Internal Governance Structure of “Double First-class” Universities in China

Universities in China have been implementing large-scale higher education reform to construct a modern university system with Chinese characteristics. The present study explores the relationships of political, administrative, and academic power based on data analysis of China’s first batch of “double first-class” universities. Internal governance structure reform has achieved good results to adapt to the scale expanding. Chinese universities need to legalize governance structures, promote the autonomous operation of universities and the democratization of governance policies, and pursue the de-administration of their academic affairs and regulate their academic power in the system

Teaching of Chinese Degree Adverb Synonymous with the Meaning of “very” for Occidental Students at the Beginning Level: A Case Study of Chinese Beginner in Yunnan Normal University

本文着眼于对外汉语教学中的重点和难点 之一——近义程度副词。针对汉语零起点阶段 留学生过分依赖母语以及教材中对近义程度副 词的翻译存在多对一的翻译现象，以教材副词 翻译中存在“多词一译”现象作为切入点，本 文以“非常、十分、很、挺、极”这一组典型 的近义程度副词为例，对其进行本体分析、偏 误研究，通过在课堂教学前实施“前测”分析 其偏误产生原因和类型，设计教学方案，之后 进行“后测”，对比学生成绩，达到零起点学 生较好运用此组副词进行表达和日常交际的教 学目的。笔者建议对外汉语教师较少依赖单一 的“偏误分析”式教学法，应在本体对比的基 础上，更多地运用语言测试结合归纳法教学法。 This study focuses on one of the important and difficult language points in teaching Chinese as the second language, synonymous degree adverbs in modern Chinese language, aiming at the beginning level of occidental students who excessively rely on their mother tongue. The research has been done by observing a group of typical adverbs with the meaning of “very” in Chinese language, such as "feichang, shifen, hen, ting, ji" in combination with ontology and error analysis and classroom testing. The paper explores the reasons and types of errors, and designs the teaching plan according to the testing results. Comparing the testing results, it is suggested that compare with error analysis, language testing combined with inductive reasoning is more effective in teaching synonymous degree adverbs in modern Chinese language

Minerals as Prebiotic Catalysts for Chemical Evolution towards the Origin of Life

A transition from geochemistry to biochemistry has been considered as a necessary step towards the emergence of primordial life. Nevertheless, how did this transition occur is still elusive. The chemistry underlying this transition is likely not a single event, but involves many levels of creation and reconstruction, finally reaching the molecular, structural, and functional buildup of complexity. Among them, one apparent question is: how the biochemical catalytic system emerged from the mineral-based geochemical system? Inspired by the metal–ligand structures in metalloenzymes, many researchers have proposed that transition metal sulfide minerals could have served as structural analogs of metalloenzymes for catalyzing prebiotic redox conversions. This assumption has been tested and verified to some extent by several studies, which focused on using Earth-abundant transition metal sulfides as catalysts for multi-electron C and N conversions. The progress in this field will be introduced, with a focus on the CO2 fixation and ammonia synthesis from nitrate/nitrite reduction and N2 reduction. Recently developed methods for screening effective mineral catalysts were also reviewed

Probucol reduces the cerebral edema area and infarction volume in rat cerebral infarction model via PI3K/Akt pathway

Purpose: To study the effects of probucol on rats with cerebral infarction through the phosphatidylinositol 3-hydroxy kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway.Methods: Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into sham group (SO group, n = 7), model group (MO group, n = 7) and probucol group (PR group, n = 7). Infarction volume, messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), protein expressions of PI3K/Akt, neurological score, brain water content, degree of brain tissue lesions and neurological function score were determined.Results: Neurological score was 0, 2.54 ± 0.67 and 1.34 ± 0.21 points, in SO, O and PR groups, respectively. In turning angle test, neurological function score gradually rose at 24 h after cerebral infarction in PR and MO groups, compared with that in the SO group (p < 0.05), but significantly declined at 48 h in PR group compared with that in MO group (p < 0.05). Brain water content was lowest in the SO group but highest in MO group; it was significantly lower in PR group than that in MO group (p < 0.05). The mRNA and protein expressions of PI3K/Akt were highest in SO group and lowest in MO group; the expressions were higher in PR group than those in the MO group (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Probucol reduces the cerebral edema area and infarction volume by activating PI3K/Akt pathway, thereby exerting a significant therapeutic effect on rat model with cerebral infarction. Thus, this agent has the potential for use in the management of cerebral infarction

Nitrato[N,N,N′,N′-tetra­kis(1H-benzimid­azol-2-ylmeth­yl)ethane-1,2-diamine]­calcium(II) nitrate methanol trisolvate

In the title compound, [Ca(NO3)(C34H32N10)]NO3·3CH4O, the CaII ion is coordinated by six N atoms of the EDTB ligand {EDTB is N,N,N′,N′-tetra­kis[(2-benzimidazol­yl)meth­yl]-1,2-ethanediamine} and two O atoms from the nitrate ligand, to form a distorted dodeca­hedral geometry. The crystal packing is stabilized by inter­molecular N—H⋯O, N—H⋯N and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, which link the constituent units into a three-dimensional network. The uncoordinated nitrate anion is disordered over two sites, with fixed occupancies of 0.77 and 0.23

Breviscapine alleviates MPP+-induced damage and apoptosis of SH-SY5Y cells by activating Nrf2 pathway

Purpose: To investigate the role and mechanism of action of breviscapine (Brp) in 1-methyl-4- phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+)-induced cell injury in human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y.Methods: The injury on SH-SY5Y cells was induced using MPP+. Cell viability and apoptotic ability were determined by CCK8 assay and Annexin V/PI staining, respectively. Protein expressions of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its related downstream proteins - hemeoxygenase 1(HO-1) and NAD(P)H-quinoneoxido reductase 1(NQO1), were determined using Western blotting.Results: Brp dose-dependently attenuated MPP+ induced reduction in the viability of SH SY5Y cells, but alleviated MPP+-induced oxidative stress (OS) and cell injury, as evidenced by the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), and dopaminetransporter (DAT) (p < 0.05). Brp decreased the amount of apoptotic cells induced by MPP+, as well as the protein levels of Bax and cleaved-caspase 3, and also induced the activation of Nrf2 signaling pathway (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Brp alleviates MPP+-induced cellular damage and cell apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells by activating Nrf2 pathway. Thus, Brp is a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of PD

Gene mutations associated with fertilization failure after in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection

Fertilization failure during assisted reproductive technologies (ART) is often unpredictable, as this failure is encountered only after in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) have been performed. The etiology of fertilization failure remains elusive. More and more mutations of genes are found to be involved in human fertilization failure in infertile patients as high throughput sequencing techniques are becoming widely applied. In this review, the mutations of nine important genes expressed in sperm or oocytes, PLCZ1, ACTL7A, ACTL9, DNAH17, WEE2, TUBB8, NLRP5, ZP2, and TLE6, were summarized and discussed. These abnormalities mainly have shown Mendelian patterns of inheritance, including dominant and recessive inheritance, although de novo mutations were present in some cases. The review revealed the crucial roles of each reported gene in the fertilization process and summarized all known mutations and their corresponding phenotypes. The review suggested the mutations might become promising targets for precision treatments in reproductive medicine. Moreover, our work will provide some helpful clues for genetic counseling, risk prediction, and optimizing clinical treatments for human infertility by supplying the useful and timely information on the genetic causes leading to fertilization failure

Structural specializations of α4β7\alpha_4 \beta_7, an integrin that mediates rolling adhesion

The lymphocyte homing receptor integrin $\alpha_4 \beta_7$ is unusual for its ability to mediate both rolling and firm adhesion. $\alpha_4 \beta_1$ and $\alpha_4 \beta_7$ are targeted by therapeutics approved for multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease. Here, we show by electron microscopy and crystallography how two therapeutic Fabs, a small molecule (RO0505376), and mucosal adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1) bind α4β7. A long binding groove at the $\alpha_4 -\beta_7$interface for immunoglobulin superfamily domains differs in shape from integrin pockets that bind Arg-Gly-Asp motifs. RO0505376 mimics an Ile/Leu-Asp motif in $\alpha_4$ ligands, and orients differently from Arg-Gly-Asp mimics. A novel auxiliary residue at the metal ion–dependent adhesion site in $\alpha_4 \beta_7$ is essential for binding to MAdCAM-1 in $Mg^{2+}$ yet swings away when RO0505376 binds. A novel intermediate conformation of the $\alpha_4 \beta_7$ headpiece binds MAdCAM-1 and supports rolling adhesion. Lack of induction of the open headpiece conformation by ligand binding enables rolling adhesion to persist until integrin activation is signaled