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Purpose: There is a wealth of value hidden in regional cultural heritage, but its preservation status is not optimistic. This study introduces a method that focuses on the inherent cultural value of regional cultural heritage to preserve it by value construction and release. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the great value of regional cultural heritage due to spatial adjacency and temporal continuity, this paper focuses on its inherent cultural value to explore the preservation path and chooses Shichahai cultural heritage digital resources for a case study. This paper draws lessons from the narrative method of ancient Chinese historiography, constructs a cultural space and tells cultural stories. A linked data organization model for digital resources is created to construct a conceptual cultural space. Then, the space is materialized by linked dataset creation. The authors tell cultural stories discovered from the space, which are presented by various user interfaces using visualization technologies. Findings: A cultural space promotes the development of a fine-grained description of regional cultural heritage and aids in relationship discovery to enhance the value construction ability. Additionally, storytelling via interactive user interfaces is helpful in the utilization and dissemination of knowledge extracted from a cultural space and enhances the value release of regional cultural heritage. In this way, a path with the inherent cultural value of regional cultural heritage as the core is established, and preservation is achieved. Originality/value: This study focuses on the inherent cultural value of regional cultural heritage and proposes a new path to preserve these resources. This approach will enrich research on the preservation of regional cultural heritage and contribute to the construction and release of its cultural value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of protein targets that exhibit anti‐aging clinical potential could inform interventions to lengthen the human health span. Most previous proteomics research has been focused on chronological age instead of longevity. We leveraged two large population‐based prospective cohorts with long follow‐ups to evaluate the proteomic signature of longevity defined by survival to 90 years of age. Plasma proteomics was measured using a SOMAscan assay in 3067 participants from the Cardiovascular Health Study (discovery cohort) and 4690 participants from the Age Gene/Environment Susceptibility‐Reykjavik Study (replication cohort). Logistic regression identified 211 significant proteins in the CHS cohort using a Bonferroni‐adjusted threshold, of which 168 were available in the replication cohort and 105 were replicated (corrected p value <0.05). The most significant proteins were GDF‐15 and N‐terminal pro‐BNP in both cohorts. A parsimonious protein‐based prediction model was built using 33 proteins selected by LASSO with 10‐fold cross‐validation and validated using 27 available proteins in the validation cohort. This protein model outperformed a basic model using traditional factors (demographics, height, weight, and smoking) by improving the AUC from 0.658 to 0.748 in the discovery cohort and from 0.755 to 0.802 in the validation cohort. We also found that the associations of 169 out of 211 proteins were partially mediated by physical and/or cognitive function. These findings could contribute to the identification of biomarkers and pathways of aging and potential therapeutic targets to delay aging and age‐related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NAC transcription factors are widely distributed in the plant kingdom and play an important role in the response to various abiotic stresses in plant species. Tritipyrum, an octoploid derived from hybridization of Triticum aestivum (AABBDD) and Thinopyrum elongatum (EE), is an important genetic resource for integrating the desirable traits of Th. elongatum into wheat. In this study, we investigated the tissue distribution and expression of Tritipyrum NAC genes in the whole genomes of T. aestivum and Th. elongatum after obtaining their complete genome sequences. Based on phylogenetic relationships, conserved motifs, gene synthesis, evolutionary analysis, and expression patterns, we identified and characterized 732 Tritipyrum NAC genes. These genes were divided into six main groups (A, B, C, D, E, and G) based on phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary studies, with members of these groups sharing the same motif composition. The 732 TtNAC genes are widely distributed across 28 chromosomes and include 110 duplicated genes. Gene synthesis analysis indicated that the NAC gene family may have a common ancestor. Transcriptome data and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) expression profiles showed 68 TtNAC genes to be highly expressed in response to various salt stress and recovery treatments. Tel3E01T644900 (TtNAC477) was particularly sensitive to salt stress and belongs to the same clade as the salt tolerance genes ANAC019 and ANAC055 in Arabidopsis. Pearson correlation analysis identified 751 genes that correlated positively with expression of TtNAC477, and these genes are enriched in metabolic activities, cellular processes, stimulus responses, and biological regulation. TtNAC477 was found to be highly expressed in roots, stems, and leaves in response to salt stress, as confirmed by real-time PCR. These findings suggest that TtNAC477 is associated with salt tolerance in plants and might serve as a valuable exogenous gene for enhancing salt tolerance in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Herein, the effect of pre-use of Dexmedetomidine(Dex) on the half-effective dose (ED50) and 95%-effective dose (ED95) of Remimazolam tosilate(RT) in inhibiting the positive cardiovascular response(CR) which means blood pressure or heart rate rises above a critical threshold induced by double-lumen bronchial intubation was evaluated. Methods: Patients who underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery were divided into groups A (0), B (0.5 µg/kg), and C (1 µg/kg) based on different Dex doses. Group A included subgroups comprising young (A-Y) and elderly (A-O) patients. Neither groups B nor C included elderly patients due of the sedative effect of Dex. Based on the previous subject's CR, the dose of RT was increased or decreased in the next patient using the sequential method. This trial would be terminated when the seventh crossover occurred, at which point the sample size met the stable estimate of the target dose. Heart rate (HR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were monitored throughout the trial, and sedation was assessed using the Modified Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation (MOAA/S) scale. HR and MAP were recorded at baseline (T1), the end of Dex (T2), and the end of RT (T3), the maximum HR and MAP were recorded within 3 min of intubation from beginning to end (T4). There was a positive CR when the T4 levels rose above 15% of the baseline. The ED50/ED95 and corresponding confidence interval were calculated using probability regression. Results: In total, 114 patients completed the trial. Without the use of Dex, the ED50/ED95 of TR inhibiting the positive CR caused by double-lumen bronchial intubation was 0.198/0.227 and 0.155/0.181 mg/kg in groups A-Y and A-O, respectively. The changes in vital signs from T1 to T3 were similar in the subgroups, indicating that the elderly patients were more sensitive to the dose of RT. The ED50/ED95 of RT inhibiting the positive CR caused by double-lumen endobronchial intubation was 0.122/0.150 and 0.068/0.084 mg/kg in groups B and C, respectively. And, the fluctuation of blood pressure from T3 to T4 was reduced by using Dex. RT was 100% effective in sedation with no significant inhibition of circulation. Apart from one case of hypotension occurred in group A-Y, two cases of low HR in group B, and one case of low HR in group C, no other adverse events were noted. Conclusions: The optimal dose of RT to inhibit positive CR induced by double-lumen bronchial intubation in elderly patients was 0.18 mg/kg and 0.23 mg/kg in younger patients. When the pre-use dose of Dex was 0.5 µg/kg, the optimal dose to inhibit positive CR of RT was 0.15 mg/kg. And, when the pre-use dose of Dex was 1 µg/kg, the optimal dose of RT was 0.9 mg/kg. Clinical trial registration: NCT05631028. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantum spin Hall state materials have recently attracted much attention owing to their potential applications in the design of spintronic devices. Based on density functional theory calculations and crystal field theory, we study electronic structures and topological properties of functionalized thallene films. Two different hydrogenation styles (Tl2H and Tl2H2) are considered, which can drastically vary the electronic and topological behaviors of the thallene. Due to the C3v symmetry of the two systems, the px and py orbitals at the Γ point have the non-Dirac band degeneracy. With spin–orbit coupling (SOC), topological nontrivial band gaps can be generated, giving rise to non-Dirac quantum spin Hall states in the two thallium hydride films. The nontrivial band gap for the monolayer Tl2H is very large (855 meV) due to the large on-site SOC of Tl px and py orbitals. The band gap in Tl2H2 is, however, small due to the band inversion between the Tl px/y and pz orbitals. It is worth noting that both the Tl2H and Tl2H2 monolayers exhibit strong Rashba spin splitting effects, especially for the monolayer Tl2H2 (αR = 2.52 eVÅ), rationalized well by the breaking of the structural inversion symmetry. The Rashba effect can be tuned sensitively by applying biaxial strain and external electric fields. Our findings provide an ideal platform for fabricating room-temperature spintronic and topological electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantum spin Hall state materials have recently attracted much attention owing to their potential applications in the design of spintronic devices. Based on density functional theory calculations and crystal field theory, we study electronic structures and topological properties of functionalized thallene films. Two different hydrogenation styles (Tl2H and Tl2H2) are considered, which can drastically vary the electronic and topological behaviors of the thallene. Due to the C3v symmetry of the two systems, the px and py orbitals at the Γ point have the non-Dirac band degeneracy. With spin–orbit coupling (SOC), topological nontrivial band gaps can be generated, giving rise to non-Dirac quantum spin Hall states in the two thallium hydride films. The nontrivial band gap for the monolayer Tl2H is very large (855 meV) due to the large on-site SOC of Tl px and py orbitals. The band gap in Tl2H2 is, however, small due to the band inversion between the Tl px/y and pz orbitals. It is worth noting that both the Tl2H and Tl2H2 monolayers exhibit strong Rashba spin splitting effects, especially for the monolayer Tl2H2 (αR = 2.52 eVÅ), rationalized well by the breaking of the structural inversion symmetry. The Rashba effect can be tuned sensitively by applying biaxial strain and external electric fields. Our findings provide an ideal platform for fabricating room-temperature spintronic and topological electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon‐focused climate mitigation strategies are becoming increasingly important in forests. However, with ongoing biodiversity declines we require better knowledge of how much such strategies account for biodiversity. We particularly lack information across multiple trophic levels and on established forests, where the interplay between carbon stocks, stand age, and tree diversity might influence carbon–biodiversity relationships. Using a large dataset (>4600 heterotrophic species of 23 taxonomic groups) from secondary, subtropical forests, we tested how multitrophic diversity and diversity within trophic groups relate to aboveground, belowground, and total carbon stocks at different levels of tree species richness and stand age. Our study revealed that aboveground carbon, the key component of climate‐based management, was largely unrelated to multitrophic diversity. By contrast, total carbon stocks—that is, including belowground carbon—emerged as a significant predictor of multitrophic diversity. Relationships were nonlinear and strongest for lower trophic levels, but nonsignificant for higher trophic level diversity. Tree species richness and stand age moderated these relationships, suggesting long‐term regeneration of forests may be particularly effective in reconciling carbon and biodiversity targets. Our findings highlight that biodiversity benefits of climate‐oriented management need to be evaluated carefully, and only maximizing aboveground carbon may fail to account for biodiversity conservation requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The AP2/ERF transcription factor is widely distributed across the plant kingdom and plays a crucial role in various abiotic stress responses in plants. Tritipyrum, an octoploid resulting from an intergeneric cross between Triticum aestivum (AABBDD) and Thinopyrum elongatum (EE), is a valuable source of germplasm for incorporating superior traits of Th. elongatum into T. aestivum. With the recent availability of whole -genome sequences for T. aestivum and Th. elongatum, we explored the organization and expression profiling of Tritipyrum AP2/ERF genes across the entire genome. Our investigation identified 543 Tritipyrum AP2/ERF genes, which evolutionary analysis categorized into four major groups (AP2, DREB, ERF, and RAV), whose members share a conserved motif composition. These 543 TtAP2/ERF genes were distributed throughout 28 chromosomes, with 132 duplications. Synteny analysis suggests that the AP2/ERF gene family may have a common ancestor. Transcriptome data and Real-Time PCR expression profiles revealed 43 TtAP2/ERF genes with high expression levels in response to various salt stressors and recovery regimens. Tel2E01T236300 (TtERF_B2-50) was particularly salt stress-sensitive and evolutionarily related to the salt-tolerant gene AtERF7 in A. thaliana. Pearson correlation analysis identified 689 genes positively correlated (R > 0.9) with TtERF_B2-50 expression, enriched in metabolic activities, cellular processes, stimulus response, and biological regulation. Real-time PCR showed that TtERF_B2-50 was highly expressed in roots, stems, and leaves under salt stress. These findings suggest that TtERF_B2-50 may be associated with salt stress tolerance and may serve as a valuable foreign gene for enhancing salt tolerance in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perhaps as much as any other scientist in the 20th century, J.P. Grime transformed the study of plant ecology and helped shepherd the field toward international prominence as a nexus of ideas related to global environmental change. Editors at the Journal of Ecology asked a group of senior plant ecologists to comment on Grime's scientific legacy.This commentary piece includes individual responses of 14 scientists from around the world attesting to Grime's foundational role in plant functional ecology, including his knack for sparking controversy, his unique approach to theory formulation involving clever experiments and standardized trait measurements of large numbers of species, and the continued impact of his work on ecological science and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Optimal systolic BP (SBP) control in nursing home residents is uncertain, largely because this population has been excluded from clinical trials. We examined the association of SBP levels with the risk of cardiovascular (CV) events and mortality in Veterans Affairs (VA) nursing home residents on different numbers of antihypertensive medications. Methods: Our study included 36,634 residents aged ≥65 years with a VA nursing home stay of ≥90 days from October 2006–June 2019. SBP was averaged over the first week after admission and divided into categories. Cause‐specific hazard ratios (HRs) of SBP categories with CV events (primary outcome) and all‐cause mortality (secondary outcome) were examined using Cox regression and multistate modeling stratified by the number of antihypertensive medications used at admission (0, 1 or 2, and ≥3 medications). Results: More than 76% of residents were on antihypertensive therapy and 20% received ≥3 medications. In residents on antihypertensive therapy, a low SBP < 110 mmHg (compared with SBP 130 ~ 149 mmHg) was associated with a greater CV risk (adjusted HR [95% confidence interval]: 1.47 [1.28–1.68] in 1 or 2 medications group, and 1.41 [1.19–1.67] in ≥3 medications group). In residents on no antihypertensives, both low SBP < 110 mmHg and high SBP ≥ 150 mmHg were associated with higher mortality; while in residents receiving any antihypertensives, a low SBP was associated with higher mortality and the highest point estimates were for SBP < 110 mmHg (1.36 [1.28–1.45] in 1 or 2 medications group, and 1.47 [1.31–1.64] in ≥3 medications group). Conclusions: The associations of SBP with CV and mortality risk varied by the intensity of antihypertensive treatment among VA nursing home residents. A low SBP among those receiving antihypertensives was associated with increased CV and mortality risk, and untreated high SBP was associated with higher mortality. More research is needed on the benefits and harms of SBP lowering in long‐term care populations. See related Editorial by Pajewski et al. in this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider a stochastic food chain chemostat model with variable yields. First, we prove the stochastic model has a unique global positive solution. Second, by employing suitable Lyapunov functions, Itô ′ s formula and some other important inequalities, the existence of a unique ergodic stationary distribution of a stochastic food chain chemostat model is researched, which can help us better understand the statistical characteristics of stochastic food chain chemostat models. Second, we investigate the extinction of the microorganism and the bacteria. Moreover, the case of extinction for bacteria but persistence for microbial species is considered. Finally, some numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate our theoretical results and the influence of the variable yields on the microorganism and the bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve a series of problems in the current feeding process, such as inaccuracy, unevenness and high labour costs, a precision feeding system for largemouth bass was developed by integrating feeding management model, water quality monitoring system, fish feeding activity sensor, automatic feeding machine and software platform. Based on the analysis of the growth data of largemouth bass and the bioenergetics principle, the feeding management model for predicting the growth, feed requirements and waste output of largemouth bass was constructed and validated under different culture modes. The real-time DO parameters were used to fine-tune the feed requirements predicted by the model. The feed requirements were then further precisely adjusted by combining the intensity of fish feeding activities. The web platform client used supported the access of any browser and provided a visual interface for software users. The experimental results showed that the feeding management model provides reliable estimates of growth, feed requirements and waste output for largemouth bass. The function of dynamically adjusting the model and feeding parameters through feedback and production data provided by cloud serves or users improved the application effectiveness and scope of the system. The system comprehensively considered multiple factors such as fish biological characteristics, physiological stages, feed nutrients composition, environmental factors and fish appetite, and incorporated relevant technologies or equipment to provide an effective tool for users to shift from experience-driven to knowledge-driven approaches to better optimise production and feeding, thereby improving the economic benefits and environmental sustainability of aquaculture. • Nutritional model provides reliable estimates of fish growth, feed requirement and N, P waste output. • Feedback from real-time water quality monitor improves accuracy of feeding requirement. • Fish feeding activity sensor precisely adjusts feed requirement. • Combination of model, water quality and feeding behaviour precisely determines fish feeding amount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biological mechanisms underlying decline in physical function with age remain unclear. We examined the plasma proteomic profile associated with longitudinal changes in physical function measured by gait speed and grip strength in community‐dwelling adults. We applied an aptamer‐based platform to assay 1154 plasma proteins on 2854 participants (60% women, aged 76 years) in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) in 1992–1993 and 1130 participants (55% women, aged 54 years) in the Framingham Offspring Study (FOS) in 1991–1995. Gait speed and grip strength were measured annually for 7 years in CHS and at cycles 7 (1998–2001) and 8 (2005–2008) in FOS. The associations of individual protein levels (log‐transformed and standardized) with longitudinal changes in gait speed and grip strength in two populations were examined separately by linear mixed‐effects models. Meta‐analyses were implemented using random‐effects models and corrected for multiple testing. We found that plasma levels of 14 and 18 proteins were associated with changes in gait speed and grip strength, respectively (corrected p < 0.05). The proteins most strongly associated with gait speed decline were GDF‐15 (Meta‐analytic p = 1.58 × 10−15), pleiotrophin (1.23 × 10−9), and TIMP‐1 (5.97 × 10−8). For grip strength decline, the strongest associations were for carbonic anhydrase III (1.09 × 10−7), CDON (2.38 × 10−7), and SMOC1 (7.47 × 10−7). Several statistically significant proteins are involved in the inflammatory responses or antagonism of activin by follistatin pathway. These novel proteomic biomarkers and pathways should be further explored as future mechanisms and targets for age‐related functional decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are vital regulators in both plants and animals. Therefore, it is highly desirable to develop portable and user‐friendly biosensors for convenient and sensitive detection of miRNAs. Herein, a novel paper‐based electrochemical biosensor was intelligently engineered for the detection of plant miRNA based on a smart DNA walking machine and λ‐exonuclease (λ‐Exo)‐assisted target recycling amplification. Using TaMIR5086 as a target plant miRNA, the presence of TaMIR5086 could initiate the target recycling process and activate the DNA walker to move along the track on the paper. Then, numerous electroactive molecules‐labeled single‐strand DNA (ssDNA) would be released and adsorbed onto the surface of screen‐printed electrode, generating a remarkably increased electrochemical signal. Benefitting from the dual amplification, the developed biosensor exhibits excellent analytical performance toward TaMIR5086 with a detection limit down to 0.37 pmol/L. Furthermore, the paper‐based biosensor could be applied for the analysis of target miRNA in complex biological samples, which found great potential in the fields of miRNA analysis and plant biology research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Apricot kernel, a woody oil tree species, is known for the high oil content of its almond that can be used as an ideal feedstock for biodiesel production. However, apricot kernel is vulnerable to spring frost, resulting in reduced or even no yield. There are no effective countermeasures in production, and the molecular mechanisms underlying freezing resistance are not well understood. Results: We used transcriptome and hormone profiles to investigate differentially responsive hormones and their associated co-expression patterns of gene networks in the pistils of two apricot kernel cultivars with different cold resistances under freezing stress. The levels of auxin (IAA and ICA), cytokinin (IP and tZ), salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA and ILE-JA) were regulated differently, especially IAA between two cultivars, and external application of an IAA inhibitor and SA increased the spring frost resistance of the pistils of apricot kernels. We identified one gene network containing 65 hub genes highly correlated with IAA. Among these genes, three genes in auxin signaling pathway and three genes in brassinosteroid biosynthesis were identified. Moreover, some hub genes in this network showed a strong correlation such as protein kinases (PKs)-hormone related genes (HRGs), HRGs-HRGs and PKs-Ca2+ related genes. Conclusions: Ca2+, brassinosteroid and some regulators (such as PKs) may be involved in an auxin-mediated freezing response of apricot kernels. These findings add to our knowledge of the freezing response of apricot kernels and may provide new ideas for frost prevention measures and high cold–resistant apricot breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effects of different light conditions on the growth of pepper seedlings and the development of these pepper seedlings after transplanting were explored. Based on the control light, pepper seedlings were grown under radiation with different proportions of added blue, UV-A, and far-red light for 18 days. Compared with the control, supplementation with UV-A and far-red light increased the seedling height whereas blue light decreased. Blue and UV-A treatments increased seedling compactness and the seedling index while far-red light treatments have obvious inhibitory effects. The chlorophyll content of the UV-A treated seedlings was significantly increased, but far-red light reduced the carotenoid content. Far-red light increased the activities of SOD and CAT and decreased the MDA content of seedlings. After transplanting, there was no obvious difference in the flowering time of all treated pepper plants. An increase in pepper yield was discovered when pepper seedlings were supplemented with blue and UV-A light. Overall, our results demonstrated that proper supplementation of UV-A and blue light at the seedling stage positively produces strong and healthy pepper seedlings, and could increase the yield of pepper plants after transplanting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal nonessential for plants; this toxic metal accumulation in crops has significant adverse effects on human health. The crosstalk between copper (Cu) and Cd has been reported; however, the molecular mechanisms remain unknown. The present study investigated the function of wheat Cu transporter 3D (TaCOPT3D) in Cd tolerance. The TaCOPT3D transcripts significantly accumulated in wheat roots under Cd stress. Furthermore, TaCOPT3D-overexpressing lines were compared to wildtype (WT) plants to test the role of TaCOPT3D in Cd stress response. Under 20 mM Cd treatment, TaCOPT3D-overexpressing lines exhibited more biomass and lower root, shoot, and grain Cd accumulation than the WT plants. In addition, overexpression of TaCOPT3D decreased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and increased the active antioxidant enzymes under Cd conditions. Moreover, the transcription factor (TF) TaWRKY22, which targeted the TaCOPT3D promoter, was identified in the regulatory pathway of TaCOPT3D under Cd stress. Taken together, these results show that TaCOPT3D plays an important role in regulating plant adaptation to cadmium stress through bound by TaWRKY22. These findings suggest that TaCOPT3D is a potential candidate for decreasing Cd accumulation in wheat through genetic engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demand for neodymium (III) and samarium (III) due to their extensive high-tech applications has drawn much attention to their recovery. In this work, the copper-based metal-organic framework HKUST-1 was prepared and used for the adsorption of neodymium (III) and samarium (III) in the media of an aqueous solution. The maximum adsorption capacity of the material for neodymium (III) and samarium (III) was 284.11 and 503.45 mg g−1 at a pH of 5.5, respectively. The adsorption removal rate could achieve nearly 100% at the solid-to-liquid ratio of 1.0 g L−1, which is relatively excellent among such adsorbents used for rare earth elements uptake. The mechanism and reversibility of neodymium (III) and samarium (III) adsorption were systematically investigated by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectra, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, suggesting that the mechanism for the adsorption was ion exchange and complexation between trivalent rare-earth ions and the oxygen atom in the hydroxyl group. The reason behind the material displaying a more robust affinity for samarium (III) may be caused by the energy difference between fn and fn+1 states of samarium (III) was larger than that of neodymium (III), thus forming stronger covalent bonding. HKUST-1 exhibited high adsorption capacity towards Nd (III) and Sm (III). The reason behind the material displaying a more robust affinity for Sm(III) was caused by that the energy difference between fn and fn+1 states of Sm(III) was larger than that of Nd(III), thus forming stronger covalent bonding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triticum timopheevii (AtAtGG) was previously cultivated in western Georgia, and Triticum zhukovskyi (AtAtGGAmAm) is a natural allohexaploid originating from hybridization of T. timopheevii and Triticum monococcum (AmAm). In this study, two synthetic amphiploids (Triticum timococcum, AtAtGGAmAm), Syn‐AtGAm‐20 and Syn‐AtGAm‐21, were developed by chromosome doubling of F1 hybrids between T. timopheevii and T. monococcum. Chromosomes of these two amphiploids were identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) utilizing oligonucleotide probes Oligo‐pSc119.2‐1, Oligo‐pTa535‐1, Oligo‐pTa71‐2 and Oligo‐(AAC)7. Each amphiploid had 42 chromosomes derived from its parents, but the Glu‐A1mx subunits from einkorn were both not expressed. Syn‐AtGAm‐20 had low average seed setting rates of 19.86% and 20.50% in two different years, with abnormal spikes similar to those reported before. Syn‐AtGAm‐21 had normal spikes with average seed setting rates of 65.88% and 61.56% in two different years, comparable with those of natural T. zhukovskyi. However, the relationship between Syn‐AtGAm‐21 and natural T. zhukovskyi requires further study. This research provides new materials for studying the origin of T. zhukovskyi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the powerful affinity of tannin toward heavy metal ions, it is frequently immobilized on adsorbents to enhance their adsorption properties. However, natural adsorbents containing tannin have been overlooked owing to its water solubility. Herein, a novel natural adsorbent based on the immature persimmon residue (IPR) with soluble tannin removed was fabricated to eliminate Pb(II) and Cr(VI) in aquatic environments. The insoluble tannin in IPR endowed it with prosperous properties for eliminating Pb(II) and Cr(VI), and the IPR achieved maximum Pb(II) and Cr(VI) adsorption quantities of 68.79 mg/g and 139.40 mg/g, respectively. Kinetics and isothermal adsorption analysis demonstrated that the removal behavior was controlled by monolayer chemical adsorption. Moreover, the IPR exhibited satisfactory Pb(II) and Cr(VI) removal efficiencies even in the presence of multiple coexisting ions and showed promising regeneration potential after undergoing five consecutive cycles. Additionally, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and density functional theory (DFT) analysis unveiled that the elimination mechanisms were primarily electrostatic attraction, chelation and reduction. Overall, the IPR, as a tannin-containing biosorbent, was verified to possess substantial potential for heavy metal removal, which can provide new insights into the development of novel natural adsorbents from the perspective of waste resource utilization. • Immature persimmon residue (IPR) was a waste after soluble tannin extraction • IPR with low-cost and no pollution was applied as a potential biosorbent • Insoluble polymeric tannin endowed the IPR with outstanding adsorption property • IPR exhibited eminent anti-interference ability and reusability • Using FTIR, XPS analyses and DFT calculation elucidated its adsorption mechanism [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Point of interest (POI) is essential to urban scene understanding and location-based services. However, most of the POI data sets are collected manually on the spot, which is time-consuming and laborious. In this study, we propose a deep learning-based three-stage framework to automatically generate POI data sets from scene images by integrating instance segmentation, scene text recognition (STR), and multimodal technology. Firstly, we utilize an instance segmentation model to extract the region of interest (ROI) that contains POI text information from the scene images. Secondly, a STR method is used to locate and identify the text lines from the ROI. Thirdly, we develop a novel visual-linguistic multi-task classification model (VLMC) to classify ROIs and text lines through fusing text and image information. It is the first deep learning-based framework that allows generating POI information with different attributes (such as title, address, and tag) from the text lines of scene images and updating with high-performance models in the three-stage technique. In the experiments, we employ multiple STR data sets and annotated street view images for model training. The result shows that the deep learning-based framework can generate POI records from scene images with high accuracy (F1-score = 52.62%). Moreover, we find that the multi-modal VLMC model integrating the linguistic and visual embeddings has a higher accuracy in POI-generation than single-modal methods. We further use a trained framework to generate POI from Baidu Street View (BSV) images and Tencent Street View (TSV) images in Shenzhen, China, and ultimately obtain a long-term POI data set during 2013 – 2020 with 2,699,895 street view images. Of 815,616 records in the generated POI data set in 2020, 70.94% are covered by the existing Baidu POI data set of Shenzhen in 2013. This confirms the validity of the newly generated POI data set. These results demonstrate that the proposed deep-learning POI-generation framework and dataset can provide new insights for geographic data updating and urban scene understanding for fast growing cities. To facilitate future research, an implementation is made available at https://github.com/KampauCheung/scene-image-poi-generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A high-throughput EMC was developed for simultaneous analysis of multiplex miRNA. • LIG electrode array was integrated into microfluidic chip to construct a novel EMC. • Enzyme-aided target recycling and nanoprobes enable the specificity and sensitivity. • Multiplex miRNAs assay was achieved with low LOD and wide linear range. • The EMC has a high accuracy for differentiating cancer patients and healthy donors. Because a cancer process is always associated with several microRNAs (miRNAs), therefore, sensing devices that can simultaneously detect multiplex tumor-signature miRNAs are urgently needed for improving the accuracy of the early cancer diagnosis. Herein, a high-throughput electrochemical microfluidic chip (EMC) is devised for simultaneous analysis of multiplex miRNAs with high sensitivity and selectivity. Specifically, laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrode array was directly wrote on a polyimide (PI) film in a flexible fashion and further integrated with microfluidic channel to construct a EMC sensing platform. Moreover, enzyme-assisted target recycling amplification was employed to amplify the output of assistant DNA for capturing more nanoprobes to ensure the sensitivity and specificity. The feasibility and high performance of the EMS sensing platform were demonstrated by the precise multiplexed quantification of miR-21, miR-1246, and miR-155 at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 1000 pM in a single 18 μL sample with detection limits down to 0.17 pM, 0.24 pM, and 0.11 pM, respectively. For practical application, the expression of multiplex miRNAs in exosomes and clinical serum samples can be assessed in a single-pot assay with low sample requirement. The results showed that the expression level of three miRNAs had a high accuracy for the discrimination of breast cancer patients and healthy donors, demonstrating the great potential of EMC in miRNA-based early cancer diagnosis. Therefore, the proposed EMC sensor is an efficient lab-on-chip device for multiplex miRNAs assay, which opens new avenue for preparing EMC sensing chip for non-invasive early cancer diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkynylsilanes are an important class of organic compounds and dehydrogenative coupling of hydrosilanes with terminal alkynes provides a convenient and simple route to alkynylsilanes. On the other hand, calcium is an abundant, biocompatible, and environmentally friendly element and using organocalcium complexes as catalytic reagents in organic synthesis recently attracted increasing attentions. Here we report an organocalcium complex‐catalyzed dehydrogenative coupling of hydrosilanes with terminal alkynes. With a calcium alkyl complex [LCaCH2SiMe3] (L=[MeC(NDipp)CHC(tBu)NCH2CH2N(Me)CH2CH2NMe2]−, Dipp=2,6‐(iPr)2C6H3) as the catalyst, the reactions of n‐HexSiH3 with terminal alkynes provide trialkynylsilanes and those of Et2SiH2 with terminal alkynes give monoalkynylsilanes efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Flavanones and flavones are excellent source of bioactive compounds but the molecular basis of their highly efficient production remains elusive. Chalcone isomerase (CHI) family proteins play essential roles in flavonoid biosynthesis but little are known about the transcription factors controlling their gene expression. Here, we identified a type IV CHI (designated as CitCHIL1) from citrus which enhances the accumulation of citrus flavanones and flavones (CFLs). CitCHIL1 participates in a CFL biosynthetic metabolon and assists the cyclization of naringenin chalcone to (2S)‐naringenin, which leads to the efficient influx of substrates to chalcone synthase (CHS) and improves the catalytic efficiency of CHS. Overexpressing CitCHIL1 in Citrus and Arabidopsis significantly increased flavonoid content and RNA interference‐induced silencing of CitCHIL1 in citrus led to a 43% reduction in CFL content. Three AP2/ERF transcription factors were identified as positive regulators of the CitCHIL1 expression. Of these, two dehydration‐responsive element binding (DREB) proteins, CitERF32 and CitERF33, activated the transcription by directly binding to the CGCCGC motif in the promoter, while CitRAV1 (RAV: related to ABI3/VP1) formed a transcription complex with CitERF33 that strongly enhanced the activation efficiency and flavonoid accumulation. These results not only illustrate the specific function that CitCHIL1 executes in CFL biosynthesis but also reveal a new DREB‐RAV transcriptional complex regulating flavonoid production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a model of stochastic competition between plasmid-bearing and plasmid-free organisms in a chemostat is investigated. First, we show that there is a unique global positive solution for the stochastic system. Second, by employing stochastic Lyapunov functions, Itô formula, strong law of large number and some other important inequalities, stochastic characteristics of the stochastic competition chemostat model are studied such as the stochastic asymptotic behaviors of the system. Finally, some numerical simulations are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant diversity begets diversity at other trophic levels. While species richness is the most commonly used measure for plant diversity, the number of evolutionary lineages (i.e. phylogenetic diversity) could theoretically have a stronger influence on the community structure of co‐occurring organisms. However, this prediction has only rarely been tested in complex real‐world ecosystems.Using a comprehensive multitrophic dataset of arthropods and fungi from a species‐rich subtropical forest, we tested whether tree species richness or tree phylogenetic diversity relates to the diversity and composition of organisms.We show that tree phylogenetic diversity but not tree species richness determines arthropod and fungi community composition across trophic levels and increases the diversity of predatory arthropods but decreases herbivorous arthropod diversity. The effect of tree phylogenetic diversity was not mediated by changed abundances of associated organisms, indicating that evolutionarily more diverse plant communities increase niche opportunities (resource diversity) but not necessarily niche amplitudes (resource amount).Our findings suggest that plant evolutionary relatedness structures multitrophic communities in the studied species‐rich forests and possibly other ecosystems at large. As global change non‐randomly threatens phylogenetically distinct plant species, far‐reaching consequences on associated communities are expected. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exosomes, involved in cancer-specific biological processes, are promising noninvasive biomarkers for early diagnosis of cancer. Herein, an immobilization-free dual-aptamer-based photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensor was proposed for the enrichment and quantification of cancer exosome based on photoactive bismuch oxyiodide/gold/cadmium sulfide (BiOI/Au/CdS) composites, nucleic acid-based recognition and signal amplification. In this biosensor, the recognition of exosome by two aptamers would trigger the deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase (TdT) enzyme-aided polymerization, leading to the enrichment of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) on Fe 3 O 4 surface. After magnetic separation, ALP could catalyze the generation of ascorbic acid (AA) as electron donor and initiate the following redox cycle reaction for further signal amplification. Furthermore, all the above processes were performed in solution, the recognition and signal amplification efficiency would be superior than the heterogeneous strategy owing to the avoidance of steric hindrance effect. As a result, the proposed PEC biosensor was capable of enriching and detecting of cancer exosomes with high sensitivity and selectivity. The linear range of the biosensor was from 1.0 × 102 particles·μL−1 to 1.0 × 106 particles·μL−1 and the detection limit was estimated to be 21 particles·μL−1. Therefore, the proposed PEC biosensor holds great promise in quantifying tumor exosome for nondestructive early clinical cancer diagnosis and various other bioassay applications. [Display omitted] • >An immobilization-free PEC biosensor was developed for exosome assay. • > BiOI/Au/CdS composites were fabricated to provide the PEC responses. • >Dual-aptamer and magnetic separation strategies enabled specific tumor exosome assay. • >Concatenated polymerization and redox cycling were used to improve the sensitivity. • > The sensor shows good performance for exosome with low LOD and wide linear range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diatom containing different active biological macromolecules are thought to be an excellent microbial cell factory. Phaeodactylum tricornutum , a model diatom, is a superb chassis organism accumulating chrysolaminarin with important bioactivities. However, the characteristic of chrysolaminarin accumulation and molecular mechanism of the fluctuated chrysolaminarin in diatom are still unknown. In this study, physiological data and transcriptomic analysis were carried out to clarify the mechanism involved in chrysolaminarin fluctuation. The results showed that chrysolaminarin content fluctuated, from 7.41 % dry weight (DW) to 40.01 % DW during one light/dark cycle, increase by day and decrease by night. The similar fluctuated characteristic was also observed in neutral lipid content. Genes related to the biosynthesis of chrysolaminarin and neutral lipid were up-regulated at the beginning of light-phase, explaining the accumulation of these biological macromolecules. Furthermore, genes involved in carbohydrate degradation, cell cycle, DNA replication and mitochondria-localized β-oxidation were up-regulated at the end of light phase and at the beginning of dark phase hinting an energy transition of carbohydrate to cell division during the dark period. Totally, our findings provide important information for the regulatory mechanism in the diurnal fluctuation of chrysolaminarin. It would also be of great help for the mass production of economical chrysolaminarin in marine diatom. • The macromolecule chrysolaminarin was increased by day and decreased by night. • The neutral lipid content was also fluctuated during the light/dark cycle. • The up-regulated genes explained the accumulation of chrysolaminarin. • Carbohydrates were used as energy for the cell division during the dark period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to elucidate the role of cluster-determinant 36 (CD36) mediating astaxanthin absorption from the perspective of expression levels through in vitro cell model, in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion and in vivo mice multiple models. [Display omitted] • Astaxanthin is preferentially absorbed via a CD36-dependent mechanism. • Overexpression of CD36 significantly promoted the absorption of astaxanthin. • Inhibition or knockout of CD36 severely inhibited astaxanthin uptake. • CD36 expression also affected the associated secretion pathway of astaxanthin. The functional activity of dietary astaxanthin is closely related to its absorption, and the absorption of dietary carotenoids mainly mediated by transmembrane transport protein (TTP) has become the mainstream research direction in recent years. However, the main TTP mediating astaxanthin absorption and its potential mechanisms are still unclear. Hence, based on the preliminary screening results, this study aims to elucidate the role of cluster-determinant 36 (CD36) mediating astaxanthin absorption from the perspective of expression levels through in vitro cell model, in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion model and in vivo mice model. The results showed that astaxanthin uptake was significantly increased by 45.13% in CD36 overexpressing cells and decreased by 20.92% in the case of sulfo-N-succinimidyl oleate (SSO) inhibition. A similar trend also appeared in the duodenum and jejunum by in situ model. Moreover, astaxanthin uptake in the small intestine of CD36 knockout mice was significantly reduced by 88.22%. Furthermore, the inhibition or knockout of CD36 suppressed the expression of other transporters (SR-BI and NPC1L1). Interestingly, CD36 was also involved in the downstream secretion pathway, which is manifested by interfering with the expression of related proteins (ERK1/2, MTP, ApoB48, and ApoAI). Therefore, these results indicate the important role of CD36 in astaxanthin transmembrane transport for the first time, providing vital exploration way for the absorption of dietary fat-soluble substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semimetals are a new kind of quantum materials, in which the conduction and valence bands cross each other near the Fermi level. Based on density-functional theory calculations and symmetry analysis, we propose nodal-line semimetals in layered stacked black phosphorus (BP) films which are designed to have a mirror symmetry lying in the BP layer plane and thus rendering them different from the BP film systems previously studied. A closed nodal-line degenerate band can appear around the Fermi level in the BP films after a biaxial compressive strain is applied. The calculated Z2 number of Z2 = − 1 indicates the robustness of the nodal-line semimetals obtained in the BP films, protected by the in-plane mirror symmetry. Intriguingly, with the increase of the film thickness, a smaller biaxial compressive strain is required to produce the nodal-line semimetals, more accessible in experiments. Our results provide a promising route to carrying out the nodal-line semimetals based on various two-dimensional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cropland forms the material basis for human survival and is an important determinant of national food security. Cropland net primary productivity, which is the basis of food production and an important indicator of cropland productivity, reflects the production capacity of crops under natural conditions. However, currently, only limited knowledge was available on the relationship among cropland area, cropland management measures, and cropland productivity in China. Hence, in the current study, we used the panel data model to quantify the effects of cropland area and various cropland management measures (e.g., fertilizer use, irrigation area, agricultural machinery power, pesticide use, and agricultural film use) on cropland total net primary productivity (TNPP). Results revealed that for the entire cropland in China, an increase in cropland area, fertilizer use, agricultural machinery power, pesticide use, and agricultural film use increased cropland TNPP, whereas an increase in irrigation area decreased cropland TNPP. Further, in grain-producing areas, an increase in cropland area, fertilizer use, irrigation area, agricultural machinery power, pesticide use, and agricultural film use resulted in an increase in cropland TNPP. Moreover, in grain-balanced areas, an increase in cropland area, fertilizer use, pesticide use, and agricultural film use led to an increase in cropland TNPP, while an increase in irrigation area and agricultural machinery power reduced cropland TNPP. Finally, in grain-consuming areas, increases in cropland area, irrigation area, pesticide use, and agricultural film use caused an increase in cropland TNPP, whereas increases in fertilizer use and agricultural machinery power reduced cropland TNPP. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the encroachment of fertile cropland and, simultaneously, implement scientific management measures based on local conditions in croplands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most common cancers among women in the world. Long noncoding RNAs and microRNAs were identified as important regulators in many physiological processes. The objective of this study was to illuminate the mechanism of X-inactive-specific transcript (XIST)/miR-889-3p/Sine oculis homeobox 1 (SIX1) axis in CC. Methods: The expression levels of XIST, miR-889-3p, and SIX1 were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cell proliferation was assessed by cell counting Kit 8 assay. Cell migration and invasion were evaluated by transwell assay. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry assay. Murine model was established using transfected Me180 cell. The interaction among XIST, miR-889-3p, and SIX1 was tested by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Protein level of SIX1 was measured by Western blot. Results: XIST was highly expressed in CC tissues and cells. Silenced XIST inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion and induced apoptosis. Moreover, XIST silencing blocked tumor growth in vivo. XIST directly bound to miR-889-3p, and XIST promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion and hindered apoptosis by suppressing miR-889-3p expression. MiR-889-3p targeted SIX1 and negatively regulated SIX1 expression. Furthermore, miR-889-3p had a low expression and SIX1 had a high expression in CC tissues and cells. XIST knockdown reduced SIX1 level by targeting miR-889-3p. In addition, miR-889-3p inhibition abolished the effects of SIX silencing on proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis. Conclusion: XIST knockdown restrained cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and promoted apoptosis by regulating miR-889-3p/SIX1 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a major cause of blindness in working-age people, is attributed to the inflammatory response of retinal Müller cells (RMCs). The heparanase inhibitor PG545 plays proautophagic and anti-inflammatory roles. Intraperitoneal injection of PG545 at a dose of 20 mg/kg/d clearly reduced diabetes-induced body weight changes and fasting blood glucose levels in mice. PG545 also mitigated the reduction in retinal thickness and the formation of microaneurysms by promoting autophagy to inhibit the inflammatory response. In vitro, PG545 stimulated autophagy to downregulate the inflammatory response in high glucose-induced primary adult mouse RMCs. These data suggest that PG545 mitigates DR by promoting RMC autophagy to inhibit the inflammatory response. • PG545 facilitates the autophagy in primary mouse retinal Müller cells (RMCs) under high glucose (HG) conditions. • PG545 inhibits inflammatory response via promoting autophagy in mouse MRCs under HG conditions. • PG545 mitigates the reduce of retinal thickness and the formation of microaneurysms in mouse diabetic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional solitons (CSs) as well as bound-state solitons in a passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber (EDF) laser based on 1 T-phase titanium diselenide (1 T-TiSe2) saturable absorber (SA) have been systematically demonstrated for the first time. The mode locker is assembled by sandwiching the 1 T-TiSe2 film between two fiber ferrules to improve compatibility with the all-fiber-integrated ring cavity configuration. The modulation depth, saturation intensity and nonsaturable loss of the prepared 1 T-TiSe2 SA are 14.36%, 1.33 MW cm−2 and 9.44%, respectively. The system is switchable between two states: CS and bound-state CS, by carefully adjusting the orientations of the polarization controller (PC). In the CS mode-locked regime, the oscillating wavelength is centered at 1558.294 nm with a pulse duration of 1.74 ps, a pulse repetition rate of 3.23 MHz and a maximum average output power of 2.904 mW. In the bound-state CS regime, two identical solitons form the bound-state pulses with a temporal separation of 6.1 ps, and the bound-state pulses are equally distributed at a repetition rate of 3.23 MHz, corresponding to the fundamental cavity repetition rate. The experimental results further indicate that 1 T-TiSe2 SA is competitive with the existing SAs explored so far and will promote the applications of 1 T-TiSe2-based SAs in the field of ultrafast lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs), which accumulate exclusively in fruit peel of citrus, play important physiological and pharmacological roles but the genetic basis for the methylation of flavonoids has not been fully elucidated in citrus. Here we characterize a caffeoyl-CoA O -methyltransferase-like enzyme, designated CrOMT1. The expression pattern of CrOMT1 was highly correlated with the concentration of the three major PMFs in two different citrus fruit tissues during fruit maturation. Exposure of fruit to UV-B radiation sharply increased the level of CrOMT1 transcripts and also led to the accumulation of three PMFs. The potential role of CrOMT1 was studied by testing the catalytic activity of recombinant CrOMT1 with numerous possible substrates in vitro. The enzyme could most efficiently methylate flavones with neighboring hydroxy moieties, with high catalytic efficiencies found with 6-OH- and 8-OH-containing compounds, preferences that correspond precisely with the essential methylation sites involved in the synthesis of the three naturally occurring PMFs in Citrus reticulata. This indicates that CrOMT1 is capable of in vitro methylation reactions required to synthesize PMFs in vivo. Furthermore, transient overexpression of CrOMT1 increased levels of the three major PMFs in fruit, indicating that CrOMT1 is likely to play an essential role in the biosynthesis of PMFs in citrus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioma (GM) is a common malignancy all over the world. A novel circular RNA (circRNA), circ_0074026, has been documented to be upregulated in GM tissues than that of normal counterparts, as confirmed by circRNA microarray. However, the biological mechanism of circ_0074026 is still unreported in GM. The expression of circ_0074026 in GM specimens or cells was detected by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Fisher's exact test was utilized to evaluate the clinical relevance of circ_0074026 in patients with GM. Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analysis were used to estimate the prognostic value of circ_0074026. Cell counting kit‐8 (CCK‐8), acridine orange/ethidium bromide double fluorescence staining, flow cytometry, wound healing, and Transwell assays were used to detect the malignant behaviors of GM cells including cell growth, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. CCK‐8 and flow cytometric experiments were utilized to evaluate whether circ_0074026 had a side effect on normal human astrocyte cells. The interaction between miR‐1304 and circ_0074026 or ERBB4 3′‐untranslated region (3′‐UTR) was predicted with circular RNA Interactome and TargetScan, respectively, and then confirmed by the dual‐luciferase reporter test. The levels of circ_0074026 were both apparently increased in GM samples and cells. The elevated expression of circ_0074026 was linked to patients' tumor size, WHO grade, disease‐free survival, and overall survival. The depletion of circ_0074026 can block cell growth, migration, invasion, and impel cell apoptosis in the LN229 cell line. However, ectopically expressed circ_0074026 caused the opposite effect in the U251 cell line. The following dual‐luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR‐1304 interacted with circ_0074026 and ERBB4 3′‐UTR. Furthermore, the rescue assay indicated that circ_0074026 modulated ERBB4 to promote tumor progression by regulating miR‐1304. Thus, a novel regulatory pathway may provide a new therapeutic target for patients with GM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore informetrics researchers' use of social media for academic activities, their attitudes to the applicability of altmetrics in research evaluation, the factors influencing their attitudes, and the main opportunities and weaknesses of using altmetrics. Design/methodology/approach: A survey using a questionnaire was conducted with researchers who participated in the 16th International Conference on Scientometrics and Informetrics ISSI 2017 and a sample of 125 respondents was obtained. Findings: Progressively more researchers are using social media for different types of academic activities. The study found that many factors affect informetrics researchers' attitudes in different application scenarios with respect to research evaluation. Researchers who have studied altmetrics and who began using social media platforms recently or frequently have more positive attitudes. Academic users and social users have statistically significantly disparate attitudes toward altmetrics in different disciplines and different application scenarios. Research limitations/implications: Our study only focused on 125 informetrics researchers, who participated in ISSI 2017. We mainly used the questionnaire method, but did not conduct in-depth interviews with the researcher's views. Originality/value: Informetrics researchers are participants in social media and major researchers of altmetrics. Previous research has examined their use of social media, and this study combines this use of social media with their attitudes to altmetrics to explore the value of altmetrics from a particular perspective. The paper also provides suggestions for the application of altmetrics in research evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis and catalytic applications of trivalent rare‐earth metal alkyl complexes have been well developed, but the chemistry of divalent rare‐earth metal alkyl complexes lagged much behind. Herein, we report the synthesis, structure, and catalytic applications of a samarium(II) monoalkyl complex supported by a β‐diketiminato‐based tetradentate ligand, [LSmCH(SiMe3)2] (L=[MeC(NDipp)CHC(Me)NCH2CH2N(Me)CH2CH2NMe2]−, Dipp=2,6‐(iPr)2C6H3). This complex is synthesized by the salt metathesis reaction of samarium iodide [LSm(μ‐I)]2 and KCH(SiMe3)2 in 63 % yield. Its structure is characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, showing a distorted square‐pyramid coordination geometry. This samarium(II) monoalkyl complex exhibits high catalytic activity in the hydrosilylation of aryl and methyl‐substituted unsymmetrical internal alkynes with secondary hydrosilanes, selectively providing the α‐(E) products in high yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrode materials are important components of supercapacitors and have a significant influence on the electrochemical properties. Herein, a hierarchical core–shell structure of ZnO nanorods (NRs) wrapped with feather-like ultrathin Ni–Co layered double hydroxide composite nanosheet arrays (ZnO NR@Ni–Co LDH CNSAs) was directly fabricated and established on a soft carbon cloth substrate through two facile hydrothermal processes. ZnO NR@Ni–Co LDH CNSAs, which were used as the positive electrode material, exhibited extremely high specific capacitance. The electrode materials integrating the good conductivity of ZnO NRs and the high coulombic efficiency of the ultrathin Ni–Co LDH nanosheets exhibited an excellent supercapacitive performance. The specific capacitance could reach 2683.8 F g−1 when the current density was 1 A g−1. Even at 10 A g−1, the specific capacitance could reach 1986 F g−1. In particular, ZnO NRs were employed as the conductive materials to take advantage of their beneficial electron transport. Furthermore, the interface between Ni–Co LDH CNSAs increased the diffusion rate of the ions due to its buffering function. ZnO NR@Ni–Co LDH CNSAs as the positive electrode material and commercial activated carbon as the negative electrode material established an asymmetric supercapacitor, which demonstrated excellent cycling stability and retained 91.7% of the specific capacitance after 5000 cycles. Moreover, the ASC device exhibited a maximum energy density of 40.04 W h kg−1 at a power density of 1118 W kg−1. The electrode material designed in this paper can be considered as a candidate for positive electrode materials in order to obtain a high-performance storage device with high energy density and high power density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary of main observation and conclusion: Divalent ytterbium iodide [LYb(μ‐I)(THF)]2 (1; L = [MeC(NDIPP)CHC(Me)NCH2CH2NMe2]−, DIPP = 2,6‐(iPr)2C6H3) was synthesized and its reactivity was studied. Complex 1 was synthesized by salt metathesis of YbI2(THF)2 with the potassium salt of ligand (KL) in high yield. In the reactions with trimethylsilyl azide, azobenzene, sulfur and diphenyl disulfide, complex 1 acts as a 2e reductant. In the reaction with CO2, the central carbon atom of β‐diketiminato backbone in 1 nucleophilically attacks the CO2 molecule to give a divalent ytterbium carboxylate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Morphological, electrochemical, and photovoltaic stabilities of PBDT-DTNT:PC71BM solar cells were promoted. • Pre-designed supramolecules were utilized for stability increment. • The most stabilized devices were fabricated on the basis of rGO/PBDT-DTNT nanostructures. • The PCE decreased from 6.09% for upon-fabricated to 4.87% for 1 month aged systems. Morphological, electrochemical, and photovoltaic stabilities of the poly[benzodithiophene-bis(decyltetradecyl-thien) naphthothiadiazole] (PBDT-DTNT):phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) solar cells were promoted by the pre-designed supramolecules on the basis of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets. Nanostructures consisted of the pristine rGO, grafted-rGO/PBDT-DTNT, rGO-polythiophene (GPTh) electrospun nanofiber, grafted-rGO/PBDT-DTNT electrospun nanofiber and rGO/PBDT-DTNT samples. The reduction in photovoltaic characteristics during air aging was the steepest for the unmodified PBDT-DTNT:PC71BM solar cells. From rGO based photovoltaics towards the rGO/PBDT-DTNT modified ones possessing the well-patterned PBDT-DTNT nanofibers, the slopes of graphs decreased. The most stabilized devices were fabricated on the basis of PBDT-DTNT:PC71BM:rGO/PBDT-DTNT active layers (power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 6.09% for upon-fabricated to 4.87% for 1 month aged systems) for having the most red-shifted and intensified absorbance, the largest phase separation, the lowest impedance responses and the highest photovoltaic characteristics during 1 month air aging (short circuit current density (J sc) of 12.09 mA/cm2, fill factor (FF) of 63%, open circuit voltage (V oc) of 0.64 V, hole mobility (µ h) of 5.3 × 10–5 cm2/V s, electron mobility (µ e) of 7.9 × 10–4 cm2/V s, charge transfer resistance (R tr) of 431 Ω cm2 and PCE of 4.87%). The GPTh/PBDT-DTNT/PC71BM (J sc = 10.31 mA/cm2, FF = 49%, V oc = 0.55 V, R tr = 796 Ω cm2 and PCE = 2.78%) and grafted-rGO/PBDT-DTNT/PBDT-DTNT (J sc = 10.98 mA/cm2, FF = 56%, V oc = 0.60 V, R tr = 539 Ω cm2 and PCE = 3.69%) electrospun nanofibers also imparted the stabilization of devices within 1 month. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keshan disease (KD) is an endemic cardiomyopathy, which mainly occurs in China. Selenium deficiency is believed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of KD, but the molecular mechanism of selenium-induced damage remains unclear. To identify the key genes involved in selenium-induced damage, we compared the expression profiles of selenium-related genes between patients with KD and normal controls. Total RNA was isolated, amplified, labeled, and hybridized to Agilent human 4 × 44 K whole genome microarrays. Selenium-related genes were screened using the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database. The microarray data were subjected to single-gene and gene ontology (GO) expression analysis using R Studio and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) software. Quantitative real-time PCR was conducted to validate the microarray results. We identified 16 upregulated and 11 downregulated selenium-related genes in patients. These genes are involved in apoptosis, metabolism, transcription regulation, ion transport, and growth and development. Of the significantly enriched GO categories in KD patients, we identified four apoptosis-related, two metabolism-related, four growth and development-related, and four ion transport-related GOs. Based on our results, we suggest that selenium might contribute to the development of KD through dysfunction of selenium-related genes involved in apoptosis, metabolism, ion transport, and growth and development in the myocardium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 2D/0D g-C 3 N 4 /CdS-nitrogen doped hollow carbon spheres (NHCs) hybrids were prepared. • Electronic properties were calculated based on density functional theory. • The g-C 3 N 4 /CdS-NHCs exhibited high visible-light-photodegradation for cloxacillin. • The synergy of g-C 3 N 4 /CdS and NHCs endowed the improved photocatalytic activity. • Active substances h+, O 2 −, and OH worked together in the photocatalytic process. Herein, the high surface area and efficient visible light (VSL) induced photocatalyst, namely 2D/0D g-C 3 N 4 /CdS-nitrogen doped hollow carbon spheres (NHCs) composites have been prepared. Firstly, the physicochemical, photoelectric and electronic structures (including band structure, density of state and charge density difference) properties of the obtained samples were studied. Then, the photocatalytic experiments indicated that the g-C 3 N 4 /CdS-NHCs composites performed a markedly improved VSL photocatalytic performance and photostability for cloxacillin antibiotic degradation compared with pure g-C 3 N 4 , CdS and g-C 3 N 4 /CdS heterojunction. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of g-C 3 N 4 /CdS-NHCs composites could ascribe to the synergy between g-C 3 N 4 /CdS heterojunction and NHCs, which obviously improved the specific surface area, the absorption of VSL, the transfer rate of electrons and the separation efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole pairs of the photocatalysts. Finally, the mechanism analysis showed that active substances h+, O 2 −, and OH worked together in the photocatalytic process, which attack the β-lactam, thiazolidine ring and amide group should be the fatal act for CLX mineralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to address the importance of glutamine synthetase II (GSII) during nitrogen assimilation in macroalga Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis. The cDNA full‐length sequence of the three glGSII genes was revealed to have the 5′ m7G cap, 5′‐untranslated region, open reading frame (ORF), 3′‐untranslated region, and a 3′ poly (A) tail. The three glGSIIs were classified into plastid glGS2 and cytosolic glGS1‐1 and glGS1‐2, having conserved GSII domains but different cDNA sequences. The complicated 5′ end flanking region indicates complex function of glGS genes. glGS1 genes were significantly up‐regulated under the different NH4+: NO3− ratio (i.e., 40:10, 25:25, 10:40, and 0:50) except glGS2 which dramatically up‐regulated under the low NH4+: NO3− ratio (i.e., 10:40 and 0:50) during different cultivation times. These different expression patterns perhaps are due to the different biological roles of GS1 and GS2 in the gene family. Furthermore, hypothetical working model of nitrogen assimilation pathway exhibiting the role of glGS1 and glGS2 is proposed. Finally, glGS2 was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), and the optimal conditions for culture (15°C, overnight), purification (500 mM imidazole washing), and activity (pH 7.4, 37°C) were established. This study lays a very important foundation for exploring the role of GS in nitrogen assimilation in algae and plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Surfactant-assisted synthesis is a promising method for photocatalyst synthesis. • Surfactant would efficiently enhance the photocatalytic activity of photocatalysts. • Surfactant can regulate the morphology and structure of photocatalysts. • Influencing factors and recent advances are highlighted. The presence of large amounts of contaminants in the environment would result in ecological and health hazards. The photocatalytic technologies have been developed to use sunlight to remove contaminants in recent years. Researchers are primarily focused on developing high-performance photocatalysts. This review discusses the effects of surfactant on the structural morphology, physicochemical properties and contaminant removal performance of photocatalysts. The mechanism and synthesis method of surfactant-assisted photocatalysts are reviewed. Meanwhile, the effects of surfactant type, surfactant concentration, solution pH, synthesis method and calcination temperature on the photocatalysts are also discussed in detail. In addition, we summarized the recent advances and the application of surfactant-assisted photocatalysts in the environmental remediation. Finally, the future researches on surfactant-assisted photocatalysts are also proposed. This review provides new insights into the use of surfactants to prepare photocatalysts with well-defined shape and excellent performance to enhance photocatalytic efficiency for removing pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on difluoroboron β‐diketonates, four novel alanine dipeptides C10H21CO‐Ala‐Ala‐O‐Br‐BF2DPh (4) with long alkyl chains were prepared and characterized. UV and emission in different solvents and in the solid states are studied. The self‐assembly behaviors are investigated by FE‐SEM, CD, and FTIR spectra, and different stereochemical structures are proposed. Hydrogen bonding, π–π interactions, and electrostatic interactions are believed to be the driving force for the molecular organizations. The handedness of twisted nanostructures is found to be related to chirality of the amino acid near the alkyl chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of nitrogen deficiency and subsequent recovery on photosynthetic performance of the red macroalga Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis was measured in terms of algal growth rate, accumulation of photosynthetic pigments (i.e., phycoerythrin and chlorophyll-a), maximum effective quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), and the transcript levels of genes related to photosynthesis and photorespiration. Nitrogen deficiency and then recovery notably promoted the growth of G. lemaneiformis, significantly inhibited the accumulation of phycoerythrin and chlorophyll-a, but had no significant influence on Fv/Fm. In addition to physiological performance of algae under nitrogen stress, the key genes encoding photorespiratory and photosynthetic enzymes (i.e., gdct, gdcp, hpr, shmt, sgat, sbp, and rub) were up-regulated which might have led to more increased in growth rate than that of control after the recovery of nitrogen. While the down-regulation of gdct, gdcp, and shmt genes at the 4th day of nitrogen deficiency might be linked to the reduced accumulation of phycoerythrin and chlorophyll-a, the up-regulation of gdct and gdcp at the beginning of nitrogen deficiency and nitrogen recovery might associate with Fv/Fm that did not change significantly. Briefly, the up- and down-regulation of these genes at different times might be due to an algal complex regulatory mechanism. Thus, the combined action of these genes allows the algae to display higher photosynthetic efficiency and better growth, eventually acclimate to the varying environmental stresses. The data provided here represent a rich source for exploring the function of genes related to photorespiration and photosynthesis as well as the mechanism of algal acclimation under environmental stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Algal metabolites are the most promising feedstocks for bio‐energy production. Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis seems to be a good candidate red alga for polysaccharide production, especially relating to the agar production industry. Nitrogen deficiency is an efficient environmental pressure used to increase the accumulation of metabolites in algae. However, there are no studies on the physiological effects of G. lemaneiformis in response to nitrogen deficiency and its subsequent recovery. Here we integrated physiological data with molecular studies to explore the response strategy of G. lemaneiformis under nitrogen deficiency and recovery. Physiological measurements indicated that amino acids and protein biosynthesis were decreased, while endogenous NH4+ and soluble polysaccharides levels were increased under nitrogen stress. The expression of key genes involved in these pathways further suggested that G. lemaneiformis responded to nitrogen stress through up‐regulation or down‐regulation of genes related to nitrogen metabolism, and increased levels of endogenous NH4+ to complement the deficiency of exogenous nitrogen. Consistent with the highest accumulation of soluble polysaccharides, the gene encoding UDP‐glucose pyrophosphorylase, a molecular marker used to evaluate agar content, was dramatically up‐regulated more than 4‐fold compared to the relative expression of actin after 4 d of nitrogen recovery. The present data provide important information on the mechanisms of nutrient balance in macroalgae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]