MCC950 ameliorates cognitive function by reducing white matter microstructure damage in rats after SAH

Neuroinflammation and white matter microstructure damage are important causes of cognitive impairment after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) plays an important role in neuroinflammation after SAH and may be a potential therapeutic target for treatment of white matter microstructure injury. In this study, we observed whether MCC950, a specific inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome, exerted a therapeutic effect after SAH. The SAH model was induced by endovascular perforation in SpragueDawley rats. MCC950 was injected intraperitoneally 1 h after SAH at a dose of 10 mg/kg. The results showed that MCC950 significantly attenuated white matter microstructure damage in some brain regions, and behavioral experiments confirmed that MCC950 ameliorated cognitive function in rats after SAH, which may provide a new method for the treatment of cognitive dysfunction in SAH patients

Formation of 8-hydroxylinalool in tea plant Camellia sinensis var. Assamica ‘Hainan dayezhong’

Linalool and its derivatives contribute greatly to tea aroma. Here, 8-hydroxylinalool was found to be one of the major linalool-derived aroma compounds in Camellia sinensis var. assamica ‘Hainan dayezhong’, a tea plant grown in Hainan Province, China. Both (Z)-8-hydroxylinalool and (E)-8-hydroxylinalool were detected, and the E type was the main compound. Its content fluctuated in different months and was the highest in the buds compared with other tissues. CsCYP76B1 and CsCYP76T1, located in the endoplasmic reticulum, were identified to catalyze the formation of 8-hydroxylinalool from linalool in the tea plant. During withering of black tea manufacturing, the content of both (Z)-8-hydroxylinalool and (E)-8-hydroxylinalool significantly increased. Further study suggested that jasmonate induced gene expression of CsCYP76B1 and CsCYP76T1, and the accumulated precursor linalool may also contribute to 8-hydroxylinalool accumulation. Thus, this study not only reveals 8-hydroxylinalool biosynthesis in tea plants but also sheds light on aroma formation in black tea

Anion Exchange Membrane Based on Interpenetrating Polymer Network with Ultrahigh Ion Conductivity and Excellent Stability for Alkaline Fuel Cell

A high-performance anion exchange membrane (AEM) is critical for the development of alkaline fuel cell. In this work, AEMs with an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) are synthesized. An electron microscope clearly reveals a highly efficient “ion channel” network, which is constructed with a small amount of cation exchange groups. This specially designed ion channel leads to extraordinary hydroxide conductivity (e.g., 257.8 mS cm-1 at 80 °C) of IPN AEMs at moderate ion exchange capacity (IEC=1.75 mmol g−1), as well as excellent long-term alkaline stability at harsh condition which showed that 81% of original conductivity can be retained after a long time for 1248 hours. Moreover, a remarkable peak power density of 1.20 W cm-2 (0.1 MPa backpressure) with nonprecious metal (FeNx-CNTs) as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst in a fuel cell test was achieved. This work offers a general strategy to prepare high-performance AEMs based on IPN structure design

Slab Breakoff of the Neo-Tethys Ocean in the Lhasa Terrane Inferred From Contemporaneous Melting of the Mantle and Crust

Oceanic slab breakoff significantly affects the thermal regime of the lithosphere during continental collision. This often triggers extension-related mafic magmatism and crustal melting. It is generally accepted that the Neo-Tethyan lithosphere subducted beneath the southern Lhasa Subterrane, resulting in the formation of the Gangdese magmatic arc. However, the timing of slab breakoff is still disputed, due to a lack of evidence for extension-related mafic magmatism. In this study, we provide comprehensive age, element and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic data of mafic dikes, felsic intrusions, and enclaves from the Daju area, southern Lhasa Subterrane. The timing of mafic dikes and granitoids are contemporaneous at circa 57 Ma. The mafic dikes are characterized by high Th/U, and Zr/Y ratios, their geochemistry indicates an intraplate affinity rather than arc magmas. Furthermore, the mafic dikes show strongly variable igneous zircon (Hf)(t), and lower whole-rock (Nd)(t) than granitoids. This evidence suggests that the mafic dikes represent asthenosphere-derived melts contaminated by various degrees of ancient lithosphere. However, the granitoids were directly derived from the juvenile lower crust. Given the abrupt decrease in the convergence rate between India and Asia, and the surface uplift and sedimentation cessation in the southern Lhasa Subterrane in the early Cenozoic, the occurrence of synchronous mafic dikes and granitoids is best explained by a slab breakoff model. The occurrence of intraplate-type magmas likely corresponds to the magmatic expression of the initial stage of Neo-Tethyan slab breakoff. The slab breakoff concept also explains the onset of the magmatic flare-up and crustal growth after 57 Ma

Geodynamic transition from subduction to extension: evidence from the geochronology and geochemistry of granitoids in the Sangsang area, southern Lhasa Terrane, Tibet

The northward subduction of the Neo-Tethys oceanic lithosphere and subsequent collision between India and Asia continents gave rise to the Tibetan Plateau. However, how and when oceanic subduction started to transform to an intraplate environment are still open questions. The granitoids distributed in Lhasa Terrane of south Tibet offer a unique chance for us to investigate the deep geodynamic processes. Here, we present zircon U-Pb-Hf isotope, whole-rock major and trace element and Sr-Nd isotope data of granitoid intrusions in the Sangsang area of the southern Lhasa Terrane. The Sangsang granodiorites and granites were crystallized at ca. 54Ma, while the emplacement age of the quartz monzonites is ca. 47Ma. The granodiorites are characterized by relatively high Mg# values (35.3-41.1) and Fe(2)O(3)t (5.16-6.26wt%) contents, and low Na2O+K2O contents (6.4-6.9wt%) and A/CNK values (0.91-0.99), which are similar to the geochemical characteristics of I-type, high-K calc-alkaline rocks. They have high Sr-87/Sr-86(i) ratios (0.706455-0.706490), and low epsilon(Nd)(t) (-3.58 to -2.96) and zircon epsilon(Hf)(t) (-3.4 to 0.3) values, indicating they were derived from a hybrid source of ancient mafic crust and juvenile lower crust. The coeval granites have lower Mg# values (22.5-27.25) and similar zircon epsilon(Hf)(t) values (-2.6 to 1.1), suggesting they were probably differentiation productions of the granodiorites. The quartz monzonites have higher Na2O+K2O contents (9.18-9.59wt%) and A/CNK values (0.98-1.03), higher zircon epsilon(Hf)(t) values (-2.2 to 2.6) and more depleted Sr and Nd isotopes than the granodiorites and granites. The quartz monzonites were probably produced by melting of mixed juvenile crustal materials and metagreywacke. The new geochronological and geochemical data help constrain the geodynamic processes in the Lhasa Terrane during the Early Cenozoic, as the Sangsang granitoids represent the change from subduction termination to intraplate extension at the southern margin of the Lhasa Terrane