Photocatalytic, Oxidative Cleavage of C-C Bond in Lignin Models and Native Lignin.

It is challenging to realize the selective C-C bond cleavage of lignin ß-O-4 linkages for production of high-value aromatic chemicals due to its intrinsic inertness and complex structure. Here we report a light-driven, chlorine-radical-based protocol to realize the oxidative C-C bond cleavage in various lignin model compounds catalyzed by commercially available TPT and CaCl2, achieving high conversion and good to high product yields at room temperature. Mechanistic studies reveal that the preferential activation of Cß-H bond facilitates the oxidation and C-C bond cleavage of lignin ß-O-4 model via chlorine radical. Furthermore, this method is also applicable to the depolymerization of natural lignin extracts, furnishing the aromatic oxygenates from the cleavage of Cα-Cß bonds. This study provides experimental foundations to the depolymerization and valorization of lignin into high value-added aromatic compounds.

Comparative Transcriptome Analyses Provide New Insights into the Evolution of Divergent Thermal Resistance in Two Eel Gobies.

Adaptation to thermal conditions in tidal mudflats always involves tolerating frequent fluctuations and often extreme environmental temperatures. Regulation of gene expression plays a fundamental role in the evolution of these thermal adaptations. To identify the key gene regulatory networks associated with the thermal adaptation, we investigated the capability of cold tolerance, as well as the transcriptomic changes under cold stress in two mudflat inhabitants (Odontamblyopus lacepedii and O. rebecca) with contrasting latitude affinity. Our results revealed a remarkable divergent capacity of cold tolerance (CTmin: 0.61 °C vs. 9.57 °C) between the two gobies. Analysis of transcriptomic changes under cold stress unveiled 193 differentially expressed genes exhibiting similar expression profiles across all tissues and species, including several classic metabolic and circadian rhythm molecules such as ACOD and CIART that may represent the core cold response machinery in eel gobies. Meanwhile, some genes show a unique expression spectrum in the more cold-tolerant O. lacepedii suggesting their roles in the enhanced cold tolerance and hence the extreme thermal adaptations. In addition, a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed a subset of metabolic hub genes including MYH11 and LIPT2 showing distinct down-regulation in O. lacepedii when exposed to cold stress which highlights the role of reduced energy consumption in the enhanced cold tolerance of eel gobies. These findings not only provide new insights into how mudflat teleosts could cope with cold stress and their potential evolutionary strategies for adapting to their thermal environment, but also have important implications for sound management and conservation of their fishery resources in a scenario of global climate warming in the marine realm.

Reversible Iron Oxyfluoride (FeOF)-Graphene Composites as Sustainable Cathodes for High Energy Density Lithium Batteries.

Two large barriers are impeding the wide implementation of electric vehicles, namely driving-range and cost, primarily due to the low specific energy and high cost of mono-valence cathodes used in lithium-ion batteries. Iron is the ideal element for cathode materials considering its abundance, low cost and toxicity. However, the poor reversibility of (de)lithiation and low electronic conductivity prevent iron-based high specific energy multi-valence conversion cathodes from practical applications. In this work, a sustainable FeOF nanocomposite is developed with extraordinary performance. The specific capacity and energy reach 621 mAh g-1 and 1124 Wh kg-1 with more than 100 cycles, which triples the specific capacity, and doubles the specific energy of current mono-valence intercalation LiCoO2 . This is the result of an effective approach, combing the nanostructured FeOF with graphene, realized by making the (de)lithiation reversible by immobilizing FeOF nanoparticles and the discharge products over the graphene surface and providing the interparticle electric conduction. Importantly, it demonstrates that introducing small amount of graphene can create new materials with desired properties, opening a new avenue for altering the (de)lithiation process. Such extraordinary performance represents a significant breakthrough in developing sustainable conversion materials, eventually overcoming the driving range and cost barriers.

Genome Sequencing Provides Novel Insights into Mudflat Burrowing Adaptations in Eel Goby Taenioides sp. (Teleost: Amblyopinae).

Amblyopinae is one of the lineage of bony fish that preserves amphibious traits living in tidal mudflat habitats. In contrast to other active amphibious fish, Amblyopinae species adopt a seemly more passive lifestyle by living in deep burrows of mudflat to circumvent the typical negative effects associated with terrestriality. However, little is known about the genetic origin of these mudflat deep-burrowing adaptations in Amblyopinae. Here we sequenced the first genome of Amblyopinae species, Taenioides sp., to elucidate their mudflat deep-burrowing adaptations. Our results revealed an assembled genome size of 774.06 Mb with 23 pseudochromosomes anchored, which predicted 22,399 protein-coding genes. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that Taenioides sp. diverged from the active amphibious fish of mudskipper approximately 28.3 Ma ago. In addition, 185 and 977 putative gene families were identified to be under expansion, contraction and 172 genes were undergone positive selection in Taenioides sp., respectively. Enrichment categories of top candidate genes under significant expansion and selection were mainly associated with hematopoiesis or angiogenesis, DNA repairs and the immune response, possibly suggesting their involvement in the adaptation to the hypoxia and diverse pathogens typically observed in mudflat burrowing environments. Some carbohydrate/lipid metabolism, and insulin signaling genes were also remarkably alterated, illustrating physiological remolding associated with nutrient-limited subterranean environments. Interestingly, several genes related to visual perception (e.g., crystallins) have undergone apparent gene losses, pointing to their role in the small vestigial eyes development in Taenioides sp. Our work provide valuable resources for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying mudflat deep-burrowing adaptations in Amblyopinae, as well as in other tidal burrowing teleosts.

A Retrospective Case-Control Study of the Determinants of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Infants in an Urban Community in Shanghai, China Between 2010-2015.

BACKGROUND Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a global public health problem. This study aimed to analyze the social determinants of IDA in infants living in Shanghai, China, between 2010-2015. MATERIAL AND METHODS Data were analyzed retrospectively from the Shanghai Children's Health Check Record system in the Tangqiao Community Health Service Center for infants aged <24 months between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2015. A study group was identified with IDA, and an age-matched and gender-matched healthy control group was identified. RESULTS The five-year prevalence rate of IDA was 11.49% (150/1305). Infants with IDA had significantly lower birth weights (3228.720±456.200 gm vs. 3376.870±393.719 gm; P<0.01), a higher percentage of premature births (10.67% vs. 1.33%; P<0.001), a longer exclusive breastfeeding period (10.63±4.844 months vs. 7.08±5.039 months; P<0.001), a higher rate of exclusive breastfeeding within four months after birth (P<0.001), a later start for complementary feeding (7.32±1.633 months vs. 6.93±1.794 months; P<0.05), and a higher rate of starting complementary feeding after 6 months of age (P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups for maternal child-bearing age, mode of delivery, infant birth height, and birth rank. CONCLUSIONS The introduction of an iron-fortified formula for exclusively breastfed infants at 4 months of age, starting complementary feeding promptly before 6 months of age, and improving perinatal care for pregnant women to avoid premature birth and reduce low birth weight may be effective measures to prevent IDA.

MD-SVM: a novel SVM-based algorithm for the motif discovery of transcription factor binding sites.

BACKGROUND: Transcription factors (TFs) play important roles in the regulation of gene expression. They can activate or block transcription of downstream genes in a manner of binding to specific genomic sequences. Therefore, motif discovery of these binding preference patterns is of central significance in the understanding of molecular regulation mechanism. Many algorithms have been proposed for the identification of transcription factor binding sites. However, it remains a challengeable problem. RESULTS: Here, we proposed a novel motif discovery algorithm based on support vector machine (MD-SVM) to learn a discriminative model for TF binding sites. MD-SVM firstly obtains position weight matrix (PWM) from a set of training datasets. Then it translates the MD problem into a computational framework of multiple instance learning (MIL). It was applied to several real biological datasets. Results show that our algorithm outperforms MI-SVM in terms of both accuracy and specificity. CONCLUSIONS: In this paper, we modeled the TF motif discovery problem as a MIL optimization problem. The SVM algorithm was adapted to discriminate positive and negative bags of instances. Compared to other svm-based algorithms, MD-SVM show its superiority over its competitors in term of ROC AUC. Hopefully, it could be of benefit to the research community in the understanding of molecular functions of DNA functional elements and transcription factors.

Twinning behavior of orthorhombic-α" martensite in a Ti-7.5Mo alloy.

Deformation microstructure of orthorhombic-α" martensite in a Ti-7.5Mo (wt.%) alloy was investigated by tracking a local area of microstructure using scanning electron microscopy, electron back-scattered diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The as-quenched α" plates contain {111}α"-type I transformation twins generated to accommodate transformation strain from bcc-ß to orthorhombic-α" martensite. Tensile deformation up to strain level of 5% induces {112}α"-type I deformation twins. The activation of {112}α"-type I deformation twinning mode is reported for the first time in α" martensite in ß-Ti alloys. {112}α"-type I twinning mode was analyzed by the crystallographic twinning theory by Bilby and Crocker and the most possible mechanism of atomic displacements (shears and shuffles) controlling the newly reported {112}α"-type I twinning were proposed.

Correction: Insights into the enhanced Ce[triple bond, length as m-dash]N triple bond in the HCe[triple bond, length as m-dash]N molecule.

Correction for 'Insights into the enhanced Ce[triple bond, length as m-dash]N triple bond in the HCe[triple bond, length as m-dash]N molecule' by Zhen Pu et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2017, 19, 8216-8222.

Heparan Sulfate and Chondroitin Sulfate Glycosaminoglycans Are Targeted by Bleomycin in Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Bleomycin is a clinically used anti-cancer drug that produces DNA breaks once inside of cells. However, bleomycin is a positively charged molecule and cannot get inside of cells by free diffusion. We previously reported that the cell surface negatively charged glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) may be involved in the cellular uptake of bleomycin. We also observed that a class of positively charged small molecules has Golgi localization once inside of the cells. We therefore hypothesized that bleomycin might perturb Golgi-operated GAG biosynthesis. METHODS: We used stable isotope labeling coupled with LC/MS analysis of GAG disaccharides simultaneously from bleomycin-treated and non-treated cancer cells. To further understand the cytotoxicity of bleomycin and its relationship to GAGs, we used sodium chlorate to inhibit GAG sulfation and commercially available GAGs to compete for cell surface GAG/bleomycin interactions in seven cell lines including CHO745 defective in both heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate biosynthesis. RESULTS: we discovered that heparan sulfate GAG was significantly undersulfated and the quantity and disaccharide compositions of GAGs were changed in bleomycin-treated cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. We revealed that bleomycin-induced cytotoxicity was directly related to cell surface GAGs. CONCLUSION: GAGs were targeted by bleomycin both at cell surface and at Golgi. Thus, GAGs might be the biological relevant molecules that might be related to the bleomycin-induced fibrosis in certain cancer patients, a severe side effect with largely unknown molecular mechanism.

Insights into the enhanced Ce[triple bond, length as m-dash]N triple bond in the HCe[triple bond, length as m-dash]N molecule.

Herein, an experimental study of the vibrational spectra of HCeN was carried out in solid argon, followed by theoretical investigations of molecular structures and the nature of Ce[triple bond, length as m-dash]N bond. The absorption band at 937.7 cm-1 with the 1.0311 14N/15N isotopic shift ratio is characteristic of Ce[triple bond, length as m-dash]N stretching band for HCeN, showing a 94 cm-1 higher shift relative to that of the diatomic CeN molecule. This large frequency shift indicates a much stronger Ce[triple bond, length as m-dash]N bond in HCeN, which is confirmed by DFT calculations. Qualitative orbital interaction and orbital composition analyses suggest that the addition of the H ligand to the Ce center will activate the 4f valence shell and strengthen the covalent bond between Ce and N, which may contribute to enhance the Ce[triple bond, length as m-dash]N triple bond in the HCeN molecule.

Quantitative assessment of the association between fibroblast growth factor 20 rs1721100 C/G polymorphism and the risk of sporadic Parkinson's diseases: a meta-analysis.

Fibroblast growth factor 20 (FGF20) is a neurotrophic factor which enhances the survival of rat midbrain dopamine neurons. Genetic variation in FGF20 may influence the risk of occurrence and development in Parkinson's diseases (PD). Many studies have evaluated the association between FGF20 rs1721100 C/G polymorphism and the risk of sporadic PD; however, published data are still controversial. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to evaluate the association of FGF20 rs1721100 C/G polymorphism with susceptibility of PD. The summary odds ratio (OR) with its 95 % confidence interval (CI) was calculated to estimate the association. Five case-control studies with a total of 3,463 sporadic PD cases and 4,606 controls were finally included into this meta-analysis. Neither the basic allele frequencies nor the genotypic distributions of rs1721100 C/G within FGF20 were different between two groups when all studies were pooled into the meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis by ethnicity showed FGF20 rs1721100 C/G polymorphism was significantly associated with increased risk in the heterozygote comparison model (CG versus GG: OR = 0.83, 95 % CI, 0.72-0.95, P = 0.009) in Asians but not in Caucasians. Overall, this meta-analysis suggests that FGF20 rs1721100 C/G polymorphism is associated with sporadic PD in Asians.

Extending color psychology to the personality realm: interpersonal hostility varies by red preferences and perceptual biases.

The color psychology literature has made a convincing case that color is not just about aesthetics, but also about meaning. This work has involved situational manipulations of color, rendering it uncertain as to whether color-meaning associations can be used to characterize how people differ from each other. The present research focuses on the idea that the color red is linked to, or associated with, individual differences in interpersonal hostility. Across four studies (N = 376 undergraduates), red preferences and perceptual biases were measured along with individual differences in interpersonal hostility. It was found that (a) a preference for the color red was higher as interpersonal hostility increased, (b) hostile people were biased to see the color red more frequently than nonhostile people, and (c) there was a relationship between a preference for the color red and hostile social decision making. These studies represent an important extension of the color psychology literature, highlighting the need to attend to person-based, as well as situation-based, factors.

HLA-DRA rs3129882 A/G polymorphism was not a risk factor for Parkinson's disease in Chinese-based populations: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Many studies have evaluated the association between the HLA-DRA rs3129882 A/G polymorphism and risk for Parkinson's disease (PD) in Chinese-based populations, however, published data remain inconclusive. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis from all relevant studies to evaluate an association of HLA-DRA rs3129882 A/G polymorphism with susceptibility to PD. METHODS: The summary odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated to evaluate the association. The Q statistic was used to evaluate homogeneity and funnel plots were used to assess publication bias. The minor A allele frequencies, additive, dominant as well as recessive genetic models were examined in the analyses. RESULTS: Five case-control studies with a total of 2230 PD cases and 2262 controls from Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia were included in the final meta-analysis. Neither the minor A allele frequencies nor the genotypic distributions were significantly different between PD cases and controls when all studies were pooled into this meta-analysis. CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis suggest that HLA-DRA rs3129882 A/G polymorphism was not responsible for PD in Chinese-based populations.

Association of daily selenium intake and glaucoma: A cross-sectional study.

The association between dietary selenium intake and glaucoma remains unclear. Using data from the 2005 to 2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), this study aimed to investigate the relationship between glaucoma and dietary selenium intake. The study included subjects aged 40 years or older who participated in the NHANES dietary intake interview and vision health questionnaire. Diagnosis of glaucoma based on self-reporting or fundus imaging. To investigate the relationship between daily selenium consumption and glaucoma, logistic regression analyses were employed. The potential linear relationship was found using smooth curve fitting. Subgroup analyses were also used. We found higher dietary selenium intake was associated with an increased risk of glaucoma (odds ratio, 1.39; 95% confidence intervals,1.07-1.81) on multivariable analysis. A linear association was found between dietary selenium intake and the occurrence of glaucoma in this population (Pnon-linearity = 0.951). Subgroup analyses showed a stable correlation between dietary selenium intake and the occurrence of glaucoma (all P for interaction > .05).This is the first study to look at the connection between dietary selenium intake and glaucoma based on the data from the 2005 to 2008 NHANES. Our findings suggested that dietary selenium intake maybe positively correlated with the risk of glaucoma in adults older than 40 years old. To find out the potential relationship between dietary selenium intake and glaucoma, More longitudinal studies are required.

Rigid Fe(III) Chelate with Phosphonate Pendants: A Stable and Effective Extracellular MRI Contrast Agent.

A novel Fe(III) complex, Fe-tBPCDTA, was synthesized and explored as a potential contrast agent for MRI. Compared to established agents like Fe-EDTA and Fe-tCDTA, Fe-tBPCDTA exhibited moderate relaxivity (r1 = 1.17 s-1·mmol-1) due to its enhanced second-sphere mechanism. It also displayed improved kinetic inertness, lower cytotoxicity, and enhanced redox stability. In vivo studies demonstrated its function as an extracellular fluid agent, providing tumor contrast comparable to that of Gd-DTPA at a higher dosage. Complete renal clearance occurred within 24 h. These findings suggest Fe-tBPCDTA as a promising candidate for further development as a safe and effective extracellular MRI contrast agent.

Chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation of eel goby (Odontamblyopus rebecca).

The eel gobies fascinate researchers with many important features, including its unique body structure, benthic lifestyle, and degenerated eyes. However, genome assembly and exploration of the unique genomic composition of the eel gobies are still in their infancy. This has severely limited research progress on gobies. In this study, multi-platform sequencing data were generated and used to assemble and annotate the genome of O. rebecca at the chromosome-level. The assembled genome size of O. rebecca is 918.57 Mbp, which is similar to the estimated genome size (903.03 Mbp) using 17-mer. The scaffold N50 is 41.67 Mbp, and 23 chromosomes were assembled using Hi-C technology with a mounting rate of 99.96%. Genome annotation indicates that 53.29% of the genome is repetitive sequences, and 22,999 protein-coding genes are predicted, of which 21,855 have functional annotations. The chromosome-level genome of O. rebecca will not only provide important genomic resources for comparative genomic studies of gobies, but also expand our knowledge of the genetic origin of their unique features fascinating researchers for decades.

Living large: affect amplification in visual perception predicts emotional reactivity to events in daily life.

It was hypothesised that affect-amplifying individuals would be more reactive to affective events in daily life. Affect amplification was quantified in terms of overestimating the font size of positive and negative, relative to neutral, words in a basic perception task. Subsequently, the same (N=70) individuals completed a daily diary protocol in which they reported on levels of daily stressors, provocations, and social support as well as six emotion-related outcomes for 14 consecutive days. Individual differences in affect amplification moderated reactivity to daily affective events in all such analyses. For example, daily stressor levels predicted cognitive failures at high, but not low, levels of affect amplification. Affect amplification, then, appears to have widespread utility in understanding individual differences in emotional reactivity.

Perceptual Negativity Predicts Greater Reactivity to Negative Events in Daily Life.

Reinforcement sensitivity theory includes the idea that people differ in their sensitivity to negative events, but relevant process-based assessments have not been developed. The present studies assessed sensitivity to negative events in terms of the extent to which negative word stimuli were perceived to be larger than neutral word stimuli. There was a general tendency to overestimate the size of negative relative to neutral words, but individuals differed substantially in this form of what is termed perceptual negativity. Of more importance, two studies (total N = 151) found systematic relationships between individual differences in perceptual negativity and reactivity to negative events in daily diary protocols. Study 1 found that within-person variations in the occurrence of daily negative events undermined goal-related optimism to a greater extent at higher, relative to lower, levels of perceptual negativity. Study 2 conceptually replicated this interaction in the context of within-person associations between the occurrence of daily negative events and antisocial behavior. These findings are important in advancing reinforcement sensitivity theory, in operationalizing a particular component of it, and in extending it to reactivity processes in daily life.

Adolescents and Adults With Congenital Heart Disease: Why Are They Lost to Follow-Up?

Almost 90% of infants with congenital heart disease (CHD) now reach adulthood but require long-term surveillance to recognize and manage residual and/or evolving lesions. Yet many are lost to follow-up. A scoping review identified four specific domains that pose barriers to consistent follow-up. There are multiple issues associated with transition from pediatric to adult care which included-the lack of a seamless transfer, the establishment of a new trusting relationship, promoting the right balance of patient autonomy and addressing knowledge gaps. Additional issues related to logistic problems of time, distance, cost, and the availability of specialized care, are further compounded by the psychosocial factors and the heterogeneity of the cardiac abnormality affecting our patients. Further study of all these issues is warranted to improve ongoing engagement.

Direct synthesis of sila-benzoazoles through hydrosilylation and rearrangement cascade reaction of benzoazoles and silanes.

Sila-isosteres have attracted increasing attention due to their potential application in a variety of fields and their different properties compared to their carbon-containing analogs. However, the preparation of these silicon-containing compound remains challenging and thus the development of alternative synthetic methodologies is desirable. Here, we employ B(C6F5)3 as catalyst to enable the synthesis of highly functionalized sila-benzoazoles via hydrosilylation and rearrangement cascade reaction of benzoazoles and commercially available silanes. This strategy also exhibits remarkable features such as 100% atom-economy, good functional group tolerance, broad substrate scope, easy scale-up and good catalytic performance, demonstrating its potential application in sila-isostere synthesis.