Substrate-controlled [4+1] and [3+2] annulations of ninhydrin-derived Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates to access polysubstituted furans and cyclopentenes.

The effective and mild [4+1] annulation of ninhydrin-derived MBH carbonates with α,ß-unsaturated ketones has been developed, providing a wide range of multisubstituted furans in high yields (up to 90%) with excellent ß-regioselectivities. In contrast, the polysubstituted cyclopentenes bearing dispiro-bisindanedione motifs were obtained via classical [3+2] annulations by employing ninhydrin-derived MBH carbonates with 2-arylidene-1,3-indandiones under the same catalytic conditions. Furthermore, the structures of two kinds of cycloadducts were straightforwardly confirmed through X-ray diffraction analysis.

Hypothermia promotes tunneling nanotube formation and the transfer of astrocytic mitochondria into oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation-injured neurons.

Mitochondrial transfer occurs between cells, and it is important for damaged cells to receive healthy mitochondria to maintain their normal function and protect against cell death. Accumulating evidence suggests that the functional mitochondria of astrocytes are released and transferred to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R)-injured neurons. Mild hypothermia (33 °C) is capable of promoting this process, which partially restores the function of damaged neurons. However, the pathways and mechanisms by which mild hypothermia facilitates mitochondrial transfer remain unclear. We are committed to studying the role of mild hypothermia in neuroprotection to provide reliable evidences and insights for the clinical application of mild hypothermia in brain protection. Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are considered to be one of the routes through which mitochondria are transferred between cells. In this study, an OGD/R-injured neuronal model was successfully established, and TNTs, mitochondria, neurons and astrocytes were double labeled using immunofluorescent probes. Our results showed that TNTs were present and involved in the transfer of mitochondria between cells in the mixed-culture system of neurons and astrocytes. When neurons were subjected to OGD/R exposure, TNT formation and mitochondrial transportation from astrocytes to injured neurons were facilitated. Further analysis revealed that mild hypothermia increased the quantity of astrocytic mitochondria transferred into damaged neurons through TNTs, raised the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and decreased the neuronal damage and death during OGD/R. Altogether, our data indicate that TNTs play an important role in the endogenous neuroprotection of astrocytic mitochondrial transfer. Furthermore, mild hypothermia enhances astrocytic mitochondrial transfer into OGD/R-injured neurons via TNTs, thereby promoting neuroprotection and neuronal recovery.

Effectiveness of potato late blight (Phytophthora infestans) forecast by meteorological estimation in mountainous terrain based on CARAH rules.

Potato late blight (PLB) caused by Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, its incidence and development are highly dependent on meteorological conditions. To solve the problem of PLB in mountainous terrain under the condition of limited meteorological monitoring capability, the air temperature and humidity was estimated based on the basic meteorological datasets, the forecast effect of the onset period and infection cycle of PLB based on CARAH rules was evaluated. The average MAE, RMSE and CI of the estimated air temperature and observations were 1.17 °C, 1.52 °C and 0.95, respectively. The average MAE, RMSE and CI of the estimated relative humidity and observations were 8.0 %, 10.7 % and 0.53, respectively. The curve of the infection cycle of PLB at different locations were estimated from the basic meteorological datasets based on the CARAH rules, and the false alarm and missing ratios were 8.8 % and 4.6 % respectively. It may be delayed by 1 or 2 fungal generations compared to the observations, and then the protective fungicide should be adjusted to a systemic fungicide. The false alarm of the infection cycle of PLB may increase in dry air conditions, and the missing report may occur in humid condition.

Association between self-disclosure and benefit finding of Chinese cancer patients caregivers: the mediation effect of coping styles.

PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between self-disclosure, coping styles, and benefit finding (BF) among caregivers of cancer patients. The study also aimed to identify the factors influencing BF and the impact of coping styles on the relationship between self-disclosure and BF. METHODS: Convenience sampling was used to select 300 caregivers of cancer patients aged greater than 18 years from October 2022 to April 2023 in Chengdu, China. The demographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire, the Benefit Finding Scale (BFS), the Distress Disclosure Index Scale (DDI), and the Simple Coping Style Scale (SCSQ) for caregivers were included in this study. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation analyses, and multiple linear regression models were used. The effect of mediation was tested by the PROCESS macro (Model 4) for SPSS 26.0 by Hayes using 5000 bootstrap samples. RESULTS: There were 292 valid questionnaires (effective response rate 97.33%). The total scores of BF, self-disclosure, negative coping style, and positive coping style of caregivers were 67.77 ± 14.78, 38.23 ± 8.59, 19.68 ± 5.98, and 9.88 ± 4.18, respectively; Pearson's correlation analysis showed that BF was positively correlated with self-disclosure, positive coping, and negatively correlated with negative coping; multiple linear regression analysis showed that self-disclosure, positive coping, and negative coping were influential factors of BF. The results revealed that the effect of self-disclosure on BF was partly mediated by coping styles. It also confirmed that the mediation effect accounted for 54.03% of the total effect. CONCLUSION: The BF of caregivers is at a moderate level. Self-disclosure may influence BF partly because of coping styles.

Iron oxide nanoparticles inhibit tumor growth by ferroptosis in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Since the approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ferumoxytol and other iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) have been widely used as iron supplements for patients with iron deficiency. Meanwhile, IONs have also been used as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging and as drug carriers. Importantly, IONs have demonstrated a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of tumors, including hematopoietic and lymphoid tumors, such as leukemia. In this study, we further demonstrated the effect of IONs on inhibiting the growth of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cells by enhancing ferroptosis-mediated cell death. IONs treatment caused an accumulation of intracellular ferrous iron and the onset of lipid peroxidation in DLBCL cells as well as the suppressed expression of anti-ferroptosis protein Glutathione Peroxidase 4 (GPX4), thereby leading to increased ferroptosis. Mechanistically, IONs increased cellular lipid peroxidation through the generation of ROS via the Fenton reaction and regulating the iron metabolism-related proteins, such as ferroportin (FPN) and transferrin receptor (TFR), which elevated the intracellular labile iron pool (LIP). Hence, our findings suggest the potential therapeutic effect of IONs on the treatment of patients with DLBCL.

The ecotoxicological effects of chromium (III) oxide nanoparticles to Chlorella sp.: perspective from the physiological and transcriptional responses.

Extensive application of nanomaterials enlarges its concentrations in the aquatic environments and poses a threat to algae. This study comprehensively analyzed the physiological and transcriptional responses of Chlorella sp. after being exposed to chromium (III) oxide nanoparticles (nCr2O3). The nCr2O3 at 0-100 mg/L presented adverse effects on cell growth (96 h EC50 = 16.3 mg/L), decreasing the photosynthetic pigment concentrations and photosynthetic activity. Moreover, more extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), especially polysaccharides in soluble EPS, were produced in algae cell, which mitigated the damage of nCr2O3 to cells. However, with the increase of nCr2O3 doses, the EPS protective responses were exhausted, accompanied by toxicity in the form of organelle damage and metabolic disturbance. The enhanced acute toxicity was closely related to the physical contact of nCr2O3 with cells, oxidative stress, and genotoxicity. Firstly, large amounts of nCr2O3 aggregated around and were attached to cells, causing physical damage. Then, the intracellular reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde levels were significantly increased that led to lipid peroxidation, especially at 50-100 mg/L nCr2O3. Finally, the transcriptomic analysis further revealed that the transcription of ribosome, glutamine, and thiamine metabolism-related genes were impaired under 20 mg/L nCr2O3, suggesting nCr2O3 inhibited algal cell growth through metabolism, cell defense, and repair, etc.

The enhanced effect of magnetism on the thermoelectric performance of a CrI3 monolayer.

The effect of magnetism on the thermoelectric (TE) transformation efficiency has recently attracted a lot of attention. A CrI3 monolayer is a two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetic (FM) semiconductor with a Curie temperature of 45 K. In this work, we employed first-principles calculations within the framework of density functional theory (DFT) combined with the non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) method and Landauer-Buttiker theory to study the effect of magnetism on the TE performance of a CrI3 monolayer. The stability, electronic structures, density of states (DOS) and TE parameters of a CrI3 monolayer are calculated. Our calculation results indicate that the TE performance of a CrI3 monolayer in a FM state is superior to that in a non-magnetic (NM) state. Namely, magnetism is beneficial to improving the TE performance. To further investigate the physical mechanism, the phonon group velocity, the electronic and phonon transmission spectra and the effective mass of a CrI3 monolayer in FM and NM states are analyzed in detail. For a CrI3 monolayer in a NM state, the maximum ZT value at 40 K is 0.09 and 0.16 for p-type and n-type doping, respectively. Relative to that in a NM state, the maximum ZT of a CrI3 monolayer in a FM state is largely improved, and can reach 0.23 and 1.58 for p-type and n-type doping. Our research provides a valuable reference by showing that magnetism is a possible factor for improving the TE efficiency.

[3 + 2] cycloaddition of nonstabilized azomethine ylides and 2-benzothiazolamines to access imidazolidine derivatives.

A simple and practical method for the construction of 1,3,5-trisubstituted imidazolidine derivatives via [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction has been developed. This reaction could smoothly proceed between nonstabilized azomethine ylides generated in situ and 2-benzothiazolamines to deliver a wide scope of differently substituted imidazolidines in high yields (up to 98%). The structure of one example was confirmed by X-ray single-crystal structure analysis.

[Characteristics of Phytoplankton Community Structure and Their Relationships with Environmental Factors in Autumn in Qinhe River Basin of Jincheng Region].

In October-November 2020, the phytoplankton and the aquatic environment from 62 sites in the mainstream of the Qinhe River and the largest tributary of the Qinhe River (Danhe River) in the Jincheng region were investigated to clarify the spatial pattern of phytoplankton communities and their driving factors. A total of 7 phyla and 47 species of phytoplankton were identified in the Qinhe River basin and were composed of Cryptophyta, Chlorophyta, Pyrrophyta, Chrysophyta, Bacillariophyta, Cyanophyta, and Crytophyta. Six dominant species in the Qinhe River included:Chlorella vulgaris, Cryptomonas erosa, Chroomonas acuta, Cyclotella stelligera, Chlorococcum, and Euglena viridis. Six dominant species in the Danhe River included:C. erosa, Frustulia vulgaris, E. viridis, C. vulgaris, Trachelomonas oblonga Lemm, and C. stelligera. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H') varied from 0.35 to 3.15, with a mean value 1.40. The Pielou evenness index (J) varied from 0.24 to 1.00, with a mean value of 0.68. H' values in the Qinhe River were higher than those in the Danhe River. J values were relatively low in the middle reaches of the Qinhe River and middle-low reaches of the Danhe River. The results in the Qinhe River through a canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that the percent of forest land at a 300 m buffer was the driving factor of Chlorococcum in Chlorophyta, and nitrate, total phosphorus, and the percent of forest land at the 300 m buffer were the driving factors of E. viridis. Cyclotella stelligera was mainly influenced by the percent of urban land and water temperature, whereas C. vulgaris, C. erosa, and C. acuta were mainly influenced by the percent of farmland and residential land at the 300 m buffer. The results in the Danhe River via CCA showed that C. erosa and C. stelligera were mainly influenced by pH and sulfate, E. viridis was mainly influenced by the percent of urban land and grass land, T. oblonga Lemm was mainly influenced by chloride and the percent of forest land, F. vulgaris was mainly influenced by water temperature and the percent of farmland, and C. vulgaris was mainly influenced by ammonia and the percent of farmland.

[Correlation between Peripheral Blood Intermediate Monocytes Increased and the Disease Progression of Patients with Diffuse Large BCell Lymphoma].

AbstractObjective: To explore the distribution characteristics and clinical significance of peripheral blood monocyte subgroups in patients with diffuse large Bcell lymphoma(DLBCL). METHODS: The percentage of peripheral blood monocyte subsets of 82 DLBCL patients (including 32 newly diagnosis, 29 remission and 21 relapse) and 30 healthy controls were detected by flow cytometry, and the correlation with the clinical characteristics and its diagnostic value of DLBCL were analyzed. RESULTS: The proportion of intermediate monocytes in patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL group was higher than that in healthy controls (t=5.888, P<0.01). The proportion in relapsed group was higher than those in newly diagnosed DLBCL group（t=2.106，P=0.04） and remission group （t=6.882， P＜0.01）, and the proportion of intermediate monocytes in newly diagnosed DLBCL group was higher than that in Remission group (t=3.969, P<0.01). With the increase of International Prognostic Index (IPI) score, the percentage of intermediate monocytes in patients with DLBCL increased (r=0.37). Furthermore, when the proportion of intermediate monocytes was 10.91% as the cutoff value, the sensitivity and specificity of the whole sample were 90.60% and 9100%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The disease progression is related to the increased intermediate monocytes, which can be used as a potential diagnostic index for DLBCL.

[Research Progress of Abnormal Iron Metabolism and Tumor of Lymphatic Hematopoiesis System --Review].

Iron metabolism is the process of absorption, transport, storage and conversion and excretion of the essential trace element iron in living organisms. Normal iron metabolism tightly regulates iron content at the systemic and cellular levels through a variety of related proteins to prevent excessive free radicals from being generated during the iron cycle that can damage the body. Various abnormalities in iron metabolism are found in a variety of lymphohaematopoietic tumours and an insidious link between iron metabolism and tumour development has been revealed. Serum ferritin levels and abnormalities of iron transport proteins, transferrin and their receptors can be used as prognostic indicators for lymphohematopoietic tumours and have opened up new directions of diagnosis and treatment, with a large number of novel drugs targeting tumours emerging to date. This article briefly describes the normal iron metabolism process and highlights the progress of research on abnormal iron metabolism in lymphohematopoietic tumors at the systemic and cellular levels.

Synthesis of 1,3,5-trisubstituted pyrazoles via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile imines with ninhydrin-derived Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates.

An effective synthetic method for 1,3,5-trisubstituted pyrazoles via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction has been developed. This reaction could smoothly proceed between ninhydrin-derived Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbonates and nitrilimines to provide a wide scope of differently substituted pyrazoles in high yields (up to 95%). In addition, the reaction mechanism was also proposed to explain its regioselectivity.

CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) expression promotes diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma survival and invasion.

In recent years, CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) has been found to be involved in tumor growth, angiogenesis, epithelial mesenchymal transition, metastasis, and immune escape. CCR2 overexpression was first identified as a poor prognostic predictor in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in our published article, but the mechanisms involved remain unknown. In this work, we collected data from another 138 patients with DLBCL data and verified the CCR2 expression level and its relationship to clinicopathological characteristics. Furthermore, we explored the possible mechanisms via in vitro and in vivo experiments. We showed that CCR2 overexpression was an independent prognostic marker and predicted shorter overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with DLBCL. Blockade of CCR2 expression with a CCR2 antagonist inhibited tumor cell proliferation, migration, and anti-apoptosis ability in vitro by affecting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and the p38 MAPK signaling pathway. Furthermore, administration of a CCR2 antagonist decreased tumor growth and dissemination of DLBCL cells and increased survival time in the xenograft model. Our study demonstrates that CCR2 expression plays an important role in the development of DLBCL by stimulating cell proliferation, migration, and anti-apoptosis. Therefore, the inhibition of CCR2 may be a potential target for anticancer therapy in DLBCL.

Krüppel-like factor 15 integrated autophagy and gluconeogenesis to maintain glucose homeostasis under 20-hydroxyecdysone regulation.

The regulation of glycometabolism homeostasis is vital to maintain health and development of animal and humans; however, the molecular mechanisms by which organisms regulate the glucose metabolism homeostasis from a feeding state switching to a non-feeding state are not fully understood. Using the holometabolous lepidopteran insect Helicoverpa armigera, cotton bollworm, as a model, we revealed that the steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) upregulated the expression of transcription factor Krüppel-like factor (identified as Klf15) to promote macroautophagy/autophagy, apoptosis and gluconeogenesis during metamorphosis. 20E via its nuclear receptor EcR upregulated Klf15 transcription in the fat body during metamorphosis. Knockdown of Klf15 using RNA interference delayed pupation and repressed autophagy and apoptosis of larval fat body during metamorphosis. KLF15 promoted autophagic flux and transiting to apoptosis. KLF15 bound to the KLF binding site (KLF bs) in the promoter of Atg8 (autophagy-related gene 8/LC3) to upregulate Atg8 expression. Knockdown Atg8 reduced free fatty acids (FFAs), glycerol, free amino acids (FAAs) and glucose levels. However, knockdown of Klf15 accumulated FFAs, glycerol, and FAAs. Glycolysis was switched to gluconeogenesis, trehalose and glycogen synthesis were changed to degradation during metamorphosis, which were accompanied by the variation of the related genes expression. KLF15 upregulated phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (Pepck) expression by binding to KLF bs in the Pepck promoter for gluconeogenesis, which utilised FFAs, glycerol, and FAAs directly or indirectly to increase glucose in the hemolymph. Taken together, 20E via KLF15 integrated autophagy and gluconeogenesis by promoting autophagy-related and gluconeogenesis-related genes expression.

Substrate-Controlled Regioselectivity Switchable [3 + 2] Annulations To Access Spirooxindole Skeletons.

The additive-free [3 + 2] annulation from isatins, amino acids with 2-styrylbenzoxazoles, was described, providing a series of functional and structurally complex 3,3'-pyrrolidinyl-spirooxindole derivatives containing four contiguous and two quaternary stereogenic centers in high yields (up to 95%) and excellent diastereoselectivities (up to >25:1 dr). Interestingly, the reaction exhibits switchable regioselectivity depending on the substrate of amino acids. With proline or thioproline as the substrate, the reaction afforded α-regioselective spirooxindole skeletons. In contrast, when piperidine acid is the substrate, the reaction provided γ-regioselective spirooxindole skeletons.

Vocal Acoustic Features as Potential Biomarkers for Identifying/Diagnosing Depression: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: At present, there is no established biomarker for the diagnosis of depression. Meanwhile, studies show that acoustic features convey emotional information. Therefore, this study explored differences in acoustic characteristics between depressed patients and healthy individuals to investigate whether these characteristics can identify depression. Methods: Participants included 71 patients diagnosed with depression from a regional hospital in Beijing, China, and 62 normal controls from within the greater community. We assessed the clinical symptoms of depression of all participants using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and recorded the voice of each participant as they read positive, neutral, and negative texts. OpenSMILE was used to analyze their voice acoustics and extract acoustic characteristics from the recordings. Results: There were significant differences between the depression and control groups in all acoustic characteristics (p < 0.05). Several mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs), including MFCC2, MFCC3, MFCC8, and MFCC9, differed significantly between different emotion tasks; MFCC4 and MFCC7 correlated positively with PHQ-9 scores, and correlations were stable in all emotion tasks. The zero-crossing rate in positive emotion correlated positively with HAMA total score and HAMA somatic anxiety score (r = 0.31, r = 0.34, respectively), and MFCC9 of neutral emotion correlated negatively with HAMD anxiety/somatization scores (r = -0.34). Linear regression showed that the MFCC7-negative was predictive on the PHQ-9 score (ß = 0.90, p = 0.01) and MFCC9-neutral was predictive on HAMD anxiety/somatization score (ß = -0.45, p = 0.049). Logistic regression showed a superior discriminant effect, with a discrimination accuracy of 89.66%. Conclusion: The acoustic expression of emotion among patients with depression differs from that of normal controls. Some acoustic characteristics are related to the severity of depressive symptoms and may be objective biomarkers of depression. A systematic method of assessing vocal acoustic characteristics could provide an accurate and discreet means of screening for depression; this method may be used instead of-or in conjunction with-traditional screening methods, as it is not subject to the limitations associated with self-reported assessments wherein subjects may be inclined to provide socially acceptable responses rather than being truthful.

Implementation of flipped classroom combined with case-based learning: A promising and effective teaching modality in undergraduate pathology education.

ABSTRACT: The popularity of flipped classroom (FC) is growing in medical education. However, the application of FC in pathology teaching has not been well explored. This study assessed the efficacy of FC combined with case-based learning (CBL) in undergraduate pathology education via comparison with a traditional lecture-based classroom (LBC).A total of 117 third-year students were enrolled and assigned to the FC group (n = 59) or LBC group (n = 58) with demographic matches. Two sections in the pathology textbook (cardiovascular and respiratory system diseases) were chosen for the teaching content. Students in the FC group were required to study the preprovided course materials pre-class, followed by clinical case-based interactive group discussion in-class. Students in the LBC group were encouraged to preview and attended a didactic lecture in class. Post-class quizzes and Likert questionnaires were performed to investigate the efficacy and possible advantages of CBL-based FC over LBC.The scores of the 2 groups in the mid-term examination of pathology before interventions were comparable. However, students in the FC group gained significantly higher scores in the post-quizzes than those in the LBC group, especially the scores regarding the questions of clinical case analysis. In the questionnaires, more students considered CBL-based FC to be beneficial to learning motivation, knowledge comprehension, critical thinking, patient management and teamwork than LBC. In addition, more students agreed that the FC model increased pre-class burden than LBC, rather than in-class pressure.CBL-based FC modality has promising effects on undergraduate pathology education and may be a better choice than traditional LBC. Further optimizations are needed to implement this novel approach in pathology and other medicine curricula.

Activation of peripheral group III metabotropic glutamate receptors suppressed formalin-induced nociception.

Intraplantar injection of formalin produces persistent spontaneous nociception and hyperalgesia. The underlying mechanism, however, remains unclear. The present study was, therefore, designed to determine the roles of peripheral group III metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) in formalin-evoked spontaneous nociception. Pre-treatment with intraplantar injections of L-serine-O-phosphate (L-SOP), a group III mGluRs agonist, significantly inhibited formalin-induced nociceptive behaviours and decreased Fos production in the spinal dorsal horn. The inhibitory effects of L-SOP were abolished completely by pre-treatment with the group III mGluR antagonist (RS)-a-methylserine-O-phosphate (M-SOP). These data suggest that the activation of group III mGluRs in the periphery may play a differential role in formalin-induced nociception. In addition, L-SOP decreased the formalin-induced upregulation of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) as well as interleukine-1ß (IL-1ß) expression in the spinal cord, suggesting that activation of peripheral group III mGluRs reduces formalin-induced nociception through inhibition of the pro-inflammatory cytokines in the spinal cord. Therefore, the agonists acting peripheral group III mGluRs possess therapeutic effectiveness in chronic pain.

Identification and Functional Analysis of G Protein-Coupled Receptors in 20-Hydroxyecdysone Signaling From the Helicoverpa armigera Genome.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of membrane receptors in animals and humans, which transmit various signals from the extracellular environment into cells. Studies have reported that several GPCRs transmit the same signal; however, the mechanism is unclear. In the present study, we identified all 122 classical GPCRs from the genome of Helicoverpa armigera, a lepidopteran pest species. Twenty-four GPCRs were identified as upregulated at the metamorphic stage by comparing the transcriptomes of the midgut at the metamorphic and feeding stages. Nine of them were confirmed to be upregulated at the metamorphic stage. RNA interference in larvae revealed the prolactin-releasing peptide receptor (PRRPR), smoothened (SMO), adipokinetic hormone receptor (AKHR), and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor (HTR) are involved in steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E)-promoted pupation. Frizzled 7 (FZD7) is involved in growth, while tachykinin-like peptides receptor 86C (TKR86C) had no effect on growth and pupation. Via these GPCRs, 20E regulated the expression of different genes, respectively, including Pten (encoding phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate 3-phosphatase), FoxO (encoding forkhead box O), BrZ7 (encoding broad isoform Z7), Kr-h1 (encoding Krüppel homolog 1), Wnt (encoding Wingless/Integrated) and cMyc, with hormone receptor 3 (HHR3) as their common regulating target. PRRPR was identified as a new 20E cell membrane receptor using a binding assay. These data suggested that 20E, via different GPCRs, regulates different gene expression to integrate growth and development.

Novel ultrabright luminescent copper nanoclusters and application in light-emitting devices.

Two newly synthesized ultra-small copper nanoclusters, [Cu3(µ3-H)(µ2-dppy)4](ClO4)2 (1) and [Cu4(µ4-H)(µ2-dppy)4(µ2-Cl)2](ClO4) (2) (dppy = diphenyl-2-pyridylphosphine), have been shown to exhibit ultrabright yellow and yellow-green room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) emission, with high quantum yields of 71.8% and 63.5%, respectively. Therefore, nanocluster 1 has been applied for the first time as a single component phosphor for yellow and white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with favourable characteristics.