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Objective: This study aims to assess the clinical effectiveness of combining mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) with exercise intervention in improving anxiety, depression, sleep quality and mood regulation in patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: A total of 60 patients with NSCLC who had not received surgical treatment were selected using convenience sampling and divided into an intervention group and control group, with 30 patients in each group. The control group received conventional psychological nursing care, whereas the intervention group received a combination of MBwSR and exercise therapy. Before the intervention, a questionnaire was completed to collect the basic data of the two groups. Further questionnaires were administered at 6 and 8 weeks after treatment to assess anxiety, depression, sleep quality and other items included in the five‐item Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS‐5). Results: No significant differences between the intervention and control groups were identified in terms of personal and clinical characteristics (p > 0.05). No significant differences were determined in the BSRS‐5, Self‐Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self‐Rating Depression Scale (SDS) or Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores between the intervention and control groups before the intervention. However, 6 and 8 weeks after the intervention, scores were significantly lower in both groups (p < 0.001). Significant differences in the BSRS‐5, SAS, SDS and PSQI scores were identified between the two groups at different time points (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The combination of MBSR and exercise intervention demonstrated improvements in anxiety, depression, sleep quality and BSRS‐5 scores in patients with NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of unstable structure and poor impedance matching of single metal-organic framework (MOF) can be avoided by sintering MOFs and melamine composites to fabricate carbon nanotubes-coated cobalt/carbon nanoparticles (Co@C/CNTs). By regulating the mixing ratio of MOF and melamine, different lengths and amount of carbon nanotubes coated porous cobalt/carbon polyhedrons can be obtained, and the catalytic capability of cobalt can be affected to obtain carbon with different degrees of graphitization. The appropriate ratio can change the dielectric magnetic parameters to optimize the impedance matching of the material. As the result, when the mixing ratio of ZIF-67 and melamine was 1:1, the product Co@C/CNTs/PVDF-1:1 shows the lowest reflection loss (−57.6 dB) at the filling amount of 15 wt% with the thickness of 3.01 mm. The effective absorbing bandwidth (EAB) could achieve 5.4 GHz from 12.6 GHz to 18.0 GHz under the filler loading of 10 wt% with the thickness of 2 mm. These results inaugurate a new avenue for obtaining excellent absorbing composites with lightweight, wide EAB and strong absorbing performance. [Display omitted] • Carbon nanotubes-coated cobalt/carbon nanoparticles (Co@C/CNTs) with excellent performance was successfully synthesized. • An excellent reflection loss (RL) of −57.6 dB with a low filler loading (15 wt%) and thin thickness (3.01 mm). • Effective absorption bandwidth (<−10 dB) can be up to 5.4 GHz under a single thickness (2.00 mm). • The synergistic effect between magnetic components and carbon-based show up good impedance matching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs) play essential physiological functions in insects. CYP303A1 is highly conserved in insect species studied to date, and shows an indispensable role for adult eclosion in both Locusta migratoria and Drosophila melanogaster. However, how CYP303A1 is regulated to control insect developmental processes remains uninvestigated. In this study, we discovered functional binding sites for miR‐184 in the coding sequence of LmCYP303A1. The luciferase reporter assay showed that miR‐184 could target LmCYP303A1 and regulate its expression in vitro. Furthermore, overexpression of miR‐184 through microinjection of agomir to locusts reduced the transcripts of LmCYP303A1 and led to abnormal molting, which is similar to the phenotype of silencing LmCYP303A1 by direct injection of dsLmCYP303A1 to locusts. Meanwhile, down‐regulation of miR‐184 by injection of antagomir increased the LmCYP303A1 transcript and caused molting defects. These findings suggested that miR‐184 could target LmCYP303A1 to regulate the molting process in L. migratoria, which might be considered as a novel target for pest control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play an important regulatory role in a variety of malignancies. Nevertheless, the role of circ_0000142 in multiple myeloma (MM) and its regulatory mechanism remains largely unknown. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was employed to detect the expressions of circ_0000142 and miR-610 in MM tissues and cell lines. The expression of AKT3 and apoptosis-related proteins (Bcl-2, Bax) in MM cells was detected by western blot. The correlation between the expression level of circ_0000142 and the clinicopathological parameters of MM patients was analysed. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion were monitored by Cell Counting Kit 8 assay, flow cytometry analysis and Transwell assay, respectively. The dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay were employed to verify the targeting relationship between circ_0000142 and miR-610. In this study, it was demonstrated that, circ_0000142 was highly expressed in MM patients, and its high expression level was significantly associated with increased International Staging System and Durie–Salmon stage. Overexpression of circ_0000142 enhanced MM cell proliferation, migration, invasion and suppressed cell apoptosis, while knocking down circ_0000142 had the opposite effects. Mechanistically, circ_0000142 functioned as a competitive endogenous RNA, directly targeting miR-610 and positively regulating AKT3 expression. In brief, circ_0000142 enhances the proliferation and metastasis of MM cells by modulating the miR-610/AKT3 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perfect control over the constituent and architecture of porous nanomaterials is still a significant challenge in developing high performance electromagnetic wave absorption materials. In this work, we have designed and prepared a novel lightweight electromagnetic wave absorption material with the combination of hollow structure and bimetallic constituents by the thermal decomposition of metal−organic framework (MOF) ZIF-67. We found that by introducing additional metal Nickle into the porous Co/C composites, the CoNi/C-800-PVDF nanocomposite could yield an excellent reflection loss of −61.02 dB at 13.68 GHz and simultaneously possess effective absorbing bandwidth of 5.2 GHz with lower filler loading as 10 wt%, which corresponding to a less absorber thickness of 2 mm. These results demonstrate that the synergistic effects between the bimetallic components and hollow structure of novel CoNi/C composite optimize impedance matching, and thus improve the absorption performance greatly. The properties of specific surface area, interface polarization, dipole polarization, ferromagnetic resonance, eddy current loss and multiple scattering are investigated to further explain the high performance of materials. Image 1 • Hollow porous structure bimetallic carbon-based nanocomposite (CoNi/C) with excellent electromagnetic wave absorption properties was successfully synthesized. • An excellent reflection loss (RL) of −61.02 dB at 13.68 GHz with a low filler loading (10 wt%) and ultra-thin thickness (2.00 mm). • Effective absorption bandwidth (<−10 dB) up to 5.2 GHz under a single thickness (2.00 mm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the two-body anti-triplet charmed baryon decays based on the diagrammatic approach with SU(3) flavor symmetry. We extract the two W -exchange effects as EB and E' that contribute to the Λ c + → Ξ 0 K + decay, together with the relative phases, where EB gives the main contribution. Besides, we find that B Λ c + → p π 0 = 0.8 − 0.8 + 0.9 × 10 − 4 ,which is within the experimental upper bound. Particularly, we obtain B Ξ c + → Ξ 0 π + = 9.3 ± 3.6 × 10 − 3 , B Ξ c 0 → Ξ − π + Λ 0 K ¯ 0 = 19.3 ± 2.8 8.3 ± 5.0 × 10 − 2 and B Ξ c 0 → Ξ − K + = 5.6 ± 0.8 × 10 − 4 , which all agree with the data. For the singly Cabibbo suppressed Λ c + decays, we predict that B Λ c + → n π + pη ' Σ + K 0 = 7.7 ± 2.0 7.1 ± 1.4 19.1 ± 4.8 × 10 − 4 , which are accessible to the experiments at BESIII, BELLEII and LHCb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White matter hyperintensities (WMHs), mainly caused by cerebrovascular injury, may lead to cognitive impairment. In order to identify whether the volume of WMHs is associated with cognitive decline over years, this longitudinal study involved 818 individuals from the ADNI-2 dataset from August 2010 to May 2017. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of WMHs with 8 cognitive domains were explored, using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDRSB), Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive (ADAS-Cog13), Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Functional Assessment Questionnaire (FAQ), executive function (ADNI-EF), and memory function (ADNI-Mem). The association analyses were performed using multiple linear regression models, linear mixed models, Spearman rank correlation, and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. The volumes of WMHs were greater in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia compared with controls (p < 0.001) and mild cognitive impairment (p = 0.006) patients at baseline. The bigger volumes of WMHs correlated with worse performances on ADAS-Cog13 and ADNI-EF (p = 0.029; p = 0.003) at baseline and MMSE, MoCA, CDRSB, ADAS-Cog13, FAQ, and ADNI-Mem (overall p < 0.05) longitudinally, after adjusting for age, sex, educational level, apolipoprotein E ɛ4 genotype, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking, infarction, and diagnosis. Additionally, the correlations between the change rate of WMHs and change rates of MMSE, MoCA, CDRSB, FAQ, ADNI-EF, and ADNI-Mem were statistically significant. Furthermore, patients with high WMH volumes showed an increased likelihood of dementia. The results of the study suggest that WMH volume is associated with cognitive decline, and it contributes to the conversion to AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of deuterated compounds is increasingly expanding across various fields, making the development of novel deuterium labeling techniques for obtaining deuterated compounds a burgeoning research focus. Carboxylic acids and their derivatives are widely utilized as cost‐effective and readily available materials for obtaining deuterated compounds due to their stable properties. This article presents a comprehensive and concise summary of the research progress in decarboxylative deuteration reactions over the past 20 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pd–Ag bimetallic catalysts containing different molar ratios of Pd/Ag (30/70, 50/50, and 70/30) were prepared using a facile visible-light-assisted liquid-phase method. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry measurements were used to evaluate their electrocatalytic properties toward the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in alkaline media. The alloyed Pd 50 Ag 50 nanowire network with the optimized molar ratio, which had abundant defects (grain boundaries, lattice dislocations, lattice expansion, and distortion), provided more active sites for the MOR under alkaline conditions. The onset potential of the MOR on the Pd 50 Ag 50 -loaded glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was more negative than those on the Pd 30 Ag 70 , Pd 70 Ag 30 , and pure Pd electrodes. The Pd 50 Ag 50 catalyst showed the best catalytic activity (2853 mA mg Pd −1/6.85 mA cm Pd −2) compared with those of the pure Pd catalyst (320 mA mg Pd −1/2.68 mA cm Pd −2) and other samples. This sample also exhibited a high tolerance (i b /i f = 0.19) to the poisoning species and long stability (only lost 7.64 % after 500 cycles). The alloyed Pd 50 Ag 50 network is a promising catalyst for the MOR. This work may be extended to construct advanced Pd–M (M = other metals) catalysts for fuel cell applications by surface defect engineering. [Display omitted] • Pd–Ag bimetallic catalysts were obtained through visible-light-assisted liquid-phase reactions in mild, eco-friendly conditions. • Control experiments were carried out to fabricate the alloyed Pd 50 Ag 50 nanowire networks with plenty of defects. • The obtained Pd 50 Ag 50 catalyst exhibited the best MOR performance among the four catalysts in this work and many previously reported Pd-based catalysts in alkaline electrolytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, different microchips were simulated by the finite element method (FEM) with the aim to clarify the effect of topological parameter on inactivating microorganisms vaccinated in blueberry juice under low voltage for 50–250 μs and 20–100 pulses. For the planar comb teeth microchips in the first generation, only a 1.01 log 10 of Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) was achieved at 25 °C in all the solutions, then, with the aim to obtain a more uniform electric field distribution, an interdigitated electrode structure are used in the second-generation microchip which improved the inactivation effect of E. coli up to 2.85 log 10 reduction. At the end, by considering the problems presented by the two aforementioned microchips, the structure of a parallel plate as the third-generation microchip was designed and the best experimental platform was built. This microtreatment chamber exhibited excellent inactivation effect on E. coli , Saccharomyces cerevisiae , and Staphylococcus aureus of 5.32, 5.42, and 4.77 log 10 cycles respectively. These results will provide a meaningful guidance in inactivate microorganisms by low-voltage PEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of direct cold expansion on the fatigue behavior of fasten holes of AA6016-T6 was investigated. Results revealed that: (1) The fatigue life of the cold expanded (CE) specimens increased by 2.47 times compared to that of the non-cold expanded (NCE) specimens, and all the fatigue origins of the CE specimens initiated at the hole’s corner of the mandrel inlet side; (2) It was interesting to find that the fatigue crack has bypassed the tri-directional compressive stress domain in all the fracture surfaces of the CE specimens, which was believed to be beneficial to the fatigue life prolongation; (3) A ‘shear mode secondary crack’ different from ‘ordinary secondary crack’ was formed in the fracture surfaces of the CE specimens, which was generated by the residual shear stress imparted by the CE process; (4) Residual compressive stress could effectively slow down the fatigue crack growth rate; (5) Grain boundary and the angle of favored slipping planes of neighbor grains affected the fatigue crack propagation path evidently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the liquefaction behavior and meso-mechanism of gravelly soil under cyclic loading with constant strain amplitude, the undrained dynamic triaxial test, CT scan test and numerical simulations by discrete element method (DEM) are performed. Effects of gravel content and the evolution of liquefaction nmeso-mechanism are analyzed respectively. Test Results show that the liquefaction resistance of gravelly soil increases considerably with the increasing gravel content due to growing in number of gravel-to-gravel contact. DEM simulations reflect the macro mechanical property of saturated gravelly soil in the cyclic triaxial test, and show anisotropy is the most important mechanical properties of gravelly soil liquefaction under cyclic loading with constant strain amplitude. In process of the liquefaction, the backbone force-chain is gradually destroyed, and magnitude of normal contact force decreases to zero until initial liquefaction. Both of the fabric and force-chain evolution demonstrate a consistent deflection of the principal stress axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel non-equimolar (Nd 0.58 Gd 0.05 Y 0.05 Er 0.05 Yb 0.27) 2 Zr 2 O 7 composed of coexisting defect fluorite and pyrochlore phases and (Nd 0.2 Gd 0.2 Y 0.2 Er 0.2 Yb 0.2) 2 Zr 2 O 7 with defect fluorite structure high entropy ceramics were firstly prepared by high temperature solid state method. The average grain growth rate of high entropy (Nd 0.2 Gd 0.2 Y 0.2 Er 0.2 Yb 0.2) 2 Zr 2 O 7 and (Nd 0.58 Gd 0.05 Y 0.05 Er 0.05 Yb 0.27) 2 Zr 2 O 7 ceramics is much lower than that of Nd 2 Zr 2 O 7 during annealing at 1300 °C for 100 h, which may be ascribed to the sluggish diffusion effect of high entropy ceramics. Additionally, both of (Nd 0.2 Gd 0.2 Y 0.2 Er 0.2 Yb 0.2) 2 Zr 2 O 7 and (Nd 0.58 Gd 0.05 Y 0.05 Er 0.05 Yb 0.27) 2 Zr 2 O 7 possess higher thermal expansion coefficients and lower thermal conductivities than Nd 2 Zr 2 O 7. The thermal expansion coefficients of (Nd 0.2 Gd 0.2 Y 0.2 Er 0.2 Yb 0.2) 2 Zr 2 O 7 and (Nd 0.58 Gd 0.05 Y 0.05 Er 0.05 Yb 0.27) 2 Zr 2 O 7 at 1000 °C are 12.9 × 10−6 and 12.6 × 10−6 K−1, respectively. In addition, the thermal conductivity of dual-phase (Nd 0.58 Gd 0.05 Y 0.05 Er 0.05 Yb 0.27) 2 Zr 2 O 7 at room temperature up to 1000 °C is significantly lower than that of single-phase (Nd 0.2 Gd 0.2 Y 0.2 Er 0.2 Yb 0.2) 2 Zr 2 O 7 , such as, 1.215 and 0.957 W·m−1·K−1 at 1000 °C, respectively, which may be due to cation size disorder and lattice distortion. • A novel dual-phase and single-phase high entropy ceramics was successfully fabricated. • The high entropy ceramics possesses lower grain growth rate due to the sluggish diffusion effect. • The dual-phase (Nd 0.58 Gd 0.05 Y 0.05 Er 0.05 Yb 0.27) 2 Zr 2 O 7 was composed of 42.41% P′ and 57.59% F′. • The thermal conductivity of dual-phase is much lower than that of single-phase high entropy ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As sessile organisms, plants require many flexible strategies to adapt to the environment. Although some environmental signaling pathways regulating stomatal development have been identified, how stomatal regulators are modulated by internal and external signals to determine the final stomatal abundance requires further exploration. In our studies, we found that nitric oxide (NO) promotes stomatal development with increased stomatal index as well as the relative number of meristemoids and guard mother cells [%(M+GMC)] in NO-treated wild-type Arabidopsis plants; this role of NO was further verified in the nox1 mutant, which exhibits higher NO levels, and the noa1 mutant, which exhibits low NO accumulation. To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the effect of NO, we further assayed the expression of genes involved in stomatal development and found that NO induces the expression of the master regulators SPCH , MUTE and SCRM2 to initiate stomatal development. In addition, MPK6 is also involved in NO-promoted stomatal development, as MPK6 expression was repressed in nox1 and NO-treated plants, and transgenic plants overexpressing MPK6 were less sensitive to SNP treatment in terms of changes in the%(M+GMC). Thus, our study shows that NO promotes the production of stomata by up-regulating the expression of SPCH , MUTE and SCRM2 and down-regulating MPK6 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corrosion of cast coarse grain and laser-remelting fine grain Ni-Cr alloys in molten (Li,Na,K)F at 700 °C under Ar has been investigated by electrochemical and thermogravimetric methods with an attempt to understand the effect of grain refinement on the corrosion of the alloys. The results indicate that grain refinement remarkably accelerates the dissolution of Cr, leading to the formation of a wider Cr-depleted zone. The enhanced corrosion of fine grain Ni-Cr alloys could be ascribed to the laser remelting treatment decreasing greatly the grain size of the alloys, and thus significantly increasing the overall effective diffusion coefficient of Cr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of two oxidizing species, H 2 O and CrF 3 , on the corrosion of pure metals Ni, Fe and Cr in molten (Li,Na,K)F at 700 °C were investigated by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results indicated that Ni, Fe and Cr were all in active dissolution state at the corrosion potential and the corrosion current densities were significantly increased when 2% H 2 O was introduced. However, the addition of CrF 3 only accelerated the dissolution of Cr and Fe. Based on the impedance results, the diffusion coefficient of Cr 3+ in the melt has been calculated to be 6.25 × 10 −4 cm 2 s −1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the safety and feasibility of intraductal radiofrequency ablation (RFA) followed by locoregional tumor treatments in patients with non-resectable malignant biliary obstruction and stent re-occlusion. Methods: Fourteen patients with malignant biliary obstruction and blocked metal stents were studied retrospectively. All had intraductal RFA followed by locoregional tumor treatments and were monitored clinically and radiologically. The practicality, safety, postoperative complications, jaundice remission, stent patency and survival time were analyzed. Results: Combination treatment was successful for all patients. There were no severe complications during RFA or local treatments. All patients had stent patency restored, with a decline in serum bilirubin. Three patients had recurrent jaundice by 195, 237 and 357 days; two patients underwent repeat intraductal RFA; and one required an internal-external biliary drain. The average stent patency time was 234 days (range 187-544 days). With a median follow-up of 384 days (range 187-544 days), six patients were alive, while eight had died. There was no mortality at 30 days. The 3, 6, 12 and 18 month survival rates were 100%, 100%, 64.3% and 42.9%, respectively. Conclusion: Intraductal RFA followed by locoregional tumor treatments for occluded metal stents is safe and practically feasible and potential increase stent patency and survival times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poplar and willow plantations have become widespread in China, in order to meet national economic and environmental needs. The emergence of several pathogens is enhanced by climatic change and associated human factors. Species of Cytospora are well-known pathogens on poplar and willow, and cause stem cankers and diebacks. In the present study, we conducted a survey of Cytospora species occurring on Populus spp. and Salix spp. in China. We used morphological examination and phylogenetic inferences, based on the DNA sequence data from the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS1, 5.8S rDNA, and ITS2) and partial β-tubulin gene, to identify six Cytospora species occurring on poplar and willow. Five of these species belonged to known taxa, viz . Cytospora chrysosperma (asexual state of Valsa sordida ), Cytospora translucens (asexual state of Leucostoma translucens ), Cytospora fugax (asexual state of Valsa salicina ), Cytospora atrocirrhata , and Cytospora kantschavelii . Our study yielded a new species, Cytospora davidiana sp. nov., on poplar. The new species is characterized by typical torsellioid conidiomata. An additional Cytospora sp. 1, which formed a distinct clade in the phylogenetic inferences, remains unnamed; the paucity of available materials prevented phenotypical characterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Injection of botulinum toxin type A for cosmetic purposes is common. It is believed to be safe, but adverse reactions have been reported, including dysphagia, generalized paralysis, respiratory depression, and death caused by focal injection of the toxin. Early administration of antitoxin in patients with adverse reactions is the mainstay of management, but the time window for its clinical efficacy is not well defined.Case Reports: Two female adult patients with clinical botulism after botulinum toxin type A injection are described. Both patients had received intramuscular injection of botulinum toxin type A in their calves at beauty shops for cosmetic reasons. They developed clinical botulism about 3 days postinjection. They presented late to the emergency department. Monovalent type A botulinum antitoxin was administered 7 and 9 days from symptom onset, respectively. Both patients showed clinical improvement after the antitoxin treatment. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Patients may present to the emergency department with systemic effects of botulinum toxin type A after cosmetic injection. Clinical efficacy of botulinum antitoxin treatment was observed in two patients who were given the drug 7 and 9 days after the occurrence of symptoms of botulism after cosmetic injection of botulinum toxin type A. It may be worthwhile to commence antitoxin treatment even if patients present late. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] miR-181b promotes cell proliferation and suppresses apoptosis in cervical cancer cell lines. [•] Adenylyl cyclase 9 (AC9) transcript is a direct target of miR-181b. [•] Knockdown of AC9 increases cell proliferation and decreases apoptosis in cervical cancer cell lines. [•] miR-181b is upregulated in cervical cancer tissues. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective To investigate the effect of saikosaponins-d (SSd) on experimental hepatocarcinogenesis in rats and its potential mechanisms. Methods One hundred SD male rats were randomly divided into model group, DMSO control group and SSd intervention group. The model group was administered intragastrically with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) (5 times/week) for 14 weeks. DMSO control group was simultaneously administered with the same dosage of DMSO as SSd group. Saikosaponin-d intervention group was injected intraperitoneally with SSd (1.0mg/kg) once a day for 18 weeks. All rats were killed at the end of week 18. The expressions of Ang-2 and VEGF in liver tissue and serum were measured by immunocytochemistry and ELISA. Results Liver injury was alleviated obviously and the death rate was reduced in SSd group. Immunocytochemistry and ELISA indicated that Ang-2 and VEGF expressions were decreased significantly in SSd group compared with model and control groups (P<0.05). Conclusion SSd can inhibit angiogenesis of DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis and the mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of Ang-2 and VEGF expressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs, which participate in many biological processes. The small RNA transcriptome in the migratory locust has been characterized and 50 conserved miRNA families and 185 potential locust-specific miRNA family candidates have been identified using high-throughput sequencing. However, it is unclear whether miRNAs influence a wide variety of locusts' biological processes, such as growth or development. In insects, Dicer1 ribonuclease transforms miRNA precursors into mature miRNAs. Thus, using systemic RNA interference (RNAi) to silence the expression of Dicer1 in the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, we reduced miRNA contents in the locust and disrupted two types of molt (nymph-nymph, and nymph-adult). The RNAi of LmDicer1 also resulted in a high mortality in L. migratora. Our study revealed that LmDicer1 was essential for miRNA regulation and development of L. migratoria. These results further support our notion that LmDicer1 could serve as an excellent target for developing novel strategies for controlling this important insect pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ages at natural menarche and menopause are influenced by several genetic factors. This study aimed to investigate the possible relationship between the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype and the age at menarche and natural menopause in Chinese females. In the current study, 398 (elderly group, aged 47-80 years) and 825 (young group, aged 15-25 years) Chinese females were enrolled under informed content. Ages at natural menarche and menopause were obtained by questionnaires. ApoE genotypes were identified by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. In the elderly group, the number of pregnancies and live births and breastfeeding were associated with the age at menopause ( P = 0.008, P = 0.002, and P = 0.023, respectively). One-way ANOVA analysis revealed that the ApoE genotype was significantly associated with age at natural menopause (ANM; P = 0.010). Compared with ApoE ε3/3 carriers, ApoE ε3/4 females showed a 1.8-year delay in ANM ( P = 0.002). Single ApoE allele-positive/allele-negative analysis also showed that the age at menopause of ApoE ε4 carriers was delayed compared with those who were not carriers ( P = 0.023). In the young group, no statistical difference was found in the age of menarche between the carriers of ApoE ε3/3 and ε3/4. Single ApoE allele-positive/allele-negative analysis showed that the age at menarche in ApoE ε4 carriers was slightly earlier than in those who were not carriers ( P = 0.048). Meanwhile, univariate association analysis revealed that the ApoE genotypes were not significantly associated with the age at menarche using age as a covariate in the pooled group (young + elderly) ( P = 0.143). We demonstrated that the ApoE genotype is significantly linked to the age at natural menopause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Armchair (n, n) single walled boron nitride nanotubes with n = 2-17 are studied by the density functional theory at the B3LYP/3-21G(d) level combined with the periodic boundary conditions for simulating the ultra long model. The results show that the structure parameters and the formation energies bear a strong relationship to n. The fitted analytical equations are developed with correlation coefficients larger than 0.999. The energy gaps of (2, 2) and (3, 3) tubes are indirect gaps, and the larger tubes (n = 4-17) have direct energy gaps. Results show that the armchair boron nitride nanotubes (n = 2-17) are insulators with wide energy gaps of between 5.93 eV and 6.23 eV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose: To evaluate whether predilation approach yield intermediate-term results were better than those with stent filter approach. Materials and methods: 59 BCS patients with old IVC thrombosis were selected for the treatment with a stent filter (n =33, group A) or predilation (n =26, group B) before thrombolysis, and subsequently underwent color Doppler ultrasound follow-up at our hospital. Data relating to the technical success, color Doppler ultrasound results, cost, mortality, morbidity, and final clinical results were collected prospectively and follow-ups were performed 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the procedures, and annually thereafter. Results: Sent filter placement, thrombolysis and predilation were technically successful in all patients, with no procedure-related complications. Stent migration upward occurred in two patients, and removal of the stent filter was technically successful in 32 of 33 patients in group A. Inferior vena cavagrams performed before dilation with a 30-mm balloon catheter demonstrated that the IVC thrombus had completely resolved in all patients without pulmonary embolism. Reobstruction of the IVC without thrombosis was observed in three patients. Short of higher overall complications and costs in group A when compared to group B, there were no other differences in the clinical and color Doppler ultrasound findings, and primary patency rate between the two groups. All patients are alive with no recurrence of thrombosis at the time of this report. Conclusions: BCS patients with old IVC thrombosis treatment with predilation approach yielded intermediate-term results that were better than those with the stent filter approach. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: It is known that enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome is closely related to the SLC26A4 mutation. Up to date, more than 200 of SLC26A4 mutations have been described, and novel mutations are being continually identified in different countries and ethnic groups. In this study, two novel variations were identified in a Chinese family associated with enlarged vestibular aqueduct. The two novel substitutions, c.232T>C and c.2006A>T, were detected in exon 3 and exon 17 of the pendrin encoding gene, respectively. The T/C transversion at 232 nucleotide caused p.Y78H mutation while the A/T transversion at 2006 nucleotide caused p.D669V mutation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A [3+3+3]-fragment coupling strategy was successfully applied in the synthesis of the nonacyclopeptide of chlorofusin, a potent natural antagonist against p53–MDM2 interactions. The accomplished convergent synthesis includes parallel syntheses of three tripeptides and their sequential assembly, and macrocyclization of the linear precursor to the required 27-membered nonacyclopeptide. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Hypercoagulability emerges as a central pathological feature and clinical complication in nephrotic syndrome. Increased platelet activation and aggregability are closely related to hypercoagulability in nephrotic syndrome. Monocyte-platelet aggregates (MPAs) have been proposed to represent a robust biomarker of platelet activation. The aim of this study was to investigate levels of the circulating MPAs and MPAs with the different monocyte subsets to evaluate the association of MPAs with hypercoagulability in nephrotic syndrome. Methods: Thirty-two patients with nephrotic syndrome were enrolled. In addition, thirty-two healthy age and sex matched adult volunteers served as healthy controls. MPAs were identified by CD14 monocytes positive for CD41a platelets. The classical (CD14 + + CD16-, CM), the intermediate (CD14 + + CD16+, IM) and the non-classical (CD14 + CD16++, NCM) monocytes, as well as subset specific MPAs, were measured by flow cytometry. Results: Patients with nephrotic syndrome showed a higher percentage of circulating MPAs as compared with healthy controls (p < 0.001). The percentages of MPAs with CM, IM, and NCM were higher than those of healthy controls (p = 0.012, p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Circulating MPAs showed correlations with hypoalbuminemia (r=-0.85; p < 0.001), hypercholesterolemia (r = 0.54; p < 0.001), fibrinogen (r = 0.70; p < 0.001) and D-dimer (r = 0.37; p = 0.003), but not with hypertriglyceridemia in nephrotic syndrome. The AUC for the prediction of hypercoagulability in nephrotic syndrome using MPAs was 0.79 (95% CI 0.68–0.90, p < 0.001). The sensitivity of MPAs in predicting hypercoagulability was 0.71, and the specificity was 0.78. Conclusion: Increased MPAs were correlated with hypercoagulability in nephrotic syndrome. MPAs may serve as a potential biomarker for thrombophilic or hypercoagulable state and provide novel insight into the mechanisms of anticoagulation in nephrotic syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bismuth (III) triflate-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts reactions between benzofuran and aldehydes in different solvents were investigated. Bis(benzofuranyl)methanes were obtained with good yields when acetonitrile was used as solvent, while in the case of nitromethane the multi-component reaction products, 2-benzofuran-1-nitroalkanes, were formed under similar conditions. A plausible mechanism is given.Key words: benzofuran, aldehyde, bis(benzofuranyl)methanes, Bi(OTf)3, 2-benzofuran-1-nitroalkane. On a étudié les réactions de Friedel-Crafts catalysées par le triflate de bismuth(III) et effectuées entre le benzofurane et les aldéhydes dans divers solvants. Avec l’acétonitrile comme solvant, on obtient de bons rendements de bis(benzofuranyl)méthanes alors que dans le nitrométhane, dans des conditions semblables, il y a formation de 2-benzo furane-1-nitroalcanes, des produits qui résultent de réactions entre plusieurs réactifs. On propose un mécanisme plausible.Mots-clés : benzofurane, aldéhyde, bis(benzofuranyl)méthanes, Bi(OTf)3, 2-benzofurane-1-nitroalcanes.[Traduit par la Rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The ethylene-modified silica membranes were prepared by the acid-catalyzed co-hydrolysis and condensation reaction of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and ethylenetriethoxysilane (TEVS) in ethanol and the final materials were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), water contact angle measurement, solid-state 29Si magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (29Si MAS NMR), and N2 adsorption. The modification leads to a transform from superhydrophilicity for the unmodified silica membranes to hydrophobicity for the modified materials. The ethylene-modified silica membranes are much less water sensitive than the unmodified materials because the hydrophobic ethylene groups replace a portion of the hydrophilic hydroxyl groups on the pore surface. The modified materials process a microporous structure with a narrow pore size distribution centered at 1.1nm. Such a microporous structure can be stabilized after exposured to humid atmosphere for 450h, in intense contrast to the collapse of the micropores in the unmodified silica membranes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge is a Traditional Chinese Medicine used for the treatment of diseases related to the heart and liver. Owing to the abundance of salvianolic acids and tanshinones, S. miltiorrhiza exhibits various pharmacological activities, such as stimulating blood circulation, eliminating blood stasis, relieving menorrhea and pain, and improving polydipsia. Neocryptotanshinone (NCTS) is one of the tanshinones isolated from S. miltiorrhiza and exhibits anti‐inflammatory, hypoglycemic, and preventive effects against cardiovascular diseases; however, its pharmacokinetic properties have not been reported to date. Therefore, a simple and reliable LC–MS/MS method was developed to determine absorption, distribution, and excretion of NCTS in rat physiological samples. We demonstrated that NCTS had high oral absolute bioavailability of 85.96% ± 25.32%, and it was rapidly distributed in both the heart and brain, and the fecal excretion of NCTS was the highest. This study provides a theoretical basis for further development of NCTS as a potential clinical candidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We here describe a new method for distinguishing authentic Bletilla striata from similar decoctions (namely, Gastrodia elata, Polygonatum odoratum, and Bletilla ochracea schltr). Methods: Preliminary identification and analysis of four types of decoction pieces were conducted following the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and local standards. Intelligent sensory data were then collected using an electronic nose, an electronic tongue, and an electronic eye, and chromatography data were obtained via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), support vector machines (SVM), and back propagation neural network (BP-NN) models were built using each set of single-source data for authenticity identification (binary classification of B. striata vs. other samples) and for species determination (multi-class sample identification). Features were extracted from all datasets using an unsupervised approach [principal component analysis (PCA)] and a supervised approach (PLS-DA). Mid-level data fusion was then used to combine features from the four datasets and the effects of feature extraction methods on model performance were compared. Results and Discussion: Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC- IMS) showed significant differences in the types and abundances of volatile organic compounds between the four sample types. In authenticity determination, the PLS-DA and SVM models based on fused latent variables (LVs) performed the best, with 100% accuracy in both the calibration and validation sets. In species identification, the PLS-DA model built with fused principal components (PCs) or fused LVs had the best performance, with 100% accuracy in the calibration set and just one misclassification in the validation set. In the PLS-DAand SVM authenticity identification models, fused LVs performed better than fused PCs. Model analysis was used to identify PCs that strongly contributed to accurate sample classification, and a PC factor loading matrix was used to assess the correlation between PCs and the original variables. This study serves as a reference for future efforts to accurately evaluate the quality of Chinese medicine decoction pieces, promoting medicinal formulation safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single site indentation experiments with ultrasonic and quasi-static indentations were performed on aluminum alloy sheet to study the effect of induced ultrasonic energy on microstructure evolution during indentation. Electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques were employed to investigate the dislocation structures and grain refinement mechanisms of the material underneath the indents. Process simulation about the indentation under ultrasonic irradiation via the ANSYS LS-Dyna finite element code was conducted to analyze the stress wave and spin rate in the material for further explanation of the mechanisms. Results showed that, after 10 s of ultrasonic indentation, a 300 μm deep gradient ultrafine-grained layer was produced underneath the ultrasonic indent, where the top surface exhibited an equiaxed ultrafine dislocation-free grains layer of 60 μm in thickness with grain diameter ranged 200–300 nm. The hardness of the gradient ultrafine equiaxed grain layer was increased substantially. It is supposed that the ultrasonic irradiation effectively enhanced the dislocation multiplication, movement and vibration, which accelerated sub-grain rotations and strongly facilitated the dynamic recrystallization. • Ultrasonic energy favored dislocation multiplication, vibration and annihilation and promoted dynamic recrystallization. • Both rotational and grain boundary nucleation mechanisms for the dynamic recrystallization occurred, while sub-grain rotation dominated. • Topsurface stress amplitude and spin rate were ~1000 MPa and ~10000/s, respectively. • A 300 μm thick gradient ultrafine-grained layer is produced in a 10-s ultrasonic indention. • The equiaxed ultrafine-grained layer of 60 μm in thickness is expected to have good ductility and thermal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The fungal communities inhabiting natural Ophiocordyceps sinensis play critical ecological roles in alpine meadow ecosystem, contribute to infect host insect, influence the occurrence of O. sinensis, and are repertoire of potential novel metabolites discovery. However, a comprehensive understanding of fungal communities of O. sinensis remain elusive. Therefore, the present study aimed to unravel fungal communities of natural O. sinensis using combination of high-throughput sequencing and culture-dependent approaches. Results: A total of 280,519 high-quality sequences, belonging to 5 fungal phyla, 15 classes, 41 orders, 79 families, 112 genera, and 352 putative operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were obtained from natural O. sinensis using high-throughput sequencing. Among of which, 43 genera were identified in external mycelial cortices, Ophiocordyceps, Sebacinia and Archaeorhizomyces were predominant genera with the abundance of 95.86, 1.14, 0.85%, respectively. A total of 66 genera were identified from soil microhabitat, Inocybe, Archaeorhizomyces, unclassified Thelephoraceae, Tomentella, Thelephora, Sebacina, unclassified Ascomycota and unclassified fungi were predominant genera with an average abundance of 53.32, 8.69, 8.12, 8.12, 7.21, 4.6, 3.08 and 3.05%, respectively. The fungal communities in external mycelial cortices were significantly distinct from soil microhabitat. Meanwhile, seven types of culture media were used to isolate culturable fungi at 16 °C, resulted in 77 fungal strains identified by rDNA ITS sequence analysis, belonging to 33 genera, including Ophiocordyceps, Trichoderma, Cytospora, Truncatella, Dactylonectria, Isaria, Cephalosporium, Fusarium, Cosmospora and Paecilomyces, etc.. Among all culturable fungi, Mortierella and Trichoderma were predominant genera. Conclusions: The significantly differences and overlap in fungal community structure between two approaches highlight that the integration of high-throughput sequencing and culture-dependent approaches would generate more information. Our result reveal a comprehensive understanding of fungal community structure of natural O. sinensis, provide new insight into O. sinensis associated fungi, and support that microbiota of natural O. sinensis is an untapped source for novel bioactive metabolites discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CBX3, namely chromobox protein homolog 3, a member of the heterochomatin protein 1 (HP1) family, has been shown to be associated with the tumorigenesis of various types of cancer. The aim of the present study was to assess the biological role and the clinicopathological importance of CBX3 in osteosarcoma. The Oncomine database was utilized to determine the CBX3 expression in sarcoma patients. A retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic value of CBX3 expression. In addition, correlations between the clinicopathological features of the osteosarcoma patients and CBX3 expression were assessed and involved recurrence, distant metastasis, lymph node metastasis, response to chemotherapy, pathological differentiation, clinical stage, anatomic location, tumor size and age. To investigate the function of CBX3 in osteosarcoma, a small interfering RNA for CBX3 was designed and this was used for the transfection of osteosarcoma MG63 cells. Then, the effects of CBX3 on proliferation, cell cycle distribution and apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells were investigated via CCK-8 assay and cell cycle assay and cell apoptosis analysis, respectively. Based on our findings, upregulation of CBX3 expression was noted both in osteosarcoma and also other sarcoma types, which included pleomorphic liposarcoma, myxofibrosarcoma, myxoid/round cell liposarcoma and dedifferentiated liposarcoma. In addition, based on the retrospective cohort study, CBX3 expression was associated with the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of the osteosarcoma patients and a large tumor size, high distant metastasis rate and high clinical stage rate. In addition, the proliferation ability was blocked by the knockdown of CBX3 through the application of CBX3 siRNA, and CBX3 knockdown also led to increased apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G0 and G1 phases in osteosarcoma cells. CBX3 is highly expressed in human osteosarcoma tissues. Meanwhile, high CBX3 is a predictor of the poor prognosis of osteosarcoma patients. To conclude, the growth of osteosarcoma can be promoted by CBX3, which may be used as an independent potential prognostic biomarker for patients suffering from osteosarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen isotope (δ15N) has been employed to differentiate major sources of atmospheric N. However, it remains a challenge to quantify contributions of multiple sources based on δ15N values of the N mixture in atmospheric samples. This study measured δ15N of bulk N in PM2.5 at an urban site of Beijing during a severe haze episode of 22–30 January 2013 and a background site of Qinghai, north-western China from 6 September to 15 October 2013, then applied a Bayesian isotope mixing model (SIAR, Stable Isotope Analysis in R) to analyse the N sources. At Beijing site, δ15N values of PM2.5 (−4.1‰ to +13.5‰, +2.8 ± 6.4‰) were distributed within the range of major anthropogenic sources (including NH3 and NO2 from coal combustion, vehicle exhausts and domestic wastes/sewage). At Menyuan site, δ15N values of PM2.5 (+8.0‰ to +27.9‰, +18.5 ± 5.8‰) were significantly higher than that of potential sources (including NH3 and NO2 from biomass burning, animal wastes, soil N cycle, fertilizer application and dust N). High molar ratios of to and/or in PM2.5 at the background site suggested that the equilibrium of NH3 ↔ caused apparent 15N enrichments in ammonium. Results of the SIAR model showed that 39 and 32% of bulk N in PM2.5 of Beijing site were contributed from N emissions of coal combustion and vehicle exhausts, respectively, whereas N in PM2.5 at Menyuan site was derived mainly from N emissions of biomass burning (46%) and NH3 volatilization (34%). These results revealed that the stoichiometry between NH3 and acidic gases plays an important role in controlling the bulk δ15N signatures of PM2.5 and emissions of reactive N from coal combustion and urban transportation should be strictly controlled to advert the risk of haze episodes in Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review describes recent advances in copper-catalyzed difluoroalkylation reactions. The RCF2 radical is generally proposed in the mechanism of these reactions. At present, various types of copper-catalyzed difluoroalkylation reactions have been realized. According to their characteristics, we classify these difluoroalkylation reactions into three types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cuticle, an essential structure for insects, is produced from cuticular proteins and chitin via a series of biochemical reactions. Tweedle genes are important members of the cuticular protein family and have four conserved motifs binding to chitin. Tweedle family genes have been found to play a profound effect on cuticle development. Here, we report that the cuticular protein gene LmTwdl1 of Locusta migratoria belongs to the Tweedle family. In situ hybridization showed that LmTwdl1 is localized to epidermal cells of the cuticle. The expression patterns of LmTwdl1 showed low expression in the cuticle during the early and middle stages of the fifth-instar nymphs; in contrast, its expression rapidly increased in the late stages of fifth-instar nymphs. We performed RNA interference to examine the function of LmTwdl1 in locusts. Silencing of LmTwdl1 resulted in high mortality during the molting process before the next stage. Also, the epicuticle of nymphs failed to molt, tended to be thinner and the arrangement of chitin in the procuticle appeared to be disordered compare to the control group. These results demonstrate that LmTwdl1 plays a critical role in molting, which contributes to a better understanding of the distinct functions of the Tweedle family in locusts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rab proteins constitute the largest family of small GTPases, which play pivotal roles in intracellular membrane trafficking in all eukaryotes. A number of Rab genes have been identified in eukaryotes; however, very little information about these genes has been reported in insects. In the current study, for the first time we identified and characterized 27 Rab family genes from Locusta migratoria. Phylogenetic analysis and comparison of domain architecture indicated that Rab family genes are highly conserved among insect species. Tissue‐dependent expression profiles indicated that expression of Rab genes was highest in the ovary, except for LmRab3, which was most highly expressed in hemolymph. The biological function of each Rab gene was investigated using RNA interference (RNAi). Double‐stranded RNA targeting each Rab gene was injected into the hemocoel of nymphs and revealed that suppression of two Rab genes (LmRab5 and LmRab11A) caused 100% mortality. In addition, nymphs injected with dsLmRab5 exhibited severe phenotypic defects in the gastric caeca and midgut, while dsLmRab11A arrested the molting process. We then applied the RNAi of RNAi technique to test if silencing either of these two genes would affect the suppression of the lethal giant larvae (LmLgl) reporter gene and found that suppression of LmRab5 diminished the RNAi efficiency of LmLgl, whereas suppression of LmRab11A enhanced RNAi efficiency of LmLgl. These results indicate that Rab genes contribute differently to RNAi efficiency in different tissues. Our study provides a foundation for further functional investigations of Rab genes and their contributions to RNAi efficiency in L. migratoria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although it is well known that metabolic control plays a crucial role in regulating the health span and life span of various organisms, little is known for the systems metabolic profile of centenarians, the paradigm of human healthy aging and longevity. Meanwhile, how to well characterize the system‐level metabolic states in an organism of interest remains to be a major challenge in systems metabolism research. To address this challenge and better understand the metabolic mechanisms of healthy aging, we developed a method of genome‐wide precision metabolic modeling (GPMM) which is able to quantitatively integrate transcriptome, proteome and kinetome data in predictive modeling of metabolic networks. Benchmarking analysis showed that GPMM successfully characterized metabolic reprogramming in the NCI‐60 cancer cell lines; it dramatically improved the performance of the modeling with an R2 of 0.86 between the predicted and experimental measurements over the performance of existing methods. Using this approach, we examined the metabolic networks of a Chinese centenarian cohort and identified the elevated fatty acid oxidation (FAO) as the most significant metabolic feature in these long‐lived individuals. Evidence from serum metabolomics supports this observation. Given that FAO declines with normal aging and is impaired in many age‐related diseases, our study suggests that the elevated FAO has potential to be a novel signature of healthy aging of humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusions: The mutation c.508_511dup in GJB2 gene has been incorrectly named as other mutations. It is essential to standardize mutation nomenclature to describe complex mutations. Objectives: This paper aimed to verify a series of patients with the frame-shift mutation c.508_511dup in the GJB2 gene and review the literature on related mutations. Methods: All the included patients with non-syndromic hearing loss (NSHL) carried the 504insAACG or c.508_511dup mutation of the GJB2 gene in the present study. Their parents were encouraged to participate. After written informed consent and clinic data had been obtained, genomic DNA was extracted from venous blood of participants. The target fragments were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and subjected to bidirectional sequencing to identify sequence variations. Results: A total of 14 patients with prelingual NSHL and 6 normal parents were recruited. Genotyping revealed that one mutation, c.508_511dup (not 504insAACG), was homozygous in 1 patient, heterozygous in 2 patients and 3 parents, and compound heterozygous in 11 patients. Twelve patients had hearing loss caused by c.508_511dup in a homozygous or compound heterozygous form, and further study showed that it was wrongly named as 504insAACG. Additionally, according to the standard nomenclature, the previously reported mutations with distinct names from the literature review may be replaced by c.508_511dup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusions: The mutation c.508_511dup in GJB2 gene has been incorrectly named as other mutations. It is essential to standardize mutation nomenclature to describe complex mutations. Objectives: This paper aimed to verify a series of patients with the frame-shift mutation c.508_511dup in the GJB2 gene and review the literature on related mutations. Methods: All the included patients with non-syndromic hearing loss (NSHL) carried the 504insAACG or c.508_511dup mutation of the GJB2 gene in the present study. Their parents were encouraged to participate. After written informed consent and clinic data had been obtained, genomic DNA was extracted from venous blood of participants. The target fragments were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and subjected to bidirectional sequencing to identify sequence variations. Results: A total of 14 patients with prelingual NSHL and 6 normal parents were recruited. Genotyping revealed that one mutation, c.508_511dup (not 504insAACG), was homozygous in 1 patient, heterozygous in 2 patients and 3 parents, and compound heterozygous in 11 patients. Twelve patients had hearing loss caused by c.508_511dup in a homozygous or compound heterozygous form, and further study showed that it was wrongly named as 504insAACG. Additionally, according to the standard nomenclature, the previously reported mutations with distinct names from the literature review may be replaced by c.508_511dup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusions: In the study population in northwest China, a total of 33.06% of deaf patients have inherited hearing impairment caused by GJB2, SLC26A4, and mtDNA 1555A>G mutations. The mutation frequencies of GJB2, SLC26A4, and mtDNA 1555A>G genes were 16.12%, 10.54%, and 6.4%, respectively, in our study cohort. Thus, screening is conventionally performed for GJB2, SLC26A4, and mtDNA 1555A>G in these populations. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the mutations of GJB2, mitochondrial DNA 12S rRNA1555A>G, and SLC26A4 genes in Han Chinese, Hui people, and Tibetan ethnicities in patients with nonsyndromic hearing loss (NSHL) in northwest China. Methods: A total of 484 unrelated subjects with hearing loss who attended special education schools in northwest China were enrolled in this study. Three prominent deafness-related genes, GJB2, SLC26A4, and mtDNA 1555A>G, were screened for mutations in our study cohort. Results: The mutation frequencies of GJB2, SLC26A4, and mtDNA 1555A>G genes were 16.12%, 10.54%, and 6.4%, respectively. The prevalence of GJB2 mutations was 17.52%, 15.35%, and 11.43% in Han Chinese, Hui people, and Tibetan participants, respectively. c.235delC was the most prevalent mutation, accounting for 65.71% of all GJB2 mutant alleles. The prevalence of SLC26A4 mutations was 12.39%, 8.84%, and 8.57% in Han Chinese, Hui people, and Tibetan participants, respectively. The c.919-2 A>G mutation was the most common form, accounting for 60.47% of all SLC26A4 mutant alleles. The prevalence of the homoplasmic mtDNA 1555A>G mutation was 8.97%, 3.72%, and 5.71% in Han Chinese, Hui people, and Tibetan participants, respectively, which represents a statistically significant difference between the Han Chinese and Hui people (χ2 = 5.118, p < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficiency of RNA interference (RNAi) varies substantially among different insect species. Rapid degradation of double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) by dsRNA‐degrading nucleases (dsRNases) has been implicated to cause low RNAi efficiency in several insect species. In this study, we identified four dsRNase genes (OfdsRNase1, OfdsRNase2, OfdsRNase3 and OfdsRNase4) from the Asian corn borer (Ostrinia furnacalis) transcriptome database. Bioinformatic analyses showed that each deduced protein sequence contained endonuclease NS domains and signal peptides. Gene expression analysis revealed that OfdsRNase2 was exclusively expressed in the midgut of larvae. RNAi efficiency was investigated in 2‐d‐old fifth‐instar larvae (high expression of dsRNase2) and 2‐d‐old pupae (low expression of dsRNase2) by feeding or injecting dsRNA targeting a marker gene that encodes the lethal giant larvae protein (OfLgl). Our results showed that OfLgl only partially silenced the expression of OfLgl in pupae, but not in larvae, suggesting that OfdsRNase2 could contribute to lower RNAi efficiency in larval stages. This hypothesis was supported by our RNAi‐of‐RNAi experiment using a tissue culture technique where the silencing efficiency against the reporter gene, OfHex1, was significantly improved after knockdown of OfdsRNase2. When double luciferase assays were performed to evaluate the role of the four dsRNases in vitro, only OfdsRNase2 expressed in S2 cells significantly affected RNAi efficiency by degrading dsRNA. Taken together, our results suggested that the degradation of dsRNA by OfdsRNase2 in the midgut contributed to low RNAi efficiency in O. furnacalis larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]