Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis reveals biosynthesis mechanism of flavone and caffeoylquinic acid in chrysanthemum.

BACKGROUND: Chrysanthemum morifolium 'HangBaiJu', a popular medicinal and edible plant, exerts its biological activities primarily through the presence of flavones and caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs). However, the regulatory mechanism of flavone and CQA biosynthesis in the chrysanthemum capitulum remains unclear. RESULTS: In this study, the content of flavones and CQAs during the development of chrysanthemum capitulum was determined by HPLC, revealing an accumulation pattern with higher levels at S1 and S2 and a gradual decrease at S3 to S5. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that CmPAL1/2, CmCHS1/2, CmFNS, CmHQT, and CmHCT were key structural genes in flavones and CQAs biosynthesis. Furthermore, weighted gene co-expression correlation network analysis (WGCNA), k-means clustering, correlation analysis and protein interaction prediction were carried out in this study to identify transcription factors (TFs) associated with flavone and CQA biosynthesis, including MYB, bHLH, AP2/ERF, and MADS-box families. The TFs CmERF/PTI6 and CmCMD77 were proposed to act as upstream regulators of CmMYB3 and CmbHLH143, while CmMYB3 and CmbHLH143 might form a complex to directly regulate the structural genes CmPAL1/2, CmCHS1/2, CmFNS, CmHQT, and CmHCT, thereby controlling flavone and CQA biosynthesis. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these findings provide initial insights into the TF regulatory network underlying flavones and CQAs accumulation in the chrysanthemum capitulum, which laid a theoretical foundation for the quality improvement of C. morifolium 'HangBaiJu' and the high-quality development of the industry.

Three new flavonoids from the roots of Sophora tonkinensis.

Three new flavonoids including two isoflavanones sophortones A and B (1 and 2), and one chalcone sophortone C (3) were isolated from the roots of Sophora tonkinensis. Their structures were established by UV, IR, HRESIMS, and NMR data. The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were determined by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations.

[Application of self-stabilizing zero-profile three-dimensional printed artificial vertebral bodies for treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy].

Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of applying self-stabilizing zero-profile three-dimensional (3D) printed artificial vertebral bodies in anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF) for cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 37 patients diagnosed with cervical spondylotic myelopathy who underwent single-level ACCF using either self-stabilizing zero-profile 3D-printed artificial vertebral bodies ( n=15, treatment group) or conventional 3D-printed artificial vertebral bodies with titanium plates ( n=22, control group) between January 2022 and February 2023. There was no significant difference in age, gender, lesion segment, disease duration, and preoperative Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score between the two groups ( P>0.05). Operation time, intraoperative bleeding volume, hospitalization costs, JOA score and improvement rate, incidence of postoperative prosthesis subsidence, and interbody fusion were recorded and compared between the two groups. Results: Compared with the control group, the treatment group had significantly shorter operation time and lower hospitalization costs ( P<0.05); there was no significant difference in intraoperative bleeding volume between the two groups ( P>0.05). All patients were followed up, with a follow-up period of 6-21 months in the treatment group (mean, 13.7 months) and 6-19 months in the control group (mean, 12.7 months). No dysphagia occurred in the treatment group, while 5 cases occurred in the control group, with a significant difference in the incidence of dysphagia between the two groups ( P<0.05). At 12 months after operation, both groups showed improvement in JOA scores compared to preoperative scores, with significant differences ( P<0.05); however, there was no significant difference in the JOA scores and improvement rate between the two groups ( P>0.05). Radiographic examinations showed the interbody fusion in both groups, and the difference in the time of interbody fusion was not significant ( P>0.05). At last follow-up, 2 cases in the treatment group and 3 cases in the control group experienced prosthesis subsidence, with no significant difference in the incidence of prosthesis subsidence ( P>0.05). There was no implant displacement or plate-screw fracture during follow-up. Conclusion: The use of self-stabilizing zero-profile 3D-printed artificial vertebral bodies in the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy not only achieves similar effectiveness to 3D-printed artificial vertebral bodies, but also reduces operation time and the incidence of postoperative dysphagia.

Prognostic value of measurement of myocardial extracellular volume using dual-energy CT in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Diffuse myocardial fibrosis is associated with adverse outcomes in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Dual-energy CT (DECT) can noninvasively assess myocardial fibrosis by quantification of extracellular volume (ECV) fraction. This study evaluated the association between ECV measured by DECT and clinical outcomes in patients with HFpEF. 125 hospitalized HFpEF patients were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. ECV was measured using DECT with late iodine enhancement. The composite endpoint was defined as HFpEF hospitalization and all-cause mortality during the follow-up. During the median follow-up of 10.4 months, 34 patients (27.20%) experienced the composite outcomes, including 5 deaths; and 29 HFpEF hospitalizations. The higher DECT-ECV group had higher rates of composite outcomes than the low ECV group (log-rank X2 = 6.818, P = 0.033). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, the ECV (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.06-1.30, P = 0.001) and NT-pro BNP (HR 2.83, 95% CI 1.16-6.88, P = 0.022) were independent risk factors for the adverse outcomes. Myocardial ECV measured using DECT was an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes in patients with HFpEF.

Self-assembled soft alloy with Frank-Kasper phases beyond metals.

Soft building blocks, such as micelles, cells or soap bubbles, tend to adopt near-spherical geometry when densely packed together. As a result, their packing structures do not extend beyond those discovered in metallic glasses, quasicrystals and crystals. Here we report the emergence of two Frank-Kasper phases from the self-assembly of five-fold symmetric molecular pentagons. The µ phase, an important intermediate in superalloys, is indexed in soft matter, whereas the ϕ phase exhibits a structure distinct from known Frank-Kasper phases in metallic systems. We find a broad size and shape distribution of self-assembled mesoatoms formed by molecular pentagons while approaching equilibrium that contribute to the unique packing structures. This work provides insight into the manipulation of soft building blocks that deviate from the typical spherical geometry and opens avenues for the fabrication of 'soft alloy' structures that were previously unattainable in metal alloys.

Chemical features and biological effects of degradation products of biodegradable plastics in simulated small waterbody environment.

A plethora of research has focused on the biosafety of biodegradable plastics (BPs), including their microplastic formation and additives leaching; however, relatively fewer studies have explored biodegradation products. This study aims to investigate the biological effects and chemical features of degradation products from three kinds of BPs, namely polyglycolic acid (PGA), poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), and the blends of PGA/PBAT without the addition of additives, in a simulated small waterbody environment with extracted soil solution for three months. Results showed that exposure to the whole degradation remnants of three BPs had no lethal effects on zebrafish at the current BP environmental concentrations (from 0.24 to 12.72 mg plastic/L) in small waterbodies. However, from the calculated BPs environmental concentrations (from 0.57 to 43.82 mg plastic/L) in 2026, PGA and PGA/PBAT blends may cause adverse effects on the cardiovascular system such as heartbeat rate suppression in zebrafish embryos, and also lead to reduced body length and pericardial edema and spinal curvature in fish larvae. We further qualitatively analyzed the composition of degradation products, and quantitatively measured four dominant degradation monomers (glycolic acid (GA), adipic acid (A), 1,4-butanediol (B), and terephthalic acid (T)) in the degradation remnants. It was found that the observed toxicities were probably due to the presence of GA, A, and T monomers, and their concentrations can reach 0.776, 0.034, and 0.6 mg/L under the calculated future scenario, respectively. It is worth mentioning that either GA or T monomers at the above concentrations were found to cause suppressed heartbeat rate in zebrafish embryos. Collectively, though the degradation products of BPs are temporarily safe at current environmental concentrations, they may lead to non-negligible toxicity with increasing production and continual improper recycling and/or BP waste management.

A Thiol-Michael Approach Towards Versatile Functionalized Cyclic Titanium-Oxo Clusters.

In expanding our research activities of superlattice engineering, designing new giant molecules is the necessary first step. One attempt is to use inorganic transition metal clusters as building blocks. Efficient functionalization of chemically precise transition metal clusters, however, remains a great challenge to material scientists. Herein, we report an efficient thiol-Michael addition approach for the modifications of cyclic titanium-oxo cluster (CTOC). Several advantages, including high efficiency, mild reaction condition, capability of complete addition, high atom economy, as well as high functional group tolerance were demonstrated. This approach can afford high yields of fully functionalized CTOCs, which provides a powerful platform for achieving versatile functionalization of precise transition metal clusters and further applications.

Correlation between serum laminin level and prognosis of acute heart failure.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between serum laminin (LN) level and the prognosis of acute heart failure (AHF). METHODS: A total of 199 patients with AHF treated in Nantong First People's Hospital from March 2019 to November 2021 were included in this study. The patients were divided into the event group and the non-event group according to whether major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) occurred during hospitalization. We collected the baseline data of all patients and their LN levels were measured. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the predictive value of LN for the occurrence of MACE in AHF patients during hospitalization. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the independent factors associated with the occurrence of MACE in patients with AHF. RESULTS: Among 199 patients with AHF, 43 were in the event group and 156 were in the non-event group. The area under ROC curve of LN to predict MACE in AHF patients during hospitalization was 0.8144, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7433-0.8855, p < .0001, cutoff point = 77.9, specificity 58.33%, and sensitivity 88.37%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the independent factors associated with the occurrence of MACE in AHF patients were the increase of LN level (odds ratio [OR]: 1.020, 95% CI: 1.012-1.028), the decrease of ejection fraction (OR: 0.007, 95% CI: 0.000-0.362) and diastolic blood pressure (OR: 0.946, 95% CI: 0.913-0.981; p < .05). CONCLUSION: The increase of LN level is independently correlated with the occurrence of MACE in AHF patients during hospitalization, which has the potential to be a serological indicator for poor prognosis in patients with AHF.

Correlations between serum laminin level and severity of heart failure in patients with chronic heart failure.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between serum laminin (LN) levels and clinical stages of heart failure in patients with chronic heart failure. Methods: A total of 277 patients with chronic heart failure were selected from September 2019 to June 2020 in the Department of Cardiology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University. Based on stages of heart failure, the patients were divided into four groups: stage A, stage B, stage C, and stage D, with 55, 54, 77, and 91 cases, respectively. At the same time, 70 healthy people in this period were selected as the control group. Baseline data were recorded and serum Laminin (LN) levels were measured. The research compared, the differences in baseline data among the four groups of HF and normal controls, and analyzed the correlation between N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of LN in the C-D stage of heart failure. Logistic multivariate ordered analysis was applied to screen the independent related factors of clinical stages of heart failure. Results: Serum LN levels in patients with chronic heart failure were significantly higher than those in healthy people, which were 33.2 (21.38, 101.9) ng/ml and 20.45 (15.53, 23.04) ng/ml, respectively. With the progression of clinical stages of HF, serum LN and NT-proBNP levels increased, while LVEF gradually decreased (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that LN was positively correlated with NT-proBNP (r = 0.744, P = 0.000) and negatively correlated with LVEF (r = -0.568, P = 0.000). The area under the ROC curve of LN for predicting C and D stages of heart failure was 0.913, 95% confidence interval was 0.882-0.945, P = 0.000, specificity 94.97%, and sensitivity 77.38%. Multivariate Logistic analysis showed that LN, Total bilirubin, NT-proBNP and HA were all independent correlates of heart failure staging. Conclusion: Serum LN levels in patients with chronic heart failure are significantly increased and are independently correlated with the clinical stages of heart failure. It could potentially be an early warning index of the progression and severity of heart failure.

Correlation of Serum Laminin Levels with Cardiac Function and In-Hospital Prognosis in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

We aimed to investigate the correlation between serum laminin (LN) levels and cardiac function in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and its predictive value for in-hospital prognosis. This study included 295 patients with AF who were admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University from January 2019 to January 2021. The patients were divided into three groups according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification (I-II, III, and IV); the LN levels increased with increasing NYHA class (P < 0.05). Spearman's correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between LN and NT-proBNP (r = 0.527, P < 0.001). Of the patients, 36 had in-hospital major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), of whom 30 had acute heart failure, 5 had malignant arrhythmias, and one had stroke. The area under the ROC curve for predicting the in-hospital MACEs by LN was 0.815 (95% CI: 0.740-0.890, P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that LN could be an independent predictor of in-hospital MACEs (odds ratio: 1.009, 95% confidence interval: 1.004-1.015, P = 0.001). In conclusion, LN may serve as a potential biomarker to evaluate the severity of cardiac function and predict in-hospital prognosis in AF patients.

[Treatment of intraspinal benign tumors in upper cervical vertebrae by modified recapping laminoplasty].

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of modified recapping laminoplasty preserving the continuity of supraspinous ligament in the treatment of intraspinal benign tumors in upper cervical vertebrae and its influence on the stability of the cervical vertebrae. Methods: The clinical data of 13 patients with intraspinal benign tumors in upper cervical vertebrae treated between January 2012 and January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 5 males and 8 females, the age ranged from 21 to 78 years, with an average of 47.3 years. The disease duration ranged from 6 to 53 months, with an average of 32.5 months. The tumors located between C 1 and C 2. Postoperative pathology showed 6 cases of schwannoma, 3 cases of meningioma, 1 case of gangliocytoma, 2 cases of neurofibroma, and 1 case of hemangioblastoma. During operation the continuity of the supraspinal ligament were retained, the lamina ligament complex was lifted to expose the spinal canal via the approach of the outer edge of the bilateral lamina, and the lamina was fixed after the resection of the intraspinal tumors. Before and after operation, the atlantodental interval (ADI) was measured on three-dimensional CT; the effectiveness was evaluated by Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, the neck dysfunction index (NDI) was used to evaluate the cervical function, and the total rotation of the cervical spine was recorded. Results: The operation time was 117-226 minutes (mean, 127.3 minutes); the intraoperative blood loss was 190-890 mL (mean, 227.8 mL). The tumors were completely removed in all patients. There was no vertebral artery injury, aggravation of neurological dysfunction, epidural hematoma, infection, or other related complications. Two patients occurred cerebrospinal fluid leakage after operation, which were healed through electrolyte supplement and local pressure treatment of incision. All the patients were followed up 14-37 months, with an average of 16.9 months. Imaging examination showed no recurrence of tumor, displacement of vertebral lamina, loosening and displacement of internal fixator, and secondary reduction of vertebral canal volume. At last follow-up, JOA score significantly improved when compared with preoperative scores ( P<0.05). Among them, 8 cases were excellent, 3 cases were good, and 2 cases were medium, with an excellent and good rate was 84.6%. There was no significant difference in ADI, total rotation of the cervical spine, and NDI between pre- and post-operation ( P>0.05). Conclusion: The treatment of intraspinal benign tumors in upper cervical vertebrae with modified recapping laminoplasty preserving the continuity of the supraspinous ligament can restore the normal anatomical structure of the spinal canal and maintain the stability of the cervical spine.

A new strategy to improve Ganoderma polysaccharides production by symbiotic fungi elicitors through activating the biosynthetic pathway.

Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GLP) attract growing attention due to their remarkable bioactivities, but the low content in raw materials remains a bottleneck severely restricting their application. We previously found a higher polysaccharides accumulation in Ganoderma lucidum cultured in continuous cropping soil, and soil symbiotic fungi are presumed as the key among many factors. Herein, 33 symbiotic fungi were isolated from the soil, and fungal elicitors were prepared to investigate their biotic eliciting effect on GLP biosynthesis. Most elicitors were found to significantly improve GLP production, among which the NO.16 molecularly identified as Penicillium citrinum, exhibited the optimum eliciting effect with GLP yield increasing by 3.4 times. Differences in the biosynthetic pathway genes expressions and the monosaccharide components of GLP were further analyzed. The transcriptions of the main genes of GLP biosynthetic pathway were up-regulated under PCE treatments, suggesting it improves GLP production by activating transcriptions of the biosynthetic pathway genes. Moreover, PCE eliciting significantly altered the monosaccharide compositions of GLP with Gal, Man, GalA, GlcA, and Fuc increasing by 8.17 %, 5.68 %, 5.41 %, 2.66 %, and 1.51 % respectively, but Glc decreased by 23.43 %, which may result in the activity change. It can serve as a new strategy to improve GLP production.

Endowing Polythioester Vitrimer with Intrinsic Crystallinity and Chemical Recyclability.

Technologically important thermosets face a long-standing end-of-life (EoL) problem of non-reprocessability, a more sustainable solution of which has resolved to nascent vitrimers that can merge the robust material properties of thermosets and the reprocessability of thermoplastics. However, the lifecycle of vitrimers is still finite, as they often suffer from significant deterioration of mechanical performance following multiple reprocessing cycles, analogous to mechanical recycling, and they often show undesired creep under working conditions. To address these two key limitations, we have developed a cross-linked semi-crystalline polythioester with both dynamic covalent bonds and intrinsic crystallinity and chemical recyclability, affording a vitrimeric system that exhibits not only reprocessability and crystallinity-restricted creep but also complete chemical recyclability to initial monomer by catalyzed depolymerization in solution or bulk. Therefore, reported herein is an "infinite" vitrimer system that is empowered with a facile closed-loop EoL option once serial reprocessing deteriorates performance and the material can no longer meet the application requirements. Specifically, the polythioester vitrimer was constructed by copolymerization of a bicyclic thioester with a bis-dithiolane, producing dynamically cross-linked polythioesters with excellent property tunability, from amorphous to semi-crystalline states and melting transition temperatures from 91 to 178 °C.

Combustion conditions and feed coals regulating the Fe- and Ti-containing nanoparticles in various coal fly ash.

Quantitative characteristics and sizes of nanoparticles (NPs) in coal fly ash (CFA) produced in coal-fired power plants as a function of coal type and plant design will help reveal the NP emission likelihood and their environmental implications. However, little is known about how combustion conditions and types of coal regulate the NP abundance in CFAs. In this study, based on single particle (SP)-ICP-MS technology, particle number concentrations (PNCs) and sizes of Fe- and Ti-containing NPs in CFAs were determined for samples collected from power plants of different designs and burning different types of coal. The PNCs of Fe- and Ti-containing NPs in all CFAs measured were in the range of 1.3 × 107 - 3.4 × 108 and 6.8 × 106 - 2.2 × 108 particles/mg, with the average particle sizes of 111 nm and 87 nm, respectively. The highest Fe-NP PNCs likely relate to the highest contents of Fe and pyrite in the feed coal. In addition, high TOC in CFAs are associated with metal-containing NPs, resulting in elevated abundances of these NPs with relatively large sizes. Moreover, elevated PNCs of NPs were found in CFAs produced by coal-fired power plants burning low-rank coals and with small installed capacity (especially those under 100-MW units). Compared to cyclone filters, ESPs and FFs with higher removal efficiency typically retain more Fe-/Ti- containing NPs with smaller sizes. Based on a structural equation (SE) model, raw coal properties (coal rank and Fe/Ti content), boiler types, and efficiency of particulate emission control devices likely indirectly affect PNCs of Fe- and Ti-containing NPs by influencing TOC contents and their corresponding metal concentrations of CFAs. This study provides the first analytic and comprehensive information concerning the direct and indirect regulating factors on NPs in various CFAs.

Induction, Proliferation, Regeneration and Kinsenoside and Flavonoid Content Analysis of the Anoectochilus roxburghii (Wall.) Lindl Protocorm-like Body.

Anoectochilus roxburghii (Wall.) Lindl has been used in Chinese herbal medicine for treating various ailments. However, its wild resources are endangered, and artificial cultivation of the plant is limited by the low regeneration rate of conventional propagation methods. The lack of A. roxburghii resources is detrimental to the commercial production of the plant and kinsenoside, which is unique to Anoectochilus species. To develop highly efficient methods for A. roxburghii micropropagation and find alternative resources for kinsenoside production, we created an induction, proliferation, and regeneration of PLBs (IPR-PLB) protocol for A. roxburghii. We also analyzed the kinsenoside and flavonoid contents during the induction and proliferation of PLBs. The best media of IPR-PLB for PLB induction and proliferation (secondary PLB induction and proliferation), shoot formation, and rooting medium were Murashige and Skoog (MS) + 3 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) + 0.5 mg/L naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) + 0.8 mg/L zeatin (ZT) + 0.2 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D), MS + 3 mg/L 6-BA + 0.5 mg/L NAA, and MS + 0.5 mg/L NAA, respectively. On these optimized media, the PLB induction rate was 89 ± 2.08%, secondary PLB induction rate was 120 ± 5%, secondary PLB proliferation rate was 400 ± 10% and 350 ± 10 % in terms of the quantity and biomass at approximately 1 month, shoot induction rate was 10.5 shoots/PLB mass, and root induction rate was 98%. All plantlets survived after acclimation. Darkness or weak light were essential for PLB proliferation, and light was crucial for PLB differentiation on these optimized media. The kinsenoside contents of PLBs and secondary PLBs were 10.38 ± 0.08 and 12.30 ± 0.08 mg/g fresh weight (FW), respectively. Moreover, the peak kinsenoside content during the proliferation of secondary PLBs was 34.27 ± 0.79 mg/g FW, which was slightly lower than that of the whole plant (38.68 ± 3.12 mg/g FW). Two flavonoids exhibited tissue- or temporal-specific accumulation patterns, and astragalin accumulated exclusively during the first 2 weeks of cultivation. The IPR-PLB protocol for A. roxburghii may facilitate the efficient micropropagation of A. roxburghii plants. Furthermore, the PLBs are a good alternative resource for kinsenoside production.

A Study on the Relationship between Mental Resilience, Work-Family Conflict, and Anxiety of Nurses in Shandong, China.

Based on Freud's personality theory, 839 nurses from 5 public hospitals in Shandong Province were selected by the convenience sampling method. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate the correlation among resilience, work-family conflict (WFC), and anxiety (SAS). The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship among resilience, WFC, and SAS of these nurses and to provide evidence with reducing WFC and SAS for the nurses. The results showed that the total score of resilience, WFC, and SAS was 58.00 ± 18.27, 53.46 ± 13.29, and 49.98 ± 14.73, respectively. There was 47.68% of the nurses that had anxiety, and 10.97% of the nurses had severe anxiety. There were significant differences in the score of SAS among the length of service, self-perceived health status, confidence in nursing professional development, WFC, and resilience (P < 0.05). This study draws the following conclusions: the proportion of anxiety is high, and the level of resilience is lower than the domestic norm. Length of service, self-perceived health status, confidence in nursing professional development, WFC, and resilience were the important influencing factors of anxiety. It is suggested that hospital managers should pay attention to the mental health of nurses, take active intervention measures according to the influencing factors of SAS, improve nurses' psychological resilience, reduce WFC and anxiety, improve nurses' mental health and well-being, and ensure nursing safety.

Identification of a Novel Metabolic Target for Bioactive Triterpenoids Biosynthesis in Ganoderma lucidum.

Triterpenoids are crucial active ingredients of Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) with various health benefits. Yet the low biosynthesis greatly restricts their industrial applications, novel metabolic engineering strategies are needed to further enhance Ganoderma triterpenoids production. Transcription factors play vital roles in the metabolic regulation of terpenoids, which are still scarce to study in G. lucidum. Herein, a transcription factor GlbHLH5 (GenBank No. MZ436906.1) potential for metabolic regulation of Ganoderma triterpenes was identified for the first time. MeJA could increase Ganoderma triterpenoids biosynthesis, and GlbHLH5 significantly responded to MeJA induction, suggesting GlbHLH5 is a new target for Ganoderma triterpenoids overproduction. The regulatory effect of the newly identified target was further validated by homologous gene overexpression and silence in G. lucidum. It's demonstrated that overexpression of GlbHLH5 significantly increased triterpenoids accumulation and the key enzyme genes transcription in the biosynthetic pathway, while silencing it displayed the opposite effect, indicating GlbHLH5 could positively regulate the triterpenoids biosynthesis by activating the synergistic expression of key enzyme genes in the biosynthetic pathway. Consequently, GlbHLH5 was identified as a positive regulator and novel metabolic target for Ganoderma triterpenoids biosynthesis, it sheds new lights on the regulatory effect regulation and synthetic biology of Ganoderma triterpenoids.

Unimolecular Nanoparticles toward More Precise Regulations of Self-Assembled Superlattices in Soft Matter.

The hierarchical self-assembly process opens up great potential for the construction of nanostructural superlattices. Precise regulation of self-assembled superlattices, however, remains a challenge. Even when the primary molecules are precise, the supramolecular motifs (or secondary building blocks) can vary dramatically. In the present work, we propose the concept of unimolecular nanoparticles (UMNPs). The UMNPs act as the supramolecular motif and directly pack into the superlattices. A highly branched giant molecule is presented. We systematically explore its conformations and the superlattice of this giant molecule. Moreover, intriguing complex phases are discovered when blending this UMNP with other conventional giant molecules. These binary mixtures provide direct evidence to support our previously proposed self-sorting process in the self-assembly of "soft alloys". The concept of UMNPs offers a unique approach toward more precise regulation of self-assembled superlattices in soft matter.

High-performance composite separators based on the synergy of vermiculite and laponite for lithium-ion batteries.

The electrochemical performance and safe operation of the separator plays an important role in lithium-ion batteries. The introduction of inorganic nanoparticles into the separators with organic matter as the matrix effectively improves the thermal stability and wettability of the composite separators, but it also blocks some pores and adversely affects the electrochemical performance. Herein, vermiculite and laponite nanoparticles are introduced into a poly(vinylidene fluoride) matrix to prepare organic-inorganic composite separators for lithium-ion batteries and the synergistic effect of the two inorganic nanofillers is explored. By adding the same amount of the two nanoparticles into the polymer matrix, the prepared separator has the highest ionic conductivity (0.72 mS cm-1) at room temperature and the lowest interfacial impedance (283 Ω). It has an initial discharge capacity of 161.2 mA h g-1 at a rate of 0.5C, a coulombic efficiency of 99.5% after 100 cycles, and a high capacity retention rate of 98.4%, which shows excellent rate performance. The results show that the two clay nanoparticles exert their respective advantages and exhibit a synergistic enhancement effect on the battery performance, which inspires new ideas for the preparation of new organic-inorganic composite separators.

Soft Alloys Constructed with Distinct Mesoatoms via Self-Sorting Assembly of Giant Shape Amphiphiles.

The packing structures of spherical motifs affect the properties of resultant condensed materials such as in metal alloys. Inspired by the classic metallurgy, developing complex alloy-like packing phases in soft matter (also called "soft alloys") is promising for the next-generation superlattice engineering. Nevertheless, the formation of many alloy-like phases in single-component soft matter is usually thermodynamically unfavourable and technically challenging. Here, we utilize a novel self-sorting assembly approach to tackle this challenge in binary blends of soft matter. Two types of giant shape amphiphiles self-sort to form their discrete spherical motifs, which further simultaneously pack into alloy-like phases. Three unconventional spherical packing phases have been observed in these binary systems, including MgZn2 , NaZn13 , and CaCu5 phases. It's the first time that the CaCu5 phase is experimentally observed in soft matter. This work demonstrates a general approach to constructing unconventional spherical packing phases and other complex superlattices in soft matter.