Role of leptin in the regulation of food intake in fasted mice

Leptin is well acknowledged as an anorexigenic hormone that plays an important role in feeding control. Hypothalamic GABA system plays a significant role in leptin regulation on feeding and metabolism control. However, the pharmacological relationship of leptin and GABA receptor is still obscure. Therefore, we investigated the effect of leptin or combined with baclofen on the food intake in fasted mice. We detected the changes in hypothalamic c‐Fos expression, hypothalamic TH, POMC and GAD67 expression, plasma insulin, POMC and GABA levels to demonstrate the mechanisms. We found that leptin inhibit fasting‐induced increased food intake and activated hypothalamic neurons. The inhibitory effect on food intake induced by leptin in fasted mice can be reversed by pretreatment with baclofen. Baclofen reversed leptin's inhibition on c‐Fos expression of PAMM in fasted mice. Therefore, these results indicate that leptin might inhibit fasting‐triggered activation of PVN neurons via presynaptic GABA synaptic functions which might be partially blocked by pharmacological activating GABA‐B. Our findings identify the role of leptin in the regulation of food intake.     

Boosting Superior Lithium Storage Performance of Alloy‐Based Anode Materials via Ultraconformal Sb Coating–Derived Favorable Solid‐Electrolyte Interphase

Alloy materials such as Si and Ge are attractive as high‐capacity anodes for rechargeable batteries, but such anodes undergo severe capacity degradation during discharge–charge processes. Compared to the over‐emphasized efforts on the electrode structure design to mitigate the volume changes, understanding and engineering of the solid‐electrolyte interphase (SEI) are significantly lacking. This work demonstrates that modifying the surface of alloy‐based anode materials by building an ultraconformal layer of Sb can significantly enhance their structural and interfacial stability during cycling. Combined experimental and theoretical studies consistently reveal that the ultraconformal Sb layer is dynamically converted to Li₃Sb during cycling, which can selectively adsorb and catalytically decompose electrolyte additives to form a robust, thin, and dense LiF‐dominated SEI, and simultaneously restrain the decomposition of electrolyte solvents. Hence, the Sb‐coated porous Ge electrode delivers much higher initial Coulombic efficiency of 85% and higher reversible capacity of 1046 mAh g^?1 after 200 cycles at 500 mA g^?1, compared to only 72% and 170 mAh g^?1 for bare porous Ge. The present finding has indicated that tailoring surface structures of electrode materials is an appealing approach to construct a robust SEI and achieve long‐term cycling stability for alloy‐based anode materials.     

Optimized Catalytic WS2–WO3 Heterostructure Design for Accelerated Polysulfide Conversion in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

The lithium–sulfur (Li–S) battery is a next generation high energy density battery, but its practical application is hindered by the poor cycling stability derived from the severe shuttling of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). Catalysis is a promising way to solve this problem, but the rational design of relevant catalysts is still hard to achieve. This paper reports the WS₂–WO₃ heterostructures prepared by in situ sulfurization of WO₃, and by controlling the sulfurization degree, the structure is controlled, which balances the trapping ability (by WO₃) and catalytic activity (by WS₂) toward LiPSs. As a result, the WS₂–WO₃ heterostructures effectively accelerate LiPS conversion and improve sulfur utilization. The Li–S battery with 5 wt% WS₂–WO₃ heterostructures as additives in the cathode shows an excellent rate performance and good cycling stability, revealing a 0.06% capacity decay each cycle over 500 cycles at 0.5 C. By building an interlayer with such heterostructure‐added graphenes, the battery with a high sulfur loading of 5 mg cm^?2 still shows a high capacity retention of 86.1% after 300 cycles at 0.5 C. This work provides a rational way to prepare the metal oxide–sulfide heterostructures with an optimized structure to enhance the performance of Li–S batteries.     

New Lithium Salt Forms Interphases Suppressing Both Li Dendrite and Polysulfide Shuttling

Lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) are considered promising candidates for the next‐generation energy‐storage systems due to their high theoretical capacity and prevalent abundance of sulfur. Their reversible operation, however, encounters challenges from both the anode, where dendritic and dead Li‐metal form, and the cathode, where polysulfides dissolve and become parasitic shuttles. Both issues arise from the imperfection of interphases between electrolyte and electrode. Herein, a new lithium salt based on an imide anion with fluorination and unsaturation in its structure is reported, whose interphasial chemistries resolve these issues simultaneously. Lithium 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3‐hexafluoropropane‐1, 3‐disulfonimide (LiHFDF) forms highly fluorinated interphases at both anode and cathode surfaces, which effectively suppress formation of Li‐dendrites and dissolution/shuttling of polysulfides, and significantly improves the electrochemical reversibility of LSBs. In a broader context, this new Li salt offers a new perspective for diversified beyond Li‐ion chemistries that rely on a Li‐metal anode and active cathode materials.     

伤椎置钉联合短节段内固定与单纯短节段固定治疗胸腰椎爆裂性骨折的比较研究

目的:比较伤椎置钉联合短节段内固定与单纯短节段固定治疗胸腰椎爆裂性骨折的临床疗效、固定效果及其对患者炎症反应和脊髓损伤的影响。方法:选取2014年3月到2016年12月期间我院收治的胸腰椎爆裂性骨折患者94例,根据手术方法的不同将患者分为伤椎置钉组(40例)和短节段内固定组(44例)。短节段内固定组患者采用单纯后路短节段椎弓根螺钉内固定进行治疗,伤椎置钉组采用伤椎置钉联合后路短节段椎弓根螺钉内固定进行治疗。比较两组患者的手术时间、术中出血量、住院时间、伤椎前沿高度比、Cobb’s角、伤椎椎体楔形变角、视觉模拟评分(VAS)和Oswestry功能障碍指数(ODI),炎性因子指标、脊髓损伤指标及术后并发症。结果:伤椎置钉组的手术时间长于短节段内固定组(P<0.05),术后6个月、术后12个月伤椎置钉组的伤椎前沿高度比明显高于短节段内固定组,Cobb’s角、伤椎椎体楔形变角明显低于短节段内固定组(P<0.05),术前、术后1周、术后6个月、术后12个月两组患者的VAS评分和ODI比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),术后3 d两组患者血清中IL-1β、IL-6、IL-8、TNF-α和pNF-H、NSE、S100β、GFAP水平比较差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。随访期间两组患者均未出现严重并发症。结论:伤椎置钉联合后路短节段椎弓根螺钉内固定可有效改善胸腰椎爆裂性骨折患者的椎体高度、Cobb’s角和伤椎椎体楔形变角,并且不会增加脊髓损伤和机体的炎症反应。     

持续颅内压监测对大面积脑梗死外科治疗预后的应用价值

目的:探讨持续颅内压(ICP)监测对大面积脑梗死外科治疗预后的应用价值。方法:选取2013年3月至2018年3月期间在我院接受治疗的大面积脑梗死患者100例作为研究对象,所有患者经去骨瓣减压术后行ICP监测和生命体征监测,通过结果分为:低压组62例(2.70kPa≤ICP5.30kPa),高压组38例(ICP≥5.30 kPa)。记录患者ICP监测数值,接收者操作特征(ROC)曲线分析患者预后情况,对患者进行术后3个月内随访,了解患者平常活动能力进行判断预后的状况。观察ICP与预后的相关性。结果:两组患者性别、年龄、室速、室性早搏、糖尿病、高血压病、脑卒中、高脂血症、风心病、冠心病、扩张性心肌病、既往心肌梗死、肥厚性心肌病、甲亢性心脏病等资料比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。低压组患者中预后良好的ICP监测值显著低于预后不良者(P0.05),高压组中预后良好的ICP监测值显著低于预后不良者(P0.05)。ICP预测大面积脑梗死外科治疗预后的ROC曲线面积0.704,采用最大约等指数计算得出ICP预测大面积脑梗死外科治疗预后的最大AUC面积相应参数截止值为4.89,其中敏感度为0.435,特异性为0.896。结论:持续ICP监测结果显示ICP值越小,患者的预后就越好,ICP值越高,患者的预后越差。ICP监测对大面积脑梗死外科治疗的预后具有预测价值,对判断和改善预后能起到有效帮助,值得在临床推广应用。     

Phylogenetic relationships of Cyrtandromoea and Wightia revisited: A new tribe in Phrymaceae and a new family in Lamiales

The familial placements of Cyrtandromoea Zoll. and Wightia Wall., two small and enigmatic South‐East Asian genera, have long been controversial in Lamiales. Here we adopt a two‐step approach to resolve their phylogenetic relationships. We initially reconstructed a large‐scale phylogeny of Lamiales using six chloroplast markers (atpB, matK, ndhF, psbBTNH, rbcL, and rps4). The results showed that both Cyrtandromoea and Wightia emerged in the LMPO clade, including Lamiaceae, Mazaceae, Phrymaceae, Paulowniaceae, and Orobanchaceae. Based on the second set of six chloroplast markers (atpB, matK, ndhF, rbcL, rps16, and trnL‐F) and two nuclear ribosomal regions (external transcribed spacer and internal transcribed spacer) for the analyses focusing on the LMPO clade, our results revealed that Cyrtandromoea was consistently nested within Phrymaceae, whereas Wightia was supported as sister to Phrymaceae by the chloroplast DNA dataset or sister to Paulowniaceae by the nuclear ribosomal DNA dataset. Morphological and anatomical evidence fully supports the inclusion of Cyrtandromoea in Phrymaceae, and an updated tribal classification is done for Phrymaceae with five tribes, that is, Cyrtandromoeeae Bo Li, Bing Liu, Su Liu & Y. H. Tan, trib. nov., Diplaceae Bo Li, Bing Liu, Su Liu & Y. H. Tan, trib. nov., Leucocarpeae, Mimuleae, and Phrymeae. The conflicting phylogenetic position of Wightia indicated by different genome markers results in difficulty placing the genus in either Phrymaceae or Paulowniaceae. Considering the distinct morphological differences between Wightia and other families in the LMPO clade, we here propose a new family, Wightiaceae Bo Li, Bing Liu, Su Liu & Y. H. Tan, fam. nov., to accommodate it, which is the 26th family recognized in Lamiales.     

Molecular phylogeny and species delimitation of Stachyuraceae: Advocating a herbarium specimen‐based phylogenomic approach in resolving species boundaries

Species concept and delimitation are fundamental to taxonomic and evolutionary studies. Both inadequate informative sites in the molecular data and limited taxon sampling have often led to poor phylogenetic resolution and incorrect species delineation. Recently, the whole chloroplast genome sequences from extensive herbarium specimen samples have been shown to be effective to amend the problem. Stachyuraceae are a small family consisting of only one genus Stachyurus of six to 16 species. However, species delimitation in Stachyurus has been highly controversial because of few and generally unstable morphological characters used for classification. In this study, we sampled 69 individuals of seven species (each with at least three individuals) covering the entire taxonomic diversity, geographic range, and morphological variation of Stachyurus from herbarium specimens for genome‐wide plastid gene sequencing to address species delineation in the genus. We obtained high‐quality DNAs from specimens using a recently developed DNA reconstruction technique. We first assembled four whole chloroplast genome sequences. Based on the chloroplast genome and one nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence of Stachyurus, we designed primers for multiplex polymerase chain reaction and high throughput sequencing of 44 plastid loci for species of Stachyurus. Data of these chloroplast DNA and nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer sequences were used for phylogenetic analyses. The phylogenetic results showed that the Japanese species Stachyurus praecox Siebold & Zucc. was sister to the rest in mainland China, which indicated a typical Sino‐Japanese distribution pattern. Based on diagnostic morphological characters, distinct distributional range, and monophyly of each clade, we redefined seven species for Stachyurus following an integrative species concept, and revised the taxonomy of the family based on previous reports and specimens, in particular the type specimens. Furthermore, our divergence time estimation results suggested that Stachyuraceae split from its sister group Crossosomataceae from the New World at ca. 54.29 Mya, but extant species of Stachyuraceae started their diversification only recently at ca. 6.85 Mya. Diversification time of Stachyurus in mainland China was estimated to be ca. 4.45 Mya. This research has provided an example of using the herbarium specimen‐based phylogenomic approach in resolving species boundaries in a taxonomically difficult genus.     

不同病理分期肺腺癌患者血清代谢组学研究

肺癌是当今世界最常见的恶性肿瘤之一,其新发率和死亡率多年来都居于各类癌症之首,其中85%的肺癌都是非小细胞癌,而腺癌又是最常见的非小细胞癌。肺癌的高隐匿性是造成其高死亡率的最主要原因,因此为肺癌的早期诊断和病理分期寻求高效可靠的方法是十分必要的。代谢组学揭示了小分子代谢物的一系列变化,反映了生命活动的最终状态,因此也能直接反映疾病不同发展阶段的病理生理变化。本研究利用核磁共振氢谱(1H-NMR),对在我院就诊的27例不同病理分期的肺腺癌患者和13例健康志愿者进行了血清代谢物分析,运用正交偏最小二乘判别分析(OPLS-DA)对1H-NMR数据进行建模,单变量统计分析对模型进行评价。结果表明肺腺癌患者组的血清中有14种代谢物出现明显差异,其中丙酮酸、丙氨酸、NAC1、乳酸、GPC和甘氨酸比起对照组来有显著上升,而葡萄糖、谷氨酰胺、亮氨酸、异亮氨酸、缬氨酸、丙酮、乙酰乙酸和苏氨酸则显著下降。而在不同分期肺腺癌患者间进行比较后发现,异亮氨酸、乙酰乙酸、NAC1和乳酸的变化与肺腺癌的发展有相关性,可能是肺腺癌早期诊断和分期的潜在生物标志物。     

Allotransplantation of adult spinal cord tissues after complete transected spinal cord injury: Long-term survival and functional recovery in canines

Science China Life Sciences - Spinal cord injury (SCI), especially complete transected SCI, leads to loss of cells and extracellular matrix and functional impairments. In a previous study, we...