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Fangcang hospitals, as tentative hospitals built to treat a huge turnover of patients with mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections, have played a pivotal role to slow down the pandemic spread in China in 2020. However, anxiety and sleep disorders remain tough to address during the treatments. In this study, group psychological intervention in combination with pulmonary rehabilitation exercises were conducted in the trial group for the patients with mild COVID-19 infections in a Fangcang Hospital to mitigate the patients' anxiety and sleep disorders, while conventional nursing methods were done in the control group, with 70 randomly picked patients in each group. Effects were assessed through questionnaire method using state anxiety questionnaire (SAI) and Pittsburgh sleep quality index scale (PQSI) rating investigation. Results showed that both SAI and PSQI scores of the trial group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The SAI scores of the trial group and the control group were 38.5 ± 13.2 and 45.8 ± 10.4 points (t = 3.600, P < 0.001), respectively, and the PSQI scores were 5.6 ± 3.0 and 7.1 ± 3.0 points (t = 2.982, P < 0.01), respectively. Our methods have significant advantages over conventional nursing methods to mitigate anxiety and sleep disorders for the patients with mild COVID-19 infections in the Fangcang Hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ubiquitin-mediated post-translational regulatory pathway regulates a broad range of cell functions in all eukaryotes. It requires the involvement of a large number of E3 ligases, of which more than one third belongs to the RING protein family as in Arabidopsis thaliana. In this study, a total of 756 RING domains in 734 predicted proteins were identified in Brassica oleracea. Their encoding genes were characterized by RING domain type, additional domain, and expression pattern, and mapped on the nine chromosomes of B. oleracea. Comparison of these results with B. rapa and A. thaliana revealed some common as well as species-specific features. Our results showed that the differential gene loss following the whole genome triplication has largely contributed to the RING protein gene number variation among these species, although other factors such as tandem duplication, RING domain loss, or modification had also contributed to this variation. Analysis of RNA-seq data showed that these RING protein genes were functionally diversified and involved in all the stages of plant growth and development, and that the triplicated members were also diverged in expression with one member often more dominantly expressed over the two others in the majority of cases. Our study lays the foundation for further functional determination of each RING protein gene among species of the genus Brassica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular dynamics simulation method is used to investigate the tensile deformation mechanism of Cu-Ag core-shell nanowires. The results for the actual structure of the Cu-Ag core-shell nanowires after energy minimization processes indicate that the atoms in shell Ag are reconstructed when the shell thicknesses smaller than 1.0 nm, while the shell thickness increases from 1.0 nm to 1.5 nm, the shape of NWs change into irregular circle. And then the tension strain is performed along the [0 0 1] direction under the conditions of varying the shell thickness and the temperature, respectively. It is found that, in low temperature region, <500 K, with decreasing the shell thickness from 1.5 nm to 0.25 nm, the plastic deformation mechanism transforms from the misfit dislocation tube mechanism into the surface dislocation nucleation mechanism. When the temperature increases to the high region, ≥500 K, the plastic deformation mechanism then changes into the high temperature influence dislocation nucleation mechanism. A shell thickness-temperature plastic deformation map is proposed to reveal the transition among the three different plastic deformation mechanisms for Cu-Ag core-shell nanowires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniaxial tension of pure Al is studied at different loading rates by molecular dynamics simulation to understand the initial nucleation processes for amorphous structures and twinning, especially, the competition between twinning partial dislocation and Lomer one. There exists a transition point K I =0.205 eV Å −2.5 between twinning partial dislocation and Lomer one, with Lomer dislocation preferable at high loads. A modified Peierls analytic model is established to describe the transition process. The analytic model reflects that a transition from twinning partial dislocation to Lomer one will occur when stress intensity factor K I reaches 0.205 eV Å −2.5 , which is similar to the simulation trends. In addition, amorphization behaviours are observed at crack tip in pure Al by in-situ straining transmission electron microscopy. Both the experiment and simulation results are demonstrated that amorphization behaviours occur at crack tip in FCC Al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deposition process of carbon atoms on SiC(111) substrates is simulated step by step using density functional theory calculations. Three stacking sites [center-, hollow- and top-sites on clean SiC(111)], two deposition rates (one or two carbon layers per step), two substrate areas [SiC(111) (1 × 1) and (2 × 2)], and two SiC(111) terminations (C- and Si-terminations) are considered respectively. The interfacial atomic structure, binding energy and electronic structures are calculated. The results show that interfacial carbon layers tend to epitaxially deposit on SiC(111) with ordered diamond-like stacking style. Regardless of the different deposition rates and different substrate areas, the diamond-like stacking style always exists in the equilibrium structures. However, due to the perturbations caused by uncontrolled factors, this stacking style disappears after some carbon layers deposited, and the amorphous carbon layer will form. Besides that, the deposited carbon atoms have stronger interfacial bonding on C-terminated SiC(111) than Si-terminated substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A concise and highly enantioselective (>99% ee) synthesis of falcarinol and panaxjapyne A and their enantiomers has been accomplished. The key steps involve the asymmetric addition of alkynylzinc reagent to acrolein and propionaldehyde catalyzed by a BINOL–Ti(O i Pr) 4 complex and a classic Cadiot–Chodkiewicz cross-coupling reaction. The chiral polyacetylenic alcohols synthesized herein have potential utility in the development of antitumor drugs and antidiabetic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Continuous silicon carbide (SiC) fiber with a diameter of about 100μm was fabricated by two-stage chemical vapor deposition on tungsten filament. Microstructure of the fiber was investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectrometry. The results showed that the fiber consists of tungsten core, a W/SiC interfacial reaction zone with the reaction products of W5Si3 and WC, and a predominant β-SiC layer. The W/SiC interface can be described as W/W5Si3/WC/SiC. The SiC originates at the surface of the WC with a buffer layer, in which β-SiC crystallites nucleate and grow with their preferred (111) orientation, exhibiting strong 〈111〉 fiber texture. Raman spectra revealed that the SiC in the fiber is stoichiometric, which is composed of β-SiC and amorphous SiC. Furthermore, the formation mechanism of W/SiC interfacial reaction zone and structural evolution of SiC are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: SiC fiber was fabricated by chemical vapor deposition on tungsten filament heated by direct current in a CH3SiCl3–H2 gas system. Microstructure of W/SiC interfacial reaction zone in the fiber was identified by means of scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. Results showed that the thickness of the interfacial reaction zone is between 350 and 390nm, and two reaction products of W5Si3 and WC were formed during fabricating SiC fiber. Electron diffraction analysis and composition detection indicated that W5Si3 is adjacent to tungsten core and WC is adjacent to SiC sheath, and the W/SiC interface can be described as W/W5Si3/WC/SiC. Furthermore, the formation mechanism of the interfacial reaction zone is discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In analyzing microstructure evolution of material, study for the process of grain growth is both theoretically and practically significant. On (111) and (110) facets, the process of CVD–SiC film in two-dimension is simulated with Potts Monte Carlo method. The relationship between the microstructure morphology and growth rate, nucleating density is analyzed. The simulation result is given as the following. Both competitive growth and coarsening effect have been found in the growth process. The increase of nucleation density results in thinning of the grain size in SiC film. The grain size distribution is found to be self-similar, not differed with the corresponding growth parameter. The fitted result of Weibull and Louat function is better than that of lognormal function obviously. The result is in agreement with the corresponding theory and experiment conclusion well. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A three-dimensional atomic-scale kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) model of {111}-oriented SiC film deposited by chemical vapor deposition is established in this paper. The growth process of {111}-oriented atomic-scale SiC film is simulated. The model includes two parts: the first is kinetic process of chemical reaction and the second is deposition and diffusion of substrate surface. In this model, the relationship between temperature and growth rate, surface roughness and relative density and the relationship between growth rate and surface roughness and relative density are studied. The result indicates that the growth of film has three stages including formation of little islets, mergence and expanding of islets and dynamic balance between islets. With increase of substrate temperature, deposition rate, surface roughness and height of film all increase. With increase of deposition rate, surface roughness increases while relative density decreases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

BACKGROUND: Research on the genetic mechanisms of hypertension has been a hot topic in the cardiovascular field. OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation between senile hypertension and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) constitution and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene polymorphism and to provide the theoretical basis for TCM prevention and treatment of hypertension. METHODS: The elderly population in communities in Shanghai (hypertensive: 264 cases; non-hypertensive: 159 cases) was taken as the research object. Essential data and information on TCM constitution were collected. The LPL gene mutation was detected using the second-generation sequencing method. Statistical analysis was performed to clarify the relationship between hypertension and senile hypertension. The correlation of TCM constitution with risk factors and LPL gene polymorphisms was studied. RESULTS: The primary TCM constitutions in the hypertension group were phlegm-dampness constitution (51.52%), yin-deficiency constitution (17.42%), balanced constitution (15.53%), and yin-deficiency (9.43%). Logistic regression analysis showed that the phlegm-dampness constitution (P < 0.05, OR = 2.587) and yin-deficiency constitution (P < 0.01, OR = 2.693) were the risk constitutions of hypertension in the elderly. A total of 37 LPL gene mutation loci (SNP: 22; new discovery: 15) were detected in the LPL gene, and the mutation rates of rs254, rs255, rs3208305, rs316, rs11570891, rs328, rs11570893, and rs13702 were relatively high, which were 26.24%, 26.24%, 16.08%, 14.66%, 13.24%, 12.06%, and 10.64%. In the phlegm-dampness group, the proportion of rs254 CC type, rs255 TT type, and rs13702 TT type in the hypertensive group (77.21%, 77.21%, and 93.38%) was higher than that in the non-hypertensive group (56.41%, 56.41%, and 82.05%), The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The phlegm-dampness constitution and yin-deficiency constitution are the risk factors of hypertension in the elderly; in the phlegm-dampness population, rs254 CC type, rs255 TT type, and rs13702 TT type are the risk factors for elderly hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More and more RING finger genes were found to be implicated in various important biological processes. In the present study, a total of 731 RING domains in 715 predicted proteins were identified in Brassica rapa genome (AA, 2n = 20), which were further divided into eight types: RING-H2 (371), RING-HCa (215), RING-HCb (47), RING-v (44), RING-C2 (38), RING-D (10), RING-S/T (5) and RING-G (1). The 715 RING finger proteins were further classified into 51 groups according to the presence of additional domains. 700 RING finger protein genes were mapped to the 10 chromosomes of B. rapa with a range of 47 to 111 genes for each chromosome. 667 RING finger protein genes were expressed in at least one of the six tissues examined, indicating their involvement in various physiological and developmental processes in B. rapa. Hierarchical clustering analysis of RNA-seq data divided them into seven major groups, one of which includes 231 members preferentially expressed in leaf, and constitutes then a panel of gene candidates for studying the genetic and molecular mechanisms of leafy head traits in Brassica crops. Our results lay the foundation for further studies on the classification, evolution and putative functions of RING finger protein genes in Brassica species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The racemic mixtures (I) are synthesized and each enantiomer thereof are isolated and structurally characterized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Analysis of 387 sugarcane clones using Bru 1 diagnostic markers revealed two possible sources of Bru 1 in Chinese cultivars: one from Saccharum spontaneum and another from Saccharum robustum of New Guinea. Abstract: Sugarcane brown rust (SBR) is an important fungal disease in many sugarcane production areas around the world, and can cause considerable yield losses in susceptible sugarcane cultivars. One major SBR resistance gene, named Bru1, initially identified from cultivar R570, was shown to be a major SBR resistance source in most of the sugarcane producing areas of the world. In this study, by using the two Bru1-associated markers, R12H16 and 9O20-F4, we surveyed the presence of Bru1 in a Chinese sugarcane germplasm collection of 387 clones, consisting of 228 hybrid cultivars bred by different Chinese sugarcane breeding establishments, 54 exotic hybrid cultivars introduced from other countries and 105 clones of sugarcane ancestral species. The Bru1-bearing haplotype was detected in 43.4% of Chinese sugarcane cultivars, 20.4% of exotic hybrid cultivars, and only 3.8% of ancestral species. Among the 33 Chinese cultivars for which phenotypes of resistance to SBR were available, Bru1 was present in 69.2% (18/26) of the resistant clones. Analyses of the allelic sequence variations of R12H16 and 9O20-F4 suggested two possible sources of Bru1 in Chinese cultivars: one from S. spontaneum and another from S. robustum of New Guinea. In addition, we developed an improved Bru1 diagnostic marker, 9O20-F4- HaeIII, which can eliminate all the false results of 9O20-F4- RsaI observed among S. spontaneum, as well as a new dominant Bru1 diagnostic marker, R12E03-2, from the BAC ShCIR12E03. Our results provide valuable information for further efforts of breeding SBR-resistant varieties, searching new SBR resistance sources and cloning of Bru1 in sugarcane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium coating was prepared on SiC fiber using titanium-iodine (Ti-I 2 ) mixture by hot-wall chemical vapor deposition. Thermodynamic analysis and experimental observation were carried out in this work. The thermodynamic analysis of the reactions in the Ti-I 2 system indicates that Ti and I 2 raw powder materials transform to titanium coating as follows: Ti + I 2 → (TiI 2 , TiI 3 ), and (TiI 2 , TiI 3 ) → Ti. In theory, the conversions of TiI 3 and TiI 2 reach the maximum when Ti:I 2 is 1:1.5, while in actual experiment that reached the maximum when Ti:I 2 was 1:2, as there existed the waste of I 2 due to sublimation. Typical deposited coating is relatively flat and uniform. However, as SiC is prone to react with Ti at high temperatures, the obtained coating contained some Si and C elements except for Ti. So the coating was not a pure Ti coating but contained some carbides and silicides. Deposition rate of the coating increased with the increase of temperature. The deposited thickness increased with the increase of heat preservation time, and achieved the maximum thickness at 90 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deposition characteristics of titanium coating on SiC fiber using TiCl 4 -H 2 -Ar gas mixture in a cold-wall chemical vapor deposition were studied by the combination of thermodynamic analysis and experimental studies. The thermodynamic analysis of the reactions in the TiCl 4 -H 2 -Ar system indicates that TiCl 4 transforms to titanium as the following paths: TiCl 4 → TiCl 3 → Ti, or TiCl 4 → TiCl 3 → TiCl 2 → Ti. The experimental results show that typical deposited coating contains two distinct layers: a TiC reaction layer close to SiC fiber and titanium coating which has an atomic percentage of titanium more than 70% and that of carbon lower than 30%. The results illustrate that a carbon diffusion barrier coating needs to be deposited if pure titanium is to be prepared. The deposition rate increases with the increase of temperature, but higher temperature has a negative effect on the surface uniformity of titanium coating. In addition, appropriate argon gas flow rate has a positive effect on smoothing the surface morphology of the coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mild, concise, and highly enantioselective (93% ee) synthesis of Japonilure and its enantiomer, Anomala osakana pheromone, is described. The key steps involve the asymmetric addition of methyl propionate to undec-2-ynal with a Zn-ProPhenol catalyst and the selective and partial reduction of the diynol ester to the cis -enol ester with Brown’s P2-Ni catalyst, providing the first synthesis of the enol ester via semi-hydrogenating diynol ester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IFN-γ is a signature Th1 cell associated cytokine critical for the inflammatory response in autoimmunity with both pro-inflammatory and potentially protective functions. IL-17A is the hallmark of T helper 17 (Th17) cell subsets, produced by γδT, CD8+ T, NK and NKT cells. We have taken advantage of our colony of IL-2Rα−/− mice that spontaneously develop both autoimmune cholangitis and inflammatory bowel disease. In this model CD8+ T cells mediate biliary ductular damage, whereas CD4+ T cells mediate induction of colon-specific autoimmunity. Importantly, IL-2Rα−/− mice have high levels of interferon γ (IFN-γ), and interleukin-17A (IL-17A). We produced unique double deletions of mice that were either IL-17A−/−IL-2Rα−/− or IFN-γ−/−IL-2Rα−/− to specifically address the precise role of these two cytokines in the natural history of autoimmune cholangitis and colitis. Of note, deletion of IL-17A in IL-2Rα−/− mice led to more severe liver inflammation, but ameliorated colitis. In contrast, there were no significant changes in the immunopathology of double knock-out IFN-γ−/− IL-2Rα−/− mice, compared to single knock-out IL-2Rα−/− mice with respect to cholangitis or colitis. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in pathogenetic CD8+ T cells in the liver of IL-17A−/−IL-2Rα−/− mice. Our data suggest that while IL-17A plays a protective role in autoimmune cholangitis, it has a pro-inflammatory role in inflammatory bowel disease. These data take on particular significance in the potential use of anti-IL-17A therapy in humans with primary biliary cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The IL-12 family modulates T cell mediated autoimmune diseases and GWAS in PBC have suggested a critical role of IL-12 and its subunits in modulating portal inflammation. We have taken advantage of an aggressive model of portal inflammation and colitis in IL-2Rα−/− mice to study the specific role of IL-12 and, in particular, the immunobiology of p40−/−IL-2Rα−/− mice. Colonies of IL-2Rα+/−, IL-2Rα−/− and p40−/−IL-2Rα−/− mice were studied for the natural history of immunopathology in liver and colon using histology and immunohistochemistry. Further, to focus on mechanisms, liver, spleen and mesenteric lymph node flow cytometry was employed to identify specific phenotypes; cytokine analysis on inflammatory cell populations was compared between groups. Finally, Real-Time PCR was used to focus on the genes involved in hepatic fibrosis. Surprisingly, p40−/−IL-2Rα−/− mice manifest more severe portal inflammation and bile duct damage, including signs of portal hypertension and liver fibrosis, but a significant reduction in colitis. Indeed, p40−/−IL-2Rα−/− mice reveal a profound hepatic CD8+ T cell infiltrate, whose major component are effector memory cells as well as enhanced hepatic Th1 but reduced Th17 responses. These observations were confirmed by Real-Time PCR analysis of fibrosis-related genes in the liver. Distinct from its canonical effects, IL-12p40 plays a critical role in autoimmune cholangitis, including hepatic fibrosis. These data take on striking significance for any proposed human trials that modulate the IL-12p40 pathway in human PBC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Plant homeodomain (PHD) finger proteins are widely present in all eukaryotes and play important roles in chromatin remodeling and transcriptional regulation. The PHD finger can specifically bind a number of histone modifications as an "epigenome reader", and mediate the activation or repression of underlying genes. Many PHD finger genes have been characterized in animals, but only few studies were conducted on plant PHD finger genes to this day. Brassica rapa (AA, 2n = 20) is an economically important vegetal, oilseed and fodder crop, and also a good model crop for functional and evolutionary studies of important gene families among Brassica species due to its close relationship to Arabidopsis thaliana. Results: We identified a total of 145 putative PHD finger proteins containing 233 PHD domains from the current version of B. rapa genome database. Gene ontology analysis showed that 67.7% of them were predicted to be located in nucleus, and 91.3% were predicted to be involved in protein binding activity. Phylogenetic, gene structure, and additional domain analyses clustered them into different groups and subgroups, reflecting their diverse functional roles during plant growth and development. Chromosomal location analysis showed that they were unevenly distributed on the 10 B. rapa chromosomes. Expression analysis from RNA-Seq data showed that 55.7% of them were constitutively expressed in all the tested tissues or organs with relatively higher expression levels reflecting their important housekeeping roles in plant growth and development, while several other members were identified as preferentially expressed in specific tissues or organs. Expression analysis of a subset of 18 B. rapa PHD finger genes under drought and salt stresses showed that all these tested members were responsive to the two abiotic stress treatments. Conclusions: Our results reveal that the PHD finger genes play diverse roles in plant growth and development, and can serve as a source of candidate genes for genetic engineering and improvement of Brassica crops against abiotic stresses. This study provides valuable information and lays the foundation for further functional determination of PHD finger genes across the Brassica species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C2H2 zinc finger protein (ZFP) genes have been extensively studied in many organisms and can function as transcription factors and be involved in many biological processes including plant growth and development and stress responses. In the current study, a comprehensive genomics analysis of the C2H2-ZFP genes in B. rapa was performed. A total of 301 B. rapa putative C2H2-ZFP (BrC2H2-ZFP) genes were identified from the available Brassica genome databases, and further characterized through analysis of conserved amino acid residues in C2H2-ZF domains and their organization, subcellular localization, phylogeny, additional domain, chromosomal location, synteny relationship, Ka/Ks ratio, and expression pattern. We also analyzed the expression patterns of eight B. rapa C2H2-ZFP genes under salt and drought stress conditions by using qRT-PCR technique. Our results showed that about one-third of these B. rapa C2H2-ZFP genes were originated from segmental duplication caused by the WGT around 13 to 17 MYA, one-third of them were highly and consecutively expressed in all tested tissues, and 92% of them were located in nucleus by prediction supporting then their functional roles as transcription factors, of which some may play important roles in plant growth and development. The Ka/Ks ratios of 264 orthologous C2H2-ZFP gene pairs between A. thaliana and B. rapa were all, except two, inferior to 1 (varied from 0.0116 to 1.4919, with an average value of 0.3082), implying that these genes had mainly experienced purifying selection during species evolution. The estimated divergence times of the same set of gene pairs ranged from 6.23 to 38.60 MY, with an average value of 18.29 MY, indicating that these gene members have undergone different selective pressures resulting in different evolutionary rates during species evolution. In addition, a few of these B. rapa C2H2-ZFPs were shown to be involved in stress responses in a similar way as their orthologs in A. thaliana. Comparison between A. thaliana and B. rapa orthologous C2H2-ZFP genes showed that the majority of these C2H2-ZFP gene members encodes proteins with conserved subcellular localization and functional domains between the two species but differed in their expression patterns in five tissues or organs. Thus, our study provides valuable information for further functional determination of each C2H2-ZFP gene across the Brassica species, and may help to select the appropriate gene targets for further in-depth studies, and genetic engineering and improvement of Brassica crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myelofibrosis usually occurs either as a part of a myelodysplastic syndrome or in conjunction with neoplasia. It is not commonly thought of an autoimmune disease. We reported that p40 −/− IL-2Rα −/− (interleukin-12p40 and interleukin-2 receptor alpha double knockout) mice, a mouse model of human primary biliary cholangitis, exhibited features consistent with autoimmune myelofibrosis, including anemia associated with bone marrow fibrosis, and extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) including LSK (Lineage - c-Kit + Sca-1 + ) cells in spleen, liver and peripheral blood. There were also increased LSK cells in bone marrow but they demonstrated impaired hematopoiesis. Importantly effector memory T cells that infiltrated the bone marrow of p40 −/− IL-2Rα −/− mice manifested a higher ability to produce IFN-γ. CD8 + T cells, already known to play a dominate role in portal inflammation, were also key for bone marrow dysregulation and EMH. IFN-γ was the key cytokine that induced bone marrow fibrosis, bone marrow failure and EMH. Finally anti-CD8α antibody therapy fully protected p40 −/− IL-2Rα −/− mice from autoimmune myelofibrosis. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that CD8 + T cells and IFN-γ are associated with autoimmune myelofibrosis, a finding that may allow targeting of CD8 + T cells and IFN-γ as a therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An efficient catalytic asymmetric synthesis of the CPB pheromone [(S)-1,3-dihydroxy-3,7-dimethyl-6-octen-2-one] and its enantiomer was accomplished with 99% ee and in gram quantities from geraniol. The key steps in this procedure involve Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation and recrystallization of the 4-bromobenzoate from the CPB pheromone to improve its enantiomeric purity. Furthermore, the absolute configuration of the CPB pheromone enantiomer was confirmed as (R) for the first time by the X-ray crystallographic structure of its benzoate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: N-doped TiO2/rectorite (NTR) mesoporous materials were synthesized and characterized by XRD, TEM, BET, XPS, FTIR, and UV–vis DRS. The XRD analysis indicated that the layered structure of rectorite was destroyed to some extent. TiO2 in the composites exists in anatase phase. The XPS and FTIR analyses confirm that nitrogen was doped into TiO2 lattices successfully. The UV absorption edges of the NTR samples showed a red shift as compared to that of the undoped TiO2. The NTR photocatalyst prepared at 400°C showed a strong adsorption capability and a high visible light photocatalytic activity, which could be attributed to the synergetic effects of the rectorite structure and the N-doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The HECT-domain protein family is one of the most important classes of E3 ligases. While the roles of this family in human diseases have been intensively studied, the information for plant HECTs is limited. In the present study, we performed the identification of HECT genes in Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea, followed by analysis of phylogeny, gene structure, additional domains, putative cis-regulatory elements, chromosomal location, synteny, and expression. Ten and 13 HECT genes were respectively identified in B. rapa and B. oleracea and then resolved into seven groups along with their Arabidopsis orthologs by phylogenetic analysis. This classification is well supported by analyses of gene structure, motif composition within the HECT domain and additional protein domains. Ka/Ks ratio analysis showed that these HECT genes primarily underwent purifying selection with varied selection pressures resulting in different rates of evolution. RNA-Seq data analysis showed that the overwhelming majority of them were constitutively expressed in all tested tissues. qRT-PCR based expression analysis of the 10 B. rapa HECT genes under salt and drought stress conditions showed that all of them were responsive to the two stress treatments, which was consistent with their promoter sequence analysis revealing the presence of an important number of phytohormone-responsive and stress-related cis-regulatory elements. Our study provides useful information and lays the foundation for further functional determination of each HECT gene across the Brassica species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nano onions (CNOs) with diameters of 70–100 nm were fabricated by chemical vapor deposition at 800 °C, using methane as carbon source and high-temperature steam treated 316 stainless steel mesh as catalyst. The CNOs were isolated from the substrate by HNO 3 refluxing, calcination in air at 500 °C and magnetic separation. The morphology, microstructures and magnetic properties of the CNOs were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy and vibration sample magnetometer tests. Results showed that the surface-attached catalyst particles and amorphous carbon can be effectively removed from raw CNOs through HNO 3 -refluxing and calcination. Magnetic separation can selectively remove the CNOs encapsulating a [Ni, Fe] magnetic catalyst from the CNOs that are hollow. [New Carbon Materials 2014, 29(5): 398–403] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]