Rapid cycling and emission of volatile sulfur compounds in the eastern Indian Ocean: Impact of runoff inputs and implications for balancing atmospheric carbonyl sulfide budget.

Volatile sulfur compounds, such as dimethyl sulfide (DMS), carbonyl sulfide (OCS), and carbon disulfide (CS), significantly influence atmospheric chemistry and climate change. Despite the oceans being an important source of these sulfides, the limited understanding of their biogeochemical cycles in seawater introduces considerable uncertainties in quantifying their oceanic emissions and assessing atmospheric OCS budgets. To address this issue, we conducted a comprehensive field survey in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean (EIO) to examine the spatial distributions, source-sink dynamics, and sea-air exchange fluxes of marine DMS, OCS, and CS.

Study on the relationship between net primary productivity and site quality in Japanese larch plantations in mountainous areas of eastern Liaoning.

Plantation forests enhance carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems in China. (Lamb.) Carrière (Lamb.

Fabrication, Evaluation, and Antioxidant Properties of Carrier-Free Curcumin Nanoparticles.

Curcumin (Cur), a natural hydrophobic polyphenolic compound, exhibits multiple beneficial biological activities. However, low water solubility and relative instability hinder its application in food fields. In this study, carrier-free curcumin nanoparticles (CFC NPs) were prepared by adding the DMSO solution of Cur into DI water under continuous rapid stirring.

Yeast β-D-glucan functionalized graphene oxide for macrophage-targeted delivery of CpG oligodeoxynucleotides and synergistically enhanced antitumor immunity.

Immunostimulatory CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODNs) show strong potential in cancer immunotherapy. However, therapeutic efficacy of CpG ODNs is hindered due to rapid nuclease degradation and insufficient cellular uptake. Transfecting CpG ODNs into antigen presenting cells (APCs) is vital to enhance their therapeutic efficacy while reduce the potential side effects.

Biogeochemical controls on climatically active gases and atmospheric sulfate aerosols in the western Pacific.

The Pacific Ocean plays an important role in regulating the budget of climatically active gases and the burden of sulfate aerosols. Here, a field investigation was conducted to clarify the key processes and factors controlling climatically active gases, including dimethyl sulfide (DMS), carbonyl sulfide (OCS), carbon disulfide (CS), and carbon dioxide (CO), in both surface seawater and the lower atmosphere of the western Pacific. In addition, the relative contributions of different sources to atmospheric sulfate aerosols were quantitatively estimated, and their causes were explored.

Target-triggered double fluorescent biosensors for rapid and sensitive detection of long-chain perfluorinated compounds using DNA probe and lysozyme fiber.

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are useful man-made chemicals and serve as new emerging organic pollutants due to their environmental and health concerns. Chromatography-mass detection methods often need complex procedure and are also too expensive, so there is a critical demand to develop rapid, inexpensive, easy-to-operate and sensitive methods for PFCs detection. In this work, double fluorescent biosensors ('DT sensor' and 'FT sensor') have been designed to quantitatively detect long-chain perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), due to their strong hydrophobic interaction with DNA probe or lysozyme fiber.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals molecular adaptations underlying distinct immunity and inverted resting posture in bats.

Understanding how natural selection shapes unique traits in mammals is a central topic in evolutionary biology. The mammalian order Chiroptera (bats) is attractive for biologists as well as the general public due to their specific traits of extraordinary immunity and inverted resting posture. However, genomic resources for bats that occupy key phylogenetic positions are not sufficient, which hinders comprehensive investigation of the molecular mechanisms underpinning the origin of specific traits in bats.

Bachelor groups in primate multilevel society facilitate gene flow across fragmented habitats.

In the face of ongoing habitat fragmentation, many primate species have experienced reduced gene flow resulting in a reduction of genetic diversity, population bottlenecks, and inbreeding depression, including golden snub-nosed monkeys . Golden snub-nosed monkeys live in a multilevel society composed of several 1 male harem units that aggregate to form a cohesive breeding band, which is followed by one or more bachelor groups composed of juvenile, subadult, and adult male members. In this research, we examine the continuous landscape resistance surface, the genetic diversity and patterns of gene flow among 4 isolated breeding bands and 1 all-male band in the Qinling Mountains, China.

A high-quality genome assembly for the endangered golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana).

Background: The golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) is an endangered colobine species endemic to China, which has several distinct traits including a unique social structure. Although a genome assembly for R. roxellana is available, it is incomplete and fragmented because it was constructed using short-read sequencing technology.

Testing the sensory trade-off hypothesis in New World bats.

Detection of evolutionary shifts in sensory systems is challenging. By adopting a molecular approach, our earlier study proposed a sensory trade-off hypothesis between a loss of colour vision and an origin of high-duty-cycle (HDC) echolocation in Old World bats. Here, we test the hypothesis in New World bats, which include HDC echolocators that are distantly related to Old World HDC echolocators, as well as vampire bats, which have an infrared sensory system apparently unique among bats.

Quantifying primaquine effectiveness and improving adherence: a round table discussion of the APMEN Vivax Working Group.

The goal to eliminate malaria from the Asia-Pacific by 2030 will require the safe and widespread delivery of effective radical cure of malaria. In October 2017, the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network Vivax Working Group met to discuss the impediments to primaquine (PQ) radical cure, how these can be overcome and the methodological difficulties in assessing clinical effectiveness of radical cure. The salient discussions of this meeting which involved 110 representatives from 18 partner countries and 21 institutional partner organizations are reported.

Development of EST-derived microsatellite markers in the aquatic macrophyte (Ranunculaceae).

Premise Of The Study: Microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were developed to investigate the influence of ecological factors on gene flow and spatial genetic structuring of the submerged plant (Ranunculaceae), which is regarded as an important species for understanding how plants adapt to an aquatic environment.

Methods And Results: Twenty-two microsatellite loci were identified from an expressed sequence tag (EST) library. The number of alleles per locus ranged from one to five, and the expected heterozygosity varied from 0.

Transcriptome profiling of the floating-leaved aquatic plant Nymphoides peltata in response to flooding stress.

Background: Waterlogging or flooding is one of the most challenging abiotic stresses experienced by plants. Unlike many flooding-tolerant plants, floating-leaved aquatic plants respond actively to flooding stress by fast growth and elongation of its petioles to make leaves re-floating. However, the molecular mechanisms of this plant group responding to flood have not been investigated before.

Transformation of bromide in thermo activated persulfate oxidation processes.

Sulfate radicals ( [Formula: see text] ) are applied to degrade various organic pollutants. Due to its high oxidative potential, [Formula: see text] is presumed to be able to transform bromide to reactive bromine species that can react with natural organic matter subsequently to form brominated products including brominated disinfection by-products (Br-DBPs). This research was designed to investigate the transformation of bromide in thermo activated persulfate oxidation process in the presence of humic acid (HA).

Comparative phylogeography of the wild-rice genus Zizania (Poaceae) in eastern Asia and North America.

Premise Of The Study: Comparative phylogeography of intercontinental disjunct taxa allowed us not only to elucidate their diversification and evolution following geographic isolation, but also to understand the effect of climatic and geological histories on the evolutionary processes of closely related species. A phylogeographic analysis was conducted on the eastern Asian-North American disjunct genus Zizania to compare intracontinental phylogeographic patterns between different continents.

Methods: Surveys were conducted of 514 individuals using three chloroplast DNA fragments and three nuclear microsatellite loci.

Methylmercury chloride damage to the adult rat hippocampus cannot be detected by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Previous studies have found that methylmercury can damage hippocampal neurons and accordingly cause cognitive dysfunction. However, a non-invasive, safe and accurate detection method for detecting hippocampal injury has yet to be developed. This study aimed to detect methylmercury-induced damage on hippocampal tissue using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of amino acid and dipeptide prodrugs of IMB-070593, a fluoroquinolone candidate.

A series of amino acid and dipeptide prodrugs of IMB-070593, a fluoroquinolone candidate discovered in our lab, were synthesized and evaluated for their water solubility and then antibacterial activity. Our results reveal that four amino acid prodrugs 4a,b,e,f and two dipeptide prodrugs 4k,l have much greater solubility (>85 mg/mL) than IMB-070593 mesylate (22.5 mg/mL).

Synthesis and in vitro antibacterial activity of quinolone/naphthyridone derivatives containing 3-alkoxyimino-4-(methyl)aminopiperidine scaffolds.

We report herein the synthesis of a series of 7-[3-alkoxyimino-4-(methyl)aminopiperidin-1-yl]quinolone/naphthyridone derivatives. In vitro antibacterial activity of these derivatives was evaluated against representative strains, and compared with ciprofloxacin (CPFX), levofloxacin (LVFX) and gemifloxacin (GMFX). The results reveal that all of the target compounds 19a-c and 20 have considerable Gram-positive activity, although they are generally less active than the reference drugs against the Gram-negative strains with some exceptions.

Design, synthesis, and in vitro antibacterial activity of fluoroquinolone derivatives containing a chiral 3-(alkoxyimino)-2-(aminomethyl)azetidine moiety.

A series of novel (R)/(S)-7-(3-alkoxyimino-2-aminomethyl-1-azetidinyl)fluoroquinolone derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial activity against representative strains. Our results reveal that 12 of the target compounds generally show better activity (MIC: <0.008-0.

Inhibition of GPR40 protects MIN6 β cells from palmitate-induced ER stress and apoptosis.

Chronic exposure to elevated concentration of free fatty acids (FFA) has been verified to induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which leads to pancreatic β-cell apoptosis. As one of the medium and long chain FFA receptors, GPR40 is highly expressed in pancreatic β cells, mediates both acute and chronic effects of FFA on β-cell function, but the role of GPR40 in FFA-induced β-cell apoptosis remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the possible effects of GPR40 in palmitate-induced MIN6 β-cell apoptosis, and found that DC260126, a novel small molecular antagonist of GPR40, could protect MIN6 β cells from palmitate-induced ER stress and apoptosis.

2-Arylbenzofuran, flavonoid, and tyrosinase inhibitory constituents of Morus yunnanensis.

Two novel 2-arylbenzofuran dimers, morusyunnansins A and B (1 and 2), two new biflavonoids, morusyunnansins C and D (3 and 4), two new flavans, morusyunnansins E and F (5 and 6), and four known flavans (7-10) were isolated from the leaves of Morus yunnanensis. Compounds 5-8 showed potent inhibitory effects on mushroom tyrosinase with IC(50) values ranging from 0.12 ± 0.

N-Cyclo-hexyl-4-[(2-nitro-anilino)-meth-yl]thio-phene-2-sulfonamide.

In the title compound, C(17)H(21)N(3)O(4)S(2), an intra-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bond involving the proximate amine and nitro groups is observed. In the crystal, inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving the amine and SO(2) groups occur. One of the notro O atoms is disordered over two conformations with occupancies of 0.

5-(1H-Indol-3-yl-methyl-idene)-2,2-di-methyl-1,3-dioxane-4,6-dione.

In the title compound, C(15)H(13)NO(4), the conjugated double-bond system between the two rings adopts a cis configuration and there is an intra-molecular indole-ketone C-H⋯O inter-action. The indole N-H group forms an inter-molecular hydrogen bond with a ketone O-atom acceptor, giving a chain structure along the ab direction. The O-heterocyclic ring adopts a boat conformation and makes a dihedral angle of 16.