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In contrast to the widely reported excited-state single proton-transfer, excited-state multiple proton transfer (ESMPT) containing two or more intra- or inter-molecular proton transfers has greatly expanded the research scope of the excited-state proton transfers. In recent decades, ESMPT-active organic molecules have attracted much attention owing to their unique photophysical properties, such as large magnitude Stokes shifts and dual emission. These photophysical properties facilitate the application of the organic molecules in organic solid-state lasers, fluorescent probes and sensors, and molecular switches. Herein, we introduce the fundamentals of the ESMPT and review the recent advances in different types of ESMPTs in organic molecules. Finally, we present our conclusions and the future development prospects of the ESMPT in organic molecules.

Organic lasers that emit light in the deep-red and near-infrared (NIR) region are of essential importance in laser communication, night vision, bioimaging, and information-secured displays but are still challenging because of the lack of proper gain materials. Herein, a new molecular design strategy that operates by merging two excited-state intramolecular proton transfer-active molecules into one excited-state double proton transfer (ESDPT)-active molecule was demonstrated. Based on this new strategy, three new materials were designed and synthesized with two groups of intramolecular resonance-assisted hydrogen bonds, in which the ESDPT process was proven to proceed smoothly based on theoretical calculations and experimental results of steady-state and transient spectra. Benefiting from the effective six-level system constructed by the ESDPT process, all newly designed materials showed low threshold laser emissions at approximately 720 nm when doped in PS microspheres, which in turn proved the existence of the second proton transfer process. More importantly, our well-developed NIR organic lasers showed high laser stability, which can maintain high laser intensity after 12000 pulse lasing, which is essential in practical applications. This work provides a simple and effective method for the development of NIR organic gain materials and demonstrates the ESDPT mechanism for NIR lasing.

This paper describes a new species of the genus Euonymus from Guizhou Province in southwestern China, Euonymus maotaiensis . The new species is morphologically similar to E. chloranthoides but can be distinguished by several key characteristics: broadly lanceolate leaves (as opposed to elliptic to oblong-elliptic), longer petioles (5–12 mm vs. 1–2 mm), longer peduncles (4–9 cm vs. 1–2 cm), 4- or 5-merous flowers (vs. strictly 5-merous), suborbicular petals with the upper half completely recurved abaxially (vs. planar petals), and indehiscent, 4–5 shallowly sulcate capsules (vs. 5-lobed capsules dehiscent to near the midpoint). These morphological differences are further supported by molecular phylogenetic analyses.

Complicated multilevel micro/nanostructures have attracted great attention as essential basic components of integrated optoelectronic devices. However, precise synthesis of these well-designed micro/nanostructures is still a major challenge. In this report, a series of near-infrared emissive multilevel branched organic microwires with different integrated levels are successfully fabricated for the first time by a facile self-assembly approach based on our well designed and synthesized (2E,2′E)-1,1′-(1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene-2,6-diyl)bis(3-(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)prop-2-en-1-one) (DHNBP). The growth mechanism is attributed to lattice matching between (100) and (010) crystal planes, with an interplanar spacing mismatch rate as low as 5.3%. Benefiting from the uniaxial oriented molecular packing mode of the crystal, the well-prepared microwires have outstanding optical properties. More significantly, the branched structures can work as optical logic gates and optical signal processors. Therefore, this synthesis method for multilevel branched microwires will potentially facilitate the development of organic integrated optoelectronics.

In order to understand why women tend to be under-nominated even though they are more likely to be elected compared to men in Taiwan, this study focuses on the nomination systems of two major political parties. The country provides a critical case of inter-party and intra-party comparison for women's nomination, as the two major parties diverge in their practice of candidate selection. Further, the electoral reforms from the SNTV (Single Non-Transferable Vote) system to the SMD (Single-Member District) system have led parties to alter their strategies in selecting women candidates. With the nomination dataset compiled over the past 20 years, this study finds that more centralized nomination is more conducive to women's candidacy, even under different electoral systems. Under the old SNTV system, the more centralized KMT (Kuomintang) nominated more women candidates than did the decentralized DPP (Democratic Progressive Party). Under the new SMD system, women's representation as a whole actually increased in Taiwan, which runs contrary to the general expectation, compared to the multimember-district system and so the SMD tends to inhibit women's representation. The growing centralization in the major parties after the electoral rule changed to the new system, has enhanced women's candidacies, but the higher male incumbent advantage is a hurdle still to be overcome in the long term. This study argues that although electoral rules have altered the parameters of party competition, party nomination are critical factors for explaining changing women's representation.

Over the past decade, Taiwan has witnessed a rising Taiwanese consciousness pulling it apart from a Chinese identity. However, economic development across the Taiwan Strait unfolds in the opposite direction, drawing Taiwanese people into closer interactions with and dependence on China. As Taiwanese find it more and more difficult to disentangle their complicated feelings toward China, this study sets out to demonstrate and explain the multifaceted nature of the Taiwanese people's conflicting views toward China. In particular, this study examines whether the support for closer economic integration will increase the support for unification against the rising tide of Taiwanese identity in recent decades. By applying the ＂Taiwan Social Change Survey: National Identity Module 2013＂ dataset, the empirical analysis shows that, for Taiwanese people, identity and interest did work in rather opposite directions in terms of pulling them away from and drawing them closer to China. The models further show that even though there is a rising trend of Taiwanese identity, economic interests have revealed some potency in moving people's perceptions toward unification with China in order to reap the economic benefits. The political implications entailed in the economic interactions explain Taiwanese hesitations between welcoming and resisting further integration across the Strait.

Background Through the whole life of eukaryotes, autophagy plays an important role in various biological events including development, differentiation and determination of lifespan. A full set of genes and their encoded proteins of this evolutionarily conserved pathway have been identified in many eukaryotic organisms from yeast to mammals. However, this pathway in the insect model organism, the silkworm Bombyx mori , remains poorly investigated. Results Based on the autophagy pathway in several model organisms and a series of bioinformatic analyses, we have found more than 20 autophagy-related genes from the current database of the silkworm Bombyx mori . These genes could be further classified into the signal transduction pathway and two ubiquitin-like pathways. Using the mRNA extracted from the silkgland, we cloned the full length cDNA fragments of some key genes via reverse transcription PCR and 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). In addition, we found that the transcription levels of two indicator genes BmATG8 and BmATG12 in the silkgland tend to be increased from 1 st to 8 th day of the fifth instar larvae. Conclusion Bioinformatics in combination with RT-PCR enable us to remodel a preliminary pathway of autophagy in the silkworm. Amplification and cloning of most autophagy-related genes from the silkgland indicated autophagy is indeed an activated process. Furthermore, the time-course transcriptional profiles of BmATG8 and BmATG12 revealed that both genes are up-regulated along the maturation of the silkgland during the fifth instar. These findings suggest that the autophagy should play an important role in Bombyx mori silkgland.

Drosomycin (Drs) encoding an inducible 44-residue antifungal peptide is clustered with six additional genes, Dro1, Dro2, Dro3, Dro4, Dro5, and Dro6, forming a multigene family on the 3L chromosome arm in Drosophila melanogaster. To get further insight into the regulation of each member of the drosomycin gene family, here we investigated gene expression patterns of this family by either microbe-free injury or microbial challenges using real time RT-PCR. The results indicated that among the seven drosomycin genes, Drs, Dro2, Dro3, Dro4, and Dro5 showed constitutive expressions. Three out of five, Dro2, Dro3, and Dro5, were able to be upregulated by simple injury. Interestingly, Drs is an only gene strongly upregulated when Drosophila was infected with microbes. In contrast to these five genes, Dro1 and Dro6 were not transcribed at all in either noninfected or infected flies. Furthermore, by 5′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends, two transcription start sites were identified in Drs and Dro2, and one in Dro3, Dro4, and Dro5. In addition, NF-κB binding sites were found in promoter regions of Drs, Dro2, Dro3, and Dro5, indicating the importance of NF-κB binding sites for the inducibility of drosomycin genes. Based on the analyses of flanking sequences of each gene in D. melanogaster and phylogenetic relationship of drosomycins in D. melanogaster species-group, we concluded that gene duplications were involved in the formation of the drosomycin gene family. The possible evolutionary fates of drosomycin genes were discussed according to the combining analysis of gene expression pattern, gene structure, and functional divergence of these genes.

This paper describes a new species of the genus Euonymus from Guizhou Province in southwestern China, Euonymus maotaiensis. The new species is morphologically similar to E. chloranthoides but can be distinguished by several key characteristics: broadly lanceolate leaves (as opposed to elliptic to oblong-elliptic), longer petioles (5–12 mm vs. 1–2 mm), longer peduncles (4–9 cm vs. 1–2 cm), 4- or 5-merous flowers (vs. strictly 5-merous), suborbicular petals with the upper half completely recurved abaxially (vs. planar petals), and indehiscent, 4–5 shallowly sulcate capsules (vs. 5-lobed capsules dehiscent to near the midpoint). These morphological differences are further supported by molecular phylogenetic analyses.