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Radical reactions are powerful in the synthesis of diverse molecular scaffolds bearing functional groups. In previous review articles, we have presented 1,2-difunctionalizations, remote 1,3-, 1,4-, 1,5-, 1,6- and 1,7-difunctionalizations, and addition followed by cyclization reactions. Presented in this paper is radical cyclization followed by the second functionalization reaction. The second functionalization could be realized by atom transfer reactions, radical or transition metal-assisted coupling reactions, and reactions with neutral molecules, cationic and anionic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Yaks (Bos grunniens), prized for their ability to thrive in high-altitude environments, are indispensable livestock in the plateau region. Modifying their feeding systems holds significant promise for improving their growth and meat quality. Tenderness, a key determinant of yak meat quality and consumer appeal, is demonstrably influenced by dietary regimen. Indoor feeding regimes have been shown to enhance tenderness by lowering shear stress and optimizing pH values. CircRNAs, well-known modulators of circulatory function, also play a crucial role in skeletal muscle development across various animal species. However, their functional significance in yak skeletal muscle remains largely unexplored. Results: In this study, we identified a total of 5,534 circRNAs within the longissimus dorsi muscle, and we found 51 differentially expressed circRNAs (20 up-regulated and 31 down-regulated) between the two feeding groups. Constructing a comprehensive ceRNA network illuminated intricate regulatory mechanisms, with PGP and circRNA_0617 converging on bta-miR-2285q, mirrored by KLF15/circRNA_0345/bta-miR-20b and CTSF/circRNA_0348/bta-miR-146a. These findings shed light on the potential of circRNAs to influence yak muscle development and meat quality, offering valuable insights for future research. Conclusions: This investigation unraveled a complex interaction network between circRNAs、mRNAs and miRNAs in yak skeletal muscle. We further elucidated the target genes regulated by these target genes within the network, offering valuable insights into the potential regulatory mechanisms governing muscle development and meat quality-related traits in yaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractYak is an important dominant livestock species at high altitude, and the growth performance of yak has obvious differences under different feeding methods. This experiment was conducted to compare the effects of different feeding practices on growth performance and meat quality of yaks through combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. In terms of yak growth performance, compared with traditional grazing, in-house feeding can significantly improve the average daily weight gain, carcass weight and net meat weight of yaks; in terms of yak meat quality, in-house feeding can effectively improve the quality of yak meat. A combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis revealed 31 co-enriched pathways, among which arginine metabolism, proline metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism may be involved in the development of the longissimus dorsi muscle of yak and the regulation of meat quality-related traits. The experimental results increased our understanding of yak meat quality and provided data materials for subsequent deep excavation of the mechanism of yak meat quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radical transformations are powerful in organic synthesis for the construction of molecular scaffolds and introduction of functional groups. In radical difunctionalization reactions, the radicals in the first functionalized intermediates can be relocated through resonance, hydrogen atom or group transfer, and ring opening. The resulting radical intermediates can undertake the following paths for the second functionalization: (1) couple with other radical groups, (2) oxidize to cations and then react with nucleophiles, (3) reduce to anions and then react with electrophiles, (4) couple with metal-complexes. The rearrangements of radicals provide the opportunity for the synthesis of 1,3-, 1,4-, 1,5-, 1,6-, and 1,7-difunctionalization products. Multiple ways to initiate the radical reaction coupling with intermediate radical rearrangements make the radical reactions good for difunctionalization at the remote positions. These reactions offer the advantages of synthetic efficiency, operation simplicity, and product diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Testicular development is a tightly regulated process in mammals. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of yak testicular development will benefit the yak breeding industry. However, the roles of different RNAs, such as mRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA in the testicular development of yak, are still largely unclear. In this study, transcriptome analyses were performed on the expression profiles of mRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs in testis tissues of Ashidan yak at different developmental stages, including 6-months-old (M6), 18-months-old (M18), and 30-months-old (M30). A total of 30, 23, and 277 common differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs were identified in M6, M18, and M30, respectively. Furthermore, functional enrichment analysis showed that the common DE mRNAs during the entire developmental process were mainly involved in gonadal mesoderm development, cell differentiation, and spermatogenesis processes. Additionally, co-expression network analysis identified the potential lncRNAs related to spermatogenesis, e.g., TCONS_00087394 and TCONS_00012202. Our study provides new information about changes in RNA expression during yak testicular development, which greatly improves our understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating testicular development in yaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Nb 2 O 5 nanorods are synthesized with a specific surface area of 166 m2/g. • The dissociative adsorption of amine on Nb 2 O 5 affords a surface complex. • The surface complex can facilitate selective oxidation of amine to imine. • TEMPO+PF 6 − acts as an electron–proton transfer mediator. • Superoxide is the dominant reactive oxygen species. Cooperative photocatalysis has gained increasing interest to better an existing redox reaction with a mediator. Herein, an ingenious system is constructed for the visible light-driven selective oxidation of a variety of amines by merging niobium oxide (Nb 2 O 5) photocatalysis with an electron–proton transfer mediator, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxoammonium hexafluorophosphate (TEMPO+PF 6 −). The visible light-driven dissociative adsorption of amine over Nb 2 O 5 nanorods gives rise to an amine–Nb 2 O 5 complex with a weak response to visible light (λ < 460 nm). With adding 4 mol% of TEMPO+PF 6 −, the conversion of benzylamine over Nb 2 O 5 is approximately 2.5 times that without TEMPO+PF 6 −. The proton and electron transfer between the amine–Nb 2 O 5 complex and TEMPO+PF 6 − is the key to assuring cooperative photocatalysis. Besides, the oxidant dioxygen is predominantly reduced to superoxide anion in affording the imine products. This work highlights it is feasible to ameliorate selective organic conversions over metal oxide photocatalysts with a suited mediator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Normal testicular development is highly crucial for male reproduction and is a precondition for spermatogenesis that is the production of spermatozoa in the testes. MiRNAs have been implicated in several testicular biological processes, including cell proliferation, spermatogenesis, hormone secretion, metabolism and reproductive regulation. In the present study, we used deep sequencing data to study the functions of miRNAs during testicular development and spermatogenesis, by analyzing the expression patterns of small RNAs in 6-, 18- and 30-month-old yak testis tissues. Results: A total of 737 known and 359 novel miRNAs were obtained from 6-, 18- and 30-month-old yak testes. In all, we obtained 12, 142 and 139 differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs in 30- vs. 18-, 18- vs. 6-, and 30- vs. 6-month-old testes, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of all DE miRNA target genes revealed BMP2, TGFB2, GDF6, SMAD6, TGFBR2 and other target genes as participants in different biological processes, including TGF-β, GnRH, Wnt, PI3K–Akt, MAPK signaling pathways and several other reproductive pathways. In addition, quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of seven randomly selected miRNAs in 6-, 18- and 30-month-old testes, and the results were consistent with the sequencing data. Conclusions: The differential expression of miRNAs in yak testes at different development stages was characterized and investigated using deep sequencing technology. We believe that the results will contribute to further understanding the functions of miRNAs in regulating the development of yak testes and improving the reproductive performance of male yaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Normal testicular development plays a crucial role in male reproduction and is the precondition for spermatogenesis. PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are novel noncoding RNAs expressed in animal germ cells that form complexes with PIWI family proteins and are involved in germ cell development, differentiation, and spermatogenesis. However, changes in piRNA expression profiles during early testicular development in yak have not been investigated. In this study, we used small RNA sequencing to evaluate the differences and potential functions of piRNA expression profiles in 6-, 18-, and 30-month-old yak testis tissues. Differential expression analysis found 109, 293, and 336 differentially expressed piRNAs in M30 vs. M18, M18 vs. M6, and M30 vs. M6, respectively, and found 30 common differentially expressed piRNAs in the three groups of M6, M18, and M30. In addition, the functional enrichment analysis of differentially expressed piRNAs target genes indicated that they were related to testicular development and spermatogenesis. Finally, we detected the expression of the PIWI protein family in the yak testis at different developmental stages and found that PIWIL1, PIWIL2, PIWIL3, and PIWIL4 were highly expressed in 18- and 30-month-old yak testis and almost not expressed in 6-month-old yak testis. In conclusion, this study summarizes the changes of piRNA expression patterns during the early development of yak testis and provides new clues for the regulatory role of piRNA in yak testis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corrugated steel plate shear walls (CSPWs) with three different stiffening methods are proposed in this paper, including unstiffened CSPWs (USWs), cross stiffened CSPWs (CSWs) and asymmetric diagonal-stiffened CSPWs (ASWs). A numerical model was established by ABAQUS 6.13 based on the validation of an existing cyclic test on a CSPW. This paper presents an investigation of the lateral performance under monotonic loading, seismic performance under cyclic loading and seismic performance under atmospheric corrosion of USW, CSW and ASW. The results show that (1) Stiffeners can improve the elastic critical buckling load, the initial stiffness and the ultimate shear resistance of CSPWs, and the effect of asymmetric diagonal stiffeners is more significant than that of cross stiffeners; (2) Stiffeners can improve the energy dissipation capacity and ductility, delay stiffness degradation and reduce the out-of-plane deformation of CSPWs, and the hysteretic performance of ASWs is obviously better than that of CSWs; and (3) Under atmospheric corrosion, stiffeners are conducive to inhibiting buckling and improving the seismic performance of CSPWs, while the seismic performance of CSWs is significantly affected by corrosion, so asymmetric diagonal stiffeners are better than cross stiffeners in improving the seismic performance of CSPWs. Meanwhile, the formula of ultimate shear resistance of corroded specimens is also fitted in this paper, which can provide design suggestions for practical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooperative photocatalysis of 2H1NA-TiO 2 with TEMPO enables the highly selective aerobic oxidation of benzylamines. [Display omitted] Solar photocatalysis is the key to resolve many environmental challenges but is usually hard to achieve over a metal oxide semiconductor. Therefore, assembling π-conjugated molecules onto semiconductors becomes an efficient approach to solar conversion via ligand-to-metal charge transfer. Here, a rational design of ligands for titanium dioxide (TiO 2) is presented to produce robust visible light photocatalysts. Three hydroxynaphthoic acids (HNAs) were selected as ligands by extending an extra benzene ring of salicylic acid (SA) at 3,4 or 4,5 or 5,6 positions. These ligands could regulate the performance of TiO 2 in which 2-hydroxy-1-naphthoic acid (2H1NA) endows the best outcome. In detail, blue light-powered cooperative photocatalysis of 2H1NA-TiO 2 with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO, 5 mol%) inaugurates the expeditious formation of imines by oxidation of amines with atmospheric oxygen (O 2). Interestingly, the increase of the O 2 pressure from 1 atm to 0.4 MPa promoted the selective oxidation of benzylamine but thereafter declined with a further boost to 0.6 MPa. Notably, an electron transfer between the oxidatively quenched 2H1NA-TiO 2 and TEMPO is established, offering a new pathway for environmental applications. This work presents a strategy in designing cutting-edge visible light photocatalysts via altering semiconductors with surface ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe Meiren yak is an important genetic resource in Gansu Province, China. In this study, we aimed to explore the evolutionary history and population structure of the genetic resource of Meiren yak and to mine the characteristic genes of Meiren yak. We analysed a total of 93 yaks of eight yak breeds based on whole genome resequencing combined with population genomics and used θπ ratio and Fst method to screen the selected sites in the genome region. The results proved that Meiren yak can be used as a potential genetic resource in Gansu Province. The genes in Meiren yak with positive selection in selection signal analysis were subjected to the Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional enrichment analyses, which indicated that the genes were related to the adaptability to high altitude and hypoxic environment. By analysing the genetic variation of Meiren yak at the genome-wide level, this study provided a theoretical basis for genetic improvement of Meiren yak and for the development of high-quality yak resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A few studies conducted over the past few decades have demonstrated the health benefits of a diet rich in marine products, but limited studies have investigated the effects of different krill products on the nitrogen balance and their potential health benefits. In our study, after a 14‐day acclimation period, 50 female Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to five groups, each of which was fed a different diet, for 28 days. We then evaluated the effect of krill protein complex (KPC), krill powder, and defatted krill powder on the nitrogen balance, growth, and antioxidant activity through analyses of MDA, CAT, GSH‐Px, and T‐SOD. An in vivo analysis suggested that the nitrogen retention rate, protein digestibility, and bioutilization of krill products were equal to those of casein. Moreover, the KPC diet resulted in the highest nitrogen intake and retention among the groups, and the biological value and net protein utilization obtained with KPC were higher than those obtained with defatted krill powder, which was consistent with the weight gains observed for these two groups. The hematological test also showed that KPC contributed to the production of functional proteins in the body. The antioxidant activity analysis indicated that higher GSH‐Px and T‐SOD activities were obtained with krill products and KPC, respectively, compared with casein. The results from this study suggested that krill proteins could promote growth and improve the antioxidant status of an organism. Although further studies on the safety of krill products for human consumption are needed, this work provides insights into the use of krill proteins as a potential substitute for other proteins and restructured foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Yaks are a major economic source for people in the Tibetan Plateau region. Yaks are rich in nutrients, but their low fat content is not conducive to the large-scale promotion of yak meat, so the study of the mechanism of yak lipid deposition is beneficial to the marketing of yak meat. In this paper, the results of transcriptome sequencing analysis of yak liver showed that it could be determined that the expression levels of genes associated with partial lipid deposition were significantly up-regulated during yak fattening. In addition, this study found that the tenderness of yak meat improved during this process. Fattening significantly affects fat deposition in yaks, which may be realized through its effects on lipid metabolic pathways. Therefore, studying the mechanism of lipid deposition in yaks and fattening yaks will improve the quality of yak meat. Yak meat is nutritionally superior to beef cattle but has a low fat content and is slow-growing. The liver plays a crucial role in lipid metabolism, and in order to determine whether different feeding modes affect lipid metabolism in yaks and how it is regulated, we employed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology to analyze the genome-wide differential gene expression in the liver of yaks maintained under different raising systems. A total of 1663 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified (|log2FC| ≥ 0 and p-value ≤ 0.05), including 698 down-regulated and 965 up-regulated genes. According to gene ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment analyses, these DEGs were significantly enriched in 13 GO terms and 26 pathways (p < 0.05). Some DEGs were enriched in fatty acid degradation, PPAR, PI3K-Akt, and ECM receptor pathways, which are associated with lipid metabolism. A total of 16 genes are well known to be related to lipid metabolism (e.g., APOA1, FABP1, EHHADH, FADS2, SLC27A5, ACADM, CPT1B, ACOX2, HMGCS2, PLIN5, ACAA1, IGF1, FGFR4, ALDH9A1, ECHS1, LAMA2). A total of 11 of the above genes were significantly enriched in the PPAR signaling pathway. The reliability of the transcriptomic data was verified using qRT-PCR. Our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms regulating yak meat quality. It shows that fattening improves the expression of genes that regulate lipid deposition in yaks and enhances meat quality. This finding will contribute to a better understanding of the various factors that determine yak meat quality and help develop strategies to improve yield and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with different protein levels after grazing on growth performance as well as on the proteomics of the LL muscle of Jersey-yak. The results showed that a certain amount of crude protein supplementation to Jersey-yak at the end of grazing significantly improved growth performance and increased their economic efficiency. In addition, we analyzed the proteomic differences in the longest dorsal muscle of Jersey-yak. From our analyses, we identified differences in the abundance of 434 proteins involved in pathways related to muscle growth and development and energy metabolism, among others. Several of the proteins enriched in these pathways, such as MYH8, are associated with myoblast development and differentiation as well as muscle development. In conclusion, the results of this study provide proteomic insights into the different feeding patterns of yak crossbred progeny, suggesting that a greater economic income can be achieved by improving their feeding conditions. Jersey-yak is a hybrid offspring of Jersey cattle and yak (Bos grunniens). Changing the feeding system of Jersey-yak can significantly improve its growth performance. In this study, tandem mass tag (TMT) proteomics technology was used to determine the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) of the longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle of Jersey-yak fed different protein levels of diet. The results showed that compared with the traditional grazing feeding, the growth performance of Jersey-yaks was significantly improved by crude protein supplementation after grazing. A total of 3368 proteins were detected in these muscle samples, of which 3365 were quantified. A total of 434 DEPs were identified. Through analyses, it was found that some pathways related to muscle growth and development were significantly enriched, such as Rap1 signaling pathway, mTOR signaling pathway, and TGF-beta signaling pathway. A number of DEPs enriched in these pathways are related to muscle cell development, differentiation, and muscle development, including integrin subunit alpha 7 (ITGA7), myosin heavy chain 8 (MYH8), and collagen type XII alpha 1 chain (COL12A1). In conclusion, the results of this study provide insights into the proteomics of different feeding patterns of Jersey-yak, providing a stronger basis for further understanding the biological mechanism of hybrid varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the expression of methionine sulfoxide reductases B3 (MSRB3) in gastric cancer (GC) and its clinical significance. A total of 90 specimens from patients with GC were collected to evaluate MSRB3 protein expression by immunohistochemical staining. The associations between MSRB3 protein expression, clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients with GC were subsequently investigated. The results demonstrated that MSRB3 protein expression in GC tissues samples was significantly higher compared with that in paired adjacent normal tissues (P=0.017). Among the 90 GC cases, 64 (71.1%) exhibited higher MSRB3 expression. In addition, the diagnostic value of MSRB3 for patients with GC was estimated with a sensitivity of 71.1% and a specificity of 46.7%. However, MSRB3 expression was not associated with clinicopathological characteristics of patients with GC. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that patients with high MSRB3 expression had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) times compared with those with low expression (P=0.040). Univariate Cox regression analysis indicated that maximum tumor diameter, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) stage and MSRB3 expression were significantly associated with OS time. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that MSRB3 was an independent predicting factor for the OS time of patients with GC (P=0.049). In addition, analysis using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database validated these results. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that higher MSRB3 mRNA expression was associated with poorer OS time in 442 patients with GC (P=0.004). Univariate analysis of the TCGA data indicated that age, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, TNM stage and MSRB3 expression were significantly associated with OS time; however, sex and histological differentiation were not associated with OS time. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that MSRB3 was an independent prognostic factor in patients with GC (P=0.001). In conclusion, these results demonstrated that MSRB3 expression was upregulated in patients GC, which suggests that MSBR3 may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Regional disparity in terms of industrial energy efficiency is noticeable in China due to the unbalanced economic progress in past decades. Analyzing the provincial industrial energy efficiency and its influencing factors is of great significance to formulate differentiated policies. To date, the influence of many social-economic factors on the industrial energy efficiency have been examined but the impact of the inter-industry structure has almost been ignored. In this paper, the slacks-based measure model incorporating undesirable output is applied to evaluate the industrial energy efficiency both at the provincial level and the sectoral level in China for the period 2010 to 2016. Then, industrial structure efficiency is introduced, which reflects the inter-industry structure and takes the sectoral-level energy efficiency into consideration. And the impact of the industrial structure efficiency on provincial industrial energy efficiency is tested by Tobit regression model. The results show that huge discrepancies of provincial industrial energy efficiency exist and the industrial structure efficiency is confirmed to be a determinative factor to the provincial industrial energy efficiency, with the coefficient of 0.525. Policy recommendations are provided for adjusting the provincial inter-industry structure and improving the industrial energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioma tumor suppressor candidate region gene 1 (GLTSCR1) is associated with the progression of oligodendroglioma. However, there has been little study of GLTSCR1 in prostate cancer. In the present study, the association between the expression of GLTSCR1, and the progression and prognosis of tumors in patients with prostate cancer was assessed. An immunohistochemical analysis was performed using a human tissue microarray for GLTSCR1 at the protein expression level and the immunostaining results were evaluated against clinical variables of patients with prostate cancer. Subsequently, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was used to validate the analysis results at the mRNA level and to study the prognostic value of GLTSCR1 in prostate cancer. Immunohistochemistry and TCGA data analysis revealed that GLTSCR1 expression in the prostate cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in the benign prostate tissues (immunoreactivity score, P=0.015; mRNA levels: cancer, 447.7±6.45 vs. benign, 343.5±4.21; P<0.001). Additionally, the increased GLTSCR1 protein expression was associated with certain clinical variables in the prostate cancer tissues, including advanced clinical stage (P<0.001), enhanced tumor invasion (P=0.003), lymph node metastasis (P=0.003) and distant metastasis (P=0.001). TCGA data revealed similar results, demonstrating that the upregulation of GLTSCR1 mRNA expression was associated with the Gleason score (P<0.001), enhanced tumor invasion (P=0.011), lymph node metastasis (P=0.001) and distant metastasis (P=0.002). Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier analysis suggested that among all patients, high GLTSCR1 expression indicated a decreased overall survival (P=0.028) and biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival (P=0.004), compared with patients with low GLTSCR1 expression. Finally, multivariate analysis revealed that the expression of GLTSCR1 was an independent predictor of poor BCR-free survival (P=0.049). The present study suggested that the increased expression of GLTSCR1 was associated with the progression of prostate cancer. Furthermore, GLTSCR1 may be a novel biomarker that is able to predict the clinical outcome in prostate cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silica is one of the most abundant materials on the earth, and promises a high potential application in lithium ion battery (LIB). The crucial challenge for SiO 2 materials is the huge volume change and poor electrical conductivity during the lithiation and delithiation process which result into the rapid capacity fading and bad cyclability. Herein, we successfully synthesized the multi-shell hollow silica microspheres (MHSM) with hierarchically porous structure via a simple sacrificial template method. The numbers of shell could be simply controlled by the precursor (Na 2 SiO 3 ) loading. The multi-shell and hierarchically porous structure could endow SiO 2 with large volume, good porosity and permeability. These advantages could offer not only the plentiful electrode-electrolyte reaction sites but also a “buffer” to hinder the volume expansion of silica in the Li + charge-discharge process. The research results showed that LIB assembled with the MHSM exhibited high capacity and long cycle life. The multi-shell and hierarchically porous structures provide a novel morphology of anode materials to enhance rate capability and structural stability of high-capacity electrode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chloronitrobenzenes are typical refractory aromatic halogenated nitroaromatic and high-toxic contaminants. The reduction process of chloronitrobenzenes cannot realize their mineralization, and the existence of chlorine group is detrimental to degradation through single chemical oxidation technology. Herein, the Au nanoparticles and graphitic carbon nitride co-modified TiO 2 nanotube arrays (Au/g-C 3 N 4 /TNAs) photoanodes were fabricated to degrade o -chloronitrobenzene (o -CNB) target pollutant in photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) system. The Au/g-C 3 N 4 /TNAs fabricated with 0.20 mM HAuCl 4 0.4 H 2 O (Au/g-C 3 N 4 /TNAs-0.20) had more superior optical and photoelectrochemical properties than other fabricated photoanodes. Au/g-C 3 N 4 /TNAs-0.20 photoanode increased dechlorination efficiency through reduction process, which was beneficial to o -CNB degradation and TOC removal. The coexistence of anions and humic acid inhibited the PEC degradation of o -CNB. The photogenerated electron, •O 2 −, hole and •OH participated in o -CNB degradation in PEC system. The degradation pathway of o -CNB was inferred through GC-MS spectra and DFT calculation. The acute toxicity and bioaccumulation factor of o -CNB were effectively reduced by PEC degradation. [Display omitted] • Au/g-C 3 N 4 /TNAs photoanodes were fabricated for PEC degradation of o -CNB. • The g-C 3 N 4 and Au nanoparticles improved photoelectrochemical properties of TNAs. • Au/g-C 3 N 4 /TNAs photoanode increased dechlorination and TOC removal rate of o -CNB. • Degradation pathways of o -CNB were proposed by GC-MS analysis and DFT calculation. • Overall toxicity of o -CNB was reduced after PEC degradation by Au/g-C 3 N 4 /TNA-0.20. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3, 3′, 5, 5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) has been widely used as a chromogenic substrate for colorimetric immunoassays. Normally, the colorless TMB is oxidized into yellow TMB 2+ (in acidic solution) to indicate the presence of the target molecules. However, this kind of monochromic intensity changes seriously confine the accuracy of visual inspection. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time that TMB 2+ can quantitatively and efficiently etch gold nanorods (AuNRs). The addition of AuNRs into a solution containing different amount of TMB 2+ generates vivid color responses as colorful as a rainbow, and the etching process can be finished within 90 s. As a result, the exact concentration of TMB 2+ can be easily distinguished with the naked eyes by the corresponding solution color. Based on this finding, we incorporate AuNRs into the well-developed, commercially available horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-TMB immunoassay system, so that it can be utilized for semiquantitative detection of a broad range of disease biomarkers with the naked eyes (termed ‘NEQ-IA’). Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and Prostate specific antigen (PSA) had been chosen as example targets to test the feasibility of the proposed biosensor. The results showed good accordance with the conventional methods. Because no sophisticated apparatus but human eyes are used as the readout, the proposed NEQ-IA could be a good supplementary to current state-of-the-art immunoassay methods for those applications that require the use of portable and affordable devices, for example, for the detection of disease biomarkers at home and in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • TBPA-COF is constructed by inserting acetylene into the olefin-linked TBP-COF. • Both TBP-COF and TBPA-COF are observed microspheres. • TBPA-COF is superior to TBP-COF for blue light photocatalysis. • Selective photocatalytic oxidation of sulfides over TBPA-COF is achieved. • Both electron and energy transfer contribute to the formation of sulfoxides. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with superior semiconducting properties imparted by sufficient π-conjugations and ordered structures have great potential in visible light photocatalysis. Thus, introducing extra π-conjugated rigid units into the olefin-linked COFs is effective to promote charge transfer and performance. Here, two olefin-linked COFs, TBP-COF and TBPA-COF, were synthesized by reacting 2,4,6-trimethyl-1,3,5-triazine (TMT) with 4,4′-bis(formyl)biphenyl (BFP) and bis(4-formylphenyl)acetylene (BFPA) through organic acid-induced solvothermal condensation. Both TBP-COF and TBPA-COF microspheres were with high crystallinity and uniform micropores. Owing to the insertion of acetylene, TBPA-COF possessed an extended π-conjugated structure that is conducive to smooth charge transfer. Compared to TBP-COF, TBPA-COF delivered superior photocatalytic performance on the selective aerobic oxidation of organic sulfides. Besides, both electron and energy transfer pathways contributed to the formation of sulfoxides over TBPA-COF. This work presents the ascendancy of inserting acetylene into olefin-linked COFs in building efficient visible light photocatalysts for organic oxidations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of convenient but sensitive method for influenza detection is highly important in immediate and effective clinical treatment. In this study, an ultrasensitive colorimetric approach combining the advantages of the convenience of the enzyme-induced metallization and the high specificity of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of influenza virus A (H7N9 as model) has been developed. Two rounds of amplification are utilized to enhance the detection sensitivity. The amplification of enzymatic reaction combines with the specific optical properties of gold nanoparticles causing the enhancing of the optical signal immensely. In addition, the increased surface area and the magnetic enrichment effect also enable the magnetic bead (MB) to catch a large number of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and detection antibody (Ab 2 ), thus very small amounts of the virus can be easily detected. Compared with conventional method, this approach exhibits outstanding sensitivity for ALP detection, 0.2 U/L of ALP can be distinguished with a spectrometer and 2 U/L with the naked eye. And as low as 25 pg/mL of H7N9 can be detected by the naked eye. This approach shows an extensive horizon for bioassays and is available in clinical diagnosis with the advances of simplification, effectiveness, low cost and sensitive readout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

57 Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to perform a microscopic study on the extremely pressure and strain sensitive compound, CaFe 2 As 2 , with different degrees of strain introduced by grinding and annealing. At the base temperature, in the antiferromagnetic/orthorhombic phase, compared to a sharp sextet Mössbauer spectrum of single crystal CaFe 2 As 2 , which is taken as an un-strained sample, an obviously broadened sextet and an extra doublet were observed for ground CaFe 2 As 2 powders with different degrees of strain. The Mössbauer results suggest that the magnetic phase transition of CaFe 2 As 2 can be inhomogeneously suppressed by the grinding induced strain to such an extent that the antiferromagnetic order in parts of the grains forming the powdered sample remain absent all the way down to 4.6 K. However, strain has almost no effect on the temperature dependent hyperfine magnetic field in the grains with magnetic order. Additional electronic and asymmetry information was obtained from the isomer shift and quadrupole splitting. Similar isomer shift values in the magnetic phase for samples with different degrees of strain, indicate that the stain does not bring any significant variation of the electronic density at 57 Fe nucleus position. The absolute values of quadrupole shift in the magnetic phase decrease and approach zero with increasing degrees of strain, indicating that the strain reduces the average lattice asymmetry at Fe atom position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Yak is the dominant animal species in China's plateau regions. The development of the yak industry is conducive to protecting the ecosystem of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and promoting local economic development. However, the slow growth and development of yak have seriously affected the development of the yak industry. Structural variation (SV) has been widely applied in livestock breeding for growth traits. Therefore, it is of great significance to use SV to improve yak growth traits in yak breeding. Meanwhile, the GHR gene plays an important role in the formation and normal development of bones. This study associated the correlation between the yak GHR SV gene and growth traits and confirmed that GHR-SV can be used as a molecular marker for the early reproduction of yaks. This study provides a theoretical basis for the early growth and development of yaks. The growth hormone receptor (GHR) is a member of the cytokine/hematopoietic factor receptor superfamily, which plays an important role in the growth and development, immunity, and metabolism of animals. This study identified a 246 bp deletion variant in the intronic region of the GHR gene, and three genotypes, including type II, type ID, and type DD, were observed. Genotype analysis of structural variation (SV) was performed on 585 individuals from 14 yak breeds, and it was found that 246 bp deletion was present in each breed. The II genotype was dominant in all yak breeds except for SB yak. The association analysis of gene polymorphisms and growth traits in the ASD yak population showed that the 246 bp SV was significantly associated with body length at 6 months (p < 0.05). GHR messenger RNA (mRNA) was expressed in all the tested tissues, with significantly higher levels in the liver, muscle, and fat than in other organs. The results of transcription activity showed that the luciferase activity of the pGL4.10-DD vector was significantly higher than that of the pGL4.10-II vector (p < 0.05). Additionally, the transcription-factor binding prediction results showed that the SV in the runt-related transcription factor 1 (Runx1) transcription-factor binding site may affect the transcriptional activity of the GHR gene, regulating yak growth and development. This study showed that the novel SV of the GHR gene could be used as a candidate molecular marker for the selection of the early growth trait in ASD yak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel portable biosensor for sensitive and selective detection of platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) had been developed based on the specific recognition between aptamer and protein using a personal glucose meter (PGM) as readout. In the presence of PDGF-BB, the primary aptamer of PDGF-BB which is bound to the surface of streptavidin magnespheres paramagnetic particles (SA-PMPs) reacts quantitatively with invertase-functionalized secondary aptamer of PDGF-BB to form a stable complex, resulting in the attachment of invertase on the SA-PMPs. Subsequently, the invertase catalyzes the hydrolysis of sucrose to produce a large amount of glucose and quantitative readout by the PGM. The enhanced signal of the PGM has a relationship with the concentration of PDGF-BB in the range of 1.0×10–14 M~3.16×10−12 M, and the detection limit is 2.9fM. The proposed portable biosensor had been successfully applied to assay the PDGF-BB in saliva samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Semiconductor materials are the key to anchor visible light-active dye molecules. • 1D Nb 2 O 5 nanorods with a specific surface area of 264.3 m2•g−1 are synthesized. • Dye-Nb 2 O 5 nanorods can facilitate the green light-driven selective oxidation of amines in air. • TEMPO enhances photocatalytic efficiency. • Superoxide (O 2 •−) is the central reactive oxygen species. Visible light-driven photocatalysis over semiconductors has emerged as one of the most desired strategies for animating diverse selective chemical transformations. Herein, one-dimensional (1D) Nb 2 O 5 nanorods with a specific surface area of 264 m2•g−1 were synthesized via a straightforward hydrothermal method. Thereafter, an efficient visible light photocatalyst was constructed by in-situ anchoring of alizarin red S (ARS) onto the Nb 2 O 5 nanorods to afford ARS-Nb 2 O 5. Resultantly, the ARS-Nb 2 O 5 nanorods can facilitate the selective aerobic oxidation of amines into imines, affording about twice of the result over 3D hierarchical Nb 2 O 5. Notably, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine- N -oxyl (TEMPO) could synchronize the intricate electron and proton transfers between ARS-Nb 2 O 5 nanorods, amines, and superoxide (O 2 •−). In most cases, the green light-driven primary and secondary amines into imines could be completed with about 95% selectivity within 2 h. This work highlights the dimension of designing semiconductor materials to anchor visible light-active molecules for selective oxidation reactions under benign conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Thiazolo[5,4- d ]thiazole (TzTz) is employed as the linkage to synthesize CMPs. • The TzTz-linked CMPs are thoroughly characterized. • TzTz-CMP-3 displays excellent photocatalytic activity for selective aerobic oxidation. • The photocatalytic properties of TzTz-linked CMPs could be tailored by molecular symmetry. • TzTz-CMP-3 with unprecedent activity is uncovered for the formation of sulfoxides. Developing selective formation of sulfoxides by aerobic oxidation of sulfides over highly efficient visible-light photocatalysts is an essential but challenging task. Herein, a conjugated microporous polymer (CMP) photocatalyst with the desired linkage thiazolo[5,4‑ d ]thiazole (TzTz) is presented to undertake this task. Remarkably, a catalyst-free solvothermal process afforded TzTz-CMP-3 from tetra(4-formylphenyl)-benzene and dithiooxamide. The photocatalytic activity of TzTz-CMP-3 is demonstrated with the blue light-powered selective formation of sulfoxides by aerobic oxidation of sulfides. A wide range of sulfoxides can be effectively formed by oxidation of sulfides with excellent product selectivities (up to 99 %) over the TzTz-CMP-3 photocatalyst. The more symmetric π-conjugated aromatic ring of TzTz-CMP-3 endows it with more favorable activity than the less symmetric ones. This work underscores the symmetry of building blocks for CMPs for selective photocatalytic formation of valuable organic molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-haired individuals in the Tianzhu white yak population are a unique genetic resource, and have important landscape value. Copy number variation (CNV) is an important source of phenotypic variation in mammals. In this study, we used resequencing technology to detect the whole genome of 10 long-haired Tianzhu white yaks (LTWY) and 10 normal-haired Tianzhu white yaks (NTWY), and analyzed the differences of CNV in the genome of LTWYs and NTWYs. A total of 110268 CNVs were identified, 2006 CNVRs were defined, and the distribution map of these CNVRs on chromosomes was constructed. The comparison of LTWYs and NTWYs identified 80 differential CNVR-harbored genes, which were enriched in lipid metabolism, cell migration and other functions. Notably, some differential genes were identified as associated with hair growth and hair-follicle development (e.g., ASTN2, ATM, COL22A1, GK5, SLIT3, PM20D1, and SGCZ). In general, we present the first genome-wide analysis of CNV in LTWYs and NTWYs. Our results can provide new insights into the phenotypic variation of different hair lengths in Tianzhu white yaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hierarchical NiO hollow microspheres with five different sizes have been synthesized by a simple refluxing method. The sizes of the hierarchical NiO hollow microspheres can be facilely tuned by altering the sizes of functionalized polystyrene particles (PS) templates. Firstly, Ni(OH)2 nanoflakelets assembled onto the surface of the functionalized PS to form core/shell structures. Secondly, Ni(OH)2 hollow shells were obtained after removal of the core by dissolving PS latex in toluene. Finally, through the calcinations of the Ni(OH)2 hollow shells, hierarchical NiO hollow microspheres with the diameters of 237, 308, 712, 892 and 1157nm were obtained, respectively. Adsorption of Congo red (CR) onto the as-prepared five samples from aqueous solution was investigated. The results showed that the as-prepared NiO hollow microspheres were effective adsorbents for the removal of CR pollutant from waste water as a result of their unique hierarchical structures and high specific surface areas. Moreover, the adsorption capacities for CR are different due to the different sizes of NiO hollow microspheres. It was observed that the adsorption capacity increased with the decrease of the size of hollow microspheres. Especially, the smallest hierarchical NiO hollow microspheres have the highest adsorption capacity, which could achieve 526.3mg/g at room temperature (pH 7.0). Most importantly, the adsorbent can be easily renewed, which will be a great potential material in real applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Severe industrial pollution has largely hindered the sustainable development of China. Taking Shenzhen’s electroplating industry as a case, this article investigates the current status of the industry and proposes a specialized policy framework to push its environmental innovation. There is a relatively complete environmental management system in Shenzhen’s government, but it does not work well when dealing with the electroplating industry, mainly because it lacks regulation aiming at production technology, which is the underlying decisive factor of the environmental performance of the industry. So, we first develop an evaluation criterion, which incorporates a technological index about whether enterprises engage identified obsolete technologies. With this evaluation criterion, enterprises are classified into “advanced” and “obsolete”. Then, we propose specific policy suggestions for different types of enterprises, including command and control mixed with economic tools, voluntary agreements, establishing electroplating parks, and improving current management system. Finally, we assess the impact of the policy proposal and prove it to be conducive to the sustainable development of the industry and conclude it from a more general perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To determine the proportion of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted images (IVIM-DWI) and three-dimensional arterial circulation markers (3D-ASL) in Ki-67 labeling index (Ki-67 LI) and glioma grading. Methods. According to the classification of diseases of the central nervous system dealt with by WHO in 2007, patients with stage II glioma were classified as low (n = 20) and patients with stages III-IV were divided into higher levels (n = 22). Prior to surgery, brain MRI, IVIM-DWI, and 3D-ASL were performed in all patients, and the actual water molecular diffusion coefficient (D), microcirculation coefficient (D ∗), blood flow fraction (f), and cerebral blood flow (CBF) were measured. A rank sum (Mann–Whitney U test) was used to compare the four upper and lower level Ki-67 LI measurements. Spearman's method is used to identify the relationship between 4 groups of quantification and Ki-67 LI. Reciprocal grafting (ROC) curves were used to measure the diagnosis of four groups of glioma grading defects. Results. There were significant differences in D , D ∗ , f , and CBF between the solid region of the tumor and the normal white matter contralateral to it (P < 0.05). The significant differences of r D , r D ∗ , r f , and r CBF were shown between patients with low-grade glioma and high-grade glioma (P < 0.05). Ki-67 LI was found to have negative correlation with r D (r = 00.693 , P < 0.001) and r f (r = 00.539 , P < 0.001), but similarly correlated with r CBF (r = 0.665 , P < 0.001) in patients with glioma. Recipient efficacy for predicting advanced and secondary glioma from r D , r f , r D ∗ , r CBF, and Ki-67 LI raises AUCs of 0.819, 0.747, 0.719, 0.836, and 0.907, respectively. Conclusion. IVIM-DWI has good application value for preoperative grading of glioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The synchronization process of yak estrus plays a crucial role in enhancing the reproductive success rate of yaks and safeguarding the continuation of the species. Metabolomics, a branch of bio-chemistry, primarily focuses on the quantitative analysis of all metabolites within an organism, aiming to identify the relative relationships between metabolites and physiological changes. It serves as a valuable tool for delving into the molecular mechanisms and responses of metabolic pathways under various perturbations. In this study, metabolomics methods were utilized to analyze blood samples collected from non-estrus yaks as well as those that underwent hormonally induced synchronized estrus to identify differential metabolites. The research results provide a theoretical basis for the optimization and application of synchronized estrus technology in yaks, promoting the healthy development of the yak industry. The yak is a unique species of livestock found in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its surrounding areas. Due to factors such as late sexual maturity and a low rate of estrus, its reproductive efficiency is relatively low. The process of estrus synchronization in yaks plays a crucial role in enhancing their reproductive success and ensuring the continuation of their species. In order to clarify the characteristics of the serum metabolites of yak estrus synchronization, the yaks with inactive ovaries were compared with the estrus synchronization yaks. In this study, yaks were divided into the inactive ovaries group (IO), gonarelin-induced yak estrus group (GnRH), and chloprostenol sodium-induced yak estrus group (PGF). After the completion of the estrus synchronization treatment, blood samples were collected from the jugular veins of the non-estrus yaks in the control group and the yaks with obvious estrus characteristics in the GnRH and PGF groups. Metabolites were detected by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and differential metabolites were screened by multivariate statistical analysis. The results showed that a total of 70 significant differential metabolites were screened and identified in the GnRH vs. IO group, and 77 significant differential metabolites were screened and identified in the PGF vs. IO group. Compared with non-estrus yaks, 36 common significant differential metabolites were screened out after the induction of yak estrus by gonarelin (GnRH) and cloprostenol sodium (PGF), which were significantly enriched in signaling pathways such as the beta oxidation of very long chain fatty acids, bile acid biosynthesis, oxidation of branched chain fatty acids, steroidogenesis, steroid biosynthesis, and arginine and proline metabolism. This study analyzed the effects of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and prostaglandin F (PGF) on the reproductive performance of yaks treated with estrus synchronization, which provides a theoretical basis for the optimization and application of yak estrus synchronization technology and promotes the healthy development of the yak industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) have inherent advantages in pot, atom, and step economy (PASE). This important green synthetic approach has gained increasing attention due to high efficiency, minimal waste, saving resources, and straightforward procedures. Presented in this review article are the recent development on 5-compoment reactions (5CRs) of the following six types: (I) five different molecules A + B + C + D + E; pseudo-5CRs including (II) 2A + B + C + D, (III) 2A + 2B + C, (IV) 3A + B + C, (V) 3A + 2B, and (VI) 4A + B. 5CRs with more than five-reaction centers are also included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrophilic bile salt ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a potent inhibitor of apoptosis. In this paper, we further characterize the mechanism by which UDCA inhibits apoptosis induced by deoxycholic acid, okadaic acid and transforming growth factor β1 in primary rat hepatocytes. Our data indicate that coincubation of cells with UDCA and each of the apoptosis-inducing agents was associated with an approximately 80% inhibition of nuclear fragmentation (P<0.001). Moreover, UDCA prevented mitochondrial release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm by 70-75% (P<0.001), thereby, inhibiting subsequent activation of DEVD-specific caspases and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Each of the apoptosis-inducing agents decreased mitochondrial transmembrane potential and increased mitochondrial-associated Bax protein levels. Coincubation with UDCA was associated with significant inhibition of these mitochondrial membrane alterations. The results suggest that the mechanism by which UDCA inhibits apoptosis involves an interplay of events in which both depolarization and channel-forming activity of the mitochondrial membrane are inhibited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA methylation modifications are implicated in many biological processes. As the most common epigenetic mechanism DNA methylation also affects muscle growth and development. The majority of previous studies have focused on different varieties of yak, but little is known about the epigenetic regulation mechanisms in different age groups of animals. The development of muscles in the different stages of yak growth remains unclear. In this study, we selected the longissimus dorsi muscle tissue at three different growth stages of the yak, namely, 90-day-old fetuses (group E), six months old (group M), and three years old (group A). Using RNA-Seq transcriptome sequencing and methyl-RAD whole-genome methylation sequencing technology, changes in gene expression levels and DNA methylation status throughout the genome were investigated during the stages of yak development. Each group was represented by three biological replicates. The intersections of expression patterns of 7694 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified (padj < 0.01, |log2FC| > 1.2) at each of the three developmental periods. Time-series expression profile clustering analysis indicated that the DEGs were significantly arranged into eight clusters which could be divided into two classes (padj < 0.05), class I profiles that were downregulated and class II profiles that were upregulated. Based on this cluster analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed that DEGs from class I profiles were significantly (padj < 0.05) enriched in 21 pathways, the most enriched pathway being the Axon guidance signaling pathway. DEGs from the class II profile were significantly enriched in 58 pathways, the pathway most strongly enriched being Metabolic pathway. After establishing the methylation profiles of the whole genomes, and using two groups of comparisons, the three combinations of groups (M-vs.-E, M-vs.-A, A-vs.-E) were found to have 1344, 822, and 420 genes, respectively, that were differentially methylated at CCGG sites and 2282, 3056, and 537 genes, respectively, at CCWGG sites. The two sets of data were integrated and the negative correlations between DEGs and differentially methylated promoters (DMPs) analyzed, which confirmed that TMEM8C, IGF2, CACNA1S and MUSTN1 were methylated in the promoter region and that expression of the modified genes was negatively correlated. Interestingly, these four genes, from what was mentioned above, perform vital roles in yak muscle growth and represent a reference for future genomic and epigenomic studies in muscle development, in addition to enabling marker-assisted selection of growth traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The domesticated yak is among the most important livestock species on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Breeders have the task of developing varieties that provide growth performance and disease resistance. Traditional breeding processes rely on complete family pedigree information and large numbers of data records. However, there are inevitably records that are missing, including incomplete pedigrees and long-term data tracking, resulting in prolonged breeding cycles, reduced breeding efficiency, and the lack of economic benefit. Genome selection (GS), also known as whole genomic selection (WGS), can significantly reduce the selection cycle of quantitative traits and accelerate genetic progression while displaying appropriate prediction accuracy (PA). It combines a reference population and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci rather than pedigrees to estimate the effect of all SNPs. Then breeding values of target traits are predicted. The key for GS is genomic prediction (GP) and an assessment of PA. The aim of this study was to explore the possibility of applying GP to important economic traits in the domesticated yak, thus providing theoretical support for its molecular breeding. A reference population was constructed consisting of 354 polled yaks, measuring four growth traits and eight hematological traits related to resistance to disease (involved in immune response and phagocytosis). The Illumina bovine HD 770k chip was used to obtain SNP information of all the individuals. With these genotypes and phenotypes, GBLUP, Bayes B and Bayes Cπ methods were used to predict genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV) and assess prediction capability. The correlation coefficient of the association of GEBV with estimated breeding value (EBV) was used as PA for each trait. The prediction accuracy varied from 0.043 to 0.281 for different traits. Each trait displayed similar PAs when using the three methods. Lymphocyte counts (LYM) exhibited the highest predictive accuracy (0.319) during all GP, while chest girth (CG) provided the lowest predictive accuracy (0.043). Our results showed moderate PA in most traits such as body length (0.212) and hematocrit (0.23). Those traits with lower PA could be improved by using SNP chips designed specifically for yak, a better optimized reference group structure, and more efficient statistical algorithms and tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractLysozyme like 4 (LYZL4), lysozyme like 6 (LYZL6) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) are implicated in the regulation of testicular function, but there was no research reported available on the expression patterns of LYZL4, LYZL6 and PCNA genes at different developmental stages of yak testes. In this study, we used the qRT-PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry estimated the LYZL4, LYZL6 and PCNA gene expression and protein lo-calization at different developmental stages of yak testes. The qPCR results showed that the mRNA expression of LYZL4, LYZL6 and PCNA genes significantly increased with age in the testes of yaks. Western blot results showed that the protein abundance of LYZL4, LYZL6 and PCNA in yak testes was significantly higher after puberty than before puberty. Furthermore, the results of immunohistochemistry indicated that LYZL4, LYZL6 and PCNA may be involved in the regulation of spermatogonia proliferation and Leydig cell function in immature testis. In adult yak testes, LYZL4, LYZL6 and PCNA may involve in the development of round spermatids and primary spermatocytes during testicular development. Our results indicated that LYZL4, LYZL6 and PCNA may be involved in the development of Sertoli cells, Leydig cells and gonocytes in yak testes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yak (Bos grunniens) is an important domestic animal living in high-altitude plateaus. Due to inadequate disease prevention, each year, the yak industry suffers significant economic losses. The identification of causal genes that affect blood- and immunity-related cells could provide preliminary reference guidelines for the prevention of diseases in the population of yaks. The genome-wide association studies (GWASs) utilizing a single-marker or haplotype method were employed to analyze 15 hematological traits in the genome of 315 unrelated yaks. Single-marker GWASs identified a total of 43 significant SNPs, including 35 suggestive and eight genome-wide significant SNPs, associated with nine traits. Haplotype analysis detected nine significant haplotype blocks, including two genome-wide and seven suggestive blocks, associated with seven traits. The study provides data on the genetic variability of hematological traits in the yak. Five essential genes (GPLD1, EDNRA,APOB, HIST1H1E, and HIST1H2BI) were identified, which affect the HCT, HGB, RBC, PDW, PLT, and RDWSD traits and can serve as candidate genes for regulating hematological traits. The results provide a valuable reference to be used in the analysis of blood properties and immune diseases in the yak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A one-pot synthesis of triazolobenzodiazepine-containing polycyclic compounds is introduced. The reaction process involves a decarboxylative three-component [3 + 2] cycloaddition of nonstabilized azomethine ylides, N-propargylation, and intramolecular click reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturing is the foundation of China's economy and accounts for a large proportion of China's CO 2 emissions. In this study, the structural path decomposition (SPD) methodology, based on an environmental input-output model, was used to find critical supply chain paths that drive changes in CO 2 life cycle in China's manufacturing industry from 1992 to 2012. The changes in CO 2 emissions were decomposed into three main factors: carbon emissions intensity, input-output structure, and final demand. In this study, the “weighted average decompositions” method of structural decomposition analysis and the non-comparable input-output table were first applied to the SPD method to obtain accurate results. The results indicate that higher-order paths, especially the paths that started from the “Smelting and Rolling of Metals” and the “Production and Supply of Electricity and Steam” sectors, led to an increase in carbon emissions. This was mainly due to the extension of the industrial chain as well as policy priorities. Moreover, CO 2 emissions from the “Chemical Industry”, “Manufacture of Nonmetallic Mineral Products”, and “Smelting and Rolling of Metals” sectors were mainly induced by the increase of final export demands. Based on the results of this study, relevant policy changes have also been recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Ashidan yak is a new breed of hornless yak developed by Chinese scientists, which has an important economic value. However, little is known about the growth of Ashidan yaks. This study analyzed the body weight and body size measurements of 260 female Ashdan yaks and compared the performance of five nonlinear models (Logistic model, Gompertz model, Brody model, von Bertalanffy model and Richards model). Our results showed that the early growth and development of Ashidan yak change with the seasons, and the Richards model performs better among the five models. Understanding animal growth plays an important role in improving animal genetics and breeding. In order to explore the early growth and development law of Ashidan yak, the body weight (BW), wither height (WH), body oblique length (BL) and chest girth (CG) of 260 female Ashidan yaks were measured. These individuals grew under grazing conditions, and growth traits were measured at 6, 12, 18 and 30 months of age. Then the absolute growth and relative growth of Ashidan yak were calculated, and five nonlinear models (Logistic model, Gompertz model, Brody model, von Bertalanffy model and Richards model) were used to fit the growth curve of Ashidan yak. The fitting effect of the model was evaluated according to MSE, AIC and BIC. The results showed that the growth rate of Ashidan yak was the fastest from 12 to 18 months old, and the growth was slow or even stagnant from 6 to 12 months old. The AIC and BIC values of the Richards model were the lowest among the five models, with an AIC value of 4543.98 and a BIC value of 4563.19. The Richards model estimated body weight at 155.642 kg. In summary, the growth rate of female Ashidan yak changes with the seasons, growing faster in warm seasons and slower in cold seasons. Richards model is the best model to describe the growth curve of female Ashidan yak in five nonlinear models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tailings pond is a dangerous source of man-made debris flow with high potential energy. The oxidative acidification of tailings may cause the instability of the pond and induce serious safety accidents. The influence of oxidation and acidification degree on macro mechanical properties of tailings is discussed from the aspects of mineral composition and microstructure. The results show that as the degree of oxidation and acidification of tailings sand increases, the overall structural performance and load-bearing capacity decrease, and its cohesion (c) and internal friction angle (φ) show a decreasing trend. In fact, the engineering properties of tailings with different oxidation and acidification degrees are dominated by the physicochemical composition and structural characteristics. On the one hand, as the degree of oxidation increases, acidic substance will neutralize with CaCO3 and CaMg(CO3)2, resulting in the loss of cemented substance and the decrease of cementation force between tailing sand particles as well as the gradual destruction of the integrity of tailing sand. On the other hand, the increase of oxidation and acidification degree of tailing sand leads to a gradual reduction of outline (2D) fractal dimension and gray surface (3D) fractal dimension of surface laminated structure as well as the obvious reduction of laminated structure and its roughness of tailings sand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is proved to be a promising modality for clinical cancer treatment. However, it also suffers from a key obstacle in association with its oxygen-dependent nature which greatly limits its effective application against hypoxic tumors. Herein, on the basis of the unique property of calcium peroxide (CaO 2), we propose an O 2 -self-supply strategy for the promotion of PDT by combining the in situ O 2 -generation characteristic of calcium peroxide with the photosensitive nature of porphyrin. A shell of ZIF-8 was synthesized surround the CaO 2 core to prevent the CaO 2 from premature decomposition and increased the loading of THPP efficiently. Depending on the in situ self-supply of O 2 , the photosensitizer was able to exhibit an enhanced PDT effect that significantly inhibit the growth of tumor. Moreover, the enrichment of free calcium ions derived from the decomposition of CaO 2 under acidic tumor microenvironment also shows the unique ion-interference effect and contributes to the obvious inhibition against tumor growth. This work presents a synergistic strategy for the construction of a photodynamic promotion/ion-interference combined nano-platform which can also serve as an inspiration for the future design of effective nanocomposites in tumor treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Exosomes are multivesicular bodies produced and secreted by living cells as membranous vesicles with a diameter of about 30–150 nm, density of 1.13–1.19 g/mL, and a typical "cup dish" shape. Exosomes carry proteins, miRNA, lncRNA, circRNA, and mRNA and their degradation fragments are involved in intracellular signal transduction important for regulation of cellular activities. Of these, miRNAs play an important role in the regulation of gene expression in important biological processes such as cell division, tissue development, and immune response. In this study, milk quality was determined and exosome miRNAs from yak and Jeryak milk sampled in June and December were characterized by sequencing. Differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and pathways related to lactation performance were identified. In summary, this study provides data that can be used to develop alternative strategies for improving the lactation performance of yaks and Jeryaks. The Jeryak is the hybrid offspring of yaks and Jersey cattle and exhibit improved milk and meat yields. Biomolecules carried within milk exosomes are important for cell growth, development, immune regulation, and various pathophysiological processes. Previous studies showed that miRNAs regulate mammary gland development, lactation, and milk quality. This study explored the relationship between milk exosomes miRNAs and lactation performance. A comparison of the milk content showed that yak milk was of a better quality compared to Jeryak milk (casein, fat, TS, SNF, lactose). Milk collected in December was superior to that collected in June for both yak and Jeryak, except for lactose concentrations. Exosomes were extracted by density gradient centrifugation and miRNA expression profiles in milk exosomes from three yaks and three Jeryaks collected in June and December were detected by small RNA sequencing. In all, 22, 120, 78, and 62 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were identified in Jun_ JY vs. Jun_ Y (P1: Jeryak in June vs. Yak in June), Jun_ JY vs. Dec_ JY (P2: Jeryak in June vs. Jeryak in December), Dec_ JY vs. Dec_ Y (P3: Jeryak in December vs. Yak in December), and Jun_ Y vs. Dec_ Y (P4: Yak in June vs. Yak in December) groups. These DEMs were enriched in functions and signaling pathways related to lactation performance. In conclusion, these findings are a reference tool to study the molecular basis of lactation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The SOX6 (sex determining region Y-box 6) gene belongs to one of the transcription factors in the SRY (sex-determining region Y) family, which affects sex determination, embryonic and nervous system development, bone and various organ formation. In the previous study, the whole-genome sequencing was used to detect multiple genes located in the copy number variation region, including SOX6 gene. In this study, we identified the correlation between the growth traits and CNV of SOX6 in 311 Ashidan yaks. The results showed that SOX6-CNV was significantly correlated with the chest girth of the 6-months old yaks (p < 0.05) and 30-months yaks (p < 0.05), and withers height of 6 months yaks (p < 0.05) and 18-months yaks (p < 0.05), suggesting the SOX6-CNV affect growth traits in yaks, and could be new markers for the selection of yak breeding. Copy number variation (CNV) is a fundamental type of structural variation of the genome affecting the economic traits of livestock. The SOX6 gene (sex-determining region Y-box 6), as a transcription factor, has multiple functions with regard to sex determination, embryonic growth, the nervous system development, as well as bone, and various organ formation. This study employed quantitative real-time fluorescence quota PCR (qPCR) for detecting the SOX6-CNV of the 311 Ashidan yaks and analyzed the correlation of the SOX6-CNV with four phenotypes (including body weight, withers height, body length, and chest girth) of the yaks aged 6, 12, 18, and 30 months using ANOVA and multiple comparisons. Furthermore, the SOX6 gene expression was identified in seven different tissues of the yaks. The experiment results demonstrated the expression of SOX6 in each tissue, and the kidney and muscle tissue were found to have higher relative expression levels. Based on the processing by IBM SPSS software, SOX6-CNV was significantly correlated with the chest girth of the 6-months old yaks (p < 0.05) and 30-months yaks (p < 0.05), and withers height of 6 months yaks (p < 0.05) and 18-months yaks (p < 0.05), as well as the normal type of CNV, was chosen for yak breeding. In conclusion, SOX6 might be prominently involved in promoting growth and development of yaks, suggesting that the SOX6 gene can be used in breeding yaks by molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS). The study also offered some important insights into the references and clues for the genetic breeding of yaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cattle-yak is a hybrid F1 generation of cattle and yak, which has a history of more than 3000 years and has shown better production performance and higher economic benefits than those of yaks. However, up to now, there has been no study on the transcriptome-wide m6A methylation profile of bovine skeletal muscle and its potential biological function during muscle development. Here, we observed significant changes in the expression levels of muscle-related marker genes and methylation-related enzymes during the development of cattle-yak, and the overall m6A content in the Longissimus dorsi muscle of 18-month-old cattle-yak decreased significantly. A total of 36,602 peaks, 11,223 genes and 8388 lncRNAs were identified in the two groups, including 2989 differential peaks (427 up-regulated peaks and 2562 down-regulated peaks), 1457 differentially expressed genes (833 up-regulated genes and 624 down-regulated genes) and 857 differentially expressed lncRNAs (293 up-regulated lncRNAs and 564 down-regulated lncRNAs). GO and KEGG analysis revealed that they were significantly enriched in some muscle-related pathways (Wnt signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway) and high-altitude adaptation-related pathway (HIF-1 signaling pathway). Moreover, m6A abundance was positively correlated with gene expression levels, while it was negatively correlated with lncRNA expression levels. This indicates that m6A modification played an important role in the Longissimus dorsi muscle development of cattle-yak; however, the regulation mechanism of m6A-modified mRNA and lncRNA may be different. This study was the first report of transcriptome-wide m6A-modified mRNAs and lncRNAs atlas in the Longissimus dorsi muscle development of cattle-yak, one which will provide new perspectives for genetic improvement in bovines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The CNV of the HSF1 gene was detected in Ashidan yaks. • There were significant correlations between HSF1-CNV and growth traits of yaks. • The expression level of the HSF1 gene was variable in different tissues of yaks. Copy Number Variation (CNV) is the major manner for the variation of genome structure, which is associated with numerous important traits. The heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) gene is a stress response transcriptional regulator. It participates in the heat shock response, simultaneously participated in the development of tissue. The objective of this research was to explore the influence of CNV of the HSF1 gene on the growth traits of the Ashidan yak. In this study, the growth traits (withers height, body weight, chest girth, and body length) of 274 Ashidan yaks were divided into four stages (6, 12, 18, and 30 months old). Moreover, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was exploited for determining the HSF1 gene relative expression level, and SPSS software was utilized for the statistical analysis. The outcomes indicated that HSF1 -CNV was significantly associated with body length (p < 0.05) and was extremely significant associated with withers height (p < 0.01) of 18-month-old Ashidan yaks. Besides, the HSF1 relative expression in heart and muscle was higher than that existed in other tissues (p < 0.01). The outcomes suggested that the CNV of HSF1 gene would affect the growth and development of the Ashidan yak, which is conducive to the early breeding of yak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Automatic species recognition, such as butterflies or other insects, plays a crucial role in intelligent agricultural production management and the study of species diver-sity. However, the quite diverse and subtle interspecific differences and the long-tailed distribution of sample data in fine-grained species recognition are insufficient to learn robust feature representation and alleviate the bias and variance problems of the long-tailed classifier on insect recognition. The objective of this study is to develop a peer learning network with a distribution-aware penalty mechanism proposed to learn discriminative feature representation and mitigate the bias and variance problems in the long-tailed distribution. The results of various contrast experiments on collecting the butterfly-914 dataset show that the proposed PLN-DPM has a higher Rank-1 ac-curacy rate (86.2% on the butterfly dataset and 73.51% on the IP102 dataset). Addi-tionally, we deployed the PLN-DPM model on the smartphone app for butterfly recognition in a real-life environment. Automatic species recognition plays a key role in intelligent agricultural production management and the study of species diversity. However, fine-grained species recognition is a challenging task due to the quite diverse and subtle interclass differences among species and the long-tailed distribution of sample data. In this work, a peer learning network with a distribution-aware penalty mechanism is proposed to address these challenges. Specifically, the proposed method employs the two-stream ResNeSt-50 as the backbone to obtain the initial predicted results. Then, the samples, which are selected from the instances with the same predicted labels by knowledge exchange strategy, are utilized to update the model parameters via the distribution-aware penalty mechanism to mitigate the bias and variance problems in the long-tailed distribution. By performing such adaptive interactive learning, the proposed method can effectively achieve improved recognition accuracy for head classes in long-tailed data and alleviate the adverse effect of many head samples relative to a few samples of the tail classes. To evaluate the proposed method, we construct a large-scale butterfly dataset (named Butterfly-914) that contains approximately 72,152 images belonging to 914 species and at least 20 images for each category. Exhaustive experiments are conducted to validate the efficiency of the proposed method from several perspectives. Moreover, the superior Top-1 accuracy rate (86.2%) achieved on the butterfly dataset demonstrates that the proposed method can be widely used for agricultural species identification and insect monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Yaks are among the largest high-altitude mammals in the world, and they are ideally adapted to the harsh environmental conditions of the plateau regions. Yaks are thus central to the lives of herdsmen and other local populations in these high-altitude areas. Copy number variations (CNVs) are an important cause of genomic variation in livestock and identifying advantageous CNVs can aid in livestock breeding efforts. In this study, an association between CNVs in the MICALL2 and MOGAT2 genes and Ashidan yak growth traits was confirmed, providing a theoretical foundation for Ashidan yak breeding and meat production efforts. Copy number variations (CNVs) are a result of genomic rearrangement affecting DNA regions over 1 kb in length, and can include inversions, translocations, deletions, and duplications. The molecule interacting with CasL-like protein 2 (MICALL2) gene is primarily associated with mitochondrial protein targeting and exhibits predicted stress fiber colocalization. The monoacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 2 (MOGAT2) gene encodes an enzyme responsible for catalyzing diacylglycerol synthesis from 2-monoacylglycerol and fatty acyl-CoA. For this study, blood samples were obtained from 315 yaks, and the body weight, body length, withers height, and chest girth of these animals were measured at 6, 12, 18, and 30 months of age. Genomic DNA was harvested from the collected blood samples, and CNVs in these samples were detected by qPCR. The resultant data were compared using ANOVAs, revealing significant associations between MICALL2 gene CNVs and body weight at 6 months of age (p < 0.05), body length and chest girth at 30 months of age (p < 0.05), and withers height at 18 months of age (p < 0.01) in Ashidan yaks. Similarly, MOGAT2 CNVs were significantly associated with body weight at 6 and 30 months of age (p < 0.05), and with withers height at 18 months of age (p < 0.01) in these Ashidan yaks. MICALL2 and MOGAT2 gene expression was further analyzed in yak tissue samples, revealing that MICALL2 was most highly expressed in the adipose tissue, whereas MOGAT2 was most highly expressed in the lung. These results thus confirmed the relationship between CNVs in the MICALL2 and MOGAT2 genes and Ashidan yak growth traits, providing a valuable gene locus that can be leveraged for future marker-assisted yak breeding efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global trade not only brings about the exchange of goods and services, but also stimulates the transfer of carbon emissions. Given different economic development stages and industrial structures, global carbon inequality occurs due to the mismatch between trade-related carbon emissions and value added. Combining the multi-regional input-output model and regional environmental index (REI), this paper constructs an integrated research framework to trace the embodied carbon emissions and value-added among six regions from 2010 to 2015 to shed light on global carbon inequality from a multi-regional perspective. The results indicate that major carbon exporters are placed in inferior positions in global trade, rendering them victims of carbon inequality. The EU, Japan and the USA have been favored by global trade from both economic and environmental perspectives, and the advantaged position of the EU has improved whereas the positions of Japan and the USA have slightly decreased. For disadvantage regions, China and ASEAN10 has improved their situations, yet the inequality suffered by the RoW148 has deteriorated. Adjusting the export structure from primary to advanced products is an effective measure to mitigate global carbon inequality. Our major implications help strike thinking on the rationality of global trade and offer integral solutions towards sustainable development. • Embodied carbon emissions and value added are traced based on the MRIO model • An optimized REI index is established to identify carbon inequality from a multi-regional perspective • Carbon inequality in global trade and its sectoral contributors are explored • Export structure changing from primary to advanced products can alleviate carbon inequality [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]