Key genes involved with prognosis were identified in lung adenocarcinoma by integrated bioinformatics analysis.

Objective: By screening the core genes in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) with bioinformatics, our study evaluated its prognosis value and role in infiltration process of immune cells. Methods: Using GEO database, we screened 5 gene chips, including GSE11072, GSE32863, GSE43458, GSE115002, and GSE116959. Then, we obtained the corresponding differentially expressed genes by analyzed 5 gene chips online by GEO2R (P < 0.05, |logFC| > 1). Then, through DAVID online platform, Cytoscape 3.6.1 software and PPI network analysis, the network was visualized and obtain the final core genes. Next, we plan to use the GEPIA, UALCAN, Kaplan-Meier plotter and Time 2.0 database for corresponding analysis. The GEPIA database was used to verify the expression of core genes in LUAD and normal lung tissues, and survival analysis was used to evaluate the value of core genes in the prognosis of LUAD patients. UALCAN was used to verify the expression of the LUAD core gene and promoter methylation status, and the predictive value of core genes was evaluated in LUAD patients by the Kaplan-Meier plotter online tool. Then, we used the Time 2.0 database to identify the relationship to immune infiltration in LUAD. Finally, we used the human protein atlas (HPA) database for online immunohistochemical analysis of the expressed proteins. Results: The expression of CCNB2 and CDC20 in LUAD were higher than those in normal lung tissues, their increased expression was negatively correlated with the overall survival rate of LUAD, and they were involved in cell cycle signal transduction, oocyte meiosis signal transduction as well as the infiltration process of immune cells in LUAD. The expression proteins of CCNB2 and CDC20 were also different in lung cancer tissue and normal lung tissue. Therefore, CCNB2 and CDC20 were identified as the vital core genes. Conclusion: CCNB2 and CDC20 are essential genes that may constitute prognostic biomarkers in LUAD, they also participate the immune infiltration process and protein expression process of LUAD, and might provides basis for clinical anti-tumor drug research.

Regioselective coupling of benzyl chlorides with allyl and allenyl boronates catalysed by a bidentate phosphine ligand/palladium catalyst.

A palladium-catalysed aromative benzylic allylation and allenylation of benzyl chlorides with allyl and allenyl pinacolborates is described for the first time. The reactions proceed smoothly in the presence of a bidentate phosphine ligand to afford normal cross-coupling products in good yields. This novel synthetic procedure exhibits good tolerance for various electron-withdrawing and -donating functional groups linked to aromatic rings and is also well tolerant of sensitive functional groups such as NO2, CF3, CN, and COOMe. The utilisation of a bidentate ligand and heating are essential to transformation. The DFT calculation results reveal that wide-bite-angle bidentate ligands are beneficial to the formation of an η1-benzyl-η1-allylpalladium intermediate and that the normal coupling is thermodynamically favourable.

Tomato sucrose transporter SlSUT4 participates in flowering regulation by modulating gibberellin biosynthesis.

The functions of sucrose transporters (SUTs) differ among family members. The physiological function of SUT1 has been studied intensively, while that of SUT4 in various plant species including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is less well-understood. In this study, we characterized the function of tomato SlSUT4 in the regulation of flowering using a combination of molecular and physiological analyses. SlSUT4 displayed transport activity for sucrose when expressed in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), and it localized at both the plasma membrane and tonoplast. SlSUT4 interacted with SlSUT1, causing partial internalization of the latter, the main phloem loader of sucrose in tomato. Silencing of SlSUT4 promoted SlSUT1 localization to the plasma membrane, contributing to increased sucrose export and thus increased sucrose level in the shoot apex, which promoted flowering. Both silencing of SlSUT4 and spraying with sucrose suppressed gibberellin biosynthesis through repression of ent-kaurene oxidase and gibberellin 20-oxidase-1 (2 genes encoding key enzymes in gibberellin biosynthesis) expression by SlMYB76, which directly bound to their promoters. Silencing of SlMYB76 promoted gibberellin biosynthesis. Our results suggest that SlSUT4 is a functional SUT in tomato; downregulation of SlSUT4 expression enhances sucrose transport to the shoot apex, which promotes flowering by inhibiting gibberellin biosynthesis.

Identification of Potential Key Genes and Prognostic Biomarkers of Lung Cancer Based on Bioinformatics.

Objective: To analyze and identify the core genes related to the expression and prognosis of lung cancer including lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) by bioinformatics technology, with the aim of providing a reference for clinical treatment. Methods: Five sets of gene chips, GSE7670, GSE151102, GSE33532, GSE43458, and GSE19804, were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. After using GEO2R to analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between lung cancer and normal tissues online, the common DEGs of the five sets of chips were obtained using a Venn online tool and imported into the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) database for Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by STRING online software for further study, and the core genes were determined by Cytoscape software and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. The clustering heat map was drawn by Excel software to verify its accuracy. In addition, we used the University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer (UALCAN) website to analyze the expression of core genes in P53 mutation status, confirmed the expression of crucial core genes in lung cancer tissues with Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and GEPIA2 online software, and evaluated their prognostic value in lung cancer patients with the Kaplan-Meier online plotter tool. Results: CHEK1, CCNB1, CCNB2, and CDK1 were selected. The expression levels of these four genes in lung cancer tissues were significantly higher than those in normal tissues. Their increased expression was negatively correlated with lung cancer patients (including LUAD and LUSC) prognosis and survival rate. Conclusion: CHEK1, CCNB1, CCNB2, and CDK1 are the critical core genes of lung cancer and are highly expressed in lung cancer. They are negatively correlated with the prognosis of lung cancer patients (including LUAD and LUSC) and closely related to the formation and prediction of lung cancer. They are valuable predictors and may be predictive biomarkers of lung cancer.

The influence of cognitive control on the processing of L2 garden path sentence among Chinese-English bilinguals.

Few studies have examined the role of cognitive control in processing ambiguity, let alone the roles of different components of cognitive control. In the current study, the English (L2) Sentence Processing Task and a series of cognitive control tasks were administered among 111 young adult Chinese-English bilinguals to investigate the influence of different components of cognitive control on garden path sentence comprehension, with other factors such as age, socio-economic status, and language proficiency strictly matched. Data analysis results showed a significant garden path effect on response times (RTs) and accuracy among all the participants. The results of independent t-test analyses revealed that the high working memory (WM) group was faster in ambiguity resolution, and so was the high monitoring group. However, there were no differences between the high and low inhibition and shifting groups in ambiguity resolution. These findings reveal that only certain aspects of cognitive control influence garden path sentence comprehension.

Synthesis of trans-stilbenes via phosphine-catalyzed coupling reactions of benzylic halides.

An efficient and practical phosphine-catalyzed homo-coupling reaction of benzyl chlorides is described. The reactions proceed smoothly in the presence of CsF/B(OMe)3 and NaH as the base, respectively, to provide trans-stilbenes in good yields with a broad scope. Unsymmetrical stilbenes are also generated from the reactions of benzyl chlorides with phosphonium salts. Several P-based key intermediates have been detected by NMR and HRMS analyses, which shed light on the postulated catalytic cycle. In the presence of different bases, the transformations involve two different pathways, in which phenylcarbene and phosphonium alkoxide are considered as key intermediates, respectively. The two pathways are complementary in synthesis but different in mechanisms. The synthetic utility, including gram-scale reactions and straightforward access to π-conjugated molecules, has been demonstrated as well.

Differential impacts of natural L2 immersion and intensive classroom L2 training on cognitive control.

The relationship between bilingualism and cognitive control has been controversial. We believe that the discrepant findings are likely driven by the complexities of the bilingual experience, which is consistent with the Adaptive Control Hypothesis. The current study investigates whether the natural language immersion experience and the classroom intensive language training experience have differential impacts on cognitive control. Among unbalanced Chinese-English bilingual students, a natural L2 (second language) immersion group, an L2 public speaking training group, and a control bilingual group without immersion or training experience were compared on their cognitive control abilities, with the participants' demographic factors strictly controlled. The results showed that the L2 immersion group and the L2 speaking group had faster speed than the control group in the Flanker task, whereas the L2 immersion group had fewer errors than the other two groups in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). These results generally provide evidence in favour of the Adaptive Control Hypothesis, specifying that natural L2 immersion and L2 public speaking training experiences are distinctively related to cognitive control. The current study is the first of its kind to link specific bilingual experiences (natural L2 immersion vs. intensive L2 public speaking) with different components of cognitive control.

Contributions of Demographics, Language Learning Experience, and Cognitive Control to Chinese Reading Comprehension.

The study investigates whether learners' demographics (e.g., age, education, and intelligence-IQ), language learning experience, and cognitive control predict Chinese (L2) reading comprehension in young adults. Thirty-four international students who studied mandarin Chinese in mainland China (10 females, 24 males) from Bangladesh, Burundi, Congo, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Zimbabwe were tested on a series of measures including demographic questionnaires, IQ test, two cognitive control tasks [Flanker Task measuring inhibition and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) measuring mental set shifting], and a Chinese reading comprehension test (HSK level 4). The results of correlation analyses showed that education, L2 learning history, L2 proficiency, and previous category errors of the WCST were significantly correlated with Chinese reading comprehension. Further multiple regression analyses indicated that Chinese learning history, IQ, and previous category errors of the WCST significantly predicted Chinese reading comprehension. These findings reveal that aside from IQ and the time spent on L2 learning, the component mental set shifting of cognitive control also predicts reading outcomes, which suggests that cognitive control has a place in reading comprehension models over and above traditional predictors of language learning experience.

Bilingualism, Demographics, and Cognitive Control: A Within-Group Approach.

Previous studies have suggested a bilingual advantage in cognitive control as a result of the bilinguals' language experience. However, the results are controversial as there are various factors (language proficiency, SES, culture, and intelligence, etc.) affecting cognitive control. In the current study, after between-group comparisons, we adopted a within-group approach by multiple regressions to investigate whether the performance by 10-to-75-year-old participants (N = 91) of tasks measuring inhibition, monitoring, and mental set shifting could be predicted by bilingualism, or demographic factors, or both. The results of multiple stepwise regression analyses showed that L2 proficiency was a significant predictor for conflict monitoring and inhibition, education and age were significant predictors for mental set shifting, and SES was a minor predictor for inhibition. These findings provide evidence that cognitive control is affected by both bilingualism and demographic factors. Future studies are encouraged to further identify the relationship between bilingualism and cognitive control from specific bilingual experience.

Joint image compression and encryption based on sparse Bayesian learning and bit-level 3D Arnold cat maps.

Image compression and image encryption are two essential tasks in image processing. The former aims to reduce the cost for storage or transmission of images while the latter aims to change the positions or values of pixels to protect image content. Nowadays, an increasing number of researchers are focusing on the combination of these two tasks. In this paper, we propose a novel joint image compression and encryption approach that integrates a quantum chaotic system, sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) and a bit-level 3D Arnold cat map, so-called QSBLA, for such a purpose. Specifically, the QSBLA consists of 6 stages. First, a quantum chaotic system is employed to generate chaotic sequences for subsequent compression and encryption. Second, as one method of compressive sensing, SBL is used to compress images. Third, an operation of diffusion is performed on the compressed image. Fourth, the compressed and diffused image is transformed into several bit-level cubes. Fifth, 3D Arnold cat maps are used to permute each bit-level cube. Finally, all the bit-level cubes are integrated and transformed into a 2D pixel-level image, resulting in the compressed and encrypted image. Extensive experiments on 8 publicly-accessed images demonstrate that the proposed QSBLA is superior or comparable to some state-of-the-art approaches in terms of several measurement indices, indicating that the QSBLA is promising for joint image compression and encryption.

The Influence of Second Language (L2) Proficiency on Cognitive Control Among Young Adult Unbalanced Chinese-English Bilinguals.

The current study investigates the influence of L2 proficiency on cognitive control among three matched groups of unbalanced Chinese-English bilinguals. Flanker task was administered to measure conflict monitoring and inhibition, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) to measure mental set shifting. ANOVA analyses of the Flanker results showed no differences in inhibition across all groups and no interaction between group and condition. However, the Flanker results showed faster performance for the highest L2 proficiency group relative to the lowest L2 proficiency group in all conditions (incongruent, neutral, and congruent), which reflects better ability of conflict monitoring. Finally, ANOVA analyses of the WCST results showed no differences across all groups. These results altogether suggest that L2 proficiency has significant influence on cognitive control, but only in conflict monitoring, not in inhibition or mental set shifting.

Highly Enantioselective Tandem Michael Addition of Tryptamine-Derived Oxindoles to Alkynones: Concise Synthesis of Strychnos Alkaloids.

A highly enantioselective tandem Michael addition of tryptamine-derived oxindoles to alkynones was developed by taking advantage of a chiral N,N'-dioxide Sc(OTf)3 catalyst. The reaction enables the facile preparation of enantioenriched spiro[pyrrolidine-3,3'-oxindole] compounds, which provides a novel strategy for the synthesis of monoterpenoid indole alkaloids. As a demonstration, the asymmetric synthesis of strychnos alkaloids [(-)-tubifoline, (-)-tubifolidine, (-)-dehydrotubifoline] was achieved in 10-11 steps.