Broadband and robust Mach-Zehnder interferometer for Rydberg atomic system.

We present a broadband and robust Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) with meter-scale arm length, aiming to acquire the full information of an atomic system. We utilize a pre-loading phase shifter as servo actuator, broadening the servo bandwidth to 108 kHz without sacrificing the size of the piezoelectric transducer (PZT) and mirror. An auxiliary laser at 780 nm, counter-propagating with the probe laser, is employed to achieve arbitrary phase locking of the MZI, boosting a phase accuracy of 0.45 degrees and an Allan deviation of 0.015 degrees, which breaks the current record. By utilizing our robust MZI, the measurement accuracy of atomic system can be theoretically predicted to improve by 2.3 times compared to the most stable MZI in other literatures. In addition, we also demonstrate the sensitivity improvement in imaginary part and real part of the susceptibility in virtue of the completed interferometer, which exhibits tremendous potential in atom-based measurement system.

Comparative study on the Ru ware, Ru-type ware of Qingliangsi kiln and celadon of Zhanggongxiang kiln.

Thirty-three porcelain shards (28 Ru ware and 5 Ru-type ware) unearthed from Qinglingsi kiln and 31 celadon fragments from Zhanggongxiang kiln were studied systematically for tracing their correlation and difference in glaze and body characteristics through a variety of characterisation methods. Samples without HF corrosion were applied to achieve the microstructure and composition details by SEM and TEM. Results exhibited that there were certain similarities between Ru ware, Ru-type ware and Zhanggongxiang kiln celadon in glaze colour and thickness, body features, fracture structure; however, they showed obvious differences in body thickness, chemical composition of glaze and body, phase constituents and microstructure of glaze. Plentiful needle-like diopside were widely distributed in Zhanggongxiang kiln celadon glazes, while this type of crystals was only existed in few Ru and Ru-type ware glazes with small content. Besides, a large amount of residual quartz was present over the Ru ware glazes, which could have relation to the incorporation of agate. The liquid-liquid phase separation structure (Ca-rich droplets and Si-rich matrix) was generated within the interspaces of anorthite clusters or around the brims of anorthite needles or columns. The occurrence of phase separation was generally accompanied by Al2 O3 consumption, but suppressed in the areas far from anorthite due to the rise of Al2 O3 content, indicating that Al2 O3 was the most sensitive constituent for this glaze behaviour. The distinguished size, shape and distribution of phase-separated droplets or interconnected structures were closely associated with the scale and crowding level of anorthite crystallisation.

Morphological and structural analysis of iron-rich porcelains excavated from the Jian kiln site of Song dynasty.

Iron-rich porcelains generally embrace relatively high iron concentration in the glaze and body, which have an important position in the history of ancient Chinese high-temperature ceramics. The colour and lustre of glaze patterns are closely related to the orientation and order of crystallisation. In this work, three representative types of iron-rich porcelains (persimmon red-glazed sample, oil spot-glazed sample and mirror black-glazed sample) were analysed by portable energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (PXRF), optical coherence tomography (OCT), optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and laser Raman spectroscopy (RS) to determine the morphology, chemical composition and microstructure. Results showed that layered structure was observed in both persimmon red and oil spot glazes, however with respective thickness. Besides, iron-enriched crystals mostly precipitated on glaze surface. For the persimmon red sample, multilayer microstructure consisting of three sublayers beneath glaze surface was identified. Crystals and dark red substrates were all made of ε-Fe2 O3 , implying that it was fired at a strong reducing atmosphere. But for the oil spot sample, large-scale leaf-shaped crystals were well characteristic of ε-Fe2 O3 , while small snowflake-shaped crystals were assigned to α-Fe2 O3 , indicating that the firing environment was partially reduced. In addition, there was no crystalline layer existing on surface of mirror black-glazed porcelain, and plain black glaze layer was featured by a glassy matrix. The Jian kiln is a famous ancient folk kiln in the southern China that is currently located in Jianyang county of Fujian province. Its production of black-glazed porcelain began in the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD), became prosperous in the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279 AD), and declined and ended in the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368 AD). Black-glazed Jian tea bowls were perfect for highlighting the rich white tea decoction. The thick and lustrous black glaze of Jian bowls sometimes were featured by streaked or mottled patterns, usually recognised by 'hare's fur (HF)', 'oil spot (OS)', 'partridge spot (PS)' and so on, which were the crystalline markings of iron oxide precipitated during firing in the dragon kiln. Iron oxide acted as a colorant for black-glazed porcelain and, thus, was called as iron-rich porcelain. The unique patterns originated from local iron-enrichment raw materials and firing process, and the locally iron-enriched areas generated due to the supersaturated crystallisation of different iron oxide in the cooling period. It was generally believed that research studies on the crystallographic nature and growth mechanism of surface crystals would provide help for the manufacturing of ancient Chinese glazes. With this aim, three types of iron-rich porcelain excavated from the Jian kiln were selected to further study the forming cause and growth process of glaze patterns using a series of characterisation methods, like portable energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (PXRF), optical coherence tomography (OCT), optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and laser Raman spectroscopy (RS).

Effects of Seawater Immersion on Lethal Triad and Organ Function in Healthy and Hemorrhagic Shock Rats.

INTRODUCTION: Marine casualties are increasing, and mortality from trauma associated with immersion in seawater is high. However, the associated pathophysiological characteristics remain unclear, limiting research into the early emergency treatment strategy. METHODS: Healthy and 50% hemorrhagic shock rats were soaked in 15°C and 21°C seawater for 2 h, 4 h and 6 h, respectively, and the effects on vital signs, internal environment, tissue metabolism, lethal triad, vital organ functions and survival were observed. RESULTS: Immersion in seawater can cause death in healthy rats. Rats with hemorrhagic shock in 15°C seawater showed a lower survival rate than the corresponding groups in 21°C seawater. Moreover, compared with 21°C seawater, 15°C seawater played a more remarkable role in decreasing mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and respiration rate, increasing water content and decreasing Na+/K+-ATPase activity in the brain and lung; increase in plasma osmolality, Na+, K+, Cl-, and the occurrence of the lethal triad manifested by a decrease in core body temperature, pH, lactate, and an increase in coagulation parameters, as well as damage to cardiac, intestinal, hepatic, and renal functions in rats with hemorrhagic shock. CONCLUSIONS: Immersion in seawater at low temperatures could be lethal to healthy rats, causing the occurrence of a lethal triad and damage to vital organs. Furthermore, 15°C-seawater had a more significant effect than 21°C-seawater on aggravating the imbalance of internal environment and tissue metabolism, resulting in a higher incidence of the lethal triad and thus aggravating the dysfunctions of vital organs, which eventually resulted in higher mortality in rats with hemorrhagic shock.

Metabolomics and machine learning approaches for diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers screening in sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a life-threatening disease with a poor prognosis, and metabolic disorders play a crucial role in its development. This study aims to identify key metabolites that may be associated with the accurate diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis. METHODS: Septic patients and healthy individuals were enrolled to investigate metabolic changes using non-targeted liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry metabolomics. Machine learning algorithms were subsequently employed to identify key differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs). Prognostic-related DEMs were then identified using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The septic rat model was established to verify the effect of phenylalanine metabolism-related gene MAOA on survival and mean arterial pressure after sepsis. RESULTS: A total of 532 DEMs were identified between healthy control and septic patients using metabolomics. The main pathways affected by these DEMs were amino acid biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, and arginine and proline metabolism. To identify sepsis diagnosis-related biomarkers, support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF) algorithms were employed, leading to the identification of four biomarkers. Additionally, analysis of transcriptome data from sepsis patients in the GEO database revealed a significant up-regulation of the phenylalanine metabolism-related gene MAOA in sepsis. Further investigation showed that inhibition of MAOA using the inhibitor RS-8359 reduced phenylalanine levels and improved mean arterial pressure and survival rate in septic rats. Finally, using univariate and multivariate cox regression analysis, six DEMs were identified as prognostic markers for sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: This study employed metabolomics and machine learning algorithms to identify differential metabolites that are associated with the diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis patients. Unraveling the relationship between metabolic characteristics and sepsis provides new insights into the underlying biological mechanisms, which could potentially assist in the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This human study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Research Institute of Surgery (2021-179) and was registered by the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Date: 09/12/2021, ChiCTR2200055772).

Li+ Conduction in a Polymer/Li1.5Al0.5Ge1.5(PO4)3 Solid Electrolyte and Li-Metal/Electrolyte Interface.

The solid oxide electrolyte Li1.5Al0.5Ge1.5(PO4)3 (LAGP) with a NASICON structure has a high bulk ionic conductivity of 10-4 S cm-1 at room temperature and good stability in the air because of the strong P5+-O2- covalence bonding. However, the Ge4+ ions in LAGP are quickly reduced to Ge3+ on contact with the metallic lithium anode, and the LAGP ceramic has insufficient physical contact with the electrodes in all-solid-state batteries, which limits the large-scale application of the LAGP electrolyte in all-solid-state Li-metal batteries. Here, we prepared flexible PEO/LiTFSI/LAGP composite electrolytes, and the introduction of LAGP as a ceramic filler in polymer electrolytes increases the total ionic conductivity and the electrochemical stability of the composite electrolyte. Moreover, the flexible polymer shows good contact with the electrodes, resulting in a small interfacial resistance and stable cycling of all-solid-state Li-metal batteries. The influence of the external pressure and temperature on Li+ transfer across the Li/electrolyte interface is also investigated.

Effects of Malate Ringer's solution on myocardial injury in sepsis and enforcement effects of TPP@PAMAM-MR.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial dysfunction played a vital role in organ damage after sepsis. Fluid resuscitation was the essential treatment in which Lactate Ringer's solution (LR) was commonly used. Since LR easily led to hyperlactatemia, its resuscitation effect was limited. Malate Ringer's solution (MR) was a new resuscitation crystal liquid. Whether MR had a protective effect on myocardial injury in sepsis and the relevant mechanism need to be studied. METHODS: The cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) inducing septic model and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulating cardiomyocytes were used, and the cardiac function, the morphology and function of mitochondria were observed. The protective mechanism of MR on myocardial injury was explored by proteomics. Then the effects of TPP@PAMAM-MR, which consisted of the mitochondria- targeting polymer embodied malic acid, was further observed. RESULTS: Compared with LR, MR resuscitation significantly prolonged survival time, improved the cardiac function, alleviated the damages of liver, kidney and lung following sepsis in rats. The proteomics of myocardial tissue showed that differently expressed proteins between MR and LR infusion involved oxidative phosphorylation, apoptosis. Further study found that MR decreased ROS, improved the mitochondrial morphology and function, and ultimately enhanced mitochondrial respiration and promoted ATP production. Moreover, MR infusion decreased the expression of apoptosis-related proteins and increased the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins. TPP@PAMAM@MA was a polymer formed by wrapping L-malic acid with poly amido amine (PAMAM) modified triphenylphosphine material. TPP@PAMAM-MR (TPP-MR), which was synthesized by replacing the L-malic acid of MR with TPP@PAMAM@MA, was more efficient in targeting myocardial mitochondria and was superior to MR in protecting the sepsis-inducing myocardial injury. CONCLUSION: MR was suitable for protecting myocardial injury after sepsis. The mechanism was related to MR improving the function and morphology of cardiomyocyte mitochondria and inhibiting cardiomyocyte apoptosis. The protective effect of TPP-MR was superior to MR.

Cavity enhanced parametric homodyne detection of a squeezed quantum comb.

A squeezed state with higher-order sidebands is a valuable quantum resource for channel multiplexing quantum communication. However, balanced homodyne detection used in nonclassical light detection has a trade-off performance between the detection bandwidth and clearance, in which the verification of a highly squeezing factor faces a challenge. Here, we construct two optical parametric amplifiers with cavity enhancement; one is for the generation of a -10.5 dB squeezed vacuum state, and the other is for all-optical phase-sensitive parametric homodyne detection. Finally, -6.5 dB squeezing at the carrier with 17 pairs of squeezing sidebands (bandwidth of 156 GHz) is directly and simultaneously observed. In particular, for the cavity-enhanced parametric oscillation and detection processes, we analyze the limiting factors of the detectable bandwidth and measurement deviation from the generated value, which indicates that the length difference and propagation loss between two optical parametric amplifiers should be as small as possible to improve the detection performance. The experimental results confirm our theoretical analysis.

Electro-optic coefficient measurement of a K(H1-xDx)2PO4 crystal based on χ(2) nonlinear optical technology.

We present a novel method utilizing the χ(2) nonlinear optical technology, which can realize high precision measurement of linear electro-optic (EO) coefficients of nonlinear materials. By applying the linear EO effect to the nonlinear optical process, the theoretical model of this measurement method was established, and the calculation formula of the linear EO coefficient was given. In the proof-of-principle experiment, by introducing an external electric field into the fourth harmonic generation (FHG) process, we comprehensively obtained the linear EO coefficients of K(H1-xDx)2PO4 crystals and revealed the relationship between deuterium content (x) and EO coefficient (γ63): γ63 = -9.789 - 16.53x. Meanwhile, the stability of FHG was greatly improved, and the angular range of efficiency stability was increased to 4.4 times in maximum. This work not only systematically demonstrates the FHG characteristics of KDP-family crystals, which provides a good reference for the deep ultraviolet laser generation, but also offers a new way to measure the basic parameters of nonlinear optical materials.

The protective effects of pericyte-derived microvesicles on vascular endothelial functions via CTGF delivery in sepsis.

BACKGROUND: It is well known that sepsis is a prevalent severe disease caused by infection and the treatment strategies are limited. Recently pericyte-derived microvesicles (PMVs) were confirmed to be therapeutic in many diseases, whether PMVs can protect vascular endothelial cell (VEC) injury is unknown. METHODS: Pericytes were extracted from the retina of newly weaned rats, and PMVs were collected after starvation and characterized by flow-cytometry and transmission electron microscopy. First, the effect of PMVs on pulmonary vascular function in septic rats was measured via intravenous administration with HE staining, immunofluorescence, and Elisa analysis. Then, PMVs were co-incubated with VECs in the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and observed the protective effect of PMVs on VECs. Next, the proteomic analysis and further Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis were performed to analyze the therapeutic mechanism of PMVs, and the angiogenesis-related protein CTGF was highly expressed in PMVs. Finally, by CTGF upregulation and downregulation in PMV, the role of PMV-carried CTGF was investigated. RESULTS: PMVs restored the proliferation and angiogenesis ability of pulmonary VECs, and alleviated pulmonary vascular leakage in septic rats and LPS-stimulated VECs. Further study showed that PMVs delivered CTGF to VECs, and subsequently activated ERK1/2, and increased the phosphorylation of STAT3, thereby improving the function of VECs. The further study found CD44 mediated the absorption and internalization of PMVs to VECs, the anti-CD44 antibody inhibited the protective effect of PMVs. CONCLUSIONS: PMVs may delivery CTGF to VECs, and promote the proliferation and angiogenesis ability by activating the CTGF-ERK1/2-STAT3 axis, thereby protecting pulmonary vascular function in sepsis. The therapeutic effect of PMVs was highly related to CD44-mediated absorption. Video Abstract.

Role of AQP3 in the Vascular Leakage of Sepsis and the Protective Effect of Ss-31.

ABSTRACT: Aquaporins (AQPs) are a group of membrane proteins related to water permeability. Studies have shown that AQPs play a vital role in various diseases. Whether AQPs participate in regulating vascular permeability after sepsis and whether the subtype of AQPs is related are unknown. Ss-31, as a new antioxidant, had protective effects on a variety of diseases. However, whether Ss-31 has a protective effect on pulmonary vascular permeability in sepsis and whether its effect is related to AQPs are unclear. Using the cecum ligation perforation-induced septic rat and LPS-treated pulmonary vein endothelial cells, the role of AQPs in the regulation of the permeability of pulmonary vascular and its relationship to Ss-31 were studied. The results showed that the pulmonary vascular permeability significantly increased after sepsis, meanwhile the expressions of AQP3, 4, and 12 increased. Among those, the AQP3 was closely correlated with pulmonary vascular permeability. The inhibition of AQP3 antagonized the increase of the permeability of monolayer pulmonary vein endothelial cells. Further study showed that the expression of caveolin-1 (Cav-1) increased and occludin decreased after sepsis. The inhibition of AQP3 antagonized the decrease of Cav-1 and the increase of occludin in sepsis. Antioxidant Ss-31 decreased the expression of AQP3 and ROS levels. At the same time, Ss-31 improved pulmonary vascular permeability and prolonged survival of sepsis rats. In conclusion, AQP3 participates in the regulation of pulmonary vascular permeability after sepsis, and the antioxidant Ss-31 has a protective effect on pulmonary vascular permeability by downregulating the expression of AQP3 and inhibiting ROS production.

Perineural Dexmedetomidine Reduces the Median Effective Concentration of Ropivacaine for Adductor Canal Block.

BACKGROUND Multimodal analgesic regimens are well known as the best option for total knee arthroplasty. They include the adductor canal block, combined with local infiltration analgesia and a block of the interspace between the popliteal artery and the capsule of the posterior knee. However, these analgesic techniques all require a large amount of local anesthetics. In this study, we explored whether the quantity of local anesthetics could be decreased by using dexmedetomidine for the adductor canal block. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fifty-four patients scheduled for unilateral, primary total knee arthroplasty were allocated into 2 groups: the ropivacaine group (group R) and the dexmedetomidine group (group RD). Ropivacaine 0.5% was chosen as the initial concentration, and the concentration was decreased or increased according to the response of the previous participant. Based on Dixon's up-and-down method, the median effective concentration was calculated. RESULTS The quadriceps strength was similar between the 2 groups, both at 30 min after adductor canal block and during recovery from general anesthesia in the Postanesthesia Care Unit. None of the patients in this study exhibited bradycardia or hypotension. The median effective concentration of ropivacaine for adductor canal block was 0.29% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28-0.31%) in group RD, which was lower than that in group R (0.38% [95% CI, 0.36-0.41%]). CONCLUSIONS This study found perineural dexmedetomidine 1 µg/kg could reduce the median effective concentration of ropivacaine for the adductor canal block.

Synergistic effects of EMPs and PMPs on pulmonary vascular leakage and lung injury after ischemia/reperfusion.

BACKGROUND: Vascular leakage is an important pathophysiological process of critical conditions such as shock and ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced lung injury. Microparticles (MPs), including endothelial cell-derived microparticles (EMPs), platelet-derived microparticles (PMPs) and leukocyte-derived microparticles (LMPs), have been shown to participate in many diseases. Whether and which of these MPs take part in pulmonary vascular leakage and lung injury after I/R and whether these MPs have synergistic effect and the underlying mechanism are not known. METHODS: Using hemorrhage/transfusion (Hemo/Trans) and aorta abdominalis occlusion-induced I/R rat models, the role of EMPs, PMPs and LMPs and the mechanisms in pulmonary vascular leakage and lung injury were observed. RESULTS: The concentrations of EMPs, PMPs and LMPs were significantly increased after I/R. Intravenous administration of EMPs and PMPs but not LMPs induced pulmonary vascular leakage and lung injury. Furthermore, EMPs induced pulmonary sequestration of platelets and promoted more PMPs production, and played a synergistic effect on pulmonary vascular leakage. MiR-1, miR-155 and miR-542 in EMPs, and miR-126 and miR-29 in PMPs, were significantly increased after hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). Of which, inhibition of miR-155 in EMPs and miR-126 in PMPs alleviated the detrimental effects of EMPs and PMPs on vascular barrier function and lung injury. Overexpression of miR-155 in EMPs down-regulated the expression of tight junction related proteins such as ZO-1 and claudin-5, while overexpression of miR-126 up-regulated the expression of caveolin-1 (Cav-1), the trans-cellular transportation related protein such as caveolin-1 (Cav-1). Inhibiting EMPs and PMPs production with blebbistatin (BLE) and amitriptyline (AMI) alleviated I/R induced pulmonary vascular leakage and lung injury. CONCLUSIONS: EMPs and PMPs contribute to the pulmonary vascular leakage and lung injury after I/R. EMPs mediate pulmonary sequestration of platelets, producing more PMPs to play synergistic effect. Mechanically, EMPs carrying miR-155 that down-regulates ZO-1 and claudin-5 and PMPs carrying miR-126 that up-regulates Cav-1, synergistically mediate pulmonary vascular leakage and lung injury after I/R. Video Abstract.

Identification of MTP gene family in tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.) and characterization of CsMTP8.2 in manganese toxicity.

Cation diffusion facilitators (CDFs) play central roles in metal homeostasis and tolerance in plants, but the specific functions of Camellia sinensis CDF-encoding genes and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Previously, transcriptome sequencing results in our lab indicated that the expression of CsMTP8.2 in tea plant shoots was down-regulated exposed to excessive amount of Mn2+ conditions. To elucidate the possible mechanisms involved, we systematically identified 13 C. sinensis CsMTP genes from three subfamilies and characterized their phylogeny, structures, and the features of the encoded proteins. The transcription of CsMTP genes was differentially regulated in C. sinensis shoots and roots in responses to high concentrations of Mn, Zn, Fe, and Al. Differences in the cis-acting regulatory elements in the CsMTP8.1 and CsMTP8.2 promoters suggested the expression of these two genes may be differentially regulated. Transient expression analysis indicated that CsMTP8.2 was localized to the plasma membrane in tobacco and onion epidermal cells. Moreover, when heterologously expressed in yeast, CsMTP8.2 conferred tolerance to Ni and Mn but not to Zn. Additionally, heterologous expression of CsMTP8.2 in Arabidopsis thaliana revealed that CsMTP8.2 positively regulated the response to manganese toxicity by decreasing the accumulation of Mn in plants. However, there was no difference in the accumulation of other metals, including Cu, Fe, and Zn. These results suggest that CsMTP8.2 is a Mn-specific transporter that contributes to the efflux of excess Mn2+ from plant cells.

Comparative transcriptome analysis to elucidate the enhanced thermotolerance of tea plants (Camellia sinensis) treated with exogenous calcium.

MAIN CONCLUSION: The molecular mechanisms regulating calcium-mediated thermotolerance in Camellia sinensis were revealed by RNA-Sequencing. Heat stress is one of the most remarkable abiotic factors limiting the growth and productivity of Camellia sinensis plants. Calcium helps regulate plant responses to various adverse environmental conditions, including heat stress. In this study, the effects of exogenous calcium on the physiological characteristics of heat-stressed C. sinensis were investigated. A calcium pretreatment increased the proline, soluble sugar, Ca2+, and chlorophyll contents, but decreased the malondialdehyde content and relative electrical conductivity in C. sinensis leaves under heat stress. Further analysis of the ultra-structure of chloroplasts indicated that heat stress induced accumulation of starch granules and destruction of the stroma lamella in C. sinensis. However, calcium pretreatment counteracted the adverse effects of heat stress on the structure of the photosynthetic apparatus. These results imply that the calcium pretreatment increased C. sinensis thermotolerance. Moreover, RNA-sequencing was applied to characterize the calcium-mediated transcript-level responses to heat stress. A total of 923 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) including 299 up-regulated and 624 down-regulated genes were identified. Functional annotations indicated that these DEGs were primarily related to signal transduction, transcriptional regulation, and post-translational modification. In addition, a C. sinensis gene [CsCML45 (GenBank: KY652927)] encoding a calmodulin-like protein was isolated. The heterologous expression of CsCML45 enhanced the thermotolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants. These results may be useful for characterizing the calcium-mediated molecular mechanism responsible for C. sinensis thermotolerance.

Heterologous expression of three Camellia sinensis small heat shock protein genes confers temperature stress tolerance in yeast and Arabidopsis thaliana.

KEY MESSAGE: CsHSP17.7, CsHSP18.1, and CsHSP21.8 expressions are induced by heat and cold stresses, and CsHSP overexpression confers tolerance to heat and cold stresses in transgenic Pichia pastoris and Arabidopsis thaliana. Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are crucial for protecting plants against biotic and abiotic stresses, especially heat stress. However, knowledge concerning the functions of Camellia sinensis sHSP in heat and cold stresses remains poorly understood. In this study, three C. sinensis sHSP genes (i.e., CsHSP17.7, CsHSP18.1, and CsHSP21.8) were isolated and characterized using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) technology. The CsHSPs expression levels in C. sinensis leaves were significantly up-regulated by heat and cold stresses. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that CsHSP17.7, CsHSP18.1, and CsHSP21.8 belong to sHSP Classes I, II, and IV, respectively. Heterologous expression of the three CsHSP genes in Pichia pastoris cells enhanced heat and cold stress tolerance. When exposed to heat and cold treatments, transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants overexpressing CsHSP17.7, CsHSP18.1, and CsHSP21.8 had lower malondialdehyde contents, ion leakage, higher proline contents, and transcript levels of stress-related genes (e.g., AtPOD, AtAPX1, AtP5CS2, and AtProT1) compared with the control line. In addition, improved seed germination vigor was also observed in the CsHSP-overexpressing seeds under heat stress. Taken together, our results suggest that the three identified CsHSP genes play key roles in heat and cold tolerance.

Trace Element Analysis by PIYE and ICP-AES of Raw Material and Ancient Serpentine Artifacts from China.

This work mainly talks about serpentine mineral with the aim to explore the possible raw materials sources of ancient serpentine artifacts by trace element content analysis. The major and trace elements of serpentine samples from several typical deposits in China were nondestructively determined by external-beam proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). For comparison, trace element concentrations were destructively measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The results showed the trend of the trace element contents of serpentine jade obtained by the two methods have preferably coherence, which indicate that the nondestructive technique of PIXE can be applied to trace element analysis of serpentine. The relationship between trace element contents and serpentine formation mechanism was discussed. The difference of the trace elements contents in these serpentine minerals is obvious. It can be used to distinguish the different kinds of serpentine formed by different mechanisms. A low amount of Ni and almost no Cr and Co were found in type I serpentine group mineral, whereas significant amounts of Cr, Co and Ni were found in Type II serpentine group mineral. The chemical composition of 18 ancient serpentine artifacts were analyzed by PIXE, they were unearthed from 14 sites and tombs in provinces of Zhejing, Jiangsu, Henan, Anhui and Hubei and dated from Neolithic Age to the Warring States Period (4585 BC­231 BC). By comparing the trace element contents between ancient serpentine artifacts and two kinds of serpentine samples, the provenance of ancient serpentine artifacts were preliminarily inferred. It is beneficial to try to explore the possible raw material of ancient serpentine artifacts based on the relationship between the trace element contents and serpentine formation mechanism in this article.

[Research Method and Spectral Analysis of Ancient Polychromatic Silicate Artifacts].

The spectral properties, chemical compositions and phases of materials constituting the surface of 5 ancient polychromatic silicate artifacts have been analyzed non-invasively with self-built multispectral imaging system, X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) and laser Raman spectrometer (LRS). Based on spectral response in multispectral images, materials constituting the surface of 5 samples can be divided into different areas, and most of blue, green, purple areas with fluorescence behavior are also mapped. The results of XRF indicate that the chemical compositions of areas are different, but the major compositions of them are SiO(2), PbO, BaO. 5 samples mainly belong to PbO-BaO silicates. The coloring agents of all areas with fluorescence behavior are Cu ions. A variety of mineral phases including vitreous phase, Chinese blue, Chinese purple, quartz, hematite, lead carbonate, amorphous carbon and so on, are also identified by LRS. Chinese blue and Chinese purple can emit infrared radiation when excited by visible LED. The result of LRS is verified by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Combining the multispectral imaging area-measurement technique used to research paintings, and XRF, LRS which are usually used to analyze chemical composition of silicate artifacts, the present research proposes a more efficient and non-invasive research method to analyze ancient polychromatic silicate artifacts. Spectral characteristic and chemical composition of the sample are connected when spectral images, X-ray fluorescence spectra and Laser Raman spectra are combined. It has great significance for increasing efficiency of analysis, enhancing the overall understanding of silicate artifacts and decreasing risk of damage.

[Nondestructive Analysis of Jingdezhen and Longquan Celadon Wares Excavated from Nanhai No.1 Shipwreck].

The provenance study of ancient ceramics, as an important part in archaeological field, is the researching focus for researchers in scientific and technological archaeology. At present, the provenance study of ancient ceramics mainly depends on chemical analysis technologies while non-destructive physical structural analysis of ceramic glaze is relatively lacking. Therefore, it is difficult to have a comprehensive understanding of ancient ceramics. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an emerging non-destructive imaging technology with a high sensitivity. In this paper, the OCT combined with X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) is employed firstly to analyze celadon wares of Jingdezhen and Longquan found in Nanhai No.1 shipwreck which is dated to early Southern Song dynasty non-destructively. First, the glaze cross-section structures and decoration characteristics of the celadon wares of the two kilns, Jingdezhen and Longquan,are studied by OCT.The type,thickness of glaze, the glaze inclusions including bubbles, crystals, residual grains, and the cracks on the glaze surface are analyzed based on the OCT images obtained. The characteristics of glaze cross-section structures for the celadon wares of two kilns are compared, and the decoration technologies of the celadon wares are also determined. Next, the chemical compositions of glaze and body of the celadon wares of the two kilns,Jingdezhen and Longquan, are obtained by XRF and compared. Then, the relationship between the differences of glaze cross-section structures and chemical compositions of glaze are discussed. The results show that the celadon wares from Jingdezhen and Longquan are different in glaze cross-section structures, and are the chemical compositions of the glaze and body. Meanwhile the differences of glaze chemical composition are relevant to the differences of glaze cross-section structures. This paper shows that the combination of OCT and XRF is validate as an effective method to identify the porcelains from different kilns.

[Application of calibration curve method and partial least squares regression analysis to quantitative analysis of nephrite samples using XRF].

The authors tried to find a method for quantitative analysis using pXRF without solid bulk stone/jade reference samples. 24 nephrite samples were selected, 17 samples were calibration samples and the other 7 are test samples. All the nephrite samples were analyzed by Proton induced X-ray emission spectroscopy (PIXE) quantitatively. Based on the PIXE results of calibration samples, calibration curves were created for the interested components/elements and used to analyze the test samples quantitatively; then, the qualitative spectrum of all nephrite samples were obtained by pXRF. According to the PIXE results and qualitative spectrum of calibration samples, partial least square method (PLS) was used for quantitative analysis of test samples. Finally, the results of test samples obtained by calibration method, PLS method and PIXE were compared to each other. The accuracy of calibration curve method and PLS method was estimated. The result indicates that the PLS method is the alternate method for quantitative analysis of stone/jade samples.