Search

To promote the theoretical and empirical research on the impact of data assets on the operation and development of enterprises, this paper reviews the relevant research on the impact of data assets on the operation and development of enterprises. At present, scholars' research on the impact of data assets on the operation and development of enterprises mainly focuses on the impact of data assets on the micro-operation efficiency of enterprises (including: impact mechanism, impact law, impact core), the impact of data assets on the high-quality development of enterprises (including: theoretical logic, impact mechanism), and the impact of data asset information disclosure on the enterprise value (including: impact mechanism, analyst attention). In general, scholars' research on the impact of data assets on the operational risk of enterprises is relatively weak; in addition, scholars have rarely studied the impact mechanism of data assets on the credit risk and debt financing of enterprises. In the context of the digital economy, scholars' theoretical and empirical research on the impact of data assets on the operation and development of enterprises needs to be further deepened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A new strategy of binary NiSe 2 /Se is developed to design Mg battery cathodes. • Se provides capacity and improves the conversion reversibility of NiSe 2. • NiSe 2 confines polyselenides and optimizes the cycleability of elemental Se. • NiSe 2 /Se shows a high capacity of 211 mAh g−1 and a high rate performance. Rechargeable magnesium batteries (RMBs) are advantageous for large-scale energy storage applications, but their development is hindered by lack of cathode materials. Conversion-type compounds or elemental Se materials break the limit of intercalation mechanism and provide more selections with high capacities. However, conversion compounds often show low reaction reversibility and elemental Se suffers from serious dissolution of polyselenides. Herein, a new strategy of binary selenide/elemental Se is developed to design RMB cathodes. A NiSe 2 /Se composite was fabricated by selenization of the Ni-MOF precursor, with Se uniform distribution in the NiSe 2 microspheres. The elemental Se not only provides extra capacity but also improves the conversion reversibility of NiSe 2. Furthermore, the NiSe 2 microspheres confine polyselenides, significantly optimizing the cycleability of elemental Se. The NiSe 2 /Se electrode shows a reversible capacity of 211 mAh/g at 50 mA g−1, a high rate performance of 104 mAh/g at 1.0 A/g, as well as a stable capacity of 132 mAh/g at 200 mA g−1 (retention rate of 80.3 %) after 300 cycles. A mechanism study confirms that both of NiSe 2 and Se undergo reversible conversion reaction with Mg2+. The binary selenide/elemental Se cooperative strategy herein delivers a new insight into the exploration of high-performance RMB cathodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) colitis is considered rare in immunocompetent patients.Objective: The predictors of mortality and the differences between immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients with this disease remain unknown. Thus, the aim of this retrospective cohort study was to clarify these issues.Patients and methods: We enrolled all patients who were histologically diagnosed with CMV colitis between April 2002 and December 2016 in the Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Patients were divided into two groups: immunocompetent and immunocompromised, and the differences between them were analyzed to develop in-hospital mortality predictors.Results: A total of 69 patients (42, immunocompetent; 27, immunocompromised) were enrolled. The most common symptoms were melena in the immunocompetent group and diarrhea in the immunocompromised group. The in-hospital mortality rate showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups (26.2% vs 25.9%, P=0.981). Early diagnosis was the only significant independent predictor of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR] 1.075, 95% CI 1.005-1.149, P=0.035). The cutoff of diagnostic timing was 9 days from admission, derived from the receiver operating characteristic curve using the Youden index.Conclusion: CMV colitis in immunocompetent patients is markedly more common and fatal than has generally been acknowledged. Being alert to different ways in which this disease can present itself will enable early diagnosis and significantly reduce mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analytical solution for the vibration response of a ribbed L-shaped plate using a modal expansion solution approach. The analytical model is then employed to study the ribbing effect on vibration reduction and transmission between the two plate components of the L-shaped plate. It is found that for the system considered in the study, a rib inserted between the excitation force and the source plate can lead to a large vibration reduction for both source and receiving plates except at a frequency band near the fundamental resonant frequency of the rib where the rib's flexural stiffness is negligible. A reduced vibration transmission to the receiving plate can also be achieved by placing a rib near the plate/plate junction, attributed to the increased moment impedance at the coupling after the rib insertion. Increasing the rib's flexural stiffness under this condition can further reduce vibration transmission in the low frequency bands while increasing the rib's mass can lead to a reduced vibration transmission in the higher frequency bands. The insights obtained from this study are relevant to vibration control of structures such as transformer tanks and machine covers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to understand the role of IL-10 secreted from bone marrow (BM) in a mouse model of pancreatic fibrosis. The severity of cerulein-induced inflammation, fibrosis, and the frequency of BM-derived myofibroblasts were evaluated in the pancreas of mice receiving either a wild-type (WT) BM or an IL-10 knockout (KO) BM transplantation. The area of collagen deposition increased significantly in the 3 weeks after cerulein cessation in mice with an IL-10 KO BM transplant (13.7 ± 0.6% and 18.4 ± 1.1%, p < 0.05), but no further increase was seen in WT BM recipients over this time. The percentage of BM-derived myofibroblasts also increased in the pancreas of the IL-10 KO BM recipients after cessation of cerulein (6.7 ± 1.1% and 11.9 ± 1.3%, p < 0.05), while this figure fell in WT BM recipients after cerulein withdrawal. Furthermore, macrophages were more numerous in the IL-10 KO BM recipients than the WT BM recipients after cerulein cessation (23.2 ± 2.3 versus 15.3 ± 1.7 per HPF, p < 0.05). In conclusion, the degree of fibrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration, and the number of BM-derived myofibroblasts were significantly different between IL-10 KO BM and WT BM transplanted mice, highlighting a likely role of IL-10 in pancreatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an experimental investigation into the detection of excessive diesel knock using acoustic emission (AE) signals. Three different dual-fuel diesel engine operating regimes were induced into a compression-ignition (diesel) engine operating on both straight diesel fuel and two different mixtures of fumigated ethanol and diesel. The experimentally induced engine operating regimes were; normal, or diesel only operation, acceptable dual-fuel operation and dual-fuel operation with excessive diesel knock. During the excessive diesel-knock operating regime, high rates of ethanol substitution induced potentially damaging levels of diesel knock. AE data was captured along with cylinder pressure, crank-angle encoder, and top-dead centre signals for the different engine operating regimes. Using these signals, it was found that AE signals clearly distinguished between the two acceptable operating regimes and the operating regime experiencing excessive diesel knock. It was also found that AE sensor position is critical. The AE sensor positioned on the block of the engine clearly related information concerning the level of diesel knock occurring in the engine whist the sensor positioned on the head of the engine gave no indication concerning diesel knock severity levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment of osmabenzene [Os(CHC(PPh3)CHC(PPh3)CH)Cl2(PPh3)2]OH (3) with various diisocyanides in the presence of NH4PF6afforded a series of diisocyanide-bridged bisosmabenzenes [(μ-CN−R−NC){Os(CHC(PPh3)CHC(PPh3)CH)Cl2(PPh3)}2][PF6]2(R = 4,4′-C6H4-C6H4(5a), 4,4′-C6H4CH2C6H4(5b), 4,4′-C6H4OC6H4(5c), 1,4-C6H4(5d)) in good yields through ligand substitution reactions. Similarly, reaction of osmafuran [Os(CHC(PPh3)C(OEt)O)Cl2(PPh3)2] (6) with 1,4-phenylenediisocyanide produced the diisocynide-bridged bisosmafuran [μ-(1,4-phenylenediisocyanide){Os(CHC(PPh3)C(OEt)O)Cl(PPh3)2}2]Cl2(7). Bisosmabenzenes containing a chloro and a phosphonium substituent on each metallacycle [(μ-CN−R−NC){Os(CHC(PPh3)CHCClCH)Cl(PPh3)2}2]Cl2(R = 4,4′-C6H4-C6H4(9a), 4,4′-C6H4CH2C6H4(9b), 4,4′-C6H4OC6H4(9c), 1,4-C6H4(9d)) could be obtained in modest yields from the reactions of the osmacycle [Os(CHC(PPh3)CH(OH)-η2-CCH)Cl2(PPh3)2] (8) with corresponding diisocyanides in the presence of NH4PF6and NaCl via nucleophilic addition reactions. All of these complexes have been fully characterized by 1H, 31P{1H}, and 13C{1H} NMR spectrometry, IR spectrometry, and elemental analyses. Moreover, the structure of 9dhas been established by X-ray crystallography. The electrochemical properties of stable bisosmabenzenes 9a−dhave been investigated, which revealed that the two metal centers in 9cand 9dcan interact with each other through a diisocyanide bridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The finite element and boundary element methods are employed in this study to investigate the sound radiation characteristics of a box-type structure. It has been shown [T.R. Lin, J. Pan, Vibration characteristics of a box-type structure, Journal of Vibration and Acoustics, Transactions of ASME 131 (2009) 031004-1–031004-9] that modes of natural vibration of a box-type structure can be classified into six groups according to the symmetry properties of the three panel pairs forming the box. In this paper, we demonstrate that such properties also reveal information about sound radiation effectiveness of each group of modes. The changes of radiation efficiencies and directivity patterns with the wavenumber ratio (the ratio between the acoustic and the plate bending wavenumbers) are examined for typical modes from each group. Similar characteristics of modal radiation efficiencies between a box structure and a corresponding simply supported panel are observed. The change of sound radiation patterns as a function of the wavenumber ratio is also illustrated. It is found that the sound radiation directivity of each box mode can be correlated to that of elementary sound sources (monopole, dipole, etc.) at frequencies well below the critical frequency of the plates of the box. The sound radiation pattern on the box surface also closely related to the vibration amplitude distribution of the box structure at frequencies above the critical frequency. In the medium frequency range, the radiated sound field is dominated by the edge vibration pattern of the box. The radiation efficiency of all box modes reaches a peak at frequencies above the critical frequency, and gradually approaches unity at higher frequencies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Shale gas reservoir is characterized by complex pore structure, ultra-low permeability and a large number of natural fractures. Therefore, it is necessary to apply horizontal well drilling with hydraulic fracturing to stimulate the shale gas reservoirs by forming complex fractures network composed of main fractures (i.e., hydraulic fractures) and branch fractures (i.e., activated natural fractures). During shale gas fracturing, hydraulic fractures will initiate simultaneously, deflect under the stress interference with each other, activate adjacent natural fractures and connect with them. These complex behaviors of fractures propagation would greatly complicate the production prediction after shale gas fracturing. Currently, the majority of the production prediction models neglect the complexity of fractures network. Therefore, based on Fick's diffusion law, Langmuir isothermal adsorption equation and dual-medium seepage theory, this paper derived a productivity prediction model by considering complexity of fractures network, stress-sensitive effect and ad-desorption by using point source method, Duhamel principle and Laplace transform, and solved the model with perturbation theory, discrete superposition and Stehfest numerical inversion. Then, the production prediction model was verified by a field example analysis, and the influence of the morphology of main fractures and branch fractures on productivity is explored. It indicates that the main fracture shape has a great influence on the production, and the trapezoidal mode is closer to the production practice. The large deflection of main fractures, the high conductivity and large approaching angle of branch fractures are beneficial to improving the production of fractured shale gas horizontal wells. • A shale gas productivity model considering multiple migration mechanisms and complex fracture morphology was established. • The effects of the deflection and the shape of main fractures on shale gas productivity were analyzed. • The influences of secondary fracture's distribution and conductivity on shale gas productivity were analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Gallbladder (GB) polyps are tumor or tumor-like projections arising from GB mucosa. Although most polyps are benign, some early GB carcinomas present as polypoid lesions. The diagnosis of GB polyps is relatively easy by ultrasonography. Although numerous studies have investigated GB polyps, few studies have addressed the prevalence of and factors associated with GB polyps for specific ethnic populations. This study analyzes the prevalence and factors associated with GB polyps in a Chinese population who can afford a paid general checkup. Methods: The prevalence of and risk factors for GB polyps diagnosed by ultrasonography were retrospectively investigated in 34 669 Chinese patients who underwent a general checkup at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (Taipei, Taiwan) between 2000 and 2003. Demographic, hemogram, serum biochemistry, hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis C antibody, and ultrasonography study data was available for all the patients. The correlations between the prevalence of GB polyps and age, sex, body height, body weight, body mass index, hemogram, serum biochemistry, and viral markers were examined for all the patients. Results: Excluding the patients who underwent cholecystectomy, the overall prevalence of GB polyps was 9.5% and highest for middle-aged males. The analyzed risk factors with increased odds ratios (OR) for the development of GB polyps were male sex (OR 0.646, P < 0.0005) and hepatitis B virus surface antigen positivity (OR 1.113, P < 0.0005). Other demographic characteristics and biochemical parameters, including body height, body weight, body mass index, lipid profile, chronic hepatitis C virus infection, and liver function did not correlate with the presence of GB polyps. Conclusion: The prevalence of GB polyps among the Chinese in this study is higher than that reported for other populations. Chinese males and other patients with chronic hepatitis B viral infections have a high risk for developing GB polyps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing realization that bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) are a potential therapy for many diseases including ischemic heart disease, arterial stenosis and osteogenesis imperfecta. On the other hand, the fact that BMDCs may also contribute to fibrosis in many solid organs as well as to fibrosis surrounding tumours suggests that BMDCs are also involved in disease progression. This review focuses on the contribution of bone marrow cells to organ and tumour fibrosis, noting the utility of BMDCs as a potential new portal through which to direct anti-tumour therapies. Conversely, bone marrow cell therapy has been claimed to reduce fibrosis in some organs, highlighting a seemingly beneficial as opposed to a detrimental effect of BMDCs on organ fibrosis. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and closed form solution for the vibration response of finite ribbed plates to point force/moment excitations is presented in this paper. This solution shows that input mobilities of finite ribbed plates are bounded by the input mobilities of the uncoupled plate and beam that form the ribbed plate. It is found that point force input mobilities of a finite ribbed plate are controlled by the plate bending stiffness when the excitation force is more than a quarter wavelength away from the beam. The input mobilities are mainly dominated by the beam flexural stiffness when the force acts on or very close to the beam, and when the beam flexural stiffness is far greater than the plate bending stiffness. A similar result is found in the moment excitation case when the moment axis is perpendicular to the beam neutral axis (bending moment excitation). In contrast, the input mobilities of the ribbed plate do not vary much from that of the corresponding uncoupled plate when the moment axis parallels to the beam’s neutral axis (torsional moment excitation) where the input mobilities are mainly dominated by the plate bending stiffness. The reductions in plate kinetic energy due to beam insertions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four types of influenza virus have been identified in nature: influenza A, B, and C viruses are capable of infecting humans, and influenzas A and B cause annual epidemics (seasonal flu) in humans; however, influenza D is currently known to infect only pigs and cattle. The influenza A viruses (IAVs) are of greatest importance to humans, causing widespread significant morbidity and mortality, and have been responsible for at least five pandemics documented since the beginning of the 20th century (Table 1). The H1N1 and H3N2 IAVs continue to circulate in humans as seasonal influenza. In addition to humans, IAVs have a wide range of host animal species in nature, especially wild aquatic birds, the reservoir hosts of IAVs. The IAVs isolated from or adapted to an avian host are named avian influenza viruses (AIVs), and are of great concern owing to their involvement in the genesis of pandemic and outbreak strains. Moreover, the majority of AIVs persist in wild birds and domestic poultry, and novel variants continue to emerge in birds and other hosts, posing non-negligible threats to host ecology and public health. Bi et al. offer a primer on the ecology and transmission of avian influenza viruses and discuss the implications for both human and wildlife health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A bimetallic CuCo 2 S 4 was prepared and investigated as Mg battery cathodes. • A high capacity of 202 mA h g−1 is provided as well as high rate capability. • An excellent cycling stability of 1000 cycles is achieved at 500 mA g−1. • The preferential redox of Cu enhances the reaction reversibility and kinetics. Rechargeable magnesium batteries are favorable for grid energy storage, but the deficiency and low performance of the cathodes is hindering the development. Conversion-type cathodes provide more selections, but they are suffering from low capacities and long-time activation process due to the lack of Mg2+ transport paths to trigger the reversible conversion reactions. Herein, a bimetallic CuCo 2 S 4 was prepared and investigated as a magnesium storage cathode in comparison with Co 3 S 4 , both of which have a cubic phase crystal structure with similar arrangements of atoms. CuCo 2 S 4 exhibits a higher reversible capacity (202 mA h g−1 at 50 mA h g−1), an excellent rate performance, fast Mg2+ diffusion kinetics, and with 74.4 % capacity maintained after 1000 cycles at 500 mA g−1, which are much more advantageous over monometallic Co 3 S 4 and CuS. A mechanism study demonstrates the redox of Cu is faster in kinetics than Co in magnesium storage reactions, and both of Cu and Co are reduced to metallic states. In contrast, Co 3 S 4 could not be reduced to metallic Co0 in the Mg-storage reactions. The preferential reduction and migration of highly mobile copper ions produces plenty of vacancies, providing Mg2+ transport channels and promoting the reversible conversion reactions. The introduction of active copper ions greatly enhances magnesium-storage reaction activity and kinetic performance of the bimetallic compounds, which provides a feasible strategy for the development of magnesium battery cathode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we evaluated the potential anti-pancreatic cancer activity by TIC10/ONC201, a first-in-class small-molecule inducer of tumor necrosis (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). The in vitro results showed that TIC10 induced potent cytotoxic and cytostatic activities in several human pancreatic cancer cell lines (Panc-1, Mia-PaCa2, AsPC-1 or L3.6). TIC10 activated both extrinsic (TRAIL-caspase-8-dependent) and endogenous/mitochondrial (caspase-9-dependent) apoptosis pathways in the pancreatic cancer cells. Molecularly, we showed that TIC10 inhibited Akt-Erk activation, yet induced TRAIL expression in pancreatic cancer cells. Significantly, TIC10, at a relatively low concentration, sensitized gemcitabine-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis against pancreatic cancer cells. Further, TIC10 and gemcitabine synergistically inhibited Panc-1 xenograft growth in SCID mice. The combination treatment also significantly improved mice survival. In addition, Akt-Erk in-activation and TRAIL/cleaved-caspase-8 induction were observed in TIC10-treated Panc-1 xenografts. Together, the preclinical results of the study demonstrate the potent anti-pancreatic cancer activity by TIC10, or with gemcitabine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Endocrine disorders such as amenorrhea, lactation, and irregular menstruation caused by antipsychotics are common in female patients. How to reduce or eliminate these adverse reactions is a matter of concern. Objective. To evaluate the therapeutic effect of progesterone in combination with vitamin B6 in the treatment of antipsychotic-induced amenorrhea. Methods. In our hospital, from May 2019 to May 2021, 120 patients with amenorrhea caused by antipsychotics who underwent surgery were selected for this prospective study. The random residue grouping method divided them into a progesterone group (60 cases) and a vitamin B6 group (60 cases). Among them, the progesterone group was treated only with progesterone, while the vitamin B6 group was given progesterone in combination with vitamin B6. The differences in endocrine index, prolactin, uterine size, and endometrial thickness, effectiveness, and safety analysis of the progesterone and vitamin B6 groups of patients were observed and compared. Results. Before treatment, there was no change in the comparison of endocrine indexes between the progesterone and vitamin B6 groups (P > 0.05). After 1 month of treatment, there were significant differences in estradiol, prolactin, and follicle-stimulating hormone between the progesterone and vitamin B6 groups of patients (P < 0.05). After 1 month of treatment, there were significant differences in prolactin, uterine size, and endometrial thickness, and the vitamin B6 group was significantly lower than the progesterone group (P < 0.05). The clinical efficiency of 95.00% in the vitamin B6 group was significantly higher than 83.33% in the progesterone group (P < 0.05). There were no adverse reactions in the progesterone and vitamin B6 groups. Conclusion. The effectiveness of progesterone combined with vitamin B6 in treating amenorrhea caused by antipsychotics is significantly better than simple progesterone, which can effectively improve the endocrine condition of patients and provide a reference for the clinical treatment of amenorrhea caused by antipsychotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lyciumruthenicum Murray (L. ruthenicum) has been used both as traditional Chinese medicine and food. Recent studies indicated that anthocyanins are the most abundant bioactive compounds in the L. ruthenicum fruits. The purpose of this study was to investigate the preventive effects and the mechanism of the anthocycanins from the fruit of L. ruthenicum (ACN) in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. In total, 24 male C57BL/6J mice were divided into three groups: control group (fed a normal diet), high-fat diet group (fed a high-fat diet, HFD), and HFD +ACN group (fed a high-fat diet and drinking distilled water that contained 0.8% crude extract of ACN). The results showed that ACN could significantly reduce the body weight, inhibit lipid accumulation in liver and white adipose tissue, and lower the serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels compared to that of mice fed a high-fat diet. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of bacterial DNA demonstrated that ACN prevent obesity by enhancing the diversity of cecal bacterial communities, lowering the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidota ratio, increasing the genera Akkermansia, and decreasing the genera Faecalibaculum. We also studied the inhibitory effect of ACN on pancreatic lipase. The results showed that ACN has a high affinity for pancreatic lipase and inhibits the activity of pancreatic lipase, with IC50 values of 1.80 (main compound anthocyanin) and 3.03 mg/mL (crude extract), in a competitive way. Furthermore, fluorescence spectroscopy studies showed that ACN can quench the intrinsic fluorescence of pancreatic lipase via a static mechanism. Taken together, these findings suggest that the anthocyanins from L. ruthenicum fruits could have preventive effects in high-fat-diet induced obese mice by regulating the intestinal microbiota and inhibiting the pancreatic lipase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital images captured from CMOS/CCD image sensors are prone to noise due to inherent electronic fluctuations and low photon count. To efficiently reduce the noise in the image, a novel image denoising strategy is proposed, which exploits both nonlocal self-similarity and local shape adaptation. With wavelet thresholding, the residual image in method noise, derived from the initial estimate using nonlocal means (NLM), is exploited further. By incorporating the role of both the initial estimate and the residual image, spatially adaptive patch shapes are defined, and new weights are calculated, which thus results in better denoising performance for NLM. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method significantly outperforms original NLM and achieves competitive denoising performance compared with state-of-the-art denoising methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the characteristics of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process and its underlying molecular mechanisms in the period of paraquat (PQ)-induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF). METHODS: Picrosirius red staining and collagen volume fraction were utilized to evaluate the pathological changes of PQ-induced PF in rats. Immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to measure the protein and gene expression of EMT markers, EMT-associated transcription factors, and regulators of EMT-related pathways, respectively. RESULTS: The collagen deposition in the alveolar septum and increased PF markers were characteristics of pathological changes in PQ-induced PF, reached a peak on day 14 after PQ poisoning, and then decreased on day 21. The protein and gene expression of the fibrosis marker, EMT markers, transcription factors, and regulators of EMT-related signaling pathways significantly increased at different time points after PQ poisoning compared with corresponding controls (P<0.05), and most of them reached a peak on day 14, followed by a decrease on day 21. The gene expression of EMT markers was significantly correlated with PF markers, transcription factors, and regulators of EMT-related signaling pathways (P<0.05). The mRNA expression of transcription factors was significantly correlated with that of TGF-β1 and Smad2 (P<0.05 or P<0.01), instead of Wnt2 and β-catenin (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: EMT process plays a role in the PQ-induced PF, in which most PF and EMT markers have a peak phenomenon, and its underlying molecular mechanisms might be determined by further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNA (miR)-335-5P has the ability to regulate chondrogenic differentiation and promote chondrogenesis in mouse mesenchymal stem cells. It is also abnormally elevated in human osteoarthritic chondrocytes. However, the biological function of miR-335-5P in osteoarthritis (OA) is not well understood. The present study investigated the mechanism of miR-335-5P in the pathogenesis of OA. To investigate the effect of miR-335-5P on the pathogenesis of OA in vitro, a miR-335-5P mimic and inhibitor were transfected into chondrocytes. Cell Counting kit-8 assay and flow cytometry were used to observe the effects of miR-335-5P on chondrocyte apoptosis and the expression of cartilage-specific genes, such as aggrecan, collagen II, matrix metalloproteinase 13 and collagen X, were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blot analysis. Moreover, the current study assessed whether HMG-box transcription factor 1 (HBP1) is a novel target of miR-335-5P with dual luciferase reporter assays. Finally, a rescue experiment was used to prove the regulation between miR-335-5P and HBP1. The results revealed that HBP1 was a novel target of miR-335-5P, and that miR-335-5P mediated the apoptosis of chondrocytes and changes in cartilage-specific genes via targeting HBP1. Overall, the present study revealed that miR-335-5P mediated the development of OA by targeting the HBP1 gene and promoting chondrocyte apoptosis. These data suggested that miR-335-5P may be used to develop novel early-stage diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) are similar coronaviruses, causing diseases characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, and death from severe dehydration in piglets. Thus, they have caused huge losses to the swine-breeding industry worldwide. Nowadays, they are easily transmitted among the continents via vehicles, equipment, and cargo. Both viruses establish an infection in porcine enterocytes in the small intestine, and their spike (S) proteins play a key role in the virus-cell binding process under unfavorable conditions when the intestine with a low pH is filled with a thick layer of mucus and proteases. Sialic acid, proteases, and low pH are three main inducers of coronavirus infection. However, the details of how sialic acid and low pH affect virus binding to the host cell are not determined, and the functions of the proteases are unknown. This review emphasizes the role of three factors in the invasion of TGEV and PEDV into porcine enterocytes and offers more insights into Alphacoronavirus infection in the intestinal environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose:The aim of this study was to compare the results of microwave ablation (MWA) and hepatic resection (HR) when combined with pericardial devascularisation plus splenectomy (PCDV) for the treatment of patients with cirrhosis complicated by small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and oesophageal variceal bleeding (EVB). Materials and methods:Between 2001 and 2013, 73 patients (median age 53.2 years, 67% male) with small HCC and concomitant EVB who underwent MWA or HR for HCC and PCDV for cirrhotic portal hypertension were selected retrospectively for inclusion in this study. The overall survival curves and recurrence-free survival curves were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared using log-rank tests. Multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox regression model. Results:The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 95.2%, 71.4% and 38.1% and 96.7%, 53.3% and 43.3% for the HR and MWA groups, respectively; these did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, patients in the HR group had more post-operative complications (52.3% vs. 13.7%;p = 0.002). Multivariate analysis identified albumin and bilirubin levels and tumour size to be statistically significant and independent prognostic factors for overall survival, while BCLC stage was associated with poor recurrence-free survival. Furthermore, albumin levels were shown to be an independent predictive factor for post-operative complications. Conclusions:For patients with small HCC and concomitant EVB, MWA plus PCDV may reduce the incidence of post-operative complications relative to and provide similar therapeutic benefits as HR plus PCDV, especially for patients with low albumin levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate primitively whether the extent and component of astigmatism influences regression in degree of spherical (DS) and the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of children with hyperopia of +5.00 diopters (D) or greater. Children were screened from the outpatient refraction database in the Wenling No. 1 People's Hospital in Zhejiang province and in Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University between June 2005 and December 2015. Eligible eyes were divided into three groups according to the extent of astigmatism: group of astigmatism ≤ -2 D of cylinder, group without astigmatism or with astigmatism ≥ -0.5 D of cylinder, and the group with astigmatism ≥ -0.75 D and ≤ -1.75 D of cylinder. For the component of astigmatism, eyes with astigmatism as ≤ -0.75 D of cylinder were divided into 3 groups: with the rule (WTR), against the rule (ATR) and the group with the oblique. Differences in the changes of BCVA and refractive error (RE) during follow-up terms were compared within and among groups. Differences in the mean DS or BCVA were not statistically significant between groups according to the extent of the astigmatism at the last visit (p = 0.2396 and p = 0.2131, respectively). As for the component of astigmatism, the group with oblique astigmatism had more severe hyperopia than the group of WTR (p < 0.0001) and mean BCVA in the group of ATR were better than that of the other two groups (p < 0.0001) at the first visit. However, the among-group changes were not significant at the end of the observation (p > 0.1). The regression of DS and improvement of the BCVA in children with hyperopia of +5.00D or greater may be irrespective of the component and the extent of astigmatism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of introns, especially the first intron, on the regulation of gene expression remains unclear. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the transcriptional regulatory function of intron 1 on the chicken growth hormone (cGH) gene in the rat pituitary tumor cell line (GH4-C1). Transient transfection using first-intron-inserted cGH complete coding sequences (CDSs) and non-intron-inserted cGH CDS plasmids, quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot assays were used to detect the expression of cGH. The reporter gene assay was also used to investigate the effect of a series of fragments in the first intron of cGH on gene expression in GH4-C1. All of the results revealed that a 200-bp fragment located in the +485/+684 region of intron 1 was essential for repressing the expression of cGH. Further informatics analysis showed that there was a cluster of 13 transcriptional factor binding sites (TFBSs) in the +485/+684 region of the cGH intron 1. Disruption of a glucocorticoid response-like element (the 19-nucleotide sequence 50-AGGCTTGACAGTGACCTCC-3') containing a T-box motif (TGACCT) located within this DNA fragment increased the expression of the reporter gene in GH4-C1. In addition, an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) revealed a glucocorticoid receptor (GR) protein of rat binding to the glucocorticoid response-like element. Together, these results indicate that there is a negative glucocorticoid response-like element (nGRE) located in the +591/+609 region within the first intron of cGH, which is essential for the down-regulation of cGH expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several carts and diagram depicting genome-wide mapping of growth-related quantitative trait loci in orange-spotted grouper using double digest restriction site associated DNA sequencing, are presented.

Turtles grow slowly and have a long lifespan. Ultrastructural studies of the pituitary gland in Reeves' turtle (Chinemys reevesii) have revealed that the species possesses a higher nucleoplasmic ratio and fewer secretory granules in growth hormone (GH) cells than other animal species in summer and winter. C. reevesii GH gene was cloned and species-specific similarities and differences were investigated. The full GH gene sequence in C. reevesii contains 8517 base pairs (bp), comprising five exons and four introns. Intron 1 was found to be much longer in C. reevesii than in other species. The coding sequence (CDS) of the turtle's GH gene, with and without the inclusion of intron 1, was transfected into four cell lines, including DF-1 chicken embryo fibroblasts, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, human embryonic kidney 293FT cells, and GH4C1 rat pituitary cells; the turtle growth hormone (tGH) gene mRNA and protein expression levels decreased significantly in the intron-containing CDS in these cell lines, compared with that of the corresponding intronless CDS. Thus, the long intron 1 of GH gene in Reeves' turtle might correlate with downregulated gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL) is essential for the discovery of genetic structures that related to complex quantitative traits. In this study, we identified 264,072 raw SNPs (single-nucleotide polymorphisms) by double digest restriction site associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq), and utilized 3029 of these SNPs to construct a genetic linkage map in orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) using a regression mapping algorithm. The genetic map contained 24 linkage groups (LGs) spanning a total genetic distance of 1231.98 cM. Twenty-seven significant growth-related QTLs were identified. Furthermore, we identified 17 genes (fez2, alg3, ece2, arvcf, sla27a4, sgk223, camk2, prrc2b, mchr1, sardh, pappa, syk, tert, wdrcp91, ftz-f1, mate1 and notch1) including three (tert, ftz-f1 and notch1) that have been reported to be involved in fish growth. To summarize, we mapped growth-related QTLs in the orange-spotted grouper. These QTLs will be useful in marker-assisted selection (MAS) efforts to improve growth-related traits in this economically important fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Groupers (Epinephelus spp.) have been widely cultivated in China and South-East Asian countries. As a novel hybrid offspring crossed between E. fuscogutatus ♀ and E. lanceolatus ♂, Hulong grouper exhibits significant growth superiority over its female parent, which made it a promising farmed species in grouper aquaculture industry in China. Hulong grouper present a good combination of beneficial traits from both parent species, but the molecular mechanisms of its heterosis still remain poorly understood. Results: Based on RNA sequencing and gene expression profiling, we conducted comparative transcriptome analyses between Hulong grouper and its parents E. fuscoguttatus & E. lanceolatus. Six hundred sixty-two and 5239 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the brains and livers, respectively. GO enrichment analysis of these DEGs revealed that metabolic process and catalytic activity were the most enriched GO terms. Further analysis showed the expressions of GnRH1 and GnRH3 in the brain, and GH/IGF axis related genes such as IGF-1, IGF-2b, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2, IGFBP-4 and IGFBP-5a in the liver of the hybrid F1 were significantly up-regulated, which is in accordance with the growth superiority of hybrid grouper. Meanwhile, expressions of genes related to the protein and glycogen synthesis pathway, such as PI3KC, PI3KR, Raptor, EIF4E3, and PP1 were up-regulated, while PYG expression was down-regulated. These changes might contribute to increased protein and glycogen synthesis in the hybrid grouper. Conclusions: We identified a number of differentially expressed genes such as GnRH1 and GnRH3, and genes involved in GH/IGF axis and its downstream signaling pathways for protein and glycogen synthesis in Hulong Grouper. These findings provided molecular basis underlying growth superiority of hybrid grouper, and comprehensive insights into better understanding the molecular mechanisms and regulative pathways regulating heterosis in fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An automated bearing remaining useful life (RUL) prediction technique is developed in this study. • Both spatial and temporal information contained in bearing data are utilized to render an accurate RUL prediction. • A smoothing technique is employed in the approach to reduce the fluctuation in the RUL prediction. An automated remaining useful life (RUL) prediction technique based on a deep learning network is proposed in this study for an end-to-end RUL prediction of rolling element bearings. The technique utilizes a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to learn the spatial features from the bearing condition monitoring data, and then employs a stack of Bidirectional Gate Recurrent Units (BGRU) to extract the temporal degrading trend from the data for a more accurate RUL prediction. A weighted average method is employed to smooth out the trend of the RUL prediction. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is validated using two bearing degradation datasets, and the advantage of the proposed technique is examined by comparing the predicted RUL with those predicted using other commonly employed deep learning techniques. It is shown that the proposed technique can yield a much more accurate result for the bearing RUL prediction than other commonly employed deep learning techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the characteristic changes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in antiviral drug treatment-naive patients referred for pretreatment evaluation in Taiwan during 2008-2012. Over time, we observed substantial decreases in the prevalence of HBV e antigen (HBeAg) and increasing prevalence of the precore G1899A mutation and HBV-DNA levels in HBeAg-positive patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is responsible for adenosine triphosphate synthesis and OXPHOS deficiency plays a significant role in tumorigenesis. The defects of mitochondrial-encoded OXPHOS subunits have been found in normal and cirrhotic liver, however their contributions in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are not clear. The present study aimed to examine these defects in resected HCC tissues. In total, 102 human HCC tissues were collected from patients undergoing curative resection, and immunohistochemical staining was performed to assess tissue expression of complex I subunit 6, complex III subunit 3, complex IV subunit 1 (CIV-1) and complex V subunit 6. Cox proportional hazard model analysis was performed, including all clinicopathological factors, to postoperatively estimate the overall survival rate. The results showed that the majority of HCC tissues contained various degrees of expression defects for OXPHOS subunits. Among these, the major CIV-1 defect (expression defect area of >25% of the examined area) (P<0.001) and early distant metastasis (P<0.001) were independently associated with the overall survival rate. Kaplan-Meier analysis also demonstrated that the major CIV-1 defect was significantly associated with a poor overall survival rate (log-rank, P=0.002). The findings in the present study clearly indicate that the major CIV-1 expression defect may serve as an independent negative prognostic factor in HCC patients following curative resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The three pituitary hormones, viz. prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH) and somatolactin (SL), together with the mammalian placental lactogen (PL), constitute a gene family of hormones with similar gene structure and encoded protein sequences. These hormones are believed to have evolved from a common ancestral gene through several rounds of gene duplication and subsequent divergence. Principal Findings: In this study, we have identified a new PRL-like gene in non-mammalian vertebrates through bioinformatics and molecular cloning means. Phylogenetic analyses showed that this novel protein is homologous to the previously identified PRL. A receptor transactivation assay further showed that this novel protein could bind to PRL receptor to trigger the downstream post-receptor event, indicating that it is biologically active. In view of its close phylogenetic relationship with PRL and also its ability to activate PRL receptor, we name it as PRL2 and the previously identified PRL as PRL1. All the newly discovered PRL2 sequences possess three conserved disulfide linkages with the exception of the shark PRL2 which has only two. In sharp contrast to the classical PRL1 which is predominantly expressed in the pituitary, PRL2 was found to be mainly expressed in the eye and brain of the zebrafish but not in the pituitary. A largely reduced inner nuclear layer of the retina was observed after morpholino knockdown of zebrafish PRL2, indicating its role on retina development in teleost. Significance: The discovery of this novel PRL has revitalized our understanding on the evolution of the GH/PRL/SL/PL gene family. Its unique expression and functions in the zebrafish eye also provide a new avenue of research on the neuroendocrine control of retina development in vertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we implanted 2-year-old female red-spotted grouper, Epinephelus akaara, with a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor (AI), fadrozole, in the breeding season and examined changes in gonadal histology, serum sex steroids, aromatase activities and P450 aromatase (P450arom) gene expression in gonads after AI implantation. Aromatase inhibitor at doses from 0.1 to 10.0 mg kg−1 BW induced a sex inversion and completion of spermatogenesis up to the functional male phase, but doses of 1.0 and 10.0 mg kg−1 BW AI produced more males than 0.1 mg kg−1 BW AI. Serum estradiol-17β (E2) levels decreased, but 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) levels increased significantly in all the AI-implanted groups, whereas testosterone (T) levels increased significantly only in the 1.0 mg kg−1 BW AI-implanted group. Aromatase activities and P450arom gene expression in gonads were inhibited significantly in the AI-implanted groups, which was in accordance with the decrease in serum E2 levels. These results suggested the optimal dose of AI to induce sex inversion to be 1.0 mg kg−1 BW. Furthermore, the sex inversion induced by AI may be attributed to the inhibition of P450arom gene expression and aromatase activity and the resultant decrease in the biosynthesis of endogenous E2. Meanwhile, the elevated 11-KT levels were also associated closely with the occurrence of sex inversion in protogynous red-spotted grouper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]