The ABA-induced NAC transcription factor MdNAC1 interacts with a bZIP-type transcription factor to promote anthocyanin synthesis in red-fleshed apples

Anthocyanins are valuable compounds in red-fleshed apples.The MdMYB10 transcription factor is an important regulator of the anthocyanin synthesis pathway.However,other transcription factors are key components of the complex network controlling anthocyanin synthesis and should be more thoroughly characterized.In this study,we used a yeast-based screening technology to identify MdNAC1 as a transcription factor that positively regulates anthocyanin synthesis.The overexpression of MdNAC1 in apple fruits and calli significantly promoted the accumulation of anthocyanins.In binding experiments,we demonstrated that MdNAC1 combines with the bZIP-type transcription factor MdbZIP23 to activate the transcription of MdMYB10 and MdUFGT.Our analyses also indicated that the expression of MdNAC1 is strongly induced by ABA because of the presence of an ABRE cis-acting element in its promoter.Additionally,the accumulation of anthocyanins in apple calli co-transformed with MdNAC1 and MdbZIP23 increased in the presence of ABA.Therefore,we revealed a novel anthocyanin synthesis mechanism involving the ABA-induced transcription factor MdNAC1 in red-fleshed apples.

Is the combination of immunotherapy with conventional chemotherapy the key to increase the efficacy of colorectal cancer treatment?

Colorectal cancer(CRC) is among the most prevalent and deadly neoplasms worldwide. According to GLOBOCAN predictions, its incidence will increase from 1.15 million CRC cases in 2020 to 1.92 million cases in 2040. Therefore, a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in CRC development is necessary to improve strategies focused on reducing the incidence, prevalence,and mortality of this oncological pathology. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are the main strategies for treating CRC. The conventional chemotherapeutic agent utilized throughout the last four decades is 5-fluorouracil, notwithstanding its low efficiency as a single therapy. In contrast, combining 5-fluorouracil therapy with leucovorin and oxaliplatin or irinotecan increases its efficiency. However, these treatments have limited and temporary solutions and aggressive side effects. Additionally, most patients treated with these regimens develop drug resistance, which leads to disease progression. The immune response is considered a hallmark of cancer;thus, the use of new strategies and methodologies involving immune molecules, cells, and transcription factors has been suggested for CRC patients diagnosed in stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ. Despite the critical advances in immunotherapy, the development and impact of immune checkpoint inhibitors on CRC is still under investigation because less than 25% of CRC patients display an increased 5-year survival. The causes of CRC are diverse and include modifiable environmental factors(smoking, diet, obesity, and alcoholism), individual genetic mutations, and inflammation-associated bowel diseases. Due to these diverse causes, the solutions likely cannot be generalized. Interestingly, new strategies, such as single-cell multiomics, proteomics, genomics, flow cytometry, and massive sequencing for tumor microenvironment analysis, are beginning to clarify the way forward. Thus,the individual mechanisms involved in developing the CRC microenvironment, their causes, and their consequences need to be understood from a genetic and immunological perspective. This review highlighted the importance of altering the immune response in CRC. It focused on drugs that may modulate the immune response and show specific efficacy and contrasted with evidence that immunosuppression or the promotion of the immune response is the answer to generating effective treatments with combined chemotherapeutic drugs.

燃用高沾污性煤质锅炉SCR脱硝流场优化

某2×300 MW机组选择性催化还原(SCR)烟气脱硝装置,自2013年运行以来,一直存在喷氨格栅、水平烟道和导流板等位置积灰严重,氨逃逸量明显超标,空气预热器差压高等问题。通过计算流体动力学(CFD)流场校核分析产生问题的原因,最终确定优化方案为:更换防积灰能力强、混合特性好的花瓣型喷氨格栅,优化导流板布置,并加大导流板和烟道壁面处流速以减轻积灰。优化后,喷氨格栅分区可调性能明显好转,SCR脱硝装置出口NOx质量浓度分布更为均匀,氨逃逸量显著降低,运行8个月后停炉检修时发现喷氨格栅、烟道和导流板异常堵灰的情况得到了根本解决。

Immune therapies in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Where are we now?

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)is one of the deadliest cancers,mostly due to its resistance to treatment.Of these,checkpoint inhibitors(CPI)are inefficient when used as monotherapy,except in the case of a rare subset of tumors harboring microsatellite instability(<2%).This inefficacy mainly resides in the low immunogenicity and non-inflamed phenotype of PDAC.The abundant stroma generates a hypoxic microenvironment and drives the recruitment of immunosuppressive cells through cancerassociated-fibroblast activation and transforming growth factorβsecretion.Several strategies have recently been developed to overcome this immunosuppressive microenvironment.Combination therapies involving CPI aim at increasing tumor immunogenicity and promoting the recruitment and activation of effector T cells.Ongoing studies are therefore exploring the association of CPI with vaccines,oncolytic viruses,MEK inhibitors,cytokine inhibitors,and hypoxia-and stroma-targeting agents.Adoptive T-cell transfer is also under investigation.Moreover,translational studies on tumor tissue and blood,prior to and during treatment may lead to the identification of biomarkers with predictive value for both clinical outcome and response to immunotherapy.

Recurrence and survival following microwave, radiofrequency ablation, and hepatic resection of colorectal liver metastases: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background: Gold standard for colorectal liver metastases(CRLM) remains hepatic resection(HR). However, patients with severe comorbidities, unresectable or deep-situated resectable CRLM are candidates for ablation. The aim of the study was to compare recurrence rate and survival benefit of the microwave ablation(MWA), radiofrequency ablation(RFA) and HR by conducting the first network meta-analysis. Data sources: Systematic search of the literature was conducted in the electronic databases. Both updated traditional and network meta-analyses were conducted and the results were compared between them. Results: HR cohort demonstrated significantly less local recurrence rate and better 3-and 5-year diseasefree(DFS) and overall survival(OS) compared to MWA and RFA cohorts. HR cohort included significantly younger patients and with significantly lower preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA) by 10.28 ng/m L compared to RFA cohort. Subgroup analysis of local recurrence and OS of solitary and ≤3 cm CRLMs did not demonstrate any discrepancies when compared with the whole sample. Conclusions: For resectable CRLM the treatment of choice still remains HR. MWA and RFA can be used as a single or adjunct treatment in patients with unresectable CRLM and/or prohibitive comorbidities.

Palynological Analysis of Amber-Bearing Clay from the Lower Cretaceous of Central Lebanon

An amber-bearing lignitic layer of sandy clay from the Lower Cretaceous of Central Lebanon （Mderej-Hammana）yielded a well-preserved,moderately variegated palynoflora,which origin is mixed between land plants and marine microflora.Its detailed analysis led to fulfill its inventory,to propose a paleoenvironmental reconstruction,and to draw the paleoclimate which prevailed over the region：an estuarian area under a rather humid,temperate climate;a variety of ferns grew near the shore-side and in the inward land.A tiny piece of amber containing angiospermous pollen grains of stratigraphical interest allows a precise dating.The marine microflora,poorly diversified,includes chitinous foraminifer linings and dinoflagellate cysts,among which Early Aptian guide taxa are present;their occurrence slightly narrows the stratigraphical range indicated by some palynological taxa which are related to land plants.

Solidification microstructure of centrifugally cast Inconel 625

Centrifugal casting is a foundry process allowing the production of near net-shaped axially symmetrical components. The present study focuses on the microstructural characterization of centrifugally cast alloys featuring different chemical compositions for the construction of spheres applied in valves made of alloy IN625 for operation at high pressure. Control of the solidification microstructure is needed to assure the reliability of the castings. Actually, a Ni-base superalloy such as this one should have an outstanding combination of mechanical properties, high temperature stability and corrosion resistance. Alloys such as IN625 are characterised by a large amount of alloying elements and a wide solidification range, so they can be affected by micro-porosity defects, related to the shrinkage difference between the matrix and the secondary reinforcing phases(Nb-rich carbides and Laves phase). In this study, the microstructure characterization was performed as a function of the applied heat treatments and it was coupled with a calorimetric analysis in order to understand the mechanism ruling the formation of micro-porosities that can assure alloy soundness. The obtained results show that the presence of micro-porosities is governed by morphology and by the size of the secondary phases, and the presence of the observed secondary phases is detrimental to corrosion resistance.

CR系统扫描软件故障与安装路径的因果关系

介绍了ACR-2000i型计算机放射成像系统,因其扫描软件安装位置及路径的错误所致扫描故障及克服办法。

正火温度对12Cr2Mo1VR钢晶粒度及显微组织的影响

通过金相显微镜对12Cr2Mo1VR钢的晶粒度及显微组织进行观察和分析,结果表明,12Cr2Mo1VR钢经过850℃、870℃正火+水冷后形成贝氏体+少量不规则铁素体组织,经过890℃以上温度正火+水冷后完全生成贝氏体组织,且随着正火温度升高,晶粒逐渐长大,1000℃正火+水冷处理后出现混晶现象。

热处理对15CrMoR特厚钢板组织和力学性能影响研究

研究了不同回火温度及模拟焊后热处理制度对15CrMoR特厚钢板组织和力学性能的影响。结果表明:随着回火温度的增加,钢板的强度降低,塑性升高;模拟焊后热处理态强度与回火态相比进一步降低,冲击韧性呈现相同趋势,而基体组织的晶粒度并未发生明显变化,析出相明显增多,析出相向晶界处聚集长大,导致钢板性能发生变化。

Distinct metamorphic evolution of alternating silica-saturated and silica-deficient microdomains within garnet in ultrahigh-temperature granulites: An example from Sri Lanka

Here we report the occurrence of garnet porphyroblasts that have overgrown alternating silica-saturated and silica deficient microdomains via different mineral reactions. The samples were collected from ultrahigh-temperature(UHT) metapelites in the Highland Complex, Sri Lanka. In some of the metapelites, garnet crystals have cores formed via a dehydration reaction, which had taken place at silicasaturated microdomains and mantle to rim areas formed via a dehydration reaction at silica-deficient microdomains. In contrast, some other garnets in the same rock cores had formed via a dehydration reaction which occurred at silica-deficient microdomains while mantle to rim areas formed via a dehydration reaction at silica-saturated microdomains. Based on the textural observations, we conclude that the studied garnets have grown across different effective bulk compositional microdomains during the prograde evolution. These microdomains could represent heterogeneous compositional layers(paleobedding/laminations) in the precursor sediments or differentiated crenulation cleavages that existed during prograde metamorphism. UHT metamorphism associated with strong ductile deformation, metamorphic differentiation and crystallization of locally produced melt may have obliterated the evidence for such microdomains in the matrix. The lack of significant compositional zoning in garnet probably due to self-diffusion during UHT metamorphism had left mineral inclusions as the sole evidence for earlier microdomains with contrasting chemistry.

Microwave-Assisted Polyesterification Process in Bulk and Aqueous Media

Microwave irradiation in polymer chemistry is an emerging research field. This type of heating can enhance the rate of reaction and improve the specific characteristics of the formed polymer. In this context, the present paper focuses on selective microwave (MW) heating and its influence on the polyesterification reaction. As a reaction model, the polyesterification of sebacic acid with decanediol, in bulk and in aqueous emulsion is investigated. The reaction was catalyzed by using 4-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA), which plays a catalytic and surfactant role. Both in bulk and in aqueous media, a polyester with higher molecular weight is obtained in MW heating compared to the conventional heating.

Words apart:Standardizing forestry terms and definitions across European biodiversity studies

Forest biodiversity studies conducted across Europe use a multitude of forestry terms,often inconsistently.This hinders the comparability across studies and makes the assessment of the impacts of forest management on biodiversity highly context-dependent.Recent attempts to standardize forestry and stand description terminology mostly used a top-down approach that did not account for the perspectives and approaches of forest biodiversity experts.This work aims to establish common standards for silvicultural and vegetation definitions,creating a shared conceptual framework for a consistent study on the effects of forest management on biodiversity.We have identified both strengths and weaknesses of the silvicultural and vegetation information provided in forest biodiversity studies.While quantitative data on forest biomass and dominant tree species are frequently included,information on silvicultural activities and vegetation composition is often lacking,shallow,or based on broad and heterogeneous classifications.We discuss the existing classifications and their use in European forest biodiversity studies through a novel bottom-up and top-driven review process,and ultimately propose a common framework.This will enhance the comparability of forest biodiversity studies in Europe,and puts the basis for effective implementation and monitoring of sustainable forest management policies.The standards here proposed are potentially adaptable and applicable to other geographical areas and could be extended to other forest interventions.

用150方连铸锭开发生产40Cr冷拔钢管

选用Ｃ，Ｃｒ元素控制中限，熔炼及连铸操作工艺无异常，未经酸洗的１５０方连铸锭生产的４０Ｃｒ冷拔钢管，能满足ＧＢ８１６２－８７交货技术条件，管坯钢及成品管的力学性能一次检验合格率１００％。可替代摩托车用４０Ｃｒ进口管。使我厂合结钢管的锭至成品管成材率提高到７７％左右。为消化连铸锭开辟了新途径。

Influence of Microwave Irradiation on Hydrolysis Reaction of Sunflower Oil in Aqueous Emulsion

Microwave irradiation (MW) has been widely applied as heating in chemical processing. It offers a clean, convenient and inexpensive method of heating which often results in higher yields and shorter reaction times. Here, we study the microwave heating influence on the hydrolysis of the triglyceride (sunflower oil) in aqueous emulsion catalyzed by using 4-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA). The progress of the hydrolysis reaction was determined by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The effects of temperature, reaction time and the catalyst nature and concentration on the hydrolysis reaction were investigated. The hydrolysis was carried out at temperatures ranging between 90°C and 150°C. The polarity of the reaction medium accelerated this reaction.

Bound State Solutions of the Schrödinger Equation for the More General Exponential Screened Coulomb Potential Plus Yukawa (MGESCY) Potential Using Nikiforov-Uvarov Method

The solutions of the Schr&#246;dinger with more general exponential screened coulomb (MGESC), Yukawa potential (YP) and the sum of the mixed potential (MGESCY) have been presented using the Parametric Nikiforov-Uvarov Method (pNUM). The bound state energy eigenvalues and the corresponding un-normalized eigenfunctions expressed in terms of hypergeometric functions were obtained. Some derived equations were used to calculate numerical values for MGESC, YP, and MGESCY potentials for diatomic molecules with different screening parameters (α) for l = 0 and l = 1 state with V0 = 2.75 MeV and V1 = 2.075 MeV. We observed an increase in l value;the particles behave more repulsive than attractive. The numerical values for different l-states at different screening parameters for CO molecules (r = 1.21282) and NO molecule (r = 1.1508) were obtained using the bound state energy eigenvalue of the Schrodinger equation for MGESC, YP and MGESCY potentials. Potential variation with intermolecular distance (r) for some of the particles moving under the influence of MGESC, Yukawa and the mixed potential (MGESCY) were also studied. We also observed the variation of the MGESC potential with the radial distance of separation between the interacting particles (r) for different screening parameters (α) with V0 = 2.75 MeV at l = 0 and l = 1 and YP with V1 = 2.075 MeV at l = 0 and l = 1 as purely diatomic particles in nature. The energies plotted against the principal quantum number n for different values of (α) for both CO and NO show closed resemblance even at different values of the potential depth. The energy plots of the YP and MGESC potential for both CO and NO molecules as n→∞, and the energy E→0, shows exothermal behaviour. The energy expression for the mixed potentials V0 = 5 MeV and V1 = 10 MeV, shows that both diatomic molecules possesses similar behaviour.

The community structure and microbial linkage of rumen protozoa and methanogens in response to the addition of tea seed saponins in the diet of beef cattle

Background: This study investigated changes in rumen protozoal and methanogenic communities, along with the correlations among microbial taxa and methane(CH_4) production of six Belmont Red Composite beef steers fed tea seed saponins(TSS). Animals were fed in three consecutive feeding periods, a high-grain basal diet for 14 d(BD period) then a period of progressive addition of TSS to the basal diet up to 30 g/d for 20 d(TSS period), followed by the basal diet for 13 d without TSS(BDP post-control period).Results: The study found that TSS supplementation decreased the amount of the protozoal genus Entodinium and increased Polyplastron and Eudiplodinium genera. During BDP period, the protozoa community of steers did not return to the protozoal profiles observed in BD period, with higher proportions of Metadinium and Eudiplodinium and lower Isotricha. The addition of TSS was found to change the structure of methanogen community at the subgenus level by decreasing the abundance of methanogens in the SGMT clade and increasing the abundance of methanogens in the RO clade. The correlation analysis indicated that the abundance of SGMT clade methanogens were positively correlated with Isotricha, and Isotricha genus and SGMT clade methanogens were positively correlated with CH_4 production. While RO clade were positively correlated with the proportion of Metadinium genus, which was negatively correlated with CH_4 emission.Conclusions: These results suggest that different genera of rumen protozoa ciliates appear to be selectively inhibited by TSS, and the change in methanogen community at the subgenus level may be due to the mutualistic relationships between methanogens and rumen ciliates.

Ostracodes(Crustacea) Witnesses of Paleoenvironmental Changes During Permian-Triassic Boundary Events in South China and Turkey

The transition between Permian and Triassic(252.4 Ma) is marked by the most devastating extinction the biosphere ever went through.Although its cause stays unclear,it is admitted that this mass extinction originated in the conjunction of several global events: tectonic(Pangaea closing),volcanic(Siberian traps), magnetic(reversal of superchron),climatic(end of Permian glaciation) and eustatic(tecto-and ther-