The reactions between peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and quinones were investigated for the first time in this work, where benzoquinone (BQ) was selected as a model quinone. It was demonstrated that BQ ...could efficiently activate PMS for the degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX; a frequently detected antibiotic in the environments), and the degradation rate increased with solution pH from 7 to 10. Interestingly, quenching studies suggested that neither hydroxyl radical (•OH) nor sulfate radical (SO4 •–) was produced therein. Instead, the generation of singlet oxygen (1O2) was proved by using two chemical probes (i.e., 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinol and 9,10-diphenylanthracene) with the appearance of 1O2 indicative products detected by electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, respectively. A catalytic mechanism was proposed involving the formation of a dioxirane intermediate between PMS and BQ and the subsequent decomposition of this intermediate into 1O2. Accordingly, a kinetic model was developed, and it well described the experimental observation that the pH-dependent decomposition rate of PMS was first-order with respect to BQ. These findings have important implications for the development of novel nonradical oxidation processes based on PMS, because 1O2 as a moderately reactive electrophile may suffer less interference from background organic matters compared with nonselective •OH and SO4 •–.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Fusarium graminearum is a destructive wheat pathogen. No fully resistant cultivars are available. Knowledge concerning the molecular weapons of F. graminearum to achieve infection remains limited. ...Here, we report that deletion of the putative secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene cluster fg3_54 compromises the pathogen's ability to infect wheat through cell-to-cell penetration. Ectopic expression of fgm4, a pathway-specific bANK-like regulatory gene, activates the transcription of the fg3_54 cluster in vitro. We identify a linear, C- terminally reduced and D-amino acid residue-rich octapeptide, fusaoctaxin A, as the product of the two nonribosomal peptide synthetases encoded by fg3_54. Chemically-synthesized fusaoctaxin A restores cell-to-cell invasiveness in fg3_54-deleted F. graminearum, and enables colonization of wheat coleoptiles by two Fusarium strains that lack the fg3_54 homolog and are nonpathogenic to wheat. In conclusion, our results identify fusaoctaxin A as a virulence factor required for cell-to-cell invasion of wheat by F. graminearum.
Autophagic dysfunction is observed in diabetes mellitus. Resveratrol has a beneficial effect on diabetic cardiomyopathy. Whether the resveratrol‐induced improvement in cardiac function in diabetes is ...via regulating autophagy remains unclear. We investigated the mechanisms underlying resveratrol‐mediated protection against heart failure in diabetic mice, with a focus on the role of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) in regulating autophagic flux. Diabetic cardiomyopathy in mice was induced by streptozotocin (STZ). Long‐term resveratrol treatment improved cardiac function, ameliorated oxidative injury and reduced apoptosis in the diabetic mouse heart. Western blot analysis revealed that resveratrol decreased p62 protein expression and promoted SIRT1 activity and Rab7 expression. Inhibiting autophagic flux with bafilomycin A1 increased diabetic mouse mortality and attenuated resveratrol‐induced down‐regulation of p62, but not SIRT1 activity or Rab7 expression in diabetic mouse hearts. In cultured H9C2 cells, redundant or overactive H2O2 increased p62 and cleaved caspase 3 expression as well as acetylated forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) and inhibited SIRT1 expression. Sirtinol, SIRT1 and Rab7 siRNA impaired the resveratrol amelioration of dysfunctional autophagic flux and reduced apoptosis under oxidative conditions. Furthermore, resveratrol enhanced FOXO1 DNA binding at the Rab7 promoter region through a SIRT1‐dependent pathway. These results highlight the role of the SIRT1/FOXO1/Rab7 axis in the effect of resveratrol on autophagic flux in vivo and in vitro, which suggests a therapeutic strategy for diabetic cardiomyopathy.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The direct modification of azole skeletons enables access to drug‐like molecules. The development of a highly compatible reaction platform for this pursuit still remains challenging. Herein, we ...report the use of sulfite as the single electron transfer (SET) reducing agent for the activation of functionalized bromoalkanes, elemental sulfur, and imidazoliniums for the transition metal‐free and base‐free N‐alkylation and thioketonization of azoles. Excellent functional group tolerance and high synthetic efficiency proved particularly advantageous for the rapid assembly of a large array of pharmaceutically‐oriented azole thiones, many of which contain synthetically and biologically useful functional groups. The direct transformation of drug molecules (such as Ketoconazole, Econazole, and Fluconazole) into their corresponding azole thiones has also been successfully achieved. Reactions with selenium also proceeded smoothly under the optimized conditions. Successful gram‐scale reactions demonstrate the good applicability of this methodology.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The nonlinear junction capacitances of power devices are critical for the switching transient, which should be fully considered in the modeling and transient analysis, especially for high-frequency ...applications. The silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET combined with SiC Schottky Barrier Diode (SBD) is recognized as the proposed choice for high-power and high-frequency converters. However, in the existing SiC MOSFET models only the nonlinearity of gate-drain capacitance is considered meticulously, but the drain-source capacitance, which affects the switching commutation process significantly, is generally regarded as constant. In addition, the nonlinearity of diode junction capacitance is neglected in some simplified analysis. Experiments show that without full consideration of nonlinear junction capacitances, some significant deviations between simulated and measured results will emerge in the switching waveforms. In this paper, the nonlinear characteristics of drain-source capacitance in SiC MOSFET are studied in detail, and the simplified modeling methods for engineering applications are presented. On this basis, the SiC MOSFET model is improved and the simulation results with improved model correspond with the measured results much better than before, which verify the analysis and modeling.
To investigate the cancer types and risk factors of secondary primary malignancy (SPM) in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) in Taiwan.
Using National Health Insurance Research ...Dataset and catastrophic illness registry, we enrolled newly diagnosed UTUC patients from 2000 to 2013. Those without catastrophic illness registration were excluded from the study. The cancer types and hazard ratios (HRs) of subsequent SPMs were calculated according to the antecedent malignancy. We analyzed the risk factors for developing SPMs using multivariate Cox proportional hazard models.
A total of 9050 UTUC patients were registered and 2187 (24.2%) patients developed SPMs during the study period. As compared with primary UTUC, the relative risk ratios of SPM was 2.5 folds and 18% higher in those with antecedent non-UC malignancy and with bladder cancer history, respectively. Totally, 387 (37.8%) of 1022 UTUC patients with antecedent non-UC malignancy developed subsequent SPM after UTUC diagnosis. The antecedent and subsequent cancer types are similar and kidney cancer is most common, followed by hepatoma. Multivariate analysis showed that a history of antecedent non-UC malignancy is the most unfavorable factor for SPM development (HR, 2.50; 95% CI, 2.23–2.81), followed by liver disease, male gender, antecedent bladder cancer history, age ≥ 75 years, and chronic kidney disease.
Our study, conducted in Taiwan and involving 9050 UTUC patients, meticulously examined the types of SPM and the associated risk factors. Our research unearthed several pivotal discoveries: a preceding history of non-UC malignancies emerged as the single most influential factor contributing to the occurrence of subsequent cancers, followed by liver disease, male gender, antecedent bladder cancer history, age ≥75 years, and chronic kidney disease. Futhermore, kidney cancer emerged as the predominant subsequent malignancy, closely trailed by hepatoma..
•Our study, conducted in Taiwan and involving 9050 UTUC patients, meticulously examined the types of SPM and the associated risk factors. Our research unearthed a pivotal discovery: a preceding history of non-UC malignancies emerged as the single most influential factor contributing to the occurrence of subsequent cancers. Kidney cancer emerged as the predominant subsequent malignancy, closely trailed by hepatoma.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
In multiple receivers of resonant wireless power transfer, selective power flow among the loads is an important issue. This paper proposes a new method to control power division. The two-coil ...structure with different resonant frequencies of the sending and receiving loops is modeled and analyzed. The efficiency is proved to peak at the resonant frequency of the receiving loop, regardless of the resonant frequency of the sending loop. Using this feature, selective power transfer can be achieved by setting the receiving loops at different resonant frequencies. The efficiency of a particular load is greatly influenced by the driving frequency. The multiple-load system with different resonant frequencies is modeled and the efficiency expression of each load is deduced. The mutual inductances of the receiving coils have a small impact on the efficiency distribution. The closer the resonant frequencies of the receiving loops, the less isolated the related loads. The calculations and the experiments confirm the analysis.
Although bacterial small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) are known to play a critical role in various cellular processes, including pathogenesis, the identity and action of such sRNAs are still poorly ...understood in many organisms. Here we have performed a genome‐wide screen and functional analysis of the sRNAs in Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc), an important phytopathogen. The 50–500‐nt RNA fragments isolated from the wild‐type strain grown in a virulence gene‐inducing condition were sequenced and a total of 612 sRNA candidates (SRCs) were identified. The majority (82%) of the SRCs were derived from mRNA, rather than specific sRNA genes. A representative panel of 121 SRCs were analysed by northern blotting; 117 SRCs were detected, supporting the contention that the overwhelming majority of the 612 SRCs identified are indeed sRNAs. Phenotypic analysis of strains overexpressing different candidates showed that a particular sRNA, RsmU, acts as a negative regulator of virulence, the hypersensitive response, and cell motility in Xcc. In vitro electrophoretic mobility shift assay and in vivo coimmunoprecipitation analyses indicated that RsmU interacted with the global posttranscriptional regulator RsmA, although sequence analysis displayed that RsmU is not a member of the sRNAs families known to antagonize RsmA. Northern blotting analyses demonstrated that RsmU has two isoforms that are processed from the 3′‐untranslated region of the mRNA of XC1332 predicted to encode ComEA, a periplasmic protein required for DNA uptake in bacteria. This work uncovers an unexpected major sRNA biogenesis strategy in bacteria and a hidden layer of sRNA‐mediated virulence regulation in Xcc.
The RsmA‐sequestering noncoding RNA RsmU derived from the 3′‐UTR of XC1332 mRNA negatively regulates virulence, the hypersensitive response, and cell motility in Xanthomonas campestris.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Utilization of a proper metal–organic framework (MOF) template has recently attracted significant attention for the fabrication of high-performance supercapacitor electrodes; however, limited ...attention has been paid to the process of preparation of an excellent MOF template used to derive the anticipated electrode materials. Herein, a two-fold interpenetrating MOF with a microporous structure and multi-components, such as nickel, phosphorus, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon, in the final framework was successfully constructed. The pristine sample could be directly utilized as a supercapacitor electrode material, which exhibited the moderate electrochemical capacitance of 979.8 F g −1 at the current density of 1 A g −1 . Using the simple treatment of one-step pyrolysis under a nitrogen atmosphere at different annealing temperatures (500 °C, 600 °C, 700 °C, and 800 °C), rare hierarchical Ni/P/N/C composites, denoted as Ni/P/N/C-500, Ni/P/N/C-600, Ni/P/N/C-700, and Ni/P/N/C-800, were derived from the parent MOF. The anticipated multi-components Ni, P, N, and O were uniformly incorporated into the carbon materials, which resulted in an excellent synergistic effect to improve the electrochemical energy storage performance. The morphologies and components of these derivatives were characterized via SEM, XPS, and XRD, indicating the uniform distribution of different components in the hybrid structures. The maximum specific capacitance for the Ni/P/N/C-500 electrode reached 2887.87 F g −1 at the current density of 1 A g −1 , which was superior to that of other hierarchical composites and established a new benchmark in the related field. The combination of several advantages, such as high surface area, even distribution, and ultra-high content of Ni/P/N/C components, in these derivatives ensured their high-performance in energy storage. The presented results fully demonstrate the unique advantage of utilizing the pre-designed MOFs as a template to prepare hybrid materials used as potential electrode-active materials in supercapacitors and provide an efficient route to fabricate superior-performance energy-storage devices.
This study investigated the anti-obesity effect of a polysaccharide-rich red algae
hot-water extract (GHE) in high-fat (HF) diet-induced obese hamsters. GHE contained 68.54% water-soluble ...indigestible carbohydrate polymers. Hamsters were fed with a HF diet for 5 weeks to induce obesity, and then randomly divided into: HF group, HF with 3% guar gum diet group, HF with 3% GHE diet group, and HF with orlistat (200 mg/kg diet) group for 9 weeks. The increased weights of body, liver, and adipose in the HF group were significantly reversed by GHE supplementation. Lower plasma leptin, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 levels were observed in the GHE+HF group compared to the HF group. GHE also increased the lipolysis rate and decreased the lipoprotein lipase activity in adipose tissues. GHE induced an increase in the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and the protein expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and uncoupling protein (UCP)-2 in the livers. The decreased triglyceride and total cholesterol in the plasma and liver were also observed in obese hamsters fed a diet with GHE. These results suggest that GHE exerts a down-regulation effect on hepatic lipid metabolism through AMPK phosphorylation and up-regulation of PPARα and UCP-2 in HF-induced obese hamsters.
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