Unveiling Atomic-Scaled Local Chemical Order of High-Entropy Intermetallic Catalyst for Alkyl-Substitution-Dependent Alkyne Semihydrogenation.

High-entropy intermetallic (HEI) nanocrystals, composed of multiple elements with an ordered structure, are of immense interest in heterogeneous catalysis due to their unique geometric and electronic structures and the cocktail effect. Despite tremendous efforts dedicated to regulating the metal composition and structures with advanced synthetic methodologies to improve the performance, the surface structure, and local chemical order of HEI and their correlation with activity at the atomic level remain obscure yet challenging. Herein, by determining the three-dimensional (3D) atomic structure of quinary PdFeCoNiCu (PdM) HEI using atomic-resolution electron tomography, we reveal that the local chemical order of HEI regulates the surface electronic structures, which further mediates the alkyl-substitution-dependent alkyne semihydrogenation. The 3D structures of HEI PdM nanocrystals feature an ordered (intermetallic) core enclosed by a disordered (solid-solution) shell rather than an ordered surface. The lattice mismatch between the core and shell results in apparent near-surface distortion. The chemical order of the intermetallic core increases with annealing temperature, driving the electron redistribution between Pd and M at the surface, but the surface geometrical (chemically disordered) configurations and compositions are essentially unchanged. We investigate the catalytic performance of HEI PdM with different local chemical orders toward semihydrogenation across a broad range of alkynes, finding that the electron density of surface Pd and the hindrance effect of alkyl substitutions on alkynes are two key factors regulating selective semihydrogenation. We anticipate that these findings on surface atomic structure will clarify the controversy regarding the geometric and/or electronic effects of HEI catalysts and inspire future studies on tuning local chemical order and surface engineering toward enhanced catalysts.

Gene-gene interaction network analysis indicates CNTN2 is a candidate gene for idiopathic generalized epilepsy.

Twin and family studies have established the genetic contribution to idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE). The genetic architecture of IGE is generally complex and heterogeneous, and the majority of the genetic burden in IGE remains unsolved. We hypothesize that gene-gene interactions contribute to the complex inheritance of IGE. CNTN2 (OMIM* 615,400) variants have been identified in cases with familial adult myoclonic epilepsy and other epilepsies. To explore the gene-gene interaction network in IGE, we took the CNTN2 gene as an example and investigated its co-occurrent genetic variants in IGE cases. We performed whole-exome sequencing in 114 unrelated IGE cases and 296 healthy controls. Variants were qualified with sequencing quality, minor allele frequency, in silico prediction, genetic phenotype, and recurrent case numbers. The STRING_TOP25 gene interaction network analysis was introduced with the bait gene CNTN2 (denoted as A). The gene-gene interaction pair mode was presumed to be A + c, A + d, A + e, with a leading gene A, or A + B + f, A + B + g, A + B + h, with a double-gene A + B, or other combinations. We compared the number of gene interaction pairs between the case and control groups. We identified three pairs in the case group, CNTN2 + PTPN18, CNTN2 + CNTN1 + ANK2 + ANK3 + SNTG2, and CNTN2 + PTPRZ1, while we did not discover any pairs in the control group. The number of gene interaction pairs in the case group was much more than in the control group (p = 0.021). Taking together the genetic bioinformatics, reported epilepsy cases, and statistical evidence in the study, we supposed CNTN2 as a candidate pathogenic gene for IGE. The gene interaction network analysis might help screen candidate genes for IGE or other complex genetic disorders.

Artemisinin ameliorates cognitive decline by inhibiting hippocampal neuronal ferroptosis via Nrf2 activation in T2DM mice.

BACKGROUND: Neuronal ferroptosis plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of cognitive deficits. The present study explored whether artemisinin protected type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mice from cognitive impairments by attenuating neuronal ferroptosis in the hippocampal CA1 region. METHODS: STZ-induced T2DM mice were treated with artemisinin (40 mg/kg, i.p.), or cotreated with artemisinin and Nrf2 inhibitor MEL385 or ferroptosis inducer erastin for 4 weeks. Cognitive performance was determined by the Morris water maze and Y maze tests. Hippocampal ROS, MDA, GSH, and Fe2+ contents were detected by assay kits. Nrf2, p-Nrf2, HO-1, and GPX4 proteins in hippocampal CA1 were assessed by Western blotting. Hippocampal neuron injury and mitochondrial morphology were observed using H&E staining and a transmission electron microscope, respectively. RESULTS: Artemisinin reversed diabetic cognitive impairments, decreased the concentrations of ROS, MDA and Fe2+, and increased the levels of p-Nr2, HO-1, GPX4 and GSH. Moreover, artemisinin alleviated neuronal loss and ferroptosis in the hippocampal CA1 region. However, these neuroprotective effects of artemisinin were abolished by Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 and ferroptosis inducer erastin. CONCLUSION: Artemisinin effectively ameliorates neuropathological changes and learning and memory decline in T2DM mice; the underlying mechanism involves the activation of Nrf2 to inhibit neuronal ferroptosis in the hippocampus.

The third Intensive Care Bundle with Blood Pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral Haemorrhage Trial (INTERACT3): an international, stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Early control of elevated blood pressure is the most promising treatment for acute intracerebral haemorrhage. We aimed to establish whether implementing a goal-directed care bundle incorporating protocols for early intensive blood pressure lowering and management algorithms for hyperglycaemia, pyrexia, and abnormal anticoagulation, implemented in a hospital setting, could improve outcomes for patients with acute spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage. METHODS: We performed a pragmatic, international, multicentre, blinded endpoint, stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial at hospitals in nine low-income and middle-income countries (Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Viet Nam) and one high-income country (Chile). Hospitals were eligible if they had no or inconsistent relevant, disease-specific protocols, and were willing to implement the care bundle to consecutive patients (aged ≥18 years) with imaging-confirmed spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage presenting within 6 h of the onset of symptoms, had a local champion, and could provide the required study data. Hospitals were centrally randomly allocated using permuted blocks to three sequences of implementation, stratified by country and the projected number of patients to be recruited over the 12 months of the study period. These sequences had four periods that dictated the order in which the hospitals were to switch from the control usual care procedure to the intervention implementation of the care bundle procedure to different clusters of patients in a stepped manner. To avoid contamination, details of the intervention, sequence, and allocation periods were concealed from sites until they had completed the usual care control periods. The care bundle protocol included the early intensive lowering of systolic blood pressure (target <140 mm Hg), strict glucose control (target 6·1-7·8 mmol/L in those without diabetes and 7·8-10·0 mmol/L in those with diabetes), antipyrexia treatment (target body temperature ≤37·5°C), and rapid reversal of warfarin-related anticoagulation (target international normalised ratio <1·5) within 1 h of treatment, in patients where these variables were abnormal. Analyses were performed according to a modified intention-to-treat population with available outcome data (ie, excluding sites that withdrew during the study). The primary outcome was functional recovery, measured with the modified Rankin scale (mRS; range 0 [no symptoms] to 6 [death]) at 6 months by masked research staff, analysed using proportional ordinal logistic regression to assess the distribution in scores on the mRS, with adjustments for cluster (hospital site), group assignment of cluster per period, and time (6-month periods from Dec 12, 2017). This trial is registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03209258) and the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-IOC-17011787) and is completed. FINDINGS: Between May 27, 2017, and July 8, 2021, 206 hospitals were assessed for eligibility, of which 144 hospitals in ten countries agreed to join and were randomly assigned in the trial, but 22 hospitals withdrew before starting to enrol patients and another hospital was withdrawn and their data on enrolled patients was deleted because regulatory approval was not obtained. Between Dec 12, 2017, and Dec 31, 2021, 10 857 patients were screened but 3821 were excluded. Overall, the modified intention-to-treat population included 7036 patients enrolled at 121 hospitals, with 3221 assigned to the care bundle group and 3815 to the usual care group, with primary outcome data available in 2892 patients in the care bundle group and 3363 patients in the usual care group. The likelihood of a poor functional outcome was lower in the care bundle group (common odds ratio 0·86; 95% CI 0·76-0·97; p=0·015). The favourable shift in mRS scores in the care bundle group was generally consistent across a range of sensitivity analyses that included additional adjustments for country and patient variables (0·84; 0·73-0·97; p=0·017), and with different approaches to the use of multiple imputations for missing data. Patients in the care bundle group had fewer serious adverse events than those in the usual care group (16·0% vs 20·1%; p=0·0098). INTERPRETATION: Implementation of a care bundle protocol for intensive blood pressure lowering and other management algorithms for physiological control within several hours of the onset of symptoms resulted in improved functional outcome for patients with acute intracerebral haemorrhage. Hospitals should incorporate this approach into clinical practice as part of active management for this serious condition. FUNDING: Joint Global Health Trials scheme from the Department of Health and Social Care, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and the Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust; West China Hospital; the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia; Sichuan Credit Pharmaceutic and Takeda China.

Flash Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotubes for Energy Storage and Conversion.

In recent years, nitrogen-doped carbons show great application potentials in the fields of electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Here, the ultrafast and green preparation of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (N-CNTs) via an efficient flash Joule heating method is reported. The precursor of 1D core-shell structure of CNT@polyaniline is first synthesized using an in situ polymerization method and then rapidly conversed into N-CNTs at ≈1300 K within 1 s. Electrochemical tests reveal the desirable capacitive property and oxygen catalytic activity of the optimized N-CNT material. It delivers an improved area capacitance of 101.7 mF cm-2 at 5 mV s-1 in 1 m KOH electrolyte, and the assembled symmetrical supercapacitor shows an energy density of 1.03 µWh cm-2 and excellent cycle stability over 10 000 cycles. In addition, the flash N-CNTs exhibit impressive catalytic performance toward oxygen reduction reaction with a half-wave potential of 0.8 V in alkaline medium, comparable to the sample prepared by the conventional long-time pyrolysis method. The Zn-air battery presents superior charge-discharge ability and long-term durability relative to commercial Pt/C catalyst. These remarkable electrochemical performances validate the superiorities of the Joule heating method in preparing the heteroatom-doped carbon materials for wide applications.

Alternative 3'-untranslated regions regulate high-salt tolerance of Spartina alterniflora.

High-salt stress continues to challenge the growth and survival of many plants. Alternative polyadenylation (APA) produces mRNAs with different 3'-untranslated regions (3' UTRs) to regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. However, the roles of alternative 3' UTRs in response to salt stress remain elusive. Here, we report the function of alternative 3' UTRs in response to high-salt stress in S. alterniflora (Spartina alterniflora), a monocotyledonous halophyte tolerant of high-salt environments. We found that high-salt stress induced global APA dynamics, and ∼42% of APA genes responded to salt stress. High-salt stress led to 3' UTR lengthening of 207 transcripts through increasing the usage of distal poly(A) sites. Transcripts with alternative 3' UTRs were mainly enriched in salt stress-related ion transporters. Alternative 3' UTRs of HIGH-AFFINITY K+ TRANSPORTER 1 (SaHKT1) increased RNA stability and protein synthesis in vivo. Regulatory AU-rich elements were identified in alternative 3' UTRs, boosting the protein level of SaHKT1. RNAi-knock-down experiments revealed that the biogenesis of 3' UTR lengthening in SaHKT1 was controlled by the poly(A) factor CLEAVAGE AND POLYADENYLATION SPECIFICITY FACTOR 30 (SaCPSF30). Over-expression of SaHKT1 with an alternative 3' UTR in rice (Oryza sativa) protoplasts increased mRNA accumulation of salt-tolerance genes in an AU-rich element-dependent manner. These results suggest that mRNA 3' UTR lengthening is a potential mechanism in response to high-salt stress. These results also reveal complex regulatory roles of alternative 3' UTRs coupling APA and regulatory elements at the post-transcriptional level in plants.

MicroRNA-377-3p exacerbates chronic obstructive pulmonary disease through suppressing ZFP36L1 expression and inducing lung fibroblast senescence.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading aging related cause of global mortality. Small airway narrowing is recognized as an early and significant factor for COPD development. Senescent fibroblasts were observed to accumulate in lung of COPD patients and promote COPD progression through aberrant extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). On the basis of our previous study, we further investigated the the causes for the increased levels of miR-377-3p in the blood of COPD patients, as well as its regulatory function in the pathological progression of COPD. We found that the majority of up-regulated miR-377-3p was localized in lung fibroblasts. Inhibition of miR-377-3p improved chronic smoking-induced COPD in mice. Mechanistically, miR-377-3p promoted senescence of lung fibroblasts, while knockdown of miR-377-3p attenuated bleomycin-induced senescence in lung fibroblasts. We also identified ZFP36L1 as a direct target for miR-377-3p that likely mediated its pro senescence activity in lung fibroblasts. Our data reveal that miR-377-3p is crucial for COPD pathogenesis, and may serve as a potential target for COPD therapy.

Helicobacter pylori disrupts gastric mucosal homeostasis by stimulating macrophages to secrete CCL3.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the predominant etiological agent of gastritis and disrupts the integrity of the gastric mucosal barrier through various pathogenic mechanisms. After H. pylori invades the gastric mucosa, it interacts with immune cells in the lamina propria. Macrophages are central players in the inflammatory response, and H. pylori stimulates them to secrete a variety of inflammatory factors, leading to the chronic damage of the gastric mucosa. Therefore, the study aims to explore the mechanism of gastric mucosal injury caused by inflammatory factors secreted by macrophages, which may provide a new mechanism for the development of H. pylori-related gastritis. METHODS: The expression and secretion of CCL3 from H. pylori infected macrophages were detected by RT-qPCR, Western blot and ELISA. The effect of H. pylori-infected macrophage culture medium and CCL3 on gastric epithelial cells tight junctions were analyzed by Western blot, immunofluorescence and transepithelial electrical resistance. EdU and apoptotic flow cytometry assays were used to detect cell proliferation and apoptosis levels. Dual-luciferase reporter assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were used to study CCL3 transcription factors. Finally, gastric mucosal tissue inflammation and CCL3 expression were analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: After H. pylori infection, CCL3 expressed and secreted from macrophages were increased. H. pylori-infected macrophage culture medium and CCL3 disrupted gastric epithelial cells tight junctions, while CCL3 neutralizing antibody and receptor inhibitor of CCL3 improved the disruption of tight junctions between cells. In addition, H. pylori-infected macrophage culture medium and CCL3 recombinant proteins stimulated P38 phosphorylation, and P38 phosphorylation inhibitor improved the disruption of tight junctions between cells. Besides, it was identified that STAT1 was a transcription factor of CCL3 and H. pylori stimulated macrophage to secret CCL3 through the JAK1-STAT1 pathway. Finally, after mice were injected with murine CCL3 recombinant protein, the gastric mucosal injury and inflammation were aggravated, and the phosphorylation level of P38 was increased. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our findings demonstrate that H. pylori infection stimulates macrophages to secrete CCL3 via the JAK1-STAT1 pathway. Subsequently, CCL3 damages gastric epithelial tight junctions through the phosphorylation of P38. This may be a novel mechanism of gastric mucosal injury in H. pylori-associated gastritis.

Association of T Cell Subsets and Platelet/Lymphocyte Ratio with Long-Term Complications in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

BACKGROUND Infection and chronic rejection remain major issues for kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). The present study aimed to explore the association of CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratio (CD4+/CD8+) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) with long-term infection and chronic renal insufficiency in KTRs. MATERIAL AND METHODS KTRs admitted to a single hospital from June 2014 to December 2021 were divided into infected (164) and non-infected (107) groups based on clinical data. The levels of CD4+/CD8+, PLR, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and C-reactive Protein (CRP) in KTRs with long-term infection, and their correlation with chronic kidney insufficiency, were analyzed. Survival analysis was used to evaluate the risk factors for long-term infection and chronic kidney insufficiency. RESULTS Spearman correlation analysis showed that chronic kidney insufficiency was positively correlated with PLR, and negatively correlated with CRP and CD4+/CD8+ (P<0.05). PLR was positively correlated with CRP, procalcitonin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and NLR, but negatively with CD4+/CD8+. CD4+/CD8+ was correlated with CRP, NLR, and PLR (P<0.05). Survival analysis and survival curves showed that PLR and CD4+/CD8+ were risk factors for long-term infection and chronic kidney insufficiency in KTRs (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS CD4+/CD8+ and PLR were associated with long-term complications, and were risk factors for long-term infection and chronic kidney insufficiency in KTRs.

scAPAdb: a comprehensive database of alternative polyadenylation at single-cell resolution.

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a widespread regulatory mechanism of transcript diversification in eukaryotes, which is increasingly recognized as an important layer for eukaryotic gene expression. Recent studies based on single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) have revealed cell-to-cell heterogeneity in APA usage and APA dynamics across different cell types in various tissues, biological processes and diseases. However, currently available APA databases were all collected from bulk 3'-seq and/or RNA-seq data, and no existing database has provided APA information at single-cell resolution. Here, we present a user-friendly database called scAPAdb (http://www.bmibig.cn/scAPAdb), which provides a comprehensive and manually curated atlas of poly(A) sites, APA events and poly(A) signals at the single-cell level. Currently, scAPAdb collects APA information from > 360 scRNA-seq experiments, covering six species including human, mouse and several other plant species. scAPAdb also provides batch download of data, and users can query the database through a variety of keywords such as gene identifier, gene function and accession number. scAPAdb would be a valuable and extendable resource for the study of cell-to-cell heterogeneity in APA isoform usages and APA-mediated gene regulation at the single-cell level under diverse cell types, tissues and species.

Nine New Antibacterial Diterpenes and Steroids from the South China Sea Soft Coral Lobophytum catalai Tixier-Durivault.

Five new cembrane-type diterpenes, lobocalines A-E (1-5), and four new steroids, lobocaloids A-D (9-12), along with six known related compounds (6-8 and 13-15) were isolated from the Yalong Bay soft coral Lobophytum catalai Tixier-Durivault. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis, NMR calculation with DP4+ analysis, time-dependent density functional theory-electronic circular dichroism (TDDFT-ECD) calculations, X-ray diffraction analyses and comparison with the reported spectroscopic data of known compounds. Further, with the aid of X-ray diffraction analysis, the structure of lobocrasol B (15) was firmly revised as 15a. In in vitro bioassays, compound 2 showed moderate antibacterial activities against fish pathogenic bacteria Streptococcus parauberis KSP28 and Phoyobacterium damselae FP2244 with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 8.7 and 17.3 µg/mL, respectively. All the steroids exhibited antibacterial activities against the S. parauberis KSP28 with MIC values ranging from 12.3 to 53.6 µg/mL. Compounds 2, 7 and 14 have remarkable inhibitory effects on the hemolysin production of Staphylococcus aureus, while compounds 8-12 have medium inhibitory effects on the pyocyanin production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Secreted Effector Proteins of Poplar Leaf Spot and Stem Canker Pathogen Sphaerulina musiva Manipulate Plant Immunity and Contribute to Virulence in Diverse Ways.

Fungal effectors play critical roles in manipulating plant immune responses and promoting colonization. Sphaerulina musiva is a heterothallic ascomycete fungus that causes Septoria leaf spot and stem canker disease in poplar (Populus spp.) plantations. This disease can result in premature defoliation, branch and stem breakage, increased mortality, and plantation failure. However, little is known about the interaction between S. musiva and poplar. Previous work predicted 142 candidate secreted effector proteins in S. musiva (SmCSEPs), 19 of which were selected for further functional characterization in this study. SmCSEP3 induced plant cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana, while 8 out of 19 tested SmCSEPs suppressed cell death. The signal peptides of these eight SmCSEPs exhibited secretory activity in a yeast signal sequence trap assay. Confocal microscopy revealed that four of these eight SmCSEPs target both the cytoplasm and the nucleus, whereas four predominantly localize to discrete punctate structures. Pathogen challenge assays in N. benthamiana demonstrated that the transient expression of six SmCSEPs promoted Fusarium proliferatum infection. The expression of these six SmCSEP genes were induced during infection. SmCSEP2, SmCSEP13, and SmCSEP25 suppressed chitin-triggered reactive oxygen species burst and callose deposition in N. benthamiana. The candidate secreted effector proteins of S. musiva target multiple compartments in the plant cell and modulate different pattern-triggered immunity pathways. [Formula: see text] The author(s) have dedicated the work to the public domain under the Creative Commons CC0 "No Rights Reserved" license by waiving all of his or her rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law, 2023.

Sub-region analysis of DMD gene in cases with idiopathic generalized epilepsy.

Gene sub-region encoded protein domain is the basic unit for protein structure and function. The DMD gene is the largest coding gene in humans, with its phenotype relevant to idiopathic generalized epilepsy. We hypothesized variants clustered in sub-regions of idiopathic generalized epilepsy genes and investigated the relationship between the DMD gene and idiopathic generalized epilepsy. Whole exome sequencing was performed in 106 idiopathic generalized epilepsy individuals. DMD variants were filtered with variant type, allele frequency, in silico prediction, hemizygous or homozygous status in the population, inheritance mode, and domain location. Variants located at the sub-regions were selected by the subRVIS software. The pathogenicity of variants was evaluated by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics criteria. Articles on functional studies related to epilepsy for variants clustered protein domains were reviewed. In sub-regions of the DMD gene, two variants were identified in two unrelated cases with juvenile absence epilepsy or juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. The pathogenicity of both variants was uncertain significance. Allele frequency of both variants in probands with idiopathic generalized epilepsy reached statistical significance compared with the population (Fisher's test, p = 2.02 × 10-6, adjusted α = 4.52 × 10-6). The variants clustered in the spectrin domain of dystrophin, which binds to glycoprotein complexes and indirectly affects ion channels contributing to epileptogenesis. Gene sub-region analysis suggests a weak association between the DMD gene and idiopathic generalized epilepsy. Functional analysis of gene sub-region helps infer the pathogenesis of idiopathic generalized epilepsy.

Unveiling Superior Capacitive Behaviors of One-Pot Molten Salt-Engineered B, N Co-Doped Porous Carbon Sheets.

Heteroatom-doped porous carbon materials with distinctive surface properties and capacitive behavior have been accepted as promising candidates for supercapacitor electrodes. Currently, the researches mainly focus on developing facile synthetic method and unveiling the structure-activity relationship to further elevate their capacitive performance. Here, the B, N co-doped porous carbon sheet (BN-PCS) is constructed by one-pot pyrolysis of agar in KCl/KHCO3 molten salt system. In this process, the urea acts as directing agent to guide the formation of 2D sheet morphology, and the decomposition of KHCO3 and boric acid creates rich micro- and mesopores in the carbon framework. The specific capacitance of optimized BN-PCS reaches 361.1 F g-1 at a current density of 0.5 A g-1 in an aqueous KOH electrolyte. Impressively, the fabricated symmetrical supercapacitor affords a maximum energy density of 43.5 Wh kg-1 at the power density of 375.0 W kg-1 in 1.0 mol L-1 TEABF4 /AN electrolyte. It also achieves excellent long-term stability with capacitance retention of 91.1% and Columbic efficiency of 100% over 10 000 cycles. This study indicates one-pot molten salt method is effective in engineering advanced carbon materials for high-performance energy storage devices.

Resting-state fMRI reveals changes within the anxiety and social avoidance circuitry of the brain in mice with psoriasis-like skin lesions.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin disease that often co-occurs with psychological morbidities such as anxiety and depression, and psychosocial issues also lead psoriasis patients to avoid other people. However, the precise mechanism underlying the comorbidity of psoriasis and anxiety is unknown. Also, whether the social avoidance phenomenon seen in human patients also exists in psoriasis-like animal models remains unknown. In the present study, anxiety-like behaviours and social avoidance-like behaviours were observed in an imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like C57-BL6 mouse model along with typical psoriasis-like dermatitis and itch-like behaviours. The 11.7T resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging showed differences in brain regions between the model and control group, and voxel-based morphometry showed that the grey matter volume changed in the basal forebrain region, anterior commissure intrabulbar and striatum in the psoriasis-like mice. Seed-based resting state functional connectivity analysis revealed connectivity changes in the amygdala, periaqueductal gray, raphe nuclei and lateral septum. We conclude that the imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like C57-BL6 mouse model is well suited for mechanistic studies and for performing preclinical therapeutic trials for treating anxiety and pathological social avoidance in psoriasis patients.

Electrodeposition-Assisted Crystal Growth Regulation of PdBi Clusters on Carbon Cloths for Ethanol Oxidation.

Carbon-supported Pd-based clusters are one of the most promising anodic catalysts for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) due to their encouraging activity and practical applications. However, unclear growth mechanism of Pd-based clusters on the carbon-based materials has hindered their extensive applications. Herein, we first introduce multi-void spherical PdBi cluster/carbon cloth (PdBi/CC) composites by an electrodeposition routine. The growth mechanism of PdBi clusters on the CC supports has been systemically investigated by evaluating the selected samples and tuning their compositions, which involve the big difference in standard redox potential between Pd2+/Pd and Bi3+/Bi and easy adsorption of Bi3+ on the surface of Pd-rich seeds. Benefitting from the ensembles of many nanocrystal subunits, multi-void spherical PdBi clusters can present collective properties and novel functionalities. In addition, the outstanding characteristics of CC supports enable PdBi clusters with stable nanostructures. Thanks to the unique structure, Pd20Bi/CC catalysts manifest higher EOR activity and better stability compared to Pd/CC. Systematic characterizations and a series of CO poisoning tests further confirm that the dramatically enhanced EOR activity and stability can be attributed to the incorporation of Bi species and the strong coupling of the structure between PdBi clusters and CC supports.

A simulation study on the phase transition behavior of solid nitrogen under extreme conditions.

There are numerous examples of materials that exhibit interesting phenomena at extremely low temperatures, but the difficulty of obtaining absolute zero at high pressure in experiments is sometimes a hurdle to reveal the exact explanation of these low temperature phenomena. Based on the calculations of the phonon spectrum and Gibbs free energy of α-N2 and γ-N2 under different pressures, we found that solid nitrogen at 0 K showed a re-entrant phase transition under continuously increasing pressure. The extremely low temperature in this pressure range turned out to be the main external condition for inducing phase transition as well as phase reversal.

Oxygenated Cembrane Diterpenes from the South China Sea Soft Coral Sinularia tumulosa.

The chemical investigation of the rarely studied soft coral Sinularia tumulosa resulted in the discovery of five oxygenated cembrane diterpenes 1-5, including two new compounds situmulins A (1) and B (2). The structures of 1 and 2 were established through the extensive analyses of 1D and 2D NMR spectral data together with the comparisons with the known compounds. Furthermore, the absolute configuration of 1 was determined by the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) ECD approach, while the relative configuration of 2 was assigned via the quantum mechanical-NMR (QM-NMR) calculations. It might be worth to point out it is the first time to disclose the presence of cembrane diterpenes in the title species. In the bioassays, compound 2 not only showed strong antibacterial activities against fish pathogenic bacteria Streptococcus parauberis FP KSP28 and Phoyobacterium damselae FP2244 with both minimum inhibitory concentration for 90 % (MIC90 ) values of 25 µM, but also demonstrated substantial inhibitory efficacy against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium bacteria G1, G4, G7, G8 and G13 from several individuals, with MIC90 values of 25, 50, 100, 50 and 25 µM, respectively.

Association Mapping and Expression Analysis of the Genes Involved in the Wood Formation of Poplar.

Xylogenesis is a complex and sequential biosynthetic process controlled by polygenes. Deciphering the genetic architecture of this complex quantitative trait could provide valuable information for increasing wood biomass and improving its properties. Here, we performed genomic resequencing of 64 24-year-old trees (64 hybrids of section Aigeiros and their parents) grown in the same field and conducted full-sib family-based association analyses of two growth and six woody traits using GEMMA as a choice of association model selection. We identified 1342 significantly associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 673 located in the region upstream and downstream of 565 protein-encoding genes. The transcriptional regulation network of secondary cell wall (SCW) biosynthesis was further constructed based on the published data of poplar miRNA, transcriptome, and degradome. These provided a certain scientific basis for the in-depth understanding of the mechanism of poplar timber formation and the molecular-assisted breeding in the future.

Comprehensive Genome-Wide Analyses of Poplar R2R3-MYB Transcription Factors and Tissue-Specific Expression Patterns under Drought Stress.

R2R3-type MYB transcription factors are implicated in drought stress, which is a primary factor limiting the growth and development of woody plants. The identification of R2R3-MYB genes in the Populus trichocarpa genome has been previously reported. Nevertheless, the diversity and complexity of the conserved domain of the MYB gene caused inconsistencies in these identification results. There is still a lack of drought-responsive expression patterns and functional studies of R2R3-MYB transcription factors in Populus species. In this study, we identified a total of 210 R2R3-MYB genes in the P. trichocarpa genome, of which 207 genes were unevenly distributed across all 19 chromosomes. These poplar R2R3-MYB genes were phylogenetically divided into 23 subgroups. Collinear analysis demonstrated that the poplar R2R3-MYB genes underwent rapid expansion and that whole-genome duplication events were a dominant factor in the process of rapid gene expansion. Subcellular localization assays indicated that poplar R2R3-MYB TFs mainly played a transcriptional regulatory role in the nucleus. Ten R2R3-MYB genes were cloned from P. deltoides × P. euramericana cv. Nanlin895, and their expression patterns were tissue-specific. A majority of the genes showed similar drought-responsive expression patterns in two out of three tissues. This study provides a valid cue for further functional characterization of drought-responsive R2R3-MYB genes in poplar and provides support for the development of new poplar genotypes with elevated drought tolerance.