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Assessing sampling biases caused by nonrandom specimen collecting is crucial in systematics, biogeography, and conservation. Nevertheless, research on the collecting biases of vascular plants in China remains limited. Here, we investigated the collecting status of gymnosperms in China using 48 673 herbarium specimens representing 180 Chinese gymnosperm species. The spatial and temporal patterns, collector and determiner biases, and phylogenetic and taxon biases were studied to comprehend the collecting bias of gymnosperms in China during 1900–2021. Meanwhile, we assessed the inventory completeness of gymnosperms to identify collecting hotspots and coldspots. The results showed that gymnosperms predominantly inhabit mountainous areas in China. The historical collecting of gymnosperms in China can be divided into two distinct stages with four peaks of collecting activities. The distribution of collected or identified specimens per individual displays significant skewness, and the collecting of gymnosperms has the issues of overcollecting or undersampling. Inventory completeness remains deficient, and collecting intensity is weak in both northern China and the range of 22°–25° N in the southern region (i.e., central Yunnan, southern Guangxi, and eastern Guangdong). Additionally, observation of the spatial distribution reveals both hotspots and coldspots scattered across mountain regions, lacking clustering. This study revealed a highly polarized collecting pattern for gymnosperms in China. Consequently, we recommend optimizing collecting measures, targeted specimen collecting, and continuous dynamic monitoring of gymnosperms in future collecting efforts. These recommendations hold relevance not only for gymnosperms in China but also for other land plants worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining intracellular redox balance is essential for the survival, antibody secretion, and mucosal immune homeostasis of immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibody‐secreting cells (ASCs). However, the relationship between mitochondrial metabolic enzymes and the redox balance in ASCs has yet to be comprehensively studied. Our study unveils the pivotal role of mitochondrial enzyme PCK2 in regulating ASCs' redox balance and intestinal homeostasis. We discover that PCK2 loss, whether globally or in B cells, exacerbates dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)‐induced colitis due to increased IgA ASC cell death and diminished antibody production. Mechanistically, the absence of PCK2 diverts glutamine into the TCA cycle, leading to heightened TCA flux and excessive mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) production. In addition, PCK2 loss reduces glutamine availability for glutathione (GSH) synthesis, resulting in a decrease of total glutathione level. The elevated mtROS and reduced GSH expose ASCs to overwhelming oxidative stress, culminating in cell apoptosis. Crucially, we found that the mitochondria‐targeted antioxidant Mitoquinone (Mito‐Q) can mitigate the detrimental effects of PCK2 deficiency in IgA ASCs, thereby alleviating colitis in mice. Our findings highlight PCK2 as a key player in IgA ASC survival and provide a potential new target for colitis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polylactide (PLA) was melt blended with low amounts of poly (butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) using a simple reactive extrusion process herein, aiming to address the inherent brittleness of PLA without significantly compromising its stiffness. PLA/PBAT (90/10) blends with a small amount of peroxide (0.02 phr) and a second crosslinker agent triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC) were produced to explore the structure‐performance relationship evolution in reactive extrusion. The results showed that the PLA blend with an appropriate amount of TAIC (i.e., 0.3 phr) exhibited a remarkable increase in elongation at break, reaching as high as 96%. The sample with high elongation also demonstrated a high stiffness, boasting a Young's modulus of 2.4 GPa and a yield strength of 43 MPa. It was evident that the combination of enhanced compatibility and optimized homogeneous PBAT phase size of approximately 0.6 μm worked synergistically to enhance the toughness of PLA. Conversely, higher TAIC contents resulted in over‐crosslinking, despite considerable improvements in compatibility. This study offers a versatile, scalable, and practical method to prepare fully biodegradable PLA blends with high toughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive alien plants (IAPs) have serious environmental and economic impacts, especially in vulnerable areas of China. However, IAP richness distribution patterns, their driving factors, and the dynamic shifts in potential distribution areas remain elusive. We assessed IAP richness distribution patterns and drivers using 402 IAPs recorded in China at 88 926 occurrence points, and then predicted their potential distribution areas. The results show that IAP hotspots were mainly located in southeastern China, especially coastal areas of the South and East and large inland cities. Population density, gross domestic product (GDP), and four climate variables associated with precipitation and temperature jointly influenced the richness distribution pattern of all IAPs. Specifically, population density and GDP impacted the richness distribution pattern of narrow‐range IAPs, and population density, GDP, distance to the nearest national highway, and five climate variables affected the richness distribution pattern of widespread IAPs. Only GDP contributed significantly to the richness distribution pattern of the top 5% hotspot grid cells, whereas population density, GDP, and precipitation in the driest month (BIO14) significantly influenced the richness distribution patterns of hotspots for both the top 10% and top 20%. Prediction analysis demonstrated that southeastern China would have particularly high invasion risk under both current and future climate scenarios. Regions with increases in predicted species richness are more common (44.83–64.97%) than those with decreases, except under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 scenario. Climate change will contribute greatly to the expansion of potential IAP distribution areas under both optimistic (RCP 2.5) and pessimistic scenarios (RCP 8.5). The results of this study provide insights into the priority management of IAPs by developing promising strategies for the control and prevention of IAP invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open offshore areas boast strong physical self‐purification capacity and abundant non‐fossil energy resources, such as wind, waves, and solar energy. Consequently, the global community anticipates nearshore aquaculture to transition towards offshore to help increase production, alleviate eutrophication, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To date, China has constructed over 40 sets of deeper‐offshore aquaculture (DOA) infrastructures, encompassing various types of pens, cages and closed containment systems. Although DOA holds vast potential to address food security and aquaculture sustainability in China, its current development trajectory struggles to meet those goals and primarily achieves profitability by focusing on high‐value species or products. For DOA to realize its potential, innovative production systems must tackle three key contradictions: enterprise profitability versus product affordability, clean energy‐based products versus carbon‐intensive products, and automated operation versus re‐employment of coastal fish farmers. Resolving these contradictions requires the development of a large‐scale, anti‐typhoon offshore enclosure that integrates mariculture with other industries, such as wind farming, food processing, and tourism. This approach will foster a sustainable balance between profitability, environmental impact, and employment opportunities in the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we developed a process for the [2+1+3] cyclization of 2‐methylbenzothiazole salts, aldehydes and amidine hydrochlorides, which allows rapid synthesis of 1,3‐diazaphenothiazines with moderate to good yields. The use of ethanol as solvent, oxygen as the terminal oxidant, mild reaction conditions, good functionality tolerance show the promising application in organic synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bufei Jianpi granule (BJG) is clinically effective for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). At present, there is no report regarding the drug metabolism of BJG in vivo. This work developed an ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry method with high accuracy and sensitivity to determine drug metabolism of this compound in vivo. After continuous administration of BJG, the concentrations of 10 components in rat plasma, namely betaine, peimine, peiminine, astragaloside A, sinensetin, nobiletin, naringin, calycosin, formononetin, and magnolol, were determined at different time points. Meanwhile, the pharmacokinetic parameters and metabolic rules of these 10 components were evaluated: Cmax, 8.624–574.645 ng/mL; Tmax, 0.250–8.667 h; AUC0–t, 17.640–8947.393 ng h/mL; T1/2, 3.405–66.014 h; mean residence time (MRT), 6.893–11.223 h. All these components possessed anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and other biological activities to varying degrees, contributing to improving lung function, mitigating pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis, and preventing and treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Exploring the pharmacokinetic parameters and the laws of chemical components in BJG forms the scientific basis for applying the compound clinically and identifying quality markers for the control of the compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hot‐core Heavy Reduction Rolling (HHR2) is a new technology that improves the core quality of blooms by using a heavy reduction roller at the solidification end. Dynamic recrystallization (DRX) is expected to optimize the microstructure in this process. But the difference of DRX characteristic between HHR2 and conventional hot rolling (CHR) is an unclear problem. Herein, the differences of DRX behavior between two rolling processes are studied. If two rolling processes are carried out under the same deformation temperature and strain rate, the work hardening in CHR samples is greater than that in HHR2. Moreover, DRX occurrence in HHR2 lags behind the CHR process due to lower growth rate of dislocation density achieved in HHR2. By using DRX models, the DRX area and DRX volume fractions in bloom are calculated. The great temperature gradient and low strain rate decrease the DRX critical strain in the HHR2 process. The DRX region is mainly around the core of the HHR2 bloom, where the DRX volume fraction achieves 41.8%. The maximum value of DRX volume fraction in CHR bloom only achieves 20.1% because the great strain rate and uniform temperature lead to a low level of deformation permeability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PM2.5 exposure has been demonstrated to correlate with neurological disorders recently. Ferroptosis is recognized as a newly found programmed form of cell death associated with neurodegenerative diseases, while glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) is a key regulator of ferroptosis. However, the relationship between PM2.5‐induced neurotoxicity and ferroptosis is still unclear. The current study aims to investigate if ferroptosis is involved in neurotoxicity post PM2.5 exposure and its underlying mechanism. The PM2.5‐treated neuronal Neuro‐2a (N2A) and SH‐SY5Y cells were applied to the current study. The results showed that PM2.5 significantly increased the neuronal cell death, yet the ferroptosis antagonist Ferrostain‐1 (Fer‐1) markedly decreased the cell death induced by PM2.5. Western blot further confirmed that ferroptosis was triggered post PM2.5 treatment in N2A cells by decreasing expressions of GPX4 and ferritin heavy chain (FTH), as well as enhancing expressions of ferritin light chain (FTL) and transferrin receptor protein (TFRC). Meanwhile, PM2.5 treatment augmented neuronal oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction. The bioinformatic analysis indicated that CREB could be the regulator of GPX4, and our results showed that ERK/CREB pathway was down‐regulated in N2A cells post PM2.5 treatment. The addition of ERK1/2 agonist post PM2.5 treatment significantly inhibit ferroptosis via increasing the expression of GPX4. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that PM2.5‐induced ferroptosis via inhibiting ERK/CREB pathway, and these findings will advance our knowledge of PM2.5‐induced cytotoxicity in the nervous system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The secondary active transporter NBCe1 couples the transmembrane movement of Na+ and carbonate species with an apparent stoichiometry of 1Na+:2HCO3− (the 'influx' mode) or 1Na+ :3HCO3− (the 'efflux' mode). Here, we employed molecular biology, electrophysiology and structural biology approaches to investigate the molecular mechanism for the transport coupling of Na+ and HCO3− in NBCe1. In Xenopus oocytes, decreasing extracellular [HCO3−] from 66 to 4 mm progressively decreases the Na+ affinity of NBCe1. However, decreasing [Na+] from 96 to 35 mm has little effect on the HCO3− affinity. The residues responsible for the coordination of Na+ and HCO3− in the substrate pocket of NBCe1 were respectively determined by mutational and molecular simulation studies. Mutation to the residues for HCO3− coordination decreased the affinities of NBCe1 for both Na+ and HCO3−. However, mutation to the residues for Na+ coordination decreased the affinity for Na+ but had little effect on the affinity for HCO3−. Molecular simulation showed that NBCe1 has the capacity to coordinate only two ions of HCO3− or CO32−. We propose that (1) NBCe1 has an ordered substrate‐binding kinetics with the binding of HCO3− preceding that of Na+; (2) NBCe1 operating in the influx mode moves 1Na+ + 2HCO3−, whereas NBCe1 in the efflux mode moves 1Na+ + 1HCO3− + 1CO32−. The substrate‐binding kinetics of NBCe1 is distinct from the known kinetics models of many other Na+‐coupled transporters with Na+ binding preceding the driven solute. Key points: Under physiological conditions, the secondary active transporter NBCe1 can operate in the 'influx' mode with an apparent stoichiometry of 1Na+ :2HCO3− or in the 'efflux' mode with an apparent stoichiometry of 1Na+:3HCO3−.NBCe1 has an ordered substrate‐binding kinetics with HCO3− preceding the binding of Na+. The kinetics of NBCe1 is distinct from the known kinetics of many other Na+‐driven cotransporters for which the binding of Na+ usually precedes the driven substrate.The residues responsible for the coordination of Na+ and those for carbonate species in the substrate‐binding pocket of NBCe1 were determined by mutation and molecular simulation studies.The substrate‐binding pocket of NBCe1 contains just two coordination sites for HCO3− or CO32−. It is proposed that NBCe1 in the influx mode moves 1Na+ + 2HCO3− across the plasma membrane, whereas NBCe1 in the efflux mode moves 1Na+ +1HCO3− +1CO32−. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Alisma contains 11 species distributed worldwide, of which at least two species (A. orientale [Sam.] Juzep. and A. plantago-aquatica Linn.) have been used as common herbal medicines. Secondary metabolites obtained from the genus Alisma are considered to be the material basis for the various biological functions and medicinal applications. In this review, we mainly focused on the recent investigations of secondary metabolites from plants of the genus Alisma and their biological activities, with the highlighting on the diversity of the chemical structures, the biosynthesis of interesting secondary metabolites, the biological activities, and the relationships between structures and bioactivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes an outer‐rotor permanent magnet synchronous hub motor (PMSHM) with similar pole and slot numbers for an electric vehicle (EV). First, the design rule of the motor size is introduced. Second, the appropriate numbers of motor poles and slots are selected to improve the torque density and save the radial space of the motor. Meanwhile, the selected poles and slots numbers can ensure that the high‐efficiency area of the motor meets the requirements of the test EV. Moreover, different winding arrangements are studied to select the appropriate winding arrangement method for the motor. Then, the key dimensions of the stator are optimised to improve the torque output and reduce the core loss of the motor by using the finite element analysis. The results indicate that the proposed outer‐rotor PMSHM with similar pole and slot numbers and double‐layer short distance concentrated slot winding exhibits high‐efficiency and high‐torque output. Finally, the predicted performance of the proposed PMSHM is verified by experiments on a prototype. Furthermore, the vehicle test is also carried out, and the results show that the prototype maintains high efficiency in the main working area of the EV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theory on squeeze film air damping, including Reynolds equation and Poisson equation, has been widely used in theoretical modelling of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) for many years, but most of the previous studies did not take into account special verification of the theory from numerical simulation. In this Letter, a simulation method is proposed and investigated, and squeeze film air damping is simulated on two basic MEMS structures, the rectangular plate structure, and the circular plate structure. The simulation results are in good agreement with theoretical analysis, and it further proves the correctness of the theory on squeeze film air damping from the point of view of numerical simulation. In addition, the perforated plate is widely used in MEMS, and squeeze film air damping of the perforated plate is also simulated in this Letter. It is concluded that simulation results are better than theoretical analysis, in which the boundary effect of the plate was not considered. Therefore, it is anticipated that the authors simulated method will pave the way to analyse squeeze film air damping for some complex MEMS structures, including the acquisition of air pressure distribution, air damping force and damping coefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: NASH is one of the fastest growing liver diseases that leads to severe steatosis, inflammation and ultimately liver injury. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms of NASH remain unclear and pharmacological treatment against the disease is unavailable currently. Ferroptosis is a non‐apoptotic form of cell death induced by iron‐dependent lipid peroxidation. Since NASH progression is accompanied by massive lipid accumulation, which generates lipotoxic species, we investigated the role of ferroptosis in NASH progression. Method: Mice were fed on MCD‐diet to mimic NASH progression and gene expression in liver was analysed by RNA‐seq. The occurrence of hepatic ferroptosis was measured by lipid ROS level, electron microscopy and in vivo PI staining. The beneficial effects of ferroptosis inhibitors on NASH was evaluated by liver pathology analysis. The mechanism of lipid ROS induced lipid droplets accumulation was investigated by in vitro cell culture. Results: RNA‐seq analysis suggested that elevated arachidonic acid metabolism promotes ferroptosis in MCD‐diet fed mouse livers, which was further demonstrated by lipid ROS accumulation, morphological change of mitochondria and increased cell death. Iron accumulation was detected in the liver and the serum of MCD‐fed mice. Scavenging of ferroptosis‐linked lipid peroxides reduced lipid accumulation both in vivo and in vitro. Importantly, ferroptosis inhibitors alleviated MCD‐diet induced inflammation, fibrogenesis and liver injury. Finally, lipid ROS promotes liver steatosis by boosting lipid droplets formation. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate an important role of ferroptosis in the progression of MCD‐diet induced NASH and suggest that ferroptosis may serve as a therapeutic target for NASH treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolation by spatial distance (IBD), environment (IBE), and historical climatic instability (IBI) are three common processes assessed in phylogeographic and/or landscape genetic studies. However, the relative contributions of these three processes with respect to spatial genetic patterns have seldom been compared. Moreover, whether the relative contribution differs in different regions or when assessed using different genetic markers has rarely been reported. Lindera obtusiloba has been found to have two sister genetic clades of chloroplast (cpDNA) and nuclear microsatellite (nSSR), both of which show discontinuous distribution in northern and southern East Asia. In this study, we used the Mantel test and multiple matrix regression with randomization (MMRR) to determine the relative contributions of IBD, IBE, and IBI with respect to L. obtusiloba populations. Independent Mantel tests and MMRR calculations were conducted for two genetic data sets (cpDNA and nSSR) and for different regions (the overall species range, and northern and southern subregions of the range). We found a significant IBI pattern in nSSR divergence for all assessed regions, whereas no clear IBI pattern was detected with respect to cpDNA. In contrast, significant (or marginal) divergent IBD patterns were detected for cpDNA in all regions, whereas although a significant IBE was apparent with respect to the overall range, the effect was not detected in the two subregions. The differences identified in nSSR and cpDNA population divergence may be related to differences in the heredity and ploidy of the markers. Compared with the southern region, the northern region showed less significant correlation patterns, which may be related to the shorter population history and restricted population range. The findings of this study serve to illustrate that comparing between markers or regions can contribute to gaining a better understanding the population histories of different genomes or within different regions of a species' range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteasome 26S subunit non‐ATPase 4 (PSMD4) is an important proteasome ubiquitin receptor and plays a key role in endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). However, the study of PSMD4 in esophageal cancer (EC) is relatively rare. Here, we found that the expression of PSMD4 was markedly enhanced in EC tissues and cell lines. The cell counting kit‐8 (CCK‐8) assay showed that overexpression of PSMD4 significantly enhanced Eca109 cell viability, while inhibition of PSMD4 reduced Eca109 cell viability. Knockdown of PSMD4 induced Eca109 cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. More importantly, knockdown of PSMD4 significantly enhanced the expression of glucose regulated protein 78, activating transcription factor 6, and p‐protein kinase R‐like ER kinase, indicating an enhanced ERS response in esophageal cancer cells. Compared with the control cells, brefeldin A significantly inhibited the expression of PSMD4 and increased the expression of p53‐upregulated modulator of apoptosis. However, such effects were largely reversed after overexpressing PSMD4 in Eca109 cells, suggesting that silencing PSMD4 could enhance ERS‐induced cell apoptosis. In summary, upregulation of PSMD4 promoted the progression of esophageal cancer mainly by reducing ERS‐induced cell apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytochrome P450 and UDP‐glucosyltransferase (UGT) as phase I and phase II metabolism enzymes, respectively, play vital roles in the breakdown of endobiotics and xenobiotics. Insects can increase the expression of detoxification enzymes to cope with the stress from xenobiotics including insecticides. However, the molecular mechanisms for insecticide detoxification in Spodoptera exigua remain elusive, and the genes conferring insecticide metabolisms in this species are less well reported. In this study, 68 P450 and 32 UGT genes were identified. Phylogenetic analysis showed gene expansions in CYP3 and CYP4 clans of P450 genes and UGT33 family of this pest. P450 and UGT genes exhibited specific tissue expression patterns. Insecticide treatments in fat body cells of S. exigua revealed that the expression levels of P450 and UGT genes were significantly influenced by challenges of abamectin, lambda‐cyhalothrin, chlorantraniliprole, metaflumizone and indoxacarb. Multiple genes for detoxification were affected in expression levels after insecticide exposures. The results demonstrated that lambda‐cyhalothrin, chlorantraniliprole, metaflumizone and indoxacarb induced similar responses in the expression of P450 and UGT genes in fat body cells; eight P450 genes and four UGT genes were co‐up‐regulated significantly, and no or only a few CYP/UGT genes were down‐regulated significantly by these four insecticides. However, abamectin triggered a distinct response for P450 and UGT gene expression; more P450 and UGT genes were down‐regulated by abamectin than by the other four compounds. In conclusion, P450 and UGT genes from S. exigua were identified, and different responses to abamectin suggest a different mechanism for insecticide detoxification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies suggest that specific binding to the complex consisting of fibroblast growth factor receptor‐1 (FGFR1) and the coreceptor beta‐Klotho (KLB) is the premise for human FGF19 and FGF21 activating the downstream signaling cascades, and regulating the metabolic homeostasis. However, it was found that human FGF21 loses its ability to bind to FGFR1–KLB after iodination with Na125I and chloramine T, whereas human FGF19 retained its affinity for FGFR1–KLB even after iodination. The molecular mechanisms underlying these differences remained elusive. In this study, we first demonstrated that an intramolecular disulfide bond was formed between cysteine‐102 and cysteine‐121 in FGF21, implying that the oxidation of the cysteine to cysteic acid, which may interfere with the active conformation of FGF21, did not occur during the iodination procedures, and thus ruled out the possibility of the two conserved cysteine residues mediating the loss of FGF21 binding affinity to FGFR1–KLB upon iodination. Site‐directed mutagenesis and molecular modeling were further applied to determine the residue(s) responsible for the loss of FGFR1–KLB affinity. The results showed that mutation of a single tyrosine‐207, but not the other five tyrosine residues in FGF21, to a phenylalanine retained the FGFR1–KLB affinity of FGF21 even after iodination, whereas replacing the corresponding phenylalanine residue with tyrosine in FGF19 did not alter its binding affinity to FGFR1–KLB, but decreased the receptor binding ability of the iodinated protein, suggesting that tyrosine‐207 is the crucial amino acid responsible for the loss of specifying FGFR1–KLB affinity of the iodinated FGF21. Human fibroblast growth factor‐21 (FGF21) but not FGF19 lost its ability to bind to FGF receptor‐1 and coreceptor beta‐Klotho (FGFR1–KLB) after iodination with Na125I and chloramine T. Our results suggesting that tyrosine‐207 in FGF21 is the crucial amino acid responsible for the loss of specifying FGFR1–KLB affinity of the iodinated FGF21. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the efficacy of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) and endoscopic variceal ligations (EVL) plus propranolol in decreasing rebleeding and improving survival rates in cirrhotic patients with cavernous transformation of the portal vein (CTPV). Methods: Cirrhotic patients with CTPV and a history of variceal bleeding who were treated for recurrent variceal bleeding between June 2010 and July 2016 were identified and classified based on the treatment they received (TIPS or EVL plus propranolol). Their characteristics and clinical data were recorded. The rebleeding and long‐term survival rates between the two groups were analyzed. Results: A total of 51 patients were included, of whom 25 were treated with TIPS and 26 with EVL plus propranolol. The mean duration of follow up was 21 months (range 1–47 months) in the former group and 27 months (range 6–73 months) in the latter group. The recurrent variceal bleeding‐free rate increased remarkably in the TIPS group compared with the EVL + propranolol group (P = 0.047). Three (14.3%) patients died in the TIPS group, and one (3.8%) in the EVL plus propranolol group (P = 0.305). Hepatic encephalopathy occurred in 14.3% (3/21) of the patients in the TIPS group and in 3.8% (1/26) in the EVL + propranolol group (P = 0.202). Conclusion: TIPS appeared to be more effective in preventing rebleeding in cirrhotic patients with CTPV compared with EVL plus propranolol, without improving survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this work were to prepare porous activated carbon from peanut shell by chemical activation using ZnCl2 and study its volatile organic compounds adsorption capacities. The adsorption properties of ethyl on the prepared activated carbon were experimentally determined at different temperatures. The surface textural characteristic of the activated carbon was evaluated by N2 adsorption isotherm measurements. The average BET surface area, pore size, and micro‐pore volume of the prepared activated carbon were 1025 m2/g, 0.70 nm, and 0.37 cm3/g, respectively, with narrow pore size distribution. Higher adsorption capacity of toluene on the activated carbon was observed compared to ethyl benzene and p‐xylene, in particular at low vapour concentration ranges. The experimental isotherm data were also analyzed using the Langmuir, Langmuir‐Freundlich, and multisite Langmuir isotherm model. The Langmuir‐Freundlich and multisite Langmuir model provide the best fit for volatile organic compound adsorption isotherms. In addition, the surface and thermal properties of the activated carbon were also investigated using FT‐IR, Zeta‐potential, and TGA. Overall, the peanut shell activated carbon prepared in this study exhibited comparable surface properties and adsorption performance with the available commercial activated carbons and activated carbons prepared from other various sources reported in other literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Synchronous front‐face fluorescence and visible spectroscopies are utilized for the simple, rapid, and nondestructive quantification of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) adulteration with corn, soybean, and sunflower oils. For each adulterant, 42 adulterated EVOO samples in the adulterant amount in the range 1.0–50 g/100 g were prepared. The partial‐least‐squares regression was executed for quantification. Both full (leave‐one‐out) cross‐validation and external validation were performed to evaluate the predictive ability. The plots of observed vs. predicted values exhibit high linearity. The coefficient of determination (R2) values are larger than 0.99. The root mean square errors of both cross‐validation and prediction are no more than 2%. The detection limits for the three seed oils using fluorescence and visible spectroscopies are in the range of 1.5–2.2% and 1.8–2.4%, respectively. The merit of this method is that both the front‐face fluorescence and visible spectroscopies are recorded toward neat oils, avoiding any sample pretreatment including dilution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Quantitative analysis is a significant step forward for expanding the applications of surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) in various fields. The reproducibility of the SERS measurement relies on the quality of the SERS substrates. Therefore, high enhancement SERS substrate with high uniformity and reproducibility is highly demanded for quantitative analysis. However, it remains a challenge to realize all the requirements of the SERS substrate. Here, we report 2 types (solution and solid) of SERS substrates with built‐in calibration for quantitative analysis. To prepare the substrates, high monodisperse Au@Ag nanocuboids (NCs) with internal standards trapped between the Au core and Ag shell are synthesized through the Au‐nanorod‐mediated method. It is demonstrated that at least 2 types of SERS tags can be trapped to synthesize the core‐internal standard‐shell (CISS) NCs. The SERS quantitative ability of the CISS NCs in solution is proved by detecting Rhodamine 6G, where a good linear relationship in a wide concentration range from 3 × 10−11 M to 1 × 10−8 M is achieved through the built‐in calibration. Besides the solution‐SERS substrate, CISS NCs are self‐assembled at the air–water interface to form uniform monolayer as the solid SERS substrate. SERS mapping reveals that the uniformity of the enhancement is improved through the built‐in calibration. The quantitative detection of concentration of Rhodamine 6G is achieved through the calibrated SERS mapping of the substrate. The internal and external enhancement factor calculation of the 2 types of SERS substrates indicates the promising method to further improve the reliability of the SERS analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well dispersed Y2O3 nanoparticles are prepared by azeotropic co-precipitation method. (Ba0.90Ca0.10)(Ti0.9Sn0.1)O3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics doped with the nano-sized Y2O3 (BCTZY, x = 0.01-0.09%) are synthesized at 1460 °C for 2h via solid-state sintering method. X-ray diffraction suggests typical perovskite structure of all the compositions. The addition of the nano-Y2O3 results in the improvement in dielectric and piezoelectric properties. The optimized piezoelectric properties is obtained at x = 0.01 with d33 of 596pC/N and Kp of 57.1%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well dispersed Y2O3 nanoparticles are prepared by azeotropic co‐precipitation method. (Ba0.90Ca0.10)(Ti0.9Sn0.1)O3 lead‐free piezoelectric ceramics doped with the nano‐sized Y2O3 (BCTZY, x = 0.01–0.09%) are synthesized at 1460 °C for 2 h via solid‐state sintering method. X‐ray diffraction suggests typical perovskite structure of all the compositions. The addition of the nano‐Y2O3 results in the improvement in dielectric and piezoelectric properties. The optimized piezoelectric properties is obtained at x = 0.01 with d33 of 596 pC/N and Kp of 57.1%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants growing in soil and the diverse microorganisms with which they are in direct contact have adapted to exploit their close association for mutual benefit. Various intercropping systems have been used to control plant disease and improve productivity in fields. Although high-throughput sequencing approaches have provided new insights into the soil bacterial community, current knowledge of intercropping of broomcorn millet with different leguminous plants is limited. In this study, characterization of different bacterial communities of monoculture and intercropping systems was achieved by deep sequencing. A total of 4684 operational taxonomic units were classified to the species level with good sampling depth and sequencing coverage. The abundance of Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Gemmatimonadetes varied at different growth stages and was related to growth of the intercropped plant. According to diversity analyses, Glycomyces, Aeromicrobium, Adhaeribacter, and Streptomyces were the dominant genera. In addition, we predicted functional gene composition based on bacterial OTUs present. Functional results showed that membrane transport and nutrient metabolism was highly abundant in all samples, although abundance varied at different growth stages, which indicated these pathways might be affected by the dominant categories of bacterial community. The dynamic changes observed during intercropping of broomcorn millet with different leguminous plants suggest that soil bacterial community structure exhibits a crop species-specific pattern. Further, agronomic trait data from different broomcorn millet intercropping systems were consistent with functional results and suggest that agronomic traits may be influenced by soil bacterial communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of the study: To investigate a more detailed evolutionary history of Lindera obtusiloba (Lauraceae) and other Lindera species, polymorphic low-copy nuclear primers were developed. • Methods and Results: Unigenes of the L. obtusiloba transcriptome greater than 800 bp in length were randomly chosen for initial design of 168 primers. Agarose gel electrophoresis and Sanger sequencing were used to select low-copy nuclear genes. Twentyseven primers were obtained and were used to investigate genetic diversity in 90 individuals from 24 populations. The nucleotide diversity ranged from 2.11 × 10−3 to 8.99 × 10−3, and haplotype diversity ranged from 0.57 to 0.97. These primers were also cross-amplified in L. aggregata, L. chunii, L. erythrocarpa, and L. glauca; up to 15 primers were successfully amplified in these related species. • Conclusions: This methodology is effective for development of low-copy nuclear primers. The 27 primers developed here will be useful for evolutionary studies of L. obtusiloba and other Lindera species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a need for more detailed spatial information on soil organic carbon (SOC) for the accurate estimation of SOC stock and earth system models. As it is effective to use environmental factors as auxiliary variables to improve the prediction accuracy of spatially distributed modeling, a combined method (HASM_EF) was developed to predict the spatial pattern of SOC across China using high accuracy surface modeling (HASM), artificial neural network (ANN), and principal component analysis (PCA) to introduce land uses, soil types, climatic factors, topographic attributes, and vegetation cover as predictors. The performance of HASM_EF was compared with ordinary kriging (OK), OK, and HASM combined, respectively, with land uses and soil types (OK_LS and HASM_LS), and regression kriging combined with land uses and soil types (RK_LS). Results showed that HASM_EF obtained the lowest prediction errors and the ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) presented the relative improvements of 89.91%, 63.77%, 55.86%, and 42.14%, respectively, compared to the other four methods. Furthermore, HASM_EF generated more details and more realistic spatial information on SOC. The improved performance of HASM_EF can be attributed to the introduction of more environmental factors, to explicit consideration of the multicollinearity of selected factors and the spatial nonstationarity and nonlinearity of relationships between SOC and selected factors, and to the performance of HASM and ANN. This method may play a useful tool in providing more precise spatial information on soil parameters for global modeling across large areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that affect a typical non-green consumption behaviour among Chinese consumers. A conceptual framework was developed and an empirical study was conducted using a geographically diverse sample of Chinese consumers. Based on the consumer choice theory, the conceptual framework in the current study included both economic and non-economic factors. Ten research hypotheses were developed under the framework. A survey was conducted among 600 consumers in four cities in China in 2013. Confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical regression analysis were used for hypothesis testing. The empirical results showed that consumer preference, reference groups, and face perception have a significantly positive effect on the consumers' non-green consumption behaviour; whereas budget constraints and social responsibility consciousness have a significantly negative effect on the consumers' non-green consumption behaviour. Furthermore, the current research demonstrated that the relationships between consumer non-green behaviour and its four antecedents - budget constraint, reference groups, social responsibility consciousness and face perception - are significantly moderated by extravagant atmosphere; whereas the relationship between consumer non-green behaviour and consumer preference is not moderated by extravagant atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore effects of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) combined with insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) on transplanted bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), for treatment of acute myocardial ischaemia. Materials and methods: After ligation of the left anterior descending artery, rabbits were divided into a Control group, a Factors group (HGF+IGF-1), a BMSC group and a Factors+BMSCs group. Allogenous BMSCs (1 × 107) and/or control-released microspheres of 2 μg HGF+2 μg IGF-1 were intramyocardially injected into infarcted regions. Apoptosis and differentiation of implanted BMSCs, histological and morphological results, and cardiac remodelling and function were evaluated at different time points. In vitro, BMSCs were exposed to HGF, IGF-1 and both (50 ng/ml) and subsequently proliferation, migration, myocardial differentiation and apoptosis induced by hypoxia, were analysed. Results: Four weeks post-operatively, the above indices were significantly improved in Factors+ BMSCs group compared to the others (P < 0.01), although Factors and BMSCs group also showed better results than Control group (P < 0.05). In vitro, HGF promoted BMSC migration and differentiation into cardiomyocytes, but inhibited proliferation (P < 0.05), while IGF-1 increased proliferation and migration, and inhibited apoptosis induced by hypoxia (P < 0.05), but did not induce myocardial differentiation. Combination of HGF and IGF-1 significantly promoted BMSCs capacity for migration, differentiation and lack of apoptosis (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Combination of HGF and IGF-1 activated BMSCs complementarily, and controlled release of the two factors promoted protective potential of transplanted BMSCs to repair infarcted myocardium. This suggests a new strategy for cell therapies to overcome acute ischemic myocardial injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various concentrations of the main ingredients of Rhizoma gastrodiae including gastrodin ( GA) and p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol ( HA) as well as p-hydroxylbenzaldehyde ( HBA) were separately added into the cultural medium of Grifola frondosa in submerged culture. The results showed that the additive concentration of gastrodin from 0.10 to 0.35 g L−1, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol from 0.05 to 0.30 g L−1 and p-hydroxylbenzaldehyde from 0.05 to 0.30 g L−1 can significantly promote the EPS production by submerged culture of G. frondosa ( P < 0.05). Among them, the addition of p-hydroxylbenzaldehyde at 0.15 g L−1 exhibited the best results, and the EPS productions reached 2.2511 ± 0.0378 g L−1, with an increase of 45.03% compared with the control (without additives). Furthermore, all of the additives had an effective stimulatory effect on mycelial biomass. In addition, there is an important and novel breakthrough that p-hydroxylbenzaldehyde was more effective than R. gastrodiae extract on increasing the EPS productions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method of high accuracy surface modeling ( HASM) has been constructed to find a solution for error problems that had long troubled surface modeling in geographical information systems ( GIS). It is found that when a preconditioned conjugate gradient ( PCG) algorithm is used to solve the large sparse linear system, which HASM can be transferred into, HASM performs best in terms of simulation compared with all other algorithms. But its computing speed is not fast enough for all applications. A multi-grid method is introduced into HASM to try to shorten its computing time. Both numerical and real-world tests demonstrate that there is a range of stop error ( SE). The multi-grid method of HASM ( HASM-MG) greatly increases computing speed when SEs are within this range, compared with the PCG algorithm of HASM ( HASM-PCG). HASM-MG is suitable for applications with a need for less accuracy and a shorter computing time. HASM-PCG is appropriate for issues needing higher accuracy. HASM-MG performs better than HASM-PCG in flat areas, while HASM-PCG does better in complex terrainm in terms of accuracy and computing time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shell-isolated nanoparticles (NPs)-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS) can be potentially applied to virtually any substrate type and morphology. How to take a step forward to prepare SHINERS NPs (SHINs) with superior performance is critical for the practical applications of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) in the breadth and depth. Here, we present a method to obtain 120 nm diameter gold NPs coated with ultrathin silica shells (1-4 nm). The silica shell can be controlled growth through carefully tuning a series of parameters, such as amount of 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane used, pH, reaction time, and reaction temperature. We compare the enhancement factor of the obtained 120 nm Au with a 4 nm silica shell NPs to the 55 nm Au with a 4 nm silica shell NPs, and the activity of a 120 nm SHINs is nearly 24 times that the 55 nm SHIN from a single particle view. We also compare the enhancement factor of 1 nm silica shell Au@SiO2 NPs with the bare Au NPs. The enhancement factor of 1 nm silica shell Au@SiO2 NPs was found to be about twice that of the bare particles. For a deeper understanding of the source of the giant enhanced electrical field of the 1 nm silica shell Au@SiO2 NPs, we study the plasmonic property of single 1 nm silica shell Au@SiO2 NP on a gold film substrate through correlation of the structure of single NP using SEM with its SPR spectroscopy. We find that the multipolar interaction between the single Au@SiO2 NP and gold film substrate is important for the SERS. Our studies on the performance of 120 nm SHINs and the plasmonic property of these particles can significantly expand the applications of SHINERS technique and improve the understanding of physical nature of SHINs. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To compare the efficiency of percutaneous transhepatic variceal embolization ( PTVE) plus endoscopic variceal ligation ( EVL) with EVL alone in the treatment of esophageal variceal bleeding. Methods Cirrhotic patients with recent esophageal variceal bleeding from January 2007 to December 2011 were collected and assigned to PTVE + EVL ( N = 41) or EVL ( N = 47) groups. We performed chart reviews and prospective follow-up to determine variceal rebleeding, recurrence of varices and survival. Results During the follow-up period, recurrence of esophageal varices (EV) occurred in 8 patients (19.5%) in the PTVE + EVL group and 23 (48.9%) in the EVL group ( P = 0.004). The time to recurrence of EV was 9.2 ± 2.7 months and 4.9 ± 2.1 months, respectively. Three patients (7.3%) in the PTVE + EVL group and 12 (25.5%) in the EVL group experienced rebleeding from all sources ( P = 0.023). One patient (2.4%) in the PTVE + EVL group and 7 (14.9%) in the EVL group experienced rebleeding from EV ( P = 0.024). Multivariate Cox analysis indicated that the treatment method was the only predictor of rebleeding. There was no significant difference in the survival rate between the two groups. Conclusion With adequate and permanent obliteration of EV and their feeding veins, the combination of PTVE with cyanoacrylate and EVL is more effective than EVL alone in the prevention and treatment of EV recurrence and rebleeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major problem facing patients with cancer. Although Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is highly expressed in various cancers, the possible role of NGAL in MDR is still obscure. In this article, we evaluated the effect of NGAL on Rh123 accumulation in cancer cells. NGAL was first down-regulated by short hairpin RNA-mediated interference. In correlation with the reduced NGAL expression, intracellular Rh123 accumulation was significantly decreased. We finally observed that inhibiting both of the ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK could seriously down-regulate NGAL expression and also decrease the intracellular accumulation of Rh123, indicating that NGAL-mediated Rh123 accumulation is regulated by the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK. Pretreatment of MDA-MB-231 with NGAL recombinant protein and antibody had significant effects on the intracellular accumulation of Rh123, whereas little effect was observed in K562 cells treated with the same method, suggesting that NGAL was involved in the regulation of Rh123 accumulation in these two types of cancers, although different pathways. Here we provide new evidence that directly shows the possibility of small chemical substances Rh123 intracellular accumulation that is regulated by NGAL. These results suggest the possibility of NGAL involvement in drug transportation and cancer MDR formation, and indicate the potential of NGAL in cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between calcineurin B homologous protein 2 (CHP2) and Na/H exchanger 1 (NHE1), two membrane proteins, is essential for protecting cells from serum deprivation-induced death. Although four putative EF-hands in CHP2 had been predicted for years, Ca-binding activities of these motifs have not been tested yet, their role in this process remain poorly understood. To identify Ca-binding motifs required for the stable formation of CHP2/NHE1 complexes, we developed a mutagenesis-based assay in PS120 cells. We found that Ca bond to two EF-hand motifs (EF3 and 4) of CHP2 proteins with high affinity. Complex formation between CHP2 and the CHP2 binding domain of NHE1 resulted in a marked increase in the Ca-binding affinity of CHP2. Co-immunoprecipitation and distribution of GFP-tagged CHP2-EF3m/4m also indicated that Ca affected the membrane location of CHP2 to interact with NHE1. The C-terminal region of CHP2 contains a nuclear export sequence (NES). When the six leucines of NES were mutated to alanines, the resulting CHP2 protein was predominantly localized to the nucleus. Furthermore, mutation of the NES resulted in enhanced proliferation and oncogenic potential of HeLa cells. Together, these results show that calcium and NES control the subcellular distribution of CHP2 and then distinctively regulate cell proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An adaptive method is employed to speed up computation of high accuracy surface modeling (HASM), for which an error indicator and an error estimator are developed. Root mean-square error (RMSE) is used as the error estimator that is formulated as a function of gully density and grid cell size. The error indicator is developed on the basis of error surfaces for different spatial resolutions, which are interpolated in terms of the absolute errors calculated at sampled points while paying attention to the landform characteristics. The error surfaces indicate the magnitude and distribution of errors in each step of adaptive refinement and make spatial changes to the errors in the simulation process visualized. The adaptive method of high accuracy surface modeling (HASM-AM) is applied to simulating elevation surface of the Dong-Zhi tableland with 27.24 million pixels at a spatial resolution of 10 m × 10 m. Test results show that HASM-AM has greatly speeded up computation by avoiding unnecessary calculations and saving memory. In addition, HASM-AM improves simulation accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between species diversity and ecotope diversity has long been debated. But these debates seem meaningless because most of them were based on different definitions. In this paper, diversity has two components: richness based on the total number and evenness based on the relative abundance. Species diversity is distinguished into individual-counting diversity and biomass-based diversity. Ecotope diversity is divided into individual ecotope-counting diversity and ecotope-area based diversity. Under this definition, we make a comprehensive investigation into Dongzhi tableland of Loess Plateau by cooperating with local technicians. We find that individual-counting diversity is significantly correlated with biomass-based diversity in grassland ecosystems; individual ecotope-counting diversity and ecotope-area based diversity have a significant correlation. Therefore, it is unnecessary to divide species diversity into individual-counting diversity and biomass-based diversity in grassland ecosystems and to distinguish ecotope diversity into individual ecotope-counting and ecotope-area based diversity for the issues that have no special requirement for accuracy. But the analyses of the investigation data demonstrate that species diversity has no significant correlation with ecotope diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ninety six pigs were assigned on the basis of body weight (BW) to one of four dietary treatments (4 pigs per pen and 6 pens per treatment) and fed for 4 weeks. Four 14.85% CP diets were formulated to contain graded levels of soybean hulls at 0, 5, 10, or 15%, respectively. The results showed that treatments did not affect growth performance. Coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) for dry matter (DM) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentrations were decreased linearly ( P < 0.05) with the addition level of soybean hulls. Slurry ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) was not affected with the increased soybean hulls levels, but volatile fatty acids (VFA) were linearly ( P < 0.05) increased. Slurry pH and ammonia (NH3) emissions were significantly decreased by the addition of soybean hulls (Linear, P < 0.05). Conversely, slurry hydrogen sulphide (H2S) emissions exhibited an increase with the addition of soybean hulls (Linear, P < 0.10). Our data indicate that soybean hulls inclusion can decrease slurry pH value and NH3 emission without any negative influence on growth performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Northwestern Pacific has a unique tectonic and geographical history with several marginal seas separating Asia from the Pacific Ocean. During low sea level periods of Pleistocene glaciations, populations might have been isolated in three marginal seas: the Sea of Japan, East China Sea and South China Sea. Following postglacial sea level rise, we would expect the populations isolated in the three regions to have been homogenized by high dispersal potential. To assess these hypotheses, we explore the intraspecific phylogeographical patterns in redlip mullet, Chelon haematocheilus. Fragments of 435 bp at the 5′ end of mitochondrial DNA control region were sequenced for 272 individuals from nine localities over most of the species’ range. Three distinct lineages were detected, which might have diverged in the three marginal seas during Pleistocene low sea levels. Contrary to homogenization expectation, there were strong differences in the geographical distribution of the three lineages. Analyses of molecular variance and the population statistic ΦST also revealed significant genetic structure among populations of the three marginal seas. These results indicate that gene flow in Chelon haematocheilus is far more restricted spatially than predicted by the potential dispersal capabilities of this species. The lack of phylogeographical structure in East China Sea may reflect a recent range expansion after the last glacial maximum and insufficient time to attain migration-drift equilibrium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An optimised synthesis method for designing an extreme sparse array with the minimum set of elements is proposed. The method is based on a cross‐array configuration and a multi‐frequency beamforming algorithm. The experimental results show that the extreme sparse array achieves a 98.9% element thinning compared with the fully sampled planar array and the generated beam pattern satisfies the presupposed constraints. This is much better than the results obtained in the previous literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "Asymmetric Synthesis of 3,3,5,5-Tetrasubstituted 1,2-Dioxolanes: Total Synthesis of Epiplakinic Acid F" by Xiang-Yin Tian, Jian-Wei Han, Qiong Zhao and Henry N. C. Wong is presented.