Application of Graph Theory to Assess Static and Dynamic Brain Connectivity: Approaches for Building Brain Graphs.

Human brain connectivity is complex. Graph theory based analysis has become a powerful and popular approach for analyzing brain imaging data, largely because of its potential to quantitatively illuminate the networks, the static architecture in structure and function, the organization of dynamic behavior over time, and disease related brain changes. The first step in creating brain graphs is to define the nodes and edges connecting them.

Photocatalytic Activation of Less Reactive Bonds and Their Functionalization via Hydrogen-Evolution Cross-Couplings.

Cross-coupling reactions have been established as potential tools for manufacture of complex molecular frameworks of diversified interests by connecting two simple molecules through the formation of a carbon-carbon (C-C) or a carbon-heteroatom (C-X) bond. Conventional cross-couplings are transition metal-catalyzed reactions between electrophiles and nucleophiles. Generally, the electrophilic partner is an aryl or alkenyl halide, the nucleophile is an organometallic reagent, and both are obtained from prefunctionalization of their corresponding hydrocarbons.

Exploring Ferredoxin-Dependent Glutamate Synthase as an Enzymatic Bioelectrocatalyst.

Ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase (Fd-GltS) is reported as an enzymatic bioelectrocatalyst for the first time. By configuring mediated electrochemical interfaces with mediators of different redox potentials, we realize bioelectrosynthesis or bioelectrooxidation of glutamate with recombinant Fd-GltS from cyanobacteria. Particularly, bioelectrocatalytic oxidation of glutamate by Fd-GltS is demonstrated to be oxygen independent.

Chiral Inductions in Excited State Reactions: Photodimerization of Alkyl 2-Naphthoates as a Model.

Enantioselectivity in organic transformations continues to be a topic major interest in organic photochemistry. In the last decade, synergistic combination of photocatalysis and organocatalysis has emerged as a powerful strategy to gain enantioselectivity in photochemical reactions, and remarkable achievements have been obtained. In this strategy, the asymmetric induction is provided in ground state.

Vertically Aligned Porous Organic Semiconductor Nanorod Array Photoanodes for Efficient Charge Utilization.

Because of inefficient charge utilization caused by localized π-electron conjugation and large exciton binding energy, the photoelectrochemical water-splitting efficiency of organic polymers is seriously limited. Taking the graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) polymer as an example, we report a novel photoanode based on a vertically aligned g-CN porous nanorod (PNR) array prepared in situ, using a thermal polycondensation approach, with anodic aluminum oxide as the template. The g-CN PNR array exhibits an excellent photocurrent density of 120.

Mapping disulfide bonds from sub-micrograms of purified proteins or micrograms of complex protein mixtures.

Disulfide bonds are vital for protein functions, but locating the linkage sites has been a challenge in protein chemistry, especially when the quantity of a sample is small or the complexity is high. In 2015, our laboratory developed a sensitive and efficient method for mapping protein disulfide bonds from simple or complex samples (Lu . in Nat Methods 12:329, 2015).

Luminescence-Tunable Polynorbornenes for Simultaneous Multicolor Imaging in Subcellular Organelles.

Through modular ROMP (ring-opening metathesis polymerization), biofunctional polynorbornenes are designed and fabricated from panchromatic fluorophores, bioactive peptides, and polyethylene glycol solubilizer for organelle-specific multicolor imaging. Attributed to the free permutation and combination of highly fluorescent red rhodamine B, green dichlorofluorescein and blue 9,10-diphenylanthracene fluorophores as well as signaling peptide sequences of F rF K and TAT, we successfully realize simultaneous multicolor imaging toward lysosomes and mitochondria in living cells first utilizing polymeric scaffolds. If more biofunctions could be incorporated, modularly designed copolymer would provide a promising opportunity to facilitate multitasking application to monitoring intracellular alterations and elucidating complex biological processes.

Distribution, fate and risk assessment of PAHs in water and sediments from an aquaculture- and shipping-impacted subtropical lake, China.

The spatial-temporal distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), their source, and potential health risks were determined in overlying water and surface sediments from Chinese Lake Guchenghu, adjacent commercial mitten crab ponds and the connected Wushen Canal to assess the contamination profile of the area. The total PAHs concentrations in sediment and water were 86.7-1790 ng g dry weight (dw) and 184-365 ng L in summer and 184-3140 ng g dw and 410-1160 ng L in winter.

Na/vacancy disordering promises high-rate Na-ion batteries.

As one of the most fascinating cathode candidates for Na-ion batteries (NIBs), P2-type Na layered oxides usually exhibit various single-phase domains accompanied by different Na/vacancy-ordered superstructures, depending on the Na concentration when explored in a limited electrochemical window. Therefore, their Na kinetics and cycling stability at high rates are subjected to these superstructures, incurring obvious voltage plateaus in the electrochemical profiles and insufficient battery performance as cathode materials for NIBs. We show that this problem can be effectively diminished by reasonable structure modulation to construct a completely disordered arrangement of Na-vacancy within Na layers.

Transmembrane E3 ligase RNF183 mediates ER stress-induced apoptosis by degrading Bcl-xL.

The accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) causes ER stress and triggers the unfolded protein response (UPR). Failure to resolve ER stress leads to apoptotic cell death via a yet unclear mechanism. Here, we show that RNF183, a membrane-spanning RING finger protein, localizes to the ER and exhibits classic E3 ligase activities.

Core cis-element variation confers subgenome-biased expression of a transcription factor that functions in cotton fiber elongation.

Cotton cultivars have evolved to produce extensive, long, seed-born fibers important for the textile industry, but we know little about the molecular mechanism underlying spinnable fiber formation. Here, we report how PACLOBUTRAZOL RESISTANCE 1 (PRE1) in cotton, which encodes a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, is a target gene of spinnable fiber evolution. Differential expression of homoeologous genes in polyploids is thought to be important to plant adaptation and novel phenotypes.

PolyQ-expanded huntingtin and ataxin-3 sequester ubiquitin adaptors hHR23B and UBQLN2 into aggregates via conjugated ubiquitin.

The components of ubiquitin (Ub)-proteasome system, such as Ub, Ub adaptors, or proteasome subunits, are commonly accumulated with the aggregated proteins in inclusions, but how protein aggregates sequester Ub-related proteins remains elusive. Using N-terminal huntingtin (Htt-N552) and ataxin (Atx)-3 as model proteins, we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying sequestration of Ub adaptors by polyQ-expanded proteins. We found that polyQ-expanded Htt-N552 and Atx-3 sequester endogenous Ub adaptors, human RAD23 homolog B (hHR23B) and ubiquilin (UBQLN)-2, into inclusions.

Facile Integration between Si and Catalyst for High-Performance Photoanodes by a Multifunctional Bridging Layer.

Designing high-quality interfaces is crucial for high-performance photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting devices. Here, we demonstrate a facile integration between polycrystalline np-Si and NiFe-layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheet array by a partially activated Ni (Ni/NiO) bridging layer for the excellent PEC water oxidation. In this model system, the thermally deposited Ni interlayer protects Si against corrosion and makes good contact with Si, and NiO has a high capacity of hole accumulation and strong bonding with the electrodeposited NiFe-LDH due to the similarity in material composition and structure, facilitating transfer of accumulated holes to the catalyst.

Lack of Remuscularization Following Transplantation of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Cardiovascular Progenitor Cells in Infarcted Nonhuman Primates.

Rationale: Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiovascular progenitor cells (hPSC-CVPCs) should be thoroughly investigated in large animal studies before testing in clinical trials.

Objective: The main of this study is to clarify whether hPSC-CVPCs can engraft for long time in the heart of primates after myocardial infarction (MI) and compare the effectiveness and safety of immunosuppression with cyclosporine alone or multiple-drug regimen (MDR) containing cyclosporine, methylprednisolone, and basiliximab in cynomolgus monkeys that had received intramyocardial injections of 1×10 EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein)-expressing hPSC-CVPCs after MI. A third group of animals received the immunosuppression MDR but without cell therapy after MI (MI+MDR group).

Assessment of the effect of three-dimensional mantle density heterogeneity on earth rotation in tidal frequencies.

In this paper we report the assessment of the effect of the three-dimensional (3D) density heterogeneity in the mantle on Earth Orientation Parameters (EOP) (i.e., the polar motion, or PM, and the length of day, or LOD) in the tidal frequencies.

Competitive chiral induction in a 2D molecular assembly: Intrinsic chirality versus coadsorber-induced chirality.

Noncovalently introducing stereogenic information is a promising approach to embed chirality in achiral molecular systems. However, the interplay of the noncovalently introduced chirality with the intrinsic chirality of molecules or molecular aggregations has rarely been addressed. We report a competitive chiral expression of the noncovalent interaction-mediated chirality induction and the intrinsic stereogenic center-controlled chirality induction in a two-dimensional (2D) molecular assembly at the liquid/solid interface.

A single mutation in the prM protein of Zika virus contributes to fetal microcephaly.

Zika virus (ZIKV) has evolved into a global health threat because of its unexpected causal link to microcephaly. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that contemporary epidemic strains have accumulated multiple substitutions from their Asian ancestor. Here we show that a single serine-to-asparagine substitution [Ser→Asn (S139N)] in the viral polyprotein substantially increased ZIKV infectivity in both human and mouse neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and led to more severe microcephaly in the mouse fetus, as well as higher mortality rates in neonatal mice.

Generation of low-gamma oscillations in a GABAergic network model of the striatum.

Striatal oscillations in the low-gamma frequency range have been consistently recorded in a number of experimental studies. However, whether these rhythms are locally generated in the striatum circuit, which is mainly composed of GABAergic neurons, remains an open question. GABAergic medium spiny projection neurons represent the great majority of striatal neurons, but they fire at very low rates.

Locomotor Assay in .

This protocol describes a simple locomotor assay in . In brief, the locomotor of each single fly in the culture dish is recorded by a web camera. The moving time, walking length, speed and the locomotor trails of the single fly could be quantitatively analyzed.

Simultaneous construction of two linkages for the on-surface synthesis of imine-boroxine hybrid covalent organic frameworks.

The orthogonality between the Schiff base reaction and the boronic acid dehydration reaction is explored during the on-surface synthesis process. By activating the above two reactions in one-step and employing asymmetrical substituted monomers and the 3-fold symmetric monomer 1,3,5-tris(4-aminophenyl)benzene (TAPB), highly ordered imine-boroxine hybrid single-layered covalent organic frameworks (sCOFs) have been successfully constructed on HOPG by a gas-solid interface reaction method and characterized by scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). In particular, the reaction between the -substituted monomer and TAPB generates sCOFB with a windmill structure, which is the first sCOF with surface chirality so far reported.

Arabidopsis Transcription Factors SPL1 and SPL12 Confer Plant Thermotolerance at Reproductive Stage.

Plant reproductive organs are vulnerable to heat, but regulation of heat-shock responses in inflorescence is largely uncharacterized. Here, we report that two of the SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) transcriptional factors in Arabidopsis, SPL1 and SPL12, act redundantly in thermotolerance at the reproductive stage. The spl1-1 spl12-1 inflorescences displayed hypersensitivity to heat stress, whereas overexpression of SPL1 or SPL12 enhanced the thermotolerance in both Arabidopsis and tobacco.

Simple Method for High-Sensitivity Determination of Cosmogenic S in Snow and Water Samples Collected from Remote Regions.

Cosmogenic S is useful in understanding a wide variety of chemical and physical processes in the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the cryosphere. The 87.4-day half-life and the ubiquity of sulfur in natural environments renders it an ideal tracer of many phenomena.

Jasmonate response decay and defense metabolite accumulation contributes to age-regulated dynamics of plant insect resistance.

Immunity deteriorates with age in animals but comparatively little is known about the temporal regulation of plant resistance to herbivores. The phytohormone jasmonate (JA) is a key regulator of plant insect defense. Here, we show that the JA response decays progressively in Arabidopsis.

Identification and rejection of pile-up jets at high pseudorapidity with the ATLAS detector.

The rejection of forward jets originating from additional proton-proton interactions (pile-up) is crucial for a variety of physics analyses at the LHC, including Standard Model measurements and searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. The identification of such jets is challenging due to the lack of track and vertex information in the pseudorapidity range . This paper presents a novel strategy for forward pile-up jet tagging that exploits jet shapes and topological jet correlations in pile-up interactions.

Construction of 2D nanoporous networks by coupling on-surface dynamic imine chemistry and dipole-stabilized self-assembly.

Double-walled nanoporous networks based on the Schiff base reaction of nonplanar tripodic building blocks and subsequent dipole-directed self-assembly were fabricated on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) at the gas-solid interface. This is the first example of nonplanar molecules exploited as precursors for a surface reaction.