ALBERT

Description: Liquefaction of cornstalk in sub- and supercritical cyclohexane with a zeolite catalyst was performed in a stainless-steel reactor. The reaction system was divided into four lumps: gas, residue, water-soluble fraction (WSF), and ethanol-soluble fraction (ESF). The effects of the cyclohexane-to-cornstalk ratio, reaction temperature, reaction time, and zeolite amount on the lump yields were studied. The results show that reaction time and temperature had significant effects on the distribution of the products. The amounts of organic acids, acetic ester and aldehyde in the ESF obtained from cornstalk liquefaction with zeolite were higher than without zeolite. The distributions of the WSF changed with zeolite use. The main secondary reaction pathways of bio-oil generation are proposed. Part of the unstable WSF was converted into the ESF and gas. The ESF further formed a residue through condensation, cyclization and repolymerization in sub-/supercritical cyclohexane. GC/MS analysis showed that the WSF and the ESF comprised a mixture of organic compounds, which mainly included organic acids, aldehydes, ketones and phenolic compounds. Liquefaction of cornstalk in sub-/supercritical cyclohexane catalyzed by a zeolite was investigated. The reaction system was divided into the four lumps gas, water-soluble fraction, ethanol-soluble fraction, and residue. The effects of different reaction parameters on the lump yields were studied and the main secondary reaction pathways of bio-oil generation are proposed.

Description: Author(s): Q. L. Li, R. Wang, K. X. Xie, X. X. Li, C. Zheng, R. X. Cao, B. F. Miao, L. Sun, B. G. Wang, and H. F. Ding We present a theoretical study of the Kondo effect for a magnetic atom placed inside nanocorrals using Green's function calculations. Based on the standard mapping of the Anderson impurity model to a one-dimensional chain model, we formulate a weak-coupling theory to study the Anderson impurities in... [Phys. Rev. B 97, 155401] Published Mon Apr 02, 2018

Description: We propose an accurate approach, based on the precise integration method, to solve the aeroelastic system of an airfoil with a pitch hysteresis. A major procedure for achieving high precision is to design a predictor-corrector algorithm. This algorithm enables accurate determination of switching points resulting from the hysteresis. Numerical examples show that the results obtained by the presented method are in excellent agreement with exact solutions. In addition, the high accuracy can be maintained as the time step increases in a reasonable range. It is also found that the Runge-Kutta method may sometimes provide quite different and even fallacious results, though the step length is much less than that adopted in the presented method. With such high computational accuracy, the presented method could be applicable in dynamical systems with hysteresis nonlinearities.

Description: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to be critical biomarkers or therapeutic targets for human diseases. However, only a small number of lncRNAs were screened and characterized. Here, we identified 15 lncRNAs, which are associated with fatty liver disease. Among them, APOA 4-AS is shown to be a concordant regulator of Apolipoprotein A-IV (APOA4) expression. APOA4 -AS has a similar expression pattern with APOA4 gene. The expressions of APOA4 -AS and APOA4 are both abnormally elevated in the liver of ob/ob mice and patients with fatty liver disease. Knockdown of APOA4 -AS reduces APOA4 expression both in vitro and in vivo and leads to decreased levels of plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol in ob/ob mice. Mechanistically, APOA4 -AS directly interacts with mRNA stabilizing protein HuR and stabilizes APOA4 mRNA. Deletion of HuR dramatically reduces both APOA4 -AS and APOA4 transcripts. This study uncovers an anti-sense lncRNA ( APOA4 -AS), which is co-expressed with APOA4 , and concordantly and specifically regulates APOA4 expression both in vitro and in vivo with the involvement of HuR.

Description: Volvariella volvacea is an important crop in Southeast Asia, but erratic fruiting presents a serious challenge for its production and breeding. Efforts to explain inconsistent fruiting have been complicated by the multinucleate nature, typical lack of clamp connections, and an incompletely identified sexual reproductive system. In this study, we addressed the life cycle of V. volvacea using whole genome sequencing, cloning of MAT loci, karyotyping of spores, and fruiting assays. Microscopy analysis of spores had previously indicated the possible coexistence of heterothallic and homothallic life cycles. Our analysis of the MAT loci showed that only MAT-A , and not MAT-B , controlled heterokaryotization. Thus, the heterothallic life cycle was bipolar. Karyotyping of single spore isolates (SSIs) using molecular markers supported the existence of heterokaryotic spores. However, most SSIs were clearly not heterokaryotic, yet contained structural variation (SV) markers relating to both alleles of both parents. Heterokaryons from crossed, self-sterile homokaryons could produce fruiting bodies, agreeing with bipolar heterothallism. Meanwhile, some SSIs with two different MAT-A loci also produced fruiting bodies, which supported secondary homothallism. Next, SSIs that clearly contained only one MAT-A locus (homothallism) were also able to fruit, demonstrating that self-fertile SSIs were not, per definition, secondary homothallic, and that a third life cycle or genetic mechanism must exist. Finally, recombination between SV markers was normal, yet 10 out of 24 SV markers showed 1:2 or 1:3 distributions in the spores, and large numbers of SSIs contained doubled SV markers. This indicated selfish genes, and possibly partial aneuploidy.

Description: Telomere maintenance is essential for organisms with linear chromosomes and is carried out by telomerase during cell cycle. The precise mechanism by which cell cycle controls telomeric access of telomerase and telomere elongation in mammals remains largely unknown. Previous work has established oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide binding (OB) fold-containing telomeric protein TPP1, formerly...

Description: An ultrasonic enhanced salt-containing hydrodistillation (UESHD) method for separating essential oil from lavender ( Lavandula angustifolia ) flowers was investigated using response surface methodology (RSM). The experimental data obtained from a 27-run experiment were fitted to a second-order polynomial equation. The optimal conditions were determined by the 3D response surface and the contour plots derived from the models. The efficiency of UESHD and conventional hydrodistillation (HD) was compared. The extraction yield of UESHD was two-fold higher than that of HD. In addition, GC-MS results indicated some differences in composition and content between the two essential oils from UESHD and HD. An ultrasonic enhanced salt-containing hydro-distillation (UESHD) method was developed to separate lavender essential oil. The extraction yield of the oil was optimized by statistical software, the separation conditions by the Box-Behnken design. UESHD enabled a more than two-fold yield of essential oil than conventional hydrodistillation.

Description: The four-component intramembrane protease γ-secretase is intricately linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Despite recent structural advances, the transmembrane segments (TMs) of γ-secretase remain to be specifically assigned. Here we report a 3D structure of human γ-secretase at 4.32-Å resolution, determined by single-particle, electron cryomicroscopy in the presence of...

Description: Aims Within inflorescences of sexually reproducing hermaphrodites, the production of ovules, fruits and seeds commonly declines from basal (early-opening) to distal (late-opening) flowers, while pollen production remains constant or only changes slightly, with the result that distal (late-opening) flowers become functionally male. However, few empirical studies have specifically examined whether or not changes in allocation to pollen production actually lead to changes in the number of seeds sired, a more direct measure of male fitness. In pseudogamous apomicts, fitness depends on the number of seeds produced; thus, a contrasting pattern of variation in the pollen-to-ovule (P/O) ratio within inflorescences might be expected. Methods We investigated floral sex allocation and reproductive success within racemes of Hosta ventricosa , a pseudogamous apomictic hermaphrodite possessing flowers that open acropetally. We quantified variations in pollen number, ovule number, the P/O ratio and fruit and seed production, from 2007 to 2011, among flowers within racemes of four populations of H. ventricosa in southwest China. Ecological causes for fruit and seed production were evaluated by observing patterns of pollen deposition, flower removal and supplemental pollination. Important Findings Pollen number, ovule number and the P/O ratio declined from basal-to-distal positions in all sampled populations (years). Fruit and seed production decreased distally in most populations (years). Low fruit and seed set of distal flowers was not due to pollen limitation because pollen deposition never declined distally and the low fruit and seed set of distal flowers remained even after supplementary pollination was provided. The flower-removal experiment indicated that inter-fruit competition for resources among flowers was common. The low P/O ratio of distal flowers in H. ventricosa might be favored because they were unable to obtain fitness by donating pollen and siring seeds on other plants. Our study may help to understand the adaptive significance of sex allocation among flowers within inflorescences of sexually reproducing hermaphrodites.

Description: Tumor-suppressive function of long noncoding RNA MALAT1 in glioma cells by downregulation of MMP2 and inactivation of ERK/MAPK signaling Cell Death and Disease 7, e2123 (March 2016). doi:10.1038/cddis.2015.407 Authors: Y Han, Z Wu, T Wu, Y Huang, Z Cheng, X Li, T Sun, X Xie, Y Zhou & Z Du