1,1′-Dimethyl-1,1′-(butane-1,4-di­yl)dipyrrolidinium dibromide methanol disolvate

In the title compound, C14H30N2 2+·2Br−·2CH3OH, two terminal C atoms of the butane chain are connected to two N atoms of the 1-methyl­pyrollidines, forming a linear diquaternary ammonium cation. The cation lies across a centre of inversion located between the two central C atoms of the butane chain. The asymmetric unit therefore comprises one half-cation, a bromide anion and a methanol solvent mol­ecule. In the crystal structure, the bromide anions are linked to the methanol solvent mol­ecules by O—H⋯Br hydrogen bonds

Genome-wide identification, classification and analysis of heat shock transcription factor family in maize

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Heat shock response in eukaryotes is transcriptionally regulated by conserved heat shock transcription factors (Hsfs). Hsf genes are represented by a large multigene family in plants and investigation of the Hsf gene family will serve to elucidate the mechanisms by which plants respond to stress. In recent years, reports of genome-wide structural and evolutionary analysis of the entire Hsf gene family have been generated in two model plant systems, <it>Arabidopsis </it>and rice. Maize, an important cereal crop, has represented a model plant for genetics and evolutionary research. Although some Hsf genes have been characterized in maize, analysis of the entire Hsf gene family were not completed following Maize (B73) Genome Sequencing Project.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A genome-wide analysis was carried out in the present study to identify all Hsfs maize genes. Due to the availability of complete maize genome sequences, 25 nonredundant Hsf genes, named <it>ZmHsfs </it>were identified. Chromosomal location, protein domain and motif organization of ZmHsfs were analyzed in maize genome. The phylogenetic relationships, gene duplications and expression profiles of <it>ZmHsf </it>genes were also presented in this study. Twenty-five ZmHsfs were classified into three major classes (class A, B, and C) according to their structural characteristics and phylogenetic comparisons, and class A was further subdivided into 10 subclasses. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis indicated that the orthologs from the three species (maize, <it>Arabidopsis </it>and rice) were distributed in all three classes, it also revealed diverse Hsf gene family expression patterns in classes and subclasses. Chromosomal/segmental duplications played a key role in Hsf gene family expansion in maize by investigation of gene duplication events. Furthermore, the transcripts of 25 <it>ZmHsf </it>genes were detected in the leaves by heat shock using quantitative real-time PCR. The result demonstrated that <it>ZmHsf </it>genes exhibit different expression levels in heat stress treatment.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Overall, data obtained from our investigation contributes to a better understanding of the complexity of the maize Hsf gene family and provides the first step towards directing future experimentation designed to perform systematic analysis of the functions of the Hsf gene family.</p

Epidemiological survey of school-age children with low vision in Zhouqu County of Gannan Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Gansu province

AIM: To have a detailed picture of school-age children's eyesight status, and the main factors that caused their low vision in Zhouqu County of Gannan Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Gansu province. METHODS: The census work of knowing school-age children's eyesight status was implemented through visual inspection, conventional ophthalmic examination, optometry checks, etc. The results were compared with other domestic epidemiological data. RESULTS: Altogether 536 people with low vision were identified through survey and the rate was 21.12%. Among those people, the number of myopia patients accounted for 80.59% and the prevalence rate was 17.02%. Besides, the prevalence rate of presbyopia was 2.05%, amblyopia 2.76%, strabismus 1.02%, ocular trauma 0.95%, and congenital eye disease 0.71%. CONCLUSION: The prevalence rate of low vision was related with several factors such as gender and nationality. The rate increases with age and the myopia is the primary element that causes low vision

Oral administration of a select mixture of Bacillus probiotics generates Tr1 cells in weaned F4ab/acR− pigs challenged with an F4+ ETEC/VTEC/EPEC strain

Dose effect of oral administration of BLS-mix on the growth of newly weaned pigs before and after F4 + ETEC/VTEC/EPEC challenge. The table shows the growth of newly weaned pigs before and after F4+ ETEC/VTEC/EPEC challenge. In the first 2 weeks following the challenge, average daily weight gain and feed intake were lower in ETEC pigs compared with CONT pigs (P = 0.011 and P = 0.018, respectively), but there were no differences relative to the CONT pigs in these parameters in the LDBE or HDBE groups

Experimental Side-Channel-Free Quantum Key Distribution

Quantum key distribution can provide unconditionally secure key exchange for remote users in theory. In practice, however, in most quantum key distribution systems, quantum hackers might steal the secure keys by listening to the side channels in the source, such as the photon frequency spectrum, emission time, propagation direction, spatial angular momentum, and so on. It is hard to prevent such kinds of attacks because side channels may exist in any of the encoding space whether the designers take care of or not. Here we report an experimental realization of a side-channel-free quantum key distribution protocol which is not only measurement-device-independent, but also immune to all side-channel attacks in the source. We achieve a secure key rate of 4.80e-7 per pulse through 50 km fiber spools.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figure

Practice on the Watershed Hydrological Experimental System Reconciling Deterministic and Stochastic Subjects Based on the System Complexity: 1. Theoretical Study

This is the first of a two-part series on the watershed hydrological experimental system (WHES). Since the foundational stage and developmental stage of hydrological basin study with a duration of more than ca. one century, facing with the changing environment and, the declined risk of field study while the catchment hydrology is trapped in a theoretical impasse, a third phase of renovation on hydrological experiments seems ready to come out inevitably. Learned from Chinese decades’ experiences on the field basin study for the question of what is wrong with the status quo, our exploratory idea is reported in this part. From the viewpoint of general system theory based on the paralleled concepts of the ancient Chinese and the Western, it is considered that the adequate method should face the characters of the complex dynamic system instead of previous static, linear system. From the viewpoint of another philosophical paralleled concept of the Middle Way, it should also face the operation and organizing of the mesoscopic systems for the organized complexity. Then, a framework of WHES is suggested with its organization based on the strategy of constrain complexity and add complexity and on the strategy of manipulation including the artificial-natural and controlled-natural objects. Such a trial framework, the Chuzhou WHES, is reported including the suggested critical zone experimental block (CZEB) instead of the experimental basin (EB) in the last decades

Practices on the Watershed Hydrological Experimental System Reconciling Deterministic and Stochastic Subjects Based on the System Complexity: 2. Practice and Test

This is the second of a two-part series on the watershed hydrological experimental system (WHES) aimed at practice and test of it at Chuzhou Hydrology Laboratory. It constitutes both natural and artificial entities of different scales, within which two typical main subjects are reviewed here. First is a natural watershed Nandadish, which is subjected to be a Critical Zone Experimental Block, under manipulation strategy of constrain complexity to compare with the pure natural watersheds, it is the controlled-natural as we termed. Second is an artificial catchment Hydrohill, under the strategy of add complexity to compare with the simple artificial lysimeters, it is the artificial-natural as we termed. The constructions and instrumentations of these experimental catchments are reviewed, especially their renovation version during recent years after a long abandonment. Some results get during the operation of Chuzhou WHES are outlined here as well