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Bismaleimide (BMI) resins is widely used in the aerospace field because of its excellent properties, but its poor toughness limits the possibility of its application in a wider range of fields. Therefore, a novel bio‐compound, 4‐(allyloxy)‐3‐methoxy‐N‐(3‐(triethoxysilyl)propyl)benzamide (AMTPM), was designed and synthesized from renewable vanillin, which has Schiff‐base structure, silico‐oxygen bond structure, and allyl structure. The chemical structure of AMTPM has been characterized and validated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). It was found that the addition of AMTPM can effectively promote the curing behavior of BD resins (BMI and diallyl bisphenol A (DBA) was mixed and cured at the ratio of 1:0.87, named BD resins). AMTPM can affect the thermal stability and improve the mechanical properties of BD‐AMTPM resins (BD resins modified by AMTPM in different addition), and the detailed discussion was conducted. With the increase of AMTPM content, the thermal stability of BD‐AMTPM resins was deteriorated while the residual weight percentage at 800°C (Yc) was increased. When the content of AMTPM reached 12 wt%, the results showed that Yc achieved the values at a magnitude of 37.57%. Meanwhile, the glass transition temperature (Tg) achieved 320°C. Among the BD‐AMTPM resins system, the BD‐6 wt% AMTPM has the best toughness and mechanical properties. The impact strength was increased by 29.2%, the tensile strength was increased by 22.1% and the elongation at break was increased by 44%. The fracture morphology of BD‐AMTPM resins was also studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to support the mechanical experimental conclusions. This study provides a more environmentally friendly and convenient modifier, which is of great significance for expanding the application of bismaleimide resin. Highlights: A bio‐based modifying agent (AMTPM) was designed and successfully synthesized.AMTPM has both Si‐O and Schiff‐base structures.AMTPM can effectively improve the toughness of BD‐AMTPM resins through impact and tensile tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil nitrification, driven by ammonia‐oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria (AOB), is a crucial process in maintaining the soil nitrogen (N) balance. However, the influence of AOA and AOB on soil gross nitrification rates (GNR) in response to vegetation restoration remains unclear, particularly in karst regions. In this study, we investigated soil GNR and the abundance, diversity, and community composition of AOA and AOB across after vegetation restoration. Four land use types were examined: plantation forest (PF), forage grass (FG), a combination of plantation forest and forage grass (FG), and cropland (CR, control). Soil ammonium N (NH4+) was higher in the vegetation restoration compared to that in cropland, whereas nitrate N (NO3−) exhibited the opposite trend. Soil GNR were reduced by 55.4%–90.3% in the vegetation restorations compared to that in cropland. The abundance, Chao1, and Shannon index of AOB were lower in vegetation restorations compared to cropland, respectively. The abundance and diversity of AOA were higher than those of AOB but were unaffected by vegetative restoration. Furthermore, AOB community is more sensitive to vegetation restoration than AOA community. Specifically, the abundance of AOB taxa belonging to the genera Nitrosospira and Nitrosovibrio was decreased by the restoration efforts. In addition, soil nutrients availability (e.g., NH4+, NO3−, and phosphorus) and AOB index (e.g., Shannon index) were the main factors driving soil GNR. This study highlights the importance of AOB in driving soil nitrification during vegetation restoration and emphasizes the necessity to optimize soil nitrogen management in karst ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic nitrogen reduction represents a viable technology for green ammonia synthesis under mild conditions. However, the performance of the photocatalysts is typically limited by high charge carrier recombination and low adsorption and activation of nitrogen molecules. Herein, Bi/Bi2Sn2O7 (Bi/BSO) heterojunction nanocomposites are prepared via a one‐step hydrothermal method, where NaOH etching of oxygen vacancies in the Bi─O bonds of Bi2Sn2O7 (BSO) is exploited for the in situ formation of metallic Bi and hence Schottky junctions with the semiconducting BSO. This leads to a high separation rate of photogenerated charge carriers. Consequently, compared to the pure‐phase BSO, the Bi/BSO heterostructures exhibit markedly enhanced ammonia production, reaching an optimum rate of 284.5 µmol g−1 h−1, where the rectifying contact between the semiconducting BSO and metallic Bi facilitates directional BSO to Bi electron transfer, leading to enrichment of photogenerated electrons at the active sites of metallic Bi. First‐principles calculations confirm the alteration of active sites and the guided electron flow by the Schottky junctions and surface oxygen vacancies. Results from this study offer an effective paradigm of structural engineering in manipulating the photocatalytic activity of bismuth‐based pyrochlore materials toward nitrogen fixation to ammonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance breakthrough of energy‐storage electrodes under commercial‐level mass loading (≥10 mg cm−2) are highly pursued but restricted by sluggish mass/charge transfer rates and kinetically unfavorable reaction sites. In response, through electrochemical microenvironment reconstitution, these limitations are broken by engineering synergy between vacancies and oxyanions in the active matrix (Rec‐NiCoExch), which showcases a record‐level areal capacitance of 10.9 C cm−2 with a high mass loading of 20 mg cm−2 and a retention of 72% at 100‐fold current density. Such a design further endows the hybrid supercapacitor with an areal capacity of 20.9 C cm−2 and an energy density of 4.6 mWh cm−2, outperforming most of the benchmark results. Theoretical calculation reveals that in situ evolved oxyanions not only act as the effective adsorption sites but also secure the oxygen vacancies, enabling the potential synergy toward improved electronic conductivity and enhanced reactivity of Ni sites. As a proof‐of‐concept, the as‐assembled quasi‐solid‐state micro‐supercapacitor deliveries an ultrahigh energy density of 111.5 µWh cm−2 and presents great potential in intermittent energy storage by the solar panel‐supercapacitor‐LED system. This work offers insights for constructing commercial‐level energy‐storage electrodes by mastering surface/interface engineering for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a study on optic neuritis (ON) induced by COVID-19, a condition characterized by inflammation of the optic nerve. The study included 13 hospitalized patients who experienced vision loss after a mild COVID-19 infection. The patients had an initial attack of ON but did not experience a relapse. The study found that involvement of certain segments of the optic nerve was associated with better visual recovery. Treatment with corticosteroids and plasmapheresis improved visual acuity and prognosis for most patients. However, the study had limitations due to a small sample size and short follow-up period, and further research is needed to confirm the significance of certain antibodies in these patients. [Extracted from the article]

Wet mixing and solvent evaporation were used to prepare in situ exfoliation and surface functionalization of graphene oxide (GO). The structure and composition of diglycidyl 7‐oxabicyclo[4.1.0]heptane‐3,4‐dicarboxylate (TDE85) functionalized GO (TDE85‐GO) were characterized. A thorough investigation was done into how surface functionalization affected the shape and dispersion of GO as well as the mechanical and thermal performance of the TDE85‐GO/epoxy composites. TDE85‐GO was evenly distributed throughout the matrix as a result of the special preparation method and excellent interfacial interaction between the functionalized GO and epoxy. By incorporating 0.5 wt% of TDE85‐GO, the molecular weight between crosslinks decreased from 435.1 to 182.0 g/mol, and the glass transition temperature significantly increased by 45.7°C from 148.8 to 194.5°C. The tensile strength, Young's modulus, and elongation at break increased by 18.3%, 3.7%, and 29.9%, respectively. Moreover, thermomechanical and water resistance properties have also been improved. This approach is a workable one to produce high‐performance structural composites. This approach represents a practical strategy for developing high‐performance structural composites. Highlights: In situ exfoliation and surface functionalization of graphene oxide.Glass transition temperature increased by 45.7°C with 0.5 wt% of TDE85‐GO.Tensile, thermomechanical, and water resistance properties were improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, this study aimed to overcome the inherent disadvantage of low thermal stability and brittleness of epoxy resins. A novel modifiers containing alkynyl‐ and allyla‐ groups, (E)‐1‐(4‐(allyloxy)‐3‐methoxyphenyl)‐N‐(3‐ethynylphenyl)methanimine (MNEM) was prepared and confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and 1H‐nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), and selected to improve the thermal stability and toughness of bisphenol A‐type epoxy resin (E51). The blend resins were produced by blending with different contents of MNEM into E51 resin, named E‐MNEM resins. Meanwhile, the thermal stability, mechanical properties, and micromorphology of E‐MNEM blends were analyzed in details. It was found that the thermal stability of E‐MNEM resins was improved by increasing the proportion of MNEM. Compared with E‐0MNEM resin, when the MNEM concentration reached 40 wt%, the char yield (Yc) increased from 14.95 to 29.62%, reflecting a 98.1% improvement. In addition, an appropriate concentration of MNEM could be conductive to improving the mechanical properties. An improvement of 25.5 and 7.1% in elongation and tensile strength along with the maximum value of 17.6 kJ/m2 for the impact strength was achieved by the cured E‐MNEM resins containing 20 wt% of MNEM. Finally, the fracture surface morphology of the E‐MNEM resins was analyzed by the scanning electron microscope (SEM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanate ester (CE) resins possess excellent thermal and mechanical characteristics, yet their brittleness and high cross‐link density limit their practical application. To overcome this limitation, the modification of CE with thermoplastic resins has been employed as an effective strategy to enhance their toughness and mechanical properties. In this study, a novel fluorinated poly(aryl ether nitrile) (PFPEN) with excellent solubility and thermal properties was synthesized through a nucleophilic substitution reaction. The effect of the addition of PFPEN on a blend composed of bisphenol A cyanate ester (ACE) and a mixed catalyst was investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry results showed that the addition of PFPEN facilitated the curing reaction of ACE, resulting in a lower exothermic peak temperature. Compared to the pure ACE, the addition of PFPEN at 20 phr significantly improved the tensile and impact strengths of the resin, as well as enhanced the lap shear strength at room temperature by 36% and the peel strength by 320%, respectively. The scanning electron microscope results showed a ductile fracture mechanism. However, it should be noted that the decrease in crosslinking density resulting from the addition of PFPEN may affect the lap shear strength at 300°C and the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyacrylonitrile‐based carbon fibers (CFs) have demonstrated unparalleled physical and mechanical properties and are considered a promising material for aerospace, transportation, medical devices, and other applications. However, the current understanding of the heterogeneous structure of carbon fiber is still vague, and the relationship between the heterogeneous structure and the mechanical properties of carbon fiber is also unclear. In this review, the literature on the radial heterogeneous structure of CFs is summarized from four points of view: morphological structure, physical properties and chemical structures, mechanical properties, and structural models by combining different characterization tools such as nanoindentation, nanoscale infrared spectroscopy, and synchrotron wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. First, the size and orientation of graphite microcrystalline, the degree of graphitization, density distribution, modulus distribution, chemical functional group distribution, and other physical and chemical properties of carbon fiber cross‐sectional structures are discussed. Afterward, the relationship between the mechanical properties of carbon fiber and the heterogeneous structure is analyzed. Finally, the currently accepted models of the heterogeneous structure of carbon fibers are summarized and made some suggestions for research on the heterogeneous structure of carbon fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel biobased allyl compound with Schiff‐based structure (MPAM) was developed to improve the toughness and thermal properties of 4,4′‐bismaleimidodiphenylmethane (BDM). The chemical structure of MPAM was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). A series of BDM/DBA‐MPAM blend resins (BD‐MPAM resins) were prepared by adjusting the mass ratio of BDM + DBA (BD) to MPAM. The effects of MPAM content on the curing behavior, thermal and mechanical properties of BD‐MPAM resins were discussed in details. Compared with BD resin, the thermal stability of modified resins was improved by increasing the content of MPAM. Meanwhile, an increase of 37.1% in flexural strength, and 228 MPa in flexural modulus were obtained for the cured BD‐MPAM resin having 10 wt% MPAM loading compared to the BD resin. The impact strength of BD‐10 wt% MPAM is of the maximum value (6.6 kJ/m2). Finally, the fracture surface morphology of the BD‐MPAM resins was studied by the scanning electron microscope (SEM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial viruses are the most abundant biological entities in soil ecosystems. Owing to the advent of metagenomics and viromics approaches, an ever‐increasing diversity of virus‐encoded auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) have been identified in soils, including those involved in the transformation of carbon, phosphorus, and sulfur, degradation of organic pollutants, and antibiotic resistance, among other processes. These viral AMGs can alter soil biogeochemical processes and metabolic activities by interfering with bacterial host metabolism. It is recognized that viral AMGs compensate for host bacterial metabolism outputs by encoding accessory functional genes and are favourable for the hosts' adaptation to stressed soil environments. The eco‐evolutionary mechanisms behind this fascinating diversity of viral AMGs in soil microbiomes have begun to emerge, such as horizontal gene transfer, lytic‐lysogenic conversion, and single‐nucleotide polymorphisms. In this mini‐review, we summarize recent advances in the diversity and function of virus‐encoded AMGs in the soil environment, especially focusing on the evolutionary significance of AMGs involved in virus‐host interactions. This mini‐review also sheds light on the existing gaps and future perspectives that could have major significance for viral AMGs research in soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) is a major type II enzyme responsible for symmetric dimethylation of arginine (SDMA), and plays predominantly roles in human cancers, including in ovarian cancer. However, the exactly roles and underlying mechanisms of PRMT5 contributing to the progression of ovarian cancer mediated by reprogramming cell metabolism remain largely elusive. Here, we report that PRMT5 is highly expressed and correlates with poor survival in ovarian cancer. Knockdown or pharmaceutical inhibition of PRMT5 is sufficient to decrease glycolysis flux, attenuate tumor growth, and enhance the antitumor effect of Taxol. Mechanistically, we find that PRMT5 symmetrically dimethylates alpha‐enolase (ENO1) at arginine 9 to promotes active ENO1 dimer formation, which increases glycolysis flux and accelerates tumor growth. Moreover, PRMT5 signals high glucose to increase the methylation modification of ENO1. Together, our data reveal a novel role of PRMT5 in promoting ovarian cancer growth by controlling glycolysis flux mediated by methylating ENO1, and highlights that PRMT5 may represent a promising therapeutic target for treating ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tobacco black shank caused by Phytophthora nicotianae is a serious disease in tobacco cultivation. We found that naringenin is a key factor that causes different sensitivity to P. nicotianae between resistant and susceptible tobacco. The level of basal flavonoids in resistant tobacco was distinct from that in susceptible tobacco. Of all flavonoids with different content, naringenin showed the best antimicrobial activity against mycelial growth and sporangia production of P. nicotianae in vitro. However, naringenin showed very low or no antimicrobial activity to other plant pathogens. We found that naringenin induced not only the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, but also the expression of salicylic acid biosynthesis‐related genes. Naringenin induced the expression of the basal pathogen resistance gene PR1 and the SAR8.2 gene that contributes to plant resistance to P. nicotianae. We then interfered with the expression of the chalcone synthase (NtCHS) gene, the key gene of the naringenin synthesis pathway, to inhibit naringenin biosynthesis. NtCHS‐RNAi rendered tobacco highly sensitive to P. nicotianae, but there was no change in susceptibility to another plant pathogen, Ralstonia solanacearum. Finally, exogenous application of naringenin on susceptible tobacco enhanced resistance to P. nicotianae and naringenin was very stable in this environment. Our findings revealed that naringenin plays a core role in the defence against P. nicotianae and expanded the possibilities for the application of plant secondary metabolites in the control of P. nicotianae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria, fungi, and protist are important in driving nutrient cycling. The microbiological mechanism underlying vegetation restoration during different temperature and precipitation gradients remains unclear. To determine the relationship between microbes and nutrients, we examined the changes in soil bacterial, fungal, and protist diversity and community composition under two different temperatures in a plantation forest and shrubland as well as reference cropland in a karst region. Bacterial and protist diversity in the warm and low‐altitude region of Guangxi (average temperature 20.9°C) was higher in cropland than in shrubland or plantation forest. By contrast, fungal richness was lower in cropland than in shrubland. A co‐occurrence network revealed higher numbers of correlated links among the bacterial, fungal, and protist taxa in the cool and high‐altitude region of Guizhou (average temperature 14.6°C) than in the warm and low‐altitude region of Guangxi. Stronger interactions were observed among microbial taxa under cropland than in vegetation restoration. The protist groups Cercozoa and Lobosa showed the highest numbers of links with the bacterial phyla Acidobacteria and Proteobacteria and with the fungal phylum Ascomycota. The numbers of Proteobacteria, Ascomycota, and Cercozoa were most correlated with soil nutrient levels of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Overall, microbial interactions were higher at low temperatures than at high temperatures, consequently intensifying the predation of bacteria and fungi by protists at a low‐temperature level. Furthermore, Proteobacteria, Ascomycota, and Cercozoa were the keystone taxa linked to nutrient availability; hence, effective monitoring of these dominant groups may be beneficial for increasing nutrient accumulation during vegetation restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes owns high mortality rate and the pathogenesis remains unclear. The traditional Chinese medicine Siwei Jianbu decoction (SWJB) as an effective treatment for blood stasis in diabetic patients was received increasing attentions. Detailed analysis of potential molecules in this decoction targeting diabetes is warranted. Here, we used network pharmacology analysis, molecular docking and virtual screening methods to determine the pharmacological mechanism of the SWJB decoction. Network relationships among diseases, targets and active components were analyzed to select the target proteins. Molecular docking of 59 active components corresponding to 20 drug targets in the SWJB decoction and molecular dynamic simulation analysis identified three proteins and three drugs with good binding free energies of <−8.5 kcal/mol. Receptor‐based virtual screening for 20 potential targets extracted six proteins and two ligands with a good binding affinity of <−7.5 kcal/mol. Finally, epidermal growth factor (EGF) protein was identified as a target protein and the quercetin present in the SWJB decoction play a significant role in activating the EGF pathway. To validate the reliability of in silico prediction, surface plasmon resonance validation assay was performed and demonstrated that quercetin could bind the EGF protein with an affinity constant of 25.5 μM. Our results indicate that quercetin is a promising drug that can activate EGF interactions and thus warrants further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

G protein‐coupled receptor 65 (GPR65), a susceptibility gene for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), has been identified to promote Th17 cell pathogenicity and induce T cell apoptosis. However, the potential role of GPR65 in modulating CD4+ T cell immune responses in the pathogenesis of IBD stills not entirely understood. Here, we displayed that GPR65 expression was increased in inflamed intestinal mucosa of IBD patients and positively associated with disease activity. It was expressed in CD4+ T cells and robustly upregulated through the TNF‐α‐caspase 3/8 signalling pathway. Ectopic expression of GPR65 significantly promoted the differentiation of peripheral blood (PB) CD4+ T cells from IBD patients and HC to Th1 and Th17 cells in vitro. Importantly, conditional knockout of Gpr65 in CD4+ T cells ameliorated trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)‐induced acute murine colitis and a chronic colitis in Rag1–/– mice reconstituted with CD45RBhighCD4+ T cells in vivo, characterised by attenuated Th1 and Th17 cell immune response in colon mucosa and decreased infiltration of CD4+ T cells, neutrophils and macrophages. RNA‐seq analysis of Gpr65ΔCD4 and Gpr65flx/flxCD4+ T cells revealed that NUAK family kinase 2 (Nuak2) acts as a functional target of Gpr65 to restrict Th1 and Th17 cell immune response. Mechanistically, GPR65 deficiency promoted NUAK2 expression via the cAMP‐PKA‐C‐Raf‐ERK1/2‐LKB1‐mediated signalling pathway. Consistently, silencing of Nuak2 facilitated the differentiation of Gpr65ΔCD4 and Gpr65flx/flxCD4+ T cells into Th1 and Th17 cells. Therefore, our data point out that GPR65 promotes Th1 and Th17 cell immune response and intestinal mucosal inflammation by suppressing NUAK2 expression, and that targeting GPR65 and NUAK2 in CD4+ T cells may represent a novel therapeutic approach for IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interestingly, cell senescence and DNA damage were restored by eliminating ROS (Figure 2H and I), which proved that FTO regulates CRC cell senescence and DNA damage by regulating ROS (Figure 2J). (K) The expression of FTO, G6PD and PARP1 in knockdown or inhibition of FTO cells with or without cisplatin treatment. [Extracted from the article]

Mammalian cell nuclei contain copper, and cancer cells are known to accumulate aberrantly high copper levels, yet the mechanisms underlying nuclear accumulation and copper's broader functional significance remain poorly understood. Here, by combining APEX2‐based proximity labeling focused on the copper chaperone Atox1 with mass spectrometry we identified a previously unrecognized nuclear copper binding protein, Cysteine‐rich protein 2 (CRIP2), that interacts with Atox1 in the nucleus. We show that Atox1 transfers copper to CRIP2, which induces a change in CRIP2′s secondary structure that ultimately promotes its ubiquitin‐mediated proteasomal degradation. Finally, we demonstrate that depletion of CRIP2‐as well as copper‐induced CRIP2 degradation‐elevates ROS levels and activates autophagy in H1299 cells. Thus, our study establishes that CRIP2 as an autophagic suppressor protein and implicates CRIP2‐mediated copper metabolism in the activation of autophagy in cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed size is an important factor affecting soybean (Glycine max) yield and quality, and the length and width of the pods are significantly related to the seed size. Soybean two‐seed pod is a stable pod‐setting trait. Based on soybean chromosome segment substitution line (CSSL), QTL‐seq method was used to locate the QTL of soybean two‐seed pod length (TSPL) and width (TSPW) and to mine the related genes A total of 3 QTLs for TSPL and 5 QTLs for TSPW were obtained. Among them, the positions of qTSPL‐B1‐1 and qTSPW‐B1‐1 overlapped, and this overlapping interval was used as the major QTL for soybean TSPL and TSPW. Haplotype analysis revealed that the haplotype variation of Glyma.11G051600 would cause the phenotypes of TSPL and TSPW to vary. RT‐pcr showed that the expression of Glyma.11G051600 was closely related to the development of soybean TSPL and TSPW. Therefore, Glyma.11G051600 was used as a common gene to regulate the growth and development of TSPL and TSPW. These results provide a basis for research on candidate genes and marker‐assisted selection (MAS) for soybean breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Ningetinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor for the treatment of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The present study aims to investigate the drug interaction of ningetinib and gefitinib and the mechanism of high plasma exposure of N‐demethylated ningetinib (M1) in NSCLC patients. Methods: Patients with NSCLC were recruited. Metabolism and transport assays were performed using in vitro models. Deuterated M1 was used to study the effects of ningetinib and gefitinib on M1 efflux in Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice. Results: Upon co‐administration of ningetinib with gefitinib, the plasma exposure of M1 was reduced by 80%, whereas that of ningetinib was not affected. In vitro experiments indicated that CYP1A1 was primarily responsible for M1 formation. Gefitinib was demonstrated to be a strong inhibitor of CYP1A1 with Ki value of 0.095 μM. M1 was identified as a substrate of efflux transporters P‐gp and BCRP, while ningetinib and gefitinib were demonstrated to be their inhibitors, which was consistent with the results in mice. However, the inhibitory effect of gefitinib on efflux in vivo was negligible in the presence of ningetinib. Conclusion: The high plasma exposure of M1 in patients was attributed to the inhibition of M1 efflux by ningetinib and its low tissue affinity. When co‐administered, gefitinib inhibited the formation of M1, but due to the low metabolic yield of M1 in vivo, the pharmacokinetics of ningetinib was not influenced. Inhibition of CYP1A1 may increase the concentration of ningetinib in target tissues, and the long‐term safety and efficacy of ningetinib combined with gefitinib should be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heteroatom‐doped porous carbon materials have exhibited promising applications in various fields. In this work, sulfur, nitrogen co‐doped carbon materials (SNCs) with abundant pore structure were prepared by pyrolysis of sulfur, nitrogen‐containing porous organic polymers (POPs) mixed with nano‐CaCO3 at high temperature. Among the resultant materials, SNC‐Ca‐850 possesses a relatively high level of doped heteroatoms and exhibits an excellent catalytic performance for the selective oxidation of benzylic C−H bonds. It is noteworthy that nano‐CaCO3 increases the doped sulfur content in the synthesized carbon materials to a large extent and impacts the existence modes of sulfur. In addition, it enhances the porous structure and specific surface area of the resultant SNCs significantly. This work provides a viable strategy to promote the doping of sulfur into carbon materials during the pyrolysis process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalysts with Co nanoparticles (NPs) entrapped in N,S‐codoped carbon shells were successfully fabricated by pyrolysis of porous organic polymers (POPs) with cobalt salts. The encapsulated structure consisting of Co NPs and N,S‐codoped carbon layers was verified by TEM, XRD, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The catalysts displayed excellent activity and stability for the catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) of nitrobenzene with formic acid under base‐free conditions. Furthermore, the resultant catalysts allowed for highly efficient and selective transfer hydrogenation of various functionalized nitroarenes to the corresponding anilines. Through control experiments, the covered Co NPs were identified as active sites for CTH. The incorporation of S into the N‐doped carbon lattice promoted the electron transfer from metallic cobalt NPs to their shells, which played a significant role in the acceleration of CTH. Moreover, the Co‐NSPC‐850 catalyst pyrolyzed at 850 °C showed excellent stability in the recycling experiments. N,S‐codoped Co/C catalyst! A new catalyst with Co nanoparticles entrapped in N,S‐codoped carbon shells is fabricated through hydrothermal and pyrolytic methods (see image). The catalyst displays excellent activity and stability for the catalytic transfer hydrogenation of nitroarenes with formic acid owing to enhancement of electron transfer from metallic cobalt nanoparticles to their shells. It can be applied to the selective hydrogenation of a nitro group with outstanding universality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: A high‐performance difunctional epoxy resin, 4‐(4‐hydroxyphenoxy)phenol diglycidyl ether (DHPOP), was synthesized by a two‐step method. The curing behavior of DHPOP was investigated by nonisothermal differential scanning calorimetry method and the curing kinetics results revealed that the introduction of ether linkage could improve the activity of epoxy groups, leading to a lower curing temperature and apparent activation energy compared with that of the commercial bisphenol‐A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA). A series of copolymers were then prepared by varying the mass ratio of DHPOP and DGEBA, which were cured with 4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl methane. The effect of DHPOP contents on thermal and mechanical properties and fracture morphology was studied. As expected, with the increase of DHPOP in the network, the impact strength and char yield were significantly enhanced, while the glass transition temperature (Tg) remained unchanged because of the increase of crosslink density. The excellent toughness endows the DHPOP with the promising potential for the application as high‐performance resin matrix. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46458. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The acetylene-terminated benzoxazine monomer (BB-apa) has been synthesized using 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)butane, 3-aminophenylacetylene, and paraformaldehyde. The structure of the monomer was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and 1H NMR spectra, which indicated that the reactive oxazine ring and acetenyl groups existed in molecular structure of BB-apa. The polymerization behavior was monitored by FTIR and non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), which showed that the BB-apa had completely cured with multiple polymerization mechanisms according to oxazine ring-opening and ethynyl addition polymerization. The curing kinetics results revealed that the introduction of ethynyl groups can accelerate the ring-opening polymerization of benzoxazine, leading to a lower curing temperature and apparent activation energy. Moreover, the thermoset derived from the BB-apa exhibits higher thermal stability and lap shear strength (at 350 °C) with the glass transition temperature of 353 °C compared with the traditional benzoxazine polymer without ethynyl groups (BB-a). © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 44547. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aberrant sialylation profiles on the cell surface have been recognized for their potential diagnostic value in identifying the regulation of tumor properties in several cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC). Recently, increasing evidence has suggested that the deregulation of micro RNA (mi RNA) is a common feature in human cancers. In this study, we found obvious upregulation of sialyltransferase ST3 GAL6 both in HCC cell lines and in tissue samples. The altered expression of ST3 GAL6 was found to correlate with cell proliferation, migration, and invasion ability in HCC. Further investigation showed that miR-26a negatively regulated ST3 GAL6, inducing the suppression of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Moreover, we identified the protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (Akt/ mTOR) pathway as the target of ST3 GAL6 based on Western blot analysis. Analysis of a xenograft mouse model showed that miR-26a significantly reduced tumor growth by suppressing activation of the Akt/ mTOR pathway by directly targeting ST3 GAL6. In conclusion, these data indicate that ST3 GAL6 promotes cell growth, migration, and invasion and mediates the effect of miR-26a through the Akt/ mTOR signaling pathway in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, KNO3 and tea saponin (TS) were applied to investigate systematically the potential impact of their concentrations on dissipation of anerobic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in paddy soils. After 150 days of incubation, the highest removals for total, 3-, 4-, and 5(+6)-ring PAHs were 84.3, 92.3, 85.6, and 69.3%, respectively, with the simultaneous application of 50 mM KNO3 and 2% TS, w/w. Moreover, using response surface methodology, the theoretical maximum removal for total PAHs in the 80-100% range can be achieved at >35 mM KNO3 and >1.5% TS, w/w. Meanwhile, Tenax® TA extraction and a first-three-compartment model method demonstrated that TS (w/w, 2%) could serve as an effective bioaccessibility-enhancing agent to increase the rapidly and slowly desorbing fractions of PAHs from 6 and 12% in the control to 29 and 42% ( p < 0.05), respectively. In addition, proper concentrations of KNO3 and TS in soil could enhance soil microbial characteristics, including denitrifying bacterial count, nitrate reductase activity, and soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, suggesting at least the partial restoration of microbial biological function to the soil after remediation. The results are important in understanding the anerobic PAH dissipation in paddy soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been shown that while commensal bacteria promote Th1, Th17 and Treg cells in lamina propria (LP) in steady-state conditions, they suppress mucosal Th2 cells. However, it is still unclear whether there are specific commensal organisms down-regulating Th2 responses, and the mechanism involved. Here we demonstrate that commensal A4 bacteria, a member of the Lachnospiraceae family, which produce an immunodominant microbiota CBir1 antigen, inhibits LP Th2-cell development. When transferred into the intestines of RAG−/− mice, CBir1-specific T cells developed predominately towards Th1 cells and Th17 cells, but to a lesser extent into Th2 cells. The addition of A4 bacterial lysates to CD4+ T-cell cultures inhibited production of IL-4. A4 bacteria stimulated dendritic cell production of TGF-β, and blockade of TGF-β abrogated A4 bacteria inhibition of Th2-cell development in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, our data show that A4 bacteria inhibit Th2-cell differentiation by inducing dendritic cell production of TGF-β. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Problems associated with PBDEs/ PCBs/ PAHs and heavy metals mixed contaminated sites have received wide attention. To address the associated environmental concerns, innovative remediation techniques are urgently needed. RESULTS 5.0 mL L−1 peanut oil and 5.0 g L−1 tea saponin were found to be effective in extracting 94.6%, 97.1%, 95.1%, 83.5%, and 87.1% of PBDEs, PCBs, PAHs, Pb, and Ni, respectively, after two successive washing cycles. Cultivation of vetiver grass and addition of nutrients for 4 months further degraded 45.1%, 36.2%, and 40.2% of the residual PBDEs, PCBs and PAHs, respectively. Pb and Ni removal efficiencies by phytoextraction were 4.1% and 2.0%, respectively. The combined treatment partially restored the microbiological functions of washed soil, as indicated by a significant increase in the number, biomass C, N, and functioning diversity of soil microorganisms ( P < 0.05). After treatment, the residual organic pollutants and heavy metals mainly existed as very slowly desorbing fractions and residual fractions, as evaluated by Tenax extraction combined with a first-three-compartment model and sequential extraction. The secondary environmental risk of residual mixed pollutants in the remediated soil was limited. CONCLUSION The proposed combined cleanup strategy proved to be effective and environmentally friendly. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean white mold (SWM), caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum ((Lib.) W. Phillips), is currently considered to be the second most important cause of soybean yield loss due to disease. Research is needed to identify SWM-resistant germplasm and gain a better understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of SWM resistance in soybean. Stem pigmentation after treatment with oxaloacetic acid is an effective indicator of resistance to SWM. A total of 128 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross of 'Maple Arrow' (partial resistant to SWM) and 'Hefeng 25' (susceptible) and 330 diverse soybean cultivars were screened for the soluble pigment concentration of their stems, which were treated with oxalic acid. Four quantitative trait loci (QTLs) underlying soluble pigment concentration were detected by linkage mapping of the RILs. Three hundred and thirty soybean cultivars were sequenced using the whole-genome encompassing approach and 25 179 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected for the fine mapping of SWM resistance genes by genome-wide association studies. Three out of five SNP markers representing a linkage disequilibrium (LD) block and a single locus on chromosome 13 (Gm13) were significantly associated with the soluble pigment content of stems. Three more SNPs that represented three minor QTLs for the soluble pigment content of stems were identified on another three chromosomes by association mapping. A major locus with the largest effect on Gm13 was found both by linkage and association mapping. Four potential candidate genes involved in disease response or the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway were identified at the locus near the significant SNPs (<60 kbp). The beneficial allele and candidate genes should be useful in soybean breeding for improving resistance to SWM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT An optical tunable dual-loop optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) based on birefringence effects in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is presented and the theoretical fundamentals of the design are explained. A prototype of the OEO with a frequency of 8.8 GHz is experimentally demonstrated. About 150 MHz tunable range at X-band with a fine step about 15 MHz is realized by directly tuning the SOA injection current, and the tuning speed can reach to over 1 GHz/µs. The generated radiofrequency (RF) signal exhibits a good stability with a single sideband phase noise lower than −101 dBc/Hz at an offset of 10 kHz within the whole tunable range, without any narrow RF band-pass filters in the loop. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 57:464-467, 2015 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A novel optically controlled microwave phase stabilizing method based on semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is presented and the theoretical fundamentals of the design are explained. A prototype with a frequency of 10 GHz is experimentally demonstrated. It provides a stable phase drift that can be linearly compensated over 10 km single-mode fiber with a single sideband phase noise below −100 dBc/Hz at an offset of 10 kHz by tuning the SOA injection current. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:2745-2748, 2014 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A novel optical power monitoring method based on a highly optical power sensitive optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) incorporating a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is presented and the theoretical fundamentals of the design are explained. The proposed SOA-based OEO exhibits a good stability with a single sideband phase noise below −100 dBc/Hz at an offset of 10 kHz without any narrow band radio frequency (RF) filters in the loop. A prototype with a dynamic optical power monitoring range of 6 dB and a measuring accuracy of 0.5 dB is experimentally demonstrated, only limited by the bandwidth of the RF components utilized in the loop. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:854-858, 2014 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A continuously tunable linear radio frequency phase shifter based on polarization interference in single semiconductor optical amplifier is presented, and the theoretical fundamentals of the design are explained. A prototype of the phase shifter with 10-GHz bandwidth and far beyond 360° tuning range is experimentally demonstrated. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:340-343, 2014 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heteroatom‐doped porous carbon materials have exhibited promising applications in various fields. In this work, sulfur, nitrogen co‐doped carbon materials (SNCs) with abundant pore structure were prepared by pyrolysis of sulfur, nitrogen‐containing porous organic polymers (POPs) mixed with nano‐CaCO3 at high temperature. Among the resultant materials, SNC‐Ca‐850 possesses a relatively high level of doped heteroatoms and exhibits an excellent catalytic performance for the selective oxidation of benzylic C−H bonds. It is noteworthy that nano‐CaCO3 increases the doped sulfur content in the synthesized carbon materials to a large extent and impacts the existence modes of sulfur. In addition, it enhances the porous structure and specific surface area of the resultant SNCs significantly. This work provides a viable strategy to promote the doping of sulfur into carbon materials during the pyrolysis process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]