Dysregulated bile acid homeostasis: unveiling its role in metabolic diseases.

Maintaining bile acid homeostasis is essential for metabolic health. Bile acid homeostasis encompasses a complex interplay between biosynthesis, conjugation, secretion, and reabsorption. Beyond their vital role in digestion and absorption of lipid-soluble nutrients, bile acids are pivotal in systemic metabolic regulation. Recent studies have linked bile acid dysregulation to the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Bile acids are essential signaling molecules that regulate many critical biological processes, including lipid metabolism, energy expenditure, insulin sensitivity, and glucose metabolism. Disruption in bile acid homeostasis contributes to metabolic disease via altered bile acid feedback mechanisms, hormonal dysregulation, interactions with the gut microbiota, and changes in the expression and function of bile acid transporters and receptors. This review summarized the essential molecular pathways and regulatory mechanisms through which bile acid dysregulation contributes to the pathogenesis and progression of obesity, T2DM, and MASLD. We aim to underscore the significance of bile acids as potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic agents in the context of metabolic diseases, providing insights into their application in translational medicine.

Rare biosphere drives deterministic community assembly, co-occurrence network stability, and system performance in industrial wastewater treatment system.

Bacterial community is strongly associated with activated sludge performance, but there still remains a knowledge gap regarding the rare bacterial community assembly and their influence on the system performance in industrial wastewater treatment plants (IWWTPs). Here, we investigated bacterial communities in 11 full-scale IWWTPs with similar process designs, aiming to uncover ecological processes and functional traits regulating abundant and rare communities. Our findings indicated that abundant bacterial community assembly was governed by stochastic processes; thereby, abundant taxa are generally present in wastewater treatment compartments across different industrial types. On the contrary, rare bacterial taxa were primarily driven by deterministic processes (homogeneous selection 61.9%-79.7%), thus they only exited in specific IWWTPs compartments and wastewater types. The co-occurrence networks analysis showed that the majority of keystone taxa were rare bacterial taxa, with rare taxa contributing more to network stability. Furthermore, rare bacteria rather than abundant bacteria in the oxic compartment contributed more to the degradation of xenobiotics compounds, and they were main potential drivers of pollutant removal. This study demonstrated the irreplaceable roles of rare bacterial taxa in maintaining system performance of IWWTPs, and called for environmental engineers and microbial ecologists to increase their attention on rare biosphere.

Effect of Discharge Energy on Micro-Arc Oxidation Coating of Zirconium Alloy.

The micro-arc oxidation (MAO) technique was used to grow in situ oxidation coating on the surface of R60705 zirconium alloy in Na2SiO3, Na2EDTA, and NaOH electrolytes. The thickness, surface morphology, cross-section morphology, wear resistance, composition, and structure of the micro-arc oxidation coating were analyzed by an eddy current thickness measuring instrument, XPS, XRD, scanning electron microscopy, energy spectrometer, and wear testing machine. The corrosion resistance of the coating was characterized by a polarization curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that, with the increase in frequency, the single-pulse discharge energy decreases continuously, and the coating thickness shows a decreasing trend, from the highest value of 152 µm at 400 Hz to the lowest value of 87.5 µm at 1000 Hz. The discharge pore size on the surface of the coating gradually decreases, and the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of the coating first increase and then decrease. The corrosion resistance is the best when the frequency is 400 Hz. At this time, the corrosion potential is -0.215 V, and the corrosion current density is 2.546 × 10-8 A·cm-2. The micro-arc oxidation coating of zirconium alloy is mainly composed of monoclinic zirconia (m-ZrO2) and tetragonal zirconia (t-ZrO2), in which the content of monoclinic zirconia is significantly more than that of tetragonal zirconia.

A Comparative Study of Surfactant Solutions Used for Enhanced Oil Recovery in Shale and Tight Formations: Experimental Evaluation and Numerical Analysis.

Applying chemical enhanced oil recovery (EOR) to shale and tight formations is expected to accelerate China's Shale Revolution as it did in conventional reservoirs. However, its screening and modeling are more complex. EOR operations are faced with choices of chemicals including traditional surfactant solutions, surfactant solutions in the form of micro-emulsions (nano-emulsions), and nano-fluids, which have similar effects to surfactant solutions. This study presents a systematic comparative analysis composed of laboratory screening and numerical modeling. It was conducted on three scales: tests of chemical morphology and properties, analysis of micro-oil-displacing performance, and simulation of macro-oil-increasing effect. The results showed that although all surfactant solutions had the effects of reducing interfacial tension, altering wettability, and enhancing imbibition, the nano-emulsion with the lowest hydrodynamic radius is the optimal selection. This is attributed to the fact that the properties of the nano-emulsion match well with the characteristics of these shale and tight reservoirs. The nano-emulsion is capable of integrating into the tight matrix, interacting with the oil and rock, and supplying the energy for oil to flow out. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the role that surfactant solutions could play in the EOR of unconventional reservoirs.

The role of CD8+ T-cells in colorectal cancer immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy has been an advanced and effective approach to treating various types of solid tumors in recent years, and the most successful strategy is immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), which have shown beneficial effects in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Drug resistance to ICIs is usually associated with CD8+ T-cells targeting tumor antigens; thus, CD8+ T-cells play an important role in immunotherapy. Unfortunately, Under continuous antigen stimulation, tumor microenvironment(TME), hypoxia and other problems it leads to insufficient infiltration of CD8+ T-cells, low efficacy and mechanism exhaustion, which have become obstacles to immunotherapy. Thus, this article describes the relationship between CRC and the immune system, focuses on the process of CD8+ T-cells production, activation, transport, killing, and exhaustion, and expounds on related mechanisms leading to CD8+ T-cells exhaustion. Finally, this article summarizes the latest strategies and methods in recent years, focusing on improving the infiltration, efficacy, and exhaustion of CD8+ T-cells, which may help to overcome the barriers to immunotherapy.

Farnesoid X Receptor: Effective alleviation of rifampicin -induced liver injury.

Antituberculosis drugs induce pharmacologic cholestatic liver injury with long-term administration. Liver injury resulting from rifampicin is potentially related to the bile acid nuclear receptor Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR). To investigate this, cholestasis was induced in both wild-type (C57BL/6N) mice and FXR knockout (FXR-null) mice through administration of rifampicin (200 mg/kg) via gavage for 7 consecutive days. Compared with C57BL/6N mice, FXR-null mice exhibited more severe liver injury after rifampicin administration, characterized by enlarged liver size, elevated transaminases, and increased inflammation. Moreover, under rifampicin treatment, FXR knockout impairs lipid secretion and exacerbates hepatic steatosis. Significantly, the expression of metabolism molecules BSEP increased, while NTCP and CYP7A1 decreased following rifampicin administration in C57BL/6N mice, whereas these changes were absent in FXR knockout mice. Furthermore, rifampicin treatment in both C57BL/6N and FXR-null mice was associated with elevated c-Jun N-terminal kinase phosphorylation (p-JNK) levels, with a more pronounced elevation in FXR-null mice. Our study suggests that rifampicin-induced liver injury, steatosis, and cholestasis are associated with FXR dysfunction and altered bile acid metabolism, and that the JNK signaling pathway is partially implicated in this injury. Based on these results, we propose that FXR might be a novel therapeutic target for addressing drug-induced liver injury.

In-band pumped Kerr-lens mode-locked Tm,Ho-codoped calcium aluminate laser.

We report on a Kerr-lens mode-locked Tm,Ho-codoped calcium aluminate laser with in-band pumping of the Tm ions by a spatially single-mode 1678 nm Raman fiber laser. The structurally disordered CaGdAlO4 host crystal is also codoped also with the passive Lu ion for additional inhomogeneous line broadening. The Tm,Ho,Lu:CaGdAlO4 laser generates soliton pulses as short as 79 fs at a central wavelength of 2073.6 nm via soft-aperture Kerr-lens mode-locking. The corresponding average output power amounts to 91 mW at a pulse repetition rate of ∼86 MHz. The average output power can be scaled to 842 mW at the expense of slightly longer pulses of 155 fs at 2045.9 nm, which corresponds to a peak power of ∼58 kW. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first demonstration of an in-band pumped Kerr-lens mode-locked Tm,Ho solid-state laser at ∼2 µm.

Growth, spectroscopy and laser operation of Tm,Ho:GdScO3 perovskite crystal.

We report on the growth, polarized spectroscopy and first laser operation of an orthorhombic (space group Pnma) Tm3+,Ho3+-codoped gadolinium orthoscandate (GdScO3) perovskite-type crystal. A single crystal of 3.76 at.% Tm, 0.35 at.% Ho:GdScO3 was grown by the Czochralski method. Its polarized absorption and fluorescence properties were studied revealing a broadband emission around 2 µm. The parameters of the Tm3+ ↔ Ho3+ energy transfer was quantified, P28 = 1.30 × 10-22 cm3µs-1, and P71 = 0.99 × 10-23 cm3µs-1, and the thermal equilibrium lifetime was measured to be 3.5 ms. The crystal-field splitting of Tm3+ and Ho3+ multiplets in Cs symmetry sites of the perovskite structure was determined by low-temperature spectroscopy and the mechanism of spectral line broadening is discussed. The continuous-wave Tm,Ho:GdScO3 laser generated 1.16 W at ∼2.1 µm with a slope efficiency of 50.5%, a laser threshold of 184 mW, a linear laser polarization (E || c) and a spatially single-mode output. The Tm,Ho:GdScO3 crystal is promising for broadly tunable and femtosecond mode-locked lasers emitting above 2 µm.

Polarization switching in a mid-infrared Er:YAlO3 laser.

We report on a polarization-resolved study of mid-infrared emission properties of Er3+-doped orthorhombic yttrium aluminum perovskite YAlO3 single crystal. For the 4I11/2 → 4I13/2 Er3+ transition, the stimulated emission cross section is 0.20 × 10-20 cm2 at 2919 nm for light polarization E ‖ c. Pumped by an Yb-fiber laser at 976 nm, the 10 at.% Er:YAlO3 laser delivered 1.36 W at 2919 nm with a slope efficiency of 31.4%, very close to the Stokes limit, a laser threshold as low as 33 mW and a linear polarization. Pump-induced polarization switching between E || b and E || c eigen states was observed and explained by excited-state absorption from the terminal laser level.

Comparative efficacy of sweated and non-sweated Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. extracts on acute myocardial ischemia via regulating the PPARα/RXRα/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. (S. miltiorrhiza) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The processing of S. miltiorrhiza requires the raw herbs to sweat first and then dry. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-acute myocardial ischemia (AMI) of S. miltiorrhiza extracts (including tanshinones and phenolic acids) before and after sweating, and to further explore whether the "sweating" primary processing affected the efficacy of S. miltiorrhiza. The AMI animal model was established by subcutaneous injection of isoprenaline hydrochloride (ISO). After treatment, the cardiac function of rats was evaluated by electrocardiogram (ECG), biochemical, and histochemical analysis. Moreover, the regulation of S. miltiorrhiza extracts on the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα)/retinoid X receptor α (RXRα)/nuclear transcription factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway of rats was assessed by the Western blotting. The results showed that sweated and non-sweated S. miltiorrhiza extracts including tanshinones and phenolic acids significantly reduced ST-segment elevation in ECG and the myocardial infarction area in varying degrees. Meanwhile, sweated and non-sweated S. miltiorrhiza reversed the activities of aspartate transaminase (AST), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), as well as the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in AMI rats. Concurrently, the results of Western blotting revealed that S. miltiorrhiza extracts regulated the PPARα/RXRα/NF-κB signaling pathway to exert an anti-inflammatory effect. Most importantly, sweated S. miltiorrhiza tanshinones extracts are more effective than the non-sweated S. miltiorrhiza, and the anti-inflammatory efficacy of tanshinones extract was also better than that of phenolic acid extract. Although phenolic acid extracts before and after sweating were effective in anti-AMI, there was no significant difference between them. In conclusion, both tanshinones and phenolic acids extracts of sweated and non-sweated S. miltiorrhiza promote anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory against AMI via regulating the PPARα/RXRα/NF-κB signaling pathway. Further, the comparations between sweated and non-sweated S. miltiorrhiza extracts indicate that sweated S. miltiorrhiza tanshinones extracts have better therapeutic effects on AMI.

High-Precision and Real-Time Measurement of Water Isotope Ratios Based on a Mid-Infrared Optical Sensor.

A compact spectrometer based on a mid-infrared optical sensor has been developed for high-precision and real-time measurement of water isotope ratios. The instrument uses laser absorption spectroscopy and applies the weighted Kalman filtering method to determine water isotope ratios with high precision and fast time response. The precision of the measurements is 0.41‰ for δ18O and 0.29‰ for δ17O with a 1 s time. This is much faster than the standard running average technique, which takes over 90 s to achieve the same level of precision. The successful development of this compact mid-infrared optical sensor opens up new possibilities for its future applications in atmospheric and breath gas research.

Therapeutic effects of Tanshinone IIA and Tetramethylpyrazine nanoemulsions on cognitive impairment and neuronal damage in Alzheimer's disease rat models.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects and related mechanisms of Tanshinone IIA and Tetramethylpyrazine O/W composite nanoemulsions on Alzheimer's disease (AD) rats. METHODS: The therapeutic effect of TSN/TMP O/W NEs on AD rats was evaluated by behavioral tests, H&E, Nissl, and Immunohistochemistry staining. ELISA and Western blot were used to analyze the mechanism. KEY FINDINGS: The results showed that TSN/TMP O/W NEs could down-regulate the expression of Bax and Caspase-3 proteins, decrease the level of MDA, increase the expression of SOD and GSH-Px, and alleviate cognitive impairment in AD rats. CONCLUSIONS: TSN/TMP O/W NEs can inhibit MAPK/ERK/CREB signaling pathway and effectively alleviate cognitive impairment, oxidative stress injury, and neuronal apoptosis in AD rats.

Is Aggressive Surgery Always Necessary for Suspected Early-Onset Surgical Site Infection after Lumbar Surgery? A 10-Year Retrospective Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Surgical site infection (SSI) after spinal surgery is still a persistent worldwide health concern as it is a worrying and devastating complication. The number of samples in previous studies is limited and the role of conservative antibiotic therapy has not been established. This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy and feasibility of empirical antibiotic treatment for suspected early-onset deep spinal SSI. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study to identify all cases with suspected early-onset deep SSI after lumbar instrumented surgery between January 2009 and December 2018. We evaluated the potential risks for antibiotic treatment, examined the antibiotic treatment failure rate, and applied logistic regression analysis to assess the risk factors for empirical antibiotic treatment failure. RESULTS: Over the past 10 years, 45 patients matched the inclusion criteria. The success rate of antibiotic treatment was 62.2% (28/45). Of the 17 patients who failed antibiotic treatment, 16 were cured after a debridement intervention and the remaining one required removal of the internal fixation before recovery. On univariate analysis, risk factors for antibiotic treatment failure included age, increasing or persisting back pain, wound dehiscence, localized swelling, and time to SSI (cut-off: 10 days). Multivariate analysis revealed that infection occurring 10 days after primary surgery and wound dehiscence were independent risk factors for antibiotic treatment failure. CONCLUSION: Appropriate antibiotic treatment is an alternative strategy for suspected early-onset deep SSI after lumbar instrumented surgery. Antibiotic treatment for suspected SSI occurring within 10 days after primary surgery may improve the success rate of antibiotic intervention. Patients with wound dehiscence have a significantly higher likelihood of requiring surgical intervention.

Pioneering advanced security solutions for reinforcement learning-based adaptive key rotation in Zigbee networks.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of Internet of Things (IoT), Zigbee networks have emerged as a critical component for enabling wireless communication in a variety of applications. Despite their widespread adoption, Zigbee networks face significant security challenges, particularly in key management and network resilience against cyber attacks like distributed denial of service (DDoS). Traditional key rotation strategies often fall short in dynamically adapting to the ever-changing network conditions, leading to vulnerabilities in network security and efficiency. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a novel approach by implementing a reinforcement learning (RL) model for adaptive key rotation in Zigbee networks. We developed and tested this model against traditional periodic, anomaly detection-based, heuristic-based, and static key rotation methods in a simulated Zigbee network environment. Our comprehensive evaluation over a 30-day period focused on key performance metrics such as network efficiency, response to DDoS attacks, network resilience under various simulated attacks, latency, and packet loss in fluctuating traffic conditions. The results indicate that the RL model significantly outperforms traditional methods, demonstrating improved network efficiency, higher intrusion detection rates, faster response times, and superior resource management. The study underscores the potential of using artificial intelligence (AI)-driven, adaptive strategies for enhancing network security in IoT environments, paving the way for more robust and intelligent Zigbee network security solutions.

Screening of Poria cocos polysaccharide with immunomodulatory activity and its activation effects on TLR4/MD2/NF-κB pathway.

PCP-W1, the Poria cocos polysaccharide with the strong immunomodulatory activity, was isolated through column chromatography and screened for in vitro immune activity in RAW 264.7 cells in this study. The structure analysis results revealed that the PCP-W1 were composed of galactose, glucose, fucose and mannose in a molar percentage of 35.87: 28.56: 21.77: 13.64. And it exhibited a random coil and branched conformational features with a molecular weight of 18.38 kDa. The main chain consisted of residues→3)-ß-D-Glcp-(1 â†’ 3,6)-ß-D-Glcp-(1 â†’ 3)-ß-D-Glcp-(1 â†’ 6)-ß-D-Glcp-(1 â†’ 6)-α-D-Galp-(1 â†’ 6)-α-D-Galp-(1 â†’ 2,6)-α-D-Galp-(1→6)-α-D-Galp-(1 â†’ 6)-α-D-Galp-(1 â†’ , while branching occurred at ß-D-Glcp-(1→, α-D-Manp-(1→, and α-L-Fucp-(1 â†’ 3)- α-L-Fucp-(1→. The pharmacodynamic studies demonstrated that PCP-W1 activated the release of NO, IL-6, IL-ß, TNF-α, CD86, and ROS to induce polarization of RAW 264.7 murine macrophages towards M1-type through modulation of the TLR4/MD2/NF-κB pathway. The molecular docking results showed that PCP-W1 could primarily dock onto the hydrophobic binding site of TLR4/MD2 complex via its galactose chain. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulation displayed stable modeling for TLR4-MD2-PCP-W1 complex. Overall, we screened the most immunoactive components of the polysaccharide, analyzed its structure, demonstrated its impact on TLR4/MD2/NF-kB pathway, and studied the interaction between TLR4/MD2 and the polysaccharide fragments. These results provide further support for the structure-activity relationship study of the immunomodulatory effects of Poria cocos polysaccharide.

The Identification of RPL4 as a Hub Gene Associated with Goat Litter Size via Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis.

Reproduction in goats is a highly complex and dynamic process of life regulation, involving coordinated regulation from various aspects such as central nervous system regulation, reproductive system development, oocyte maturation, and fertilized egg development. In recent years, researchers have identified numerous genes associated with goat reproductive performance through high-throughput sequencing, single-cell sequencing, gene knockout, and other techniques. However, there is still an urgent need to explore marker genes related to goat reproductive performance. In this study, a single-cell RNA sequencing dataset of oocytes (GSE136005) was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) was utilized to identify modules highly correlated with goat litter size. Through gene function enrichment analysis, it was found that genes within the modules were mainly enriched in adhesive junctions, cell cycle, and other signaling pathways. Additionally, the top 30 hub genes with the highest connectivity in WGCNA were identified. Subsequently, using Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network analysis, the top 30 genes with the highest connectivity within the modules were identified. The intersection of hub genes, key genes in the PPI network, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) led to the identification of the RPL4 gene as a key marker gene associated with reproductive capacity in goat oocytes. Overall, our study reveals that the RPL4 gene in oocytes holds promise as a biological marker for assessing goat litter size, deepening our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying goat reproductive performance.

Enhancing Energy Harvesting Efficiency of Flapping Wings with Leading-Edge Magnus Effect Cylinder.

According to the Magnus principle, a rotating cylinder experiences a lateral force perpendicular to the incoming flow direction. This phenomenon can be harnessed to boost the lift of an airfoil by positioning a rotating cylinder at the leading edge. In this study, we simulate flapping-wing motion using the sliding mesh technique in a heaving coordinate system to investigate the energy harvesting capabilities of Magnus effect flapping wings (MEFWs) featuring a leading-edge rotating cylinder. Through analysis of the flow field vortex structure and pressure distribution, we explore how control parameters such as gap width, rotational speed ratio, and phase difference of the leading-edge rotating cylinder impact the energy harvesting characteristics of the flapping wing. The results demonstrate that MEFWs effectively mitigate the formation of leading-edge vortices during wing motion. Consequently, this enhances both lift generation and energy harvesting capability. MEFWs with smaller gap widths are less prone to induce the detachment of leading-edge vortices during motion, ensuring a higher peak lift force and an increase in the energy harvesting efficiency. Moreover, higher rotational speed ratios and phase differences, synchronized with wing motion, can prevent leading-edge vortex generation during wing motion. All three control parameters contribute to enhancing the energy harvesting capability of MEFWs within a certain range. At the examined Reynolds number, the optimal parameter values are determined to be a∗ = 0.0005, R = 3, and ϕ0 = 0°.

An effector SsCVNH promotes the virulence of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum through targeting class III peroxidase AtPRX71.

Many plant pathogens secrete effector proteins into the host plant to suppress host immunity and facilitate pathogen colonization. The necrotrophic pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes severe plant diseases and results in enormous economic losses, in which secreted proteins play a crucial role. SsCVNH was previously reported as a secreted protein, and its expression is significantly upregulated at 3 h after inoculation on the host plant. Here, we further demonstrated that deletion of SsCVNH leads to attenuated virulence. Heterologous expression of SsCVNH in Arabidopsis enhanced pathogen infection, inhibited the host PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI) response and increased plant susceptibility to S. sclerotiorum. SsCVNH interacted with class III peroxidase AtPRX71, a positive regulator of innate immunity against plant pathogens. SsCVNH could also interact with other class III peroxidases, thus reducing peroxidase activity and suppressing plant immunity. Our results reveal a new infection strategy employed by S. sclerotiorum in which the fungus suppresses the function of class III peroxidases, the major component of PTI to promote its own infection.

RNA-dependent RNA polymerases regulate ascospore discharge through the exonic-sRNA-mediated RNAi pathway.

Ascospores, forcibly released into the air from perithecia, are the primary inoculum for Fusarium head blight. In Fusarium graminearum, the biological functions of four RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRPs) (Fgrdrp1-4) have been reported, but their regulatory mechanisms are poorly understood and the function of Fgrdrp5 is still unknown. In this study, we found that in addition to Fgrdrp1 and Fgrdrp2, Fgrdrp5 also plays an important role in ascospore discharge, and they all participate in the generation of turgor pressure in a polyol-dependent manner. Moreover, these three genes all affect the maturation of ascospores. Deep sequencing and co-analysis of small RNA and mRNA certified that Fgrdrp1, Fgrdrp2, and Fgrdrp5 partly share their functions in the biogenesis and accumulation of exonic small interference RNA (ex-siRNA), and these three RdRPs negatively regulate the expression levels of ex-siRNA corresponding genes, including certain genes associated with ascospore development or discharge. Furthermore, the differentially expressed genes of deletion mutants, those involved in lipid and sugar metabolism or transport as well as sexual development-related transcription factors, may also contribute to the defects in ascospore maturation or ascospore discharge. In conclusion, our study suggested that the components of the dicer-dependent ex-siRNA-mediated RNA interference pathway include at least Fgrdrp1, Fgrdrp2, and Fgrdrp5. IMPORTANCE: We found that in addition to Fgrdrp1 and Fgrdrp2, Fgrdrp5 also plays important roles in ascospore maturation and ascospore discharge of Fusarium graminearum. These three RNA-dependent RNA polymerases participate in the biogenesis and accumulation of exonic small interference RNA and then regulate ascospore discharge.

[Chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Nauclea officinalis and predictive analysis of its quality markers].

Nauclea officinalis is a Chinese medicinal material with a high medicinal value, which contains various chemical constituents such as alkaloids, pentacyclic triterpenoids and their saponins, organic phenolic acids and their glycosides, iridoids, and flavonoids. It has antiviral, antibacterial, antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and immunoregulatory functions. This article systematically reviewed the reported chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of N. officinalis. According to the concept of quality markers, the quality markers of N. officinalis were predicted and analyzed from the aspects of plant kinship, specificity of chemical constituents, traditional drug efficacy, measurability of chemical constituents, plasma components, and different producing areas and harvest times, in order to provide a basis for the quality evaluation of N. officinalis.