Gate-Controlled Neuromorphic Functional Transition in an Electrochemical Graphene Transistor.

Neuromorphic devices have attracted significant attention as potential building blocks for the next generation of computing technologies owing to their ability to emulate the functionalities of biological nervous systems. The essential components in artificial neural networks such as synapses and neurons are predominantly implemented by dedicated devices with specific functionalities. In this work, we present a gate-controlled transition of neuromorphic functions between artificial neurons and synapses in monolayer graphene transistors that can be employed as memtransistors or synaptic transistors as required. By harnessing the reliability of reversible electrochemical reactions between carbon atoms and hydrogen ions, we can effectively manipulate the electric conductivity of graphene transistors, resulting in a high on/off resistance ratio, a well-defined set/reset voltage, and a prolonged retention time. Overall, the on-demand switching of neuromorphic functions in a single graphene transistor provides a promising opportunity for developing adaptive neural networks for the upcoming era of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Robust entanglement and steering in open Dicke models with individual atomic spontaneous emission and dephasing.

In this paper, we study steady-state quantum entanglement and steering in an open Dicke model where cavity dissipation and individual atomic decoherence are taken into account. Specifically, we consider that each atom is coupled to independent dephasing and squeezed environments, which makes the widely-adopted Holstein-Primakoff approximation invalid. By discovering the features of quantum phase transition in the presence of the decohering environments, we mainly find that (i) in both normal and superradiant phases, the cavity dissipation and individual atomic decoherence can improve the entanglement and steering between the cavity field and atomic ensemble; (ii) the individual atomic spontaneous emission leads to the appearance of the steering between the cavity field and atomic ensemble but the steering in two directions cannot be simultaneously generated; (iii) the maximal achievable steering in normal phase is stronger than that in superradiant phase; (iv) the entanglement and steering between the cavity output field and the atomic ensemble are much stronger than that with the intracavity, and the steerings in two directions can be achieved even with the same parameters. Our findings reveal unique features of quantum correlations in the open Dicke model in the presence of individual atomic decoherence processes.

BRD4 is involved in viral exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Our previous studies have suggested that bromodomain protein 4 (BRD4) is increased in the lung of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, which has been shown to be involved in inflammatory responses. We investigated its role in the viral exacerbation of COPD. METHODS: BRD4, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 were measured in the blood and sputum of stable COPD patients and patients with viral exacerbation. Mice were exposed to cigarette smoke (CS) and/or infected with influenza virus as an in vivo model. BRD4, IL-6 and keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC) were measured in the lung. BEAS-2B cells were treated with CS extract and/or influenza virus as an in vitro model. BRD4, IL-6 and IL-8 were measured in the cells and/or culture supernatant. RESULTS: BRD4 was increased in COPD patients with viral exacerbation compared with those in stable condition and its expression was correlated with IL-6 and IL-8 expression. Inflammatory cells, IL-6, KC and BRD4 were synergistically induced in the lung of mice by viral infection and CS exposure, and the former three were decreased by JQ1 (BRD4 inhibitor) treatment. IL-6, IL-8 and BRD4 were significantly induced by CS extract and influenza virus in bronchial epithelial cells, and this upregulation was suppressed by knockdown of BRD4 expression. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that CS and viruses may synergistically induce IL-6 and IL-8 expression through their synergistic induction of BRD4 expression, which might contribute to the enhanced inflammatory response in the viral exacerbation of COPD.

Blood eosinophil count in the diagnosis of allergic-like rhinitis with chronic rhinosinusitis.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) and nonallergic rhinitis (NAR) often are comorbid with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Finding a convenient test that distinguishes these complex conditions is helpful for effective treatment. We aimed to analyse blood parameter differences between AR and NAR patients with/without CRS. METHODS: Eight hundred thirteen patients, including AR and NAR with different conditions [CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP)] were analysed in this retrospective study. Patients with a nasal deviation alone were included as healthy controls (HC). Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to assess the value of blood parameters for diagnosing AR or NAR with/without CRS. RESULTS: Compared to nonallergic-like rhinitis (HC, CRSwNP and CRSsNP), the blood eosinophil count was significantly increased in the allergic-like rhinitis groups, except for NAR-CRSsNP (AR, AR-CRSwNP, AR-CRSsNP, NAR and NAR-CRSwNP). The NAR-CRSsNP group had a higher level of eosinophils than the HC and CRSsNP groups. Among allergic-like rhinitis patients, eosinophils were higher in allergic-like rhinitis patients with CRSwNP (AR-CRSwNP and NAR-CRSwNP) than in allergic-like rhinitis patients without CRSwNP (AR, AR-CRSsNP, NAR and NAR-CRSsNP). However, no difference in blood eosinophils was observed between AR and NAR. There was also no difference among nonallergic-like rhinitis patients. Similar findings were found for the blood eosinophil proportion. Furthermore, the blood eosinophil count was a good predictor of allergic-like rhinitis, especially allergic-like rhinitis with CRSwNP. CONCLUSION: The blood eosinophil count and proportion may be good diagnostic predictors of allergic-like rhinitis but cannot differentiate between AR and NAR. This indicator may be much better in predicting allergic-like rhinitis with CRSwNP.

Patterns of tree species richness in Southwest China.

As a region known for its high species richness, southwest China plays an important role in preserving global biodiversity and ensuring ecological security in the Yangtze, Mekong, and Salween river basins. However, relatively few studies focus on the response of tree species richness to climate change in this part of China. This study determined the main tree species in southwest China using the Vegetation Map of China and the Flora of China. From simulations of 1970 to 2000 and three forecasts of future benign, moderate, and extreme climate warming anticipated during 2061 to 2080, this study used a maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) to simulate main tree species richness in southwest China. Regions with a peak species richness at intermediate elevations were typically dominated by complex mountainous terrain, such as in the Hengduan Mountains. Likewise, regions with the smallest richness were low-elevation areas, including the Sichuan Basin, and the high-elevation Sichuan-Tibet region. Annual precipitation, minimum temperature of the coldest month, temperature seasonality, and elevation were the most critical factors in estimating tree species richness in southwest China. During future 2061 to 2080 climate scenarios, tree species tended to migrate towards higher elevations as mean temperatures increased. For climate change scenarios RCP2.6-2070 (benign) and RCP4.5-2070 (moderate), the main tree species richness in the study area changed little. During the RCP8.5-2070 extreme scenario, tree species richness decreased. This study provides useful guidance to plan and implement measures to conserve biodiversity.

Effect of Genistein Supplementation on Exercise-Induced Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Mice Liver and Skeletal Muscle.

Background and objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of oral high-dose genistein (GE) administration on exercise-induced oxidative stress, inflammatory response and tissue damage. Materials and Methods: Thirty-two mice were randomly divided into control group (Con; sedentary/0.5% CMC-Na), GE administrated group (GE; sedentary/GE dosed), exercise group (Ex; exercise/0.5% CMC-Na), or GE administrated plus exercise group (GE + Ex; exercise/GE dosed), mice in the GE and GE + Ex group were given GE orally at the dose of 200 mg/kg weight. Results: Plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, liver interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß, superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), catalase (CAT), hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene expression levels and skeletal muscle IL-6, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2), and HO-1 gene expression levels increased immediately after exhaustive exercise. GE supplementation increased liver protein carbonyl concentrations. On the other hand, GE supplementation significantly decreased SOD1, CAT gene expression levels in the liver and Nrf2, and HO-1 gene expression levels in the skeletal muscles. Conclusions: Acute exercise induced organ damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress in skeletal muscles and the liver. However, a single dose of GE supplementation before exercise did not lead to favorable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in this study.

Isolation and Characterization of a Heparin-Like Compound with Potent Anticoagulant and Fibrinolytic Activity from the Clam Coelomactra antiquata.

Heparin from mollusks with unique sulfated glycosaminoglycan exhibits strong anti-thrombotic activities. This study reports on a purified heparinoid from Coelomactra antiquata, which shows potent anticoagulant and fibrinolytic abilities. Its structure was characterized by infrared spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography, and one-dimensional and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Its fibrinolytic activity was determined in vitro and in vivo. Its anticoagulant activity was determined by activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), and thrombin time (TT). The results indicated that clam heparinoid was a homogeneous glycosaminoglycan with a molecular weight of 30.99 kDa, mainly composed of →4)-α-IdoA2S-(1→4)-α-GlcNS3S6S (or GlcNS6S)-(1→4)-ß-GlcA-(1→4)-α-GlcNS6S (or GlcNAC)-(1→. Furthermore, this heparinoid showed a highly anticoagulant titer and fibrinolytic value of 149.63 IU/mg and 1.96 IU/mg, respectively. In summary, clam heparinoid shows great potential for application in the clinic and antithrombotic drugs industry.

Shelf life prediction and food safety risk assessment of an innovative whole soybean curd based on predictive models.

The aim of the present study is to predict the shelf life and evaluate the risk profile of an innovative whole soybean curd (WSC). Two main spoilage strains were isolated from spoiled WSC and identified as B. subtilis and B. cereus. The origin analysis confirmed that B. subtilis and B. cereus originated from soybean materials and survived in soybean curd. For microbial contamination analysis, thermotolerant coliforms, E. coli and S. aureus were not detected in soybean curd. The predicted shelf life of WSC and okara-filtered curd that was stored at 10 °C were 141.95 h (5.91 d) and 206.25 h (8.59 d), respectively. Moreover, the models applied in this study exhibited great fitting goodness and the predicted growth parameters were fail-safe. To conclude, introduction of okara into soybean curd reinforced the initial contamination level but didn't significantly increase the risk profile of WSC.

Application of transglutaminase for quality improvement of whole soybean curd.

To improve the quality of whole soybean curd (WSC), effects of compound coagulants consisting of calcium chloride (CaCl2) and transglutaminase (TGase) were investigated. The results showed that TGase modified the water distribution and reduced the cooking loss of WSC, accompanying with increased water holding capacity. The bloom value of WSC was upgraded as the TGase concentration increased. Although certain sensory parameters showed different scores in groups, the overall acceptability of 1500 ppm group was the highest. TPA test suggested that hardness, springiness and chewiness were promoted by TGase significantly. Smooth appearance of WSC was observed, resulting from the transformation of microstructure. Protein subunits of 7Sα', 7Sα, 7Sß, 11SA3, 11S acidic, and 11S basic proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, band intensity of protein subunits declined at storage and cooking phase, indicating that crosslinking of proteins was still in progress. In conclusion, the addition of TGase improved the quality of CaCl2-induced WSC and could be used to facilitate the production of this new type of soybean product.

In-situ growth of Mn-Ni3S2 on nickel foam for catalytic ozonation of p-nitrophenol.

In this study, a new catalyst for catalytic ozonation was obtained by in-situ growth of Mn-Ni3S2 nanosheets on the surface of nickel foam (NF). The full degradation of p-nitrophenol (PNP) was accomplished under optimal conditions in 40 min. The effects of material dosage, ozone dosage, pH and the presence of inorganic anions on the degradation efficiency of PNP were investigated. ESR analysis showed that singlet oxygen (1O2) and superoxide radical (O2•-) are the main contributors of PNP degradation. This study offers a new combination of supported catalysts with high efficiency and easy recovery, which provides a new idea for wastewater treatment.

APDDD: Animal parasitic diseases and drugs database.

Animal parasitic diseases not only have an economic impact, but also have serious social and public health impacts. Although antiparasitic drugs can treat these diseases, it seems difficult for users to comprehensively utilize the information, due to incomplete and difficult data collection. Thus, there is an urgent need to establish a comprehensive database, that includes parasitic diseases and related drugs. In this paper, we develop a knowledge database dedicated to collecting and analyzing animal parasitic diseases and related drugs, named Animal Parasitic Diseases and Drugs Database (APDDD). The current version of APDDD includes animal parasitic disease data of 8 major parasite classifications that cause common parasitic diseases and 96 subclass samples mined from many literature and authoritative books, as well as 182 antiparasitic drugs. Furthermore, we utilized APDDD data to add a knowledge graph representing the relationships between parasitic diseases, drugs, and the targeted gene of drugs acting on parasites. We hope that APDDD will become a good database for animal parasitic diseases and antiparasitic drugs research and that users can gain a more intuitive understanding of the relationships between parasitic diseases, drugs, and targeted genes through the knowledge graph.

Neutrophil extracellular traps-inspired DNA hydrogel for wound hemostatic adjuvant.

Severe traumatic bleeding may lead to extremely high mortality rates, and early intervention to stop bleeding plays as a critical role in saving lives. However, rapid hemostasis in deep non-compressible trauma using a highly water-absorbent hydrogel, combined with strong tissue adhesion and bionic procoagulant mechanism, remains a challenge. In this study, a DNA hydrogel (DNAgel) network composed of natural nucleic acids with rapid water absorption, high swelling and instant tissue adhesion is reported, like a band-aid to physically stop bleeding. The excellent swelling behavior and robust mechanical performance, meanwhile, enable the DNAgel band-aid to fill the defect cavity and exert pressure on the bleeding vessels, thereby achieving compression hemostasis for deep tissue bleeding sites. The neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs)-inspired DNAgel network also acts as an artificial DNA scaffold for erythrocytes to adhere and aggregate, and activates platelets, promoting coagulation cascade in a bionic way. The DNAgel achieves lower blood loss than commercial gelatin sponge (GS) in male rat trauma models. In vivo evaluation in a full-thickness skin incision model also demonstrates the ability of DNAgel for promoting wound healing. Overall, the DNAgel band-aid with great hemostatic capacity is a promising candidate for rapid hemostasis and wound healing.

TNIP3 protects against pathological cardiac hypertrophy by stabilizing STAT1.

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is one of the major risk factors of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. However, the mechanisms underlying pathological cardiac hypertrophy remain largely unknown. Here, we identified the first evidence that TNFAIP3 interacting protein 3 (TNIP3) was a negative regulator of pathological cardiac hypertrophy. We observed a significant upregulation of TNIP3 in mouse hearts subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery and in primary neonatal rat cardiomyocytes stimulated by phenylephrine (PE). In Tnip3-deficient mice, cardiac hypertrophy was aggravated after TAC surgery. Conversely, cardiac-specific Tnip3 transgenic (TG) mice showed a notable reversal of the same phenotype. Accordingly, TNIP3 alleviated PE-induced cardiomyocyte enlargement in vitro. Mechanistically, RNA-sequencing and interactome analysis were combined to identify the signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) as a potential target to clarify the molecular mechanism of TNIP3 in pathological cardiac hypertrophy. Via immunoprecipitation and Glutathione S-transferase assay, we found that TNIP3 could interact with STAT1 directly and suppress its degradation by suppressing K48-type ubiquitination in response to hypertrophic stimulation. Remarkably, preservation effect of TNIP3 on cardiac hypertrophy was blocked by STAT1 inhibitor Fludaradbine or STAT1 knockdown. Our study found that TNIP3 serves as a novel suppressor of pathological cardiac hypertrophy by promoting STAT1 stability, which suggests that TNIP3 could be a promising therapeutic target of pathological cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure.

Crosstalk between endothelial cells and dermal papilla entails hair regeneration and angiogenesis during aging.

INTRODUCTION: Tissues maintain their function through interaction with microenvironment. During aging, both hair follicles and blood vessels (BV) in skin undergo degenerative changes. However, it is elusive whether the changes are due to intrinsic aging changes in hair follicles or blood vessels respectively, or their interactions. OBJECTIVE: To explore how hair follicles and blood vessels interact to regulate angiogenesis and hair regeneration during aging. METHODS: Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) analyses were used to identify the declined ability of dermal papilla (DP) and endothelial cells (ECs) during aging. CellChat and CellCall were performed to investigate interaction between DP and ECs. Single-cell metabolism (scMetabolism) analysis and iPATH were applied to analyze downstream metabolites in DP and ECs. Hair-plucking model and mouse cell organoid model were used for functional studies. RESULTS: During aging, distance and interaction between DP and ECs are decreased. DP interacts with ECs, with decreased EDN1-EDNRA signaling from ECs to DP and CTF1-IL6ST signaling from DP to ECs during aging. ECs-secreted EDN1 binds to DP-expressed EDNRA which enhances Taurine (TA) metabolism to promote hair regeneration. DP-emitted CTF1 binds to ECs-expressed IL6ST which activates alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) metabolism to promote angiogenesis. Activated EDN1-EDNRA-TA signaling promotes hair regeneration in aged mouse skin and in organoid cultures, and increased CTF1-IL6ST-ALA signaling also promotes angiogenesis in aged mouse skin and organoid cultures. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding reveals reciprocal interactions between ECs and DP. ECs releases EDN1 sensed by DP to activate TA metabolism which induces hair regeneration, while DP emits CTF1 signal received by ECs to enhance ALA metabolism which promotes angiogenesis. Our study provides new insights into mutualistic cellular crosstalk between hair follicles and blood vessels, and identifies novel signaling contributing to the interactions of hair follicles and blood vessels in normal and aged skin.

Energy competition remodels the metabolic glucose landscape of psoriatic epidermal cells.

Rationale: Skin cells actively metabolize nutrients to ensure cell proliferation and differentiation. Psoriasis is an immune-disorder-related skin disease with hyperproliferation in epidermal keratinocytes and is increasingly recognized to be associated with metabolic disturbance. However, the metabolic adaptations and underlying mechanisms of epidermal hyperproliferation in psoriatic skin remain largely unknown. Here, we explored the role of metabolic competition in epidermal cell proliferation and differentiation in psoriatic skin. Methods: Bulk- and single-cell RNA-sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and glucose uptake experiments were used to analyze the metabolic differences in epidermal cells in psoriasis. Functional validation in vivo and in vitro was done using imiquimod-like mouse models and inflammatory organoid models. Results: We observed the highly proliferative basal cells in psoriasis act as the winners of the metabolic competition to uptake glucose from suprabasal cells. Using single-cell metabolic analysis, we found that the "winner cells" promote OXPHOS pathway upregulation by COX7B and lead to increased ROS through glucose metabolism, thereby promoting the hyperproliferation of basal cells in psoriasis. Also, to prevent toxic damage from ROS, basal cells activate the glutathione metabolic pathway to increase their antioxidant capacity to assist in psoriasis progression. We further found that COX7B promotes psoriasis development by modulating the activity of the PPAR signaling pathway by bulk RNA-seq analysis. We also observed glucose starvation and high expression of SLC7A11 that causes suprabasal cell disulfide stress and affects the actin cytoskeleton, leading to immature differentiation of suprabasal cells in psoriatic skin. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the essential role of cellular metabolic competition for skin tissue homeostasis.

Development and validation of a machine learning algorithm prediction for dense granule proteins in Apicomplexa.

BACKGROUND: Apicomplexa consist of numerous pathogenic parasitic protistan genera that invade host cells and reside and replicate within the parasitophorous vacuole (PV). Through this interface, the parasite exchanges nutrients and affects transport and immune modulation. During the intracellular life-cycle, the specialized secretory organelles of the parasite secrete an array of proteins, among which dense granule proteins (GRAs) play a major role in the modification of the PV. Despite this important role of GRAs, a large number of potential GRAs remain unidentified in Apicomplexa. METHODS: A multi-view attention graph convolutional network (MVA-GCN) prediction model with multiple features was constructed using a combination of machine learning and genomic datasets, and the prediction was performed on selected Neospora caninum protein data. The candidate GRAs were verified by a CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system, and the complete NcGRA64(a,b) gene knockout strain was constructed and the phenotypes of the mutant were analyzed. RESULTS: The MVA-GCN prediction model was used to screen N. caninum candidate GRAs, and two novel GRAs (NcGRA64a and NcGRA64b) were verified by gene endogenous tagging. Knockout of complete genes of NcGRA64(a,b) in N. caninum did not affect the parasite's growth and replication in vitro and virulence in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showcases the utility of the MVA-GCN deep learning model for mining Apicomplexa GRAs in genomic datasets, and the prediction model also has certain potential in mining other functional proteins of apicomplexan parasites.

Mechanical force drives the initial mesenchymal-epithelial interaction during skin organoid development.

Rationale: Stem cells self-organize to form organoids that generate mini-organs that resemble the physiologically-developed ones. The mechanism by which the stem cells acquire the initial potential for generating mini-organs remains elusive. Here we used skin organoids as an example to study how mechanical force drives initial epidermal-dermal interaction which potentiates skin organoids to regenerate hair follicles. Methods: Live imaging analysis, single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis, and immunofluorescence were used to analyze the contractile force of dermal cells in skin organoids. Bulk RNA-sequencing analysis, calcium probe detection, and functional perturbations were used to verify that calcium signaling pathways respond to the contractile force of dermal cells. In vitro mechanical loading experiment was used to prove that the stretching force triggers the epidermal Piezo1 expression which negatively regulates dermal cell attachment. Transplantation assay was used to test the regenerative ability of skin organoids. Results: We found that dermal cell-derived contraction force drives the movement of dermal cells surrounding the epidermal aggregates to trigger initial mesenchymal-epithelial interaction (MEI). In response to dermal cell contraction force, the arrangement of the dermal cytoskeleton was negatively regulated by the calcium signaling pathway which further influences dermal-epidermal attachment. The native contraction force generated from the dermal cell movement exerts a stretching force on the adjacent epidermal cells, activating the stretching force sensor Piezo1 in the epidermal basal cells during organoid culture. Epidermal Piezo1 in turn drives strong MEI to negatively regulate dermal cell attachment. Proper initial MEI by mechanical-chemical coupling during organoid culture is required for hair regeneration upon transplantation of the skin organoids into the back of the nude mice. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that mechanical-chemical cascade drives the initial event of MEI during skin organoid development, which is fundamental to the organoid, developmental, and regenerative biology fields.

DLP printed hDPSC-loaded GelMA microsphere regenerates dental pulp and repairs spinal cord.

Dental pulp regeneration is ideal for irreversible pulp or periapical lesions, and in situ stem cell therapy is one of the most effective therapies for pulp regeneration. In this study, we provided an atlas of the non-cultured and monolayer cultured dental pulp cells with single-cell RNA sequencing and analysis. Monolayer cultured dental pulp cells cluster more closely together than non-cultured dental pulp cells, suggesting a lower heterogeneous population with relatively consistent clusters and similar cellular composition. We successfully fabricated hDPSC-loaded microspheres by layer-by-layer photocuring with a digital light processing (DLP) printer. These hDPSC-loaded microspheres have improved stemness and higher multi-directional differentiation potential, including angiogenic, neurogenic, and odontogenic differentiation. The hDPSC-loaded microspheres could promote spinal cord regeneration in rat spinal cord injury models. Moreover, in heterotopic implantation tests on nude mice, CD31, MAP2, and DSPP immunofluorescence signals were observed, implying the formation of vascular, neural, and odontogenetic tissues. In situ experiments in minipigs demonstrated highly vascularized dental pulp and uniformly arranged odontoblast-like cells in root canals of incisors. In short, hDPSC-loaded microspheres can promote full-length dental pulp regeneration at the root canals' coronal, middle, and apical sections, particularly for blood vessels and nerve formation, which is a promising therapeutic strategy for necrotic pulp.

COX2-ATP Synthase Regulates Spine Follicle Size in Hedgehogs.

Skin evolves essential appendages with adaptive patterns that synergistically insulate the body from environmental insults. How similar appendages in different animals generate diversely-sized appendages remain elusive. Here we used hedgehog spine follicles and mouse hair follicles as models to investigate how similar follicles form in different sizes postnatally. Histology and immunostaining show that the spine follicles have a significantly greater size than the hair follicles. By RNA-sequencing analysis, we found that ATP synthases are highly expressed in hedgehog skin compared to mouse skin. Inhibition of ATP synthase resulted in smaller spine follicle formation during regeneration. We also identified that the mitochondrial gene COX2 functions upstream of ATP synthase that influences energy metabolism and cell proliferation to control the size of the spine follicles. Our study identified molecules that function differently in forming diversely-sized skin appendages across different animals, allowing them to adapt to the living environment and benefit from self-protection.

Portulaca oleracea Polysaccharides Modulate Intestinal Microflora in Aged Rats in vitro.

To explore the effect of Portulaca oleracea polysaccharides (POP) in regulating intestinal microflora in aged rats in vitro, its intestinal microbial composition was analyzed by 16 S rDNA high-throughput sequencing, and the level of short-chain fatty acids in fermentation broth was determined by LC-MS. POP significantly upregulated the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Eggerthella, and Paraprevotella and significantly downregulated Escherichia_Shigella, Bacteroides, and Eubacterium nodatum groups. The pH value and ammonia nitrogen level decreased significantly in the POP-treated group, resulting in a more short-chain fatty acid consumption which changed the acid-base environment of the fermentation broth. In conclusion, POP is beneficial to aged rats because it can regulate intestinal flora, promote the growth of probiotics, and inhibit the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria.