An extremely high degree of circularly polarized photoluminescence (CPPL) and electroluminescence (CPEL) (dissymmetry factor values: |gPL| = 0.72 and |gEL| = 1.13) are generated from twisted stacking ...of achiral conjugated polymer induced by nonemitting chiral dopant of high helical twisting power for the first time. Using a theoretical analysis incorporating the Stokes parameter, the twisting angle and birefringence of the aligned conjugated polymer, and the degree of linear polarization in the emitted light are found to make a roughly equal contribution to the degree of CPEL as to the degree of CPPL. Moreover, it is also found that the location of the recombination zone within the emitting layer is a crucial parameter for determining the difference in the dissymmetry factor between CPEL and CPPL. This result is applied to an organic light‐emitting display to improve the luminous efficiency by 60%.
Highly circularly polarized electroluminescence (|gEL| = 1.13) is generated from twisted stacking of achiral conjugated polymer induced by nonemitting chiral dopant of high helical twisting power. The location of the recombination zone is a crucial parameter for determining the degree of circular polarization. The result is applied to an organic light‐emitting display to improve the luminous efficiency by 60%.
The removal of nitrogen from coal tar pitch (CTP) through the hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) of CTP and its molecular behavior were evaluated in the presence of NiMo/γ-alumina and CoMo/γ-alumina ...catalysts. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure photoionization was used to analyze the complicated chemical classes and species of CTP and the treated products at the molecular level. Nitrogen species were qualitatively analyzed before and after hydrotreatment. A single-stage hydrotreatment with an HDN catalyst resulted in a high sulfur removal performance (85.6-94.7%) but a low nitrogen removal performance (26.8-29.2%). Based on relative abundance analyses of nitrogen and binary nitrogen species, C
H
-N
S
was the most challenging species to remove during HDN treatment. Furthermore, prior hydrodesulfurization was combined with HDN treatment, and the dual hydrotreatments yielded a significantly improved nitrogen removal performance (46.4-48.7%).
In many plant species, male-sterile female lines with cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) or nuclear-controlled environment-sensitive genic male sterility (EGMS) have long been used to efficiently ...produce hybrids that harness hybrid vigor or heterosis. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms for these applications have only recently been uncovered in a few species. We provide here an update on the understanding of cytoplasmic–nuclear communication based on the discovery of mitochondrial CMS genes and their corresponding nuclear fertility determinants. Recent findings that uncover diverse mechanisms such as epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional controls of EGMS by temperature and photoperiod signals are also reviewed. Furthermore, translational research that applies basic knowledge of plant male fertility control to hybrid seed production practice is highlighted.
CMS lines used for three-line hybrid system can only be recovered by a specific restorer of male fertility (Rf) gene.
CMS genes may be formed during evolution through gene duplication and multi-recombination, and the corresponding nuclear Rf genes appear to have undergone coevolution.
EGMS lines, mainly caused by nuclear gene mutations, have been developed for the two-line breeding system, particularly in rice.
Complex and diverse interactions between genetic control and environmental temperature and photoperiods may determine plant male fertility.
The identification and utilization of nuclear male-sterile genes in combination with new technologies have achieved successful male fertility control of crops.
Nanotechnology has become one of the most promising technologies applied in all areas of science. Metal nanoparticles produced by nanotechnology have received global attention due to their extensive ...applications in the biomedical and physiochemical fields. Recently, synthesizing metal nanoparticles using microorganisms and plants has been extensively studied and has been recognized as a green and efficient way for further exploiting microorganisms as convenient nanofactories. Here, we explore and detail the potential uses of various biological sources for nanoparticle synthesis and the application of those nanoparticles. Furthermore, we highlight recent milestones achieved for the biogenic synthesis of nanoparticles by controlling critical parameters, including the choice of biological source, incubation period, pH, and temperature.
ARPC2 is a subunit of the Arp2/3 complex, which is essential for lamellipodia, invadopodia and filopodia, and ARPC2 has been identified as a migrastatic target molecule. To identify ARPC2 inhibitors, ...we generated an ARPC2 knockout DLD‐1 human colon cancer cell line using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR‐associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system and explored gene signature‐based strategies, such as a connectivity map (CMap) using the gene expression profiling data of ARPC2 knockout and knockdown cells. From the CMap‐based drug discovery strategy, we identified pimozide (a clinically used antipsychotic drug) as a migrastatic drug and ARPC2 inhibitor. Pimozide inhibited the migration and invasion of various cancer cells. Through drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) analysis and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), it was confirmed that pimozide directly binds to ARPC2. Pimozide increased the lag phase of Arp2/3 complex‐dependent actin polymerization and inhibited the vinculin‐mediated recruitment of ARPC2 to focal adhesions in cancer cells. To validate the likely binding of pimozide to ARPC2, mutant cells, including ARPC2F225A, ARPC2F247A and ARPC2Y250F cells, were prepared using ARPC2 knockout cells prepared by gene‐editing technology. Pimozide strongly inhibited the migration of mutant cells because the mutated ARPC2 likely has a larger binding pocket than the wild‐type ARPC2. Therefore, pimozide is a potential ARPC2 inhibitor, and ARPC2 is a new molecular target. Taken together, the results of the present study provide new insights into the molecular mechanism and target that are responsible for the antitumor and antimetastatic activity of pimozide.
Pimozide is identified as a migrastatic drug and ARPC2 inhibitor from connectivity map‐based drug discovery strategy. Pimozide inhibits migration and invasion in various cancer cell lines, and suppresses metastasis in an in vivo antimetastatic assay. Through drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) analysis and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), it was confirmed that pimozide directly binds to ARPC2.
Inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) offer significant advantages to the biomedical field owing to their large surface area, controllable structures, diverse surface chemistry, and unique optical and ...physical properties. Researchers worldwide have shown that inorganic NPs and the released metal ions can act as therapeutic agents in targeted tissues or to cure various diseases without acute toxicity. In this progress report, the recent developments in inorganic NPs with different compositions directly used as therapeutics are discussed. First, the recent convergence of nanotechnology and biotechnology in biomedical applications as well as the unique functions, features, and advantages of inorganic NPs in biomedical applications are summarized. Thereafter, the biological effects of inorganic compositions in NPs which include balancing the intracellular redox environment, regulating the specific cellular signaling and cellular behaviors, and apoptosis are explained. In addition, the emerging therapeutic applications of inorganic NPs in various diseases are exemplified. Finally, the perspectives and challenges for overcoming the weaknesses of inorganic NPs as therapeutics are discussed. By carefully considering and investigating the biological effects of inorganic NPs and metal ions released from NPs, more promising inorganic NPs based therapeutic agents can be developed.
This progress report discusses the recent developments of the therapeutic effects and application of inorganic nanoparticles. The nanoparticles or released ions can be used to enhance the therapeutic effects of certain treatment strategies, regulate the reactive oxygen species levels, and interfere with specific cellular signaling pathways and behaviors, which benefit both cancer treatment and recovery from other diseases.
Philip Morris International introduced 'IQOS' to the Korean market in June 2017. To monitor the use of IQOS among young Korean adults, we identified their awareness, experience and current use of ...IQOS.
Three months after the introduction of IQOS in Korea, we conducted an online survey with 228 general young adults, aged 19-24 years.
87 participants (38.1%) were aware of IQOS, 13 (5.7%) were IQOS ever users and 8 (3.5%) were current IQOS users. All the current IQOS users were triple users of conventional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). There were no IQOS-only users and one IQOS ever user was a non-cigarette smoker. Among the eight current IQOS users who smoked 9.1 conventional cigarettes a day on average, four smoked 10-20 HEETS sticks a day. The current IQOS users decided to use IQOS because they believed it was less harmful or to stop smoking. The current conventional cigarette smokers were much more likely to be aware of IQOS (OR 4.496; 95% CI 2.185 to 9.250) and to be IQOS ever users (OR 11.649; 95% CI 1.024 to 132.564).
Awareness, experience and use of IQOS among young Korean adults were relatively higher than among their Japanese counterparts. Current IQOS users were more likely to smoke conventional cigarettes and/or e-cigarettes, which contradicts the tobacco industry's claims that conventional cigarette smokers will switch to heated tobacco products. Until obtaining robust evidence concerning heated tobacco products, the government should regulate the tobacco industry's marketing tactics and health claims.
In this study, we evaluate the intensity of the Central‐Pacific (CP) and Eastern‐Pacific (EP) types of El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) simulated in the pre‐industrial, historical, and the ...Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 experiments of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). Compared to the CMIP3 models, the pre‐industrial simulations of the CMIP5 models are found to (1) better simulate the observed spatial patterns of the two types of ENSO and (2) have a significantly smaller inter‐model diversity in ENSO intensities. The decrease in the CMIP5 model discrepancies is particularly obvious in the simulation of the EP ENSO intensity, although it is still more difficult for the models to reproduce the observed EP ENSO intensity than the observed CP ENSO intensity. Ensemble means of the CMIP5 models indicate that the intensity of the CP ENSO increases steadily from the pre‐industrial to the historical and the RCP4.5 simulations, but the intensity of the EP ENSO increases from the pre‐industrial to the historical simulations and then decreases in the RCP4.5 projections. The CP‐to‐EP ENSO intensity ratio, as a result, is almost the same in the pre‐industrial and historical simulations but increases in the RCP4.5 simulation.
Key Points
Smaller inter‐model diversity of ENSO intensities in CMIP5 than in CMIP3
Decrease in the diversity is particularly significant for the simulated EP ENSO
Different response of EP and CP ENSO to global warming
Kubernetes, an open-source container orchestration platform, enables high availability and scalability through diverse autoscaling mechanisms such as Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA), Vertical Pod ...Autoscaler and Cluster Autoscaler. Amongst them, HPA helps provide seamless service by dynamically scaling up and down the number of resource units, called pods, without having to restart the whole system. Kubernetes monitors default Resource Metrics including CPU and memory usage of host machines and their pods. On the other hand, Custom Metrics, provided by external software such as Prometheus, are customizable to monitor a wide collection of metrics. In this paper, we investigate HPA through diverse experiments to provide critical knowledge on its operational behaviors. We also discuss the essential difference between Kubernetes Resource Metrics (KRM) and Prometheus Custom Metrics (PCM) and how they affect HPA’s performance. Lastly, we provide deeper insights and lessons on how to optimize the performance of HPA for researchers, developers, and system administrators working with Kubernetes in the future.
The pollen wall is a specialized extracellular cell wall matrix that surrounds male gametophytes and plays an essential role in plant reproduction. Uncovering the mechanisms that control the ...synthesis and polymerization of the precursors of pollen wall components has been a major research focus in plant biology. We review current knowledge on the genetic and biochemical mechanisms underlying pollen wall development in eudicot model Arabidopsis thaliana and monocot model rice (Oryza sativa), focusing on the genes involved in the biosynthesis, transport, and assembly of various precursors of pollen wall components. The conserved and divergent aspects of the genes involved as well as their regulation are addressed. Current challenges and future perspectives are also highlighted.
Pollen wall development exhibits conserved and diversified features.
Genes associated with pollen wall development are coordinately regulated.
The synthesis of exine and anther cutin may share common pathways in rice.
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