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Viruses are ubiquitous in nature and play key roles in various ecosystems. Notably, some viruses (e.g. bacteriophage) exhibit alternative life cycles, such as chronic infections without cell lysis. However, the impact of chronic infections and their interactions with the host organisms remains largely unknown. Here, we found for the first time that polysaccharides induced the production of multiple temperate phages infecting two deep sea Lentisphaerae strains (WC36 and zth2). Through physiological assays, genomic analysis, and transcriptomics assays, we found these bacteriophages were released via a chronic style without host cell lysis, which might reprogram host polysaccharide metabolism through the potential auxiliary metabolic genes. The findings presented here, together with recent discoveries made on the reprogramming of host energy-generating metabolisms by chronic bacteriophages, shed light on the poorly explored marine virus–host interaction and bring us closer to understanding the potential role of chronic viruses in marine ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planctomycetes bacteria are ubiquitously distributed across various biospheres and play key roles in global element cycles. However, few deep-sea Planctomycetes members have been cultivated, limiting our understanding of Planctomycetes in the deep biosphere. Here, we have successfully cultured a novel strain of Planctomycetes (strain ZRK32) from a deep-sea cold seep sediment. Our genomic, physiological, and phylogenetic analyses indicate that strain ZRK32 is a novel species, which we propose be named: Poriferisphaera heterotrophicis. We show that strain ZRK32 replicates using a budding mode of division. Based on the combined results from growth assays and transcriptomic analyses, we found that rich nutrients, or supplementation with NO3 - or NH4 + promoted the growth of strain ZRK32 by facilitating energy production through the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas glycolysis pathway. Moreover, supplementation with NO3 - or NH4 + induced strain ZRK32 to release a bacteriophage in a chronic manner, without host cell lysis. This bacteriophage then enabled strain ZRK32, and another marine bacterium that we studied, to metabolize nitrogen through the function of auxiliary metabolic genes. Overall, these findings expand our understanding of deep-sea Planctomycetes bacteria, while highlighting their ability to metabolize nitrogen when reprogrammed by chronic viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the viscous properties of rock, a viscoelastic model is closer to the real situation of rock media than an elastic model is. Cracks in the media are common geophysical phenomena. In particular, horizontal cracks are widely developed in the thin interbeds of sedimentary rock. Taking a Cole—Cole viscoelastic medium as the background medium, we compute the frequency-dependent velocities, quality factors, anisotropy coefficients, crack densities, and crack aspect ratios of P- and S-waves based on Hudson's theory. We give the velocity-stress staggered finite-difference equations of the elastic wave propagation in a cylindrical coordinate system for a viscoelastic medium with horizontal cracks and numerically simulate acoustic propagation in the cracked medium with different crack densities and aspect ratios. The simulation results indicate that as the crack density increases outside a borehole the P- and S-wave velocities decrease and their amplitudes increase, in a borehole the P- and S—wave velocities and amplitudes decrease; as the crack aspect ratios increases outside a borehole the P-wave velocities decrease, its amplitudes change little and the S-wave amplitudes and velocities change little, in a borehole the P-wave velocities and amplitudes decrease and the S-wave velocities in a borehole change little, and the S-wave amplitudes decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smallholder farming systems are important for global food security, but these faces multiple environmental challenges hindering sustainable development. Although sustainable smallholder agriculture issues have been widely discussed and addressed by scientists globally, harmonized approaches in evaluating sustainability are still lacking. This paper proposes a five-step process for constructing a sustainability assessment method for smallholder farming systems, namely definition of system boundary & functional unit, indicator selection, indicator weighting, indicator conversion, and indicator aggregation. The paper summarizes the state-of-art progresses in agricultural sustainability assessment at different stages, and systematically discussed the benefits and limitations of weighting and aggregation methods. Overall, this evaluation process should be useful by providing rational and comprehensive results for quantifying the sustainability of smallholder farming systems, and will contribute to practice by providing decision-makers with directions for improving sustainable strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 6.0-magnitude (Mw) earthquake was reported to have occurred in Jiashi County, Xinjiang at 21:27 on 19 January 2020, Beijing time (13:27 UTC). This study applied a stochastic finite-fault approach based on the dynamic corner frequency (EXSIM) to simulate 23 near-field stations within a distance of 120 km from the epicenter. The stochastic finite-fault approach is the simplest and most effective method for simulating high-frequency ground motions. According to studies and empirical relationships, we estimated a region-specific parameter (K0) for use in simulations. In this study, two different slip models, namely, random and inverted slip models, were used to explain their influence on the simulation results. For most stations, the simulated seismic characteristics, such as the peak ground acceleration (PGA), pseudo spectral acceleration, and Fourier acceleration spectrum, are highly compatible with the observed values in the frequency range (f > 1 Hz), indicating that the stochastic finite-fault approach is not highly sensitive to input slip distributions and fault dimensions. The simulation results indicated no significance between the two slip models under high-frequency conditions. Finally, based on the predicted PGA values of 1891 field points selected near the fault, the acceleration field of the Jiashi earthquake is plotted. The results show that the use of the acceleration time history predicted by modified EXSIM is feasible and practical in the high-frequency band above 1 Hz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) persists in human cells as episomes. EBV episomes are chromatinized and their 3D conformation varies greatly in cells expressing different latency genes. We used HiChIP, an assay which combines genome-wide chromatin conformation capture followed by deep sequencing (Hi-C) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), to interrogate the EBV episome 3D conformation in different cancer cell lines. In an EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL) GM12878 expressing type III EBV latency genes, abundant genomic interactions were identified by H3K27ac HiChIP. A strong enhancer was located near the BILF2 gene and looped to multiple genes around BALFs loci. Perturbation of the BILF2 enhancer by CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) and CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) altered the expression of BILF2 enhancer-linked genes, including BARF0 and BALF2, suggesting that this enhancer regulates the expression of linked genes. H3K27ac ChIP followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) identified several strong EBV enhancers in T/NK (natural killer) lymphoma cells that express type II EBV latency genes. Extensive intragenomic interactions were also found which linked enhancers to target genes. A strong enhancer at BILF2 also looped to the BALF loci. CRISPRi also validated the functional connection between BILF2 enhancer and BARF1 gene. In contrast, H3K27ac HiChIP found significantly fewer intragenomic interactions in type I EBV latency gene-expressing primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cell lines. These data provided new insight into the regulation of EBV latency gene expression in different EBV-associated tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Albofungin, a hexacyclic aromatic natural product, exhibits broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Its biosynthesis, regulation, and resistance remain elusive. Here, we report the albofungin (abf) biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) from its producing strain Streptomyces tumemacerans JCM5050. The nascent abf BGC encodes 70 putative genes, including regulators, transporters, type II polyketide synthases (PKSs), oxidoreductase, and tailoring enzymes. To validate the intactness and functionality of the BGC, we developed an Escherichia coli-Streptomyces shuttle bacterial artificial chromosome system, whereby the abf BGC was integrated into the genome of a nonproducing host via heterologous conjugation, wherefrom albofungin can be produced, confirming that the BGC is in effect. We then delimited the boundaries of the BGC by means of in vitro CRISPR-Cas9 DNA editing, concluding a minimal but essential 60-kb abf BGC ranging from orfL to abf58. The orfA gene encoding a reduced flavin adenine dinucleotide (FADH2)-dependent halogenase was examined and is capable of transforming albofungin to halogen-substituted congeners in vivo and in vitro. The orfL gene encoding a transporter was examined in vivo. The presence/absence of orfA or orfL demonstrated that the MIC of albofungin is subject to alteration when an extracellular polysaccharide intercellular adhesin was formed. Despite that halogenation of albofungin somewhat increases binding affinity to transglycosylase (TGase), albofungin with/without a halogen substituent manifests similar in vitro antimicrobial activity. Halogenation, however, limits overall dissemination and effectiveness given a high secretion rate, weak membrane permeability, and high hydrophobicity of the resulting products, whereby the functions of orfA and orfL are correlated with drug detoxification/resistance for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body fluid identification through messenger RNA (mRNA) has been proposed as a useful supplement to presumptive and confirmatory tests by previous laboratory studies; however, its application in routine clinical forensic examination was rare. We report a case of sexual assault in which body fluid identification by mRNA profiling was used. Vaginal secretions mRNA markers (MUC4, HBD1, and CYP2B7P1) were used to test the sample, being obtained positive results. This case demonstrates that mRNA profiling of body fluids could be applied to routine case examinations as an aid, acting as a scientific collaborative evidence to strengthen the medicolegal opinion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Color reproduction is an important aspect of three-dimensional (3D) printing in terms of creating a colored visual appearance with high fidelity and stability. To this end, structural color is an ideal coloring mechanism, which processes unique nonfading ability and tunable optical features. In this study, we propose a printable structural color ink composed of cholesteric cellulose liquid crystals together with gelatin and a thermal-responsive hydrogel. The ink maintains a cholesteric liquid crystalline state that gives rise to the structural color, and the rheology properties of the ink are optimized by gelatin, which allows the ink to flow during printing and form self-supporting structures after printing. The incorporation of the hydrogel further enables shape maintenance of the ink after printing via in situ ultraviolet-crosslinking. Based on this, we print a series of graphics and 3D objects with angle-independent color appearances and demonstrate the versatility of the printing system in different substrates. Moreover, the printed objects possess dual thermal responsiveness, which results in visible color changes around body temperature. These performances, together with the biocompatibility of the constituents, indicate that the present ink represents a leap forward to the next-generation 3D printing and would unlock a wide range of real-life applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effect of pachymic acid (PA) on diabetic nephropathy (DN). Methods: C57BL/6J mice were divided into three groups: control group, DN model group, and PA group. In the DN model and PA groups, the mice were injected intraperitoneally with streptozotocin (STZ) on five consecutive days to induce DN. In the control group, the mice were injected with saline. Then, mice in the PA group were treated with 5 mg/100 g PA for four consecutive weeks. Weight and fasting blood glucose were measured. The pathological condition of kidney tissue was examined by hematoxylin/eosin staining. Serum creatinine (Scr), urea nitrogen (BUN), urine protein (U-Pro), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in kidney tissues were measured by enzyme immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Protein expression of AKT, PI3K, p-AKT, and p-PI3K in kidney tissues was evaluated by western blot. Results: Compared with the control group, mice in the DN model group weighed less; had a higher degree of kidney tissue damage; higher fasting blood glucose, Scr, BUN, U-Pro, MDA, p-AKT, and p- PI3K levels; and lower SOD activity. Compared with the DN model group, the PA group showed improvements in weight and kidney damage; had lower fasting blood glucose, Scr, BUN, U-Pro, p-AK, and p-PI3K levels; and higher SOD activity. Conclusion: PA treatment improves the renal function of DN mice and inhibits oxidative stress, probably by suppressing the PI3K/AKT pathway. These findings suggest that PA has potentials as a treatment for DN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The emergence of antimicrobial resistance across populations is a global threat to public health. Surveillance programs often monitor human and animal populations to evaluate trends of emergence in these populations. Many national level antibiotic resistance surveillance programs quantify the proportion of resistant bacteria as a means of monitoring emergence and control measures. The reason for monitoring these different populations are many, including interest in similar changes in resistance which might provide insight into emergence and control options. Methods: In this research, we developed a method to quantify the correlation in antimicrobial resistance across populations, for the conventionally unnoticed mean shift of the susceptible bacteria. With the proposed Bayesian latent class mixture model with censoring and multivariate normal hierarchy, we address several challenges associated with analyzing the minimum inhibitory concentration data. Results: Application of this approach to the surveillance data from National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System led to a detection of positive correlation in the central tendency of azithromycin resistance of the susceptible populations from Salmonella serotype Typhimurium across food animal and human populations. Conclusions: Our proposed approach has been shown to be accurate and superior to the commonly used naïve estimation by simulation studies. Further implementation of this Bayesian model could serve as a useful tool to indicate the co-existence of antimicrobial resistance, and potentially a need of clinical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: As an endocrine organ, the mass of skeletal muscle is closely related to human health. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between regional skeletal muscle and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Chinese elders. Methods and Study Design: A total of 1,328 participants (579 males and 749 females), aged 65 to 96 years were recruited between March to November 2020 in Qingdao, China. Of these, 400 cases and 400 healthy controls, matched by gender and age (±3 years), were included in the study. Skeletal muscle mass was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis, and body weight was adopted to standardize skeletal muscle mass to obtain skeletal muscle mass indexes. Results: Inverse associations were observed for trunk muscle mass index (TMI) (OR=0.42; 95% CI: 0.19, 0.93; p for trend=0.083) and leg skeletal muscle mass index (LMI) (OR=0.41; 95% CI: 0.18, 0.97; p for trend=0.012) with NAFLD risk after adjustment for age, body mass index, glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, dietary intakes of energy, carbohydrate, protein and fat, smoking, alcohol drinking, education and physical activity. Dose-response analysis indicated that per standard deviation increment of LMI was associated with 23% (95%CI: 0.63, 0.95) reduction of NAFLD risk. Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that higher TMI and LMI are associated with a lower NAFLD risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and changing trends of non-smokers with lung cancer (LC) based on data from a population-wide cancer registry in northern China. METHODS The study used LC incidence and follow-up data from 2010 to 2019 from the Cancer Registry System of Tianjin city, which included 82769 cases. Trends in the incidence and proportion of non-smokers with LC were examined by joinpoint regression analysis. Life table and Cox survival analyses were used to calculate the survival rates and compare the death hazard ratios (HRs) in different groups, respectively. RESULTS Among the 82769 new diagnosis cases of LC during 2010 to 2019, there were 34589 (41.8%) current smokers, 14913 (18.0%) ex-smokers, 28123 (34.0%) non-smokers, and 5144 (6.2%) unknowns. The proportion of non-smokers changed slightly from 2010 (35.36%) to 2019 (36.87%) (annual percentage change, APC= -0.01%, p>0.05). This proportion declined in men (2010 vs 2019; 22.06% vs 20.66%) and increased in women (2010 vs 2019; 53.02% vs 62.35%), and in the 0--44 years age group it showed an upward trend from 2015 to 2019 (APC=4.82%, 95% CI: 1.8--7.9). Compared with smokers with LC, non-smokers with LC were predominantly females (64.15% vs 27.26%), had a predominantly adenocarcinoma histological subtypes (76.71% vs 42.22%), and had a 20% lower risk of death than smokers (HR=0.80; 95% CI: 0.78--0.81). CONCLUSIONS The proportion of non-smokers with LC was relatively high in northern China, with an increasing trend in the proportion of females and younger age groups. Non-smokers with LC had different epidemiological and clinical characteristics compared with smokers with LC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supercontinent Pangea was preceded by the formation of Gondwana, a "megacontinent" about half the size of Pangea. There is much debate, however, over what role the assembly of the precursor megacontinent played in the Pangean supercontinent cycle. Here we demonstrate that the past three cycles of supercontinent amalgamation were each preceded by ~200 m.y. by the assembly of a megacontinent akin to Gondwana, and that the building of a megacontinent is a geodynamically important precursor to supercontinent amalgamation. The recent assembly of Eurasia is considered as a fourth megacontinent associated with future supercontinent Amasia. We use constraints from seismology of the deep mantle for Eurasia and paleogeography for Gondwana to develop a geodynamic model for megacontinent assembly and subsequent supercontinent amalgamation. As a supercontinent breaks up, a megacontinent assembles along the subduction girdle that encircled it, at a specific location where the downwelling is most intense. The megacontinent then migrates along the girdle where it collides with other continents to form a supercontinent. The geometry of this model is consistent with the kinematic transitions from Rodinia to Gondwana to Pangea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apperantly healthy laying hens at the end of production (60 to 91 wk) were investigated for the occurrence of pathology and bacterial infections. In total, 7,477 hens from 15 flocks representing the following production systems: Enriched cages, barn housed layers, and organic/free range layers were necropsied. Indications of bacterial infection were investigated by bacteriological cultivation. The overall prevalence of lesions was 16.60%, including lesions of both infectious and non-infectious origin. The most prevalent lesions were bursitis presternalis (6.65%), reproductive tract lesions (e.g., salpingitis and/or peritonitis and/or oophoritis) (3.50%), serosal scarification (e.g., fibrotic adhesive peritonitis) 1.55%, and neoplasm 1.73%. Significant differences were observed between different production systems and/or flocks in the prevalence of reproductive tract lesions, bursitis presternalis, serosal scarification, skin infections, juvenile hens, and traumas/fractures. No significant difference was observed between different production systems in the prevalence of neoplasia, infection of septicemic etiology, and pododermatitis. In total, 3.4% of the hens were out of lay, with significantly higher rate in organic flocks. Infections of the reproductive tract were the most prevalent lesions with bacterial etiology in all productions systems. In total, 40% of the hens with lesions associated to the oviduct were out of lay and significant difference between production systems were observed. Escherichia coli was the most commonly isolated bacteria and in 90% of the cases they were isolated from the reproductive tract lesions. The second most prevalent bacteria was Gallibacteruim anatis. Significant difference in the prevalence of E. coli positive hens was observed between production systems (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the prevalence of reproductive tract lesions in apparently healthy end-of-lay laying was higher than indicated in previous reports. These findings support the previous suggestions that E. coli and G. anatis are the major pathogens causing reproductive tract lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The results from epidemiological studies are controversial between vegetable and fruit consumption and lung cancer risk in participants with different smoking status. The present meta-analysis aimed to investigate these associations with prospective cohort studies. Meanwhile, the potential dose-response relationship was evaluated.Methods and Study Design: Relevant studies were identified with PubMed and Scopus databases up to June 2019. Multivariate-adjusted relative risks for the highest versus the lowest category and 95% confidence intervals were calculated by using a random-effects model. The dose-response relationship was examined by using restricted cubic spline regression model.Results: Eight prospective studies were included for data synthesis. The summary estimates indicated that higher vegetable and fruit intake was significantly associated with lower risk of lung cancer in participants with current smokers (RR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.73, 0.95; I2=25.2%). No significant association was found in former smokers (RR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.88, 1.07; I2=15.0%) and never smokers (RR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.74, 1.11; I2=6.6%). Dose-response analysis showed that 100 g/day increment of vegetable and fruit intake was associated with a 2% reduction in lung cancer risk among current smokers (95% CI: 0.97, 0.99).Conclusions: The present meta-analysis provides significant evidence of an inverse association between vegetable and fruit intake and lung cancer risk in current smokers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a single-slit experiment conducted for microparticles, the well-aligned rough structure of the slit wall can be viewed as a Galton board. Thus, when microparticles pass through the single slit, both the particle probability density (PPD) and particle direction of motion have a normal distribution. Therefore, when the distance between the slit and the receiving film becomes large, particles with different directions of motion will separate into different particle groups. By the nature of a normal distribution, the PPD for any particle group should also be normaldistributed. Obviously, between any two neighboring particle groups, there should be a valley in the PPD and thus the particle groups are observed as discrete fringes. All phenomena observed in the single-slit experiment can be explained reasonably well from the above viewpoint. In particular, analysis shows that the PPD can be described by the square of the modulus of the average least action of particles at a given location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most eukaryotes, a set of conserved proteins that are collectively termed ZMM proteins (named for molecular zipper 1 [ZIP1], ZIP2, ZIP3, and ZIP4, MutS homologue 4 [MSH4] and MSH5, meiotic recombination 3, and sporulation 16 [SPO16] in yeast [Saccharomyces cerevisiae]) are essential for the formation of the majority of meiotic crossovers (COs). Recent reports indicated that ZIP2 acts together with SPO16 and ZIP4 to control CO formation through recognizing and stabilizing early recombination intermediates in budding yeast. However, whether this mechanism is conserved in plants is not clear. Here, we characterized the functions of SHORTAGE OF CHIASMATA 1 (OsSHOC1; ZIP2 ortholog) and PARTING DANCERS (OsPTD; SPO16 ortholog) and their interactions with other ZMM proteins in rice (Oryza sativa). We demonstrated that disruption of OsSHOC1 caused a reduction of CO numbers to ~83% of wild-type CO numbers, whereas synapsis and early meiotic recombination steps were not affected. Furthermore, OsSHOC1 interacts with OsPTD, which is responsible for the same set of CO formations as OsSHOC1. In addition, OsSHOC1 and OsPTD are required for the normal loading of other ZMM proteins, and conversely, the localizations of OsSHOC1 and OsPTD were also affected by the absence of OsZIP4 and human enhancer of invasion 10 in rice (OsHEI10). OsSHOC1 interacts with OsZIP4 and OsMSH5, and OsPTD interacts with OsHEI10. Furthermore, bimolecular fluorescence complementation and yeast-three hybrid assays demonstrated that OsSHOC1, OsPTD, OsHEI10, and OsZIP4 were able to form various combinations of heterotrimers. Moreover, statistical and genetic analysis indicated that OsSHOC1 and OsPTD are epistatic to OsHEI10 and OsZIP4 in meiotic CO formation. Taken together, we propose that OsSHOC1, OsPTD, OsHEI10, and OsZIP4 form multiple protein complexes that have conserved functions in promoting class I CO formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Super-enhancers (SEs) are clusters of enhancers marked by extraordinarily high and broad chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) signals for H3K27ac or other transcription factors (TFs). SEs play pivotal roles in development and oncogenesis. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) super-enhancers (ESEs) are co-occupied by all essential EBV oncogenes and EBV-activated NF-κB subunits. Perturbation of ESEs stops lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL) growth. To further characterize ESEs and identify proteins critical for ESE function, MYC ESEs were cloned upstream of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter. Reporters driven by MYC ESEs 525 kb and 428 kb upstream of MYC (525ESE and 428ESE) had very high activities in LCLs but not in EBV-negative BJAB cells. EBNA2 activated MYC ESE-driven luciferase reporters. CRISPRi targeting 525ESE significantly decreased MYC expression. Genome-wide CRISPR screens identified factors essential for ESE activity. TBP-associated factor (TAF) family proteins, including TAF8, TAF11, and TAF3, were essential for the activity of the integrated 525ESE-driven reporter in LCLs. TAF8 and TAF11 knockout significantly decreased 525ESE activity and MYC transcription. MEF2C was also identified to be essential for 525ESE activity. Depletion of MEF2C decreased 525ESE reporter activity, MYC expression, and LCL growth. MEF2C cDNA resistant to CRIPSR cutting rescued MEF2C knockout and restored 525ESE reporter activity and MYC expression. MEF2C depletion decreased IRF4, EBNA2, and SPI1 binding to 525ESE in LCLs. MEF2C depletion also affected the expression of other ESE target genes, including the ETS1 and BCL2 genes. These data indicated that in addition to EBNA2, TAF family members and MEF2C are essential for ESE activity, MYC expression, and LCL growth. IMPORTANCE SEs play critical roles in cancer development. Since SEs assemble much bigger protein complexes on enhancers than typical enhancers (TEs), they are more sensitive than TEs to perturbations. Understanding the protein composition of SEs that are linked to key oncogenes may identify novel therapeutic targets. A genome-wide CRISPR screen specifically identified proteins essential for MYC ESE activity but not simian virus 40 (SV40) enhancer. These proteins not only were essential for the reporter activity but also were also important for MYC expression and LCL growth. Targeting these proteins may lead to new therapies for EBV-associated cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection of human primary resting B lymphocytes (RBLs) leads to establishment of lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) that can grow indefinitely in vitro. EBV transforms RBLs through expression of viral latency genes and these genes alter host transcription programs. To globally measure the transcriptome changes during EBV transformation, primary human resting B lymphocytes (RBLs) were infected with B95.8 EBV for 0, 2, 4, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days, and polyA plus RNAs were analyzed by RNA-seq. ANOVA analyses found 3669 protein coding genes that were differentially expressed (FDR<0.01). 94% of LCL genes that are essential for LCL growth and survival were differentially expressed. Pathway analyses identified significant enrichment of pathways involved in cell proliferation, DNA repair, metabolism, and anti-viral responses. RNA-seq also identified lncRNAs differentially expressed during EBV infection. CRISPRi and CRISPRa found that CYTOR and NORAD lncRNAs were important for LCL growth. During EBV infection, type III EBV latency genes were expressed rapidly after infection. Immediately after LCL establishment, EBV lytic genes were also expressed in LCLs and ~4% of the LCLs express gp350. ChIP-seq and POLR2A ChIA-PET data linked EBV enhancers to 90% of EBV-regulated genes. Many genes were linked to enhancers occupied by multiple EBNAs or NF-κB subunits. Incorporating these assays, we generated a comprehensive EBV regulome in LCLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is difficult because of a lack of specific symptoms. Many patients have advanced disease at diagnosis, and these patients respond poorly to treatment. New treatments are therefore needed to improve the outcome of NPC. To better understand the molecular pathogenesis of NPC, here we used an NPC cell line in a genome-wide CRISPR-based knockout screen to identify the cellular factors and pathways essential for NPC (i.e. dependence factors). This screen identified the Moz, Ybf2/Sas3, Sas2, Tip60 histone acetyl transferase complex, NF-κB signaling, purine synthesis, and linear ubiquitination pathways; and MDM2 proto-oncogene as NPC dependence factors/pathways. Using gene knock out, complementary DNA rescue, and inhibitor assays, we found that perturbation of these pathways greatly reduces the growth of NPC cell lines but does not affect growth of SV40-immortalized normal nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. These results suggest that targeting these pathways/proteins may hold promise for achieving better treatment of patients with NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decades, numerous Mollusca species have received more attention in development and utilization as valuable bio-resources. Many efforts have been focused on investigating mollusk polysaccharides because of their rich content, ease of extraction, diversified sorts, specific structure, various biofunctions and potent activities. To date, many mollusks, especially species of gastropods, bivalves, or cephalopods, have been reported containing polysaccharide compounds in tissues with abundant amount, and most of polysaccharides are obtainable through combining techniques of extraction, separation and purification. The polysaccharides isolated from mollusks appeared with various structural and physicochemical characteristics, ranged from neutral polysaccharides and sulfated polysaccharides, to GAGs series (including Hep/HS, CS/DS, HA and similarities), even to heterogeneous glycan with high molecular weight. This review article provides comprehensive knowledge of recent researches on type classification, tissue origins and possible biofunctions of various polysaccharides from mollusks. The highlights were placed in structure variation including molecular weight, sulfation pattern, linkages and monomer compositions for repeating unit, and primary molecular construction of the mollusks polysaccharides. In addition, this article covers general information on exhibition of mollusks polysaccharide extracts or preparations in the various bioactivities, such as anticoagulant, antiatherogenic, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antivirus and antitumor activities, which would reveal their possible potentials in medical application. Furthermore, the article presents a brief overview on several challenges and future scope in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pooled-library CRISPR screening provides a powerful means to discover genetic factors involved in cellular processes in a highthroughputmanner. However, the phenotypes accessible to pooledlibrary screening are limited. Complex phenotypes, such as cellular morphology and subcellular molecular organization, as well as their dynamics, require imaging-based readout and are currently beyond the reach of pooled-library CRISPR screening. Here we report an all imaging-based pooled-library CRISPR screening approach that combines high-content phenotype imaging with high-throughput single guide RNA (sgRNA) identification in individual cells. In this approach, sgRNAs are codelivered to cells with corresponding barcodes placed at the 3' untranslated region of a reporter gene using a lentiviral delivery system with reduced recombination-induced sgRNA-barcode mispairing. Multiplexed error-robust fluorescence in situ hybridization (MERFISH) is used to read out the barcodes and hence identify the sgRNAs with high accuracy. We used this approach to screen 162 sgRNAs targeting 54 RNA-binding proteins for their effects on RNA localization to nuclear compartments and uncovered previously unknown regulatory factors for nuclear RNA localization. Notably, our screen revealed both positive and negative regulators for the nuclear speckle localization of a long noncoding RNA, MALAT1, suggesting a dynamic regulation of lncRNA localization in subcellular compartments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are generated in meat during cooking, and pretreatment of meat is becoming increasingly popular. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the influence of different concentrations of three phenolic acid marinades and grilling temperature on the formation and inhibition of PAHs in charcoal-grilled chicken wings by using ultraperformance liquid chromatography–fluorescence detection and analysis of the antiradical activity of marinades by the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) method. The results showed that protocatechuic acid marinade exhibited the highest inhibitory effects, followed by gallic acid and ferulic acid marinade. Additionally, the inhibitory effects grew as the concentration of phenolic marinade increased within limits, and a plateau was eventually reached at a high concentration. Notably, we also found that PAH formation was more affected by marinating than by changing the grilling temperature. In addition, gallic acid had the strongest antiradical activity, whereas protocatechuic acid showed strong activity, and ferulic acid exhibited relativity low activity. The relationship between the antiradical activity and PAH inhibitory effects of phenolic acids suggested that the mechanism for the formation of PAHs was more complex and involved more than antiradical activity. Further studies are needed to test more types and contents of phenolic acid for inhibition of PAH formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The atmospheric boundary layer height (BLH) is a key parameter in weather forecast and air quality prediction. To investigate the relationship between BLH and air pollution under different conditions, a compact micro-pulse lidar integrated both direct detection lidar (DDL) and coherent Doppler wind lidar (CDWL) is built. Then the BLH can be determined from aerosol density or vertical wind independently. During a 45-hour continuous observation in June 2018, stable boundary layer, residual layer and convective boundary layer are identified. Fine structure of aerosol layers, drizzles and vertical wind near cloudbase are also detected. In comparison, the standard deviation between BLH values derived from DDL and CDWL is 60 m, indicating the accuracy of this work. The retrieved convective BLH is a little higher than that from ERA5 reanalysis due to different retrieval methods. Negative correlation between BLH and PM2.5 is analyzed before and after a precipitation. A criterion is proposed to classify the residual layer and convective boundary layer. Different trends show that the relationship between PM2.5 and BLH should be considered in different boundary layer categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work provides that, when an object is accelerated, the substance quantity included in the object should remain a constant with that substance being redistributed within the object. For the same object, a different mass distribution will show a different momentum effect causing the measured mass to change. Based on this viewpoint, a new mass-speed equation is derived. Analysis shows that the new equation is more compatible with the experimental data than special relativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen (EBNA) leader protein (EBNALP) is one of the first viral genes expressed upon B-cell infection. EBNALP is essential for EBVmediated B-cell immortalization. EBNALP is thought to function primarily by coactivating EBNA2-mediated transcription. Chromatin immune precipitation followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) studies highlight that EBNALP frequently cooccupies DNA sites with host cell transcription factors (TFs), in particular, EP300, implicating a broader role in transcription regulation. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of EBNALP transcription coactivation through EP300. EBNALP greatly enhanced EP300 transcription activation when EP300 was tethered to a promoter. EBNALP coimmunoprecipitated endogenous EP300 from lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). EBNALP W repeat serine residues 34, 36, and 63 were required for EP300 association and coactivation. Deletion of the EP300 histone acetyltransferase (HAT) domain greatly reduced EBNALP coactivation and abolished the EBNALP association. An EP300 bromodomain inhibitor also abolished EBNALP coactivation and blocked the EP300 association with EBNALP. EBNALP sites cooccupied by EP300 had significantly higher ChIP-seq signals for sequence-specific TFs, including SPI1, RelA, EBF1, IRF4, BATF, and PAX5. EBNALP- and EP300-cooccurring sites also had much higher H3K4me1 and H3K27ac signals, indicative of activated enhancers. EBNALPonly sites had much higher signals for DNA looping factors, including CTCF and RAD21. EBNALP coactivated reporters under the control of NF-∼B or SPI1. EP300 inhibition abolished EBNALP coactivation of these reporters. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat interference targeting of EBNALP enhancer sites significantly reduced target gene expression, including that of EP300 itself. These data suggest a previously unrecognized mechanism by which EBNALP coactivates transcription through subverting of EP300 and thus affects the expression of LCL genes regulated by a broad range of host TFs. IMPORTANCE Epstein-Barr virus was the first human DNA tumor virus discovered over 50 years ago. EBV is causally linked to ∼200,000 human malignancies annually. These cancers include endemic Burkitt lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, lymphoma/ lymphoproliferative disease in transplant recipients or HIV-infected people, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and ∼10% of gastric carcinoma cases. EBV-immortalized human B cells faithfully model key aspects of EBV lymphoproliferative diseases and are useful models of EBV oncogenesis. EBNALP is essential for EBV to transform B cells and transcriptionally coactivates EBNA2 by removing repressors from EBNA2-bound DNA sites. Here, we found that EBNALP can also modulate the activity of the key transcription activator EP300, an acetyltransferase that activates a broad range of transcription factors. Our data suggest that EBNALP regulates a much broader range of host genes than was previously appreciated. A small-molecule inhibitor of EP300 abolished EBNALP coactivation of multiple target genes. These findings suggest novel therapeutic approaches to control EBV-associated lymphoproliferative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

cAMP response element modulator (CREM) is involved in regulating gene expression in normal spermatogenesis. The transcriptional activity of CREM is partly regulated by activator of CREM in the testis (ACT). To investigate the effects of different concentrations of sodium fluoride (NaF) on the gene and protein expression of CREM and ACT in the mouse testis, sexually mature male Kunming mice were exposed to 50, 100, or 150 mg/L NaF in their drinking water for 90 days. NaF reduced the sperm count and viability and increased the percentage of malformed sperm in a dose-dependent manner. The mRNA expression of CREM and ACT was markedly downregulated in the NaF-treated groups. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry revealed that CREM and ACT proteins were decreased significantly in the 50, 100, and 150 mg/L NaF-treated groups compared to the control group. These findings indicate that the decreased gene and protein expression of CREM and ACT in the testis is associated with an impairment of reproductive functions by NaF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ensemble interpretation attributes the wave appearances of particles to their statistical characteristics. This has increasingly interested scientists. However, the ensemble interpretation is still not a scientific theory based on mathematics. Here, based on the double-slit experiment, a mathematical framework for the ensemble interpretation is constructed. The Schrödinger equation and the de Broglie equation are also deduced. Analysis shows that the wave appearance of particles is caused by the statistical properties of these particles; the nature of the wave function is the average least action for the particles in a position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an automatic method, termed as the principal component analysis network with composite kernel (PCANet-CK), for the classification of three-dimensional (3-D) retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) images. Specifically, the proposed PCANet-CK method first utilizes the PCANet to automatically learn features from each B-scan of the 3-D retinal OCT images. Then, multiple kernels are separately applied to a set of very important features of the B-scans and these kernels are fused together, which can jointly exploit the correlations among features of the 3-D OCT images. Finally, the fused (composite) kernel is incorporated into an extreme learning machine for the OCT image classification. We tested our proposed algorithm on two real 3-D spectral domain OCT (SD-OCT) datasets (of normal subjects and subjects with the macular edema and agerelated macular degeneration), which demonstrated its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resolution of viral infections requires activation of innate cells to initiate and maintain adaptive immune responses. In this study, we examined Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infection leading to acute encephalopathy depending on suppression of the adaptive immune responses mediated by innate cells. Infection with P3 strains of JEV enhanced myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) populations, and the survival rate of JEV-infected mice improved after MDSC depletion. Mechanically, P3-induced MDSCs suppressed CD4+ T cell immune responses, especially responses of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells, leading to decreased splenic B cells (CD19+) and blood plasma cells (CD19+CD138+) and reduced levels of total IgM and JEV-specific neutralizing Abs. Upon depleting P3-induced MDSCs in vivo, the Tfh cell population, B cells, plasma cells, and Ab production recovered. These findings provide unique insights regarding MDSC functions in mediating immune suppression via inhibiting Tfh cell responses and further impairing humoral immunity, which facilitate the progression of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variable regions of Ig chains provide the antigen recognition portion of B-cell receptors and derivative antibodies. Ig heavy-chain variable region exons are assembled developmentally from V, D, J gene segments. Each variable region contains three antigen-contacting complementarity-determining regions (CDRs), with CDR1 and CDR2 encoded by the V segment and CDR3 encoded by the V(D)J junction region. Antigen-stimulated germinal center (GC) B cells undergo somatic hypermutation (SHM) of V(D)J exons followed by selection for SHMs that increase antigen-binding affinity. Some HIV-1-infected human subjects develop broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs), such as the potent VRC01-class bnAbs, that neutralize diverse HIV-1 strains. Mature VRC01-class bnAbs, including VRC-PG04, accumulate very high SHM levels, a property that hinders development of vaccine strategies to elicit them. Because many VRC01-class bnAb SHMs are not required for broad neutralization, high overall SHM may be required to achieve certain functional SHMs. To elucidate such requirements, we used a V(D)J passenger allele system to assay, in mouse GC B cells, sequenceintrinsic SHM-targeting rates of nucleotides across substrates representingmaturation stages of human VRC-PG04. We identify rate-limiting SHM positions for VRC-PG04 maturation, as well as SHM hotspots and intrinsically frequent deletions associated with SHM. We find that mature VRC-PG04 has low SHM capability due to hotspot saturation but also demonstrate that generation of new SHM hotspots and saturation of existing hotspot regions (e.g., CDR3) does not majorly influence intrinsic SHM in unmutated portions of VRCPG04 progenitor sequences. We discuss implications of our findings for bnAb affinity maturation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the core of drilling technology in the 21st century, expandable tubular technology could solve practical engineering problems including inadequate casing displacement and high-pressure formations in drilling, and it could be applied in many fields such as well workover, cementation, and well completion. However, the difficulties of breakage and leakage at the thread joint in the expansion process limited the development of this technology. This study investigated the effect of the expansion process on various aspects of the J55 steel expandable tube involved in deformation, residual stress, mechanical properties, and microstructure variation by experimentation. The results showed that in the top and root of the box thread zone the residual stresses were relatively high. That is because much wall thickness was lost due to thread cutting in the top zone and the bending moment was generated from the cone mandrel pressing outwards in the root zone of box thread. It was noticeable that the yield and ultimate strength of the expanded tube were increased after the expansion process, which is work hardening. Furthermore, the microstructure of the unexpanded and expanded tubes was similar, and consisted of pearlite surrounded by ferrite. But in the expanded tube, the pearlite and ferrite were more uniformly and compactly distributed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Protein supplementation is costly and can result in excess nitrogen (N) excretion. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding different levels of dietary protein on average daily gain, body size, rumen fermentation, and nitrogen excretion of 8 to 10 monthold Holstein heifers. Methods: Thirty-six Holstein heifers were divided into 12 blocks according to age (273±6.2 d) and were randomly assigned to diets containing a low (10.2% dry matter [DM]), medium (11.9% DM), or high (13.5% DM) level of dietary crude protein (CP). All diets contained approximately 70% roughage and 30% concentrate with similar dietary metabolizable energy (ME) content (2.47 Mcal/kg). Results: Dry matter intake did not differ among the treatments, and average daily gain increased with the increasing dietary protein, 0.79, 0.95, 0.97 kg/d for low, medium, and high group, respectively. Body height increased linearly with increasing dietary CP but no other significant differences in body dimensions were found among the treatments. The increased ratios of dietary CP improved the rate of rear teat length growth remarkably (p<0.05). There was no difference in rumen pH or ruminal major volatile fatty acid (acetate, propionate, and butyrate) concentration among the 3 diets, but rumen ammonia-N concentration increased with the higher dietary CP (p<0.05). Increasing N intake led to increased total N excretion; urinary N excretion was significantly increased (p<0.05) but fecal N excretion was similar among the treatments. Conclusion: These data suggest that the diet containing 11.9% CP (ME 2.47 Mcal/kg) could meet the maintenance and growth requirements of 9 to 11 month-old Holstein heifers gaining approximately 0.9 kg/d. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yen1/GEN1 are canonical Holliday junction resolvases that belong to the RAD2/XPG family. In eukaryotes, such as budding yeast, mice, worms, and humans, Yen1/GEN1 work together with Mus81-Mms4/MUS81-EME1 and Slx1-Slx4/SLX1-SLX4 in DNA repair by homologous recombination to maintain genome stability. In plants, the biological function of Yen1/GEN1 remains largely unclear. In this study, we characterized the loss of function mutants of OsGEN1 and OsSEND1, a pair of paralogs of Yen1/GEN1 in rice (Oryza sativa). We first investigated the role of OsGEN1 during meiosis and found a reduction in chiasma frequency by ~6% in osgen1 mutants, compared to the wild type, suggesting a possible involvement of OsGEN1 in the formation of crossovers. Postmeiosis, OsGEN1 foci were detected in wild-type microspore nuclei, but not in the osgen1 mutant concomitant with an increase in double-strand breaks. Persistent double-strand breaks led to programmed cell death of the male gametes and complete male sterility. In contrast, depletion of OsSEND1 had no effects on plant development and did not enhance osgen1 defects. Our results indicate that OsGEN1 is essential for homologous recombinational DNA repair at two stages of microsporogenesis in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A biosorption column and a settling tank were operated for 6 months with combined municipal and industrial wastewaters (1 m3/hr) to study the effect of dissolved oxygen (DO) levels and Fe3+ dosage on removal efficiency of dissolved and suspended organics prior to biological treatment. High DO (>0.4 mg/L) were found to be detrimental for soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) removals and iron dosing (up to 20 ppm) did not improve the overall performance. The system performed significantly better at high loading rate (>20 kg COD.m-3.d-1) where suspended solids and COD removals were greater than 80% and 60%, respectively. This is a significant improvement compared to the conventional primary sedimentation tank, and the process is a promising alternative for the pre-treatment of industrial wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acid rain is considered one of the three most serious environmental disasters worldwide, disrupting the normal physiological metabolism of plants and inhibiting their growth. Earthworms alleviate plant stress by regulating soil physical, chemical and biological characteristics, and mycorrhizal fungi can promote plant nutrient absorption and improve plant resistance via symbiosis with plants. We used Illumina high-throughput sequencing to conduct a relevant redundancy analysis (RDA) of soil microbial community structure and plant growth factors, and we constructed a structural equation model (SEM) for maize biomass and a biological index to study the mechanisms by which earthworms and mycorrhizal fungi affect maize stress resistance under simulated acid rain stress. The results showed that earthworms promoted the decomposition of soil organic matter; promoted the growth of the root system; and increased the hormone levels of gibberellin A3 (GA3), abscisic acid (ABA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), ultimately improving the stress resistance of maize. Mycorrhizal fungi increased the relative abundance of plant growth-promoting rhizosphere bacteria, increased the levels of plant hormones and antioxidant enzymes, and improved the stress resistance of maize. Earthworms promoted infection by mycorrhizal fungi, and the interaction between earthworms and mycorrhizal fungi increased the root IAA content and the Shannon index of rhizosphere bacteria and alleviated the simulated acid rain stress of the aboveground part of the maize. This funding is crucial to understanding above- and belowground feedback in plant–soil systems under abiotic stress. • Earthworm and AMF alleviate acid rain stress to maize growth by regulating soil microbial process. • Earthworm and AMF improve the plant hormones to alleviate acid rain stress on maize growth. • Earthworm and AMF improve maize root and shoot antioxidase to alleviate acid rain stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber-matrix interface performance has a great influence on the mechanical properties of fiber reinforced composite. This influence is mainly presented during fiber pullout from the matrix. As fiber pullout process consists of fiber debonding stage and pullout stage which involve complex contact problem, numerical modeling is a best way to investigate the interface influence. Although many numerical research works have been conducted, practical and effective technique suitable for continuous modeling of fiber pullout process is still scarce. The reason is in that numerical divergence frequently happens, leading to the modeling interruption. By interacting the popular finite element program ANSYS with the MATLAB, we proposed continuous modeling technique and realized modeling of fiber pullout from cement matrix with desired interface mechanical performance. For debonding process, we used interface elements with cohesive surface traction and exponential failure behavior. For pullout process, we switched interface elements to spring elements with variable stiffness, which is related to the interface shear stress as a function of the interface slip displacement. For both processes, the results obtained are very good in comparison with other numerical or analytical models and experimental tests. We suggest using the present technique to model toughening achieved by randomly distributed fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: Transposon insertion sequencing (Tn-seq) is an emerging technology that combines transposon mutagenesis with next-generation sequencing technologies for the identification of genes related to bacterial survival. The resulting data from Tn-seq experiments consist of sequence reads mapped to millions of potential transposon insertion sites and a large portion of insertion sites have zero mapped reads. Novel statistical method for Tn-seq data analysis is needed to infer functions of genes on bacterial growth. Results: In this article, we propose a zero-inflated Poisson model for analyzing the Tn-seq data that are high-dimensional and with an excess of zeros. Maximum likelihood estimates of model parameters are obtained using an expectation–maximization (EM) algorithm, and pseudogenes are utilized to construct appropriate statistical tests for the transposon insertion tolerance of normal genes of interest. We propose a multiple testing procedure that categorizes genes into each of the three states, hypo-tolerant, tolerant and hyper-tolerant, while controlling the false discovery rate. We evaluate the proposed method with simulation studies and apply the proposed method to a real Tn-seq data from an experiment that studied the bacterial pathogen, Campylobacter jejuni. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ship block transportation problems are crucial issues to address in reducing the construction cost and improving the productivity of shipyards. Shipyards aim to maximize the workload balance of transporters with time constraint such that all blocks should be transported during the planning horizon. This process leads to three types of penalty time: empty transporter travel time, delay time, and tardy time. This study aims to minimize the sum of the penalty time. First, this study presents the problem of ship block transportation with the generalization of the block transportation restriction on the multi-type transporter. Second, the problem is transformed into the classical traveling salesman problem and assignment problem through a reasonable model simplification and by adding a virtual node to the proposed directed graph. Then, a heuristic algorithm based on greedy algorithm is proposed to assign blocks to available transporters and sequencing blocks for each transporter simultaneously. Finally, the numerical experiment method is used to validate the model, and its result shows that the proposed algorithm is effective in realizing the efficient use of the transporters in shipyards. Numerical simulation results demonstrate the promising application of the proposed method to efficiently improve the utilization of transporters and to reduce the cost of ship block logistics for shipyards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a previously published paper [C. Wang, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 137(6), 3514-3522 (2015)], the modal sound transmission coefficients of a single leaf panel were discussed with regard to the inter-modal coupling effects. By incorporating such effect into the equivalent modal radiation impedance, which is directly related to the modal sound transmission coefficient of each mode, the overall sound transmission loss for both normal and randomized sound incidences was computed through a simple modal superposition. Benefiting from the analytical expressions of the equivalent modal impedance and modal transmission coefficients, in this paper, behaviors of modal sound transmission coefficients in several typical frequency ranges are discussed in detail. Asymptotic solutions are also given for the panels with relatively low bending stiffnesses, for which the sound transmission loss has been assumed to follow the mass law of a limp panel. Results are also compared to numerical analysis and the renowned mass law theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activation of the Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway has been associated with numerous human malignancies, including primary effusion lymphomas (PELs). PEL, a cancerous proliferation of B cells, is caused by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). Previously we identified constitutive phosphorylation of STAT6 on tyrosine 641 (p-STAT6C) in PEL cell lines BC3 and BCBL1; however, the molecular mechanism leading to this activation remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that STAT6 activation tightly correlates with interleukin-13 (IL-13) secretion, JAK1/2 tyrosine phosphorylation, and reduced expression of SHP1 due to KSHV infection. Moreover, p-STAT6C and reduction of SHP1 were also observed in KS patient tissue. Notably, blockade of IL-13 by antibody neutralization dramatically inhibits PEL cell proliferation and survival. Taken together, these results suggest that IL-13/STAT6 signaling is modulated by KSHV to promote host cell proliferation and viral pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phospholipase D3 (PLD3) gene has shown association with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the role of PLD3 common variants in amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology remains unclear. We examined the association of thirteen common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ(1- 42) levels and florbetapir retention on florbetapir 18F amyloid positron emission tomography (AV45-PET) in a large population. We found that one SNP (rs11667768) was significantly associated with CSF Aβ(1- 42) levels in the normal cognition group. We did not observe an association of any SNP with florbetapir retention. Our study predicted the potential role of PLD3 variants in Aβ pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a simple theoretical construction of certain short-range entangled phases of interacting fermions, by putting the bound states of three fermions (which we refer to as clustons) into topological bands. We give examples in two and three dimensions, and show that they are distinct from any free fermion state. We further argue that these states can be viewed as combinations of certain free fermion topological states and bosonic symmetry-protected topological (SPT) states. This provides a conceptually simple understanding of various SPT phases, and the possibility of realizing them in cold atom systems. New parton constructions of these SPT phases in purely bosonic systems are proposed. We also discuss a related anomaly in two dimensional Dirac theories, which is the gravitational analog of the parity anomaly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sound transmission through a single leaf panel has mostly been discussed and explained by using the approaching wave concept, from which the well-known mass law can be derived. In this paper, the modal behavior in sound transmission coefficients is explored, and it is shown that the mutual modal radiation impedances in modal sound transmission coefficients may not be ignored even for a panel immersed in a light fluid. By introducing the equivalent modal impedance which incorporates the inter-modal coupling effect, an analytical expression for the modal sound transmission coefficient is derived, and the overall sound transmission coefficient is simply a modal superposition of modal sound transmission coefficients. A good correlation is obtained between analytical calculation and boundary element method. In addition, it is found that inter-modal coupling has noticeable effects in modal sound transmission coefficients in the subsonic region but may be ignored as modes become supersonic. It is also shown that the well-known mass law performance is attributed to all the supersonic modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-reversal-protected three-dimensional (3D) topological paramagnets are magnetic analogs of the celebrated 3D topological insulators. Such paramagnets have a bulk gap and no exotic bulk excitations, but have non-trivial surface states protected by symmetry. We propose that frustrated spin-1 quantum magnets are a natural setting for realizing such states in three dimensions. We describe a physical picture of the ground-state wave function for such a spin-1 topological paramagnet in terms of loops of fluctuating Haldane chains with nontrivial linking phases. We illustrate some aspects of such loop gases with simple exactly solvable models. We also show how 3D topological paramagnets can be very naturally accessed within a slave particle description of a spin-1 magnet. Specifically, we construct slave-particle mean-field states which are naturally driven into the topological paramagnet upon including fluctuations. We propose bulk projected wave functions for the topological paramagnet based on this slave-particle description. An alternate slave-particle construction leads to a stable U(l) quantum spin liquid from which a topological paramagnet may be accessed by condensing the emergent magnetic monopole excitation of the spin liquid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The standard theoretical approach to gapless spin liquid phases of two-dimensional frustrated quantum antiferromagnets invokes the concept of fermionic slave particles into which the spin fractionalizes. As an alternate we explore different kinds of gapless spin liquid phases in frustrated quantum magnets with XY anisotropy where the vortex of the spin fractionalizes into gapless itinerant fermions. The resulting gapless fractionalized vortex liquid phases are studied within a slave particle framework that is dual to the usual one. We demonstrate the stability of some such phases and describe their properties. We give an explicit construction in an XY-spin-1 system on triangular lattice, and interpret it as a critical phase in the vicinity of spin-nematic states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancer types, and chemotherapy plays an important role in treatment of HCC. However, long-term treatment with chemotherapeutic drugs such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) often results in chemoresistance, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we showed that the annexin A2 (ANXA2) protein is highly expressed in hepatoma cells compared to healthy cells. Knockdown of the ANXA2 gene inhibited hepatoma cell growth, and the underlying mechanism may involve cell cycle inhibition through downregulation of β-catenin and cyclin D1. We also investigated the role of ANXA2 in chemotherapeutic treatment with 5-FU. 5-FU inhibited hepatoma cell growth, while ANXA2 overexpression reduced, and knockdown enhanced, the effects of 5-FU on hepatoma cell growth. Furthermore, β-catenin and cyclin D1 were asscociated with the ANXA2-induced resistance. Taken together, our data suggest that the ANXA2 protein is a critical factor in HCC and that its downregulation can enhance chemotherapeutic treatment with 5-FU. ANXA2 may thus constitute a new therapeutic target for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production dividing is a key issue in exploration and development of multi-layered oil and gas reservoirs of testing wells. There are many factors affecting the productivity of reservoir productivity, and the influences of physical parameters are different. The qualitative problem of comprehensive evaluation was transformed into quantitative problem by fuzzy system theory, and the weights of different factors were calculated by analytic hierarchy process according to different correlations. Small layers in multi-layered gas testing well were evaluated comprehensively and selected optimally based on comprehensive evaluation coefficient, and then the productivity of multi-layered gas reservoir was reasonably divided. The method of calculating membership of evaluation factors to grade intervals was given, and the calculation method of relative weight between different factors was put forward. Furthermore, principle and concrete steps of fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method for production dividing were proposed with the example. It is verified that the application of the method in Sulige oilfield of Ordos Basin is good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work provides insights on the solubilization products after a simultaneous combination of alkaline and ultrasonic (ALK + ULS) pre-treatment of sewage sludge. Soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) increased from 1200 to 11,000 mg/L after such treatment. Organics with molecular weight around 5.6 kDa were solubilized because of the synergistic effect of ultrasound and alkali. Organics with molecular weight larger than 300 kDa increased from 7.8% to 60%, 16% and 42.3% after ULS, ALK and ALK + ULS treatment, respectively. Excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy analysis identified soluble microbial product-like and humic acid-like matters as the main solubilization products. Sludge anaerobic biodegradability was significantly enhanced with the simultaneous application of ALK + ULS pre-treatment. ALK + ULS pre-treatment resulted in 37.8% biodegradability increase compared to the untreated sludge. This value was higher compared to the biodegradability increase induced by individual ALK pre-treatment (5.7%) or individual ULS pre-treatment (20.7%) under the same conditions applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]