Mulberry leaves supplementation alters lipid metabolism and promotes fatty acid ß oxidation in growing mutton sheep.

Mulberry leaves (MLs) are an unconventional feed with fiber and various active ingredients, and are acknowledged as likely to regulate lipid metabolism, while the molecular mechanism remains undefined. Therefore, our objective was to define the role of MLs on the overall lipid metabolism. We conducted a feeding experiment of three groups on growing mutton sheep fed with dried mulberry leaves (DMLs), with fermented mulberry leaves (FMLs), or without MLs (as control). Analyses of transcriptome and widely target lipids demonstrated the addition of MLs triggered big perturbations in genes and metabolites related to glycerolipid, phospholipid, ether lipid, and sphingolipid metabolism. Additionally, the variations of the above lipids in the treatment of MLs possibly facilitate immunity enhancement of growing mutton sheep via the activation of complement and coagulation cascades. Furthermore, treatments with MLs could expedite proceedings of lipid degradation and fatty acid ß oxidation in mitochondria, thereby to achieve the effect of lipid reduction. Besides, added DMLs also fuel fatty acid ß-oxidation in peroxisomes and own much stronger lipolysis than added FMLs, possibly attributed to high fiber content in DMLs. These findings establish the novel lipid-lowering role and immune protection of MLs, which lays the foundation for the medicinal application of MLs.

Mulberry leaves (MLs) are rich in a wide variety of active ingredients and are also a kind of traditional Chinese medicine with the same origin as medicine and food. Previous studies have found that MLs may regulate lipid metabolism. But the exact mechanism remains unclear. Our study reveals that ML supplement not only alters lipid metabolism including glycerol phospholipid, ether lipid as well as sphingolipid metabolism, which may help to improve immunity but also promote fatty acid degradation as well as ß oxidation to achieve the effect of fat reduction.

Advanced membrane-based electrode engineering toward efficient and durable water electrolysis and cost-effective seawater electrolysis in membrane electrolyzers.

Researchers have been seeking for the most technically-economical water electrolysis technology for entering the next-stage of industrial amplification for large-scale green hydrogen production. Various membrane-based electrolyzers have been developed to improve electric-efficiency, reduce the use of precious metals, enhance stability, and possibly realize direct seawater electrolysis. While electrode engineering is the key to approaching these goals by bridging the gap between catalysts design and electrolyzers development, nevertheless, as an emerging field, has not yet been systematically analyzed. Herein, this review is organized to comprehensively discuss the recent progresses of electrode engineering that have been made toward advanced membrane-based electrolyzers. For the commercialized or near-commercialized membrane electrolyzer technologies, the electrode material design principles are interpreted and the interface engineering that have been put forward to improve catalytic sites utilization and reduce precious metal loading is summarized. Given the pressing issues of electrolyzer cost reduction and efficiency improvement, the electrode structure engineering toward applying precious metal free electrocatalysts is highlighted and sufficient accessible sites within the thick catalyst layers with rational electrode architectures and effective ions/mass transport interfaces are enabled. In addition, this review also discusses the innovative ways as proposed to break the barriers of current membrane electrolyzers, including the adjustments of electrode reaction environment, and the feasible cell-voltage-breakdown strategies for durable direct seawater electrolysis. Hopefully, this review may provide insightful information of membrane-based electrode engineering and inspire the future development of advanced membrane electrolyzer technologies for cost-effective green hydrogen production.

Bimetallic MOFs-Derived NiFe2O4/Fe2O3 Enabled Dendrite-free Lithium Metal Anodes with Ultra-High Area Capacity Based on An Intermittent Lithium Deposition Model.

In practical operating conditions, the lithium deposition behavior is often influenced by multiple coupled factors and there is also a lack of comprehensive and long-term validation for dendrite suppression strategies. Our group previously proposed an intermittent lithiophilic model for high-performance three-dimensional (3D) composite lithium metal anode (LMA), however, the electrodeposition behavior was not discussed. To verify this model, this paper presents a modified 3D carbon cloth (CC) backbone by incorporating NiFe2O4/Fe2O3 (NFFO) nanoparticles derived from bimetallic NiFe-MOFs. Enhanced Li adsorption capacity and lithiophilic modulation were achieved by bimetallic MOFs-derivatives which prompted faster and more homogeneous Li deposition. The intermittent model was further verified in conjunction with the density functional theory (DFT) calculations and electrodeposition behaviors. As a result, the obtained Li-CC@NFFO||Li-CC@NFFO symmetric batteries exhibit prolonged lifespan and low hysteresis voltage even under ultra-high current and capacity conditions (5 mA cm-2, 10 mAh cm-2), what's more, the full battery coupled with a high mass loading (9 mg cm-2) of LiFePO4 cathode can be cycled at a high rate of 5 C, the capacity retention is up to 95.2 % before 700 cycles. This work is of great significance to understand the evolution of lithium dendrites on the 3D intermittent lithiophilic frameworks.

Metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis of flavonoids biosynthesis mechanisms in mulberry fruit (Hongguo 2) under exogenous hormone treatments.

The mulberry fruit is prized for its superior nutrition value and abundant color due to its high flavone content. To enhance comprehension of flavone biogenesis induced by external hormones, we sprayed exogenous ethylene (ETH), indoleacetic acid (IAA) and spermine (SPM) on mulberry fruit (Hongguo 2) during its color-changed period. The levels of anthocyanin, titratable acid, soluble sugar and endogenous hormones were determined after hormone treatment, integrated transcriptome and metabolome analysis were performed for mechanism exploration. Our results indicated that exogenous ETH, SPM, and IAA play important roles in mulberry ripening, including acid reduction, sugar increase and flavonoid synthesis.

A High-Performance and Durable Direct-Ammonia Symmetrical Solid Oxide Fuel Cell with Nano La0.6Sr0.4Fe0.7Ni0.2Mo0.1O3-δ-Decorated Doped Ceria Electrode.

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) offer a significant advantage over other fuel cells in terms of flexibility in the choice of fuel. Ammonia stands out as an excellent fuel choice for SOFCs due to its easy transportation and storage, carbon-free nature and mature synthesis technology. For direct-ammonia SOFCs (DA-SOFCs), the development of anode catalysts that have efficient catalytic activity for both NH3 decomposition and H2 oxidation reactions is of great significance. Herein, we develop a Mo-doped La0.6Sr0.4Fe0.8Ni0.2O3-δ (La0.6Sr0.4Fe0.7Ni0.2Mo0.1O3-δ, LSFNM) material, and explore its potential as a symmetrical electrode for DA-SOFCs. After reduction, the main cubic perovskite phase of LSFNM remained unchanged, but some FeNi3 alloy nanoparticles and a small amount of SrLaFeO4 oxide phase were generated. Such reduced LSFNM exhibits excellent catalytic activity for ammonia decomposition due to the presence of FeNi3 alloy nanoparticles, ensuring that it can be used as an anode for DA-SOFCs. In addition, LSFNM shows high oxygen reduction reactivity, indicating that it can also be a cathode for DA-SOFCs. Consequently, a direct-ammonia symmetrical SOFC (DA-SSOFC) with the LSFNM-infiltrated doped ceria (LSFNM-SDCi) electrode delivers a superior peak power density (PPD) of 487 mW cm-2 at 800 °C when NH3 fuel is utilised. More importantly, because Mo doping greatly enhances the reduction stability of the material, the DA-SSOFC with the LSFN-MSDCi electrode exhibits strong operational stability without significant degradation for over 400 h at 700 °C.

Differential surface modification mechanism of chalcopyrite and pyrite by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and its response to bioflotation.

Mineral processing encounters the challenge of separating chalcopyrite and pyrite, with the conventional high alkali process characterized by issues such as large dosages of reagents, complex procedures, and environmental pollution. This study addresses this challenge by isolating and enriching Thiobacillus ferrooxidans (T·f) from acidic mine drainage, employing it as a biosurfactant. The modification mechanism of T·f was thoroughly analyzed. Fe dissolution through biological oxidation formed a passivation layer (jarosite [KFe3(SO4)2(OH)6], elemental sulfur (S0), and metal sulfides (Cu/Fe-S) on the surface of minerals. Metal oxides, hydroxides, and sulfates were detected on the surface of two minerals, but the difference was that elemental sulfur (S0) and copper sulfide (Cu-S) were detected on the surface of chalcopyrite. elucidating the fundamental reason for the significant difference in surface hydrophobicity between chalcopyrite and pyrite. T·f has been successfully used as a biosurfactant to achieve copper-sulfur separation.

The interaction between DNA methylation and tumor immune microenvironment: from the laboratory to clinical applications.

DNA methylation is a pivotal epigenetic modification that affects gene expression. Tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) comprises diverse immune cells and stromal components, creating a complex landscape that can either promote or inhibit tumor progression. In the TIME, DNA methylation has been shown to play a critical role in influencing immune cell function and tumor immune evasion. DNA methylation regulates immune cell differentiation, immune responses, and TIME composition Targeting DNA methylation in TIME offers various potential avenues for enhancing immune cytotoxicity and reducing immunosuppression. Recent studies have demonstrated that modification of DNA methylation patterns can promote immune cell infiltration and function. However, challenges persist in understanding the precise mechanisms underlying DNA methylation in the TIME, developing selective epigenetic therapies, and effectively integrating these therapies with other antitumor strategies. In conclusion, DNA methylation of both tumor cells and immune cells interacts with the TIME, and thus affects clinical efficacy. The regulation of DNA methylation within the TIME holds significant promise for the advancement of tumor immunotherapy. Addressing these challenges is crucial for harnessing the full potential of epigenetic interventions to enhance antitumor immune responses and improve patient outcomes.

Influence of Imbibition Fracturing Fluid on the Original Water and Methane Occurrence in Actual Coalbed Methane Reservoirs Using the Integrated Device of Displacement and Low-Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.

The original water in the coal rock pores plays a controlling role in the occurrence of gas. Furthermore, during the hydraulic fracturing process, pressurized fracturing fluid with a higher pressure than the original pore pressure in the fractures drives the fracturing fluid to infiltrate into the coal rock pores, thereby altering the occurrence pattern of gas and water in the original pores. However, due to the limitations of the indoor simulation device, a systematic conclusion on the impact of the original pore water and imbibition fracturing fluid on coalbed methane reservoirs has not yet been formed. In this paper, an integrated device combining displacement and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance was employed using underground cylindrical coal rock samples as experimental subjects. Experimental conditions were maintained at a temperature of 30 °C, a confining pressure of 23 MPa, and an approximate reservoir pressure of 15 MPa. The initial water saturation levels were altered to 0, 27.88, and 42.18% to replicate the conditions of a coalbed methane reservoir at a depth of approximately 1200 m. Fracturing fluid with a pressure of 18 MPa was injected into the experimental samples to simulate the impact of the fracturing fluid on the original reservoir during hydraulic fracturing. This allowed for a realistic assessment of the influence of initial water saturation and fracturing fluid absorption on the coalbed methane recovery rate in the reservoir. The experimental results indicate that the imbibition process promotes the desorption of adsorbed gas, and the desorption amount of adsorbed gas increases with the increase in the original water saturation. This will result in an increase in the gas pressure within the pore system. The conditions of this experiment, in comparison to the previous ones, more closely resemble real reservoir conditions. This enables a realistic assessment of how the presence of the original water content and the absorption of the fracturing fluid affect gas occurrence within the reservoir.

Grafting seedling rootstock strengthens tolerance to drought stress in polyploid mulberry (Morus alba L.).

The economically adaptable mulberry (Morus alba L.) has a long history of grafting in China, yet the physiological mechanisms and advantages in drought tolerance remain unexplored. In our study, we investigated the responses of self-rooted 2X (diploid), 3X (triploid), and 4X (tetraploid) plants, as well as polyploid plants grafted onto diploid seedling rootstocks (2X/2X, 3X/2X, and 4X/2X) under drought stress. We found that self-rooted diploid plants exhibited the most severe phenotypic damage, lowest water retention, photosynthetic capacity, and the least effective osmotic stress adjustment compared to tetraploid and triploid plants. However, grafted diploid and triploid plants showed effective mitigation of drought-induced damage, with higher relative water content and improved soil water retention. Grafted plants also improved the photosystem response to drought stress through elevated photosynthetic potential, closed stomatal aperture, and faster recovery of chlorophyll biosynthesis in the leaves. Additionally, grafted plants altered osmotic protective compound levels, including starch, soluble sugar, and proline content, thereby enhancing drought resistance. Absolute quantification PCR indicated that the expression levels of proline synthesis-related genes in grafted plants were not influenced after drought stress, whereas they were significantly increased in self-rooted plants. Consequently, our findings support that self-rooted triploid and tetraploid mulberries exhibited superior drought resistance compared to diploid plants. Moreover, grafting onto seedling rootstocks enhanced tolerance against drought stress in diploid and triploid mulberry, but not in tetraploid. Our study provides valuable insights for a comprehensive analysis of physiological effects in response to drought stress between stem-roots and seedling rootstocks.

Vascular injury activates the ELK1/SND1/SRF pathway to promote vascular smooth muscle cell proliferative phenotype and neointimal hyperplasia.

BACKGROUND: Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation is the leading cause of vascular stenosis or restenosis. Therefore, investigating the molecular mechanisms and pivotal regulators of the proliferative VSMC phenotype is imperative for precisely preventing neointimal hyperplasia in vascular disease. METHODS: Wire-induced vascular injury and aortic culture models were used to detect the expression of staphylococcal nuclease domain-containing protein 1 (SND1). SMC-specific Snd1 knockout mice were used to assess the potential roles of SND1 after vascular injury. Primary VSMCs were cultured to evaluate SND1 function on VSMC phenotype switching, as well as to investigate the mechanism by which SND1 regulates the VSMC proliferative phenotype. RESULTS: Phenotype-switched proliferative VSMCs exhibited higher SND1 protein expression compared to the differentiated VSMCs. This result was replicated in primary VSMCs treated with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). In the injury model, specific knockout of Snd1 in mouse VSMCs reduced neointimal hyperplasia. We then revealed that ETS transcription factor ELK1 (ELK1) exhibited upregulation and activation in proliferative VSMCs, and acted as a novel transcription factor to induce the gene transcriptional activation of Snd1. Subsequently, the upregulated SND1 is associated with serum response factor (SRF) by competing with myocardin (MYOCD). As a co-activator of SRF, SND1 recruited the lysine acetyltransferase 2B (KAT2B) to the promoter regions leading to the histone acetylation, consequently promoted SRF to recognize the specific CArG motif, and enhanced the proliferation- and migration-related gene transcriptional activation. CONCLUSIONS: The present study identifies ELK1/SND1/SRF as a novel pathway in promoting the proliferative VSMC phenotype and neointimal hyperplasia in vascular injury, predisposing the vessels to pathological remodeling. This provides a potential therapeutic target for vascular stenosis.

Investigation and Application of Perforation Optimization Method on Shale Gas Horizontal Well with Numerical Simulation of Multicluster Fracturing under Dense-Segment Pattern.

Multicluster fracturing of horizontal wells has evolved into a mature and widely adopted technique for exploiting unconventional oil and gas fields. A well-designed multicluster completion strategy can yield an ideal fracturing outcome, significantly enhancing production rates and potentially delivering substantial economic benefits. Nevertheless, empirical evidence suggests that fractured horizontal wells frequently exhibit pronounced nonuniform production profiles, a prevalent issue stemming from the irregular geometry of propagated fractures. This issue critically constrains production rates. To mitigate the adverse effects of low-uniformity fracture propagation, it is imperative to elucidate the factors influencing uniformity levels and their corresponding patterns. Despite extensive discussions on hydraulic fracture propagation mechanisms and optional factors in hydraulic fracturing engineering, there exists a notable oversight regarding the optimization of perforation parameters to achieve improved fracturing uniformity during well completion procedures. This paper introduces an optimization method for perforation parameters based on a fully coupled pseudo-3D numerical model of multicluster fracturing. The impact patterns of cluster spacing, perforation number, and initial perforation diameter on multifracture propagation results and uniformity levels are thoroughly examined. The multicluster fracturing model, developed using the displacement discontinuous method (DDM), is coupled with material balance, pressure transmission, hole erosion computation, and initiation asynchrony estimation. To quantify the uniformity level of the fracturing result, the modified propagation uniformity index (Ufm) is employed. Simulation results from 20 cases are categorized into six groups based on varied changing patterns of perforation parameters, leading to the identification of five recommendations for optimizing perforation parameters. By implementation of the discussed optimized perforation parameters, successful fracturing outcomes were realized.

Flexible silicon solar cells with high power-to-weight ratios.

Silicon solar cells are a mainstay of commercialized photovoltaics, and further improving the power conversion efficiency of large-area and flexible cells remains an important research objective1,2. Here we report a combined approach to improving the power conversion efficiency of silicon heterojunction solar cells, while at the same time rendering them flexible. We use low-damage continuous-plasma chemical vapour deposition to prevent epitaxy, self-restoring nanocrystalline sowing and vertical growth to develop doped contacts, and contact-free laser transfer printing to deposit low-shading grid lines. High-performance cells of various thicknesses (55-130 µm) are fabricated, with certified efficiencies of 26.06% (57 µm), 26.19% (74 µm), 26.50% (84 µm), 26.56% (106 µm) and 26.81% (125 µm). The wafer thinning not only lowers the weight and cost, but also facilitates the charge migration and separation. It is found that the 57-µm flexible and thin solar cell shows the highest power-to-weight ratio (1.9 W g-1) and open-circuit voltage (761 mV) compared to the thick ones. All of the solar cells characterized have an area of 274.4 cm2, and the cell components ensure reliability in potential-induced degradation and light-induced degradation ageing tests. This technological progress provides a practical basis for the commercialization of flexible, lightweight, low-cost and highly efficient solar cells, and the ability to bend or roll up crystalline silicon solar cells for travel is anticipated.

Tuning of CHO secretional machinery improve activity of secreted therapeutic sulfatase 150-fold.

Rare diseases are, despite their name, collectively common and millions of people are affected daily of conditions where treatment often is unavailable. Sulfatases are a large family of activating enzymes related to several of these diseases. Heritable genetic variations in sulfatases may lead to impaired activity and a reduced macromolecular breakdown within the lysosome, with several severe and lethal conditions as a consequence. While therapeutic options are scarce, treatment for some sulfatase deficiencies by recombinant enzyme replacement are available. The recombinant production of such sulfatases suffers greatly from both low product activity and yield, further limiting accessibility for patient groups. To mitigate the low product activity, we have investigated cellular properties through computational evaluation of cultures with varying media conditions and comparison of two CHO clones with different levels of one active sulfatase variant. Transcriptome analysis identified 18 genes in secretory pathways correlating with increased sulfatase production. Experimental validation by upregulation of a set of three key genes improved the specific enzymatic activity at varying degree up to 150-fold in another sulfatase variant, broadcasting general production benefits. We also identified a correlation between product mRNA levels and sulfatase activity that generated an increase in sulfatase activity when expressed with a weaker promoter. Furthermore, we suggest that our proposed workflow for resolving bottlenecks in cellular machineries, to be useful for improvements of cell factories for other biologics as well.

Synthesis, Performance, Mechanism: A Hyperbranched Phase Reverse Nano-Demulsifier for Condensate Emulsion.

Organic amine and nanosilica were combined to create a nano-demulsifier, which was employed in the oil-water separation process of a condensate emulsion. The nano-demulsifier has the structure of hyperbranched polymers and the skeleton structure of hyperbranched nanomaterials, and displays the demulsification impact of organic amine polymers as well as the synergistic effect of nanomaterials. This nano-demulsifier has the potential to drastically reduce the quantity of condensate demulsifiers utilized in the gathering station. The dehydration rate of the condensate lotion in the gas gathering station can reach more than 95% only at a concentration of 1.0 wt.%. Its application can significantly increase the separation efficiency of the condensate emulsion as well as the quality of condensate oil. It has a positive impact on cost reduction and efficiency in gas well production. The mechanism of action of the demulsifier was also studied, and the results show that the demulsifier is a phase reverse demulsifier.

Ammonium-Amine Co-Activation: Promoting the Sulfurization of Azurite and Its Effect on Xanthate Adsorption.

Enhanced sulfurization has always been the focus of research on the flotation of copper oxide minerals. In this study, combined ammonium-amine salts were innovatively applied to improve the sulfurization of azurite. Flotation tests were carried out to evaluate the promoting effect of ammonium-amine co-activation on the sulfurization-xanthate flotation of azurite, and the microstructure evolution of sulfurized products was investigated to reveal the mechanism underlying this promoting effect. Compared with single ammonium (amine) salt activation, ammonium-amine co-activation improved the floatability of azurite to a greater extent, i.e., the flotation recovery increased by over 4 percentage points. ToF-SIMS, ICP-OES, FESEM-EDS, AFM, XRD, and UV-vis analyses indicated that ammonium-amine co-activation combined the advantages of inorganic ammonium for buffering pH and organic amine for copper ion complexation, thus promoting the growth of sulfurized crystal products (covellite) and enhancing the adhesion stability of sulfurized products on azurite. Therefore, increasing amounts of copper sulfide components were generated under the ammonium-amine-Na2S system, promoting the adsorption of additional xanthate on azurite. This study provides theoretical support for the application of combined ammonium-amine salts for the sulfurization flotation of copper oxide.

Reliability of the Tibial Spine Versus ACL Stump in Assisting Tibial Tunnel Positioning During ACL Reconstruction: Analysis Based on 3-Dimensional Computed Tomography Modeling.

Background: Several techniques have been used by surgeons for anatomic tibial tunnel placement in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, including the ACL stump positioning (ASP) technique and the tibial spine positioning (TSP) technique. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether bony landmarks (medial and lateral tibial spine [MLTS]) can be a reliable reference for improving the accuracy of tibial tunnel placement in anatomic single-bundle ACL reconstruction compared with the ACL stump. It was hypothesized that the MLTS would not be a reliable bony landmark for tibial tunnel placement. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: The 3-dimensional computed tomography images of 111 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction between 2020 and 2021 were included in this study. For tibial tunnel placement, the ASP technique was used in 49 patients, and the TSP technique was used in 62 patients. The 3-dimensional computed tomography images were reconstructed to enable measurements of the locations of the MLTS and tunnel center based on a grid method. Statistical analysis was conducted to compare the MLTS location and tibial tunnel position as well as the accuracy (mean distance of each actual location from the anatomic center) and precision (standard deviation of the accuracy, indicating the reproducibility of the tunnel position) of the tunnel position between the ASP and TSP groups. Results: Significant differences were observed between the ASP and TSP groups in terms of the tibial tunnel position on the mediolateral axis (46.7% ± 2.0% vs 45.9% ± 2.2%, respectively; P = .034), while no significant differences were found in terms of the accuracy (4.1% vs 4.6%, respectively; P = .259) or precision (2.1% vs 2.1%, respectively; P = .259) of tibial tunnel positioning between the 2 groups. Conclusion: In anatomic single-bundle ACL reconstruction, the use of the MLTS for tibial tunnel placement achieved comparable accuracy and precision compared with the use of ACL remnants, supporting its role as a reliable bony landmark in tibial tunnel positioning.