Genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) has been widely used to detect rye (Secale cereale L.) chromosomes in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) introgression lines. The routine procedure of GISH using genomic DNA of rye as a probe is time-consuming and labor-intensive because of the preparation and labeling of genomic DNA of rye and denaturing of chromosomes and probes. In this study, new oligonucleotide probes Oligo-1162, Oligo-pSc200 and Oligo-pSc250 were developed. The three new probes can be used for non-denaturing fluorescence in situ hybridization (ND-FISH) assays and replace genomic DNA of rye as a probe to discriminate rye chromosomes in wheat backgrounds. In addition, previously developed oligonucleotide probes Oligo-pSc119.2-1, Oligo-pSc119.2-2, Oligo-pTa535-1, Oligo-pTa535-2, Oligo-pTa71-2, Oligo-pAWRC.1 and Oligo-CCS1 can also be used for ND-FISH of wheat and rye. These probes have provided an easier, faster and more cost-effective method for the FISH analysis of wheat and hybrids derived from wheat × rye.

Obese and lean type pig breeds exhibit differences in their fat deposits and fatty acid composition. Here, we compared the effect of genome-wide DNA methylation on fatty acid metabolism between Landrace pigs (LP, leaner) and Rongchang pigs (RP, fatty). We found that LP backfat (LBF) had a higher polyunsaturated fatty acid content but a lower adipocyte volume than RP backfat (RBF). LBF exhibited higher global DNA methylation levels at the genome level than RBF. A total of 483 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were located in promoter regions, mainly affecting olfactory and sensory activity and lipid metabolism. In LBF, the promoters of genes related to ATPase activity had significantly stronger methylation. This fact may suggest lower energy metabolism levels, which may result in less efficient lipid synthesis in LBF. Furthermore, we identified a DMR in the miR-4335 and miR-378 promoters and validated their methylation status by bisulfite sequencing PCR. The hypermethylation of the promoters of miR-4335 and miR-378 in LBF and the resulting silencing of the target genes may result in LBF's low content in saturated fatty acids and fat deposition capacity. This study provides a solid basis for exploring the epigenetic mechanisms affecting fat deposition and fatty acid composition.

Ureteral obstruction with subsequent hydronephrosis is a common clinical complication. Downregulation of renal sodium transporters in obstructed kidneys could contribute to impaired urinary concentrating capability and salt waste following the release of a ureteral obstruction. The current study was undertaken to investigate the role of mitochondrial complex-1 inhibition in modulating sodium transporters in obstructive kidney disease. Following unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) for 7 days, a global reduction of sodium transporters, including NHE3, α-Na-K-ATPase, NCC, NKCC2, p-NKCC2, ENaCα, and ENaCγ, was observed, as determined via qRT-PCR and/or Western blotting. Interestingly, inhibition of mitochondrial complex-1 by rotenone markedly reversed the downregulation of NKCC2, p-NKCC2, and ENaCα. In contrast, other sodium transporters were not affected by rotenone. To study the potential mechanisms involved in mediating the effects of rotenone on sodium transporters, we examined a number of known sodium modulators, including PGE2, ET1, Ang II, natriuretic peptides (ANP, BNP, and CNP), and nitric oxide synthases (iNOS, nNOS, and eNOS). Importantly, among these modulators, only BNP and iNOS were significantly reduced by rotenone treatment. Collectively, these findings demonstrated a substantial role of mitochondrial dysfunction in mediating the downregulation of NKCC2 and ENaCα in obstructive kidney disease, possibly via iNOS-derived nitric oxide and BNP.

Promoting regenerative repair, including neurogenesis and angiogenesis, may provide a new therapeutic strategy for treatment of stroke. P53, a well-documented transcription factor, has been reported to be involved in cerebral ischemia and also serves as an important regulator of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). However, the role of p53 in endogenous regenerative repair after brain ischemia is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of PFT-α, a specific p53 inhibitor on neurogenesis and angiogenesis improvement and associated signal pathways in rats impaired by cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo). PFT-α induced neuroprotection, reduced infarct volume and neurological functional impairment after ischemic stroke. More importantly, neurogenesis and angiogenesis were greatly enhanced by PFT-α, and accompanied by increased expression of VEGF. Moreover, we got consistent results in neural stem cells (NSCs) isolated from fetal rats. In contrast, application of the anti-VEGF neutralizing antibody (RB-222) partially reversed PFT-α-induced neuroprotection and rescued p53 expression. Noteworthily, inhibition of p53 after ischemic stroke in these rats improved their outcomes via promotion of regenerative repair. In conclusion, PFT-α could serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for ischemic stroke by promoting regenerative repair.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been practiced for thousands of years, although concerns about the efficacy, legality, and safety of TCM continue to be raised. Chromatographic studies have detected the presence of heavy metals and plant toxins within some TCM preparations. However, chromatography is not able to identify all of the compounds of TCM, particularly those items that are not clearly labeled on the packaging. The present study aimed to establish a supplemental method that better assesses the ingredient components of TCM preparations.We established an effective approach to screen the biological and toxical composition of TCM based on high-throughput sequencing (HTS), as well as fast detection and validation of the toxical species by real-time PCR, based on ITS2 DNA barcoding. Ruyi jinhuang powder (RHP), a classical herbal prescription containing the toxical herb Arisaematis rhizoma, was chosen to test the method. This method could determine whether the Arisaematis Rhizoma had been replaced by Pinellia pedatisecta in the RHP. The results were validated by real-time PCR. 90% compositions of RHP were identified by ITS2 DNA barcoding, suggesting that more DNA barcoding markers are needed for TCM identification. The strategy of high-throughput sequencing has the potential for comprehensive ingredient profiling for TCM preparations. Real-time PCR provides a expeditious metehod for monitoring the safety and legality of TCM preparations.

Moso bamboo is one of the economically most important plants in China. Moso bamboo is a monocarpic perennial that exhibits poor and slow germination. Thus, the flowering often causes destruction of moso bamboo forestry. However, how control of flowering and seed germination are regulated in moso bamboo is largely unclear. In this study, we identified 5 members (PhFT1-5) of the phosphatidyl ethanolamine-binding proteins (PEBP) family from moso bamboo genome that regulate flowering, flower architecture and germination, and characterized the function of these PEBP family genes further in Arabidopsis. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 3 (PhFT1, PhFT2 and PhFT3), 1 (PhFT4) and 1 (PhFT5) members belong to the TFL1-like clade, FT-like clade, and MFT-like clade, respectively. These PEBP family genes possess all structure necessary for PEBP gene function. The ectopic overexpression of PhFT4 and PhFT5 promotes flowering time in Arabidopsis, and that of PhFT1, PhFT2 and PhFT3 suppresses it. In addition, the overexpression of PhFT5 promotes seed germination rate. Interestingly, the overexpression of PhFT1 suppressed seed germination rate in Arabidopsis. The expression of PhFT1 and PhFT5 is significantly higher in seed than in tissues including leaf and shoot apical meristem, implying their function in seed germination. Taken together, our results suggested that the PEBP family genes play important roles as regulators of flowering and seed germination in moso bamboo and thereby are necessary for the sustainability of moso bamboo forest.

This study investigates mosquito proboscis-inspired (MPI) insertion applied to the clinically used biopsy needle to reduce tissue deformation and organ displacement. Advanced medical imagining has enabled early-stage identification of cancerous lesions that require needle biopsy for minimally invasive tissue sampling and pathological analysis. Accurate cancer diagnosis depends on the accuracy of needle deployment to the targeted cancerous lesion site. However, currently available needle delivery systems deform and move soft tissue and organs, leading to a non-diagnostic biopsy or undersampling of the target. Two features inspired by the mosquito proboscis were adopted for MPI insertion in prostate biopsy: (1) the harpoon-shape notches at the needle tip and (2) reciprocating needle-cannula motions for incremental insertion. The local tissue deformation and global prostate displacement during the MPI vs. traditional direct insertions were quantified by optically tracking the displacement of particle-embedded tissue-mimicking phantoms. Results show that the MPI needle insertion reduced both local tissue deformation and global prostate displacement because of the opposite needle-cannula motions and notches which stabilized and reduced the tissue deformation during insertion. Findings provide proof of concept for MPI insertion in the clinical biopsy procedures as well as insights of needle-tissue interaction for future biopsy technology development.

Bioactive natural products from mangrove-derived actinomycetes are important sources for discovery of drug lead compounds. In this study, an extract prepared from culture of an actinomycete Streptomyces sp. ZQ4BG isolated from mangrove soils was found to have activity in inhibiting proliferation of glioma cells. Large culture of this mangrove actinomycete in Gause's liquid medium resulted in isolation of seven novel polyene-polyol macrolides, named as flavofungins III-IX (3-9), together with known flavofungins I (1) and II (2) and spectinabilin (10). Structures of these isolated compounds were elucidated by extensive NMR analyses and HRESIMS data. The stereochemical assignments were achieved by a combination of NOE information, universal NMR database, and chemical reactions including preparation of acetonide derivatives and Mosher esters. Flavofungins IV-VIII (4-8) are rare 32-membered polyene-polyol macrolides with a tetrahydrofuran ring, while flavofungin IX (9) represents the first example of this type of macrolide with a unique oxepane ring. Flavofungins I (1) and II (2) and spectinabilin (10) showed anti-glioma and antifungal activities.

Browning white adipocytes may be a new target in anti-obesity therapy. Pentamethylquercetin (PMQ) has been shown to have anti-obesity effects in monosodium glutamate-induced obese mice. Here, we aimed to study the anti-obesity effects of PMQ in vitro and in vivo and to determine if adipose browning is involved in the mechanism underlying the anti-obesity effects of PMQ. We evaluated the effects of PMQ on cell proliferation, cell differentiation, glucose consumption, cellular lipid metabolism, and related brown gene expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. We also investigated the effects of PMQ in a mouse model of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. Our results demonstrated that PMQ increased the consumption of glucose, inhibited the accumulation of cellular triglycerides (TGs), and induced the expression of brown adipocyte-specific genes, such as uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1), during the early stage of differentiation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In HFD mice, PMQ treatment reduced waist circumference, LEE index, white adipose tissue (WAT) weight and white adipocyte size and increased brown adipose tissue (BAT) weight. Moreover, PMQ treatment induced mitochondrial biogenesis and upregulated UCP-1 expression in WAT. These findings suggest that PMQ may induce browning of adipose tissue, a phenomenon that is at least partly related to its anti-obesity effects.

Immediately after a destructive earthquake, the real-time seismological community has a major focus on rapidly estimating the felt area and the extent of ground shaking. This estimate provides critical guidance for government emergency response teams to conduct orderly rescue and recovery operations in the damaged areas. While considerable efforts have been made in this direction, it still remains a realistic challenge for gathering macro-seismic data in a timely, accurate and cost-effective manner. To this end, we introduce a new direction to improve the information acquisition through monitoring the real-time information-seeking behaviors in the search engine queries, which are submitted by tens of millions of users after earthquakes. Specifically, we provide a very efficient, robust and machine-learning-assisted method for mapping the user-reported ground shaking distribution through the large-scale analysis of real-time search queries from a dominant search engine in China. In our approach, each query is regarded as a "crowd sensor" with a certain weight of confidence to proactively report the shaking location and extent. By fitting the epicenters of earthquakes occurred in mainland China from 2014 to 2018 with well-designed machine learning models, we can efficiently learn the realistic weight of confidence for each search query and sketch the felt areas and intensity distributions for most of the earthquakes. Indeed, this approach paves the way for using real-time search engine queries to efficiently map earthquake felt area in the regions with a relatively large population of search engine users.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome is an infectious disease that causes serious economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. To better understand the pathogenesis of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), three PRRSV strains with different molecular markers and virulence were used to infect MARC-145 cells. A total of 1804 proteins were identified, and 233 altered proteins and 72 signaling pathways involved in the proteomic profiling of virus-infected MARC-145 cells increased with the virulence of the PRRSV strain. The three types of viral strains shared a common pathway-the electron transport reaction in mitochondria-in the infected-MARC-145 cells. Moreover, the antisense pathway was the most variable of all significant signaling pathways for the highly virulent SX-1 strain, indicating that this unique pathway may be connected to the high virulence of the SX-1 strain. Our study is the first attempt to provide a proteome profile of MARC-145 cells infected with PRRSV strains with different virulence, and these findings will facilitate a deep understanding of the interactions between this virus and its host.

To explore the effect of IL-6 on the activity and secretory function of B cells and analyze its effect on clinical indicators and efficacy in wAIHA patients. This study included 25 hemolytic wAIHA patients, 13 remission patients, and 10 HCs. Plasma levels of various cytokines were detected using CBA. PBMCs were extracted from 12 hemolytic wAIHA patients and divided into three wells, stimulation with IL-6 and IL-6 + tocilizumab, the blank control wells were also set. After 48 h of in vitro cell culture, percentage of CD5+CD80+, CD5-CD80+,CD5+CD86+,CD5-CD86+,CD5+IL-10+,CD5-IL-10+B cells were determined by flow-cytometry. Plasma levels of IL-6 and IL-10 in hemolytic episode group were significantly higher than that in HCs group (p = 0.0243; p = 0.0214). RBC and Hb levels were negatively correlated with IL-6 levels in wAIHA patients, while LDH levels were positively correlated.Therapeutic effects of glucocorticoid and duration of efficacy were also significantly correlated with IL-6 levels in wAIHA patients. After 48 h in vitro cell culture, percentages of CD80+/CD5+CD19+and CD80+/CD5-CD19+ cells in the IL-6 stimulation group were higher than those in blank control group (p = 0.0019; p = 0.0004), while CD86+/CD5+ CD19+ and CD86+/CD5-CD19+ cells were not statistically different before and after IL-6 stimulation. Percentage of IL-10+/CD5+ CD19+ cells in IL-6 stimulation group was lower than that in blank control (p = 0.0017) and IL-6 + toc (p = 0.0117) group. Percentage of IL-10+/CD5- CD19+cells in the IL-6 stimulation group was lower than that in the blank control group (p = 0.0223). Plasma levels of IL-6 were significantly elevated in hemolytic wAIHA patients and correlated with clinical indicators and efficacy. IL-6 promotes the activation of B cells. Although the results were not statistically significant, IL-6R antagonist tocilizumab may hopefully become a targeted therapy for wAIHA patients.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) occurs most commonly after rupture of an aneurysm, resulting in high disability and mortality due to the absence of effective therapy. Its subsequent stage, early brain injury (EBI), promotes the sustainable development of injury in the brain and ultimately leads to poor prognosis. As a new antiepileptic drug, the effect of perampanel on EBI after SAH is unknown. Pyroptosis, a process of inflammatory programmed cell death, has been confirmed in most studies to play a substantial role in aggravating SAH-post EBI. Similarly, oxidative stress is closely involved in neuronal pyroptosis and the pathophysiological mechanism of SAH-post EBI, leading to a devastating outcome for SAH patients. Nonetheless, no studies have been conducted to determine whether perampanel reduces pyroptosis and oxidative stress in the context of SAH-induced EBI. Rat SAH model via endovascular perforation was constructed in this study, to assess the neuroprotective effect of perampanel on SAH-post EBI, and to clarify the possible molecular mechanism. By means of the neurological score, brain edema detection, FJB staining, immunofluorescence, WB, ELISA, and ROS assay, we found that perampanel can improve neuroscores and reduce brain edema and neuronal degeneration at 24 h after SAH; we also found that perampanel reduced oxidative stress, neuronal pyroptosis, and inhibition of the SIRT3-FOXO3α pathway at 24 h after SAH. When 3-TYP, an inhibitor of SIRT3, was administered, the effects of perampanel on the SIRT3-FOXO3a pathway, antioxidant stress, and neuronal pyroptosis were reversed. Taken together, our data indicate that perampanel attenuates oxidative stress and pyroptosis following subarachnoid hemorrhage via the SIRT3/FOXO3α pathway. This study highlights the application value of perampanel in subarachnoid hemorrhage and lays a foundation for clinical research and later transformation of perampanel in SAH.

The role of thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1) in the diagnosis of metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinomas in pleural, pericardial, and peritoneal effusions has not been defined. This study aimed to assess the overall diagnostic accuracy of TTF-1 for metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinomas in pleural or other effusions. Literature search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, and other databases to find eligible publications. Quality was assessed according to standardized QUADAS-2 criteria. Sensitivity, specificity, positive/negative likelihood ratio (PLR/NLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were pooled. Summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves were used to assess overall performance of the TTF-1 assay. A systematic search revealed 20 studies comprising a total of 1,213 subjects in this meta-analysis. The summary estimates were listed as follows: sensitivity, 0.74 (95% CI: 0.69-0.79); specificity, 0.99 (95% CI: 0.97-1.00); PLR, 78.16 (95% CI: 27.15-225.05); NLR, 0.26 (95% CI: 0.22-0.32); and diagnostic odds ratio, 297.75 (95% CI: 104.16-851.19). Estimated positive and negative post-probability values for metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinomas prevalence of 20% were 95% and 6%, respectively. The area under the SROC curve was 0.96. TTF-1 shows significant potential as a diagnostic marker to differentiate metastatic pulmonary from non-pulmonary adenocarcinomas in pleural or other effusions. These results justify larger, more rigorous studies to confirm such a diagnostic role.

Three phenotypes were detected in 161 Botrytis cinerea field isolates, including Zox(S)Car(S) (sensitive to zoxamide and carbendazim), Zox(S)Car(R) (sensitive to zoxamide and resistant to carbendazim), and Zox(R)Car(R) (resistant to zoxamide and carbendazim), but not Zox(R)Car(S) (resistant to zoxamide and sensitive to carbendazim). The baseline sensitivity to zoxamide was determined with a mean EC50 of 0.76 μg/ml. Two stable Zox(R)Car(S) isolates were obtained with a resistance factor of 13.28 and 20.43; there was a fitness penalty in mycelial growth rate, sporulation, virulence and sclerotium production. The results suggest that the resistance risk of B. cinerea to zoxamide is low where benzimidazoles have not been used. E198V, E198K and M233I, were detected in the β-tubulin of Zox(S)Car(R), Zox(R)Car(R), Zox(R)Car(S), respectively. Molecular docking indicated that position 198 in β-tubulin were targets for both zoxamide and carbendazim. The mutations at 198 prevented formation of hydrogen bonds between β-tubulin and carbendazim (E198V/K), and changed the conformation of the binding pocket of zoxamide (E198K). M233I had no effect on the binding of carbendazim but resulted in loss of a hydrogen bond between zoxamide and F200. M233 is suggested to be a unique target site for zoxamide and be very important in the function of β tubulin.

The Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus), one of the world's most expensive cultivated ornamental fishes, is an endangered species. It represents an ancient lineage of teleosts: the Osteoglossomorpha. Here, we provide a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome of a female golden-variety arowana using a combination of deep shotgun sequencing and high-resolution linkage mapping. In addition, we have also generated two draft genome assemblies for the red and green varieties. Phylogenomic analysis supports a sister group relationship between Osteoglossomorpha (bonytongues) and Elopomorpha (eels and relatives), with the two clades together forming a sister group of Clupeocephala which includes all the remaining teleosts. The arowana genome retains the full complement of eight Hox clusters unlike the African butterfly fish (Pantodon buchholzi), another bonytongue fish, which possess only five Hox clusters. Differential gene expression among three varieties provides insights into the genetic basis of colour variation. A potential heterogametic sex chromosome is identified in the female arowana karyotype, suggesting that the sex is determined by a ZW/ZZ sex chromosomal system. The high-quality reference genome of the golden arowana and the draft assemblies of the red and green varieties are valuable resources for understanding the biology, adaptation and behaviour of Asian arowanas.

The neuroendocrine-immune (NEI) regulatory network is a complex system, which plays an indispensable role in the immunity of the host. In the present study, the bioinformatical analysis of the transcriptomic data from oyster Crassostrea gigas and further biological validation revealed that oyster TNF (CgTNF-1 CGI_10018786) could activate the transcription factors NF-κB and HSF (heat shock transcription factor) through MAPK signaling pathway, and then regulate apoptosis, redox reaction, neuro-regulation and protein folding in oyster haemocytes. The activated immune cells then released neurotransmitters including acetylcholine, norepinephrine and [Met(5)]-enkephalin to regulate the immune response by arising the expression of three TNF (CGI_10005109, CGI_10005110 and CGI_10006440) and translocating two NF-κB (Cgp65, CGI_10018142 and CgRel, CGI_10021567) between the cytoplasm and nuclei of haemocytes. Neurotransmitters exhibited the immunomodulation effects by influencing apoptosis and phagocytosis of oyster haemocytes. Acetylcholine and norepinephrine could down-regulate the immune response, while [Met(5)]-enkephalin up-regulate the immune response. These results suggested that the simple neuroendocrine-immune regulatory network in oyster might be activated by oyster TNF and then regulate the immune response by virtue of neurotransmitters, cytokines and transcription factors.

The prognostic value of plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA remains unknown in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 584 newly diagnosed patients with nonmetastatic and biopsy-proven NPC treated using IMRT. Plasma EBV DNA concentration was measured before therapy (pre-DNA) and within 1 month of completing therapy (post-DNA) using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to identify pre-DNA and post-DNA cut-off values. Prognostic value was assessed using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model .Three-year disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), loco-regional relapse-free survival (LRRFS) and distant metastasis-free (DMFS) for pre-DNA >2010 vs.≤2010 were 78.1% vs. 93.6% (P < 0.001), 92.3% vs. 98.9% (P < 0.001), 90.9% vs. 96.6% (P = 0.004) and 85.5% vs. 96.6% (P < 0.001), respectively. Three-year DFS, OS, LRRFS and DMFS for post-DNA >0 vs. = 0 were 49.9% vs. 88.5% (P < 0.001), 72.1% vs. 97.5% (P < 0.001), 86.6% vs. 94.3% (P = 0.019), and 60.5% vs. 93.3% (P < 0.001), respectively. Plasma EBV DNA remains a prognostic factor in IMRT era and should be incorporated into TNM staging to guide individualized treatment strategies in NPC.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are a good candidate for tissue engineering and clinical application. One of the challenges in its cell therapy is how to quickly obtain an adequate number of seed cells and meanwhile maintain suitable differentiation potential. In this study we combined three-dimensional (3D) collagen porous scaffolds with rotary cell culture system (RCCS) (RCCS-3D) to create a stereoscopic dynamic environment for the amplification of rat BMSCs in vitro. The results revealed that this RCCS-3D system could enhance BMSCs' proliferation and colony formation, as well as maintain the differentiation potential compared with conventional static two-dimensional (2D) and 3D cell culture conditions. In addition, high-throughput microarray analysis showed that gene expressions of RCCS-3D system displayed significant differences in cell proliferation and differentiation compared with static-2D conditions. Thus, RCCS-3D system could provide an effective means for BMSCs cell proliferation in vitro and meanwhile maintain differentiation potential in tissue engineering.

Zirconium carbide (ZrC) reinforced tungsten (W) composite was hot-pressed at 2200 °C for 1 h in vacuum, which was subsequently heat treated in the temperature range of 2200 to 2500 °C for 1.5 or 2 h. The relative ratios of ZrC phase were 21.0, 23.3 and 25.9 mol.% for the mixture of starting powders, composites sintered for 1 h and solid-solution treated at 2500 °C for 1.5 h, respectively. The solid solubility of W in ZrC increased with the increment in heat-treating temperature and time to a maximum value of 18.9 mol.% at 2500 °C for 1.5 h. The lattice parameter of cubic ZrC phase diminished from 0.4682 nm in the starting powder to 0.4642 nm in the solid-solution composite treated at 2500 °C for 1.5 h. This work demonstrated that the relationship between the solid solubility of W in ZrC and the lattice parameter of ZrC is linear, with a slope of -1.93 × 10-4 nm/at.%. Overall, more W atoms diffused into ZrC lattice after heat treatment, meanwhile, the previous precipitated nano-sized W dissolved in the supersaturated (Zr,W)C solid-solution, as detected by SEM and TEM.