Dissection and Fine-Mapping of Two QTL Controlling Grain Size Linked in a 515.6-kb Region on Chromosome 10 of Rice.

Grain size is a primary determinant of grain weight, which is one of the three essential components of rice grain yield. Mining the genes that control grain size plays an important role in analyzing the regulation mechanism of grain size and improving grain appearance quality. In this study, two closely linked quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling grain size, were dissected and fine-mapped in a 515.6-kb region on the long arm of chromosome 10 by using six near isogenic line populations. One of them, qGS10.2, which controlled 1000 grain weight (TGW) and grain width (GW), was delimited into a 68.1-kb region containing 14 annotated genes. The Teqing allele increased TGW and GW by 0.17 g and 0.011 mm with the R2 of 12.7% and 11.8%, respectively. The other one, qGL10.2, which controlled grain length (GL), was delimited into a 137.3-kb region containing 22 annotated genes. The IRBB52 allele increased GL by 0.018 mm with the R2 of 6.8%. Identification of these two QTL provides candidate regions for cloning of grain size genes.

Regulating the mobility of lattice oxygen on hollow cobalt-manganese sub-nanospheres for enhanced catalytic oxidation of toluene and o-xylene.

Promoting lattice oxygen mobility of Co-based catalysts is crucial to making progress in catalytic oxidation technology. The addition of manganese, a transition metal with similar ionic radius to cobalt and variable valence, was supposed to enhance the mobility of lattice oxygen species of Co-based oxide. A range of hollow CoMnaOx sub-nanosphere catalysts with different Mn/Co ratios was synthesized via a template-sacrificed method, and the effects of different Mn/Co ratios on the structural properties of the catalysts and their catalytic performance for benzene series volatile organic compounds (VOCs) oxidation were investigated. Hollow CoMn2Ox sub-nanosphere exhibited good catalytic activity for oxidation of toluene (T90 = 265 °C) and o-xylene (T90 = 297 °C), as well as excellent recycling ability and water resistance. By adjusting the Mn/Co ratio, metal ions enter into the different tetrahedral or octahedral active sites. Compared with Co3O4, the desorption temperature of surface lattice oxygen on CoMn2Ox decreased by 110 °C. These results demonstrate that the addition of manganese can encourage the electron transfer on CoMnaOx, indicating that the introduction of the appropriate amount of manganese accelerates the activation of gas O2 and mobility of surface lattice oxygen species, thereby expediting the oxidation of benzene series VOCs.

Catalytic performance and mechanism study of the isomerization of 2,5-dichlorotoluene to 2,4-dichlorotoluene.

This work investigates the influence of catalyst HZSM-5 on the isomerization of 2,5-dichlorotoluene (2,5-DCT) to produce 2,4-dichlorotoluene (2,4-DCT). We observe that hydrothermal treatment leads to a decrease in total acidity and Brønsted/Lewis ratio of HZSM-5 while generating new secondary pores. These characteristics result in excellent selectivity for post-hydrothermal modified HZSM-5 in the isomerization reaction from 2,5-DCT to 2,4-DCT. Under atmospheric pressure at 350 °C, unmodified HZSM-5 achieves a selectivity of 66.4% for producing 2,4-DCT, however after hydrothermal modification the selectivity increases to 78.7%. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations explore the thermodynamic aspects of adsorption between the HZSM-5 surface and 2,4-DCT. The kinetic perspective investigates the mechanism involving proton attack on the methyl group of 2,5-DCT followed by rearrangement leading to formation of 2,4-DCT during isomerization. The consistency between simulation and experimental results provides evidence for the feasibility of isomerizing 2,5-DCT to 2,4-DCT. This work fills the gap in the low value-added product 2,5-DCT isomer conversion, indicating its significant practical application potential and provides a valuable reference and guidelines for industrial research in this field.

Electrochemical decarboxylative alkylation of ß-ketoacids with phenol derivatives.

An electrochemical method for the decarboxylative alkylation of ß-ketoacids with phenol derivatives has been developed. The protocol was carried out in readily available unseparated cells at room temperature in the absence of catalysts and oxidants. The corresponding aryl ketones were obtained in satisfactory yields without additional electrolytes, and were easy to produce in gram-scale synthesis. Based on control experiments and cyclic voltammetry, a plausible reaction mechanism was proposed.

Impact of Limited English Proficiency on Medication-Related Problems and Emergency Room Visits Among Community-Dwelling Older People.

Background Older people have higher risk of experiencing medication-related problems (MRPs), leading to increased morbidity, health care use, and mortality. Few studies have examined the pathway between limited English proficiency (LEP) among older people and health service use through MRPs. Objective This study aimed to explore the association of LEP among Latino older people with MRPs and their relationship to emergency room (ER) visits. Methods Researchers used secondary enrollment data from a community medication program for older people (N = 180). Researchers conducted linear regression to examine the relationship between ethnicity/English proficiency and MRPs, and logistic regression to explore the association between MRPs and ER visits. Generalized structural equation modeling (GSEM) with bootstrapping was used to test the indirect effect between LEP Latino through MRPs to ER visits. Results The sample included 70% non-Latino participants, 12% English-speaking Latinos, and 18% LEP Latinos. Analysis LEP Latinos were associated with having 3.4 more MRPs than non-Latino participants, after controlling for covariates. Additionally, each additional MRP was associated with a 10% increased probability of having an ER visit. The GSEM results illustrated there was a significant indirect effect between LEP through MRPs to ER visits (ß = 0.27, 95% CI 0.07-0.61). Conclusion Though LEP was not directly related to increased ER visits, it may have inhibited the ability of Latinos to read and understand medication instructions, contributing to their elevated risk of experiencing MRPs, thus indirectly increasing potential risks of having ER visits.

Simultaneous Detection of Three Subgroups of Avian Leukosis Virus Using the Nanoparticle-Assisted PCR Assay.

Nanoparticle-assisted polymerase chain reaction (nanoPCR) is a novel method for the rapid detection of pathogens. A sensitive and specific multiple nanoPCR assay was developed for simultaneous detection of avian leucosis virus (ALV) subgroups A, B and J. In this study, three pairs of primers were designed, based on the conserved region of the gp85 gene. An exploration of the optimal primer concentration and annealing temperature were carried out, for better performance of the nanoPCR assay. According to the results, the multiple nanoPCR assay amplified 336 pb, 625 bp and 167 bp fragments of ALV-A, -B and -J, respectively, and showed no cross-reactivity with irrelevant pathogens, suggesting the excellent specificity of the assay. The constructed standard DNA templates were used to estimate the limit of detection. As shown by the results, the detection limit of the nanoPCR assay was nearly 10 copies/µL. To further evaluate the detection ability of the assay, 186 clinical samples were detected using the nanoPCR assay, among which, 14 samples were confirmed as ALV positive; the results were further confirmed by sequencing. In conclusion, a highly specific and sensitive nanoPCR assay was successfully developed, which could be a useful tool for clinical diagnosis as well as for the discrimination of ALV-A, -B and -J.