Cross-modal coherent registration of whole mouse brains.

Recent whole-brain mapping projects are collecting large-scale three-dimensional images using modalities such as serial two-photon tomography, fluorescence micro-optical sectioning tomography, light-sheet fluorescence microscopy, volumetric imaging with synchronous on-the-fly scan and readout or magnetic resonance imaging. Registration of these multi-dimensional whole-brain images onto a standard atlas is essential for characterizing neuron types and constructing brain wiring diagrams. However, cross-modal image registration is challenging due to intrinsic variations of brain anatomy and artifacts resulting from different sample preparation methods and imaging modalities. We introduce a cross-modal registration method, mBrainAligner, which uses coherent landmark mapping and deep neural networks to align whole mouse brain images to the standard Allen Common Coordinate Framework atlas. We build a brain atlas for the fluorescence micro-optical sectioning tomography modality to facilitate single-cell mapping, and used our method to generate a whole-brain map of three-dimensional single-neuron morphology and neuron cell types.

Predicting Quercus gilva distribution dynamics and its response to climate change induced by GHGs emission through MaxEnt modeling.

Quercus gilva, an evergreen tree species in Quercus section Cyclobalanopsis, is an ecologically and economically valuable species in subtropical regions of East Asia. Predicting the impact of climate change on potential distribution of Q. gilva can provide a scientific basis for the conservation and utilization of its genetic resources, as well as for afforestation. In this study, 74 distribution records of Q. gilva and nine climate variables were obtained after data collection and processing. Current climate data downloaded from WorldClim and future climate data predicted by four future climate scenarios (2040s SSP1-2.6, 2040s SSP5-8.5, 2060s SSP1-2.6, and 2060s SSP5-8.5) mainly based on greenhouse gases emissions of distribution sites were used in MaxEnt model with optimized parameters to predict distribution dynamics of Q. gilva and its response to climate change. The results showed that the predicted current distribution was consistent with natural distribution of Q. gilva, which was mainly located in Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guizhou, and Taiwan provinces of China, as well as Japan and Jeju Island of South Korea. Under current climate conditions, precipitation factors played a more significant role than temperature factors on distribution of Q. gilva, and precipitation of driest quarter (BIO17) is the most important restriction factor for its current distribution (contribution rate of 57.35%). Under future climate conditions, mean temperature of driest quarter (BIO9) was the essential climate factor affecting future change in potential distribution of Q. gilva. As the degree of climatic anomaly increased in the future, the total area of predicted distribution of Q. gilva showed a shrinking trend (decreased by 12.24%-45.21%) and Q. gilva would migrate to high altitudes and latitudes. The research results illustrated potential distribution range and suitable climate conditions of Q. gilva, which can provide essential theoretical references for the conservation, development, and utilization of Q. gilva and other related species.

LPLUNC1 reduces glycolysis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells through the PHB1-p53/c-Myc axis.

Cancer cells prefer glycolysis to support their proliferation. Our previous studies have shown that the long palate, lung, and nasal epithelial cell clone 1 (LPLUNC1) can upregulate prohibitin 1 (PHB1) expression to inhibit the proliferation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells. Given that PHB1 is an important regulator of cell energy metabolism, we explored whether and how LPLUNC1 regulated glucose glycolysis in NPC cells. LPLUNC1 or PHB1 overexpression decreased glycolysis and increased oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)-related protein expression in NPC cells, promoting phosphorylated PHB1 nuclear translocation through 14-3-3σ. LPLUNC1 overexpression also increased p53 but decreased c-Myc expression in NPC cells, which were crucial for the decrease in glycolysis and increase in OXPHOS-related protein expression induced by LPLUNC1 overexpression. Finally, we found that treatment with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) reduced the viability and clonogenicity of NPC cells, decreased glycolysis, and increased OXPHOS-related protein expression by enhancing LPLUNC1 expression in NPC cells. Therefore, the LPLUNC1-PHB1-p53/c-Myc axis decreased glycolysis in NPC cells, and ATRA upregulated LPLUNC1 expression, ATRA maybe a promising drug for the treatment of NPC.

Genome-wide analysis of UDP-glycosyltransferase gene family and identification of a flavonoid 7-O-UGT (AhUGT75A) enhancing abiotic stress in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.).

BACKGROUND: Glycosylation, catalyzed by UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT), was important for enhancing solubility, bioactivity, and diversity of flavonoids. Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important oilseed and cash crop worldwide. In addition to provide high quality of edible oils and proteins, peanut seeds contain a rich source of flavonoid glycosides that benefit human health. However, information of UGT gene family was quite limited in peanut. RESULTS: In present study, a total of 267 AhUGTs clustered into 15 phylogenetic groups were identified in peanut genome. Group I has greatly expanded to contain the largest number of AhUGT genes. Segmental duplication was the major driving force for AhUGT gene family expansion. Transcriptomic analysis of gene expression profiles in various tissues and under different abiotic stress treatments indicated AhUGTs were involved in peanut growth and abiotic stress response. AhUGT75A (UGT73CG33), located in mitochondria, was characterized as a flavonoid 7-O-UGT by in vitro enzyme assays. The transcript level of AhUGT75A was strongly induced by abiotic stress. Overexpression of AhUGT75A resulted in accumulating less amount of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide, and enhancing tolerance against drought and/or salt stress in transgenic Arabidopsis. These results indicated AhUGT75A played important roles in conferring abiotic stress tolerance through reactive oxygen species scavenging. CONCLUSIONS: Our research only not provides valuable information for functional characterization of UGTs in peanut, but also gives new insights into potential applications in breeding new cultivars with both desirable stress tolerance and health benefits.

Comparison between the stem and leaf photosynthetic productivity in Eucalyptus urophylla plantations with different age.

MAIN CONCLUSION: We developed a more realistic modeling framework by integrating stem photosynthesis into the canopy carbon assimilation model to compare the photosynthetic productivity between the stem and leaf of Eucalyptus urophylla plantations. Stems of Eucalyptus species with smooth outer bark have photosynthetic green tissue that can recycle internal stem CO2. However, the potential contribution of stem photosynthesis to forest productivity has not previously been adequately quantified, and we also do not know how it compares to leaf photosynthetic productivity. To assist in addressing this knowledge gap, we conducted field surveys in Eucalyptus urophylla plantations of different ages and developed a more realistic modeling framework by integrating stem photosynthesis into the existing canopy carbon assimilation model. We calculated the proportion of tree stems shaded by neighboring tree trunks based on Poisson spatial point process. Under the stand density of 2000 trees per hectare, the light absorption area of tree trunks of 2-year-old and 7-year-old E. urophylla plantations were 0.11 (± 0.15) and 0.35 (± 0.12) m2 stem m-2 land, the stem photosynthetic productivity (GPPstem) was 0.72 (± 0.45) and 1.81 (± 1.12) mol C m-2 month-1, and the ratios of GPPstem to leaf photosynthetic productivity (GPPleaf) were 5.10 and 8.17% for 2- and 7-year-old plantations, respectively. Overall, this study presents the feasibility of incorporating stem photosynthesis into the productivity prediction of E. urophylla plantations by developing the stem light absorption model.

LncRNA Tug1 maintains blood-testis barrier integrity by modulating Ccl2 expression in high-fat diet mice.

Sertoli cells are essential for spermatogenesis in the testicular seminiferous tubules by forming blood-testis barrier (BTB) and creating a unique microenvironment for spermatogenesis. Many lncRNAs have been reported to participate in spermatogenesis. However, the role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in Sertoli cells has rarely been examined. Herein, we found that a high-fat diet (HFD) decreased sperm quality, impaired BTB integrity and resulted in accumulation of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), especially palmitic acid (PA), in mouse testes. PA decreased the expression of tight junction (TJ)-related proteins, increased permeability and decreased transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) in primary Sertoli cells and TM4 cells. Moreover, lncRNA Tug1 was found to be involved in PA-induced BTB disruption by RNA-seq. Tug1 depletion distinctly impaired the TJs of Sertoli cells and overexpression of Tug1 alleviated the disruption of BTB integrity induced by PA. Moreover, Ccl2 was found to be a downstream target of Tug1, and decreased TJ-related protein levels and TER and increased FITC-dextran permeability in vitro. Furthermore, the addition of Ccl2 damaged BTB integrity after overexpression of Tug1 in the presence of PA. Mechanistically, we found that Tug1 could directly bind to EZH2 and regulate H3K27me3 occupancy in the Ccl2 promoter region by RNA immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Our study revealed an important role of Tug1 in the BTB integrity of Sertoli cells and provided a new view of the role of lncRNAs in male infertility.

Metal organic framework derived Zn/N co-doped hydrophilic porous carbon for efficient solid phase microextraction of polar phenols.

MOF-derived zink and nitrogen co-doped porous carbon (ZNPC) was synthesized through the pyrolysis of MOF-5-NH2 and used as a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coating material. Coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), headspace SPME (HS-SPME) based on ZNPC was adopted for the determination of phenols in food samples. The co-existence of N and Zn in ZNPC endows the derived carbon superior hydrophilicity, which is highly beneficial for phenols capture. After optimizing the conditions of extraction and desorption, a sensitive analytical method was established with low limits of detections (LODs, 0.73-2.3 ng g-1) and wide linear ranges (5-5000 ng g-1). Both the intra-fiber repeatability (RSDs from 2.8-7.3%) and inter-fiber reproducibility (RSDs from 9.7-11.7%) were satisfactory. The established method was applied to phenol determination in beef jerky and duck neck with satisfactory recoveries of 81.2-120.4% and RSDs of 2.8-9.9%, which met well with the requirement of practical application.

Long noncoding RNA PTPRG-AS1 acts as a microRNA-194-3p sponge to regulate radiosensitivity and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via PRC1.

Protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1) has been reported in correlation with various malignancies. Functionality of PRC1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) was investigated, in perspective of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) regulatory circuitry. Aberrant expressed messenger RNA and lncRNA were screened out from the Gene Expression Omnibus microarray database. NPC cell line CNE-2 was adopted for in vitro study and transfected with mimic or short hairpin RNA of miR-194-3p and PTPRG-AS1. The radioactive sensitivity, cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were detected. PTPRG-AS1 and PRC1 were upregulated in NPC, whereas miR-194-3p was downregulated. PTPRG-AS1 was found to specifically bind to miR-194-3p as a competing endogenous RNA and miR-194-3p targets and negatively regulates PRC1. Overexpressed miR-194-3p or silenced PTPRG-AS1 resulted in enhanced sensitivity to radiotherapy and cell apoptosis along with suppressed cell migration, invasion and proliferation in NPC. Furthermore, impaired tumor formation was also caused by miR-194-3p overexpression or PTPRG-AS1 suppression through xenograft tumor in nude mice. In our study, PTPRG-AS1/miR-194-3p/PRC1 regulatory circuitry was revealed in NPC, the mechanism of which can be of clinical significance for treatment of NPC.

Designable Spectrometer-Free Index Sensing Using Plasmonic Doppler Gratings.

Typical nanoparticle-based plasmonic index sensors detect the spectral shift of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) upon the change of the environmental index. Therefore, they require broadband illumination and spectrometers. The sensitivity and flexibility of nanoparticle-based index sensors are usually limited because LSPR peaks are usually broad and the spectral position cannot be freely designed. Here, we present a fully designable index sensing platform using plasmonic Doppler gratings (PDGs), which provide broadband and azimuthal angle dependent grating periodicity. Different from LSPR sensors, PDG index sensors are based on the momentum matching between photons and surface plasmons via the lattice momentum of the grating. Therefore, the index change is translated into the variation of the in-plane azimuthal angle for photon-to-plasmon coupling, which manifests as directly observable dark bands in the reflection image. The PDG can be freely designed to optimally match the range of index variation for specific applications. In this work, we demonstrate PDG index sensors for large (n = 1.00-1.52) and small index variations (n = 1.3330-1.3650). The tiny and nonlinear index change of the water-ethanol mixture has been clearly observed and accurately quantified. Since the PDG is a dispersive device, it enables on-site and single-color index sensing without a spectrometer and provides a promising spectroscopic platform for on-chip analytical applications.

New Dual-Spectroscopic Strategy for the Direct Detection of Aristolochic Acids in Blood and Tissue.

Aristolochic acids (AAs) contained in herbal plants are implicated in multiple organ injuries and have a high mutational burden in upper tract urothelial cancers. The currently available techniques for monitoring AAs include LC (liquid chromatography) and LC/MS (mass spectrometry), but the application of these approaches are limited due to the complex sample preparation and derivatization steps. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop efficient methods for identifying and quantifying AAs. Here, we present a new dual-spectroscopic approach for the direct detection of AAs from blood and tissue samples; the detection of aristolochic acid I (AAI) is performed by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and its bioproduct, aristololactam (AAT), is detected by fluorescence spectroscopy based on their distinctive spectral response. Furthermore, a graphene assisted enrichment coupled with a magnetic retrieval strategy was developed to enhance SERS sensitivity toward AAI. Our method was successfully applied to directly determine both AAI and AAT from the blood, liver, and kidney of rats. The potential for real-world application was demonstrated by continuously monitoring AAI and AAT in rat blood and tissues after AAI feeding. The results showed that AAI was gradually metabolized to AAT and transported to different organs. It was found that the metabolism of AAI took place in the kidney, but AAT residue was detected in both liver and kidney, which might be related to long-term toxicity and gene mutation. The proposed dual-spectroscopic strategy is applicable to long-term toxicology research and to the direct diagnosis of AAI-induced organ injury.

Nitration of hIAPP promotes its toxic oligomer formation and exacerbates its toxicity towards INS-1 cells.

Amyloid formation of human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) is one of the most common pathological features of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Increasing evidences have shown that the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) play an important role in the development of the T2D. Interestingly, our previous studies indicated that heme could bind to hIAPP, and the complex might induce the nitration of tyrosine residue (Y37) of hIAPP in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and nitrite. However, it remains unclear about effect of the nitration on the implicated function of hIAPP in the development of T2D. In this study, fluorescent assays, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscope (AFM) were used to demonstrate that nitration of hIAPP significantly decreased its fibril formation. But the decreased fibril formation was not through the diminished aggregation of hIAPP monomer as suggested by the results of circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD) and gel electrophoresis assay. Surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy (SERS) indicated that nitration of hIAPP impaired the intermolecular hydrogen bonding. On the basis of these results, we hypothesize that nitration of hIAPP may block the intermolecular hydrogen bonding, leading to the inhibition of its fibril formation. In addition, cytotoxicity study of native and modified hIAPP was also performed on INS-1 cells, which revealed exacerbated toxicity of hIAPP by its nitration. The findings in this study that nitration of hIAPP promotes its oligomer formation and thus exacerbates its cytotoxicity suggests a possible link between the nitrite (or the sum of nitrite and nitrate) levels and T2D, and ameliorated nitration of hIAPP by diminishing nitrative stress might be a promising therapeutic strategy for T2D.

A functional Au array SERS chip for the fast inspection of pesticides in conjunction with surface extraction and coordination transferring.

The fast inspection of the pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables requires the development of facile, sensitive and accurate methods. Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a promising way to provide a fast inspection method, which requires significant improvements in the reproducibility and feasibility. In the present work, an SERS method was developed for the fast inspection of pesticides on fruit peels in conjunction with surface extraction and coordination transferring. In this new method, the residual pesticides were directly extracted from fruit peels with an appropriate extraction solution and then quantitatively transferred onto an organic solvent-compatible Au array SERS chip through the strong chemical interactions between the heteroatoms in the pesticides and the gold surface. The functional SERS chip was fabricated by the interfacial assembly of an Au array on a membrane, which produced dense and uniformly distributed SERS hot spots and enabled compatibility with random curvature surfaces and handheld Raman spectrometers. As a proof of concept, sulfur atoms containing thiram on apples were detected at a concentration as low as 5 ng cm-2 with good reproducibility (relative standard deviation lower than 10%). The strong interactions between the sulfur atoms and gold surface during the coordination transferring process were confirmed by the enhanced vibrations of the specified bands occurring in both the Raman and IR spectra. This surface extraction-coordination transferring-based method holds wide applicability for heteroatom-containing pesticides, as demonstrated by the detection of various S- and P-containing pesticides.

Bapx1 mediates transforming growth factor-ß- induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and promotes a malignancy phenotype of gastric cancer cells.

The homeoprotein Bapx1 is an important regulator of gastroduodenal tract morphogenesis. Here, we investigated how Bapx1 influences gastric cancer (GC) prognosis and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. Bapx1 expression was greater in GC tissues compared to adjacent non-tumor tissues and expression was positively correlated with mortality, lymph node and distance metastasis. Silencing Bapx1 diminished cell invasion/migration and decreased mesenchymal phenotypes. Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) induced Bapx1 expression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in GC cells. However, down-regulated Bapx1 reversed TGF-ß induced invasion, migration, morphological changes, and EMT. In summary, Bapx1 indicates poor prognosis for GC by promoting tumor migration and invasion via TGF-ß-induced EMT.

Rapid Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Detection of Sibutramine Hydrochloride in Pharmaceutical Capsules with a ß-Cyclodextrin- Ag/Polyvivnyl Alcohol Hydrogel Substrate.

Sibutramine hydrochloride (SH) is a banned weight-loss drug, but its illegal addition to health products is still rampant. This suggests a very urgent need for a fast and precise detection method for SH. Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) is a promising candidate for this purpose, but the weak affinity between SH and bare metal limits its direct SERS detection. In the present work, ß-cyclodextrin was capped in situ onto the surface of Ag nanoparticles to function as a scaffold to capture SH. The obtained Ag nanoparticles were encapsulated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to fabricate a SERS active hydrogel with excellent reproducibility. A facile SERS strategy based on such substrate was proposed for trace SH quantification with a linear range of 7.0-150.0 µg·mL-1, and a detection limit low to 3.0 µg·mL-1. It was applied to analyze seven types of commercial slimming capsules with satisfactory results, showing good prospect for real applications.

Coordination of water use strategies and leaf economic traits in coexisting exotic and native woody species from evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forests.

The leaf economics spectrum (LES) describes the covariation of traits relevant for carbon and nutrient economy in different plant species. However, much less is known about the correlation of LES with leaf water economy, not only because some woody species do not follow the rules, but also because they are rarely tested on the widespread, non-native, fast-growing trees. We hypothesized that fast-growing exotic species that spread on the fast side of the LES coordinate their water-use strategies (WUS) to maintain rapid growth, and that the pattern of coordination differs between evergreen and deciduous forests. Using 4 exotic and 4 native species from evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forests in China, we measured 17 traits of LES and WUS and analyzed their functional roles in different species groups. Our results suggest that LES plays a more important role in the coexistence of species within a community, while WUS contributes more to the distribution of species across different regions. The multidimensional coordination of LES and WUS could better explain the growth and distribution of different plant species and shed light on the coexistence of species from different forest types, especially fast-growing woody exotics.

Genome-Wide Analysis of Trehalose-6-Phosphate Phosphatase Gene Family and Their Expression Profiles in Response to Abiotic Stress in Groundnut.

Trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP) is a pivotal enzyme in trehalose biosynthesis which plays an essential role in plant development and in the abiotic stress response. However, little is currently known about TPPs in groundnut. In the present study, a total of 16 AhTPP genes were identified, and can be divided into three phylogenetic subgroups. AhTPP members within the same subgroups generally displayed similar exon-intron structures and conserved motifs. Gene collinearity analysis revealed that segmental duplication was the primary factor driving the expansion of the AhTPP family. An analysis of the upstream promoter region of AhTPPs revealed eight hormone- and four stress-related responsive cis-elements. Transcriptomic analysis indicated high expression levels of AhTPP genes in roots or flowers, while RT-qPCR analysis showed upregulation of the six tested genes under different abiotic stresses, suggesting that AhTPPs play roles in growth, development, and response to various abiotic stresses. Subcellular localization analysis showed that AhTPP1A and AhTPP5A were likely located in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus. To further confirm their functions, the genes AhTPP1A and AhTPP5A were individually integrated into yeast expression vectors. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that yeast cells overexpressing these genes displayed increased tolerance to osmotic and salt stress compared to the control group. This study will not only lay the foundation for further study of AhTPP gene functions, but will also provide valuable gene resources for improving abiotic stress tolerance in groundnut and other crops.

Full-length transcriptome sequencing provides insights into alternative splicing under cold stress in peanut.

Introduction: Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), also called groundnut is an important oil and cash crop grown widely in the world. The annual global production of groundnuts has increased to approximately 50 million tons, which provides a rich source of vegetable oils and proteins for humans. Low temperature (non-freezing) is one of the major factors restricting peanut growth, yield, and geographic distribution. Since the complexity of cold-resistance trait, the molecular mechanism of cold tolerance and related gene networks were largely unknown in peanut. Methods: In this study, comparative transcriptomic analysis of two peanut cultivars (SLH vs. ZH12) with differential cold tolerance under low temperature (10°C) was performed using Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) platform. Results and discussion: As a result, we identified 8,949 novel gene loci and 95,291 new/novel isoforms compared with the reference database. More differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were discovered in cold-sensitive cultivar (ZH12) than cold-tolerant cultivar (SLH), while more alternative splicing events were found in SLH compared to ZH12. Gene Ontology (GO) analyses of the common DEGs showed that the "response to stress", "chloroplast part", and "transcription factor activity" were the most enriched GO terms, indicating that photosynthesis process and transcription factors play crucial roles in cold stress response in peanut. We also detected a total of 708 differential alternative splicing genes (DASGs) under cold stress compared to normal condition. Intron retention (IR) and exon skipping (ES) were the most prevalent alternative splicing (AS) events. In total, 4,993 transcription factors and 292 splicing factors were detected, many of them had differential expression levels and/or underwent AS events in response to cold stress. Overexpression of two candidate genes (encoding trehalose-6-phosphatephosphatases, AhTPPs) in yeast improves cold tolerance. This study not only provides valuable resources for the study of cold resistance in peanut but also lay a foundation for genetic modification of cold regulators to enhance stress tolerance in crops.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and its metabolite 12-HEPE rescue busulfan disrupted spermatogenesis via target to GPR120.

Busulfan is an antineoplastic, which is always accompanied with the abnormal of spermatogonia self-renewal and differentiation. It has been demonstrated that the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) benefits mature spermatozoa. However, whether omega-3 can protect endogenous spermatogonia and the detailed mechanisms are still unclear. Evaluate of spermatogenesis function (in vivo) were examined by histopathological analysis, immunofluorescence staining, and western blotting. The levels of lipid metabolites in testicular tissue were determined via liquid chromatography. We investigated the effect of lipid metabolites on Sertoli cells provided paracrine factors to regulate spermatogonia proliferation and differentiation using co-culture system. In our study, we showed that omega-3 PUFAs significantly improved the process of sperm production and elevated the quantity of both undifferentiated Lin28+ spermatogonia and differentiated c-kit+ spermatogonia in a mouse model where spermatogenic function was disrupted by busulfan. Mass spectrometry revealed an increase in the levels of several omega-3 metabolites in the testes of mice fed with omega-3 PUFAs. The eicosapentaenoic acid metabolite 12-hydroxyeicosapentaenoic acid (12-HEPE) up-regulated bone morphogenic protein 4 (BMP4) expression through GPR120-ERK1/2 pathway activation in Sertoli cells and restored spermatogonia proliferation and differentiation. Our study provides evidence that omega-3 PUFAs metabolite 12-HEPE effectively protects spermatogonia and reveals that GPR120 might be a tractable pharmacological target for fertility in men received chemotherapy or severe spermatogenesis dysfunction.

Soft measurement of oil-water two-phase flow using a multi-task sequence-based CapsNet.

Flow parameters measurement facilitates the understanding of two-phase flow. Due to the changeable structures of the flow, the prediction of superficial velocity of oil-water two-phase flow in large diameter pipes is still a challenging problem. Therefore, we first conducted a vertical upward oil-water two-phase flow experiment in a 125 mm ID pipe, and obtained the response signals under different flow conditions by a vertical multi-electrode array (VMEA) conductance sensor. Then, new data pre-processing (1D to 2D) techniques and information fusion techniques (network channels) are employed. Moreover, the front-end structure of the network is optimized using a combination of attention block and residual structure, and the middle structure is optimized using inception block; on the other hand, the back-end structure of the original capsule network is innovatively changed so that it can handle both the flow pattern classification and superficial velocity prediction tasks. The dynamic routing algorithm has also been improved to speed up model training. Extensive experiments validate the effectiveness of the improved modules. Finally, we compare the proposed network with its variants and other competing networks. The better performance results show that our multi-task sequence-based CapsNet has great potential for dealing with high-dimensional, time-varying and nonlinear problems in multiphase flow.

Virus on surfaces: Chemical mechanism, influence factors, disinfection strategies, and implications for virus repelling surface design.

While SARS-CoV-2 is generally under control, the question of variants and infections still persists. Fundamental information on how the virus interacts with inanimate surfaces commonly found in our daily life and when in contact with the skin will be helpful in developing strategies to inhibit the spread of the virus. Here in, a critically important review of current understanding of the interaction between virus and surface is summarized from chemistry point-of-view. The Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek and extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theories to model virus attachments on surfaces are introduced, along with the interaction type and strength, and quantification of each component. The virus survival and transfer are affected by a combination of biological, physical, and chemical parameters, as well as environmental parameters. The surface properties for virus and virus survival on typical surfaces such as metals, plastics, and glass are summarized. Attention is also paid to the transfer of virus to/from surfaces and skin. Typical virus disinfection strategies utilizing heat, light, chemicals, and ozone are discussed together with their disinfection mechanism. In the last section, design principles for virus repelling surface chemistry such as surperhydrophobic or surperhydrophilic surfaces are also introduced, to demonstrate how the integration of surface property control and advanced material fabrication can lead to the development of functional surfaces for mitigating the effect of viral infection upon contact.