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Enacted in 2010 as part of the Affordable Care Act, the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (PPSA) mandates transparency in financial interactions between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers. This study investigates the PPSA's effectiveness and its impact on industry payments to physicians. Utilizing ProPublica and Open Payments databases, a difference-in-difference analysis was conducted across ten states. Results reveal a significant reduction in pharmaceutical companies' meal-related payments post-PPSA, impacting both the total payment amount and the number of unique physicians reached. Conversely, travel payments showed no significant impact in the primary analysis. However, subsequent analyses revealed nuanced reductions in the number of unique physicians reached, highlighting a more intricate relationship wherein pharmaceutical companies likely adjusted their financial interaction strategies with physicians differently across states. State-level variations in meals further underscore the complexity of PPSA's influence. This pioneering research contributes valuable empirical evidence, addressing gaps in prior studies and emphasizing the ongoing need for policy assessment to guide industry-physician relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, China's rapid development has led to significant environmental pollution from the widespread use of chemical products. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are among the most concerning pollutants due to their persistence and bioaccumulation. This article assesses PFAS exposure levels, distribution, and health risks in Chinese blood, environment, and food. Out of 4037 papers retrieved from November 2022 to December 31, 2023, 351 articles met the criteria. Findings show perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) as the main PFAS in both Chinese populations and the environment. The highest PFOA levels in Chinese populations were in Shandong (53.868 ng/mL), while Hubei had the highest PFOS levels (43.874 ng/mL). Similarly, water samples from Sichuan (2115.204 ng/L) and Jiangsu (368.134 ng/L) had the highest PFOA and PFOS levels, respectively. Although localized areas showed high PFAS concentrations. Additionally, developed areas had higher PFAS contamination. The researches conducted in areas such as Qinghai and Hainan remain limited, underscoring the imperative for further investigation. Temporal analysis indicates declining levels of some PFAS, but emerging alternatives require more research. Limited studies on PFAS concentrations in soil, atmosphere, and food emphasize the need for comprehensive research to mitigate human exposure. [Display omitted] • Exposure risks through drinking water were generally low. • PFOA and PFOS were two major PFAS in Chinese and environment. • Women's exposure to PFAS was higher than that of men. • The levels of PFAS in soil, air, and food warrant further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Root systems are the key organs through which plants absorb water and nutrients and perceive the soil environment and thus are easily damaged by salt stress. Melatonin can alleviate stress-induced damage to roots. The present study investigated the effects of exogenous melatonin on the root physiology, transcriptome and metabolome of cotton seedlings under salt stress. Salt stress was observed to damage the cell structure and disorder the physiological system of cotton seedling roots. After subjecting melatonin-soaked seeds to salt stress, the activities of SOD, CAT and POD in cotton seedling roots increased by 10–25%, 50–60% and 50–60%, respectively. The accumulation of H2O2 and MDA were significantly decreased by 30–60% and 30–50%, respectively. The contents of soluble sugar, soluble protein and K+ increased by 15–30%, 15–30% and 20–50%, respectively, while the Na+ content was significantly reduced. Melatonin also increased auxin (by 20–40%), brassinosteroids (by 5–40%) and gibberellin (by 5–35%) and promoted melatonin content and root activity. Exogenous melatonin maintained the integrity of root cells and increased the number of organelles. Transcriptomic and metabolomic results showed that exogenous melatonin could mitigate the salt-stress-induced inhibition of plant root development by regulating the reactive oxygen species scavenging system; ABC transporter synthesis; plant hormone signal transduction, endogenous melatonin gene expression; and the expression of the transcription factors MYB, TGA and WRKY33. These results provide a new direction and empirical basis for improving crop salt tolerance with melatonin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer (BC) is a malignant tumor, that damages the physical health of female patients. It is crucial to develop new treatment strategies for BC, as this disease significantly affects the quality of life of women in both developing and developed countries, despite the existence of effective treatment options to reduce mortality. Recently, several researchers have been studying circular RNAs (circRNAs) in BC due to their stability and sponge function. In the present study, a new circRNA, hsa_circ_0001508, was discovered using Gene Chip's prediction. This gene is important because it is novel in BC. However, due to financial constraints, the study was designed as a pilot study for future research. The present study included several common biomedical experimental techniques, such as reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, flow cytometry, cell counting, cell invasion, wound healing assay and western blotting. It also involves the use of DNA microarray (gene chip) and prediction of microRNA and mRNA interactions using bioinformatics tools such as TargetScan. The findings revealed that hsa_circ_0001508 exhibits carcinogenic properties that facilitate the progression of BC. Furthermore, potential binding sites were identified as crucial areas for future investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Drought stress is the most limiting factor for plant growth and crop production worldwide. As a major cereal crop, wheat is susceptible to drought. Thus, discovering and utilizing drought-tolerant gene resources from related species are highly important for improving wheat drought resistance. In this study, the drought tolerance of wheat Zhongmai 8601-Thinopyrum intermedium 7XL/7DS translocation line YW642 was estimated under drought stress, and then two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) based proteome analysis of the developing grains was performed to uncover the drought-resistant proteins. Results: The results showed that 7XL/7DS translocation possessed a better drought-tolerance compared to Zhongmai 8601. 2D-DIGE identified 146 differential accumulation protein (DAP) spots corresponding to 113 unique proteins during five grain developmental stages of YW642 under drought stress. Among them, 55 DAP spots corresponding to 48 unique proteins displayed an upregulated expression, which were mainly involved in stress/defense, energy metabolism, starch metabolism, protein metabolism/folding and transport. The cis-acting element analysis revealed that abundant stress-related elements were present in the promoter regions of the drought-responsive protein genes, which could play important roles in drought defense. RNA-seq and RT-qPCR analyses revealed that some regulated DAP genes also showed a high expression level in response to drought stress. Conclusions: Our results indicated that Wheat-Th. intermedium 7XL/7DS translocation line carried abundant drought-resistant proteins that had potential application values for wheat drought tolerance improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Multidrug and toxin efflux (MATE) gene family plays crucial roles in plant growth and development and response to adverse stresses. This work investigated the structural and evolutionary characteristics, expression profiling and potential functions involved in aluminium (Al) tolerance from a genome-wide level. In total, 211 wheat MATE genes were identified, which were classified into four subfamilies and unevenly distributed on chromosomes. Duplication analysis showed that fragments and tandem repeats played the main roles in the amplification of TaMATEs, and Type II functional disproportionation had a leading role in the differentiation of TaMATEs. TaMATEs had abundant Al resistance and environmental stress-related elements, and generally had a high expression level in roots and leaves and in response to Al stress. The 3D structure prediction by AlphaFold and molecular docking showed that six TaMATE proteins localised in the plasmalemma could combine with citrate via amino acids in the citrate exuding motif and other sites, and then transport citrate to soil to form citrate aluminium. Meanwhile, citrate aluminium formed in root cells might be transported to leaves by TaMATEs to deposit in vacuoles, thereby alleviating Al toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated grain proteomic profiles in response to water deficit, high nitrogen (N) fertilizer, and their combined treatments in elite Chinese bread wheat cultivar Jingdong 17, using a two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE)-based approach. Water deficit negatively affected the main agronomic traits of wheat and grain yield, while high-N fertilizer had the opposite effects. The application of a high-N fertilizer under water deficit conditions moderately improved kernel development and grain yield. 2D-DIGE led to the identification of 124 differentially accumulated protein (DAP) spots during five different grain developmental stages, corresponding to 97 unique proteins. The more significant changes of DAPs occurred at 10–20 days after flowering. DAPs were involved in carbohydrate metabolism, protein turnover, protein folding, cell cycle control, stress response, nitrogen metabolism, photosynthesis, and energy metabolism. In particular, water deficit caused a significant downregulation of proteins involved in starch biosynthesis, whereas high-N fertilizer led to a significant upregulation of proteins involved in nitrogen metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and starch biosynthesis. The combined treatment resulted in a moderate upregulation of DAPs related to carbohydrate metabolism, starch biosynthesis, and nitrogen metabolism. Our results indicated that high-N fertilization could alleviate yield loss caused by water deficit by promoting the accumulation of proteins involved in nitrogen and carbohydrate metabolism. • Independent and combined water-deficit and high-N treatments have significant effects on wheat kernel proteome. • 124 differentially accumulated proteins involved in nine functional groups were identified under different treatments. • Water deficit downregulates carbon metabolism related proteins and decreases grain weight and yield. • High N-fertilizer upregulates nitrogen and energy metabolism related proteins and alleviates the negative effects of water deficit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new TBP-FeCl 3 -P204-kerosene system was used for selective extraction of lithium. • The single-stage extraction efficiency of Li+ was 52.71% under optimal conditions. • The proposed extraction process did not use additional acid-base solutions. • Pure water could be used as washing and stripping agents. • Fe(III) was loaded in the organic phase with FeCl 4 - and Fe3+ bonding to TBP and P204. The tributyl phosphate (TBP)–FeCl 3 –kerosene system is a common tool for lithium extraction from salt lakes. This system has two main problems. One, FeCl 4 − is unstable, which decreases the lithium extraction efficiency. Two, TBP readily degrades after long-term contact with high concentrations of acids and bases. Accordingly, the present authors introduce di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (P204) in conjunction with Fe3+ to construct a TBP–FeCl 3 –P204–kerosene extraction system. The optimal operating conditions were 10% P204 + 40% TBP + kerosene, an Fe3+/Li+ molar ratio of 1.6, and organic-to-acid phase ratio R(O/A) = 1. The final lithium ion single-stage extraction yield was 52.71%. The former washed 90.64% of Mg2+ when R(O/A) = 70, the latter washed 95.37% of Mg2+ when R(O/A) = 20. Using water as the stripping agent, the Li+ stripping efficiency decreased with increasing R(O/A). Ultraviolet and Raman spectroscopy indicated that TBP underwent complexation with Li+ and FeCl 4 −, whereas P204 underwent complexation with Fe3+ only. When the Cl− concentration was low, Fe3+ underwent complexation with P204 and was retained in the organic phase; whereas when the Cl− concentration was high, FeCl 4 − formed again in a manner that facilitated co-extraction with Li+ by TBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expanded graphite/polyaniline (EG/PANT) composites were prepared by in situ polymerization, using EG as matrix, ammonium persulfate (APS) as oxidant and hydrochloric acid (HCl) as dopant. The morphology, composition, and electromagnetic parameters of EG/PANT composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), the four-point probe and vector network analyzer (VNA). The influence of the addition of aniline on the microwave absorbing properties of EG/ PANT composite was studied. The results showed that the electrical conductivity of the composite decreased gradually with the increase of the amount of aniline. When the mass ratio of aniline/EG was 5 : 1, the reflection loss peak of the sample moved toward the low frequency direction with the increase of the matching thickness. The minimum reflection loss of EG/PANT composites reached -48.5 dB at 5.5 GHz with the matching thickness of 3.5 mm, indicating that the EG/PANT composite could be a potential microwave absorbing material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compared the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine, cisplatin, prednisone and thalidomide ( GDPT) with standard CHOP regimen (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) for patients with newly diagnosed peripheral T-cell lymphoma ( PTCL) in a prospective randomized controlled and open-label clinical trial. Between July 2010 and June 2016, 103 patients were randomly allocated into two groups, of whom 52 were treated with GDPT therapy and 51 with CHOP therapy. The 2-year progression-free survival ( PFS) and overall survival ( OS) rates were better in the GDPT group than in the CHOP group (57% vs. 35% for 2-year PFS, P = 0·0035; 71% vs 50% for 2-year OS, P = 0·0001). The complete remission rate ( CRR) and the overall response rate ( ORR) in the GDPT group were higher than in the CHOP group (52% vs. 33%, P = 0·044 for CRR; 67% vs. 49%, P = 0·046 for ORR). Haemocytopenia was the predominant adverse effect, and acute toxicity was moderate, tolerable and well managed in both arms. mRNA expression of ERCC1, RRM1, TUBB3 and TOP2A genes varied among patients but the difference did not reach statistical significance, mainly due to the relatively small sample size. The precise characters of these biomarkers remain to be identified. In conclusion, GDPT is a promising new regimen as potential first-line therapy against PTCL. This study was registered at as # NCT01664975. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel heteropolyacid ionic liquid 1-methylimidazolium silicotungstate ([Mmim] 4 SiW 12 O 40) was synthesized using a one-step method and subsequently characterized. This compound was then employed as a co-extractant for the removal of lithium from salt lake brine having a high Mg/Li molar ratio, in conjunction with tributyl phosphate (TBP) and γ-heptanolide as the extractant and diluent, respectively. The optimal extraction conditions gave a single-stage lithium ion extraction efficiency of approximately 60 %. More environmentally friendly and efficient processes were also developed. In one approach, a portion of the aqueous phase containing only HCl and LiCl after stripping was used for washing along with an aqueous HCl solution as the stripping agent and Mg(OH) 2 for regeneration. In the alternative method, NaCl and LiCl were used as washing agents while Na 2 CO 3 was employed for stripping and regeneration, reducing the time required without the need for strong acids or bases. This system showed good extraction efficiency stability over 10 consecutive cycles. The mechanism of this process was explored using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and the binding capacity of TBP for the metals was found to decrease in the order of Li+ > Na+ > Mg2+ > K+. • The proposed heteropolyacid ionic liquid was synthesized by one-step method. • The single-stage extraction efficiency of lithium ion was approximately 60 %. • The proposed extraction system showed high selectivities for Mg2+, Na+ and K+. • Na 2 CO 3 was used as stripping agent for shorting the process flow. • The proposed extraction system showed good reusability and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO nanoparticles were grown by decomposing of zinc acetate dehydrate. ZnS shells formed on ZnO nanoparticle surfaces in Na2S aqueous solution with the help of ultrasonic at room temperature. The nanoparticle structures and optical properties were characterized. Stability of the shells and effects of capping on the nanoparticle optical properties were studied. Luminescence of the nanoparticles was sensitive to the shell structures and excitation laser density. Single crystal shells could enhance ZnO nanoparticle emission more obviously under higher excitation, but the suppression of the green emission depended on the shell thickness. Single crystal shell could suppress while nanoparticle shells enhance the interface defect vibration. ZnS nanoparticle shells were unstable under exposure to laser light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online users often need to make adoption decisions without accurate information about the product values. An informational cascade occurs when it is optimal for an online user, having observed others' actions, to follow the adoption decision of the preceding individual without regard to his own information. Informational cascades are often rational for individual decision making; however, it may lead to adoption of inferior products. With easy availability of information about other users' choices, the Internet offers an ideal environment for informational cascades. In this paper, we empirically examine informational cascades in the context of online software adoption. We find user behavior in adopting software products is consistent with the predictions of the informational cascades literature. Our results demonstrate that online users' choices of software products exhibit distinct jumps and drops with changes in download ranking, as predicted by informational cascades theory. Furthermore, we find that user reviews have no impact on user adoption of the most popular product, while having an increasingly positive impact on the adoption of lower ranking products. The phenomenon persists after controlling for alternative explanations such as network effects, word-of-mouth effects, and product diffusion. Our results validate informational cascades as an important driver for decision making on the Internet. The finding also offers an explanation for the mixed results reported in prior studies with regard to the influence of online user reviews on product sales. We show that the mixed results could be due to the moderating effect of informational cascades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lysine crotonylation (Kcr) is a novel post-translational modification and its function in plant salt-stress responses remains unclear. In this study, we performed the first comprehensive chloroplast crotonylome analysis of wheat seedling leaves to examine the potential functions of Kcr proteins in salt-stress responses. In a total of 471 chloroplast proteins, 1290 Kcr sites were identified as significantly regulated by salt stress, and the Kcr proteins were mainly involved in photosynthesis, protein folding, and ATP synthesis. The identified Kcr sites that responded to salt stress were concentrated within KcrK and KcrF motifs, with the conserved KcrF motif being identified in the Kcr proteins of wheat chloroplasts for the first time. Notably, 10 Kcr sites were identified in fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (TaFBA6), a key chloroplast metabolic enzyme involved in the Calvin–Benson cycle. Site-directed mutagenesis of TaFBA6 showed that the Kcr at K367 is critical in maintaining its enzymatic activity and in conferring salt tolerance in yeast. Further molecular dynamic simulations and analyses of surface electrostatic potential indicated that the Kcr at K367 could improve the structural stability of TaFBA6 by decreasing the distribution of positive charges on the protein surface to resist alkaline environments, thereby promoting both the activity of TaFBA6 and salt tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,3,7,8 -tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a teratogen that can induce cleft palate formation, a common birth defect. Competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), including circular RNAs (circRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), indirectly regulate gene expression via sharing microRNAs (miRNAs). Nevertheless, the mechanism by which they act as ceRNAs to regulate palatal development remains to be explored in greater detail. Here, the cleft palate model of C57BL/6 N pregnant mice was constructed by gavage of TCDD (64 ug/kg) on gestation day (GD) 10.5, and the palatal shelves were taken on gestation day (GD) 14.5 for whole-transcriptome sequencing to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the roles of circRNAs and lncRNAs as ceRNAs in cleft palate. Sequencing results revealed that 293 lncRNA, 589 circRNA, 47 miRNA, and 138 messenger RNA (mRNA) were significantly dysregulated, and the cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway play key roles in the induction of cleft palate upon exposure to TCDD. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed the function of TCDD function was mainly related to the metabolic processes of intracellular compounds, including the metabolic processes of cellular aromatic compounds and the metabolism of exogenous drugs by cytochrome P450, etc. Furthermore, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) indicated that the circRNA_1781/miR-30c-1–3p/PKIB and XR_380026.2/miR-1249–3p/DNAH10 ceRNA networks were hypothesized to be a hub involved in palatal development suggesting that the circRNA_1781/miR-30c-1–3p/PKIB and XR_380026.2/miR-1249–3p/DNAH10 ceRNA networks may be critical for palatogenesis, setting the foundation for the investigation of cleft palate. • CYP450 enzymes and the AhR pathway play key roles in TCDD-induced cleft palate. • The function of TCDD is mainly related to the metabolic processes of intracellular compounds. • The circRNA_1781/miR-30c-1–3p/PKIB and XR_380026.2/miR-1249–3p/DNAH10 ceRNA networks may be critical in causing cleft palate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel betaine-amino acid based NDES was prepared at room temperature. • [Bet][AA] NDES showed excellent lignin and xylan solubility. • MCC and corncob showed enhanced glucose yield after pretreatment. • The mechanism of [Bet][AA] NDES pretreatment was proposed. A novel natural deep eutectic solvent (NDES) with water content ranging from 65 to 93 wt%, in which betaine (Bet) acts as the cation and amino acids (AAs) as the anions, was prepared by a simple and green chemical route. [Bet][AA] NDES showed excellent xylan and lignin solubility, however, scare cellulose solubility. A mild and facile pretreatment process with [Bet][AA] NDES was carried out at 60 °C for 5 h. The enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency of cellulose and corncob was significantly improved. Detailed characterization showed that the enhancement of cellulose digestibility derived mainly from xylan and lignin removal. Xylan and lignin removal for [Bet][Lys]-W87 was 47.68 and 49.06%, while it was 42.20% and 57.01% for [Bet][Arg]-W82, respectively. FT-IR, SEM, XRD, and HSQC NMR studies confirmed the effectiveness and mechanism of [Bet][Lys]-W87 and [Bet][Arg]-W82 on biomass pretreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein glycosylation is one of the ubiquitous post-translational modifications in eukaryotic cells, which play important roles in plant growth and adverse response. In this study, we performed the first comprehensive wheat plasma membrane N -glycoproteome analysis under drought stress via glycopeptide HILIC enrichment and LC-MS/MS identification. In total, 414 glycosylated sites corresponding to 407 glycopeptides and 312 unique glycoproteins were identified, of which 173 plasma membrane glycoproteins with 215 N -glycosylation sites were significantly regulated by drought stress. Functional enrichment analysis reveals that the significantly regulated N -glycosylation proteins were particularly related to protein kinase activity involved in the reception and transduction of extracellular signal and plant cell wall remolding. The motifs and sequence structures analysis showed that the significantly regulated N -glycosylation sites were concentrated within [NxT] motif, and 79.5% of them were located on the random coil that is always on the protein surface and flexible regions, which could facilitate protein glycosylated modification and enhance protein structural stability via reducing protein flexibility. PNGase F enzyme digestion and glycosylation site mutation further indicated that N -glycosylated modification could increase protein stability. Therefore, N -glycosylated modification is involved in plant adaptation to drought stress by improving the stability of cell wall remodeling related plasma membrane proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium is a vital aspect of the strategic development of the alternative energy and nuclear industries, and the demand for this metal is currently increasing rapidly. China possesses significant lithium resources, nearly 80 % of which are situated in salt lake brine. Solvent extraction is a viable means of extracting lithium ions from brine that has high magnesium-to-lithium ratio, and provides high selectivity along with ready scale-up to industrial production levels. The most common extraction technology for such scenarios is the tributyl phosphate (TBP)-FeCl 3 -kerosene system. However, this system tends to lose Fe3+ during the extraction process and the concurrent use of acid and alkali can seriously affect the stability of the organic phase. The present work demonstrates a new extraction process employing TBP as the main extractant, sodium tetraphenyl boron as a co-extractant and phenethyl isobutyrate as a diluent. Optimization of the relative amounts of these components along with the phase ratio provided a single-stage lithium ion extraction efficiency of 85.70 % together with a separation factor of lithium to magnesium ions of 1175. The organic phase was washed with a LiCl + NaCl solution to remove impurity ions then stripped five times with a NaHCO 3 solution, with a Li+ stripping efficiency >99 %. During ten replicate extractions, the Li+ extraction efficiency remained stable at approximately 84 %, demonstrating good stability. NMR spectra verified that the binding strength of metal cations to TBP decreased in the order of Li+ > Na+ ≫ Mg2+, indicating selectivity for the extraction of Li+. This single step NaHCO 3 method was adopted to simplify the extraction process. The overall strategy avoids the use of strong acids or bases that otherwise corrode equipment and provides greatly improved long-term stability of the organic phase. • TBP-sodium tetraphenyl boron-phenethyl isobutyrate extraction system was proposed. • A single-stage extraction efficiency of 85.70 % for lithium ion could be obtained. • The maximum separation factor of lithium to magnesium ions reached up to 1175. • NaHCO 3 was used as stripping agent to simplify the extraction process. • The proposed extraction system showed high stability and reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The initial reaction of BTBPE molecule was dominated by concerted mechanism. • 2,4,6-Tribromophenoxy radical can further catalyze the decomposition of BTBPE. • Debromination at ortho -position is the most important reaction for BTBPE to react with H radicals. • The yield of PBDD is higher than that of PBDFs. 1,2-Bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE), as a novel brominated flame retardant, is widely applied to various plastic products to improve flame resistance. In this paper, we have carried out theoretical and experimental studies on the pyrolysis of BTBPE. The density functional theory (DFT) method at M06/cc-pVDZ theoretical level was used to calculate thermodynamic and kinetic parameters, and the pyrolysis mechanisms of BTBPE were in detail analyzed based on theoretical calculation data and relevant experimental findings. In unimolecular pyrolysis reaction, concerted reaction mechanism with a four-membered ring transition state at low temperatures leads to high yields of 2,4,6-tribromophenol and vinyl 2,4,6-tribromophenol ether, and free radical reaction at high temperatures generates 2,4,6-tribromophenoxy and 2,4,6-tribromophenoxy-ethyl by direct breakage of the C O bond. The 2,4,6-tribromophenoxy radical can further catalyze BTBPE decomposition to form 2,4,6-tribromophenol and vinyl 2,4,6-tribromophenol ether. Reactions of the BTBPE molecule with H radicals mainly proceed via debromination, which results in the production of HBr and low-brominated congeners. The 2,4,6-tribromophenol and 2,4,6-tribromophenoxy undergo a C O coupling reaction to eliminate OH, which is the principal pathway for the generation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The formation of polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs) involves the self-condensation of 2,4,6-tribromophenoxys, debromination, rearrangement, and cyclization. The energy barrier of the reaction path forming PBDD is lower than that of the reaction path forming PBDFs. Therefore, the yield of brominated dibenzo-p-dioxin is higher than that of brominated dibenzofuran. The experimental results of pyrolysis are in good agreement with our theoretical research. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat gluten proteins serve as the largest protein molecules in nature and play key roles in breadmaking quality formation. In this study, we used a pair of Glu-A1 allelic variation lines to perform a comprehensive investigation on the effects of Glu-A1a encoded 1Ax1 subunit on gluten physicochemical properties, molecular structures and breadmaking quality. The results showed that the presence of the 1Ax1 subunit significantly increased gluten content, leading to marked improvement of dough rheological properties. Meanwhile, gluten physicochemical properties such as foaming ability and foaming stability, oil/water-holding capacity, emulsifying activity, disulfide bond content, and gluten degradation temperature were significantly improved. A confocal laser scanning microscope analysis revealed that the 1Ax1 subunit drastically enhanced gluten microstructure. Gluten secondary structure analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and laser scanning microscope-Raman spectroscopy indicated that 1Ax1 subunit significantly promoted β-turn and β-sheet content and reduced α-helix content. Three-dimensional structure analysis by AlphaFold2 revealed a similar structural feature of 1Ax1 with the superior quality subunit 1Ax2*. Correlation and principal component analyses demonstrated that α-helix and β-sheet content had a significant correlation with dough rheological properties, gluten physicochemical properties and breadmaking quality. Our results showed that 1Ax1 subunit positively affected gluten molecular structure and quality formation. • 1Ax1 improved dough rheological properties and gluten physicochemical properties. • Connectivity and uniformity of gluten microstructure were enhanced by 1Ax1 subunit. • The 1Ax1 subunit promoted gluten disulfide bond content and foaming properties. • Loaf volume and inner structures were positively affected by the 1Ax1 subunit. • α-Helix and β-sheet were the key predictors for gluten strength and breadmaking quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GATA transcription factor genes participate in plant growth, development, morphogenesis, and stress response. In this study, we carried out a comprehensive genome-wide analysis of wheat GATA transcription factor genes to reveal their molecular evolutionary characteristics and involvement in salt and drought tolerance. In total, 79 TaGATA genes containing a conserved GATA domain were identified in the wheat genome, which were classified into four subfamilies. Collinear analysis indicated that fragment duplication plays an important role in the amplification of the wheat GATA gene family. Functional disproportionation analysis between subfamilies found that both type I and type II functional divergence simultaneously occurs in wheat GATA genes, which might result in functional differentiation of the TaGATA gene family. Transcriptional expression analysis showed that TaGATA genes generally have a high expression level in leaves and in response to drought and salt stresses. Overexpression of TaGATA62 and TaGATA73 genes significantly enhanced the drought and salt tolerance of yeast and Arabidopsis. Protein–protein docking indicated that TaGATAs can enhance drought and salt tolerance by interacting between the DNA-binding motif of GATA transcription factors and photomorphogenesis-related protein TaCOP9-5A. Our results provided a base for further understanding the molecular evolution and functional characterization of the plant GATA gene family in response to abiotic stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erythrogram, despite its prevalent use in assessing red blood cell (RBC) disorders and can be utilized to evaluate various diseases, still lacks evidence supporting the effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and organophosphate esters (OPEs) on it. A cross-sectional study involving 467 adults from Shijiazhuang, China was conducted to assess the associations between 12 PFASs and 11 OPEs and the erythrogram (8 indicators related to RBC). Three models, including multiple linear regression (MLR), sparse partial least squares regression, and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were employed to evaluate both the individual and joint effects of PFASs and OPEs on the erythrogram. Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) showed the strongest association with HGB (3.68%, 95% CI: 2.29%, 5.10%) when doubling among PFASs in MLR models. BKMR indicated that PFASs were more strongly associated with the erythrogram than OPEs, as evidenced by higher group posterior inclusion probabilities (PIPs) for PFASs. Within hemoglobin and hematocrit, PFHxS emerged as the most significant component (conditional PIP = 1.0 for both). Collectively, our study emphasizes the joint effect of PFASs and OPEs on the erythrogram and identified PFASs, particularly PFHxS, as the pivotal contributors to the erythrogram. Nonetheless, further investigations are warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. [Display omitted] • The first study to explore the effect of PFASs and OPEs mixture on erythrogram. • Three independent but complementary statistical models were used for analysis. • Co-exposure of PFASs and OPEs shows positive association with HGB and HCT. • PFHxS is the prominent component associated with erythrogram. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycoside hydrolase family 9 (GH9) is a key member of the hydrolase family in the process of cellulose synthesis and hydrolysis, playing important roles in plant growth and development. In this study, we investigated the phenotypic characteristics and gene expression involved in pollen fertility conversion and anther dehiscence from a genomewide level. In total, 74 wheat GH9 genes (TaGH9s) were identified, which were classified into Class A, Class B and Class C and unevenly distributed on chromosomes. We also investigated the gene duplication and reveled that fragments and tandem repeats contributed to the amplification of TaGH9s. TaGH9s had abundant hormone-responsive elements and light-responsive elements, involving JA–ABA crosstalk to regulate anther development. Ten TaGH9s, which highly expressed stamen tissue, were selected to further validate their function in pollen fertility conversion and anther dehiscence. Based on the cell phenotype and the results of the scanning electron microscope at the anther dehiscence period, we found that seven TaGH9s may target miRNAs, including some known miRNAs (miR164 and miR398), regulate the level of cellulose by light and phytohormone and play important roles in pollen fertility and anther dehiscence. Finally, we proposed a hypothesis model to reveal the regulation pathway of TaGH9 on fertility conversion and anther dehiscence. Our study provides valuable insights into the GH9 family in explaining the male sterility mechanism of the wheat photo-thermo-sensitive genetic male sterile (PTGMS) line and generates useful male sterile resources for improving wheat hybrid breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermosensitive genic male sterile (TGMS) wheat lines are the core of two-line hybrid systems. Understanding the mechanism that regulates male sterility in TGMS wheat lines is helpful for promoting wheat breeding. Several studies have obtained information regarding the mechanisms associated with male sterility at the transcriptional level, but it is not clear how the post-transcriptional process of alternative splicing might contribute to controlling male sterility. In this study, we performed genome-wide analyses of alternative splicing during the meiosis stage in TGMS line BS366 using PacBio and RNA-Seq hybrid sequencing. Cytological observations indicated that cytoskeleton assembly in pollen cells, calcium deposition in pollen and tapetal cells, and vesicle transport in tapetal cells were deficient in BS366. According to our cytological findings, 49 differentially spliced genes were isolated. Moreover, 25 long non-coding RNA targets and three bHLH transcription factors were identified. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis detected four candidate differentially spliced genes that had strong co-relation with the seed setting percentage, which is the direct representation of male sterility in BS366. In this study, we obtained comprehensive data regarding the alternative splicing-mediated regulation of male sterility in TGMS wheat. The candidates identified may provide the molecular basis for an improved understanding of male sterility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the necessity and urgency in removing organic pollutants such as malachite green (MG) from the environment, it is vital to screen high-capacity adsorbents using artificial neural network (ANN) methods quickly and accurately. In this study, a series of ZIF-67 were synthesized, which adsorption properties for organic pollutants, especially MG, were systematically evaluated and determined as 241.720 mg g−1 (25 ℃, 2 h). The adsorption process was more consistent with pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir adsorption isotherm, which correlation coefficients were 0.995 and 0.997, respectively. The chemisorption mechanism was considered to be π-π stacking interaction between imidazole and aromatic ring. Then, a Python-based neural network model using the Limited-memory BFGS algorithm was constructed by collecting the crucial structural parameters of ZIF-67 and the experimental data of batch adsorption. The model, optimized extensively, outperformed similar Matlab-based ANN with a coefficient of determination of 0.9882 and mean square error of 0.0009 in predicting ZIF-67 adsorption of MG. Furthermore, the model demonstrated a good generalization ability in the predictive training of other organic pollutants. In brief, ANN was successfully separated from the Matlab platform, providing a robust framework for high-precision prediction of organic pollutants and guiding the synthesis of adsorbents. [Display omitted] • Adsorption mechanism of ZIF-76 on dyes mainly depends on π-π stacking interaction. • Python-based ANN accurately predicts ZIF-67 adsorption of malachite green. • The model consists of 12 neuron, L-BFGS algorithm, and Tanh activation function. • Systematically explores the interplay of preparation, structure, and adsorption. • Python-based ANN outperforms Matlab in predictive accuracy and generalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As damage to the ecological environment continues to increase amid unreasonable amounts of irrigation, soil salinization has become a major challenge to agricultural development. Melatonin (MT) is a pleiotropic signal molecule and indole hormone, which alleviates the damage of abiotic stress to plants. MT has been confirmed to eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS) by improving the antioxidant system and reducing oxidative damage under adversity. However, the mechanism by which exogenous MT mediates salt tolerance by regulating the photosynthetic capacity and ion balance of cotton seedlings still remains unknown. In this study, the regulatory effects of MT on the photosynthetic system, osmotic modulators, chloroplast, and anatomical structure of cotton seedlings were determined under 0–500 μM MT treatments with salt stress induced by treatment with 150 mM NaCl. Results: Salt stress reduces the chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration, transpiration rate, PSII photochemical efficiency, PSII actual photochemical quantum yield, the apparent electron transfer efficiency, stomata opening, and biomass. In addition, it increases non-photochemical quenching. All of these responses were effectively alleviated by exogenous treatment with MT. Exogenous MT reduces oxidative damage and lipid peroxidation by reducing salt-induced ROS and protects the plasma membrane from oxidative toxicity. MT also reduces the osmotic pressure by reducing the salt-induced accumulation of Na+ and increasing the contents of K+ and proline. Exogenous MT can facilitate stomatal opening and protect the integrity of cotton chloroplast grana lamella structure and mitochondria under salt stress, protect the photosynthetic system of plants, and improve their biomass. An anatomical analysis of leaves and stems showed that MT can improve xylem and phloem and other properties and aides in the transportation of water, inorganic salts, and organic substances. Therefore, the application of MT attenuates salt-induced stress damage to plants. Treatment with exogenous MT positively increased the salt tolerance of cotton seedlings by improving their photosynthetic capacity, stomatal characteristics, ion balance, osmotic substance biosynthetic pathways, and chloroplast and anatomical structures (xylem vessels and phloem vessels). Conclusions: Our study attributes help to protect the structural stability of photosynthetic organs and increase the amount of material accumulation, thereby reducing salt-induced secondary stress. The mechanisms of MT-induced plant tolerance to salt stress provide a theoretical basis for the use of MT to alleviate salt stress caused by unreasonable irrigation, fertilization, and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycosylation is an important protein post-translational modification in eukaryotic organisms. It is involved in many important life processes, such as cell recognition, differentiation, development, signal transduction and immune response. This study carried out the first N -linked glycosylation proteome analysis of wheat seedling leaves using HILIC glycosylation enrichment, chemical deglycosylation, HPLC separation and tandem mass spectrometric identification. In total, we detected 308 glycosylated peptides and 316 glycosylated sites corresponding to 248 unique glycoproteins. The identified glycoproteins were mainly concentrated in plasma membranes (25.6%), cell wall (16.8%) and extracellular area (16%). In terms of molecular function, 65% glycoproteins belonged to various enzymes with catalytic activity such as kinase, carboxypeptidase, peroxidase and phosphatase, and, particularly, 25% of glycoproteins were related to binding functions. These glycoproteins are involved in cell wall reconstruction, biomacromolecular metabolism, signal transduction, endoplasmic reticulum quality control and stress response. Analysis indicated that 57.66% of glycoproteins were highly conserved in other plant species while 42.34% of glycoproteins went unidentified among the conserved glycosylated homologous proteins in other plant species; these may be the new N -linked glycosylated proteins first identified in wheat. The glycosylation sites generally occurred on the random coil, which could play roles in maintaining the structural stability of proteins. PNGase F digestion and glycosylation site mutations further verified the glycosylation modification and glycosylation sites of LRR receptor-like serine/threonine-protein kinase (LRR-RLK) and Beta-D-glucan exohydrolase (β-D-GEH). Our results indicated that N -linked glycosylated proteins could play important roles in the early seedling growth of wheat. [Display omitted] • 248 unique glycoproteins were detected, including 105 newly identified glycoproteins in wheat. • Glycoproteins mainly involved in cell wall reconstruction, protein synthesis, signal transduction and stress response. • The glycosylation sites frequently occurred on the random coil and could enhance protein structural stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although previous studies have found that melatonin can promote seed germination, the phytohormone regulation mechanism by which exogenous melatonin mediates salt tolerance during cotton seed germination is still largely unknown. The effects of melatonin on germination traits and physiological parameters of GXM9 cotton seeds (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under three salt stress treatments (CK, germination of seeds pretreated with water alone; S, germination of seeds pretreated in 150 mM NaCl under salt stress; SM, germination of seeds pretreated in 20 μM melatonin under 150 mM NaCl solution) in the laboratory was investigated. The results showed that salt stress (150 mM) inhibited cotton seed germination and endogenous melatonin accumulation, and pretreatment with 20 μM exogenous melatonin enhanced the cotton germination rate and hypocotyl length as well as the content of endogenous melatonin during seed germination. This suggests that exogenous melatonin promotes seed germination from a morphological perspective. The contents of starch, α-amylase (EC3.3.1.1), β-galactosidase (EC3.2.1.23), abscisic acid (ABA), and gibberellin (GA) were determined simultaneously. The results showed that the α-amylase and β-galactosidase contents in the cotton seeds decreased by 56.97% and 20.18%, respectively, under salt stress compared with the control, while the starch content increased by 11.53% compared with the control at day 7. The ABA content increased by 25.18% and GA content decreased by 27.99% under salt stress compared with the control at 24 h. When exogenous melatonin was applied to the cotton seeds, the content of α-amylase and β-galactosidase increased by 121.77% and 32.76%, respectively, whereas the starch contents decreased by 13.55% compared with the S treatment at day 7. Similarly, the ABA content increased by 12.20% and the GA content increased by 4.77% at 24 h. To elucidate the molecular mechanism by which melatonin promotes seed germination under salt stress, the effects of ABA- and GA-related genes on plant hormone signal transduction were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR and RNA sequencing. The results indicated that melatonin regulated the expression of ABA and GA genes in the plant signal transduction pathway, induced embryo root development and seed germination, and alleviated dormancy. The expression of the ABA signaling gene GhABF2 was up-regulated and GhDPBF2 was down-regulated, and the expression of GA signaling genes (e.g., GhGID1C and GhGID1B) was up-regulated by melatonin. In conclusion, melatonin enhances salt tolerance in cotton seeds by regulating ABA and GA and by mediating the expression of hormone-related genes in plant hormone signal transduction. This should help us to explore the regulatory mechanisms of cotton resistance and provide a foundation for the cultivation of new varieties. • 20 μM exogenous melatonin enhanced the cotton germination rate and hypocotyl length as well as the content of endogenous melatonin during seed germination. • Melatonin enhances salt tolerance in cotton seeds by regulating ABA and GA related genes. • Melatonin promoted seed germination by mediating the expression of plant hormone signal transduction genes. • Melatonin can reduce salt stress damage to the cotton seeds and promote seed germination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Machangqing Cu–Mo (Au) deposit is located in the central part of the Jinshajiang – Red River belt in the Sanjiang orogen, which lies across the Qiangtang terrane and western Yangtze craton, southwestern China. Zircon U–Pb dating constrains that the granite porphyry and porphyritic granite emplacements occurred at 35.92 ± 0.31 Ma and 34.92 ± 0.31 Ma, respectively. The Re–Os model ages of molybdenite are 34.94 ± 0.38 Ma. The new ages presented here, along with previously published data in the region, define a short duration of potassic magmatism and mineralization from 37 Ma to 34 Ma in the Jinshajiang – Red River belt. Zircon Ce4+/Ce3+ values of the porphyritic granite and granite porphyry vary from 50.32 to 1579.20 (averaging 481.01) and 33.18 to 1511.80 (averaging 452.98), respectively, and the log(fo2) values vary from –6.66 to −23.86 and −9.88 to −25.18, respectively, which plot within the range of the fayalite–magnetite–quartz buffer curve to the magnetite–hematite buffer curve, indicating an oxidized magma source, which may have facilitated the Cu–Au enrichment. Zircons from granitoids show εHf(t) values ranging from −0.75 to +2.33 and crustal model ages between 0.9 and 1.1 Ga. The features of Lu–Hf isotopes and wide range of Mg#, Cr, and Ni contents imply that the magmas of the Machangqing granitoids were probably derived from partial melting of juvenile lower crust and mixed with some mantle melts. Combined with the features of the Machangqing granitoids, the following evolution process are concluded. During the Cenozoic, the India–Asia continental collision triggered upwelling of hot asthenosphere and underplating of the thickened juvenile lower crust, which caused the formation of mafic and felsic magmas. Those magmas ascended, mixed, crystallized, and formed Machangqing ore-bearing granitoids in an intracontinental extension setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-Diketones are often used to separate brine with a high sodium-to‑lithium ratio but cannot be widely used because of their high toxicity and water solubility. In this work, a functionalized ionic liquid was synthesized from 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, which was verified by FT-IR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. An organic phase system was formed with this ionic liquid as the extractant and 2-octanone as the diluent, which had the advantage of achieving good extraction and separation performances without co-extractant. In addition, the brine used in this work is the real Chaka salt lake brine in Tibet, which provides a reference value for industrial application of separation of metal ions. The experimental conditions were optimized and the single-stage extraction efficiency of Li+ reached up to 94 %. Using LiCl solution and HCl as the washing and stripping reagents, the washing efficiency of Na+ and stripping efficiency of Li+ were above 98 % and 99 %, respectively. The raffinate was used to regenerate the organic phase, which reduced the use of alkaline reagents. Over 10 cycles of the extraction process, the extraction efficiency of Li+ maintained at approximately 86 %. The extraction mechanism was identified as ionic association using slope analysis and ultraviolet and infrared measurements. • A novel extraction system was developed for selective extraction of lithium from Tibetan brine. • The single-stage extraction efficiency of Li+ with the extraction system reached up to 94 %. • The impurity ions could be washed out by using LiCl solutions. • The raffinate could be used to regenerate the organic phase. • The extraction system showed good reusability over 10 cycles of the extraction process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling the emission of polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs) presents a huge challenge in the thermo-chemical conversion of halogenated waste. It is crucial to understand the formation of PBDD/Fs to effectively control their emissions. This paper utilizes density functional theory calculations to comprehensively explore the mechanisms and kinetics of PBDD/Fs formation using 65 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) with varying bromination arrangements and levels. The study uncovers two new pathways for the formation of PBDFs from PBDEs, i.e., two-step H 2 elimination and ether-ketone isomerization at ortho -C(H) sites. These pathways are applicable to PBDEs with specific bromination arrangements. In the case of some PBDEs, their initial energy barriers are comparable to the generally accepted direct HBr elimination. It is found that low-brominated PBDEs have a higher risk of forming PBDD/Fs, while high-brominated PBDEs are more likely to break ether bonds and generate polybromobenzenes. The study also investigates the effects of polymer materials and metals on the formation of PBDD/Fs from PBDEs to explain the high yield of PBDD/Fs in the co-treatment of PBDEs with polymers and metals. The involvement of polymers and metals significantly reduces the energy barriers for the formation of PBDD/F precursors, namely ortho -phenyl-type radicals, accelerating the formation of PBDD/Fs. This study markedly advances the present understanding of the transformation of PBDEs into PBDD/Fs and provides theoretical guidance for reducing pollutant emissions in the thermal treatment and cleaner conversion of PBDE-containing waste. [Display omitted] • 65 PBDE congeners were selected to study the formation mechanism of PBDD/Fs. • A two-step H 2 elimination mechanism for the formation of PBDFs was proposed. • Assess the importance of ether-ketone isomerization reactions at ortho C(H) sites. • Explain the effects of polymers and metals on the formation of PBDD/Fs from PBDEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All-trans retinoic acid (atRA) is a teratogen that can induce cleft palate formation. During palatal development, murine embryonic palate mesenchymal (MEPM) cell proliferation is required for the appropriate development of the palatal frame, with Meg3 serving as a key regulator of the proliferative activity of these cells and the associated epithelial-mesenchymal transition process. DNA methylation and signaling via the TGFβ/Smad pathway are key in regulating embryonic development. Here, the impact of atRA on MEPM cell proliferation and associations between Tgfβ2 promoter methylation, Meg3 , and signaling via the Smad pathway were explored using C57BL/6 N mice treated with atRA (100 mg/kg) to induce fetal cleft palate formation. Immunohistochemistry and BrdU assays were used to detect MEPM proliferation and DNA methylation assays were performed to detect Tgfβ2 promoter expression. These analyses revealed that atRA suppressed MEPM cell proliferation, promoted the upregulation of Meg3 , and reduced the levels of Smad2 and Tgfβ2 expression phosphorylation, whereas Tgfβ2 promoter methylation was unaffected. RNA immunoprecipitation experiments indicated that the TgfβI receptor is directly targeted by Meg3 , suggesting that the ability of atRA to induce cleft palate may be mediated through the Tgfβ/Smad signaling pathway. [Display omitted] atRA treatment suppresses palatal mesenchymal cell proliferation. atRA exposure inhibits the expression of Tgfβ2 without altering its methylation. Exposure to atRA inhibits Smad protein signaling. Meg3 may be involved in regulation of the Tgfβ/Smad pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our published data have indicated that the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) provides beneficial effects by attenuating neuronal damage induced by interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and up-regulation of the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) represents a crucial part in the neuroprotective effect of EPA. However, the mechanisms of how EPA regulates BDNF expression remains incompletely understood. The present study investigated the role of Akt/CREB signaling in the effect of EPA on BDNF expression and its neuroprotective effect.Results: The present results showed that IL-1β reduced hippocampal neuronal viability and that EPA showed a concentration-dependent neuroprotective effect, but the neuroprotective effects of EPA were abolished by inhibition of Akt using KRX-0401, an inhibitor of Akt. Treatment of hippocampal neurons with EPA also ameliorated the decrease in Akt and CREB phosphorylation induced by IL-1β and BDNF down-regulation mediated by IL-1β. However, inhibition of Akt reversed the effect of EPA on levels of p-Akt, p-CREB, and BDNF.Conclusions: Our data indicate that EPA elicited neuroprotection toward IL-1β-induced cell damage and BDNF decrease and that its effects potentially occurred via the Akt/CREB signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vibration signals collected from rolling bearing are usually complex and non-stationary with heavy background noise. Therefore, it is a great challenge to efficiently learn the representative fault features of the collected vibration signals. In this paper, a novel method called improved convolutional deep belief network (CDBN) with compressed sensing (CS) is developed for feature learning and fault diagnosis of rolling bearing. Firstly, CS is adopted for reducing the vibration data amount to improve analysis efficiency. Secondly, a new CDBN model is constructed with Gaussian visible units to enhance the feature learning ability for the compressed data. Finally, exponential moving average (EMA) technique is employed to improve the generalization performance of the constructed deep model. The developed method is applied to analyze the experimental rolling bearing vibration signals. The results confirm that the developed method is more effective than the traditional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertilizer and pesticide inputs (FPI) can provide the growth of wheat production while causing environmental pollution and agri-product quality decline. Agricultural production outsourcing has been introduced to solve the above-mentioned dilemmas. It is noteworthy whether agricultural production outsourcing can improve technical efficiency (TE) by optimizing resource allocation. The study aims to examine the effect of outsourcing of fertilization and pesticide application (OF and OPA) on TE. It also tests moderating effect of plot and contiguous cropping (CC) based on 1018 farmers from three provinces. The results demonstrated: (a) The cost OF and OPA had a negative and then positive impact on TE. (b) The moderating effects of plot and CC were tested. (c) Smaller-than-average groups were more sensitive to cost of the OF and OPA. The findings implied: (a) Negative effect of outsourcing can be mitigated by formulating a standard for application of fertilization and pesticide and developing an insurance market. Training should be provided so that farmers can choose the appropriate times of outsourcing. (b) High-standard farmland construction and CC are essential strategic orientation in agricultural development. (c) Farmers with different endowments should be guided to reasonably purchase OF and OPA, and subsidy should be provided. [Display omitted] • Outsourcing of fertilization and pesticide application (OF and OPA) promote agriculture greenization. • The effect OF and OPA on technical efficiency (TE) is revealed. • The cost OF and OPA has a negative and then positive impact on TE. • The moderating effects of plot and contiguous cropping (CC) are discussed. • The pathways to improve TE through OF and OPA are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formation of the pollen wall, which is mainly composed of lipid substances secreted by tapetal cells, is important to ensure pollen development in rice. Although several regulatory factors related to lipid biosynthesis during pollen wall formation have been identified in rice, the molecular mechanisms controlling lipid biosynthesis are unclear. In this study, we isolated the male-sterile rice mutant oslddt1 (leaked and delayed degraded tapetum 1). oslddt1 plants show complete pollen abortion resulting from delayed degradation of the tapetum and blocked formation of Ubisch bodies and pollen walls. OsLDDT1 (LOC_Os03g02170) encodes a DUF726 containing protein of unknown function with highly conserved transmembrane and α/β Hydrolase domains. OsLDDT1 localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum and the gene is highly expressed in rice panicles. Genes involved in regulating fatty acid synthesis and formation of sporopollenin and pollen exine during anther development showed significantly different expression patterns in oslddt1 plants. Interestingly, the wax and cutin contents in mature oslddt1–1 anthers were decreased by 74.07 % and 72.22 % compared to WT, indicating that OsLDDT1 is involved in fatty acid synthesis and affects formation of the anther epidermis. Our results provide as deeper understanding of the role of OsLDDT1 in regulating male sterility and also provide materials for hybrid rice breeding. • OsLDDT1 encodes a DUF726 family protein, which regulates tapetum PCD and pollen formation. • Alternative splicing mutation of OsLDDT1 cause delayed tapetum PCD and pollen degradation. • OsLDDT1 affects fatty acid synthesis by patterning of Ubisch bodies and pollen exine [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid reductases (OPRs) are involved in the various processes of growth and development in plants, and classified into the OPRⅠ and OPRⅡ subgroups. In higher plants, only OPRⅡ subgroup genes take part in the biosynthesis of endogenous jasmonic acid. In this study, we isolated a novel OPRⅡ subgroup gene named TaOPR2 (GeneBank accession: KM216389) from the thermo-sensitive genic male sterile (TGMS) wheat cultivar BS366. TaOPR2 was predicted to encode a protein with 390 amino acids. The encoded protein contained the typical oxidored_FMN domain, the C-terminus peroxisomal-targeting signal peptide, and conserved FMN-binding sites. TaOPR2 was mapped to wheat chromosome 7B and located on peroxisome. Protein evolution analysis revealed that TaOPR2 belongs to the OPRⅡ subgroup and shares a high degree of identity with other higher plant OPR proteins. The quantitative real-time PCR results indicated that the expression of TaOPR2 is inhibited by abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), gibberellic acid (GA 3 ), low temperatures and high salinity. In contrast, the expression of TaOPR2 can be induced by wounding, drought and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Furthermore, the transcription level of TaOPR2 increased after infection with Puccinia striiformis f. sp . tritici and Puccinia recondite f. sp . tritici . TaOPR2 has NADPH-dependent oxidoreductase activity. In addition, the constitutive expression of TaOPR2 can rescue the male sterility phenotype of Arabidopsis mutant opr3 . These results suggest that TaOPR2 is involved in the biosynthesis of jasmonic acid (JA) in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lesion mimic mutants (LMMs) have been widely used in experiments in recent years for studying plant physiological mechanisms underlying programmed cell death (PCD) and defense responses. Here, we identified a lesion mimic mutant, lm212-1, which cloned the causal gene by a map-based cloning strategy, and verified this by complementation. The causal gene, OsPHD1, encodes a UDP-glucose epimerase (UGE), and the OsPHD1 was located in the chloroplast. OsPHD1 was constitutively expressed in all organs, with higher expression in leaves and other green tissues. lm212-1 exhibited decreased chlorophyll content, and the chloroplast structure was destroyed. Histochemistry results indicated that H2O2 is highly accumulated and cell death is occurred around the lesions in lm212-1. Compared to the wild type, expression levels of defense-related genes were up-regulated, and resistance to bacterial pathogens Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) was enhanced, indicating that the defense response was activated in lm212-1, ROS production was induced by flg22, and chitin treatment also showed the same result. Jasmonic acid (JA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) increased, and the JA signaling pathways appeared to be disordered in lm212-1. Additionally, the overexpression lines showed the same phenotype as the wild type. Overall, our findings demonstrate that OsPHD1 is involved in the regulation of PCD and defense response in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Porphyries and MMEs of the Machangqing porphyry-skarn Cu-Mo-(Au) deposit were emplaced during the late Eocene. • MMEs were formed by injection and mingling of mafic melt into felsic melt. • Ore-bearing/-barren porphyries were formed by different amounts of magma mixing between the crustal and mantle-derived melt. • Mafic mantle-derived magma likely contributed metals, sulfur and volatiles such as H 2 O to the PCD formation by magma mixing. The Machangqing Cu-Mo-(Au) deposit in the central of Jinshajiang–Red River fold belt is a Cenozoic porphyry-skarn deposit in the western Yangtze Craton, southwestern China. Igneous rocks at Machangqing mainly consist of mafic and felsic rocks, including mafic dykes and barren syenite porphyry, as well as mineralized monzonite and granite porphyries with mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs) in the ore-bearing porphyries. In this study, we compiled new and published geochemical and isotopic data for these intrusions, their MMEs and ore sulfides from the Machangqing deposit. Both mineralized and barren felsic porphyries, MMEs and mafic dyke were formed during the late Eocene (33–37 Ma), and have shoshonitic affinities (K 2 O + Na 2 O > 6 wt%, K 2 O/Na 2 O > 1 and Sr/Y > 40) ratios. They are enriched in LILE and LREE, but depleted in HFSE. Both mineralized and barren felsic porphyries are characterized by high SiO 2 (64.67–72.81 wt%) and Al 2 O 3 (13.43–16.10 wt%), but low Cr (average 37.63 ppm) and Ni (average 24.64 ppm) contents and low Mg# values (11–66). They have low whole–rock εNd(t) (–6.5 to –3.3) and relatively high (87Sr/86Sr)i (0.7061–0.7076), which fall inside the range of coeval mafic rocks in western Yunnan. The geochronological, geochemical and isotopic evidence suggest that the felsic magmas were formed by partial melting of the juvenile lower crust that had been injected by shoshonitic mafic magma as documented by the MMEs. The mafic dykes have high Mg# (71–76), Cr (average 492 ppm), Ni (average 195 ppm) contents, and were likely derived from partial melting of upper mantle sources metasomatized by paleo-subduction processes. The MMEs at Machangqing were produced by the mingling of metasomatized mantle-derived mafic melts with the juvenile Neoproterozoic thickened crust-derived felsic melts. The MMEs have spheroidal shapes and contain acicular apatite, indicating that the MMEs represent globules of coeval mafic melt injected into and partly assimilated by the felsic magmas. The ore sulfides have similar trace elemental and Pb isotopic features (206Pb/204Pb = 18.562–18.659; 207Pb/204Pb = 15.628–15.664; 208Pb/204Pb = 38.894–38.986) to the coeval mafic dykes, and their S-isotopic compositions (-2.24 to + 3.5‰) resemble typical mantle-source sulfides, suggesting a metallogenetic link with the coeval mafic magmas/melts and MMEs. Magmas of both the ore-bearing and barren porphyries are relatively oxidized in the FMQ to MH range (zircon Ce4+/Ce3+ = 87–950, log(f O 2) = –22 to −5), although the ore-bearing ones are more oxidized. Petrological modelling suggests that the mineralized porphyries are derived from magma mixing dominated by partial melts of metasomatically-enriched mafic mantle, while the barren porphyries are products of magma mixing dominated by a juvenile lower crust component. We propose that magma mixing between lower crustal material with injected mafic mantle-derived magma has provided sufficient metals, sulfur and water to form the Machangqing Cu-Mo-(Au) deposit. The hydrous mafic magmas may have also remobilized the residual sulfides remaining in the continental lithospheric mantle (CLM), thus adding to the metal budget of these fertile magmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]