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Inkjet 3D printing using array nozzles allows efficient deposition of complex shapes on free-form surfaces. However, the slip of droplets on curved substrates and the flow of printing materials can cause edge collapse and poor surface morphology of curved multilayer printed parts. In this study, a part morphology prediction model for curved inkjet 3D printing is developed to predict the surface morphology of printed parts. First, from the perspective of computational fluid dynamics, a surface drop prediction model is formed to predict the slip and deposition patterns of ink droplets on curved substrates. The model calculates the spreading diameter of droplets and slip distance on curved surfaces based on the physical parameters of droplets, substrate roughness, and droplet impact angle. Then, based on the droplet slip distance and spreading diameter data obtained from the droplet drop prediction model, a multilayer stacking model for surface printing is established to predict the evolution of part height and contour shape in printing. After discretizing the print area, the morphology prediction of curved inkjet 3D printed parts is achieved by analytically modeling the physical processes such as droplet deposition, local ink flow, and solvent volatilization. Finally, multilayer printing experiments on a spherical surface are conducted to verify the accuracy of the prediction model. The results show that the predicted shape of the sample parts is in good agreement with the experimental results. The model provides a theoretical basis for the closed-loop control of surface inkjet 3D printing and printing defect compensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a research conducted in order to describe new species of the planthopper genus Armacia from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The study revealed the redescription and illustration of several species including A. madangensis, A. rubilimba, A. spinae, A. vigorata, A. albipes, A. clara, A. divisura and A. fusca on the basis of checklist provided for all known species.

Aprivesa unimaculata sp. n. (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Ricaniidae) is described and illustrated from Coorg, south India. Th is represents the fi rst record of the genus Aprivesa Melichar from India and the fourth known species of Aprivesa. Th e new taxon greatly extends the range of the genus Aprivesa, which was previously known as an endemic Australian genus. A checklist of all known species of the Ricaniidae from India and keys to all the known genera of the Ricaniidae from India and all species in the genus are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Chlorhexidine was evaluated as a potential topical therapy for experimental bacterial keratitis. Methods: Chlorhexidine (0.01%) was compared to ciprofloxacin (0.3%) and tobramycin (1.36%)/cefazolin (5%) both in vitro and in vivo for the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was established for each organism for each antibiotic, using a standardized method. One thousand (1000) colony-forming units (CFU) of S. aureus or P. aeruginosa was intrastromally injected into rabbit cornea. A total of 92 corneas were infected and then treated topically with antibiotics. The control eyes were treated with artificial tears. The rabbits were later sacrificed, and the corneal buttons were harvested. Results: The MIC for chlorhexidine was ≤40 μg/mL for both organisms. In the rabbit model of S. aureus keratitis, following the treatments, the median number of CFU of recoverable bacteria for chlorhexidine (n = 10), ciprofloxacin (n = 12), tobramycin/cefazolin (n = 12), and controls (n = 10) was 1.1 × 103, 4.7 × 104, 1.9 × 105, and 6.7 × 104, respectively. For S. aureus, the only treatment that showed a statistically significant reduction in CFU was chlorhexidine. In the P. aeruginosa keratitis group, CFU were significantly reduced with all treatments, compared to the control. Conclusions: Chlorhexidine short-term treatment was an effective topical therapy for bacterial keratitis in the rabbit model, when compared with ciprofloxacin and tobramycin/cefazolin, in particular for S. aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gcn5 was the first transcription-related histone acetyltransferase (HAT) to be identified. However, the functions of this enzyme in mammalian cells remain poorly defined. Deletion of Gcn5 in mice leads to early embryonic lethality with increased apoptosis in mesodermal lineages. Here we show that deletion of p53 allows Gnc5-/- embryos to survive longer, but Gnc5-/- p53-/- embryos still die in midgestation. Interestingly, embryos homozygous for point mutations in the Gcn5 catalytic domain survive significantly longer than Gnc5-/- or Gnc5-/- p53-/- mice. In contrast to Gnc5-/- embryos, Gcn5hat/hat embryos do not exhibit increased apoptosis but do exhibit severe cranial neural tube closure defects and exencephaly. Together, our results indicate that Gcn5 has important, HAT-independent functions in early development and that Gcn5 acetyltransferase activity is required for cranial neural tube closure in the mouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CC chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) recruits macrophages to reduce inflammatory responses. Decay-accelerating factor (DAF) is a membrane regulator of the classical and alternative pathways of complement activation. In view of the link between complement genes and retinal diseases, we evaluated the retinal phenotype of C57BL/6J mice and mice lacking Ccl2 and/or Daf1 at 12 months of age, using scanning laser ophthalmoscopic imaging, electroretinography (ERG), histology, immunohistochemistry, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) analysis. In comparison to C57BL/6J mice, mutant mice had an increased number of autofluorescent foci, with the greatest number in the Ccl2-/-/Daf1-/- retina. ERG amplitudes in Ccl2-/-/Daf1-/-, Ccl2-/- and Daf1-/- mice were reduced, with the greatest reduction in Ccl2-/-/Daf1-/- mice. TUNEL-positive cells were not seen in C57BL/6J retina, but were prevalent in the outer and inner nuclear layers of Ccl2-/-Daf1-/- mice and were present at reduced density in Ccl2-/- or Daf1-/- mice. Cell loss was most pronounced in the outer and inner nuclear layers of Ccl2-/-/Daf1-/- mice. The levels of the endoplasmic reticulum chaperone GPR78 and transcription factor ATF4 were significantly increased in the Ccl2-/-/Daf1-/- retina. In comparison to the C57BL/6J retina, the phosphorylation of NF-?B p65, p38, ERK and JNK was significantly upregulated while SIRT1 was significantly downregulated in the Ccl2-/-/Daf1-/- retina. Our results suggest that loss of Ccl2 and Daf1 causes retinal neuronal death and degeneration which is related to increased endoplasmic reticulum stress, oxidative stress and inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classically, Hemiptera is comprised of two suborders: Homoptera and Heteroptera. Homoptera includes Cicadomorpha, Fulgoromorpha and Sternorrhyncha. However, according to previous molecular phylogenetic studies based on 18S rDNA, Fulgoromorpha has a closer relationship to Heteroptera than to other hemipterans, leaving Homoptera as paraphyletic. Therefore, the position of Fulgoromorpha is important for studying phylogenetic structure of Hemiptera. We inferred the evolutionary affiliations of twenty-five superfamilies of Hemiptera using mitochondrial protein-coding genes and rRNAs. We sequenced three mitogenomes, from Pyrops candelaria, Lycorma delicatula and Ricania marginalis, representing two additional families in Fulgoromorpha. Pyrops and Lycorma are representatives of an additional major family Fulgoridae in Fulgoromorpha, whereas Ricania is a second representative of the highly derived clade Ricaniidae. The organization and size of these mitogenomes are similar to those of the sequenced fulgoroid species. Our consensus phylogeny of Hemiptera largely supported the relationships (((Fulgoromorpha,Sternorrhyncha),Cicadomorpha),Heteroptera), and thus supported the classic phylogeny of Hemiptera. Selection of optimal evolutionary models (exclusion and inclusion of two rRNA genes or of third codon positions of protein-coding genes) demonstrated that rapidly evolving and saturated sites should be removed from the analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estrogen receptor-related receptors (ERRs) belong to a subfamily of orphan nuclear receptors where the proteins are closely related to the estrogen receptors (ERs) in structure. ERR homologs have been found in many animals and play an important role in the regulation physiologic processes. We have isolated the ERR homolog, abbreviated as PvERR, from the ant Polyrhachis vicina Roger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The full-length cDNA of the PvERR gene is 1,918 bp, containing a 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) of 245 bp and a 3′-UTR of 368 bp. The open reading frame of 1,305 bp encodes a 434-amino acid protein. The PvERR gene is composed of eight exons and seven introns. The tertiary structure of both the DNA binding domain and the ligand binding domain (LBD) of PvERR belong to the α+β type. The LBD of PvERR is formed by 11 α-helices without H2, and it is similar to the mammalian ERR3, LBD of known crystal structure. Further investigation indicated the potential significance of PγERR in the regulation of development in P. vicina, due to its expression in different developmental periods and castes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context.--The combination of grading and staging is the basis of current standard of care for prediction for most cancers. D. F. Gleason created the current prostate cancer (PCa) grading system. This system has been modified several times. Molecular data have been added. Currently, all grading systems are cancer-cell based. Objective.--To review the literature available on host response measures as reactive stroma grading and stromogenic carcinoma, and their predictive ability for PCa biochemical recurrence and PCa-specific death. Data Sources.--Our own experience has shown that reactive stroma grading and the subsequently binarized system (stromogenic carcinoma) can independently predict biochemical recurrence and/or PCa-specific death, particularly in patients with a Gleason score of 6 or 7. Stromogenic carcinoma has been validated by 4 other independent groups in at least 3 continents. Conclusions.--Broders grading and Dukes staging have been combined to form the most powerful prognostic tools in standard of care. The time has come for us to incorporate measures of host response (stromogenic carcinoma) into the arsenal of elements we use to predict cancer survival, without abandoning what we know works. These data also suggest that our current definition of PCa might need some revision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The forest musk deer, Moschus berezovskii, is one of seven musk deer (Moschus spp.) and is distributed in Southwest China. Akin to other musk deer, the forest musk deer has been traditionally and is currently hunted for its musk (i.e., global perfume industry). Considerable hunting pressure and habitat loss have caused significant population declines. Consequently, the Chinese government commenced captive breeding programs for musk harvesting in the 1950s. However, the prevalence of fatal diseases is considerably restricting population increases. Disease severity and extent are exacerbated by inbreeding and genetic diversity declines in captive musk deer populations. It is essential that knowledge of captive and wild forest musk deer populations' immune system and genome be gained in order to improve their physical and genetic health. We have thus sequenced the whole genome of the forest musk deer, completed the genomic assembly and annotation, and performed preliminary bioinformatic analyses. Findings: A total of 407 Gb raw reads from whole-genome sequencing were generated using the Illumina HiSeq 4000 platform. The final genome assembly is around 2.72 Gb, with a contig N50 length of 22.6 kb and a scaffold N50 length of 2.85 Mb. We identified 24,352 genes and found that 42.05% of the genome is composed of repetitive elements. We also detected 1,236 olfactory receptor genes. The genome-wide phylogenetic tree indicated that the forest musk deer was within the order Artiodactyla, and it appeared as the sister clade of four members of Bovidae. In total, 576 genes were under positive selection in the forest musk deer lineage. Conclusions: We provide the first genome sequence and gene annotation for the forest musk deer. The availability of these resources will be very useful for the conservation and captive breeding of this endangered and economically important species and for reconstructing the evolutionary history of the order Artiodactyla. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulforaphane, a precursor of glucosinolate in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower, has been shown to protect brain ischemic injury. In this study, we examined the effect of systemic administration of sulforaphane on retinal ischemic reperfusion injury. Intraocular pressure was elevated in two groups of C57BL/6 mice (n = 8 per group) for 45 min to induce retinal ischemic reperfusion injury. Following retinal ischemic reperfusion injury, vehicle (1% DMSO saline) or sulforaphane (25 mg/kg/day) was administered intraperitoneally daily for 5 days. Scotopic electroretinography (ERG) was used to quantify retinal function prior to and one-week after retinal ischemic insult. Retinal morphology was examined one week after ischemic insult. Following ischemic reperfusion injury, ERG a- and b-wave amplitudes were significantly reduced in the control mice. Sulforaphane treatment significantly attenuated ischemic-induced loss of retinal function as compared to vehicle treated mice. In vehicle treated mice, ischemic reperfusion injury produced marked thinning of the inner retinal layers, but the thinning of the inner retinal layers appeared significantly less with sulforaphane treatment. Thus, sulforaphane may be beneficial in the treatment of retinal disorders with ischemic reperfusion injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 22- to 25-nucleotide non-coding RNA molecules that function as negative regulators of gene expression. In previous years, increasing evidence has arisen implicating the involvement of miRNAs in carcinogenesis. In previous studies, the role of miRNA-101 (mi-101) in tumors has been identified as a tumor suppressor and, until now, the role of mi-101 and Rac1 in thyroid cancer has remained undefined. This study revealed that mi-101 is significantly downregulated in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) tissue and thyroid cancer cell lines, and that the downregulated mi-101 is associated with lymph node metastasis. Infection with the mi-101 murine stem cell virus may markedly inhibit cell migration and invasion in TPC-1 and HTH83 thyroid cancer cell lines. Rac1 was demonstrated to be negatively regulated by mi-101 at the post-transcriptional level, via a specific target site within the 3' untranslated region by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The expression of Rac1 was also observed to inversely correlate with mi-101 expression in PTC tissues; knockdown of Rac1 by shRNA inhibited thyroid cancer cell migration and invasion, resembling that of mi-101 overexpression. Thus, these findings suggested that mi-101 acts as a novel suppressor by targeting the Rac1 gene and inhibiting thyroid cancer cell migration and invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In some applications of piezoelectric three-dimensional inkjet printing, the materials used are power-law fluids as they are shear thinning. Their time-varying viscosities affect the droplet formation, which is determined by the volume flow rate at the nozzle outlet. To obtain a fine printing effect, it is necessary to present a driving waveform design method that considers the shear-thinning viscosities of materials to control the volume flow rate at the nozzle outlet, which lays the foundation for the single and stable droplet generation during the printing process. In this research, we established the relationship between the driving waveform and the volume flow rate at the nozzle outlet by modifying a model that describes the inkjet mechanism of power-law fluid. The modified model was used to present a driving waveform design method based on iterative learning control. The iterative learning law of the method was designed based on the gradient descent algorithm and demonstrated its convergence. The driving waveform design method was verified to be practical and feasible by implementing drop generation experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]