Intestinal stem cells, which are capable of both self-renewal and differentiation to mature cell types, are responsible for maintaining intestinal epithelial homeostasis. Recent evidence indicates that these processes are mediated, in part, through nutritional status in response to diet. Diverse dietary patterns including caloric restriction, fasting, high-fat diets, ketogenic diets and high-carbohydrate diets as well as other nutrients control intestinal stem cell self-renewal and differentiation through nutrient-sensing pathways such as mTOR and AMPK. Herein, we summarize the current understanding of how intestinal stem cells contribute to intestinal epithelial homeostasis and diseases. We also discuss the effects of diet and nutrient-sensing pathways on intestinal stem cell self-renewal and differentiation, as well as their potential application in the prevention and treatment of intestinal diseases.

Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3-based ceramics have been paid great attention as Pb-free piezoelectric and electrical energy storage materials. Here, adding 10 mol% BiFeO3 in Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3–SrTiO3 binary system, 0.5Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3–0.4SrTiO3–0.1BiFeO3 ceramics were prepared by a conventional solid-state reaction method. Dielectric measurements reflected a near-plateau dielectric response at high temperature, e.g., the mid-dielectric permittivity of 2052 with the variation within ±10% from 57 to 371 °C and within ±15% from 54 to 371 °C for the ceramic sintered at 1100 °C. At a moderate electric field of 70 kV/cm, a capacitor made by the ceramic has an electrical energy storage density of 0.95 J/cm3, while the polarization has yet saturated at the moderate electric field. These results suggest that 0.5Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3–0.4SrTiO3–0.1BiFeO3 ceramic is a promising novel material with thermally stable dielectric permittivity and high electrical energy storage property for applications in high-temperature electronics.

Kinetic energy and enstrophy transfer in compressible Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) turbulence were investigated by means of direct numerical simulation. It is revealed that compressibility plays an important role in the kinetic energy and enstrophy transfer based on analyses of transport and large-scale equations. For the generation and transfer of kinetic energy, some findings have been obtained as follows. The pressure-dilatation work dominates the generation of kinetic energy in the early stage of flow evolution. The baropycnal work and deformation work handle the kinetic energy transfer from large to small scales on average for RT turbulence. The baropycnal work is mainly responsible for the kinetic energy transfer on large scales, and the deformation work for the kinetic energy transfer on small scales. The baropycnal work is also disclosed to be related to the compressibility from the finding that the expansion motion enhances the positive baropycnal work and the compression motion strengthens the negative baropycnal work. For the generation and transfer of enstrophy, the horizontal enstrophy is generated by the baroclinic effect and the vertical enstrophy by vortex stretching and tilting. Then the enstrophy is strengthened by the vortex stretching and tilting during the evolution of RT turbulence and the vorticity tends to be isotropic in the turbulent mixing region. The large-scale enstrophy equation in compressible flow has also been derived to deal with the enstrophy transfer. It is identified that the enstrophy is transferred from large to small scales on average and tends to stabilize for RT turbulence.

Drawing on an ethnographic study in two counties in Hunan province, this article explores how political brokerage has contributed to political order in China by facilitating contentious and non-contentious bargaining between the government and ordinary people. To account for the changing role of village leaders in rural politics, the article develops a concept of dual brokerage. This concept not only recognizes formal and informal linkages between village leaders and the two principals – the government and the community of villagers – but also underscores the interactivity between the linkages. We contend that despite the tensions between village leaders’ roles as state agents and as village representatives, these two roles in the reform era tend to be mutually beneficial. Under such an institutional configuration, village leaders in China in the reform era have strong incentives to act as dual agents and can make policy implementation more flexible and the use of state force more moderate. A comparison between the trilateral interactions before and after the tax reform in 2005 confirms that whether village leaders can effectively act as dual agents has a significant impact on the quality of rural governance in China.

We present an experimental study on controlling the number of vortices and the torque in a Taylor–Couette flow of water for Reynolds numbers from 660 to 1320. Different flow states are achieved in the annulus of width $d$ between the inner rotating and outer stationary cylinders through manipulating the initial height of the water annulus. We show that the torque exerted on the inner cylinder of the Taylor–Couette system can be reduced by up to 20 % by controlling the flow at a state where fewer than the nominal number of vortices develop between the cylinders. This flow state is achieved by starting the system with an initial water annulus height $h_0$ (which nominally corresponds to $h_0/d$ vortices), then gradually adding water into the annulus while the inner cylinder keeps rotating. During this filling process the flow topology is so persistent that the number of vortices does not increase; instead, the vortices are greatly stretched in the axial (vertical) direction. We show that this state with stretched vortices is sustainable until the vortices are stretched to around 2.05 times their nominal size. Our experiments reveal that by manipulating the initial height of the liquid annulus we are able to generate different flow states and demonstrate how the different flow states manifest themselves in global momentum transport.

Probiotics and plant extracts are considered to prevent the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The present study explores the effects of using both probiotics and plant extracts on NAFLD. The present study evaluated the effects of plant extracts on lipid droplet accumulation and the growth of probiotics in vitro. A C57BL/6 mouse model was used to examine the effects of probiotics and plant extracts on NAFLD. Body weight and food intake were measured. The levels of serum lipids, oxidative stress and the liver injury index were determined using commercial kits. Haematoxylin and eosin staining, GC and real-time PCR were also used for analysis. The results revealed that administration of Lactobacillus casei YRL577 and L. paracasei X11 with resveratrol (RES) or tea polyphenols (TP) significantly reduced the levels of total cholesterol, TAG and LDL-cholesterol and increased the level of the HDL-cholesterol. The groups of L. casei YRL577 with RES and TP also regulated the liver structure, oxidative stress and injury. Furthermore, L. casei YRL577 with TP exhibited a more positive effect towards improving the NAFLD and increased the concentrations of the butyric acid than other three combined groups. L. casei YRL577 with TP up-regulated the mRNA levels of the farnesoid X receptor and fibroblast growth factor 15 and decreased the mRNA levels of the apical Na-dependent bile acid transporter. These findings showed that L. casei YRL577 + TP-modified genes in the intestinal bile acid pathway improved markers of NAFLD.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the main cause of end-stage liver disease. Probiotics have the potential effect of alleviating NAFLD. The aim of this study was to explore functional probiotics and their underlying mechanisms. The bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity in thirty-four strains was determined in vitro. Then, C57BL/6 mice were used to explore the effects of probiotics on NAFLD. Body weight and food intake were measured, and serum lipid concentrations, oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokines levels were determined using commercial kits. The expressions of intestinal bile acid pathway genes were evaluated via real-time PCR. The results showed that Lactobacillus casei YRL577 and L. paracasei X11 had higher BSH activity. L. casei YRL577 significantly reduced liver weight and liver index and could regulate the levels of lipid metabolism, oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokines as compared with L. paracasei X11. Furthermore, the results indicated that L. casei YRL577 up-regulated the mRNA levels of farnesoid X receptor and fibroblast growth factor 15, whereas down-regulated the mRNA level of apical Na-dependent bile acid transporter. These findings suggested that L. casei YRL577 modified genes in the intestinal bile acid pathway which might contribute to the alleviation of NAFLD.

Heterogeneous magnesium matrix nanocomposites (Hetero-Mg-NCs) exhibited excellent strength–toughness synergy, but their damage behavior and toughness mechanism lacked of investigation. Here, atomic force microscopy was first employed to characterize the microstructure evolution and damage behavior of the Hetero-Mg-NCs after indentation. The heterogeneous structure comprised of pure Mg areas (soft phase) and Mg nanocomposite areas (hard phase) was revealed by the electrostatic force microscopy. Furthermore, the surface morphology and cracks of the deformed area were investigated with high resolution. The results indicated the soft phase undertook most of the deformation and played an important role in capturing and blunting the crack.

This article presents a brief review of our case studies of data-driven Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) for intelligently discovering advanced structural metal materials, including light-weight materials (Ti, Mg, and Al alloys), refractory high-entropy alloys, and superalloys. The basic bonding in terms of topology and electronic structures is recommended to be considered as the building blocks/units constructing the microstructures of advanced materials. It is highlighted that the bonding charge density could not only provide an atomic and electronic insight into the physical nature of chemical bond of materials but also reveal the fundamental strengthening/embrittlement mechanisms and the local phase transformations of planar defects, paving a path in accelerating the development of advanced metal materials via interfacial engineering. Perspectives on the knowledge-based modeling/simulations, machine-learning knowledge base, platform, and next-generation workforce for sustainable ecosystem of ICME are highlighted, thus to call for more duty on the developments of advanced structural metal materials and enhancement of research productivity and collaboration.

Al-based composites with micrometer and submicro-TiB2 reinforcements (1 wt%) have been produced by selective laser melting (SLM) from mixed powder under different processing conditions. The results show that the densification level of SLM-processed composite with submicro-TiB2 particles (>99.0%) was 0.3–2.4% larger than that of micrometer TiB2-reinforced composite under the same processing conditions. The distribution of Si precipitates in the matrix experienced a transform from continuous cellular to directional line-like morphology with reinforcement size decreasing from micron to submicron. The reinforcement size added in the matrix also exhibited a critical influence on preferred orientation and grain size of matrix. The SLM-processed composites exhibited improved tensile strength and ductility with a decrease of reinforcement size. High tensile strength of ∼400 MPa and elongation of ∼3.6% were obtained for the fine TiB2-reinforced samples, increasing by 6 and 13% compared with that of micro-TiB2–added samples, respectively.

A CoNiCrAlTaHfY/Co composite coating was prepared on the etched C/C composites by using duplex vapor phase surface alloying treatments, i.e., Co alloying and Co–Ni–Cr–Al–Ta–Hf–Y alloying. Microstructures and oxidation behavior of the coated C/C composites were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The result showed that the CoNiCrAlTaHfY/Co composite coating, 25 μm in thickness, was compact and composed of CrCoTa, AlCo2Ta, AlxCry, AlxNiy, and Co. The coating adhesion can be enhanced by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition etching of matrix surface and adding a Co intermediate layer between the CoNiCrAlTaHfY top layer and C/C composites substrate. The honeycomb structure after etching was helpful to alloying element absorb and diffuse into substrate surface, and the composite coating continuation was improved by the Co buffer layer. After exposing in air for 180 min at 1000 °C, the bulk C/C composites volatilized while the loss rate of coated C/C composites was 0.82%, showing an improved oxidation resistance. Mixed oxides mainly containing Al2O3 and Cr2O3 were formed in the composite coating surface and protected the C/C composites from oxidation in air.

An oral starch administration trial was used to evaluate glucose homoeostasis in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and Chinese longsnout catfish (Leiocassis longirostris Günther). Fish were administered with 3 g of a water and starch mixture (with 3:2 ratio) per 100 g body weight after fasting for 48 h. Fish were sampled at 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after oral starch administration. In grass carp, plasma levels of glucose peaked at 3 h but returned to baseline at 6 h. However, in Chinese longsnout catfish, plasma glucose levels peaked at 6 h and returned to baseline at 48 h. The activity of intestinal amylase was increased in grass carp at 1 and 3 h, but no significant change in Chinese longsnout catfish was observed. The activity of hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase fell significantly in grass carp but change was not evident in Chinese longsnout catfish. The expression levels and enzymic activity of hepatic pyruvate kinase increased in grass carp, but no significant changes were observed in the Chinese longsnout catfish. Glycogen synthase (gys) and glycogen phosphorylase (gp) were induced in grass carp. However, there was no significant change in gys and a clear down-regulation of gp in Chinese longsnout catfish. In brief, compared with Chinese longsnout catfish, grass carp exhibited a rapid increase and faster clearance rate of plasma glucose. This effect was closely related to significantly enhanced levels of digestion, glycolysis, glycogen metabolism and glucose-induced lipogenesis in grass carp, as well as the inhibition of gluconeogenesis.

Synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1) is an abundant and important presynaptic vesicle protein that binds Ca2+ for the regulation of synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Our previous study reported its localization and function on spindle assembly in mouse oocyte meiotic maturation. The present study was designed to investigate the function of Syt1 during mouse oocyte activation and subsequent cortical granule exocytosis (CGE) using confocal microscopy, morpholinol-based knockdown and time-lapse live cell imaging. By employing live cell imaging, we first studied the dynamic process of CGE and calculated the time interval between [Ca2+]i rise and CGE after oocyte activation. We further showed that Syt1 was co-localized to cortical granules (CGs) at the oocyte cortex. After oocyte activation with SrCl2, the Syt1 distribution pattern was altered significantly, similar to the changes seen for the CGs. Knockdown of Syt1 inhibited [Ca2+]i oscillations, disrupted the F-actin distribution pattern and delayed the time of cortical reaction. In summary, as a synaptic vesicle protein and calcium sensor for exocytosis, Syt1 acts as an essential regulator in mouse oocyte activation events including the generation of Ca2+ signals and CGE.