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Freshwater fungi consist of a highly diverse group of organisms in freshwater habitats worldwide. During a survey of fungal diversity in freshwater habitats across different regions of Jiangxi Province, China, four freshwater fungi were collected. To study their phylogenetic relationships, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2), large subunit (28S, LSU), small subunit (18S, SSU), and RNA polymerase II subunit (RPB2) genes were selected for phylogenetic analyses. Based on morphology coupled with phylogenetic analysis, these strains were confirmed to belong to Phaeoisaria, Pleurothecium, and Pseudodactylaria. Among them, three fungi were confirmed as the new species, namely, Pleurothecium lignicola (Pleurotheciaceae), Pseudodactylaria jiangxiensis (Pseudodactylariaceae), and Ps. lignicola (Pseudodactylariaceae). One species was identified as Phaeoisaria filiformis (Pleurotheciaceae), a new record of this species in China. All species were compared with other similar species, and detailed descriptions, illustrations, and phylogenetic data were provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peach is one of the most perishable fruits. During forced‐convection cooling, the heat sources (respiratory and evaporative latent heat) internal to freshly harvested peaches have a remarkable influence on its evaluation of cooling characteristics with respect to various cooling strategies. Therefore, to improve the accuracy of simulation results in peaches cooling, the term of heat source was coded as detailed procedures and included into a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. By comparing the temperature simulated with and without considering these heat sources, it is found that a reasonable decrease in variations of cooling performances is obtained with sustained increase in air‐inflow velocities. A maximum discrepancy in peaches volume‐weighted average temperature (∆Tvwa‐max) is mainly concentrated in 0.1–0.3°C when the air‐inflow velocity not exceeds 1.7 m/s, and its corresponded 7/8ths cooling time (SECT) is also prolonged by 1–6 min. This means that, below 1.7 m/s, these heat sources should be added as a term into the heat transfer equations for modifying the mathematical model inside peaches computational domain. Furthermore, the feasibility of this modeling method is confirmed by a great agreement with experiments, and its modified model has a higher accuracy with the decreased RMSE and MAPE values of 6.90%–11.26% and 7.28%–12.95%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Novel sensitive amperometric H 2 O 2 sensor α -MoO 3 /GO/GCE is firstly fabricated. • Single crystal hierarchical porous α -MoO 3 is simply prepared by pyrolysis of CPs. • The sensor exhibits high sensitivity, selectivity, and real human serum testing. Abstract The nonenzymatic electrochemical H 2 O 2 sensor based on molybdenum oxides has been rarely reported. In this work, a nonenzymatic electrode, hierarchical porous α -MoO 3 and graphene oxide decorated glass carbon electrode (α -MoO 3 /GO/GCE) used for H 2 O 2 electrochemical detection, is firstly fabricated by simple layer-by-layer assemble method, in which the α -MoO 3 is derived by one-step pyrolysis of the regular organic-inorganic hybrid [(H 2 L) 2 (Mo 8 O 26)] n [HL = N -(pyridin-3-ylmethyl)pyridine- 3-amine] single crystal precursor. The wedge-shaped morphology of the material is accumulated by micro-slices which comprise of nanosheets and small particles with average size of 25 nm. Meanwhile, different types of meso- and macro-pores with the size distributions of 4–6, 20–35 and 100–150 nm are observed, respectively. The α -MoO 3 /GO/GCE sensor based on the optimal ratio of 1:1 shows excellent electrocatalytic H 2 O 2 property at room temperature. It displays the broad linear detection from 0.92 μM to 2.46 mM and the high sensitivity is calculated to be 391.39 μA mM−1 cm−2 with a low detection limit of 0.31 μM (S/N = 3). The sensor can achieve 95% steady state current within 5 s and present well stability, reproducibility and anti-interference during H 2 O 2 detection. Furthermore, the sensor is applied for the determination of H 2 O 2 in human serum samples. The excellent performances of this sensor are related to the hierarchical porous structure of α -MoO 3 and its synergistic effect with GO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Phytic acid is the main reservoir of phosphorous in plants and accounts for more than 80% of the total phosphorous in cereals. It is well known to possess anti-nutritional behavior because it has bound positively charged proteins and multivalent cations or minerals in foods. Therefore, phytic acid and its salts have been considered as a threat in the human diet. However, we should not ignore their potential health benefits, e.g., anticancer and antioxidant agents. The anti-nutritional effects of phytic and its derivatives are known to be reduced through an enzyme namely phytase, which originated to many sources, the microbial origin is one of them. This review narrates the positive nutritional impacts of using the microbial phytases via its food applications. Furthermore, highlighting the role of modern molecular tools and genetic engineering to express phytase genes of microbial origin for phytase production in lieu of directly supplementing microbial phytase. This approach deserves more attention, as it is able to open up new research prospects in the future. Highlights • Phytic acid and its derivatives: antinutrient and beneficial roles. • Why is the microbial phytase the best source? • Microbial phytase as a boom of the food industry. • Phytase-producing microorganisms as could be probiotics. • Genetic engineering reflects positively on the nutritional applications of microbial phytases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orchids GL and YL are two cultivars of Cymbidium longibracteatum. YL displays an obviously yellowing rhizome and yellow leaves, while GL ('Longchangsu') shows dark green leaves and greenish rhizome. But the molecular mechanism for the differences between the two cultivars is poorly understood. In the present study, we showed that the structure of chloroplasts was significantly damaged in YL. Biochemical analysis uncovered the contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoid were notably decreased in YL. Using RNA-Seq technology, more than 38 million clean reads were generated in each pool, and 116,422 unigenes were assembled de novo. 6,660 unigenes with differential expression patterns (FDR≤0.01 and |log2 ratio|≥1) were totally identified between the two cultivars. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis of differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs) suggested 33 KEGG pathways were notably enriched, including biological processes such as “phenylpropanoid biosynthesis”, “phagosome”, “starch and sucrose metabolism”, “drug metabolism—cytochrome P450”, “fatty acid elongation”, and “flavone and flavonol biosynthesis”. Further analysis revealed that chlorophyll degeneration related unigene (c48794_g1) and flavonoid biosynthesis related unigenes (c16388_g1, c48963_g1, c63571_g1, c4492_g1, c52282_g1, c78740_g1, c4645_g1) were up-regulated while carotenoid biosynthesis related unigene (c7212_g1) were down-regulated in YL. Additionally, six of NAC, R2R3-MYB, bHLH transcription factors (c42861_g1, c105949_g1, c61265_g1, c42659_g1, c82171_g1, c19158_g1) might be involved in regulation of pigment biosynthesis. The chlorophyll degeneration and the flavonoid biosynthesis related unigenes up-regulation together with the carotenoid biosynthesis related unigenes down-regulation may contribute to the yellowing phenotype of YL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-associated mortality in developed countries. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) accounts for ~90% of all pancreatic cancer cases. The Notch signaling pathway serves a crucial role in embryonic development, as well as during the tumorigenesis of different types of cancer. However, Notch signaling serves either oncogenic or tumor suppressor roles depending on the tissue type. There are four Notch receptors (Notch1-4) and five ligands [Jagged1, Jagged2, δ-like ligand protein (DLL)1, DLL3 and DLL4]; therefore, it has been suggested that the different Notch receptors serve distinct roles in the same type of tissue. To determine whether this is the case, the present study measured the expression of all Notch receptors and their ligands in PDAC tissue samples and cells. Immunohistochemistry was performed to measure the expression of Notch receptors and their ligands in paraffin-embedded PDAC tissue samples. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression of Notch receptors in the pancreatic cancer cell lines human pancreatic adenocarcinoma (HPAC) and PANC-1. In addition, levels of Notch receptors and ligands in HPAC and PANC-1 cells were analyzed by western blot analysis. The results revealed that levels of Notch1 and Notch3 were increased in PDAC tissues, whereas levels of Notch2 and Notch3 were not. The expression of Notch receptors in the pancreatic cancer cell lines HPAC and PANC-1 was consistent with their expression in PDAC tissues. Additionally, levels of the ligands DLL1, DLL3 and DLL4 were increased in HPAC and PANC-1 cells, as well as PDAC tissue samples. However, the expression of Jagged1 and 2 remained low. These results indicate that Notch1, Notch3, DLL1, DLL3 and DLL4 are upregulated in PDAC, a positive correlation was observed between the expression of Notch1 and Notch3, and between Notch1 and the ligands DLL1, DLL3 and DLL4. whereas Notch2, Notch4, Jagged1 and Jagged2 are not. The interaction of Notch1 and Notch3 with Notch ligands DLL1, DLL3 and DLL4 may be important in maintaining the tumor phenotype of pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel, simple, and versatile electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensing platform for Pb(II) ions was developed based on DNAzyme with peroxidase-like activity to catalyze the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. Poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) with positive charge was adsorbed onto the surface of graphene oxide (GO) and then CdS quantum dots (QDs) with negative charge were enriched to the surface of GO by electrostatic interaction between CdS QDs and PDDA to prepare a composite (denoted as P-GO@QDs) which was immobilized on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). When hydrogen peroxide was used as coreactant CdS QDs can produce ECL signal. G-rich DNA strand, i . e . T30695, can combine with Pb (II) ions to form a stable parallel G-quadruplex. The G-quadruplex can further combine with hemin to form DNAzyme which have catalysis towards the reduction of hydrogen peroxide causing the decrease of ECL signal. Amino-modified T30695 was attached to P-GO@QDs composite by the reaction between the amino group of T30695 and carboxyl group of CdS QDs. The ECL signal of the biosensor was linearly dependent on the logarithm of Pb(II) concentration from 1.0 × 10 − 14 to 1.0 × 10 − 11 M with a detection limit of 9 fM. An excellent performance of ECL biosensor indicated that it is promising for Pb(II) detection in real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single or few-layer nanosheets of MoS 2 (MoS 2 nanosheets) and a composite composed of MoS 2 nanosheets, Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) and hemin (HE) (denoted as MoS 2 -Au-HE) were prepared. The composites possessed high synergetic catalysis activity towards the electroreduction of hydrogen peroxide. Furthermore, glucose oxidase (GOD) and AuNPs were used as marker of the complementary DNA (cDNA) strand of kanamycin aptamer to prepare a conjugate (reffered as cDNA-Au-GOD) that was designed as the signal probe. Both cDNA-Au-GOD and MoS 2 -Au-HE were applied to fabricate aptasensor for kanamycin. MoS 2 -Au-HE acted as solid platform for kanamycin aptamer and signal transmitters. AuNPs were employed as the supporter of cDNA and GOD which catalyze dissolved oxygen to produce hydrogen peroxide in the presence of glucose. Then cathodic peak current of H 2 O 2 was recorded by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The electrochemical reduction of H 2 O 2 was catalyzed by MoS 2 -Au-HE that was modified onto the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The cathodic peak current of H 2 O 2 was highly linearly decreased with an increase of kanamycin concentrations from 1.0 ng/L to 1.0×10 5 ng/L, with a detection limit of 0.8 ng/L. This aptasensor can be used to detect kanamycin in milk with high specificity, sensitivity and selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anoctamin 5 (Ano5) belongs to the anoctamin gene family and acts as a calcium-activated chloride channel (CaCC). A mutation in the Ano5 gene causes limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) type 2L, the third most common LGMD in Northern and Central Europe. Defective sarcolemmal membrane repair has been reported in patients carrying this Ano5 mutant. It has also been noted that LGMD patients often suffer from nonspecific pharyngoesophageal motility disorders. One study reported that 8/19 patients carrying Ano5 nutations suffered from dysphagia, including the feeling that solid food items become lodged in the upper portion of the esophagus. Ano5 is widely distributed in bone, skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, brain, heart, kidney and lung tissue, but no report has examined its expression in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In the present study, we investigated the distribution of Ano5 in the GI tracts of mice via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses. The results indicated that Ano5 mRNA and protein are widely expressed in the esophagus, the stomach, the duodenum, the colon and the rectum but that Ano5 immunoreactivity was only detected in the mucosal layer, except for the muscular layer of the upper esophagus, which consists of skeletal muscle. In conclusion, our present results demonstrate for the first time the expression of Ano5 in the GI epithelium and in skeletal muscle in the esophagus. This novel finding facilitates clinical differential diagnosis and treatment. However, further investigation of the role of Ano5 in GI function is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tumor cell invasion into the surrounding matrix has been well documented as an early event of metastasis occurrence. However, the dynamic expression patterns of proteins during early invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are largely unknown. Using a three-dimensional HCC invasion culture model established previously, we investigated the dynamic expression patterns of identified proteins during early invasion of HCC. Materials and Methods: Highly metastatic MHCC97H cells and a liver tissue fragment were long-term co-cultured in a rotating wall vessel (RWV) bioreactor to simulate different pathological states of HCC invasion. The established spherical co-cultures were collected on days 0, 5, 10, and 15 for dynamic expression pattern analysis. Significantly different proteins among spheroids at different time points were screened and identified using quantitative proteomics of iTRAQ labeling coupled with LC–MS/MS. Dynamic expression patterns of differential proteins were further categorized by K-means clustering. The expression modes of several differentially expressed proteins were confirmed by Western blot and qRT–PCR. Results: Time course analysis of invasion/metastasis gene expressions (MMP2, MMP7, MMP9, CD44, SPP1, CXCR4, CXCL12, and CDH1) showed remarkable, dynamic alterations during the invasion process of HCC. A total of 1,028 proteins were identified in spherical co-cultures collected at different time points by quantitative proteomics. Among these proteins, 529 common differential proteins related to HCC invasion were clustered into 25 types of expression patterns. Some proteins displayed significant dynamic alterations during the early invasion process of HCC, such as upregulation at the early invasion stage and downregulation at the late invasion stage (e.g., MAPRE1, PHB2, cathepsin D, etc.) or continuous upregulation during the entire invasion process (e.g., vitronectin, Met, clusterin, ICAM1, GSN, etc.). Conclusions: Dynamic expression patterns of candidate proteins during the early invasion process of HCC facilitate the discovery of new molecular targets for early intervention to prevent HCC invasion and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungi of the order Boletales are extremely important in both ecology and economy, since most of them are ectomycorrhizal fungi, which play vital roles in maintaining forest ecosystems, water and soil protection, vegetation restoration and so on. Although previous studies have shown that this order has a very high species diversity in China, there are few reports on the species diversity of boletes in Jiangxi Province, China. Based on morphological (macroscopic and microscopic morphological characteristics) and phylogenetic analyses (ITS, LSU, and TEF1-α sequences), in this study, the wild boletes in Jiangxi Province were investigated, and five new species are described: Austroboletus albus, Xanthoconium violaceipes, Xanthoconium violaceofuscum, Xerocomus rutilans and Xerocomus subsplendidus. Descriptions and hand drawings of the new species are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of electromechanical coupled properties and anisotropy of piezoelectric materials, it is quite a challenge to obtain analytical solution and numerical solution. In the paper, the dual form of the generalized VPs for piezoelectricity are established using the variational integral method and form the Hamilton symplectic dual system for piezoelectricity. These then provide the theoretical foundation of the finite element method for piezoelectricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When an arbitrary unknown signal steering vector mismatch occurs or the training sample size is small, the performance of standard Capon beamforming (SCB) will be severely degraded. The existing algorithms are mostly made for the steering vector errors, with little considering the situations of small training sample size. In this paper, we develop a new approach, which is called vector optimization robust beamforming (VORB), to robust adaptive beamforming in the presence of an arbitrary unknown signal steering vector mismatch and small training sample size. Our approach is based on the vector optimization concept. It is shown that the proposed algorithm can be reformulated in a convex form as the so-called second-order cone (SOC) program and solved efficiently using the well-established optimization tool, Sedumi. It is also shown that the proposed technique can be interpreted in terms of diagonal loading, and how the optimization value of the diagonal loading is affected by different factors. Theory analysis and computer simulations show better performance of our robust beamformer as compared with existing adaptive beamforming algorithms: under different snapshots, SNRs and steering vector uncertainties, VORB can improve the output SINRs about 5 dB; under certain conditions, VORB has sharper spectrum peaks and lower sidelobe level (below - 15 dB). Finally, experimental results show that when VORB is applied to the spatial spectrum estimation in practical engineering, the robust high-resolution bearing estimation results can be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Stochastic ordering is a useful concept in order restricted inferences. In this paper, we propose a new estimation technique for the parameters in two multinomial populations under stochastic orderings when missing data are present. In comparison with traditional maximum likelihood estimation method, our new method can guarantee the uniqueness of the maximum of the likelihood function. Furthermore, it does not depend on the choice of initial values for the parameters in contrast to the EM algorithm. Finally, we give the asymptotic distributions of the likelihood ratio statistics based on the new estimation method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Au/Ti-HMS was prepared by in situ method, NH3 deposition–precipitation (NH3 DP) and urea deposition–precipitation (Urea DP), respectively. The catalysts were characterized by a series of techniques including ICP, powder XRD, N2 sorption, UV–visible spectroscopy, TEM and H2-TPR. Using n-octane containing BT, DBT and 4,6-DMDBT as model compound, the performance of the catalysts in oxidative desulfurization (ODS) using in situ generated H2O2 from H2 and O2 were investigated. The results show that preparation method influences porous structure of the support and gold particles size. In situ sample has maintained the intrinsic structure of Ti-HMS, whereas, the gold particles are not as uniform and small as that of DP sample. NH3 DP sample still possesses the wormhole structure of HMS despite the absence of typical XRD peak. The mesoporous structure of urea DP sample has been damaged seriously. Au3+ on outer surface of the support is easier to be reduced than that in pores, as confirmed by H2-TPR. In addition, the three samples exhibit different catalytic activities in ODS using in situ H2O2 as oxidant. For the removal of BT and DBT, Au/Ti-HMS (NH3 DP) exhibits the highest catalytic activities. Regarding the removal of 4,6-DMDBT, the optimum catalyst is Au/Ti-HMS (In situ); however, Au/Ti-HMS (Urea DP) nearly loses catalytic activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Core−shell Au@TiO2nanoparticles with truncated wedge-shaped TiO2morphology have been synthesized successfully by a simple and flexible hydrothermal route. Morphological evolution of TiO2shells was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and X-ray diffraction technique. It has been revealed that the truncated wedge-shaped TiO2shells experience an epitaxially segmented orientation growth. Also, the (101) crystal planes of TiO2crystals grow preferentially on the surface of gold nanocrystals stabilizing the heterointerfaces, then faster [001] growth results in the “budding” process occurs, producing growth sites on the initial deposition TiO2layers, where the TiO2crystals grow up into truncated wedge-shaped morphologies. It is also found that morphological evolution of TiO2shells is dependent on the produced F−ion concentration from hydrolyzed TiF4precursors. The produced F−ions not only facilitate the formation of well-defined wedge-like TiO2shells, but also contribute to the externally exposed truncated crystal {004} facets. As the representative photocatalyst, the catalytic activities of the resultant core−shell Au@TiO2nanoparticles were investigated by photoinitiated oxidation degradation of gaseous acetaldehyde. It has been indicated that the nanostructured core−shell Au@TiO2photocatalyst represents high photocatalytic activity when exposed to UV or visible light irradiation. The high phototocatalytic performance is also largely attributed to the preferentially grown TiO2shell structures and metal (Au)-TiO2heterointerfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Heme-propionates of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were esterified by p-nitrophenol, phenol and p-methylphenol to change its electron character and to increase its hydrophobicity. These synthetic hemes were inserted apo-HRP to give a novel HRP, respectively. Of the three reconstituted HRPs, reconstituted HRP with p-nitrophenol-modified heme derivative had a larger initial rate, affinity, catalytic efficiency and substrate-binding efficiency than native HRP in aqueous buffer and some solvents. The reconstituted HRPs showed higher thermostability and tolerance of DMF because of the increase of the hydrophobicity of the active site. Changing the electron character of the aromatic moieties linked at each terminal of the two heme-propionates can control activity and stability of HRP. The initial rate, affinity, catalytic efficiency and substrate-binding efficiency increased with the increases of electron-withdrawing efficiency of substituents at 4-position of the phenolic used to synthesize the heme derivatives, contrariwise, the stability decreased. The modifications resulted in the increase in the temperature (T m) at the midpoint of thermal denaturation and the decreases in both enthalpy and entropy change at T m. The changes of catalytic properties and stabilities are related to the changes of the conformation of HRP. The modification changed the environment of heme and tryptophan, increased α-helix content of HRP. The present work demonstrates that enhancement of the hydrophobicity and the electron-withdrawing efficiency of heme improves the activity and stability of HRP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The thermal stability of phthalic anhydride-modified horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in organic solvents was investigated. The modification increased the tolerance of some organic solvents. In order to investigate the molecular mechanism of the stabilization, the changes between native and modified enzyme were also studied using kinetics and spectroscopic methodology. The modified HRP showed greater affinity and catalytic efficiency in some organic solvents for different substrates than native HRP. The substrate affinity and the catalytic efficiency of native and modified HRP increased with the increases of electron-donating efficiency of substituents at 4-position. The improvements of catalytic properties are related to the changes of the conformation of HRP. The modification changed the environment of both heme and tryptophan, increased α-helix content of HRP and decreased the tertiary structure around the aromatic acid residues in HRP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The reaction conditions of removal of chlorophenols from aqueous solution catalysed by phthalic anhydride (PA)-modified horseradish peroxidase were investigated. The optimal pH for chlorophenol removal decreased with increase in substituent number and it was not related to substituent position on aromatic ring. The optimum molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide to chlorophenol was 1.25. The effects of different substrates on phenolics removal were also investigated. The mixed phenolics were more easily removed. PA-modified horseradish peroxidase was more efficient in chlorophenol removal than native horseradish peroxidase either at low temperature or at high temperature. Aromatics with electron-withdrawing substituents (e.g. Cl) at the p-position favour removal over those with substituents at the o- or m-positions. The removal efficiency of 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and pentachlorophenol was almost equal and it was all lower than that of 4-chlorophenol. The kinetic constants for chlorophenol oxidation with native and PA-modified horseradish peroxidase were also determined. The kinetic data also proved the trend of removal of different chlorophenols with native or PA-modified horseradish peroxidase. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Horseradish peroxidase was modified by phthalic anhydride and glucosamine hydrochloride. The thermostabilities and removal efficiencies of phenolics by native and modified HRP were assayed. The chemical modification of horseradish peroxidase increased their thermostability (about 10- and 9-fold, respectively) and in turn also increased the removal efficiency of phenolics. The quantitative relationships between removal efficiency of phenol and reaction conditions were also investigated using modified enzyme. The optimum pH for phenol removal is 9.0 for both native and modified forms of the enzyme. Both modified enzyme could suffer from higher temperature than native enzyme in phenol removal reaction. The optimum molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide to phenol was 2.0. The phthalic anhydride modified enzyme required lower dose of enzyme than native horseradish peroxidase to obtain the same removal efficiency. Both modified horseradish peroxidase show greater affinity and specificity of phenol. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A new coordination polymer, namely, {[Zn(DTPP)(H2O)2]·H2O}n (H2DTPP = 3-(3,5-di(2H-tetrazol-5-yl)phenoxy)pyridine, compound 1), was successfully assembled by using a new semirigid tripodal nitrogen-containing heterotopic ligand and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, TG, and luminescence. X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis revealed that compound 1 crystallizes in an orthorhombic crystal system with space groups of Ibca. It is a 2D coordination network with (4·82) topology, and the 2D networks are further connected by hydrogen bonds between coordinated water molecules and tetrazole N atoms to form a 3D supramolecular framework. Moreover, compound 1 exhibits intense blue emission centered at 345 nm upon excitation at 276 nm and has the ability to sense Fe3+ via photoluminescence quenching. A new coordination polymer synthesized from a new semirigid tripodal nitrogen-containing heterotopic ligand, {[Zn(DTPP)(H2O)2]·H2O}n, was characterized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Mesoporous Ti-HMS is able to be used as an active “single-site” photocatalyst for the gas-phase heterogeneous degradation of benzene, a notorious aromatic organic pollutant. In particular, it has been found that Ti-HMS shows enhanced activity and stability toward degradation of benzene as compared with commercial titania (Degussa, P25), which could be attributed to its unique features of large surface area, highly dispersion state of Ti oxide species and mesoporous channel structure. This suggests that there is a promising potential in using Ti-containing molecular sieves as a photocatalyst for degradation of volatile aromatic organic pollutants in air, therefore advancing the applications of such “single-site” photocatalyst in environment cleanup. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses, an ectomycorrhizal fungus collected from Jiangxi, China, is described as a new species. R. atrofuscus is morphological characterized by a dark gray to black pileus, white to pale yellowish white hymenophore, a grayish brown to pale yellow context, which turning orange-yellow to rusty yellow when injured, a prominently and coarsely white to pale yellow to black reticulation on upper 3/4 or entire stipe, grayish yellow to pale yellow to yellowish brown basidiospores in KOH with measuring (7–)7.5–13(–13.5) × (3–)3.5–5(–5.5) μm. Phylogenetic analysis results showed that R. atrofuscus formed an independent lineage within Retiboletus. Descriptions and hand drawings of the new species and comparisons with similar species are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rotting wood in freshwater is a unique eco-environment favoring various fungi. During our investigation of freshwater fungi on decaying wood, three hyphomycetes were collected from Jiangxi and Guangxi Provinces, China. Based on the morphological observations and phylogenetic analysis of a combined DNA data containing ITS, LSU, SSU and tef1-α sequences, two new Trichobotrys species, T. meilingensis and T. yunjushanensis, as well as a new record of T. effusa, were introduced. Additionally, a comprehensive description of the genus with both morphological and molecular data was first provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melanommataceous species exhibit high diversity with a cosmopolitan distribution worldwide and show a prominent saprobic lifestyle. In this study, we explored five saprobic species collected from plant litter substrates from terrestrial habitats in China and Thailand. A combination of morphological characteristics and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses was used to determine their taxonomic classifications. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference analyses of combined LSU , SSU , ITS and tef1-α sequence data were used to clarify the phylogenetic affinities of the species. Byssosphaeria poaceicola and Herpotrichia zingiberacearum are introduced as new species, while three new host records, Bertiella fici, By. siamensis and Melanomma populicola are also reported from litter of Cinnamomum verum, Citrus trifoliata and Fagus sylvatica, respectively. Yet, despite the rising interest in the melanommataceous species, there is a considerable gap in knowledge on their host associations and geographical distributions. Consequently, we compiled the host-species associations and geographical distributions of all the so far known melanommataceous species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the investigations of macrofungi resources in Zhejiang Province, China, an interesting wood rot fungus was collected. Based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies, it is described as a new species, Anthracophyllum sinense. A. sinense is characterized by its sessile, charcoal black and pleurotoid pileus, sparse lamellae occasionally branching, clavate basidia with long sterigmata [(3-)6–7(-8) μm], and non-heteromorphous cystidia. A. sinense establishes a separate lineage close to A. archeri and A. lateritium in the phylogenetic tree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice effective panicle is a major trait for grain yield and is affected by both the genetic tiller numbers and the early tillering vigor (ETV) traits to survive environmental adversities. The mechanism behind tiller bud formation has been well described, while the genes and the molecular mechanism underlying rice-regulating ETV traits are unclear. In this study, the candidate genes in regulating ETV traits have been sought by quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and bulk-segregation analysis by resequencing method (BSA-seq) conjoint analysis using rice backcross inbred line (BIL) populations, which were cultivated as late-season rice of double-cropping rice systems. By QTL mapping, seven QTLs were detected on chromosomes 1, 3, 4, and 9, with the logarithm of the odds (LOD) values ranging from 3.52 to 7.57 and explained 3.23% to 12.98% of the observed phenotypic variance. By BSA-seq analysis, seven QTLs on chromosomes 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 9 were identified using single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and insertions/deletions (InDel) index algorithm and Euclidean distance (ED) algorithm. The overlapping QTL resulting from QTL mapping and BSA-seq analysis was shown in a 1.39 Mb interval on chromosome 4. In the overlap interval, six genes, including the functional unknown genes Os04g0455650, Os04g0470901, Os04g0500600, and ethylene-insensitive 3 (Os04g0456900), sialyltransferase family domain containing protein (Os04g0506800), and ATOZI1 (Os04g0497300), showed the differential expression between ETV rice lines and late tillering vigor (LTV) rice lines and have a missense base mutation in the genomic DNA sequences of the parents. We speculate that the six genes are the candidate genes regulating the ETV trait in rice, which provides a research basis for revealing the molecular mechanism behind the ETV traits in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The predominant fermentable sugar in lean dough is maltose. To improve the leavening ability of baker's yeast in lean dough, maltose metabolism should be improved. Maltase (alpha-glucosidase, encoded by MAL62) and maltose permease (encoded by MAL61) are the major factors involved in maltose metabolism. The major rate-limiting factor in maltose metabolism and leavening ability of baker's yeast remains unclear. In this work, MAL61 and/or MAL62 overexpression strains were constructed to investigate the decisive factor for maltose metabolism of industrial baker's yeast in lean dough. Our results show that elevated maltose permease activity by MAL61 overexpression yielded less improvement in maltose fermentation compared to elevated maltase activity by MAL62 overexpression. Significant increase in maltase activity by MAL62 overexpression could result in a 44 % increase in leavening ability of industrial baker's yeast in lean dough and a 39 % increase in maltose metabolism in a medium containing glucose and maltose. Thus, maltase was the rate-limiting factor in maltose fermentation of industrial baker's yeast in lean dough. This study lays a foundation for breeding of industrial baker's yeast for quick dough leavening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During an investigation of freshwater fungi in Jiangxi province, China, a new hyphomycetous fungus, Aquapteridospora jiangxiensis, was collected and isolated. Aquapteridospora jiangxiensis is characterized by its unbranched and guttulate conidiophores with multi-septa swollen at the base, polyblastic conidiogenous cells with sympodial proliferations, and denticles, and guttulate conidia with a sheath. A photo plate of the macro- and micro-morphology and a muti-loci (ITS, LSU, SSU, TEF1 and RPB2) phylogenetic tree are provided. A key to the species of Aquapteridospora is also presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ribonuclease was purified from Aspergillus niger SA-13-20 to homogeneity level by using (NH4)2SO4 precipitation, DEAE-cellulose anion-exchange chromatography, ultrafiltration and Sephacryl HR-200 chromatography. The molecular weight and isoelectric point of the enzyme was 40.1kDa and 5.3, respectively. The pH- and temperature-dependent kinetic parameters were determined. The RNase showed the strongest affinity with RNA as the substrate, and the highest catalytic efficiency for hydrolysis of the substrate at pH 3.5 and 65°C. It exhibited Michaelis–Menten Kinetics with k cat of 118.1s−1 and K m of 57.0μgml−1, respectively. Thermodynamic parameters for catalysis and thermal denaturation were also determined. Activation energy (E a) for catalysis of A. niger SA-13-20 RNase was 50.31kJmol−1 and free energy (ΔG #), enthalpy (ΔH #) and entropy (ΔS #) of activation for catalysis of the enzyme at 65°C were 69.76, 47.50 and −65.83Jmol−1 K−1, respectively. Activation energy (E a,d) for denaturation of the enzyme was 200.53kJmol−1 and free energy (), enthalpy () and entropy () of activation for denaturation of the enzyme at 45°C were 79.18kJmol−1, 197.88 and 373.09Jmol−1 K−1, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Response surface methodology were used to study the cumulative effect of the culture conditions and to enhance the production of extracellular ribonuclease in shake flask fermentation by Aspergillus niger. These conditions considered include initial pH, inoculum size, total carbon, ratio of glucose to corn powder, NH4NO3 and K2SO4. The relative importance of these conditions on ribonuclease production was investigated by using the Plackett–Burman experimental design. Initial pH, ratio of glucose to corn powder and NH4NO3 were found to significantly influence the ribonuclease production. For obtaining the mutual interaction between the variables and optimizing these variables, a 23 factorial central composite design using response surface methodology was employed. Initial pH has a significant positive effect on the ribonuclease production. NH4NO3 has a significant negative effect. The mutual interactions have no significant effect. The ribonuclease production was increased by 23.2% compared to that under unoptimized conditions. The fermentation time was also shortened after optimization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Commercial cultivars of kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) can have green-fleshed or yellow-fleshed fruit depending on their chlorophyll degradation ability. In recent years, an increasing number of yellow-fleshed cultivars have been bred in China. However, the mechanisms underlying the flesh colouration of these new cultivars remain elusive. In this study, the pigment contents of the yellow-fleshed cultivar 'Jinshi NO.1' were determined during fruit development, and RNA sequencing was conducted to screen for differentially expressed genes and identify potential candidates for pigment metabolism. The chlorophyll content continuously decreased from 0 days after full bloom (DAFB) (T1) to 189 DAFB (T4), resulting in a more than 30-fold change, while the contents of anthocyanins and carotenoids showed sharp decreases from T1 to 44 DAFB (T2) and remained stable thereafter. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) indicated that the chlorophyll contents were highly correlated with chlorophyll-degradation-related genes, especially three chlorophyll a/b-binding protein (CAB) genes and one stay-green gene (AcSGR1), but no carotenoid-related genes. Furthermore, these genes were found to be highly correlated with 15 transcription factors and 11 hub genes. These results indicate the important role of chlorophyll degradation in the colouration of 'Jinshi NO.1' and provide candidates for further functional characterisation and transcriptional regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a peer support intervention on the quality of life (QOL), self-management, self-efficacy, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and depression in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A systematic review was conducted by searching 10 databases, namely PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, CINHAL, Web of Science, Sinomed, CNKI, WanFang Data, and VIP for articles published from January 1974 to April 2023. A total of 12 studies were included. A narrative synthesis of the results showed that peer support significantly improved QOL, self-management, self-efficacy, and HbA1c control in patients with T2DM, but had no significant effect on depression. Peer support is an effective intervention for individuals with T2DM. Future research should focus on more rigorously designed and larger-sample studies. Peer support proves to be effective for managing patients with T2DM. Current peer support interventions can provide valuable ideas that can guide the direction of future research. • T2DM is an increasing threat to global public health, and peer support is a promising approach for diabetes management. • Lack of systematic evidence on the impact of peer support on indicators of quality of life in T2DM patients. • The current study found that a combination of online and offline peer support intervention models is worth trying. • However, most of the peer support intervention programs still need to be further improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Erlong Zuoci decoction (ELZCD), a typical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has long been clinically used in treatment of deafness and tinnitus with the syndrome of “kidney yin deficiency”. However, there are few studies to investigate its pharmacological mechanisms. Until now, there is not report about its effects on the age-related hearing loss (ARHL). Aim of study The present study was conducted to observe the effects of ELZCD on the ARHL in C57BL/6J mice and explore the mechanisms. Materials and methods ELZCD was fed to C57BL/6J mice from 3 months to 6 months in ELZCD group as a dose of 6 g/kg/d. And the same volume of saline was fed to mice in ARHL group. 3-months-old C57BL/6J mice were used as control group. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for the quality control of ELZCD. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) was used to assess the hearing function of mice. The morphologic changes were observed by hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining. Apoptosis was tested by terminal dexynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. Mitochondrial damage was detected by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to observe the mRNA expression of p53 and Bak. Fluorescence immunohistochemical technique was used to test the protein expression of p53 and Bak. Results The hearing threshold of ARHL group was higher than that of control group ( P <0.001) and ELZCD decreased the rise of hearing threshold levels of ARHL mice ( P <0.001), which suggested ELZCD inhibited the hearing loss of ARHL mice. HE staining showed that ELZCD decreased the spiral ganglion (SG) cell damage and loss in ARHL. TUNEL test showed that the apoptotic SG cells increased in ARHL group compared to control group and decreased in ELZCD group compared to ARHL group. TEM observation showed that mitochondrial damage was obvious in SG cells of ARHL group and ELZCD inhibited the mitochondrial damage. The qRT-PCR results showed that the mRNA expression of p53 and Bak in ARHL group increased compared to that of control group ( P <0.05), and ELZCD reduced the elevated mRNA expression levels of p53 and Bak ( P <0.01, P <0.05). In addition, ELZCD inhibited the increased proteins expression (green fluorescence) of p53 and Bak. Conclusion The results demonstrated that ELZCD prevented ARHL in C57BL/6J mice and p53/Bak-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis of SG cells might be involved in the mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder that is often associated with weak tongue motility. However, the link between the degenerated dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) and lingual dysfunction remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the localization of dopamine receptor 1 (D1) and dopamine receptor 2 (D2) and alternations in their expression in cholinergic motoneurons of the hypoglossal nucleus (HN) using double-label immunofluorescence, Western blotting and semi-quantitative reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (SqRT–PCR) in rats that received microinjections of 6-hydroxydopamine bilaterally into the SN (6-OHDA rats). The results revealed that a large population of choline acetyltransferase immunoreactive (ChAT-IR) neurons was distributed throughout HN and that almost all of the ChAT-IR motoneurons were also D1-IR and D2-IR. Several tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-IR profiles were observed in a nonuniform pattern near the ChAT-IR, D1-IR or D2-IR somas, suggesting potent dopaminergic innervation. In the 6-OHDA rats, TH immunoreactivity in the SN was significantly decreased, but food residue was increased and treadmill occupancy time was shortened. In the HN, protein expression of TH and D2 was increased, whereas that of ChAT and D1 was decreased. A similar pattern was observed in mRNA levels. The present study suggests that dopamine may modulate the activity of cholinergic neurons via binding with D1 and D2 in the HN. Changes in the expression of ChAT, TH, D1 and D2 in the HN of 6-OHDA rats might be associated with the impaired tongue motility in PD. These findings should be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Destruction of the SN can lead to gastric dyskinesis accompanied by decreased expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and increased expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the dorsal vagus complex (DVC), which includes the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) and nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). However, it is unclear if the SN and DVC are directly connected. Objective: To investigate the neural projection from the SN to the DVC in rats. Methods: Retrograde and anterograde tracing techniques combined with double-labeling immunofluorescence technique were used. Results: Destruction of the SN significantly decreases ChAT immunoreactivity (IR) and increases TH-IR in the DVC. After injection of the retrograde tracer fluoro-gold (FG) into the DVC, FG-labeled neurons were observed in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), lateral hypothalamus (LH), inferior olive (IO), and locus coeruleus (LC). No FG-positive cells were observed in the SN or striatum. Furthermore, after injection of anterograde tracer biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) into the SN, BDA-positive fibers were observed in the caudate putamen (Cpu), globus pallidus (GP), LC, and LH but not in the DVC. Conclusion: This study is the first to demonstrate that neurons in the SN do not directly innervate the DVC in rats. The DVC might be indirectly innervated by the SN through the hypothalamus and/or the LC. These data provide important morphological insights into the potential mechanism underlying the gastroparesis observed in PD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The dorsal motor nucleus of vagus (DMV) plays an important role in the regulation of gastrointestinal function. Dopamine (DA) exerts potent neuromodulatory effects on the motoneurons in the DMV via dopamine receptors (DRs). However, the distribution of DRs and their neurochemical phenotypes in the DMV are unclear. In the present study, the distribution of DRs D1- and D2-immunoreactive (IR) neurons and their neurochemical phenotypes in the DMV of rats were investigated using a double-labeling immunofluorescence technique combined with confocal microscopy. The results indicated that a considerable quantity of D1 and D2 was expressed throughout the DMV. A large amount of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-IR and a few tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-IR neurons were observed in the DMV. Nearly all of the neurons were also D1-IR and D2-IR. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates the wide distribution of D1 and D2 in the cholinergic and catecholaminergic neurons in the DMV of rats. The DRs might play an important role in the regulation of DA on the activity of cholinergic and catecholaminergic neurons in the DMV. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A Zn(II) coordination polymer based on a new rigid tripodal imidazolyl-pyrazolyl heterotopic ligand shows high hydrolytic stability, the ability for removing MnO 4 − and detecting MnO 4 − and Cr 2 O 7 2− in water. [Display omitted] • New tripodal imidazolyl-pyrazolyl heterotopic ligand was used to construct Zn-HDIPP. • The removal of MnO 4 − from water by Zn-HDIPP with high capacity and selectively was observed. • The luminescent quenching detection of MnO 4 − and Cr 2 O 7 2− in water by Zn-HDIPP was studied. Reactions of Zn(NO 3) 2 with a new rigid tripodal imidazolyl-pyrazolyl heterotopic ligand, 4-(3,5-di-imidazol-1-yl-phenyl)-1H-pyrazole (HDIPP), result in a new compound with the formula {[Zn(HDIPP) 2 ]·2NO 3 } n (Zn-HDIPP). Zn-HDIPP exhibits a 3D framework with a three-fold interpenetrating dia network topology. It shows high hydrolytic stability in the pH range 3 to 11. In addition, Zn-HDIPP displays useful properties including (i) the removal of MnO 4 − from water with a capacity of 550 mg/g and with high selectivity when other anions are also present and (ii) the luminescence quenching detection of MnO 4 − and Cr 2 O 7 2− in water via energy-transfer and competitive absorption mechanisms. These results show that Zn-HDIPP has the potential to be used in detection and removal of pollutants in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A white loquat mutant was found. • A sugar transporter gene EjSWEET15 was cloned from a white-loquat mutant. • EjSWEET15 gene sequence was mutated in white-loquat. • EjSWEET15 may positively regulates the sugar transport metabolic pathway. Sugar transport is an essential physiological aspect with a crucial role in metabolism, growth and development in most living organisms. A specific class of protein (sugar transporter) is responsible for this sugar transportation task; with SWEET being one of the recently reported. Here, we used the PCR based rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technique to isolate a SWEET gene from fruits of a mutant white-flesh loquat designated as EjSWEET15. Our findings based on qRT-PCR revealed that EjSWEET15 was highly expressed in leaves and fruits. Interestingly, this expression was at a significant higher level in fruits of mutant white-flesh loquat as to that of the wild-type red-flesh loquat counterpart. EjSWEET15 presents 4 polymorphic loci in mutant of white-flesh loquat attributing to amino acid changes with one located in the promoter region and three within the open reading frame as disclosed by nucleotide polymorphism analysis. It is speculated that these differential gene expression and sequence modification may affect the enzymatic activity of EjSWEET15 and thus letting EjSWEET15 to play an important role in the regulation of sugar transport in loquat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]