Age-dependent seasonal growth cessation in Populus.

In temperate and boreal regions, perennial plants adapt their annual growth cycle to the change of seasons. In natural forests, juvenile seedlings usually display longer growth seasons compared to adult trees to ensure their establishment and survival under canopy shade. However, how trees adjust their annual growth according to their age is not known. In this study, we show that age-dependent seasonal growth cessation is genetically controlled and found that the miR156-SPL3/5 module, a key regulon of vegetative phase change (VPC), also triggers age-dependent growth cessation in Populus trees. We show that miR156 promotes shoot elongation during vegetative growth, and its targets SPL3/5s function in the same pathway but as repressors. We find that the miR156-SPL3/5s regulon controls growth cessation in both leaves and shoot apices and through multiple pathways, but with a different mechanism compared to how the miR156-SPL regulon controls VPC in annual plants. Taken together, our results reveal an age-dependent genetic network in mediating seasonal growth cessation, a key phenological process in the climate adaptation of perennial trees.

Optimizing Iodine Enrichment through Induced-Fit Transformations in a Flexible Ag(I)-Organic Framework: From Accelerated Adsorption Kinetics to Record-High Storage Density.

Efficient capture and storage of radioactive I2 is a prerequisite for developing nuclear power but remains a challenge. Here, two flexible Ag-MOFs (FJI-H39 and 40) with similar active sites but different pore sizes and flexibility are prepared; both of them can capture I2 with excellent removal efficiencies and high adsorption capacities. Due to the more flexible pores, FJI-H39 not only possesses the record-high I2 storage density among all the reported MOFs but also displays a very fast adsorption kinetic (124 times faster than FJI-H40), while their desorption kinetics are comparable. Mechanistic studies show that FJI-H39 can undergo induced-fit transformations continuously (first contraction then expansion), making the adsorbed iodine species enrich near the Ag(I) nodes quickly and orderly, from discrete I- anion to the dense packing of various iodine species, achieving the very fast adsorption kinetic and the record-high storage density simultaneously. However, no significant structural transformations caused by the adsorbed iodine are observed in FJI-H40. In addition, FJI-H39 has excellent stability/recyclability/obtainability, making it a practical adsorbent for radioactive I2. This work provides a useful method for synthesizing practical radioactive I2 adsorbents.

Genetic basis of STEM occupational choice and regional economic performance: a UK biobank genome-wide association study.

BACKGROUND: Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals are regarded as the highly skilled labor force that fosters economic productivity, enterprise innovation, and international competitiveness of a country. This study aims to understand the genetic predisposition to STEM occupations and investigate its associations with regional economic performance. We conducted a genome-wide association study on the occupational choice of STEM jobs based on a sample of 178,976 participants from the UK Biobank database. RESULTS: We identified two genetic loci significantly associated with participants' STEM job choices: rs10048736 on chromosome 2 and rs12903858 on chromosome 15. The SNP heritability of STEM occupations was estimated to be 4.2%. We also found phenotypic and genetic evidence of assortative mating in STEM occupations. At the local authority level, we found that the average polygenic score of STEM is significantly and robustly associated with several metrics of regional economic performance. CONCLUSIONS: The current study expands our knowledge of the genetic basis of occupational choice and potential regional disparities in socioeconomic developments.

Progressive encephalomyelitis with rigidity and myoclonus: a pediatric case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Progressive encephalomyelitis with rigidity and myoclonus (PERM) is a rare and life-threatening autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. So far, only ten cases of PERM have been reported in children worldwide, including the one in this study. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of an 11-year-old boy with PERM with an initial presentation of abdominal pain, skin itching, dysuria, urinary retention, truncal and limb rigidity, spasms of the trunk and limbs during sleep, deep and peripheral sensory disturbances, and dysphagia. A tissue-based assay using peripheral blood was positive, demonstrated by fluorescent staining of mouse cerebellar sections. He showed gradual and persistent clinical improvement after immunotherapy with intravenous immunoglobulin, steroids, plasmapheresis and rituximab. CONCLUSIONS: We summarized the diagnosis and treatment of a patient with PERM and performed a literature review of pediatric PERM to raise awareness among pediatric neurologists. A better comprehension of this disease is required to improve its early diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.

Assessing wound complications in gastroscopy with Streptomyces protease enzyme combined with Shutai.

Current gastroscopy practices necessitate a balance between procedural efficiency and patient safety. It has been hypothesized that increasing procedure outcomes through the use of Streptomyces protease enzyme and Shutai is possible; however, precise nature of any potential adverse reactions and complications remains unknown. In Zhanjiang, China, 213 patients undergoing gastroscopy participated in this controlled trial. The subjects were allocated at random into two groups: control and treatment. The treatment group was administered topical Streptomyces protease enzyme and intravenous Shutai. Using chi-square and t-tests, information regarding patient demographics, adverse reactions, wound healing, procedure duration, distress levels, and satisfaction was gathered and analysed. The demographic and medical history characteristics of the groups were comparable. There was a greater prevalence of modest immediate reactions in the treatment group (p < 0.05), whereas there were no significant variations observed in delayed reactions and long-term complications (p > 0.05). The treatment group exhibited superior efficiency metrics, including shorter durations for diagnosis, procedure completion and recuperation (p < 0.05). The treatment group exhibited significantly higher patient satisfaction scores (p < 0.05). The incorporation of Streptomyces protease enzyme and Shutai into gastroscopy procedures resulted in significantly enhanced level of procedural efficacy and patient contentment while not introducing an additional risk of long-term complications. The increase in moderate immediate reactions that have been observed requires additional research in order to determine their clinical significance. Although these agents present a possible progression in the field of gastroscopy, their application should be tempered by the immediate adverse reactions that have been documented.

Optimizing Sieving Effect for CO2 Capture from Humid Air Using an Adaptive Ultramicroporous Framework.

Excessive CO2 in the air can not only lead to serious climate problems but also cause serious damage to humans in confined spaces. Here, a novel metal-organic framework (FJI-H38) with adaptive ultramicropores and multiple active sites is prepared. It can sieve CO2 from air with the very high adsorption capacity/selectivity but the lowest adsorption enthalpy among the reported physical adsorbents. Such excellent adsorption performances can be retained even at high humidity. Mechanistic studies show that the polar ultramicropore is very suitable for molecular sieving of CO2 from N2 , and the distinguishable adsorption sites for H2 O and CO2 enable them to be co-adsorbed. Notably, the adsorbed-CO2 -driven pore shrinkage can further promote CO2 capture while the adsorbed-H2 O-induced phase transitions in turn inhibit H2 O adsorption. Moreover, FJI-H38 has excellent stability and recyclability and can be synthesized on a large scale, making it a practical trace CO2 adsorbent. This will provide a new strategy for developing practical adsorbents for CO2 capture from the air.

DNTT activation, TdT-aided gene length mutation, and better prognosis in ATG-based regimen allo-HSCT in AML.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between anomalous DNA nucleotidylexotransferase (DNTT) activation and the mutagenesis of gene length mutations (LMs) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and the relevance of their prognosis in antithymocyte globulin (ATG)-based regimen allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). A cohort of 578 AML cases was enrolled. Next-generation sequencing was performed to screen mutations of 86 leukemia driver genes. RNA-seq was used to analyze gene expression. Prognostic analysis was investigated in 239 AML cases who underwent ATG-based regimen allo-HSCT. We report a refined subtyping algorithm of LMs (type I-IV) based on sequence anatomy considering the TdT-aided mutagenesis mechanism. GC content adjacent to LM junctions, inserted nontemplate nucleotide bases, and DNTT expression analysis supported the DNTT activation and TdT-aided mutagenesis in type II/III LMs in the total AML cohort. Both single-variate and multivariate analyses showed a better overall survival of FLT3 type III compared to type I in a subset of ATG-based regimen allo-HSCT cases. The novel LM subtyping algorithm not only deciphers the etiology of the mutagenesis of LMs but also helps to fine-tune prognosis differentiation in AML. The possible prognostic versatility of this novel LM subtyping algorithm in terms of chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and allo-HSCT merits further investigation.

Sp1 promotes tumour progression by remodelling the mitochondrial network in cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer remains one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide. Accumulating evidence suggests that specificity protein 1 (Sp1) plays a pivotal role in tumour progression. The underlying role and mechanism of Sp1 in tumour progression remain unclear. METHODS: The protein level of Sp1 in tumour tissues was determined by immunohistochemistry. The effect of Sp1 expression on the biological characteristics of cervical cancer cells was assessed by colony, wound healing, transwell formation, EdU, and TUNEL assays. Finally, the underlying mechanisms and effects of Sp1 on the mitochondrial network and metabolism of cervical cancer were analysed both in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: Sp1 expression was upregulated in cervical cancer. Sp1 knockdown suppressed cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo, while overexpression of Sp1 had the opposite effects. Mechanistically, Sp1 facilitated mitochondrial remodelling by regulating mitofusin 1/2 (Mfn1/2), OPA1 mitochondrial dynamin-like GTPase (Opa1), and dynamin 1-like (Drp1). Additionally, the Sp1-mediated reprogramming of glucose metabolism played a critical role in the progression of cervical cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that Sp1 plays a vital role in cervical tumorigenesis by regulating the mitochondrial network and reprogramming glucose metabolism. Targeting Sp1 could be an effective strategy for the treatment of cervical cancer.

The effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in immunity and WSSV infection of Scylla paramamosain.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are typically regarded as being generated by the cellular respiratory chain or by cells under pathological damage, which play a crucial role as signaling molecules in promoting hemocytes circulation and normal cellular physiological functions. In this study, the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) was used to reduce ROS in vivo and in vitro, which to analyze the effect of ROS on innate immunity and viral infection of mud crab. The total hemocyte count (THC), phenoloxidase (PO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, immune-relative genes were analyzed, respectively. Moreover, the effect of ROS on WSSV infection was analyzed by THC and hemocytes apoptosis. The data showed that NAC could effectively remove and inhibit intracellular ROS. The THC of NAC group was reduced at 12 h and 24 h compared with that of control. And the inhibition of ROS by NAC could increase the SOD activity with control group, while increased the PO activity caused by early WSSV infection. And NAC could up-regulate the expression of MCM7, JAK, TLR and proPO significantly, while down-regulate the expression of Astakine, proPO, caspase and p53. Similarly, NAC could inhibit WSSV-induced apoptosis of S. paramamosain hemocytes. The data illustrated that ROS participates in the interaction between hemocytes and virus infection by regulating innate immunity. Especially, after NAC inhibited ROS, the expression of hemocytes proliferation gene Astakine was also inhibited, which may indicate that ROS is related to the process of hemocytes proliferation. The data will show a preliminary exploration on the regulatory role of ROS in crustacean immune system.

Optimizing Acetylene Sorption through Induced-fit Transformations in a Chemically Stable Microporous Framework.

Developing practical storage technologies for acetylene (C2 H2 ) is important but challenging because C2 H2 is useful but explosive. Here, a novel metal-organic framework (MOF) (FJI-H36) with adaptive channels was prepared. It can effectively capture C2 H2 (159.9 cm3 cm-3 ) at 1 atm and 298 K, possessing a record-high storage density (561 g L-1 ) but a very low adsorption enthalpy (28 kJ mol-1 ) among all the reported MOFs. Structural analyses show that such excellent adsorption performance comes from the synergism of active sites, flexible framework, and matched pores; where the adsorbed-C2 H2 can drive FJI-H36 to undergo induced-fit transformations step by step, including deformation/reconstruction of channels, contraction of pores, and transformation of active sites, finally leading to dense packing of C2 H2 . Moreover, FJI-H36 has excellent chemical stability and recyclability, and can be prepared on a large scale, enabling it as a practical adsorbent for C2 H2 . This will provide a useful strategy for developing practical and efficient adsorbents for C2 H2 storage.

Cadmium induces placental glucocorticoid barrier damage by suppressing the cAMP/PKA/Sp1 pathway and the protective role of taurine.

Cadmium (Cd) exposure during pregnancy damages the placental glucocorticoid (GC) barrier, exposes the foetus to excess corticosterone (CORT) levels, and eventually inhibits foetal development. In addition, taurine (Tau) alleviates the toxicity of Cd on liver and kidney, but limited data are available on the role of Tau against the toxicity of heavy metals on female reproduction and fetal development. The present study was conducted to investigate the specific mechanism of Cd-induced placental GC barrier damage and the protective role of Tau. Pregnant rats were administered CdCl2 (1 mg/kg/day) and Tau (100, 200, or 300 mg/kg/day) by gavage from gestational day (GD) 0 to 19. The data showed that CdCl2 increased the foetal growth restriction (FGR) rate of the offspring, and the levels of CORT in the placental, maternal and foetal serum. Treatment with Tau significantly reversed the impact of Cd on both maternal and fetal parameters. Additionally, Tau can attenuate Cd-induced inhibition of 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (11ß-HSD2) and specificity protein 1 (Sp1) in vivo and vitro. Furthermore, Sp1-siRNA alone reduced 11ß-HSD2 levels and had a further inhibitory effect when the cells were treated with Cd simultaneously. Moreover, Cd suppressed cAMP/PKA signalling. Forskolin (adenylate cyclase agonist) pretreatment activated cAMP/PKA signalling and restored the Cd-induced downregulation of Sp1 and 11ß-HSD2. Tau alleviated the Cd-induced decrease of Sp1 via activating cAMP/PKA signalling. Therefore, the results highlight that Tau protects against Cd-induced impairments in GC barrier damage by upregulating the cAMP/PKA/Sp1 pathway in placental trophoblasts.

Fracture Behavior of Polyrotaxane-Toughened Poly(Methyl Methacrylate).

The fracture behavior of polyrotaxane (PR)-modified poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was investigated. PR is a supramolecule with rings threaded onto a linear backbone chain, which is capped by bulky end groups to prevent the rings from de-threading. The ring structure is α-cyclodextrin (CD), and it can be functionalized to enhance its affinity with the hosting polymer matrix. Adding only 1 wt % of PR containing methacrylate functional groups (mPR) at the terminal of some of the polycaprolactone-grafted chains on CD promotes massive crazing, resulting in a significant improvement in fracture toughness while maintaining the modulus and transparency of the PMMA matrix. Dynamic mechanical analysis and atomic force microscopy studies reveal that mPR strongly interact with PMMA, leading to higher molecular mobility and enhanced molecular cooperativity during deformation. This molecular cooperativity may be responsible for the formation of massive crazing in a PMMA matrix, which leads to greatly improved fracture toughness.

Selenium attenuates the cadmium-induced placenta glucocorticoid barrier damage by up-regulating the expression of specificity protein 1.

Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental pollutant and pregnant women are especially susceptible to the effects of exposure to Cd. Our previous study found Cd can be accumulated in the placenta and causes fetal growth restriction (FGR) through damage the placental glucocorticoid barrier. Selenium (Se), as an essential micronutrient, can allivate Cd-induced toxicity. In this study, we aim to explore the protective mechanism of Se against Cd-induced the placental glucocorticoid barrier damage and FGR. Pregnant Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were exposed to CdCl2 (1 mg/kg/day) and Na2 SeO3 (0.1-0.2-0.3 mg/kg/day) by gavage from gestational day (GD) 0 to GD 19. The results showed that reduced fetal weight, increased corticosterone concentrations in the maternal and fetal serum, and impaired placental labyrinth layer blood vessel development, appeared in pregnant rats after Cd exposure and improved after treated with Se. In cell experiments, we confirmed that Se reduces Cd-induced apoptosis. Moreover, Se can abolish Cd-induced 11ß-HSD2 and specificity protein 1 (Sp1) decreasing in vivo and vitro. In human JEG-3 cells, the knockdown of Sp1 expression by small interfering RNA can suppressed the protective effect of Se on Cd-induced 11ß-HSD2 decreasing. In general, our results demonstrated that Se is resistant to Cd-induced FGR through upregulating the placenta barrier via activation of the transcription factor Sp1.

Orbits of charged particles trapped in a dipole magnetic field.

Motion of a test charged particle in a dipole magnetic field can be reduced to a two degree-of-freedom Hamiltonian system due to the axisymmetry of the dipole field. We carried out a systematic study of orbits of low-energy trapped charged particles in the dipole field via calculation of their Lyapunov characteristic exponents (LCEs) with random initial conditions in the four-dimensional phase space. Since there is at most one positive LCE, these orbits are classified as chaotic ones with one positive LCE and quasi-periodic ones with vanishing LCEs. The dependence of the fraction of quasi-periodic orbits in the phase space on the particle energy is given, which reveals a discrete spectrum, confirming the results of earlier studies. It is also found that most quasi-periodic orbits are confined near the equatorial plane and away from the dipole except for some at very low energies, while chaotic ones are ergodic. The distribution of the maximum LCE (mLCE) appears to vary gradually in the phase space and chaotic orbits with very low values of the mLCE wander near quasi-periodic orbits for a significant amount of time before merging into the sea of chaos.

Combinatorial Self-Assembly of Coordination Cages with Systematically Fine-Tuned Cavities for Efficient Co-Encapsulation and Catalysis.

Controllable arrangement of different ligands in a single assembly will not only bring increased complexity but also offers a new route to fine-tune the function of the designed architecture. We report here a combinatorial self-assembly with enPd(NO3 )2 and three different ligands (L1-3 ), which gave rise to a family of six palladium-organic cages (C1-6) with systematically varied shapes and cavities, including three new heteroleptic (Pd5 L1 2 L2 , Pd5 L1 2 L3 , Pd4 L2 L3 ), one new homoleptic (Pd4 L3 2 ) cages, and two known homoleptic (Pd6 L1 4 , Pd4 L2 2 ) cages. Emergent functions due to the fusion of two half cavities on the heteroleptic cages from their parent homoleptic cages have been observed: the heteroleptic cages can form ternary complexes by co-encapsulation of both aromatic and aliphatic guests, while their homoleptic counterparts can only form binary complexes. Such a forced co-encapsulation effect endows the heteroleptic cages with enhanced catalytic power for the Knoevenagel condensation.

Functionalized Metal-Organic Frameworks for Hg(II) and Cd(II) Capture: Progresses and Challenges.

Mercury and cadmium are deemed to be the most harmful heavy metal ions for elimination due to their persistent bio-accumulative and bio-expanding toxic effects. Although many technologies have been developed for capturing Hg(II) and Cd(II) ions from aqueous solution, developing efficient and practical capature technology remains a big challenge. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been considered as the most promising adsorbents for Hg(II) and Cd(II) removal due to their high porosity and easy functionalization, and various of MOF-based adsorbents based on different synthetic strategies have been prepared and studied. In this article, the progresses of MOF-based absorbents for Hg(II) and Cd(II) capture are described according to the synthetic strategies and the types of functional groups, and the comparison and practical analysis of various adsorbents are also presented.

Induction of Chirality in a Metal-Organic Framework Built from Achiral Precursors.

Induction of chirality from an achiral assembly system remains a huge challenge related to the origin of life. Here, induction of chirality in a metal-organic framework (MOF) built from achiral precursors has been realized. Assembling achiral H3 BTB ligands and ZnII /CdII clusters leads to a 2D coordination polymer (FJI-H16), while introduction of achiral pyridine into such assembly system leads to a 3D chiral MOF (FJI-H27 (M) or (P)). The driven force for chiral generation has been proved to be a pyridine participated kinetic-control assembly process, which can be controlled by changing the amount of pyridine and temperature, from no induction to partial induction to complete induction. The chiral generation process has been identified in detail through a pyridine-involved key intermediate (FJI-H28). The targeted modification of pyridine can selectively lead to FJI-H27 (M) or FJI-H27 (P), making the chiral orientation and distribution of bulk FJI-H27 samples can be controlled. Our work not only represents a new chiral induction process that may relate to the chiral origin in nature, but also firstly reveals how achiral external stimuli generate chirality from achiral precursors, and offers a guide for rational preparation of chiral MOFs.

Manipulation of Fracture Behavior of Poly(methyl methacrylate) Nanocomposites by Interfacial Design of a Metal-Organic-Framework Nanoparticle Toughener.

The interfacial region between nanoparticles and polymer matrix plays a critical role in influencing the mechanical behavior of polymer nanocomposites. In this work, a set of model systems based on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix containing poly(alkyl glycidyl ether) brushes grafted on 50 nm metal-organic-framework (MOF) nanoparticles were synthesized and investigated. By systematically increasing the polymer brush length and graft density on the MOF nanoparticles, the fracture behavior of PMMA/MOF nanocomposite changes from forming only a few large crazes to generating massive crazing and to undergoing shear banding, which results in significant improvement in fracture toughness. The implication of the present finding for the interfacial design of the nanoparticles for the development of high-performance, multifunctional polymer nanocomposites is discussed.

Acid-Base-Resistant Metal-Organic Framework for Size-Selective Carbon Dioxide Capture.

The development of practical porous materials for the selective capture of CO2 from flue gas and crude biogas is highly critical for both environment protection and energy safety. Here, a novel metal-organic framework (FJI-H29) has been prepared, which not only has excellent acid-base resistance but also possesses polar micropores (3.4-4.3 Å) that can match CO2 molecules well. FJI-H29 can selectively capture CO2 from N2 and CH4 with excellent separation efficiency and suitable adsorption enthalpy under ambient conditions. Breakthrough experiments further confirm its practicability for both CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 separation. All of these confirm FJI-H29 is a practical CO2 adsorbent. Modeling calculations reveal that the confinement effect of micropores and the polar environment synergistically promotes the selective adsorption of CO2, which will provide a potential strategy for the synthesis of a practical metal-organic framework for CO2 capture.

Introduction of Flexibility into a Metal-Organic Framework to Promote Hg(II) Capture through Adaptive Deformation.

The development of a practical Hg(II) adsorbent is highly important for both environmental protection and public health. Herein, an adaptive metal-organic framework (MOF; FJI-H30) has been prepared from a highly flexible ligand [tris(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)amine] and Co(SCN)2 with cheap Hg(II) adsorption sites (SCN- groups) that not only has excellent chemical stability but also can capture Hg(II) from aqueous solution with high adsorption capacity (705 mg g-1). Moreover, it also has good anti-interference ability and can be used repeatedly and large-scale prepared. Further researches demonstrate that the relatively high Hg(II) adsorption capacity originates from the adsorbed Hg(II)-induced deformation of FJI-H30, and such an adaptive deformation will reduce the potential repulsive forces between the adsorbed Hg(II) ions, enabling almost all Hg(II) absorption sites to adsorb Hg(II) ions. Finally, how to induce the deformation of FJI-H30 by adsorbed Hg(II) also has been studied in detail. Our work not only provides a practical Hg(II) adsorbent for wastewater treatment but also offers a novel strategy for the design of novel MOFs for efficient heavy-metal-ion removal.