Search

Tumor vaccines have been considered a promising therapeutic approach for treating cancer in recent years. With the development of sequencing technologies, tumor vaccines based on neoantigens or genomes specifically expressed in tumor cells, mainly in the form of peptides, nucleic acids, and dendritic cells, are beginning to receive widespread attention. Therefore, in this review, we have introduced different forms of neoantigen vaccines and discussed the development of these vaccines in treating cancer. Furthermore, neoantigen vaccines are influenced by factors such as antigen stability, weak immunogenicity, and biosafety in addition to sequencing technology. Hence, the biological nanomaterials, polymeric nanomaterials, inorganic nanomaterials, etc., used as vaccine carriers are principally summarized here, which may contribute to the design of neoantigen vaccines for improved stability and better efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis (TB), as one of the leading causes of death, poses a serious predicament to the world. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a role in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. It has been reported that the expression of miRNAs changes upon mycobacterial infection; the screening and identification of miRNAs regulating the expression of genes could benefit our understanding of TB pathogenesis and generate effective strategies for its control and prevention. In this study, luciferase assays showed that miR-4687-5p is bound to the 3′-untranslated region of natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1 (NRAMP1). Additionally, we found a significant increase in miR-4687-5p expression in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-infected A549 cells. Concomitantly, we detected a reduced level of NRAMP1 expression, suggesting that NRAMP1 is one of the targets of miR-4687-5p. Infection experiments evidenced that the transfection of miR-4687-5p induced a decrease in NRAMP1 expression and increased intracellular Mtb loads post-infection, indicating that miR-4687-5p promotes the intracellular survival of Mtb through its downregulation of the NRAMP1 protein level. We also found that the transfection of miR-4687-5p induced increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation post-infection with Mtb. The results presented in our study suggest that miR-4687-5p may be indicative of the susceptibility of Mtb infection to humans and could act as a potential therapeutic target for tuberculosis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi-criteria group decision-making approach, rooted in fuzzy mathematics theory, is employed to address the globally significant issue of green construction in this paper. The construction industry is one of the most prominent contributors to carbon emissions, which is evident throughout the entire supply chain. Meanwhile, the renovation of old residential communities is a large-scale urban construction project in China. In striving to advance the sustainable development of the construction industry and meet decarbonization goals, the attention has shifted towards green construction in the renovation of old residential communities. However, substantial gaps persist in both technical innovation and practical application of green construction. This study aims to identify the factors that influence the popularization and implementation of green construction practices in the renovation of old residential communities. To achieve this, a comprehensive decision-making approach is sought, and these factors are thoroughly investigated. In this paper, we propose a hybrid decision-making framework that incorporates grounded theory, the fuzzy decision-making and trial evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method, and the analytic network process (ANP) method. Leveraging triangular fuzzy numbers and other fuzzy mathematical theories, this approach is designed to assess the factors that influence the popularization and implementation of green construction practices, uncovering their interrelationships and mechanisms. The results indicate the comprehensive nature of advancing green construction practices, encompassing the entire supply chain involved in the renovation of old residential communities. Among these factors, social participation and market environment emerge as the most influential. Building upon these conclusions, this paper offers specific recommendations. Ultimately, this study equips the construction industry with both a theoretical foundation and a methodological framework to popularize and implement green construction practices effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of different efficient flame retardants (FRs) to improve the fire safety of polymers has been a hot research topic. As the concept of green sustainability has gradually been raised to the attention of the whole world, it has even dominated the research direction of all walks of life. Therefore, there is an urgent calling to explore the green and simple preparation methods of FRs. The development of supramolecular chemistry in the field of flame retardancy is expanding gradually. It is worth noting that the synthesis of supramolecular flame retardants (SFRs) based on non-covalent bonds is in line with the current concepts of environmental protection and multi-functionality. This paper introduces the types of SFRs with different dimensions. SFRs were applied to typical polymers to improve their flame retardancy. The influence on mechanical properties and other material properties under the premise of flame retardancy was also summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dioscorea alata L. (Dioscoreaceae), commonly known as greater yam, water yam, or winged yam, is a popular tuber vegetable/food crop worldwide, with nutritional, health, and economical importance. China is an important domestication center of D. alata, and hundreds of cultivars (accessions) have been established. However, genetic variations among Chinese accessions remain ambiguous, and genomic resources currently available for the molecular breeding of this species in China are very scarce. In this study, we generated the first pan-plastome of D. alata, based on 44 Chinese accessions and 8 African accessions, and investigated the genetic variations, plastome evolution, and phylogenetic relationships within D. alata and among members of the section Enantiophyllum. The D. alata pan-plastome encoded 113 unique genes and ranged in size from 153,114 to 153,161 bp. A total of four whole-plastome haplotypes (Haps I–IV) were identified in the Chinese accessions, showing no geographical differentiation, while all eight African accessions shared the same whole-plastome haplotype (Hap I). Comparative genomic analyses revealed that all four whole plastome haplotypes harbored identical GC content, gene content, gene order, and IR/SC boundary structures, which were also highly congruent with other species of Enantiophyllum. In addition, four highly divergent regions, i.e., trnC–petN, trnL–rpl32, ndhD–ccsA, and exon 3 of clpP, were identified as potential DNA barcodes. Phylogenetic analyses clearly separated all the D. alata accessions into four distinct clades corresponding to the four haplotypes, and strongly supported that D. alata was more closely related to D. brevipetiolata and D. glabra than D. cirrhosa, D. japonica, and D. polystachya. Overall, these results not only revealed the genetic variations among Chinese D. alata accessions, but also provided the necessary groundwork for molecular-assisted breeding and industrial utilization of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this article, we studied the interactions between the invasive thrips pest Frankliniella occidentalis (WFT) and a native thrips Frankliniella intonsa (IFT) in China, where they co-exist on crop plants and WFT seems to outcompete IFT. In laboratory bioassays we focused on the reproductive mode of the thrips (sexual or parthenogenic), and the presence of a sugar source (honey or flowers), both variables that change over time during pest colonisation of a crop. Our results suggest that in the early stages of F. occidentalis invasion, the provision of honey (flowering) promotes this pest's population development. This research will inform effective strategies for the management of F. occidentalis invasion and help reduce subsequent crop damages. Background: Flower thrips (Frankliniella intonsa, IFT) and west flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis, WFT) are often found together on the host plant in China. WFT is an important invasive species that seems to outcompete the native IFT. In order to clarify the interspecific competitions between the two thrips, this study measured the population development of IFT and WFT under sexual and parthenogenetic reproductive modes on two hosts (fresh lentil bean pods with/without honey and pepper plants at seedling/flowering stages) in the laboratory. Results: When reared on fresh lentil bean pods (with/without honey), WFT population size was lower in mixed species populations compared to single species populations but the presence of WFT had nor negative effect on IFT population size. These results were dependent of the reproductive mode. When honey was supplied, the ratio of female-to-male in the progeny of WFT produced under sexual reproductive mode increased significantly in the presence of IFT. On pepper seedlings, mixed populations were more favorable to the population development of IFT at the seedling stage, but more favorable to WFT at the flowering stage. Conclusions: In the early stage of WFT invasion and colonization, the emergence of flowering and honey (nectar) sources may have a positive effect on the population development of WFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: GBM astrocytes may adopt fetal astrocyte transcriptomic signatures involved in brain development and migration programs to facilitate diffuse tumor infiltration. Our previous data show that ETS variant 6 (ETV6) is highly expressed in human GBM and fetal astrocytes compared to normal mature astrocytes. We hypothesized that ETV6 played a role in GBM tumor progression. Methods: Expression of ETV6 was first examined in two American and three Chinese tissue microarrays. The correlation between ETV6 staining intensity and patient survival was calculated, followed by validation using public databases—TCGA and REMBRANDT. The effect of ETV6 knockdown on glioma cell proliferation (EdU), viability (AnnexinV labeling), clonogenic growth (colony formation), and migration/invasion (transwell assays) in GBM cells was tested. RNA sequencing and Western blot were performed to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Results: ETV6 was highly expressed in GBM and associated with an unfavorable prognosis. ETV6 silencing in glioma cells led to increased apoptosis or decreased proliferation, clonogenicity, migration, and invasion. RNA-Seq-based gene expression and pathway analyses revealed that ETV6 knockdown in U251 cells led to the upregulation of genes involved in extracellular matrix organization, NF-κB signaling, TNF-mediated signaling, and the downregulation of genes in the regulation of cell motility, cell proliferation, PI3K-AKT signaling, and the Ras pathway. The downregulation of the PI3K-AKT and Ras-MAPK pathways were further validated by immunoblotting. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that ETV6 was highly expressed in GBM and its high expression correlated with poor survival. ETV6 silencing decreased an aggressive in vitro phenotype probably via the PI3K-AKT and Ras-MAPK pathways. The study encourages further investigation of ETV6 as a potential therapeutic target of GBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phospholipase B (PLB) harbors three distinct activities with broad substrate specificities and application fields. Its hydrolyzing of sn-1 and sn-2 acyl ester bonds enables it to catalyze the production of L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine (L-α-GPC) from phosphatidylcholine (PC) without speed-limiting acyl migration. This work was intended to obtain high-level active PLB and apply it to establish an efficient system for L-α-GPC synthesis. PLB from Pseudomonas fluorescens was co-expressed with five different molecular chaperones, including trigger factor (Tf), GroEL-GroES (GroELS), DnaK-DnaJ-GrpE (DnaKJE), GroELS and DnaKJE, or GroELS and Tf or fused with maltose binding protein (MBP) in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) to improve PLB expression. PLB with DnaKJE-assisted expression exhibited the highest catalytic activity. Further optimization of the expression conditions identified an optimal induction OD600 of 0.8, IPTG concentration of 0.3 mmol/L, induction time of 9 h, and temperature of 25 °C. The PLB activity reached a maximum of 524.64 ± 3.28 U/mg under optimal conditions. Subsequently, to establish an efficient PLB-catalyzed system for L-α-GPC synthesis, a series of organic-aqueous mixed systems and surfactant-supplemented aqueous systems were designed and constructed. Furthermore, the factors of temperature, reaction pH, metal ions, and substrate concentration were further systematically identified. Finally, a high yield of 90.50 ± 2.21% was obtained in a Span 60-supplemented aqueous system at 40 °C and pH 6.0 with 0.1 mmol/L of Mg2+. The proposed cost-effective PLB production and an environmentally friendly PLB-catalyzed system offer a candidate strategy for the industrial production of L-α-GPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation is an important driving force for realizing high-quality economic development, which puts forward higher requirements for environmental protection enterprises to meet the dual goals of economic development and ecological protection. In order to better evaluate the innovation-driven development performance of environmental protection enterprises, a hybrid method is applied in this paper. Based on the sample data of 20 large-scale environmental protection enterprises investing in public–private partnership (PPP) projects from 2018 to 2020, the innovation-driven development performance is measured. The results show that the innovation-driven efficiency of environmental protection enterprises for infrastructure construction is significantly different, and the improvement of pure technical efficiency of environmental protection enterprises is obviously better than scale efficiency. Furthermore, the reasons influencing the innovation efficiency are analyzed and discussed. The results suggest that more attention should be paid to the transformation of labor and capital in environmental protection enterprises, and the use of innovation-driven resources should be optimized. Future studies can apply the hybrid method to measure the innovation-driven performance of environmental protection enterprises in other countries, so as to verify the effectiveness of the hybrid method proposed in this paper and overcome the limitations of the research conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planting trees on the right sites is the first principle in silviculture, but it is not easy to apply at a large scale, especially in complex terrain such as mountainous regions. In hilly and gully landscapes of China's Loess Plateau, the environmental heterogeneity is so great that it is very difficult to choose the right sites for planting trees. The long history of vegetation destruction makes it difficult to have a reference for restoration programs. In this paper, we compared the distribution of actual forest to an existing potential natural vegetation (PNV) map to see the mismatch with the sites. The differences in environmental conditions between natural forest and mismatched planted forest were investigated. The results showed that significant differences existed in the environmental conditions between them. The mean rainfall and temperature for natural forest were 512.20 ± 11.42 mm and 8.23 ± 0.55 °C, respectively, but 497.96 ± 14.92 mm and 8.72 ± 0.97 °C, respectively, for the mismatched planted forest. Evaporation was not only different in range (816-953 mm vs. 816-1023 mm), but also significantly different in mean values (888.31 ± 14.35 mm natural forest vs. 895.90 ± 30.55 mm planted forest). The slope gradient of natural forest and mismatched planted forest was also significantly different (22.66° ± 8.82° vs. 24.24° ± 9.86°). The results identified that 58% of the existing forest in the Yanhe River catchment is planted forest that grows on steeper slopes, receives lower rainfall, has higher temperatures and higher evaporation. The average soil water content for sites with planted forest was found to be 5.98% ± 0.32% compared to 7.52% ± 0.33% for natural forest. We conclude that the main cause of dwarfed, slender, low productive and sparse planted forest in the Loess Plateau is planting trees at unsuitable sites. Our results highlight the importance of matching sites with the best potential vegetation types. Instead of using water harvesting techniques, we suggest that more focus should be placed on understanding environmental heterogeneity and its capacity to support particular vegetation types. This study is instructive for vegetation restoration planning and existing planted forest management in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a vital role in tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, chemoresistance, and recurrence. The mechanisms that maintain the stemness of these cells remain largely unknown. Our previous study indicated that MALAT-1 may serve as an oncogenic long noncoding RNA in pancreatic cancer by promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and regulating CSCs markers expression. More significantly, there is emerging evidence that the EMT process may give rise to CSCs, or at least cells with stem cell-like properties. Therefore, we hypothesized that MALAT-1 might enhance stem cell-like phenotypes in pancreatic cancer cells. In this study, our data showed that MALAT-1 could increase the proportion of pancreatic CSCs, maintain self-renewing capacity, decrease the chemosensitivity to anticancer drugs, and accelerate tumor angiogenesis in vitro. In addition, subcutaneous nude mouse xenografts revealed that MALAT-1 could promote tumorigenicity of pancreatic cancer cells in vivo. The underlying mechanisms may involve in increased expression of self-renewal related factors Sox2. Collectively, we for the first time found the potential effects of MALAT-1 on the stem cell-like phenotypes in pancreatic cancer cells, suggesting a novel role of MALAT-1 in tumor stemness, which remains to be fully elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nutritional value of cow milk mainly depends on its fatty acid content and protein composition. The identification of genes controlling milk production traits and their regulatory mechanisms is particularly important for accelerating genetic progress in the breeding of dairy cows. On the basis of mammary gland transcriptome analyses, in this study we identified an miRNA, bta-miR-125a, that could control bovine milk-fat production by targeting the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of the serum amyloid A-1 (SAA1) mRNA. The presence of synthetic bta-miR-125a (i.e., an miR-125a mimic) significantly down-regulated the expression of luciferase from mRNAs containing the binding sequence for bta-miR-125a in the 3′-UTR in a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Furthermore, the presence of the miR-125a mimic decreased the steady-state level of the SAA1 protein, but increased the accumulation of triglycerides and cholesterol content in bovine mammary epithelial cells (MAC-Ts). Blocking the function of bta-miR-125a using a specific inhibitor decreased the level of triglycerides and cholesterol content in the cells. These results indicate that bta-miR-125a can serve as a positive regulator of lipid synthesis in mammary epithelial cells, which acts by targeting SAA1 gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self-assembly of small functional molecules into supramolecular structures is a powerful approach toward the development of new nanoscale materials and devices. As a class of self-assembled materials, low weight molecular organic gelators, organized in special nanoarchitectures through specific non-covalent interactions, has become one of the hot topics in soft matter research due to their scientific values and many potential applications. Here, a bolaform cholesteryl imide compound with conjugated aromatic spacer was designed and synthesized. The gelation behaviors in 23 solvents were investigated as efficient low-molecular-mass organic gelator. The experimental results indicated that the morphologies and assembly modes of as-formed organogels can be regulated by changing the kinds of organic solvents. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy observations revealed that the gelator molecule self-assemble into different aggregates, from wrinkle and belt to fiber with the change of solvents. Spectral studies indicated that there existed different H-bond formations between imide groups and assembly modes. Finally, some rational assembly modes in organogels were proposed and discussed. The present work may give some insight to the design and character of new organogelators and soft materials with special structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exopolysaccharide (EPS) producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is considered to be an effective texture improver. The effect of LAB strains (different EPS production capacity) on physicochemical properties (texture profile, water distribution, rheological properties, and microstructure), protein conformation, and chemical forces of soybean protein gel was investigated. Correlations between EPS yield and gel properties were established. Large masses of EPS were isolated from L. casei fermentation gel (L. casei-G, 677.01 ± 19.82 mg/kg). Gel with the highest hardness (319.74 ± 9.98 g) and water holding capacity (WHC, 87.74 ± 2.00%) was also formed with L. casei. The conversion of β-sheet to α-helix, the increased hydrophobic interaction and ionic bond helped to form an ordered gel network. The yield was positively correlated with hardness, WHC, A22, viscoelasticity, and viscosity, but negatively correlated with A23 (p < 0.05). The macromolecular properties of EPS (especially the yield) and its incompatibility with proteins could be explained as the main reason for improving gel properties. In conclusion, the EPS producing LAB, especially L. casei used in our study, is the best ordinary coagulate replacement in soybean-based products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CRMG (Cultured Roots of Mountain Ginseng) have the advantages in scale-up production, safety, and pharmacological efficacies. Though several methods are available for the conversion of major to minor ginsenosides, which has more pharmacological activities, a single step process with high temperature and pressure as a puffing method took place in this study to gain and produce more pharmacologically active compounds. Puffed CRMG exhibited an acceleration of major ginsenosides to minor ginsenosides conversions, and released more phenolic and flavonoid compounds. HPLC analysis was used to detect a steep decrease in the contents of major ginsenosides (Re, Rf, Rg1, Rg2, Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, Rc and Rd) with increasing pressure; on the contrary, the minor ginsenosides (20 (S, R)-Rg3, Rg5, Rk1, Rh1, Rh2, Rg6, F4 and Rk3) contents increased. Minor ginsenosides, such as Rg6, F4 and Rk3, were firstly reported to be produced from puffed CRMG. After the puffing process, phenolics, flavonoids, and minor ginsenoside contents were increased, and also, the antioxidant properties, such as DPPH inhibition and reducing the power of puffed CRMG, were significantly enhanced. Puffed CRMG at 490.3 kPa and 588.4 kPa had a low toxicity on HaCaT (immortalized human epidermal keratinocyte) cells at 200 μg/mL, and could significantly reduce ROS by an average of 60%, compared to the group treated with H2O2. Therefore, single step puffing of CRMG has the potential to be utilized for functional food and cosmeceuticals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Martensite transformation and grain refinement can make austenitic stainless steel stronger, but this comes at a dramatic loss of both ductility and corrosion resistance. Here we report a novel gradient structure in 301 stainless steel sheets, which enables an unprecedented combination of high strength, improved ductility and good corrosion resistance. After producing inter-layer microstructure gradient by surface mechanical attrition treatment, the sheet was annealed at high temperature for a short duration, during which partial reverse transformation occurred to form recrystallized austenitic nano-grains in the surface layer, i.e., introducing extra intra-layer heterogeneity. Such 3D microstructure heterogeneity activates inter-layer and inter-phase interactions during deformation, thereby producing back stress for high yield strength and hetero-deformation induced (HDI) hardening for high ductility. Importantly, the recrystallized austenitic nano-grains significantly ameliorates the corrosion resistance. These findings suggest an effective route for evading the strength–ductility and strength–corrosion tradeoffs in stainless steels simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glycogen synthase kinase 3/shaggy kinase (GSK3) is a serine/threonine kinase that plays important roles in brassinosteroid signaling, abiotic stress responses, cell division, and elongation, etc. In this study, we characterized seven grape GSK3 genes, showing high similarities with homologs from other species including Arabidopsis, white pear, apple, orange, and peach. Gene chip microarray data derived from an online database revealed very diverse developmental and tissue-specific expression patterns of VvSKs. VvSK3 and VvSK7 showed much higher expression levels in almost every tissue compared with other members. VvSK7 was highly enriched in young tissues like berries before the veraison stage, young leaves and green stems, etc., but immediately downregulated after these tissues entered maturation or senescence phases. Prediction of cis-elements in VvSK promoters indicated that VvSKs might be sensitive to light stimulation, which is further confirmed by the qPCR data. Constitutive overexpression of VvSK7 in Arabidopsis leads to dwarf plants that resembles BR-deficient mutants. The photosynthetic rate was significantly reduced in these plants, even though they accumulated more chlorophyll in leaves. Transient overexpression of VvSKs in tomatoes delayed the fruit ripening process, consistent with the observation in grapevine which blocks VvSKs by EBR- or BIKININ-promoted berry expansion and soluble solids accumulation. Data presented in the current study may serve as a theoretical basis for the future application of BRs or related compounds in quality grape production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free amino acids (FAAs) are key components of the global nitrogen cycle and important disinfection byproduct (DBP) precursors. The knowledge gap of FAA occurrence in source and engineered water is discussed in this paper. Solid phase extraction and post column derivatization was combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry to simultaneously detect μg/L concentrations of FAAs. This method efficiently detects alanine (Ala), threonine (Thr), serine (Ser), valine (Val), leucine (Leu), isoleucine (Ile), proline (Pro), aspartic (Asp), phenylalanine (Phe), and glutamic acid (Glu) with good linearity, accuracy, and precision. An investigation of FAAs in surface waters in Zhejiang Province found concentrations of 1.48–14.73 μg/L Ala, 0.20–2.39 μg/L Thr, 0.41–7.84 μg/L Val, 0.21–6.86 μg/L Ser, 0.11–4.16 μg/L Leu, 0.57–1.54 μg/L Ile, 0.24–8.06 μg/L Pro, 0.42–4.73 μg/L Asp, 0.30–3.01 μg/L Phe, and 0.12–3.83 μg/L Glu. Phe and tyrosine (Tyr) exhibited higher trichloromethane (TCM) formation (1029–1148 μg/mmolAA) than dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) formation (333–347 μg/mmolAA). Asp and Glu demonstrated the opposite trend: higher DCAN (570–1106 μg/mmolAA) formation than TCM (137–506 μg/mmolAA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a reciprocal-selection-based 'Win–Win' overlay spectrum-sharing scheme for device-to-Device-enabled cellular networks to address the resource sharing between Device-to-Device devices and the cellular users by using an overlay approach. Based on the proposed scheme, the cell edge users intend to lease part of its spectrum resource to Device-to-Device transmission pairs. However, the Device-to-Device users have to provide the cooperative transmission assistance for the cell edge users in order to improve the Quality of Service of the uplink transmission from the cell edge users to the base station. Compared to the underlay spectrum-sharing scheme, overlay spectrum-sharing scheme may reduce spectrum efficiency. Hence, Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access technology is invoked at the Device-to-Device transmitter in order to improve the spectrum efficiency. The Stackelberg game is exploited to model the behaviours of the cell edge users and Device-to-Device devices. Moreover, based on matching theory, the cell edge users and Device-to-Device pairs form one-to-one matching and the stability of matching is analysed. The simulation results show that the proposed reciprocal-selection-based 'Win–Win' overlay spectrum-sharing scheme is capable of providing considerable rate improvements for both EUs and D2D pairs and reducing transmit power dissipated by the D2D transmitter to forward data for the EU compared with the existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For Massive multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) systems, many algorithms have been proposed for detecting spatially multiplexed signals, such as reactive tabu search (RTS), minimum mean square error (MMSE), etc. As a heuristic neighborhood search algorithm, RTS is particularly suitable for signal detection in systems with large number of antennas. In this paper, we propose a strategy to reduce the neighborhood searching space of the traditional RTS algorithms. For this, we introduce a constellation constraints (CC) structure to determine whether including a candidate vector into the RTS searching neighborhood. By setting a pre-defined threshold on the symbol constellation, the Euclidean distance between the estimated signal and its nearest constellation points are calculated, and the threshold and distance are compared to separate the reliable estimated signal from unreliable ones. With this structure, the proposed CC-RTS algorithm may ignore a significant number of unnecessary candidates in the RTS neighborhood searching space and greatly reduce the computational complexity of the traditional RTS algorithm. Simulation results show that the BER performance of the proposed CC-RTS algorithm is very close to that of the traditional RTS algorithm, and with about 50% complexity reduction with the same signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exopolysaccharide (EPS) producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is considered to be an effective texture improver. The effect of LAB strains (different EPS production capacity) on physicochemical properties (texture profile, water distribution, rheological properties, and microstructure), protein conformation, and chemical forces of soybean protein gel was investigated. Correlations between EPS yield and gel properties were established. Large masses of EPS were isolated from L. casei fermentation gel ( L. casei -G, 677.01 ± 19.82 mg/kg). Gel with the highest hardness (319.74 ± 9.98 g) and water holding capacity (WHC, 87.74 ± 2.00%) was also formed with L. casei . The conversion of β-sheet to α-helix, the increased hydrophobic interaction and ionic bond helped to form an ordered gel network. The yield was positively correlated with hardness, WHC, A 22 , viscoelasticity, and viscosity, but negatively correlated with A 23 ( p < 0.05). The macromolecular properties of EPS (especially the yield) and its incompatibility with proteins could be explained as the main reason for improving gel properties. In conclusion, the EPS producing LAB, especially L. casei used in our study, is the best ordinary coagulate replacement in soybean-based products.

The glycogen synthase kinase 3/shaggy kinase (GSK3) is a serine/threonine kinase that plays important roles in brassinosteroid signaling, abiotic stress responses, cell division, and elongation, etc. In this study, we characterized seven grape GSK3 genes, showing high similarities with homologs from other species including Arabidopsis , white pear, apple, orange, and peach. Gene chip microarray data derived from an online database revealed very diverse developmental and tissue-specific expression patterns of VvSKs . VvSK3 and VvSK7 showed much higher expression levels in almost every tissue compared with other members. VvSK7 was highly enriched in young tissues like berries before the veraison stage, young leaves and green stems, etc., but immediately downregulated after these tissues entered maturation or senescence phases. Prediction of cis-elements in VvSK promoters indicated that VvSKs might be sensitive to light stimulation, which is further confirmed by the qPCR data. Constitutive overexpression of VvSK7 in Arabidopsis leads to dwarf plants that resembles BR-deficient mutants. The photosynthetic rate was significantly reduced in these plants, even though they accumulated more chlorophyll in leaves. Transient overexpression of VvSKs in tomatoes delayed the fruit ripening process, consistent with the observation in grapevine which blocks VvSKs by EBR- or BIKININ-promoted berry expansion and soluble solids accumulation. Data presented in the current study may serve as a theoretical basis for the future application of BRs or related compounds in quality grape production.

In this study, a novel conjugate consisting of glycol chitosan (GCS) and ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) was synthesized and characterized in terms of conjugation and heavy metal ion chelating capacity. Moreover, its potential application as a metalloenzyme inhibitor was evaluated with three thymopoietin oligopeptides in the presence of leucine aminopeptidase. The results from FTIR and NMR spectra revealed that the covalent attachment of EDTA to GCS was achieved by the formation of amide bonds between the carboxylic acid group of EDTA and amino groups of GCS. The conjugated EDTA lost part of its chelating capacity to cobalt ions compared with free EDTA as evidenced by the results of cobalt ion chelation-mediated fluorescence recovery of calcein. However, further investigation confirmed that GCS-EDTA at low concentrations significantly inhibited leucine aminopeptidase-mediated degradation of all thymopoietin oligopeptides., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, and in the decision to publish the results.