The unprecedented early spring frost that appears as a cold stress adversely affects growth and productivity in tea (
L.); therefore, it is indispensable to develop approaches to improve the cold ...tolerance of tea. Here, we investigated the effect of pretreatment with exogenous melatonin on the net photosynthetic rate, the maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII, chlorophyll content, lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, antioxidant potential, and redox homeostasis in leaves of tea plants following cold stress. Our results revealed that cold treatment induced oxidative stress by increasing ROS accumulation, which in turn affected the photosynthetic process in tea leaves. However, treatment with melatonin mitigated cold-induced reductions in photosynthetic capacity by reducing oxidative stress through enhanced antioxidant potential and redox homeostasis. This study provides strong evidence that melatonin could alleviate cold-induced adverse effects in tea plants.
Organisms must act in the face of sensory, motor, and reward uncertainty stemming from a pandemonium of stochasticity and missing information. In many tasks, organisms can make better decisions if ...they have at their disposal a representation of the uncertainty associated with task-relevant variables. We formalize this problem using Bayesian decision theory and review recent behavioral and neural evidence that the brain may use knowledge of uncertainty, confidence, and probability.
Hybrid supercapacitors generally show high power and long life spans but inferior energy densities, which are mainly caused by carbon negative electrodes with low specific capacitances. To improve ...the energy densities, the traditional methods include optimizing pore structures and modifying pseudocapacitive groups on the carbon materials. Here, another promising way is suggested, which has no adverse effects to the carbon materials, that is, constructing electron‐rich regions on the electrode surfaces for absorbing cations as much as possible. For this aim, a series of hierarchical porous carbon materials are produced by calcinating carbon dots–hydrogel composites, which have controllable surface states including electron‐rich regions. The optimal sample is employed as the negative electrode to fabricate hybrid supercapacitors, which show remarkable specific energy densities (up to 62.8–90.1 Wh kg−1) in different systems.
Robust carbon negative electrodes for hybrid supercapacitors are fabricated by a new promising method, that is, constructing electron‐rich regions on the electrode surfaces for absorbing cations as much as possible. Correspondingly, hierarchical porous carbon materials are produced by calcinating carbon dots–hydrogel composites, which have controllable surface states including electron‐rich regions.
An efficient palladium‐catalyzed Heck‐type reaction of fluoroalkyl halides, including perfluoroalkyl bromides, trifluoromethyl iodides, and difluoroalkyl bromides, has been developed. The reaction ...proceeds under mild reaction conditions with high efficiency and broad substrate scope, and provides a general and straightforward access to fluoroalkylated alkenes which are of interest in life and material sciences.
Simplicity is beauty: The title reaction features a broad substrate scope and excellent functional‐group compatibility. Mechanistic studies reveal that the free fluoroalkyl radicals initiated by Pd0Ln through a single‐electron transfer pathway is involved in the Heck‐type catalytic cycle.
An efficient and general method for the synthesis of difluoroalkylated phenanthridine derivatives through palladium-catalyzed reaction of difluoroalkyl bromides with isocyanides is described. The ...reaction can also be extended to perfluoroalkyl iodides. Mechanistic studies reveal that a difluoroalkyl radical via a single-electron-transfer pathway is involved in the reaction.
m6A modification is the most prevalent RNA modification in eukaryotes. As the critical N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) methyltransferase, the roles of methyltransferase like 3 (METTL3) in colorectal cancer ...(CRC) are controversial. Here, we confirmed that METTL3, a critical m6A methyltransferase, could facilitate CRC progression in vitro and in vivo. Further, we found METTL3 promoted CRC cell proliferation by methylating the m6A site in 3′‐untranslated region (UTR) of CCNE1 mRNA to stabilize it. Moreover, we found butyrate, a classical intestinal microbial metabolite, could down‐regulate the expression of METTL3 and related cyclin E1 to inhibit CRC development. METTL3 promotes CRC proliferation by stabilizing CCNE1 mRNA in an m6A‐dependent manner, representing a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of CRC.
Background Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is defined by itchy hives, angioedema, or both for at least 6 weeks. Omalizumab, an anti-IgE antibody that affects mast cell and basophil function, is a ...promising new treatment option. As of now, however, the efficacy and safety of different doses of omalizumab used in clinical trials for CSU have not been systematically analyzed and summarized. Objective We sought to assess the efficacy and safety of different doses of omalizumab for the treatment of CSU in a meta-analysis of clinical trial results. Methods Suitable trials were identified by searching PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Web of Science databases and with the help of omalizumab's manufacturers. Only double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled studies with omalizumab-treated versus placebo-treated patients with CSU were included in this analysis. Results We identified 7 randomized, placebo-controlled studies with 1312 patients with CSU. Patients treated with omalizumab (75-600 mg every 4 weeks) had significantly reduced weekly itch and weekly wheal scores compared with the placebo group. Omalizumab's effects were dose dependent, with the strongest reduction in weekly itch and weekly wheal scores observed with 300 mg. Rates of complete response were significantly higher in the omalizumab group (relative risk, 4.55; P < .00001) and dose dependent, with the highest rates in the 300-mg group. Rates of patients with adverse events were similar in the omalizumab and placebo groups. Conclusion This meta-analysis provides high-quality evidence for the efficacy and safety of omalizumab in patients with CSU and for treating these patients with 300 mg of omalizumab every 4 weeks.
While hundreds of consistently altered metabolic genes had been identified in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the prognostic role of them remains to be further elucidated. Messenger RNA expression ...profiles and clinicopathological data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas—Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma and GSE14520 data set from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Univariate Cox regression analysis and lasso Cox regression model established a novel four‐gene metabolic signature (including acetyl‐CoA acetyltransferase 1, glutamic‐oxaloacetic transaminase 2, phosphatidylserine synthase 2, and uridine‐cytidine kinase 2) for HCC prognosis prediction. Patients in the high‐risk group shown significantly poorer survival than patients in the low‐risk group. The signature was significantly correlated with other negative prognostic factors such as higher α‐fetoprotein. The signature was found to be an independent prognostic factor for HCC survival. Nomogram including the signature shown some clinical net benefit for overall survival prediction. Furthermore, gene set enrichment analyses revealed several significantly enriched pathways, which might help explain the underlying mechanisms. Our study identified a novel robust four‐gene metabolic signature for HCC prognosis prediction. The signature might reflect the dysregulated metabolic microenvironment and provided potential biomarkers for metabolic therapy and treatment response prediction in HCC.
We established and validated a novel four‐gene metabolic signature (including ACAT1, GOT2, PTDSS2, and UCK2) for HCC prognosis prediction. Patients in the high‐risk group shown significantly poorer survival than patients in the low‐risk group. The signature might reflect the dysregulated metabolic microenvironment and provided potential biomarkers for metabolic therapy and treatment response prediction in HCC.
Upon starvation, cells rewire their metabolism, switching from glucose-based metabolism to mitochondrial oxidation of fatty acids, which require the transfer of FAs from lipid droplets (LDs) to ...mitochondria at mitochondria-LD membrane contact sites (MCSs). However, factors responsible for FA transfer at these MCSs remain uncharacterized. Here, we demonstrate that vacuolar protein sorting-associated protein 13D (VPS13D), loss-of-function mutations of which cause spastic ataxia, coordinates FA trafficking in conjunction with the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) protein tumor susceptibility 101 (TSG101). The VPS13 adaptor-binding domain of VPS13D and TSG101 directly remodels LD membranes in a cooperative manner. The lipid transfer domain of human VPS13D binds glycerophospholipids and FAs in vitro. Depletion of VPS13D, TSG101, or ESCRT-III proteins inhibits FA trafficking from LDs to mitochondria. Our findings suggest that VPS13D mediates the ESCRT-dependent remodeling of LD membranes to facilitate FA transfer at mitochondria-LD contacts.
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