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In this article, a 1-THz traveling-wave tube (TWT) based on flat-roofed sine waveguide (SWG) slow wave structure (SWS) has been studied theoretically and experimentally, and parts of the component have been fabricated. First, the flat-roofed SWG SWS has been optimized for working at 1 THz, the normalized phase velocity is around 0.287, and the interaction impedance is over $3.5~\Omega $ in the frequency range of 1.02–1.04 THz. Meanwhile, the performance of the designed TWT has been simulated, whose saturated output power is 720 mW and the corresponding gain is 28.57 dB. What is more, to decrease the transmission loss of the high-frequency structure, the input and output structures have been designed and a transition structure that transforms the waveguide to standard rectangular waveguide has been proposed. The simulation results show that the reflection coefficient of the novel proposed transmission system is less than −20 dB, and the insertion losses of the transition structure with the input and output waveguides are 2.45 and 1.68 dB, respectively. Finally, the designed SWS has been fabricated by deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE) and tested; ${S}_{{11}}$ is generally less than −10 dB in the frequency range of 1020–1040 GHz.

Background. Dahuang Zhechong pills (DHZCP) is a classic Chinese medicinal prescription in “Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Miscellaneous Diseases (Shanghan Zabing Lun),” and it has the function of tonifying blood, nourishing Yin, and removing blood stasis. Previous studies have shown that DHZCP could alleviate SiO2 induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. This study aims to further explore the preventive and therapeutic effects of DHZCP against silicosis fibrosis and the underlying mechanisms in vitro. Methods. We used the experimental model of SiO2-induced MH-S cells to evaluate the therapeutic potential of DHZCP. MH-S cells induced by SiO2 were intervened with the drug-containing serum of DHZCP, and the effects of drug-containing serum of DHZCP on the MH-S cells were detected by CCK8, ELISA, flow cytometry, western blot, and immunofluorescence. Results. DHZCP improved cell viability by reducing apoptosis. It also decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 in the supernatant of MH-S cells induced by SiO2, inhibited the expression of p38 MAPK, blocked the activation of NF-κB, and controlled the upstream inflammatory response by multiple targeting. Concomitantly, we observed upregulation of Smad7 and a marked decline in TGF-β1, α-SMA, Smad2, Smad3 expression in MH-S cells treated with DHZCP. Conclusion. To sum up, we conclude that DHZCP protects against SiO2-induced silicosis by reducing the persistent irritation of inflammation, regulating the p38 MAPK/TGF-β1/Smad pathway.

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a potential inhibitor of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). ACE2 and its co-expressed proteins are SARS-CoV-2 receptors, which have been linked to SARS-CoV-2 infection and considered as the key target of SARS-CoV-2 in entering target cells. Here, network pharmacology was used to investigate the mechanism by which CGA affected COVID-19. A total of 70 potential targets related to the treatment of COVID-19 were obtained, among which NFE2L2, PPARG, ESR1, ACE, IL6, and HMOX1 might be the main potential targets. Finally, CGA and potential target proteins were scored by molecular docking, and the prediction results of network pharmacology were preliminarily verified. Moreover, CGA had potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity via integrating three common receptors in clinical practice compared with clinical trial drugs registered for the treatment of COVID-19, as shown by molecular docking. The mechanism of CGA against COVID-19 was initially investigated using network pharmacology, followed by molecular docking.

Background: In the global, randomized phase 3 CheckMate 816 study (NCT02998528), neoadjuvant NIVO + chemo demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in event-free survival (EFS) and pathologic complete response (pCR) vs chemo in pts with resectable NSCLC. Here, we report results from the Chinese subgroup of this study. Methods: Adults with stage IB (≥ 4 cm)-IIIA (per AJCC 7th edition) resectable NSCLC, ECOG PS ≤ 1, and no known EGFR/ALK mutations were randomized to NIVO 360 mg + chemo Q3W or chemo Q3W for 3 cycles followed by surgery. EFS and pCR (per blinded independent review) were primary endpoints; major pathologic response (MPR) and time to death or distant metastasis (TTDM) were secondary endpoints. Presented results are from an updated analysis of EFS (DBL, Oct 14, 2022), and the final analysis of pCR (DBL, Sep 16, 2020). Results: The Chinese subgroup comprised 97 pts (NIVO + chemo, 44; chemo, 53). Baseline characteristics were generally balanced between treatment (tx) arms, except for a higher proportion of pts with stage IIIA NSCLC in the chemo arm. At 38.2 mo’s minimum follow-up, NIVO + chemo improved EFS vs chemo (HR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.25-0.88). The pCR rate (95% CI) was higher with NIVO + chemo (25.0% [13.2-40.3]) vs chemo (1.9% [0.0-10.1]); MPR and TTDM also favored NIVO + chemo (table). Overall, 36 (81.8%) and 41 (77.4%) pts in the NIVO + chemo and chemo arms, respectively, had definitive surgery. Grade 3-4 tx-related and surgery-related adverse events occurred in 18 (41.9%) and 5 (13.9%) pts in the NIVO + chemo arm, respectively, vs 22 (41.5%) and 9 (22.0%) in the chemo arm. Conclusions: Consistent with results in the global population of CheckMate 816, neoadjuvant NIVO + chemo improved EFS and pCR vs chemo in Chinese pts. The addition of NIVO to neoadjuvant chemo maintained tx tolerability and did not impact the feasibility of surgery. These results support neoadjuvant NIVO + chemo as a tx option for Chinese pts with resectable NSCLC. NIVO + chemo (n = 44) Chemo (n = 53) Median EFS (95% CI), mo NR (23.4-NR) 13.9 (8.3-34.3) HR (95% CI) 0.47 (0.25-0.88) 3-year EFS rate (95% CI), % 58.7 (40.6-73.0) 35.4 (21.8-49.2) pCR rate (95% CI), % 25.0 (13.2-40.3) 1.9 (0.0-10.1) Differencea (95% CI), % 20.9 (7.7-34.1) Odds ratio (95% CI) 11.05 (1.41-86.49) MPR rate (95% CI), % 34.1 (20.5-49.9) 7.5 (2.1-18.2) Differencea (95% CI), % 28.1 (11.9-44.3) Odds ratio (95% CI) 7.42 (1.92-28.65) Median TTDM (95% CI), mo NR (NR-NR) 28.8 (14.8-46.8) HR (95% CI) 0.27 (0.12-0.60) aCalculated using the stratified Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel method. NR, not reached. Citation Format: Changli Wang, Ke-Neng Chen, Qixun Chen, Lin Wu, Qun Wang, Xiaofei Li, Kejing Ying, Wenxiang Wang, Jian Zhao, Lunxu Liu, Junke Fu, Chunfang Zhang, Jichun Liu, Yi Hu, Mark M. Awad, Ives Ntambwe, Junliang Cai, Judith Bushong, Phuong Tran, Shun Lu. Neoadjuvant nivolumab (NIVO) + chemotherapy (chemo) vs chemo in Chinese patients (pts) with resectable NSCLC in CheckMate 816 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 2 (Clinical Trials and Late-Breaking Research); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(8_Suppl):Abstract nr CT081.

C20H16N6, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 7.6623(4) Å, b = 11.8206(5) Å, c = 8.8960(4) Å, β = 91.825(2)°,V = 805.33(7) Å3, Z = 2, R gt (F) = 0.0577, wR ref(F 2) = 0.1588, T = 200(2) K.

Although biochar (BC) has been widely used to adsorb pollutants in environment due to its natural and green characteristics, the structural defects of BC limit the ability to remove various environmental pollutants in aqueous solution. In this study, oxidized biochar (OBC) and sulfhydryl biochar (SBC) derived from pomelo peel (PP) were prepared through an oxidation and esterification reaction. BC and modified BC were used for the removal of methylene blue (MB), Cd2+, and phenanthrene (PHE) in aqueous solution. The adsorption behavior and efficiency toward different types of pollutants were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), kinetics, and isotherm model fitting. The results showed that the change of pH had great effect on MB and Cd2+ adsorption, but not on PHE. SBC not only possessed the newly formed sp2-hybridized domains with easy access to aromatic pollutants but also had multiple functional groups (-COOH, -OH, -SH, -NH2) that provided adsorption sites for positively charged pollutants. SBC was more flexible and efficient in purifying pollutants compared to BC and OBC, with the saturated adsorption capacities of MB (209.16 mg/g), Cd2+ (786.19 mg/g), and PHE (521.58 mg/g). Moreover, the adsorption kinetic and isotherms fitting showed that the adsorption mechanisms were closely related to the structure of biochar and the properties of pollutants, including π-π interaction, surface charge, electrostatic interaction, surface functional groups, and Van der Waals force. In addition, the analysis of structure-function relationship demonstrated the enhanced hydrophilicity and the easy exposure of the binding sites on OBC and SBC. Hence, it was significantly effective to regulate microstructure and interfacial properties to promote its adsorption behaviors of biochar.

Exploration of new superconductors has always been one of the research directions in condensed matter physics. We report here a new layered heterostructure of [(Fe,Al)(OH)2][FeSe]1.2, which is synthesized by the hydrothermal ion-exchange technique. The structure is suggested by a combination of X-ray powder diffraction and the electron diffraction (ED). [(Fe,Al)(OH)2][FeSe]1.2 is composed of the alternating stacking of tetragonal FeSe layer and hexagonal (Fe,Al)(OH)2 layer. In [(Fe,Al)(OH)2][FeSe]1.2, there exists mismatch between the FeSe sub-layer and (Fe,Al)(OH)2 sub-layer, and the lattice of the layered heterostructure is quasi-commensurate. The as-synthesized [(Fe,Al)(OH)2][FeSe]1.2 is non-superconducting due to the Fe vacancies in the FeSe layer. The superconductivity with a Tc of 40 K can be achieved after a lithiation process, which is due to the elimination of the Fe vacancies in the FeSe layer. The Tc is nearly the same as that of (Li,Fe)OHFeSe although the structure of [(Fe,Al)(OH)2][FeSe]1.2 is quite different from that of (Li,Fe)OHFeSe. The new layered heterostructure of [(Fe,Al)(OH)2][FeSe]1.2 contains an iron selenium tetragonal lattice interleaved with a hexagonal metal hydroxide lattice. These results indicate that the superconductivity is very robust for FeSe-based superconductors. It opens a path for exploring super-conductivity in iron-base superconductors., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, published in Inorg. Chem

Mobile social networks are dominating in our society’s daily life because of fast advancements of information technologies. To further exploit benefits from the ubiquitous service, studying the influence of information dissemination in this kind of social network becomes a necessity. This paper proposes a mobile social network influence model with regard to multiple roles. In the model, the concept of group is adopted to analyze a user’s role in different contexts. Through the introduction of role’s level and group’s relativity, information dissemination can be investigated deeply, and then, with the Floyd-Warshall algorithm, information strength matrix is constructed to study each node’s influence and under-influence indexes in the network, in addition, the comprehensive influence under multi-role view is also expressed distinctly in the fuzzy form. The result of this research will help find out preferable information disseminators as a new business strategy in e-commerce. Furthermore, it is also useful for detecting gossips and controlling its dissemination in social management.

The performance and functionality of luminescent materials should be continuously developed to meet the demands of high-level information safety. In this work, a theoretical strategy for multi-mode luminescent color self-evolution in one structure was proposed by hierarchically utilizing the energy transfer processes from traps to luminescent centers. The strategy was further employed for experimental design, and an efficient luminescent structure of CaAl2O4:Eu2+,Mn2+,Er3+,Nd3+ with multi-mode luminescent color self-evolution behaviors was developed. The anticounterfeiting device based on CaAl2O4:Eu2+,Mn2+,Er3+,Nd3+ herein possessed extremely high security level with attractive performance. In addition, the CaAl2O4:Eu2+,Mn2+,Er3+,Nd3+ was confirmed to have energy storage and controllable release activities, based on which high-value encryption devices with dynamic information display were developed.

This work obtained and identified pterocephanoside A (1), one new iridoid glucoside derivative with rare structure of three iridoid glycosides linked to cyclopenta[c]pyran-3(1H)-one, and 10 known iridoids (2-11) from Pterocephalus hookeri through silica gel column chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC. The structure of the new compound was confirmed by 1D and 2D NMR and HRMS data analysis. Compounds 1 and 2 were isolated from this plant for the first time. The iridoids mostly possessed seco-iridoid subtype and iridoid subtype skeletons from P. hookeri. Compounds 1, 3, 4, and 6-11 showed weak anti-inflammatory activity.

C10H15N5O2, triclinic, P 1 ‾ $P\overline{1}$ (no. 2), a = 8.0501(16) Å, b = 8.6163(17) Å, c = 9.6654(19) Å, α = 69.74(3)°, β = 75.79(3)°, γ = 87.43(3)°, V = 609.1(2) Å3, Z = 2, R gt (F) = 0.0593, wR ref (F 2) = 0.1821, T = 293 K.

The impact of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy on pulmonary resection and related outcomes had been poorly reported in previous studies. The present study aims to clarify the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy, and intraoperative difficulty in the following surgery, in comparison with chemotherapy alone in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Patients with newly diagnosed clinical stages IB-IIIB(T3-4N2) NSCLC, received neoadjuvant chemotherapy + PD-1 inhibitors (PD-1 + Chemo group) or chemotherapy alone (Chemo group) followed by surgery between December 2018 and December 2020 were included. The clinicopathological characteristics were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed.There were 69 NSCLC patients in the PD-1 + Chemo group and 121 in the Chemo group. The major pathological response (MPR) rate in the PD-1 + Chemo group was 49.3%, higher than that of 19.0% in the Chemo group (p 0.001). The 2-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 79.3% and 60.2%, respectively, in the two groups (p = 0.048). Multivariate analysis identified surgical radicality (hazard ratio (HR), 2.954, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.527-5.714, p = 0.001), and pathological response (MPR(CR) vs. SD(PD), HR, 0.248, 95% CI, 0.107-0.572, p = 0.001) to be independent prognostic factors for DFS. Lobectomy was performed in 73.9% and 66.1% of patients, respectively, and bronchial sleeve resection/bronchoplasty rate was also comparable (43.4% vs. 40.5%, p = 0.688). More patients in the PD-1 + Chemo group received vascular sleeve resection/angioplasty (15.9% vs. 6.6%, p = 0.039) and pericardial resection (10.1% vs. 2.5%, p = 0.038). After propensity score matching analysis, pericardial resection rate was still slightly higher in the PD-1 + Chemo group (9.4% vs. 1.6%, p = 0.05). Perioperative morbidities within 30 days and mortality in 90 days were comparable between groups (p 0.05).Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for NSCLC is safe and feasible, with higher MPR rates, as well as favorable DFS than chemotherapy alone. Surgical complexity might be increased in certain patients, with comparable perioperative morbidity and mortality.

The $W$ -band flat-roofed sine waveguide (SWG) slow wave circuit was designed and processed in this article. Considering the limitations on present practical fabrication level, sensitivity analysis was performed on the potential influencing factors for the performance of the flat-roofed SWG slow wave structure (SWS). As indicated by the calculation results, the gap between the SWSs and the side-wall strips could have a significant impact on the dispersion, interaction impedance, and the transmission of the entire slow wave circuit. Based on the theoretical analysis, two types of $W$ -band flat-roofed SWG slow wave circuits were fabricated and tested. The side-wall strips of the two circuits are processed with/without rounded corner. The circuit without rounded corner may cause a large gap and severe reflection. In comparison, the other one with rounded corners can make the parts fit tighter, thus minimizing the potential gap. The test results demonstrate that the $W$ -band flat-roofed SWG traveling-wave tube (TWT) possesses a voltage standing wave ratio less than 1.8, which is basically consistent with the simulation results.

The multicolor photoluminescence (PL) of a Tb3+ singly activated NaYGeO4 phosphor is prepared by solid state method. For the first time, it is reported that the PL color of Tb3+ in NaYGeO4 phosphor can be tuned from green to blue and, finally, to red by controlling the Tb3+ content. The optimal tricolor phosphors are NaYGeO4:0.01 mol% Tb3+ (red), NaYGeO4:0.5 mol% Tb3+ (blue) and NaYGeO4:5 mol% Tb3+ (green), respectively. The PL properties of the NaYGeO4:Tb3+ phosphor were studied in details. The results reveal that the PL color modulations of the NaYGeO4:Tb3+ phosphor are essentially due to the cross-relaxation effect of Tb3+, and a possible mechanism on the cross-relaxation is proposed. According to these unique features, a multicolor PL image was fabricated based on the NaYGeO4:Tb3+ phosphor for potential applications in luminescent anticounterfeiting.

Assembling monolayers into a bilayer system unlocks the rotational free degree of van der Waals (vdW) homo/heterostructure, enabling the building of twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG) which possesses novel electronic, optical, and mechanical properties. Previous methods for preparation of homo/heterstructures inevitably leave the polymer residue or hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) mask, which usually obstructs the measurement of intrinsic mechanical and surface properties of tBLG. Undoubtedly, to fabricate the designable tBLG with clean interface and surface is necessary but challenging. Here, we propose a simple and handy method to prepare atomically clean twisted bilayer graphene with controllable twist angles based on wetting-induced delamination. This method can transfer tBLG onto a patterned substrate, which offers an excellent platform for the observation of physical phenomena such as relaxation of moire pattern in marginally tBLG. These findings and insight should ultimately guide the designable packaging and atomic characterization of the two-dimensional (2D) materials.

Addition of oxygen in the interface between Cu and Al2O3 can significantly improve the wettability. In the present work, Cu/Al2O3 laminated composites were fabricated by bonding Cu foils with CuO-coated Al2O3 plates. Before bonding, the coated Al2O3 plates were pretreated at different temperature in the air. The effect of pretreated temperature on the interfacial microstructure, wettability and bending property were investigated. Phase composition in the interface after wetting test was characterized according to the thermodynamics of Cu–O system. The wetting mechanism and bending failure mode of Cu/Al2O3 laminated composites were also analyzed. Pretreated temperature significantly influences the wettability and bending strength of the composites. The contact angle decreased to about 22° when the pretreated temperature equal to 1100 °C. Continuous CuAlO2 in the interlayer is beneficial to the wettability between Cu melt and Al2O3, while other phases such as Cu2O and CuAl2O4 would increase the contact angle. Crack formation and propagation are the main failure mode of Cu/Al2O3 laminated composites during bending test. Different from the wettability, Cu/Al2O3 laminated composites fabricated with pretreated temperature at 1050 °C show the highest bending strength, although the contact angle is not the lowest on this condition. The reason is illustrated through analyzing the bending failure mode.

Sinapis arvensis, belonging to the genus Sinapis of the family Brassicaceae, has good agronomic characters that make it a valuable genetic resource for crop improvement and is a cytoplasmic source of heterologous cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS). In addition, S. arvensis has played an important role in the evolution of the six major cultivated Brassica species involved in the triangle of U. Using next-generation sequencing, we assembled and revealed the gene composition of S. arvensis cytoplasmic genome. The chloroplast genome comprises 153,590 bp, with 112 individual genes, including 4 rRNA, 29 tRNA, and 79 protein-coding genes. The mitochondrial genome comprises 240,024 bp, with 54 genes, including 18 tRNA, three rRNA and 33 protein-coding genes. Genome structure and evolutionary analysis indicated that the sequences of the S. arvensis organellar genomes were more similar to those of Brassica nigra and B. carinata than to those of other Brassicaceae species. Four mitochondrial open reading frames displaying chimeric structural features and encoding hypothetical proteins with transmembrane domains may account for the infertility of Nsa CMS previously derived from somatic cell hybridization between B. napus and S. arvensis. These results will not only contribute to utilize the germplasm resource of S. arvensis, and comprehend the evolution of organelle genomes within the Brassicaceae family, but also help to identify genes conditioning the alloplasmic male sterility of Nsa CMS in B. napus.

To meet the ever-upgrading sulfur-content standard of fuel oil, aerobic oxidative desulfurization (AODS) of fuel has become a research focus for its advantages of high efficiency and low cost. Herein, monodisperse polyoxometalate (POM) clusters immobilized by poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) have been successfully supported on graphene through a one-step bottom-up strategy and used as robust catalysts for AODS with air as oxygen source. Systematical characterizations were applied to investigate the structural features and formation mechanism. The catalyst synthesized via non-covalent interactions possessed high specific surface area and large mesoporous size. POM anionic clusters were uniformly monodispersed on the surface of the material, which endowed the catalyst with excellent heterogeneous catalytic performance. Detailed experiments for desulfurization of model fuel were subsequently performed to explore the influence of crucial parameters. The optimal catalyst achieved complete conversion of sulfides under mild condition, which could be reused at least six times without noticeable decreases of the catalytic performance. Based on the obtained results, the POM/PIL/Gr composite is expected to serve as efficient, robust and recyclable catalysts for ultra-deep oxidative desulfurization.

Background Parthenolide (PT), the effective active ingredient of the medicinal plant, feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), has been used as an anti-inflammatory drug due to its involvement in the inhibition of the NF-кB pathway. Moreover, recent studies have demonstrated the anti-tumor effect of PT in several cancers. However, the effect of PT on esophageal carcinoma remains unclear to date. In this study, we examined the inhibitory effects of PT and its underlying mechanism of action in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells - Eca109 and KYSE-510. Methods The proliferation ability of Eca109 and KYSE-510 treated with PT was detected using the Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony forming assay. The Transwell assay and the wound healing assay were used to analyze the cell invasion and migration ability, respectively. The tube formation assay was used to investigate the effect of PT on tube formation of endothelial cells. The expression level of NF-кB, AP-1 and VEGF was analyzed by Western blot. Results We demonstrated that PT attenuates the proliferation and migration ability of ESCC cells in vitro and also inhibits tumor growth in the mouse xenograft model. In addition, PT exhibited anti-angiogenesis activity by weakening the proliferation, invasion and tube formation of endothelial cells in vitro and reduced microvessel density in the xenograft tumors. Further studies revealed that PT reduced the expression level of NF-кB, AP-1 and VEGF in ESCC cells. Conclusion Collectively, the results of our study demonstrated that PT exerts anti-tumor and anti-angiogenesis effects possibly by inhibiting the NF-кB/AP-1/VEGF signaling pathway on esophageal carcinoma and might serve as a promising therapeutic agent for ESCC.

In this manuscript, self-healing, highly flexible hydrogels based on hydroxypropyl guar gum (HPG) were prepared by adding dopamine-coated reduced-graphene oxide (rGO@PDA). The multiple reversible dynamic networks were simultaneously constructed by boron–oxygen and metal-ligand interactions. These multiple networks significantly improve the self-healing efficiency and mechanical strength of the biomass hydrogels. It is noteworthy that rGO@PDA can enhance conductivity and flexibility properties. Impressively, flexible sensor with these self-healing hydrogels have a large strain range (728%), high sensitivity (GF = 11.30) and fast response time (210 ms). The obtained flexible sensors can also detect human motion (such as sound vibrations and pulse rates) to large scales (such as knee flexion) over a wide temperature range (−20–30 °C). The signals of sensors have superior stability and repeatability, which show potential application prospect in the field of flexible wearable devices.

Plant organelle (plastid and mitochondrial) genomes contain substantial information for plant evolution and adaptation. Therefore, it’s important to reveal plant whole-genome sequences including plastid and mitochondrial genomes. To decode these sequences, it is required to efficiently separate organelle genomic DNA from nucleus genome, which is difficult and laborious. In this study, an efficient procedure was established to obtain plant organelle genomes without extraction of plastid and mitochondria. Organelle DNA was extracted from three materials including Sinapis arvensis var. ‘Yeyou 18’, a cytoplasmic male sterile line (Nsa CMS) and its corresponding maintainer line ‘Zhongshuang 4’. DNA was sequenced by Roche 454 FLX+ and Illumina Miseq platforms. Organelle genomes were assembled using the generated reads and public organelle genome sequences. This research presented a procedure that efficiently assembled organelle genomes and subsequent fill gaps by extending the consensus contig terminals. This method enabled us to assemble plant plastid and mitochondrial genomes simultaneously. The obtained organelle genomes could accelerate understanding of mitochondrial rearrangements and laid a foundation for further study of Sinapis arvensis evolution and sterility gene of Nsa CMS.

Pod shatter resistance of rapeseed is influenced by a SHP1.A9 allele that contains a copia-like retrotransposon insertion in the promoter region, which silences SHP1.A9 expression epigenetically via DNA methylation., Seed loss resulting from pod shattering is a major constraint in production of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying pod shatter resistance are not well understood. Here, we show that the pod shatter resistance at quantitative trait locus qSRI.A9.1 is controlled by one of the B. napus SHATTERPROOF1 homologs, BnSHP1.A9, in a doubled haploid population generated from parents designated R1 and R2 as well as in a diverse panel of oilseed rape. The R1 maternal parental line of the doubled haploid population carried the allele for shattering at qSRI.A9.1, while the R2 parental line carried the allele for shattering resistance. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that BnSHP1.A9 was expressed specifically in flower buds, flowers, and developing siliques in R1, while it was not expressed in any tissue of R2. Transgenic plants constitutively expressing either of the BnSHP1.A9 alleles from the R1 and R2 parental lines showed that both alleles are responsible for pod shattering, via a mechanism that promotes lignification of the enb layer. These findings indicated that the allelic differences in the BnSHP1.A9 gene per se are not the causal factor for quantitative variation in shattering resistance at qSRI.A9.1. Instead, a highly methylated copia-like long terminal repeat retrotransposon insertion (4803 bp) in the promotor region of the R2 allele of BnSHP1.A9 repressed the expression of BnSHP1.A9, and thus contributed to pod shatter resistance. Finally, we showed a copia-like retrotransposon-based marker, BnSHP1.A9R2, can be used for marker-assisted breeding targeting the pod shatter resistance trait in oilseed rape.

In this article, a potentially pseudoperiodic slow wave structure (SWS) for a broadband, high-power, helix traveling-wave tube (TWT) is studied. The structure considered here suppresses the back-wave oscillations caused by a large working current. These oscillations do not have conventional uniform pitch distributions in the radial dimension; rather, the two configurations studied in this article are a uniform pitch gradient and a conical helix. Through a reasonable design and a large number of calculations, the entire tube consists of four tapered, pitch-varying SWSs. In addition, to achieve an 8–18-GHz broadband, high-power output, a double-ridged waveguide window output coupler is designed, fabricated, and tested. The 3-D electromagnetic simulation software CST STUDIO SUITE is used to verify the performance of the tube. The simulation results show that the potentially pseudoperiodic SWS can adequately suppress the backward-wave oscillations, and the tube is capable of achieving an output power of over 6 kW, even with a very wide bandwidth of 8–18 GHz. Additionally, the electronic efficiency varies from 21.5% to 25.8%. The maximum output power is 7.45 kW, corresponding to an electronic efficiency of 25.8% at 14 GHz.

This study was first and systematically conducted to evaluate the hypoxia response of the brain, heart, lung, liver, and kidney of mice exposed to an animal hypobaric chamber. First, we examined the pathological damage of the above tissues by Hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) staining. Secondly, biochemical assays were used to detect oxidative stress indicators such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG). Finally, the hypoxia compensation mechanism of tissues was evaluated by expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α), erythropoietin (EPO), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). During the experiment, the mice lost weight gradually on the first 3 days, and then, the weight loss tended to remain stable, and feed consumption showed the inverse trend. H&E staining results showed that there were sparse and atrophic neurons and dissolved chromatin in the hypoxia group. And hyperemia occurred in the myocardium, lung, liver, and kidney. Meanwhile, hypoxia stimulated the enlargement of myocardial space, the infiltration of inflammatory cells in lung tissue, the swelling of epithelial cells in hepatic lobules and renal tubules, and the separation of basal cells. Moreover, hypoxia markedly inhibited the activity of SOD and GSH and exacerbated the levels of MDA and GSSG in the serum and five organs. In addition, hypoxia induced the expression of HIF-1α, EPO, and VEGF in five organs. These results suggest hypoxia leads to oxidative damage and compensation mechanism of the brain, heart, lung, liver, and kidney in varying degrees of mice.

Cadmium is involved in female gonadal toxicity. Although many studies concur in suggesting a significant influence on female reproduction, the mechanisms of action are still needed to study. This study was designed to examine the characteristics of 0, 5, 10, and 20 μM cadmium toxicity in granulosa cells culture for 12 h, and the subsequent effect of cadmium exposure on AMH production and formation. Here we demonstrate that the viability of granulosa cells cadmium exposed was decreased, and the apoptosis was increased. Intriguingly, After exposure to cadmium the SCF was decreased and the AMH was increased in granulosa cells. This study may demonstrate that AMH signaling is involved in Cd action through SCF activation. The signaling pathways may play a role in the reproductive effects caused by environmental and occupational exposures to Cd. These results further confirm the functional significance of AMH signaling in mediating the intraovarian actions of Cd.

O2 activation for the green conversion of chemicals has attracted a great deal of attentions in the field of chemistry. Developing catalysts for aerobic oxidation with both prominent instinct activ...

Extensive grape pomace from red-winemaking may seriously pollute the environment and cause the waste of resources. Cellulose after fermentation in grape pomace is suitable as the source of extract outstanding cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). Herein, CNCs were successfully extracted from grape pomace with an eco-friendly and facile deep eutectic solvent (DES). The green DES with the composition of lactic acid/choline chloride (the molar ratio was 2:1), were used to fabricate CNCs. Importantly, the obtained CNCs as a robust nanocomposite can be successfully utilized to prepare the self-healing nanocomposite hydrogels. After added of Fe(III) and borax, the excellent self-healing performance of the guar gum-based hydrogels were achieved by the reversible noncovalent bonding interaction. Specifically, the hydrogels showed good mechanical properties (the stress was about 0.95 MPa, the strain was about 170%) and self-healing ability (the self-healing efficiency was about 90.0%). These biologically self-healing nanocomposite hydrogels can greatly broaden the recycling and utilization of grape pomace.

Heteroatoms were introduced as a novel modification strategy for fine-tuning the diradical character of molecular systems. Both the diradical character and the singlet-triplet energy gaps of diketopyrrolopyrrole based phenoxyl diradicaloids decreased as the size of the substituted heteroatoms (from O, S to Se atom) increased.

As robust functional polymers, polymer brush-based hybrid nanomaterials have potential application in the highly sensitive determination of tumor markers (TMs). Currently, there are plentiful reports on the polymerization methods of functional polymer brushes. Low ppm ATRP (activators (re)generated by electron transfer for atom transfer radical polymerization (A(R)GET ATRP), initiators for continuous activator regeneration atom transfer radical polymerization (ICAR ATRP) and electrochemically mediated atom transfer radical polymerization (eATRP)) is a facile and robust methodology with the advantages of simplicity, eco-friendliness and wide applicability to prepare well-defined polymeric materials. In this work, a controlled polymer brush-type functional nanoprobe is successfully fabricated by functional AGET ATRP and used as a sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor for precise detection of TMs (alpha-fetoprotein, AFP). Using graphene oxide (GO) as an excellent conductive matrix, a GO-based poly-heterozygosis pyridine nanomaterial (GO@PHPY) is obtained by surface-initiated AGET ATRP and photocatalytic modification. The nanoprobe is assembled using GO@PHPY and a detection antibody (Ab2) to detect AFP, in which Cu(ii) serves as a signal label to coordinate with the pyridyl group. Under optimized conditions, the electrochemical sensor exhibits a good detection effect on AFP, with a detection range of 0.1 pg mL-1 to 100 ng mL-1 and a low detection limit of 0.08 pg mL-1. It is worth noting that the detection platform can be applied to the detection of real human serum samples. Thus, it is a desirable platform for AFP detection in clinical diagnosis and practical applications. Meanwhile, this work proves that designing and constructing functional polymer brushes is one of the most effective methods for developing new materials for analytical scientific applications.

We report two carbazole-based diradicals, out of which the m-isomer shows a large diradical character y0 (0.89) and a small singlet-triplet energy gap ΔES-T (-0.98 kcal mol-1), whereas the p-isomer exhibits smaller y0 (0.79) but a much larger ΔES-T (-6.16 kcal mol-1). DFT calculations reveal that this tendency is also suitable for nitrogen and carbon-centered diradicals.

It is extremely important to explore the synthesis methodology and application scope of functional polymer brush-based nanocomposites. In this work, an ultrasensitive sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor based on a polymer brush/graphene oxide (GO) nanoprobe was designed for the quantitative detection of alpha fetoprotein (AFP). As the backbone of the polymer brush, polyacrylonitrile-g-GO (PAN-g-GO) was efficiently prepared via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). Benefiting from the large number of nitrile groups in PAN, the poly(vinyltetrazole-co-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-g-GO (P(VT-co-HEMA)-g-GO) was synthesized through nitrile click chemistry. Furthermore, the immunosensor reached the design requirements of a high sensitivity as the P(VT-co-HEMA)-g-GO was connected to plenty of signal labels. Importantly, the designed immunosensor showed a wide range (2.5 × 101–5 × 104 pg mL−1) (R2 = 0.993) and a low detection limit (LOD, ∼0.183 pg mL−1) with a high selectivity, good reproducibility and excellent stability. Therefore, these polymer brush-based nanocomposites can provide potential applications for determining tumor markers (TMs) with robust signal amplification capability.