Understanding the potential of taxi sharing: The case of Chengdu.

The emergence of taxi sharing enhances urban transport efficiency and reduces carbon emissions. Using GPS tracking data from taxis in Chengdu, China, this study first outlines conditions for identifying shareable taxi orders based on their origins and destinations. We then develop a three-phase computational model to optimize matches among all potential shareable orders, calculating the shareable mileage and the proportion of original mileage that could be shared. Our comprehensive temporal and spatial analysis reveal a significant market for taxi sharing in Chengdu, with higher potential on workdays than non-workdays and four distinct demand peaks throughout the day. The morning peak on workdays and the night peak on non-workdays are particularly pronounced. Most shareable orders originate within major city districts. We find a positive correlation between the potential of taxi sharing and average traffic speed, and negative correlations with order volume, regional economic development, and population density. Functional zones related to Enterprises, Motorcycle Services, and Transportation Services exhibit significantly higher sharing potential. Compared to traditional taxi operations, taxi sharing significantly reduces total travel mileage. This quantitative analysis offers insights into the potential demand for taxi sharing among urban residents and may help government authorities optimize taxi resources for the sustainable development of urban transport.

Synthesis of Sulfur-Containing Trisubstituted Imidazoles by One-Pot, Multicomponent Reaction via Electron Donor-Acceptor Complex Photoactivation.

Rapid and efficient construction of multifunctionalized skeletons through a one-pot multicompound domino reaction has been recognized as a simple and practical strategy. Herein, a visible-light-enabled three-component reaction of isothiocyanates, isocyanides, and thianthrenium salt-functionalized arenes is presented, which affords a facile approach to sulfur-containing trisubstituted imidazoles in good yields with a broad substrate scope and excellent functional group tolerance. The byproduct thianthrene is recovered in quantity, thereby ultimately reducing the production of chemical waste. The developed methodology has potential value for the discovery and development of thioimidazole-based drugs.

Cytosolic ABA Receptor Kinases phosphorylate the D6 PROTEIN KINASE leading to its stabilization which promotes Arabidopsis growth.

The polar auxin transport is required for proper plant growth and development. D6 PROTEIN KINASE (D6PK) is required for the phosphorylation of PIN-FORMED (PIN) auxin efflux carriers to regulate auxin transport, while the regulation of D6PK stabilization is still poorly understood. Here, we found that Cytosolic ABA Receptor Kinases (CARKs) redundantly interact with D6PK, and the interactions are dependent on CARKs' kinase activities. Similarly, CARK3 also could interact with paralogs of D6PK, including D6PKL1, D6PKL2, and D6PKL3. The genetic analysis shows that D6PK acts the downstream of CARKs to regulate Arabidopsis growth, including hypocotyl, leaf area, vein formation, and the length of silique. Loss-of-function of CARK3 in overexpressing GFP-D6PK plants leads to reduce the level of D6PK protein, thereby rescues plant growth. In addition, the cell-free degradation assays indicate that D6PK is degraded through 26 S proteasome pathway, while the phosphorylation by CARK3 represses this process in cells. In summary, D6PK stabilization by the CARK family is required for auxin-mediated plant growth and development.

Preparation, evaluation and application of MRI detectable sunitinib-loaded calcium alginate/poly(acrylic acid) hydrogel microspheres.

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an effective method for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Although many embolic agents have been developed in TACE, there are few ideal embolic agents that combine drug loading, imaging properties and vessel embolization. Here, we developed novel magnetic embolic microspheres that could simultaneously load sunitinib malate (SU), be detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and block blood vessels. Calcium alginate/poly (acrylic acid) hydrogel microspheres (CA/PAA-MDMs) with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) modified by citric acid were prepared by a drip and photopolymerization method. The embolization and imaging properties of CA/PAA-MDMs were evaluated through a series of experiments such as morphology, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, magnetic responsiveness analysis, elasticity, cytotoxicity, hemolysis test, in vitro MRI evaluation, rabbit ear embolization and histopathology. In addition, the ability of drug loading and drug release of CA/PAA-MDMs were investigated by using sunitinib (SU) as the model drug. In conclusion, CA/PAA-MDMs showed outstanding drug loading capability, excellent imaging property and embolization effect, which would be expected to be used as a potential biodegradable embolic agent in the clinical interventional therapy.

Orientin Promotes Antioxidant Capacity, Mitochondrial Biogenesis, and Fiber Transformation in Skeletal Muscles through the AMPK Pathway.

The sleep-breathing condition obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by repetitive upper airway collapse, which can exacerbate oxidative stress and free radical generation, thereby detrimentally impacting both motor and sensory nerve function and inducing muscular damage. OSA development is promoted by increasing proportions of fast-twitch muscle fibers in the genioglossus. Orientin, a water-soluble dietary C-glycosyl flavonoid with antioxidant properties, increased the expression of slow myosin heavy chain (MyHC) and signaling factors associated with AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation both in vivo and in vitro. Inhibiting AMPK signaling diminished the effects of orientin on slow MyHC, fast MyHC, and Sirt1 expression. Overall, orientin enhanced type I muscle fibers in the genioglossus, enhanced antioxidant capacity, increased mitochondrial biogenesis through AMPK signaling, and ultimately improved fatigue resistance in C2C12 myotubes and mouse genioglossus. These findings suggest that orientin may contribute to upper airway stability in patients with OSA, potentially preventing airway collapse.

Arylthianthrenium Salts as the Aryl Sources: Visible Light/Copper Catalysis-Enabled Intermolecular Azidosulfonylation of Alkenes.

The difunctionalization of alkenes using aryl thianthrenium salts as the aryl sources has been reported sporadically. However, the four-component difunctionalization of alkenes on the basis of aryl thianthrenium salts has not been reported thus far and still remains a challenge. Herein, a visible light/copper catalysis-enabled four-component reaction of aryl thianthrenium salts, DABCO·(SO2)2, alkenes, and TMSN3 is presented, which affords a facile approach to ß-azidosulfones in good yields with broad substrate scope and excellent functional group tolerance. This strategy indirectly realizes the method for the synthesis of ß-azidosulfones through site-selective aryl C-H bond functionalization and alkene difunctionalization. This developed method is an important complement to thianthrenium salts chemistry.

Nitrogen Fertilizers Affect Microbial Hitchhiking to the Plant Roots.

The phenomenon of microbial hitchhiking, where nonmotile microbes utilize transspecies motility to navigate within their environment, has been observed. However, the underlying factors driving microbial hitchhiking remain unclear. Our study explored how nitrogen fertilizers affect microbial hitchhiking in soil through an in situ planting experiment. We established twelve treatments encompassing the presence and absence of plants, the presence and absence of a filter membrane that is used to prevent hitchhiking, and three nitrogen levels. Results showed that nitrogen influenced bacterial diversity in all soils, an effect thwarted by filter membranes. In the presence of plants, nitrogen significantly affected the bacterial mobility, Bacillus abundance, and plant biomass, but these effects vanished when filters were used. The correlation between motile Bacillus and rhizosphere bacteria was strong without filters at the proper nitrogen levels but weakened with membrane treatments. Thus, plants and nitrogen together, not nitrogen alone, alter the soil microbiome via hitchhiking.

Positive regulation of ABA signaling by MdCPK4 interacting with and phosphorylating MdPYL2/12 in Arabidopsis.

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates plant growth and development and stress resistance through the ABA receptor PYLs. To date, no interaction between CPK and PYL has been reported, even in Arabidopsis and rice. In this study, we found that MdCPK4 from Malus domestica (Md for short) interacts with two MdPYLs, MdPYL2/12, in the nucleus and the cytoplasm in vivo and phosphorylates the latter in vitro as well. Compared with the wild type (WT), the MdCPK4- or MdPYL2/12-overexpressing Arabidopsis lines showed more sensitivity to ABA, and therefore stronger drought resistance. The ABA-related genes (ABF1, ABF2, ABF4, RD29A and SnRK2.2) were significantly upregulated in the overexpressing (OE) lines after ABA treatment. These results indicate that MdCPK4 and MdPYL2/12 act as positive regulators in response to ABA-mediated drought resistance in apple. Our results reveal the relationship between MdCPK4 and MdPYL2/12 in ABA signaling, which will further enrich the molecular mechanism of drought resistance in plants.

Single-crystal ZrCo nanoparticle for advanced hydrogen and H-isotope storage.

Hydrogen-isotope storage materials are essential for the controlled nuclear fusion. However, the currently used smelting-ZrCo alloy suffers from rapid degradation of performance due to severe disproportionation. Here, we reveal a defect-derived disproportionation mechanism and report a nano-single-crystal strategy to solve ZrCo's problems. Single-crystal nano-ZrCo is synthesized by a wet-chemistry method and exhibits excellent comprehensive hydrogen-isotope storage performances, including ultrafast uptake/release kinetics, high anti-disproportionation ability, and stable cycling, far superior to conventional smelting-ZrCo. Especially, a further incorporation of Ti into nano-ZrCo can almost suppress the disproportionation reaction. Moreover, a mathematical relationship between dehydrogenation temperature and ZrCo particle size is established. Additionally, a microwave method capable of nondestructively detecting the hydrogen storage state of ZrCo is developed. The proposed disproportionation mechanism and anti-disproportionation strategy will be instructive for other materials with similar problems.

Generation and characterization of PDGFRα-GFP knock-in mice for visualization of PDGFRα+ fibroblasts in vivo.

The platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and its receptor, PDGFRα, are critical for tissue development and injury repair. To track PDGFRα-expressing cells in vivo, we generated a knock-in mouse line that expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the PDGFRα promoter. This genetic tool enabled us to detect PDGFRα expression in various organs during both neonatal and adult stages. Additionally, we confirmed the correlation between endogenous PDGFRα and transgenic PDGFRα expression using mouse injury models, showing the potential of this genetic reporter for studying PDGFRα-mediated signaling pathways and developing therapeutic strategies. Overall, the PDGFRα-GFP knock-in mouse line serves as a valuable tool for investigating the biology of PDGFRα and its role in normal development and disease.

Spatial-temporal proliferation of hepatocytes during pregnancy revealed by genetic lineage tracing.

The maternal liver undergoes dramatic enlargement to adapt to the increased metabolic demands during pregnancy. However, the cellular sources for liver growth during pregnancy remain largely elusive. Here, we employed a proliferation recording system, ProTracer, to examine the spatial-temporal proliferation of hepatocytes during pregnancy. We discovered that during early to late pregnancy, hepatocyte proliferation initiated from zone 1, to zone 2, and lastly to zone 3, with the majority of new hepatocytes being generated in zone 2. Additionally, using single-cell RNA sequencing, we observed that Ccnd1 was highly enriched in zone 2 hepatocytes. We further applied dual-recombinase-mediated genetic lineage tracing to reveal that Ccnd1+ hepatocytes expanded preferentially during pregnancy. Moreover, we demonstrated that estrogen induces liver enlargement during pregnancy, which was abolished in Ccnd1 knockout mice. Our work revealed a unique spatial-temporal hepatocyte proliferation pattern during pregnancy, with Ccnd1+ hepatocytes in zone 2 serving as the major cellular source for hepatic enlargement.

Course-, dose-, and stage-dependent toxic effects of prenatal acetaminophen exposure on fetal long bone development.

Acetaminophen is a common analgesic and fever reduction medicine for pregnant women. Epidemiological studies suggest that prenatal acetaminophen exposure (PAcE) affects offspring health and development. However, the effects of PAcE on fetal long bone development and its potential mechanisms have not been elucidated. Based on clinical dosing characteristics, fetal mouse femurs were obtained for detection after oral gavage of acetaminophen at different doses (0, 100 or 400 mg/kg d), courses (single or multiple times) or stages (mid- or late pregnancy) during pregnancy in Kunming mice. The results showed that compared with the control group, PAcE reduced the length of total femur and the primary ossification center (POC), delayed the mineralization of POC and the ossification of epiphyseal region, and down-regulated the mRNA expression of osteogenic function markers (such as Runx2, Bsp, Ocn , Col1a1) in fetal femur, particularly in the high dose, multiple courses, and mid-pregnancy group. Meanwhile, the osteoclast and angiogenic function were also inhibited by PAcE at high dose, multiple courses, and mid-pregnancy, but the inhibition level was less than osteogenic function. Moreover, the alteration of canonical Wnt signalling pathway in PAcE fetal bone were consistent with its osteogenesis function changes. In conclusion, PAcE caused development toxicity and multi-cellular function inhibition in fetal long bone, particularly in the high dose, multiple treatments and mid-pregnancy group, and the alteration of canonical Wnt signalling pathway may be its potential mechanism.

CRISPRe: An innate transcriptional enhancer for endogenous genes in CRISPR-Cas immunity.

CRISPR-Cas system has been repurposed to the promising strategy of CRISPR-based transcriptional interference/activation (CRISPRi/CRISPRa) without eliciting DNA breaks that enables Cas complex a block for transcription initiation or elongation, which greatly expands its application fields and values. However, loss of Cas nuclease ability, especially the endogenous nuclease, may affect genome stability seriously. Here, we found a transcriptional enhancer for genes (CRISPRe) in type I-C system of industrial strain Ketogulonicigenium vulgare by maintaining the natural activity of Cas3 nuclease and introducing the specific motifs that do not trigger immunity. CRISPRe greatly improved the expression of heterologous and endogenous genes and the biosynthesis of products by facilitating transcriptional elongation. Besides, the mechanism for pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) biosynthesis regulated by coupling transcriptional-translational elongation in operon was elucidated. Hence, we enrich the toolbox for CRISPR-Cas system and provide a new framework for gene regulation at transcription.

Functional ProTracer identifies patterns of cell proliferation in tissues and underlying regulatory mechanisms.

A genetic system, ProTracer, has been recently developed to record cell proliferation in vivo. However, the ProTracer is initiated by an infrequently used recombinase Dre, which limits its broad application for functional studies employing floxed gene alleles. Here we generated Cre-activated functional ProTracer (fProTracer) mice, which enable simultaneous recording of cell proliferation and tissue-specific gene deletion, facilitating broad functional analysis of cell proliferation by any Cre driver.

The effect of organic sources on the electron distribution and N2O emission in sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification biofilters.

Sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification (SAD) is considered as an effective alternative to traditional heterotrophic denitrification (HD) due to its cheap, low sludge production and non-toxicity. Nitrous oxide (N2O) as an intermediate product inevitably was generated at the limited supply of electron donor or unbalanced electron distribution condition during the denitrification process. Recently, autotrophic denitrification biofilters were conclusively implemented for advanced nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). However, residual organic sources after wastewater treatment could affect the electron distribution among denitrifying reductases and few studies are known about this issue. In this study, several lab-scale biofilters packed with elemental sulfur slices were applied to explore the electron distribution characteristics of autotrophic denitrification through the combination of different nitrogen oxides (NOx). The results clearly delineated that the different combination of nitrogen oxides had a remarkable effect on the electron distribution. In any case, the electrons likely flow toward nitrate reductase (Nar) under a single nitrogen oxide combination, followed by nitrite reductase (Nir) and nitrous oxide reductase (Nos). The concurrent presence of multiple electron acceptors resulted in most electrons flowing toward Nar, and least toward Nos. Compared to traditional SAD, the reduction rate of nitrogen oxide in the sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification with influent of organic source (OSAD) was greatly improved. The maximum value of the true specific rates of NO3- in OSAD process was 9.43 mg-N/g-VSS/h. It was increased by 8.26 folds higher than that in traditional SAD. The electrons were more easily distributed to Nos with the addition of sodium acetate, which further promoted the N2O reduction. This study will provide theoretical support for controlling N2O release in SAD biofilters.

Calculation of Short-Term Creep of Concrete Using Fractional Viscoelastic Model.

The study of short-term creep is essential for understanding the concrete creep process and deformation under alternating stress. Researchers are concentrating on the nano- and micron-scale creep of cement pastes. In the latest RILEM creep database, short-term concrete creep data at hourly or minutely levels are still rare and scarce. In order to describe the short-term creep and creep-recovery behavior of concrete specimens more accurately, the short-term creep and creep-recovery experiments were carried out firstly. The load-holding time varied from 60 s to 1800 s. Secondly, the accuracy of current creep models (B4, B4s, MC2010, and ACI209) in predicting the short-term creep of concrete was compared. It was discovered that the B4, B4s, and MC2010 models all overestimate concrete's short-term creep, and the ACI model does the opposite. Thirdly, the applicability of the fractional-order-derivative viscoelastic model (with a derivative order between 0 and 1) in the calculation of the short-term creep and creep recovery of concrete is investigated. The calculation results show that the fractional-order derivatives are more suitable for analyzing the static viscoelastic deformation of concrete while the classical viscoelastic model requires a large number of parameters. Therefore, a modified fractional-order viscoelastic model is proposed considering the residual deformation characteristics of concrete after unloading, and the values of the model parameters under different conditions are given with the experimental data.

Thianthrenium-Enabled Phosphorylation of Aryl C-H Bonds via Electron Donor-Acceptor Complex Photoactivation.

An efficient strategy for the preparation of aryl phosphonates via blue-light-promoted single electron transfer process of an EDA complex between phosphites and thianthrenium salts has been demonstrated. The corresponding substituted aryl phosphonates were obtained in good to excellent yields, and the byproduct thianthrene can be recovered and reused in quantity. This developed method realizes the construction of aryl phosphonates through the indirect C-H functionalization of arenes, which has potential application value in drug discovery and development.

Visible-Light Copper Catalysis for the Synthesis of α-Alkyl-Acetophenones by the Radical-Type Ring Opening of Sulfonium Salts and Oxidative Alkylation of Alkenes.

Direct difunctionalization of simple alkenes has been treated as a powerful synthetic strategy for the construction of highly functionalized skeletons. In this study, direct oxidative coupling of sulfonium salts with alkenes was achieved under mild conditions by a blue-light-driven photoredox process using a copper complex as a photosensitizer. This protocol allows regioselective synthesis of aryl/alkyl ketones from simple sulfonium salts and aromatic alkenes via selective C-S bond cleavage of sulfonium salts and oxidative alkylation of aromatic alkenes using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a mild oxidant.

Hairy gene homolog increases nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell stemness by upregulating Bmi-1.

B-cell-specific Moloney murine leukemia virus integration site 1 (Bmi-1) is overexpressed in various cancer types. We found that Bmi-1 mRNA levels were elevated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines. In immunohistochemical analyses, high Bmi-1 levels were observed in not only 5 of 38 non-cancerous nasopharyngeal squamous epithelial biopsies, but also in 66 of 98 NPC specimens (67.3%). High Bmi-1 levels were detected more frequently in T3-T4, N2-N3 and stage III-IV NPC biopsies than in T1-T2, N0-N1 and stage I-II NPC samples, indicating that Bmi-1 is upregulated in advanced NPC. In 5-8F and SUNE1 NPC cells, stable depletion of Bmi-1 using lentiviral RNA interference greatly suppressed cell proliferation, induced G1-phase cell cycle arrest, reduced cell stemness and suppressed cell migration and invasion. Likewise, knocking down Bmi-1 inhibited NPC cell growth in nude mice. Both chromatin immunoprecipitation and Western blotting assays demonstrated that Hairy gene homolog (HRY) upregulated Bmi-1 by binding to its promoter, thereby increasing the stemness of NPC cells. Immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time PCR analyses revealed that HRY expression correlated positively with Bmi-1 expression in a cohort of NPC biopsies. These findings suggested that HRY promotes NPC cell stemness by upregulating Bmi-1, and that silencing Bmi-1 can suppress NPC progression.

Different biopsy techniques for different pancreas graft locations after homolateral simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation.

Background: Biopsy of a transplanted pancreas is sometimes necessary in patients who have undergone simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplantation and have elevated serum lipase and amylase concentrations. However, the risks associated with pancreatic graft biopsy are high, and the best biopsy technique for different location of pancreatic graft remains unclear. Methods: Depending on the anatomical location of the transplanted pancreas, percutaneous computed tomography (CT) combined with color Doppler-guided puncture biopsy or laparoscopic biopsy was used to obtain samples of transplanted pancreatic tissue that were shallow and deep, respectively. Results: After SPK transplantation, 4 patients developed abnormal serum lipase and amylase concentrations and underwent pancreas graft biopsy, 1 patient underwent percutaneous CT combined with color Doppler-guided puncture biopsy, 2 patients underwent laparoscopic wedge biopsy, and 1 patient underwent laparoscopic and puncture biopsy. All biopsies were performed successfully, with no intra- or postoperative complications (e.g., bleeding, pancreatic leakage, intestinal leakage). Biopsy sampling was effective in 3 patients, including 1 case of acute pancreatic rejection, 1 case of pancreatitis, and 1 case of pancreatic plasmablastic lymphoma. Biopsy failed to retrieve samples in 1 patient with a deep pancreatic graft who underwent laparoscopic wedge biopsy. Conclusions: Pancreas graft biopsy is safe and feasible after SPK transplantation. In addition to the two biopsy methods mentioned, other methods can also be used. Different biopsy strategies should be formulated according to the anatomical location of the transplanted pancreas.