Coseismic Deformation Field and Fault Slip Distribution Inversion of the 2020 Jiashi Ms 6.4 Earthquake: Considering the Atmospheric Effect with Sentinel-1 Data Interferometry.

Due to some limitations associated with the atmospheric residual phase in Sentinel-1 data interferometry during the Jiashi earthquake, the detailed spatial distribution of the line-of-sight (LOS) surface deformation field is still not fully understood. This study, therefore, proposes an inversion method of coseismic deformation field and fault slip distribution, taking atmospheric effect into account to address this issue. First, an improved inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation tropospheric decomposition model is utilised to accurately estimate the turbulence component in tropospheric delay. Using the joint constraints of the corrected deformation fields, the geometric parameters of the seismogenic fault and the distribution of coseismic slip are then inverted. The findings show that the coseismic deformation field (long axis strike was nearly east-west) was distributed along the Kalpingtag fault and the Ozgertaou fault, and the earthquake was found to occur in the low dip thrust nappe structural belt at the subduction interface of the block. Correspondingly, the slip model further revealed that the slips were concentrated at depths between 10 and 20 km, with a maximum slip of 0.34 m. Accordingly, the seismic magnitude of the earthquake was estimated to be Ms 6.06. Considering the geological structure in the earthquake region and the fault source parameters, we infer that the Kepingtag reverse fault is responsible for the earthquake, and the improved IDW interpolation tropospheric decomposition model can perform atmospheric correction more effectively, which is also beneficial for the source parameter inversion of the Jiashi earthquake.

Retinal Vascular Geometry in Hypertension: cSLO-Based Method.

INTRODUCTION: We aim to introduce a method using confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (cSLO) images for measuring retinal vascular geometry, including vessel branch angle (BA), vessel diameter, vessel tortuosity, and fractal dimension (Df), and to elucidate the relationship between hypertension and these metrics. METHODS: A total of 119 participants (119 eyes) were enrolled, among which 72 were normotensive and 47 were hypertensive. Infrared cSLO images were extracted from the circular scan around the optics disc using a commercial cSLO + optical coherence tomography instrument. Preprocessed cSLO images were further analyzed using the appropriate tool/macro/plugin of ImageJ. RESULTS: Intraclass correlation coefficients of selected methods used for conducting the cSLO-based geometric analyses were all higher than 0.80. Arterial/arteriolar BA, arteriolar vessel diameter, and total Df in normotensive subjects were 85.80 ± 7.79°, 116.80 ± 12.58 µm, and 1.430 ± 0.037, respectively, significantly higher than those of hypertensive subjects (82.13 ± 10.83°, 108.2 ± 11.12 µm, and 1.361 ± 0.044, all P < 0.05). The aforementioned metrics remained negatively correlated with hypertension even after adjusting for age alone or age and gender (P < 0.05). However, the difference between arteriolar tortuosity and all studied venous/venular geometric parameters in both subjects was insignificant (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Proposed cSLO-based methods for assessing various vascular geometric parameters were highly repeatable and reproducible. Arterial/arteriolar BA, arteriolar vessel diameter, and total Df were retinal vascular parameters significantly correlated with hypertension in a negative manner.

Divergence in the Aquilegia ecalcarata complex is correlated with geography and climate oscillations: Evidence from plastid genome data.

Quaternary climate oscillations and geographical heterogeneity play important roles in determining species and genetic diversity distribution patterns, but how these factors affect the migration and differentiation of East Asian plants species at the population level remains poorly understood. The Aquilegia ecalcarata complex, a group that originated in the Late Tertiary and is widely distributed throughout East Asia, displays high genetic variation that is suitable for studying elaborate phylogeographic patterns and demographic history related to the impact of Quaternary climate and geography. We used plastid genome data from 322 individuals in 60 populations of the A. ecalcarata complex to thoroughly explore the impact of Quaternary climate oscillations and geography on the phylogeographic patterns and demographic history of the A. ecalcarata complex through a series of phylogenetic, divergence time estimation, and demographic history analyses. The dry, cold climate and frequent climate oscillations that occurred during the early Pleistocene and the Mid-Pleistocene transition led to the differentiation of the A. ecalcarata complex, which was isolated in various areas. Geographically, the A. ecalcarata complex can be divided into Eastern and Western Clades and five subclades, which conform to the divergence of the East Asian flora. Our results clearly show the impact of Quaternary climate and geography on evolutionary history at the population level. These findings promote the understanding of the relationship between plant genetic differentiation and climate and geographical factors of East Asia at the population level.

Evaluation of the Biodegradation Efficiency of Four Various Types of Plastics by Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated from the Gut Extract of Superworms.

Plastic waste worldwide is becoming a serious pollution problem for the planet. Various physical and chemical methods have been tested in attempts to remove plastic dumps. However, these have usually resulted in secondary pollution issues. Recently, the biodegradation of plastic by fungal and bacterial strains has been spotlighted as a promising solution to remove plastic wastes without generating secondary pollution. We have previously reported that a Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain isolated from the gut of a superworm is capable of biodegrading polystyrene (PS) and polyphenylene sulfide (PPS). Herein, we demonstrate the extraordinary biodegradative power of P. aeruginosa in efficiently depolymerizing four different types of plastics: PS, PPS, polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). We further compared biodegradation rates for these four plastic types and found that PE was biodegraded fastest, whereas the biodegradation of PP was the slowest. Moreover, the growth rates of P. aeruginosa were not always proportional to biodegradation rates, suggesting that the rate of bacterial growth could be influenced by the composition and properties of intermediate molecules produced during plastic biodegradation, and these may supply useful cellular precursors and energy. In conclusion, an initial screening system to select the most suitable bacterial strain to biodegrade certain types of plastic is particularly important and may be necessary to solve plastic waste problems both presently and in the future.

Biodegradation of Polystyrene by Pseudomonas sp. Isolated from the Gut of Superworms (Larvae of Zophobas atratus).

Recently, various attempts have been made to solve plastic waste problems, such as development of biodegradation without producing pollution. Polystyrene (PS) is the fifth most used plastic in many industries; therefore, degrading PS becomes a critical global issue. Here, we reported Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain DSM 50071, initially isolated from the gut of the superworms, Zophobas atratus, and the PS degradation by Pseudomonas sp. DSM 50071. We examined PS degradation using electronic microscopy and measured changes in atomic composition and contact angles with water droplets on the PS surface that represents a chemical change from hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity. We have further examined chemical structural changes using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier-transform-infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to confirm the formation of carbonyl groups (C═O) in the oxidation pathway during PS biodegradation. In reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, the gene expression level of serine hydrolase (SH) in Pseudomonas sp. DSM 50071 was highly increased during PS degradation, and the enzyme-mediated biodegradation of PS was further confirmed by the SH inhibitor treatment test. Thus, the significance of these findings goes beyond the discovery of a novel function of Pseudomonas sp. DSM 50071 in the gut of superworms, highlighting a potential solution for PS biodegradation.

LncRNA-mediated ceRNA network was identified as a crucial determinant of differential effects in periodontitis and periimplantitis by high-throughput sequencing.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Although periimplantitis and periodontitis share similar features, particularly clinical features, they are two different diseases and should be analyzed separately. Thus far, few omics-level differences in periimplantitis and periodontitis have been reported. This study was aimed at exploring the differential effects of expression mRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs in periodontitis and periimplantitis by high-throughput sequencing and competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) analysis. METHODS: Gingival tissues of healthy individuals (HI) and periimplantitis (PI) and periodontitis (P) patients were collected and used for genome-wide sequencing. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened and visualized by R software. The functions and pathways of DEGs were analyzed using Metascape, and the ceRNA network was constructed using the Cytoscape software. Finally, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to predict the function of key nodes in ceRNA. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: By constructing the regulated ceRNA network, six genes (FAM126B, SORL1, PRLR, CPEB2, RAP2C, and YOD1) and 16 miRNAs (hsa-miR-338-5p, hsa-miR-650, hsa-miR-9-5p, hsa-miR-1290, hsa-miR-544a, hsa-miR-3179, hsa-miR-1269a, hsa-miR-3679-5p, hsa-miR-149-5p, hsa-miR-615-3p, hsa-miR-33b-5p, hsa-miR-31-5p, hsa-miR-4639-5p, hsa-miR-204-5p, hsa-miR-5588-5p, and hsa-mir-196a-5p) were detected. Five long non-coding RNAs (lnc-CORO2B-1, lnc-MBL2-7, lnc-TRIM45-1, lnc-CHST10-2, and lnc-TNP1-6) were found to target these miRNAs in this ceRNA network. The ceRNA network based on transcriptome data revealed that FAM126B, SORL1, PRLR, CPEB2, RAP2C, and YOD1 were crucial proteins of differential effects in periodontitis and periimplantitis. The lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction involved the regulation of the Hippo signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, NOD signaling pathway, oxidative stress, and innate immune process. These regulated pathways and biological processes may be factors contributing to the pathogenesis of periimplantitis being distinct from that of periodontitis.

Rapid biodegradation of polyphenylene sulfide plastic beads by Pseudomonas sp.

Pseudomonas sp. isolated from soil, are bioremediating microorganisms that are capable of degrading various types of plastics. Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) has the most excellent structural stability among general plastics and thus is extremely difficult to break down using physical or chemical methods. This study demonstrates the efficient biodegradation of PPS by Pseudomonas sp., which exists in the gut of superworms. Compared with the conventional film-type of plastic, the degradation efficiencies to the bead form of plastic were significantly improved and thus the biodegradation time was dramatically shortened. Therefore, instead of film-type plastics, we used 300 µm diameter plastic beads for the measurement of Pseudomonas sp.-mediated biodegradation of PPS during a 10-day period. This method not only can be used for comparison and verification of the biodegradation efficiency of different types of plastics within a short reaction time of 10 days, but also provides the possibility to develop a new and more efficient screening system to rapidly identify the most efficient species of bacteria for the biodegradation of various types of plastics.

Cytoplasmic Restriction of Mutated SOD1 Impairs the DNA Repair Process in Spinal Cord Neurons.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) caused by mutation of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), affects various cellular processes and results in the death of motor neurons with fatal defects. Currently, several neurological disorders associated with DNA damage are known to directly induce neurodegenerative diseases. In this research, we found that cytoplasmic restriction of SOD1G93A, which inhibited the nucleic translocation of SOD1WT, was directly related to increasing DNA damage in SOD1- mutated ALS disease. Our study showed that nucleic transport of DNA repair- processing proteins, such as p53, APEX1, HDAC1, and ALS- linked FUS were interfered with under increased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the presence of SOD1G93A. During aging, the unsuccessful recognition and repair process of damaged DNA, due to the mislocalized DNA repair proteins might be closely associated with the enhanced susceptibility of DNA damage in SOD1- mutated neurons. In addition, the co-expression of protein disulphide isomerase (PDI) directly interacting with SOD1 protein in neurons enhances the nucleic transport of cytoplasmic- restricted SOD1G93A. Therefore, our results showed that enhanced DNA damage by SOD1 mutation-induced ALS disease and further suggested that PDI could be a strong candidate molecule to protect neuronal apoptosis by reducing DNA damage in ALS disease.

Direct interaction of DNMT inhibitors to PrPC suppresses pathogenic process of prion.

The conversion of the normal cellular prion protein (PrPC) to the misfolded pathogenic scrapie prion protein (PrPSc) is the biochemical hallmark of prion replication. So far, various chemical compounds that inhibit this conformational conversion have been identified. Here, we report the novel anti-prion activity of SGI-1027 and its meta/meta analogue (M/M), previously known only as potent inhibitors of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs). These compounds effectively decreased the level of PrPSc in cultured cells with permanent prion infection, without affecting PrPC at the transcriptional or translational levels. Furthermore, SGI-1027 prevented effective prion infection of the cells. In a PrP aggregation assay, both SGI-1027 and M/M blocked the formation of misfolded PrP aggregates, implying that binding of these compounds hinders the PrP conversion process. A series of binding and docking analyses demonstrated that both SGI-1027 and M/M directly interacted with the C-terminal globular domain of PrPC, but only SGI-1027 bound to a specific region of PrPC with high affinity, which correlates with its potent anti-prion efficacy. Therefore, we report SGI-1027 and related compounds as a novel class of potential anti-prion agents that preferentially function through direct interaction with PrPC.

Correction: Different Effects of Hypoxia on Mental Rotation of Normal and Mirrored Letters: Evidence from the Rotation-Related Negativity.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154479.].

Effects of Tibetan turnip (Brassica rapa L.) on promoting hypoxia-tolerance in healthy humans.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Tibetan turnip (Brassica rapa L.), widely distributed in Tibet region, is an edible and medical plant with effects of "tonic and anti-hypoxia" "heat-clearing and detoxification" and "alleviating fatigue" according to traditional Tibetan medical books. AIM OF THE STUDY: This research systematically studied the effects of Tibetan turnip on promoting hypoxia-tolerance in humans and the mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 7-d, self-control and single-blind human feeding trial was conducted among 27 healthy subjects with 8 males and 10 females in feeding group fed with 7.5g turnip powder 2 times daily while 4 males and 5 females in control group fed with 7.5g radish powder twice a day. Subjects were required to undergo a hypoxia tolerance test (7.1% O2) and a cardiopulmonary function evaluation (Bruce treadmill protocol) before (1st day) and after (9th day) the trial. Simultaneously, the anti-oxidative activities (SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, MDA), routine and biochemical analyses of blood samples were evaluated. RESULTS: The females' SpO2 increased significantly by 6.4% at the end of the hypoxia tolerance test after taking turnips (p<0.05), and the hypoxia symptoms in most of the subjects were alleviated as well. The anaerobic threshold, peak O2 pulse and peak VO2/kg were significantly improved after 7-d turnip consumption during the Bruce treadmill test (p<0.05). As for the blood analysis, anti-oxidative activities were boosted effectively after the 7-d treatments. Moreover, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) in the males of feeding group increased significantly (p<0.05). However, little changes of all variables were observed in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of Tibetan turnips for 7 days likely contributed to the hypoxia tolerance in healthy humans, which could be due to its abilities of improving oxygen uptake and delivery, enhancing body antioxidant capacity and increasing MCHC. However, further studies with larger samples and double-blind design are warranted, and future studies covering more diverse populations (unhealthy, athletic) would be also considered. Moreover, researches on identifying Tibetan turnip's active compounds are desired as well.

Structure-Guided Discovery of Selective Antagonists for the Chromodomain of Polycomb Repressive Protein CBX7.

The chromobox 7 (CBX7) protein of the polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) functions to repress transcription of tumor suppressor p16 (INK4a) through long noncoding RNA, ANRIL (antisense noncoding RNA in the INK4 locus) directed chromodomain (ChD) binding to trimethylated lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27me3), resulting in chromatin compaction at the INK4a/ARF locus. In this study, we report structure-guided discovery of two distinct classes of small-molecule antagonists for the CBX7ChD. Our Class A compounds, a series including analogues of the previously reported MS452, inhibit CBX7ChD/methyl-lysine binding by occupying the H3K27me3 peptide binding site, whereas our Class B compound, the newly discovered MS351, appears to inhibit H3K27me3 binding when CBX7ChD is bound to RNA. Our crystal structure of the CBX7ChD/MS351 complex reveals the molecular details of ligand recognition by the aromatic cage residues that typically engage in methyl-lysine binding. We further demonstrate that MS351 effectively induces transcriptional derepression of CBX7 target genes, including p16 (INK4a) in mouse embryonic stem cells and human prostate cancer PC3 cells. Thus, MS351 represents a new class of ChD antagonists that selectively targets the biologically active form of CBX7 of the PRC1 in long noncoding RNA- and H3K27me3-directed gene transcriptional repression.

Different Effects of Hypoxia on Mental Rotation of Normal and Mirrored Letters: Evidence from the Rotation-Related Negativity.

The present study explored the neural mechanism underlying the effect of moderate and transient hypoxic exposure on mental rotation of two-dimensional letters in both normal and mirror versions. Event-related potential data and behavioral data were acquired in the task of discrimination between normal and mirrored versions separately in conditions of normoxia (simulated sea level) and hypoxia conditions (simulated 5000 meter altitude). The behavioral results revealed no significant difference between the normoxia and hypoxia conditions both in response time and error rate. However, obvious differences between these two conditions in ERP were found. First, enlarged P300 and Rotation-related Negativity (RRN) were observed in the hypoxia condition compared to the normoxia condition only with normal letters. Second, the angle effect on the amplitude of RRN was more evident with normal letters in the hypoxia condition than that in the normoxia condition. However, this angle effect nearly disappeared with the mirrored letters in the hypoxia condition. Third, more bilateral parietal activation was observed in the hypoxia condition than the normoxia condition. These results suggested that the compensation mechanism existed in the hypoxia condition and was effective with normal letters but had little effect on the mirrored letters. This study extends the research about the hypoxic effect on spatial ability of humans by employing a mental rotation task and further provides neural evidence for this effect.

Small-molecule modulators of methyl-lysine binding for the CBX7 chromodomain.

Chromobox homolog 7 (CBX7) plays an important role in gene transcription in a wide array of cellular processes, ranging from stem cell self-renewal and differentiation to tumor progression. CBX7 functions through its N-terminal chromodomain (ChD), which recognizes trimethylated lysine 27 of histone 3 (H3K27me3), a conserved epigenetic mark that signifies gene transcriptional repression. In this study, we report the discovery of small molecules that inhibit CBX7ChD binding to H3K27me3. Our crystal structures reveal the binding modes of these molecules that compete against H3K27me3 binding through interactions with key residues in the methyl-lysine binding pocket of CBX7ChD. We further show that a lead compound, MS37452, derepresses transcription of Polycomb repressive complex target gene p16/CDKN2A by displacing CBX7 binding to the INK4A/ARF locus in prostate cancer cells. These small molecules have the potential to be developed into high-potency chemical modulators that target CBX7 functions in gene transcription in different disease pathways.

Structure-guided design of a methyl donor cofactor that controls a viral histone H3 lysine 27 methyltransferase activity.

vSET (a viral SET domain protein) is an attractive polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) surrogate to study the effect of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27) methylation on gene transcription, as both catalyze histone H3K27 trimethylation. To control the enzymatic activity of vSET in vivo with an engineered S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) analogue as methyl donor cofactor, we have carried out structure-guided design, synthesis, and characterization of orthogonal vSET methyltransferase mutant/SAM analogue pairs using a "bump-and-hole" strategy.

Palladium-catalyzed alkylation of aryl C-H bonds with sp3 organotin reagents using benzoquinone as a crucial promoter.

The combination of directed C-H activation, batch-wise addition of tetraalkyltin reagents, and rate enhancement by benzoquinone and microwave irradiation provides a promising strategy for the direct coupling of C-H bonds with organometallic reagents. A variety of tetraalkyltins were coupled to C-H bonds to give the alkylated products in good yields by using 5 mol % Pd(OAc)2 as the catalyst. Benzoquinone was shown to be essential for the C-H activation when substrates containing non-pi-conjugated chelating groups are used. Monitoring the formation and reductive elimination of the Pd(Ar)(Me)L2 complex also revealed that benzoquinone promotes the reductive elimination step. Microwave irradiation enhances the reaction rate drastically. The versatility of this protocol was demonstrated by using substrates containing either oxazoline or pyridine as directing groups.