Antipathogenic Activities of Volatile Organic Compounds Produced by Bacillus velezensis LT1 against Sclerotium rolfsii LC1, the Pathogen of Southern Blight in Coptis chinensis.

This study explores the antipathogenic properties of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by Bacillus velezensis LT1, isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Coptis chinensis. The impact of these VOCs on the mycelial growth of Sclerotium rolfsii LC1, the causative agent of southern blight in C. chinensis, was evaluated using a double Petri-dish assay. The biocontrol efficacy of these VOCs was further assessed through leaf inoculation and pot experiments. Antifungal VOCs were collected using headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME), and their components were identified via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results revealed that the VOCs significantly inhibited the mycelial growth and sclerotia germination of S. rolfsii LC1 and disrupted the morphological integrity of fungal mycelia. Under the influence of these VOCs, genes associated with chitin synthesis were upregulated, while those related to cell wall degrading enzymes were downregulated. Notably, 2-dodecanone and 2-undecanone exhibited inhibition rates of 81.67% and 80.08%, respectively. This research provides a novel approach for the prevention and management of southern blight in C. chinensis, highlighting the potential of microbial VOCs in biocontrol strategies.

Alkaloids from Zanthoxylum nitidum and their anti-proliferative activity against A549 cells by regulating the EGFR/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Zanthoxylum nitidum is frequently used as a traditional Chinese medicine and food supplement. Our previous study revealed that its constituent compounds were able to inhibit cancer cell proliferation. In our continuous exploration of bioactive compounds in Z. nitidum, we isolated ten alkaloids (1-10), including one new natural compound (1), and nine known alkaloids (2-10), from an ethanolic extract of the whole plant. The chemical structures were elucidated based on a combination of comprehensive NMR and HRESIMS analyses. Compounds 5, 8 and 10 exhibited significant antiproliferative effects against A549 cancer cell lines. We further elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms of the antiproliferative activity of compound 8 in A549 human lung cancer cells. Compound 8 was found to induce cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase via p53 activation and CDK4/6 suppression. Compound 8 also effectively inhibited cell migration through the modulation of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as indicated by the expression of biomarkers, such as N-cadherin downregulation and E-cadherin upregulation. Compound 8 significantly suppressed the activation of the EGFR/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway in A549 cells. These results indicate that alkaloid 8 from Z. nitidum has potential to be a lead antiproliferative compound in cancer cells.

Monocyte HLA-DR level on admission predicting in-hospital mortality rate in exertional heatstroke: A 12-year retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Exertional heatstroke (EHS), a fatal illness, pronounces multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and high mortality rate. Currently, no ideal factor prognoses EHS. Decreased monocyte human leukocyte-DR antigen (mHLA-DR) has been observed in critically ill individuals, particularly in those with sepsis. While most research focus on the pro-inflammatory response exploration in EHS, there are few studies related to immunosuppression, and no report targeted on mHLA-DR in EHS. The present study tried to explore the prognostic value of mHLA-DR levels in EHS patients. METHODS: This was a single-center retrospective study. Clinical data of EHS patients admitted to the intensive care unit of the General Hospital of Southern Theatre Command between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2020, were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Seventy patients with 54 survivors and 16 nonsurvivors were ultimately enrolled. Levels of mHLA-DR in the nonsurvivors (41.8% [38.1-68.1]%) were significantly lower than those in the survivors (83.1% [67.6-89.4]%, p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression indicated that mHLA-DR (odds ratio [OR] = 0.939; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.892-0.988; p = 0.016) and Glasgow coma scale (GCS) scores (OR = 0.726; 95% CI: 0.591-0.892; p = 0.002) were independent risk factors related with in-hospital mortality rate in EHS. A nomogram incorporated mHLA-DR with GCS demonstrated excellent discrimination and calibration abilities. Compared to the traditional scoring systems, the prediction model incorporated mHLA-DR with GCS had the highest area under the curve (0.947, 95% CI: [0.865-0.986]) and Youden index (0.8333), with sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 83.33%, and a greater clinical net benefit. CONCLUSION: Patients with EHS were at a risk of early experiencing decreased mHLA-DR early. A nomogram based on mHLA-DR with GCS was developed to facilitate early identification and timely treatment of individuals with potentially poor prognosis.

Lateral Heterostructure Formed by Highly Thermally Conductive Fluorinated Graphene for Efficient Device Thermal Management.

The continued miniaturization of chips demands highly thermally conductive materials and effective thermal management strategies. Particularly, the high-field transport of the devices built with 2D materials is limited by self-heating. Here a systematic control of heat flow in single-side fluorinated graphene (FG) with varying degrees of fluorination is reported, revealing a superior room-temperature thermal conductivity as high as 128 W m-1 K-1. Monolayer graphene/FG lateral heterostructures with seamless junctions are approached for device fabrication. Efficient in-plane heat removal paths from graphene channel to side FG are created, contributing significant reduction of the channel peak temperature and improvement in the current-carrying capability and power density. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the interfacial thermal conductance of the heterostructure is facilitated by the high degree of overlap in the phonon vibrational spectra. The findings offer novel design insights for efficient heat dissipation in micro- and nanoelectronic devices.

Bacillus velezensis LT1: a potential biocontrol agent for southern blight on Coptis chinensis.

Introduction: Southern blight, caused by Sclerotium rolfsii, poses a serious threat to the cultivation of Coptis chinensis, a plant with significant medicinal value. The overreliance on fungicides for controlling this pathogen has led to environmental concerns and resistance issues. There is an urgent need for alternative, sustainable disease management strategies. Methods: In this study, Bacillus velezensis LT1 was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of diseased C. chinensis plants. Its biocontrol efficacy against S. rolfsii LC1 was evaluated through a confrontation assay. The antimicrobial lipopeptides in the fermentation liquid of B. velezensis LT1 were identified using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The effects of B. velezensis LT1 on the mycelial morphology of S. rolfsii LC1 were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results: The confrontation assay indicated that B. velezensis LT1 significantly inhibited the growth of S. rolfsii LC1, with an inhibition efficiency of 78.41%. MALDI-TOF-MS analysis detected the presence of bacillomycin, surfactin, iturin, and fengycin in the fermentation liquid, all known for their antifungal properties. SEM and TEM observations revealed that the mycelial and cellular structures of S. rolfsii LC1 were markedly distorted when exposed to B. velezensis LT1. Discussion: The findings demonstrate that B. velezensis LT1 has considerable potential as a biocontrol agent against S. rolfsii LC1. The identified lipopeptides likely contribute to the antifungal activity, and the morphological damage to S. rolfsii LC1 suggests a mechanism of action. This study underscores the importance of exploring microbial biocontrol agents as a sustainable alternative to chemical fungicides in the management of plant diseases. Further research into the genetic and functional aspects of B. velezensis LT1 could provide deeper insights into its biocontrol mechanisms and facilitate its application in agriculture.

Diisoprenyl Cyclohexene-Type Meroterpenoids with Cytotoxic Activity from a Mangrove Endophytic Fungus Aspergillus sp. GXNU-Y85.

Five new diisoprenyl cyclohexene-type meroterpenoids, aspergienynes J-N (1-5), along with three known analogues (6-8), were obtained from the mangrove endophytic fungal strain Aspergillus sp. GXNU-Y85. The chemical structures, including their absolute configurations, were established via spectroscopic data and comparison of experimental and calculated ECD spectra. Cytotoxicity assay results indicated that compound 8 had strong cytotoxicity against HeLa cancer cells, and its IC50 value was 11.8 µM. In addition, flow cytometry analysis revealed that the cytotoxicity of 8 was due to the induction of G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in HeLa cells.

The effect of long-term traditional Chinese medicine treatment on extra-articular lesions of rheumatoid arthritis patients based on propensity score matching: A retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To explore the efficacy of long-term traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment on the occurrence of extra-articular lesions in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Methods: Our retrospective cohort study included patients diagnosed with RA between January 2018 to December 2019. Patients were divided into TCM treatment group and control group according to whether they received TCM treatment for more than three months. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance covariates between groups. The occurrence time of extra-articular lesions, including interstitial lung disease, Sjögren's syndrome, and anemia, was calculated for both groups after PSM. Additionally, clinical indicators that may affect the occurrence of extra-articular lesions in RA were included in Cox multivariate regression analysis to explore prognostic factors related to RA. Results: A total of 883 RA patients were initially included in our study, with 481 in the TCM treatment group and 279 in the control group. TCM treatment improved all clinical indicators of RA patients, and there was a higher degree of support, confidence, and lift between TCM treatment and the improvement of clinical indicators. There was no significant difference in the rate of extra-articular lesions occurrence between the two groups. After PSM, the median occurrence time of interstitial lung disease, Sjögren's syndrome and anemia in the TCM treatment group were 30.767, 21.370 and 31.970 months, respectively. While in the control group, it was 15.911, 14.667 and 11.825 months, respectively. Cox multivariate regression analysis indicated that TCM treatment was a protective factor for the occurrence of extra-articular lesions in RA, while abnormally high level of IgG was an independent factor for interstitial lung disease and C4 was an independent factor for Sjögren's syndrome. Moreover, a longer duration of TCM usage was associated with a later occurrence of extra-articular lesions. Conclusion: Long-term TCM treatment not only positively affects the occurrence time of extra-articular lesions in RA patients, but also helps reduce the risk of extra-articular lesions occurrence. TCM can be applied flexibly throughout the treatment process for RA patients.

Xinfeng capsule inhibits lncRNA NONHSAT227927.1/TRAF2 to alleviate NF-κB-p65-induced immuno-inflammation in ankylosing spondylitis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic rheumatic disease known for its insidious and refractory symptoms, primarily associated with immuno-inflammation in its early stages, that affects the self-perception of patients (SPP). The exploration of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in immuno-inflammation of AS has garnered considerable interest. Additionally, the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine Xinfeng Capsule (XFC) in mitigating immuno-inflammation in AS has also been observed. However, the specific mechanisms still need to be characterized. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study elucidated the mechanism of the lncRNA NONHSAT227927.1/TRAF2/NF-κB axis in the immuno-inflammation of AS and XFC in AS treatment. METHODS: LncRNA NONHSAT227927.1 and mRNA expression were assessed utilizing real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Protein level was determined using Western blot, and cytokine expression was measured using ELISA. Furthermore, mass spectrometry was used to analyze the binding proteins of lncRNA and rescue experiments were conducted to validate the findings. Inconsistencies in clinical baseline data were addressed using propensity score matching. The association between the XFC effect and indicator changes was evaluated using the Apriori algorithm. RESULTS: The study revealed a substantial elevation in the expression of lncRNA NONHSAT227927.1 and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2) in AS-peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Its expression was also notably reduced after XFC treatment. In addition to this, there was a positive correlation between lncRNA NONHSAT227927.1 and TRAF2 with clinical immuno-inflammatory indicators. On the other hand, they showed a negative association with the SPP indicators. In vitro experiments have demonstrated that lncRNA NONHSAT227927.1 activated the nuclear factor (NF)-κB-p65 pathway by promoting TRAF2 expression. This activation resulted in enhanced IL-6 and TNF-α levels and reduced IL-10 and IL-4 levels. Conversely, XFC decreased the expression of lncRNA NONHSAT227927.1 and TRAF2, inhibiting the stimulation of the NF-κB-p65 cascade and restoring balance to the cytokines. The association rule analysis results indicated a strong association between XFC and decreased levels of C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and immunoglobulin A. Furthermore, XFC was strongly associated with improved SPP indicators, including general health, vitality, mental health, and role-emotional. CONCLUSIONS: LncRNA NONHSAT227927.1 plays a pro-inflammatory role in AS. XFC treatment may reverse lncRNA NONHSAT227927.1 to suppress TRAF2-mediated NF-κB-p65 activation, which in turn suppresses immuno-inflammation and improves SPP, thereby making XFC a promising candidate for therapeutic applications in AS management.

Diisoprenyl-cyclohexene-type meroterpenoids from a mangrove endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp. GXNU-Y65 and their anti-nonalcoholic steatohepatitis activity in AML12 cells.

Nine previously undescribed diisoprenyl-cyclohexene-type meroterpenoids, aspergienynes A-I, together with five known analogues, were obtained from the mangrove endophytic fungal strain Aspergillus sp. GXNU-Y65. The diisoprenyl-cyclohexene-type meroterpenoids were elucidated based on multispectroscopic analysis, and the previously undescribed compounds' absolute configurations were established via electronic circular dichroism calculations. Biological activity results indicated that aspergienyne C (compound 3) had strong anti-nonalcoholic steatohepatitis activity against AML12 cells treated with PA (Palmitic acid) + OA (Oleic acid). At the same concentration of 20 µM, 3 significantly reduced triglyceride (TG) content compared with fenofibrate (positive control) in PA + OA treated AML12 cells, and obviously increased phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase.

Iron minerals: A frontline barrier against combined toxicity of microplastics and arsenic.

The coexistence of microplastics (MPs) and arsenic (As) in terrestrial ecosystems presents challenges to controlling soil pollution and performing environmental risk assessments. In this study, the interactions among As, polystyrene MPs, and goethite in porous media were investigated and the individual and combined toxicities of MPs and As on wheat germination were evaluated. An additional experiment was conducted to assess the mitigating effect of goethite on the toxicity of the two contaminants. The results showed that the presence of MPs reduced As accumulation in wheat and decreased the acute lethal toxicity of As pollutants (the half-lethal concentration of As during wheat germination increased by 68.21%). However, MPs exhibited inhibitory effects on wheat germination and served as carriers to promote the migration of As within the plant body. The addition of goethite mitigated both individual and combined toxicities and further increased the half-lethal concentration for the combined pollution of As and MPs by 39.48%. This was primarily attributed to the adsorption and immobilization of arsenate and MPs on the medium and root surfaces. In our study, goethite reduced soluble As by 48.29% under the combined pollution scenarios and formed iron plaques on wheat roots, effectively obstructing pollutant entry. Thus, iron minerals serve as pioneering barriers to combined toxicity. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the combined toxicity of MPs and As in crops and offer potential strategies for managing combined pollution.

Hypercoagulability in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Bibliometric Analysis and Retrospective Data Mining Study.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic systemic inflammation, leading to joint deformities and functional loss. RA progression is accompanied by abnormalities in the coagulation-fibrinolysis system, clinically manifested as a hypercoagulable state. However, there are currently no bibliometrics or visualization analysis in this field. OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to reveal the knowledge structure, research status, and research trends related to hypercoagulability in RA through bibliometric analysis and to evaluate the utility of inflammatory and coagulation markers in RA disease activity through retrospective data mining. METHODS: English articles and reviews on RA hypercoagulability published from 2010 to 2023 were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database on March 1, 2023. VOSviewer and CiteSpace software were used for knowledge mapping analysis of the included papers in terms of countries/regions, institutions, journals, authors, keywords, research hotspots, and frontiers. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the general information on RA patients. The demographic and clinical indicators of all participants were collected to determine the correlation of inflammatory and coagulation markers with the Chinese patient-reported activity index for rheumatoid arthritis (CPRI-RA). RESULTS: A total of 957 papers were retrieved. The United States was the most productive country in this field and had the highest h-index, and the most prolific institution was the Karolinska Institute. The Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases was the journal with the most publications, and KLARESKOG L. was the most productive author. From keyword analysis, it could be seen that "inflammation", "activation", "disease-activity", and "risk" had long been the focuses of RA hypercoagulability research. "Criteria", "validation", "coagulation", "target", and "anemia" were the latest popular keywords in the past 5 years. Retrospective data mining revealed that the levels of inflammation (RF, ESR, and CRP) and coagulation (PLT and DD) were significantly increased in RA patients. FBG, CRP, and ESR were significantly correlated with CPRI-RA. Additionally, ESR, CRP, and FBG were identified as independent risk factors for CPRI-RA. CONCLUSION: The mechanism and application of hypercoagulability in RA have been research hotspots in recent years. Inflammation and coagulation markers are independent risk factors for CPRI-RA.

De Novo RNA Sequencing and Transcriptome Analysis of Sclerotium rolfsii Gene Expression during Sclerotium Development.

Sclerotium rolfsii is a destructive soil-borne fungal pathogen that causes stem rot in cultivated plants. However, little is known about the genetic basis of sclerotium development. In this study, we conducted de novo sequencing of genes from three different stages of S. rolfsii (mycelia, early sclerotium formation, and late sclerotium formation) using Illumina HiSeqTM 4000. We then determined differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across the three stages and annotated gene functions. STEM and weighted gene-co-expression network analysis were used to cluster DEGs with similar expression patterns. Our analysis yielded an average of 25,957,621 clean reads per sample (22,913,500-28,988,848). We identified 8929, 8453, and 3744 DEGs between sclerotium developmental stages 1 versus 2, 1 versus 3, and 2 versus 3, respectively. Additionally, four significantly altered gene expression profiles involved 220 genes related to sclerotium formation, and two modules were positively correlated with early and late sclerotium formation. These results were supported by the outcomes of qPCR and RNA-sequencing conducted on six genes. This is the first study to provide a gene expression map during sclerotial development in S. rolfsii, which can be used to reduce the re-infection ability of this pathogen and provide new insights into the scientific prevention and control of the disease. This study also provides a useful resource for further research on the genomics of S. rolfsii.

A nomogram based on lymphocyte percentage for predicting hospital mortality in exertional heatstroke patients: a 13-year retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Exertional heatstroke (EHS) is a life-threatening disease without ideal prognostic markers for predicting hospital mortality. METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective study. Clinical data from EHS patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the General Hospital of Southern Theatre Command between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2020, were recorded and analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify the factors for mortality. The prediction model was developed with the prognostic markers, and a nomogram was established. RESULTS: The study ultimately enrolled 156 patients, and 15 (9.6%) of patients died before discharge. The lymphocyte count (Lym) and percentage (Lym%) were significantly lower in non-survivors (P<0.05). The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that Lym% at the third day of admission (Lym% D3) (OR=0.609, 95%CI: 0.454-0.816) and hematocrit (HCT) (OR=0.908, 95%CI: 0.834-0.988) were independent protective factors for hospital mortality. A nomogram incorporating Lym% D3 with HCT was developed and demonstrated good discrimination and calibration ability. The comparison between the prediction model and scoring systems revealed that the prediction model had the largest area under the curve (AUC) (0.948, 95%CI: 0.900-0.977), with 100.00% sensitivity and 83.69% specificity, and a greater clinical net benefit. CONCLUSION: Severe EHS patients had a higher risk of experiencing prolonged lymphopenia. A nomogram based on Lym% D3 and HCT was developed to facilitate early identification and timely treatment of patients with potentially unfavorable prognoses.

Prediction of in-hospital mortality in patients with exertional heatstroke: a 13-year retrospective study.

Hyperactivity of coagulation is common in exertional heatstroke (EHS). Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is the most severe form of coagulation dysfunction and associated with poor outcome. DIC, temperature and Glasgow coma scale score were identified as independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality by multivariate logistic regression analysis, and we developed a nomogram for predicting in-hospital mortality in a 13-year EHS patient cohort. The nomogram was assessed by calibration curves and bootstrap with 1,000 resamples. The receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed, and the area under the curve (AUC) was compared. Two hundred and ten patients were included. The in-hospital mortality was 9.0%, and the incidence of DIC was 17.6%. The AUC of the nomogram was 0.897 (95% CI 0.848-0.935, p < .0001) and was non-inferior to SOFA and APACHE II scores but superior to SIRS score, which were widely-used score systems of disease severity. The nomogram contributed to the adverse outcome prediction of EHS.

Polysiloxane-Based Molecular Logic Gate for Dual-Channel Visualizing Mitochondrial pH and Sulphite Changes during Cuproptosis.

Intracellular Cu-induced regulated cell death, characterized by the aggregation of lipidizing mitochondrial enzymes, is called cuproptosis. Mitochondria play a vital role in the metabolic regulation of cell injury and stressful immune responses. The pH levels and sulfur dioxide (SO2) content in mitochondria have important indicative roles in the regulation of cuproptosis. However, fluorescent probes that simultaneously detect changes in pH and SO2 in mitochondria during cuprotosis have not been reported. To fill this blank, in this study, we dexterously used functional polysiloxane as a fluorescent platform to propose a molecular logic gate probe P0-pH-SO2 for detecting changes in intramitochondrial pH and SO2 content through a dual-channel mode. In addition, we defined a new function to reflect the cellular state of the elesclomol-induced cuproptosis process based on the input and output of the relevant logic relationship. This new fluorescent molecular logic gate probe P0-pH-SO2 can be rapidly activated by mitochondrial sulfites to induce green fluorescence, while the red fluorescence is quenched with the proton in the mitochondria. Overall, this study developed a novel logic-gated molecular probe that provided a versatile strategy for monitoring the role played by intramitochondrial sulfites and H+ in cuproptosis. This work will open the way to broaden the applications of molecular logic gates and fluorescent polysiloxanes.

Rational construction of graphitic carbon nitride composited Li-rich Mn-based oxide cathode materials toward high-performance Li-ion battery.

Li-rich Mn-based oxides (LRMOs) are considered as one of the most-promising cathode materials for next generation Li-ion batteries (LIBs) because of their high energy density. Nevertheless, the intrinsic shortcomings, such as the low first coulomb efficiency, severe capacity/voltage fade, and poor rate performance seriously limit its commercial application in the future. In this work, we construct successfully g-C3N4 coating layer to modify Li1.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13O2 (LMNC) via a facile solution. The g-C3N4 layer can alleviate the side-reaction between electrolyte and LMNC materials, and improve electronic conduction of LMNC. In addition, the g-C3N4 layer can suppress the collapse of structure and improve cyclic stability of LMNC materials. Consequently, g-C3N4 (4 wt%)-coated LMNC sample shows the highest initial coulomb efficiency (78.5%), the highest capacity retention ratio (78.8%) and the slightest voltage decay (0.48 V) after 300 loops. Besides, it also can provide high reversible capacity of about 300 and 93 mAh g-1 at 0.1 and 10C, respectively. This work proposes a novel approach to achieve next-generation high-energy density cathode materials, and g-C3N4 (4 wt%)-coated LMNC shows an enormous potential as the cathode materials for next generation LIBs with excellent performance.

Leaf Spot Caused by Didymella glomerata on Chaihu (Bupleurum falcatum L.) in China.

Bupleurum falcatum is a Apiaceae family herbal medicinal plant, which has the functions of soothing liver, relieving depression, relieving fever, dispelling stagnation, and regulating menstruation. B. falcatum roots have been used in Chinese herbal formbulary for at least 2000 years (Ahmadimoghaddam et al. 2021). In June 2021, infected leaves of B. falcatum that had dark brown, circular, elliptical or irregular shaped lesions or severely withered were obtained in Yichang (30.75 ° N，111.24 ° E), Hubei, China. Disease incidence was approximately 40% in the 20 hm2 B. falcatum plantation base. Fifteen small pieces (3 mm) were cut from the junction between disease and health of surface sterilized (with 75% alcohol) leaves and then plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA). After 3 days incubation, eight isolates with the same colony morphology were sub-cultured and purified by hyphal tip isolation. Isolate CHYB1 cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) was selected for identification. The colony was initially white and later producing gray and brown. Pycnidia were dark, spherical or flat spherical, and 78.3 to 137.4 µm in diameter. Conidia were oval mostly, smooth, aseptate, and 18 the size was 3.7 to 5.1 × 1.6 to 2.5 µm. Following DNA extraction, PCR was performed using the TSINGKE 2×T5 Direct PCR Mix kit. Target areas of amplification were the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and beta-tubulin gene (TUB2) using ITS1/4 (White et al. 1990) Btu-F-F01/Btu-F-R01 primers (Wang et al. 2014), respectively. BLAST analysis of the ITS sequence (MZ818334.1) had 99% similarity to a 498 bp portion of D. glomerata sequence in GenBank (KR709012.1) and TUB2 sequence (OL439060) had 100% similarity to a 323 bp portion of D. glomerata sequence in GenBank (LT592974.1). All isolates (CHYB1-8) were taken for a pathogenicity test in laboratory on surface-disinfested leaves of B. falcatum. Mycelial plugs (5 mm) were excised from the margin of colony cultured for 5 days, and placed on surface-disinfested leaves of potted B. falcatum which involved creating small wounds. The potted plants were placed in a closed bucket to keep 80% relative humidity. Controls were inoculated with non-colonized PDA plugs (5 mm). All treatments had three replicates. On the inoculated B. falcatum, the leaves of B. falcatum appeared brown spot and been covered with off-white hyphae 7 DPI. By comparision, the control leaves had no symptoms. The pathogen was reisolated from the inoculated leaves and exhibited same morphological characteristics and ITS sequence as those of D. glomerata. D. glomerata was reported to cause round leaf spot on Sophora tonkinensis Gagnep and black spot disease of Actinidia chinensis in China (Pan et al. 2018; Song et al. 2020). To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf spot caused by D. glomerata on B. falcatum in China.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi community analysis revealed the significant impact of arsenic in antimony- and arsenic-contaminated soil in three Guizhou regions.

Introduction: The lack of systematic investigations of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community composition is an obstacle to AMF biotechnological applications in antimony (Sb)- and arsenic (As)-polluted soil. Methods: Morphological and molecular identification were applied to study the AMF community composition in Sb- and As-contaminated areas, and the main influencing factors of AMF community composition in Sb- and As-contaminated areas were explored. Results: (1) A total of 513,546 sequences were obtained, and the majority belonged to Glomeraceae [88.27%, 193 operational taxonomic units (OTUs)], followed by Diversisporaceae, Paraglomeraceae, Acaulosporaceae, Gigasporaceae, and Archaeosporaceae; (2) the affinity between AMF and plants was mainly related to plant species (F = 3.488, p = 0.022 < 0.050), which was not significantly correlated with the total Sb (TSb) and total As (TAs) in soil; (3) the AMF spore density was mainly related to the available nitrogen, available potassium, and total organic carbon; (4) The effect of soil nutrients on AMF community composition (total explanation: 15.36%) was greater than that of soil Sb and As content (total explanation: 5.80%); (5) the effect of TAs on AMF community composition (λ = -0.96) was more drastic than that of TSb (λ = -0.21), and the effect of As on AMF community composition was exacerbated by the interaction between As and phosphorus in the soil; and (6) Diversisporaceae was positively correlated with the TSb and TAs. Discussion: The potential impact of As on the effective application of mycorrhizal technology should be further considered when applied to the ecological restoration of Sb- and As-contaminated areas.

Scalable microfluidic fabrication of vertically aligned two-dimensional nanosheets for superior thermal management.

Two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets have been assembled into various macroscopic structures for wide engineering applications. To fully explore their exceptional thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties, 2D nanosheets must be aligned into highly ordered structures due to their strong structural anisotropy. Structures stacked layer by layer such as films and fibers have been readily assembled from 2D nanosheets due to their planar geometry. However, scalable manufacturing of macroscopic structures with vertically aligned 2D nanosheets remains challenging, given their large lateral size with a thickness of only a few nanometers. Herein, we report a scalable and efficient microfluidics-enabled sheet-aligning process to assemble 2D nanosheets into a large-area film with a highly ordered vertical alignment. By applying microchannels with a high aspect ratio, 2D nanosheets were well aligned vertically under strong channel size confinement and high flow shear stress. A vertically aligned graphene sheet film was obtained and applied to effectively improve the heat transfer of thermal interfacial materials (TIMs). Superior through-plane thermal conductivity of 82.7 W m-1 K-1 at a low graphene content of 11.8 vol% was measured for vertically aligned TIMs. Thus, they demonstrate exceptional thermal management performance for switching power supplies with high reliability.

Vertically Aligned Boron Nitride Nanosheets Films for Superior Electronic Cooling.

Thermally conductive and electrically insulating thermal interface materials (TIMs) are highly desired for electronic cooling. To improve heat transfer efficiency, thermally conductive fillers with a high loading content have been incorporated into the polymer-based TIMs. However, this is usually at the expense of the interfacial thermal resistance reduction and reliability. In this study, vertically aligned boron nitride nanosheet films (VBNFs) have been prepared by a scalable microfluidic spinning process and template-assisted chemical vapor deposition conversion method. A further high-temperature annealing was applied to achieve high crystallinity. VBNFs have been applied as fillers to fabricate TIMs and achieve a superior through-plane thermal conductivity of 6.4 W m-1 K-1 and low modulus of 2.2 MPa at low BN loading of 9.85 vol %, benefitting from the well-aligned vertical sheet structure and high crystallinity. In addition, the fabricated TIMs present high-volume resistivity and breakdown strength, satisfying the electrical insulation demands. The high thermal conductivity and low modulus contribute an outstanding cooling performance to the TIMs in the heat dissipation application for high-power LEDs. This template-assisted conversion technology for the fabrication of orientated BN nanosheets structure and the prepared high-performance TIMs pave the way for efficient thermal management of high-power electronics.