Highly Luminescent Chiral Carbon Nanohoops via Symmetry Breaking with a Triptycene Unit: Bright Circularly Polarized Luminescence and Size-Dependent Properties.

Chiral carbon nanohoops with both high fluorescence quantum yield and large luminescence dissymmetry factor are essential to the development of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) materials. Herein, the rational design and synthesis of a series of highly fluorescent chiral carbon nanohoops TP-[8-13]CPPs via symmetry breaking with a chiral triptycene motif is reported. Theoretical calculations revealed that breaking the symmetry of nanohoops causes a unique size-dependent localization in the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) and the lowest unoccupied molecular obtitals (LUMOs) as the increasing of sizes, which is sharply different from those of [n]cycloparaphenylenes. Photophysical investigations demonstrated that TP-[n]CPPs display size-dependent emissions with high fluorescence quantum yields up to 92.9% for TP-[13]CPP, which is the highest value among the reported chiral conjugated carbon nanohoops. The high fluorescence quantum yields are presumably attributed to both the unique acyclic, and radial conjugations and high radiative transition rates, which are further supported by theoretical investigations. Chiroptical studies revealed that chiral TP-[n]CPPs exhibit bright CPL with CPL brightness up to 100.5 M-1 cm-1 for TP-[11]CPP due to the high fluorescence quantum yield. Importantly, the investigations revealed the intrigued size-dependent properties of TP-[n]CPPs with regards to (chir)optical properties, which follow a nice linear relationship versus 1/n. Such a nice linear relationship is not observed in other reported conjugated nanohoops including CPPs.

Structurally Diverse Pyrene-decorated Planar Chiral [2,2]Paracyclophanes with Tunable Circularly Polarized Luminescence between Monomer and Excimer.

We reported the synthesis of a series of structurally diverse CPL-active molecules, in which pyrene units were installed to chiral pm/po-[2,2]PCP scaffolds either with or without a triple bond spacer for pm/po-PCP-P1 and pm/po-PCP-P2, respectively. The X-ray crystallographic analyses revealed that these pyrene-based [2,2]PCP derivatives exhibited diverse structures and crystal packings in the solid phases. The pyrene-based [2,2]PCP derivatives exhibit various (chir)optical properties in organic solutions, depending on their respective structures. In a mixture of dioxane and water, pm/po-PCP-P1 emit green excimer fluorescence, whereas pm/po-PCP-P2 emit blue one. The chiroptical investigation demonstrated that Rp-pm-PCP-P1 and Rp-pm-PCP-P2 exhibited completely opposite CD and CPL signals even they possess the same chiral Rp-[2,2]PCP core. The same argument also holds for other chiral pyrene-based [2,2]PCP derivatives. The theoretical calculation revealed that these unusual phenomena were attributed to different orientation between transition electric dipole moments and the magnetic dipole moments originating from the presence or absence of a triple bond spacer. These pyrene-based [2,2]PCP derivatives display various colours and fluorescence emissions in the solid state and PMMA films, possibly due to the different packings as observed in the crystal structure. Moreover, these compounds also can interact with perylene diimide through π-π interactions, leading to near-white fluorescence.

Cationic Single-Unit Monomer Insertion (cSUMI): From Discrete Oligomers to the α-/ω-End and In-Chain Sequence-Regulated Polymers.

Single-unit monomer insertion (SUMI) has become an important strategy for the synthesis of sequence-controlled vinyl polymers due to its strong versatility and high efficiency. However, all reported SUMI processes are based on a free-radical mechanism, resulting in a limited number of monomer types being applicable to SUMI or a limited number of sequences of structural units that SUMI can synthesize. Herein, we developed a novel SUMI based on a cationic mechanism (cSUMI), which operates through a degenerative (similar to radical SUMI) but cationic chain transfer process. By optimizing the chain transfer agent (CTA) and monomer pairs, a high-efficiency cSUMI was achieved for vinyl ether and styrene monomers. Based on this reaction, a range of discrete oligomers containing vinyl ether and styrene moieties, and even α-/ω-end and in-chain sequence-regulated polymers were synthesized, most of which cannot be achieved by radical SUMI. In addition, we explored the application of these sequence-regulated polymers in the preparation of miktoarm star polymers, delivery of photosensitizers, and solubilization of fluorescence probes. The development of SUMI with a new mechanism will certainly broaden the scope of structures and sequences in precise vinyl-based polymers.

Shape-Persistent Triptycene-Derived Pillar[6]arenes: Synthesis, Host-Guest Complexation, and Enantioselective Recognitions of Chiral Ammonium Salts.

Construction of macrocyclic hosts with a novel structure and excellent property has emerged as an intriguing undertaking for the past few years. Here, we reported the synthesis of shape-persistent triptycene-derived pillar[6]arene (TP[6]). The single crystal structure analysis revealed that the macrocyclic molecule adopts a hexagonal structure, featuring a helical and electron-rich cavity capable of encapsulating electron-deficient guests. In order to obtain chiral TP[6] from an enantiomerically pure triptycene building block, an efficient resolution of chiral triptycene was successfully developed through introducing chiral auxiliaries into triptycene skeletons. The 1H NMR and isothermal titration calorimetry investigations demonstrated that chiral TP[6] exhibited enantioselectivity toward four pairs of chiral guests containing a trimethylamino group, implying a significant promising application in area of enantioselective recognition.

The role of strigolactone analog (GR24) in endogenous hormone metabolism and hormone-related gene expression in tobacco axillary buds.

KEY MESSAGE: Strigolactone has the potential to influence hormone metabolism, in addition to having a role in inhibiting axillary bud elongation, which could be regulated by the expression of phytohormones-related genes. The elongation of axillary buds affects the economic benefits of tobacco. In this study, it was investigated the effect of strigolactone (SL) on the elongation of tobacco axillary buds and its endogenous hormone metabolism and related gene expression by applying the artificial analog of SL, GR24, and an inhibitor of SL synthesis, TIS-108, to the axillary buds. The results showed that the elongation of axillary buds was significantly inhibited by GR24 on day 2 and day 9. Ultra-high-performance liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry results further showed that SL significantly affected the metabolism of endogenous plant hormones, altering both their levels and the ratios between each endogenous hormone. Particularly, the levels of auxin (IAA), trans-zeatin-riboside (tZR), N6-(∆2-isopentenyl) adenine (iP), gibberellin A4 (GA4), jasmonic acid (JA), and jasmonoyl isoleucine (JA-Ile) were decreased after GR24 treatment on day 9, but the levels of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) and gibberellin A1 (GA1) were significantly increased. Further analysis of endogenous hormonal balance revealed that after the treatment with GR24 on day 9, the ratio of IAA to cytokinin (CTK) was markedly increased, but the ratios of IAA to abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), ACC, JAs, and, GAs were notably decreased. In addition, according to RNA-seq analysis, multiple differentially expressed genes were found, such as GH3.1, AUX/IAA, SUAR20, IPT, CKX1, GA2ox1, ACO3, ERF1, PR1, and HCT, which may play critical roles in the biosynthesis, deactivation, signaling pathway of phytohormones, and the biosynthesis of flavonoids to regulate the elongation of axillary buds in tobacco. This work lays the certain theoretical foundation for the application of SL in regulating the elongation of axillary buds of tobacco.

Modifiable risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and mortality in China: a PURE substudy.

AIMS: To examine the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality in China and in key subpopulations, and to estimate the population-level risks attributable to 12 common modifiable risk factors for each outcome. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this prospective cohort of 47 262 middle-aged participants from 115 urban and rural communities in 12 provinces of China, it was examined how CVD incidence and mortality rates varied by sex, by urban-rural area, and by region. In participants without prior CVD, population-attributable fractions (PAFs) for CVD and for death related to 12 common modifiable risk factors were assessed: four metabolic risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, abdominal obesity, and lipids), four behavioural risk factors (tobacco, alcohol, diet quality, and physical activity), education, depression, grip strength, and household air pollution. The mean age of the cohort was 51.1 years. 58.2% were female, 49.2% were from urban areas, and 59.6% were from the eastern region of China. The median follow-up duration was 11.9 years. The CVD was the leading cause of death in China (36%). The rates of CVD and death were 8.35 and 5.33 per 1000 person-years, respectively, with higher rates in men compared with women and in rural compared with urban areas. Death rates were higher in the central and western regions of China compared with the eastern region. The modifiable risk factors studied collectively contributed to 59% of the PAF for CVD and 56% of the PAF for death in China. Metabolic risk factors accounted for the largest proportion of CVD (PAF of 41.7%), and hypertension was the most important risk factor (25.0%), followed by low education (10.2%), high non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (7.8%), and abdominal obesity (6.9%). The largest risk factors for death were hypertension (10.8%), low education (10.5%), poor diet (8.3%), tobacco use (7.5%), and household air pollution (6.1%). CONCLUSION: Both CVD and mortality are higher in men compared with women, and in rural compared with urban areas. Large reductions in CVD could potentially be achieved by controlling metabolic risk factors and improving education. Lowering mortality rates will require strategies addressing a broader range of risk factors.

Maize Dek407 Encodes the Nitrate Transporter 1.5 and Is Required for Kernel Development.

The kernel serves as the storage organ and harvestable component of maize, and it plays a crucial role in determining crop yield and quality. Understanding the molecular and genetic mechanisms of kernel development is of considerable importance for maize production. In this study, we obtained a mutant, which we designated defective kernel 407 (dek407), through ethyl methanesulfonate mutagenesis. The dek407 mutant exhibited reduced kernel size and kernel weight, as well as delayed grain filling compared with those of the wild type. Positional cloning and an allelism test revealed that Dek407 encodes a nitrate transporter 1/peptide transporter family (NPF) protein and is the allele of miniature 2 (mn2) that was responsible for a poorly filled defective kernel phenotype. A transcriptome analysis of the developing kernels showed that the mutation of Dek407 altered the expression of phytohormone-related genes, especially those genes associated with indole-3-acetic acid synthesis and signaling. Phytohormone measurements and analysis indicated that the endogenous indole-3-acetic acid content was significantly reduced by 66% in the dek407 kernels, which may be the primary cause of the defective phenotype. We further demonstrated that natural variation in Dek407 is associated with kernel weight and kernel size. Therefore, Dek407 is a potential target gene for improvement of maize yield.

Chiral Carbon Nanorings: Synthesis, Properties and Hierarchical Self-assembly of Chiral Ternary Complexes Featuring a Narcissistic Chiral Self-Recognition for Chiral Amines.

We report the synthesis and chiroptical properties of novel chiral carbon nanorings Sp-/Rp-[12]PCPP containing a planar chiral [2.2]PCP unit, and demonstrate that Sp-/Rp-[12]PCPP can not only host crown ether 18-Crown-6 to form ring-in-ring complexes with a binding constant 3.35×103  M-1 , but also accommodate the complexes of 18-Crown-6 and S/R-protonated amines to form homochiral S@Sp-/R@Rp- and heterochiral S@Rp-/R@Sp- ternary complexes, displaying significantly larger binding constants of up to 3.31×105  M-1 depending on the chiral guests. Importantly, homochiral S@Sp-/R@Rp- ternary complexes exhibit an enhanced CD signal, while the heterochiral S@Rp-/R@Sp- ones have a constant CD signal compared with the chiral carbon nanorings, respectively, which suggests that homochiral S@Sp-/R@Rp- ternary complexes display a highly narcissistic chiral self-recognition for S/R-protonated chiral amines, respectively. Finally, the chiral ternary complexes can be further applied to determine the ee values of chiral guests. The findings highlight a new application of carbon nanorings in supramolecular sensors, beyond the common recognition of π-conjugated molecules.

Review of the formation and influencing factors of food-derived glycated lipids.

Glycated lipids are formed by a Maillard reaction between the aldehyde group of a reducing sugar with the free amino group of an amino-lipid. The formation and accumulation of glycated lipids are closely related to the prognosis of diabetes, vascular disease, and cancer. However, it is not clear whether food-derived glycated lipids pose a direct threat to the human body. In this review, potentially harmful effect, distribution, formation environment and mechanism, and determination and inhibitory methods of glycated lipids are presented. Future research directions for the study of food-derived glycated lipids include: (1) understanding their digestion, absorption, and metabolism in the human body; (2) expanding the available database for associated risk assessment; (3) relating their formation mechanism to food production processes; (4) revealing the formation mechanism of food-derived glycated lipids; (5) developing rapid, reliable, and inexpensive determination methods for the compounds in different foods; and (6) seeking effective inhibitors. This review will contribute to the final control of food-derived glycated lipids.

Edible oleogels as solid fat alternatives: Composition and oleogelation mechanism implications.

The growing awareness of the adverse health effects of trans-fats and saturated fats are driving researchers to seek healthy alternatives. A promising strategy to structure liquid oil, called oleogelation, has been a subject of great interest. In the development of oleogels, highly unsaturated oils can be structured through different gelation mechanisms by varying structuring agents (e.g., polymeric or low molecular weight oleogelators). Due to their potential to reduce saturated fat in food products while also providing solid texture without changing the oil's chemical composition and nutritional values, oleogels have been introduced into various products (meat, spread, and confectionary) as alternatives to traditional solid fats. However, the shortcomings of oleogels cannot be ignored, such as the softer texture and the poorer plasticity than traditional solid fat. As the physicochemical properties and functionalities of oleogels are highly dependent on their composition and structuring mechanism, it is possible to obtain a product with desirable functionality by choosing a suitable oleogelator or oil phase. Thus, comprehensive and detailed knowledge regarding the role of oleoglarors, oil phase, and oleogelation mechanism on oleogelation is needed. This review primarily focuses on published information within the last decades addressing how the composition and oleogelation mechanism affect the structure and functionality of oleogels and oleogel-based products. The factors affecting the oil gelation are summarized concerning three aspects: (i) oleogelator (chemical composition and molecular structure); (ii) oil phase (TAG composition and minor component); and (iii) oleogelation mechanism. Finally, the future perspectives toward oleogels are highlighted. This review aims to deepen the understanding of oleogelation and the rational design of oleogel-based products.

Central GLP-1 contributes to improved cognitive function and brain glucose uptake after duodenum-jejunum bypass on obese and diabetic rats.

The improvement of cognitive function following bariatric surgery has been highlighted, yet its underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Finding the improved brain glucose uptake of patients after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), duodenum-jejunum bypass (DJB), and sham surgery (Sham) were performed on obese and diabetic Wistar rats, and intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analog liraglutide (Lira), antagonist exendin-(9-39) (Exe-9), and the viral-mediated GLP-1 receptor (Glp-1r) knockdown (KD) were applied on both groups to elucidate the role of GLP-1 in mediating cognitive function and brain glucose uptake assessed with the Morris water maze (MWM) and positron emission tomography (PET). Insulin and GLP-1 in serum and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) were measured, and the expression of glucose uptake-related proteins including glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1), GLUT-4, phospho-Akt substrate of 160kDa (pAS160), AS160, Rab10, Myosin-Va as well as the c-fos marker in the brain were examined. Along with augmented glucose homeostasis following DJB, central GLP-1 was correlated with the improved cognitive function and ameliorated brain glucose uptake, which was further confirmed by the enhancive role of Lira on both groups whereas the Exe-9 and Glp-1r KD were opposite. Known to activate insulin-signaling pathways, central GLP-1 contributes to improved cognitive function and brain glucose uptake after DJB.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The improvement of cognitive function following bariatric surgery has been highlighted while its mechanisms remain elusive. The brain glucose uptake of patients was improved after RYGB, and the DJB and sham surgery performed on obese and diabetic Wistar rats revealed that the elevated central GLP-1 contributes to the dramatic improvement of cognitive function, brain glucose uptake, transport, glucose sensing, and neuronal activation.

Vitamin D status and its dietary and lifestyle factors in children during the first 5 years of life: A cross-sectional multicentre Jiangsu bone study.

BACKGROUND: To explore the vitamin D status with its demographic and lifestyle factors including dietary, supplementation, and physical activity in 0-5 years old children. METHODS: This was a large population-based cross-sectional multicentre study in which the children were recruited from 12 Children's Health Care Centers by a stratified cluster random-sampling method in 10 cities in Jiangsu Province, China. RESULTS: A total number of 5289 children were investigated. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 30.1%. The concentration of 25 hydroxyvitamin D was 64.0 (46.3-83.0) nmol mL-1 after adjustment for covariates. Children with higher risk of vitamin D deficiency were more likely to be at older age, girls, survey conducted in spring, location in southern Jiangsu province, residence in urban, outdoor activity < 2 h day-1 (all p < 0.05). Moreover, those with lower risk were more likely to be the number of parity ≥ 2 times, vitamin D supplementation from birth to 6 months, the initial time of vitamin D supplementation after birth ≤ 1 months, vitamin D and calcium supplementation in the last 3 months, and dose of vitamin D supplementation > 400 IU day-1 (all p < 0.05). Children with preferences for sweets, meat consumption > 150.0 g day-1 , milk consumption < 250 mL day-1 , time of sleeping < 10 h day-1 had higher risks of vitamin D deficiency. However, these relationships were affected by demographics. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D status during the first five years of life was suboptimal and was associated with demographic and lifestyle determinants including milk, meat, sweets, vitamin D and calcium supplementation, sleeping and outdoor activity.

The inhibitory effects of sesamol and sesamolin on the glycidyl esters formation during deodorization of vegetables oils.

BACKGROUND: Glycidyl esters (GEs) have attracted worldwide attention for their potential harm to human health. The GEs in edible oils mainly form during the deodorization of the oil refining processes. We used sesamol and sesamolin to inhibit the formation of GEs in model corn oil (MCO), model palm oil (MPO) and model rice bran oil (MRO) during a deodorization process. RESULTS: The results showed that, in the three model oils, the total GE content was in the following order from highest to lowest: MRO (1437.98 µg kg-1 ) > MPO (388.64 µg kg-1 ) > MCO (314.81 µg kg-1 ). The inhibitory effect of the three antioxidants on the formation of GEs in the MCO was in the following order from strongest to weakest: tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) > sesamol > sesamolin. CONCLUSION: When the mass percentage of sesamol was 0.05%, its inhibition percentage on GEs was close to the inhibition percentage of 0.02% added TBHQ. The present study provides a foundation for understanding how to inhibit the formation of GEs in oils by adding sesamol during the deodorization process.

Pre-rRNA processing and its response to temperature stress in maize.

Ribosome biogenesis is a fundamental process in all eukaryotic cells and is coupled with the processing and maturation of pre-rRNAs. Maize is a primary staple crop across the world, but little is known about the exact pre-rRNA processing sites and pathways in this species. In this study, we present a detailed model of the pathway by identifying the critical endonucleolytic cleavage sites and determining the pre-rRNA intermediates by circular reverse-transcription PCR and northern blot analysis. We demonstrate that two pathways coexist in maize to promote the processing of 35S pre-rRNA, and that the processing of 27SA pre-rRNA can proceed via two different pathways, which are distinguished based on the order of ITS1 removal and ITS2 cleavage. Compared with yeast and mammals, this new 27SA pre-rRNA processing mechanism is unique to maize and other higher plants. In addition, we demonstrate that maize can modulate pre-rRNA processing levels in response to chilling and heat stress, as indicated by a significant reduction of the P-A3 intermediate. Our study provides information that will facilitate future research on ribosome biogenesis and pre-rRNA processing in maize.

The roles of SHANK1 in the development of colon cancer.

SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains protein 1 (SHANK1) belongs to a family of postsynaptic scaffolding proteins. In this study, we found that SHANK1 was abnormally high expressed in colon cancer tissues compared to normal tissues. Colon cancer patients with low SHANK1 expression had better prognosis. Furthermore, the expression of SHANK1 was knocked down in human colon cancer cell lines HCT116 and HT29 and the role of SHANK1 was investigated in colon cancer tumorigenesis. Our results showed that the knockdown of SHANK1 inhibited the survival and proliferation of both cells. The migration of these two cell lines was significantly reduced and the apoptosis was induced compared with control cells. The Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in both cell lines that SHANK1 was knocked down was increased, which is a signal that the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway was triggered. In addition, we observed that knockdown of SHANK1 reduced the expression of phosphorylated forms of AKT and mTOR. These data suggested that loss of SHANK1 inhibited viability and induced apoptosis of HCT116 and HT29 cells through the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Our data revealed that SHANK1 played important roles in the growth of colon cancer cells and may be used as a novel strategy for colon cancer therapy. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: Herein, we reported that SHANK1 was abnormally high expressed in colon cancer tissues and associated with worse prognosis of patients. In addition, knockdown of SHANK1 inhibited viability and induced apoptosis in colon cancer cell lines through AKT/mTOR signaling pathways. These data suggest that SHANK1 may be a new oncogene in colon cancer. This study reveals the role of SHANK1 in addition to neuronal development and cognitive development. And it provides a new potential target for the prediction and treatment of colon cancer.

RhMKK9, a rose MAP KINASE KINASE gene, is involved in rehydration-triggered ethylene production in rose gynoecia.

BACKGROUND: Flower opening is an important process in the life cycle of flowering plants and is influenced by various endogenous and environmental factors. Our previous work demonstrated that rose (Rosa hybrida) flowers are highly sensitive to dehydration during flower opening and the water recovery process after dehydration induced ethylene production rapidly in flower gynoecia. In addition, this temporal- and spatial-specific ethylene production is attributed to a transient but robust activation of the rose MAP KINASE6-ACC SYNTHASE1 (RhMPK6-RhACS1) cascade in gynoecia. However, the upstream component of RhMPK6-RhACS1 is unknown, although RhMKK9 (MAP KINASE KINASE9), a rose homologue of Arabidopsis MKK9, could activate RhMPK6 in vitro. In this study, we monitored RhMKK2/4/5/9 expression, the potential upstream kinase to RhMPK6, in rose gynoecia during dehydration and rehydration. RESULTS: We found only RhMKK9 was rapidly and strongly induced by rehydration. Silencing of RhMKK9 significantly decreased rehydration-triggered ethylene production. Consistently, the expression of several ethylene-responsive genes was down regulated in the petals of RhMKK9-silenced flowers. Moreover, we detected the DNA methylation level in the promoter and gene body of RhMKK9 by Chop-PCR. The results showed that rehydration specifically elevated the DNA methylation level on the RhMKK9 gene body, whereas it resulted in hypomethylation in its promoter. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that RhMKK9 possibly acts as the upstream component of the RhMKK9-RhMPK6-RhACS1 cascade and is responsible for water recovery-triggered ethylene production in rose gynoecia, and epigenetic DNA methylation is involved in the regulation of RhMKK9 expression by rehydration.

Insulin prices, availability and affordability: a cross-sectional survey of pharmacies in Hubei Province, China.

BACKGROUND: Poor access to affordable insulin results in serious and needless complications and premature deaths for those with diabetes who need this essential medicine. To help address this issue, we assessed insulin availability, prices, affordability and price components in Hubei Province as China has the heaviest burden of diabetes globally. METHODS: In 2016, insulin availability and price data was collected in the capital and five other cities. A total of 30 public sector outlets (hospitals and primary care institutions) and 30 private pharmacies were sampled, using an adaptation of the World Health Organization/Health Action International methodology, Data was collected for all human and analogue insulins in stock, then analyzed by type (prandial, basal or pre-mixed) and duration of action. Prices were expressed as Median Price Ratios (MPRs) to Australian PBS prices. Price components were tracked for five insulin products in two cities.. Affordability was assessed as the number of days' wages of the lowest paid unskilled government worker needed to purchase 10 ml 100 IU/ml (approximately 30 days' supply). RESULTS: Mean availability was highest in public hospitals for prandial (70%), basal (80%) and pre-mixed insulin (90%). In primary care institutions and private pharmacies mean availability ranged from 10% to 33%. Median prices of all insulin types were higher that Australian PBS prices in all three sectors for human and analogue insulins (ranging from1.36-2.59 times). Patients have to pay 4 to 16 days' wages to purchase a month's treatment depending on the insulin type and sector. The largest component of the patient price was the manufacturers' selling price (60%). Taxes in the form of import duties and VAT are applied in some sectors. CONCLUSIONS: The availability of insulin in primary care institutions and private retail pharmacies was very low in Hubei. Only public hospitals had good insulin availability. Insulin prices were high in all sectors making this life-saving medicine unaffordable, especially for those on low incomes. Governments should consider using its bargaining power to reduce prices, abolish taxes on essential medicines such as insulin, and develop strategies for more equitable access to insulin.

Glycidyl Fatty Acid Esters in Refined Edible Oils: A Review on Formation, Occurrence, Analysis, and Elimination Methods.

Glycidyl fatty acid esters (GEs), one of the main contaminants in processed oils, are mainly formed during the deodorization step in the refining process of edible oils and therefore occur in almost all refined edible oils. GEs are potential carcinogens, due to the fact that they readily hydrolyze into the free form glycidol in the gastrointestinal tract, which has been found to induce tumors in various rat tissues. Furthermore, glycidol has already been identified as a "possible human carcinogen'' (group 2A) by the Intl. Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Therefore, significant effort has been devoted to inhibit and eliminate the formation of GEs. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary on the following topics: (i) GE occurrence data for different edible oils and oil-based food products, (ii) precursors of GEs, (iii) factors influencing the formation of GEs, (iv) potential reaction mechanisms involving the leaving group and reaction intermediates, and (v) analytical methods, including the indirect and direct methods. More importantly, the various elimination methods for GEs in refined edible oils are being reviewed with focus on 3 aspects: (i) inhibition and removal of reactants, (ii) modification of reactive conditions, and (iii) elimination of GE products.

Dormancy-associated MADS-box genes and microRNAs jointly control dormancy transition in pear (Pyrus pyrifolia white pear group) flower bud.

Bud dormancy in perennial plants is indispensable to survival over winter and to regrowth and development in the following year. However, the molecular pathways of endo-dormancy induction, maintenance, and release are still unclear, especially in fruit crops. To identify genes with roles in regulating endo-dormancy, 30 MIKC(C)-type MADS-box genes were identified in the pear genome and characterized. The 30 genes were analysed to determine their phylogenetic relationships with homologous genes, genome locations, gene structure, tissue-specific transcript profiles, and transcriptional patterns during flower bud dormancy in 'Suli' pear (Pyrus pyrifolia white pear group). The roles in regulating bud dormancy varied among the MIKC gene family members. Yeast one-hybrid and transient assays showed that PpCBF enhanced PpDAM1 and PpDAM3 transcriptional activity during the induction of dormancy, probably by binding to the C-repeat/DRE binding site, while DAM proteins inhibited the transcriptional activity of PpFT2 during dormancy release. In the small RNA-seq analysis, 185 conserved, 24 less-conserved, and 32 pear-specific miRNAs with distinct expression patterns during bud dormancy were identified. Joint analyses of miRNAs and MIKC genes together with degradome data showed that miR6390 targeted PpDAM transcripts and degraded them to release PpFT2. Our data show that cross-talk among PpCBF, PpDAM, PpFT2, and miR6390 played important roles in regulating endo-dormancy. A model for the molecular mechanism of dormancy transition is proposed: short-term chilling in autumn activates the accumulation of CBF, which directly promotes DAM expression; DAM subsequently inhibits FT expression to induce endo-dormancy, and miR6390 degrades DAM genes to release endo-dormancy.

Physiological controls of chrysanthemum DgD27 gene expression in regulation of shoot branching.

KEY MESSAGE: DgD27 was cloned from D. grandiflorum for the first time and played an important role in shoot branching of chrysanthemum. Shoot branching plays an important role in determining plant architecture. D27 was previously proven to be involved in the strigolactone biosynthetic pathway in rice, Arabidopsis, and Medicago. To investigate the role of D27 in shoot branching of chrysanthemum, we isolated the D27 homolog DgD27. Functional analysis showed that DgD27 was a plastid-localized protein that restored the phenotype of Arabidopsis d27-1. Gene expression analysis revealed that DgD27 was expressed at the highest levels in stem, and was up-regulated by exogenous auxin. Decapitation could down-regulate DgD27 expression, but this effect could be restored by exogenous auxin. DgD27 expression was significantly down-regulated by dark treatment in axillary buds. In addition, DgD27 transcripts produced rapid responses in shoots and roots under conditions of phosphate absence, but only mild variation in responses in buds, stems, and roots with low nitrogen treatment. DgBRC1 transcripts also showed the same response in buds under low nitrogen conditions. Under phosphate deficiency, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) levels increased, zeatin riboside levels decreased, and abscisic acid (ABA) levels increased in the shoot, while both IAA and ABA levels increased in the shoot under low nitrogen treatments. Gibberellin acid levels were unaffected by phosphate deficiency and low nitrogen treatments. Taken together, these results demonstrated the diverse roles of DgD27 in response to physiological controls in chrysanthemum shoot branching.