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Taxol (paclitaxel), the most well-known taxane diterpenoid, is the best-selling natural-source anticancer drug ever produced and one of the most common prescriptions in the treatment of breast, lung, and ovarian cancers, saving countless lives around the world. Structurally, Taxol possesses a highly oxygenated [6–8–6–4] core bearing 11 stereocenters, seven of which are contiguous chiral centers. Moreover, the extremely strained bicyclo[5.3.1] undecane ring system with a bridgehead double bond is a unique structural feature. All these features make Taxol a highly challenging synthetic target. Tremendous synthetic efforts from more than 60 research groups around the world have already culminated in ten total syntheses and three formal syntheses, as well as more than 60 synthetic model studies of Taxol. This review is intended to provide a long-overdue appraisal of the great achievements in the total syntheses of Taxol reported in the last few decades. In doing so, we summarize the development of synthesis toward Taxol from 1994 to 2022, including the evolution of synthetic strategy for accessing this complex molecular scaffold and key lessons learned from such endeavors. Finally, we briefly discuss the future of the research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type II intramolecular cycloadditions ([4+2], [4+3], [4+4] and [5+2]) have emerged recently as an efficient and powerful strategy for the construction of bridged ring systems. In general, type II cycloadditions provide access to a wide range of bridged bicyclo[m.n.1] ring systems with high regio- and diastereoselectivity in an easy and straightforward manner. In each section of this review, an overview of the corresponding type II cycloadditions is presented, which is followed by highlights of method development and synthetic applications in natural product synthesis. The goal of this review is to provide a survey of recent advances in the field covering literature up to 2020. The review will serve as a useful reference for organic chemists engaged in the total synthesis of natural products containing bridged bicyclo[m.n.1] ring systems and provide strong stimulus for invention and further advances in this exciting research field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2015 Paris Agreement proposed targets to limit global-mean surface temperature (GMST) rise well below 2°C relative to preindustrial level by 2100, requiring a cease in the radiative forcing (RF) increase in the near future. In response to changing RF, the deep ocean responds slowly (ocean slow response), in contrast to the fast ocean mixed layer adjustment. The role of the ocean slow response under low warming targets is investigated using representative concentration pathway (RCP) 2.6 simulations from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. In RCP2.6, the deep ocean continues to warm while RF decreases after reaching a peak. The deep ocean warming helps to shape the trajectories of GMST and fuels persistent thermosteric sea level rise. A diagnostic method is used to decompose further changes after the RF peak into a slow warming component under constant peak RF and a cooling component due to the decreasing RF. Specifically, the slow warming component amounts to 0.2°C (0.6°C) by 2100 (2300), raising the hurdle for achieving the low warming targets. When RF declines, the deep ocean warming takes place in all basins but is the most pronounced in the Southern Ocean and Atlantic Ocean where surface heat uptake is the largest. The climatology and change of meridional overturning circulation are both important for the deep ocean warming. To keep the GMST rise at a low level, substantial decrease in RF is required to offset the warming effect from the ocean slow response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy harvesting provides a promising alternative to batteries and mains used by current wireless devices. However, the power supply in energy harvesting communications becomes dynamic due to the random channels. In this work, the authors study two energy harvesting communications protocols, 'harvest-store-use' and 'harvest-use'. A linear harvester is used to collect energy over multiple time slots for the two protocols. The effective throughput for 'harvest-store-use' and the average bit error rate for 'harvest-use' are derived. Numerical results show that there exists an optimum number of time slots for the 'harvest-store-use' protocol to balance the transmission probability and the delay and that the effective throughput approaches an upper limit when the number of time slots increases. Also, for the 'harvest-use' protocol, one should use a small number of time slots to balance the bit error rate performance and the battery consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with diabetes often experience multiple disease complications. Hypoglycemic agents can have both positive and negative effects on diabetic complications, which should be carefully assessed when personalized treatment strategies are developed. In this study we report that dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP-4is), a group of widely used antihyperglycemic agents, can improve diabetic wound healing, independent of their beneficial effects on glycemic control. In particular, DPP-4is promoted the migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of keratinocytes, directly and indirectly, by inducing stromal cell-derived factor 1α production of fibroblasts in vitro and in diabetic mice. In addition, DPP-4is attenuated collagen synthesis and deposition, which may diminish scar formation. Furthermore, the results of a randomized clinical trial (NCT02742233) involving 67 patients with type 2 diabetes supported the role of DPP-4i treatment in diabetic wound healing. Our findings support the application of DPP-4i as a preferred option for treating ulcers in patients with diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adsorption of water molecules on the Cd(0001) surface has been systematically investigated in the absence or presence of the electric field using first principles calculations based on density functional theory. It has been determined that the adsorption is enhanced by the electric field. From the geometries and energetics, we find that the water-cadmium interaction become stronger (weaker) under a negative (positive) field in the adsorbed monomer. Otherwise, the formation of the hydrogen bonds makes it difficult for molecules in the water clusters to response the electric field. Most importantly, the stability of the water bilayers depends on the strength of the negative electric field. Instead of the H-up bilayer, the H-down bilayer is more stable when the negative field is sufficiently strong. In this case, the dipole-field interaction is the dominant interaction in the change of stability. These results are helpful in the understanding of the fundamental processes at the water-electrode interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural evolution of Ga thin films grown on the Si(111)- 3 × 3 -Ga template have been investigated with a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The first Ga layer exhibits a stripe structure along the base vectors of Si(111) lattices. Individual Ga dimers have been directly visualized from the high-resolution STM images of the first Ga layer. The second Ga layer reveals a pseudo 1×1 structure with respect to the Si(111). A new 5×5 phase has been found in the second Ga layer when annealing the sample to 120 ℃. Further annealing to 150 ℃ leads to the formation of 6.3×6.3 phase, which is more stable than the 5×5 phase. The existences of a variety of superstructures of Ga films demonstrates the delicate balance between the interactions of Si(111)-Ga and Ga-Ga. These results shed important light on the epitaxial growth mechanism of Ga films on semiconductor surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclic blasting excavation of a deep tunnel frequently disturbs the surrounding rock, and cumulative damage effect will occur in cases multiple blasts are applied. To study the damage evolution trend of tunnel surrounding rock under multiple cyclic blasting load, a self-made physical model test system was used to test cyclic blasting excavation of a tunnel under high in-situ stress. Meanwhile, according to the characteristic that the damage of rock under frequent disturbance will appear cumulative superposition, an improved Bingham creep damage constitutive model was established. The constitutive model was applied to the numerical simulation of tunnel cyclic blasting excavation, and the numerical simulation reproduced the physical model test to study the rock damage evolution laws. The results from the physical model test and the numerical simulation revealed that the process of damage evolution of rock in in-situ stress state under the impact of multiple blasting disturbances had a non-linear cumulative characteristic. In addition, the results also shed light on the relationship between the damage zone expansion and the number of cyclic blast. This paper can provide a reference for studies of the damage evolution in deep rock under blasting impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular rotors with an off-center axis and the chiral feature of achiral CuPc molecules on a semi-metallic Bi(111) surface have been investigated by means of a scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at liquid nitrogen (LN2) temperature. The rotation axis of each CuPc molecular rotor is located at the end of a phthalocyanine group. As molecular coverage increases, the CuPc molecules are self-assembled into various nanoclusters and finally into two-dimensional (2D) domains, in which each CuPc molecule exhibits an apparent chiral feature. Such chiral features of the CuPc molecules can be attributed to the combined effect of asymmetric charge transfer between the CuPc and Bi(111) substrate, and the intermolecular van der Waals interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high mortality and disability of diabetic nonhealing skin ulcers create an urgent need for the development of more efficacious strategies targeting diabetic wound healing. In the current study, using human clinical specimens, we show that perilesional skin tissues from patients with diabetes are under more severe oxidative stress and display higher activation of the nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (NRF2)-mediated antioxidant response than perilesional skin tissues from normoglycemic patients. In a streptozotocin-induced diabetes mouse model, Nrf2(-/-) mice have delayed wound closure rates compared with Nrf2(+/+) mice, which is, at least partially, due to greater oxidative DNA damage, low transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and high matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) expression, and increased apoptosis. More importantly, pharmacological activation of the NRF2 pathway significantly improves diabetic wound healing. In vitro experiments in human immortalized keratinocyte cells confirm that NRF2 contributes to wound healing by alleviating oxidative stress, increasing proliferation and migration, decreasing apoptosis, and increasing the expression of TGF-β1 and lowering MMP9 under high-glucose conditions. This study indicates an essential role for NRF2 in diabetic wound healing and the therapeutic benefits of activating NRF2 in this disease, laying the foundation for future clinical trials using NRF2 activators in treating diabetic skin ulcers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are a conserved class of endogenous, short non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate the expression of genes involved in diverse cellular processes. miR-214 has been reported to be associated with several cancers, including human colon cancer. However, the function of miR-214 in colon cancer development is poorly understood. In the current study, miR-214 was demonstrated to be downregulated in colon cancer tissues compared with healthy colon tissues. Functional studies showed that miR-214 overexpression results in the inhibition of cell viability, colony formation and proliferation, and the induction of cell apoptosis. ADP-ribosylation factor-like protein 2 (ARL2) is predicted to be a target candidate of miR-214. A luciferase reporter assay, western blot analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed, which revealed that miR-214 negatively regulates ARL2 expression by targeting its 3' untranslated region directly. In conclusion, the results of the present study revealed that miR-214 suppresses colon cancer cell growth via the suppression of ARL2, and indicated that miR-214 may present a significant potential therapeutic target for colon cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly diastereoselective and practical biomimetic total synthesis of (±)-basiliolide B has been achieved through the study of the two proposed biosynthetic pathways (O-methylation and O-acylation) for the unprecedented 7-methoxy-4,5-dihydro-3 H-oxepin-2-one (C ring). The synthesis featured a cyclopropanation/ring opening strategy for establishing the stereogenic centers at C8 and C9, a biomimetic 2-pyrone Diels-Alder cycloaddition for the synthesis of the ABD ring system, and finally a highly efficient biomimetic intramolecular O-acylation for the C ring formation. This result provides an important perspective on the biosynthetic origin of the unprecedented 7-membered acyl ketene acetal moiety of the C ring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly diastereoselective and practical biomimetic total synthesis of (±)-basiliolide B has been achieved through the study of the two proposed biosynthetic pathways (O-methylation and O-acylation) for the unprecedented 7-methoxy-4,5-dihydro-3 H-oxepin-2-one (C ring). The synthesis featured a cyclopropanation/ring opening strategy for establishing the stereogenic centers at C8 and C9, a biomimetic 2-pyrone Diels-Alder cycloaddition for the synthesis of the ABD ring system, and finally a highly efficient biomimetic intramolecular O-acylation for the C ring formation. This result provides an important perspective on the biosynthetic origin of the unprecedented 7-membered acyl ketene acetal moiety of the C ring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, research on carbon nanodots (C-dots), a new type of luminescent nanoparticles with superior optical properties, biocompatibility, and low cost, has been focused on exploring novel properties and structure-related mechanisms to extend their scope. Herein, electrochemiluminescence, a surface-sensitive tool, is used to probe the unrevealed property of carbon nanodots which is characterized by surface oxygen-containing groups. Together with chemiluminescence, carbon nanodots as the coreactants for the anodic electrochemiluminescence of Ru(bpy)32+ are demonstrated for the first time. During the anodic scan, the benzylic alcohol units on the C-dots surface are oxidized "homogeneously" by electrogenerated-Ru(bpy)33+ to form reductive radical intermediate, which further reduce Ru(bpy)33+ into Ru(bpy)32+* that produces a strong ECL emission. This work has provided an insight into the ECL mechanism of the C-dots-involved system, which will be beneficial for in-depth understanding of some peculiar phenomena of C-dots, such as photocatalytic activity and redox properties. Moreover, because of the features of C-dots, the ECL system of Ru(bpy)32+/C-dots is more promising in the bioanalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptococcus neoformans is a neurotropic fungal pathogen, which provokes the onset of devastating meningoencephalitis. We used human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) as the in vitro model to investigate how C. neoformans traverses across the blood-brain barrier. In this study, we present several lines of evidence indicating that C. neoformans invasion is mediated through the endocytic pathway via lipid rafts. Human CD44 molecules from lipid rafts can directly interact with hyaluronic acid, the C. neoformans ligand. Bikunin, which perturbs CD44 function in the lipid raft, can block C. neoformans adhesion and invasion of HBMEC. The lipid raft marker, ganglioside GM1, co-localizes with CD44 on the plasma membrane, and C. neoformans cells can adhere to the host cell in areas where GM1 is enriched. These findings suggest that C. neoformans entry takes place on the lipid rafts. Upon C. neoformans engagement, GM1 is internalized through vesicular structures to the nuclear membrane. This endocytic redistribution process is abolished by cytochalasin D, nocodazole, or anti-DYRK3 (dual specificity tyrosine-phosphorylation-regulated kinase 3) siRNA. Concomitantly, the knockdown of DYRK3 significantly reduces C. neoformans invasion across the HBMEC monolayer in vitro. Our data demonstrate that the lipid raft-dependent endocytosis process mediates C. neoformans internalization into HBMEC and that the CD44 protein of the hosts, cytoskeleton, and intracellular kinase-DYRK3 are involved in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of organs with particular shapes, like wings or flowers, depends on regional activity of transcription factors and signalling molecules. However, the mechanisms that link these molecular activities to the morphogenetic events underlying shape are poorly understood. Here we describe a combination of experimental and computational approaches that address this problem, applying them to a group of genes controlling flower shape in the Snapdragon (Antirrhinum). Four transcription factors are known to play a key role in the control of floral shape and asymmetry in Snapdragon. We use quantitative shape analysis of mutants for these factors to define principal components underlying flower shape variation. We show that each transcription factor has a specific effect on the shape and size of regions within the flower, shifting the position of the flower in shape space. These shifts are further analysed by generating double mutants and lines that express some of the genes ectopically. By integrating these observations with known gene expression patterns and interactions, we arrive at a combinatorial scheme for how regional effects on shape are genetically controlled. We evaluate our scheme by incorporating the proposed interactions into a generative model, where the developing flower is treated as a material sheet that grows according to how genes modify local polarities and growth rates. The petal shapes generated by the model show a good quantitative match with those observed experimentally for each petal in numerous genotypes, thus validating the hypothesised scheme. This article therefore shows how complex shapes can be accounted for by combinatorial effects of transcription factors on regional growth properties. This finding has implications not only for how shapes develop but also for how they may have evolved through tinkering with transcription factors and their targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Stathmin is overexpressed in a variety of assessed human malignancies and is correlated with tumor progression and poor prognosis. Downregulation of its expression will contribute to optimize therapeutic outcomes in the treatment of various malignancies. However, the mechanisms of stathmin gene overexpression are not completely elucidated at present. Early growth response 1 (Egr1) is a transcription factor that triggers transcription of downstream genes mediating cell growth and angiogenesis upon various stimulations. Following the previous computational identification of a site that was thought to be an Egr1 consensus binding sequence at −85 to −94 region in stathmin gene promoter, we analyzed the role of Egr1 in the regulation of stathmin gene expression in lung cancer cell line A549. The results showed that Egr1 transcription factor bound to the sequence 5′-GCGGGGGCG-3′ within human stathmin gene promoter; and in reporter gene assays and overexpression experiments, both stathmin gene promoter activity and stathmin gene expression level were downregulated following endogenous or exogenous expression of Egr1. Using wild type Egr1 and knockout Egr1 cell lines, we demonstrated that p53 negatively regulates stathmin expression through Egr1 pathway. In summary, Egr1 is a novel regulator of stathmin expression and p53 mediates the transcriptional repression of stathmin by Egr1 in human lung cancer cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hybridization between species can lead to introgression of genes from one species to another, providing a potential mechanism for preserving and recombining key traits during evolution. To determine the molecular basis of such transfers, we analyzed a natural polymorphism for flowerhead development in Senecio. We show that the polymorphism arose by introgression of a cluster of regulatory genes, the RAY locus, from the diploid species S. squalidus into the tetraploid S. vulgaris. The RAY genes are expressed in the peripheral regions of the inflorescence meristem, where they promote flower asymmetry and lead to an increase in the rate of outcrossing. Our results highlight how key morphological and ecological traits controlled by regulatory genes may be gained, lost, and regained during evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new one-way hash function based on the unified chaotic system is constructed. With different values of a key parameter, the unified chaotic system represents different chaotic systems, based on which the one-way hash function algorithm is constructed with three round operations and an initial vector on an input message. In each round operation, the parameters are processed by three different chaotic systems generated from the unified chaotic system. Feed-forwards are used at the end of each round operation and at the end of each element of the message processing. Meanwhile, in each round operation, parameter-exchanging operations are implemented. Then, the hash value of length 160 bits is obtained from the last six parameters. Simulation and analysis both demonstrate that the algorithm has great flexibility, satisfactory hash performance, weak collision property, and high security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethylene receptors are multispanning membrane proteins that negatively regulate ethylene responses via the formation of a signaling complex with downstream elements. To better understand their biochemical functions, we investigated the membrane topology and subcellular localization of CmERS1, a melon (Cucumis melo) ethylene receptor that has three putative transmembrane domains at the N terminus. Analyses using membrane fractionation and green fluorescent protein imaging approaches indicate that CmERS1 is predominantly associated with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. Detergent treatments of melon microsomes showed that the receptor protein is integrally bound to the ER membrane. A protease protection assay and N-glycosylation analysis were used to determine membrane topology. The results indicate that CmERS1 spans the membrane three times, with its N terminus facing the luminal space and the large C-terminal portion lying on the cytosolic side of the ER membrane. This orientation provides a platform for interaction with the cytosolic signaling elements. The three N-terminal transmembrane segments were found to function as topogenic sequences to determine the final topology. High conservation of these topogenic sequences in all ethylene receptor homologs identified thus far suggests that these proteins may share the same membrane topology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Taste-modifying proteins are a natural alternative to artificial sweeteners and flavor enhancers and have been used in some cultures for centuries. The taste-modifying protein, miraculin, has the unusual property of being able to modify a sour taste into a sweet taste. Here, we report the use of a plant expression system for the production of miraculin. A synthetic gene encoding miraculin was placed under the control of constitutive promoters and transferred to lettuce. Expression of this gene in transgenic lettuce resulted in the accumulation of significant amounts of miraculin protein in the leaves. The miraculin expressed in transgenic lettuce possessed sweetness-inducing activity. These results demonstrate that the production of miraculin in edible plants can be a good alternative strategy to enhance the availability of this protein. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With 2 dominant demographic imperatives of the aging population and increasing racial/ethnic diversity of the older population, current and future generations of racially and ethnically diverse elders are expected to experience complex and diverse sets of service needs. More than ever, the social work profession needs a strategic approach to working with current and future generations of diverse elders. The author presents information that allows a better understanding of future issues and problems facing racial/ethnic minority elders and discusses how social work can effectively and successfully address these future needs. Five specific recommendations are proposed: (a) reconceptualize race/ethnicity and diversity in social work practice, (b) identify and develop a conceptual framework for social work with racially and ethnically diverse elders, (c) consider a multidisciplinary community-oriented and neighborhood-based approach, (d) advance culturally competent gerontological social work with diverse elders, and (e) strengthen gerontological social work education with an emphasis on cultural competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In lily (Lilium longiflorum cv. Avita) pollen cold-stored (–20°C) for 2 months, typical in vitro germination/growth was delayed by about 1 h compared with fresh pollen. We hypothesized that some proteins and mRNAs stored in mature pollen were degraded during storage periods and that re-synthesis of them was essential to resume normal germination and growth. Cold-stored and fresh pollen grains were used to investigate the regulatory mechanism of pollen germination and tube growth in terms of both total protein profile and gene expression. Total protein profiles of cold-stored pollen differed qualitatively and quantitatively from fresh pollen. Actinomycin D significantly inhibited both germination and tube growth of cold-stored pollen and later tube growth of fresh pollen but had no effect on fresh pollen germination and early tube growth. Suppression subtractive hybridization screening revealed 99 cDNAs enriched in fresh mature pollen, and 22 were selected for further characterization. Most of these 22 cDNAs gradually disappeared during cold storage, but full recovery was achieved by incubating the cold-stored pollen in culture medium for 2 h. Because of different sensitivities to cold storage and actinomycin D, the transcripts were divided into three groups according to their possible roles in pollen germination and tube growth. Several cDNAs encoding novel proteins showed pollen-specific expression patterns and may participate in drought tolerance (an Na+/H+ antiporter), endomembrane trafficking (DnaJ), division of the generative cell (Sgt1), pollen wall precursor uptake from stylar exudate (an Na+/myoinositol symporter) and chemotropism of the pollen tube (peptide transporter) during pollination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrated that a mutated melon ethylene receptor gene Cm-ETR1/H69A confers reduced ethylene sensitivity in a heterologous plant, Nemesia strumosa. Cm-ETR1/H69A was introduced with a missense mutation that converted the His69 residue to Ala in the melon ethylene receptor gene Cm-ETR1, as in the Arabidopsis mutant gene etr1-1. Agrobacterium transformation of N. strumosa was performed, and 26 putative transformants with Cm-ETR1/H69A were obtained. Southern blot analysis confirmed the integration of the Cm-ETR1/H69A gene into the genomes of 23 of the putative transformants, and RT-PCR analysis confirmed Cm-ETR1/H69A mRNA expression in all of the transformants. Six of the 23 transformants were selected randomly, and flower longevity was evaluated. All the transformants had significantly extended flower longevity compared with that of the wild type. Furthermore, treatment with 5 μM 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) or aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) had little or no effect on hairy root formation in most of the transgenic plants. By contrast, in the wild type, AVG treatment reduced hairy root formation and ACC treatment increased hairy root formation. These results indicate that transformants expressing Cm-ETR1/H69A show reduced ethylene sensitivity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In theory, an Algebraic Riccati Equation (ARE) scheme applicable to robust H∞ quadratic stabilization problems of a class of uncertain fuzzy systems representing a nonlinear control system is investigated. It is proved that existence of a set of solvable AREs suffices to guarantee the quadratic stabilization of an uncertain fuzzy system while satisfying H∞-norm bound constraint. It is also shown that a stabilizing control law is reminiscent of an optimal control law found in linear quadratic regulator, and a linear control law can be immediately discerned from the stabilizing one. In practice, the minimal solution to a set of parameter dependent AREs is somewhat stringent and, instead, a linear matrix inequalities formulation is suggested to search for a feasible solution to the associated AREs. The proposed method is compared with the existing fuzzy literature from various aspects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A rapid genetic transformation of Antirrhinum majus L. was developed using direct shoot regeneration from hypocotyl explants inoculated with Agrobacterirum tumefaciens. We used the binary vectors pBI121 containing the neomycin phosphotransferase (NPT II) gene as a selectable marker and the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene as a reporter and pIG121-Hm harboring NPT II and the hygromycin phosphotransferase (hpt) gene as selectable markers and GUS as a reporter. Transformed shoots directly emerged at the end of hypocotyl explants inoculated with Agrobacterium strain GV2260/pIG121-Hm or GV3101/ pBI121 after 4–6 weeks of culturing on selection medium. The transformed shoots were rooted after 3 weeks of culturing on rooting medium. The transformation efficiency reached to 1% of inoculated explants. Putative transformants were identified using kanamycin selection and GUS activity. The PCR and Southern blot analysis confirmed the integration of GUS into the genomes of transformants. Using the developed protocol, transgenic A. majus is produced after 10 weeks of Agrobacterium inoculation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This note points out that some results in the paper (Fuzzy sets and systems 129 (2002) 295) are incorrect. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Proposes an optimization technique to represent a class of nonlinear systems by a Takagi-Sugeno uncertain fuzzy model involving the investigation of robust H[sub∞] quadratic stabilization problem to the uncertain fuzzy systems via static output feedback. Overview of the suggested linear matrix inequality formulations to alleviate the difficulties of bilinear matrix inequalities; Account of systems used in the approach; Features of the continuous-time static output feedback fuzzy control system.

Nemesia strumosa Benth has many characteristics that make it a potential model plant for the study of asymmetric floral development. A high frequency of shoot regeneration was achieved from stem explants of N. strumosa genotype White cultured on MS medium containing 0.75 mg l−1 thidiazuron (TDZ) and 0.1 mg l−1 NAA. Stable transformants were obtained by combining this regeneration procedure with inoculation of the stem segments with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain GV2260 harboring the binary vector pBIGFP121, which contains the NPT II gene as a selectable marker and the GFP (green fluorescent protein) gene as a visual marker. Adventitious shoots appeared on the stem segments 4–6 weeks after Agrobacterium inoculation. Putative transformants were identified using kanamycin selection and examination of the shoots with a fluorescence microscope. PCR and Southern blot analysis confirmed integration of the GFP gene into the genomes of the transformant. The transformation efficiency of this technique reached 9% of inoculated explants. Rooted transformants were transferred to soil and began to flower within 35 days after potting, 4 months after Agrobacterium inoculation. The transformants were morphologically normal and no polyploid individuals were observed. The success of this protocol makes it highly useful for producing transgenic Nemesia plants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Anthocyanins are the largest group of water-soluble pigments and beneficial for human health. Although most plants roots have the potential to express natural biosynthesis pathways required to produce specialized metabolites such as anthocyanins, the anthocyanin synthesis is specifically silenced in roots. To explore the molecular mechanism of absence and production ability of anthocyanin in the roots, investigated the effect of a bHLH gene AmDelila, and an R2R3-MYB gene AmRosea1, which are the master regulators of anthocyanin biosynthesis in Antirrhinum majus flowers, by expressing these genes in transformed hairy roots of A. majus. Co-ectopic expression of both AmDelila and AmRosea1 significantly upregulated the expression of the key target structural genes in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. Furthermore, this resulted in strongly enhanced anthocyanin accumulation in transformed hairy roots. Ectopic expression of AmDelila alone did not gives rise to any significant anthocyanin accumulation, however, ectopic expression of AmRosea1 alone clearly upregulated expression of the main structural genes as well as greatly promoted anthocyanin accumulation in transformed hairy roots, where the contents reached 0.773–2.064 mg/g fresh weight. These results suggest that AmRosea1 plays a key role in the regulatory network in controlling the initiation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in roots, and the combination of AmRosea1 and hairy root culture is a powerful tool to study and production of anthocyanins in the roots of A. majus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solanum nigrum, which belongs to the Solanaceae family, is an essential plant for food and medicine. It has many important secondary compounds, including glycoproteins, glycoalkaloids, polyphenolics, and anthocyanin‐rich purple berries, as well as many ideal characteristics such as self‐fertilization, a short life cycle and a small genome size that make it a potential model plant for the study of secondary metabolism and fruit development. In this study, we report a highly efficient and convenient tissue culture, transformation and genome editing method for S. nigrum using leaf segments after 8 weeks of tissue culture, with a required period from transformation initiation to harvest of about 3.5 months. Our results also show multi‐shoot regeneration per leaf segment and a 100% shoot regeneration efficiency in a shoot regeneration medium. Moreover, over 82% of kanamycin‐resistant plants exhibited strong green fluorescence marker protein expression, with genetic integration confirmed by PCR results and green fluorescence protein expression in their T1 progeny. Furthermore, we successfully applied this transformation method to achieve an average of 83% genome editing efficiency of SnMYB1, a gene involved in regulating the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway of S. nigrum in response to missing nutrients. Taken together, the combination of highly efficient tissue culture, transformation and genome editing systems can provide a powerful platform for supporting fundamental research on the molecular mechanisms of secondary metabolism, fruit development, and production of important compounds by biotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solanum nigrum, which belongs to the Solanaceae family, is an essential plant for food and medicine. It has many important secondary compounds, including glycoproteins, glycoalkaloids, polyphenolics, and anthocyanin‐rich purple berries, as well as many ideal characteristics such as self‐fertilization, a short life cycle and a small genome size that make it a potential model plant for the study of secondary metabolism and fruit development. In this study, we report a highly efficient and convenient tissue culture, transformation and genome editing method for S. nigrum using leaf segments after 8 weeks of tissue culture, with a required period from transformation initiation to harvest of about 3.5 months. Our results also show multi‐shoot regeneration per leaf segment and a 100% shoot regeneration efficiency in a shoot regeneration medium. Moreover, over 82% of kanamycin‐resistant plants exhibited strong green fluorescence marker protein expression, with genetic integration confirmed by PCR results and green fluorescence protein expression in their T1 progeny. Furthermore, we successfully applied this transformation method to achieve an average of 83% genome editing efficiency of SnMYB1, a gene involved in regulating the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway of S. nigrum in response to missing nutrients. Taken together, the combination of highly efficient tissue culture, transformation and genome editing systems can provide a powerful platform for supporting fundamental research on the molecular mechanisms of secondary metabolism, fruit development, and production of important compounds by biotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water/solid interfaces are closely related to our daily lives and play an important role in nature and technology. In this paper, we investigate the water molecules adsorbed on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface. The frontier molecular orbitals of adsorbed water dimer are directly observed by means of the low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (LT-STM). Furthermore, we find there are many water dimers and few small water clusters on HOPG, since the average adsorption energy per molecule of water dimer are higher than that of others. These results shed important light on the water/graphite interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this note, we will show that the output feedback controller gains K in the paper [1] is only an approximated solution K[SUP‡] = QP[SUP-1]&Ctilde;[SUP†,SUB0], with the dagger denoting Moore-Penrose inverse of the matrix C[SUB0]. Consequently K ≠ K[SUP‡] and therefore it may not satisfy the linear matrix inequality (LMI) constraints in the aforementioned paper. Instead, an iterative LMI approach is suggested to solve the dynamic output stabilization problem for the fuzzy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods to trace source habitats and movement of parasitic natural enemies in agroecosystems are limited. This study demonstrates that stable carbon isotope analysis offers a valuable new method for revealing the movement of Microplitis mediator (Haliday) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a larval endoparasitoid of Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), between C3 and C4 plants. Results indicate that M. mediator with δ13C values of lower than −22‰ originate from a C3 plant, whereas those with δ13C values of higher than −19‰ develop on a C4 plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multitude of fixation options for radial neck fractures, such as pins, screws, biodegradable pins and screws, locking plates, and blade plates, has led to a lack of consensus on the optimal implant choice and associated biomechanical properties. This study aims to evaluate the biomechanical strength of various fixation constructs in axial, sagittal, and torsional loading directions. We included biomechanical studies comparing different interventions, such as cross/parallel screws, nonlocking plates with or without augmented screws, fixed angle devices (T or anatomic locking plates or blade plates), and cross pins. A systematic search of MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, Scopus, and CINAHL EBSCO databases was conducted on September 26th, 2022. Data extraction was carried out by one author and verified by another. A network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. Primary outcomes encompassed axial, bending, and torsional stiffness, while the secondary outcome was bending load to failure. Effect sizes were calculated for continuous outcomes, and relative treatment ranking was measured using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). Our analysis encompassed eight studies, incorporating 172 specimens. The findings indicated that fixed angle constructs, specifically the anatomic locking plate, demonstrated superior axial stiffness (mean difference [MD]: 23.59 N/mm; 95% CI 8.12–39.06) in comparison to the cross screw. Additionally, the blade plate construct excelled in bending stiffness (MD: 32.37 N/mm; 95% CI − 47.37 to 112.11) relative to the cross screw construct, while the cross-screw construct proved to be the most robust in terms of bending load failure. The parallel screw construct performed optimally in torsional stiffness (MD: 139.39 Nm/degree; 95% CI 0.79–277.98) when compared to the cross screw construct. Lastly, the nonlocking plate, locking T plate, and cross-pin constructs were found to be inferior in most respects to alternative interventions. The NMA indicated that fixed angle devices (blade plate and anatomic locking plate) and screw fixations may exhibit enhanced biomechanical strength in axial and bending directions, whereas cross screws demonstrated reduced torsional stability in comparison to parallel screws. It is imperative for clinicians to consider the application of these findings in constraining forces across various directions during early range of motion exercises, taking into account the distinct biomechanical properties of the respective implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Layered SnSe 2 have much attention due to their potential novel applications in electronic devices areas, such as photo-transistors, solar cells and memory devices. We investigate the thermal properties of few layer SnSe 2 with capping of Al 2 O 3 layer using the temperature and power-dependent Raman spectroscopy. The first order temperature coefficient of A 1g modes of SnSe 2 layers on a SiO 2 /Si substrate was found to be −0.01757 cm−1/K, which is much higher than the corresponding value −0.01270 cm−1/K of SnSe 2 with Al 2 O 3 layer. The difference in temperature coefficients is attributed to compressive stress introduced by the Al 2 O 3 stress layer. Meanwhile, the Al 2 O 3 layer significantly increases the thermal conductivity to 3.102 W/mK, which is larger than that of the SnSe 2 films without Al 2 O 3 (∼2.378 W/mK). The first principle calculation using CASTP demonstrated that this improvement of thermal conductivity is attributed to the compressive strain. This work suggests an effective way to improve the performances of SnSe 2 based devices, and also need to understand the vibrational properties and electron-phonon interactions at the interface of Al 2 O 3 and SnSe 2 layers. Highlights • A thin Al 2 O 3 layer (∼4 nm) was used as a passivation layer on exploited SnSe 2 films. • Temperature and power-dependent Raman study was done on these films. • Thermal conductivity of SnSe 2 with and without Al 2 O 3 stress layer was evaluated. • The enhancement in k of SnSe 2 is mainly attributed to compressive strain. • Effect of strain on SnSe 2 have been analyzed with first principle calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the atomic-scale imaging of the buried Cd-Si(111)-7×7 interface with a low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The Cd(0001) films grown on Si(111)-7×7 reveal the electronic growth mode, and manifest a series of quantum-well states. In the low-bias STM images, not only the 7×7 reconstruction but also individual Si adatoms buried by thick Cd islands are clearly visible. The two successive layers of Cd islands exhibit the distinct contrasts due to the quantum size effect. Moreover, we found a small gap appeared at Fermi level owing to the Anderson localization induced by interface scattering. The perfect transparency of Cd films can be attributed to the anisotropic electron motion, i.e., lateral electron localization and transverse motion like free-electron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Plantaginaceae flowering plant, Chelone glabra, is different from Arabidopsis thaliana and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), as it produces fibers on the anther surface. However, the evolutionary molecular mechanism of how fiber development is controlled in the stamen is unclear. MYB genes are essential transcription factors for trichome and fiber development in plants. In this study, we isolated 29 MYB domain-containing sequences using early-stage anthers and several sets of degenerated primers conserved in the R2R3 domain of the MYB transcription factor. Among them, CgMYB4 is an R2R3-MYB gene encoding 281 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CgMYB4 is closely related to GhMYB25L/AmMIXTA, which controls fiber initiation and development in cotton and epidermal cell differentiation in the petals of Antirrhinum. Semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that CgMYB4 is strongly expressed at the stamens and carpels. Overexpression of CgMYB4 significantly enhanced root hair formation in transformed hairy roots, contrary to the root hair numbers, which were reduced in silenced CgMYB4 hairy roots. Moreover, overexpression of CgMYB4 also evidently promoted fiber development at filaments and conical cell-like epidermal cell increases at the anther wall. Our results showed that CgMYB4 is an R2R3-MYB gene and is positively involved in regulating cell division and fiber differentiation in the early stages of stamen development in C. glabra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the highly ordered array of CoPc-vacancies and the single-molecule rotors inside the vacancies. When CoPc molecules are deposited on Cd(0001) at low-temperature, three types of molecular vacancies appeared randomly in the CoPc monolayer. Annealing the sample to higher temperature leads to the spontaneous phase separation and self-organized arrangement of the vacancies. Highly ordered arrays of two-molecule vacancies and single-molecule vacancies have been obtained. In particular, there is a rotating CoPc molecule inside each single-molecule vacancy, which constitutes the array of single-molecule rotors. These results provide a new routine to fabricate the nano-machines on a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The onset and progression of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is closely related to autoimmunity. Effective monitoring of the immune system and developing targeted therapies are frontier fields in T1DM treatment. Currently, the most available tissue that reflects the immune system is peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Thus, the aim of this study was to identify key PBMC biomarkers of T1DM. Methods: Common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets GSE9006, GSE72377, and GSE55098, and PBMC mRNA expression in T1DM patients was compared with that in healthy participants by GEO2R. Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analyses of DEGs were performed using the Cytoscape, DAVID, and STRING databases. The vital hub genes were validated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction using clinical samples. The disease-gene-drug interaction network was built using the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) and Drug Gene Interaction Database (DGIdb). Results: We found that various biological functions or pathways related to the immune system and glucose metabolism changed in PBMCs from T1DM patients. In the PPI network, the DEGs of module 1 were significantly enriched in processes including in- flammatory and immune responses and in pathways of proteoglycans in cancer. Moreover, we focused on four vital hub genes, namely, chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1), matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9), and granzyme B (GZMB), and confirmed them in clinical PBMC samples. Furthermore, the disease-gene-drug interaction network revealed the potential of key genes as reference markers in T1DM. Conclusion: These results provide new insight into T1DM pathogenesis and novel biomarkers that could be widely representative reference indicators or potential therapeutic targets for clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The C8 and C9 stereogenic centers of the basiliolide/transtaganolide family have been established stereoselectively using a cyclopropane ring-opening strategy, which has been studied by DFT calculations of a variety of lithium-chelating models. The highly functionalized intermediates obtained in this strategy were successfully employed for the diastereoselective total synthesis of (±)-basiliolide B and (±)-epi-8-basiliolide B. The decalin core with a lactone bridge was constructed via a 2-pyrone Diels-Alder (DA) cycloaddition, and the unprecedented seven-membered acyl ketene acetal was established by a biomimetic intramolecular O-acylation cyclization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural evolution of cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) thin films grown on a Bi(1 1 1) surface from the sub-monolayer to the third layer has been investigated with low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Two crucial transitions have been identified during the film epitaxial growth: one is the structural transition from zigzag chains to linear dimerized chains in the monolayer regime; the other is the molecular orientational transition from a flat-lying to a standing-up configuration in the multilayer regime. These results are helpful in understanding the growth mechanism of transition-metal phthalocyanine films on semi-metallic surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A diagram is presented which shows the chemical structure related to biomimetic (±)-basiliolide synthesis.

Chaos-based encryption schemes have been studied extensively, while the security analysis methods for them are still problems to be resolved. Based on the periodic orbit theory, this paper proposes a novel security analysis method. The periodic orbits theory indicates that the fundamental frequency of the spiraling orbits is the natural frequency of associated linearized system, which is decided by the parameters of the chaotic system. Thus, it is possible to recover the plaintext of secure communication systems based on chaotic shift keying by getting the average time on the spiraling orbits. Analysis and simulation results show that the security analysis method can break chaos shift keying secure communication systems, which use the parameters as keys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollination is composed of cell–cell communication and complicated signaling cascades that regulate pollen tube growth and guidance toward the ovules for double fertilization, and is critical for successful sexual reproduction. Exploring expression profiles of in vivo grown pollen tubes is important. Nevertheless, it is difficult to obtain accessible pollen tubes for profiling studies in most model plants. By taking advantage of the hollow styles of lily (Lilium longiflorum), in vivo pollen tubes harvested from pollinated styles which had been cut open were used here to study their protein and transcript profiles. Pollination quantitatively and qualitatively altered the total protein composition of elongating pollen tubes. cDNAs generated and amplified from total RNAs of 24 h in vivo grown and 12 h in vitro cultured pollen tubes were used for suppression subtractive hybridization analyses and preparation of home-made array chips. Microarray analyses conducted with different probe sets revealed 16 transcripts specifically present and/or enriched in in vivo pollen tubes. Reverse transcription–PCR (RT–PCR), in situ hybridization and Northern blotting were applied to validate their unique pollination-induced expression features. Interestingly, several transcripts were simultaneously detected on the stylar transmitting tract epidermis, where in vivo pollen tubes tightly adhered during pollination. Their deduced amino acid sequences showed that most of them encoded small proteins and could be classified into several families. Transient assay revealed filament-like structures decorated by these proteins and one probably localized in the generative cell. These small peptides might be critical for pollen tube growth during pollination, and further exploration of their biological functions and mechanisms of action are of great interest. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A compact ultra-wideband (UWB) bandpass filter (BPF) is presented for applications to short-range and high-speed wireless communication. Superconducting YBa2Cu3Oy (YBCO) stepped impedance resonators and coupled-line sections as inverter circuits are designed to form the basic filter structure. In the filter design, connected high-low stepped impedance microstrip lines construct the resonators, and open-stub lines are utilized to add return-loss poles in the pass-band and create transmission zeros in the lower/upper stop-band region. Simulation results show that the passband from 3.0 GHz to 8.6 GHz has a 3-dB fractional bandwidth of 99 percent, computed insertion losses better than 0.03 dB, and return losses greater than 15 dB. Rejection levels in the upper/lower stop-bands are better than 20 dB. For fabrication, high-Tc superconducting (HTS) YBCO films were deposited on double-side-polished 0.5-mm-thick MgO (100) substrates by a radio-frequency sputtering system. The filter was made out of patterned double-sided deposited YBCO films integrated with a gold-coated housing. The realized HTS UWB BPF shows a wide passband within 2.9–8.3 GHz with a maximum insertion loss of 0.88 dB. The measured results show good HTS UWB BPF performance. Moreover, the temperature-dependent frequency responses and the insertion loss can be described by the modified two-fluid-model-based formulas, indicating that the frequency shift and the increase in insertion loss for HTS BPF are both dominated by the temperature dependence of the magnetic penetration depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-small-cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs) exhibit poor prognosis and are usually resistant to conventional chemotherapy. Absence of p21WAF1/CIP1, a cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) inhibitor, has been linked to drug resistance in many in vitro cellular models. RNA activation (RNAa) is a transcriptional activation phenomena guided by double-strand RNA (dsRNA) targeting promoter region of target gene. Methods: In this study, we explored the effect of up-regulation of p21 gene expression on drug-resistance in A549 non-small-cell lung carcinoma cells by transfecting the dsRNA targeting the promoter region of p21 into A549 cells. Results: Enhanced p21 expression was observed in A549 cells after transfection of dsRNA, which was correlated with a significant growth inhibition and enhancement of chemosensitivity to cisplatin in A549 cells in vitro. Moreover, in vivo experiment showed that saRNA targeting the promoter region of p21 could significantly inhibit A549 xenograft tumor growth. Conclusions: These results indicate that p21 plays a role in lung cancer drug-resistance process. In addition, this study also provides evidence for the usage of saRNA as a therapeutic option for up-regulating lower-expression genes in lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]