The complete plastomes of thirteen Libanotis (Apiaceae, Apioideae) plants: comparative and phylogenetic analyses provide insights into the plastome evolution and taxonomy of Libanotis.

BACKGROUND: The genus Libanotis Haller ex Zinn, nom. cons., a contentious member of Apiaceae, encompasses numerous economically and medicinally significant plants, comprising approximately 30 species distributed across Eurasia. Despite many previous taxonomic insights into it, phylogenetic studies of the genus are still lacking. And the establishment of a robust phylogenetic framework remains elusive, impeding advancements and revisions in the taxonomic system for this genus. Plastomes with greater variability in their genetic characteristics hold promise for building a more robust Libanotis phylogeny. RESULTS: During our research, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated complete plastomes for twelve Libanotis species belong to three sections and two closely related taxa. We conducted a comprehensive comparative analysis through totally thirteen Libanotis plastomes for the genus, including an additional plastome that had been published. Our results suggested that Libanotis plastome was highly conserved between different subclades, while the coding regions were more conserved than the non-coding regions, and the IR regions were more conserved than the single copy regions. Nevertheless, eight mutation hotspot regions were identified among plastomes, which can be considered as candidate DNA barcodes for accurate species identification in Libanotis. The phylogenetic analyses generated a robustly framework for Libanotis and revealed that Libanotis was not a monophyletic group and their all three sections were polygenetic. Libanotis schrenkiana was sister to L. sibirica, type species of this genus, but the remainders scattered within Selineae. CONCLUSION: The plastomes of Libanotis exhibited a high degree of conservation and was effective in enhancing the support and resolution of phylogenetic analyses within this genus. Based on evidence from both phylogeny and morphology, we propose the recognition of "Libanotis sensu stricto" and provide taxonomic recommendations for other taxa that previously belonged to Libanotis. In conclusion, our study not only revealed the phylogenetic position and plastid evolution of Libanotis, but also provided new insights into the phylogeny of the family Apiaceae and phylogenetic relationships within the tribe Selineae.

The development of a combined clinico-radiomics model for predicting post-operative recurrence in atypical meningiomas: a multicenter study.

PURPOSE: Atypical meningiomas could manifest early recurrence after surgery and even adjuvant radiotherapy. We aimed to construct a clinico-radiomics model to predict post-operative recurrence of atypical meningiomas based on clinicopathological and radiomics features. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study cohort was comprised of 224 patients from two neurosurgical centers. 164 patients from center I were divided to the training cohort for model development and the testing cohort for internal validation. 60 patients from center II were used for external validation. Clinicopathological characteristics, radiological semantic, and radiomics features were collected. A radiomic signature was comprised of four radiomics features. A clinico-radiomics model combining the radiomics signature and clinical characteristics was constructed to predict the recurrence of atypical meningiomas. RESULTS: 1920 radiomics features were extracted from the T1 Contrast and T2-FLAIR sequences of patients in center I. The radiomics signature was able to differentiate post-operative patients into low-risk and high-risk groups based on tumor recurrence (P < 0.001). A clinic-radiomics model was established by combining age, extent of resection, Ki-67 index, surgical history and the radiomics signature for recurrence prediction in atypical meningiomas. The model achieved a good prediction performance with the integrated AUC of 0.858 (0.802-0.915), 0.781 (0.649-0.912) and 0.840 (0.747-0.933) in the training, internal validation and external validation cohort, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present study established a radiomics signature and a clinico-radiomics model with a favorable performance in predicting tumor recurrence for atypical meningiomas.

Distinct clinical outcome of microcystic meningioma as a WHO grade 1 meningioma subtype.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics, radiology, and long-term outcomes of microcystic meningiomas (MM) and compare it with other subtypes of meningiomas managed at a single neurosurgical center. METHODS: A total of 87 consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection and were diagnosed as MM between 2005 and 2016 were enrolled for analysis. Clinicopathological, radiology, and prognostic information was collected and analyzed. Progression free survival (PFS) was compared with 659 patients with other subtypes of WHO grade 1 meningiomas and 167 patients with atypical meningiomas treated during the same period. RESULTS: Fifty six females and 31 males with MM were analyzed. Peri-tumor brain edema was frequent on T2 WI (85%).12 patients (13.8%) experienced tumor progression during the mean follow-up of 101.66 ± 40.92 months. The median PFS was unavailable, and the 5, 10, and 15 year progression-free rates were 96.9%, 84.0%, and 73.9%, respectively. Univariate COX analysis demonstrated skull base location and higher Ki-67 index as significant negative prognostic factors for PFS (P < 0.05); multivariate analysis identified tumor location and Ki-67 index as independent factors (P < 0.01), as well. Of note, the PFS of MM was worse than other WHO grade 1 subtypes (P < 0.001), but better than atypical meningiomas (P < 0.001), and the PFS differences were retained even when the analysis was limited to the patients receiving GTR (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The PFS of MM was worse than other WHO grade 1 subtypes and better than atypical meningiomas. Skull base location and higher Ki-67 index were independent negative prognostic factors in MM.

Loss of H3K27me3 expression enriches in recurrent grade 1&2 meningiomas and maintains as a biomarker stratifying progression risk.

PURPOSE: To determine if loss of H3K27me3 could predict higher risk of re-recurrence in recurrent meningiomas. METHODS: A retrospective, single-center cohort study was performed for patients who underwent resection of recurrent grade 1 (N = 132) &2 (N = 32) meningiomas from 2009 to 2013. Association of H3K27me3 staining and clinical parameters was analyzed. Additionally, H3K27me3 staining was performed from 45 patients whose tumors recurred and were resected during the follow-up, to evaluate H3K27me3 change during tumor progression. Survival analysis was performed as well. RESULTS: Loss of H3K27me3 expression was observed in 83 patients, comprising 63 grade 1 (47.7%) and 20 grade 2 patients (62.5%). Both grade 1 (p < 0.001) and grade 2 recurrent meningiomas (p < 0.001) had a higher frequency of H3K27me3 loss, compared to de novo meningiomas. 8 of 27 tumors with retained H3K27me3 lost H3K27me3 during re-recurrence (29.6%), while no gain of H3K27me3 was observed in progressive disease from 18 tumors with H3K27me3 loss. Loss of H3K27me3 expression was associated with an earlier re-recurrence in recurrent meningiomas grade 1 and 2 (p < 0.001), and was an independent prognostic factor for PFS in recurrent grade 1 meningiomas (p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Compared to primary meningiomas, recurrent meningiomas more predominantly had loss of H3K27me3 expression, and further loss can occur during the progression of recurrent tumors. Our results further demonstrated that loss of H3K27me3 predicted shorter PFS in recurrent grade 1 and grade 2 meningiomas. Our work thus supports clinical testing of H3K27me3 in recurrent meningiomas WHO grade 1 and 2.

The Effects of Shrub Removal on Soil Microbial Communities in Primary Forest, Secondary Forest and Plantation Forest on Changbai Mountain.

Shrub removal is a common management method in forest ecosystems, but comparatively little is known regarding the effects of shrub removal on soil microbial communities among primary forest, secondary forest, and plantation forests in temperate forests, which limits our accurate assessment of sustainable management of understory vegetation removal. Given this, we used a long-term operation experiment across a contrasting mixed broadleaved-Pinus koraiensis forest, Betula platyphylla forest, and Larix gmelinii plantation forest to explore the variations of soil properties and microbial community after 5 years of shrub removal on Changbai Mountain, as well as the contribution of the soil properties and understory plant diversity to the soil microbial community. The results demonstrated that shrub removal could significantly alter soil SWC and TN, TP, and AP contents of the L. gmelinii, as well as N/P of B. platyphylla. Moreover, shrub removal also clearly improved soil bacterial Pielou_e index and Simpson index of mixed broadleaved-P. koraiensis and soil bacterial Simpson index of L. gmelinii, and decreased soil fungal Pielou_e index and Shannon index of L. gmelinii and soil bacterial Pielou_e index and soil fungal Shannon index of B. platyphylla. Identically, shrub removal notably altered the soil bacterial community composition. Soil characteristics and understory plant diversity accounted for 48.02% and 26.88%, and 45.88% and 27.57% of the variance in the bacterial and fungal community composition, respectively. This study aimed to provide an important scientific basis for the restoration and sustainable management of temperate forests in the Changbai Mountain region.

Variations of Phyllosphere and Rhizosphere Microbial Communities of Pinus koraiensis Infected by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus.

Pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, as one of the greatest threats to pine trees, is spreading all over the world. Plant microorganisms play an important role in the pathogenesis of nematodes. The phyllosphere and rhizosphere bacterial and fungal communities associated with healthy Pinus koraiensis (PKa) and P. koraiensis infected by B. xylophilus at the early (PKb) and last (PKc) stages were analyzed. Our results demonstrated that pine wood nematode (PWD) could increase the phyllosphere bacterial Pielou_e, Shannon, and Simpson index; phyllosphere fungal Chao 1 index, as well as rhizosphere bacterial Pielou_e, Shannon, and Simpson index; and rhizosphere fungal Pielou_e, Shannon, and Simpson index. What's more, slight shifts of the microbial diversity were observed at the early stage of infection, and the microbial diversity increased significantly as the symptoms of infection worsened. With the infection of B. xylophilus in P. koraiensis, Bradyrhizobium (rhizosphere bacteria), Massilia (phyllosphere bacteria), and Phaeosphaeriaceae (phyllosphere fungi) were the major contributors to the differences in community compositions among different treatments. With the infection of PWD, most of the bacterial groups tended to be co-excluding rather than co-occurring. These changes would correlate with microbial ability to suppress plant pathogen, enhancing the understanding of disease development and providing guidelines to pave the way for its possible management.

Plastid Phylogenomics Provide Evidence to Accept Two New Members of Ligusticopsis (Apiaceae, Angiosperms).

Peucedanum nanum and P. violaceum are recognized as members of the genus Peucedanum because of their dorsally compressed mericarps with slightly prominent dorsal ribs and narrowly winged lateral ribs. However, these species are not similar to other Peucedanum taxa but resemble Ligusticopsis in overall morphology. To check the taxonomic positions of P. nanum and P. violaceum, we sequenced their complete plastid genome (plastome) sequences and, together with eleven previously published Ligusticopsis plastomes, performed comprehensively comparative analyses. The thirteen plastomes were highly conserved and similar in structure, size, GC content, gene content and order, IR borders, and the patterns of codon bias, RNA editing, and simple sequence repeats (SSRs). Nevertheless, twelve mutation hotspots (matK, ndhC, rps15, rps8, ycf2, ccsA-ndhD, petN-psbM, psbA-trnK, rps2-rpoC2, rps4-trnT, trnH-psbA, and ycf2-trnL) were selected. Moreover, both the phylogenetic analyses based on plastomes and on nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences robustly supported that P. nanum and P. violaceum nested in Ligusticopsis, and this was further confirmed by the morphological evidence. Hence, transferring P. nanum and P. violaceum into Ligusticopsis genus is reasonable and convincing, and two new combinations are presented.

Characterization of novel CTNNB1 mutation in Craniopharyngioma by whole-genome sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Craniopharyngioma (CP) is rare histologically benign but clinically challenging tumor because of its intimate relationship with the critical structure in the central brain. CP can be divided into two major histologic subtypes: adamantinomatous-type CP (ACP) and papillary-type CP (PCP). Although some genetic aberrations for both categories have been revealed in previous studies, the complete spectrum of genetic changes of this tumor remains unknown. METHODS: In this study, we conducted whole genome sequencing (WGS) on twenty-six CPs including 16 ACPs and 10 PCPs together with their matched blood samples. Somatic variants (SNVs, InDels, SVs and CNVs) were identified and mutational signatures were characterized for each patient. We investigated the impact of a novel CTNNB1 mutant on its protein stability, ubiquitination and Wnt pathway activity. Cell proliferation ability of the CTNNB1 mutant in ACP primary cells was additionally analyzed by CCK8 and colony formation assays. RESULTS: We found that CPs had showed less complexity with fewer somatic mutations compared with malignant tumors. Moreover, mutations in CTNNB1 (68.75% of ACP) and BRAF V600E (70.00% of PCP) are mutually exclusive in ACP and PCP, consolidating that the driving roles of these two genes in ACP and PCP, respectively. A novel mutation in the exon 3 of CTNNB1 which compromised both a transversion and in-frame deletion was identified in ACP. This mutation was experimentally validated to confer ß-catenin increased stability by inhibiting its ubiquitination, thus activating Wnt-signaling pathway and promoting cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: Whole genome landscape for CP was revealed by WGS analysis, and a novel mutation in the exon 3 of CTNNB1 was identified. This novel mutation activates Wnt-signaling pathway through increasing the stability of ß-catenin. Our findings provided us with more comprehensive insight into the spectrum of genetic alterations in CP.

Long-term outcomes of multimodality management for parasagittal meningiomas.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to systematically analyze the clinical characteristics of a large cohort of parasagittal meningioma (PM) and to evaluate the patients' outcomes and best treatment strategies based on tumor features. METHODS: To minimize selection bias we performed a single-institutional review of PM with restricted criteria. One hundred and ninety-two consecutive patients who met criteria for inclusion were reviewed from 2003 to 2011 in our general hospital. RESULTS: A total of 131 cases (68.2%) were with WHO grade I, while grade II and grade III PMs constituted 40 (20.8%) and 21 cases (10.9%). Higher histological grade was associated with loss of trimethylation of H3K27 (P = 0.000). For WHO grade I PMs, GTR was significantly associated with a better PFS (P = 0.023); however, adjuvant radiotherapy did not benefit patients with STR (P = 0.215). For de novo high-grade (WHO grade II and III) PMs (n = 37), adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with a significantly longer OS (P = 0.013), while no difference was observed between GTR and STR (P = 0.654). In recurrent high-grade PM patients (n = 24), GTR combined with adjuvant radiotherapy increased PFS (P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that PMs were a heterogeneous group of tumors with a high proportion of high-grade tumors that often displayed aggressive clinical behaviors. Low-grade PM benefited from radical resection, whereas high-grade de novo PM did not. Adjuvant radiotherapy significantly prolonged OS for high-grade primary PM, but did not impact survival of patients with subtotally resected low-grade tumors. Long-term outcome of high-grade recurrent PMs was dismal. We thus show that extent of tumor resection, tumor grade and tumor recurrent status inform therapeutic decisions for PMs.

Clinical and prognostic features of spinal meningioma: a thorough analysis from a single neurosurgical center.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to thoroughly analyze the clinical characteristics of a large cohort of spinal meningioma (SM) from a single neurological center and identify risk factors associated with worse progression free survival and neurological function outcome. METHODS: Clinical information was retrieved from 483 SM and 9806 cranial meningioma cases who were operated in our center between 2003 and 2013. 194 SM patients who were followed at the main branch were used for prognostic analyses that included both recurrence free survival and neurological functions based on Modified McCormick scale (MMS). RESULTS: Females were predominant (P < 0.001). High grade tumors were not common (WHO grade II, 2.9%; grade III, 1.7%), while the clear cell subtype was frequent within grade II SMs (6/14, 42.9%). Macroscopic total resection was achieved in all SMs (Simpson grade I, 30.9%; grade II, 65.5%; grade III, 3.6%) with a low complications rate (4.6%) and provided neurological improvement in 80 patients (41.2%). Recurrence was seen in 9 cases (4.6%) and associated with high WHO grade, male, prior recurrence, and Simpson grade III. High WHO grade and high Ki-67 index were identified to be independent factors predictive of both neurological function deterioration and impaired post-operative neurological status. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis of the largest SM cohort in scale from a single institution offers a comprehensive view of the clinical characteristics of surgically treated SM, revealing the distinct biology of SM in comparison to its cranial counterparts, and providing guidance to improve surgical management of SM.

Clinical and prognostic role of annexin A2 in adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma.

Annexin A2 (AnxA2) is a highly conserved Ca2+-regulated membrane binding protein, which affects cell mobility and tumor progression. Adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (AdaCP) are a kind of epithelial tumors of the sellar region with high tendency to recur. Robust biomarkers are required to predict tumor behavior and to establish follow-up individualized treatment approaches. In this study, we firstly compared four surgical AdaCP samples with normal brain by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) proteomic analysis. Potential prognostic biomarkers were further validated in a large cohort of 65 AdaCPs by immunohistochemistry. The effects of AnxA2 on AdaCP cells proliferation and migration were analyzed in vitro with isolated primary AdaCP cells as well as SV40T-immortalized cells. Finally, the gefitinib sensitivity of AdaCPs with differentially expressed AnxA2 and the potential molecular mechanisms were examined by flow cytometric analysis, Real-time PCR and immunoblot assays. Proteomic analysis indicated that AnxA2 was the protein spot with the most elevated expression in AdaCP samples. Immunohistochemistry assays indicated the expression level of AnxA2 was significantly higher in recurrent AdaCPs compared with primary ones. Moreover, AnxA2+ AdaCP cells exhibited enhanced proliferation and migration ability compared with AnxA2- AdaCP cells in vitro. Further, we show that AnxA2+ AdaCP cells exhibited elevated expression of EGFR and downstream p-AKT (S308) and p-AKT (S473), and were more sensitive to tyrosine kinase inhibitor gefitinib. Our data suggest that AnxA2 may serve as a promising biomarker for AdaCP progression, recurrence and drug susceptibility. Our data support potential clinical implications for the follow-up treatment of AdaCP patients with high AnxA2 expression.

The role of spinal neurons targeted by corticospinal neurons in central poststroke neuropathic pain.

BACKGROUND: Central poststroke pain (CPSP) is one of the primary sequelae following stroke, yet its underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. METHODS: By lesioning the lateral thalamic nuclei, we first established a CPSP model that exhibits mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity. Innocuous mechanical stimuli following the thalamic lesion evoked robust neural activation in somatosensory corticospinal neurons (CSNs), as well as in the deep dorsal horn, where low threshold mechanosensory afferents terminate. In this study, we used viral-based mapping and intersectional functional manipulations to decipher the role of somatosensory CSNs and their spinal targets in the CPSP pathophysiology. RESULTS: We first mapped the post-synaptic spinal targets of lumbar innervating CSNs using an anterograde trans-synaptic AAV1-based strategy and showed these spinal interneurons were activated by innocuous tactile stimuli post-thalamic lesion. Functionally, tetanus toxin-based chronic inactivation of spinal neurons targeted by CSNs prevented the development of CPSP. Consistently, transient chemogenetic silencing of these neurons alleviated established mechanical pain hypersensitivity and innocuous tactile stimuli evoked aversion linked to the CPSP. In contrast, chemogenetic activation of these neurons was insufficient to induce robust mechanical allodynia typically observed in the CPSP. CONCLUSION: The CSNs and their spinal targets are required but insufficient for the establishment of CPSP hypersensitivity. Our study provided novel insights into the neural mechanisms underlying CPSP and potential therapeutic interventions to treat refractory central neuropathic pain conditions.

Restructuring Electrolyte Solvation by a Versatile Diluent Toward Beyond 99.9% Coulombic Efficiency of Sodium Plating/Stripping at Ultralow Temperatures.

The reversible and durable operation of sodium metal batteries at low temperatures (LT) is essential for cold-climate applications but is plagued by dendritic Na plating and unstable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI). Current Coulombic efficiencies of sodium plating/stripping at LT fall far below 99.9%, representing a significant performance gap yet to be filled. Here, the solvation structure of the conventional 1 m NaPF6 in diglyme electrolyte by facile cyclic ether (1,3-dioxolane, DOL) dilution is efficiently reconfigured. DOL diluents help shield the Na+-PF6 - Coulombic interaction and intermolecular forces of diglyme, leading to anomalously high Na+-ion conductivity. Besides, DOL participates in the solvation sheath and weakens the chelation of Na+ by diglyme for facilitated desolvation. More importantly, it promotes concentrated electron cloud distribution around PF6 - in the solvates and promotes their preferential decomposition. A desired inorganic-rich SEI is generated with compositional uniformity, high ionic conductivity, and high Young's modulus. Consequently, a record-high Coulombic efficiency over 99.9% is achieved at an ultralow temperature of -55 °C, and a 1 Ah capacity pouch cell of initial anode-free sodium metal battery retains 95% of the first discharge capacity over 100 cycles at -25 °C. This study thus provides new insights for formulating electrolytes toward increased Na reversibility at LT.

Association of frequent NF2 mutations with spinal location predominance and worse outcomes in psammomatous meningiomas.

OBJECTIVE: Psammomatous meningiomas (PMs) are a rare histological subtype of meningioma but are rather frequent in spinal meningiomas. The authors aimed to analyze the incidence, clinical features, molecular alterations, long-term outcomes, and prognostic factors of PMs. METHODS: In total, 151 patients with PMs were included in this study. Clinical characteristics, molecular alterations, and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed in PMs. Clinical characteristics were compared between PMs and other WHO grade 1 meningiomas. Targeted sequencing of meningioma-relevant genes was performed to determine the molecular alterations in PMs. RESULTS: PMs accounted for 1.34% of all meningiomas. Clinically, spinal location (p < 0.001) and female predominance (p < 0.001) were statistically significant in PMs when compared with the other grade 1 subtypes. Radiologically, calcification was frequently found in PMs (88.24%). Genetically, NF2 was the most frequently mutated gene in PMs (59.7%), followed by TRAF7 and AKT1. Ten patients experienced recurrence during the long-term follow-up. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age (p = 0.009), extent of resection (p < 0.001), Ki-67 index (p = 0.007), and NF2 status (p < 0.001) were independent prognostic factors in the cohort of PMs. Interestingly, NF2 mutation was detected in all (48/48) spinal PMs (SPMs) but in only 38.46% (35/91) of cranial PMs (CPMs), revealing a significant difference (p < 0.001). The mean Ki-67 index (p = 0.044) and proportion of PMs with PR-positive expression (p = 0.048) were significantly higher in SPMs than in CPMs. The frequent NF2 mutations are associated with spinal location predominance and worse PFS in PMs. CONCLUSIONS: Female sex and spinal location predominance were statistically significant in PMs. NF2 mutation was an independent predictor for worse PFS of PMs. Of note, NF2 mutation was detected in all SPMs but in only 38.46% of CPMs, revealing a significant difference.

Effects of light qualities on growth and physiological-biochemical traits of Scutellaria baicalensis.

Canopy spectral composition significantly affects growth and functional traits of understory plants. In this study, we explored the optimal light condition suitable for enhancing Scutellaria baicalensis's yield and quality, aiming to provide scientific reference for the exploitation and utilization of medicinal plant resources in the understory of forests. We measured the responses of growth, morphology, biomass allocation, physiological traits, and secon-dary metabolites of S. baicalensis to different light qualities. S. baicalensis was cultured under five LED-light treatments including full spectrum light (control), ultraviolet-A (UV-A) radiation, blue, green, and red light. Results showed that UV-A significantly reduced plant height, base diameter, leaf thickness, leaf area ratio, and biomass of each organ. Red light significantly reduced base diameter, biomass, effective quantum yield of photosystem Ⅱ (ФPSⅡ), and total flavonoid concentration. Under blue light, root length and total biomass of S. baicalensis significantly increased by 48.0% and 10.8%, respectively, while leaf number and chlorophyll content significantly decreased by 20.0% and 31.6%, respectively. The other physiological and biochemical traits were consistent with their responses in control. Our results suggested that blue light promoted photosynthesis, biomass accumulation, and secondary metabolite synthesis of S. baicalensis, while red light and UV-A radiation negatively affected physiological and biochemical metabolic processes. Therefore, the ratio of blue light could be appropriately increased to improve the yield and quality of S. baicalensis.

Aggregate-Dominated Dilute Electrolytes with Low-Temperature-Resistant Ion-Conducting Channels for Highly Reversible Na Plating/Stripping.

Developing rechargeable batteries with high power delivery at low temperatures (LT) below 0 °C is significant for cold-climate applications. Initial anode-free sodium metal batteries (AFSMBs) promise high LT performances because of the low de-solvation energy and smaller Stokes radius of Na+, nondiffusion-limited plating/stripping electrochemistry, and maximized energy density. However, the severe reduction in electrolyte ionic conductivity and formation of unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) hinder their practical applications at LT. In this study, a 2-methyltetrahydrofuran-based dilute electrolyte is designed to concurrently achieve an anion-coordinated solvation structure and impressive ionic conductivity of 3.58 mS cm-1 at -40 °C. The dominant aggregate solvates enable the formation of highly efficient and LT-resistant Na+ hopping channels in the electrolyte. Moreover, the methyl-regulated electronic structure in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran induces gradient decomposition toward an inorganic-organic bilayer SEI with high Na+ mobility, composition homogeneity, and mechanical robustness. As such, a record-high Coulombic efficiency beyond 99.9% is achieved even at -40 °C. The as-constructed AFSMBs sustain 300 cycles with 80% capacity maintained, and a 0.5-Ah level pouch cell delivers 85% capacity over 180 cycles at -25 °C. This study affords new insights into electrolyte formulation for fast ionic conduction and superior Na reversibility at ultralow temperatures.

Porous Polymer Materials for CO2 Capture and Electrocatalytic Reduction.

Efficient capture of CO2 and its conversion into other high value-added compounds by electrochemical methods is an effective way to reduce excess CO2 in the atmosphere. Porous polymeric materials hold great promise for selective adsorption and electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 due to their high specific surface area, tunable porosity, structural diversity, and chemical stability. Here, we review recent research advances in this field, including design of porous organic polymers (POPs), porous coordination polymers (PCPs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), and functional nitrogen-containing polymers for capture and electrocatalytic reduction of CO2. In addition, key issues and prospects for the optimal design of porous polymers for future development are elucidated. This review is expected to shed new light on the development of advanced porous polymer electrocatalysts for efficient CO2 reduction.

Effects of microplastic type on growth and physiology of soil crops: Implications for farmland yield and food quality.

Microplastic residues pose one of the most serious environmental problems in areas where plastic mulch is used extensively. Microplastic pollution has potentially serious consequences for ecosystems and human health. Several studies have analyzed microplastics in greenhouses or laboratory climate-controlled chambers; however, field studies evaluating the effects of different microplastics on different crops in extensive farming are limited. Therefore, we selected three major crops, Zea mays (ZM, monocotyledon), Glycine max (GM, dicotyledon, aboveground-bearing), and Arachis hypogaea (AH, dicotyledon, belowground-bearing) and investigated the effect of adding polyester microplastics (PES-MPs) and polypropylene microplastics (PP-MPs). Our results demonstrate that PP-MPs and PES-MPs decreased the soil bulk density of ZM, GM, and AH. Regarding soil pH, PES-MPs increased the soil pH of AH and ZM, whereas PP-MPs decreased the soil pH of ZM, GM, and AH compared to controls. Intriguingly, different coordinated trait responses to PP-MPs and PES-MPs were observed in all crops. In general, commonly measured parameters of AH, such as plant height, culm diameter, total biomass, root biomass, PSII maximum photochemical quantum yield (Fv/Fm), hundred-gain weight, and soluble sugar tended to decrease under PP-MPs exposure; however, some indicators of ZM and GM increased under PP-MPs exposure. PES-MPs had no obviously adverse influence on the three crops, except for the biomass of GM, and even significantly increased the chlorophyll content of AH, specific leaf area, and soluble sugar of GM. Compared with PES-MPs, PP-MPs have serious negative effects on crop growth and quality, especially AH. The findings of the present study provides evidence for evaluating the impact of soil microplastic pollution on crop yield and quality in farmland and lay a foundation for future investigations on the exploration of MP toxicity mechanisms and adaptability of different crops to microplastics.

Favorable Long-Term Outcomes of Chordoid Meningioma Compared With the Other WHO Grade 2 Meningioma Subtypes.

BACKGROUND: WHO grade 2 meningiomas, including atypical, chordoid, and clear cell subtypes, form a heterogenous group of meningiomas with varying aggressiveness and clinical behavior. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the differences of clinical-histopathological characteristics and long-term outcomes among these 3 subtypes. METHODS: A total of 609 consecutive patients diagnosed with WHO grade 2 meningiomas (543 atypical meningiomas [AMs], 36 chordoid meningiomas [CMs], and 30 clear cell meningiomas [CCMs]) from 2010 to 2018 were enrolled in this study. We compared the clinical-histopathological characteristics and long-term outcomes in these 3 subtypes and assessed survival differences among the subtypes. Targeted panel sequencing of meningioma-relevant genes was performed in the cases of CM. RESULTS: The patients with CCM were significantly younger than those with AM ( P < .001) and CM ( P = .016). CMs were more likely to receive gross total resection than AMs and CCMs ( P = .033). The Ki-67 index was lower ( P < .001) while the progesterone receptors-positive rate was higher ( P = .034) in CM than in AM and CCM. Importantly, survival analysis demonstrated that CM had better progression-free survival ( P = .022) and overall survival ( P = .0056) than non-CM tumors. However, the PFS of CM was still worse than WHO grade 1 meningiomas ( P < .001). Alterations in NF2 (20.6%) and KMT2C (26.5%) were associated with poorer PFS in CM ( P = .013 for NF2 ; P = .021 for KMT2C ). CONCLUSION: Patients with CM had better long-term postoperative outcomes than the other WHO grade 2 subtypes. A lower Ki-67 index, higher PR status, higher extent of resection, and lower frequency of NF2 alteration might contribute to favorable clinical outcomes of CM.