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Nitrogen is a critical factor for plant development and nitrogen input is one of the important tactics to enhance the development and yield of crops. Nevertheless, nitrogen input could influence the occurrence of insects positively or negatively. Nitrogen is also one of the main elements composing the insecticidal crystal (Cry) protein. Cry protein production could affect nitrogen partitioning in Bt plants and as such nitrogen input may influence insect pest management in transgenic Bt rice, Oryza sativa L. (Poaceae). To test this possibility, we evaluated the impacts of nitrogen regimes on the main insect pests and their predators on two Bt rice lines, T2A-1 and T1C-19, expressing Cry2A and Cry1C, respectively, and their non-transgenic parental counterpart MH63. The results showed that Cry proteins with different nitrogen regimes have enough insecticidal activity on rice leaffolder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Guenee (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), in both laboratory and field experiments. Laboratory studies indicated that relevant parameters of ecological fitness in brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stal) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), a non-target insect pest, were significantly affected by nitrogen input both on Bt and MH63 rice lines. Nymphal survival, female adult longevity, and egg hatchability in N. lugens differed significantly among rice varieties. The experiments conducted in rice fields also demonstrated that nitrogen was positively correlated with the abundance of N. lugens on Bt rice, similar to that on MH63 rice. The abundances of two predators – the wolf spider Pirata subpiraticus (Boesenberg & Strand) (Araneae: Lycosidae) and the bug Cyrthorhinus lividipennis Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae) – were significantly affected by rice growth stages but not by nitrogen input and rice varieties. In conclusion, the above results indicate that high nitrogen regimes for Bt rice (T2A-1 and T1C-19) and non-Bt rice (MH63) cannot facilitate the management of insect pests.

BACKGROUND & AIMS The lack of histopathological confirmation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnosis for patients receiving ablation may result in misdiagnosis of benign liver nodule as HCC occasionally, contributing to false treatment efficacy. This underestimated issue is one reason why the ablation efficacy remains undetermined compared with hepatic resection. Our aim is to compare the efficacy of ablation and resection for HCC within the Milan criteria after excluding the impact of misdiagnosis. METHODS Alpha-fetoprotein > 200 ng/ml was introduced as an inclusion criterion to improve diagnosis accuracy. A total of 435 (resection, 310; ablation, 125) HCC patients within the Milan criteria and without portal hypertension were enrolled. Propensity score matching analysis identified 259 (resection, 150; ablation, 109) patients to compare treatment efficacy. RESULTS Before matching, the survival of resection group were superior to ablation group with 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of 77.6% vs. 53.8% (P < 0.001), respectively, and 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate of 57.2% vs. 29.1% (P < 0.001) respectively. After matching, the baseline was well-balanced between the two groups. The 5-year OS rates were 71.5% vs. 51.3% (P < 0.001), and 5-year RFS rates were 56.1% vs. 25.6% (P < 0.001) for the resection and ablation groups respectively. Cox regression analysis identified ablation as an independent predictor for mortality and tumour recurrence (HR: 2.123 and 2.308, respectively; both P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Hepatic resection provides better OS and RFS than ablation for alpha-fetoprotein positive HCC patients within the Milan criteria and without portal hypertension.

As a cause of postoperative complications and early hepatic failure after liver transplantation, liver ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) still has no effective treatment during clinical administration. Although the therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for liver IRI has been previously shown, the underlying mechanisms are not completely clear. It is accepted that MSC‐derived extracellular vesicles (MSC‐EVs) are newly uncovered messengers for intercellular communication. Herein, it is reported that umbilical cord‐derived MSCs (UC‐MSCs) improve liver IRI in mice through their secreted EVs. It is also visualized that UC‐MSC‐EVs mainly concentrate in liver after 6 h of reperfusion. Furthermore, UC‐MSC‐EVs are found to significantly modulate the membranous expression of CD154 of intrahepatic CD4+ T cells, which is an initiation of inflammatory response in liver and can aggravate liver IRI. Mechanistically, protein mass spectrum analysis is performed and it is revealed that Chaperonin containing TCP1 subunit 2 (CCT2) enriches in UC‐MSC‐EVs, which regulates the calcium channels to affect Ca2+ influx and suppress CD154 synthesis in CD4+ T cells. In conclusion, these results highlight the therapeutic potential of UC‐MSC‐EVs in attenuating liver IRI. This finding suggests that CCT2 from UC‐MSC‐EVs can modulate CD154 expression of intrahepatic CD4+ T cells during liver IRI through the Ca2+‐calcineurin‐NFAT1 signaling pathway., Mesenchymal stem cell‐derived extracellular vesicles (MSC‐EVs) attenuate liver ischemia/reperfusion injury via Chaperonin Containing TCP1 subunit 2 (CCT2) regulating the activity of calcium channels, Orai1, of CD4+ T cells and subsequent Ca2+‐calcineurin‐nuclear factor of the activated T cells 1 (NFAT1) pathway, which inhibits CD154 synthesis and expression on CD4+ T cells.

A highly regio- and enantioselective rhodium-catalyzed 1,4-addition of arylboronic acids to β,γ-unsaturated α-ketoamides using a simple new chiral sulfinylphosphine ligand is described. This transformation provides an attractive approach to construct chiral nonracemic γ,γ-diarylsubstituted carbonyl compounds, as exemplified in the concise syntheses of sertraline and tetrahydroquinoline-2-carboxylamide.

Organoborane compounds are among the most commonly employed intermediates in organic synthesis and serve as crucial precursors to alcohols, amines, and various functionalized molecules. A simple palladium-based system catalyzes the conversion of primary C(sp(3) )H bonds in functionalized complex organic molecules into alkyl boronate esters. Amino acids, amino alcohols, alkyl amines, and a series of bioactive molecules can be functionalized with the use of readily available and removable directing groups in the presence of commercially available additives, simple ligands, and oxygen (O2 ) as the terminal oxidant. This approach represents an economic and environmentally friendly method that could find broad applications.

The first example of the transition-metal-catalyzed direct intermolecular C–H bond addition to ketones was achieved by using a rhodium catalyst. A significant influence of the directing group on the reactivity was observed, and sterically more hindered directing groups could promote the reaction. In addition, intermolecular hydrogen bonding played a role in stabilizing the product. The substrate scope for the quinoline derivatives was very good.

By employing a simple, inexpensive, and transition-metal-free oxidation system, secondary C–H bonds in a series of phthaloyl protected primary amines and amino acid derivatives were oxidized to carbonyls with good regioselectivities. This method could also be applied to oxidize tertiary C–H bonds and modify synthetic dipeptides.

Indolylnitroethanes and their derivatives are key intermediates to many bioactive structures. Most approaches to access chiral indolylnitroethanes involve organocatalyzed or metal-catalyzed asymmetric FriedelCrafts reaction of indoles with nitroalkenes. We have developed an efficient approach to optically pure a-aryl-3-indolylnitroethanes through rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric 1,4-addition of arylboronic acids to indolylnitroalkenes. Excellent yields (up to 99?%) and enantiomeric excesses (up to 99?% ee) of chiral indolylnitroethanes were achieved under mild conditions.

The high cost of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed has increased the importance of determining the optimum seeding rates for maximum yield and economic return. Previous research has evaluated vegetation indices of soybean cultivars in five maturity groups (MG IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII) at six seeding rates (68,000; 136,000; 204,000; 272,000; 340,000; and 408,000 seeds ha ―1 ) under dryland conditions on a loamy sand soil in the southeastern Coastal Plain from 2007 to 2009. This study evaluated the effects of soybean seeding rate in 96-cm rows on mature plant height, grain yield, and economic return, and determined the optimum seeding rates. Plant height increased with increasing seeding rate for MGs IV, VII, and VIII in 2 of 3 yr and for MGs V and VI in all 3 yr. For MG V in 2009, and VII and VIII in 2008, optimum seeding rates were 255,200; 228,200; and 342,500 seeds ha ―1 , respectively, at maximum yield, and 230,600; 179,100; and 325,900 seeds ha ―1 , respectively, at maximum economic return. For MG IV in 2008 and VI in 2009, economic return decreased linearly with seeding rate. Seeding rates that produced economic returns within $2.50 ha ―1 of the maximum across years were 136,000; 208,600 to 252,600; 136,000; ≥ 172,300; and 308,400 to 343,200 seeds ha ―1 for soybean cultivars in MG IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII, respectively. These results suggest that optimum seeding rate varies for cultivars in different MGs and could be lower than current recommendations for MGs IV, VI, and VII, but higher for MG VIII.

NSFC[21072186, 20872139]; CAS; Chengdu Institute of Biology of CAS[Y0B1051100]; Major State Basic Research Development Program (973 program)[2010CB833300]; Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Functional Organic Molecules

A new family of benzene-based chiral heterodisulfoxide ligands L1-L5 was synthesized in a single step. These disulfoxide ligands were applied in the rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric 1,4-addition of arylboronic acids to chromenones. The addition of diverse arylboronic acids to chromenones proceeds smoothly in up to 70% yield with up to 95% ee.

Increasing seeding rates in wide row spacing soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] may improve vegetation growth. This study evaluated vegetation indices of five maturity groups (MGs) at six seeding rates (68,000; 136,000; 204,000; 272,000; 340,000; and 408,000 seeds ha -1 ) under dryland conditions for soybean production system on the southeastern coastal plain in 2007-2009. In this region, MG IV is part of early soybean production system (April planted), MG V and VI are full-season soybean (May planted), and MG VII and VIII for double-cropping system (June planted). Leaf area index (LAI) varied with seeding rate by linear functions at 60 and 90 days after planting (DAP) for MG IV in 2008/2009, V in 2007/2008, and VIII in 2008; by quadratic functions at 60 and 90 DAP for MG V and VI in 2009, 60 DAP for MG VII in 2007, and 90 DAP for MG IV in 2007 and VII in 2008. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) increased with seeding rate linearly at 60 DAP for MG IV, V, VI, and VIII in 2008, IV and V in 2009; at 90 DAP for MG IV in 2008, VI and VII in 2009. Quadratic responses of NDVI to seeding rate were found at 60 DAP for MG VI in 2009 and VII in 2008; 90 DAP for MG IV and V in 2009, VII and VIII in 2008. Results suggest that increasing seeding rate may improve soybean growth at early development stages; however, increase of seeding rate above 272,000 seeds ha -1 may not achieve significant improvement of vegetation growth.

Variation of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] growth and yield with planting date may be a response to changes in the plant, the environment, or a combination of both. This 2-yr experiment studied the effects of planting date on durations of vegetative and reproductive stages, and duration, temperature, and precipitation on yield of five soybean cultivars each representing a maturity group (MG IV-VIII) under dryland conditions. Planting dates were scheduled for 14-d intervals from late April to mid-July, 2008 and 2009. Length of growing season shortened with later planting dates, and the shortening was greater for vegetative stages compared with reproductive stages, especially for later MGs. Duration of flowering decreased with later planting date more rapidly for MG V through VIII (-0.60 to 1.18 d per planting date delay) than MG IV (insignificant). Pod-set duration declined with later planting date slowly for all MGs and insignificantly for MG IV and V in 2008. There was no conclusive relationship between seed-fill duration and later planting date. Duration of vegetative stage was positively correlated with yield of each MG. At flowering stage, yield ofMG IV was positively correlated with temperature, while yields ofMG V to VIII were positively correlated with duration, temperature, and precipitation. Precipitation during pod-set was the main factor in determining yields of all MGs. Temperature during seed-fill was positively correlated with yields of all MGs. These results suggest that May planting dates would achieve greater yield potential for all MGs by extending duration of development stages and avoiding cooler temperature during seed-fill.

On May 12th,2008,the M_w7.9 Wenchuan earthquake ruptured the Beichuan,Pengguan and Xiaoyudong faults simultaneously along the middle segment of the Longmenshan thrust belt at the eastern margin of the Tibetan plateau.Field investigations constrain the surface rupture pattern, length and offsets related to the Wenchuan earthquake.The Beichuan fault has a NE-trending rightlateral reverse rupture with a total length of 240 km.Reassessment yields a maximum vertical offset of 6.5±0.5 m and a maximum right-lateral offset of 4.9±0.5 m for its northern segment,which are the largest offsets found;the maximum vertical offset is 6.2±0.5 m for its southern segment.The Pengguan fault has a NE-trending pure reverse rupture about 72 km long with a maximum vertical offset of about 3.5 m.The Xiaoyudong fault has a NW-striking left-lateral reverse rupture about 7 km long between the Beichuan and Pengguan faults,with a maximum vertical offset of 3.4 m and left-lateral offset of 3.5 m.This pattern of multiple co-seismic surface ruptures is among the most complicated of recent great earthquakes and presents a much larger danger than if they ruptured individually.The rupture length is the longest for reverse faulting events ever reported.

A simple, new, chiral sulfinylphosphine ligand is developed, which promotes excellent 1,4-selectivities and enantioselectivities in the rhodium-catalyzed conjugate addition of arylboronic acids to β,γ-unsaturated α-ketoamides.

We relocated 13367 small earthquakes that occurred in western Sichuan between 1992 and 2002 using a double-difference (DD) earthquake location algorithm to improve the relative location precision. The relocated microseismicity forms highly organized structures that correlate with the surface faulting well: showing the flower structure across the simple strike-slip fault, and the organized but dispersed structure across the pull-apart basin and thrust fault. Beneath thrust fault, there exists an aseismic layer. The seismicity shows segmentation characteristics on active fault zones. Other significant tectonic features that were previously obscured by routine location errors are also revealed by the relocated seismicity. Some blind faults are delineated by lineages of seismicity that are suggestive of faulting structures. A series of large voids in seismicity appear with dimensions of tens of kilometers on the Xianshuihe-Anninghe-Zemuhe fault zone that have been aseismic over the 10-year time interval, suggesting that these segments may be locked and storing strain energy for release in future large earthquakes. A 5km thick aseismic layer appears in most places in western Sichuan plateau at depths of 15~20km. The crustal strength envelopes are calculated for the western Sichuan plateau based on the results from hightemperature and high-pressure experiments. The result shows that the granite at depths of 14 to 19km appears to be ductile, which is in good agreement with the thickness and depth range of the aseismic layer, suggesting that the aseismic layer may be the result of the ductile deformation from the granite in the upper crust.

This method for the borylation of unactivated C(sp3)—H bonds uses mild reaction conditions including oxygen as the terminal oxidant and tolerates various functional groups.

The first example of the transition-metal-catalyzed direct intermolecular C–H bond addition to ketones was achieved by using a rhodium catalyst. A significant influence of the directing group on the reactivity was observed, and sterically more hindered directing groups could promote the reaction. In addition, intermolecular hydrogen bonding played a role in stabilizing the product. The substrate scope for the quinoline derivatives was very good.

A general method to obtain enantioenriched 1,3,3-triarylpropan-1-ones bearing a diarylmethine stereocenter was developed using Rh/chiral sulfinylphosphine catalyzed 1,4-addition of arylboronic acids to chalcones. The catalysis progressed smoothly in the presence of 2 mol % catalyst formed in situ from [Rh(C2H4)(2)Cl](2) and chiral tert-butanesulfinylphosphine and gave the adducts with up to 99% yield and 98% ee. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The transition metal-catalyzed asymmetric variant of the title reaction is normally limited to N-protected isatins. However, Rh(I)/chiral sulfoxide phosphine complexes were found to catalyze the enantioselective addition of arylboronic acids to NH isatins under mild conditions. A variety of chiral 3-aryl-3-hydroxyl-2-oxindoles were obtained with high yields and with good to excellent enantioselectivities (85–92% ee).

A class of chiral sulfoxide-olefins were designed and synthesized through concise routes. Their applications as ligands in Hayashi-Miyaura reaction were studied, which found that vinyl substituents of the ligands vary in stereocontrolling ability. Particularly, either isomer of adducts with excellent ees could be readily obtained through changing the position of the substituents of olefins as well as changing the configuration of the C=C bond of the ligands. Meanwhile, the substrate scope of arylboronic acids and alkenes was clearly shown. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The method provides an efficient approach to optically pure α-aryl-3-indolylnitroethanes under mild conditions.

The rhodium-catalyzed diastereo- and enantioselective Michael addition of arylboronic acids to 3-alkyl-enyloxindoles has been developed with (R)-binap as a ligand. A wide variety of the desired functionalized oxindoles are smoothly obtained in high yields (up to 99%) with high enantioselectivities (up to 92% ee) and good diastereoselectivities (up to 82:18). (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NSFC[21072186, 20872139]; CAS; Chengdu Institute of Biology of CAS[Y0B1051100]; Major State Basic Research Development Program (973 program)[2010CB833300]; Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Functional Organic Molecules

A new family of benzene-based chiral heterodisulfoxide ligands L1-L5 was synthesized in a single step. These disulfoxide ligands were applied in the rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric 1,4-addition of arylboronic acids to chromenones. The addition of diverse arylboronic acids to chromenones proceeds smoothly in up to 70% yield with up to 95% ee.

A class of novel chiral SO-S-type bidentate ligands based on the tert-butylsulfinyl moiety as the sole chiral source were designed and synthesized through a simple and efficient pathway. These ligands are effective catalyst precursors for the palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate and moderate to good stereoselectivities (up to 84% ee) were obtained. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

National Natural Science foundation of China[20872139, 21072186]; West-Light foundation of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Chengdu Institute of Biology of Chinese Academy of Sciences[Y0B1051100]; Major State Basic Research Development Program (973 program)[2010CB833300]

The application of the chiral pyrrolidine based thiourea organocatalyst (PTU) produces the anti-Mannich products in excellent yields as well as diastereo- and enantioselectivities.