The previous study indicated that ubiquitination is involved in the freezing tolerance of hydrated seeds. Parthenolide (PN), inducing the ubiquitination of MDM2, an E3 ring-finger ubiquitin ligase, adversely affects the freezing tolerance of hydrated lettuce seeds. Therefore, a proteomics analysis was conducted to identify PN's targets in hydrated seeds exposed to cooling conditions. Several pathways, including oxidative phosphorylation (KEGG00190), amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism (KEGG00520), and biosynthesis of nucleotide sugars (KEGG01250), were enriched in the PN treatment under slow-cooling conditions (3°C h−1, P < 0.05). Among the proteins in oxidative phosphorylation, the expression of NADH dehydrogenases and ATP synthases (ATPsyn) decreased in PN treatment. In contrast, uncoupling proteins increased after PN treatment, which led to the dissociation of the electron transport chain from ATP synthesis. Treatments with rotenone, dicoumarol, and oligomycin (i.e., oxidative phosphorylation inhibitors) decreased the survival rate of hydrated seeds under freezing conditions, which indicated that energy metabolism was related to the freezing tolerance of hydrated seeds. The predicted interactions between PN and MDM2-like proteins of Lactuca indicated that LsMDM2-5 forms two potential hydrogen bonds with PN. Furthermore, based on AlphaFold predictions and yeast 2-hybrid results, MDM2-5 might interact directly with NADH2. The knockdown of MDM2-5 by RNAi caused a higher level of NADH2 and ATPsyn and a higher freezing tolerance of hydrated seeds. This indicated that MDM2 played negative roles in regulating ATP synthesis and freezing tolerance of hydrated seeds.

Vermiculite is a common layered silicate clay mineral which has good adsorption and ion-exchange properties, and which is used to remove pollutants from groundwater. The adsorption by vermiculite from Heibei Province, China, of low-concentration ammonium in water was assessed here to evaluate the effects of adsorption time, particle size, adsorbent dose, pH, and temperature. Using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, the concentration of NH4+ at 1430 cm−1 was evaluated after ammonium was adsorbed by vermiculite. Based on Langmuir-model analysis, the adsorption capacity of the Chinese vermiculite (in the particle-size range 0.025–0.075 mm) for ammonium was 18 mg/g after 3 h of equilibration. Optimal adsorption occurred at pH 6–7 and 60°C, which is different from that at high ammonium concentrations. Smaller particle-size fractions showed greater degrees of adsorption. Increase in Mg2+, K+, or Na+ concentrations influenced ammonium adsorption and, therefore, indicated that cation exchange was the mechanism for ammonium uptake from low-concentration solutions.

In this paper, we study the quadratic perturbations of a one-parameter family of reversible quadratic systems whose first integral contains the logarithmic function. By the criterion function for determining the lowest upper bound of the number of zeros of Abelian integrals, we obtain that the cyclicity of either period annulus is two. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first result for the cyclicity of period annulus of the one-parameter family of reversible quadratic systems whose first integral contains the logarithmic function. Moreover, the simultaneous bifurcation and distribution of limit cycles from two-period annuli are considered.

This study examined how language knowledge and item properties (i.e., semantic relatedness and position) influenced Chinese missing logographeme effects. Eighty-four Chinese readers and 53 English readers were asked to search for the Chinese logographeme 口 while reading a Chinese prose passage. The target 口 appeared in five different positions (i.e., left, right, top, bottom, or inside), varying its degree of semantic relatedness to its embedded characters. The generalized linear mixed-effect model revealed a significant interaction between semantic relatedness and position in Chinese, but not in English, readers when visual complexity and frequency were controlled. For Chinese readers, a higher omission rate occurred when 口 appeared in the top and inside positions and exhibited low semantic relatedness with its embedded characters, whereas 口 was omitted more when it was positioned on the right and exhibited high semantic relatedness to its embedded characters. English readers exhibited a different omission pattern: 口 was omitted more when it appeared in the left or right position irrespective of semantic relatedness. In addition, 口 was omitted more in the inside, rather than the bottom, position. These findings suggest that the omission rate of the logographeme is determined by item properties at the sublexical level and the reader’s language knowledge.

Evidence on the association between maternal Hb concentration and preterm birth (PTB) risk is inconclusive. This paper aimed to explore whether women with anaemia or high Hb level before pregnancy would be at higher risk of PTB. We conducted a population-based cohort study with 2 722 274 women aged 20–49 years, who participated in National Free Pre-Pregnancy Checkups Project between 2013 and 2015 and delivered a singleton before 2016 in rural China. Logistic models were used to estimate OR and 95 % CI after adjusting for confounding variables. Restricted cubic spline models were applied to evaluate the dose–response relationships. A total of 192 819 (7·08 %) women had preterm deliveries. Compared with women with Hb of 110–149 g/l, the multivariable-adjusted OR for PTB was 1·19 (95 % CI 0·98, 1·44) for women with Hb<70 g/l, 1·01 (95 % CI 0·97, 1·03) for 70–99 g/l, 0·96 (95 % CI 0·95, 0·98) for 100–109 g/l, 1·04 (95 % CI 1·01, 1·06) for 150–159 g/l, 1·11 (95 % CI 1·05, 1·17) for 160–169 g/l and 1·19 (95 % CI 1·11, 1·27) for ≥170 g/l, respectively. The multivariable-adjusted OR for very PTB (VPTB) was 1·07 (95 % CI 1·03, 1·12) and 1·06 (95 % CI 1·01, 1·12) for women with Hb <110 and ≥150 g/l, compared with those with Hb of 110–149 g/l, respectively. Our study identified a U-shaped relationship between maternal preconception Hb concentration and PTB risk. Both preconception anaemia and high Hb level can significantly increase VPTB risk. Appropriate intervention for women with abnormal Hb levels before pregnancy is very necessary.

As an important member of semiconducting transition metal oxides, MoO2 nanomaterials have many advantages in optical and electrical applications. However, MoO2 itself has no significant photocatalytic performance possibly because of its inferior conductivity and strong recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Here, we propose a facile, one-step pyrolysis method to prepare a novel C fibers@MoO2 nanoparticles core–shell composite, where the oxidative MoO2 nanoparticles in situ grew on the surface of conducting C fibers. Due to the compositing of MoO2 and C fibers, during photocatalysis tests, the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs was effectively inhibited, and the lifetime of the photogenerated carries was efficiently prolonged, finally significantly improving the solar-driven photocatalytic activity on degrading various organic and inorganic pollutants in water, such as methylene blue, rhodamine B, phenol, and potassium dichromate, showing the great potential for environmental remediation by degrading toxic industrial chemicals in waste water under sunlight. Moreover, the composite presented good stability in composition and structure during the repeated use and long-term storage. In addition, this one-step growth method is an easy-to-handle, environmentally friendly, and low-cost synthesis method for large-scale production.

We integrate previous work on the Hegenshan–Heihe suture with our interpretation of geomagnetic anomaly and seismic reflection data to investigate the role of the Hegenshan–Heihe suture in the evolution of late Mesozoic extensional structures in the Wunite depression of the Erlian Basin. Sags in the Wunite depression present as NE50° trending in the western sector, N0°–NE30° trending in the central sector and NE45° trending in the eastern sector. Our results highlight the importance of the pre-existing Hegenshan–Heihe suture in the evolution of the late Mesozoic rift system and reveal the following details. (1) The NE50° extent sags in the western sector are controlled by the c. NE50°-trending suture. Moreover, the extensional deformation of the reactivated suture during Early Cretaceous time resulted in a further vertical and horizontal extension of major border faults. (2) The N0°–NE30° extent sags in the central sector are influenced by the c. NE75°-trending suture. The sinistral strike-slip component of the reactivated suture during Early Cretaceous time resulted in a strike rotation of major border faults from NEE-trending (following the suture) to NNE-trending. (3) Because of strike-slip deformation, which resulted from the deformation of the reactivated suture accrued in major border faults, light dip-slip deformation led to less vertical offset. (4) The NE45°-trending sags in the eastern sector are controlled by the c. NE45°-trending suture. Moreover, the extensional deformation of the reactivated suture during Early Cretaceous time facilitated a further vertical and horizontal prolongation of major border faults.

With increasing output of petroleum coke, the value-added exploitation of petroleum coke has become a tough problem. Preparing porous carbons is a traditional way to the value-added exploitation of petroleum coke. Here, we used a facile and efficient hard-templating strategy to synthesize mesoporous carbon with high surface area from petroleum coke. N2 adsorption analyses show that the BET specific area and pore volume of the carbons can reach up to 864 m2/g and 1.37 cm3/g, respectively. To utilize the abundant mesopores of the carbons, anthraquinone-modified mesoporous carbon was tested as an electrode material for supercapacitor applications. Electrochemical measurements demonstrated that the specific capacitance reached up to 366 F/g at the current density of 1 A/g, indicating a promising prospect of using this carbon in electrochemical energy-storage field. More importantly, the strategy used in this work can be easily modified to prepare other nano-carbon materials from petroleum coke.

In this paper, we first discuss the well-posedness of linearizing equations, and then study the stability and unstability of the 3-D compressible Euler Equation, by analysing the existence of saddle point. In addition, we give the existence of local solutions of the compressible Euler equation.

A new low sintering temperature microwave dielectric ceramic, Li2ZnTi3O8, was investigated. X-ray diffraction data show that Li2ZnTi3O8 has a cubic structure [P4332(212)] with lattice parameters a = 8.37506 Å, V = 587.44 Å3, and Z = 4 when the sintering temperature is 1050 °C. The Li2ZnTi3O8 ceramic exhibits good microwave dielectric properties with εr about 26.2, Q×f value about 62,000 GHz, and τf about −15 ppm/°C. The addition of BaCu(B2O5) can effectively lower the sintering temperature from 1050 to 900 °C without degrading the microwave dielectric properties. Compatibility with Ag electrode indicates this material can be applied to low temperature cofired ceramic devices.