Search

Rice blast is one of the most devastating diseases and a serious threat to global food security. It is caused by the ascomycetous fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. During the pathogenic development of M. oryzae, ferroptotic death of conidial cells is critical for appressorium formation and infection to host rice. In this study, we identified and functionally characterised orthologs of fatty acid desaturase (Fad2) and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family (Acsl4) in M. oryzae. Pathogenicity was impaired in the fad2Δ or acsl4Δ mutant and targeted lipidomics analysis demonstrated that Fad2 and Acsl4 were involved in the production of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)-containing phospholipids (PUFA-PLs) potentially contributing to ferroptosis. Treatment with FeCl3, an oxidative agent to cause lipid peroxidation, could partially restore fad2Δ pathogenicity. Fad2 was also found to potentially interact with proteins involved in cellular redox homoeostasis. Overall, our results elucidate the role of PUFA-PLs biosynthesis in fungal cell death and fungal pathogenicity, providing a theoretical basis for the development of specific pesticides/drugs targeting ferroptosis caused by lipid peroxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a significant impact on sleep quality. However, the effects on sleep quality in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era remain unclear, and there is a lack of a screening tool for Chinese older adults. This study aimed to understand the prevalence of poor sleep quality and determine sensitive variables to develop an effective prediction model for screening sleep problems during infectious diseases outbreaks. The Peking University Health Cohort included 10,156 participants enrolled from April to May 2023. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scale was used to assess sleep quality. The data were randomly divided into a training-testing cohort (n = 7109, 70%) and an independent validation cohort (n = 3027, 30%). Five prediction models with 10-fold cross validation including the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), Stochastic Volatility Model (SVM), Random Forest (RF), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and XGBoost model based on the area under curve (AUC) were used to develop and validate predictors. The prevalence of poor sleep quality (PSQI >7) was 30.69% (3117/10,156). Among the generated models, the LASSO model outperformed SVM (AUC 0.579), RF (AUC 0.626), ANN (AUC 0.615) and XGBoost (AUC 0.606), with an AUC of 0.7. Finally, a total of 12 variables related to sleep quality were used as parameters in the prediction models. These variables included age, gender, ethnicity, educational level, residence, marital status, history of chronic diseases, SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 vaccination, social support, depressive symptoms, and cognitive impairment among older adults during the post-COVID-19 pandemic. The nomogram illustrated that depressive symptoms contributed the most to the prediction of poor sleep quality, followed by age and residence. This nomogram, based on twelve-variable, could potentially serve as a practical and reliable tool for early identification of poor sleep quality among older adults during the post-pandemic period. The poor sleep quality (PSQI >7) was still prevalent among older adults during the post-COVID-19 pandemic. The LASSO model was the best model to predict poor sleep quality among older adults, compared with SVM, RF, ANN and XGBoost. This prediction model, based on twelve variables, may potentially serve as a practical and reliable tool for the early identification of poor sleep quality among older adults during the post-pandemic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relationship between academic achievement, psychological distress, and smartphone addiction in medical students. In total, 513 medical students voluntarily completed a survey that included the Personal Information Questionnaire, the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the Interaction Anxiousness Scale (IAS). Results showed that 321 participants were screened positive for smartphone addiction and the prevalence of smartphone addiction was 62.6%. We found that the prevalence of smartphone addiction was higher among male rather than female students (67.1% vs 58.2%; p = 0.039). There were significant differences between the smartphone addiction group and the smartphone non-addiction group as per the DASS-21 scores and the IAS scores. In addition, multiple regression indicated that psychological distress including anxiety, stress, depression, and social anxiety might be the predictors of smartphone addiction. However, smartphone addiction was found to have no significant correlation with academic performance in 274 undergraduate medical students. In conclusion, the study revealed the high prevalence of smartphone addiction in medical students. Smartphone addiction was associated with states of depression, anxiety, stress, and social anxiety, and there was no significant relationship between academic performance and smartphone addiction in undergraduate medical students. Further longitudinal research is needed to clarify the causal relationship between smartphone addiction and psychological distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A phytochemical investigation on the 90% ethanol aqueous extract of the bulbs of Crinum latifolium led to the isolation of three new crinane-type alkaloids, designated as crinumlatines A-C (1-3). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis (NMR, IR, UV, and MS). The isolated alkaloids were tested in vitro for antimicrobial potentials against 5 pathogenic microorganisms. As a result, compounds 1-3 exhibited some antimicrobial activity against the tested Gram negative bacteria with minimum inhibitory concentration values less than 50 μg/ml. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A new polymeric copper(II) complex [Cu3L3(μ3-NO3)]n·2nNO3, derived from the Schiff base ligand N'-(pyridin-2-ylmethylene)isonicotinohydrazide (HL) with copper nitrate in methanol, was prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, IR and UV-Vis spectra. The structure of the complex was further confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. The Schiff base ligand coordinates to the Cu atoms through the phenolate O, imino O, and two pyridine N atoms. The Cu atom is in a square pyramidal coordination, with the three chelate donor atoms of the Schiff base ligand and the terminal nitrogen donor atom of a symmetry related Schiff base ligand defining the basal plane, and with one oxygen atom of the coordinated nitrate ligand at the apical position. The nitrate ligand bridges three [CuL] units with a crystallographic three fold rotation axis symmetry. The effect of the complex on the antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article assesses the prospects of establishing a body of Chinese case law for the purpose of promoting the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and devises appropriate strategies for such a proposal. Through a general survey of 22 significant BRI cases and a close examination of four samples drawn from them, this article explores the features, deficiencies, and promises of three prominent models of case law currently adopted by the Supreme People's Court (SPC) and makes a number of suggestions for further developing a BRI case law system in China. It is suggested that a modified Typical Case Model should serve as the primary model at the present stage. The detailed case analyses conducted in the article reveal that case summaries provided by the SPC suffer from a number of flaws in need of fixing, including a general failure to address the needs of target users from BRI members, an insufficient number of cases, inaccessibility, incompleteness, and inaccuracy. Accordingly, a range of responsive measures are proposed to ameliorate the Typical Case Model. In particular, it is suggested that the model should focus more on cases involving the application and interpretation of international rules (such as the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods) in the immediate future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a thermoresponsive cholesteric liquid crystal (TCLC) was successfully fabricated from a binary mixture of cholesteryl nonanoate (CN) and cholesteryl oleyl carbonate (COC) at different ratios. Furthermore, blends of TCLC and polyurethane (PU) with different weight ratios were prepared by spin coating. Moreover, the mesomorphic temperature ranges of TCLC and TCLC/PU membranes were discussed, and their physicochemical properties were systematically studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarizing optical microscopy (POM) equipped with a heating stage. In addition, the interaction of cells with the TCLC/PU membranes was studied and correlated with the liquid crystal alignment behaviors on the blend films. The results revealed that the different weight ratios of CN and COC determined the liquid crystal properties of the membranes and that the presence of TCLC was essential for metabolizing MC3T3-E1 cells. The biophysical expression of cells on biocompatible blend membranes suggested that TCLC/PU membranes could be a new class of biologically relevant materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new dinuclear cobalt(III) complex, 2[Co2L(HL)N3]·5H2O, derived from the reduced Schiff base 6,6'-(2-hydroxypropane-1,3-diyl)bis(azanediyl)bis(methylene)bis(2-bromo-4-chlorophenol) (H3L), was synthesized and characterized by infrared and electronic spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. The ligand was firstly synthesized and bound to the Co(III) center. The compound contains two dinuclear [Co2L(HL)N3] complex molecules and five water molecules of crystallization. The Co atoms in the complex are in octahedral coordination. The complex shows effective antimicrobial activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new vanadium complexes, [VO(L1)2] (1) and [V2O2(μ-O)2(L2)2] (2), where L1 is 2-(cyclohexyliminimethyl)-4,6-difluorophenolate, L2 is 2,4-difluoro-6-[(2-isopropylaminoethylimino)methyl]phenolate, have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR and UV-Vis spectra, and single crystal X-ray determination. The V atom in complex 1 is in a coordination between trigonal bipyramidal and square pyramidal, and that in complex 2 is in octahedral coordination. The antibacterial activity of the compounds against various bacteria was assayed. The fluoro-substituted groups play an essential role in the biological process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meltwater habitats are found on glacier surfaces worldwide, but much of the current understanding of these habitats comes from clean glaciers sprinkled with cryoconite. Cryoconite is windblown dust particles covered with biological material that form small meltwater holes due to difference in the albedo of cryoconite compared to clean ice. However, no information is available on the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of supraglacial pools on debris-covered glaciers. We measured physical and chemical variables and sampled macroinvertebrates from forty-six supraglacial pools during the summers of 2018 and 2019 on the debris-covered Hailuogou Glacier in southeastern Tibet. Our physical and chemical results indicated that the sampled supraglacial pools exhibited a greater diversity of shapes, were larger, contained larger substrate sizes, and had greater substrate diversity than cryoconite holes. The sampled supraglacial pools frequently contained Chironomidae (Diptera) and Isotomidae (Collembola), which are macroinvertebrate taxa that are uncommon in cryoconite holes. Chironomidae occurrence and abundance was not correlated with any measured environmental variable. The best predictors of Isotomidae and macroinvertebrate occurrence and abundance were conductivity, ice to water surface depth, and number of supraglacial pools within 5 m. Our results highlight the uniqueness of supraglacial pools on a debris-covered glacier in southeastern Tibet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel anthranilic diamide derivatives containing pyridylpyrazole and iminodithiocarbamate or thiosemicarbazone motifs were synthesized via multi-step reactions. The structures of seven title compounds (methyl 2-(2-(3-bromo-1-(3-chloropyridin-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamido)-5-chloro-3- methylbenzylidene)hydrazinecarbodithioate 7 and 3-bromo-N-(2-((2-substitutedcarbamothioylhydrazono)methyl)-4-chloro-6-methylphenyl)-1-(3-chloropyridin-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide 8a-8f) were confirmed by melting points, IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS. The bioassays showed that some of the compounds exhibited modest insecticidal activities against oriental armyworm (Mythimna separata Walker), particularly, compound 8b (3-bromo-N-(4-chloro-2-methyl-6-((2-(methylcarbamothioyl)hydrazono)methyl)phenyl)-1-(3-chloropyridin-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole-5-carboxamide) held 100% and 30% larvicidal activity at the concentration of 25 mg/L and 10 mg/L, respectively. In addition, several compounds displayed favorable fungicidal activities against Alternaria solani Sorauer and Physalospora piricola at 50 μg/mL, and were comparable with the controls Chlorothalonil and Triadimefon. The results in this paper will provide important information for further research and development of sulfur-containing heterocyclic agrochemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work investigates the properties of self-made magnetic filler from plastic waste bottle and explores a new technology approach of waste plastic resource utilization. The magnetic filler was prepared by air plasma modification and loading magnetic ferrite on the plastic strip from waste plastic bottle. The surface properties of magnetic filler were characterized by Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), contact angle system and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). AFM images of original and modified plastic strip showed that low-temperature plasma treatment markedly increased the surface roughness of plastic strip. The mean roughness (Ra) of plastic strip rose from 1.116 to 5.024 nm. FTIR spectra indicated that a lot of polar oxygenic groups were introduced onto the surface of plastic by plasma modification. Modification by low-temperature plasma increased the hydrophilicity of plastic strip surface. When treatment time is 40 s, water contact angle of plastic strip surface reduced from 78.2° of original plastic strip to 25.3°. When used in bioreactor, magnetic filler had very favorable microenvironment for microorganism growth. Magnetic filler was more efficient for removing chemical oxygen demand (COD) and in sewage than nonmagnetic filler. The resource utilization of plastic wastes will become reality if the magnetic filler is applied widely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use a general energy method recently developed by [Guo Y, Wang Y. Decay of dissipative equations and negative sobolev spaces. Commun. Partial Differ. Equ. 2012;37:2165–2208.] to prove the global existence and temporal decay rates of solutions to the three-dimensional compressible nematic liquid crystal flow in the whole space. In particular, the negative Sobolev norms of solutions are shown to be preserved along time evolution, and then the optimal decay rates of the higher order spatial derivatives of solutions are obtained by energy estimates and the interpolation inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virus-like particles are a significant class of biomaterials composed of coat polymers and DNA that assemble into different shapes with a variety of sizes from tens to hundreds of nanometers. In this work, a novel system of virus-like hierarchical nanostructures has been developed by the combination of poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(L-lysine) block copolymers with the poly(benzyl ether) dendron-DNA hybrids. Because of the unique topological structure of polyelectrolytes, the dimension of assemblies could be switched from 1D nanorods to 2D nanosheets to 3D vesicles via varying the molar ratio of two components. Morphologies of the vesicles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new cobalt(II) complex, [Co(hfa)2(tmea)], derived from the multifluoro containing ligand hexafluoroacetylacetone (Hhfa) and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethane-1,2-diamine (tmea) has been prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, molar conductivity, and single-crystal X-ray crystallographic determination. The crystal of the complex is monoclinic: space groupP21/n, a= 13.903(2),b= 10.406(1),c= 17.913(2) Å, β = 111.342(2)°,V= 2414.0(5) Å3,Z= 4,R1= 0.0757,wR2= 0.1575. The Co atom is coordinated by four O atoms from two hfa ligands, and two N atoms from tmea ligand, and generating octahedral coordination. The effects of the complex on the antimicrobial activity againstStaphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, andCandida albicanswere studied. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Sediment and tailings samples were collected from sites with a contrasting physicochemical gradient to investigate microbial squalene-hopene cyclase (sqhC) composition and distribution in terrestrial environments. Acidobacteria (66%), Alphaproteobacteria (96%) and Gammaproteobacteria (55%) were found to dominatesqhCcommunities, respectively, at the acidic Dajiuhu Peatland, the alkaline Heshang Cave and strongly acidic tailings of Tongling copper mine in China. Statistical analysis confirmed that pH was the important factor impacting the geographical distribution ofsqhCat phylum level.sqhCgene abundance is comparable at the three sites. However, the total amount of hopanoids in per gram total organic matter content (TOC) is 1.75 times higher in the acidic peatland than that in the alkaline Cave and it is below the detecting limit in tailings of Tongling copper mine, inferring the potential impact of pH in regulating the hopanoid production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel N-phenylpyrazolyl aryl methanones derivatives containing the arylthio/sulfinyl/sulfonyl group have been synthesized via multi-step reactions from 3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-5(4H)-one and characterized by melting point,1H NMR,13C NMR, FT-IR, and HRMS. The crystal structure of (5-(4-chlorophenylsulfonyl)-3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)(2,4-dichlorophenyl)methanone containing the arylsulfonyl moiety is reported. The biological activity results showed that some of the title compounds exhibit favorable herbicidal and insecticidal activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we establish global well-posedness and asymptotic stability of mild solutions for the Cauchy problem of the fractional drift-diffusion system with small initial data in critical Besov spaces. The regularizing-decay rate estimates of mild solutions are also proved, which imply that mild solutions are analytic in space variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The genotypes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) have been found to be related to the risk of transmission and the development of drug resistance of this pathogen. Thus, exploring the molecular characteristics of MTB is helpful for understanding and controlling the spread of strains in areas with a high incidence of tuberculosis. Methods: We recruited 512 sputum smear-positive tuberculosis patients from 30 counties from 1 April to 30 June 2010; 503 MTB strains were isolated and 497 were successfully genotyped. We genotyped the strains based on a new 15-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number of tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTR) method in combination with spacer-oligonucleotide typing (spoligotyping) technology. Results: Based on spoligotyping, 487 strains displayed known patterns, and 10 were absent from the current global spoligotyping database (SpolDB4). The predominant spoligotypes belonged to the Beijing or Beijing-like family (81.1%). When we used the new 15-locus (MIRU-15) set for the MIRU-VNTR analysis, 388 different patterns were identified, including 46 clusters and 342 unique patterns. The combination of spoligotyping and MIRU-15 demonstrated a high discriminatory power. The proportion of clusters varied significantly between the Beijing and non-Beijing family strains, but no significant association was observed between multidrug resistance and Beijing family strains. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that the Beijing family strains are the most prevalent in rural China. Spoligotyping in combination with the new MIRU-15 technique is useful for the epidemiological analysis of MTB transmission and could be used as a first-line method for the large-scale genotyping of MTB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major aim of this study is to elucidate the hypocholesterolemic mechanism exerted by rice protein (RP) in adult rats under cholesterol-enriched dietary condition. Compared with casein, the cholesterol levels in plasma and the liver were significantly reduced by RP, accompanying significant inhibition of cholesterol absorption. RP increased the activity and mRNA level of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase, whereas acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activity and gene expression were significantly depressed with consumption of RP. Neither the activity nor gene expression of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase of RP differed from that of casein. The gene expression of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and liver X receptor α were significantly activated by consumption of RP. RP did not modify the mRNA level of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-2 with respect to casein. These results suggest RP can induce a cholesterol-lowering effect through modifying cholesterol metabolism-related gene expression and enzyme activity in adult rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction microscopic mechanism of mixed aqueous solutions of nitrobenzene and hydrogen peroxide under different conditions was studied by the laser flash photolysis technique (266 nm). The main characteristic peaks in these transient absorption spectra were attributed and the build-up/decay trends of several transient species were investigated. The transient absorption peaks of 285 nm and 305 nm were attributed to when nitrobenzene aqueous solutions were irradiated by 266 nm UV light and the decay rate constant was k 285 nm = 1.22 × 104 s−1 and k 305 nm = 1.05 × 104 s−1 in the presence of N2. k 285 nm and k 305 nm increased to 1.32 × 104 s−1 and 2.05 × 104 s−1, respectively, in the presence of O2. OH radical can be produced through the 266 nm laser flash photolysis of hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solutions. The rate constant of the reaction between OH radical and nitrobenzene was measured to be (3.6–6.0) × 109 (L · mol−1 · s−1). The intermediate of the C6H5NO2-OH adduct can undergo secondary self-decay with a reaction rate of 2k/ϵl = 1.82 × 106 s−1. The C6H5NO2-OH adduct is able to react with O2 to form C6H5NO2-OHO2 with a rate constant of (6.6 ± 0.56) × 107 (L · mol−1 · s−1). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this article, we establish the Serrin-type regularity criteria for the 3D nematic liquid crystal flows in the terms of the multiplier space . Our criterion may be regarded as an extension of the recent result of Liu–Cui [Regularity of solutions to 3-D nematic liquid crystal flows, Electron. J. Diff. Equ. 2010(173) (2010), pp. 1–5]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of a selection of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimating equations based on serum creatinine (SCr) and serum cystatin C in a Chinese population. Material and methods. Estimated GFR values from 10 equations were compared with reference GFR (rGFR) from the 99mTc-DTPA renal dynamic imaging method. The study enrolled 569 Chinese participants (41.5% women, 53.5 ± 16.9 years, range 19-92 years), with mean rGFR 74.80 ± 26.10 (range 9.8-146.8 ml/min/1.73 m2). Results. Bland-Altman analysis illustrated that the 95% agreement limits of all the equations surpassed the acceptable tolerance (<60 ml/min/1.73 m2), of which the MacIsaac equation was the closest one, reaching 71.7 ml/min/1.73 m2. Linear regression analysis also demonstrated a consistent result. When assessed in all participants, the accuracy of the six equations reached and exceeded the acceptable level (≥70%), of which the Shanghai and MacIsaac equations gained more accuracy than others. When compared in subgroups, the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI), MacIsaac and Cockcroft-Gault (CG) equations were optimal for rGFR stages ≥ 90 ml/min/1.73 m2, 30-89 ml/min/1.73 m2 and < 30 ml/min/1.73 m2, respectively. Conclusion. The results demonstrated that further improvement is needed for the selected 10 equations. Not all the cystatin C equations were superior to SCr equations. They have their own applicability at various GFR levels. At present, the CKD-EPI, MacIsaac and CG equations may be applied to evaluate GFR in normal, mild to moderate and severe kidney function, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective . Lack of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) presentation has been proposed to contribute to the immune evasion of cancer cells in some cancers including esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to examine the expression of HLA class I antigen and the antigen-processing machinery (APM) components in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) lesions and to assess their association with histopathological characteristics. Material and methods. A total of 143 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded ESCC lesions collected in two hospitals in Shandong Province of China were studied. The expression levels were determined by immunohistochemistry. Results. TAP1, TAP2, LMP2, LMP7, β2m, and HLA class I antigen were lost or down-regulated in 30.8%, 35.0%, 45.0%, 48.0%, 56.0%, and 60.8% of the ESCC lesions tested, respectively. The loss of or down-regulated expressions of HLA class I, β2m, TAP1, LMP2, and LMP7 in tumor lesions were all significantly correlated to tumor grade and lymph node status. Expression of HLA class I antigens was strongly correlated to the expression levels of β2m, TAP1, TAP2, LMP2, and LMP7, suggesting APM component defects as a mechanism underlying HLA class I antigen down-regulation in ESCC lesions. Expression of APM components and HLA class I antigens was significantly associated with the extent of intratumoral T-cell infiltration. Conclusions. Our results indicate that lack or reduction of HLA class I antigens and expression of APM components in ESCC may render some tumor cells to escape the immunosurveillance mediated by CD8+ T cells and contribute to the clinical course of ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrothermal reactions of 1-aminoethylidenediphosphonic acid (AEDPH4), Ni(OH)2 and ammonium counterions afforded two nickel phosphonate compounds, (enH2)3[Ni(AEDP)2] · 6H2O (1) and (NH4)6[Ni(AEDP)2] · 4H2O (2) (en = ethylenediamine). Compounds 1 and 2 both contain [Ni(AEDP)2]6- while having different three-dimensional (3-D) supramolecular structures. In 1, the [Ni(AEDP)2]6- anion and [image omitted]cations interconnected via various hydrogen bonds and form a 3-D porous supramolecular network with extended one-dimensional channels, in which an interesting T4(2)6(2) water tape penetrates. Compared to 1, the [Ni(AEDP)2]6- anion and [image omitted] cations in 2 constitute an enclosed 3-D supramolecular framework without obvious channels; two water-ammonium clusters with different structural motifs are observed. The magnetism of 1 exhibits weak antiferromagnetic interaction via the hydrogen bonds. The effect of protonated ammonium counterions on the structural types of the final products is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The barbel chub ( Squaliobarbus curriculus), a kind of small commercial fish, is widespread in China. In this study, we sequenced the mitochondrial genome of the barbel chub from the Xiangjiang River. The total length of the mitochondrial genome is 16,619 bp, with the base composition of 31.19% A, 25.01% T, 27.68% C, and 16.12% G. The organization and arrangement of these genes are the same as that found in the teleosts, including 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and a major noncoding control region (D-loop region). Compared with the S. curriculus collected from Jiangsu province, there were 29 mutation sites in the mitogenome sequence of Xiangjiang S. curriculus. All the mutation sites were transitions and mainly occurred in protein-coding genes (21/29), two mutation sites occurred in transfer RNA, two occurred in ribosomal RNA, and four occurred in D-loop region. Among the 21 mutation sites in protein-coding genes, 6 mutation sites resulted in amino acid mutation in ND2, ATPase6, COX3, ND4, and Cytb genes, while the others were synonymous substitutions. These results indicated that there was genetic variation in different geographical populations of S. curriculus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the hybrid of Ctenopharyngodon idella (♀) ×  Squaliobarbus curriculus (♂) was determined using PCR-based method. The total length of the mitogenome is 16,609 bp. It contains the typical structure as that of most other vertebrates, including 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and 1 non-coding control region (D-loop region). The overall composition of the mitogenome was estimated to be 31.86% for A, 26.08% for T, 26.38% for C, and 15.68% for G, respectively, indicating that an A+T (57.94%)-rich feature occurs in the hybrid mitogenome. Both the termination-associated sequence and three conserved sequence blocks (CSB1, CSB2, and CSB3) were also detected in the D-loop region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we reported the complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the hybrid of Squaliobarbus curriculus (♀) ×  Ctenopharyngodon idella (♂), which was obtained by artificial hybridization. The total length of the mitochondrial genome is 16,616 bp, with the base composition of 31.15% A, 25.02% T, 27.66% C, and 16.17% G. It contains 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and a major non-coding control region (D-loop region). The arrangement of these genes is the same as that found in the teleosts. All the protein initiation codons are ATG, except for COX1 that begins with GTG. The complete mitogenome of the hybrid of S. curriculus (♀) ×  C. idella (♂) provides an important data set for the study in genetic mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulva prolifera is the dominant species of green macroalgal blooms in the Yellow Sea, China. In this study, we sequenced and annotated the complete chloroplast genome of U. prolifera (GenBank accession number: KX342867). The genome of circular chromosomes consists of 93,066 including 66 protein-encoding genes, 26 tRNA genes, and 3 rRNA genes. Compared with the 16 species from Chlorophyta, it has eight genes in expansion and 15 genes in shrink. Phylogenetic analysis shows positioned U. prolifera with U. linza, while Ulva sp.UNA00071828 is closely allied with Ulva fasciata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the complete mitochondrial genome ofChlorophthalmus nigromarginatushas been determined. The mitochondrial genome (17,663 bp) had the canonical mitochondrial gene content and arrangement, including 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and 2 non-coding regions. The overall base composition of the heavy-strand is 25.66% A, 25.71% T, 17.82% G, and 30.81% C, with an AT content of 51.37%. It shared 86.6% identities withChlorophthalmus agassizi. The phylogenetic analyses indicated the close relationship between the mitochondrial genome we presented and other species in order Aulopiformes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We exposed snails of an invasive species of golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) to five artificial sea water treatments at salinity levels of 0, 5, 10, 15 or 20 parts per thousand (ppt) to assess their salinity tolerance. We observed the behaviour, heart rate, total haemocyte counts, haemolymph ionic concentration and Na+/K+-ATPase activity in the mantle at 0, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h post salinity exposures. The heart rate declined with increasing salinity, while Na+/K+-ATPase activity in the mantle presented a reverse trend, possibly to maintain normal osmolality. A trend of rising total haemocyte count was observed from 0 ppt and 5 ppt to 10 ppt salinities, while a sudden increase in the count was observed at 15 ppt and 20 ppt salinity groups. Furthermore, haemolymph Cl−, Na+ and K+ concentrations increased directly with elevated salinity. An additional trial was performed to assess the growth performance of the snails under exposure to low salinities. During a 1 month trial, snails grew better at 5 ppt salinity treatment. Taken together, our results demonstrate that P. canaliculata can tolerate salt stress to some extent. The finding also obviously implies a possible invasive risk to estuaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the repair process and enzymatic activity responses after induction of shell regeneration inPomacea canaliculata.The survival rates, height of regenerated shell, and activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and carbonic anhydrase (CA) were investigated and recorded for 15 days. A triangular piece of shell about 8 mm wide was excised from the ventral region of the shell. On the basis of photographs and enzyme assay, it was concluded both yellow-shell apple snails and black-shell apple snails had high survival rates (100%). The regenerated new shell was initially thin, with the wound sealed 5 days after induction of shell regeneration; after that the regenerated shell thickened. Three snails were sampled at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 and 15 days after shell excision for analysis of enzymatic activity of ALP and CA. Trends of the activity of ALP and CA in the mantle were similar. Initially they both showed a decline on the first day, then rose on following days. Activity of ALP declined to a minimum on the first day, and an activity peak in both colour forms appeared on the fifth day (P < 0.05) and was maintained for the rest of the experiment. The minimum value of CA occurred after 0.5 days, and a significant increase was also observed on the fifth day (P < 0.05). This study has revealed that apple snails have good shell regeneration abilities, and that ALP and CA probably play a crucial role in shell growth and regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]