Identification of differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs and messenger RNAs involved with muscle development in Dazu black goats through RNA sequencing.

This study aimed to explore the genetic basis of muscle development in goats. The transcriptome dataset for differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of goat muscle at different developmental stages were obtained using RNA-Seq. A total of 447,806,481 and 587,559,465 clean reads in the longissimus dorsi muscle of Dazu black goats between 75d embryonic stage and 1d after birth were generated through Illumina paired-end sequencing, and their mapping rates were 89.82 and 90.99%, respectively. Moreover, 4517 DEGs and 648 DELs were identified, and 4784 lncRNA-mRNA targeting relationships were predicted. Gene function annotation results showed that 4101 DEGs were significantly enriched to 1098 GO terms, and 2014 DEGs were significantly enriched to 40 KEGG pathways, including many GO terms and pathways related to muscle development, such as cell differentiation and Wnt signaling pathway. Then, 10 DELs and 20 DEGs were randomly selected for RT-qPCR verification, and the agreement rate between the verification and RNA-Seq results was 90%, indicating the high reliability of the RNA-Seq data analysis. In conclusion, this study obtained several mRNAs and lncRNAs related to the muscle development of Dazu black goats and identified several targeted regulatory pairs of lncRNA-mRNA. This study may serve as a reference to understand the genetic basis and molecular mechanism of muscle development in goats.

Genetic Basis of Follicle Development in Dazu Black Goat by Whole-Transcriptome Sequencing.

The follicle development (FD) is an important factor determining litter size in animals. Recent studies have found that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) play an important role in FD. In particular, the role of the regulatory mechanism of competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) that drive FD has attracted increasing attention. Therefore, this study explored the genetic basis of goat FD by obtaining the complete follicular transcriptome of Dazu black goats at different developmental stages. Results revealed that 128 messenger RNAs (mRNAs), 4 long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), 49 microRNAs (miRNAs), and 290 circular RNAs (circRNAs) were significantly differentially expressed (DE) between large and small follicles. Moreover, DEmRNAs were enriched in many signaling pathways related to FD, as well as GO terms related to molecular binding and enzyme activity. Based on the analysis of the ceRNA network (CRN), 34 nodes (1 DElncRNAs, 10 DEcircRNAs, 14 DEmiRNAs, and 9 DEmRNAs) and 35 interactions (17 DEcircRNAs-DEmRNAs, 2 DElncRNAs-DEmiRNAs, and 16 DEmRNA-DEmiRNAs) implied that the CRN could be involved in the FD of goats. In conclusion, we described gene regulation by DERNAs and lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA CRNs in the FD of goats. This study provided insights into the genetic basis of FD in precise transcriptional regulation.

Immunization with oral KISS1 DNA vaccine inhibits testicular Leydig cell proliferation mainly via the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis and apoptosis-related genes in goats.

This study aimed to analyze the effect and mechanism of immunization of oral KISS1 DNA vaccine on the proliferation of goat testicular Leydig cells. Ten 8-week-old male goats were randomly divided into KISS1 DNA vaccine and control groups for immunization (five goats each group). These goats were sacrificed at 8 weeks after primary immunization, and the tissue samples of hypothalamus, pituitary, and testis and Leydig cell samples were collected for RT-PCR and CCK8 assay. Immunization with the oral KISS1 DNA vaccine effectively inhibited the proliferation of Leydig cells, the expression of hypothalamus KISS1, GPR54, and GnRH mRNA, pituitary GnRHR and LH mRNA, testicular LHR mRNA, and apoptosis-inhibitory gene Bcl-2 mRNA in Leydig cells. By contrast, the immunization enhanced the mRNA expression of apoptosis-promoting gene Bax and Clusterin in Leydig cells. These findings indicate that immunization with the oral KISS1 DNA vaccine can inhibit the proliferation of goat testicular Leydig cells mainly via the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis and apoptosis-related genes.

Temporal expression of the KISS1/GPR54 system in goats' testes and epididymides and its spatial expression in pubertal goats.

Kisspeptin, encoded by the KISS1 gene, and its receptor GPR54 are essential in puberty onset and male fertility due to their central regulatory roles. However, the roles of KISS1/GPR54 in peripheral tissues remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the temporal expression patterns of KISS1/GPR54 in goat testes and epididymides and its spatial expression patterns in pubertal goats. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that kisspeptin/GPR54 were localized in Leydig, Sertoli, and germ cells of pubertal goats' testis, as well as in principal and basal cells of the epididymis. RT-PCR revealed a marked variation in the KISS1/GPR54 expressions in the testes and epididymides from the age of first week to adulthood. KISS1 and GPR54 mRNA levels in testes decreased from the age of first week to two months and then increased from two months to puberty and adulthood. The KISS1 and GPR54 mRNA levels in Leydig cells decreased from the age of one week to two months and increased from two months to puberty, and then decreased from puberty to adulthood. Only GPR54 mRNA levels in the epididymides increased from the age of one week to two months and puberty, and then decreased from puberty to adulthood. RT-PCR analysis showed the different spatial expression patterns of KISS1/GPR54 in pubertal goat tissues. The KISS1 mRNA level was high in the hypothalamus, moderate in pancreas, liver, epididymis and testis; and low in the other tissues. The GPR54 expression was high in the pancreas and testis; moderate in pituitary, hypothalamus and mesenteric lymph node; and low in the other tissues. In conclusion, the KISS1/GPR54 system possessed distinct temporal expression profiles in goats' testes and epididymides, as well as different spatial expression patterns in pubertal goat tissues, which implied the possible local role of this system in goats' testes, epididymides, and other peripheral tissues.

Local expressions and function of Kiss1/GPR54 in goats' testes.

Kisspeptin, encoded by the Kiss1 gene, and its receptor GPR54 have a central regulatory role in the male reproduction. However, their functions in peripheral tissues, such as testes, remain unclear. This study investigated the local expressions and function of Kiss1/GPR54 in goats' testes. The mRNA expression of Kiss1/GPR54 in pubertal goat Leydig cells was detected through reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR), and its protein expression in Leydig cells or the testis was examined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Isolated and cultured Leydig cells were treated with different concentration of kisspeptin (0, 1, 10 and 100 µM) and kisspeptin antagonist for 4, 24 or 72 h. The direct effect of kisspeptin on testosterone secretion and Kiss1/GPR54 mRNA expression was evaluated by ELISA and RT-PCR. Kiss1/GPR54 mRNA and protein were expressed in Leydig cells and spermatids, and GPR54 were expressed in Sertoli cells. Kisspeptin treatment significantly stimulated testosterone secretion in Leydig cells, with the highest levels found under 24 h of treatment with 10 µM kisspeptin. Treatment with kisspeptin + kisspeptin antagonist significantly reduced the kisspeptin-stimulated testosterone secretion in Leydig cells. Kisspeptin treatment significantly enhanced the expression of Kiss1/GPR54 mRNA in Leydig cells. These data suggest the local expressions of Kiss1/GPR54 in goats' testes and its autocrine role in Leydig cells, which is helpful in understanding the regulation role of kisspeptin/GPR54 system in other peripheral tissues.

Three Chiral Cyanide-Bridged Cr-Cu Complexes: Synthesis, Crystal Structures and Magnetic Properties.

Two trans-dicyanidochromium(III)-containing building blocks and one chiral copper(II) compound have been employed to assemble cyanide-bridged heterometallic complexes, resulting in three chiral cyanide-bridged Cr(III)-Cu(II) complexes, [Cu(L1)2Cr(L3)(CN)2]ClO42 · CH3OH · H2O (1a, L1 = (S,S)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane, H2L3 =1,2-bis(pyridine- 2-carboxamido)benzene), [Cu(L2)2Cr(L2)(CN)2]ClO42 · CH3OH · H2O (1b, L2 = (R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane) [Cu(L3)2Cr(L4)(CN)2][Cr(L4)(CN)2] · CH3OH · 2H2O (2), (H2L4 = 1,2-bis(pyridine-2-carboxamido)-4-chlorobenzene). All the three complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy and X-ray structure determination. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the two enantiomeric complexes 1a, 1b and the complex 2 belong to cyanide-bridged cationic binuclear structure type with ClO4 - or the anionic cyanide building block as balance anion for complexes 1a, 1b or 2, respectively. Investigation of the magnetic properties of the complexes 1a and 2 reveals the weak ferromagnetic coupling between the neighboring Cr(III) and Cu(II) ions through the bridging cyanide group.

Controllable synthesis of graphene scrolls and their performance for supercapacitors.

A graphene scroll (GSC) is a new type of graphene-derivative material, that has widely attracted attention. However, the controllable preparation of GSCs is a major factor influencing their development and application. In this work, sodium citrate (SC) was added to a graphene oxide (GO) aqueous suspension and GSCs were controllably prepared on a large-scale by a cold quenching method. The results show that the number of scroll layers and the curling degree of the GSCs could be controlled by the quantity of SC added. The diameter of the GSCs increased when SC was added. Compared to the GSC without SC (265 nm), the average diameter of GSC(SC-40) (obtained by adding 40 mg SC to 100 mL GO solution (1 mg mL-1)) is 491 nm. When excessive SC was added, such as 100 mg, the average diameter reached 679 nm. Moreover, these GSCs were used as a supercapacitor electrode material and the electrochemical performance was tested. The specific capacitance of GSC(SC-40) (178 F g-1) is higher than that of the GSC without SC (107 F g-1) at the same current density of 1.0 A g-1. However, when a larger quantity of SC was added, the specific capacitance of the GSCs decreased. So, the number of scroll layers and the curling degree of the GSCs have a significant effect on the electrochemical properties of the supercapacitor.

Three-Dimensional Reduced Graphene Hydrogels Using Various Carbohydrates for High Performance Supercapacitors.

In present work, three-dimensional (3D) reduced graphene hydrogels (RGHs) are prepared through an efficient and facile strategy by employing three types of carbohydrates (glucose, fructose and sucrose) as reducing agents in aqueous solution of graphene oxide (GO) with ammonia. The formation of RGHs could be confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The structures and porosity were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and N2 sorption experiments. Benefiting from the abundant porous architectures as fast ionic channels for electrochemical energy storage, the prepared RGHs exhibited a high specific capacitance up to 153.5, 145.0 and 150.3 F g−1 at 0.3 A g−1 for FRGHs (fructose), GRGHs (glucose) and SRGHs (sucrose), which can be maintained for 61.4, 61.5 and 46.9% as the discharging current density was increased up to 20 A g−1. Moreover, it also showed that the electrode based on RGHs has good electrochemical stability and high degree of reversibility in the charge/discharge cycling test.

1D to 3D heterobimetallic complexes tuned by cyanide precursors: synthesis, crystal structures, and magnetic properties.

Five new heterobimetallic complexes, namely, {[Ni(L)][Fe(bpb)(CN)2]}ClO4 (L = 2,12-dimethyl-3,7,11,17-tetraazabicyclo[11.3.1]heptadeca-1(17),13,15-triene, bpb(2-) = 1,2-bis(pyridine-2-carboxamido)benzenate) (1), {[Ni(L)]3[M(CN)6]2}·7H2O (M = Fe (2), Cr (3)), {[Ni(L)]2[Mo(CN)8]}·CH3CN·13H2O (4), and {[Ni(L)]2[W(CN)8]}·16H2O (5), were assembled from the polyaza macrocycle nickel(II) compound and five cyanidometalate precursors containing different numbers of cyanide groups. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals their different structure ranging from a cyanide-bridged cationic polymeric single chain for 1, a two-dimensional network for 2 and 3, and a three-dimensional network for 4 and 5. In addition, a systematic investigation over the magnetic properties of 1-3 indicates the ferromagnetic magnetic coupling between neighboring Fe(III)/Cr(III) and Ni(II) ions through the bridging cyanide group. For complex 1, the magnetic susceptibility has been simulated by the Seiden model using the Hamiltonian H = -J∑i=0(N)SiSi+1, leading to the magnetic coupling constant of J = 3.67 cm(-1). The two-dimensional magnetic complexes exhibit three-dimensional magnetic ordering behavior with a magnetic phase transition temperature of TC = 4.0 K for 2 and TN = 6.0 K for 3, respectively.

Reduced graphene oxide aerogel with high-rate supercapacitive performance in aqueous electrolytes.

Reduced graphene oxide aerogel (RGOA) is synthesized successfully through a simultaneous self-assembly and reduction process using hypophosphorous acid and I2 as reductant. Nitrogen sorption analysis shows that the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of RGOA could reach as high as 830 m2 g-1, which is the largest value ever reported for graphene-based aerogels obtained through the simultaneous self-assembly and reduction strategy. The as-prepared RGOA is characterized by a variety of means such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Electrochemical tests show that RGOA exhibits a high-rate supercapacitive performance in aqueous electrolytes. The specific capacitance of RGOA is calculated to be 211.8 and 278.6 F g-1 in KOH and H2SO4 electrolytes, respectively. The perfect supercapacitive performance of RGOA is ascribed to its three-dimensional structure and the existence of oxygen-containing groups.

Determination of ligament size distribution of nanoporous gold by scanning electron microscopy and image analysis.

A new method to quantitatively analyze the sponge-like structure of nanoporous gold (NPG) was developed. Images of NPG, acquired by a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), were first binarized based on a gray threshold, and then ligaments were separated into a string of nanometer particles by an image split technique. In this way, the size distribution of these nanometer particles is equivalent to ligament size distribution. With similar approach, two addition parameters, pore width distribution and pore/ligament width ratio, were determined. And our results show a clear temperature dependence of the structure evolution of NPG.

Adsorption of bulky molecules of nonylphenol ethoxylate on ordered mesoporous carbons.

Ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) with varying pore sizes were prepared using ordered mesoporous silica SBA-15 as hard templates. The OMCs possess abundant mesopores with narrow pore size distribution, on which the adsorption behavior of bulky molecules of nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE) were investigated. The isotherms of NPE on OMCs can be fitted by Langmuir adsorption model, evidenced by the adsorption data. The surface area of the pores larger than 1.5 nm is a crucial factor to the adsorption capacity of NPE, whereas the most probable pore diameter of OMCs is crucial to the adsorption rate of NPE. The adsorption temperature has more significant effects on adsorption rate than the adsorption capacity. Theoretical studies show that the adsorption kinetics of NPE on OMCs can be depicted with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. In addition, thermodynamic parameters of adsorption were evaluated based on the equilibrium constants related to the equilibrium of adsorption at different temperatures.

Is there any group additive rules in the calculation of electron correlation energies of long straight chain alkane molecules?

According to the definition in the text, the correlation energy of 1s2C of carbon atoms, the primary and secondary C-H bonding electron pairs in some CH3, CH2 fragments and CH3(CH2)mCH3 (m=1-5) linear alkane molecules are calculated and analyzed. The transferability of the correlation energies of these electron pairs in the linear alkanes is investigated. The results indicate that the correlation energy of 1s2C is perfectly transferable in the respective methyl and methylene groups, while the correlation energies of the primary and secondary C-H bonding electron pairs are approximately transferable in methyl and methylene groups. The analysis of the results of group correlation energy shows that both of the correlation energies of methyl and methylene groups are transferable in these linear alkanes. The correlation energies of methylene group in CH3(CH2)mCH3 (m=1-5) molecules are slightly decreasing showing a converging trend to a "standard" methylene group in linear alkanes. The excellent fitting relationship between the total correlation energy and the number of methylene groups of the linear alkanes shows that the total correlation energy is a linear function of the number of methylene groups, which means that the total correlation energies of large linear alkanes can be reproduced and predicted by counting the numbers of methylene groups. In this way, total correlation energy of large linear alkane molecule can be approximately calculated using this simple group additive scheme with substantial saving in computational time.