The honeysuckle genome provides insight into the molecular mechanism of carotenoid metabolism underlying dynamic flower coloration

Lonicera japonica is a wide-spread member of the Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle) family utilized in traditional medical practices. This twining vine honeysuckle is also a much-sought ornamental, in part due to its dynamic flower coloration, which changes from white to gold during development. The molecular mechanism underlying dynamic flower coloration in L. japonica was elucidated by integrating whole genome sequencing, transcriptomic analysis, and biochemical assays. Here, we report a chromosome-level genome assembly of L. japonica, comprising nine pseudo-chromosomes with a total size of 843.2 Mb. We also provide evidence for a whole genome duplication event in the lineage leading to L. japonica, which occurred after its divergence from Dipsacales and Asterales. Moreover, gene expression analysis not only revealed correlated expression of the relevant biosynthetic genes with carotenoid accumulation, but also suggested a role for carotenoid degradation in L. japonica's dynamic flower coloration. The variation of flower color is consistent with not only the observed carotenoid accumulation pattern, but also with the release of volatile apocarotenoids that presumably serve as pollinator attractants. Beyond novel insights into the evolution and dynamics of flower coloration, the high-quality L. japonica genome sequence also provides a foundation for molecular breeding to improve desired characteristics

The honeysuckle genome provides insight into the molecular mechanism of carotenoid metabolism underlying dynamic flower coloration

Lonicera japonica is a wide-spread member of the Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle) family utilized in traditional medical practices. This twining vine honeysuckle is also a much-sought ornamental, in part due to its dynamic flower coloration, which changes from white to gold during development. The molecular mechanism underlying dynamic flower coloration in L. japonica was elucidated by integrating whole genome sequencing, transcriptomic analysis, and biochemical assays. Here, we report a chromosome-level genome assembly of L. japonica, comprising nine pseudochromosomes with a total size of 843.2 Mb. We also provide evidence for a whole genome duplication event in the lineage leading to L. japonica, which occurred after its divergence from Dipsacales and Asterales. Moreover, gene expression analysis not only revealed correlated expression of the relevant biosynthetic genes with carotenoid accumulation, but also suggested a role for carotenoid degradation in L. japonica’s dynamic flower coloration. The variation of flower color is consistent with not only the observed carotenoid accumulation pattern, but also with the release of volatile apocarotenoids that presumably serve as pollinator attractants. Beyond novel insights into the evolution and dynamics of flower coloration, the high-quality L. japonica genome sequence also provides a foundation for molecular breeding to improve desired characteristics

Strategic Thinking on the Development of Food-Medicine Industry

Food-medicines are a significant component for traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese cuisine culture, and the Healthy China initiative. Herein, we summarized the opportunities, development status, problems, and countermeasures for the food-medicine industry in China by using literature analysis, data mining, and expert consultation. Our research indicates that food-medicines have potential values in preventing and treating chronic diseases as well as delaying aging, and they are expected to become a daily material basis for disease prevention. Moreover, food-medicines are crucial for promoting the domestic and international economic cycles and supporting rural revitalization. Furthermore, we suggest that China should (1) increase its investment in research on foodmedicines to protect people’s health; (2) improve the regulation system to strengthen supervision and establish regulation and quality standards systems that accord with Chinese conditions; and (3) enhance international communication and trade to facilitate the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and the establishment of a global community of health for all

Achieving high strength and high ductility in metal matrix composites reinforced with a discontinuous three-dimensional graphene-like network

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Machine Learning Enabled Capacitance Prediction for Carbon-Based Supercapacitors

Carbon is the most widely used electrode for the supercapacitors. To predict the capacitance of carbon-based supercapacitors, this work applies three machine learning (ML) methods, including linear regression, Lasso and artificial neural network. For training the ML process, we extracted data from hundreds of published papers. Moreover, five variables were selected to figure out their impact on capacitance, including specific surface area, calculated pore size, ID/IG ratio, N-doping level and voltage window. By evaluated with the real data, all of three methods achieve acceptable prediction results, and ANN exhibits the best performance. More importantly, this work shows the potential of ML in material science and advanced applications

Impact of Drying Methods on Phenolic Components and Antioxidant Activity of Sea Buckthorn (<i>Hippophae rhamnoides</i> L.) Berries from Different Varieties in China

Sea buckthorn berries are rich in bioactive compounds and can be used for medicine and food. The variety and drying method used have an important influence on quality. In this study, different sea buckthorn varieties from China were selected and dried with four common drying methods. The total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), contents of 12 phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity in vitro were analyzed. The results showed that the TPC, TFC and antioxidant activity of two wild sea buckthorn berries were higher than those of three cultivated berries, and for the same varieties, measured chemical contents and antioxidant activity of the freeze-dried fruit were significantly higher than those obtained with three conventional drying methods. In addition, forty-one compounds in sea buckthorn berry were identified by UPLC-PDA-Q/TOF-MS, most of which were isorhamnetin derivatives. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed narcissin and isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside varied significantly in sea buckthorn berries of different varieties and with different drying methods; they were potential quality markers. Strong correlations were found between TPC, gallic acid and antioxidant capacity (p < 0.05). The results revealed how components and antioxidant activity varied in different sea buckthorn, which provides a valuable reference for quality control and further development and utilization of sea buckthorn

Balancing Strength and Ductility in Al Matrix Composites Reinforced by Few-Layered MoS2 through In-Situ Formation of Interfacial Al12Mo

In this work, few-layered MoS2 (FLM) nanosheet-reinforced Al matrix composites are developed through powder metallurgy and hot extrusion. The microstructure, mechanical properties, and strengthening mechanisms have been systematically investigated. It is found that Al12Mo and Al2S3 can be formed in-situ during the sintering process, resulting in the improvement of interfacial bonding between FLM and Al matrix. With 1.5 wt.% of FLM addition, an improved tensile strength of 234 MPa with a high elongation of 17% can be obtained. Moreover, the strengthening mechanisms are also demonstrated to be grain refinement, dislocation strengthening, and load transfer, and the calculation indicates that load transfer is the main contribution factor. This work will inspire more new designs of metal matrix composites with balanced strength and ductility

Macro- and meso-mechanic investigations on the mechanical properties of heterostructured Al matrix composites featuring intragranular reinforcement

Aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) reinforced with intragranular nano-sized Al2O3 were used as model material to investigate the effects of intragranular nano reinforcement on the mechanical properties at macro- and meso- levels. The results revealed that intragranular Al2O3 effectively facilitates the dislocation multiplication, which in turn enables the grain interior to endure high levels of plastic strain and consequently alleviates stress concentration at the grain boundary. Furthermore, intragranular Al2O3 leads to a collective enhancement in the intrinsic mechanical properties across domains of varying sizes, thereby contributing to the coordinated plastic deformation of heterogeneous grains, and enhancing the creep resistance of composite