Elevated serum vasohibin-1 levels in atopic dermatitis: Implications for disease chronicity.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is often characterized by chronic skin changes of dermal fibrosis, typically regulated by inflammatory and angiogenic factors. However, the significance of angiogenesis inhibitory factors in the development of AD is poorly understood. The present study investigated the potential role of an angiogenesis inhibitory factor, vasohibin-1 (VASH1), in AD by evaluating serum and skin VASH1 levels and their correlation with clinical features. The results showed that VASH1 expression levels in both the serum and skin of patients with AD were significantly elevated compared to healthy controls. Immunohistochemical staining of AD skin showed increased VASH1 expression in dermal vascular endothelial cells. Notably, there was a significant correlation between serum VASH1 levels and disease duration as well as VASH1 and vascular endothelial growth factor A expression levels in the skin tissue of patients with AD. These results may suggest a pathogenesis of increased angiogenesis and associated elevated inhibitory processes accompanying inflammation in the chronic phase of AD.

Photocatalytic degradation of p-aminobenzoic acid on N-biomass charcoal etched with Fe-Al-bilayer hydroxide: New insights through spectroscopic investigation.

We investigated the photocatalytic property of etched iron­aluminum layered double hydroxide (LDH) composites using urea-modified biochar (N-BC) carrier to degrade para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), a refractory organic pollutant. The prepared FeAl-LDH@FeSx-N-BC composite exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance, attributed to the enhanced photogenerated charge-carrier separation by the etched LDH and the improved comparative surface areas by the doped N-BC. The composite photocatalytically degraded 96 % of PABA. The performance was affected by solute concentration, pH and photocatalyst dose. Adding p-benzoquinone and EDTA-2Na significantly decreased the degradation rate, suggesting that superoxide radicals and holes were co-involved in PABA degradation. The excellent PABA removal efficiency was consistent for three consecutive runs. The samples' reactive oxygen species was confirmed, as electron paramagnetic reverberation explained the photodegradation mechanism. Under xenon lamp irradiation, two PABA photocatalytic degradation pathways were proposed using Liquid Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (LCMS) and density functional theory. As expected, FeAl-LDH@FeSx-N-BC showed excellent photocatalytic performance, expanding a new direction and possibility for future photocatalytic treatment of water pollutants.

Role of microalgae-bacterial consortium in wastewater treatment: A review.

In the global effort to reduce CO2 emissions, the concurrent enhancement of pollutant degradation and reductions in fossil fuel consumption are pivotal aspects of microalgae-mediated wastewater treatment. Clarifying the degradation mechanisms of bacteria and microalgae during pollutant treatment, as well as regulatory biolipid production, could enhance process sustainability. The synergistic and inhibitory relationships between microalgae and bacteria are introduced in this paper. The different stimulators that can regulate microalgal biolipid accumulation are also reviewed. Wastewater treatment technologies that utilize microalgae and bacteria in laboratories and open ponds are described to outline their application in treating heavy metal-containing wastewater, animal husbandry wastewater, pharmaceutical wastewater, and textile dye wastewater. Finally, the major requirements to scale up the cascade utilization of biomass and energy recovery are summarized to improve the development of biological wastewater treatment.

Newborn Screening for Inborn Errors of Metabolism by Next-Generation Sequencing Combined with Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

The aim of this study was to observe the outcomes of newborn screening (NBS) in a certain population by using next-generation sequencing (NGS) as a first-tier screening test combined with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). We performed a multicenter study of 29,601 newborns from eight screening centers with NBS via NGS combined with MS/MS. A custom-designed panel targeting the coding region of the 142 genes of 128 inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) was applied as a first-tier screening test, and expanded NBS using MS/MS was executed simultaneously. In total, 52 genes associated with the 38 IEMs screened by MS/MS were analyzed. The NBS performance of these two methods was analyzed and compared respectively. A total of 23 IEMs were diagnosed via NGS combined with MS/MS. The incidence of IEMs was approximately 1 in 1287. Within separate statistical analyses, the positive predictive value (PPV) for MS/MS was 5.29%, and the sensitivity was 91.3%. However, for genetic screening alone, the PPV for NGS was 70.83%, with 73.91% sensitivity. The three most common IEMs were methylmalonic academia (MMA), primary carnitine deficiency (PCD) and phenylketonuria (PKU). The five genes with the most common carrier frequencies were PAH (1:42), PRODH (1:51), MMACHC (1:52), SLC25A13 (1:55) and SLC22A5 (1:63). Our study showed that NBS combined with NGS and MS/MS improves the performance of screening methods, optimizes the process, and provides accurate diagnoses.

Analysis of widely targeted metabolites of quinoa sprouts (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) under saline-alkali stress provides new insights into nutritional value.

Quinoa sprouts are a green vegetable rich in bioactive chemicals, which have multiple health benefits. However, there is limited information on the overall metabolic profiles of quinoa sprouts and the metabolite changes caused by saline-alkali stress. Here, a UHPLC-MS/MS-based widely targeted metabolomics technique was performed to comprehensively evaluate the metabolic profiles of quinoa sprouts and characterize its metabolic response to saline-alkali stress. A total of 930 metabolites were identified of which 232 showed significant response to saline-alkali stress. The contents of lipids and amino acids were significantly increased, while the contents of flavonoids and phenolic acids were significantly reduced under saline-alkali stress. Moreover, the antioxidant activities of quinoa sprouts were significantly affected by saline-alkali stress. The enrichment analysis of the differentially accumulated metabolites revealed that flavonoid, amino acid and carbohydrate biosynthesis/metabolism pathways responded to saline-alkali stress. This study provided an important theoretical basis for evaluating the nutritional value of quinoa sprouts and the changes in metabolites in response to saline-alkali stress.

Development and validation of multiplex assays for mouse and human IgG and IgA to Neisseria gonorrhoeae antigens.

There is an urgent need for vaccines against Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng), the causative agent of gonorrhea. Vaccination with an outer-membrane vesicle (OMV)-based Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) vaccine provides some protection from Ng; however, the mechanisms underlying this cross-protection are unknown. To address this need, we developed multiplexed bead-based assays for the relative quantification of human and mouse IgG and IgA against Ng antigens. The assays were evaluated for analyte independence, dilutional linearity, specificity, sensitivity, intra- and inter-assay variability, and robustness to sample storage conditions. The assay was then used to test samples from mice and humans immunized with an Nm-OMV vaccine.

Gibberellic acid signaling promotes resistance to saline-alkaline stress by increasing the uptake of ammonium in rice.

Gibberellic acid (GA) plays important roles in diverse biological processes in plants. However, its function in rice (Oryza sativa) resistance to saline-alkaline (SAK) stress is unclear. This study showed that SAK stimuli changed GA signaling gene expression levels. Genetic analyses using the mutants of key GA signaling regulators, Slender rice 1 (SLR1) and Dwarf 1(D1), demonstrated that SLR1 negatively, while D1 positively regulated the resistance of rice to SAK stress, suggesting that the GA signaling positively regulates the resistance of rice to SAK. Further analyses revealed that SLR1 interacted with and inhibited the transcription activation activity of IDD10 and bZIP23. Furthermore, IDD10 interacted with bZIP23 to activate Ammonium transporter 1;2 (AMT1;2), and slr1, IDD10 OX and bZIP23 OX accumulated more ammonium (NH4+), while idd10 and bzip23 accumulated less NH4+ than the wild-type (WT). In addition, the bzip23 mutant was more sensitive to SAK, while bZIP23 OX was less sensitive compared with the WT, suggesting that bZIP23 positively regulates the resistance of rice to SAK. These findings demonstrate that GA signaling promoted rice's SAK resistance by regulating NH4+ uptake through the SLR1-IDD10-bZIP23 pathway.

Photoredox/Copper-Catalyzed One-Pot Aminoalkylation/Cyclization of Alkenes with Primary Amines to Synthesize Polysubstituted γ-Lactams.

Visible-light-driven chemical transformation has emerged as a powerful tool for the synthesis of γ-lactams. However, during this transformation, the α-bromoimides need to be pre-prepared. Herein, we report a photoreodox/copper-catalyzed one-pot three-component reaction of alkenes with primary amines for the construction of γ-lactams. In this transformation, the orthoquinones were generated via a photocatalytic pathway, followed by attack by Cu-amido complexes and intramolecular cyclization to give the γ-lactams. This method represents a simple synthetic route displaying broad functional group tolerance, including substrates bearing alcohols, ketones, heterocycles, esters, halides, alkynes, nitriles, ethers, etc.

Preparation of branched polyethyleneimine-assisted boronic acid-functionalized magnetic MXene for the enrichment of catecholamines in urine samples.

Herein, a magnetic borate-functionalized MXene composite with multiple boronic affinity sites was fabricated by embedding Fe3 O4 nanoparticles with 4-formylphenylboronic acid functionalized Ti3 C2 Tx nanosheets and served as sorbent for the simultaneous extraction of catecholamines (CAs) in urine samples. The morphology and structure of the magnetic materials were investigated using scanning microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, and X-ray diffraction. The introduction of polyethyleneimine can amplify the bonded boronic acid groups, thereby effectively improving the adsorption capacities for CAs based on the multiple interactions of boronic affinity, hydrogen bonding, and metal coordination. The adsorption performance was investigated using the kinetics and isotherms models, and the main parameters that influence the extraction efficiency were optimized. Under the most favorable magnetic solid-phase extraction condition, a sensitive method for the analysis of CAs in urine samples was developed by combining magnetic solid-phase extraction conditions with high-performance liquid chromatography detection. The findings illustrated that the proposed approach possessed a wide linearity range of 0.05-250 ng/mL with an acceptable correlation coefficient (R2  ≥ 0.9984) and detection limits of 0.010-0.015 ng/mL for the target CAs. The research not only provides a notable composite with multiple boronic affinity sites but also offers an effective and feasible measure for the detection of CAs in biological samples.

Multi-omics analysis of lung tissue metabolome and proteome reveals the therapeutic effect of Shegan Mahuang Decoction against asthma in rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Shegan Mahuang Decoction (SMD) is a classic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula for asthma treatment, but the anti-asthma mechanism of SMD is still not fully studied. AIMS OF THE STUDY: In this study, we established an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma rat model and treated it with SMD to observe its anti-asthma effect and explore the related mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of SMD via testing the levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-6 (IL-6) in serum and performing the hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining of lung tissue slices. We analyzed the variations of metabolites and proteins in the lung tissue of different groups using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based untargeted metabolomics and TMT-based proteomics approaches. The metabolic biomarkers and differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were picked, and the related signal transduction pathways were also investigated. In addition, the key proteins on the signaling pathway were validated through western blotting (WB) experiment to reveal the anti-asthma mechanism of SMD. RESULTS: The results showed that the SMD could significantly reduce the serum levels of IgE, CRP, IL-4, and IL-6 and attenuate the OVA-induced pathological changes in lung tissue. A total of 34 metabolic biomarkers and 84 DEPs were screened from rat lung tissue, which were mainly associated with lipid metabolism, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase activation, the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and lysosome pathway. Besides, SMD could inhibit the myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)/inhibitor of kappa B kinase (IKK)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway to exhibit anti-inflammatory activities. CONCLUSIONS: SMD exhibited a therapeutic effect on asthma, which possibly be exerted by inhibiting the MyD88/IKK/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Porifera-Inspired Lightweight, Thin, Wrinkle-Resistance, and Multifunctional MXene Foam.

Transition metal carbides/nitrides (MXenes) demonstrate a massive potential in constructing lightweight, multifunctional wearable electromagnetic interference (EMI) shields for application in various fields. Nevertheless, it remains challenging to develop a facile, scalable approach to prepare the MXene-based macrostructures characterized by low density, low thickness, high mechanical flexibility, and high EMI SE at the same time. Herein, the ultrathin MXene/reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/Ag foams with a porifera-inspired hierarchically porous microstructure are prepared by combining Zn2+ diffusion induction and hard template methods. The hierarchical porosity, which includes a mesoporous skeleton and a microporous MXene network within the skeleton, not only exerts a regulatory effect on stress distribution during compression, making the foams rubber-like resistant to wrinkling but also provides more channels for multiple reflections of electromagnetic waves. Due to the interaction between Ag nanosheets, MXene/rGO, and porous structure, it is possible to produce an outstanding EMI shielding performance with the specific surface shielding effectiveness reaching 109152.4 dB cm2 g-1. Furthermore, the foams exhibit multifunctionalities, such as transverse Joule heating, longitudinal heat insulation, self-cleaning, fire resistance, and motion detection. These discoveries open up a novel pathway for the development of lightweight MXene-based materials with considerable application potential in wearable electromagnetic anti-interference devices.

Inhibition of PFKP in renal tubular epithelial cell restrains TGF-ß induced glycolysis and renal fibrosis.

Metabolic reprogramming to glycolysis is closely associated with the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although it has been reported that phosphofructokinase 1 (PFK) is a rate-limiting enzyme in glycolysis, the role of the platelet isoform of PFK (PFKP) in kidney fibrosis initiation and progression is as yet poorly understood. Here, we investigated whether PFKP could mediate the progression of kidney interstitial fibrosis by regulating glycolysis in proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs). We induced PFKP overexpression or knockdown in renal tubules via an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector in the kidneys of mice following unilateral ureteral occlusion. Our results show that the dilated tubules, the area of interstitial fibrosis, and renal glycolysis were promoted by proximal tubule-specific overexpression of PFKP, and repressed by knockdown of PFKP. Furthermore, knockdown of PFKP expression restrained, while PFKP overexpression promoted TGF-ß1-induced glycolysis in the human PTECs line. Mechanistically, Chip-qPCR revealed that TGF-ß1 recruited the small mothers against decapentaplegic (SMAD) family member 3-SP1 complex to the PFKP promoter to enhance its expression. Treatment of mice with isorhamnetin notably ameliorated PTEC-elevated glycolysis and kidney fibrosis. Hence, our results suggest that PFKP mediates the progression of kidney interstitial fibrosis by regulating glycolysis in PTECs.

Age affects the association between socioeconomic status and infertility: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown the interaction between age and socioeconomic status (SES) on the risk of infertility in the UK, but the association is still unclear in the United States. Therefore, the present study investigated the effect of age on the relationship between SES and the risk of infertility in American women. METHODS: The study included adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2013 to 2018. The poverty income ratio (PIR) was used to represent the SES of the population. With participants stratified according to age category (< 35 years; ≥ 35 years), we further assessed differences in the relationship between PIR and infertility risk among participants of different age groups using multivariate logistic regression and interaction tests. RESULTS: Approximately 3,273 participants were enrolled in the study. There were 399 cases of infertility and 2,874 cases without infertility. In women ≥ 35 years of age, PIR levels were significantly higher in infertile participants than in non-infertile participants, but no such difference was found in those < 35 years of age. The association of PIR with the risk of infertility appeared to differ between age < 35 years and age ≥ 35 years (OR: 0.99, 95%Cl: 0.86-1.13 vs. OR: 1.24, 95%Cl: 1.12-1.39) in a fully adjusted model. Furthermore, an interaction between age and PIR increased the risk of infertility (p-value for interaction < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study found that age may influence the association between PIR and infertility. It is imperative to perform further studies to provide more evidence.

Simultaneous extraction of hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and catecholamines with magnetic boronic acid hypercrosslinked polymers.

Urinary hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs) and catecholamines (CAs) are important biomarkers of PAHs exposure. In this study, a novel magnetic boronic acid hypercrosslinked composite (Fe3O4@HCP-BA) is synthesized using a facile one-pot strategy and applied as a sorbent for the simultaneous extraction of OH-PAHs and CAs in urine samples. The synthesized Fe3O4@HCP-BA composites are characterized by rich pore structure, highly specific surface area, good magnetic response, and excellent selectivity and adsorption efficiency (range: 65.26-496.71 and 1227.3-1581.8 µmol g-1 for CAs and OH-PAHs, respectively). The mechanisms governing the adsorption of the OH-PAHs and CAs to the Fe3O4@HCP-BA composites were systematically studied via adsorption kinetics, isotherm models, XPS characterization, and molecular simulation. The resultant Fe3O4@HCP-BA composite-based MSPE/HPLC-FLD method exhibited good linearity (R2 > 0.9916), low limits of detection (0.2-0.3 pg mL-1 and 0.2-0.3 ng mL-1 for OH-PAHs and CAs, respectively), and good precision (intra-day and inter-day RSDs < 11.1%). The analysis of CAs and OH-PAHs in the urine samples from 14 smokers and 14 non-smokers revealed a positive correlation between the concentrations of CAs and OH-PAHs. Our findings not only establish the proposed method as a green, environmentally friendly, and simple strategy for preparing magnetic adsorbents, but also confirm it as a promising alternative method for accurate determination of OH-PAHs and CAs in biological samples.

Development of a Tag/Catcher-mediated capsid virus-like particle vaccine presenting the conserved Neisseria gonorrhoeae SliC antigen that blocks human lysozyme.

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are promising nanotools for the development of subunit vaccines due to high immunogenicity and safety. Herein, we explored the versatile and effective Tag/Catcher-AP205 capsid VLP (cVLP) vaccine platform to address the urgent need for the development of an effective and safe vaccine against gonorrhea. The benefits of this clinically validated cVLP platform include its ability to facilitate unidirectional, high-density display of complex/full-length antigens through an effective split-protein Tag/Catcher conjugation system. To assess this modular approach for making cVLP vaccines, we used a conserved surface lipoprotein, SliC, that contributes to the Neisseria gonorrhoeae defense against human lysozyme, as a model antigen. This protein was genetically fused at the N- or C-terminus to the small peptide Tag enabling their conjugation to AP205 cVLP, displaying the complementary Catcher. We determined that SliC with the N-terminal SpyTag, N-SliC, retained lysozyme-blocking activity and could be displayed at high density on cVLPs without causing aggregation. In mice, the N-SliC-VLP vaccines, adjuvanted with AddaVax or CpG, induced significantly higher antibody titers compared to controls. In contrast, similar vaccine formulations containing monomeric SliC were non-immunogenic. Accordingly, sera from N-SliC-VLP-immunized mice also had significantly higher human complement-dependent serum bactericidal activity. Furthermore, the N-SliC-VLP vaccines administered subcutaneously with an intranasal boost elicited systemic and vaginal IgG and IgA, whereas subcutaneous delivery alone failed to induce vaginal IgA. The N-SliC-VLP with CpG (10 µg/dose) induced the most significant increase in total serum IgG and IgG3 titers, vaginal IgG and IgA, and bactericidal antibodies.

Effectiveness and safety of prophylactic abdominal aortic balloon occlusion for patients with type III caesarean scar pregnancy: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Caesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a special type of ectopic pregnancy with a high risk of massive haemorrhage. Few studies have focused on the efficacy of prophylactic abdominal aortic balloon occlusion as a minimally invasive method in caesarean section. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of prophylactic abdominal aortic balloon occlusion for patients with type III CSP. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study. Patients with type III CSP in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to June 2022 were enrolled. Eligible patients received prophylactic abdominal aortic balloon occlusion (defined as the AABO group) or uterine artery embolization (defined as the UAE group) before laparoscopic surgery. Clinical outcomes included intraoperative blood loss, body surface radiation dose, hospitalization expenses, and time to serum ß-hCG normalization, and safety were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 68 patients met the criteria for the study, of whom 34 patients were in the AABO group and 34 patients were in the UAE group. The median intraoperative blood loss in the AABO and UAE groups was 17.5 (interquartile ranges [IQR]: 10, 45) and 10 (IQR: 6.25, 20) mL, respectively (P = 0.264). The body surface radiation dose of the AABO group was much lower than that of the UAE group (5.22 ± 0.44 vs. 1441.85 ± 11.59 mGy, P < 0.001). The AABO group also had lower hospitalization expenses than the UAE group (2.42 ± 0.51 vs. 3.42 ± 0.85 *10^5 yuan, P < 0.001). The average time to serum ß-hCG normalization in the AABO group was 28.9 ± 3.21 d, which was similar to that in the UAE group (30.3 ± 3.72 d, P = 0.099). In addition, the incidence of adverse events in the AABO group was lower than that in the UAE group (5.9% vs. 58.8%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Prophylactic AABO was equally as effective as UAE in patients with type III CSP but was safer than UAE during and after the operation.

Utilization of clinical and radiological parameters to predict cognitive prognosis in patients with mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury.

Background: Cognitive impairment is a common sequela following traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study aimed to identify risk factors for cognitive impairment after 3 and 12 months of TBI and to create nomograms to predict them. Methods: A total of 305 mild-to-moderate TBI patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University from January 2018 to January 2022 were retrospectively recruited. Risk factors for cognitive impairment after 3 and 12 months of TBI were identified by univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Based on these factors, we created two nomograms to predict cognitive impairment after 3 and 12 months of TBI, the discrimination and calibration of which were validated by plotting the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curve, respectively. Results: Cognitive impairment was detected in 125/305 and 52/305 mild-to-moderate TBI patients after 3 and 12 months of injury, respectively. Age, the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, >12 years of education, hyperlipidemia, temporal lobe contusion, traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (tSAH), very early rehabilitation (VER), and intensive care unit (ICU) admission were independent risk factors for cognitive impairment after 3 months of mild-to-moderate TBI. Meanwhile, age, GCS score, diabetes mellitus, tSAH, and surgical treatment were independent risk factors for cognitive impairment after 12 months of mild-to-moderate TBI. Two nomograms were created based on the risk factors identified using logistic regression analyses. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of the two nomograms to predict cognitive impairment after 3 and 12 months of mild-to-moderate TBI were 0.852 (95% CI [0.810, 0.895]) and 0.817 (95% CI [0.762, 0.873]), respectively. Conclusion: Two nomograms are created to predict cognitive impairment after 3 and 12 months of TBI. Age, GCS score, >12 years of education, hyperlipidemia, temporal lobe contusion, tSAH, VER, and ICU admission are independent risk factors for cognitive impairment after 3 months of TBI; meanwhile, age, the GCS scores, diabetes mellitus, tSAH, and surgical treatment are independent risk factors of cognitive impairment after 12 months of TBI. Two nomograms, based on both groups of factors, respectively, show strong discriminative abilities.

Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of R2R3-MYB Genes Response to Saline-Alkali Stress in Quinoa.

Soil saline-alkalization inhibits plant growth and development and seriously affects crop yields. Over their long-term evolution, plants have formed complex stress response systems to maintain species continuity. R2R3-MYB transcription factors are one of the largest transcription factor families in plants, widely involved in plant growth and development, metabolism, and stress response. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), as a crop with high nutritional value, is tolerant to various biotic and abiotic stress. In this study, we identified 65 R2R3-MYB genes in quinoa, which are divided into 26 subfamilies. In addition, we analyzed the evolutionary relationships, protein physicochemical properties, conserved domains and motifs, gene structure, and cis-regulatory elements of CqR2R3-MYB family members. To investigate the roles of CqR2R3-MYB transcription factors in abiotic stress response, we performed transcriptome analysis to figure out the expression file of CqR2R3-MYB genes under saline-alkali stress. The results indicate that the expression of the six CqMYB2R genes was altered significantly in quinoa leaves that had undergone saline-alkali stress. Subcellular localization and transcriptional activation activity analysis revealed that CqMYB2R09, CqMYB2R16, CqMYB2R25, and CqMYB2R62, whose Arabidopsis homologues are involved in salt stress response, are localized in the nucleus and exhibit transcriptional activation activity. Our study provides basic information and effective clues for further functional investigation of CqR2R3-MYB transcription factors in quinoa.

Surface engineering of core-shell MoS2@N-doped carbon spheres as stable and ultra-long lifetime anode for sodium-ion batteries.

MoS2 is regarded as a hopeful anode candidate for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to their various merits such as high specific capacity, abundant raw material reserves and low cost. However, their practical application is impeded by unsatisfied cycling ability due to the intense mechanical stress and unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) during Na+ insertion/extraction process. Herein, spherical MoS2@polydopamine derived highly conductive N-doped carbon (NC) shell composites (MoS2@NC) are designed and synthesized to promote the cycling stability. The internal MoS2 core is optimized and restructured from the original micron-sized block to the ultra-fine nanosheets during initial 100-200 cycles, which not only improves the utilization of electrode materials but also shortens the ion transport distance. The outer flexible NC shell effectively maintains the original spherical structure of the overall electrode material and prevents the occurrence of large-scale agglomeration, which is conducive to form a stable SEI layer. Therefore, the core-shell MoS2@NC electrode presents a remarkable cyclic stability and a capable rate performance. Under a high rate of 20 A g-1, the high capacity of 428 mAh g-1 can be acquired after over ultra-long 10,000 cycles without obvious capacity loss. Moreover, the MoS2@NC‖Na3V2(PO4)3 full-cell assembled by employing commercial Na3V2(PO4)3 cathode can achieve a high capacity retention of 91.4% after 250 cycles at 0.4 A g-1. This work reveals the promising prospect of MoS2-based materials as anode of SIBs, and also has some inspirations on the structural design for conversion-type electrode materials.