PRSS50-mediated inhibition of MKP3/ERK signaling is crucial for meiotic progression and sperm quality.

Serine protease 50 (PRSS50/TSP50) is highly expressed in spermatocytes. Our study investigated its role in testicular development and spermatogenesis. Initially, PRSS50 knockdown was observed to impair DNA synthesis in spermatocytes.

Effects of climate change on wind erosion in the three provinces of Northeast China.

The three provinces of Northeast China are crucial to national commodity grain production. Soils in those areas have begun to severely degrade after long-term high-intensity use, with wind erosion as one of the main reasons. Based on meteorological and soil data from 1981 to 2019, we evaluated the spatial-temporal characteristics of wind erosion on bare land in the three provinces of Northeast China by using the revised wind erosion equation (RWEQ), and analyzed the contributions of meteorological factors to wind erosion on bare land.

Aucubin inhibits hepatic stellate cell activation through stimulating Nrf2/Smad7 axis.

Aim: Liver fibrosis may develop into end-stage liver disease if left unprevented. The study is attempting to identify a compound to ameliorate liver fibrosis progression with high efficiency and low toxicity, as well as to analyze its potential molecular mechanism.

Methods: The drug screening was performed using human hepatic stellate cell line LX-2 for identifying the compound as collagen I inhibitor.

Stereospecific Dehydroxytrifluoromethylthiolation of Alcohols Promoted by a Combination of Hypervalent Trifluoromethylthio-iodine(III) Reagent and N-Heterocyclic Carbene.

Direct dehydroxytrifluoromethylthiolation of alcohols is an attractive strategy for accessing CFS-containing compounds. Herein, we report a method for dehydroxytrifluoromethylthiolation of alcohols by using the combination of hypervalent iodine(III) reagent TFTI and N-heterocyclic carbenes. This method shows excellent stereospecificity and chemoselectivity to give a product with clean inversion of the configuration of hydroxyl groups as well as can be used for late-stage modification of structurally complex alcohols.

Fast charging of energy-dense lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries with nickel-rich layered oxide cathodes and graphite anodes have reached specific energies of 250-300 Wh kg (refs. ), and it is now possible to build a 90 kWh electric vehicle (EV) pack with a 300-mile cruise range. Unfortunately, using such massive batteries to alleviate range anxiety is ineffective for mainstream EV adoption owing to the limited raw resource supply and prohibitively high cost.

Estimation of Iron Physiological Requirement in Chinese Children using Single Stable Isotope Tracer Technique.

Objective: This study is to obtain precise data on iron physiological requirements in Chinese children using single stable isotope tracer technique.

Methods: Thirty boys (10.6 ± 0.

Subchronic Toxicity of GmDREB3 Gene Modified Wheat in the Third Generation Wistar Rats.

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the subchronic toxicity of GmDREB3 gene modified wheat in the third generation rats. SPF Wistar rats were fed with transgenic wheat diet (Gm), parental wheat diet (Jimai22) and AIN-93 rodent diet (Control), respectively, for two generations, to produce the third generation rats which were used for this study. The selected fresh weaned offspring rats (20/sex/group) were given the same diet as their parents for 13 weeks.

Late-Stage Dehydroxyazidation of Alcohols Promoted by Trifunctional Hypervalent Azido-Iodine(III) Reagents.

The development of convenient new methods for the synthesis of organic azides is highly desirable. Herein, we report a practical method for dehydroxyazidation of alcohols via an S 2 pathway involving PPh and trifunctional benziodazolone-based hypervalent azido-iodine(III) reagents, which function as an electrophilic center, an azido source, and a base. This mild, chemoselective method was used for late-stage azidation of structurally complex alcohols, as well as for a new synthetic route to the antiepileptic drug rufinamide.

The effects and mechanism of paeoniflorin in promoting osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1.

Background: The incidence of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures is increasing every year. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can shed new light on the treatment of osteoporosis. This study aimed to explore the role and mechanism of paeoniflorin in promoting osteogenic differentiation of an osteoblast precursor cell line (MC3T3-E1).

[Characteristics of water requirement of table grape in the growing season].

To quantitatively assess the satisfaction degree of precipitation on water requirement of table grape in the main producing areas in China, we analyzed the temporal and spatial variations of precipitation, water requirement and water deficit in different growth stages of table grape based on the 1981-2016 daily meteorological data from 429 meteorological stations in the study region (Jinlin and Liaoning of Northeast China; Shanxi and Hebei of North China; Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia and Shaanxi of Northwest China; Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan of Southwest China; Jiangsu, Shandong, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Henan, Hubei, Hunan and Guangxi of Southeast China). Results showed that precipitation in each growth stage showed an increasing trend from north to south and from west to east in the study period. The precipitation in germination-flowering stage was the lowest and showed a decreasing trend.

Evaluation of Serum Zinc Status of Pregnant Women in the China Adult Chronic Disease and Nutrition Surveillance (CACDNS) 2015.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate serum zinc status of pregnant women in the China Adult Chronic Disease and Nutrition Surveillance (CACDNS) in 2015-2016. A total of 7147 apparently healthy pregnant women were randomly selected in 302 national monitoring sites. Information on age, race, residence region, education, pregnancy, and family income per annum was collected, and the concentration of serum zinc was determined.

Repurposing of a monoamine oxidase A inhibitor‑heptamethine carbocyanine dye conjugate for paclitaxel‑resistant non‑small cell lung cancer.

Non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains an intractable disease, which is primarily due to tumor metastasis and the acquisition of resistance to chemotherapy. Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel therapeutics to overcome these obstacles. It was recently demonstrated that upregulated expression of monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) contributes to the progression of NSCLC.

[Blepharoptosis and dysarthria in a boy aged 2 years].

A boy, aged 2 years and 4 months, had a sudden onset of blepharoptosis of the right eyelid, accompanied by the mouth deviated to the right side, drinking cough, nystagmus, and developmental regression. Cranial MRI showed softening lesions formed after infarction of the right dorsolateral medulla oblongata, while head CT angiography showed no imaging of the proximal part of the V4 segment of the right vertebral artery. The child was diagnosed with dorsolateral medulla oblongata syndrome and was treated with gamma globulin to regulate immune function, with mannitol to reduce neuronal edema, with low-molecular-weight heparin sodium to improve local hypercoagulation of occluded blood vessels, with hyperbaric oxygen to improve local ischemia and hypoxia and promote the recovery of brain function, and with neuromuscular electrical stimulation to promote the recovery of neuromuscular function.

Basal Energy Expenditure of Chinese Healthy Adults: Comparison of Measured and Predicted Values.

Objective: This study aimed to measure the basal energy expenditure (BEE) of Chinese healthy adults and establish an accurate predictive equation for this population.

Methods: In total, 470 Chinese healthy adults had their BEE measured using the Cosmed K4b portable metabolic system. Multiple linear regression analysis was applied to develop new optimal equations for predicting BEE.

Application of novel pH sensitive isoniazid-heptamethine carbocyanine dye conjugates against prostate cancer cells.

Recent studies have shown that monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is significantly expressed in malignant prostate cancer (PCa) and plays an important role in tumorigenesis indicating its potential to serve as a target for PCa treatment. Here, we choose the small molecule isoniazid as the MAOA inhibition functionality and incorporated it in the tumor-targeting moiety of heptamethine carbocyanine dyes a pH sensitive hydrazone bond to design and synthesize novel MAOA inhibitor isoniazid-heptamethine carbocyanine dye conjugates. Cytotoxicity assay in PC-3 cells shows that all conjugates possessed improved antitumor efficacy compared with isoniazid.

Evaluation of Erythrocyte Iron Incorporation in Beijing Prepubertal Children Using a Single Stable Isotope Tracer Method.

Objective: To analyze the rate of erythrocyte iron incorporation and provided guidance for the iron nutrition for prepubertal children.

Methods: Fifty-seven prepubertal children of Beijing were involved in this study and each subject was orally administered 3 mg of Fe twice daily to obtain a total of 30 mg Fe after a 5-d period. The stable isotope ratios in RBCs were determined in 14th day, 28th day, 60th day, and 90th day.

[Spatial-temporal characteristics of agricultural climate resources and sterile-type chilling injury in rice growing season in three provinces of Northeast China].

Based on daily meteorological data and agro-meteorological data in three provinces of Northeast China during 1981-2017, combined with chilling injury indices, we analyzed the spatial-temporal distribution characteristics of solar, heat, precipitation resources and sterile-type chilling injury in rice growing season, especially in the booting and flowering stages. In 1981-2017, agriculture climatic resources in rice growing season showed a warming, drying and darkening trend. Accumulated temperature (≥10 ℃) and sunshine hours increased with a rate of 73.

Cuticular reticulation replicates the pattern of epidermal cells in lowermost Cambrian scalidophoran worms.

The cuticle of ecdysozoans (Panarthropoda, Scalidophora, Nematoida) is secreted by underlying epidermal cells and renewed via ecdysis. We explore here the relationship between epidermis and external cuticular ornament in stem-group scalidophorans from the early Cambrian of China (Kuanchuanpu Formation; 535 Ma) that had two types of microscopic polygonal cuticular networks with either straight or microfolded boundaries. Detailed comparisons with modern scalidophorans (priapulids) indicate that these networks faithfully replicate the cell boundaries of the epidermis.

Dynamics in soil organic carbon of wheat-maize dominant cropping system in the North China Plain under tillage and residue management.

A site experiment was conducted to assess temporal dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) and the drivers under no-tillage (NT) and residue retention (RR) in the North China Plain (NCP). The results indicated that NT and RR can significantly increase SOC up to a depth of 30 cm. On average, NT increased SOC by 8.

A new approach to both high safety and high performance of lithium-ion batteries.

We present a novel concept to achieve high performance and high safety simultaneously by passivating a Li-ion cell and then self-heating before use. By adding a small amount of triallyl phosphate in conventional electrolytes, we show that resistances of the passivated cells can increase by ~5×, thereby ensuring high safety and thermal stability. High power before battery operation is delivered by self-heating to an elevated temperature such as 60°C within tens of seconds.

Electrophilic Hypervalent Trifluoromethylthio-Iodine(III) Reagent.

Herein we report the design and synthesis of hypervalent trifluoromethylthio-iodine(III) reagent and the elucidation of its structure by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. The trifluoromethylthiolation reactions of with various nucleophiles were explored, and this compound was found to be a versatile electrophilic reagent for the transfer of a trifluoromethylthio group (-SCF). The hydrogen-bonding mode responsible for the activation of by the solvent 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol was investigated both experimentally and computationally.

Nitidine chloride induces S phase cell cycle arrest and mitochondria-dependent apoptosis in HaCaT cells and ameliorates skin lesions in psoriasis-like mouse models.

Psoriasis is a common dermatosis causing considerable inconvenience to 4% of the general population. Traditional psoriasis treatments often cause side effects, drug resistance and complications, necessitating development of safer and more effective treatments. In this study, we screened over 600 natural compounds to identify viability inhibitors of human HaCaT keratinocytes cultured in vitro.

Current Advance of Therapeutic Agents in Clinical Trials Potentially Targeting Tumor Plasticity.

Tumor plasticity refers to tumor cell's inherent property of transforming one type of cell to different types of cells. Tumor plasticity is the main cause of tumor relapse, metastasis and drug resistance. Cancer stem cell (CSC) model embodies the trait of tumor plasticity.