Gladiolus hybridus is one of the most popular flowers worldwide. However, its corm dormancy characteristic largely limits its off‐season production. Long‐term cold treatment (LT), which increases ...sugar content and reduces abscisic acid (ABA), is an efficient approach to accelerate corm dormancy release (CDR). Here, we identified a GhbZIP30‐GhCCCH17 module that mediates the antagonism between sugars and ABA during CDR. We showed that sugars promoted CDR by reducing ABA levels in Gladiolus. Our data demonstrated that GhbZIP30 transcription factor directly binds the GhCCCH17 zinc finger promoter and activates its transcription, confirmed by yeast one‐hybrid, dual‐luciferase (Dual‐LUC), chromatin immunoprecipitation‐quantitative PCR (ChIP‐qPCR) and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). GhCCCH17 is a transcriptional activator, and its nuclear localisation is altered by surcose and cytokinin treatments. Both GhbZIP30 and GhCCCH17 positively respond to LT, sugars, and cytokinin treatments. Silencing GhbZIP30 or GhCCCH17 resulted in delayed CDR by regulating ABA metabolic genes, while their overexpression promoted CDR. Taken together, we propose that the GhbZIP30‐GhCCCH17 module is involved in cold‐ and glucose‐induced CDR by regulating ABA metabolic genes.
Brief Summary
Sugars are regarded as integrators of environmental and endogenous signals. However, the relationship between abscisic acid (ABA) and sugars in the process of geophyte dormancy release is still unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that glucose plays a positive role in CDR in Gladiolus by decreasing endogenous ABA. We propose a GhbZIP30‐GhCCCH17 module that mediates the antagonism between sugars and ABA during CDR by regulating ABA metabolic genes.
Significance Statement
During cold storage of Gladiolus cormels, endogenous glucose and sucrose levels increase, which repress endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) and contribute to corm dormancy release (CDR). During this process, GhbZIP30 directly binds the GhCCCH17 promoter and activates its transcription. The GhbZIP30‐GhCCCH17 module is involved in cold‐ and glucose‐induced CDR by regulating ABA metabolic genes.
COVID-19 is associated with 5.1% mortality. Although the virological, epidemiological, clinical, and management outcome features of COVID-19 patients have been defined rapidly, the inflammatory and ...immune profiles require definition as they influence pathogenesis and clinical expression of COVID-19. Here we show lymphopenia, selective loss of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells and NK cells, excessive T-cell activation and high expression of T-cell inhibitory molecules are more prominent in severe cases than in those with mild disease. CD8+ T cells in patients with severe disease express high levels of cytotoxic molecules. Histochemical studies of lung tissue from one fatality show sub-anatomical distributions of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and massive infiltration of T cells and macrophages. Thus, aberrant activation and dysregulation of CD8+ T cells occur in patients with severe COVID-19 disease, an effect that might be for pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection and indicate that immune-based targets for therapeutic interventions constitute a promising treatment for severe COVID-19 patients.
Hantzsch esters were often previously used as reductants in thermal catalytic hydrogenation reactions. Over the last few decades, Hantzsch esters have proven to be a useful class of electron donors ...and proton sources in photoredox catalyzed processes. Moreover, under photoredox catalytic conditions, alkyl-1,4-dihydropyridines can serve as versatile types of alkylation reagents
via
oxidative fragmentation mechanisms. This minireview highlights the recent advances in the chemistry of Hantzsch esters in photoredox catalyzed organic synthesis, with particular emphasis placed on reaction mechanisms. We hope that this review will inspire further new reaction design and developments with such a class of readily accessible reagents.
This minireview highlights the recent advances in the chemistry of Hantzsch esters in photoredox catalyzed organic synthesis, with particular emphasis placed on reaction mechanisms.
A room‐temperature, visible‐light‐driven N‐centered iminyl radical‐mediated and redox‐neutral C−C single bond cleavage/radical addition cascade reaction of oxime esters and unsaturated systems has ...been accomplished. The strategy tolerates a wide range of O‐acyl oximes and unsaturated systems, such as alkenes, silyl enol ethers, alkynes, and isonitrile, enabling highly selective formation of various chemical bonds. This method thus provides an efficient approach to various diversely substituted cyano‐containing alkenes, ketones, carbocycles, and heterocycles.
A visible‐light‐driven room‐temperature N‐centered iminyl radical‐mediated and redox‐neutral C−C single bond cleavage/radical addition cascade reaction of oxime esters and unsaturated systems has been accomplished. The strategy tolerates a wide range of O‐acyl oximes and alkenes, silyl enol ethers, alkynes, and isonitrile. This method allows access to various cyano‐containing alkenes, ketones, carbocycles, and heterocycles.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presents an unprecedented threat to global public health. Herein, we utilized a combination of targeted and untargeted tandem mass spectrometry to ...analyze the plasma lipidome and metabolome in mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19 patients and healthy controls. A panel of 10 plasma metabolites effectively distinguished COVID-19 patients from healthy controls (AUC = 0.975). Plasma lipidome of COVID-19 resembled that of monosialodihexosyl ganglioside (GM3)-enriched exosomes, with enhanced levels of sphingomyelins (SMs) and GM3s, and reduced diacylglycerols (DAGs). Systems evaluation of metabolic dysregulation in COVID-19 was performed using multiscale embedded differential correlation network analyses. Using exosomes isolated from the same cohort, we demonstrated that exosomes of COVID-19 patients with elevating disease severity were increasingly enriched in GM3s. Our work suggests that GM3-enriched exosomes may partake in pathological processes related to COVID-19 pathogenesis and presents the largest repository on the plasma lipidome and metabolome distinct to COVID-19.
Display omitted
•Quantitative lipidomic and metabolomic profiling of COVID-19 plasma•Plasma metabolite panel distinguished COVID-19 from healthy controls (AUC = 0.975)•Differential correlation analyses uncovered metabolic dysregulation in COVID-19•GM3-enriched exosomes are positively correlated with COVID-19 pathogenesis
Plasma metabolite panel effectively distinguished COVID-19 patients from healthy controls (AUC = 0.975). Plasma monosialodihexosyl gangliosides (GM3s) were negatively correlated with CD4+ T cell count in COVID-19 patients, and GM3-enriched exosomes were positively correlated with disease severity. These observations suggest that GM3-enriched exosomes may participate in pathological processes associated with COVID-19 progression.
Instead of using organic solvents, a deep eutectic solvent (DES) composed of tetrabutylammonium bromide and imidazole (Bu4NBr/Im) was employed as a solvent for the first time to synthesize covalent ...organic frameworks (COFs). Due to the low vapor pressure of the Bu4NBr/Im‐based DES, a new carboxyl‐functionalized COF (TpPa‐COOH) was synthesized under environmental pressure. The as‐synthesized TpPa‐COOH has open channels, and the DES can be removed completely from the pores. The dye adsorption performance of TpPa‐COOH was examined for three organic dyes with similar molecular sizes: one anionic dye (eosin B, EB) and two cationic dyes (methylene blue, MB and safranine T, ST). TpPa‐COOH showed an excellent selective adsorption effect on MB and ST. The electronegative keto form in TpPa‐COOH might help to form electrostatic and π–π interactions between the π‐stacking frameworks of TpPa‐COOH and the positive plane MB and ST molecules. The adsorption isotherms of MB and ST on TpPa‐COOH were further investigated in detail, and the equilibrium adsorption was well modeled by using a Langmuir isotherm model. Together with hydrogen bonding, TpPa‐COOH showed higher adsorption capacity for ST than for MB (1135 vs. 410 mg g−1). These results could provide a guidance for the green synthesis of adsorbents in removing organic dyes from wastewater.
Waste not: A deep eutectic solvent has been used as a green solvent for the first time to synthesize a new carboxyl‐functionalized covalent organic framework, TpPa‐COOH, under environmental pressure. The as‐synthesized TpPa‐COOH exhibited good crystallinity, with ordered, open channels. Significantly, its high adsorption capacity could be used to remove cationic organic dyes from wastewater.
Purpose
Microvascular invasion (MVI) is a valuable predictor of survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. This study developed predictive models using eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) ...and deep learning based on CT images to predict MVI preoperatively.
Methods
In total, 405 patients were included. A total of 7302 radiomic features and 17 radiological features were extracted by a radiomics feature extraction package and radiologists, respectively. We developed a XGBoost model based on radiomics features, radiological features and clinical variables and a three-dimensional convolutional neural network (3D-CNN) to predict MVI status. Next, we compared the efficacy of the two models.
Results
Of the 405 patients, 220 (54.3%) were MVI positive, and 185 (45.7%) were MVI negative. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) of the Radiomics-Radiological-Clinical (RRC) Model and 3D-CNN Model in the training set were 0.952 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.923–0.973) and 0.980 (95% CI 0.959–0.993), respectively (
p
= 0.14). The AUROCs of the RRC Model and 3D-CNN Model in the validation set were 0.887 (95% CI 0.797–0.947) and 0.906 (95% CI 0.821–0.960), respectively (
p
= 0.83). Based on the MVI status predicted by the RRC and 3D-CNN Models, the mean recurrence-free survival (RFS) was significantly better in the predicted MVI-negative group than that in the predicted MVI-positive group (RRC Model: 69.95 vs. 24.80 months,
p
< 0.001; 3D-CNN Model: 64.06 vs. 31.05 months,
p
= 0.027).
Conclusion
The RRC Model and 3D-CNN models showed considerable efficacy in identifying MVI preoperatively. These machine learning models may facilitate decision-making in HCC treatment but requires further validation.
Objective
To assess the efficacy of intensive acupuncture (3 times weekly for 8 weeks) versus sham acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis (OA).
Methods
In this multicenter, randomized, sham‐controlled ...trial, patients with knee OA were randomly assigned to receive electroacupuncture (EA), manual acupuncture (MA), or sham acupuncture (SA) 3 times weekly for 8 weeks. Participants, outcome assessors, and statisticians were blinded with regard to treatment group assignment. The primary outcome measure was response rate, which is the proportion of participants who simultaneously achieved minimal clinically important improvement in pain and function by week 8. The primary analysis was conducted using a Z test for proportions in the modified intent‐to‐treat population, which included all randomized participants who had ≥1 post‐baseline measurement.
Results
Of the 480 participants recruited in the trial, 442 were evaluated for efficacy. The response rates at week 8 were 60.3% (91 of 151), 58.6% (85 of 145), and 47.3% (69 of 146) in the EA, MA, and SA groups, respectively. The between‐group differences were 13.0% (97.5% confidence interval 97.5% CI 0.2%, 25.9%; P = 0.0234) for EA versus SA and 11.3% (97.5% CI −1.6%, 24.4%; P = 0.0507) for MA versus SA. The response rates in the EA and MA groups were both significantly higher than those in the SA group at weeks 16 and 26.
Conclusion
Among patients with knee OA, intensive EA resulted in less pain and better function at week 8, compared with SA, and these effects persisted though week 26. Intensive MA had no benefit for knee OA at week 8, although it showed benefits during follow‐up.
Kharasch–Sosnovsky reaction is one of the most powerful methods for allylic oxidation of alkenes. However, the inherent radical mechanism and use of peroxides as both oxidants and oxygen nucleophiles ...render dearth of universal catalytic systems for highly enantioselective variants and limited scope. Herein, an alternative to the asymmetric Kharasch–Sosnovsky reaction that utilized a chiral copper catalyst and purple‐LED irradiation to enable the three‐component coupling of 1,3‐dienes, oxime esters, and carboxylic acids is reported. This protocol features mild conditions, remarkable scope and functional group tolerance as evidenced by >80 examples and utility in the late‐stage modification of pharmaceuticals and natural products. Detailed mechanistic studies provide evidences for the radical‐based reaction pathway.
An alternative to the asymmetric Kharasch–Sosnovsky reaction that utilized a chiral copper catalyst and purple‐LED irradiation to enable the three‐component coupling of 1,3‐dienes, oxime esters, and carboxylic acids is reported. This protocol features mild conditions, remarkable scope and functional group tolerance as evidenced by >80 examples and utility in the late‐stage modification of pharmaceuticals and natural products.
Micro-expressions are brief facial movements characterized by short duration, involuntariness and low intensity. Recognition of spontaneous facial micro-expressions is a great challenge. In this ...paper, we propose a simple yet effective Main Directional Mean Optical-flow (MDMO) feature for micro-expression recognition. We apply a robust optical flow method on micro-expression video clips and partition the facial area into regions of interest (ROIs) based partially on action units. The MDMO is a ROI-based, normalized statistic feature that considers both local statistic motion information and its spatial location. One of the significant characteristics of MDMO is that its feature dimension is small. The length of a MDMO feature vector is 36 × 2 = 72, where 36 is the number of ROIs. Furthermore, to reduce the influence of noise due to head movements, we propose an optical-flow-driven method to align all frames of a micro-expression video clip. Finally, a SVM classifier with the proposed MDMO feature is adopted for micro-expression recognition. Experimental results on three spontaneous micro-expression databases, namely SMIC, CASME and CASME II, show that the MDMO can achieve better performance than two state-of-the-art baseline features, i.e., LBP-TOP and HOOF.