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Bone is a highly vascularized tissue with a unique and complex structure. Long bone consists of a peripheral cortical shell containing a network of channels for vascular penetration and an inner highly vascularized bone marrow space. Bioprinting is a powerful tool to enable rapid and precise spatial patterning of cells and biomaterials. Here we developed a two-step digital light processing technique to fabricate a bone-mimetic 3D hydrogel construct based on octacalcium phosphate (OCP), spheroids of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), and gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) hydrogels. The bone-mimetic 3D hydrogel construct was designed to consist of a peripheral OCP-containing GelMA ring to mimic the cortical shell, and a central GelMA ring containing HUVEC spheroids to mimic the bone marrow space. We further demonstrate that OCP, which is evenly embedded in the GelMA, stimulates the osteoblastic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. We refined the design of a spheroid culture device to facilitate the rapid formation of a large number of HUVEC spheroids, which were embedded into different concentrations of GelMA hydrogels. It is shown that the concentration of GelMA modulates the extent of formation of the capillary-like structures originating from the HUVEC spheroids. This cell-loaded hydrogel-based bone construct with a biomimetic dual ring structure can be potentially used for bone tissue engineering.

This paper extends Duanmu’s (2000, 2007) analysis of Mandarin consonant–glide (CG) onsets by arguing that articulator dissimilation alone cannot account for the full range of grammatical and ungrammatical onset clusters. While Duanmu’s Articulator Dissimilation (2007: 28-30) principle explains the ban on Labial + Labial sequences (e.g., *[fw]), it fails to account for illicit clusters like *[fj], where no articulator overlap exists. This study proposes that both *CG-LabLab and backness agreement constraints are required. Specifically, constraints such as Agree[back]:DorG, Agree[back]:C[-son, +cont]j, and Agree[back]:C[-son]ɥ better explain the distribution of CG onsets. Mandarin phonotactics reflect both OCP effects and anti-OCP agreement patterns for ease of articulation and phonetic distinctiveness. I also investigate the classification of the front glides as Coronal versus Dorsal and demonstrate that this distinction does not alter the requirement for backness agreement, suggesting that both major articulator features and dependent features like [back] are essential to a unified analysis of CG onset constraints in Mandarin. The present analysis takes a novel approach by combining the Optimality Theory with the sonority scale to better account for the missing CG combinations and the asymmetry of obstruent patterns in Mandarin onsets. Additionally, glide asymmetry is observed: [ɥ] is distributionally scarce and more restricted. Such markedness scale and sonority scale within complex onsets are also found in other Chinese varieties, including Lanzhou, Fuyang and Putian. These findings suggest broader cross-linguistic applicability and shed light on the phonological principles governing onsets across languages.

The Elements |I,U| of Element Theory (Kaye et al. 1985) surface as glides [j,w] when associated to positions other than the syllabic nucleus. Glide-like behavior is predicted to occur for the third element |A|, too; yet low glides are not common cross-linguistically. In this paper, we show that in Tigre and Tigrinya, the low guttural consonants involve |A| and function like low glides. They exhibit the process of syneresis – merger with a preceding homorganic vowel in open syllables – which is otherwise typical of high glides. Furthermore, the facts argue for an economy-based view of syneresis, whereby two homorganic elements are realized in one if possible.

Soil constitutes the central environmental compartment that, primarily due to anthropogenic activities, is the recipient of several contaminants. Among these are organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), which are of major concern, even though they were banned decades ago due to their persistence and the health effects they can elicit. In this review, an overview of monitoring studies regarding OCPs in soils published over the last 30 years along with the development of analytical methods and extraction procedures for their determination in soil are presented. The presented synopsis verifies the soil contamination by OCPs during the last several decades. Soil pollution by OCPs should be an essential aspect of the characterization of whole soil quality, considering that a significant percent of soils on a global scale are in the borderline of suitability for cultivation and pertinent activities. The latter, to an extent, is attributed to the presence of organic contaminants, especially those of persistent chemical natures.

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and phthalates are amongst the most emphasized man-made environmental contaminants, due to their prevalence, persistence and potential to induce adverse efects in organisms. In addition to prevailing industrial and domestic activities, their presence in the environment is exacerbated by leaching from associated materials, run-of and emissions. The Loskop Dam in the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, is located on the Olifants River, which flows through a hub of industrial and agricultural activities. Research aimed at monitoring the levels of OCPs and phthalate contamination in South Africa, particularly in the Olifants catchment, has been limited and is restricted to short-term monitoring. In this study, the spatial and temporal variations of 21 OCPs and 7 phthalates in water and sediments from Loskop Dam were evaluated over a 3-year period (2015-2017). Annual average OCP levels ranged from 0.013±0.006 to 0.36±0.13 μg/L in water and from below the limit of detection to 2.4±1.2 µg/kg in sediments. Phthalates were present at average concentrations ranging from 0.023±0.041 to 2.1±1.5 μg/L and 20±0.63 to 55±6.9 µg/kg in water and sediments, respectively. The levels of OCPs and phthalates were greatest in autumn, attributed to higher input sources and concentration efects due to lower water levels. Phthalates were present at greater quantities at the inlet, while OCP accumulation was observed at the upper reaches of the dam. This may be an indication of the diferences in input sources and translocation of these compounds, related to the topography of the dam and variability in water flow rates. These findings are important in highlighting the environmental and health concerns that may arise in the Olifants catchment area. After considering the outcomes of this study, we propose the implementation of regular and stringent monitoring strategies, which include surveys of OCPs and phthalates for Loskop Dam and similar water systems globally.

Corrosion inhibitory effects of new synthesized compound namely 5,5'- ((1Z,1'Z)-(1,4-phenylenebis(methanylylidene))bis(azanylylidene))bis(1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thiol) (PBB) on mild steel in 1.0 M HCl was investigated at different temperatures using open circuit potential (OCP), potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Results showed that PBB inhibited mild steel corrosion in acid solution and indicated that the inhibition efficiencies increased with the concentration of inhibitor, but decreased proportionally with temperature. Changes in impedance parameters suggested the adsorption of PBB on the mild steel surface, leading to the formation of protective films.

Among all photosynthetic life forms, cyanobacteria exclusively possess a water-soluble, light-sensitive carotenoprotein complex known as orange carotenoid proteins (OCPs), crucial for their photoprotective mechanisms. These protein complexes exhibit both structural and functional modularity, with distinct C-terminal (CTD) and N-terminal domains (NTD) serving as light-responsive sensor and effector regions, respectively. The majority of cyanobacterial genomes contain genes for OCP homologs and related proteins, highlighting their essential role in survival of the organism over time. Cyanobacterial photoprotection primarily involves the translocation of carotenoid entity into the NTD, leading to remarkable conformational changes in both domains and formation of metastable OCP R . Subsequently, OCP R interacts with phycobiliprotein, inducing the quenching of excitation energy and a significant reduction in PS II fluorescence yield. In dark conditions, OCP R detaches from phycobilisomes and reverts to OCP O in the presence of fluorescent recovery proteins (FRP), sustaining a continuous cycle. Research suggests that the modular structure of the OCPs, coupled with its unique light-driven dissociation and re-association capability, opens avenues for exploiting its potential as light-controlled switches, offering various biotechnological applications.

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the influence of organisational culture, specifically O’Reilly et al.’s (1991) six dimensions of the organisational culture profile (respect for people, outcome orientation, team orientation, innovation, attention to detail and stability) on corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and the subsequent impact of CSR practices on organisational performance from the context of an emerging economy.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a survey of middle- and higher-level managers in Bangladeshi organisations to develop a seven-dimensional model of CSR practices and used structural equation modelling to analyse the developed hypotheses.FindingsThe findings provide evidence of the influence of the six different dimensions of organisational culture on the different dimensions of CSR practices. The findings highlight the diverse impacts (i.e. positive and negative) of CSR practices on organisational performance. The study also highlights the direct influence of organisational culture on both financial and non-financial performance. In particular, the outcome and team orientation culture are positively associated with non-financial and financial performance, respectively, while an innovative culture is negatively associated with both non-financial and financial performance.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study provide practitioners, internal (i.e. the managers and business owners of both the local and multinational organisations) and external policy-makers, and foreign investors in an emerging economy with new insights into the role of an intra-organisational factor (i.e. organisational culture) in influencing the adoption of CSR practices and the subsequent impact of CSR practices on organisational performance.Originality/valueUsing the 52 guidelines of CSR practices provided by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, this study provides a unique empirical insight into the influence of organisational culture on CSR practices and the impact of CSR practices on organisational performance. The findings contribute to the limited CSR literature examining the influence of organisational culture on the adoption of CSR practices and its subsequent impact on organisational performance in an emerging economy.

Papain-like cysteine proteases (PLCPs) play an important role in the immune response of plants. In Arabidopsis, several homologous genes are known to be involved in defending against pathogens. However, the effects of PLCPs on diseases that afflict rice are largely unknown. In this study, we show that a PLCP, an oryzain alpha chain precursor (OCP), the ortholog of the Arabidopsis protease RD21 (responsive to dehydration 21), participates in regulating resistance to blast disease with a shorter lesion length characterizing the knockout lines ( ocp-ko ), generated via CRISPR/Cas9 technology. OCP was expressed in all rice tissues and mainly located in the cytoplasm. We prove that OCP, featuring cysteine protease activity, interacts with OsRACK1A (receptor for activated C kinase 1) and OsSNAP32 (synaptosome-associated protein of 32 kD) physically in vitro and in vivo , and they co-locate in the rice cytoplasm but cannot form a ternary complex. Many genes related to plant immunity were enriched in the ocp-ko1 line whose expression levels changed significantly. The expression of jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET) biosynthesis and regulatory genes were up-regulated, while that of auxin efflux transporters was down-regulated in ocp-ko1 . Therefore, OCP negatively regulates blast resistance in rice by interacting with OsRACK1A or OsSNAP32 and influencing the expression profiles of many resistance-related genes. Moreover, OCP might be the cornerstone of blast resistance by suppressing the activation of JA and ET signaling pathways as well as promoting auxin signaling pathways. Our research provides a comprehensive resource of PLCPs for rice plants in defense against pathogens that is also of potential breeding value.