The highest-elevation frog provides insights into mechanisms and evolution of defenses against high UV radiation.

Defense against ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure is essential for survival, especially in high-elevation species. Although some specific genes involved in UV response have been reported, the full view of UV defense mechanisms remains largely unexplored. Herein, we used integrated approaches to analyze UV responses in the highest-elevation frog, Nanorana parkeri. We show less damage and more efficient antioxidant activity in skin of this frog than those of its lower-elevation relatives after UV exposure. We also reveal genes related to UV defense and a corresponding temporal expression pattern in N. parkeri. Genomic and metabolomic analysis along with large-scale transcriptomic profiling revealed a time-dependent coordinated defense mechanism in N. parkeri. We also identified several microRNAs that play important regulatory roles, especially in decreasing the expression levels of cell cycle genes. Moreover, multiple defense genes (i.e., TYR for melanogenesis) exhibit positive selection with function-enhancing substitutions. Thus, both expression shifts and gene mutations contribute to UV adaptation in N. parkeri. Our work demonstrates a genetic framework for evolution of UV defense in a natural environment.

Co-Catalyzed Reductive Cyclization of Acrylate-Containing 1,6-Enynes.

A Co-catalyzed reductive cyclization of acrylate-containing 1,6-enynes is reported, providing an approach to construct five-membered carbocyclic and heterocyclic scaffolds containing enol ethers and all-carbon quaternary carbons. This novel process enables an E/Z mixture of 1,6-enynes to react with good functional group tolerance and good isolated yields, in an operationally simple manner.

Metal-Free Intramolecular Aminophosphination of Allenes.

A metal-free intramolecular aminophosphination of sulfonamidoallenes with diarylphosphine oxides and Tf2O was developed. This method offers a general and practical procedure to construct valuable alkenylphosphine-substituted N-heterocycles via the bifunctionalization reaction of allenes in good yields under mild conditions.

Genetic distribution analyses and population background explorations of Gansu Yugur and Guizhou Miao groups via InDel markers.

Insertion and deletion markers (InDels) have gained considerable attentions in population genetics and forensic research. In this study, we investigated genetic distributions of 30 InDels in Gansu Yugur and Guizhou Miao groups and evaluated their forensic application values. Genetic relationship analyses between Gansu Yugur, Guizhou Miao groups and other published populations were conducted based on these 30 InDels. Power of discrimination and power of exclusion in trio and duo cases of 30 InDels ranged from 0.3528 to 0.6247, 0.0937 to 0.1873, and 0.0219 to 0.1247 in Gansu Yugur group; and they ranged from 0.2579 to 0.6247, 0.0671 to 0.1874, and 0.0105 to 0.1247 in Guizhou Miao group. Obtained cumulative power of discrimination values indicated these InDels could be used for forensic individual identifications in both ethnic groups. Principal component analysis and phylogenetic reconstruction revealed that Gansu Yugur and Guizhou Miao groups had close affinities with their neighboring populations. Genetic structure analyses among these populations also indicated that studied Gansu Yugur and Guizhou Miao groups showed similar genetic structure with their neighboring populations. Further analyses of Y-STR, mtDNA, and ancestry informative markers should be conducted to better understand genetic backgrounds of Gansu Yugur and Guizhou Miao groups in the future.

Association of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 +49A/G gene polymorphism with acute rejection risk in renal transplantation.

The conclusions on the association between cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4) +49A/G gene polymorphism and acute rejection risk in renal transplantation are still debated. This meta-analysis was performed to update the association between CTLA4 +49A/G and acute rejection risk in renal transplantation. The association investigations were identified from PubMed and Cochrane Library, and eligible studies were included and synthesized using meta-analysis method. Fourteen reports were included into this meta-analysis for the association of CTLA4 A/G gene polymorphism and acute rejection risk in renal transplantation, consisting of 962 acute rejection patients and 2084 non-acute rejection controls. The association between CTLA4 G allele/GG genotype and acute rejection risk in renal transplantation was found in this meta-analysis (G allele: OR=1.21, 95% CI: 1.03-1.44, P=.02; GG genotype: OR=1.37, 95% CI: 1.10-1.69, P=.004). However, the AA genotype was not associated with acute rejection risk in renal transplantation. In conclusion, CTLA4 G allele/GG genotype is associated with the acute rejection risk in renal transplantation.

Relationship between cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 -318C/T (rs5742909) gene polymorphism and the risk of acute rejection in renal transplantation.

Results on the relationship between CTLA4 -318C/T (rs5742909) gene polymorphism and risk of acute rejection in renal transplantation are still conflicting. This meta-analysis was performed to update the association between CTLA4 -318C/T and risk of acute rejection in renal transplantation. The association investigations were identified from PubMed and Cochrane Library, and eligible studies were included and synthesized using meta-analysis method. Twelve reports were included in this meta-analysis for the association of CTLA4 -318C/T gene polymorphism with acute rejection risk in renal transplantation, consisting of 728 acute rejection patients and 1628 non-acute rejection controls. The association between CTLA4 -318C/T gene polymorphism and acute rejection risk in renal transplantation for overall populations was not found in this meta-analysis (T allele: OR=0.96, 95% CI: 0.60-1.54, P=.88; TT genotype: OR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.47-1.71, P=.74; CC genotype: OR=1.00, 95% CI: 0.62-1.59, P=.98). Interestingly, T allele was associated with the risk of acute rejection in renal transplantation in African population. In conclusion, CTLA4 -318C/T gene polymorphism is not associated with the risk of acute rejection in renal transplantation in overall populations.

[Fast Classification of Complex Sulphide Ore Based on Raman Spectroscopy].

The regional features, metallogenitic regularities and mineral composition of the hydrothermal sulphide ore have been preliminarily studied. According to the different mineralization period, the patterns of valuable minerals disseminated in ore are complicated, which causes the large changes in the properties of the sulphide ore. The different properties of the sulphide ore may increase the difficulty of the mineral processing and reduce the recovery rate of valuable minerals. Therefore a simple method for rapidly classification of sulphide ore is required to optimize mineral processing flowsheet. Laser Raman spectrometry, as an effective method to analyze the structure of the material is used to identify the component and structure of minerals. The research on the Laser Raman spectra of the large number of sulphide ore samples can reveal the reasons for the difference of the Raman spectra. A new method for classifying the complex sulphide ore using Raman spectroscopy is proposed. The experiment results demonstrate that the properties of the sulphide ore in different mineralization period vary greatly and the fluorescent scattering is mainly produced by gangue minerals. The measured Raman spectral after quenching the fluorescence scattering show the peaks of Raman spectra at 201.62, 242.54, 288.38 and 309.77 cm-1 can be used to identify this kind of complex sulphide ore. The raw ore can be divided into three categories based on the difference of the intensity of fluorescence scattering and the ratio of fluorescence and Raman intensity. The accuracy of the classification method is further validated by the industrial tests. The findings demonstrate the close relationship between Raman spectra and the properties of sulphide ore. The proposed method, which can fast classify the sulphide ore, don't need complex chemical pretreatment before spectra collection. Therefore, this method will have important application value for improving the efficiency of mineral processing.

Determination of the Absolute Configurations of Microtermolides A and B.

Absolute configurations of the three consecutive chiral centers in the cyclic depsipeptide microtermolide A have been tentatively assigned as 2‴R, 3‴R, and 4‴R. However, on the basis of a structural comparison with vinylamycin, another depsipeptide with a unique 4-amino-2,4-pentadienolate structure, the chiral centers could also be assigned as 2‴R, 3‴R, and 4‴S. Here, the first total synthesis of microtermolide A is reported and the configurations of the three consecutive chiral centers were confirmed to be 2‴R, 3‴R, and 4‴S. A similar approach was used to determine the analogous centers in microtermolide B as 2‴R, 3‴R, and 4‴S.

24 Y-chromosomal STR haplotypic polymorphisms for Chinese Uygur ethnic group and its phylogenic analysis with other Chinese groups.

The Uygur ethnic minority is the largest ethnic group in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, and is a precious resource for the study of ethnogeny and forensic biology. Previous studies have focused on the genetic background of the Uygur group, however, the patrilineal descent of the group is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity of 24 Y-STR loci in the Uygur group and analyzed the population differentiations as well as the genetic relationships between the Uygur group and other previously reported populations using 17 Y-filer loci. According to haplotypic analysis of the 24 Y-STR loci in 109 Uygur individuals, 104 different haplotypes were obtained, 99 of which were unique. The haplotypic diversity and discrimination capacity of these 24 Y-STR loci in Uygur group were 0.9992 and 0.9541, respectively. An additional 7 loci (DYS388, DYS444, DYS447, DYS449, DYS522, and DYS527a,b) showed high genetic diversity and improved the overall discrimination capacity of the 24 Y-STR system. Pairwise Fst and neighbor-joining analysis showed that the Uygur group was genetically close to the Han populations from different regions.

Developmental validation of the AGCU 21+1 STR kit: a novel multiplex assay for forensic application.

In this study, we describe the developmental validation assay performed on a novel designed STR multiplex system, AGCU 21+1 STR kit. This kit contains a sex-determining locus amelogenin and 21 noncombined DNA index system STR loci, that are, D6S474, D12ATA63, D22S1045, D10S1248, D1S1677, D11S4463, D1S1627, D3S4529, D2S441, D6S1017, D4S2408, D19S433, D17S1301, D1GATA113, D18S853, D20S482, D14S1434, D9S1122, D2S1776, D10S1435, and D5S2500. The 21+1 kit was validated by a series of tests including optimized PCR conditions, sensitivity, precision and accuracy, stutter ratio, DNA mixture, inhibitors, and species specificity according to the revised validation guidelines issued by the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM). Our results in this study show that the kit is a useful tool for forensic application.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms of mitochondrial DNA HVS-I and HVS-II in Chinese Bai ethnic group.

For forensic and population genetic purposes, a total of 125 unrelated volunteers' blood samples were collected from Chinese Bai ethnic minority group to analyze sequence variation of two hypervariable segments (HVS-I and HVS-II) in the mitochondrial DNA control region. Comparing the HVS-I and HVS-II sequences of the 125 Chinese Bais to the Anderson reference sequence, we found 86 polymorphic loci in HVS-I and 40 in HVS-II in mitochondrial DNA sequences of the Chinese Bai ethnic minority group, which defined 93 and 53 different haplotypes, respectively. Haplotype diversity and the mean pairwise differences were 0.992 ± 0.003 and 6.553 in HVS-I, and 0.877 ± 0.027 and 2.407 in HVS-II, respectively. We defined four macrohaplogroups R, M, N and D with the proportions ranging from 9.6% to 40.0%. With the analysis of the hypervariable domain from nucleotide 16 180-16 193 in HVS-I, our study revealed new haplotypes of sequence variations. In addition, the Fst metric, phylogenetic tree, and principal component analysis demonstrated a close genetic relationship between the Bai group and Chinese Han populations from South China, Changsha, and Guangdong. The results support that the Bai group is a multiorigin ethnic minority that has merged with the Chinese Han population.

Modular Preparation of 5-Halomethyl-2-oxazolines via PhI(OAc)2-Promoted Intramolecular Halooxygenation of N-Allylcarboxamides.

A new method for the construction of oxazoline moiety was detailed. Using (diacetoxyiodo)benzene (PIDA) as the reaction promoter and halotrimethylsilane as the halogen source, intramolecular halooxygenation and halothionation of N-allylcarboxamides/N-allylcarbothioamides proceeded readily, leading to the corresponding 5-halomethyloxazolines/5-halomethylthiazolines in good to excellent isolated yields. The 5-halomethyl products could be converted to different derivatives via conventional nucleophilic substitution methods. The reactions were carried out using easily available starting materials, and did not need harsh reaction conditions. All these features made this reaction a viable method for the construction of different oxazoline and thiazoline structures.

Intramolecular Aminoboration of Unfunctionalized Olefins.

A direct and catalyst-free method for the intramolecular aminoboration of unfunctionalized olefins is reported. In the presence of BCl3 (1 equiv) as the sole boron source, intramolecular aminoboration of sulfonamide derivatives of 4-penten-1-amines, 5-hexen-1-amines, and 2-allylanilines proceeded readily without the use of any catalyst. The boronic acids obtained after hydrolysis could be converted into the corresponding pinacol borates in a straightforward manner by treatment with pinacol under anhydrous conditions.

Genetic diversity and haplotype structure of 24 Y-chromosomal STR in Chinese Hui ethnic group and its genetic relationships with other populations.

In the present study, 24 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (Y-STR) loci were analyzed in 115 unrelated Hui male individuals from Haiyuan county or Tongxin county, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China, to evaluate the forensic application of the 24 STR loci and to analyze interpopulation differentiations by making comparisons between the Hui group data and previously published data of other 13 populations. A total of 115 different haplotypes were observed on these 24 Y-STR loci. The gene diversities ranged from 0.4049 (DYS437) to 0.9729 (DYS385a, b). The overall haplotype diversity was 1 at AGCU 24 Y-STR loci level, while the values were reduced to 0.999237, 0.996949, and 0.996644 at the Y-filer 17 loci, 11 Y-STR loci of extended haplotype and 9 Y-STR loci of minimal haplotype levels, respectively; whereas, haplotype diversity for additional 7 loci (not included in Y-filer 17 loci) was 0.995271. The pairwise FST , multidimensional scaling plot and neighbor-joining tree indicated the Hui group had the closest genetic relationship with Sala in the paternal lineage in the present study. In summary, the results in our study indicated the 24 Y-STRs had a high level of polymorphism in Hui group and hence could be a powerful tool for forensic application and population genetic study.

Liver transplantation using organs from deceased organ donors: a single organ transplant center experience.

BACKGROUND: In 2011, a pilot program for deceased organ donation was initiated in China. We describe the first successful series of liver transplants in the pilot program. METHODS: From July 2011 to August 2012, our center performed 26 liver transplants from a pool of 29 deceased donors. All organ donation and allograft procurement were conducted according to the national protocol. The clinical data of donors and recipients were collected and summarized retrospectively. RESULTS: Among the 29 donors, 24 were China Category II donors (organ donation after cardiac death), and five were China Category III donors (organ donation after brain death followed by cardiac death). The recipients were mainly the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The one-year patient survival rate was 80.8% with a median follow-up of 422 (2-696) days. Among the five mortalities during the follow-up, three died of tumor recurrence. In terms of post-transplant complications, 9 recipients (34.6%) experienced early allograft dysfunction, 1 (3.8%) had non-anastomotic biliary stricture, and 1 (3.8%) was complicated with hepatic arterial thrombosis. None of these complications resulted in patient death. Notably, primary non-function was not observed in any of the grafts. CONCLUSION: With careful donor selection, liver transplant from deceased donors can be performed safely and plays a critical role in overcoming the extreme organ shortage in China.

Analysis of DNA Barcodes Using DNA Subway.

DNA Subway makes bioinformatic analysis of DNA barcodes classroom friendly, eliminating the need for software installations or command line tools. Subway bundles research-grade bioinformatics software into workflows with an easy-to-use interface. This chapter covers DNA Subway's DNA barcoding analysis workflow (Blue Line) starting with one or more Sanger sequence reads. During analysis, users can view trace files and sequence quality, pair and align forward and reverse reads, create and trim consensus sequences, perform BLAST searches, select reference data, align multiple sequences, and compute phylogenetic trees. High-quality sequences with the required metadata can also be submitted as barcode sequences to NCBI GenBank.

Rh-Catalyzed Borylative Cyclization of Acrylate-Containing 1,6-Enynes.

A Rh-catalyzed regioselective, stereoselective carbocyclization/borylation of acrylate-containing 1,6-enynes was described, which offers a general and practical method for constructing versatile and densely functionalized pyrrolidines with the (Z) geometry or the uncommon (E) geometry at the double bond with different substituents of the alkyne, with sterically hindered and conjugative aryl groups favoring the latter, featuring a tetrasubstituted vinyl boronate, containing an all-carbon quaternary stereocenter.

Prediction of SMILE surgical cutting formula based on back propagation neural network.

AIM: To predict cutting formula of small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery and assist clinicians in identifying candidates by deep learning of back propagation (BP) neural network. METHODS: A prediction program was developed by a BP neural network. There were 13 188 pieces of data selected as training validation. Another 840 eye samples from 425 patients were recruited for reverse verification of training results. Precision of prediction by BP neural network and lenticule thickness error between machine learning and the actual lenticule thickness in the patient data were measured. RESULTS: After training 2313 epochs, the predictive SMILE cutting formula BP neural network models performed best. The values of mean squared error and gradient are 0.248 and 4.23, respectively. The scatterplot with linear regression analysis showed that the regression coefficient in all samples is 0.99994. The final error accuracy of the BP neural network is -0.003791±0.4221102 µm. CONCLUSION: With the help of the BP neural network, the program can calculate the lenticule thickness and residual stromal thickness of SMILE surgery accurately. Combined with corneal parameters and refraction of patients, the program can intelligently and conveniently integrate medical information to identify candidates for SMILE surgery.

Effects of extrusion on physical properties of glutinous rice and its application in the improvement of quality characteristics of glutinous rice products.

This study investigated the effects of extrusion on the physical properties of glutinous rice and addressed the challenges associated with its hardened texture and reduced taste in glutinous rice products by adding extruded glutinous rice to assess their anti-retrogradation effect compared with different improvers. Glutinous rice flour with different gelatinization degrees was obtained by changing the initial moisture content of glutinous rice grains before extrusion, and their physicochemical properties and the effect of adding them to rice products were analyzed. Results showed that with the increase in moisture content, the viscosity, water absorption index of extruded glutinous rice flour, and product viscosity increased, while the gelatinization degree, water solubility index, and product elasticity decreased, and the hardness of the rice products showed a trend of first decreasing and then increasing. Twenty percent moisture content of glutinous rice products showed the best properties mentioned above. The effects of adding different improvers on retrogradation degree, quality characteristics, microstructure, and moisture migration of glutinous rice products were analyzed by texture profile analysis, sensory evaluation, scanning electron microscopy, and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance. It was found that soybean polysaccharides, xanthan gum, and extruded glutinous rice flour had better anti-retrogradation effects, while colloid and soybean polysaccharides provided a tighter and more three-dimensional internal structure to the rice products. Our study showed that extruded glutinous rice flour had good anti-retrogradation properties and little effect on flavor and taste, but it would increase the roughness and viscosity of the products, which had advantages and disadvantages compared with other improvers.

Switch effect on controlled water splitting by biaxial strain regulating the promising two-dimensional Janus X2PAs (X = Si, Ge and Sn) photocatalyst.

Two-dimensional photocatalytic materials with unique properties have been well-reported in recent decades. However, strategies for controlling the photocatalytic process are still ongoing. Herein, Janus X2PAs (X = Si, Ge and Sn) monolayers have been explored by first-principles calculations to meet this challenge. All strain-free X2PAs monolayers exhibit excellent photocatalytic properties with high carrier mobility (2.39 × 102-1.34 × 104 cm2 V-1 s-1), suitable band edge positions straddling the standard redox potential of water and large visible light absorption coefficients (up to 105 cm-1). Most importantly, a reaction switch effect is proposed for the first time towards controlling the microscopic photocatalytic process of water splitting on X2PAs monolayers through macroscopic mechanical strain. This effect renders the Janus X2PAs photocatalytic switches among the states of only oxygen evolution reaction, only hydrogen evolution reaction and the full redox reaction for controlled water splitting. This work not only provides a new avenue for designing highly tunable photocatalysts but also offers new physical insights into controlling the photocatalytic water-splitting reaction.