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Manganese (Mn) is the third most abundant transition metal on Earth and is known for its exceptional biocompatibility. The development of novel catalytic mode for Mn is of great significance to advancing organic synthesis. In this study, the first manganese (Mn)‐catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition of alkynes is achieved with the aid of visible‐light photoredox catalysis. Photoredox catalysis is proposed to promote the transformation by in situ reduction of high‐valent Mn(II) complex to Mn(0) species, thereby initiating the reaction. Additionally, a photooxidation‐induced reductive ellimination step is also suggested. This system is further distinguished by its notable tolerance towards both terminal and internal alkynes as counterparts of diynes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clearance or transcriptional silencing of integrated HBV DNA is crucial for achieving a functional cure in patients with chronic hepatitis B and reducing the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma development. The PLC/PRF/5 cell line is commonly used as an in vitro model for studying HBV integration. In this study, we employed a range of multi‐omics techniques to gain a panoramic understanding of the characteristics of HBV integration in PLC/PRF/5 cells and to reveal the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of integrated HBV DNA. Transcriptome long‐read sequencing (ONT) was conducted to analyze and characterize the transcriptional activity of different HBV DNA integration sites in PLC/PRF/5 cells. Additionally, we collected data related to epigenetic regulation, including whole‐genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), histone chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP‐seq), and assays for transposase‐accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC‐seq), to explore the potential mechanisms involved in the transcriptional regulation of integrated HBV DNA. Long‐read RNA sequencing analysis revealed significant transcriptional differences at various integration sites in the PLC/PRF/5 cell line, with higher HBV DNA transcription levels at integration sites on chr11, chr13, and the chr13/chr5 fusion chromosome t (13:5). Combining long‐read DNA and RNA sequencing results, we found that transcription of integrated HBV DNA generally starts downstream of the SP1, SP2, or XP promoters. ATAC‐seq data confirmed that chromatin accessibility has limited influence on the transcription of integrated HBV DNA in the PLC/PRF/5 cell line. Analysis of WGBS data showed that the methylation intensity of integrated HBV DNA was highly negatively correlated with its transcription level (r = −0.8929, p = 0.0123). After AzaD treatment, the transcription level of integrated HBV DNA significantly increased, especially for the integration chr17, which had the highest level of methylation. Through ChIP‐seq data, we observed the association between histone modification of H3K4me3 and H3K9me3 with the transcription of integrated HBV DNA. Our findings suggest that the SP1, SP2 and XP in integrated HBV DNA, methylation level of surrounding host chromosome, and histone modifications affect the transcription of integrated HBV DNA in PLC/PRF/5 cells. This provides important clues for future studies on the expression and regulatory mechanisms of integrated HBV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bladder cancer is the 10th most prevalent cancer worldwide, with men having a lifetime risk of 1.1% and women 27%. The molecular mechanisms underlying the progression of bladder cancer from non-muscle invasive to muscle invasive are not well understood. This study used high-throughput RNA sequencing to identify differential gene expressions between the two types of bladder cancer. The researchers found that the upregulation of the PHB gene in muscle invasive bladder cancer tissues was associated with increased binding of the NADSYN1 mRNA to the PHB protein. Further experiments demonstrated that the interaction between PHB and NADSYN1 promoted bladder cancer progression. The study also identified Snai2 as a transcription factor that regulates the expression of NADSYN1, and its inhibition was associated with improved survival in bladder cancer patients. [Extracted from the article]

26 well selected oxidized P‐clusters (P2+) from the crystallographic data deposited in the Protein Data Bank have been analysed statistically by the bond‐valence sum method with weighting schemes for MoFe proteins at different resolutions. Interestingly, the oxidation states of P2+ clusters correspond to Fe23+Fe62+ with high electron delocalization, showing the same oxidation states as the resting states of P‐clusters (PN) in nitrogenases. The previously uncertain reduction of P2+ to PN clusters by two electrons was assigned as a double protonation of P2+, in which decoordination of the serine residue and the peptide chain of cysteine take place, in MoFe proteins. This is further supported by the obviously shorter α‐alkoxy C—O bond (average of 1.398 Å) in P2+ clusters and longer α‐hydroxy C—O bond (average of 1.422 Å) in PN clusters, while no change is observed in the electronic structures of Fe8S7 Fe atoms in P‐clusters. Spatially, the calculations show that Fe3 and Fe6, the most oxidized and most reduced Fe atoms, have the shortest distances of 9.329 Å from the homocitrate in the FeMo cofactor and 14.947 Å from the [Fe4S4] cluster, respectively, and may well function as important electron‐transport sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orotate (OA) is a precursor of pyrimidine nucleotides and is widely used in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Although various microorganisms have been used for OA production, the production efficiency needs to be further improved for industrial application. In this study, we engineered Escherichia coli native metabolism for efficient OA production. The entire pathway was divided into the downstream OA synthesis, the midstream aspartate/glutamine supply, and the upstream glycolysis modules. First, the downstream module was optimized by disrupting pyrE to block OA consumption and release the feedback inhibition, and tuning expression of the biosynthetic genes. Second, the midstream pathway was enhanced by increasing the supply of the precursors and the cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). More importantly, we observed that pyrE disruption may lead to metabolic disorder as indicated by the accumulation of large amount of acetate. This problem was solved by reducing the flux of glycolysis. With these efforts, the final strain produced 80.3 g/L OA with a yield of 0.56 g/g glucose in fed‐batch fermentation, which are the highest titer and yield reported so far. This work paves the way for industrial production of OA and represents as a good example of modulating cell metabolism for efficient chemical production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient and practical approach for the synthesis of triaryl allenyl sulfones from easily accessible propargylic alcohols was developed, by using sodium sulfinates as a sulfonyl source in the presence of Brønsted acid. The reaction proceeded via allenyl carbocation as the key intermediate and was followed by a nucleophilic attack of sodium sulfinates to produce allenyl sulfones in moderate to excellent yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A practical and environmentally friendly approach is presented for the efficient construction of propargyl organothiophosphates and allenyl organothiophosphates from easily prepared secondary propargylic alcohols and O, O‐diethyl phosphorothioic acid [(EtO)2P(O)SH]. The reaction proceeds smoothly in moderate to excellent yields without additional acid promoters or additives under mild conditions with water as the only by‐product. The divergent products are selectively obtained depending on substrates bearing different substituents on the aromatic ring. Notably, the developed reaction system can be scaled up to gram quantities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We investigate the stochastic stability of replicator dynamics for evolutionary games with multiplicative noises and time delay in this article. We study evolutionary games in infinite well‐mixed populations, among which each individual has two strategies, to cooperate or defect, each time when it is matched up with other individuals to play the two‐strategy game together. This article is concerned with the extension of the well‐known two‐strategy evolutionary games to the stochastic case with adaptive control. We analyze the stochastic replicator dynamics with time delays and provide conservative bounds on the strength of noise and the time delay for the almost sure exponential stability of stochastic systems. Finally, numerical simulations based on triple classical game models (snowdrift game, hunt stag game, and prisoner's dilemma game) are given to illustrate the preceding theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monomeric oxidovanadium(IV) citrate and malate, [VO(H2cit)(Him‐py)] ⋅ H2O (1) and [VO(R,S‐Hmal)(Him‐py)] (2), and an additive of mixed‐valence oxidovanadium(IV/V) (1H‐imidazol‐2‐yl)pyridine [V2O2(μ2‐O)(glyc)(Him‐py)2(im‐py)] ⋅ [VO2(Him‐py)(im‐py)] ⋅ 9.5H2O (3) [Him‐py=2‐(1H‐imidazol‐2‐yl)pyridine, H4cit=citric acid, R,S‐H3mal=R,S‐malic acid, H2glyc=glycolic acid] have been isolated from the reactions of vanadyl sulfate with α‐hydroxycarboxylate (citrate, malate, and glycolate) and 2‐(1H‐imidazol‐2‐yl)pyridine in acidic solutions, respectively. The citrate or malate chelates to vanadium atom tridentately through α‐hydroxy, α‐carboxy and β‐carboxy groups that different with bidentate glycolate, while the other β‐carboxy acidic group of citrate in 1 remains uncoordinated and participates in strong hydrogen bonds with water molecules. Further substitution of 2‐(1H‐imidazol‐2‐yl)pyridine for citrate in 1 results in the formation of [VO2(Him‐py)(im‐py)]3 ⋅ 4.5H2O (4) in basic solution. With comparable chelation, 1 shares a similar V−Oα‐hydroxy distance [2.214(2) Å] with that observed in FeV‐cofactor [2.156av Å],[1] where a protonated model is suggested for the local chelated environment of FeV‐cofactor in citrate‐substituted V‐nitrogenase variant. Interestingly, 2D porous structure of additive 3 features two types of irregular microchannels with diameters of 16.6 and 6.4 Å, respectively, which can adsorb CO2 and O2 for 9.28 and 29.68 mg/g at 29.89 bar, respectively, while little or no adsorption for H2, N2, and CH4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have demonstrated that small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting YKL‐40 (siYKL‐40) inhibits the proliferation, migration, invasion, and induces antiapoptotic abilities of endometrial cancer (EC) HEC‐1A cells. However, its effect on angiogenesis is unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the role of YKL‐40 in endometrial cancer and the related molecular mechanisms. YKL‐40 was knocked down by transfection with siYKL‐40 and the effects on angiogenesis, cell viability, and signaling pathways were investigated. The results showed that siYKL‐40 inhibited VEGFA levels and tube formation in endothelial cells. Additionally, inhibition of YKL‐40 decreased the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), phosphorylated vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (pVEGFR2), and phosphorylated extracellular signal‐regulated kinases 1 and 2 (pERK1/2). Furthermore, a nude mice xenograft model of EC showed that siYKL‐40 inhibited tumor growth. Inhibition of YKL‐40 led to suppression of angiogenesis and reduction of microvessel density through VEGF/VEGFR2 and ERK1/2 signaling in endometrial cancer cells. Taken together, this study demonstrated novel molecular mechanisms for role of YKL‐40 in EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the stochastic stability of opinion formation systems under both non‐time delay and time delay. Individuals whose opinions are affected by multiplicative noise are considered. Subsequently, a stochastic opinion formation model on coopetitive social networks which take both multiplicative noise and time delay into consideration and give the analysis of stochastic stability is introduced. When the continuous‐time system of opinion evolution is disturbed by stochastic multiplicative noise, the stability of the stochastic opinion formation system is dependent on the noise intensity and the topology structure. When the continuous‐time system of opinion dynamic is disturbed by time delay and multiplicative noise, the bounds of the noise intensity and time delay ensure the stochastic stability of the above system. Finally, numerical simulations are given to illustrate the above theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new gate driver with metal oxide thin‐film transistors (MO‐TFTs) has been presented for micro‐light‐emitting diode (Micro‐LED) display. The proposed gate driver employing linearly decreasing sweep signal generated module could realize the line‐by‐line pulse width modulation (PWM) driving method, which is valuable for application in high‐resolution Micro‐LED display compared with the conventional driving method employing global sweep signal. A simple Micro‐LED pixel circuit including an inverter module driven by the analog PWM method is employed to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed gate driver. A 10 × 10 green Micro‐LED display array has been fabricated with MO‐TFTs backplane technology. It is shown that a 10‐μs width pulse and linearly scanning sweep signal can be successfully output. Consequently, the pixel circuit array can be driven properly under analog line‐by‐line PWM driving method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel molybdenum(VI/V) POM‐based self‐constructed frameworks [MoVI12O24(μ2‐O)12(trz)6(H2O)6] ⋅ 6Hma ⋅ 18H2O (1, Htrz=1H‐1,2,3‐triazole, ma=methylamine), [MoVI7O14(μ2‐O)8(trz)5(H2O)] ⋅ 7Hma ⋅ 5H2O (2), Na3[MoV6O6(μ2‐O)9(Htrz)3(trz)3] ⋅ 7.5H2O (3) and [MoV8O8(μ2‐O)12(Htrz)8] ⋅ 30H2O (4) have been covalently decorated with tri‐coordinated deprotonated/protonated 1,2,3‐triazoles. Channels with an inner diameter of 7.5 Å were found in 1, whereas a tunnel composed of stacking molecules with an inner diameter of 4.1 Å along the b‐axis exists in 2; it is occupied by free disordered methylamines, showing selective adsorption of O2 and CO2 at 25 °C. Obvious downfield shifts were observed by 13C NMR spectroscopies for methylamines inside the confined channels in 1 and 2. There are diversified pores in 3 and 4, which are formed by the molecules themselves and intermolecular accumulations. Adsorption tests indicate that 3 and 4 are fine adsorption materials for CH4 and CO2 under low pressure that rely on the environments built by the POMs. Correspondingly, 1 and 2 display reversible photoresponsive thermochromism that is subtlety influenced by the channels. The polyoxometalate organic frameworks (POMOFs) with multiple functional adsorptions are easy to assemble. Their photo‐/thermoresponse properties offer a new pathway for the self‐constructions of one‐off hybrid materials that possess the good properties of both POMs and MOFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hydroxyl‐assisted, organophotoredox/cobalt dual catalyzed annulation of 2‐propynolphenols to form 2‐hydroxymethyl‐benzo[b]furans was developed by employing 1,2,3,5‐tetrakis(carbazol‐9‐yl)‐4,6‐dicyanobenzene (4CzIPN) as photosensitizer and CoCl2(PPh3)2/5,5′‐dimethyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine as cobalt catalytic precursor. Various substrates and functional groups were tolerated. The practical applications of this reaction were further demonstrated by enlarged gram‐scale and various derivations for complex heterocycles. Primary mechanistic studies suggested the involvement of cobalt‐hydride mediated hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a systematic evaluation of lung inflammation indued by repeated intranasal exposure (for 10 consecutive days) to a human aeroallergen, house dust mite (HDM) in BALB/c mice. Peak influx of neutrophils, monocytes/lymphocytes, and eosinophils was observed in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) on days 1, 7 and 11, respectively, and normalized to baseline by day 21. Peak elevations of Th2, myeloid‐derived cytokines/chemokines and serum IgE were seen both in BAL and lung tissue homogenates between days 7 and 11, and declined thereafter; however, IL‐33 levels remained elevated from day 7 to day 21. Airway hyperreactivity to inhaled methacholine was significantly increased by day 11 and decreased to baseline by day 21. The lung tissue showed perivascular and peribronchial cuffing, epithelial hypertrophy and hyperplasia and goblet cell formation in airways by day 11, and resolution by day 21. Levels of soluble collagen and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP) also increased reflecting tissue remodeling in the lung. Microarray analysis demonstrated a significant time‐dependent up‐regulation of several genes including IL‐33, CLCA3, CCL17, CD4, CD10, CD27, IL‐13, Foxa3, IL‐4, IL‐10, and CD19, in BAL cells as well as the lung. Pre‐treatment of HDM challenged mice with CCL17 and IL‐13 antibodies reduced BAL cellularity, airway hyper‐responsiveness (AHR), and histopathological changes. Notably, anti‐IL‐13, but not anti‐CCL17 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) reduced BAL neutrophilia while both mAbs attenuated eosinophilia. These results suggest that CCL17 has an overlapping, yet distinct profile versus IL‐13 in the HDM model of pulmonary inflammation and potential for CCL17‐based therapeutics in treating Th2 inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a new metal oxide thin-film transistor (TFT) integrated gate driver for micro light-emitting diode (LED) displays. The proposed circuit eliminates the need for external integrated circuits by using a discharged-sweep-signal-generated (DSSG) module to produce sweep signals internally. The gate driver can generate all the necessary signals for driving the pixel array, simplifying the LED display framework. The article also presents an analog pulse-width-modulation (PWM) pixel circuit to demonstrate the feasibility of the gate driver. Experimental results show that the proposed gate driver successfully outputs integrated signals, including a linear sweep signal for the pixel array. [Extracted from the article]

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a leading cause of cancer‐related mortality globally. Though increasing evidence has demonstrated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are linked to the development and progression of cancers, the biological functions of circRNAs in PC remain largely unexplored so far. Based on previous studies, Hsc_circ_0075829 (circ_0075829) was screened out and then further identified in PC clinical specimens and cell lines by real‐time PCR. After the stability tests, a series of in vitro and in vivo functional experiments were performed to investigate the role of circ_0075829 in PC development. Furthermore, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), bioinformatics tools, dual‐luciferase assays and rescue experiments were conducted to clarify the regulatory mechanisms of circ_0075829 in SW1990 and BxPC‐3 cells. Compared with paracancerous tissues, the expression of circ_0075829 was increased in PC tissues, which was positively correlated with the clinical features of PC. Knockdown of circ_0075829 significantly suppressed the proliferative, migratory and invasive rates of SW1990 and BxPC‐3 cells both in vitro and in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis and dual‐luciferase reporter gene assay indicated that circ_0075829 could bind to miR‐1287‐5p. Mechanism research and rescue experiments demonstrated that circ_0075829 could regulate the LAMTOR3/p‐ERK signalling pathway via sponging miR‐1287‐5p in PC cell lines. Our data reveal that the circ_0075829 could facilitate the proliferation and metastasis of PC through circ_0075829/miR‐1287‐5p/LAMTOR3 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bond‐valence method has been used for valence calculations of FeMo/V cofactors in FeMo/V proteins using 51 crystallographic data sets of FeMo/V proteins from the Protein Data Bank. The calculations show molybdenum(III) to be present in MoFe7S9C(Cys)(HHis)[R‐(H)homocit] (where H4homocit is homocitric acid, HCys is cysteine and HHis is histidine) in FeMo cofactors, while vanadium(III) with a more reduced iron complement is obtained for FeV cofactors. Using an error analysis of the calculated valences, it was found that in FeMo cofactors Fe1, Fe6 and Fe7 can be unambiguously assigned as iron(III), while Fe2, Fe3, Fe4 and Fe5 show different degrees of mixed valences for the individual Fe atoms. For the FeV cofactors in PDB entry 5n6y, Fe4, Fe5 and Fe6 correspond to iron(II), iron(II) and iron(III), respectively, while Fe1, Fe2, Fe3 and Fe7 exhibit strongly mixed valences. Special situations such as CO‐bound and selenium‐substituted FeMo cofactors and O(N)H‐bridged FeV cofactors are also discussed and suggest rearrangement of the electron configuration on the substitution of the bridging S atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sale of wild animals, including protected species, may relate to regional differences in socio‐politics, culture, and economic development. A better understanding of how these factors affect the illegal wildlife trade is therefore necessary to optimize the deployment of conservation resources and policing. To evaluate these factors in relation to the trade‐in protected animals as pets, we surveyed China's popular consumer‐to‐consumer website, Taobao.com (analogous to eBay), and found that over 70,000 individual live parrots and turtles (totaling 46 and 49 protected species, respectively) were sold in just 150 days. Using analyses that attempted to account for species richness estimation and autocorrelation effects, we identified that regional economics promoted the occurrence and extent of pet sales. The provenance of these traded animals was ambiguous, but their vast numbers raise two concerns: if any proportion was sourced illegally from the wild, it is of conservation concern; whereas any bred illegally in captivity raise animal welfare concerns, because this would be unregulated. In the context of rapid economic development in China, it is thus important to reform the legislation that currently allows these commonly traded pet species to slip through the net intended to police animal welfare and illegal animal trading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of nomophobia, defined as the anxiety experienced when a person is without their mobile phone or is unable to use it, has been identified as having serious negative effects on individuals, particularly students. Previous research has explored the relationship between personality traits and nomophobia, but the findings have been inconclusive. The main objective of this study was to classify personality types through latent class analysis and explore the relationship between these personality types and nomophobia. The Chinese version of the Nomophobia Scale and the Chinese brief version of the Big Five Personality Inventory were used in this study to survey 1906 Chinese college students. The results indicated that (1) a four‐class model provided the best fit and categorized the personality traits as the overcontrolled class, resilient class, moderate class, and vulnerable class; (2) significant differences were observed between the four personality types and nomophobia, with overcontrolled and resilient personality types consistently scoring significantly lower than moderate and vulnerable personality types. Our finding highlights the key feature of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dimeric mixed‐valence vanadium (IV/V) glycolates and lactates with N‐heterocycle ligands, [V2O3(phen)3(glyc)]Cl·7H2O (1), [V2O3(phen)3(S‐lact)]Cl·5.5H2O (2), (NH4)2[V2O3(bpy)2(glyc)2]Cl·4H2O (3), (NH4)[V2O3(bpy)2(S‐lact)2]·7H2O (4) and (NH4)2[V2O3(bpy)2(R,S‐lact)2]Cl·H2O (5), have been isolated in a wide pH range from weak acidic to alkaline solutions (H2glyc = glycolic acid, H2lact = lactic acid, phen = 1,10‐phenanthroline, bpy = 2,2′‐bipyridine). The glycolates and lactates in 1 and 2 chelate to VV whereas in 3–5 chelate to VIV and VV with α‐alkoxy and α‐carboxy groups. These complexes feature interesting localized O=VIV–O–VV=O bridging structures, which are supported by structural analyses, bond valance calculations, UV/Vis, EPR experiments and exhibit different electrochemical behaviors. These complexes were further used for the selective oxidation of thioanisole to methyl phenyl sulfoxide. Two kinds of dimeric mixed‐valence vanadium (IV/V) glycolates and lactates with localized O=VIV–O–VV=O bridging structures exhibit distinct spectroscopy and redox properties, which are used in the catalytic oxidation of thioanisole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) and Propylea japonica (Thunberg) (both Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) are two common aphidophagous predators that overlap in their natural niche; therefore, interactions between these two predator species could affect their overall prey consumption. The consequences of intraguild interactions on the foraging efficiency of the two coccinellid species were investigated by evaluating the functional responses of single beetles and intra‐ and interspecific combinations to densities of the spirea aphid, Aphis citricola van der Goot (Hemiptera: Aphididae), on apple seedlings, during 2 and 12 h under laboratory conditions. A type II functional response was observed in all the bioassays. Solitary H. axyridis consumed significantly more aphids than single P. japonica in both exposure periods. However, at intermediate prey densities the prey consumption of P. japonica was slightly greater than that of H. axyridis. The 95% confidence intervals of the functional response curves of conspecific and heterospecific pairs overlapped at 2 h. In contrast, conspecific pairs of H. axyridis showed a higher functional response curve at 12 h compared to a combination of H. axyridis and P. japonica. Prey's predation risk reduction was only detected for paired H. axyridis and mixed predators compared to their estimated functional responses at the 2‐h foraging period. By comparing functional responses between intraguild predatory lady beetle combinations, we could further predict the potential ecosystem service provided by these natural enemies. Comparison of functional responses between various combinations of predators is a valuable approach to predict and assess multiple predator impact on their shared prey populations. Functional responses of single and intra‐ and interspecific combinations of Harmonia axyridis and Propylea japonica (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) to densities of Aphis citricola (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on apple seedlings were evaluated at two exposure times under laboratory conditions. Our results indicated that interactions between the predatory beetles can alter their functional responses, and thus their overall prey consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The dynamic interfacial tension (IFT) of betaine and betaine/polyether‐nonionic surfactant‐mixed systems against hydrocarbons, kerosene, and crude oil–water was studied using a spinning‐drop tensiometer. The influence of average molecular weight of polyether‐nonionic surfactants on IFT of mixed solutions was investigated. On the basis of the experimental results, one can find that it is difficult to reach the ultralow IFT value for betaine solution against hydrocarbon and kerosene because of the mismatch between the hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups. After purification, kerosene still contains a small amount of carboxyl groups, which can exert a synergistic effect on surfactants resulting in a lower IFT. The IFT of betaine and mixtures against Daqing crude oil can reach an ultralow value because of the mixed adsorption of surfactant and petroleum soap molecules. For mixed solutions, with the increasing concentration of added polyether, the decrease of petroleum soaps at the oil–water interface results in the destruction of synergistic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses illite crystallinity, chlorite crystallinity, illite polytypes, the b0 cell-dimension of K-white mica, clay mineral assemblages and mineral geothermo-geobarometers to investigate the overprint of diagenesis and metamorphism on the Meso-Neoproterozoic and the Lower Paleozoic along the profile Yueyang-Linxiang in northeastern Hunan Province, China. Illite crystallinity Kübler index (KI) of the <2µm fractions ranges from 0.225 to 0.485°Δ2θ while chlorite crystallinity Árkai index (AI) ranges from 0.244 to 1.500°Δ2θ. This indicates that the Meso-Neoproterozoic and the Lower Paleozoic along the profile Yueyang-Linxiang were overprinted with diagenesis and anchi- to epimetamorphism. Peak metamorphic temperature is estimated with the IV site chlorite geothermometer roughly at 360°C. The b0 cell dimension values of illites (K-mica) range from 0.9002 to 0.9054 nm and, on average, at 0.9030 nm for the Meso-Neoproterozoic. Based on cumulative frequency curves of illite (K-mica) b0 cell dimension, the peak metamorphic pressure of the Meso-Neoproterozoic along the profile Yueyang-Linxiang is derived of an intermediate pressure type. Most illites occur in the 2M1 polytype and some of them in a mixture of 2M1+1M types especially those in the Paleozoic. This result partly agrees with the conclusion of the lower greenschist and greenschist facies of the Lengjiaxi and Banxi Groups. However, it is not agreed with the sedimentary cover from the Sinian to the Lower Paleozoic or from the Banxi Group to the Lower Paleozoic. Crustal thickening due to 'collision' between the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks led to an increase in the thickness of the Meso-Neoproterozoic to ca. 14 km and resulted in a temperature increase in those rocks due to burial. The very low grade to low grade metamorphism overprinting the Meso-Neoproterozoic implies that the so called 'Chiangnania or Jiangnan orogen' was no relative with the 'Grenvillian orogeney; instead, it might be a continuous amalgamation product between the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aid of the hydrogen-bond relay of ( S)-camphorsulfonic acid, the enantioselective exo-Diels-Alder cycloaddition of cyclic enones and 2-vinyl-1 H-indoles catalyzed by prolinosulfonamide was developed. The corresponding Diels-Alder cycloadducts were readily obtained by a single recrystallization, free of column chromatography. Consequently, tetracyclic tetrahydrocarbazole ring systems with three contiguous stereogenic centers were prepared in moderate yields with excellent diastereoselectivities ( exo/ endo up to >20:1) and enantioselectivities (up to > 99 % ee). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban traffic networks are large‐scale systems, consisting of many intersections controlled by traffic lights and interacting connected links. For efficiently regulating the traffic flows and mitigating the traffic congestion in cities, a network‐wide control strategy should be implemented. Control of large‐scale traffic networks is often infeasible by only using a single controller, that is, in a centralised way, because of the high dimension, complicated dynamics and uncertainties of the system. In this study, the authors propose a multi‐agent control approach using a congestion‐degree‐based serial scheme. Each agent employs a model‐based predictive control approach and communicates with its neighbours. The congestion‐degree‐based serial scheme helps the agents to reach an agreement on their decisions regarding traffic control actions as soon as possible. A simulation study is carried out on a hypothetical large‐scale urban traffic network based on the presented control strategy. The results illustrate that this approach has a better performance with regard to computation time compared with the centralised control method and a faster convergence speed compared with the classical parallel scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Extraction and recovery of protein from abundant plant biomass is one potential way to improve the economic feasibility of biorefineries. However, valorization of the protein fraction is challenging due to its low yield (kg protein extraction/kg biomass). In order to reveal the limiting operation parameters, the alkaline extraction process of protein from Caragana korshinskii Kom. was investigated by an integrative analysis of kinetics and thermodynamics. Both a two-site kinetic extraction model and a second-order model indicated that particle size is the most pivotal factor affecting protein extraction yield. In a two-site model, most proteins are extracted quickly from broken cells, while protein removal from the intact cells takes much longer; these are the faster and slower processes, respectively. A decrease of particle size from 20-40 to 60-80 mesh resulted in a decrease of C2 (protein yield in the slower process) from 14.02 to 7.32 mg g−1, but a great increase of C1 (protein yield in the faster process) from 20.61 to 59.07 mg g−1. However, the protein yield was dominated by the faster process when the average particle size is under 80 mesh. The maximum initial extraction rate was 72.20 mg g−1 min−1 with the particle size of 60-80 mesh, almost ninefold of that with 20-40 mesh. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that the enthalpy change (Δ H) and entropy change (Δ S) in the protein extraction process were calculated as 21.08 kJ mol−1 and 84.76 J K−1, respectively. The standard free energy (Δ G) had a magnitude from −3.77 to −5.46, suggesting that the extraction process was spontaneous and physically feasible. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2014;111: 1801-1808. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atom‐economic synthesis: The syn‐ and highly enantioselective Henry reactions of aliphatic aldehydes catalyzed by a readily available β‐amino alcohol copper catalyst were developed and successfully utilized in the synthesis of safingol. The ligand could be easily recovered without any racemization (see scheme). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHH) is an effective protective strategy against myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, but the precise mechanisms are far from clear. To understand the overall effects of IHH on the myocardial proteins during I/R, we analysed functional performance and the protein expression profile in isolated hearts from normoxic rats and from rats adapted to IHH (5000 m, 4 h day−1, 4 weeks) following I/R injury (30 min/45 min). Intermittent hypobaric hypoxia significantly improved the postischaemic recovery of left ventricular function compared with the recovery in time-matched normoxic control hearts. Two-dimensional electrophoresis with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization and time-of-flight mass spectrometric analysis was then used to assess protein alterations in left ventricles from normoxic and IHH groups, with or without I/R. The expressions of 16 proteins changed by over fivefold; nine of these proteins are involved in energy metabolism. Immunoblot and real-time PCR analysis confirmed the IHH-increased expressions of the ATP synthase subunit β, mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase and heat shock protein 27 in left ventricles. Furthermore, IHH significantly attenuated the reduction of myocardial ATP content, mitochondrial ATP synthase activity, membrane potential and respiratory control ratios due to I/R. In addition, inhibition of mitochondrial ATP synthase by oligomycin (1 μmol l−1) abolished the IHH-induced improvements in three parameters: postischaemic recovery of left ventricular function, mitochondrial membrane potential and respiratory control ratios. These results suggest that an improvement in mitochondrial energy metabolism makes an important contribution to the cardioprotection afforded by IHH against postischaemic myocardial dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are several practical and intertangled issues which make the experiments of nuclear resonant vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) on biological samples difficult to perform. The sample temperature is one of the most important issues. In NRVS the real sample temperatures can be very different from the readings on the temperature sensors. In this study the following have been performed: (i) citing and analyzing various existing NRVS data to assess the real sample temperatures during the NRVS measurements and to understand their trends with the samples' loading conditions; (ii) designing several NRVS measurements with (Et4N)[FeCl4] to verify these trends; and (iii) proposing a new sample-loading procedure to achieve significantly lower real sample temperatures and to balance among the intertangled experimental issues in biological NRVS measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT We adopted a deep sequencing approach developed by Solexa (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA, USA) to investigate global expression and complexity of microRNAs (miRNAs) and their targets from Medicago truncatula. Two small RNA libraries and two degradome libraries were constructed from mercury (Hg)-treated and Hg-free M. truncatula seedlings. For miRNAs, each library generated 18.5-18.6 million short sequences, resulting in 10.2-10.8 million clean reads. At least 52 new miRNA candidates with ∼21 nucleotides are perfectly matched to the M. truncatula genome. Statistical analysis on transcript abundance of the new candidate miRNAs revealed that most of them were differentially regulated by the heavy metal mercury Hg(II), with 12 miRNAs being specifically induced by Hg exposure. Additionally, we identified 201 individual miRNAs representing 63 known M. truncatula miRNA families, including 12 new conserved and one non-conserved miRNAs that have not been described before. Finally, 130 targets for 58 known (37 conserved and 21 non-conserved) miRNA families and 37 targets for 18 new M. truncatula-specific candidate miRNA families were identified by high-throughput degradome sequencing approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adrenergic receptor (AR)-mediated signalling is modulated by oxygen levels. Prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs) are crucial for intracellular oxygen sensing and organism survival. However, it remains to be clarified whether or how PHDs are involved in the regulation of β2-adrenoceptor (β2-AR) signalling. Here we show that PHD2 can modulate the rate of β2-AR internalization through interactions with β-arrestin 2. PHD2 hydroxylates β-arrestin 2 at the proline (Pro)176, Pro179 and Pro181 sites, which retards the recruitment of β-arrestin 2 to the plasma membrane and inhibits subsequent co-internalization with β2-AR into the cytosol. β2-AR internalization is critical to control the temporal and spatial aspects of β2-AR signalling. Identifying novel regulators of β2-AR internalization will enable us to develop new strategies to manipulate receptor signalling and provide potential targets for drug development in the prevention and treatment of diseases associated with β2-AR signalling dysregulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytokinin (CK) influences many aspects of plant growth and development, and its function often involves intricate interactions with other phytohormones such as auxin and ethylene. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of CK and its interactions with other growth regulators are still poorly understood. Here we describe the isolation and characterization of the Arabidopsis CK-induced root curling 1 ( ckrc1) mutant. CKRC1 encodes a previously identified tryptophan aminotransferase (TAA1) involved in the indole-3-pyruvic acid (IPA) pathway of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis. The ckrc1 mutant exhibits a defective root gravitropic response (GR) and an increased resistance to CK in primary root growth. These defects can be rescued by exogenous auxin or IPA. Furthermore, we show that CK up-regulates CKRC1/TAA1 expression but inhibits polar auxin transport in roots in an AHK3/ARR1/12-dependent and ethylene-independent manner. Our results suggest that CK regulates root growth and development not only by down-regulating polar auxin transport, but also by stimulating local auxin biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abnormal activation of mitochondrial translocator protein (TSPO) contributes to arrhythmogenesis during cardiac metabolic compromise; however, its role in the antiarrhythmic activities of chronic hypoxia adaptation remains unclear. Our results demonstrated that 80% of normoxic rats developed ischaemic VF, whereas this condition was seldom observed in rats with 14 days of chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (CIHH). TSPO stimulation or inhibition affected the arrhythmias incidence in normoxic rats, but did not change the CIHH-mediated antiarrhythmic effects. Abrupt and excessive elevation of TSPO activity was positively linked to ischaemic VF, and CIHH preserved TSPO activity during ischaemia. The preservation of TSPO activity by CIHH also contributed to the maintenance of intracellular Ca homeostasis. These results suggest that the blunt sensitivity of TSPO to ischaemic stress may be responsible for the antiarrhythmic effects by CIHH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which investigates the resistance of insects to insecticides. The study made use of commercial formulations of the three insecticides such as indoxacarb, spinosad, and Bacillus thuringiensis to determine the resistance of insects to insecticides as well as the SAS program for the analysis of variance. The result of the study shows that the lowest average population density was achieve by the rotated treatment every generation unlike with every third generation.

β-Adrenoceptors (β-ARs) play a critical role in the regulation of cardiovascular function. Intracellular oxygen homeostasis is crucial for the survival of cardiomyocytes. However, it is still unclear whether β-AR activation can modulate intracellular oxygen. Here we used mitochondrial and cytosolic target Renilla luciferase to detect intracellular oxygen concentration. Pharmacological experiments revealed that β2-AR activation specifically regulates intracellular oxygen in cardiomyocytes and COS7 cells. This effect was abrogated by inhibitory G protein (Gi) inhibition, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) blockade, and NO scavenging, implicating that the β2-AR–Gi–eNOS pathway is involved in this regulation. β2-AR activation increased the AMP/ATP ratio, AMPK activity, ROS production and prolyl hydroxylase activity. These effects also contribute to the regulation of β2-AR signalling, thus providing an additional layer of complexity to enforce the specificity of β1-AR and β2-AR signalling. Collectively, the study provides novel insight into the modulation of oxygen homeostasis, broadens the scope of β2-AR function, and may have crucial implications for β2-AR signalling regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to revised phylogenies and newly discovered biogeographic distributions, scientific binomials are being amended continuously. Problematic is that wildlife protection legislation tends not to keep pace with these reappraisals, creating a wide range of legislative loopholes and potentially compromising ability to prosecute illegal wildlife trade (IWT). This serious and growing international problem proves particularly challenging in China because binomials used on China's national legislation have not been updated since 1989, alongside the enormous issues of IWT in this megadiverse nation. Here, we focus especially on mammals, because these support lucrative criminal markets and receive the greatest international policing efforts; however, all protected taxa are vulnerable to this misnaming ambiguity. To date, the names of 25 threatened species, including 18 mammals, have become incongruent with Chinese law. Additionally, two primate species, newly discovered within China, have not yet been incorporated into Chinese law. A further six mammalian species are known by different synonyms between Chinese law and CITES, hindering international policing and compilation of data on IWT. Taxonomic revisions similarly undermine legislation in other megadiverse countries; posing a critical risk to wildlife protection worldwide. We recommend that scientific binomials must be updated systematically across all 181 CITES signatory nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progress on the research and development of insect-resistant transgenic rice, especially expressing insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), in China has been rapid in recent years. A number of insect-resistant transgenic rice lines/varieties have passed restricted and enlarged field testing, and several have been approved for productive testing since 2002 in China, although none was approved for commercial use until 2006. Extensive laboratory and field trials have been conducted for evaluation of the efficiency of transgenic rice on target lepidoteran pests and potential ecological risks on non-target arthropods. The efficacy of a number of transgenic rice lines currently tested in China was excellent for control of the major target insect pests, the rice stem borers ( Chilo suppressalis, Scirpophaga incertulas, Sesamia inferens) and leaffolder ( Cnaphalocrocis medinalis), and was better than most insecticides extensively used by millions of farmers at present in China. No significantly negative or unintended effects of transgenic rice on non-target arthropods were found compared with non-transgenic rice. In contrast, most of the current insecticides used for the control of rice stem borers and leaffolders proved harmful to natural enemies, and some insecticides may directly induce resurgence of rice planthoppers. Studies for developing a proactive insect resistance management of transgenic rice in the future are discussed to ensure the sustainable use of transgenic rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae), is an important cotton pest in northern China, especially in the seedling stage of cotton. After large scale commercial use of transgenic Bt cotton, cotton aphids became one of the most important cotton pests. A 2-year study was conducted to evaluate the role of four winter wheat varieties that were resistant or susceptible to wheat aphid, Sitobion avenae Fabricius (Homoptera: Aphididae), in conserving arthropod natural enemies and suppressing cotton aphids in a wheat–cotton relay intercropping system in northern China. The results indicated that wheat–cotton intercropping preserved and augmented natural enemies more than a monoculture of cotton. The density of natural enemies in cotton was significantly different among relay-intercropping fields with different wheat varieties. The highest density of natural enemies and low cotton aphid populations were found in the treatment of cotton in relay intercropped with the wheat variety Lovrin10, which is susceptible to wheat aphid. The lowest density of predators and parasitoids associated with high cotton aphid populations were found with the wheat variety KOK1679, which is resistant to wheat aphid. The results showed that wheat varieties that are susceptible or moderately resistant to wheat aphid might reduce cotton aphids more effectively than an aphid-resistant variety in the intercropping system by enhancing predators to suppress cotton aphids during the cotton seedling stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with an unselected susceptible population, a cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), population selected for 22 generations with transgenic cotton leaves (modified CrylA) in the laboratory developed ll.0-fold resistance to CrylAc (one single-protein product MVPII). Resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner subsp kurstaki (Btk) was selected for 22 generations with a 5.2-fold increase in LC50. The estimated realized heritabilities (h²) of resistance for transgenic-cotton- and Btkselected populations were 0.1008 and 0.2341, respectively. This reflects the higher phenotypic variation in response to CrylAc in the transgenic-cotton-selected population. This variation may have been caused by differences in protein toxin levels expressed in different growth stages of the transgenic cotton. Because of the different slopes of the probit regression lines between CrylAc and Btk, the estimated realized he cannot be used visually to compare resistance development to CrylAc and Btk in H armigera. Thus, the response quotient (Q) of resistance was also estimated. The Q values of resistance for transgenic-cottonand Btk-selected populations were 0.0763 and 0.0836, respectively. This showed that the rate of resistance development would be similar in both selection populations. This result indicates that the selection of resistance using transgenic cotton is different from that selected using the single toxin. Resistance risk to transgenic cotton and Btk in field populations was assessed assuming different pressures of selection by using the estimated h². Assuming the he of resistance in a field population was half of the estimated he, and the population received prolonged and uniform exposure to transgenic cotton or Btk causing >70% mortality in each generation, we predicted that resistance would increase 10-fold after >23 generations for CrylAc in transgenic cotton-selected-populations and after >21... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotides directed at the bcl-2 translational start site downregulate bcl-2 and inhibit growth of the t(14;18)-positive lymphoma line WSU-FSCCL. Non-specific downregulation of bcl-2 expression is expected to be toxic to normal cells as well. The t(14;18) translocation results in a fusion transcript containing the entire bcl-2 coding sequence with a 3′ breakpoint fused to the immunoglobulin JH region and the cμ heavy chain. We postulated that these immunoglobulin sequences would be a specific target for downregulation of the fusion gene. Here, we have demonstrated that antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotides targeted to immunoglobulin cμ sequences downregulate bcl-2 protein expression and induce apoptosis of WSU-FSCCL cells. Inhibiting growth of malignant cells by targeting non-oncogenic sequences other than breakpoints of fusion transcripts expands the potential for tumour-specific genetic manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]