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In situ encapsulation of cellulase in conventional metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is restrained by harsh preparation conditions and the rather small pores of the frameworks. Herein, We developed a mesoporous Zn-based MOF (Zn-mIm) prepared under mild conditions is well-suited for in situ encapsulation of cellulase. In brief, cellulase is encapsulated through coprecipitation of cellulase and Zn-mIm precursors, identified as cellulase@Zn-mIm. This approach enhances the binding between cellulase and Zn-mIm. The cellulase loading also significantly increases, and the highest loading is up to 350 mg g−1. Moreover, cellulase@Zn-mIm shows superior tolerance to basic environments and retains 65% of its activity at pH 8, whereas that of free cellulase drops to only 10%. Cellulase@Zn-mIm also exhibits good recyclability and retains 77% of its activity after four cycles. Furthermore, the introduction of cellulase leads to structural defects during Zn-mIm preparation, resulting in the formation of large pores, which facilitate mass transfer and thus enhance enzymatic efficiency.

A concise formal synthesis of (±)-aplykurodinone-1 starting from a commercially available material and based on the indium-catalyzed Conia-ene reaction has been accomplished. The synthesis features a Riley selenium dioxide oxidation, a Krapcho dealkoxycarbonylation, and a ring-closing metathesis approach. The synthetic strategy was also supported by a Saegusa oxidation and a classic Michael 1,4-conjugate addition.

Phytochromes are red (R) and far-red (FR) light photoreceptors in plants, and PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTORS (PIFs) are a group of basic helix-loop-helix family transcription factors that play central roles in repressing photomorphogenesis. Here, we report that MYB30, an R2R3-MYB family transcription factor, acts as a negative regulator of photomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We show that MYB30 preferentially interacts with the Pfr (active) forms of the phytochrome A (phyA) and phytochrome B (phyB) holoproteins and that MYB30 levels are induced by phyA and phyB in the light. It was previously shown that phytochromes induce rapid phosphorylation and degradation of PIFs upon R light exposure. Our current data indicate that MYB30 promotes PIF4 and PIF5 protein reaccumulation under prolonged R light irradiation by directly binding to their promoters to induce their expression and by inhibiting the interaction of PIF4 and PIF5 with the Pfr form of phyB. In addition, our data indicate that MYB30 interacts with PIFs and that they act additively to repress photomorphogenesis. In summary, our study demonstrates that MYB30 negatively regulates Arabidopsis photomorphogenic development by acting to promote PIF4 and PIF5 protein accumulation under prolonged R light irradiation, thus providing new insights into the complicated but delicate control of PIFs in the responses of plants to their dynamic light environment.

In this paper, a Rh-catalyzed diastereoselective α-allylation of cycloenamines is demonstrated. During the reaction, commercially available Wilkinson's catalyst was employed, and a chiral sulfinamide group acted as the chiral directing group. Following such a synthetic method, unusual linear substituted products were achieved, instead of branched substituted products which were most reported previously. The reaction exhibits a good chemical yield and excellent diastereoselectivity. A possible reaction mechanism was proposed. The method should be conducive to synthesizing natural products and novel drug molecules.

Sustainable architectural education is offered in colleges and universities all over the world. Studies have emphasized the importance of sustainable architectural education in introductory courses of architecture major programs, but methods and strategies for teaching sustainable architecture at lower levels are scarce. This study focuses on the design-to-physical-construction process and creates a teaching framework that incorporates the concept of sustainable development from the perspectives of sustainable economy, environment and society. Based on the teaching method of learning through the design-to-physical-construction process and referring to the grounded theory, a case study on a bamboo construction project was conducted to explore approaches and strategies of sustainable architectural education in introductory courses. Results reveal that five systems, including the system of sustainable development, consist of a framework that illustrated the teaching effects. Based on the framework, we discovered five factors that should be considered in incorporating the concept of sustainable development into architectural design teaching, including the necessity of conducting sustainable architectural education in introductory courses. This study helps explore the potential role sustainability plays in incorporating interdisciplinary knowledge, connecting specialized knowledge across different program levels, and motivating student learning. It also provides a reference for the practice of sustainable architectural education.

Structural variants (SVs) may play important roles in human adaptation to extreme environments such as high altitude but have been under-investigated. Here, combining long-read sequencing with multiple scaffolding techniques, we assembled a high-quality Tibetan genome (ZF1), with a contig N50 length of 24.57 mega-base pairs (Mb) and a scaffold N50 length of 58.80 Mb. The ZF1 assembly filled 80 remaining N-gaps (0.25 Mb in total length) in the reference human genome (GRCh38). Markedly, we detected 17 900 SVs, among which the ZF1-specific SVs are enriched in GTPase activity that is required for activation of the hypoxic pathway. Further population analysis uncovered a 163-bp intronic deletion in the MKL1 gene showing large divergence between highland Tibetans and lowland Han Chinese. This deletion is significantly associated with lower systolic pulmonary arterial pressure, one of the key adaptive physiological traits in Tibetans. Moreover, with the use of the high-quality de novo assembly, we observed a much higher rate of genome-wide archaic hominid (Altai Neanderthal and Denisovan) shared non-reference sequences in ZF1 (1.32%–1.53%) compared to other East Asian genomes (0.70%–0.98%), reflecting a unique genomic composition of Tibetans. One such archaic hominid shared sequence—a 662-bp intronic insertion in the SCUBE2 gene—is enriched and associated with better lung function (the FEV1/FVC ratio) in Tibetans. Collectively, we generated the first high-resolution Tibetan reference genome, and the identified SVs may serve as valuable resources for future evolutionary and medical studies.

We describe a concise and straightforward approach to the total syntheses of (+)-Strictifolione and Cryptofolione in the longest linear sequences of four steps and six steps from 3-phenyl propanal and trans-cinnamaldehyde, respectively. The route utilized a titanium tetraisopropoxide/(R)-[1,1'-binaphthalene]-2,2'-diol catalyzed Mukaiyama aldol reaction, indium(0)-promoted Barbier reaction, and olefin cross-metathesis as the key reactions.

We describe a new and straightforward approach to the formal synthesis of the hepatitis B virus inhibitor entecavir, an important hepatitis B drug, in ten steps overall. Key features of the route are a Morita–Baylis–Hillman reaction, a Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, a reductive epoxide opening of an α,β-epoxy ketone, and a Riley selenium dioxide oxidation.

A concise and straightforward formal synthesis of (±)-aplykurodinone-1, a degraded steroid natural product isolated from sea hare Syphonota geographica is described, based on an intramolecular Michael addition. The route also includes an intermolecular Michael addition, a Riley selenium dioxide oxidation, and a Krapcho dealkoxycarbonylation. The relative stereochemistries of key intermediates have been determined through single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.

A unified asymmetric total synthesis of (+)-porantheridine and (−)-6-epi-porantheridine has been accomplished. The two molecules were prepared via a Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons/aza-Michael addition reaction or diastereoselective nucleophilic substitution of 2-methoxypiperidine from a common intermediate, respectively. The key features of the unified synthetic strategy also included an asymmetric addition of silyl dienolate to sulfinylimine, substrate-controlled reduction, Wacker oxidation and TFA-promoted cyclization.

A series of non-conjugated methylene–anthracene Schiff base derivatives (DNCAs) were designed and synthesized. Photoluminescence emission spectra indicated that DNCA-4 and DNCA-12 showed obviously mechanofluorochromic properties, and distinctive 26- and 37-nm hypochromic shifts were observed, respectively. The experiment results revealed that there is no specific relationship between alkoxy chain lengths and their stimuli–response behavior. The PXRD profiles demonstrated a transformation from crystalline to amorphous state upon grinding.

Aculeatin A, isolated from the plant Amomum aculeatum, is a dispirocyclic compound having antimalarial activity. In this paper, we describe a novel synthetic approach to aculeatin A from 1-tetradecanal in nine steps via a stepwise strategy. The key features of this approach include the 1,3-diketone preparation from Claisen condensation of ketone and acyl chloride, cyclodehydration, and intramolecular oxa-Michael addition to 2,3-dihydro-4H-pyran-4-one.

PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTORS (PIFs) are a group of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors that can physically interact with photoreceptors, including phytochromes and cryptochromes. It was previously demonstrated that PIFs accumulated in darkness and repressed seedling photomorphogenesis, and that PIFs linked different photosensory and hormonal pathways to control plant growth and development. In this study, we show that PIFs positively regulate the ABA signaling pathway during the seedling stage specifically in darkness. We found that PIFs positively regulate ABI5 transcript and protein levels in darkness in response to exogenous ABA treatment by binding directly to the G-box motifs in the ABI5 promoter. Consistently, PIFs and the G-box motifs in the ABI5 promoter determine ABI5 expression in darkness, and overexpression of ABI5 could rescue the ABA-insensitive phenotypes of pifq mutants in the dark. Moreover, we discovered that PIFs can physically interact with the ABA receptors PYL8 and PYL9, and that this interaction is not regulated by ABA. Further analyses showed that PYL8 and PYL9 promote PIF4 protein accumulation in the dark and enhance PIF4 binding to the ABI5 promoter, but negatively regulate PIF4-mediated ABI5 activation. Taken together, our data demonstrate that PIFs interact with ABA receptors to orchestrate ABA signaling in darkness by controlling ABI5 expression, providing new insights into the pivotal roles of PIFs as signal integrators in regulating plant growth and development.

In this article, we report the rapid and facile synthesis of chiral 3‐methyl‐2,5‐trans‐tetrahydrofurans. This reaction utilizes cheap and easily available starting materials. A domino hydrolysis and intramolecular Michael‐type ring closure reaction was the key step. As a result, synthesis of the desired 3‐methyl‐2,5‐trans‐tetrahydrofurans could be achieved in gram‐scale over seven linear steps with high chemical yield and high diastereoselectivity.

The exocyst complex plays multiple roles via tethering secretory or recycling vesicles to the plasma membrane. Previous studies have demonstrated that the exocyst contains eight components, which possibly have some redundant but distinct functions. It is therefore interesting to investigate the biological function of each component. Here, we found that Sec3, one component of exocyst complex, is involved in Drosophila egg chamber development. Loss of sec3 results in egg chamber fusion through the abolishment of cell differentiation. In addition, loss of sec3 increases cell numbers but decreases cell size. These defects phenocopy Notch pathway inactivation. In line with this, loss of sec3 indeed leads to Notch protein accumulation, suggesting that the loss of Sec3 inhibits the delivery of Notch onto the plasma membrane and accumulates inactive Notch in the cytoplasm. Loss of sec3 also leads to the ectopic expression of two Notch pathway target genes, Cut and FasciclinIII, which should normally be downregulated by Notch. Altogether, our study revealed that Sec3 governs egg chamber development through the regulation of Notch, and provides fresh insights into the regulation of oogenesis.

Advanced China Power 100 (ACP100) is a kind of multi-purpose small modular reactor (SMR) based on the present pressurized water reactor (PWR) technology. It adopts the integrated reactor technology routes, satisfies the current nuclear safety codes and guides issued by National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA), and also refers to the safety standards of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In the design phase, Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) technology plays an important role to demonstrate the total safety level, identify the design vulnerabilities, and provide suggestions for the improvement of ACP100. After the brief summary of the level 1 PSA and its risk-informed design method, the level 1 PSA analysis was carried out for ACP100. The identification of initiating events (IEs), the event tree analysis, fault tree analysis and accident sequence quantification were performed. The main PSA results are shown in the paper, such as core damage frequency (CDF), dominating accident sequences, significant common cause failures (CCF). Finally, different design options and their impacts on risk which can be reflected by risk return were evaluated to avoid using the risk-increased design based on the quantitative risk calculation for the sake of increasing the ACP100’s safety. Consequently, the results show that the point estimated value of the total CDF of level 1 IEs PSA for operations at power of ACP100 is 1.42E-07/ry. After the design improvement proposed in this paper, the CDF (point estimate) of ACP100 can be reduced to 6.78E−08/ry. The risk were obviously reduced and the safety of the ACP100 is significant improved. This research provides a technical reference for future new nuclear reactor design.

Described herein is a concise total synthesis of (+)-brazilin from readily available 4-bromo-1,2-dimethoxybenzene. In this synthetic route, a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation was employed to introduce the chiral hydroxyl group, and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) catalyzed one-pot intramolecular tandem Prins/Friedel-Crafts reaction was also involved as the key transformation in the construction of the hybrid chromane and indane framework.

A concise and straightforward total synthetic approach towards lycorine-type alkaloid (−)-γ-lycorane has been achieved in 7 steps. The key feature of the route is the employment of a palladium-catalyzed aromatic C H alkylation of unactivated secondary alkyl iodide. The synthetic protocols also involve a palladium-catalyzed deracemization of allylic carbonate, a Johnson-Claisen rearrangement and an iodocyclization.

Plastid isoprenoids, a diverse group of compounds that includes carotenoids, chlorophylls, tocopherols, and multiple hormones, are essential for plant growth and development. Here, we identified and characterized SEED CAROTENOID DEFICIENT (SCD), which encodes an enzyme that functions in the biosynthesis of plastid isoprenoids in maize (Zea mays). SCD converts 2C-methyl-d-erytrithol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate to 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate in the penultimate step of the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway. In scd mutants, plant growth and development are impaired and the levels of MEP-derived isoprenoids, such as carotenoids, chlorophylls, and tocopherols, as well as abscisic and gibberellic acids, are reduced in leaves and seeds. This scd metabolic alteration varies among plant tissues and under different light conditions. RNA-sequencing of the scd mutant and wild type identified a limited number of differentially expressed genes in the MEP pathway, although isoprenoid levels were significantly reduced in scd seeds and dark-grown leaves. Furthermore, SCD-overexpressing transgenic lines showed little or no differences in isoprenoid levels, indicating that SCD may be subject to posttranslational regulation or not represent a rate-limiting step in the MEP pathway. These results enhance our understanding of the transcriptomic and metabolic regulatory roles of enzymes in the MEP pathway and of their effects on downstream isoprenoid pathways in various plant tissues and under different light conditions.

Group A protein phosphatase 2Cs (PP2Cs) are abscisic acid (ABA) co-receptors that negatively regulate the ABA signaling pathway by inhibiting the downstream SnRK2 protein kinases. It has long been observed that exogenous ABA treatments dramatically induce the expression of group A PP2C genes, but the underlying molecular mechanisms and the biological significance remain largely unknown. Here, by using GUS reporter transgenic lines in which various lengths of ABI1 and ABI2 promoters were used to drive GUS gene expression, we defined the promoter fragments that confer ABA inducibility to ABI1 and ABI2. We further showed that ABRE-binding factors (ABFs), the bZIP family transcription factors, directly bind to the promoters of group A PP2C genes, and mediate rapid induction of their expression on exogenous ABA treatments. Moreover, our data indicated that ABA dramatically induces the expression of ABF genes and the accumulation of endogenous ABF proteins, and that ABFs themselves are involved in this induction, thus providing another layer of ABA regulation towards ABF proteins in addition to the well-characterized ABA-induced phosphorylation by SnRK2 protein kinases. Together, our data demonstrate that ABFs mediate rapid ABA induction of group A PP2C genes, thus playing a role in the negative feedback regulation of ABA signaling.

The reversible phosphorylation of proteins by kinases and phosphatases is an antagonistic process that modulates many cellular functions. Protein phosphatases are usually negatively regulated by inhibitor proteins. During abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, these inhibitor proteins comprise PYR1/PYL/RCAR ABA receptors, which inhibit the core negative regulators, the clade A type 2C protein phosphatases (PP2Cs). However, it is not known whether these PP2Cs are positively regulated by other proteins. Here, we identified an Arabidopsis thaliana ear1 (enhancer of aba co-receptor1) mutant that exhibits pleiotropic ABA-hypersensitive phenotypes. EAR1 encodes an uncharacterized protein that is conserved in both monocots and dicots. EAR1 interacts with the N-terminal inhibition domains of all six PP2Cs, ABA INSENSITIVE1 (ABI1), ABI2, HYPERSENSITIVE TO ABA1 (HAB1), HAB2, ABA-HYPERSENSITIVE GERMINATION1 (AHG1), and AHG3, during ABA signaling and enhances the activity of PP2Cs both in vitro and in vivo. ABA treatment caused EAR1 to accumulate in the nucleus. These results indicate that EAR1 is a negative regulator of ABA signaling that enhances the activity of PP2Cs by interacting with and releasing the N-terminal autoinhibition of these proteins.

Nostosins A and B were isolated from a hydrophilic extract of Nostoc sp. strain from Iran, which exhibits excellent tryps inhibitory activity. Nostosin A was the most potent natural tripeptide aldehyde as trypsin inhibitor up to now. Both R‐ and S‐2‐hydroxy‐4‐(4‐hydroxy‐phenyl) butanoic acid (Hhpba) were prepared and incorporated into the total synthesis of nostosin B, respectively. Careful comparison of the NMR spectra and optical rotation data of synthetic nostosin B (1a and 1b) with the natural product led to the unambiguous identification of the R‐configuration of the Hhpba fragment, which was further confirmed by co‐injection with the authentic sample on HPLC using both reversed phase column and the chiral AD‐RH column.

We described a novel stereoselective total synthesis of (–)-(6S,2′R)-cryptocaryalactone, a natural product containing syn/anti-6,8-diol/5,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-2-one unit. The approach, which characterised a highly diastereoselective chelation-controlled Mukaiyama aldol reaction of a benzyl-protected aldehyde and a Yamaguchi lactonisation of a δ-hydroxy-trans-α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid, is an alternative synthetic strategy towards cryptocaryalactones.

Ieodomycin B, which shows in vitro antimicrobial activity, was isolated from a marine Bacillus species. A novel asymmetric total synthetic approach to ieodomycin B using commercially available geraniol was achieved. The approach involves the generation of 1,3-trans-dihydroxyl at C-3 and C-5 positions via a Crimmins-modified Evans aldol reaction and a chelation-controlled Mukaiyama aldol reaction of a p-methoxybenzyl-protected aldehyde, as well as the generation of a lactone ring in a deprotection-lactonization one-pot reaction.

Herein, a convergent, practicable and first total synthesis of the natural product, (&plusmn, )-methyl salvianolate A, is reported. The key features of the approach are the use of a Horner&ndash, Wadsworth&ndash, Emmons reaction and the protection of multiple hydroxyls using silyl protecting groups. The employment of the readily removable silyl protecting groups allows the synthesis of (&plusmn, )-methyl salvianolate A and its derivatives on a reasonably large scale.

Plant diversity surely determines arthropod diversity, but only moderate correlations between arthropod and plant species richness had been observed until Basset et al. (2012, Science 338: 1481-1484) finally undertook an unprecedentedly comprehensive sampling of a tropical forest and demonstrated that plant species richness could indeed accurately predict arthropod species richness. We now require a high-throughput pipeline to operationalize this result so that we can (1) test competing explanations for tropical arthropod megadiversity, (2) improve estimates of global eukaryotic species diversity, and (3) use plant and arthropod communities as efficient proxies for each other, thus improving the efficiency of conservation planning and of detecting forest degradation and recovery. We therefore applied metabarcoding to Malaise-trap samples across two tropical landscapes in China. We demonstrate that plant species richness can accurately predict arthropod (mostly insect) species richness and that plant and insect community compositions are highly correlated, even in landscapes that are large, heterogeneous, and anthropogenically modified. Finally, we review how metabarcoding makes feasible highly replicated tests of the major competing explanations for tropical megadiversity.