Effects of Aging Treatment on the Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of a TC18 Alloy.

In the present work, the effects of aging treatment on the microstructures of a TC18 alloy are studied. The influence of aging treatment on the tensile properties and failure mechanisms is systematically analyzed. It is found that the size and morphology of the primary α (αp) phases are insensitive to aging temperature and time. Furthermore, the aging temperature and time dramatically influence the precipitation of the secondary α (αs) phases. Massive αs phases precipitate and gradually coarsen, and finally weave together by increasing the aging temperature or extending the aging time. The variations in αp and αs phases induced by aging parameters also affect the mechanical properties. Both yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) first increase and then decrease by increasing the aging temperature and time, while ductility first decreases and then increases. There is an excellent balance between the strengths and ductility. When the aging temperature is changed from 450 to 550 °C, YS varies from 1238.6 to 1381.6 MPa, UTS varies from 1363.2 to 1516.8 MPa, and the moderate elongation ranges from 9.0% to 10.3%. These results reveal that the thickness of αs phases is responsible for material strengths, while the content of α phases can enhance material ductility. The ductile characteristics of the alloy with coarser αs phases are more obvious than those with thinner αs phases. Therefore, the aging treatment is helpful for the precipitation and homogeneous distribution of αs phases, which are essential for balancing the strengths and ductility of the studied Ti alloy.

Effects of Aegilops longissima chromosome 1Sl on wheat bread-making quality in two types of translocation lines.

KEY MESSAGE: Two wheat-Ae. longissima translocation chromosomes (1BS·1SlL and 1SlS·1BL) were transferred into three commercial wheat varieties, and the new advanced lines showed improved bread-making quality compared to their recurrent parents. Aegilops longissima chromosome 1Sl encodes specific types of gluten subunits that may positively affect wheat bread-making quality. The most effective method of introducing 1Sl chromosomal fragments containing the target genes into wheat is chromosome translocation. Here, a wheat-Ae. longissima 1BS·1SlL translocation line was developed using molecular marker-assisted chromosome engineering. Two types of translocation chromosomes developed in a previous study, 1BS·1SlL and 1SlS·1BL, were introduced into three commercial wheat varieties (Ningchun4, Ningchun50, and Westonia) via backcrossing with marker-assisted selection. Advanced translocation lines were confirmed through chromosome in situ hybridization and genotyping by target sequencing using the wheat 40 K system. Bread-making quality was found to be improved in the two types of advanced translocation lines compared to the corresponding recurrent parents. Furthermore, 1SlS·1BL translocation lines displayed better bread-making quality than 1BS·1SlL translocation lines in each genetic background. Further analysis revealed that high molecular weight glutenin subunit (HMW-GS) contents and expression levels of genes encoding low molecular weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GSs) were increased in 1SlS·1BL translocation lines. Gliadin and gluten-related transcription factors were also upregulated in the grains of the two types of advanced translocation lines compared to the recurrent parents. This study clarifies the impacts of specific glutenin subunits on bread-making quality and provides novel germplasm resources for further improvement of wheat quality through molecular breeding.

Application of Nicotinamide to Culture Medium Improves the Efficiency of Genome Editing in Hexaploid Wheat.

Histone acetylation is the earliest and most well-characterized of post-translation modifications. It is mediated by histone acetyltransferases (HAT) and histone deacetylases (HDAC). Histone acetylation could change the chromatin structure and status and further regulate gene transcription. In this study, nicotinamide, a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), was used to enhance the efficiency of gene editing in wheat. Transgenic immature and mature wheat embryos harboring a non-mutated GUS gene, the Cas9 and a GUS-targeting sgRNA were treated with nicotinamide in two concentrations (2.5 and 5 mM) for 2, 7, and 14 days in comparison with a no-treatment control. The nicotinamide treatment resulted in GUS mutations in up to 36% of regenerated plants, whereas no mutants were obtained from the non-treated embryos. The highest efficiency was achieved when treated with 2.5 mM nicotinamide for 14 days. To further validate the impact of nicotinamide treatment on the effectiveness of genome editing, the endogenous TaWaxy gene, which is responsible for amylose synthesis, was tested. Utilizing the aforementioned nicotinamide concentration to treat embryos containing the molecular components for editing the TaWaxy gene, the editing efficiency could be increased to 30.3% and 13.3%, respectively, for immature and mature embryos in comparison to the 0% efficiency observed in the control group. In addition, nicotinamide treatment during transformation progress could also improve the efficiency of genome editing approximately threefold in a base editing experiment. Nicotinamide, as a novel approach, may be employed to improve the editing efficacy of low-efficiency genome editing tools such as base editing and prime editing (PE) systems in wheat.

Statins Have an Anti-Inflammation in CKD Patients: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials.

Background: Persistent inflammation has been recognized as an important comorbid condition in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is associated with many complications, mortality, and progression of CKD. Previous studies have not drawn a clear conclusion about the anti-inflammatory effects of statins in CKD. This meta-analysis is aimed at assessing the anti-inflammatory effects of statins therapy in patients with CKD. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in these databases (Medline, Embase, Cochrane library, and clinical trials) to identify the randomized controlled trials that assess the anti-inflammatory effects of statins. Subgroup, sensitivity, and trim-and-fill analysis were conducted to determine the robustness of pooled results of the primary outcome. Results: 25 eligible studies with 7921 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The present study showed that statins therapy was associated with a decreased C-reactive protein (CRP) (-2.06 mg/L; 95% CI: -2.85 to -1.27, p < 0.01). Subgroup, sensitivity, and trim-and-fill analysis showed that the pooled results of CPR were stable. Conclusion: This meta-analysis demonstrates that statins supplementation has anti-inflammatory effects in patients with CKD. Statins exert an anti-inflammatory effect that is clinically important in improving complications, reducing mortality, and slowing progression in CKD. We believe that the benefits of statins to CKD are partly due to their anti-inflammatory effects. However, stains usually are prescribed in the CKD patients with dyslipidemia, whether statins can reduce inflammation in CKD patients with normal serum lipid needed to explore in the future. Therefore, we suggest that randomized clinical trials need to assess the effect of statins in CKD patients with normal serum lipid. Whether statins can be prescribed for aiming to inhibit inflammation in CKD also needed further study. Trial Registration. The study protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO); registration number: CRD42022310334.