Search

Background: Osteoporosis, a systemic skeletal disease, seriously affects the quality of life in postmenopausal women. As one type of cathepsin K (CatK) inhibitor, odanacatib (ODN) is a fresh medication for osteoporosis. Considering the potential of ODN, we further examined the effect and safety of ODN for postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) with a meta-analysis. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched for eligible studies from inception to December 29th, 2023. After that, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines. Risk of bias was meticulously investigated with the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool. Efficacy was assessed with bone mineral density (BMD) at different sites (lumbar spine, trochanter, radius, femoral neck) and biomarkers of bone turnover (P1NP, uNTx/Cr, s-CTx, BSAP). Safety was evaluated by analyzing total, serious, other, and skin adverse events (AEs). Results: Four random clinical trials (RCTs) were involved in our research. All trials were rated as having high quality and met the eligibility criteria. In the current research, ODN was found to elevate BMD at lumbar spine, femoral neck, total hip, trochanter and forearm, while it decreased the levels of serum C-telopeptides of type I collagen (s-CTx) as well as urinary N-telopeptide/creatinine ratio (uNTx/Cr). No significant differences were observed in AEs between the ODN group and the control group. Conclusions: ODN is a promising alternative for the treatment of PMOP on account of its excellent efficacy and credible safety. Unclear links between ODN and cardiovascular AEs require further research to clarify. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Haemaphysalis longicornis is a predominant tick species in East Asia and infests humans, cattle and wildlife. It is also a common vector for pathogen transmission. The microbial community in tick midguts not only affects the transmission of tick-borne pathogens but also indirectly affects the development, metabolism, reproduction, and other physiology of ticks. There have been rare reports on the effects of different types of hosts on the microbial composition of tick midguts. Here, we conducted a midgut microbiome of H. longicornis collected from tiger and deer by high-throughput sequencing and showed that the relative abundance of each bacterium varied greatly at different classification levels. Haemaphysalis longicornis is a common tick species that carries several pathogens. There are few reports on the influence of different hosts on the structure of midgut microflora in H. longicornis. In this study, midgut contents of fully engorged female H. longicornis were collected from the surface of tiger (Panthera tigris) and deer (Dama dama). The bacterial genomic DNA of each sample was extracted, and the V3–V4 regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA were sequenced using the Illumina NovaSeq sequencing. The diversity of the bacterial community of the fully engorged female H. longicornis on the surface of tiger was higher than that of deer. In total, 8 phyla and 73 genera of bacteria annotations were detected in the two groups. At the phylum level, the bacterial phyla common to the two groups were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteriota. At the genus level, there were 20 common bacterial genera, among which the relative abundances of Coxiella, Morganella, Diplorickettsia, and Acinetobacter were high. The Morganella species was further identified to be Morganella morganii. The alpha diversity index indicated that the bacterial diversity of the tiger group was higher than that of the deer group. Bacteroidota, Patescibacteria, Desulfobacterota, Verrucomicrobiota, and Cyanobacteria were solely detected in the tiger group. A total of 52 bacterial genera were unique in the tiger group, while one bacterial genus was unique in the deer group. This study indicates that there are differences in the structure of the gut bacteria of the same tick species among different hosts. Further culture-based methods are needed to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the tick microbiota parasitizing different hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-glucose environment is involved in the progression of diabetes mellitus (DM). This study aims to explore the regulatory effects of quercetin (QUE) on autophagy and apoptosis after myocardial injury in rats with DM. The type 2 DM rat models were constructed using low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) treatment combined with a high-carbohydrate (HC) diet in vivo. Compared with the control group, the body weight was decreased, whereas blood pressure, blood glucose, and the LVW/BW ratio were increased in the diabetic group. The results showed that the myocardial fibers were disordered in the diabetic group. Moreover, we found that the myocardial collagen fibers, PAS-positive cells, and apoptosis were increased, whereas the mitochondrial structure was destroyed and autophagic vacuoles were significantly reduced in the diabetic group compared with the control group. The expression levels of autophagy-related proteins LC3 and Beclin1 were decreased, whereas the expression levels of P62, Caspae-3, and Bax/Bcl-2 were increased in the diabetic group in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, QUE treatment alleviated the cellular oxidative stress reaction under high-glucose environments. The results of immunoprecipitation (IP) showed that the autophagy protein Beclin1 was bound to Bcl-2, and the binding capacity increased in the HG group, whereas it decreased after QUE treatment, suggesting that QUE inhibited the binding capacity between Beclin1 and Bcl-2, thus leading to the preservation of Beclin1-induced autophagy. In addition, the blood pressure, blood glucose, and cardiac function of rats were improved following QUE treatment. In conclusion, QUE suppressed diabetic myocardial injury and ameliorated cardiac function by regulating myocardial autophagy and inhibition of apoptosis in diabetes through the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusions comprised of microtubule-associated protein tau (tau) are implicated in a group of neurodegenerative diseases, collectively known as tauopathies, that include Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The spreading of misfolded tau “seeds” along neuronal networks is thought to play a crucial role in the progression of tau pathology. Consequently, restricting the release or uptake of tau seeds may inhibit the spread of tau pathology and potentially halt the advancement of the disease. Previous studies have demonstrated that the Mammalian Suppressor of Tauopathy 2 (MSUT2), an RNA binding protein, modulates tau pathogenesis in a transgenic mouse model. In this study, we investigated the impact of MSUT2 on tau pathogenesis using tau seeding models. Our findings indicate that the loss of MSUT2 mitigates human tau seed-induced pathology in neuron cultures and mouse models. In addition, MSUT2 regulates many gene transcripts, including the Adenosine Receptor 1 (A1AR), and we show that down regulation or inhibition of A1AR modulates the activity of the “ArfGAP with SH3 Domain, Ankyrin Repeat, and PH Domain 1 protein” (ASAP1), thereby influencing the internalization of pathogenic tau seeds into neurons resulting in reduction of tau pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the epidemiological and genetic characteristics of B19V, a multiple-province surveillance of patients with febrile rash illnesses (FRIs) were conducted in China during 2009 ~ 2021. The clinical specimens of 3,820 FRI patients were collected and tested for B19V DNA. A total of 99 (2.59%) patients were positive for B19V, and 49 (49.49%) were children under 5 years old. B19V infections occurred throughout the year without obvious seasonal pattern. Ten NS1-VP1u sequences and seven genome sequences were obtained in this study, identified as subgenotype 1a. Combined with the globally representative genome sequences, no temporal and geographic clustering trends of B19V were observed, and there was no significant correlation between B19V sequences and clinical manifestations. The evolutionary rate of the B19V genome was 2.30 × 10–4 substitutions/site/year. The number of negative selection sites was higher than that of positive selection sites. It was the first to comprehensively describe the prevalence patterns and evolutionary characteristics of B19V in FRI patients in China. B19V played the role in FRI patients. Children under 5 years old were the main population of B19V infection. Subgenotype 1a was prevalent in FRI patients in China. B19V showed a high mutation rate, while negative selection acted on the genome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the epidemiological and genetic characteristics of B19V, a multiple-province surveillance of patients with febrile rash illnesses (FRIs) were conducted in China during 2009 ~ 2021. The clinical specimens of 3,820 FRI patients were collected and tested for B19V DNA. A total of 99 (2.59%) patients were positive for B19V, and 49 (49.49%) were children under 5 years old. B19V infections occurred throughout the year without obvious seasonal pattern. Ten NS1-VP1u sequences and seven genome sequences were obtained in this study, identified as subgenotype 1a. Combined with the globally representative genome sequences, no temporal and geographic clustering trends of B19V were observed, and there was no significant correlation between B19V sequences and clinical manifestations. The evolutionary rate of the B19V genome was 2.30 × 10–4 substitutions/site/year. The number of negative selection sites was higher than that of positive selection sites. It was the first to comprehensively describe the prevalence patterns and evolutionary characteristics of B19V in FRI patients in China. B19V played the role in FRI patients. Children under 5 years old were the main population of B19V infection. Subgenotype 1a was prevalent in FRI patients in China. B19V showed a high mutation rate, while negative selection acted on the genome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and a significant social and economic burden. Estrogens can exert neuroprotective effects and may contribute to the prevention, attenuation, or even delay in the onset of AD; however, long-term estrogen therapy is associated with harmful side effects. Thus, estrogen alternatives are of interest for countering AD. Naringin, a phytoestrogen, is a key active ingredient in the traditional Chinese medicine Drynaria. Naringin is known to protect against nerve injury induced by amyloid beta-protein (Aβ) 25–35, but the underlying mechanisms of this protection are unclear. To investigate the mechanisms of naringin neuroprotection, we observed the protective effect on Aβ25–35-injured C57BL/6J mice's learning and memory ability and hippocampal neurons. Then, an Aβ25–35 injury model was established with adrenal phaeochromocytoma (PC12) cells. We examined the effect of naringin treatment on Aβ25–35-injured PC12 cells and its relationship with estrogen receptor (ER), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT), and glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β signaling pathways. Estradiol (E2) was used as a positive control for neuroprotection. Naringin treatment resulted in improved learning and memory ability, the morphology of hippocampal neurons, increased cell viability, and reduced apoptosis. We next examined the expression of ERβ, p-AKT (Ser473, Thr308), AKT, p-GSK-3β (Ser9), GSK-3β, p-Tau (Thr231, Ser396), and Tau in PC12 cells treated with Aβ25–35 and either naringin or E2, with and without inhibitors of the ER, PI3K/AKT, and GSK-3β pathways. Our results demonstrated that naringin inhibits Aβ25–35-induced Tau hyperphosphorylation by modulating the ER, PI3K/AKT, and GSK-3β signaling pathways. Furthermore, the neuroprotective effects of naringin were comparable to those of E2 in all treatment groups. Thus, our results have furthered our understanding of naringin's neuroprotective mechanisms and indicate that naringin may comprise a viable alternative to estrogen therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In seed plants, the ovule is the precursor to the seed. The process of ovule development and differentiation is regulated by multiple factors, including starch metabolism and endogenous hormones. Castanea henryi produces nuts with high nutritional value. However, the high proportion of empty buds restricts the commercial use of the tree. Previous studies have shown that the empty bud phenotype is closely related to ovule abortion. If none of the ovules in the ovary expand rapidly and develop in 7–8 weeks after pollination, an empty bud will form. Therefore, we studied the development and molecular mechanisms underlying single seed formation in C. henryi. Results: We found that 49 days after pollination (DAP) is a critical period for the formation of fertile and abortive ovules. The morphology and starch distribution of the fertile and abortive ovules differed significantly at 49 DAP. The fertile ovules were smooth and round in appearance, with a large amount of starch. In contrast, abortive ovules were smaller with only a small amount of starch. The embryo sac of the abortive ovule proceeded to develop abnormally, and the entire ovule lacked starch. We identified 37 candidate genes involved in metabolism with potential roles in the regulation of starch levels. Three ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) genes, one granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS) gene, and two beta-amylase genes could affect starch accumulation. The levels of auxin, cytokinins, gibberellins, and jasmonic acid in fertile ovules were higher than those in abortive ovules. In addition, the levels of endogenous abscisic acid and salicylic acid in abortive ovules were higher than those in fertile ovules of the same age, consistent with the expression patterns of genes related to the synthesis of abscisic and salicylic acid and signal transduction. We identified and mapped the differentially expressed genes associated with hormone synthesis and signal transduction. Conclusions: These results improve our general understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying single seed development in C. henryi and the phenomenon of empty buds, providing directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the association between ammonium concentration in culture medium and blastocyst development and to assess the influence of increased ammonium concentration on the expression of Bax, Bcl-2 and Oct4. Methods: A total of 254 cleavage-stage embryos were individually cultured in 30μL G2-plus medium on Day 3, and then culture media samples were collected on Day 5 for ammonium concentration determination immediately after evaluating the embryos morphology. Poor-quality blastocysts (combined score of CC) were used for gene expression analysis. The blastocyst formation rate, good-quality blastocyst rate and relative expression levels of Bax, Bcl-2 and Oct4 were analyzed. Results: Based on receiver operating characteristic curve, the cutoff value of ammonium concentration produced by embryos was 16.07 μmol/L (AUC = 0.722, 95% CI 0.637–0.807; P = 0.000), so all embryos were assigned to two groups according to the cutoff value: normal group (< 16.07 μmol/L) and increased group (≥ 16.07 μmol/L). There was a significant difference in blastocyst formation rate (80.5% vs 59.0%, P < 0.01) between normal group and increased group, as well as for good-quality blastocyst rate (21.0% vs 3.4%, P < 0.01). A significantly higher expression level of Bax (P < 0.05) and considerably lower expression level of Oct4 (P < 0.01) were observed in increased group compared to normal group. Conclusion: Our data demonstrated for the first time that increased ammonium concentration in culture medium may promote cellular apoptosis and negatively affect pluripotency of human blastocyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent experimental observations of knotting in DNA and proteins have stimulated the simulation studies of polymer knots. Simulation studies usually identify knots in polymer conformations through the calculation of the Alexander polynomial. However, the Alexander polynomial cannot directly discriminate knot chirality, while knot chirality plays important roles in many physical, chemical, and biological properties. In this work, we discover a new relationship for knot chirality and accordingly, develop a new algorithm to extend the applicability of the Alexander polynomial to the identification of knot chirality. Our algorithm adds an extra step in the ordinary calculation of the Alexander polynomial. This extra step only slightly increases the computational cost. The correctness of our algorithm has been proved mathematically by us. The implication of this algorithm in physical research has been demonstrated by our studies of the tube model for polymer knots. Without this algorithm, we would be unable to obtain the tubes for polymer knots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive phosphorus in aquatic environments can lead to eutrophication, posing a significant deterioration of water quality. In this study, modified steel slag was used as a novel filter media in the biological aeration filter (BAF) to achieve a bioinduced phosphorus crystallization process for simultaneous removal and recovery of phosphorus from municipal wastewater. Phosphorus removal efficiency could reach 80% during 4 days of operation due to high adsorption capacity of the modified steel slag in the single BAF reactor, but the phosphorus removal efficiency decreased to 30% after 30 days of operation. The phosphorus removal efficiency of the BAF system increased to 70% under alternating anaerobic-aerobic (A/O) operation condition. Concentration of PO43−-P in anaerobic effluent reached 19.9 mg/L at 68 days of operation and exceeded that in influent (10.6 mg/L), indicating that phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs) were successfully enriched in the alternating A/O BAF system. Hydroxyapatite (HAP) crystals formation was confirmed based on analysis of scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The proposed phosphorus removal mechanism suggests that the release of phosphorus from PAOs and the release of Ca2+ and OH− from the modified steel slag is beneficial to HAP crystals formation. These results indicated that the bioinduced phosphorus crystallization process achieved to improve phosphorus removal efficiency of the alternating A/O BAF system. This finding is a significant improvement to both biological and crystallization phosphorus removal processes, and has significant potential application for removal and recovery of phosphorus in wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament light (NfL) are putative non-amyloid biomarkers indicative of ongoing inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease processes. Hence, this study aimed to demonstrate the relationship between plasma biomarkers (GFAP and NfL) and 18F-AV-1451 tau PET images, and to explore their effects on cognitive function. Ninety-one participants from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database and 20 participants from the Shanghai Action of Prevention Dementia for the Elderly (SHAPE) cohort underwent plasma biomarker testing, 18F-AV-1451 tau PET scans and cognitive function assessments. Within the ADNI, there were 42 cognitively normal (CN) individuals and 49 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Similarly, in the SHAPE, we had 10 CN and 10 MCI participants. We calculated the standardized uptake value ratios (SUVRs) for the regions of interest (ROIs) in the 18F-AV-1451 PET scans. Using plasma biomarkers and regional SUVRs, we trained machine learning models to differentiate between MCI and CN subjects with ADNI database and validated in SHAPE. Results showed that eight selected variables (including left amygdala SUVR, right amygdala SUVR, left entorhinal cortex SUVR, age, education, plasma NfL, plasma GFAP, plasma GFAP/ NfL) identified by LASSO could differentiate between the MCI and CN individuals, with AUC ranging from 0.783 to 0.926. Additionally, cognitive function was negatively associated with the plasma biomarkers and tau deposition in amygdala and left entorhinal cortex. Increased tau deposition in amygdala and left entorhinal cortex were related to increased plasma biomarkers. Moreover, tau pathology mediated the effect of plasma biomarkers level on the cognitive decline. The present study provides valuable insights into the association among plasma markers (GFAP and NfL), regional tau deposition and cognitive function. This study reports the mediation effect of brain regions tau deposition on the plasma biomarkers level and cognitive function, indicating the significance of tau pathology in the MCI patients. • Plasma markers (GFAP and NfL) and regional SUVRs of 18F-AV-1451 PET could distinguish patients with MCI from CN in two cohorts. • Increased tau deposition in the amygdala and left entorhinal cortex and plasma biomarkers were associated with increased plasma biomarkers. • Tau deposition mediated the plasma biomarkers and cognitive function, indicating the significance of tau pathology in the MCI patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five new rubidium borates, namely Na1/3Rb5/3[B4O5(OH)4] (1), Rb4[B12O18(OH)4] (2), Rb2Ba[B12O18(OH)4] (3), Rb2[B5O8(OH)] (4) and NaRb0.5[B6O10]·0.5H3O (5) have been synthesized under solvothermal conditions. Compound 1 features a 0D structure composed of [B4O5(OH)4]2− clusters. After changing the metal salt, new cyclic [B12O20(OH)4]8− clusters in 2 and 3 are formed, resulting in 1D chains. Such a chain structure is first discovered in dodecaborates. By tuning the reaction temperature and pH of the reaction media, compound 4 with a 4-connected 2D oxoboron layer constructed from partially protonated [B5O10(OH)]6− and compound 5 with a 6-connected 3D framework constructed from [B6O13]8− clusters are successfully isolated. Since compounds 1 and 4 crystallize in the non-centrosymmetric (NCS) space group, second harmonic generation (SHG) measurements and dipole moment calculations have been carried out. The SHG response of 4 is 2.0 times that of KH2PO4 (KDP), which is higher than those of related analogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new acentric borate, K2Na3[{B6O10(OH)}‐{B3O4(OH)3}] ⋅ H2O (1) has been made under solvothermal condition. 1 has layered structure made by B6O13(OH)‐based chains and B3O5(OH)3‐bridging clusters. Second‐harmonic generation (SHG) measurements reveal that 1 is a phase‐matchable nonlinear optical (NLO) material, showing the SHG signal intensity of 1.8 times that of KDP (KH2PO4). Besides, UV‐Vis diffuse reflectance spectrum shows that 1 has the short deep UV (DUV) absorption cutoff edge of 198 nm. Thermogravimetric analysis reveals it has good thermal stability. Also 1 represents firstly mixed oxoboron clusters‐made 2D layered borate with NLO property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new mixed-alkaline-metal borates, namely KNa8[Li@B12O18(OH)6](CO3)2 (1), Cs10[Li@B12O20(OH)2]2·6H2O (2) and Cs5[Li@B12O20(OH)2]·3H2O (3), have been synthesized under hydro/solvothermal conditions. Compound 1 is a borate carbonate with the isolated [Li@B12O18(OH)6]5− clusters and interesting layers formed by Na+ and CO32− ions, forming a 2D supramolecular structure with a 3,6-connecting binodal system. After changing the synthetic conditions, the isolated [Li@B12O18(OH)6]5− clusters are successfully extended to the layers in 2 and 3 by condensation reactions with the elimination of water molecules between oxoboron clusters. Each new fundamental building block [Li@B12O22(OH)2]9− in 2 and 3 connects with four neighboring units to form a 2D layer via B–O–B bonds for the first time, and 14-membered rings are also observed. Such a layer structure is first observed in dodecaborates. Since compound 3 crystallizes in the non-centrosymmetric space group, the second harmonic generation measurement and the dipole moments calculation have been carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid polymer electrolyte with good thermal stability and flexibility is an excellent candidate for solid‐state lithium metal batteries, while its low ionic conductivity caused by high crystallinity limits its application at ambient temperature. Here a metal organic framework (zeolitic imidazolate framework‐8, ZIF‐8) composited comb‐like methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) acrylate polymer electrolyte (MCPE) with high ionic conductivity (9.96 × 10−5 S cm−1 at 30 °C) is prepared by an in situ UV polymerization method. The as‐prepared MCPE exhibits improved mechanical property due to the introduction of porous ZIF‐8 nanofillers, which is beneficial to suppress the growth of lithium dendrites. Consequently, the LiFePO4||MCPE||Li cells show a high capacity of 116 mAh g−1 at 30 °C and 0.5 C, and maintain 89.4% of initial capacity after 150 cycles with the average Coulombic efficiency of 99.9%. These results demonstrate that the MCPE shows great potential in solid‐state lithium metal batteries near room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Homeotic complex (Hox) genes play a crucial role in determining segment identity and appendage morphology in bilaterian animals along the antero‐posterior axis. Recent studies have expanded to agricultural pests such as fall armyworm (FAW), scientifically known as Spodoptera frugiperda J. E. Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), which significantly threatens global agricultural productivity. However, the specific role of the hox gene Sfabd‐B in FAW remains unexplored. This research investigates the spatial and temporal expression patterns of Sfabd‐B in various tissues at different developmental stages using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). Additionally, we explored the potential function of the Sfabd‐B gene located in the FAW genome using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The larval mutant phenotypes can be classified into three subgroups as compared with wild‐type individuals, that is, an excess of pedis in the posterior abdomen, deficient pedis due to segmental fusion and deviations in the posterior abdominal segments. Importantly, significant differences in mutant phenotypes between male and female individuals were also evident during the pupal and adult phases. Notably, both the decapentaplegic (dpp) and cuticular protein 12 (cp 12) genes displayed a substantial marked decrease in expression levels in the copulatory organ of male mutants and the ovipositor of female mutants compared with the wild type. These findings highlight the importance of Sfabd‐B in genital tract patterning, providing a potential target for improving genetic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impaired visual cognition in residents of hypoxic environment has been widely reported; however, the underlying electrophysiological mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, 23 college students underwent three sessions of a Clock task test before a 30‐day high‐altitude exposure (Test 1) and 1 week (Test 2) and 3 months (Test 3) after they returned to lowlands. The Clock task consists of a visual spatial angle and a visual non‐spatial color discrimination subtask. Simultaneously, electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded during the Clock task. The behavioral results showed that, compared with Test 1, accuracy in Test 2 was significantly decreased in both the Angle and Color tasks, and reaction time (RT) was significantly increased in the Angle task. The event‐related potentials results showed that, during both tasks amplitudes of the occipital N1 and P3 components during both tasks were significantly decreased in Test 2, compared with Test 1. Moreover, N1 amplitude was negatively correlated with RT and positively correlated with accuracy. Further time–frequency EEG analysis showed that theta power at occipital sites was significantly decreased in both tasks in Test 2, compared with Test 1, and was negatively correlated with RT in the Angle task. In Test 3, both the behavioral performance and EEG activity recovered to the baseline level in Test 1. These findings suggested that hypoxia impairs both visual spatial and visual non‐spatial discriminations, and these impairments can recover after subjects return to lowlands. Inhibition of brain electrophysiological activity in the visual cortex may explain the deficits in visual cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new metal borates, namely K0.5[B6O10]·H2O·1.5H3O (1), [GaB5O10]·H2en (2) and NaCs[Ga{B5O9(OH)}{BO(OH)2}] (3), have been synthesized under solvothermal conditions. Compound 1 features an intricate 3D framework composed of [B6O13]8− clusters, resulting in a 6-connected achiral pcu net. After introducing the organic gallium, one of the BO4 groups of the [B6O13]8− cluster is substituted by a GaO4 polyhedron to form the acentric [GaB5O13]8− cluster in 2. It also displays a high second-harmonic generation (SHG) response about approximately 2.6 times that of KH2PO4 (KDP), which is higher than those of alumino-borates (ABOs) containing the acentric [AlB5O13]8− cluster (0.3–2.1 times that of KDP). Dipole moment calculations have been carried out to confirm these results. In the process of trying to synthesize a new compound with a denser structure than 2, we have unexpectedly obtained 3 crystallized in the centrosymmetric (CS) space group, which shows a 1D structure constructed from the [Ga{B5O9(OH)}{BO(OH)2}]2− cluster. This kind of low-dimensional structure is rare in gallo-borates (GBOs) as well as ABOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly enantioselective kinetic resolution of sterically hindered benzylamines has been achieved for the first time through transition-metal-catalyzed oxidative carbonylation, in which the new KR strategy offered a new approach to afford chiral isoindolinones (er up to 97 : 3) and the origin of chemoselectivity and stereoselectivity was confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diseases caused by human enteroviruses (EVs) are a major global public health problem. Thus, the effective diagnosis of all human EVs infections and the monitoring of epidemiological and ecological dynamic changes are urgently needed. Methods: Based on two comprehensive virological surveillance systems of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), real-time PCR and nested RT-PCR (RT-snPCR) methods based on the enteroviral VP1, VP4-VP2 and VP4 regions were designed to directly detect all human EVs serotypes in clinical specimens. Results: The results showed that the proposed serotyping strategy exhibit very high diagnostic efficiency (Study 1: 99.9%; Study 2: 89.5%), and the variance between the study was due to inclusion of the specific Coxsackie virus A6 (CVA6) real-time RT-PCR and VP4 RT-snPCR in Study 1 but not Study 2. Furthermore, only throat swabs were collected and analyzed in Study 2, whereas in Study 1, if a specific EV serotype was not identified in the primary stool sample, other sample types (rectal swab and throat swab) were further tested where available. During the study period from 2013 to 2018, CVA6 became one of the main HFMD causative agents, whereas the level of enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) declined in 2017. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate the appropriate application of PCR methods and the combination of biological sample types that are useful for etiological studies and propose a molecular strategy for the direct detection of human EVs in clinical specimens associated with HFMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of active compounds of traditional Chinese medicine Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Chinese name: Danshen) in vivo was determined by establishing a liquid extraction surface analysis coupled with the tandem mass spectrometry (LESA-MS/MS) method. Stability analysis and distribution analysis were designed in the present study using normal animals or a myocardial ischemia model. The model assessment was performed four weeks after surgery, and then three groups were created: a normal-dose group, a model-blank group, and a model-dose group. Meanwhile, Danshen decoction administration began in dose groups and lasted for four weeks. In stability analysis, four salvianolic acids—Danshensu (DSS), caffeic acid (CAA), rosmarinic acid (RA), and salvianolic acid A (SAA)—in kidney tissues from the normal-dose group were detected by LESA-MS/MS under four conditions, and then distribution analysis was conducted in different tissues using the same method. Ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) in animals from two model groups decreased significantly four weeks after surgery (P < 0.01) and were improved after four weeks of Danshen decoction administration (P < 0.01). Results of stability analysis demonstrated that this method was basically stable since there were no significant differences in signal intensities of DSS, CAA, and SAA under four conditions (P > 0.05). Distribution analysis showed the signal intensities of DSS in the liver and kidney and SAA in the heart were higher in the model-dose group than in the normal-dose group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Signal intensities of RA in the liver and kidney, and SAA in the liver were lower in the model-dose group compared with the normal-dose group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). In conclusion, Danshen decoction has the effect of improving the ischemic condition in a chronic myocardial ischemia model, and the content of two active compounds increased in the targets. These findings contribute to an understanding of the therapeutic role of Danshen in cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on renewable energy, we are devoted to developping efficient, robust and low cost water reduction catalysts (WRCs). Two new Cu-based borate catalysts, namely H2Na2K2[(μ4-O)Cu4@B20O32(OH)8]·21H2O (1) and H2Rb1.6K2.4[(μ4-O)Cu4@B20O32 (OH)8]·15H2O (2), with cubic supramolecular cages were synthesized under a hydrothermal condition. Moreover, new copper complexes were applied as water reduction catalysts (WRCs) in the presence of [Ir(ppy)2(dtbbpy)][PF6] as photosensitizer and triethanolamine (TEOA) as the sacrificial electron donor. Nevertheless, the main active place is attributed to the centre of Borates [(μ4-O)Cu4@B20O32(OH)8], and the atomic radius of the counter cation would be the critical factor of the photocatalytic activity. Increasing the atomic radius from the Na atom to the Rb atom, causes the photocatalytic activity to decrease efficiently. The experimental results match well with the density functional theory (DFT) conclusion. It is noteworthy to mention that our research not only enriches the Cu-based borate chemistry, but also investigates the photocatalytic activity of Cu-based borates. This would guide us through the borate synthesis and to develop their applications toward energy and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a fluoran skeleton, we herein reported a new fluorescent probe FLACu for Cu2+ by facile modification of the spirolactone of dye 1 with phenylhydrazine. Taking advantage of the spirolactam moiety, FLACu only delivers a specific "off-on" fluorescence signal output towards Cu2+ when treated with various metal ions, which has been well elucidated as the result of spirolactam ring opening and hydrolysis processes induced by copper ion. Meanwhile, the limit of detection (LOD) for FLACu has been estimated to be 35.4 nM and a pH range of 5.0–9.0 is evaluated to be suitable for Cu2+ detection. Significantly, FLACu shows low cell cytotoxicity and can be further ultilzied in the detection of exogenous Cu2+ in the living Hela cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Question: Does an artificially induced FSH surge at the time of hCG trigger improve IVF/ICSI outcomes?Summary Answer: An additional FSH bolus administered at the time of hCG trigger has no effect on clinical pregnancy rate, embryo quality, fertilization rate, implantation rate and live birth rate in women undergoing the long GnRH agonist (GnRHa) protocol for IVF/ICSI.What Is Known Already: Normal ovulation is preceded by a surge in both LH and FSH. Few randomized clinical trials have specifically investigated the role of the FSH surge. Some studies indicated that FSH given at hCG ovulation trigger boosts fertilization rate and even prevents ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).Study Design, Size, Duration: This was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial conducted at a single IVF center, from June 2012 to November 2013. A sample size calculation indicated that 347 women per group would be adequate. A total of 732 women undergoing IVF/ICSI were randomized, using electronically randomized tables, to the intervention or placebo groups. Participants and clinical doctors were blinded to the treatment allocation.Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: Patients aged ≤42 years who were treated with IVF/ICSI owing to tubal factor, male factor, unexplained, endometriosis and multiple factors were enrolled in this trial. Subjects all received a standard long GnRHa protocol for IVF/ICSI and hCG 6000-10 000 IU to trigger oocyte maturation. A total of 364 and 368 patients were randomized to receive a urinary FSH (uFSH) bolus (6 ampules, 450 IU) and placebo, respectively, at the time of the hCG trigger. The primary outcome measure was clinical pregnancy rate. The secondary outcome measures were FSH level on the day of oocyte retrieval, number of oocytes retrieved, good-quality embryo rate, live birth rate and rate of OHSS.Main Results and the Role Of Chance: There were no significant differences in the baseline demographic characteristics between the two study groups. There were also no significant differences between groups in cycle characteristics, such as the mean number of stimulation days, total gonadotrophin dose and peak estradiol. The clinical pregnancy rate was 51.6% in the placebo group and 52.7% in the FSH co-trigger group, with an absolute rate difference of 1.1% (95% CI -6.1% to 8.3%). The number of oocytes retrieved was 10.47 ± 4.52 and 10.74 ± 5.01 (P = 0.44), the rate of good-quality embryos was 37% and 33.9% (P = 0.093) and the implantation rate was 35% and 36% (P = 0.7) in the placebo group and the FSH co-trigger group, respectively.Limitations, Reasons For Caution: This was a single-center study, which may limit its effectiveness. The use of uFSH is a limitation, as this is not the same as the natural FSH. We did not collect follicular fluid for further study of molecular changes after the use of uFSH as a co-trigger.Wider Implications Of the Findings: Based on previous data and our results, an additional FSH bolus administered at the time of hCG trigger has no benefit on clinical pregnancy rates in women undergoing the long GnRHa protocol in IVF/ICSI: a single hCG trigger is sufficient.Study Funding/competing Interest(s): This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFC1000205); Sun Yat-Sen University Clinical Research 5010 Program (2016004); the Science and Technology Project of Guangdong Province (2016A020216011 and 2017A020213028); and Science Technology Research Project of Guangdong Province (S2011010004662). There are no conflicts of interest to declare.Trial Registration Number: The trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-TRC-12002246).Trial Registration Date: 20 May 2012.Date Of First Patient’s Enrolment: 10 June 2012. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetra-carboxylic acid based 3D porous MOFs 1 and 2 , named {[Co 2.5 (L)]·5H 2 O} n and 0.5{[Cu(L)]·2H 2 O} n (L = 4,4′-di(ethoxy)biphenyl-3,3′,5,5′-tetra-(phenyl-4-carboxylic acid)), bearing metal clusters have been facilely constructed by hydrothermal synthesis. Structural studies indicate that 1 presents a 3-nodal (4, 4, 8)-connected topology with the point notation of {44.62}2{48.67.813}, while 2 shows a uninodal (4, 4)-connected network with point symbol of {44.62}. The pristine MOFs are directly utilized for electrocatalysis and poor HER activities are obtained in alkaline solution, which promote the further design and fabrication of a mixed-metal Co/Cu-MOF (3). As expected, 3 shows significantly improved performances for HER with overpotential of 391 mV (10 mA cm−2 current density), low Tafel slope of 94 mV dec−1 and long-term operation stability (14 h). More importantly, the direct utilization of 3 for accelerating OER also presents a fascinating performance in overpotential at 10 mA cm−2 current and durability. The above electrocatalytic performance of pristine 3 can be ascribed to the result of hybridizing strategy for constructing MOFs under hydrothermal procedure, which may favorably produces synergistic effect and more open metal sites. This work provides in-depth understanding of hybrid pristine MOFs for electrocatalysis. Tetra-carboxylic acid based mixed-metal Co/Cu-MOF and application as a dual-functional electrocatalyst for HER and OER. Image 1 • Two 3D porous MOFs 1 and 2 contained metal clusters have been facilely constructed. • A mixed-metal Co/Cu-MOF 3 has been further designed and fabricated for electrocatalytic OER with good performances. • Co/Cu-MOF 3 shows markedly enhanced HER activity when compared with that of either 1 or 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The swing equation plays a central role in the model and analysis of power system dynamics, including small-signal stability and transient stability. As it has the same form as that in a variety of different disciplines, such as the forced pendulum in mechanics, the classical mechanistic description of superconducting Josephson junctions in physics, and the classical second-order phase-locking loop in electronics, it has aroused general interest in science and engineering. In this paper, its approximate solution of the limit cycle is obtained by means of the incremental harmonic balance (IHB) method. It is found that the trouble of a more distorted limit cycle when the parameters are closer to the homoclinic bifurcation curve can be easily solved by incorporating higher order harmonics in the IHB method. In this way, we can predict the homoclinic bifurcation curve perfectly. In addition, the method is extended to study a generalized swing equation including excitation voltage dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astroviruses (AstVs) have a very wide range of hosts and are associated with enteric and extra-enteric disease in mammals and birds. Cross-species transmission of AstVs has been observed frequently. In the present study, the genome of a novel astrovirus from Amur tigers (Panthera tigris) from a zoo in China was characterized and was found to have the typical genomic features of other mammal AstVs. It showed the highest nucleotide sequence similarity (46.1-87.3% identity) to AstVs from cats, indicating a close phylogenetic relationship and possible cross-species transmission between them. To our knowledge, this is the first identification and characterization of AstV from tigers, and this virus is the third astrovirus identified in hosts of the family Felidae. The results of this study will be helpful for understanding the origin, genetic diversity, and cross-species transmission of AstV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The 4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene is known as a risk factor for cognitive impairment. How APOE ϵ polymorphism affects the language and executive functions of healthy aging subjects remains less clear. Purpose: In this follow-up study, the relationship between APOE status and cognitive performance across various cognitive domains in healthy individuals (without dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI)) over 60 years old was investigated. Patients and methods: Based on multiplex amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction (PCR), 228 subjects (n=228; mean age: 70.59±8.07 years old; male %=40.8%) were divided into three groups, e2 (ϵ2/ϵ2 and ϵ2/ϵ3, n=35), e3 (ϵ3/ϵ3, n=152), and e4 (ϵ2/ϵ4, ϵ3/ϵ4, and ϵ4/ϵ4, n=41). Results: There was no statistical difference (p>0.05) in the general demographic data and neuropsychological tests among the three groups on the baseline; however, e4 group showed a greater drop rate (p<0.05) versus non-carriers on verbal fluency (e2: −0.043±0.221; e3: -0.081±0.239; e4: 0.069±0.329) and Webster picture completion (e2: 0.055±0.281; e3: 0.083±0.428; e4: 0.438±1.280) over the subsequent one year. Conclusion: The findings suggest that possession of the APOE ϵ4 allele predicted a higher decline on tasks of language function and executive function in healthy elderly. And further research is required to determine whether strengthening the training of language function and executive function will delay the occurrence of cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A simple scheme of optical assisted digital-to-analog conversion which utilizes multiwavelength multiplexing is proposed. The output of multiple electronic digital-to-analog convertor are modulated on optical carriers with different wavelengths and sampled by ultrashort pulse train. The multiwavelength sampling pulse train is rearrange by dispersive device to complete conversion output A 7-bit experiment system with a conversion speed of about 8 GS/s demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed scheme. The conversion accuracy is greater than that in traditional intensity weighting and summing structure. By designing the input bits properly, arbitrary waveforms can be generated. The relative factors and potential performance are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Gap junctions (GJs) are multiple cellular intercellular connections that allow ions to pass directly into the cytoplasm of neighboring cells. Electrical coupling mediated by GJs plays a role in the generation of highly synchronous electrical activity. Accumulative investigations show that GJs in the brain are involved in the generation, synchronization and maintenance of seizure events. At the same time, GJ blockers exert potent curative potential on epilepsy in vivo or in vitro. This review aims to shed light on the role of GJs in epileptogenesis. Targeting GJs is likely to be served as a novel therapeutic approach on epileptic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GABA is a dominant inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and A type GABA receptor (GABAAR) phosphorylation is critical for GABA-mediated inhibitory effect. However, its role in the neuroprotective effect of sodium valproate (VPA), a prevalent drug for treating patients with epilepsy, remains elusive. The present study was conducted to explore the role of GABAAR phosphorylation in the neuroprotection of VPA against a kainic acid-induced epileptic rat model and the potential molecular mechanisms. Neuronal apoptosis was evaluated by TUNEL assay, PI/Annexin V double staining, caspase-3 activity detection and Bax and Bcl-2 proteins expression via Western blot analysis. The primary rat hippocampal neurons were cultivated and cell viability was measured by CCK8 detection following KA- or free Mg2+-induced neuronal impairment. Our results found that VPA treatment significantly reduced neuronal apoptosis in the KA-induced rat model (including reductions of TUNEL-positive cells, caspase-3 activity and Bax protein expression, and increase of Bcl-2 protein level). In the in vitro experiments, VPA at the concentration of 1 mM for 24 h also increased cell survival and suppressed cell apoptosis in KA- or no Mg2+-induced models via CCK8 assay and PI/Annexin V double staining, respectively. What is more important, the phosphorylation of γ2 subunit at serine 327 residue for GABAAR was found to be robustly enhanced both in the KA-induced epileptic rat model and neuronal cultures following KA exposure after VPA treatment, while no evident alteration was found in terms of GABAAR β3 phosphorylation (408 or 409 serine residue). Additionally, pharmacological inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) clearly abrogated the neuroprotective potential of VPA against KA- or free Mg2+-associated neuronal injury, indicating a critical role of PKC in the effect of GABAAR γ2 serine 327 phosphorylation in VPA’s protection. In summary, our work reveals that VPA mitigates neuronal apoptosis in KA-triggered epileptic seizures, at least, via augmenting PKC-dependent GABAAR γ2 phosphorylation at serine 327 residue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A homochiral Zn–UDP coordination polymer with an alternating parallel ABAB sequence was constructed and studied by X-ray single crystal diffraction analysis. Its crystal structure shows that there are potentially open sites in the 2D layers. The activation of the sites makes the coordination polymer a fluorescent sensor for novel heterogeneous detection of amino acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Many epigenetic modifiers bind to the target loci via specific DNA sequences. • Some histone modifiers are targeted to specific genomic loci via transcription factors. • Some histone modifiers are targeted to genomic target regions through lncRNAs. • Some histone modifiers interact with chromatin via their own DNA binding domains. Epigenetic regulation plays fundamental roles in modulating chromatin-based processes and shaping the epigenome in multicellular eukaryotes, including plants. How epigenetic factors recognize their target loci hiding in the vast genomic DNA sequence remains a long-standing mystery. During the past several years, a growing body of work has revealed the complex, dynamic, and diverse chromatin-targeting mechanisms of these epigenetic factors. In this review, we focus on recent advances in understanding the recruitment of epigenetic factors to specific genomic regions, based on data from Arabidopsis thaliana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Patients with gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia (IM) were at risk for gastric cancer, necessitating an accurate risk assessment. We aimed to establish and validate a diagnostic approach for gastric biopsy specimens using deep learning and OLGA/OLGIM for individual gastric cancer risk classification. Methods: In this study, we prospectively enrolled 545 patients suspected of atrophic gastritis during endoscopy from 13 tertiary hospitals between December 22, 2017, to September 25, 2020, with a total of 2725 whole-slide images (WSIs). Patients were randomly divided into a training set (n = 349), an internal validation set (n = 87), and an external validation set (n = 109). Sixty patients from the external validation set were randomly selected and divided into two groups for an observer study, one with the assistance of algorithm results and the other without. We proposed a semi-supervised deep learning algorithm to diagnose and grade IM and atrophy, and we compared it with the assessments of 10 pathologists. The model's performance was evaluated based on the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and weighted kappa value. Results: The algorithm, named GasMIL, was established and demonstrated encouraging performance in diagnosing IM (AUC 0.884, 95% CI 0.862–0.902) and atrophy (AUC 0.877, 95% CI 0.855–0.897) in the external test set. In the observer study, GasMIL achieved an 80% sensitivity, 85% specificity, a weighted kappa value of 0.61, and an AUC of 0.953, surpassing the performance of all ten pathologists in diagnosing atrophy. Among the 10 pathologists, GasMIL's AUC ranked second in OLGA (0.729, 95% CI 0.625–0.833) and fifth in OLGIM (0.792, 95% CI 0.688–0.896). With the assistance of GasMIL, pathologists demonstrated improved AUC (p = 0.013), sensitivity (p = 0.014), and weighted kappa (p = 0.016) in diagnosing IM, and improved specificity (p = 0.007) in diagnosing atrophy compared to pathologists working alone. Conclusion: GasMIL shows the best overall performance in diagnosing IM and atrophy when compared to pathologists, significantly enhancing their diagnostic capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[B6O9](C5H5N)2, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 15.0450(11) Å, b = 5.8526(4) Å, c = 17.9672(13) Å, β = 92.768(2)°, V = 1580.2(2) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0367, wRref(F2) = 0.0855, T = 296 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 12/15-lipoxygenase (12/15-LOX) enzymes react with polyunsaturated fatty acids producing active lipid metabolites that are involved in plethora of human diseases including neurological disorders. A great many of elegant studies over the last decades have contributed to unraveling the mechanism how 12/15-lipoxygenase play a role in these diseases. And the way it works is mainly through apoptosis. However, recent years have found that the way 12/15-lipoxygenase works is also related to autophagy and ferroptosis, a newly defined type of cell death by Stockwell's lab in 2012. Figuring out how 12/15-lipoxygenase participate in these modes of cell death is of vital importance to understand its role in disease. The review aims to give a sight on our current knowledge on the role of this enzyme in apoptosis, autophagy and ferroptosis. And the relevant diseases that 12/15-lipoxygenase may be involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the large signal operation of the ring oscillator based injection locked frequency divider is analyzed considering the trade-offs among the operating frequency, locking range and power consumption. A large signal model is used to reveal several key findings such as voltage-limited locking ranges and asymmetry between the upper and lower locking bands. They are applied to the optimize the dividers maintaining a good balance among design considerations. Several prototypes, including the divide-by-2 with 3 and 5 stages of inverters, divide-by-3 and divide-by-5, are implemented in a standard 0.18 µm CMOS technology to verify the operation under a large injected signal. As an extension, dual-modulus prescalers are further designed by the integration of switches for different ways of signal mixing. Measurements results show the proposed divide-by-2/3 unit and a divide-by-8/9 with this unit are able to work up to 8 GHz and 4.0 GHz with maximum power consumption of 0.7 mW and 1.5 mW respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurotrophins including brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) are implicated in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). Yet, the roles of brain-specific BDNF-related miRNAs miR-132 and miR-124 are unclear.Methods: We enrolled 45 treatment-free patients with MDD, 32 citalopram-treated patients with MDD, and 32 healthy control subjects. Participants were assessed with the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA). In a case-control sub-study, we followed 14 treatment-free patients who were subsequently treated with citalopram for 2 months. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect plasma BDNF, and real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify relative plasma miR-132 and miR-124 expression.Results: Patients with MDD had significantly higher HAMA and HAMD scores than the control group, with the highest scores in the treatment-free MDD group. Plasma miR-132 in the treatment-free MDD group was 2.4-fold that in the control group and significantly higher than that in the citalopram-treated MDD group. Plasma miR-124 in the treatment-free MDD and citalopram-treated MDD groups was 1.8-fold and 4-fold that in the control group, respectively. Compared to the control group, plasma BDNF levels were increased in both MDD groups, but not significantly different between them. There was a positive correlation between miR-132 and HAMD and HAMA scores, whereas no significant correlations were identified for plasma miR-124 or BDNF.Limitations: The range of neurotrophin-related MiRNAs and the number of follow-up cases were limited.Conclusions: BDNF and miR-124 in plasma increase with depression and antidepressants. Plasma MiR-132 might be an indication for depression status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In chromatin, histone methylation affects the epigenetic regulation of multiple processes in animals and plants and is modulated by the activities of histone methyltransferases and histone demethylases. The jumonji domain-containing histone demethylases have diverse functions and can be classified into several subfamilies. In humans, the jumonji domain-containing Lysine (K)-Specific Demethylase 5/Jumonji and ARID Domain Protein (KDM5/JARID) subfamily demethylases are specific for histone 3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) and are important drug targets for cancer treatment. In Arabidopsis thaliana , the KDM5/JARID subfamily H3K4me3 demethylase JUMONJI14 (JMJ14) plays important roles in flowering, gene silencing, and DNA methylation. Here, we report the crystal structures of the JMJ14 catalytic domain in both substrate-free and bound forms. The structures reveal that the jumonji and C5HC2 domains contribute to the specific recognition of the H3R2 and H3Q5 to facilitate H3K4me3 substrate specificity. The critical acidic residues are conserved in plants and animals with the corresponding mutations impairing the enzyme activity of both JMJ14 and human KDM5B, indicating a common substrate recognition mechanism for KDM5 subfamily demethylases shared by plants and animals and further informing efforts to design targeted inhibitors of human KDM5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the design challenges of the injection-locked oscillator (ILO)-based phase shifter are reviewed and analyzed. The key design considerations such as the operating frequency, locking range, and linearity of the phase shifters are analysed in detail. It is possible to optimize the phase shifter in certain parameters such as ultra-low power while meeting the requirements of a certain system. As a design example, a K-band phase shifter is implemented using a commercial 0.13 μm CMOS technology, where a conventional LC tank based topology is implemented but optimised with a good balance among power consumption, working range, sensitivity, and silicon area, etc. Measurement results show that the proposed phase shift is able to work at 22-23.4 GHz with a range of 180 while consuming 3.14 mW from a 1.2 V supply voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A copper coordination polymer with γ -aminobutyric acid (GABA), {[Cu 3 (GABA) 2 (NO 3 ) 2 (OH) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ] (NO 3 ) 2 ·2H 2 O} n (1), has been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, IR, PXRD, TGA and elemental analysis. It exhibits a 1D chain structure including μ 3 -OH-Cu 3 cluster as a building block. The strong H-bonding links these chains to form 2D sheet structure and the main intermolecular interaction between the 2D sheets is electrostatic interaction. According to the crystal structure of complex 1 , the magnetic properties of complex 1 have been investigated by the cluster and cycle magnetic coupling models. There are three different magnetic coupling pathways of Cu(II) ( J 1 , J 2 , J 3 ) from each method and the resulting fitted curves based on the magnetic parameters of both methods compare well with the experiment values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C12H14N2·2ClO4, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 5.3170(4) Å, b = 12.8711(8) Å, c = 11.6788(7) Å, β = 100.888(2)°, V = 784.86(9) Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0434, wRref(F2) = 0.1211, T = 298 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monocular vision system is widely used in many fields due to its simple structure, faster speed, and lower cost for object measurement. However, most of the current monocular methods have complicated mathematical models or require artificial markers to achieve accurate measurement results. In addition, it is not easy to precisely extract the features of objects in the captured image which are affected by many factors. In this paper, we present a semantic-aware monocular projection model for accurate pose measurement. Our mathematical model is simple and neat, and we use deep learning network to extract the semantic features in images. Finally, the relevant parameters of the projection model are further optimized with Kalman filter to make the measurement results more accurate and stable. The extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed method is robust with high performance and accuracy. As a few constraints are required on the measured object and environment, our method is easy for installation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systematic study on the impact of the pH value was performed in the preparation of YAG:Ce nanophosphor powders by reverse titration method. Therefore, we used wider range of the pH values from 5.0 to 8.3 for the synthesis, correlating closely with ratio R of the total metal ions to precipitant ammonium hydrocarbonate in the solution from 1:3 to 1:9. The calcination temperatures of 1050 °C and 1300 °C were tested for the crystallization of YAG:Ce nanophosphors. Acidic condition is more preferable for improved YAG:Ce nanophosphors through XRD spectra analysis for the type of crystals and the crystal size. The molar ratio Y 3+ /Al 3+ in the precursor was controlled at the level of R =1:3 to keep the stoichiometric ratio of YAG:Ce. SEM images showed the YAG:Ce nanophosphors prepared at acidic condition having smaller crystal size and improved dispersibility. Fluorescence spectrum displayed much stronger emission at R =1:3. The molar ratio R is a vital factor to control the quality of the YAG:Ce powders. The nanophosphors prepared at R =1:3 possessed the best fluorescence emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The base-pair sequences are the foundation for the biological processes of DNA or RNA, and base-pair mismatch is very important to reveal genetic diseases and DNA rearrangements. However, the lack of well-defined structural information about base-pair mismatch is obstructing the investigation of this issue. The challenge is to crystallize the materials containing the base-pair mismatch. Engineering the small-molecule mimics or model is an effective strategy to solve this issue. Here, six cytidine-5′-monophosphate (CMP) and 2′-deoxycytidine-5′-monophosphate (dCMP) coordination polymers were reported containing cytosine-cytosine base-pair mismatch (i-motif), and their single-crystal structures and chiralities were studied. The precise control over the formation of the i-motif was demonstrated, in which the regulating of supramolecular interactions was achieved based on molecular design. In addition, the chiralities of these coordination polymers were investigated according to their crystal structures and solution- and solid-state circular dichroism spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Finding high-performance electrode materials is one of the most effective ways to improve the energy density of current metal-ion batteries. MoS 2 -like 1H-BeP 2 is intrinsically metallic before and after adsorption of metal ions and shows good electrical conductivity. Based on present first-principles calculations, 1H-BeP 2 could be regarded as a potential promising electrode material for metal-ion batteries. Importantly, the fully Li (Na) phase X 4 BeP 2 (X = Li, Na) for 1H-BeP 2 exhibits a high theoretical capacity of 1510 mAh/g with up to one layer of potassium ions, outperforming most previously reported 2D candidates. Meanwhile, it is found that the open circuit voltage and diffusion barrier of 1H-BeP 2 after fully adsorbed metal ions were as low as 0.17 V, 0.22 V and 0.34 V, respectively, which was surprising. Present studies would be helpful for the exploration of novel 1H-BeP 2 type electrode materials for metal-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A colorimetric and fluorescent sensor for trace water in methanol has been designed and characterized, which is a kind of aluminium-Schiff base coordination complex derived from diaminomaleonitrile. The fluorescence properties of this complex have been studied based on excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism. The fluorescent emission of Al-L complex can be quenched by 0.1% water and distinguished by naked eyes. The detection limitation is 0.01% recognized by fluorescence spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metastasis is a common phenomenon in the progression and dissemination of cancer. It is estimated that metastasis accounts for 90% cancer-related mortality. Although the formation of tumor metastasis is relatively well understood, the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for the emergence of aggressive cancer phenotype are still elusive. Figuring out the mechanisms by which cancer cells evade from the tumor is beneficial for obtaining novel and effectively therapeutic approaches. Primary tumors are composed of various subpopulations of cells with heterogeneous metastatic characteristics and the occurrence of metastatic dissemination is mainly dependent upon the interactions between tumor and the surrounding microenvironment. Tumor microenvironment (TME) such as extracellular matrix, macrophages, fibroblasts, stem cells and endothelial cells can orchestrate events critical to tumor evolution toward metastasis. GJ serves as an important communication between tumor cells and stromal cells. Increased GJs coupling blocks metastatic potential in some cancer animal models such as breast cancer and melanoma. Besides, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is also a crucial step in the metastatic process and there are signs that GJs contribute to cell adhesion and migration (the pathological feature of EMT) in breast cancer. Therefore, we propose that GJ serves as an intercellular glue to suppress EMT and cancer metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]