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High diversity and differential evolution profiles have been observed for DD34E/ Tc1 transposons; several families originating from these groups, such as DD34E/ ZB , DD34E/ SB , DD35E/ TR , DD36E/ IC, and DD38E/ IT , have been well defined. Even though Frisky , Tiang , Tsessebe, and Topi transposons have been identified in Anopheles gambiae , their taxonomic distribution and phylogenetic relationship in nature remain largely unknown. The evolutionary profiles of Frisky , Tiang , Tsessebe , and Topi homology transposons were investigated in the current study. In total, 254 homology transposons of Frisky , Tiang , Hob , Tsessebe, and Topi were obtained in 200 species by data mining. The phylogenetic tree revealed that these transposons were classified into five main clades (Frisky , Tiang , Hob , Tsessebe , and Topi) forming a monophyletic clade with 98% bootstrap support, belonging to the DD34E/ Tc1 group, and named as Skipper (SK). SK transposons show a wide distribution in animals; however, differential taxonomic distribution patterns were observed for the subfamilies of Frisky , Tiang , Hob , Tsessebe, and Topi ; extensive invasion of Frisky in animals was found, whereas Tiang , Hob , Tsessebe, and Topi were mainly detected in Diptera. SK elements share a similar structural organization and display high sequence identities across subfamilies. Evolutionary dynamics and structural analysis revealed that SK s in some species, such as Bombyx mori , Lordiphosa magnipectinata , Carassius gibelio , Triplophysa dalaica , and Silurus glanis , have recently evolved and present as intact copies, indicating that SK s in these genomes may be active. Together, these observations improve our understanding of the diversity of DD34E/ Tc1 transposons and their impacts on genome evolution in animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt stress is a major factor restricting the growth, distribution, and yield of crops. Previous studies on NRT (nitrate transporter) have mainly focused on the nitrogen transport and response to metal ion stress. Suaeda salsa L. is a characteristic halophyte that can grow normally at a salt concentration of 200 mM. In this study, we want to know the S. salsa's NRT-related genes and whether they can improve plant salt stress. So we use bioinformatics and molecular biology to verify our hypothesis. Transcriptome data revealed that the S. salsa NRT1.1D (SsNRT1.1D) gene was upregulated under salt stress. The SsNRT1.1D open reading frame is 1743 bp and has MFS and PTR2 conserved domains. Subcellular localization revealed that SsNRT1.1D is primarily located in the endoplasmic reticulum. qRT-PCR results showed that SsNRT1.1D gene is mainly expressed in S. salsa leaves. The expression of the SsNRT1.1D gene in S. salsa leaves was highest at 12 h after 400 mM sodium chloride (NaCl) treatment. Transgenic tomato plants containing the overexpression vector (35S::SsNRT1.1D) were generated and grown under field conditions to obtain the T3 generation transgenic tomato seeds. The results showed that transgenic tomato plants had higher salt tolerance than the wild-type plants. Overall, our results demonstrate that the SsNRT1.1D gene can improve plant salt tolerance. This study provides a theoretical basis for improving the utilization of saline-alkaline land and the yield of tomatoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like other abiotic stresses, salt stress has become a major factor that restricts the growth, distribution and yield of crops. Research has shown that increasing the nitrogen content in soil can improve the salt tolerance of plants and nitrate transporter (NRT) is the primary nitrogen transporter in plants. Suaeda salsa (L.) Pall is a strong halophyte that can grow normally at a salt concentration of 200 mM. The salt stress transcriptome database of S. salsa was found to contain four putative genes that were homologous to NRT, including SsNRT1.1A, SsNRT1.1B, SsNRT1.1C and SsNRT1.1D. The cDNA of SsNRT1.1s was predicted to contain open reading frames of 1791, 1782, 1755 and 1746 bp, respectively. Sequence alignment and structural analysis showed that the SsNRT1.1 amino acids were inducible by salt and have conserved MFS and PTR2 domains. Subcellular localization showed they are on the endoplasmic reticulum. Overexpression of SsNRT1.1 genes in transgenic Arabidopsis improves its salt tolerance and SsNRT1.1C was more effective than others. We constructed a salt-stressed yeast cDNA library and used yeast two-hybrid and BiFC technology to find out that SsHINT1 and SsNRT1.1C have a protein interaction relationship. Overexpression of SsHINT1 in transgenic Arabidopsis also improves salt tolerance and the expressions of Na+ and K+ were increased and reduced, respectively. But the K+/Liratio was up-regulated 11.1-fold compared with the wild type. Thus, these results provide evidence that SsNRT1.1C through protein interactions with SsHINT1 increases the K+/Na+ ratio to improve salt tolerance and this signaling may be controlled by the salt overly sensitive (SOS) pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the size of devices continuously shrinking, power consumption has become one of the most critical issues concerning modern integrated circuits, which can be reduced by lowering the power supply voltage (V DD) and subthreshold slope (SS). The realization of the sub-60-mV/dec SS is essential to achieve low-power dissipation. Recently, FET devices that decrease SS by filtering out high-energy electrons to cut off the Boltzmann thermal tail have become a research hot spot. Two methods have been proposed to filter out high-energy electrons to suppress the thermal tail energy distribution. One method is using some "cold" materials as electrodes to realize the cold electron injection such as graphene and other Dirac materials. Another method is designing some novel source structures to enhance the electron tunneling based on energy band engineering theory, such as broken-gap structure, p type-Metal-n type structure, and superlattice structure, etc. In this paper, an overview is given on the FET with cold source (CS) design filtering out the high-energy electrons to realize the lower SS, including the recent progress, future development and prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel cell membrane chromatography (CMC) model was developed to investigate cluster of differentiation 147 (CD147) targeted anti-tumor drug leads for specific screening and ligand-receptor interaction analysis by SNAP-tagged CD147 fusion protein conjugation and polystyrene microspheres (PS) modification. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) are widely used in the treatment of cancer. CD147 plays important roles in tumor progression and acts as an attractive target for therapeutic intervention; therapeutic drugs for CD147-related cancers are limited to date. Thus, a screening method for active components in TCMs is crucial for the further research and development of CD147 antagonists. However, improvement is still needed to perform specific and accurate drug lead screening using the CMC-based method. Recently, our group developed a covalently immobilized receptor-SNAP-tag/CMC model using silica gel as carrier. Besides the carboxyl group on multi-step modified silica particles, the amino group of benzyl-guanine (BG, substrate of SNAP-tag) also possesses reactivity towards the carboxyl group on available carboxyl-modified PS. Herein, we used PS as carrier and an extended SNAP-tag with CD147 receptor to construct the PS-BG-CD147/CMC model for active compound investigation coupled with HPLC/MS and applied this coupled PS-BG-CD147/CMC-HPLC/MS two-dimensional system to drug lead screening from Nelumbinis Plumula extract (NPE) sample. In addition, to comprehensively verify the pharmacological effects of screened ingredients, a cell proliferation inhibition assay was performed, and the interaction between the ingredients and CD147 was studied by the frontal analysis method. This study developed a high-throughput PS-based CMC screening platform, which could be widely applied and utilized in chromatographic separation and drug lead discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is anticipated that the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT) will improve the quality of human life. Nonetheless, large amounts of data need to be replicated, stored, processed, and shared, posing formidable challenges to communication bandwidth and information security. Herein, it is reported that polyimide (PI) threshold‐switching memristors exhibit Gaussian conductance and randomly set voltage distribution with nonideal properties to create a compression and encryption engine with a single chip. The Gaussian conductance distribution is used to achieve compressed sensing (CS) to integrate encryption into compression, and the spontaneous formation of the one‐time‐sampling measurement matrix satisfies absolute security. Moreover, the bitstreams generated by randomly distributed set voltages are used to diffuse the ciphertext from CS to improve security. The engine is shown to be secure even if the eavesdropper knows both the plaintext and the corresponding ciphertext. It has compression performance advantages that take both efficiency and security into account. In addition, due to the superior high temperature and mechanical properties of PI, the engine can continue to function normally in harsh environments. Herein, an excellent solution is offered for ensuring the efficiency and security of IoT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current processing methods of face gear are mainly limited to gear shaping, gear hobbing, and other processes. Gear skiving is a new efficient gear machining technology, in order to realize the high precision and high-efficiency machining of face gear, this paper puts forward the skiving machining technology of face gear. The main research contents include an analysis of the machining principle and model of face gear skiving, deriving the gear skiving tool model by the modified rack according to the meshing principle, and solving the tooth surface model of face gear by envelope method. The findings suggest that the skiving technology can be used in the efficient machining of face gear, which the cutting edge curve of gear skiving tool can be solved by the intersection of rake face and tool tooth face, and the principle error of gear skiving cutter can be effectively reduced after the modification of rack parabola. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nitrogen-doped carbon catalysts with a layered structure were synthesized by the dual-template method. • An efficient non-metallic catalyst for the environmentally friendly synthesis of acetylene hydrochlorination. • Catalysts with higher specific surface area and nitrogen content exhibit superior catalytic performance. • The protonated pyridinic nitrogen and pyridinic N + O exhibit moderate adsorption strength towards hydrochloric acid, serving as active sites for the catalyst. Non-metallic catalysts present significant potential for environmentally friendly industrialization of acetylene hydrochlorination. However, the challenge of low activity in non-metallic catalysts hampers their practical application. In this study, we propose the use of a dual-template method to fabricate a layered N-doped carbon catalyst, subsequently applying it to acetylene hydrochlorination reactions. Experimental results indicate that the catalyst exhibits exceptional catalytic performance in acetylene hydrochlorination. Combined with characterization results, the catalyst's performance is positively correlated with its surface area and nitrogen content. Furthermore, DFT calculations suggest that protonated pyridinic nitrogen and pyridinic N + O − have moderate adsorption on HCl, potentially serving as active sites for the catalyst. This study analyzes the impact of various parameters of N-doped carbon catalysts on catalytic performance, providing direction for developing non-metallic catalysts suitable for industrial applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a fully physically transient volatile memristor utilizing Mg as an active electrode with a structure of W/MgO/Mg/W was proposed. The fully transient device exhibited remarkable threshold switching (TS) performance via Mg2+ cations migration dynamics and emulated the paired-pulse facilitation (PPF), paired-pulse depression (PPD), and transition from short-term to long-term plasticity of a biological synapse successfully. In addition, a water-assisted transfer printing (WTP) method was exploited to fabricate the fully physically transient system on biodegradable and biocompatible substrates. This study confirms that the fully transient volatile memristor owns outstanding value toward security neuromorphic computing, biodegradable, and bio-integrated electronic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant growth-promoting (PGP) bacteria are an environmental-friendly alternative to chemical fertilizers for promoting plant development. We isolated and characterized a PGP endophyte, YSD J2, from the leaves of Cyperus esculentus L. var. sativus. Specific PGP characteristics of this strain, such as phosphate solubilization ability, potassium-dissolving ability, siderophore and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, and salt tolerance, were determined in vitro. In addition, positive mutants were screened using the atmospheric and room-temperature plasma (ARTP) technology, with IAA level and organic phosphorus solubility as indices. Furthermore, the effect of the positive mutant on biomass production and antioxidant abilities of greengrocery seedling was evaluated and the genome was mined to explore the underlying mechanisms. The strain YSD J2 showed a good performance of PGP characteristics, such as the production of indole acetic acid and siderophores, solubilization ability of phosphate, and potassium-dissolving ability. It was recognized through 16S rRNA sequencing together with morphological and physiological tests and confirmed as Pantoea sp. The strain exposed to a mutation time of 125 s by ARTP had the highest IAA and organic phosphate (lecithin) concentrations of 10.34 mg/L and 16.52 mg/L, 42.06% and 34.15% higher than those of the initial strain. Inoculation of mutant strain YSD J2 significantly increased plant growth attributes and the activities of peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, respectively, but decreased the content of malondialdehyde significantly compared with the control. Furthermore, genome annotation and functional analysis were performed through whole-genome sequencing and PGP-related genes were identified. Our results indicated that the YSD J2 with PGP characteristics is a potential candidate for the development of biofertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Chinese medicines played an important role in the treatment of COVID-19 in 2020. Ephedra sinica, one of the major constituent herbs of multi-component herbal formula, has been widely used to treat COVID-19 in China. However, its active components are still unclear. The objectives of this study are to screen and evaluate active components from the traditional Chinese medicine Ephedra sinica for the treatment of COVID-19. In our study, we established an ACE2/CMC bioaffinity chromatography model, and then developed an ACE2/CMC-HPLC-IT-TOF-MS system for the active compounds screening and identification from Ephedra sinica extract. We performed molecular docking and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assays to assess the binding characteristics (binding mode and KD value). We used CCK-8 staining to assess the toxicity of screened compounds, and also used SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus to observe the viropexis effect of screened compounds in ACE2h cells. In this current work, one fraction was fished out, separated and identified as ephedrine (EP), pseudoephedrine (PEP), and methylephedrine (MEP). Binding assays showed that the three compounds could bind with ACE2 in a special way to some amino acid residues, similar to the way SARS-CoV-2 bound with ACE2. Additionally, the three compounds, especially EP, can inhibit the entrance of SARS-CoV-2 spike pseudovirus into ACE2h cells because they can reduce the entrance ratio of pseudovirus in the pseudovirus model. Overall, the ACE2/CMC-HPLC-IT-TOF-MS system was established and verified to be suitable for ACE2-targeted bioactive compound screening. EP, PEP, and MEP with ACE2-binding features were screened out from Ephedra sinica, and acted as blockers inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 spike pseudovirus entering ACE2h cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse drug reactions of traditional Chinese medicine injection mainly manifested as pseudo‐allergic reactions. In the present study, ginsenoside Rd, Ro, and Rg3 were identified as pseudo‐allergic components in Shengmai injection by a high‐expression Mas‐related G protein‐coupled receptor X2 cell membrane chromatography coupled online with high‐performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Their pseudo‐allergic activities were evaluated by in vitro and in vivo assay. The three compounds were further found to induce pseudo‐allergic reaction through Mas‐related G protein‐coupled receptor X2. Therefore, we concluded that ginsenoside Rd, Ro and Rg3 may be potential allergens that cause pseudo‐allergic reactions. This study might be helpful for the safe use of Shengmai injection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Life-cycle fatigue tests of slewing bearings are conducted. • A hybrid adaptive method reduces noise of signal effectively. • Deep learning methods have more accurate predictions than shallow networks. • Optimized Gated Recurrent Unit improves effect of degradation evaluation. Degradation process assessment from normal to failure condition of slewing bearing is viewed as a part of health monitoring in condition-based maintenance (CBM). The algorithm integrating Hidden Markov Model (HMM) and improved Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) network is proposed to establish the component's health indictor and evaluate performance degradation. As a deep learning network, GRU network has more powerful approximate ability than machine learning methods in time series prognosis problems. The research on accelerated life experiments of a certain type of slewing bearing was carried out to verify the superiority of proposed method. Firstly, the signal preprocessing includes raw signal de-noising combining Hilbert transform with Robust Local Mean Decomposition (RLMD) and feature extraction in time and frequency domains. Then, the life health indictor is established using extracted signal features through the HMM model to complete the incipient degradation recognition. Finally, an improved method Moth Flame Optimization-based GRU (MGRU) is applied to predict the health indictor and residual life of slewing bearing. Experiments comparing with several algorithms show that the proposed methods can effectively evaluate the health condition of the slewing bearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ru-based catalysts have shown great potential for the environmentally friendly industrialization of acetylene hydrochlorination. However, the high cost and reduction of active sites in Ru catalysts have limited their practical applications. In this study, we propose a strategy to optimize the electronic structure of Ru single-atom catalysts by leveraging the strong coordination ability of ligands with the metal and apply this strategy to acetylene hydrochlorination. The experimental results verify that the performance of the catalyst increases with the increase of the ligand. Characterization results indicate that ligands not only optimize the electronic properties of Ru single atoms by forming a RuCl 2 -N structure, but also enhance the adsorption of reactants on the catalysts. DFT calculations reveal that the ligand-modified Ru species can efficiently adsorb and activate acetylene molecules, while the adjacent excessive ligand can adsorb and dissociate HCl molecules. This ultimately leads to an addition reaction between acetylene and HCl through a hydrogen overflow mechanism. [Display omitted] ● The single-atom catalyst with RuCl 2 -N structure are successfully synthesized. ● Enhances catalyst stability by optimising the electronic structure of Ru single atoms. ● Pre-dissociative activation of HCl facilitates the acetylene hydrochlorination reaction. ● This research provides an insight for the design of non-mercury catalysts for vinyl chloride. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Several studies have suggested that liquid exosomes can be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis of lung cancer (LC). The purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate the comprehensive diagnostic value of liquid exosomes for LC. Materials and methods: Relevant studies were searched from multiple electronic databases. The quality of the studies was assessed by the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 criteria in RevMan 5.3 software. Stata 14.0 software and Meta-disc 1.4 software were used to synthesize the diagnostic parameters. Publication bias was judged according to the Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test. Results: There were 13 eligible articles that comprised 1,338 LC patients and 1,075 paired controls for the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), diagnostic likelihood ratio positive (DLR+), diagnostic likelihood ratio negative (DLR-), diagnostic OR (DOR), and area under the curve (AUC) of liquid exosomes in diagnosing LC were 0.82 (95% CI: 0.76–0.87), 0.84 (95% CI: 0.77–0.89), 5.27 (95% CI: 3.58–7.75), 0.21 (95% CI: 0.15–0.29), 25.14 (95% CI: 14.25–44.33), and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.87–0.92), respectively. Research based on serum, miRNA, the isolation kit method, one index in exosomes, patient sample size of 50 or greater, and control group size of 50 or greater obtained higher AUC values when the LC type was small cell lung cancer. Conclusion : Liquid exosomes have shown potential as novel biomarkers that could facilitate LC diagnosis. Further prospective studies are still needed to confirm the diagnostic value of liquid exosomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma interferon (IFN-γ) is known to negatively regulate murine gammaherpesvirus-68 (MHV-68 or γHV-68) replication. This process involves the suppression of the viral gene replication and transcription activator (RTA) promoter, as well as activation of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT1). Notably, this effect is gradually attenuated during MHV-68 infection of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs), which raised the possibility that the virus may utilize a mechanism that counteracts the antiviral effect of IFN-γ. By identifying the cellular factors that negatively regulate JAK-STAT1 signaling, we revealed that the infection of BMMs by MHV-68 induces the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) and that depletion of SOCS1 restores the inhibitory effect of IFN-γ on virus replication. Moreover, we demonstrated that the expression of SOCS1 was induced as a result of the Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) mediated activation of the NF-κB signaling cascade. In conclusion, we report that TLR3-TRAF-NF-κB signaling pathway play a role in the induction of SOCS1 that counteracts the antiviral effect of IFN-γ during MHV-68 infection. This process is cell type-specific: it is functional in macrophages, but not in epithelial cells or fibroblasts. Our study reveals a mechanism that balances the immune responses and the escape of a gamma-herpesvirus in some antigen-presenting cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we conducted the activity, diversity, and density analysis of transposable elements (TEs) across five avian genomes (budgerigar, chicken, turkey, medium ground finch, and zebra finch) to explore the potential reason of small genome sizes of birds. We found that these avian genomes exhibited low density of TEs by about 10% of genome coverages and low diversity of TEs with the TE landscapes dominated by CR1 and ERV elements, and contrasting proliferation dynamics both between TE types and between species were observed across the five avian genomes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that CR1 clade was more diverse in the family structure compared with R2 clade in birds; avian ERVs were classified into four clades (alpha, beta, gamma, and ERV-L) and belonged to three classes of ERV with an uneven distributed in these lineages. The activities of DNA and SINE TEs were very low in the evolution history of avian genomes; most LINEs and LTRs were ancient copies with a substantial decrease of activity in recent, with only LTRs and LINEs in chicken and zebra finch exhibiting weak activity in very recent, and very few TEs were intact; however, the recent activity may be underestimated due to the sequencing/assembly technologies in some species. Overall, this study demonstrates low diversity, activity, and density of TEs in the five avian species; highlights the differences of TEs in these lineages; and suggests that the current and recent activity of TEs in avian genomes is very limited, which may be one of the reasons of small genome sizes in birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a thin-film metamaterial absorber with multiple-band is experimental verified and calculated analysis. Two absorption peaks higher than 99% and 98% are obtained at normal incidence. The resonance of the local surface plasma (LSP) mode and the internal surface plasmon (ISP) mode lead to the two high absorption peaks. The impedance matched condition is obtained behind two high absorption peaks. Measured results indicate that high absorption performed can be observed with different dielectric layer combinations (Al 2 O 3 –ZnSe, Al 2 O 3 –Al 2 O 3, and ZnSe–ZnSe), which indicates that the designed metamaterial absorber is insensitive to the dielectric layer combination. High absorption performed is obtained under both TE and TM configurations at various incident angles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to study the effect of dynamic high pressure microfluidization (DHPM) on extracting total flavonoids from Cyperus esculentus L. ( C. esculentus L.) leaves and to evaluate the antioxidant activity and antibacterial property of these flavonoids. In all the assays, pretreatment with DHPM was found to not only efficiently improve the yield of total flavonoids but also strengthen the antioxidant activity of the total flavonoids. C. esculentus L. leaves flavonoids had pronounced antioxidant activity in vivo that could significantly elevate the content of superoxide dismutase (SOD) without increasing the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and could also improve total antioxidant capacity in mice with a dose-dependent fashion. C. esculentus L. leaves flavonoids inhibited the growth of both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria while no obvious inhibitory effect on Penicillium and Aspergillus could be observed. Our studies indicate that flavonoids from C. esculentus L. leaves can be taken as a natural antioxidant and bacteriostatic substance in food and pharmaceutical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a self-rectifying resistive switching memristor synapse with a Ta/NbOx/Pt structure was demonstrated for deep reservoir computing (RC). The memristor demonstrated stable nonlinear analog switching characteristics, with a rectification ratio of up to 1.6 × 105, good endurance, and high uniformity. Additionally, the memristor exhibited typical short-term plasticity and dynamic synaptic characteristics. Based on these characteristics, a deep memristor RC system was proposed for time series prediction. The system achieved a low normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) of 0.04 in the time series prediction of the Henon map. Even at 90 °C, deep RC retains good predictive power with an NRMSE of only 0.07. This work provides guidance for efficient deep memristive RC networks to handle more complex future temporal tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims We aimed to investigate the effects of echinacoside (ECH) on hematopoietic function in 5-FU-induced bone marrow depression mice. Main methods In vitro , after stimulation with ECH, the proliferation ability of bone marrow (BM) cells and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) derived from myelosuppression mice were assessed by CCK8 assay and morphology, respectively. In vivo , 5-FU-induced myelosuppression or control mice were intragastrically administrated with either ECH at 15 mg/kg or the equal volume of normal saline daily for 12 days before BM cells were isolated for colony-forming cell assay. Meanwhile, BMSCs were cultured for 4 weeks before cells were observed for growth pattern, cell culture supernatants were collected for GM-CSF secretion by ELISA, and RNA of the cells were extracted for EPO and GM-CSF RT-PCR. BM cells or BMSCs stimulated with ECH for 24 h or 48 h were collected for protein extraction and Western blotting. Key findings ECH stimulated the growth of BM cells but not BMSCs derived from 5-FU treated mice. The intragastric administration of ECH in 5-FU treated mice could increase the number of total hematopoietic progenitor cells and GM progenitor cells to healthy control mice level, but not BFU progenitor cells. BMSCs from ECH treated myelosuppression mice grew more vigorously and expressed more GM-CSF, but not EPO. ECH activated the PI3K signaling pathway in 5-FU suppressed BM cells. Significance ECH could improve the hematopoietic function of bone marrow in 5-FU-induced myelosuppression mice. ECH can be considered as an alternative effective therapy for patients during chemotherapy or HSC transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physically transient resistive switching devices, a form of memory devices with the ability of achieving physical disappearance in a controllable manner, hold tremendous potentials in multiple security applications. Herein, we demonstrated a physically transient form of memristive device composed of Ag/polyvinyl alcohol/W with configurable resistive switching functionality for security neuromorphic computing. The resistive switching type of the transient device could be modulated effectively by controlling the compliance current during the set process, which was well interpreted by the filament model. Typical synaptic functions pertained to short-term plasticity (STP) and its transition from STP to long-term plasticity were vividly mimicked in this transient memristive device. Importantly, both the synaptic functions and physical form of the transient devices were capable of disappearing instantly upon immersing in de-ionized water, and the dissolution characteristics of the constituent transient materials were investigated experimentally to reveal the degradation mechanism of the device. This transient form of artificial synapse provides foreseeing perspectives on information security enhancement for neuromorphic computing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid progress of artificial intelligence, various perception networks were constructed to enable Internet of Things (IoT) applications, thereby imposing formidable challenges to communication bandwidth and information security. Memristors, which exhibit powerful analog computing capabilities, emerged as a promising solution expected to address these challenges by enabling the development of the next-generation high-speed digital compressed sensing (CS) technologies for edge computing. However, the mechanisms and fundamental properties of memristors for achieving CS remain unclear, and the underlying principles for selecting different implementation methods based on various application scenarios have yet to be elucidated. A comprehensive overview of memristor-based CS techniques is currently lacking. In this article, we systematically presented CS requirements on device performance and hardware implementation. The relevant models were analyzed and discussed from the mechanism level to elaborate the memristor CS system scientifically. In addition, the method of deploying CS hardware using the powerful signal processing capabilities and unique performance of memristors was further reviewed. Subsequently, the potential of memristors in all-in-one compression and encryption was anticipated. Finally, existing challenges and future outlooks for memristor-based CS systems were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • maTs , GTs and VSs showed differential evolution patterns in eukaryotes. • DD37D and DD39D family composed an independent clade, with close to DD41D and DD34D. • HT might exist a lower rate of maTs between invertebrates and GTs between land plant. • Most of maTs and GTs might encoded active transposases possess intact characters. DNA transposons play a significant role in shaping the size and structure of eukaryotic genomes. The Tc1/mariner transposons are the most diverse and widely distributed superfamily of DNA transposons and the structure and distribution of several Tc1/mariner families, such as DD35E/ TR , DD36E/ IC , DD37E/ TRT , and DD41D/ VS, have been well studied. Nonetheless, a greater understanding of the structure and diversity of Tc1/mariner transposons will provide insight into the evolutionary history of eukaryotic genomes. Here, we conducted further analysis of DD37D/ maT and DD39D (named Guest , GT), which were identified by the specific catalytic domains DD37D and DD39D. Most transposons of the maT family have a total length of approximately 1.3 kb and harbor a single open reading frame encoding a ~ 346 amino acid (range 302–398 aa) transposase protein, flanked by short terminal inverted repeats (TIRs) (13–48 base pairs, bp). In contrast, GT s transposons were longer (2.0–5.8 kb), encoded a transposase protein of ~400 aa (range 140–592 aa), and were flanked by short TIRs (19–41 bp). Several conserved motifs, including two helix–turn–helix (HTH) motifs, a GRPR (GRKR) motif, a nuclear localization sequence, and a DDD domain, were also identified in maT and GT transposases. Phylogenetic analyses of the DDD domain showed that the maT and GT families each belong to a monophyletic clade and appear to be closely related to DD41D/ VS and DD34D/ mariner. In addition, maT s are mainly distributed in invertebrates (144 species), whereas GT s are mainly distributed in land plants through a small number of GT s are present in Chromista and animals. Sequence identity and phylogenetic analysis revealed that horizontal transfer (HT) events of maT and GT might occur between kingdoms and phyla of eukaryotes; however, pairwise distance comparisons between host genes and transposons indicated that HT events involving maT s might be less frequent between invertebrate species and HT events involving GT s may be less frequent between land plant species. Overall, the DD37D/ maT and DD39D/ GT families display significantly different distribution and tend to be identified in more ancient evolutionary families. The discovery of intact transposases, perfect TIRs, and target site duplications (TSD) of maT s and GT s illustrates that the DD37D/ maT and DD39D/ GT families may be active. Together, these findings improve our understanding of the diversity of Tc1 / mariner transposons and their impact on eukaryotic genome evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Acidified-Al 2 O 3 initiated the polymerization of 1,3-dioxolane in a liquid electrolyte. • The gel polymer electrolyte possesses an excellent ionic conductivity. • The gel polymer electrolyte affords a satisfactory Li+ transference number. • As-prepared gel polymer electrolyte exhibits excellent flame retardation. • Dendrite-free solid-state lithium batteries has been achieved. Safety issues resulting from flammable organic solvent and lithium (Li) dendrite formation have seriously impeded Li metal batteries development. Here, the H+ generated by acid-treated Al 2 O 3 functions as an initiator, promotes the polymerization of 1,3-dioxolane (DOL) in a commercial liquid electrolyte (LE) which contains 1 M lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) in a mixed organic solution of 1,3-dioxolane (DOL) and 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME) (1:1, v/v) to form gel polymer electrolyte (GPE). Owing to the fire-retarding property of Al 2 O 3 , the oxygen index of as-prepared GPE can reach up to 22.2%. Furthermore, a high Li+ transference number of 0.74 has been achieved by acid-treated nano Al 2 O 3. The –OH on the surface of acid-treated nano Al 2 O 3 can attract TFSI‐ anions by Lewis acid-base interaction and promote the dissolution of LiTFSI and enhance the mobility of Li+. Sequentially, the Li-Li symmetric cells based on as-prepared GPE show no evident polarization enlargement after 1000 h cycling under the current density of 1 mA cm−2, which means as-prepared GPE can effectively suppress the Li dendrite formation during the Li plating/stripping process. The lithium metal batteries (LMBs) using LiFePO 4 as a cathode deliver excellent rate performance with capacity retention up to 97% after a sequence of current density attributing to Li's good interfacial stability anodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, α-Ga2O3 nanorod arrays (NRAs) were grown using a simple and low-cost two-step hydrothermal method. Subsequently, a photoelectrochemical ultraviolet photodetector (PEC-UV PD) based on the α-Ga2O3 NRAs was fabricated, which can operate at zero bias and has a performance far superior to that of PEC-UV PDs based on the one-step hydrothermal method. Under 2 mW/cm2 illumination at 254 nm, the device achieved a responsivity of 26.59 mA/W, an external quantum efficiency of 12.98%, and a rise/decay time of 53 ms/7 ms without external bias. These results demonstrate outstanding detection performance compared to previously reported devices. The superior performance can be attributed to the better crystallinity which provides a larger absorption area for the device, the solution contact area, and a faster channel for carrier transport, the space charge region at the solid/liquid interface which also allows efficient separation of photogenerated carriers. Furthermore, it also benefits from the positive effects of moderate oxygen vacancy (VO) concentrations for NRAs. The α-Ga2O3 NRAs PEC-UV PD with two-step hydrothermal method is undoubtedly a promising candidate for future solar-blind detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of acute lower respiratory tract infection in infants, children, immunocompromised adults, and elderly individuals. Currently, there are few therapeutic options available to prevent RSV infection. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of luteolin on RSV replication and the related mechanisms. Material and methods: We pretreated cells and mice with luteolin before infection with RSV, the virus titer, expressions of RSV-F, interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs), and production of IFN-α and IFN-β were determined by plaque assay, RT-qPCR, and ELISA, respectively. The activation of Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) signaling pathway was detected by Western blotting and luciferase assay. Proteins which negatively regulate STAT1 were determined by Western blotting. Then cells were transfected with suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) plasmid and virus replication and ISGs expression were determined. Luciferase reporter assay and Western blotting were performed to detect the relationship between SOCS1 and miR-155. Results: Luteolin inhibited RSV replication, as shown by the decreased viral titer and RSV-F mRNA expression both in vitro and in vivo. The antiviral activity of luteolin was attributed to the enhanced phosphorylation of STAT1, resulting in the increased production of ISGs. Further study showed that SOCS1 was downregulated by luteolin and SOCS1 is a direct target of microRNA-155 (miR-155). Inhibition of miR-155 rescued luteolin-mediated SOCS1 downregulation, whereas upregulation of miR-155 enhanced the inhibitory effect of luteolin. Conclusion: Luteolin inhibits RSV replication by regulating the miR-155/SOCS1/STAT1 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The liquid single-stage synthesis of isoprene was catalyzed by means of the heterogeneous STA/AC catalyst. • The STA/AC catalyst exhibited much higher activity than the corresponding homogeneous STA. • The excellent performance of STA/AC catalyst is due to the strong interaction between STA and AC support. In this contribution, we reported the liquid single-stage synthesis of isoprene from methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and formaldehyde over activated carbon supported silicotungstic acid (STA/AC) catalysts. In comparison with the corresponding homogeneous STA catalysts, the STA/AC catalysts exhibited much higher activity of the prins condensation reaction under the same conditions. The results could be attributed to the highly dispersed STA, the relative weaker acidity resulting from the strong interaction between STA and AC and the structural collapse of STA. Additionally, the catalyst could be reused at least 3 times with only a slight decrease of activity. The physical and chemical properties of the STA/AC catalysts were characterized by means of DRIFT, HRTEM, HAADF-STEM, NH 3 -TPD, XRD, XPS and TG techniques. The excellent catalytic reactivity and easy recycling advantages make the STA/AC catalyst to be an attractive candidate of the prins reactions in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentrated on the problem of steady-state oscillation of the traditional extremum seeking algorithm (ESA) that it is not beneficial to the speed optimization of unmanned sailboat, a novel speed optimization scheme with feedforward of unmanned sailboat via extremum seeking without steady-state oscillation (ESWSO) is proposed. This scheme consists of feedforward and feedback control: the feedforward part firstly presets the initial sail angle of attack according to an approximate piecewise constant function of the sailing speed polar diagram, its main function is avoid the large deviation of the longitudinal speed from the optimal value. Subsequently, the feedback part fine-tunes the speed to reach the optimal value through the extremum seeking (ES) control. In the process of continuously optimizing longitudinal speed, a functional relationship between the excitation signal amplitude and the extremum estimation error is constructed to eliminate the steady-state oscillation. Besides, the rigorous stability Proof of the scheme is given. Finally, taking a 12-m class unmanned sailboat as the simulation object, the results show that the optimization scheme can effectively eliminate steady-state oscillation and enable the sailing speed to reach the ideal optimal value, as well as has a high control accuracy and strong robustness. • A novel speed optimization scheme of unmanned sailboat via extremum seeking is proposed. • This scheme effectively overcomes the problem of steady-state oscillation. • This scheme is strong robustness with external perturbation. • This speed optimizer has higher control accuracy. • The unmanned sailboat accurately reaches the ideal optimal speed value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce driving risk in the rainfall days, developing the variable speed limits (VSL) is effective. However, it is hard to develop suitable VSL aligning with travel speed of mainstream that it affected by the traffic flow, rainfall intensity, individual travel speed, peak hours, working days, random events, and so on. In this paper, the average travel speed and traffic flow of each road section are calculated from the toll collection data of Xi'an Ring Road from May to July in 2018 in Shaanxi Province, China. The weather data are collected and extrapolated to the corresponding road sections. Travel speed, traffic flow, and rainfall intensity are integrated to predict the fluctuation trend of travel speed through the proposed deep belief-radial basis function network. The experimental results show that a significant decrease happens in the travel speed in the rainfall day during peak hours. Furthermore, the deep learning algorithm that considers more factors such as the rainfall intensity and traffic flow could improve the prediction accuracy. Then, a VSL method and an expressway risk coefficient evaluation method based on estimation of average travel speed are proposed. The experimental results show that the variable 85th percentile speed limit method proposed in this paper can reduce the risk of expressway driving. This can promote road safety in the development of intelligent transportation system (ITS) in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel stability-enhanced graphene quantum dot (GQD)-decorated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) cell membrane chromatography was constructed to study the potential application of GQDs in bioaffinity chromatography, and to screen active components acting on EGFR from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The carboxyl groups on the surface of GQDs reacted with the amino groups of the amino-silica gel (SiO2-NH2) to form a covalent bond, thereby preparing the GQD-decorated silica gel (SiO2-GQDs). The EGFR cell membrane was further immobilized on the SiO2-GQDs through the same covalent binding method to obtain the GQD-decorated cell membrane stationary phase (SiO2-GQDs-CMSP). In this way, the cell membrane was firmly immobilized on the decorated silica carrier. The life span and stability of the GQD-decorated cell membrane chromatographic (SiO2-GQDs-CMC) column were both enhanced, and the optimal immobilization conditions of the EGFR cell membrane were also determined. This model was then verified by establishing a SiO2-GQDs-CMC online liquid chromatography-ion trap-time-of-flight (LC-IT-TOF) system to screen possible active components in Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn. As a result, praeruptorin B (Pra-B) was screened out, and its inhibitory effect against EGFR cell growth was evaluated by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Molecular docking assay was also conducted to further estimate the interaction between Pra-B and EGFR. Overall, this research indicated that GQDs may be a promising nanomaterial to be used in prolonging the life span of the CMC column, and Pra-B could be a potential EGFR inhibitor so as to treat cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Diabetes aggravates the risk and severity of periodontitis, but the specific mechanism remains confused. Complement 3 (C3) is closely related to complications of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In the present study, we concentrated on whether C3 mediates the development of periodontitis in T2DM. Materials and Methods: Levels of C3 in blood and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of patients were measured first. A C3‐knockout diabetic mouse model was established, real‐time PCR, Western blotting and histological investigation were performed to evaluate the progress of periodontitis. Microcomputed tomography (micro‐CT) and TRAP staining were performed to detect alveolar bone resorption. Immunofluorescence was performed to detect polarization of macrophages. Results: Our data showed that C3 levels were elevated in the blood and GCF of T2DM patients compared with non‐diabetic individuals. Increased C3 was closely related to the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)‐1, IL‐6 and tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α), as well as the decline of the bone volume density (BMD) and bone volume over total volume (BV/TV) of the alveolar bones in diabetic mice. The deletion of C3 inhibited inflammatory cytokines and rescued the decreased BMD and BV/TV of the alveolar bones. C3‐mediated polarization of macrophages was responsible for the damage. Conclusion: T2DM‐related upregulation of C3 contributes to the development of periodontitis by promoting macrophages M1 polarization and inhibiting M2 polarization, triggering a pro‐inflammatory effect on periodontal tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ru-Based catalysts with distinct active phases from Ru0, to RuO2, RuCl3 and RuCl2N were synthesized and evaluated in acetylene hydrochlorination. RuCl2N is identified as the efficient active phase due to its co-activation of acetylene and hydrogen chloride. This discovery holds great potential to accelerate the large-scale application of Ru-based catalysts in industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron-doped carbon nanodot materials, comprising evenly distributed BC3-nanodots in a layered carbon matrix, are prepared through a pre-assembly assisted carbonization synthetic strategy. The prepared materials are endowed with high electron affinity and distortion resistance, which provides a stable framework while generating affinity to substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Peroxisomes are small, ubiquitous organelles that are delimited by a single membrane and lack genetic material. However, these simple‐structured organelles are highly versatile in morphology, abundance and protein content in response to various developmental and environmental cues. In plants, peroxisomes are essential for growth and development and perform diverse metabolic functions, many of which are carried out coordinately by peroxisomes and other organelles physically interacting with peroxisomes. Recent studies have added greatly to our knowledge of peroxisomes, addressing areas such as the diverse proteome, regulation of division and protein import, pexophagy, matrix protein degradation, solute transport, signaling, redox homeostasis and various metabolic and physiological functions. This review summarizes our current understanding of plant peroxisomes, focusing on recent discoveries. Current problems and future efforts required to better understand these organelles are also discussed. An improved understanding of peroxisomes will be important not only to the understanding of eukaryotic cell biology and metabolism, but also to agricultural efforts aimed at improving crop performance and defense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Plant oil-based branched polymer coatings were successfully synthesized. • The nucleobase-functionalized plant oil-based coatings display strong adhesion. • Outstanding environmental tolerance was observed for the plant oil-based coatings. • The supramolecular plant oil-based coating has the maximum adhesion of 9.89 MPa. Plant oils as the most typical and widest available biomass feedstocks have been employed to construct organic coatings. In contrast to the conventional plant oil-based thermoset coatings, it is still challenging to fabricate robust supramolecular plant oil-based coatings with reversible and dynamic noncovalent interactions, overcoming the drawbacks of thermoset coatings. In this work, we have reported a series of strong nucleobase-enhanced plant oil-based coatings with multiple supramolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, hydrophobic and coordination interactions. The nucleobase-functionalized supramolecular plant oil-based coatings display strong adhesion and outstanding environmental tolerance towards different pH conditions, the variation of temperatures, and UV irradiation. In order to optimize the polymerization of the plant oil-based monomer, the radical polymerization of methacrylate-type camellia oil monomer (MCO) was studied to understand the influence of the unsaturated carbon–carbon double bond in the appended long fatty chain on the polymerization of the methacrylate. The stable propagation radicals of methacrylate-type monomer result in the formation of branched plant oil-based polymers with high efficacy. The copolymerization of the plant oil-based and nucleobase-functionalized methacrylates and the supramolecular mixing achieves the maximum adhesion of 9.89 MPa, highlighting the potential of fabricating strong supramolecular plant oil-based coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro‐arc oxidation (MAO) is a surface treatment technology that enhances the surface properties of valves by creating a ceramic oxide layer on the metal surface. The goal of this study is to investigate the influence of current density on the properties of aluminum coatings during preparation and to improve the tribological properties of MAO/PTFE self‐lubricating films on the coating surface. The characterization of the coating was performed using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, Raman spectra, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The roughness, hardness, and elastic modulus of the coatings were tested using atomic force microscopy and nanoindentation. Tribological experiments were conducted to evaluate the tribological properties of the coatings. The experimental results show that the friction coefficient (COF), roughness, hardness, and elastic modulus of the MAO coating increase with the increase of current density. Additionally, the friction coefficient of the MAO composite coating significantly decreases after the addition of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), improving the service life and application range of the metal coating. These findings are expected to promote the development of valve metal in various application fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In recent years, with the rapid development of economy and the acceleration of urbanization process, building energy consumption has become an urgent problem to be solved. Its total energy consumption shows a trend of sustained growth, and the growth rate is faster and faster, so the requirements of building energy efficiency detection technology are higher and higher. Aiming at the problems of time-consuming and difficult detection of traditional detection methods, this paper introduces infrared image processing technology and proposes an energy-saving detection method for buildings based on image processing. The air tightness and heat transfer coefficient are studied respectively. Firstly, the feasibility of infrared method to detect air tightness is theoretically analyzed, and the corresponding technical scheme and detection process are given. Secondly, the infrared image is grayed and filtered to eliminate the influence of thermal defect area on the calculation of heat transfer coefficient after eliminating interference noise. Finally, based on the one-dimensional steady heat transfer theory, the principle of quantitative detection of heat transfer coefficient in infrared image is given by studying the heat transfer process of the wall, and the related correction method is designed. The feasibility and superiority of this method are illustrated by an example. Therefore, this method has good application prospects in building energy-saving detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is great potential for carbon-supported gold catalysts to replace toxic mercuric chloride-based catalysts in the acetylene hydrochlorination, which is a key process for producing PVC. However, the catalyst design is essentially hindered by the difficulties in enhancing the catalytic activity of cationic gold and suppressing the deactivation of active species. We report a strategy for self-oxidation of Au3+ by the Au-SILP system with the [Bmim][Cl 3 ] ILs. This strategy can stabilize all gold species in the state of highly oxidized Au3+ instead of coexisting in the Au3+/Au+ site, which makes the catalyst exhibit excellent catalytic activity. High coordination numbers Au-Cl entities reduce the electron transfer between Au3+ and C 2 H 2 and weaken the adsorption of C 2 H 2 on the Au active sites. Furthermore, [Bmim][Cl 3 ] ILs can self-oxidize gold nanoparticles on the support surface into Au3+. This study provides a new method for improving the stability and activity of gold-based acetylene hydrochlorination catalysts. [Display omitted] • The self-oxidation of Au3+ catalyst are successfully synthesized. • Self-oxidation of high-valence gold via sacrificial [Bmim][Cl 3 ] high activity and long lifetime catalyst design of Au-SILP catalysts. • High coordination numbers Au-Cl entities reduce the electron transfer between Au3+ and C 2 H 2 and weaken the adsorption of C 2 H 2 on the Au active sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dimethoxycurcumin ( DMC) is a lipophilic analog of curcumin, an effective treatment for colon cancer, which has greater chemical and metabolic stability. Chemotherapy treatments, such as 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu), play a key role in the current management of colon cancer. In this study, we investigated the antitumor efficacy of DMC in combination with 5-Fu in SW480 and SW620 colon cancer cells. CCK-8 assay was used to evaluate the inhibitory effect of DMC and 5-Fu on cancer cells proliferation, and the combination index was calculated. The influence of DMC and 5-Fu on cell cycle, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species ( ROS) production, and mitochondrial membrane potential in SW480 and SW620 cells was determined using flow cytometry, and the related signaling pathways were detected by western blot. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe endoplasmic reticulum expansion. DMC- and/or 5-Fu-induced apoptosis, stimulated G0/G1 phase arrest, increased ROS levels, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and enhanced endoplasmic reticulum expansion. The induction of apoptosis is involved in the increasing of Bax and cytochrome c and decreasing of Bcl2 expressions. Increased production of ROS was accompanied by upregulation of CHOP and Noxa. Combination therapy of DMC and 5-Fu had increased efficacy on the above pathways compared with either drug alone. Based on the calculated IC50, combination treatment with DMC and 5-Fu had an additive antitumor effect in both cell lines. Combined treatment with DMC and 5-Fu led to an additive antitumor effect in colon cancer cells that was related to apoptosis induction, G0/G1 phase arrest, increased ROS production, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and enhanced endoplasmic reticulum expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaporins, the major facilitators of water transport across membranes, are involved in growth and development and adaptation to drought stress in plants. In this study, a plasma membrane intrinsic protein (SiPIP2;4) was cloned from Saussurea involucrata , a cold-tolerant hardy herb. The expression of SiPIP2;4 increased the stomatal density and sensitivity of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), thus, affecting the plant's growth and resistance to the diverse water environment. The higher stomatal density under well-watered conditions effectively promoted the photosynthetic rate, which led to the rapid growth of transgenic lines. The stomata in the transgenic lines responded more sensitively to the vapor pressure deficit than the wild-type under different levels of ambient humidity. Their stomatal apertures positively correlated with the ambient humidity. Under drought conditions, the overexpression of SiPIP2;4 promoted rapid stomatal closure, reduced water dissipation, and enhanced drought tolerance. These results indicate that SiPIP2;4 regulates the density and sensitivity of plant stomata, thus, playing an important role in balancing plant growth and stress tolerance. This suggests that SiPIP2;4 has the potential to serve as a genetic resource for crop improvement. • Expression of SiPIP2;4 increased the stomatal density and sensitivity of Nicotiana tabacum. • The stomatal tension of the transgenic lines was positively correlated with the ambient humidity. • Under well-watered conditions, transgenic strains have faster growth rates. • Expression of SiPIP2;4 enhanced drought tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both ZeBrafish (ZB), a recently identified DNA transposon in the zebrafish genome, and SB, a reconstructed transposon originally discovered in several fish species, are known to exhibit high transposition activity in vertebrate cells. Although a similar structural organization was observed for ZB and SB transposons, the evolutionary profiles of their homologs in various species remain unknown. In the present study, we compared their taxonomic ranges, structural arrangements, sequence identities, evolution dynamics, and horizontal transfer occurrences in vertebrates. In total, 629 ZB and 366 SB homologs were obtained and classified into four distinct clades, named ZB, ZB-like, SB, and SB-like. They displayed narrow taxonomic distributions in eukaryotes, and were mostly found in vertebrates, Actinopterygii in particular tended to be the major reservoir hosts of these transposons. Similar structural features and high sequence identities were observed for transposons and transposase, notably homologous to the SB and ZB elements. The genomic sequences that flank the ZB and SB transposons in the genomes revealed highly conserved integration profiles with strong preferential integration into AT repeats. Both SB and ZB transposons experienced horizontal transfer (HT) events, which were most common in Actinopterygii. Our current study helps to increase our understanding of the evolutionary properties and histories of SB and ZB transposon families in animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudo-allergic reactions (PARs) are IgE-independent hypersensitivity reactions. Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor-X2 (MrgX2) was proved the key receptor of PAR. The anti-pseudo-allergic compound discovery based on MrgX2 was of great value. Cell membrane chromatography (CMC) based on MrgX2 provides a convenient and effective tool in anti-pseudo-allergic compound screening and discovery, and further improvements of this method are still needed. In this work, SNAP-tag was introduced at C-terminal of Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor (MrgX2-SNAP-tag), and an MrgX2-SNAP-tag/CMC model was then conducted using CMC technique. Comparative experiments showed that the new model not only satisfied the good selectivity and specificity of screening but also exhibited more stable and longer life span than traditional MrgX2/CMC model. By coupling with HPLC–MS, two compounds were screened out from Arnebiae Radix and identified as shikonin and acetylshikonin. Nonlinear chromatography was performed to study the interactions between two screened compounds and MrgX2, and binding constant (KA) of shikonin and acetylshikonin with MrgX2 were 2075.67 ± 0.34 M−1 and 32201.36 ± 0.35 M−1, respectively. Furthermore, β-hexosaminidase and histamine release assay in vitro demonstrated that shikonin (1–5 μM) and acetylshikonin (2.5–10 μM) could both antagonize C48/80-induced allergic reaction. In conclusion, the MrgX2-SNAP-tag/CMC could be a reliable model for screening pseudo-allergy-related components from complex systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell membrane chromatography is an effective method for screening bioactive components acting on specific receptors in complex systems, which maintains the biological activity of the membrane receptors and improves screening efficiency. However, traditional cell membrane chromatography suffers from poor stability, resulting in a limited life span and low reproducibility, greatly limiting the application of this method. To address this problem, cyanuric chloride‐decorated silica gel was used for the covalent immobilization of the cell membranes. Cyanuric chloride reacts with amino groups on the cell membranes and membrane receptors to form covalent bonds. In this way, the cell membranes are not easy to fall off. The column life of the cyanuric chloride‐decorated epidermal growth factor receptor/cell membrane chromatography column was extended to more than 8 days, whereas the column life of the normal cell membrane chromatography column dropped sharply in the first 3 days. A cyanuric chloride‐decorated epidermal growth factor receptor/cell membrane chromatography online HPLC‐IT‐TOF‐MSn system was applied for screening drug leads from Trifolium pratense L. One potential drug lead, formononetin, which acts on the epidermal growth factor receptor, was screened. Our strategy of covalently immobilizing cell membrane receptors also improved the stability of cell membrane chromatography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Excessive nitrogen fertilizer application is harmful to the environment and reduces the quality of cereal crops. Maintaining crop yields under low nitrogen (LN) conditions and improving quality are important goals for cereal crop breeding. Although the effects of nitrogen assimilation on crop nitrogen‐use efficiency (NUE) have been intensively studied, natural variations of the key assimilation genes underlying grain development and quality are largely unclear. Here, we identified an NUE‐associated gene, OsGS1;1, encoding glutamine synthase, through genome‐wide association analysis, followed by validation experiments and functional analysis. Fifteen single‐nucleotide polymorphisms in the OsGS1;1 region led to alternative splicing that generated two functional transcripts: OsGS1;1a and OsGS1;1b. The elite haplotype of OsGS1;1 showed high OsGS1;1b activity, which improved NUE, affected grain development, and reduced amylose content. The results show that OsGS1;1, which is induced under LN conditions, affects grain formation by regulating sugar metabolism and may provide a new avenue for the breeding of high‐yield and high‐quality rice (Oryza sativa). Significance Statement: OsGS1;1 affects grain formation by regulating sugar metabolism and may provide a new avenue for the breeding of high‐yield and high‐quality rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Despite the discovery of the Tigger family of pogo transposons in the mammalian genome, the evolution profile of this family is still incomplete. Here, we conducted a systematic evolution analysis for Tigger in nature. The data revealed that Tigger was found in a broad variety of animals, and extensive invasion of Tigger was observed in mammal genomes. Common horizontal transfer events of Tigger elements were observed across different lineages of animals, including mammals, that may have led to their widespread distribution, while parasites and invasive species may have promoted Tigger HT events. Our results also indicate that the activity of Tigger transposons tends to be low in vertebrates; only one mammalian genome and fish genome may harbor active Tigger. The data of this study revealed that Tigger was found in a wide variety of animal genomes, including 180 species from 36 orders of invertebrates and 145 species from 29 orders of vertebrates. An extensive invasion of Tigger was observed in mammals, with a high copy number. Almost 61% of those species contain more than 50 copies of Tigger; however, 46% harbor intact Tigger elements, although the number of these intact elements is very low. Common HT events of Tigger elements were discovered across different lineages of animals, including mammals, that may have led to their widespread distribution, whereas Helogale parvula and arthropods may have aided Tigger HT incidences. The activity of Tigger seems to be low in the kingdom of animals, most copies were truncated in the mammal genomes and lost their transposition activity, and Tigger transposons only display signs of recent and current activities in a few species of animals. The findings suggest that the Tigger family is important in structuring mammal genomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel speed optimisation scheme for unmanned sailboats by sliding mode extremum seeking control (SMESC) without steady-state oscillation. In the sailing speed optimisation scheme, an initial sail angle of attack is first computed by a piecewise constant function in the feed forward block, which ensures a small deviation between sailing speed and the maximum speed. Second, the sailing speed approaches to maximum gradually by extremum search control (ESC) in the feedback block. In SMESC without steady-state oscillation, a switching law is designed to carry out the control transformation, so that the speed optimisation system carries out SMESC in the first convergence phase and ESC without steady-state oscillation in the second stability phase. This scheme combines the advantages of both control algorithms to maintain a faster convergence rate and to eliminate steady-state oscillation. Furthermore, the strict stability of the speed optimisation system is proved in this paper. Finally, we test a 12-m mathematical model of an unmanned sailboat in the simulation to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of this speed optimisation scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have been studied since the early clinical treatment of SARS‐CoV‐2 outbreak. Considering these two chiral drugs are currently in use as the racemate, high‐expression angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 cell membrane chromatography was established for investigating the differences of two paired enantiomers binding to angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 receptor. Molecular docking assay and detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 spike pseudotyped virus entry into angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2‐HEK293T cells were also conducted for further investigation. Results showed that each single enantiomer could bind well to angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2, but there were differences between the paired enantiomers and corresponding racemate in frontal analysis. R‐Chloroquine showed better angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 receptor binding ability compared to S‐chloroquine/chloroquine (racemate). S‐Hydroxychloroquine showed better angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 receptor binding ability than R‐hydroxychloroquine/hydroxychloroquine. Moreover, each single enantiomer was proved effective compared with the control group; compared with S‐chloroquine or the racemate, R‐chloroquine showed better inhibitory effects at the same concentration. As for hydroxychloroquine, R‐hydroxychloroquine showed better inhibitory effects than S‐hydroxychloroquine, but it slightly worse than the racemate. In conclusion, R‐chloroquine showed better angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 receptor binding ability and inhibitory effects compared to S‐chloroquine/chloroquine (racemate). S‐Hydroxychloroquine showed better angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 receptor binding ability than R‐hydroxychloroquine/hydroxychloroquine (racemate), while the effect of preventing SARS‐CoV‐2 pseudovirus from entering cells was weaker than R‐hydroxychloroquine/hydroxychloroquine (racemate). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vinyl chloride, the monomer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), is industrially synthesized via acetylene hydrochlorination. Thereby, easy to sublimate but toxic mercury chloride catalysts are widely used. It is imperative to find environmentally friendly non-mercury catalysts to promote the green production of PVC. Low-cost copper-based catalysts are promising candidates. In this study, phosphorus-doped Cu-based catalysts are prepared. It is shown that the type of phosphorus configuration and the distribution on the surface of the carrier can be adjusted by changing the calcination temperature. Among the different phosphorus species, the formed P-C bond plays a key role. The coordination structure formed by the interaction between P-C bonds and atomically dispersed Cu2+ species results in effective and stable active sites. Insights on how P-C bonds activate the substrate may provide ideas for the design and optimization of phosphorus-doped catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination. Copper-based catalysts are widely investigated for the industrially important hydrochlorination of acetylene (PVC production), whereby phosphorus-doped carbon supports have been found to improve the catalyst's properties. Here the interaction between the P-C bond and atomically dispersed Cu2+ species is clarified and the reaction path of C2H2 and HCl revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]