Plastome phylogenomics unravels the evolutionary relationships and biogeographic history of Chloranthaceae.

Background: Chloranthaceae is a pantropical family of flowering plants distributed mainly across Central and South America, East Asia, and the Pacific, encompassing approximately 73 species belonging to four extant genera-Ascarina, Chloranthus, Hedyosmum, and Sarcandra. As one of the most ancient lineages of extant angiosperms, Chloranthaceae holds substantial value in traditional medicine globally and offers major insights into the evolutionary history of flowering plants. However, phylogenetic relationships within this family remain partially resolved, and its origin continues to be debated.

Characterize the Complete Mitogenome of and Assess the Efficiency of the Mitochondrial Genes in Ranunculales Phylogeny.

Plant mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) has crucial functions underpinning survive, development, and reproduction of organisms. However, the complete mitogenomes have been far less assembled and annotated than plastomes and even nuclear genomes in plants, due to their highly frequent and long repeat sequences and genomic structural variations. These further hinder the understanding of the mitogenome evolution and restrict potential applications in phylogenetic analyses.

(Gesneriaceae), a New Species From Southwestern Guangxi, China.

The genus is renowned for its remarkably diverse floral morphology, exhibiting a high level of disparity compared to most genera within Gesneriaceae. In this study, we present a detailed description and illustration of T. Ding & B.

Fabrication and Optimization of Pickering Emulsion Stabilized by Lignin Nanoparticles for Curcumin Encapsulation.

To develop reversible pH-responsive emulsifiers of natural origin, alkali lignin (AL) was used to develop oil-in-water Pickering emulsions. AL was first modified to synthesize quaternized alkali lignin (QAL), which displayed pH-responsive properties and demonstrated solubility in both acidic and alkaline solutions. In contrast, QAL exhibited insolubility and formed particles in neutral solutions, thereby making it a suitable candidate for utilization as an emulsifier in doubly pH-responsive Pickering emulsions.

Ingeniously Designed Yolk-Shell-Structured FeSe@NDC Nanoboxes as an Excellent Long-Life and High-Rate Anode for Half/Full Na-Ion Batteries.

Thanks to their high conductivity and theoretical capacity, transition metal selenides have demanded significant research attention as prospective anodes for sodium-ion batteries. Nevertheless, their practical applications are hindered by finite cycle life and inferior rate performance because of large volume expansion, polyselenide dissolution, and sluggish dynamics. Herein, the nitrogen-doped carbon (NC)-coated FeSe nanoparticles encapsulated in NC nanoboxes (termed FeSe@NDC NBs) are fabricated through the facile thermal selenization of polydopamine-wrapped Prussian blue precursors.

Asymmetric, Flexible Supercapacitor Based on Fe-Co Alloy@Sulfide with High Energy and Power Density.

Electrode materials with high conductivities that are compatible with flexible substrates are important for preparing high-capacitance electrode materials and improving the energy density of flexible supercapacitors. Here, we report the design and fabrication of a new type of flexible electrode based on nanosheet architectures of a Co-Fe alloy (FeCo-A) coated with ternary metal sulfide composites (FeCo-Ss) on silver-sputtered carbon cloth. The high conductivity of the flexible substrate and the iron-cobalt alloy skeleton enables good electron transmission through the material.

Effect of Different Iron Sources on Growth of Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks-8: For Efficient Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts.

Transition metal and nitrogen co-doped carbon-based catalysts (TM-N-C) have become the most promising catalysts for Pt/C due to their wide range of sources, low cost, high catalytic activity, excellent stability and strong resistance to poisoning, especially Fe-N-C metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which are some of the most promising precursors for the preparation of Fe-N-C catalysts due to their inherent properties, such as their highly ordered three-dimensional framework structure, controlled porosity, and tuneable chemistry. Based on these, in this paper, different iron sources were added to synthesis a sort of zeolitic imidazole frameworks (ZIF-8). Then the imidazole salt in ZIF-8 was rearranged into high N-doped carbon by high-temperature pyrolysis to prepare the Fe-N-C catalyst.

Reversibly Interlocked Macromolecule Networks with Enhanced Mechanical Properties and Wide pH Range of Underwater Self-Healability.

A novel strategy for developing homogeneous reversibly interlocking polymer networks (RILNs) with enhanced mechanical properties and underwater self-healing ability is proposed. The RILNs are prepared by the topological reorganization of two preformed cross-linked polymers containing reversible catechol-Fe coordinate bonds and imine bonds and exhibit enhanced mechanical properties, superior underwater self-healing effect within a wide pH range, and water-assisted recycling ability through synergetic action between the reversible catechol-Fe and imine bonds. At higher pH values, the catechol-Fe coordinate bonds are responsible for self-healing, while the imine bonds maintain the stability of the materials.

Various Morphology of WO₃ Modified Activated Carbon Supported Pd Catalysts with Enhanced Formic Acid Electrooxidation.

Activated carbon support Pd nanoparticles (NPs) modified by various WO₃-shaped catalysts were prepared and applied as an efficient anode catalyst for direct formic acid fuel cells. Three forms of WO₃ (nanosheets, nanoparticles, nanobars) modified activated carbon hybrids were first prepared via different syntheses, and then used as supports to synthesize three types of Pd-WO₃/C catalysts by a NaBH4 reduction method. The morphology, structure, and electrochemical performances of the as-prepared Pd-WO₃/C catalysts were characterized and analyzed.

Evolution of Darwin's Peloric Gloxinia (Sinningia speciosa) Is Caused by a Null Mutation in a Pleiotropic TCP Gene.

Unlike most crops, which were domesticated through long periods of selection by ancient humans, horticultural plants were primarily domesticated through intentional selection over short time periods. The molecular mechanisms underlying the origin and spread of novel traits in the domestication process have remained largely unexplored in horticultural plants. Gloxinia (Sinningia speciosa), whose attractive peloric flowers influenced the thoughts of Darwin, have been cultivated since the early 19th century, but its origin and genetic basis are currently unknown.

A cross-circulated bicephalic model of head transplantation.

Aims: A successful cephalosomatic anastomosis ("head transplant") requires, among others, the ability to control long-term immune rejection and avoidance of ischemic events during the head transference phase. We developed a bicephalic model of head transplantation to study these aspects.

Methods And Results: The thoracic aorta and superior vena cava of a donor rat were anastomosed with the carotid artery and extracorporeal veins of a recipient rat by vascular grafts.

Duplication and Divergence of Leucine-Rich Repeat Receptor-Like Protein Kinase () Genes in Basal Angiosperm .

Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like protein kinases (LRR-RLKs) are the largest group of receptor-like kinases, which are one of the largest protein superfamilies in plants, and play crucial roles in development and stress responses. Although the evolution of families has been investigated in some eudicot and monocot plants, no comprehensive evolutionary studies have been performed for these genes in basal angiosperms like . In this study, we identified 94 genes in the genome of .

Synthesis, nematocidal activity and SAR study of novel difluoromethylpyrazole carboxamide derivatives containing flexible alkyl chain moieties.

A series of novel difluoromethylpyrazole carboxamides derivatives were synthesized by introduction of flexible alkyl chain. Nematicidal bioassay results showed that some of them exhibited good control efficacy against M. incognita, which indicated that these difluoromethylpyrazole carboxamides derivatives might be potential novel lead compounds for discovery new nematicides.

Synthesis, nematocidal activity and docking study of novel chiral 1-(3-chloropyridin-2-yl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamide derivatives.

A series of novel chiral fluorinated pyrazole carboxamides derivatives were designed and synthesized. All these title compounds were confirmed by NMR and MS. The primarily nematocidal activity results indicated that some of them exhibited good control efficacy against the tomato root-knot nematode disease caused by Meloidogyne incognita.

Head Transplantation in Mouse Model.

Aims: The mouse model of allo-head and body reconstruction (AHBR) has recently been established to further the clinical development of this strategy for patients who are suffering from mortal bodily trauma or disease, yet whose mind remains healthy. Animal model studies are indispensable for developing such novel surgical practices. The goal of this work was to establish head transplant mouse model, then the next step through the feasible biological model to investigate immune rejection and brain function in next step, thereby promoting the goal of translation of AHBR to the clinic in the future.

Allogeneic head and body reconstruction: mouse model.

Aims: There is still no effective way to save a surviving healthy mind when there is critical organ failure in the body. The next frontier in CTA is allo-head and body reconstruction (AHBR), and just as animal models were key in the development of CTA, they will be crucial in establishing the procedures of AHBR for clinical translation.

Methods And Results: Our approach, pioneered in mice, involves retaining the donor brain stem and transplanting the recipient head.

The hepatitis B virus e antigen suppresses the respiratory burst and mobility of human monocytes and neutrophils.

The Hepatitis B virus (HBV) e antigen (HBeAg) is a secretory, non-structural protein, and associated with persistent infection of HBV. Previous studies indicate that HBeAg is able to regulate T cell-mediated responses, however, the interaction between HBeAg and the innate immune system is poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrated that recombinant HBeAg (rHBe) bound to human peripheral blood monocytes, neutrophils, and B lymphocytes but not to T lymphocytes.

Catalpol provides protective effects against cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion injury in gerbils.

Objectives: To investigate the protective effect of catalpol on cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion (CI/R) injury in gerbils and further explore the underlying mechanism.

Methods: A gerbil model of CI/R was prepared by bilateral common carotid occlusion for 10 min followed by 6 h reperfusion. Catalpol (5, 10 or 20 mg/kg per day) was injected intraperitoneally for 3 days before the carotid occlusion.

Hepatitis D virus isolates with low replication and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-inducing activity are associated with disease remission.

Clearance of hepatitis D virus (HDV) viremia leads to disease remission. Large hepatitis delta antigen (L-HDAg) has been reported to activate transforming growth factor β, which may induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and fibrogenesis. This study analyzed serum HDV RNA "quasispecies" in HDV-infected patients at two stages of infection: before and after alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevations.

Reliability characteristics and conduction mechanisms in resistive switching memory devices using ZnO thin films.

In this work, bipolar resistive switching characteristics were demonstrated in the Pt/ZnO/Pt structure. Reliability tests show that ac cycling endurance level above 106 can be achieved. However, significant window closure takes place after about 102 dc cycles.

Thickness measurement of insulation coating by NIR spectrometry based on boosting-KPLS.

A novel thickness measurement method for surface insulation coating of silicon steel based on NIR spectrometry is explored. The NIR spectra of insulation coating of silicon steel were collected by acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) NIR spectrometer. To make full use of the effective information of NIR spectral data, discrete binary particle swarm optimization (DBPSO) algorithm was used to select the optimal wavelength variates.

Comprehensive analysis of the independent effect of twist and snail in promoting metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Unlabelled: The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is critical for induction of invasiveness and metastasis of human cancers. In this study we investigated the expression profiles of the EMT markers, the relationship between EMT markers and patient/tumor/viral factors, and the interplay between major EMT regulators in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Reduced E-cadherin and nonmembranous beta-catenin expression, the hallmarks of EMT, were shown in 60.