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A methodology to access chiral cyclic β-ketophosphonates with a stereogenic center at the α-position has been established via an asymmetric desymmetrizing ring-expansion reaction of 4-substituted cyclohexanones with α-diazophosphonates catalysed by a chiral boron Lewis acid.

Upregulation of p53 target genes in response to irradiation in intestinal adenomas.

p53 protein, activated and stabilized by posttranslational modifications, performs its major functions by inducing DNA repair, cell-cycle arrest, or apoptosis through transcriptional activation. Here, we determined the ability of p53 protein stabilized via proteasome inhibition to perform similar functions as p53 induced by stresses such as DNA damage. Treating mice with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib stabilized p53 in stem/progenitor cells of the intestine and stomach, in other proliferating tissues, and in intestinal tumors. Robust basal p53 mRNA levels were observed in the same compartments where p53 was stabilized. Spatial activation of p53 target genes in response to bortezomib in the small intestine demonstrated that CDKN1A and BAX were upregulated in the proliferative crypts but not in the differentiated villi of the small intestine; PUMA was specifically activated at the crypt base of p53 wild-type mice. Thus, cellular context determines the p53 transcriptional target selection. p53-dependent apoptosis was induced in Lgr5-expressing stem cells of the small intestine and high p53 transcriptional activity and apoptosis was induced in intestinal adenomas and in xenograft tumors. Bortezomib inhibited the growth of intestinal adenomas and xenograft tumors with wild-type p53, indicating the importance of p53 in the response to proteasome inhibitors in tissue homeostasis and in cancer therapy.Significance:These findings show that bortezomib is less active in p53-defective tumors, yet its success in treating multiple myeloma suggests its use can be extended to p53-proficient solid tumors.

Supplementary information contains "Supplementary Materials and Methods" and "Supplementary figure legends".

Purpose: To investigate the effect of Pinellia polysaccharide on airway remodeling in cough-variant asthmatic rats, and the involvement of PI3K/AKT signal route in the process. Methods: Seventy-five Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were assigned to 5 groups: blank control, model, low-dose Pinellia polysaccharide (100 mg/kg), medium-dose Pinellia polysaccharide (200 mg/kg) and high-dose Pinellia polysaccharide (400 mg/kg) groups, each with 15 rats. Immunoblot assay was employed to measure relative protein concentrations of phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT), phosphorylated phosphoinositide-3-kinase (p-PI3K), MMP-9, B lymphocytes expression of cell tumor-2, B-lymphoma-2 gene-related promoter (Bad), Fas, and Caspase-3. Results: The levels of Wat, Wam, Wai, p-AKT, p-PI3K, MMP-9 and bcl-2 in model group were significantly higher than those in blank control group (p < 0.05). However, these factors were significantly up-regulated, relative to blank control levels, but lower than those in the model group (p < 0.05). The levels of Bad, Fas and Caspase3 in the model group were significantly lower than the corresponding levels in the blank control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, levels of Bad, Fas and Caspase3 differed significantly amongst rats given the 3 doses of Pinellia polysaccharide (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Pinellia polysaccharide mitigates cough-variant asthma in rats through stimulation of PI3K/AKT signal route, regulation of expressions of airway smooth muscle-related apoptotic molecules (Bad, Fas and Caspase-3), and slowing down airway remodeling and airway inflammation. Thus, this polysaccharide is a potential agent for the management of cough variant asthma.

ACAN heterozygous mutations can cause short stature in patients with or without advanced bone age and have recently attracted researchers' attention. Growth hormone can be used to treat short stature induced by ACAN mutations; however, few studies have focused on the underlying mechanism of this treatment.Four patients with new mutations were reported based on clinical data and genetic tests. We investigated the expression and Gene Ontology biological process enrichment of ACAN and GH pathways based on GTEx databases through bioinformatics analyses. The effect of ACAN on the growth hormone response evaluated in ATDC5 cells with a growth hormone stimulation test.Four mutations were reported in this study: c.619C A, c.1967A G, c.1888G A, and c.1308_1309del. All patients' heights were under -2.5 SD, with one had advanced bone age, and two had GH deficiency. Two individuals received growth hormone therapy acquired variable levels of height SD score improvement. ACAN and the GH pathway were strongly associated; ACAN does not affect GHR but regulates the response to GH. Downregulating ACAN inhibited ATDC5 cell proliferation induced by GH.ACAN is associated with the GH pathway, revealing the potential mechanism underlying GH-targeted treatment for ACAN mutation-induced short stature. GH-promoting therapies may increase patients' heights.

A MIL-53(Al)/CS/PEO columnar foam was fabricated for the determination of estrogens in larger-volume environmental water samples by VA-SPE and HPLC-FLD.

Background & Objectives: This study aimed to explore the incidence and potential risk factors of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) in young and middle-aged patients with hypertension. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of young and middle-aged patients with hypertension in the Department of Neurology, General Hospital of Western Theater Command, Chengdu, China between August 2018 and December 2020. The demographic baseline, laboratory parameters and clinical imaging data were collected. Microbleed anatomical rating scale (MARS) was applied to evaluate the presence, amount, and topographical distributions of CMBs. Results: Among 196 young and middle-aged patients with hypertension, 84 (42.9%) patients had CMBs. CMBs were more likely to occur in the deep brain tissue regions (41.8%), followed by lobar or infratentorial region. White matter hyperintensity (OR, 5.262; 95%CI, 1.314-21.075; P=0.019), abnormal lipid metabolism (OR, 3.832; 95%CI, 1.578-9.306; P=0.003), usage of anti-platelet aggregation drugs (OR, 2.947; 95%CI, 1.138-7.632; P=0.026), smoking history (OR, 3.218; 95%CI, 1.073-9.651; P=0.037), and hyperhomocysteinemia (OR, 1.415; 95%CI, 1.018-1.967; P=0.039) were independently associated with deep or infratentorial CMBs in young and middle-aged patients with hypertension. However, the occurrence of strictly lobar CMBs was only independently associated with abnormal lipid metabolism (OR, 4.162; 95%CI, 1.685-10.282; P=0.002). Conclusions: The rate of CMBs was high in young and middle-aged patients with hypertension, most commonly occurring in the deep brain tissue region. While multiple risk factors were identified to be associated with deep or infratentorial CMBs, the occurrence of strictly lobar CMBs was only associated with abnormal lipid metabolism.

Aims Seizure outcome of autoimmune encephalitis (AE) varies from seizure‐free to refractory epilepsy, and the associated factors remain unclear. We aimed to describe seizure characteristics, identify seizure outcome‐related factors, and discuss the medication strategy of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) at the first onset of AE. Methods We retrospectively studied the data of 86 patients with clinically diagnosed AE. The clinical characteristics were described using a chi‐square test. Seizure outcome‐related factors were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results 56 patients were finally enrolled, with antibodies to N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor found in 29, to γ‐aminobutyric acid receptor B found in 13, and to leucine‐rich glioma‐inactivated protein 1 found in 14. Status epilepticus occurrence and onset with seizure lead to a poor seizure outcome, while administration of human gamma globulin and a low antibody titer contributed to a good seizure outcome. Conclusions In the acute phase, seizure characteristics may be considered in the utilization of AEDs. For patients with seizure‐free status in the acute phase, clinical manifestation (onset with seizure or not, whether status epilepticus occurs or not), therapy regimen (human gamma globulin administered or not), and antibody titer may be considered when formulating the strategy for withdrawal of AEDs post‐acute phase., In the acute phase, seizure characteristics may be considered in the utilization of antiepileptic drugs. For patients who have achieved seizure‐free status in the acute phase of autoimmune encephalitis, onset with seizure or not, status epilepticus occurs or not, human gamma globulin administered or not and antibody titer may be considered in the withdrawal strategy of AEDs after the acute phase.

An econometric model of the development of the regions of the Russian Federation based on medical savings accounts (MSA) has been developed. The presence of the phenomenon of multicollinearity in the model based on the correlation matrix is verified and its statistical significance is evaluated according to the Fisher criterion. The practical implementation of the developed econometric model is made on the example of the Southern Federal District and separately the Rostov region. It is shown that as a result of the practical application of the developed econometric model, the complex indicator of the level of investment attractiveness of the Rostov region increases from 1.872 to 2.084, i.e. by 11.3%, which moves it in the rating of investment attractiveness according to the evaluation methodology of the rating agency Expert-RA from ninth to sixth place. As a result of the practical application of the developed econometric model and the de-termination of the level of investment attractiveness based on the MSA, the Krasnodar region received the highest rating for the Southern Federal District, the level of its investment attractiveness according to the method of econometric modeling based on the MSA was 2.37, the Republic of Kalmykia received the lowest rating for this indicator, the investment attractiveness of this region, calculated according to the developed methodology, was 0.183. It is concluded that the highest ratings from the point of view of investment attrac-tiveness in modeling are obtained by regions that invest in the development of the MSA system, since factors that depend on the MSA have a positive impact on the assessment of the level of development of regions.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to research on optimization of spindle bearing preload based on efficiency coefficient method and provide theoretical guidance for variable preload of intelligent spindle. Design/methodology/approach Based on an established thermo-mechanical coupling model of angular contact ball bearing with fix-position preload, temperature rise and axial stiffness of the bearing at different speeds and preload are analyzed, and life of the bearing is estimated by the improved L-P theory. The bearing temperature rise, axial stiffness and life data are standardized, and the preload is optimized by the efficiency coefficient method according to the requirements of operating conditions. Findings The optimized preload meets comprehensive requirements of the bearing temperature rise, axial stiffness and life under different operating conditions. Originality/value In the past studies, it is rarely reported that temperature rise, stiffness and life of the bearing under thermo-mechanical coupling effect are used as objective functions to optimize preload at different speeds. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-06-2020-0205/

This study investigated the compressive strength, drying shrinkage and alkali-silica reaction (ASR) expansion of alkali-activated mortars using sand or glass cullet (GC) as aggregates and using glass powder (GP) to partially replace ground granulated furnace slag (GGBS) as the precursor. For mortars using GC as the aggregate, the replacement of GGBS by GP decreased the compressive strength. The mortars using sand as aggregate showed severe drying shrinkage and the replacement of sand by GC could significantly decrease the drying shrinkage. The addition of calcium aluminium cement (CAC) could further suppress the drying shrinkage. The alkali-activated GGBS mortars using GC as the aggregate showed large expansion after alkaline immersion. When using GP to partially replace GGBS, the expansion was significantly decreased. The replacement of 15% GGBS by CAC could further decrease the expansion. The optimal alkali-activated cement (AAC) mixture proportion developed in this study was the mortars incorporating 15% of CAC, 10% of GGBS and 75% of GP as the compressive strength, expansion and drying shrinkage of this mixture could meet the stipulated mechanical and durability requirements for partition wall applications.

This study aimed at developing an eco-friendly precast concrete product by enhancing the application of waste glass. The waste glass was utilized as both fine aggregates and a partial binder in the form of glass powder (GP) in the paving blocks. The results showed that the strength was constant despite increasing amount of glass cullet (GC) was used in the paving blocks. The combined use of GC and fine GP was beneficial in reducing the water absorption and drying shrinkage of the paving blocks within permissible limits. Moreover, the addition of GP could successfully address the concern of ASR expansion resulting from GC.

This study designed an eco-friendly pervious concrete (PC) product using waste glass cullet (WGC) and recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) by dry-mixed compaction technique. The mechanical properties, water permeability behavior and related pore structure characteristics, thermal conductivity of the PCs were determined. The experimental results showed that the use of silica fume in the cement paste was effective to compensate for the low compressive strength of the PCs due to the use of narrowed graded aggregates without the incorporation of fine particles (less than 2.36 mm). Although the incorporation of recycled aggregates (i.e. WGC and RCA) into the PCs led to reductions in compressive strength, the water permeability of the PCs was improved, especially for the PCs prepared with WGC, as the use of WGC was conducive to improving the water permeability due to the negligible water absorption nature and smooth surface of glass cullet. Another encouraging result indicated that the PCs comprising 50% WGC as the fine aggregate and 50% RCA as the coarse aggregates could achieve satisfactory strength and permeability, which could largely meet the requirement of the standard (JIS A 5371) for permeable pedestrian pavers. The appropriate blending of the selected size of WGC (2.36–5 mm) and RCA (5–10 mm) to produce a desirable pore structure in the PCs were responsible for the good performance. In addition, the low thermal conductivity of the produced PCs provided an opportunity to use the PC as partition block materials for saving energy consumption of buildings.

ObjectiveTo develop a virtual reality simulation training programme, and further verify the effect of the programme on improving the response capacity of emergency reserve nurses confronting public health emergencies.DesignA prospective quasiexperimental design with a control group.ParticipantsA total of 120 nurses were recruited and randomly divided into the control group and the intervention group.InterventionParticipants underwent a 3-month training. The control group received the conventional training of emergency response (eg, theoretical lectures, technical skills and psychological training), while the intervention group underwent the virtual reality simulation training in combination with skills training. The COVID-19 cases were incorporated into the intervention group training, and the psychological training was identical to both groups. At the end of the training, each group conducted emergency drills twice. Before and after the intervention, the two groups were assessed for the knowledge and technical skills regarding responses to fulminate respiratory infectious diseases, as well as the capacity of emergency care. Furthermore, their pandemic preparedness was assessed with a disaster preparedness questionnaire.ResultsAfter the intervention, the scores of the relevant knowledge, the capacity of emergency care and disaster preparedness in the intervention group significantly increased (p0.05).ConclusionThe virtual reality simulation training in combination with technical skills training can improve the response capacity of emergency reserve nurses as compared with the conventional training. The findings of the study provide some evidence for the emergency training of reserve nurses in better response to public health emergencies and suggest this methodology is worthy of further research and popularisation.

Denitrification during composting is a hidden danger that causes environmental pollution risk and aromatic humic substance damage, which needs to be better regulate urgently. In this study, two denitrification regulation methods, moisture and biochar amendment, were conducted during chicken manure composting. Denitrification performance data showed two regulation methods obviously reduced NO3−-N, NO2−-N and N2 contents. Humic substance increased by 25.3 % and 29.1 % under two regulations. Microbiological analysis indicated that two regulation methods could decreasing denitrifying functional microbes with aroma degradation capability. Subsequently, denitrification gene narG, nirS, nosZ were significantly inhibited (p

This paper presents an innovative way of enhancing the residual strength and the dimensional stability after elevated temperature exposures for Alkali Activated Cement (AAC) mortar prepared with recycled glass materials as the principle precursor and fine aggregate. The reference AAC mixture was prepared with Glass Powder (GP) solely as the precursor material. A 28-day compressive strength of slightly over 10 MPa was attained but the samples experienced severe dimensional instability (expansion) after 2 h of exposure to 800 °C. To address this problem, 10% to 25% calcium aluminate cement (CAC) was used to replace the GP and the expansion was effectively controlled when the amount of CAC reached 15%. Also, significant strength increment was attained after the elevated temperature resistance test. The severe expansion of the reference mortar was attributed to the density reduction and volume expansion of the recycled glass materials at the elevated temperature and an extremely porous structure (porosity of over 50%) was resulted after the test. Meanwhile, for the CAC incorporated mixtures, the dehydration of sodium aluminum silicate hydrate at temperature ranging from 250–270 °C enabled sufficient space to accommodate the glass materials expansion. The results show that with the incorporation of CAC, recycled glass dominated AAC mortars that contain higher than 80% total recycled glass materials can be fabricated. A residual strength increment of up to 450% can be obtained while maintaining the original dimension without expansion after the elevated temperature exposure.

In this work, the superhydrophobic and UV-resistant cotton fabrics were fabricated via combining the nano titanium dioxide (TiO2) and silicone oil. The nano-TiO2 makes cotton fabrics possess outstanding ultraviolet (UV) resistance property, while increases the micro and nano size rough structure on the surface of cotton fabric. Then the cotton fabric was hydrophobically treated with silicone oil to make it superhydrophobic. The chemical constituents, structures, superhydrophobic and UV-resistant performance of cotton fabrics were analyzed. The cotton fabric treated with titanium dioxide and silicone oil not only showed excellent superhydrophobicity, but also displayed good UV-resistant ability. Water contact angle and UPF value can reach 161.32° and 55.17 respectively. Such multifunctional cotton fabric has broad commercial application prospects.

One important goal of fish genetic breeding is to identify valuable loci and genes that can facilitate growth and thereby productivity. Few such loci or genes have been identified in golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus), a species of significant economic value. In this study, we produced a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of the golden pompano by de novo sequencing and assemblies for 2 parents and 200 F1 offspring by genome re-sequencing. We exploited these assemblies to identify loci and genes by QTL mapping, Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) genotyping, and haplotype-based regional association analysis based on growth records of a 64 biparental and 147 individuals from a naturally occurring population. At a locus 291kb from BSNP21031, we identified a somatostatin receptor type 1-like (designated as gpsstr1) gene in which the BSNP1369 of the promoter region was highly associated with growth. Loss of sstr1a, the homolog of gpsstr1 in zebrafish, caused growth retardation. Sstr1a mediated growth via sstr2 and Wnt-gsk-3β signaling pathways. Our findings provide new insights into the underlying mechanisms controlling growth. Our strategy can serve as an effective way to uncover novel genomic information and facilitate improvement of fish growth.

Objective To explore quality of life (QOL) in patients with colorectal cancer and a stoma and factors associated with their QOL. Methods A quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out in the stoma and wound care clinic of a cancer hospital in China. Participants were recruited from clinic patients. Investigators collected demographic data and clinical information; QOL was measured using a Chinese version of the stoma-QOL scale. Results In total, 359 participants took part; 161 (44.8%) had an ileostomy, whereas the others had a colostomy, and about half of the participants (46.5%) had a permanent stoma. The mean age was 57.86 ± 11.92 years. The QOL scores of most participants were poor, with a median value of 49.44. Participants whose stoma was cared for by others had a significantly lower QOL score than those who cared for their own stomas (odds ratio [OR], 1.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-2.38; P = .029). Participants with a temporary stoma had a lower QOL score than those with a permanent stoma (OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.275-3.40; P = .004). Further, participants with a complication had a lower QOL score than those without (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.07-2.43; P = .022). Conclusions These findings suggest a need for well-developed interventions to improve the QOL of these patients. This study provides valuable insights to inform the development of future clinical practice and research in this area in China and beyond.

Purpose Under fix-position preload, the high rotation speed of the angular contact ball bearing exacerbates the frictional heat generation, which causes the increase of the bearing temperature and the thermal expansion. The high rotation speed also leads to the centrifugal expansion of the bearing. Under the thermal and centrifugal effect, the structural parameters of the bearing change, affecting the mechanical properties of the bearing. The mechanical properties of the bearing determine its heat generation mechanism and thermal boundary conditions. The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of centrifugal and thermal effects on the thermo-mechanical characteristics of an angular contact ball bearing with fix-position preload. Design/methodology/approach Because of operating conditions, elastic deformation occurs between the ball and the raceway. Assuming that the surfaces of the ball and channel are absolutely smooth and the material is isotropic, quasi-static theory and thermal network method are used to establish the thermo-mechanical coupling model of the bearing, which is solved by Newton–Raphson iterative method. Findings The higher the rotation speed, the greater the influence of centrifugal and thermal effects on the bearing dynamic parameters, temperature rise and actual axial force. The calculation results show that the effects of thermal field on bearing dynamic parameters are more significant than the centrifugal effect. The temperature rise and actual axial force of the bearing are measured. Comparing the calculation and the experimental results, it is found that the temperature rise and the actual axial force of the bearing are closer to reality considering thermal and centrifugal effects. Originality/value In the past studies, the thermo-mechanical coupling characteristics research and experimental verification of angular contact ball bearing with fix-position preload are not concerned. Research findings of this paper provide theoretical guidance for spindle design.

p53 protein, activated and stabilized by posttranslational modifications, performs its major functions by inducing DNA repair, cell-cycle arrest, or apoptosis through transcriptional activation. Here, we determined the ability of p53 protein stabilized via proteasome inhibition to perform similar functions as p53 induced by stresses such as DNA damage. Treating mice with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib stabilized p53 in stem/progenitor cells of the intestine and stomach, in other proliferating tissues, and in intestinal tumors. Robust basal p53 mRNA levels were observed in the same compartments where p53 was stabilized. Spatial activation of p53 target genes in response to bortezomib in the small intestine demonstrated that CDKN1A and BAX were upregulated in the proliferative crypts but not in the differentiated villi of the small intestine; PUMA was specifically activated at the crypt base of p53 wild-type mice. Thus, cellular context determines the p53 transcriptional target selection. p53-dependent apoptosis was induced in Lgr5-expressing stem cells of the small intestine and high p53 transcriptional activity and apoptosis was induced in intestinal adenomas and in xenograft tumors. Bortezomib inhibited the growth of intestinal adenomas and xenograft tumors with wild-type p53, indicating the importance of p53 in the response to proteasome inhibitors in tissue homeostasis and in cancer therapy. Significance: These findings show that bortezomib is less active in p53-defective tumors, yet its success in treating multiple myeloma suggests its use can be extended to p53-proficient solid tumors.

The Trachinotus ovatus (T. ovatus) reach sexual maturity as late as 4–5 years, and there are no obvious morphology differences between males and females, even at maturity, making the selection of male and female parents for selective breeding difficult. To examine the potential regulatory mechanism of sexual differentiation, we conducted a microRNAs (miRNAs) analysis on the ovaries and testes of T. ovatus. A total of 13,423,691 and 11,734,953 raw reads, representing 91,883,908 and 86,879,726 unique sequences of 18–35 nt length obtained from the ovaries and testes, respectively. After mapping to the T. ovatus transcriptome reference sequence (unpublished data), and comparing the miRNA sequences with the miRBase database, 179 known mature miRNAs and 100 novel miRNAs were identified. Expression analysis showed that, 165 miRNAs were differentially expressed between the ovary and testis. To validate the Illumina results, the expression patterns of the nine most differently expressed miRNAs (dre-miR-7a, dre-miR-7b, dre-miR-153a-3p, dre-miR-144-3p, dre-miR-301a, dre-miR-92a-3p, dre-miR-727-5p, Novel 124, and Novel 190, as well as those of five miRNAs that may relate to gonad development (dre-miR-143, dre-miR-101a, dre-miR-202-5p, dre-let-7c-5p, and dre-miR-181a-5p), were assayed with RT-qPCR. The expression trends for all the miRNAs validated with RT-qPCR were consistent with the next-generation sequencing data. The identification and characterization of the miRNAs differentially expressed between the ovary and the testis of the T. ovatus will increase our understanding of the role of miRNAs in gonad differentiation. These data also facilitate studies on miRNA regulation of teleost reproduction.

The rice flower carp (Cyprinus carpio var. Quanzhounensis) is a bony fish (superclass Osteichthyes), with very soft bones that is a significant feature unlike the other carp species. In this study, we analyzed the mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) transcriptomes in the intermuscular bones of rice flower carp and Jian carp (Cyprinus carpio var. Jian) (a typical member of common carp in China), using Illumina RNA sequencing. We identified 55,340 genes (including 47,541 known genes and 8231 predicted new genes) and 662 miRNAs (including 595 known miRNAs and 67 novel miRNAs) in the two species. By comparing the transcriptomes of the two species, we identified 1523 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (including 576 up - and 947 downregulated DEGs) and 352 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) (including 85 up- and 267 downregulated DEMs). According to the Gene Ontology (GO) annotation, 7 DEGs and 12 DEMs were found to be involved in the regulation of bone mineralization. The results of this study improve our understanding of the mRNA and miRNA profiles of carp bones, particularly those of the rice flower carp.

Using data from Renrendai, one of the largest peer-to-peer (P2P) lending marketplaces in China, we found an asymmetric relationship between the borrowing rates and the default risks of borrowers; s...

Waste timber formwork from construction sites was used as fibre to prepare wood-magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) board. The effect of wood fibre content, pulverized fly ash (PFA) and incinerated sewage sludge ash (ISSA) on the mechanical and durability properties of wood-MOC board was investigated. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission, one of the representative and most globally concerned environmental impacts, for the production of different types of composite boards was assessed and compared by using lifecycle assessment (LCA) technique. The ‘cradle-to-gate’ system boundary with 1 kg of board production was considered as the functional unit in this assessment. The result showed that the wood-MOC composites prepared with a higher content of wood fibre had a lower thermal conductivity, higher flexural strength, higher residual flexural strength after exposure to high temperatures and water immersion, and better noise reduction effect. Even though the water absorption was increased with the increase of wood fibre content, it can still be considered to be low. The wood -MOC composites incorporating ISSA showed higher flexural strength, better high temperature resistance and better water resistance than other composites. In addition, the production of the wood MOC board induces lower GHGs emission than plywood and lower human toxicity than conventional resin-based particleboard.

Alkyltrimethoxysilanes with different chain lengths (trimethoxypropylsilane, trimethoxyoctylsilane, and dodecyltrimethoxysilane) were utilized as mesopore-generating agents to synthesize hierarchical ZSM-5 samples with different amounts of mesoporous volume. The samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, nitrogen adsorption–desorption, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and CO2-temperature-programmed desorption. With the growth of chain length, the alkyltrimethoxysilanes showed low reactivity and affinity for the surfaces of zeolite precursors due to the increase of hydrophobic character of the alkyl moiety, which resulted in the decrease of mesoporous volume. CO2 adsorption behaviors of the samples including adsorption capacity, adsorption kinetics, adsorption selectivity, adsorption thermodynamics, and adsorbent stability were studied. The experimental results indicated that hierarchical ZSM-5 modified by trimethoxypropylsilane exhibited the highest mesopores vo...

The Litopenaeus vannamei (L. vannamei) is one of the most widely cultured shrimp species in the world, with low temperature being one of the most serious threats to its growth and survival. To examine the potential regulatory mechanism of cold adaptation, we conducted a microRNAs (miRNAs) analysis on the hepatopancreas of L. vannamei under normal temperature 28 °C (M28), cold acclimation 16 °C for 6 days (M16), and recovered under normal temperature (MR). In total 14,754,823, 14,945,246 and 15,880,093 raw reads representing 10,690,259, 8,587,144, and 11,512,941 unique sequences of 18–32 nt length were obtained from the M28, M16 and MR libraries, respectively. After comparing the miRNA sequences with the miRBase database, 68 known mature miRNAs and 47 novel miRNAs were identified. Expression analysis showed that 34 miRNAs were significantly differential expressed in response to cold adaptation. Compared to the M28 library, 21 miRNAs were upregulated and 13 miRNAs were downregulated significantly in the M16 library. After recovery to normal temperature, there are 16 miRNAs upregulated and 15 miRNAs downregulated significantly compared to M28 library. Then, five significantly differential expressed miRNAs under cold acclimation including three known miRNAs (mja-miR-6491, mja-miR-6494, and Bta-miR-2478) and two newly-identified miRNAs (novel_68 and novel_5) were selected for validation by RT-qPCR in the hepatopancreas and muscle tissues of cold treated shrimps. The expression trend of most the miRNAs from RT-qPCR were consistent with the next-generation sequencing data. Further, the Gene Ontology (GO) annotation showed that the metabolic process GO term was significantly enriched with target genes of the differentially expressed miRNAs. Additionally, KEGG pathway analysis suggested that the fatty acid degradation and glycerolipid metabolism pathways etc. are significantly enriched with the target genes. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing the responses to low temperature in L. vannamei.

Although shrimp are of great economic importance, few full-length shrimp transcriptomes are available. Here, we used Pacific Biosciences single-molecule real-time (SMRT) long-read sequencing technology to generate transcripts from the Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). We obtained 322,600 full-length non-chimeric reads, from which we generated 51,367 high-quality unique full-length transcripts. We corrected errors in the SMRT sequences by comparison with Illumina-produced short reads. We successfully annotated 81.72% of all unique SMRT transcripts against the NCBI non-redundant database, 58.63% against Swiss-Prot, 45.38% against Gene Ontology, 32.57% against Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COG), and 47.83% against Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases. Across all transcripts, we identified 3,958 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and 80,650 simple sequence repeats (SSRs). Our study provides a rich set of full-length cDNA sequences for L. vannamei, which will greatly facilitate shrimp transcriptome research.