2-Amino-5-methyl-6-methyl­sulfanyl-4-phenyl­benzene-1,3-dicarbonitrile

The dihedral angle between the planes of the two aromatic rings of the title compound, C16H13N3S, is 56.7 (3)°. The crystal packing is stabilized by inter­molecular N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds, which link the mol­ecules into chains along [11]

Promoting the Brand Inside: The Conceptualization of Nonprofit Internal Branding and Its Relationship With Employees’ Brand Performance

As a value-led entity, the nonprofit depends on its staff for the delivery of the brand value outsides and thus promoting the brand inside is crucial to the development of the nonprofits. Using a sample of 290 full-time staff working in 270 nonprofits in China, two related studies were conducted. Study 1 aimed to develop and validate a new scale for internal branding in the nonprofit context, while Study 2 aimed to investigate the linking mechanism between internal branding and brand performance with the mediating roles (including chain mediation) of the person–organization fit (POF) and intent to stay with the brand (IntSB). As predicted, the results revealed that: (1) the nonprofit internal branding (NIB) scale is a three-dimensional construct that is composed of brand-centered training, internal brand communication, and brand-oriented leadership, (2) internal branding positively predicts POF, IntSB, and brand performance, and (3) POF and IntSB sequentially mediate the internal branding–brand performance relationship. The implications of our findings for internal branding in the nonprofit context are discussed

Overexpression of a Prefoldin β subunit gene reduces biomass recalcitrance in the bioenergy crop Populus.

Prefoldin (PFD) is a group II chaperonin that is ubiquitously present in the eukaryotic kingdom. Six subunits (PFD1-6) form a jellyfish-like heterohexameric PFD complex and function in protein folding and cytoskeleton organization. However, little is known about its function in plant cell wall-related processes. Here, we report the functional characterization of a PFD gene from Populus deltoides, designated as PdPFD2.2. There are two copies of PFD2 in Populus, and PdPFD2.2 was ubiquitously expressed with high transcript abundance in the cambial region. PdPFD2.2 can physically interact with DELLA protein RGA1_8g, and its subcellular localization is affected by the interaction. In P. deltoides transgenic plants overexpressing PdPFD2.2, the lignin syringyl/guaiacyl ratio was increased, but cellulose content and crystallinity index were unchanged. In addition, the total released sugar (glucose and xylose) amounts were increased by 7.6% and 6.1%, respectively, in two transgenic lines. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed that secondary metabolic pathways, including lignin and flavonoid biosynthesis, were affected by overexpressing PdPFD2.2. A total of eight hub transcription factors (TFs) were identified based on TF binding sites of differentially expressed genes in Populus transgenic plants overexpressing PdPFD2.2. In addition, several known cell wall-related TFs, such as MYB3, MYB4, MYB7, TT8 and XND1, were affected by overexpression of PdPFD2.2. These results suggest that overexpression of PdPFD2.2 can reduce biomass recalcitrance and PdPFD2.2 is a promising target for genetic engineering to improve feedstock characteristics to enhance biofuel conversion and reduce the cost of lignocellulosic biofuel production

Linking Lignin Source with Structural and Electrochemical Properties of Lignin-Derived Carbon Materials

Valorization of lignin to high-value chemicals and products along with biofuel production is generally acknowledged as a technology platform that could significantly improve the economic viability of biorefinery operations. With a growing demand for electrical energy storage materials, lignin-derived activated carbon (AC) materials have received increasing attention in recent years. However, there is an apparent gap in our understanding of the impact of the lignin precursors (i.e., lignin structure, composition and inter-unit linkages) on the structural and electrochemical properties of the derived ACs. In the present study, lignin-derived ACs were prepared under identical conditions from two different lignin sources: alkaline pretreated poplar and pine. The lignin precursors were characterized using composition analysis, size exclusion chromatography, and 2D HSQC nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Distinctive distributions of numerous micro-, meso- and macro-porous channels were observed in the two lignin-derived ACs. Poplar lignin-derived ACs exhibited a larger BET surface area and total mesopore volume than pine lignin-derived AC, which contributed to a larger electrochemical capacitance over a range of scan rates. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis (XPS) results revealed the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups in all lignin-derived ACs, which participated in redox reactions and thus contributed to an additional pseudo-capacitance. A possible process mechanism was proposed to explain the effects of lignin structure and composition on lignin-derived AC pore structure during thermochemical conversion. This study provides insight into how the lignin composition and structure affect the derived ACs for energy storage applications

Tulp1 deficiency causes early-onset retinal degeneration through affecting ciliogenesis and activating ferroptosis in zebrafish

Mutations in TUB-like protein 1 (TULP1) are associated with severe early-onset retinal degeneration in humans. However, the pathogenesis remains largely unknown. There are two homologous genes of TULP1 in zebrafish, namely tulp1a and tulp1b. Here, we generated the single knockout (tulp1a(−/−) and tulp1b(−/−)) and double knockout (tulp1-dKO) models in zebrafish. Knockout of tulp1a resulted in the mislocalization of UV cone opsins and the degeneration of UV cones specifically, while knockout of tulp1b resulted in mislocalization of rod opsins and rod-cone degeneration. In the tulp1-dKO zebrafish, mislocalization of opsins was present in all types of photoreceptors, and severe degeneration was observed at a very early age, mimicking the clinical manifestations of TULP1 patients. Photoreceptor cilium length was significantly reduced in the tulp1-dKO retinas. RNA-seq analysis showed that the expression of tektin2 (tekt2), a ciliary and flagellar microtubule structural component, was downregulated in the tulp1-dKO zebrafish. Dual-luciferase reporter assay suggested that Tulp1a and Tulp1b transcriptionally activate the promoter of tekt2. In addition, ferroptosis might be activated in the tulp1-dKO zebrafish, as suggested by the up-regulation of genes related to the ferroptosis pathway, the shrinkage of mitochondria, reduction or disappearance of mitochondria cristae, and the iron and lipid droplet deposition in the retina of tulp1-dKO zebrafish. In conclusion, our study establishes an appropriate zebrafish model for TULP1-associated retinal degeneration and proposes that loss of TULP1 causes defects in cilia structure and opsin trafficking through the downregulation of tekt2, which further increases the death of photoreceptors via ferroptosis. These findings offer insight into the pathogenesis and clinical treatment of early-onset retinal degeneration

The splicing factor DHX38 enables retinal development through safeguarding genome integrity

DEAH-Box Helicase 38 (DHX38) is a pre-mRNA splicing factor and also a disease-causing gene of autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP). The role of DHX38 in the development and maintenance of the retina remains largely unknown. In this study, by using the dhx38 knockout zebrafish model, wedemonstrated that Dhx38 deficiency causes severe differentiation defects and apoptosis of retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) through disrupted mitosis and increased DNA damage. Furthermore, we found a significant accumulation of R-loops in the dhx38-deficient RPCs and human cell lines. Finally, we found that DNA replication stress is the prerequisite for R-loop-induced DNA damage in the DHX38 knockdown cells. Taken together, our study demonstrates a necessary role of DHX38 in the development of retina and reveals a DHX38/R-loop/replication stress/DNA damage regulatory axis that is relatively independent of the known functions of DHX38 in mitosis control

Self-esteem and professional identity among male nurses and male nursing students: mediating roles of perceived prejudice and psychological distress

IntroductionThere are not enough nurses around the world, and there are even fewer male nurses. It has not been easy for men to become nurses because of stereotypes about the roles of men and women in the workplace, which lead to prejudice and discrimination. This study explored how the self-esteem of male nurses and male nursing students affects their professional identity in an environment where stereotypes and social prejudice exist. This study also examined the differences of relevant variables in different sociodemographic characteristics of the research subjects in a Chinese social context.MethodsBy purposive and snowball sampling, 464 male nurses and male nursing students were surveyed through questionnaires from November 2021 to January 2022. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 25.0 and PROCESS Macro 3.3.ResultsSelf-esteem could indirectly affect professional identity through perceived prejudice and psychological distress. Nonetheless, self-esteem still had a significant direct effect on professional identity. The total mediating effect accounted for 32.816% of the total effect, and the direct effect accounted for 67.184% of the total effect. Also of note was that 81.7% of participants reported experiencing psychological distress.DiscussionTo improve the professional identity of male nurses and male nursing students, nursing educators and administrators should do the following: protect and improve their self-esteem; take steps to reduce social prejudice against them; value their mental health and alleviate their psychological distress

Crop bioaccumulation and human exposure of perfluoroalkyl acids through multi-media transport from a mega fluorochemical industrial park, China

Significant quantities of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are released to the environment from fluorochemical manufacturing processes through wastewater discharge and air emission in China, which may lead to human exposure and health risks through crop bioaccumulation from PFAAs-contaminated soil and irrigation water. This paper systematically studied the distribution and transport of PFAAs in agricultural soil, irrigation water and precipitation, followed by crop bioaccumulation and finally human exposure of PFAAs within a 10 km radius around a mega-fluorochemical industrial park (FIP). Hotspots of contamination by PFAAs were found near the FIP and downstream of the effluent discharge point with the maximum concentrations of 641 ng/g in agricultural soil, 480 ng/g in wheat grain, 58.8 ng/g in maize grain and 4,862 ng/L in precipitation. As the distance increased from the FIP, PFAAs concentrations in all media showed a sharp initial decrease followed by a moderate decline. Elevated PFAA concentrations in soil and grains were still present within a radius of 10 km of the FIP. The soil contamination was associated with the presence of PFAAs in irrigation water and precipitation, and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was the dominant PFAA component in soil. However, due to bioaccumulation preference, short-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), especially perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), became the major PFAA contaminants in grains of wheat and maize. The bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) for both grains showed a decrease with increasing chain length of PFAAs (approximately 0.5 log decrease per CF2 group). Compared to maize grain, wheat grain showed higher BAFs, possibly related to its higher protein content. The PFCA (C4-C8) concentrations (on a log10 basis) in agricultural soil and grain were found to show a linear positive correlation. Local human exposure of PFOA via the consumption of contaminated grains represents a health risk for local residents, especially for toddlers and children