Single-cell atlas comparison across vertebrates reveals auditory cell evolution and mechanisms for hair cell regeneration.

Mammals suffer permanent hearing impairment from the loss of auditory hair cells due to their inability to regenerate. In contrast, lower vertebrates exhibit extraordinary capacity for hair cell regeneration and hearing restoration, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Here we characterize the single-cell atlas of Xenopus laevis inner ear and perform a comprehensive comparison with mouse model.

Synthesis of novel estradiol bisselenocyanate with unique 2-selenocyano-17-selenocyanoesteryl structure and evaluation of antitumor activity.

Cancer is one of the most significant diseases that afflict human beings. The pursuit of high efficacy and low-toxicity anticancer drugs has always been a paramount research objective for scientists. In the present study, we incorporated two selenocyano pharmacophores into the 2-site and 17-branch chain of the steroid nucleus in various manners, utilizing estradiol as the fundamental framework.

Jailed Balloon Technique Versus Jailed Wire Technique for Side Branch Ostium Protection in Bifurcation Lesions: Evidence from Three-dimensional Optical Coherence Tomography Analysis.

Background: There is controversy regarding the effectiveness the of jailed wire technique (JWT) and jailed balloon technique (JBT) in preserving the side branch (SB) during treatment. This study compares the protective effect of JBT versus JWT on the SB ostium area in coronary bifurcation lesions using three-dimensional optical coherence tomography (3D-OCT).

Methods: We obtained data from coronary heart disease patients who received OCT-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for bifurcation lesions.

Validation of the Cut-Plane Method for Accurate Measurement of Side-Branch Ostium Area in Coronary Bifurcation Lesions: A 3D-OCT Analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to validate the effectiveness, accuracy, and feasibility of the cut-plane method for measuring the side branch (SB) ostium area in three-dimensional optical coherence tomography (3D-OCT) pullbacks performed in the main branch (MB).

Methods: A total of 109 sets of OCT pullbacks from the MB and SB of coronary artery bifurcation lesions were analyzed using Vivolight OCT software. Measurements of the SB ostium area from the MB and SB pullbacks were analyzed.

Auditory sensitivity and tympanic middle ear in a vocal and a non-vocal frog.

The tympanic middle ear is important for anuran hearing on land. However, many species have partly or entirely lost their tympanic apparatus. Previous studies have compared hearing sensitivities in species that possess and lack tympanic membranes capable of sound production and acoustic communication.

Enhancing Systemic Translocation of Insecticides via Nanoformulations Incorporating β-Cyclodextrin Octadecarboxylate as a Carrier.

The conversion of contact-killing pesticides into systemic pesticides can significantly enhance the bioavailability of pesticides, thereby reducing pesticide usage and environmental harm. A series of β-cyclodextrin fatty acid esters with varying branch chains were synthesized and employed as carriers in nanoformulation of insecticide. The investigation revealed that nanoformulations prepared using β-cyclodextrin octadecarboxylate (β-CDs) exhibited superior stability and remarkable systemic translocation within plants.

Synthesis, antitumor activity evaluation of 2-selenocyano-3-selenocyanoalkyloxyestradiols with a bisselenocyanate structure.

The combination of steroid structure and selenocyano group offers high potential for the design and synthesis of new potential anti-tumor drugs. Beginning with estradiol, a series of 2-selenocyano-3-selenocyanoalkyloxyestradiol derivatives with remarkable antiproliferative activity was synthesized. Additionally, a 2,4-bisselenocyanoestradiol was synthesized by directly selenocyanating estradiol diacetate.

Emamectin-sodium alginate nano-formulation based on charge attraction with highly improved systemic translocation and photolysis resistance.

Nano pesticides offer an effective means of improving the bioavailability of pesticide due to their excellent solubility and wettability, superior foliar adhesion, and permeability to target insects. By using high-speed homogenization and ultrasonic dispersion technology, an emamectin-sodium alginate nano-formulation (EB@SA) with a particle size ranging from 30 to 50 nm was successfully fabricated using electrostatic self-assembly. The microscopic morphology and structure of EB@SA were further analyzed through transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, infrared spectroscopy, and H NMR.

Response to comment on 'Parasite defensive limb movements enhance acoustic signal attraction in male little torrent frogs'.

Recently we showed that limb movements associated with anti-parasite defenses can enhance acoustic signal attraction in male little torrent frogs (), which suggests a potential pathway for physical movements to become co-opted into mating displays (Zhao et al., 2022). Anderson et al.

Discovery and biological evaluation of pregnenolone selenocyanoamides with potential anticancer and antimicrobial activities.

Starting with pregnenolone, a 20-carbonyl group was converted into an amino group through a series of chemical reactions. This amino group was further converted into selenocyanoalkylamide, leading to the synthesis of six pregnenolone selenocyanoalkylamide derivatives. These compounds were then screened for antitumor activity in vitro, yielding promising results.

Plateau pikas near roads are bold and silent when facing a potential predator.

Human disturbance, particularly road traffic, is one of the greatest threats to wildlife. Considering the association between alerting behavior and the survival of animals, it is important to study the effects of road traffic on alerting behavior of wildlife. Previous studies assessing the short-term impact of road traffic on alerting behavior of wildlife have focused on vigilance distances.

Keep numbers in view: red-eared sliders () learn to discriminate relative quantities.

The ability to discriminate relative quantities, one of the numerical competences, is considered an adaptive trait in uncertain environments. Besides humans, previous studies have reported this capacity in several non-human primates and birds. Here, we test whether red-eared sliders () can discriminate different relative quantities.

Chimeric deletion mutation of rpoC2 underlies the leaf-patterning of Clivia miniata var. variegata.

The deletion mutated rpoC2 leads to yellow stripes of Clivia miniata var. variegata by down regulating the transcription of 28 chloroplast genes and disturbing chloroplast biogenesis and thylakoid membrane development. Clivia miniata var.

Synthesis, characterization and application of emamectin-alkaline lignin conjugate with photolysis resistance and systemic translocation.

Controlled release formulations (CRFs) are a key technical approach for the sustainable development of pesticides. In this study, a CRF conjugate (emamectin-alkaline lignin, EB-AL) was successfully prepared using alkaline lignin as the substrate, with amide bond connecting emamectin and alkaline lignin. The structure and morphology of the conjugate were characterized using IR, HNMR, elemental analysis, SEM and TG.

Strengthening the Stability of the Reconstructed NiOOH Phase for 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Oxidation.

Electrochemical oxidation of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a promising approach to produce high-value chemicals such as 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). However, the undesirable stability of catalysts commonly limits its potential application value. In this work, NiOOH derived from Ni(OH) was determined as the main catalytic site for HMF oxidation, but the collapse of Ni(OH) caused severe instability during the electrocatalytic process because of the crystal structure mismatch between NiOOH and Ni(OH).

Sucrose promotes branch-thorn occurrence of Lycium ruthenicum through dual effects of energy and signal.

Lycium ruthenicum is an important ecoeconomic thorny shrub. In this study, the L. ruthenicum plants of a clone showed two types of 'fewer leaves without thorn' and 'more leaves with thorns' under the same condition after transplanting.

Synthesis and antitumor activity of some cholesterol-based selenocyanate compounds.

The introduction of selenium-containing functional groups into steroids to study the biological activities of related derivatives is rarely reported in the literature. In the present study, using cholesterol as raw material, four cholesterol-3-selenocyanoates and eight B-norcholesterol selenocyanate derivatives were synthesized, respectively. The structures of the compounds were characterized by NMR and MS.

Synthesis and Antiproliferative Activity Evaluation of B-norcholesterol-6- amide Compounds.

Background: The structure modification of steroids is commonly used to change the biological activity of steroids in medicinal chemistry. In recent years, it has been found that some derivatives derived from the structural modification of cholesterol display good inhibitory activity against tumor cell proliferation in vitro.

Methods: Using cholesterol as the starting material, different types of B-norcholesterol-6-amide derivatives were synthesized by the reaction of 6-carboxyl-B-norcholesterol with different alkyl amines or 6-amino-B-norcholesterol with different acyl chlorides.

Network analysis reveals context-dependent structural complexity of social calls in serrate-legged small treefrogs.

Vocal communication plays an important role in survival, reproduction, and animal social association. Birds and mammals produce complex vocal sequence to convey context-dependent information. Vocalizations are conspicuous features of the behavior of most anuran species (frogs and toads), and males usually alter their calling strategies according to ecological context to improve the attractiveness/competitiveness.

Rh(III)-Catalyzed Synthesis of Amino-isocoumarins with -Functionalized Cyclic Carbonates via C-H/O-H Annulation.

A practical method to access amino-isocoumarins catalyzed by a Rh(III) complex through redox-neutral C-H/O-H annulation has been disclosed. The use of -functionalized cyclic carbonates is crucial to facilitate the catalytic turnover, and a broad spectrum of amino-isocoumarin derivatives were prepared with satisfactory yields. Amino-isocoumarin estrone conjugated with a selenocyano functionality was identified to be nearly four times as active as the marketed drug abiraterone against T47D cancer cells.

Synthesis of estrone selenocyanate Compounds, anti-tumor activity evaluation and Structure-activity relationship analysis.

Introducing different functional groups into steroid can bring unexpected changes in biological activity of the steroid. Using estrone as a raw material, through the functional group conversion and modification of the 17-carbonyl, the structural fragments with selenocyano groups were instilled in the form of amide, ester, and oxime ester, respectively, and various 17-substituted estrone selenocyanate derivatives were synthesized. In addition, different 3-substituted estrone selenocyanate derivatives were synthesized by introducing different selenocyanoalkoxy fragments into the 3-position of estrone in the form of alkyl ether.

Straightforward synthesis of steroidal selenocyanates through oxidative umpolung selenocyanation of steroids and their antitumor activity.

Straightforward access to steroidal selenocyanates in a single assembly step from steroids remains a significant challenge. However, the development of novel method for the synthesis of steroidal selenocyanates and further investigation of their bioactivities have largely lagged behind. In this work, selenocyano groups were directly introduced into the 17- or 21-position of pregnenolone, the 2-position of estradiol, and the 16-position of estrone.

Heterospecific eavesdropping on disturbance cues of a treefrog.

Alarm signals and cues are crucial to animal survival and vary greatly across species. Eavesdropping on heterospecific alarm signals and cues can provide eavesdroppers with information about potential threats. In addition to acoustic alarm signals, evidence has accumulated that chemical alarm cues and disturbance cues can also play a role in alerting conspecifics to potential danger in adult anurans (frogs and toads).

Preparation and Insecticidal Activity Evaluation of Emamectin-Lignin Sulfonic Acid Conjugate with Antiphotolysis Property.

Controlled release formulations (CRFs) are considered an effective way to solve the low bioavailability of traditional pesticides. However, CRFs prepared by coating or encapsulation has the disadvantage of explosive release of the ingredients. Sustained-release pesticides prepared by coupling with a carrier can overcome this shortcoming.