Ultrasound Pretreatment for Enhancing Fine and Ultrafine Flake Graphite Flotation Beneficiation.

With the severe depletion of coarse flake graphite (a critical raw material) resources, developing and utilizing fine and ultrafine graphite resources have recently attracted attention. Froth flotation is a widely used technique for the initial enrichment of graphite; however, the flotation selectivity decreases significantly along with particle size reduction. Ultrasound pretreatment would be a promising method to improve the flotation of fine particles.

Effects of wearing masks during COVID-19 pandemic on the composition and diversity of skin bacteria and fungi in medical workers.

Background: Although studies have shown that wearing masks can affect the skin microbiome, more detailed and comprehensive research on wearing masks needs to be further explored.

Objective: This study aimed to characterize the influence of mask wearing on the diversity and structural characteristics of the facial skin microbial community of medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic by means of metagenomic sequencing (mNGS).

Methods: A total of 40 samples were taken by swabbing the cheek in the 2 × 2 cm area before and after wearing the masks.

Happiness and mental health of older adults: multiple mediation analysis.

Introduction: This study aims to explore the influence mechanism of older adult mental health. As the aging population grows, the mental health of older adults becomes a significant public health and social issue, with happiness serving as a key dimension of mental health.

Methods: This study utilizes public data from CGSS to investigate the relationship between happiness and mental health, with Process V4.

Physical activity's impact on rural older adult health: The multiple mediating effects of education, income, and psychological capital.

Introduction: This study aims to explore the influence mechanism of rural older adult health. By examining the mediating roles of education, income, and psychological capital in physical activity's impact on health, this study provides a reference for lifestyle interventions to improve the health level of rural older adults.

Methods: The analysis was conducted on a sample of 1778 rural older adults from CGSS2017, and data were analyzed using PROCESS V4.

d-Inositol Derivatives with Multidrug Resistance Reversal Activities from the Fruits of .

Chisosiamols A-K (-), 11 new d--inositol derivatives, along with a known analogue () were isolated from the fruits of . Their planar structures and relative configurations were elucidated by the comprehensive application of spectroscopic methods, especially from the characteristic coupling constants, and H-H COSY spectra. The absolute configurations of the d--inositol core were determined using the ECD exciton chirality and X-ray diffraction crystallographic analytical methods.

The Relationship Between College Students' Interpersonal Relationship and Mental Health: Multiple Mediating Effect of Safety Awareness and College Planning.

Purpose: The research intends to find the internal influence mechanism of interpersonal relationship on college students' mental health. College students have many mental health problems, which can easily lead to extreme events. It is of great research value to explore the relationship among interpersonal relationship, safety awareness, college planning, and mental health.

Current understanding on the role of CCT3 in cancer research.

Chaperonin containing TCP1 Subunit 3 (CCT3) is an important member of the chaperone protein family, providing a favorable environment for the correct folding of proteins in cell division, proliferation, and apoptosis pathways, which is involved in a variety of biological processes as well as the development and invasion of many malignant tumors. Many malignancies have been extensively examined with CCT3. It is presently used as a possible target for the treatment of many malignancies since it is not only a novel biomarker for the screening and diagnosis of different tumors, but it is also closely associated with tumor progression, prognosis, and survival.

A/D-rings-seco limonoids from the fruits of Aglaia edulis and their bioactivities.

Agledulines A-K, eleven previously undescribed limonoids, including eight biogenic A/D-rings-seco limonoid analogs (agledulines A-H), one D-ring-seco limonoid (agleduline I) and two A-ring-seco limonoids with a rare Δ moiety (agledulines J-K), together with twelve reported limonoids, were isolated from the fruits of Aglaia edulis. Their structures were determined by NMR data, HRESIMS, X-ray diffraction, ECD spectra and the CD exciton chirality method. Observably, the absolute configurations of agleduline A, agleduline C and nymania 2 were unambiguously elucidated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses.

Limonoids with Diverse Oxidation Patterns of C-12 Indicating a Complete Ring C- Biogenetic Pathway from .

Munrolins A-Q (-), 17 new ring C- limonoids with diverse oxidative patterns of C-12, together with nine known analogues (-), were isolated from the CHCl extract of . The planar structures were elucidated by a combination of 1D and 2D NMR and HR-MS analyses, while the absolute configurations were confirmed by ECD calculations and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Munrolins A () and B () were first identified as ring C- limonoids with a 12,13-ether bridge moiety.

Aglatestine A, a Rearranged Limonoid with a 3/6/6 Tricarbocyclic Framework from the Fruits of .

Aglatestine A (), an unprecedented 3/6/6 tricarbocyclic limonoid framework along with four biogenic A/D- limonoid analogues with rare β-substituents at C-6 (), was discovered from the fruits of . The structures of along with their absolute configurations were clarified using methods of HRMS(ESI), NMR, electronic circular dichroism, X-ray diffraction crystallography, and quantum chemical calculations. The plausible biogenetic speculation suggested that an electrophilic cyclization between C-1 carbocation from acetolysis and electron-rich C-5 from enolization of C═O of may play a key role.

Topography-Dependent Effective Contact Line in Droplet Depinning.

The mobility of a fakir state droplet on a structured surface is fundamentally determined by the effective length of a microscopic contact line. However, it is largely unknown how the surface topography determines the effective contact line length. Based on the direct measurement of droplet adhesion force and the visualization of contact line, this work shows that effective contact line length is topography dependent as opposed to prior notion.

The cohesin loader SCC2 contains a PHD finger that is required for meiosis in land plants.

Cohesin, a multisubunit protein complex, is required for holding sister chromatids together during mitosis and meiosis. The recruitment of cohesin by the sister chromatid cohesion 2/4 (SCC2/4) complex has been extensively studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitosis, but its role in mitosis and meiosis remains poorly understood in multicellular organisms, because complete loss-of-function of either gene causes embryonic lethality. Here, we identified a weak allele of Atscc2 (Atscc2-5) that has only minor defects in vegetative development but exhibits a significant reduction in fertility.

The in-plane crashworthiness of multi-layer regularly arranged circular honeycombs.

The in-plane crashworthiness of multi-layer regularly arranged circular honeycombs are investigated numerically at  = 1-250 m/s, with aim to disclose the influences of / ratio and crushing velocity, . A novel evaluation methodology of crashworthiness and a new mechanical term, most appropriate strain, are put forward, which results in some new evaluation parameters. The theoretical analysis shows the most appropriate strain is a significant parameter for measuring the crashworthiness.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Drug Delivery to Breast Cancer Stem-Like Cells.

The feasibility of detecting breast cancer stem-like cells (BCSCs) with magnetic resonance imaging using extradomain-B of fibronectin (EDB-FN)-specific peptide (APT )-conjugated thermally cross-linked superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (APT -TCL-SPIONs) is previously demonstrated. Here, doxorubicin (Dox)-loaded APT -TCL-SPIONs (Dox@APT -TCL-SPIONs) are generated and their theranostic ability in a BCSC xenograft mouse model is assessed. The Dox@APT -TCL-SPIONs enable more efficient delivery of Dox to tumors than nontargeted Dox@TCL-SPIONs.

Spontaneous Spreading of a Droplet: The Role of Solid Continuity and Advancing Contact Angle.

Spontaneous spreading of a droplet on a solid surface is poorly understood from a macroscopic level down to a molecular level. Here, we investigate the effect of surface topography and wettability on spontaneous spreading of a water droplet. Spreading force is measured for a suspended droplet that minimizes interference of kinetic energy in the spontaneous spreading during its contact with solid surfaces of discontinuous (pillar) and continuous (pore) patterns with various shapes and dimensions.

Downregulation of Choline Kinase-Alpha Enhances Autophagy in Tamoxifen-Resistant Breast Cancer Cells.

Choline kinase-α (Chk-α) and autophagy have gained much attention, as they relate to the drug-resistance of breast cancer. Here, we explored the potential connection between Chk-α and autophagy in the mechanisms driving to tamoxifen (TAM) resistance, in estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer cells (BCCs). Human BCC lines (MCF-7 and TAM-resistant MCF-7 (MCF-7/TAM) cells) were used.

Targeted Therapy for Breast Cancer Stem Cells by Liposomal Delivery of siRNA against Fibronectin EDB.

Targeted therapy for breast cancer stem cell (BCSC): A novel liposomal system (APTEDB -LS-siRNA(EDB) ) that enables simultaneous targeting and knockdown of extra domain B of fibronectin (EDB-FN) shows potent therapeutic efficacy in the BCSC-derived tumors in vivo.

MRI of breast tumor initiating cells using the extra domain-B of fibronectin targeting nanoparticles.

The identification of breast tumor initiating cells (BTICs) is important for the diagnosis and therapy of breast cancers. This study was undertaken to evaluate whether the extra domain-B of fibronectin (EDB-FN) could be used as a new biomarker for BTICs and whether EDB-FN targeting superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) could be used as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent for BTIC imaging in vitro and in vivo. BTICs (NDY-1) exhibited high EDB-FN expression, whereas non-BTICs (MCF-7, BT-474, SUM-225, MDA-MB-231) did not exhibit EDB-FN expression.

Deep genome-wide measurement of meiotic gene conversion using tetrad analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Gene conversion, the non-reciprocal exchange of genetic information, is one of the potential products of meiotic recombination. It can shape genome structure by acting on repetitive DNA elements, influence allele frequencies at the population level, and is known to be implicated in human disease. But gene conversion is hard to detect directly except in organisms, like fungi, that group their gametes following meiosis.

Regulation of the Arabidopsis anther transcriptome by DYT1 for pollen development.

Several genes encoding transcription factors have been shown to be essential for male fertility in plants, suggesting that transcriptional regulation is a major mechanism controlling anther development in Arabidopsis. DYSFUNCTIONAL TAPETUM 1 (DYT1), a putative bHLH transcription factor, plays a critical role in regulating tapetum function and pollen development. Here, we compare the transcriptomes of young anthers of wild-type and the dyt1 mutant, demonstrating that DYT1 is upstream of at least 22 genes encoding transcription factors and regulates the expression of a large number of genes, including genes involved in specific metabolic pathways.

The cyclin-A CYCA1;2/TAM is required for the meiosis I to meiosis II transition and cooperates with OSD1 for the prophase to first meiotic division transition.

Meiosis halves the chromosome number because its two divisions follow a single round of DNA replication. This process involves two cell transitions, the transition from prophase to the first meiotic division (meiosis I) and the unique meiosis I to meiosis II transition. We show here that the A-type cyclin CYCA1;2/TAM plays a major role in both transitions in Arabidopsis.

Regulation of Arabidopsis early anther development by the mitogen-activated protein kinases, MPK3 and MPK6, and the ERECTA and related receptor-like kinases.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase (LRR-RLK) signaling pathways have been shown to regulate diverse aspects of plant growth and development. In Arabidopsis, proper anther development relies on intercellular communication to coordinate cell proliferation and differentiation. Two closely related genes encoding MAPKs, MPK3 and MPK6, function redundantly in regulating stomatal patterning.

Differential gene expression in Arabidopsis wild-type and mutant anthers: insights into anther cell differentiation and regulatory networks.

In flowering plants, the anther contains highly specialized reproductive and somatic cells that are required for male fertility. Genetic studies have uncovered several genes that are important for anther development. However, little information is available regarding most genes active during anther development, including possible relationships between these genes and genetically defined regulators.

Genome-wide analysis of basic/helix-loop-helix transcription factor family in rice and Arabidopsis.

The basic/helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors and their homologs form a large family in plant and animal genomes. They are known to play important roles in the specification of tissue types in animals. On the other hand, few plant bHLH proteins have been studied functionally.