On Potassium Deficiency in Cotton– Disorder, Cause and Tissue Diagnosis

As modern cotton varieties including Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) transgenic cotton are adopted and yield per unit area continues to increase, potassium deficiency is occurring with rising frequency in many cotton-growing countries. Symptoms of K deficiencies used to occur at the bottom of the plant on the older or mature leaves, but more recently described symptoms show up on young leaves near the top of the plant. Potassium deficiency induces numerous disorders in cotton, including decreased leaf area index, photosynthesis and plant biomass, but enhances specific leaf weight and earliness of maturity. Low supply and uptake of K, adoption of modern cotton varieties particularly Bt transgenic cotton, and environmental stress are obvious contributors to potassium deficiency. Single leaf photosynthesis (Pn) reduction results mainly from decreased stomatal conductance, low chlorophyl content, poor chloroplast ultrastructure, restricted saccharide translocation, and decreased synthesis of RuBP carboxylase under K deficient conditions. Canopy photosynthesis reduction in K-deficient plants is mainly attributed to both inhibited single leaf Pn rate and decreased leaf area index. Potassium concentrations in both blade and petiole of top fully expanded leaves on main stem are good indicators of K deficiency

A Novel Hybrid Evaluation Method for Transfer Efficiency Assessment between Rail Transit and Public Bicycles

This paper proposes a new hybrid evaluation method including Improved Analytic Hierarchy Process (IAHP), Entropy Method (EM), and Grey Comprehensive Evaluation Method (GCEM) to assess the transfer efficiency between rail transit and public bicycles. In particular, the IAHP method that replaces the nine-scale approach with three-scale approach to naturally meet the consistency requirements is applied to qualitatively calculate the weights of evaluation indices, the EM method is utilized to calculate the weights of evaluation indices with relatively high degrees of quantification, and the GCEM method is used to calculate the transfer efficiency between rail transit and public bicycles. In addition, a three-level evaluation-index system including target level, criteria level and index level is established. A numerical example is also provided to verify the feasibility of the proposed hybrid evaluation method and explore the reasons for low transfer efficiency between rail transit and public bicycles.</p

Intercellular protein–protein interactions at synapses

Chemical synapses are asymmetric intercellular junctions through which neurons send nerve impulses to communicate with other neurons or excitable cells. The appropriate formation of synapses, both spatially and temporally, is essential for brain function and depends on the intercellular protein-protein interactions of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) at synaptic clefts. The CAM proteins link pre- and post-synaptic sites, and play essential roles in promoting synapse formation and maturation, maintaining synapse number and type, accumulating neurotransmitter receptors and ion channels, controlling neuronal differentiation, and even regulating synaptic plasticity directly. Alteration of the interactions of CAMs leads to structural and functional impairments, which results in many neurological disorders, such as autism, Alzheimer&apos;s disease and schizophrenia. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the functions of CAMs during development and in the mature neural system, as well as in the pathogenesis of some neurological disorders. Here, we review the function of the major classes of CAMs, and how dysfunction of CAMs relates to several neurological disorders.Cell BiologySCI(E)中国科学引文数据库(CSCD)[email protected]; [email protected]

On Potassium Deficiency in Cotton– Disorder, Cause and Tissue Diagnosis

As modern cotton varieties including Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) transgenic cotton are adopted and yield per unit area continues to increase, potassium deficiency is occurring with rising frequency in many cotton-growing countries. Symptoms of K deficiencies used to occur at the bottom of the plant on the older or mature leaves, but more recently described symptoms show up on young leaves near the top of the plant. Potassium deficiency induces numerous disorders in cotton, including decreased leaf area index, photosynthesis and plant biomass, but enhances specific leaf weight and earliness of maturity. Low supply and uptake of K, adoption of modern cotton varieties particularly Bt transgenic cotton, and environmental stress are obvious contributors to potassium deficiency. Single leaf photosynthesis (Pn) reduction results mainly from decreased stomatal conductance, low chlorophyl content, poor chloroplast ultrastructure, restricted saccharide translocation, and decreased synthesis of RuBP carboxylase under K deficient conditions. Canopy photosynthesis reduction in K-deficient plants is mainly attributed to both inhibited single leaf Pn rate and decreased leaf area index. Potassium concentrations in both blade and petiole of top fully expanded leaves on main stem are good indicators of K deficiency

(E)-1-(2,2-Dimeth­oxy­eth­yl)-2-(nitro­methyl­idene)imidazolidine

In the title compound, C8H15N3O4, the 2-(nitro­methyl­ene)imidazolidine fragment is close to being planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.027 Å), which may be correlated with delocalization of the electrons and the effect of the strongly electron-withdrawing NO2 group. An intra­molecular N—H⋯O link generates an S(6) ring. The same H atom also forms a weak inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bond, which results in C(7) chains propagating in [010]

Efficacy of relacin combined with sodium hypochlorite against Enterococcus faecalis biofilms

Objective: Relacin is a synthetic molecule that targets RelA, an essential protein in a conserved bacterial stress response system. It was shown to inhibit bacterial growth. The aims of this study were to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of relacin combined with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) on Enterococcus faecalis biofilms and to evaluate the cytotoxicity of relacin. Material and Methods: 48-h E. faecalis OG1RF biofilms were treated by various concentrations of relacin in order to determine its inhibitory concentration. Then, the 48-h biofilms were treated either with 1-min NaOCl (0.01%, 0.05%) alone, or in combination of relacin. As a means of comparison, the biofilms of ΔrelA were also treated by 1-min NaOCl (0.01%, 0.05%, 0.25%). The treatment efficacy was determined by agar plate count assays. The cytotoxicity of relacin was examined on human gingival epithelial cells Ca9-22 and murine fibroblasts NIH-3T3 by a methyl thiazolyltetrazolium (MTT) assay and a lactate dehydrogenase assay. Statistical analysis was performed by one-way or two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni’s post-hoc test and an independent Student’s t-test. A significance level of p&lt;0.05 was used. Results: Relacin inhibited the growth of OG1RF biofilms partially at 8 mM and fully at 14 mM. The relacin (14 mM) and NaOCl combined treatment resulted in significantly higher treatment efficacy than NaOCl treatment alone. At 0.05% NaOCl, the combined treatment resulted in 5.65 (±0.19) log reduction in biofilm viability. The ΔrelA biofilms were more susceptible to NaOCl treatment than the wild type biofilms at 0.25% NaOCl. Relacin at 14 mM was not toxic to host epithelial cells and fibroblasts. Conclusions: The combination of relacin with a low concentration of NaOCl was effective and not cytotoxic