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Agrilus mali is a major wood-boring pest of Northeast Asia. Recently, it destroyed Malus sieversii and caused the decline of the wild fruit forests of the Tianshan Mountains in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. The pest beetle is often not identified due to the absence of affective rapid discrimination methods beyond adult morphological examination. This study reports a simple, rapid, specific and sensitive method based on recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) combined with lateral flow dipstick (LFD), which is able to quickly define the beetle even when it is young. RPA primers were designed based on the internal transcribed spacer 1 region (ITS1). The introduction of the probe in the reaction eliminated the false-positive signals. The probe (Probe1-b) was specificity and sensitivity with as little as 10-3 ng of purified DNA needed to detect A. mali. Moreover, the RPA reaction was carried out using crude extracted DNA, which was only extracted by immersion in sterile distilled water. The LFD is used to visualize the detection results. The results show that the whole process of the RPA-LFD assay can be completed at 38 °C in approximately 30 min, including 10 min for A. mali gDNA extraction and 15 min for RPA-LFD detection, and the amplification can be carried out in an individual’s hand; thus, this method has very good application prospects in the field of quarantine and pest management.

An efficient RhIII-catalyzed strategy to synthesize ortho-heteroarylated ketoxime structural scaffolds via directed C–H activation/heteroarylation involving arenes and heteroaryl organoboron reagents has been developed.

An efficient strategy to aryl-heteroaryl formation via RhIII-catalyzed C–H heteroarylation of arenes with N-heterocyclic boronates has been disclosed.

Crop growth model simulates the response of photosynthetic rate to nitrogen (N) dynamic by calculating critical N concentration. However, critical N concentration cannot describe the physiological effect of N dynamic to photosynthesis. In this paper, a Two-leaf Photosynthetic Model Sensitive to Chlorophyll Content (TPMSCC) was developed and coupled with the crop growth model (WheatGrow) to improve the mechanism of N dynamics on photosynthesis. The simulating results of TPMSCC revealed the high sensitivity of LCC on photosynthesis. The relationships of LCC to the maximum photosynthetic rate (A ) and the initial light use efficiency (ɑ) simulated by TPMSCC were linear and logarithmic. In addition, canopy photosynthetic rate benefited from the increase of diffuse radiation fraction (DRF) except for the condition of dense canopy at high solar zenith angle. The optimized WheatGrow performed better than WheatGrow on describing the response of N level on biomass accumulation and distribution in different organs.

Within Mn-activated phosphors, the oxidation state of Mn dopant strongly depends on the structural features of the host lattice. This paper reported a new polymorph of CsMg(PO3)3 (CMP) with a complicated three-dimensional (3D) framework of [Mg(PO3)3]∞ that is constructed by MgO6 octahedra and 1D infinite [PO3]∞ chains. Then we prepared a series of red phosphors CsMg1-x(PO3)3:xMn2+ (CMP:xMn2+) by high temperature solid state reactions in the open air. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and photoluminescence (PL) studies revealed the single Mn2+-oxidation. Under 404 nm light exciting, CMP:0.2Mn2+ can emit single-band emission at around 630 nm with full-width at half-maximum (fwhm) of 70 nm. Besides, CMP:0.2Mn2+ possesses excellent thermostability up to 450 K. These features indicate that CMP:0.2Mn2+ is suitable to be used for LED backlight display. Moreover, this work suggests that a host lattice with suitable structure feature can form single Mn2+-oxidation and is rigid enough to protect Mn2+ from being oxidized by O2 at high temperature.

Herein, we disclose a RhIII-catalyzed heteroarylation of C(sp3)-H and C(sp2)-H bonds in heterocycles with organoboron reagents. This protocol displays high efficiency and excellent functional group tolerance. A range of heterocyclic boronates with strong coordinating atoms, including pyridine, pyrimidine, pyrazole, thiophene, and furan derivatives, can be extensively served as the coupling reagents. The direct heteroarylation method could supply potential application in terms of the synthesis of drug molecules with multiple heterocycles.

Objective The present study aims to explore the correlation of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), drosophila mothers against decapentaplegic protein gene (SMAD) 2/3/4, and leukemia inhibitory factors (LIF) with the cyst formation of hepatic Echinococcus granulosus in young children. Methods A total of 40 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for children's hydatid disease in people's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region between January 2020 and June 2021 were enrolled a s the study subjects. The cystic fluid of these children was collected as the case group and the corresponding infected viscera or pericystic tissue as the control group, with 40 cases in each group. In vitro cultured protoscolice of hydatid cyst, four groups including control group, LIF siRNA group, LIF factor group and SMAD4 siRNA group were divided by inhibiting TGF-β/SMADs signal pathway. Each assay was performed in triplicate. The expression of TGF-β, SMAD2/3/4 and LIF were detected. Results The results of the clinical trial showed that the contents of SMAD2 and SMAD3 were increased in the case group compared with the control group; the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The expression levels of TGF-β, Smad4, and LIF increased in the case group compared with the control group; however, the differences were not statistically significant. The results of further in vitro experiments, the expression levels of TGF-β, SMAD 2/3/4, and LIF after adding siRNA to interfere with Smad4 decreased in the case group compared with the control group; the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the expression levels of TGF-β, SMAD2/3/4, and LIF increased after treatment with added LIF in the case group, and the expression levels of TGF-β, SMAD2/3/4, and LIF decreased after adding siRNA to interfere with LIF in the case group; the differences were all statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion SMAD2 and SMAD3 have a certain clinical relevance with hydatidosis in young children. The LIF expression level may be related to the cystic transformation of protoscoleces. It has been suggested that the TGF-β/Smads/LIF signaling pathway may be present in the process of protoscoleces cyst formation; this provides a research basis for the prevention and treatment of post-infection parasitism of E. multilocularis eggs in young children.

There is a growing demand of the spatial distribution of major crops at the field level in recent years for the precision management of farmlands in developing countries. However, most previous stu...

Knoevenagel condensation of acetylacetone and aromatic aldehyde catalyzed by L-proline in the choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvents was achieved. High yields are up to 96.6%. Mild reaction conditions, enhanced rates, improved yields, recyclability of deep eutectic solvents containing L-proline, and reagents’ reactivity which is different from that in standard organic solvents are the remarkable features observed in deep eutectic solvents. The deep eutectic solvents containing catalyst was recycled in four subsequent runs with no decrease in activity.

The neuronal-type (N-type) voltage-gated calcium (Cav) channels, which are designated Cav2.2, have an important role in the release of neurotransmitters1-3. Ziconotide is a Cav2.2-specific peptide pore blocker that has been clinically used for treating intractable pain4-6. Here we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of human Cav2.2 (comprising the core α1 and the ancillary α2δ-1 and β3 subunits) in the presence or absence of ziconotide. Ziconotide is thoroughly coordinated by helices P1 and P2, which support the selectivity filter, and the extracellular loops (ECLs) in repeats II, III and IV of α1. To accommodate ziconotide, the ECL of repeat III and α2δ-1 have to tilt upward concertedly. Three of the voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) are in a depolarized state, whereas the VSD of repeat II exhibits a down conformation that is stabilized by Cav2-unique intracellular segments and a phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate molecule. Our studies reveal the molecular basis for Cav2.2-specific pore blocking by ziconotide and establish the framework for investigating electromechanical coupling in Cav channels.

The Knoevenagel condensation of acetylacetone and aromatic aldehyde catalyzed by lipase from porcine pancreas(PPL) and α-amylase from hog pancreas in ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents was achieved for the first time. The highest yields is up to 96.1%. Mild reaction conditions, enhanced rates, improved yields and reagents’ reactivity which is different from that in standard organic solvents are the remarkable features observed in ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents.

Geopolymers can be transformed into zeolites under certain synthesis conditions. However, zeolite formation is not frequently reported in KOH-activated geopolymers. This study attempted to explore zeolite synthesis through geopolymerization for a curing time of 24 h using mixed NaOH/KOH alkaline solution as an activator, and then applying the geopolymer-supported zeolites to immobilize Cd(II) in paddy soil. The K2O/M2O–H2O/SiO2 and K2O/M2O–OH–/SiO2 binary zeolite crystallization phase diagrams were obtained. Zeolite A, faujasite and sodalite formed at lower K2O/M2O molar ratios (0–0.2), ferrierite formation was favoured at a K2O/M2O molar ratio of 0.2–0.4 and zeolite K-I and zeolite F-K (both K-zeolites) were observed at a K2O/M2O molar ratio of 0.6. The geopolymer-supported zeolites had micropores and mesopores and specific surface area values of 44.2–74.8 m2 g–1. The material displayed a considerable Cd(II) immobilization efficiency (55.6–58.7% at 4–6 wt.% addition of zeolite).

Grain protein content (GPC), as an important agronomic indicator of nutritional value, is commonly used for optimized cultivation, classified harvesting, and quality grading. Previous studies on th...

Globally, postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal death. Women with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) are at increased risk of developing PPH. Early identification of PPH helps to prevent adverse outcomes but is underused because clinicians do not have a tool to predict PPH for women with ITP. We therefore conducted a nationwide multicenter retrospective study to develop and validate a prediction model of PPH in patients with ITP. We included 432 pregnant women (677 pregnancies) with primary ITP from 18 academic tertiary centers in China from Jan 2008 to Aug 2018. A total of 157 (23.2%) pregnancies experienced PPH. The derivation cohort included 450 pregnancies. For the validation cohort, we included 117 pregnancies in the temporal validation cohort and 110 pregnancies in the geographical validation cohort. We assessed 25 clinical parameters as candidate predictors and used multivariable logistic regression to develop our prediction model. The final model included seven variables and was named MONITOR (maternal complication, WHO bleeding score, antepartum platelet transfusion, placental abnormalities, platelet count, previous uterine surgery, and primiparity). We established an easy-to-use risk heatmap and risk score of PPH based on the seven risk factors. We externally validated this model using both a temporal validation cohort and a geographical validation cohort. The MONITOR model had an AUC of 0.868 (95% CI 0.828-0.909) in internal validation, 0.869 (95% CI 0.802-0.937) in the temporal validation, and 0.811 (95% CI 0.713-0.908) in the geographical validation. Calibration plots demonstrated good agreement between MONITOR-predicted probability and actual observation in both internal validation and external validation. Therefore, we developed and validated a very accurate prediction model for PPH. We hope that the model will contribute to more precise clinical care, decreased adverse outcomes, and better health care resource allocation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Background Abnormal activation of immune system is an important pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease, but the relationship between peripheral inflammation, central microglia activation and dopaminergic degeneration remains unclear. Objectives To evaluate the brain regional microglia activation and its relationship with clinical severity, dopaminergic presynaptic function, and peripheral inflammatory biomarkers related to adaptive immunity. Methods In this case–control study, we recruited 23 healthy participants and 24 participants with early-stage Parkinson’s disease. 18F-PBR06 PET/MR for microglia activation, 18F-FP-DTBZ for dopaminergic denervation, total account of T cells and subpopulations of T helper (Th1/Th2/Th17) cells, and the levels of serum inflammatory cytokines were assessed. Sanger sequencing was used to exclude the mix-affinity binders of 18F-PBR06-PET. Results Compared to healthy controls, patients with Parkinson’s disease had an increased 18F-PBR06-PET standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) in the putamen, particularly in the ipsilateral side of the motor onset. 18F-PBR06-PET SUVR was positively associated with 18F-FP-DTBZ-PET SUVR in the brainstem and not associated with disease severity measured by Hoehn and Yahr stage, MDS-UPDRS III scores. Patients with Parkinson’s disease had elevated frequencies of Th1 cells and serum levels of IL10 and IL17A as compared to healthy controls. No significant association between peripheral inflammation markers and microglia activation in the brain of PD was observed. Conclusion Parkinson’s disease is associated with early putaminal microglial activation and peripheral phenotypic Th1 bias. Peripheral adaptive immunity might be involved in microglia activation in the process of neurodegeneration in PD indirectly, which may be a potential biomarker for the early detection and the target for immunomodulating therapy.

As a typical type of persistent organic pollutant, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is pervasive in the environment. Multiple studies have found that PFOA has hepatotoxicity, but the mechanism remains poorly understood. In this study, the toxic effects of different concentrations of PFOA on zebrafish liver cells were systematically assessed by recording cell survival, ultrastructural observations, and transcriptome analyses. The results showed that the inhibition of cell viability and the massive accumulation of autophagic vacuoles were observed at 400 µM PFOA, while transcriptomic changes occurred with treatments of 1 and 400 µM PFOA. The transcription levels of 1055 (977 up- and 78 down-regulated genes) and 520 (446 up- and 74 down-regulated genes) genes were significantly changed after treatment with 1 and 400 µM PFOA, respectively. Based on Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, significant expression changes were observed in autophagy, tight junction, signal transduction, immune system, endocrine system, and metabolism-related pathways, indicating that such processes were greatly affected by PFOA exposure. The findings of this study will provide a scientific basis for the toxic effects and potential toxic mechanisms of PFOA on zebrafish, and provide information for ecological risk assessments.

Electrocatalytically hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is most promising approach for the large-scale generation of hydrogen, but the prohibitive and scarce Pt-based electrocatalyst therein greatly restricts the advancement of hydrogen-related technology. Exploring low-cost electrocatalysts with superior activity and stability at different applicable conditions is being of great concern. Herein, we controllably synthesized highly dispersed ~3 nm cobalt metaphosphate (Co(PO3)2) nanoparticles embedded in N,P,S-tridoped carbon by a facile two-step mixing and pyrolysis method. The resultant nanocomposite with hierarchical microflower morphology assembled by the tridoped carbon nanosheets dotted with ultrafine Co(PO3)2 particles, showing superior all-pH activity, and particularly a better alkaline large-current-density activity than Pt/C. The ultrasmall Co(PO3)2 particles together with abundant phosphate groups and heteroatom dopants synergistically afford highly active catalytic centers for HER, as well as the all-pH robust stability of which endowed by the encapsulation of tridoped carbon. The mesoporous carbon composite nanosheets integrate into open and accessible microflower structures and thus facilitate the unhampered mass and charge transfer.

RhIII-catalyzed sp2 C-H cross-coupling of acrylamides with organoboron reactants has been accomplished using a commercially available N-2,6-difluoroaryl acrylamide auxiliary. A broad range of aryl and vinyl boronates as well as a variety of heterocyclic boronates with strong coordinating ability can serve as the coupling partners. This transformation proceeds under moderate reaction conditions with excellent functional group tolerance and high regioselectivity.

Rituximab is a mouse and human chimeric CD20 (anti-B cell) specific monoclonal antibody that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of lymphoma. The expression of CD20 antigen is expressed in the whole ontogeny of B cells, starting from the premature B cells in bone marrow to the differentiation of plasma cells in secondary lymphoid tissues. The wide distribution of CD20 molecules allows rituximab to eliminate a large number of B cells. Rituximab is the core drug for the treatment of hematological diseases, often combined with drugs as a first-line treatment. Long-term hormone therapy often results in serious adverse reactions, and new therapies, which can avoid widespread immunotoxicity, have great potential for treating diseases of the blood system.

Natural DNA was employed for the first time as a phosphorization agent and carbon source to controllably synthesize a RuP2/N,P-codoped carbon composite by a simple "mix-and-pyrolyze" strategy, which displays higher activity for alkaline and acidic HER and neutral activity compared to Pt/C together with outstanding durability.

Based on the organic ligand 2,2′-(((pyridine-2,6-diylbis(methylene))bis((pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-azanediyl))-bis(methylene))diphenol (H2L), and dysprosium salts with different anions, two mononuclear and one dinuclear complexes, namely, [Dy(L)(H2O)](ClO4)·2CH3CH2OH (1), [Dy(L)(NO3)] (2) and [Dy2(L)(dbm)4] (3, Hdbm = dibenzoylmethane), were synthesized and structurally and magnetically characterized. In complexes 1 and 3, the Dy centers are octa-coordinated with triangular dodecahedral (local D2d symmetry) environments. Complex 1 is dimeric by hydrogen bond interactions between coordinated water molecules. In complex 3, two DyIII ions are linked by two phenoxy oxygen atoms to form a dinuclear cluster. The DyIII ion in complex 2 is nine-coordinated and adopts a spherical capped square antiprism geometry with a C4v symmetry. Magnetic measurements and theoretical calculations reveal that the magnetic couplings between two phenoxyl-bridging DyIII ions in complex 3 are antiferromagnetic and mostly originate from the exchange coupling. Both complexes 1 and 2 exhibit single molecule magnet behaviors under zero direct-current field with effective energy barriers of 50.94 K and 12.26 K, respectively. Complex 3 only exhibits frequency-/temperature-dependent out-of-phase signals, and no peak is observed.

Acute and chronic wounds can cause severe physical trauma to patients and also result in an immense socio-economic burden. Thus, wound management has attracted increasing attention in recent years. However, burn wound management is still a major challenge in wound management. Autografts are often considered the gold-standard for burn care, but their application is limited by many factors. Hence, ideal burn dressings and skin substitute dressings are desirable. With the development of biomaterials and progress of tissue engineering technology, some innovative dressings and tissue engineering scaffolds, such as nanofibers, films, foams and hydrogels, have been widely used in the field of biomedicine, especially in wound management. Among them, hydrogels have attracted tremendous attention with their unique advantages. In this review, we discuss the challenges in burn wound management, several crucial design considerations with respect to hydrogels for burn wound healing, and available polymers for hydrogels in burn wound care. In addition, the potential application and plausible prospect of hydrogels are also highlighted.