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Neomicrocalamus and Temochloa are closely-related genera for which ‘inflorescence’ structures were incompletely understood and difficult to reconcile. After re-examining the inflorescence morphology, the so-called ‘spikelets’ of both genera as described should instead be recognised as pseudospikelets with mostly inactive axillary buds. The new bamboo taxa, comprising two varieties of a new species, are placed in Temochloa, representing a new genus record for China and Vietnam.

Abstract Background Pseudomonas juntendi is a newly identified opportunistic pathogen, of which we have limited understanding. P. juntendi strains are often multidrug resistant, which complicates clinical management of infection. Methods A strain of Pseudomonas juntendi (strain L4326) isolated from feces was characterized by MALDI-TOF-MS and Average Nucleotide Identity BLAST. This strain was further subject to whole-genome sequencing and Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analysis. The strain was phenotypically characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing and conjugation assays. Results We have isolated the novel P. juntendi strain L4236, which was multidrug resistant, but retained sensitivity to amikacin. L4236 harbored a megaplasmid that encoded bla OXA−1 and a novel bla IMP−1 resistance gene variant. P. juntendi strain L4236 was phylogenetically related to P. juntendi strain SAMN30525517. Conclusion A rare P. juntendi strain was isolated from human feces in southern China with a megaplasmid coharboring bla IMP−1−like and bla OXA−1. Antimicrobial selection pressures may have driven acquisition of drug-resistance gene mutations and carriage of the megaplasmid.

The consumption value seems to be insufficient to explain consumers' domestic electric vehicle purchase behaviour, especially in a highly competitive global environment. This study aims to investigate how consumer ethnocentrism and perceived interactivity influence consumption value and pro-environmental value, subsequently affecting attitude and intention. A total of 353 valid questionnaires were collected through convenience sampling in Xuzhou, China, and the partial least square (PLS) path modelling approach was performed to test the hypotheses. The results show that consumer ethnocentrism and perceived interactivity positively influence function value, emotional value, and social value; perceived interactivity also positively influences altruistic value, biospheric value, and collectivistic value. Function value, social value, and collectivistic value positively influence attitude; however, emotional value, altruistic value and biospheric value did not find a correlation with attitude. Furthermore, attitude positively influences intention to adopt domestic electric vehicles. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications, as well as limitations were discussed accordingly.

This 2024 Special Issue of Aerospace, an open-access journal from MDPI, is entitled “Shock-Dominated Flow” and was guest-edited by Dr [...]

Using the density function theory in combination with the non-equilibrium Green's function method, the thermoelectric properties of molecular devices based on transition metal–terpyridine complexes are investigated. The results show that their thermoelectric properties can be significantly improved by changing the transition metal and the twist angle of the complex molecule, which is caused by shifting the molecular energy levels, resulting in increased coupling strength between the electrodes and the central molecule. The ZT value of the Ru-containing molecular device can reach up to 0.9 at room temperature, which is three orders of magnitude greater than that of the graphene nanoribbons of the same width. In addition, its thermoelectric performance can be further promoted by suppressing phonon thermal conductance through enhanced isotope scattering. The ZT value of doped devices can reach up to 1.0 in the range of 300–700 K. This work may help in the design and fabrication of transition metal-containing twistable molecular devices and provide effective methods to regulate their thermoelectric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Circular RNA (circRNA) plays an important regulatory role in the development of a variety of tumors. However, the abnormal expression and biological function of circRNA in nasopharyngeal carcinoma remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the effect of hsa_circ_0012779 on the biological behavior of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells and its molecular mechanism. Methods: The expression of hsa_circ_0012779 in human immortalized nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line NP69 and nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines CNE2, 5-8F, HNE1 and SUNE1 was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTFQ-PCR). Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and transwell invasion assay were used to detect the effect of hsa_circ_0012779 on the proliferation and invasion ability of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. The protein level of ELAV like protein 1 (ELAVL1) in NPC cells with hsa_circ_0012779 knockdown was detected by Western blot. The binding of hsa_circ_0012779 and ELAVL1 was verified by RNA pull-down assay. Results: hsa_circ_0012779 was highly expressed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues and cells. Knockdown hsa_circ_0012779 could inhibit the proliferation and invasion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. hsa_circ_0012779 bound to RNA-binding protein ELAVL1 to promote its expression and colocalization in cytoplasm. In the meanwhile, the effect of knockdown hsa_circ_0012779 on nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells could be reversed by the overexpression of ELAVL1. Conclusion: hsa_circ_0012779 promote the expression of ELAVL1 and thus promote the proliferation and invasion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and influence the occurrence and development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

The results of phylogenetic analysis, based on the whole chloroplast genome and morphological study support the transfer of a long ignored bamboo species, Sasa gracilis, to the recently established genus, Sinosasa, in this study. Morphologically, this species differs from all the other known Sinosasa species by having very short (2–3 mm) foliage leaf inner ligules, which is unusual in this genus. A revised description of its morphology and colour photos are also provided.

Sasa oblongula was described in 1987 based on a cultivated plant at the bamboo garden of Sun Yat-sen University. This species has two or three branches at the upper nodes, which differ from the rest of Sasa species that have a single branch per node. During the field trip to Baishi Town, Yunfu City, Guangdong Province in July 2021, one bamboo species with oblong foliage leaves was collected and matches the isotype. Then, our question was to test the identity of S. oblongula concerning other Sasa species based on morphology and molecular data. To do that, we sequenced the whole chloroplast genome of S. oblongula and did a phylogenetic analysis. Our morphological results indicate that the new collection is S. oblongula. The phylogenetic tree showed that S. oblongula is close to Pseudosasa, instead of Sasa species. Therefore, we transferred it to the genus Pseudosasa, and a revised description of P. oblongula is provided here.

Abstract Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent regulated cell death that suppresses tumor growth. It is activated by extensive peroxidation of membrane phospholipids caused by oxidative stress. GPX4, an antioxidant enzyme, reduces these peroxidized membrane phospholipids thereby inhibiting ferroptosis. This enzyme has two distinct subcellular localization; the cytosol and mitochondria. Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) complements mitochondrial GPX4 in reducing peroxidized membrane phospholipids. It is the rate-limiting enzyme in de novo pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis. Its role in ferroptosis inhibition suggests that DHODH inhibitors could have two complementary mechanisms of action against tumors; inhibiting de novo pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis and enhancing ferroptosis. However, the link between mitochondrial function and ferroptosis, and the involvement of DHODH in the ETC suggests that its role in ferroptosis could be modulated by the Warburg effect. Therefore, we reviewed relevant literature to get an insight into the possible effect of this metabolic reprogramming on the role of DHODH in ferroptosis. Furthermore, an emerging link between DHODH and cellular GSH pool has also been highlighted. These insights could contribute to the rational design of ferroptosis-based anticancer drugs. Video Abstract

This paper uses cointegration test and vector error correction model to study the impact of preschool education investment in Chongqing on GDP from two aspects: long-term equilibrium and short-term dynamics. The results show that although the two series are non-stationary from 1997 to 2019, there is a long-term stable equilibrium relationship, as well as a twoway causal relationship, between them. The long-term elasticity of Chongqing’s preschool education investment to the city’s GDP is 0.515, and the short-term elasticity is −0.035. The impulse response function explains the dynamic impact of a shock on Chongqing’s preschool education investment, as well as on the long-term and short-term relationship between the two.

Neomicrocalamus and Temochloa are closely related to bamboo genera. However, when considered with newly discovered and morphologically similar material from China and Vietnam, the phylogenetic relationship among these three groups was ambiguous in the analyses based on DNA regions. Here, as a means of investigating the relationships among the three bamboo groups and exploring potential sources of genomic conflicts, we present a phylogenomic examination based on the whole plastome, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and single-copy nuclear (SCN) gene datasets. Three different phylogenetic hypotheses were found. The inconsistency is attributed to the combination of incomplete lineage sorting and introgression. The origin of newly discovered bamboos is from introgressive hybridization between Temochloa liliana (which contributed 80.7% of the genome) and Neomicrocalamus prainii (19.3%), indicating that the newly discovered bamboos are closer to T. liliana in genetics. The more similar morphology and closer distribution elevation also imply a closer relationship between Temochloa and newly discovered bamboos.