Functional Analysis of Ion Transport Properties and Salt Tolerance Mechanisms of RtHKT1 from the Recretohalophyte Reaumuria trigyna.

Reaumuria trigyna is an endangered recretohalophyte and a small archaic feral shrub that is endemic to arid and semi-arid plateau regions of Inner Mongolia, China. Based on transcriptomic data, we isolated a high-affinity potassium transporter gene (RtHKT1) from R. trigyna, which encoded a plasma membrane-localized protein.

Fabrication of a silver nanoparticle-coated collagen membrane with anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory activities for guided bone regeneration.

Alveolar bone loss is a common problem that affects dental implant placement. A barrier between the bone substitute and gingiva that can prevent fibro-tissue ingrowth, bacterial infection and induce bone formation is a key factor in improving the success of alveolar ridge reconstruction. This study aims to develop a bioactive collagen barrier material for guided bone regeneration, that is coupled with anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Characterization of disulfide linkages at the hinge region of IgG antibodies by HPLC mass spectrometry.

There are two types of disulfide linkages in IgG antibodies at the hinge region: intra- and inter-disulfide linkages. Characterization of intra-disulfide linked isomer will provide important information on the stability of the antibodies and better understanding of the mechanism of Fab-arm exchange. In this report, HPLC coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry was applied for characterization of disulfide linkages in IgG antibodies at the hinge region.

Carbon Gain Limitation Is the Primary Mechanism for the Elevational Distribution Limit of in the High-Altitude Plateau.

Temperature comprises a major driver for species distribution and physiological processes in alpine plants. For all terrestrial plant species tested to date, elevation associated decreases in temperature have been observed to influence the balance between carbon acquisition and usage; restricting the upper limit of most alpine trees (i.e.

Natural Plant Materials as Dielectric Layer for Highly Sensitive Flexible Electronic Skin.

Nature has long offered human beings with useful materials. Herein, plant materials including flowers and leaves have been directly used as the dielectric material in flexible capacitive electronic skin (e-skin), which simply consists of a dried flower petal or leaf sandwiched by two flexible electrodes. The plant material is a 3D cell wall network which plays like a compressible metamaterial that elastically collapses upon pressing plus some specific surface structures, and thus the device can sensitively respond to pressure.

Islet transplantation improved penile tissue fibrosis in a rat model of type 1 diabetes.

Background: Glycaemic control is one of the most effective strategies for the treatment of diabetes-related erectile dysfunction (DMED). Compared to conventional anti-diabetic drugs and insulin, islet transplantation is more effective in the treatment of diabetic complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of islet transplantation for reversing advanced-stage DMED in rats and to observe its influence on corpus cavernosum fibrosis.

Variations in Species-Level N:P Stoichiometry of Charophytes and Aquatic Angiosperms on the Tibetan Plateau.

The variations in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry between species and along environmental gradients reflects plant growth and survival under certain conditions. Exploring the determinants of plant N and P stoichiometry at species level could help us understand the mechanisms of plant distribution. Temperature is considered a driving factor in forming the geographical patterns of plant N and P stoichiometry at the community level.

Development of Efficient Protocols for Stable and Transient Gene Transformation for Using .

Members of the genus are fascinating plants for many biologists as they are the smallest flowering plants on Earth and exhibit a reduced body plan that is of great interest to developmental biologists. There has also been recent interest in the use of these species for bioenergy or biorefining. Molecular and developmental studies have been limited in species due to the high genome complexity and uncertainties regarding the stable genetic transformation.

Characterization of a new semi-dominant dwarf allele of SLR1 and its potential application in hybrid rice breeding.

The widespread introduction of semi-dwarf1 (sd1), also known as the 'Green Revolution' gene, has dramatically increased rice yield. However, the extensive use of limited sources of dwarf genes may cause 'bottleneck' effects in breeding new rice varieties. Alternative dwarf germplasms are quite urgent for rice breeding.

In Situ Crosslinking of Nanoparticles in Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly via ARGET ATRP of Glycidyl Methacrylate.

Polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) and in situ crosslinking of the formed nanoparticles are successfully realized by activators regenerated by electron-transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET ATRP) of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) or a mixture of GMA/benzyl methacrylate (BnMA) monomers in ethanol. Poly(oligo(ethylene oxide) methyl ether methacrylate) was employed as macroinitiator/stabilizer, and a cupric bromide/tris(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amine complex as catalyst. Tin (2-ethylhexanoate) was used as reducing agent for ARGET ATRP, and simultaneously acted as a catalyst for ring-opening polymerization of oxirane ring in GMA.

Preclinical Efficacy of Anti-RON Antibody-Drug Conjugate Zt/g4-MMAE for Targeted Therapy of Pancreatic Cancer Overexpressing RON Receptor Tyrosine Kinase.

Aberrant expression of the RON receptor tyrosine kinase, a cell surface protein, is a pathogenic feature in pancreatic cancer, which renders it a drug target for targeted therapy. Nevertheless, development of therapeutics targeting RON for pancreatic cancer therapy is hampered due to the lack of full addiction by pancreatic cancer cells to RON signaling for growth and survival. Here we describe a novel strategy using anti-RON antibody-directed drug delivery in the form of an antibody-drug conjugate for inhibition and/or eradication of pancreatic cancers.

Maximum principles and Bôcher type theorems.

We establish maximum principles and Bôcher-type theorems for superharmonic and fractional superharmonic nonnegative functions on a punctured ball. Connecting maximum principles with Bôcher-type theorems is a crucial observation.

Emergent symmetry at superradiance transition of a Bose condensate in two crossed beam cavities.

Recently an experiment on superradiant transition of a Bose condensate in two crossed beam cavities has been reported by Léonard et al. in Nature 543, 87 (2017). The surprise is they find that across the superradiant transition, the cavity light can be emitted in any superposition of these two cavity modes.

[Frenulum identification positioning with a disposable suture device in circumcision to prevent postoperative penile frenulum malposition].

Objective: To investigate the effect of the frenulum identification positioning method with a disposable suture device in circumcision for the prevention of postoperative penile frenulum malposition.

Methods: Totally 212 patients with phimosis or redundant prepuce underwent circumcision from March 2015 to September 2016, including 109 cases of conventional circumcision (the control group) and 103 cases treated by frenulum identification positioning with a disposable suture device (the observation group). We observed the postoperative position of the penile frenulum and median raphe and compared the deviation angles of the frenulum between the two groups of patients.

A Comparison of Growth on Mercuric Chloride for Three Species Reveals Differences in Growth Dynamics That Effect Their Suitability for Use in Either Monitoring or Remediating Ecosystems Contaminated With Mercury.

Mercury (Hg) is a toxic heavy metal that can alter the ecological balance when it contaminates aquatic ecosystems. Previously, researchers have used various species either to monitor and/or remove heavy metals from freshwater systems. As Hg contamination is a pressing issue for aquatic systems worldwide, we assessed its impact on the growth of three commonly species of - 6745 6580 and 5543.

Natural Product Micheliolide (MCL) Irreversibly Activates Pyruvate Kinase M2 and Suppresses Leukemia.

Metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells is essential for tumorigenesis in which pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), the low activity isoform of pyruvate kinase, plays a critical role. Herein, we describe the identification of a nature-product-derived micheliolide (MCL) that selectively activates PKM2 through the covalent binding at residue cysteine424 (C424), which is not contained in PKM1. This interaction promotes more tetramer formation, inhibits the lysine433 (K433) acetylation, and influences the translocation of PKM2 into the nucleus.

Preparation of immunochromatographic strips for rapid detection of early secreted protein ESAT-6 and culture filtrate protein CFP-10 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The early secreted protein early secretory antigenic target 6(ESAT-6) and the culture filtrate protein 10 (CFP-10) are 2 antigens that are specific to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These 2 antigens are good targets for tuberculosis (TB) detection.To rapidly diagnose TB across a variety of samples, we developed colloidal gold immunochromatographic strips (ICSs) based on ESAT-6 and CFP-10.

Silver Nanocube and Nanobar Growth via Anisotropic Monomer Addition and Particle Attachment Processes.

Understanding the growth mechanism of noble metal nanocrystals during solution synthesis is of significant importance for shape and property control. However, much remains unknown about the growth pathways of metal nanoparticles due to the lack of direct observation. Using an in situ transmission electron microscopy technique, we directly observed Ag nanocube and nanobar growth in an aqueous solution through both classical monomer-by-monomer addition and nonclassical particle attachment processes.

Thermal, Waterproof, Breathable, and Antibacterial Cloth with a Nanoporous Structure.

Wearable thermal management materials have attracted increasing attention because of the potential in energy conservation and the possibility to meet the need of smart clothes. An ideal cloth for cold areas has to be lightweight, warm, waterproof but breathable, and antibacterial. Herein, we present a multifunctional cloth starting from a cotton fabric, for which one side is modified to be superhydrophobic by introducing a silica nanoparticle/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer, while the other side is coated with a nanoporous cellulose acetate layer followed by depositing a thin silver film.

A novel peptide specifically binding to VEGF receptor suppresses angiogenesis and .

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), one of the most important angiogenic factors, plays an essential role in both physiological and pathological angiogenesis through binding to VEGF receptors (VEGFRs). Here we report a novel peptide designated HRHTKQRHTALH (peptide HRH), which was isolated from the Ph.D.

The Reaction between Furfuryl Alcohol and Model Compound of Protein.

To guide the preparation of protein-based adhesive, especially the soy-based adhesive, the reaction between a simple dipeptide -(2)-l-alanyl-l-glutamine (AG), being used as a model compound of protein, and its cross-linker furfuryl alcohol were studied in this paper. The products that were prepared with furfuryl alcohol and AG under different pHs were analyzed by ESI-MS, C NMR, and FT-IR. It was found that the medium environment had great effects on the competition of the co-condensation reaction between furfuryl alcohol and AG and self-condensation reaction of furfuryl alcohol molecules in the mixing system with furfuryl alcohol and AG.

Formation of spherical ice-shells inside carbon fullerenes.

The structural and dynamic properties of encapsulated water inside fullerene cages, C to C, were investigated employing classical molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the confined water forms single to multiple concentric, spherical shells as the size of the fullerene increases. This is possible due to the reduced number of hydrogen bonds per water molecule in the nanoscale liquid as compared to bulk water, allowing the encapsulated HO molecules to imitate the shape of the confining boundary.

Expression of LGR5 in oral squamous cell carcinoma and its correlation to vasculogenic mimicry.

Background: LGR5, also named as GPR49, is considered as a biomarker of cancer stem cells which have been responsible for the initiation, progression, metastasis, and recurrence of cancers. Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) which defines the formation of fluid-conducting tubes by highly progressive and genetically dysregulated cancer cells has been considered as useful biomarker for metastasis and prognosis in various cancers. In this study, we analyzed associations between LGR5 and VM in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and their association with clinicopathological characters in OSCC.

Decoding glycan protein interactions by a new class of asymmetric N-glycans.

N-Glycans are normally involved in crucial physiological and disease processes by interactions with glycan-binding proteins. So far structurally defined N-glycans have been good candidates for glycan binding study. Herein, a class of homogeneous asymmetric N-glycans was synthesized by coupling glycan-oxazoline and N-glycans using EndoM N175Q catalyzed quick glycan extension.

H. pylori α1-3/4-fucosyltransferase (Hp3/4FT)-catalyzed one-pot multienzyme (OPME) synthesis of Lewis antigens and human milk fucosides.

Helicobacter pylori α1-3/4-fucosyltransferase (Hp3/4FT) was expressed in Escherichia coli at a level of 30 mg L culture and used as a diverse catalyst in a one-pot multienzyme (OPME) system for high-yield production of l-fucose-containing carbohydrates including Lewis antigens such as Lewis a, b, and x, O-sulfated Lewis x, and sialyl Lewis x and human milk fucosides such as 3-fucosyllactose (3-FL), lacto-N-fucopentaose (LNFP) III, and lacto-N-difuco-hexaose (LNDFH) II and III. Noticeably, while difucosylation of tetrasaccharides was readily achieved using an excess amount of donor, the synthesis of LNFP III was achieved by Hp3/4FT-catalyzed selective fucosylation of the N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) component in lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT).