Expression dynamics, relationships, and transcriptional regulations of diverse transcripts in mouse spermatogenic cells.

Among all tissues of the metazoa, the transcritpome of testis displays the highest diversity and specificity. However, its composition and dynamics during spermatogenesis have not been fully understood. Here, we have identified 20,639 message RNAs (mRNAs), 7,168 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and 15,101 circular RNAs (circRNAs) in mouse spermatogenic cells, and found many of them were specifically expressed in testes.

Observing the Heterogeneous Electro-redox of Individual Single-Layer Graphene Sheets.

Electro-redox-induced heterogeneous fluorescence of an individual single-layer graphene sheet was observed in real time by a total internal reflection fluorescence microscope. It was found that the fluorescence intensity of an individual sheet can be tuned reversibly by applying periodic voltages to control the redox degree of graphene sheets. Accordingly, the oxidation and reduction kinetics of an individual single-layer graphene sheet was studied at different voltages.

No enhancement of cyanobacterial bloom biomass decomposition by sediment microbial fuel cell (SMFC) at different temperatures.

The sediment microbial fuel cell (SMFC) has potential application to control the degradation of decayed cyanobacterial bloom biomass (CBB) in sediment in eutrophic lakes. In this study, temperatures from 4 to 35 °C were investigated herein as the major impact on SMFC performance in CBB-amended sediment. Under low temperature conditions, the SMFC could still operate, and produced a maximum power density of 4.

Screening for inhibitors of topoisomerase I from Lycoris radiata by combining ultrafiltration with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Rationale: Although crude Amaryllidaceae alkaloids (AAs) extracted from Lycoris radiata are reported to exhibit significant anti-cancer activity, both the specific responsible alkaloid(s) and their targets remain elusive. Screening anti-cancer AAs targeted on topoisomerase I from crude AAs could be very helpful in tackling these two challenging questions.

Methods: An ultrafiltration method combined with liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UF-LC/MS) was developed to screen for the inhibitors of topoisomerase I, which has been reported to mediate DNA unwinding during carcinoma proliferation.

Unraveling a Single-Step Simultaneous Two-Electron Transfer Process from Semiconductor to Molecular Catalyst in a CoPy/CdS Hybrid System for Photocatalytic H2 Evolution under Strong Alkaline Conditions.

Electron transfer processes from semiconductor to molecular catalysts was studied in a model hybrid photocatalytic hydrogen evolution system composed of [Co((III))(dmgH)2PyCl] (CoPy) and CdS under different pH conditions. Thermodynamic and kinetic studies revealed that photocatalytic H2 evolution under high pH conditions (pH 13.5) can only account for the thermodynamically more favorable single-step simultaneous two-electron transfer from photoirradiated CdS to Co(III)Py to produce unavoidable intermediate Co(I)Py, rather than a two-step successive one-electron transfer process.

The Chromosome Microdissection and Microcloning Technique.

Chromosome microdissection followed by microcloning is an efficient tool combining cytogenetics and molecular genetics that can be used for the construction of the high density molecular marker linkage map and fine physical map, the generation of probes for chromosome painting, and the localization and cloning of important genes. Here, we describe a modified technique to microdissect a single chromosome, paint individual chromosomes, and construct single-chromosome DNA libraries.

Extracellular polymeric substances facilitate the biosorption of phenanthrene on cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa.

Phytoplankton-derived extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are of vital importance for the biogeochemical cycles of hydrophobic organic pollutants in lake ecosystems. In this study, roles of loosely-bound EPS (LB-EPS) and tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS) in biosorption of phenanthrene (PHE) on a typical cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa were investigated. The results showed that the biosorption of PHE on M.

p18 inhibits reprogramming through inactivation of Cdk4/6.

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), including embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), show atypical cell cycle regulation characterized by a high proliferation rate and a shorter G1 phase compared with somatic cells. The mechanisms by which somatic cells remodel their cell cycle to achieve the high proliferation rate of PSCs during reprogramming are unclear. Here we identify that the Ink4 protein p18, which is expressed at high levels in somatic cells but at low levels in PSCs, is a roadblock to successful reprogramming.

Inferior adaptation of bay sediments in a eutrophic shallow lake to winter season for organic matter decomposition.

Sediments in lake bays receive the greatest external pollutants mainly including terrestrial plants and river macrophyte detritus. This work investigated response and adaptation of bay sediments to organic matter (OM) decomposition under cold and hot seasons. After three month and incubated at 5 °C, it was found that the total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiencies ranged from 15.

CO2 Emission Increases with Damage Severity in Moso Bamboo Forests Following a Winter Storm in Southern China.

Despite the prevalence of disturbances in forests, the effects of disturbances on soil carbon processes are not fully understood. We examined the influences of a winter storm on soil respiration and labile soil organic carbon (SOC) of a Moso Bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycle) plantation in the Wuyi Mountains in Southern China from May 2008 to May 2009. We sampled stands that were damaged at heavy, moderate, and light levels, which yielded aboveground biomass inputs to the soil at 22.

Tropical/Subtropical Peatland Development and Global CH4 during the Last Glaciation.

Knowledge of peatland development over the tropical/subtropical zone during the last glaciation is critical for understanding the glacial global methane cycle. Here we present a well-dated 'peat deposit-lake sediment' alternate sequence at Tengchong, southwestern China, and discuss the peatland development and its linkage to the global glacial methane cycle. Peat layers were formed during the cold Marine Isotope Stage (MIS)-2 and -4, whereas lake sediments coincided with the relatively warm MIS-3, which is possibly related to the orbital/suborbital variations in both temperature and Asian summer monsoon intensity.

Size-dependent catalytic kinetics and dynamics of Pd nanocubes: a single-particle study.

Due to the well-known significant effect of the size on the catalytic activity of nanocatalysts, here we use single-molecule fluorescence microscopy to study the size-dependent catalytic kinetics and dynamics of individual Pd nanocubes. A series of size-dependent catalytic properties were revealed in both product formation and product desorption processes. It was found that, due to the different adsorption mechanisms of substrate molecules on Pd nanocubes, H2 adsorption is independent of the size of Pd nanocubes, while the large flat resazurin molecules show stronger adsorption on larger sized Pd nanocubes.

Gastrointestinal Spatiotemporal mRNA Expression of Ghrelin vs Growth Hormone Receptor and New Growth Yield Machine Learning Model Based on Perturbation Theory.

The management of ruminant growth yield has economic importance. The current work presents a study of the spatiotemporal dynamic expression of Ghrelin and GHR at mRNA levels throughout the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of kid goats under housing and grazing systems. The experiments show that the feeding system and age affected the expression of either Ghrelin or GHR with different mechanisms.

Inhibition of human catechol-O-methyltransferase-mediated dopamine O-methylation by daphnetin and its Phase II metabolites.

1. Finding and developing inhibitors of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) from natural products is highly recommended. Daphnetin, a naturally occurring catechol from the family thymelaeaceae, has a chemical structure similar to several potent COMT inhibitors reported previously.

Approaches to Determine Protein Ubiquitination Residue Types.

Ubiquitination is an important posttranslational modification in eukaryotic organisms and plays a central role in many signaling pathways in plants. Most ubiquitination typically occurs on substrate lysine residues, forming a covalent isopeptide bond. Some recent reports suggested ubiquitin can be attached to non-lysine sites such as serine/threonine, cysteine or the N-terminal methionine, via oxyester or thioester linkages, respectively.

In-situ Adsorption-Biological Combined Technology Treating Sediment Phosphorus in all Fractions.

The removal efficiency of sediment phosphorus (P) in all fractions with in-situ adsorption-biological combined technology was studied in West Lake, Hangzhou, China. The removal amounts of sediment Ca-P, Fe/Al-P, IP, OP and TP by the combined effect of PCFM (Porous ceramic filter media) and V. spiralis was 61 mg/kg, 249 mg/kg, 318 mg/kg, 85 mg/kg and 416 mg/kg, respectively, and the corresponding removing rate reached 10.

An investigation into the effects of silver nanoparticles on natural microbial communities in two freshwater sediments.

The expanding production and usage of commercial silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) will inevitably increase their environmental release, with sediments as a substantial sink. However, little knowledge is available about the potential impacts of AgNPs on freshwater sediment microbial communities, as well as the interactions between microbial communities and biogeochemical factors in AgNPs polluted sediment. To address these issues, two different sediments: a eutrophic freshwater sediment and an oligotrophic freshwater sediment, were exposed to 1 mg/g of either AgNO, uncoated AgNPs (35-nm and 75-nm), or polyvinylpyrrolidone coated AgNPs (PVP-AgNPs) (30-50 nm) for 45 days.

Organohalogen pollutants in surface particulates from workshop floors of four major e-waste recycling sites in China and implications for emission lists.

To examine the environmental pollution associated with e-waste recycling activities, the concentrations of organohologenated pollutants (OHPs), i.e., short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs and MCCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and several other halogenated flame retardants (OHFRs), were investigated in surface particulates from the workshop floors of four major e-waste recycling sites (Taizhou, Guiyu, Dali and Qingyuan) in China.

Supersaturation of Dissolved Hydrogen and Methane in Rumen of Tibetan Sheep.

Hydrogen (H2) is an essential substrate for methanogens to produce methane (CH4), and also influences pathways of volatile fatty acids (VFA) production in the rumen. Dissolved H2 (H2 (aq)) is the form of H2 available to microbes, and dissolved CH4 (CH4 (aq)) is important for indicating methanogens activity. Rumen H2 (aq) concentration has been estimated by assuming equilibrium with headspace gaseous H2 (H2 (g)) concentration using Henry's law, and has also been directly measured in the liquid phase in some in vitro and in vivo experiments.

Discovery of tanshinone derivatives with anti-MRSA activity via targeted bio-transformation.

Two potent anti-MRSA tanshinone glycosides ( and ) were discovered by targeted microbial biotransformation, along with rapid identification via MS/MS networking. Serial reactions including dehydrogenation, demethylations, reduction, glycosylation and methylation have been observed after incubation of tanshinone IIA and fungus AS 3.3447.

Facile Fabrication of Ethoxy-Functional Polysiloxane Wrapped LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 Cathode with Improved Cycling Performance for Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery.

Dealing with the water molecule on the surface of LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.

Divergent Evolutionary Pattern of Sugar Transporter Genes is Associated with the Difference in Sugar Accumulation between Grasses and Eudicots.

Sugars play a variety of roles in plants, and their accumulation in seeds and/or surrounding pericarp tissues is distinctly different between grasses and eudicots. However, little is known about the evolutionary pattern of genes involved in sugar accumulation in these two major groups of flowering plants. Here, we compared evolutionary rates, gene duplication, and selective patterns of genes involved in sugar metabolism and transport between grasses and eudicots using six grass species and seven eudicot species as materials.

Structure-Based Tetravalent Zanamivir with Potent Inhibitory Activity against Drug-Resistant Influenza Viruses.

Zanamivir and oseltamivir are principal influenza antiviral drugs that target viral neuraminidase (NA), but resistant viruses containing mutant NAs with diminished drug affinity are increasingly emerging. Using the structural knowledge of both drug-binding sites and their spatial arrangement on the homotetrameric NA, we have developed a tetravalent zanamivir (TZ) molecule that exhibited marked increases in NA binding affinity, inhibition of NA enzyme activity, and in vitro plus in vivo antiviral efficacy over zanamivir. TZ functioned against both human seasonal H3N2 and avian H7N9 viruses, including drug-resistant mutants.

Molecular Characterization of Three GIBBERELLIN-INSENSITIVE DWARF2 Homologous Genes in Common Wheat.

F-box protein is a core component of the ubiquitin E3 ligase SCF complex and is involved in the gibberellin (GA) signaling pathway. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of GA signaling in wheat, three homologous GIBBERELLIN-INSENSITIVE DWARF2 genes, TaGID2s, were isolated from the Chinese Spring wheat variety. A subcellular localization assay in onion epidermal cells and Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts showed that TaGID2s are localized in the nuclei.

HRD1-mediated ERAD tuning of ER-bound E2 is conserved between plants and mammals.

When membrane proteins and secretory proteins are misfolded or incompletely folded, they are retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for further folding or degradation. The HMG-COA reductase degradation 1 (HRD1) and degradation of alpha2 10 (DOA10) complexes are two major components involved in the ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD) system in eukaryotic organisms(1-4). However, the relationship between these two complexes is largely unknown, especially in higher eukaryotes.