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Amino acids are a class of compounds with wide-ranging applications. The synthesis of amino acids from biomass-derived α-keto acids and ammonia is a sustainable way but the unstable primary imine intermediates (R-C=NH) easily form oligomers. Herein, targeting this problem, alkaline modified mesoporous silica was employed as a support for ruthenium (Ru/M-MCM-41), which could be used as a bifunctional catalyst in the reductive amination of α-keto acids to synthesize α-amino acids. The incorporation of Sr improved the dispersion of Ru nanoparticles and enhanced metal-support interactions via electron transfer from Sr to Ru, and the active Ru sites could efficiently hydrogenate primary imine intermediates to α-amino acids, thus prohibiting the formation of oligomers. Moreover, the Sr-dopant introduces base sites that could catalyze the hydrolysis of oligomers back to primary imine intermediates and finally hydrogenated to α-amino acids. As a result, >99 % yield of glycine was achieved from glyoxylic acid over Ru/Sr-MCM-41, which is nearly three times that achieved over Ru/MCM-41 (32.2 %)., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Plastic not only brings convenience but also places a great burden on the environment. Utilizing plastic as a low-cost feed-stock for producing valuable chemicals and fuels is one of the most attractive directions. Among the huge types of plastics, polyolefins (PO), especially polyethylene (PE), were the most abundant type and the most difficult to upgrade. Hydrocracking and hydrogenolysis operate at relatively low reaction temperatures which show promising applications. Herein, Iridium-based catalysts were developed and proved to be effective in PE hydrogenolysis under relatively mild conditions. Catalysts were characterized by TEM, HRTEM, SEM, HAADF-STEM, XPS, CO chemisorption and H 2 chemisorption etc. The Ir catalysts showed similar reactivity but better selectivity for liquid products than Ru under similar conditions. A highest 92.7 % percent of liquid products could be obtained under 250 °C, 3 MPa of H 2 in 8 hours with Ir/γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst. The support could also affect the performance, including Lewis acid amount, surface areas, and morphology. And we suppose Iridium catalysts could serve as another choice for plastic hydrogenolysis under mild conditions., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Objective: This study examines the therapeutic impact and prognosis of acoustic therapy in patients with chronic subjective tinnitus across different tinnitus frequencies., Methods: A total of 135 patients with subjective tinnitus were selected and categorized based on their primary tone frequency into three groups: high frequency (43 patients, 4-8 kHz), mid frequency (40 patients, 1-3 kHz), and low frequency (42 patients, < 1 kHz). All patients received acoustic therapy customized to their specific frequency and loudness levels, along with tinnitus cognitive behavioral therapy. Changes in tinnitus loudness and efficacy rates before and after treatment in the different groups, as well as before and after tinnitus cognitive behavioral therapy were evaluated and assessed., Results: The low frequency group showed a statistical improvement in tinnitus loudness compared to the mid and high frequency groups (P < 0.05). The efficacy rate was 93.55 % in the low frequency group, 82.88 % in the mid frequency group, and 58.82 % in the high frequency group. The efficacy rate in the low frequency group was significantly higher than in the high frequency group, but there was no statistical difference when compared to the mid frequency group., Conclusion: The frequency of tinnitus in patients with chronic subjective tinnitus might be a key factor affecting treatment effectiveness and could account for the differences in treatment outcomes among patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None of the authors have any financial disclosure or conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy of anterior column reconstruction using single or double titanium mesh cage (TMC) after total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) of thoracic and lumbar spinal tumors., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed involving 39 patients with thoracic or lumbar spinal tumors. All patients underwent TES, followed by anterior reconstruction and screw-rod instrumentation via a posterior-only procedure. Twenty-two patients in group A were treated with a single TMC to reconstruct the anterior column, whereas 17 patients in group B were reconstructed with double TMCs., Results: The overall follow-up is 20.5 ± 4.6 months. There is no significant difference between the 2 groups regarding age, sex, body mass index, tumor location, operative time, and intraoperative blood loss. The time for TMC placement was significantly shortened in the double TMCs group (5.2 ± 1.3 minutes vs. 15.6 ± 3.3 minutes, p = 0.004). Additionally, postoperative neural complications were significantly reduced with double TMCs (5/22 vs. 0/17, p = 0.046). The kyphotic Cobb angle and mean intervertebral height were significantly corrected in both groups (p ≤ 0.001), without obvious loss of correction at the last follow-up in either group. The bone fusion rates for single TMC and double TMCs were 77.3% and 76.5%, respectively., Conclusion: Using 2 smaller TMCs instead of a single large one eases the placement of TMC by shortening the time and avoiding nerve impingement. Anterior column reconstruction with double TMC is a clinically feasible, and safe alternative following TES for thoracic and lumbar tumors.

In the context of regular epidemic prevention and control, this paper considers a two-stage tourism supply chain consisting of a scenic spot that attracts tourists through advertising and a travel agency that invests in service improvement and epidemic prevention. By establishing theoretical game models of a tourism supply chain, we investigate how the service level and advertising level can affect the retail price, product service level, and profits of the supply chain. The results show that the service level of travel agencies could improve consumers' preferences, expand the market demand for tourism products, and improve the efficiency of the supply chain to achieve a win-win situation and increase the profits of the scenic spot and the travel agency. The retailer price, service level, promotion level, and supply chain profit all increase as the service coefficient and advertising coefficient increase, and the speed of the increase is higher for the centralized model than for other models. Some valuable information could be provided for supply chain enterprises to develop collaborative strategies and promote tourism supply chain management practices., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Objective: Laryngeal cancer, characterized by high recurrence rates and a lack of effective biomarkers, has been associated with cuproptosis, a regulated cell death process linked to cancer progression. In this study, we aimed to explore the roles of cuproptosis-related genes in laryngeal cancer and their potential as prognostic markers and therapeutic targets., Methods: We collected comprehensive data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases, including gene expression profiles and clinical data of laryngeal cancer patients. Using clustering and gene analysis, we identified cuproptosis-related genes with prognostic significance. A risk model was constructed based on these genes, categorizing patients into high- and low-risk groups for outcome comparison. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify independent prognostic factors, which were then incorporated into a nomogram. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis was employed to explore pathways distinguishing high- and low-risk groups., Results: Our risk model, based on four genes, including transmembrane 2, dishevelled binding antagonist of β-catenin 1, stathmin 2, and G protein-coupled receptor 173, revealed significant differences in patient outcomes between high- and low-risk groups. Independent prognostic factors were identified and integrated into a nomogram, providing a valuable tool for prognostic prediction. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis uncovered up-regulated pathways specifically associated with high-risk patient samples., Conclusion: This study highlights the potential of cuproptosis-related genes as valuable prognostic markers and promising therapeutic targets in the context of laryngeal cancer. This research sheds light on new avenues for understanding and managing this challenging disease., Level of Evidence: Level 4., (Copyright © 2023 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier España S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

The teacher's pets are a common occurrence in the field of education. To investigate the preferences teachers exhibit toward certain children, the study focused on kindergarten teachers and employed a mixed research methodology. Initially, qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 kindergarten teachers to identify specific criteria influencing teacher preferences. Subsequently, A comprehensive model of teacher's pets was developed through a questionnaire survey involving 463 participants. This model encapsulated 32 distinct indicators, categorized into 7 types: children with good appearance (GA), exceptional abilities (OA), commendable conduct (GC), proactive and enthusiastic demeanor (PE), compliant and carefree nature (OC), children from vulnerable groups (VC), and those influenced by their parents (PI). The resulting model demonstrated a sound structure. Not only did it validate existing findings, but it also expanded upon the identified types of teacher's pets. An analysis based on game theory revealed the weighted combinations, highlighting the top three types of teacher's pets: children influenced by parental factors (24.3%), proactive and enthusiastic individuals (15.7%), and obedient, carefree children (14.8%), respectively. Conversely, the representation of vulnerable-concerned children (11.1%) was the lowest among the identified types., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Shi, Zhang, Zhang, Sun, Qi and Li.)

Oxygen activation is a critical step in heterogeneous oxidative processes, particularly in catalytic, electrolytic, and pharmaceutical applications. Among the various catalysts available for photocatalytic O 2 activation, homogeneous aryl ketones are at the forefront. To avoid the degradation and deactivation of aryl ketones, 9-fluorenone-based porous organic polymers were designed and regulated by doping them with co-monomers. The obtained heterogeneous photocatalyst showed good performance in O 2 activation, and its performance was better than that of homogeneous 9-fluorenone. The obtained heterogeneous photocatalyst showed good reusability. We believe that the presented method and findings represent an important step toward designing catalysts tailored for specific tasks., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Aim: Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) is a key characteristic of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome, a chronic respiratory disorder. The mechanisms of CIH-induced metabolic disturbance and histopathological damage remain unclear., Methods: CIH-induced rats underwent daily 8-h CIH, characterized by oxygen levels decreasing from 21% to 8.5% over 4 min, remaining for 2 min, and quickly returning to 21% for 1 min. The control rats received a continuous 21% oxygen supply. The levels of hypersensitive C reactive protein (h-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) were measured by ELISA. Histological analysis of the soft palates was conducted using HE staining. The microbial profiling of fecal samples was carried out by Accu16STM assay. Untargeted metabolomics of serum and soft palate tissue samples were analyzed by UPLC-MS. The protein expression of cAMP-related pathways in the soft palate was determined by Western blot., Results: After 28 h of CIH induction, a significant increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines was observed in the serum, along with mucosal layer thickening and soft palate tissue hypertrophy. CIH induction altered the diversity and composition of fecal microbiota, specifically reducing beneficial bacteria while increasing harmful bacteria/opportunistic pathogens. Notably, CIH induction led to a significant enrichment of genera such as Dorea , Oscillibacter , Enteractinococcus , Paenibacillus , Globicatella , and Flaviflexus genera. Meanwhile, Additionally, CIH induction had a notable impact on 108 serum marker metabolites. These marker metabolites, primarily involving amino acids, organic acids, and a limited number of flavonoids or sterols, were associated with protein transport, digestion and absorption, amino acid synthesis and metabolism, as well as cancer development. Furthermore, these differential serum metabolites significantly affected 175 differential metabolites in soft palate tissue, mainly related to cancer development, signaling pathways, amino acid metabolism, nucleotide precursor or intermediate metabolism, respiratory processes, and disease. Importantly, CIH induction could significantly affect the expression of the cAMP pathway in soft palate tissue., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that targeting differential metabolites in serum and soft palate tissue may represent a new approach to clinical intervention and treatment of OSA simulated by the CIH., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Li and Shi.)

It is of great significance to explore the dynamic variations in vegetation cover and to identify its driving factors for the restoration and sustainable development of the regional ecological environment. Based on MODIS NDVI data from 2000 to 2020 and contemporaneous meteorological, DEM, land use type, and other data, the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of vegetation in the Greater Khingan Mountains forest-steppe ecotone were deeply analyzed, and its future evolution pattern was predicted by using the methods of Sen+Mann-Kendall trend analysis and Hurst index. At the same time, the influence degree and mechanism of each detection factor and its interaction on vegetation spatial differentiation at the scale of the whole area and different physical geographic divisions were quantitatively revealed by introducing the GeoDetector model. The results showed that:① In terms of spatiotemporal variation, the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of NDVI in the Greater Khingan Mountains forest-steppe ecotone was obvious from 2000 to 2020. Temporally, NDVI fluctuated growth at a rate of 0.002 a -1 ( P &lt; 0.05) and underwent an upward mutation in 2011. Spatially, NDVI showed a distribution pattern of "increasing from southwest to northeast," and the NDVI grade transfer was mainly "medium vegetation cover→medium-high vegetation cover" during the 21 years, and the area of vegetation improvement was much larger than that of degradation. ② In terms of trend prediction, the future variation trend of NDVI in the Greater Khingan Mountains forest-steppe ecotone was mainly continuous improvement, accounting for 37%, but was mostly weakly sustained. ③ In terms of driving mechanism, the wind speed, evaporation, and relative humidity had the most significant influence on the spatial differentiation of NDVI over the whole area. The influence of natural factors has been decreasing over the past 21 years, whereas the influence of human factors has been increasing, and the main driving factors of NDVI spatial differentiation were quite different in different vegetation, climate, soil, and geomorphic zones. The synergistic effect between each factor at different spatial scales all showed two-factor or non-linear enhancement relationships, which was significantly enhanced compared with the single-factor effect. This study contributes to clarifying the causes of ecological fragility in the forest-steppe ecotone in the northern cold region and provides scientific support for formulating differentiated protection and management plans for vegetation resources under different environmental conditions.

This study introduces an efficient strategy for promoting the synthesis of γ-valerolactone (GVL) via levulinic acid (LA) hydrogenation. A series of hyper-crosslinked porous polymer (HCP) supported Ru catalysts with different monomers were prepared. The wettabilities were controlled by the surface functional groups. The hydrophobic catalysts showed much higher activity than the hydrophilic ones in the hydrogenation of LA to GVL, highly possible due to the substrate enrichment. Further insight showed that the reaction proceeded through the 4-HVA route. These results illustrated the importance of surface wettability in bio-based molecule upgrading, which is beneficial for catalyst design.

Based on the implementation of the third stage of "Three-year Action Plan for Preschool Education" , this research took preschool education resources of 31 provinces (cities), autonomous regions (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) and municipalities in China from 2003 to 2019 as research samples. At the same time, according to the data of Educational Statistics Yearbook of China (2003-2019) and China Educational Finance Statistics Yearbook (2004-2020) , this research collected the data of preschool education human resources, material resources, and financial resources. As for the data analysis, this research was based on the methodology of entropy method, repeated indicators method, and the Theil index and so on, and evaluated the state of preschool education resources allocation in China from 2003 to 2019. Simultaneously, according to the state of preschool education resources allocation, this research analyzed the spatio-temporal differences of preschool education resources allocation between various provinces and various areas, then analyzed the causes of spatio-temporal differences. After that, suggestions were put forward according to the analysis. The results show that, since the implementation of the third stage of " Three-year Action Plan for Preschool Education ", the condition of preschool education resources allocation has been generally improved. However the preschool education resources allocation still presents a low-level and uneven development trend. Preschool education resources have formed a "preschool education resource advantage belt" in Beijing, Tianjin and the Yangtze River Delta; Comparing with material resources, the development of human resources in preschool education lags behind in China; In terms of each regions in China, eastern China has the most significant difference in the preschool education resources allocation, which is followed by western China, and inner China has the least significant difference; The main factor affecting the regional preschool education resources allocation difference is the inter-provincial differences in eastern China, inner China, and western China; And the main factors affecting the differences in preschool education resources in eastern, inner, and western China are respectively financial resources, human resources, and financial resources. At the same time, financial resources in eastern China and human resources in inner China tend to expand. Based on this, this study proposes methods to narrow the regional differences in preschool education resources allocation, so as to provide references for realizing preschool education equity and preschool education sustainable development., Competing Interests: All authors disclosed no relevant relationships., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Clarifying the relationship between carbon storage and ecological risks is critical to ensuring regional sustainable development. Land use changes caused by land use policy invariably result in substantial changes in carbon storage and ecological risks. The link between carbon storage and ecological risks in green space is still unknown, even though green space is an essential ecological function carrier. According to the Blackland Conservation Utilization (BCU) policy document and natural exploitation (NP) status, this study compared and projected the carbon storage and landscape ecological risk characteristics of green space in Heilongjiang Province (HLJP) for 2030. It also quantitatively assessed the interactions and synergistic changes of the two variables in terms of coupled coordination relationships, quantitative correlations, and spatial correlations. The results demonstrated the following: (1) the green space evolution of HJLP under the BCU scenario is significantly more drastic than under the NP scenario; (2) In 2020-2030, the NP scenario's evolution of green space results in the ecosystem losing 323.51 × 10 6 t of carbon storage, compared to the BCU scenario's loss of just 216.07 × 10 6 t. The BCU policy will increase the agglomeration of high-risk ranges in the northeast and southwest will but decrease the overall landscape ecological risk level of green space; (3) BCU policy will prevent the system's orderly development and benign coupling, but it will increase the interdependence between carbon storage and landscape ecological risks in green space; (4) Green space exchange and loss will result in the simultaneous rise or decrease in both variables. The magnitude of carbon storage increase owing to green space expansion tends to increase simultaneously with the magnitude of landscape ecological risk reduction. To a certain extent, the HLJP black land conservation and utilization policy can improve carbon storage and ensure ecological security, and the matching of dominant regions with the status of the landscape evolutionary process can support future carbon-neutral actions.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by the collapse of the soft palate in the upper airway, resulting in chronic intermittent hypoxia during sleep. Therefore, an understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying pathophysiological dysfunction of the soft palate in OSA is necessary for the development of new therapeutic strategies. In the present study, we observed that high mobility group protein box 1 (HMGB1) was released by a large infiltration of macrophages in the soft palate of OSA patients. The toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa B pathway was observed to be activated by the release of HMGB1, and this was accompanied by an increased expression of pro-inflammatory factors, including tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6. Importantly, increased expression of toll-like receptor 4 was observed in endothelial cells, contributing to upregulation of the angiogenesis-related factors vascular endothelial-derived growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase 9. Moreover, we confirmed the effect of the HMGB1-mediated toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa B pathway on cell proliferation and angiogenesis in an in vitro cell model of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. We conclude that HMGB1 may be a potential therapeutic target for preventing angiogenesis and pathology in OSA., (© 2022 The Authors. FEBS Open Bio published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)

The active site environment in enzymes has been known to affect catalyst performance through weak interactions with a substrate, but precise synthetic control of enzyme inspired heterogeneous catalysts remains challenging. Here, we synthesize hyper-crosslinked porous polymer (HCPs) with solely -OH or -CH 3 groups on the polymer scaffold to tune the environment of active sites. Reaction rate measurements, spectroscopic techniques, along with DFT calculations show that HCP-OH catalysts enhance the hydrogenation rate of H-acceptor substrates containing carbonyl groups whereas hydrophobic HCP- CH 3 ones promote non-H bond substrate activation. The functional groups go beyond enhancing substrate adsorption to partially activate the C = O bond and tune the catalytic sites. They also expose selectivity control in the hydrogenation of multifunctional substrates through preferential substrate functional group adsorption. The proposed synthetic strategy opens a new class of porous polymers for selective catalysis., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Carbon fiber (CF) composites performance enhancement is a research hotspot at present. In this work, first, a sandwich structure composite, CF@(carbon nanotube/Fe 3 O 4 )/epoxy (CF@(CNT/Fe 3 O 4 )/EP), is prepared by the free arc dispersion-CFs surface spraying-rolling process method, herein, CFs in the middle layer and (CNT/Fe 3 O 4 )/EP as top and substrate layer. Then, CF@(CNT/Fe 3 O 4 )/EP (on both sides) and CFs (in the middle) are overlapped by structure design, forming a multilayer CF@(CNT/Fe 3 O 4 )/EP-CFs composite with a CFs core sheath. A small amount of CNT/Fe 3 O 4 is consumed, (CNT/Fe 3 O 4 )/EP and CFs core sheath realize thermal and electrical anisotropy and directional enhancement, and multilayer sandwich structure makes the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance better strengthened by multiple absorption-reflection/penetration-reabsorption. From CF-0 to CF-8, CNT/Fe 3 O 4 content only increases by 0.045 wt%, axial thermal conductivity (λ ‖ ) increases from 0.59 W/(m·K) to 1.1 W/(m·K), growth rate is 86%, radial thermal conductivity (λ ⟂ ) only increases by 0.05 W/(m·K), the maximum λ ‖ /λ ⟂ is 2.9, axial electrical conductivity (σ ‖ ) increases from 6.2 S/cm to 7.7 S/cm, growth rate is 24%, radial electrical conductivity (σ ⟂ ) only increases by 0.7 × 10 -4 S/cm, the total EMI shielding effectiveness (EMI SE T ) increases by 196%, from 10.3 dB to 30.5 dB. This provides a new idea for enhancing CFs composite properties.

Polyphosphoric acid (PPA) modifier, which can effectively improve the rheological properties of asphalt, is widely used in pavement engineering. In order to accurately evaluate the low-temperature performance of PPA-modified asphalt, in this study, PPA-modified asphalt and PPA/SBR-modified asphalt were prepared. The modification mechanism was explored by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Bending Beam Rheology (BBR) test was carried out, and four indexes, including K index, viscous flow (η 1 ), low-temperature integrated flexibility (Jc), and relaxation time (λ), were obtained by combining the Burgers model. The optimal low-temperature performance evaluation index of modified asphalt was determined by the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The test results show that PPA addition to asphalt will produce chemical reactions, which can effectively improve the compatibility between SBR and neat asphalt. In the multi-index evaluation based on K, η 1 , Jc, and λ, the same optimum content of PPA was obtained. AHP analysis further demonstrates that Jc is the optimal evaluation index for laboratory research on the low-temperature performance of PPA-modified asphalt, and λ index is the ideal evaluation index for the low-temperature performance of asphalt in engineering applications.

Precisely controlling the product selectivity from the complex reaction is always an attractive topic in the catalysis field. In this paper, the Ru/strong base junction formed by the redox strategy was demonstrated as an efficient catalyst to switch the selectivity in aerobic oxidation of benzylamines. The zirconia-supported ruthenium (Ru-ZrO 2 ) catalyst could catalyze benzylamine oxidation coupling to imines; however, the potassium oxide strong base modified zirconia-supported ruthenium (Ru-K-ZrO 2 ) catalyst could catalyze benzylamine oxidation dehydrogenation to nitriles. Insight into the mechanism showed that the base modified catalyst had excellent dehydrogenation ability which was assisted by the C-H bond activation and changed the reaction pathway. The strong base modified strategy may provide a new approach for controlling the performance of heterogeneous catalysts and product selectivity.

As an essential modification, O-linked β- N -acetylglucosamine ( O -GlcNAc) modulates the functions of many proteins. However, site-specific characterization of O-GlcNAcylated proteins remains challenging. Herein, an innovative material grafted with nitro-oxide (N→O) groups was designed for high affinity enrichment for O -GlcNAc peptides from native proteins. By testing with synthetic O -GlcNAc peptides and standard proteins, the synthesized material exhibited high affinity and selectivity. Based on the material prepared, we developed a workflow for site-specific analysis of O-GlcNAcylated proteins in complex samples. We performed O -GlcNAc proteomics with the PANC-1 cell line, a representative model for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. In total 364 O -GlcNAc peptides from 267 proteins were identified from PANC-1 cells. Among them, 183 proteins were newly found to be O-GlcNAcylated in humans (with 197 O -GlcNAc sites newly reported). The materials and methods can be facilely applied for site-specific O -GlcNAc proteomics in other complex samples.

Background: Children are a unique patient population. Anesthesia for pediatric abdominal surgery has long been achieved mainly with intravenous amiodarone and propofol alone or combined with other anesthetics. The incidence of complications and postoperative adverse reactions is relatively high owing to the imperfect development of various protocols for children. Choosing the most appropriate anesthesia program is an important means of reducing adverse reactions., Aim: To explore the clinical value of propofol combined with lidocaine-assisted anesthesia in pediatric surgery., Methods: A total of 120 children who underwent abdominal surgery at our hospital from January 2016 to March 2018 were selected and divided into groups A and B using the random number table method, with 60 patients in each group. Group B received ketamine for anesthesia, while group A received ketamine, propofol, and lidocaine. The pre- and postoperative heart rate (HR); mean arterial pressure (MAP); arterial oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ); serum adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and cortisol (Cor) levels; restlessness score during the recovery period [Paediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium Scale (PAED)]; and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups., Results: The HR, MAP, and SpO 2 Level at five minutes before initiating anesthesia were compared between groups A and B, and the difference was not statistically significant ( P > 0.05). At 10 and 20 minutes after anesthesia initiation, the HR and MAP were lower in group A compared with group B ( P < 0.05). The differences in preoperative serum ACTH, IL-6, and Cor levels between groups A and B were not statistically significant ( P > 0.05); however, the postoperative serum ACTH, IL-6, and Cor levels in group A were lower compared with group B ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, the visual analog scale scores of group A at 2 h and 8 h postoperative were lower than those in group B, and the differences were statistically significant ( P < 0.05). The mean PAED score in group A was lower than that in group B ( P < 0.05), and the incidence of restlessness in group A was 23.33% lower than that in group B (36.67 %) ( P < 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions was lower in group A than in group B (6.25% vs 16.25%)., Conclusion: The anesthetic effect of propofol combined with lidocaine and ketamine in pediatric surgery was better than that of ketamine alone, and had less influence on hemodynamics and pediatric stress response indices, lower incidence of restlessness in the recovery period, and lower incidence of adverse reactions., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

It is of significant implication to fabricate high-performance, durable and low-cost catalysts toward to oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) to drive commercial application of fuel cells. In our work, we synthesize the Fe/N-CNT catalyst via one-pot grinding combined with calcination using a mixture of carbamide, CNTs and iron salts as precursors, the as-synthesized catalysts show the structure that Fe nanoparticles are encapsulated in the tube of intertwined CNTs with abundant active sites. The catalyst is synthesized at 800 °C (Fe/N-CNT-800-20) obtain high graphitization degree and high N doped content, especially the high content and proportion of Fe-N and pyridinic-N, exhibiting outstanding ORR activity. Moreover, too high calcination temperature (850 °C) and high Fe content (25%) lead to the agglomeration of Fe during the calcination, which blocked some catalytic sites, leading to poor ORR activity. This facile synergy route will provide new thoughts for the fabrication and optimization of catalysts.

The purpose of this study was 2-fold: to validate the Private Kindergarten Teachers' Intention of Remaining (PKTIR) Questionnaire and the Factors of Teachers' Intention of Remaining (FTIR) Questionnaire, and to comparative study to explore the effects of organizational and individual psychological factors in China. A total of 22 experts were recruited to modify and validate both questionnaires. The results showed that both questionnaires had instruments that are reliable and valid. Then, a total of 582 kindergarten teachers were recruited to explore the comparison between the effects of organizational and individual psychological factors. The results from the structural equation model suggested that the influence of individual psychological factors on kindergarten teachers' intention of remaining was greater compared to the organizational factors. Second, among all the factors, the most explanatory are work connections, sense of work gained from it, satisfaction with the salary, and work discard. To our knowledge, this is the first comparative study to explore the effects of organizational and individual psychological factors in China., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Shi, Zhang, Wu and Zhang.)

Solution-processed white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) have shown much lower device efficiency than their vacuum-deposited counterparts, due to the lack of triplet exciton management in a single-emissive-layer device structure, which will induce triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) and triplet-polaron annihilation (TPA). Here, two kinds of solution-processed WOLEDs, including thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF)/phosphorescence hybrid WOLEDs and all-TADF WOLEDs, with high power efficiency are developed by using a high triplet energy level (T 1 ) interfacial exciplex as a host and a high reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) rate TADF emitter as a blue dopant for triplet exciton management. The interfacial exciplex host with high T 1 can ensure that triplet excitons transfer from the host to the blue emitter, and the blue TADF emitter with high RISC rate (1.15 × 10 7 s -1 ) can rapidly upconvert triplet excitons to singlet ones to avoid TTA and TPA. The solution-processed TADF/phosphorescence hybrid and all-TADF WOLEDs exhibit maximum external quantum efficiencies of 31.1% and 27.3%, together with maximum power efficiencies of 93.5 and 70.4 lm W -1 , respectively, which are the record efficiencies for solution-processed WOLEDs, and quite comparable to those of most vacuum-deposited counterparts.

Although several studies indicated that the addition of Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene (SBS) and Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SBR) bring a lot of benefits on properties of asphalt binders, high production costs and poor storage stability confine the manufacture of better modified asphalt. To reduce the production costs, polyphosphoric acid (PPA) was applied to prepare better compound modified asphalt binders. In this research, five PPA (0.5%, 0.75%, 1.0%, 1.25% and 1.5%) and two SBR/SBS (4% and 6%) concentrations were selected. Dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) and Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR) tests were performed to evaluate the rheological properties of the compound modified asphalt. Rolling Thin Film Oven (RTFO) test was performed to evaluate the aging properties of the compound modified asphalts. The results indicate that SBS/SBR modified asphalts with the addition of PPA show better high-temperature properties significantly, the ability of asphalt to resist rutting is improved, and the elastic recovery is increased. However, the low-temperature properties of the compound modified asphalts are degraded by increasing the creep stiffness (S) and decreasing the creep rate (m). At the same time, RTFO tests results show that PPA was less prone to oxidation to improve the anti-aging ability of modified asphalts. Overall, the combination of 4% SBS and 0.75-1.0% PPA, the combination of 4% SBR and 0.5-0.75% PPA is recommended based on a comprehensive analysis of the performance of compound modified asphalt, respectively, which can be equivalent to 6% SBS/SBR modified asphalt with high-temperature properties, low-temperature properties, temperature sensitivity and aging properties.

Background: Osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) is closely associated with bone diseases. Circular RNAs are reported to be involved in BMSC differentiation. CircSmg5 (circ&#95;0001145) has been identified to be downregulated in an osteoporosis mouse model. In this study, we aimed to explore the function and regulatory mechanism of circSmg5 in BMSC osteogenic differentiation., Methods: The Alizarin Red staining and alkaline phosphatase staining assays were performed to explore the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. The interaction between circ&#95;0001145, miR-194-5p, and frizzled class receptor 6 (Fzd6) was analyzed by luciferase reporter assay. The nuclear translocation of β-catenin was assessed using immunofluorescence staining., Results: CircSmg5 is in stable circular structure. CircSmg5 expression was elevated in the process of BMSC osteogenic differentiation. CircSmg5 overexpression promoted the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. CircSmg5 bound with miR-194-5p, whose expression was decreased in the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. MiR-194-5p directly targeted the 3'UTR of Fzd6. The mRNA and protein levels of Fzd6 were positively modulated by circSmg5 and negatively regulated by miR-194-5p in BMSCs., Conclusion: CircSmg5 was demonstrated to promote the BMSC osteogenic differentiation by targeting the miR-194-5p/Fzd6 axis to activate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Chickens, important food animals and model organisms, are susceptible to many RNA viruses that invade via the nasal cavity. To determine the nasal entry site of the virus and clarify why avians are susceptible to RNA viruses, infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) was selected because it is a typical avian RNA virus that infects chickens mainly via the nasal route., Results: First, we found that IBDV infected the posterior part of the nasal cavity in chickens, which is rich in lymphoid tissue and allows the virus to be easily transferred to the blood. Via the blood circulation, IBDV infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and was transferred to the bursa of Fabricius to damage the IgM + B lymphocyte population. Subsequently, the single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) results suggested the more detailed response of different bursal cell populations (B cells, epithelial cells, dendritic cells, and fibroblasts) to IBDV. Regarding B cells, IBDV infection greatly decreased the IgM + B cell population but increased the IgA + B cell population in the bursal follicles. In contrast to B cells, bursal epithelial cells, especially basal cells, accumulated a large number of IBDV particles. Furthermore, we found that both innate RNA sensors and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) were highly expressed in the IBDV-infected groups, while dicer and ago2 expression was largely blocked by IBDV infection. This result suggests that dicer-related RNA interference (RNAi) might be an effective antiviral strategy for IBDV infection in avian., Conclusion: Our study not only comprehensively elaborates on the transmission of airborne IBDV via the intranasal route and establishes the main target cell types for productive IBDV infection but also provides sufficient evidence to explain the cellular antiviral mechanism against IBDV infection., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

A simple, accurate, and highly sensitive analytical method was developed in this study for the determination of ten β-agonists and five β-blockers in milk. In this method, new adsorbent phosphonic acid-functionalized porous organic polymers were synthesized through a direct knitting method. The synthesis procedure of the materials and the extraction conditions (such as the composition of loading buffer and eluent) were optimized. Benefitting from the high surface area (545-804 m 2 g -1 ), multiple functional framework and good porosity, the phosphonic acid-functionalized porous organic polymers showed a high adsorption rate and high adsorption capacity for β-agonists (224 mg g -1 and 171 mg g -1 for clenbuterol and ractopamine, respectively). The analytes were quantified by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry. It showed a good linearity (with R 2 ranging from 0.9950 to 0.9991 in the linear range of 3-5 orders of magnitude), with low limits of quantification ranging from 0.05 to 0.25 ng g -1 . The limits of detection of the method for the analytes were measured to be in the range of 0.02 to 0.1 ng g -1 . The recoveries of target analytes from real samples on the material were in the range of 62.4-119.4% with relative standard deviations of 0.6-12.1% ( n = 4). Moreover, good reproducibility of the method was obtained with the interday RSD being lower than 11.7% ( n = 5) and intraday RSD lower than 12.2% ( n = 4). The proposed method was accurate, reliable and convenient for the simultaneous analysis of multiple β-agonists and β-blockers. Finally, the method was successfully applied for the analysis of such compounds in milk samples., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Background: Administration of d-galactose (d-gal) has been used to create animal models of neurodegenerative diseases, and huperzine A has been used to treat the neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease., Methods: An animal model of hearing dysfunction was established by administration of d-gal in the rats, and the effect of huperzine A on d-gal-induced abnormal hearing function and cochlear damage was investigated. Senescence of the cochlear tissues was examined by β-galactase staining, and messenger RNA expression of inflammatory cytokines was quantified by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)., Results: It was found that d-gal significantly increased auditory brainstem response (ABR) threshold and cellular senescence and decreased neurofilament in the cochlear tissues. Huperzine A could significantly attenuate d-gal-induced increase of ABR threshold and cellular senescence as well as reduction of neurofilament. Moreover, huperzine A could inhibit d-gal-induced activation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) in Schwann cells and significantly blocked d-gal-stimulated gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α., Conclusion: These findings suggested that d-gal causes hearing dysfunction by inflammatory injury of cochlear neurons and that huperzine A could prevent hearing loss by protecting d-gal-induced physical damage of cochlear tissues.

Background: The functional characteristics of NLRP3 in the pathogenesis of coxsackievirus B3- (CVB3-) induced viral myocarditis (VMC) have not been fully elucidated, and the targeted therapeutic effect of NLRP3 or its related pathway in VMC has not been reported., Method: In this work, the change patterns of NLRP3- and Th17-related factors were detected during the pathological process of CVB3-induced VMC in Balb/c mice. The correlation between NLRP3 and Th17 cells during the VMC process was analyzed by Spearman test. The coculture system of spleen CD4 + T and bone marrow CD11c + DC cells was set to explore the orchestration of NLRP3 and Th17 in the pathological development of VMC in vitro. Anti-IL-1 β antibody or NLRP3 -/- Balb/c were used to block the NLRP3 pathway indirectly and directly to analyze the NLRP3-targeting therapeutic value., Results: The change patterns of NLRP3- and Th17-related molecules in the whole pathological process of mouse CVB3-induced VMC were described. Through Spearman correlation analysis, it was confirmed that there was a close correlation between NLRP3 and Th17 cells in the whole pathological process of VMC. And the interaction mode between NLRP3 and Th17 was preliminarily explored in the cell experiment in vitro. Under the intervention of an anti-IL-1 β antibody or NLRP3 knockout, the survival rate of the intervention group was significantly improved, the degree of myocardial inflammation and fibrosis was significantly alleviated, and the content of myocardial IL-17 and spleen Th17 was also significantly decreased., Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated a key role of the NLRP3 inflammasome and its close relationship with Th17 in the pathological progression of CVB3-induced VMC and suggested a possible positive feedback-like mutual regulation mechanism between the NLRP3 inflammasome and Th17 in vitro and in the early stage of CVB3 infection. Taking NLRP3 as a new starting point, it provides a new target and idea for the prevention and treatment of CVB3-induced VMC., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 Jifei Chen et al.)

Background: Recent research has pointed out the important roles of epigenetic modifications in the development and persistence of allergic rhinitis (AR), especially in relation to DNA methylation of disease-associated genes. We investigated whether AR susceptibility genes were epigenetically regulated, and whether methylation modulation of these genes in response to early-life environment could be a molecular mechanism underlying the risk for AR onset in a cohort of children aged 3-6 years in China., Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples were collected from 130 children patients, aged 3-6 years and diagnosed with AR; and 154 matched controls to detect promoter methylation in 25 AR susceptibility genes with the MethylTarget approach. Methylation levels were compared for each CpG site, each amplified region, and each gene. In addition, the relationship among DNA methylation, early-life environmental risk factors and AR onset were assessed., Results: Maternal allergic history (P = 0.0390) and pet exposure (P = 0.0339) were significantly associated with increased AR risk. Differential methylation analyses were successfully performed for 507 CpG sites, 34 amplified regions and 17 genes and significant hypomethylation was observed in the promoter region of ADAM33 in AR patients [multiple test-corrected (FDR) P-value < 0.05]. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that the hypomethylation of ADAM33 was significantly associated with higher eosinophil counts (Spearman's ρ: - 0.187, P-value = 0.037). According to the results of the multiple regression analysis, after adjusting for cofounders, the interaction of early-life pet exposure with methylation level of ADAM33 increased the risk for AR onset 1.423 times more in children (95% CI = 0.0290-4.109, P-value = 0.005)., Conclusion: This study provides evidence that early-life pet exposure and low methylation level of ADAM33 increase AR risk in children, and the interaction between pet exposure and methylation level of ADAM33 may play an important role in the development of AR.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a worldwide musculoskeletal disorder. However, disease-modifying therapies for OA are not available. Here, we aimed to characterize the molecular signatures of OA and to identify novel therapeutic targets and strategies to improve the treatment of OA., Methods: We collected genome-wide transcriptome data performed on 132 OA and 74 normal human cartilage or synovium tissues from 7 independent datasets. Differential gene expression analysis and functional enrichment were performed to identify genes and pathways that were dysregulated in OA. The computational drug repurposing method was used to uncover drugs that could be repurposed to treat OA., Results: We identified several pathways associated with the development of OA, such as extracellular matrix organization, inflammation, bone development, and ossification. By protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, we prioritized several hub genes, such as JUN, CDKN1A, VEGFA, and FOXO3. Moreover, we repurposed several FDA-approved drugs, such as cardiac glycosides, that could be used in the treatment of OA., Conclusions: We proposed that the hub genes we identified would play a role in cartilage homeostasis and could be important diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Drugs such as cardiac glycosides provided new possibilities for the treatment of OA.

The purpose of this study was twofold: to validate the College Teachers' Academic Frustration Tolerance (CTAFT) Questionnaire and the College Teachers' Academic Performance (CTAP) Questionnaire and to explore the relationship between frustration tolerance and academic performance among college teachers. A total of 25 experts were recruited to modify and validate both questionnaires, and the results showed that the questionnaires had good content validity. Exploratory factor analysis provided further evidence supporting the reliability of the CTAFT and the CTAP, suggesting that the instruments are reliable and valid. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that frustration tolerance affected academic performance, which could best be modeled in the three dimensions of Affect (AF), Preferred Difficulties (PD), and Action (AC). A total of 450 college teachers from each faculty of both universities were then recruited to explore the significant positive correlation between academic frustration tolerance and academic performance. The results from the structural equation model suggested that AC and PD combined significantly predicted academic performance. To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the relationship between college teachers' academic frustration tolerance and academic performance in China., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Shi, Zhang, Wang, Yue, Wang and Qian.)

Artificial ligaments prepared from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are widely accepted for clinical anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction to recover the native function of knee joints. However, due to the chemical inertness and hydrophobicity of PET, improving its bioactivity and promoting graft-bone integration are still great challenges. Inspired by the natural biomineralization process on the surface of a historical stone, in this study, a bioactive organic/inorganic composite coating that is composed of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and chondroitin sulfate with magnesium silicate (MgSiO 3 ) doping is developed for surface modification of PET (MSPC-PET). This composite coating promotes adhesion and proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and its bioactive inorganic components (MgSiO 3 ) could induce osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Furthermore, an in vivo experiment indicated that this composite coating might afford superior graft-bone integration between MSPC-PET and the host bone tunnel, and fibrous scar tissue formation was also inhibited. More importantly, a biomechanical analysis proved that there was a strong integration between the MSPC-PET graft and the bone tunnel, which will improve biomechanical properties for the restoration of ACL function. This study shows that this bioactive composite coating-modified PET graft for the ACL reconstruction can effectively achieve good integration of ACL artificial grafts and bone tunnels and prevent surgical failure.

The adsorption performance of three iron ores (pyrite, hematite, and magnetite) on Sb(Ⅴ) was compared and pyrite was shown to exhibit the highest adsorption performance. The effects of particle size, concentration, and pH on the adsorption performance were investigated with pyrite as the absorbent. The rejection of Sb(Ⅴ) was the highest (>80%) when pyrite (particle size <0.074 mm) was used as the absorbent with a concentration of 1 g ·L -1 and pH=7. The ion competition experiment indicated that PO 4 3- can inhibit the adsorption of Sb(Ⅴ), while SO 4 2- and CO 3 2- have no significant effects on the adsorption of Sb(Ⅴ) because PO 4 3- can compete with Sb(Ⅴ) for active adsorption sites on the surface of pyrite. The results also showed that the quasi-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir model can better simulate the adsorption process, which shows a single-layer adsorption behavior and chemisorption plays a main role in the rejection of Sb(Ⅴ). FTIR analysis suggested that the removal of Sb(Ⅴ) by pyrite was a coordinated ion exchange reaction. EDS and XPS results further confirmed that Sb(Ⅴ) was adsorbed on the surface of pyrite and was not reduced to Sb(Ⅲ), which is more toxic.

BACKGROUND Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) is a key feature of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome. The pathogenesis of CIH-induced soft palate lesion is not well understood. Understanding the mechanisms of CIH-induced soft palate damage could provide new strategies for clinical treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty male Sprague‑Dawley rats were randomized into a control group (n=10) and experimental group (n=10). The experimental group were exposed to CIH for 28 days. The control experiments were run in parallel. Morphological changes of CIH-induced soft palate were examined by hematoxylin and eosin. Peripheral nerves and vascular associated markers were analyzed by western blot and immunohistochemical staining. LC3B expression and transmission electron microscopy analysis was detected to investigate the destiny of cells in CIH-induced soft palate. RESULTS Histological studies demonstrated the thicken mucosal layer, muscular changes consistent with glands hyperplasia, and loose connective tissues of the soft palate in CIH induced rat models. CIH exposure significantly decreased the expression of annexin V but did not change argin level, suggesting that sensory nerves not motor nerves were damaged when exposed to intermittent hypoxia. Moreover, in response to CIH, the vascular vessel around the nerves and muscles became enlarged and caveolin-1 was overexpressed. Autophagy occurs in response to CIH-induced neuromuscular and vascular endothelial injury. CONCLUSIONS Sensory nerves and endothelial dysfunction contributed to the morphological damage of soft palate under intermittent hypoxia. Autophagy as a compensatory mechanism protects against CIH-induced injury. These findings have important implications for understanding mechanisms contributing to the increased soft palate lesion in patients with OSA.

Background: NAC transcription factors play important roles in the regulation of plant growth, development, abiotic and biotic stress responses. The transcriptional level of MdNAC s in different tissues and under various biotic and abiotic stress treatments was determined to provide a solid foundation for studying the function of MdNAC s., Methods: Thirty-two full-length cDNA sequences of Md NAC s were isolated by homologous comparison and RT-PCR confirmation, and the obtained cDNA sequences and the deduced amino acid sequences were analyzed with bioinformatics methods. The prediction of subcellular locations of MdNAC proteins was performed using CELLO v.2.5, PSORT, and SoftBerry ProtComp 9.0. Expression levels of MdNAC s were detected in 16 different tissues using an array. Expression patterns of MdNAC s were detected in response to Alternaria alternata apple pathotype (AAAP) infection using RNA-seq, and the expression of MdNAC s was analyzed under NaCl and mannitol treatments using RT-qPCR., Results: The sequencing results produced 32 cDNAs (designated as MdNAC24-39 , MdNAC54-65, and MdNAC67-70 with GenBank accession No. MG099861-MG099876, MG099891-MG099902, and MG099904-MG099907, respectively). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that MdNAC34 belonged to the ATAF group, MdNAC63 belonged to the AtNAC3 group, MdNAC24, MdNAC26-30, MdNAC32-33, MdNAC35, MdNAC37-39, MdNAC56-57, MdNAC59-62, MdNAC64-65, and MdNAC67-70 belonged to the NAM group, and MdNAC25, MdNAC36, MdNAC54-55, and MdNAC58 belonged to the VND group. Predictions of subcellular localization showed that MdNAC24-27, MdNAC29-30, MdNAC33-37, MdNAC39, MdNAC54-65, and MdNAC67-70 proteins were located in the nucleus, MdNAC28 proteins were located in the cytoplasm, MdNAC31-32 proteins were located in the nucleus and cytoplasm, and MdNAC38 proteins were located in the nucleus and plasma membrane. Array results indicated that 32 MdNACs were expressed in all examined tissues at various expression levels. RNA-seq results showed that expression levels of MdNAC26-28 , MdNAC33-34 , MdNAC60 , MdNAC62-65, and MdNAC68 were induced, but MdNAC24 , MdNAC32, and MdNAC58 were down-regulated in response to AAAP infection. Under salt treatment, MdNAC24 , MdNAC27 , MdNAC29 , MdNAC34 , MdNAC37 , MdNAC39 , MdNAC54 , MdNAC59, and MdNAC63 transcription levels were induced. Under mannitol treatment, MdNAC32 and MdNAC54 transcription levels were induced, but MdNAC24 , MdNAC28 , MdNAC30 , MdNAC33 , MdNAC35 , MdNAC37 , MdNAC55 , MdNAC56 , MdNAC58, and MdNAC59 were down-regulated. Taken together, the results indicated that the cloned MdNAC genes were expressed constitutively in all examined tissues. These genes were up-regulated or down-regulated in response to AAAP infection and to salt or mannitol, which suggested they may be involved in the regulation of growth, development, and stress response in apple., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2020 Li et al.)

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease which is histologically characterized by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and deposition of aggregated alpha-synuclein (aSyn) in the brain. The detection of aSyn in well accessible fluids has been one of the central approaches in the development of biomarkers for PD. Recently, real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) has been successfully adapted for use with aSyn seeds. Here, we systematically analysed parameters potentially impacting the reliability of this assay by using quantitative real-time quaking-induced conversion (qRT-QuIC) with in vitro-formed aSyn seeds. Seeds diluted in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) accelerated the seeding reaction and slightly increased the sensitivity without affecting specificity. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles decreased the apparent lag times of seeds diluted in ddH 2 O but did not alter the seeding activity of seeds diluted in CSF. High levels of artificial contamination with blood resulted in prolonged apparent lag times, while sensitivity and specificity were unaffected. Altogether, qRT-QuIC with aSyn seems to be robust concerning sensitivity and specificity in our model system, but quantitative interpretation might be limited under certain conditions., (© 2020 The Authors. Published by FEBS Press and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: AP2/ERF transcription factors are involved in the regulation of plant growth, development, and stress responses. Our research objective was to characterize novel apple ( Malus × domestica Borkh.) genes encoding AP2/ERF transcription factors involved in regulation of plant growth, development, and stress response. The transcriptional level of apple AP2/ERF genes in different tissues and under various biotic and abiotic stress was determined to provide valuable insights into the function of AP2/ERF transcription factors in apple., Methods: Thirty full-length cDNA sequences of apple AP2/ERF genes were isolated from 'Zihong Fuji' apple ( Malus × domestica cv. Zihong Fuji) via homologous comparison and RT-PCR confirmation, and the obtained cDNA sequences and the deduced amino acid sequences were analyzed with bioinformatics methods. Expression levels of apple AP2/ERF genes were detected in 16 different tissues using a known array. Expression patterns of apple AP2/ERF genes were detected in response to Alternaria alternata apple pathotype (AAAP) infection using RNA-seq with existing data, and the expression of apple AP2/ERF genes was analyzed under NaCl and mannitol treatments using qRT-PCR., Results: The sequencing results produced 30 cDNAs (designated as MdERF3-8 , MdERF11 , MdERF16-19 , MdERF22-28 , MdERF31-35 , MdERF39 , MdAP2D60 , MdAP2D62-65 , and MdRAV2 ). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that MdERF11/16, MdERF33/35, MdERF34/39, and MdERF18/23 belonged to groups A-2, A-4, A-5, and A-6 of the DREB subfamily, respectively; MdERF31, MdERF19, MdERF4/25/28/32, MdERF24, MdERF5/6/27, and MdERF3/7/8/17/22/26 belonged to groups B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-5, and B-6 of the ERF subfamily, respectively; MdAP2D60 and MdAP2D62/63/64/65 belonged to the AP2 subfamily; and MdRAV2 belonged to the RAV subfamily. Array results indicated that 30 apple AP2/ERF genes were expressed in all examined tissues to different degrees. RNA-seq results using previously reported data showed that many members of the apple ERF and DREB subfamilies were induced by Alternaria alternate apple pathotype (AAAP) infection. Under salt treatment, many members in the apple ERF and DREB subfamilies were transcriptionally up or down-regulated. Under mannitol treatment, many members of the apple ERF, DREB, and AP2 subfamilies were induced at the transcriptional level. Taken together, the results indicated that the cloned apple AP2/ERF genes were expressed in all examined tissues. These genes were up-regulated or down-regulated in response to AAAP infection and to salt or mannitol treatment, which suggested they may be involved in regulating growth, development, and stress response in apple., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2020 Li et al.)

People are increasingly exposed to electromagnetic radiation with the rapid development of technologies such as broadcasting and mobile communication system. There is a concern that long-term exposure at low levels may be associated with various non-specific physical symptoms and ecological effects on animals and plants. It is extremely important to measure and analyze the electromagnetic radiation levels in order to protect people from the possible effects of electromagnetic radiation. A large-scale assessment of the effects of electromagnetic radiation on health or on ecology requires the ambient electromagnetic radiation levels over areas too vast to cover with conventional measurement methods. In this article, detailed information about the measurement tools and measurement method are given. The electromagnetic radiation exposure levels were measured on the main streets in the dense urban areas of Beijing, the capital of China. We apply ordinary kriging as an interpolation technique to assess the electromagnetic radiation exposure in large outdoor areas based on car-mounted measurements along the surrounding roads. The electromagnetic radiation exposure levels for larger areas can be investigated visually on the electromagnetic pollution map, which can assist decision makers by identifying the hotspots.

Background: Massive techniques have been evaluated for developing different pest control methods to minimize fertilizer and pesticide inputs. As "push-pull" strategy utilizes generally non-toxic chemicals to manipulate behaviors of insects, such strategy is considered to be environmentally friendly. "Push-pull" strategy has been extraordinarily effective in controlling stem borers, and the identification of new "pushing" or "pull" components against stem borers could be significantly helpful., Results: In this study, the results of field trapping assay and behavioral assay showed the larvae of C.auricilius, one kind of stem borers, could be deterred by rice plant under tilling stage, its main host crop. The profiles of volatiles were compared between rice plants under two different developmental stages, and α-pinene was identified as a key differential component. The repelling activity of α-pinene against C.auricilius was confirmed by Y-tube olfactometer. For illuminating the olfactory recognition mechanism, transcriptome analysis was carried out, and 13 chemosensory proteins (CSPs) were identified in larvae and 19 CSPs were identified in adult of C.auriciliu, which was reported for the first time in this insect. Among these identified CSPs, 4 CSPs were significantly regulated by α-pinene treatment, and CSP8 showed good binding affinity with α-pinene in vitro., Conclusions: Overall, C.auricilius could be repelled by rice plant at tilling stage, and our results highlighted α-pinene as a key component in inducing repelling activity at this specific stage and confirmed the roles of some candidate chemosensory elements in this chemo-sensing process. The results in this study could provide valuable information for chemosensory mechanism of C.auricilius and for identification of "push" agent against rice stem borers.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) antisense non-coding RNA in the INK4 locus (ANRIL) in allergic rhinitis (AR) patients, and to further explore the association of lncRNA ANRIL expression with AR risk, severity, and inflammation.In this case-control study, 96 AR patients and 96 non-atopic obstructive snoring patients who underwent adenoid surgery were consecutively recruited. Disease severity of AR patients was assessed via individual nasal symptom score (INSS) and total nasal symptom score (TNSS). Nasal mucosa samples were collected from AR patients and controls, then lncRNA ANRIL and inflammatory cytokine levels were assessed via quantitative polymerase chain reaction.LncRNA ANRIL expression was increased in AR patients (3.605 [1.763-4.981]) compared with controls (1.183 [0.438-2.985]), and it well distinguished AR patients from controls with an area under curve of 0.746 (95% CI: 0.679-0.814). Correlation analyses revealed that lncRNA ANRIL expression was positively associated with itching score and congestion score, while it was not associated with nasal rhinorrhea score or sneezing score. Besides, lncRNA ANRIL was also positively correlated with TNSS, tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-13, and IL-17, while negatively associated with IL-10 and interferon-γ. And no association of lncRNA ANRIL expression with IL-1β, IL-5, or IL-8 expression was discovered.LncRNA ANRIL expression correlates with increased AR risk, severity, and inflammation, implying that lncRNA ANRIL might be involved in the pathogenesis of AR.

With the aim of utilizing O 2 as an oxidant, cascade reaction strategy was usually employed by first transforming O 2 into the in situ generated hydroperoxide and then oxidized the substrate. To combine the two steps more efficiently to get a higher reaction rate, a series of core-shell catalysts with core and shell having different wettabilities were designed. The catalysts were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared, sessile water contact angle, among other methods. These catalysts were applied in the research of the diphenyl sulfide oxidation by the in situ generated hydroperoxide derived from ethylbenzene oxidation. Through control experiments, the hydrophobic modification in the shell and core will influence different steps of the overall cascade reaction. Further insight into the reaction illustrated that the overall reaction rate was not simply an adduct of the promotion effects from the two steps, which was mainly attributed to the inhibition effect for the co-oxidation of ethylbenzene with diphenyl sulfide. Through the guidance of the relationship, a rationally designed core-shell catalyst with appropriate modifying organic groups showed an enhanced performance of the overall cascade reaction. The rational design of the catalysts would provide a reference for other cascade reactions.

Six α-synuclein (aSyn) point mutations are currently known to be associated with familial parkinsonism: A30P, E46K, H50Q, G51D, A53E, and A53T. We performed a comprehensive in vitro analysis to study the impact of all aSyn mutations on lipid binding and aggregation behavior. Markedly reduced lipid binding of A30P, moderately attenuated binding of G51D, and only very slightly reduced binding for the other mutants were observed. A30P was particularly prone to form metal ion induced oligomers, whereas A53T exhibited only weak tendencies to form oligomers. In turn, fibril formation occurred rapidly in H50Q, G51D, and A53T, but only slowly in A30P, suggesting mutants prone to form oligomers tend to form fibrils to a lesser extent. This was supported by the observation that fibril formation of wild type aSyn, A30P, and A53T was impaired in the presence of ferric iron. Additionally, we found the aggregation kinetics of mixtures of A30P or A53T and wt aSyn to be determined by the faster aggregating aSyn variant. Our results implicate differential mechanisms playing a role in aSyn pathology on the molecular level. This might contribute to a better understanding of Parkinson's disease pathogenesis and provide potential links to develop prevention strategies and disease-modifying therapy.

Background: Natural menopause is always accompanied by specific signs and symptoms, suggesting physiological changes in this peoriod. However, no systematic study has assessed the changes at molecular level in the ovaries during the menopausal transition so far. This study integrated quantitative proteome and acetyl-proteome to comprehensively uncover the changes of ovarian protein and protein-acetylation profiles in this transitional period. The findings would provide novel insights into the biology of menopause and help relieve and treat the associated signs and symptoms, further improving the women's health care., Methods: Freshly thawed ovarian tissue samples obtained from premenopausal and postmenopausal women were assessed with Tandem Mass Tags for the quantitative analysis of the global profile and acetyl-proteomes by 2-dimensional separation and LC-MS/MS., Results: Comprehensively, 4210 types of protein, with 3551 types quantifiable were detected. 3047 acetylated sites in 1583 types of protein with 2256 quantifiable in 1248 proteins were detected. By comparing the global and acetylated proteome profiles for postmenopausal women and premenopausal women, 151 types of proteins were found upregulated and 65 were downregulated, along with 23 acetylated sites upregulated and 220 sites downregulated. For Immune response, the complement and coagulation cascades plus the citrate cycle and cellular detoxification were found to be significantly enhanced, while the extracellular structure and matrix organization, ECM-receptor interactions plus the infections were markedly suppressed. In addition, the amino acids around the acetylated sites were enriched by motif analysis, which can help us uncover amino acid sequence and search for the specific target in the subsequent study., Conclusion: Global and acetylated proteome Profiles in ovary differ between the premenopausal and postmenopausal groups. These proteomic-level changes may offer some potential biological markers to identify the pathological changes in ovary and help relieve and treat the associated signs and symptoms, and ultimately improve women's health care.