An Inventory Decision Model of BOPS Retailing Considering Cross-selling

Omnichannel retailing has been getting more and more attention as people’s buying habits become more diverse. BOPS (Buy-on-line, Pick-up-in store) is an important pattern of Omnichannel retailing which has significant impacts on a cross-selling effect and inventory decisions. This paper explores this implementation with cross-selling from a perspective of inventory management by developing and analyzing a mathematical model based on EOQ model. After series of numerical experiments, we found that firms in a perfectly competitive market have motivations to launch BOPS services in most cases, especially when the supply chain structure is centralized. Furthermore, in a decentralized supply chain, if the manufacturer bears the inventory costs generated in B&M stores according to the proportion of BOPS sales when the inventory capacity is not big enough, the retailer can shift a part of costs to the manufacturer by deliberately making biased inventory decisions, and this cost shifting may damage the manufacturer’s motivation to implement BOPS where the cross-selling effect is powerful enough

Actin and dynamin2 dynamics and interplay during clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) involves the recruitment of numerous proteins to sites on the plasma membrane with prescribed timing to mediate specific stages of the process. However, how choreographed recruitment and function of specific proteins during CME is achieved remains unclear. Using genome editing to express fluorescent fusion proteins at native levels and live-cell imaging with single-molecule sensitivity, we explored dynamin2 stoichiometry, dynamics, and functional interdependency with actin. Our quantitative analyses revealed heterogeneity in the timing of the early phase of CME, with transient recruitment of 2-4 molecules of dynamin2. In contrast, considerable regularity characterized the final 20 s of CME, during which ∼26 molecules of dynamin2, sufficient to make one ring around the vesicle neck, were typically recruited. Actin assembly generally preceded dynamin2 recruitment during the late phases of CME, and promoted dynamin recruitment. Collectively, our results demonstrate precise temporal and quantitative regulation of the dynamin2 recruitment influenced by actin polymerization

Pricing Decision under Dual-Channel Structure considering Fairness and Free-Riding Behavior

Under dual-channel structure, the free-riding behavior based on different service levels between online channel and offline channel cannot be avoided, which would lead to channel unfairness. This study implies that the dual-channel supply chain is built up by online channel controlled by manufacturer and traditional channel controlled by retailer, respectively. Under this channel structure, we rebuild the linear demand function considering free-riding behavior and modify the pricing model based on channel fairness. Then the influences of fair factor and free-riding behavior on manufacturer and retailer pricing and performance are discussed. Finally, we propose some numerical analysis to provide some valuable recommendations for manufacturer and retailer improving channel management performance

Biogeography and Virulence of Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is commonly carried asymptomatically in the human anterior nares and occasionally enters the bloodstream to cause invasive disease. Much of the global diversity of S. aureus remains uncharacterised, and is not clear how disease propensity varies between strains, and between host populations.We compared 147 isolates recovered from five kindergartens in Chengdu, China, with 51 isolates contemporaneously recovered from cases of pediatric infection from the main hospital serving this community. The samples were characterised by MLST, the presence/absence of PVL, and antibiotic resistance profiling.Genotype frequencies within individual kindergartens differ, but the sample recovered from cases of disease shows a general enrichment of certain MLST genotypes and PVL positive isolates. Genotypes under-represented in the disease sample tend to correspond to a single sequence cluster, and this cluster is more common in China than in other parts of the world.Virulence propensity likely reflects a synergy between variation in the core genome (MLST) and accessory genome (PVL). By combining evidence form biogeography and virulence we demonstrate the existence of a "native" clade in West China which has lowered virulence, possibility due to acquired host immunity

Effect of the compact Ti layer on the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells assembled using stainless steel sheets

Titanium films have been deposited on stainless steel metal sheets using dc magnetron sputtering technique at different substrate temperatures. The structure of the titanium films strongly depend on the substrate temperature. The titanium film deposited at the substrate temperature lower than 300 ºC has a loose flat sheet grains structure and the titanium film prepared at the substrate temperature higher than 500 ºC has a dense nubby grains structure. The DSSC assembled using stainless steel sheet coated with titanium film deposited at high substrate temperature has a low charge transfer resistance in the TiO2/Ti interface and results in a high conversion efficiency. The DSSC assembled using stainless steel sheet coated with titanium film deposited at temperature higher than 500 ºC has higher conversion efficiency than that assembled using titanium metal sheet as the substrate. The maximum conversion efficiency, 2.26% is obtained for DSSC assembled using stainless steel sheet coated with titanium film deposited at 700 ºC substrate temperature, which is about 70% of the conversion efficiency of the FTO reference cell used in this study.This work was supported by the Dalian University of Technology through the program of the Sea-sky Scholar

Effects of partial substitution of chemical fertilizer with organic manure on the activity of enzyme and soil bacterial communities in the mountain red soil

IntroductionThe partial substitution of chemical fertilizer with organic manure takes on a critical significance to enhancing soil quality and boosting sustainable agricultural development. However, rare research has studied the effects of partial substitution of chemical fertilizer with organic manure on soil bacterial community diversity and enzyme activity in maize field in the mountain red soil region of Yunnan.MethodsIn this study, four treatments were set up in which chemical fertilizer (the application rates of N, P2O5 and K2O were 240, 75 and 75 kg·ha−1, respectively) was substituted by 10% (M10), 20% (M20), 30% (M30) and 40% (M40) of organic manure with equal nitrogen, as well as two control treatments of single application of chemical fertilizer (M0) and no fertilization (CK). The maize (Zea mays L.) crop was sown as a test crop in May 2018. The effects of partial substitution of chemical fertilizer with organic manure on soil physicochemical properties, soil bacterial community diversity and enzyme activity were studied.ResultsThe activities of Cellulase (CBH), Invertase (INV) and β-glucosidase (BG) increased with the increase of organic manure substitution ratio. The activities of β-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG), Urease (URE), and leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) also had the same trend, but the highest activities were 159.92 mg·g−1·h−1, 66.82 mg·g−1·h−1 and 143.90 mg·g−1·h−1 at 30% substitution ratio. Compared with CK and M0 treatments, Shannon index increased notably by 82.91%–116.74% and 92.42%–128.01%, respectively, at the organic manure substitution ratio ranging from 10% to 40%. Chao1 and ACE index increased significantly at the organic manure substitution ratio ranging from 10% to 30%. Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum in all treatments, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria decreased as the organic manure substitution ratio increased. Redundancy analysis showed that microbial biomass C was the main factor affecting the bacterial community composition under partial replacement of chemical fertilizer treatment, while Actinobacteria was the main factor affecting the enzyme activity. In addition, the maize yield of M30 and M40 treatments was significantly higher than that of CK and M0-M20 treatments, and the yield of M30 treatment was the highest, reaching 7652.89 kg·ha−1.ConclusionTherefore, the partial substitution of chemical fertilizer with organic manure can improve soil biological characteristics, while increasing bacterial community diversity and soil enzyme activity. Therefore, a thirty percent organic manure substitution was determined as the optimal substitution ratio for maize farmland in the mountain red soil area of Yunnan, China

piR-hsa-211106 Inhibits the Progression of Lung Adenocarcinoma Through Pyruvate Carboxylase and Enhances Chemotherapy Sensitivity

Although the importance of PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in cancer has recently been recognized, studies on the role and functional mechanism of piRNAs in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) development and progression are limited. In this study, we identified 10 differently expressed piRNAs in LUAD tissues compared to normal tissues, among which, piR-hsa-211106 expression levels were downregulated in LUAD tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, the effects of piR-hsa-211106 on the malignant phenotypes and chemosensitivity of LUAD cells were detected by gain- and loss-of-function analyses in vitro and in vivo, which showed that piR-hsa-211106 inhibited LUAD cell proliferation, tumor growth, and migration, but promoted apoptosis. Moreover, our finding indicated that piR-hsa-211106 is a potential therapeutic target that synergistically imparts anticancer effects with a chemotherapeutic agent for LUAD-cisplatin. Further mechanistic investigation indicated that piR-hsa-211106 could bind to pyruvate carboxylase (PC) by RNA pull down and RNA immunoprecipitation assays and inhibited PC mRNA and protein expression. Our study demonstrates that piR-hsa-211106 inhibits LUAD progression by hindering the expression and function of PC and enhances chemotherapy sensitivity, suggesting that piR-hsa-211106 is a novel diagnostic and therapeutic target for LUAD

A transcription factor of the NAC family regulates nitrate-induced legume nodule senescence

17 Pags.- 7 Figs. © 2023 The AuthorsLegumes establish symbioses with rhizobia by forming nitrogen-fixing nodules. Nitrate is amajor environmental factor that affects symbiotic functioning. However, the molecularmechanism of nitrate-induced nodule senescence is poorly understood. Comparative transcriptomic analysis reveals an NAC-type transcription factor inLotus japo-nicus, LjNAC094, that acts as a positive regulator in nitrate-induced nodule senescence.Stable overexpression and mutant lines ofNAC094were constructed and used for phenotypiccharacterization. DNA-affinity purification sequencing was performed to identify NAC094targeting genes and results were confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift and transactiva-tion assays. Overexpression ofNAC094induces premature nodule senescence. Knocking outNAC094partially relieves nitrate-induced degradation of leghemoglobins and abolishes nodule expres-sion of senescence-associated genes (SAGs) that contain a conserved binding motif forNAC094. Nitrate-triggered metabolic changes in wild-type nodules are largely affected innac094mutant nodules. Induction ofNAC094and its targetingSAGswas almost blocked inthe nitrate-insensitivenlp1,nlp4, andnlp1 nlp4mutants. We conclude that NAC094 functions downstream of NLP1 and NLP4 by regulating nitrate-induced expression ofSAGs. Our study fills in a key gap between nitrate and the execution ofnodule senescence, and provides a potential strategy to improve nitrogen fixation and stresstolerance of legumes.This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32000192, 31870220), the Foundation of Hubei Hongshan Laboratory (2022hszd014), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2662020SKPY007), and MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (grant PID2020-113985GB-I00). We also thank the BaiChuan fellowship of College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, for funding support.Peer reviewe

tRNA-Derived Fragments as Novel Predictive Biomarkers for Trastuzumab-Resistant Breast Cancer

Background/Aims: Resistance to trastuzumab remains a common challenge to HER-2 positive breast cancer. Up until now, the underlying mechanism of trastuzumab resistance is still unclear. tRNA-derived small non-coding RNAs, a new class of small non-coding RNA (sncRNAs), have been observed to play an important role in cancer progression. However, the relationship between tRNA-derived fragments and trastuzumab resistance is still unknown. Methods: We detected the levels of tRNA-derived fragments expression in normal breast epithelial cell lines, trastuzumab-sensitive and -resistant breast cancer cell lines using high-throughput sequencing. qRT-PCR was conducted to validate the differentially expressed fragments in serums from trastuzumab-sensitive and -resistant patients. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the power of specific tRNA-derived fragments. Progression-free survival (PFS) was analyzed using Cox-regression. Results: Our sequence results showed that tRNA-derived fragments were differentially expressed in the HBL-100, SKBR3, and JIMT-1 cell lines. tRF-30-JZOYJE22RR33 and tRF-27-ZDXPHO53KSN were found significantly upregulated in trastuzumab-resistant patients compared to sensitive individuals, and the ROC analysis showed that tRF-30-JZOYJE22RR33 and tRF-27-ZDXPHO53KSN were correlated with trastuzumab resistance. In a multivariate analysis, higher levels of tRF-30-JZOYJE22RR33 and tRF-27-ZDXPHO53KSN expression were associated with significantly shorter PFS in patients with metastatic HER-2 positive breast cancer. Conclusion: Our results suggest that tRF-30-JZOYJE22RR33 and tRF-27-ZDXPHO53KSN play important roles in trastuzumab resistance. Patients with high levels of tRF-30-JZOYJE22RR33 and tRF-27-ZDXPHO53KSN expression benefitted less from trastuzumab-based therapy than those that express lower-levels of these molecules. tRF-30-JZOYJE22RR33 and tRF-27-ZDXPHO53KSN may be potential biomarkers and intervention targets in the clinical treatment of trastuzumab-resistant breast cancer

Heme catabolism mediated by heme oxygenase in uninfected interstitial cells enables efficient symbiotic nitrogen fixation in Lotus japonicus nodules

18 Pags.- 8 Figs. © 2023 The Authors. New Phytologist.Legume nodules produce large quantities of heme required for the synthesis of leghemoglobin (Lb) and other hemoproteins. Despite the crucial function of Lb in nitrogen fixation and the toxicity of free heme, the mechanisms of heme homeostasis remain elusive. Biochemical, cellular, and genetic approaches were used to study the role of heme oxygenases (HOs) in heme degradation in the model legume Lotus japonicus. Heme and biliverdin were quantified and localized, HOs were characterized, and knockout LORE1 and CRISPR/Cas9 mutants for LjHO1 were generated and phenotyped. We show that LjHO1, but not the LjHO2 isoform, is responsible for heme catabolism in nodules and identify biliverdin as the in vivo product of the enzyme in senescing green nodules. Spatiotemporal expression analysis revealed that LjHO1 expression and biliverdin production are restricted to the plastids of uninfected interstitial cells. The nodules of ho1 mutants showed decreased nitrogen fixation, and the development of brown, rather than green, nodules during senescence. Increased superoxide production was observed in ho1 nodules, underscoring the importance of LjHO1 in antioxidant defense. We conclude that LjHO1 plays an essential role in degradation of Lb heme, uncovering a novel function of nodule plastids and uninfected interstitial cells in nitrogen fixation.This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (2021YFA0910800), National Natural Science Foundation of China (31870220), the Foundation of Hubei Hongshan Laboratory (2022hszd014), HZAU-AGIS Cooperation Fund (SZYJY2022005), and MCIN/AEI/10.13039/ 501100011033 of Spain (grant PID2020-113985GB-I00).Peer reviewe