaceae and Fagaceae trees in the Northern Hemisphere. It is still unknown whether the symbiotic relationship with this ectomycorrhiza could affect the host plant's endophytic microbial community. In this study, we used high throughput sequencing to analyze the endophytic microbial communities of different Quercus aquifolioides tissues with or without T. matsutake partner. About 35,000 clean reads were obtained per sample, representing 34 bacterial phyla and 7 fungal phyla. We observed 3980 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of bacteria and 457 OTUs of fungi at a 97% similarity level. Three bacterial phyla, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, and the fungal phylum Ascomycota were dominant in all tissues. The relative abundance of these taxa differed significantly between Q. aquifolioides tissues with and without T. matsutake partner (p < 0.05). The bacterial genus Pseudomonas and the fungal genus Cryptosporiopsis were more abundant in mycorrhized roots than in control roots. This study showed that the community structure and dominant species of endophytic microbial communities in Q. aquifolioides tissues might be altered by colonization with T. matsutake. This work provides a new insight into the interactions between ectomycorrhizal fungus and host plant.

Soil microbial communities of three major Chinese truffles in southwest China.

Tuber pseudoexcavatum, Tuber sinoaestivum, and Tuber indicum are the 3 most important truffles growing in southeast China; however, their cultivation is still inefficient owing to the lack of understanding regarding the composition and function of the bacterial and fungal communities from the soils around the fruit bodies and the ectomycorrhiza of these truffles. The aim of this study was to disclose the microbial communities in truffle-producing soils in Huidong County, Sichuan, China, by using barcoded pyrosequencing. Approximately 350 000 quality-controlled sequences were obtained and grouped into 14 025 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and 4385 fungal OTUs, which included 29 bacterial and 7 fungal phyla, respectively. The bacterial genus Acidobacterium and fungal genera Modicella, Pseudogymnoascus, and Mortierella were significantly more abundant in the control soils than in the truffle-producing soils (P < 0.05), while the bacterial genus Sphingomonas (Alphaproteobacteria) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal genus Glomus were significantly enriched in truffle-producing soil than in the control (P < 0.05), indicating their different roles within truffle grounds. Notably, some nonfungal organisms detected by 18S rDNA pyrosequencing were of high abundance, among which Cercozoa and Ochrophyta were significantly (P < 0.05) more abundant in truffle soils than in control soils, indicating their interactions with truffles.

[Berberine inhibited apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells induced by Staphylocoocus aureus: an experimental research].

OBJECTIVE: To study the inhibition of berberine (BBR) against ECV-304 apoptosis induced by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). METHODS: ECV-304 cells were pre-treated with 128 microg/mL BBR for 2 h and then S. aureus was added (1:100). The viability of cells was detected by MTT (3-4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. The morphological changes were observed by Hoechst 33258 staining. The protection of BBR for infected cells was detected by DNA Ladder. RESULTS: ECV-304 cells' viability were not obviously affected by berberine. But S. aureus induced ECV-304 cells' viability could be significantly inhibited by pre-treatment of BBR (P < 0.05). Besides S. aureus-induced ECV-304 apoptosis could be reduced, with significantly lessened apoptotic body and unobvious DNA degradation. CONCLUSION: BBR could significantly inhibit S. aureus induced ECV-304 apoptosis.

Exploring Nutrient Profiles, Phytochemical Composition, and the Antiproliferative Activity of Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma leucocontextum: A Comprehensive Comparative Study.

Ganoderma, often hailed as a holistic "health package", comprises an array of nutritional components and active compounds, contributing to its esteemed status in the realm of healthy foods. In this study, a comprehensive analysis was performed to elucidate the diverse nutritional profiles, bioactive components, and antiproliferative activities between two Ganoderma species: G. lucidum (GLU) and G. leucocontextum (GLE). The results showed that GLE possessed a higher level of nutritional constituents, except for dietary fiber. Fatty acid analysis revealed comparable profiles rich in unsaturated fatty acids for both species. The ethanol extract of GLU and GLE exhibited potent antioxidant capabilities and remarkable inhibition of tumor cell proliferation via apoptosis induction, with greater potency in GLE. The heightened triterpene levels in GLE potentially contribute to its augmented antitumoral effects. The exploration emphasized the significance of comprehending the varied chemical compositions of Ganoderma species, providing insights into their potential health benefits applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Medium composition optimization and characterization of polysaccharides extracted from Ganoderma boninense along with antioxidant activity.

Ganoderma is a well-known medicinal macrofungal genus, of which several species have been thoroughly studied from the medicinal perspective, but most species are rarely involved in. In this study, we focus on the polysaccharides extracted from Ganoderma boninense and their antioxidant activity. Ganoderma boninense is a serious pathogen of oil palms that are cultivated commercially in Southeast Asia. Response surface methodology was conducted to optimize the liquid medium composition, and the mycelia biomass reached 7.063 g/L, that is, 1.4-fold compared with the seed medium. The crude and purified polysaccharides extracted from the fermentation broth showed well 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical scavenging abilities, and the scavenging abilities of purified polysaccharides reached 94.47 % and 99.88 %, respectively. Six fractions of polysaccharides were extracted and purified from fruiting bodies, mycelia and fermentation broth separately with the elution buffers of distilled water and 0.1 M NaCl solution. Generally, the polysaccharides from fruiting bodies showed stronger protective effect on H2O2-induced HepG2 cell oxidative damage than other fractions. A total of five to seven monosaccharides were identified in the six fractions of polysaccharides. The correlation analysis revealed that the content of fucose was significantly correlated with the antioxidant activity of polysaccharides, while xylose showed negative correlation results. In summary, the polysaccharides from G. boninense have a potential to be used as natural antioxidants.

Enhancing the potential of rapeseed cake as protein-source food by γ-irradiation.

Rapeseed cake serves as a by-product in the oil extraction industry, characterized by its elevated protein content. However, the presence of antinutritional factors limits the utilization of rapeseed cake as a viable protein source. In this study, different doses of γ-irradiation were used to irradiate rapeseed cake and rapeseed protein isolate was extracted through a modified alkaline solution and acid precipitation method from rapeseed cake. The chemical composition and in vivo acute toxicity of rapeseed protein isolate were determined. The protein recovery rate of rapeseed protein isolate was 39.08 ± 3.01% after irradiation, while the content of antinutritional factors was significantly reduced. Moreover, γ-irradiation did not have any experimentally related effects on clinical observations or clinicopathology in mice. Overall, the reduced antinutrients and increased functional properties suggest that the irradiation of rapeseed cake (<9 kGy) could be utilized as a pre-treatment in the development of rapeseed cake-based value-added protein products.

Maitake Medicinal Mushroom, Grifola frondosa (Agaricomycetes), and Its Neurotrophic Properties: A Mini-Review.

Neurodegeneration is one of the most common manifestations in an aging population. The occurrence of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are the main contributors to the phenomenon. Neurologic conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are challenging to treat due to their irreversible manner as well as the lack of effective treatment. Grifola frondosa (Dicks.: Fr.) S.F. Gray, or maitake mushroom, is believed to be a potential choice as a therapeutic agent for neurodegenerative diseases. G. frondosa is known to be a functional food that has a wide variety of medicinal purposes. Thus, this review emphasizes the neuroprotective effects and the chemical composition of G. frondosa. Various studies have described that G. frondosa can protect and proliferate neuronal cells through neurogenesis, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-ß-amyloid activities. The mechanism of action behind these therapeutic findings in various in vitro and in vivo models has also been intensively studied. In this mini review, we also summarized the chemical composition of G. frondosa to provide a better understanding of the presence of nutritional compounds in G. frondosa.

Transcriptome analysis reveals insight into the protective effect of N-acetylcysteine against cadmium toxicity in Ganoderma lucidum (Polyporales: Polyporaceae).

Ganoderma lucidum is widely cultivated and used as traditional medicine in China and other Asian countries. As a member of macrofungi, Ganoderma lucidum is also prone to bioaccumulation of cadmium and other heavy metals in a polluted environment, which affects the growth and production of Ganoderma lucidum, as well as human health. N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) is considered a general antioxidant and free radical scavenger that is involved in the regulation of various stress responses in plants and animals. However, whether NAC could regulate cadmium stress responses in macrofungi, particularly edible fungi, is still unknown. In this work, we found that the exogenous NAC could alleviate Cd-induced growth inhibition and reduce the cadmium accumulation in Ganoderma lucidum. The application of the NAC cloud also inhibit cadmium-induced H2O2 production in the mycelia. By using transcriptome analysis, 2920 and 1046 differentially expressed unigenes were identified in "Cd100 vs CK" and "NAC_Cd100 vs Cd100," respectively. These differential unigenes were classified into a set of functional categories and pathways, which indicated that various biological pathways may play critical roles in the protective effect of NAC against Cd­induced toxicity in Ganoderma lucidum. Furthermore, it suggested that the ATP-binding cassette transporter, ZIP transporter, heat shock protein, glutathione transferases, and Cytochrome P450 genes contributed to the increased tolerance to cadmium stress after NAC application in Ganoderma lucidum. These results provide new insight into the physiological and molecular response of Ganoderma lucidum to cadmium stress and the protective role of NAC against cadmium toxicity.

The complete mitochondrial genome of leafhopper Atkinsoniella nigrita (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) with the shortest 12S rRNA and longest tRNA-Lys of the Atkinsoniella genus.

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the leafhopper Atkinsoniella nigrita Zhang & Kuoh, 1993 was determined in this study. The entire sequence was 16,011 base pairs (bp) in length. The new mitogenome consists of a typical set of genes: 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and one control region of 1720 bp in length. The base composition of the mitogenome was A = 41.7%, T = 38.2%, C = 10.7%, and G = 9.4%. This is the classical structure for most insect mitogenomes without any gene arrangement observed. Compared with other known mitochondrial genomes of 15 Atkinsoniella species, the new mitogenome with three PCGs (ND2, ND5, and ND4L) shared the same gene base length, start codon and stop codon, and the shortest 12S rRNA (729 bp) and the longest tRNA-Lys (73 bp) within the genus Atkinsoniella. A phylogenetic analysis of 31 Cicadellinae and two Ledrinae concatenated sequences of 13 PCGs of their mitogenomes using Bayesian inference (BI) revealed that A. nigrita belongs to the genus Atkinsoniella with strong nodal support (BI posterior probability = 1).

A systematic review of the safety of tirzepatide-a new dual GLP1 and GIP agonist - is its safety profile acceptable?

Aims: Tirzepatide is a novel dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA). At present, there is no controversy over its effectiveness, but its safety. We conducted a systematic review to assess the safety of tirzepatide. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of tirzepatide from databases inception to August 28, 2022 and used the Cochrane Systematic Assessment Manual Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (version 5.1) and modified Jadad scale to assess risk of bias. The systematic review was conducted via Revman5.4. Results: Nine RCTs with a total of 9818 patients were included. The overall safety profile of tirzepatide is similar to GLP-1RAs, except for the hypoglycemia (tirzepatide 15mg, pooled RR=3.83, 95% CI [1.19- 12.30], P=0.02) and discontinuation (tirzepatide 10mg, pooled RR=1.75,95%CI[1.16-2.63], P=0.007 and 15mg, pooled RR=2.03, 95%CI [1.37-3.01], P=0.0004). It also showed that the dose escalation could not rise the occurrence rates of total, severe, gastrointestinal adverse events and hypoglycemia (P>0.05); Compared with 5mg, tirzepatide 10mg and 15mg were associated with more frequent nausea (P<0.001), discontinuation (P<0.05) and injection-site reaction (P<0.01); The rates of vomiting and diarrhea were dose-dependence at the range of 5-15mg. Conclusion: The safety profile of tirzepatide is generally acceptable, similar to GLP-1 RAs. It is necessary to pay attention to its specific adverse events (hypoglycemia and discontinuation) at high doses (10mg or higher). Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, discontinuation and injection-site reaction were dose-dependence among specific dose ranges.As the heterogeneity in different studies by interventions, the results may be with biases and the further confirmation is needed. Meanwhile, more well-designed trials are needed to control the confounding factors and ensure adequate sample size.

Design and Experiment Investigation on Soft Grippers with Modular Variable Stiffness Structure.

Soft grippers have good adaptability and flexibility for grasping irregular or fragile objects, and to further enhance their stiffness, soft grippers with variable stiffness have been developed. However, existing soft grippers with variable stiffness have the disadvantages of complex structure and poor interchangeability. Here, a soft gripper with modular variable stiffness is proposed that has flexible Velcro embedded in the bottom layer of the soft actuator and one side of the variable stiffness cavity respectively, and both the general and variable stiffness grasping modes are achieved by separation or combination. First of all, according to the neo-Hookean model and the assumption of constant curvature, a free bending model of the soft actuator is established and optimal structural parameters of the soft actuator are obtained by the Genetic Algorithm. Then, influence of the driving pressure on the soft actuator stiffness is investigated, and a mathematical model of the variable stiffness is established. Finally, correctness of the statics model and the stiffness model were verified by experiments. Experimental results indicate that the proposed soft gripper with modular variable stiffness structure has excellent adaptability and stability to different objects, outstanding load bearing capacity, and stiffness adjustment capability.