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The production of multi‐carbon compounds through CO2 photoreduction (CO2PR) holds great promise but faces challenges due to high kinetic barriers and the sluggish process of C‐C coupling. Overcoming these obstacles requires fine engineering of active sites. In this study, Ni active sites are engineered through the synergistic effect of metal‐oxo cluster (Mo7O246−) and hydroxyl vacancy (VOH). In contrast to the Ni sites unmodified with Mo7O246− and VOH, which are unable to produce multi‐carbon products, the constructed electron‐enriched Ni active sites exhibit an impressive selectivity of up to 43.02% and a high yield rate of 246.70 µmol g−1 h−1 for C2H6, which represent one of the best results for CO2PR to C2H6. Through a comprehensive investigation involving operando experiments and theoretical simulations, hydroxyl vacancy and the formed Mo─O─Ni bonds is demonstrated due to the filling of hydroxyl vacancies with oxygen atoms from Mo7O246− synergistically constructed electron‐rich Ni sites. Such Ni sites efficiently catalyze CO2 conversion to C2H6 by enhancing the adsorption of *CO, promoting subsequent hydrogenation, and enabling low energy barriers for CO2 hydrogenation to *OCOH and the coupling of *CH3 intermediates. This study provides deeper insights into the photocatalytic process, highlighting the significance of tailored active sites for efficient CO2 conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To analyse the association between serum bile acid (BA) profile and heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in patients with metabolic dysfunction‐associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Methods: We enrolled 163 individuals with biopsy‐proven MAFLD undergoing transthoracic echocardiography for any indication. HFpEF was defined as left ventricular ejection fraction >50% with at least one echocardiographic feature of HF (left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, abnormal left atrial size) and at least one HF sign or symptom. Serum levels of 38 BAs were analysed using ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Results: Among the 163 patients enrolled (mean age 47.0 ± 12.8 years, 39.3% female), 52 (31.9%) and 43 (26.4%) met the HFpEF and pre‐HFpEF criteria, and 38 serum BAs were detected. Serum ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and hyocholic acid (HCA) species were lower in patients with HFpEF and achieved statistical significance after correction for multiple comparisons. Furthermore, decreases in glycoursodeoxycholic acid and tauroursodeoxycholic acid were associated with HF status. Conclusions: In this exploratory study, specific UDCA and HCA species were associated with HFpEF status in adults with biopsy‐confirmed MAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the miniaturization, high frequency of electronic devices, and low‐carbon and sustainable development, higher requirements are put forward for thermal conductive polyurethane composites in terms of comprehensive performance and renewable raw materials. Herein, choosing bio‐based polyurethane (PU) derived from castor oil as matrix, and liquid metal (LM) and aluminum hydroxide (ATH) as hybrid thermal conductive filler, castor oil‐based PU composites were developed via high‐speed rotation and in‐situ polymerization method. The LM‐ATH hybrid filler displayed a synergistic enhancement effect on the thermal conductivity of composites due to the presence of LM‐bridging significantly improved the effective contact probability between ATH fillers. The thermal conductivity of 50LM‐ATH/PU reached 1.69 Wm−1 K−1, which was 9.9 times and 1.4 times higher than that of pure PU and 50ATH/PU, respectively. Notably, the 50LM‐ATH/PU exhibited outstanding mechanical properties including tensile strength up to 4.0 MPa and adhesion strength up to 7.9 MPa, especially elongation at break up to 120% which was improved by 200% compared with 50ATH/PU (40%). Additionally, the composite possessed excellent electric insulation, thermal stability, and inflaming retarding properties, showing great application potential in the electronic devices field. Highlights: Castor oil‐based PU composites with ATH‐LM hybrid filer were developed.LM‐ATH hybrid filler of 2:8 promoted the thermal conductivity of composites.Hybrid filler than ATH‐endowed composites with better mechanical properties.The ATH‐LM/PU exhibited excellent electric insulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the effects of oxalic acids on plant growth and Pb accumulation in different parts of the plants of intercropping Arabis alpina and Zea mays, pot experiment was conducted to investigate the changes of oxalic acid contents of the plants and Pb accumulation through exogenous oxalic acid addition (0, 5, 25 and 50 mmol kg−1). The results showed the root biomass of intercropped A. alpina and total biomass of Z. mays increased by 3.22 folds and 2.97 folds with 5 mmol kg−1 oxalic acid treatment. The oxalic acid contents of shoots and root secretions decreased by 86.5% and 44.3%, respectively. The BCF (bio-accumulation factor) and TF (translocation factor) of intercropping A. alpina reduced under 25 − 50 mmol kg−1 oxalic acid treatments. There were relationships between exogenous oxalic acid treatment concentrations and oxalic acid contents of A. alpina shoots, Z. mays root secretions. The Pb contents of shoots of A. alpina and Z. mays were related to exogenous oxalic acid additions and oxalic acid contents of shoots. In general, 5 mmol kg−1 oxalic acid treatment, that can improve plant growth of intercropped A. alpina and Z. mays, which Pb translocation and accumulation of A. alpina were promoted, whereas Pb accumulation of A. alpina was inhibited with 25 − 50 mmol kg−1 concentrations addition. This study will provide a basis for promoting the application of phytoremediation techniques and efficient crop production in heavy metal contaminated areas. Hyperaccumulators intercropped with crops will remediate heavy metal soils or mitigate the damage caused by heavy metals to plants through oxalic acid secretion by the root system. However, the effect of oxalic acid changes on plant growth and Pb accumulation is lacking. Our study investigated the changes in oxalic acid content at different concentrations and sites affected the ability of intercropped plants to grow and accumulate Pb. This work shown that under intercropping conditions, exogenous oxalic acid promotes intercropped plant growth as well as soil pH reduction, Pb content in shoots both Arabis alpina and Zea mays is influenced by exogenous oxalic acid content, while lower Z. mays roots Pb content is determined by a combination of exogenous addition and aboveground oxalic acid content. Low concentrations of oxalic acid promoted Pb enrichment in roots of A. alpina, while reducing the uptake of Pb content in Z. mays. This article gives us a better understanding for the response of intercropping plants to the use of organic acids under heavy metal stress and how to modify their environment so as to favor growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), which is widely used in the treatment of cervical spondylosis, may cause complications such as adjacent segment degeneration (ASD). However, such studies on complications are limited, and quantitative evidence is still lacking. To evaluate the clinical value of cervical discometry combined with adjacent intraoperative intradiscal pressure in cervical vertebral surgery through clinical explorations. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, 100 patients who were treated with anterior decompression, reconstruction, and internal fixation, were enrolled. Among them, 50 patients received ACDF combined with perioperative pressure adjustment of the adjacent segments to ensure that the pressure difference was less than 5 mmHg. The other 50 patients who had only simple ACDF were considered as the control group. Patient information, radiographic changes, axial symptoms (AS), and the occurrence of ASD were recorded in the study. Results: The degree of lordosis (D values) at postoperative of all cases were positive. The D value of the two groups of patients immediately after the operation and at the last follow‑up were significantly higher than that before the operation (P < 0.05). The incidence of AS was significantly lower in the experimental group than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Besides, there were only 10 patients in the experimental group during the five‑year follow‑up period, which was significantly lower than the 19 patients in the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The intraoperative intervertebral disc pressure measurement could effectively monitor the vertebral body distraction strength and reduce the incidence of postoperative AS and ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dysregulated bile acid (BA) metabolism has been linked to steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Aim: To determine whether circulating BA levels accurately stage liver fibrosis in NAFLD. Methods: We recruited 550 Chinese adults with biopsy‐proven NAFLD and varying levels of fibrosis. Ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry was performed to quantify 38 serum BAs. Results: Compared to those without fibrosis, patients with mild fibrosis (stage F1) had significantly higher levels of secondary BAs, and increased diastolic blood pressure (DBP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), body mass index, and waist circumstance (WC). The combination of serum BAs with WC, DBP, ALT, or Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance performed well in identifying mild fibrosis, in men and women, and in those with/without obesity, with AUROCs 0.80, 0.88, 0.75 and 0.78 in the training set (n = 385), and 0.69, 0.80, 0.61 and 0.69 in the testing set (n = 165), respectively. In comparison, the combination of BAs and clinical/biochemical biomarkers performed less well in identifying significant fibrosis (F2‐4). In women and in non‐obese subjects, AUROCs were 0.75 and 0.71 in the training set, 0.65 and 0.66 in the validation set, respectively. However, these AUROCs were higher than those observed for the fibrosis‐4 index, NAFLD fibrosis score, and Hepamet fibrosis score. Conclusions: Secondary BA levels were significantly increased in NAFLD, especially in those with mild fibrosis. The combination of serum BAs and clinical/biochemical biomarkers for identifying mild fibrosis merits further assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Magnetic resonance parameter mapping (MRPM) plays an important role in clinical applications and biomedical researches. However, the acceleration of MRPM remains a major challenge for achieving further improvements. Purpose: In this work, a new undersampled k-space based joint multicontrast image reconstruction approach named CC-IC-LMEN is proposed for accelerating MR T1rho mapping. Methods: The reconstruction formulation of the proposed CC-IC-LMEN method imposes a blockwise low-rank assumption on the characteristic-image series (c-p space) and utilizes infimal convolution (IC) to exploit and balance the generalized low-rank properties in low-and high-order c–p spaces, thereby improving the accuracy. In addition, matrix elastic-net (MEN) regularization based on the nuclear and Frobenius norms is incorporated to obtain stable and exact solutions in cases with large accelerations and noisy observations. This formulation results in a minimization problem, that can be effectively solved using a numerical algorithm based on the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM). Finally, T1rho maps are then generated according to the reconstructed images using nonlinear least-squares (NLSQ) curve fitting with an established relaxometry model. Results: The relative l2-norm error (RLNE) and structural similarity (SSIM) in the regions of interest (ROI) show that the CC-IC-LMEN approach is more accurate than other competing methods even in situations with heavy undersampling or noisy observation. Conclusions: Our proposed CC-IC-LMEN method provides accurate and robust solutions for accelerated MR T1rho mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maximizing the expression level of therapeutic proteins in cells is the general goal for DNA/mRNA therapies. It is particularly challenging to achieve efficient protein expression in the cellular contexts with inhibited translation machineries, such as in the presence of cellular Nonstructural protein 1 (Nsp1) of coronaviruses (CoVs) that has been reported to inhibit overall protein synthesis of host genes and exogenously delivered mRNAs/DNAs. In this study, we thoroughly examined the sequence and structure contexts of viral and non-viral 5′UTRs that determine the protein expression levels of exogenously delivered DNAs and mRNAs in cells expressing SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1. It was found that high 5′-proximal A/U content promotes an escape from Nsp1-directed inhibition of protein synthesis and results in selective protein expression. Furthermore, 5′-proximal Cs were found to significantly enhance the protein expression in an Nsp1-dependent manner, while Gs located at a specific window close to the 5′-end counteract such enhancement. The distinct protein expression levels resulted from different 5′UTRs were found correlated to Nsp1-induced mRNA degradations. These findings ultimately enabled rational designs for optimized 5′UTRs that lead to strong expression of exogenous proteins regardless of the translationally repressive Nsp1. On the other hand, we have also identified several 5′-proximal sequences derived from host genes that are capable of mediating the escapes. These results provided novel perspectives to the optimizations of 5′UTRs for DNA/mRNA therapies and/or vaccinations, as well as shedding light on the potential host escapees from Nsp1-directed translational shutoffs. Key points: • The 5′-proximal SL1 and 5a/b derived from SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA promote exogenous protein synthesis in cells expressing Nsp1 comparing with non-specific 5′UTRs. • Specific 5′-proximal sequence contexts are the key determinants of the escapes from Nsp1-directed translational repression and thereby enhance protein expressions. • Systematic mutagenesis identified optimized 5′UTRs that strongly enhance protein expression and promote resistance to Nsp1-induced translational repression and RNA degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores genre variation and simplification in interpreted language from both comparable (interpreted vs. non-interpreted/non-mediated) and intermodal (interpreted vs. translated) perspectives. It draws on a newly built unidirectional comparable and intermodal corpus named the LegCo+, which features legislative proceedings in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (including originals and their translations and interpretations from Cantonese to English), as well as original plenary speeches delivered by native English speakers in the UK Parliament. It investigates the variation patterns of four simplification features in three dimensions, namely, standardized type-token ratio (STTR) and list heads for lexical diversity, lexical density for informativeness, and average sentence length for lexical sophistication. It aims to uncover the effects of mediation and genre, as well as their interaction effects on linguistic variation. The results indicate that texts of different mediation statuses and genre categories vary with respect to simplification patterns. From a comparable perspective, interpretations rely on a narrower range of vocabulary than non-interpretations, but they are also more informative, and such informativeness is dependent on genre categories. Intermodally speaking, interpretations exhibit consistent patterns of simplification, indicating a strong modality (or mode of mediation) effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary art is gradually diversifying, and the aesthetics of artists have changed and progressed together with the times. Some brush painters, while inheriting the essence of tradition, continue to summarize and search for a painting language in line with the atmosphere of the times, gradually shifting their perspective to a separate, tiny "corner" of life, recording the painter's own subtle emotional fluctuations through such "tiny" scenes. The approach models services through a context-aware service model and establishes flexible driving relationships between IoT data and services through context and scenario concepts. Moreover, it reduces the amount of business data to be processed by the system through contextual events. The process of the approach for service development is described, and relevant context-aware service development tools are introduced. Finally, the feasibility of the approach proposed in this article is illustrated by a service development example. An event-triggered sensor node clustering algorithm based on beamforming data transmission technology is proposed, which can improve network energy efficiency and clustering success rate. Meanwhile, a clustering algorithm based on the energy consumption rate of sensor nodes is designed to optimize the task allocation and scheduling of mobile node access, reduce the node charging delay, and enable the sensor nodes in the network to get energy replenishment in a timely and reasonable manner according to their own energy consumption rate demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waveform control of three kinds of chirped pulses (i.e. βt, βt2 and βt3) to produce harmonic spectra and attosecond pulses has been investigated. It is found that by properly choosing the chirps, the chirp delays and the other laser parameters, not only the instantaneous frequency of some specific half profiles can be decreased, but also its intensity can be increased. As a result, the free electron can receive more energy when it accelerates in these regions, thus leading to the extension of the harmonic cutoff and harmonic plateau. Finally, through the Fourier transformation of the harmonic spectra and by superposing some harmonics, three single attosecond pulses with the durations of 30 as, 33 as and 39 as can be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chylothorax is a postoperative complication in patients with lung cancer. Diet-control approaches have been the mainstay for managing this condition. However, a surgical intervention is needed for the patients if conservative treatment is ineffective. Because of the lack of accurate indicators to assess the prognosis of the postoperative complication at an early stage, the criteria of surgical treatment were not consistent. Methods: We reviewed 2942 patients who underwent pulmonary resection and lymph node dissection for primary lung cancer at our hospital between March 2021 and December 2022. The prognostic implications of clinical indicators were assessed in patients with postoperative chylothorax who were managed with a low-fat diet. Binary logistic regression was used to explore the predictive value of these indicators for patient prognosis. Results: Postoperative chylothorax occurred in 108 patients and 79 patients were treated with a low-fat diet management while 29 patients were managed with TPN. In contrast to drainage volume, the pleural effusion triglyceride level after 2 days of low-fat diet exhibited enhanced predictive efficacy in predicting patient prognosis. When the pleural fluid triglyceride level of 1.33 mmol/L was used as the diagnostic threshold for prognosis, the sensitivity and specificity reached 100% and 80.6%, respectively. Conclusions: The pleural effusion triglyceride level after 2 days of low-fat diet can serve as a valuable prognostic indicator in patients undergoing lung surgery and experiencing chylothorax. This predictive approach will help thoracic surgeons to identify patients with poor prognosis in a timely manner and make decision to perform necessary surgical interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence suggests that radiation treatment causes an adaptive response of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), which in turn attenuates the lethal effect of the irradiation. Previous microarray assays manifested the change of gene expression profile after irradiation. Bioinformatics analysis of the significantly changed genes revealed that VANGL1 may notably influence the effect of radiation on LUAD. To determine the role of VANGL1, this study knocked down or overexpressed VANGL1 in LUAD. M6A level of VANGL1 mRNA was determined by M6A-IP-qPCR assay. Irradiation caused the up-regulation of VANGL1 with the increase of VANGL1 m6A level. Depletion of m6A readers, IGF2BP2/3, undermined VANGL1 mRNA stability and expression upon irradiation. miR-29b-3p expression was decreased by irradiation, however VANGL1 is a target of miR-29b-3p which was identified by Luciferase report assay. The reduction of miR-29b-3p inhibited the degradation of VANGL1 mRNA. Knockdown of VANGL1 enhanced the detrimental effect of irradiation on LUAD, as indicated by more severe DNA damage and increased percentage of apoptotic cells. Immunocoprecipitation revealed the interaction between VANGL1 with BRAF. VANGL1 increased BRAF probably through suppressing the protein degradation, which led to the increase of BRAF downstream effectors, TP53BP1 and RAD51. These effectors are involved in DNA repair after the damage. In summary, irradiation caused the up-regulation of VANGL1, which, in turn, mitigated the detrimental effect of irradiation on LUAD by protecting DNA from damage probably through activating BRAF/TP53BP1/RAD51 cascades. Increased m6A level of VANGL1 and reduced miR-29b-3p took the responsibility of VANGL1 overexpression upon irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new trinuclear Pt(II) complexes {[Pt(dien)]3(tib)}(NO3)6 (1) and {[Pt(dpa)]3(tib)}(NO3)6 (2) (dien: diethylenetriamine, dpa: bis-(2-pyridylmethyl)amine, tib: 1,3,5-tris(1H-imidazol-1-yl)benzene) have been designed, synthesized, characterized and applied to a series of biochemical studies. We found that both of the Pt(II) complexes exhibited much better selectivity for human telomeric G-quadruplex sequence than promoter G-quadruplexes (c-kit, c-myc, and bcl2) or duplex DNA. Both complexes displayed comparative stability and affinity towards human telomeric G-quadruplex by the studies from surface plasmon resonance, fluorescence resonance energy transfer and polymerase chain reaction stop assays. The circular dichroism indicated that both complexes could induce and stabilize anti-parallel G-quadruplex structures. Molecule docking presented that Pt(II) complex intercalated into the large groove of human telomeric G-quadruplex (PDB ID: 143D). Furthermore, telomeric repeat amplification protocol assays quantitatively evaluated the inhibition of telomerase activity caused by the Pt(II) complexes. The obtained IC50 values of 6.41 ± 0.042 μM and 2.67 ± 0.035 μM for 1 and 2, respectively, exhibited strong telomerase inhibitions. All results suggest that such fan-shaped trinuclear Pt(II) complexes are effective and selective G-quadruplex binders, as well as strong telomerase inhibitors. This study provides insight into the development of human telomeric G-quadruplex targeted anticancer drugs based on the metal complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Screening pollution-safe cultivars has become one of the most direct and cost-effective methods for reducing metals entering the food chain. The aims of this study were to screen low Cd and Pb hot pepper cultivars and clarify the mechanisms of low Cd and Pb accumulation in fruits. In this study, we found that fruit Cd and Pb concentrations were significantly different (p<0.05) among cultivars and were also significantly (p<0.05) affected by Cd and Pb levels. Meanwhile, fruit Cd and Pb concentrations are significantly positively correlated with both the shoot Cd and Pb concentrations and the translocation factors. Nevertheless, there were no significant (p<0.05) correlations between the fruit Cd and Pb concentrations and the root Cd and Pb concentrations. Two hot pepper cultivars, Nos. 8 (Youma) and 11 (Xianglaerjintiao), were identified as low Cd and Pb cultivars. The nitrate content of No. 11 (Xianglaerjintiao) exceeded 440 mg·kg-1 FW in T2 treatment, thus the No. 8 (Youma) can be grown to increase agricultural food safety compared to the No. 11 (Xianglaerjintiao). Therefore, the No. 8 (Youma) is suitable to be planted in low Cd- and Pb-contaminated soils for screening pollution-safe cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure ulcers (PUs) are a common clinical issue lacking effective treatment and validated pharmacological therapy in hospital settings. Ischemia-reperfusion injury of deep tissue, especially muscle, plays a vital role in the formation and development of the overwhelming majority of PUs. However, muscular protein expression study in PUs has not been reported. Herein, we aimed to investigate the muscular proteins profiles in PUs and to explore the pathological mechanism of PUs. The iTRAQ LC-MS/MS was conducted to detect the protein profiles in clinical muscle samples of PUs. The GO and KEGG pathways analyses were performed for annotation of differentially expressed proteins. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by STRING online database, and hub proteins were validated by the immunoblotting. Based on proteomics results, we found a number of proteins that were differentially expressed in PU muscle samples compared with the normal and identified unique proteins expression patterns between these two groups, suggesting that they might involve in pathological process of the disease. Importantly, cathepsin B and D, as well as other autophagy-lysosome and apoptosis associated proteins were identified. Further experiments characterize the expression of these proteins and their regulation in the process of apoptosis and autophagy. These findings may provide novel insights into the mechanisms of lysosome-associated pathways involved in the initiation of PUs. This is the first study linking proteomics to PUs muscle tissues, which indicated cathepsin B and D might be key drug target for PUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although graphene has been widely used as a nano-filler to enhance the conductivity of porous materials, it is still an unsatisfactory requirement to prepare graphene-based sponge porous materials by simple and low-cost methods to enhance their mechanical properties and make them have good sensing and capacitive properties. Graphene platelets (GnPs) were prepared by the thermal expansion method. Graphene-based sponge porous materials were prepared by a simple method. A flexible sensor was formed and supercapacitors were assembled. Compared with other graphene-based composites, the graphene-based composite sponge has good electrical response under bending and torsion loading. Under 180◦ bending and torsion loading, the maximum resistance change rate can reach 13.9% and 52.5%, respectively. The linearity under tension is 0.01. The mechanical properties and capacitance properties of the sponge nanocomposites were optimized when the filler fraction was 1.43 wt.%. The tensile strength was 0.236 MPa and capacitance was 21.4 F/g. In cycles, the capacitance retention rate is 94.45%. The experimental results show that the graphene-based sponge porous material can be used as a multifunctional flexible sensor and supercapacitor, and it is a promising and multifunctional porous nanocomposite material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metamaterials support optically excitable dark-plasmon modes featured by antisymmetric surface current oscillations, which can be explained by Fano-type resonance and can be tailored by controlling the embedded structural geometry. In this article, we numerically investigate the Fano-type resonance in complex metamaterials, and demonstrate the presence of Fano-Feshbach resonances due to the interaction between two Fano-type resonances in the overlapping region, implemented by breaking and tuning the symmetric properties of the resonant metallic element. Features of the resonance are discussed. This work shows that the domain of dark-plasmon mode based metamaterial system supports rich physics and can lead to various potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Value and correlation analysis between ultrasound and mammography in the diagnosis and other risk factors related to breast cancer were explored. A total of 1,473 patients who underwent breast color ultrasonography and molybdenum target X-ray examination in Binzhou Medical University Hospital from March 2017 to August 2018 were collected, and the patient's ultrasound and mammography results were compared, also the pathological biopsy was used as the reference golden criteria to calculate the value of both test methods and the value of combined diagnosis in breast cancer. The risk factors associated with breast cancer were analyzed. Among the 1,473 patients, 387 breast cancer patients were detected by ultrasonography, 351 by mammography and 339 cases by combined diagnosis. A total of 314 cases were diagnosed as breast cancer after pathological biopsy. However, there were significant differences in tumor size, stages, and BI-RADS grades (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the diagnostic efficacy between ultrasonography and mammography (P>0.05), however, the diagnostic efficacy of ultrasonography combined with mammography was significantly better than the two single tests (P<0.05). After logistic regression analysis, there was no significant correlation between residence address, height, blood type, ethnicity, or education with breast cancer (P>0.05). However, age, fertility status, and BMI were all risk factors related to breast cancer (OR>1; P<0.05). In conclusion, ultrasonography combined with mammography can effectively improve the early diagnosis rate of breast cancer, however, the patient's age, birth status, and BMI may affect the results of ultrasonography and mammography. In clinical practice, it is necessary to determine the imaging results in combination with the actual situation of the patients to improve the diagnosis rate of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Biomarkers are urgently required for predicting rejection so that anti-rejection treatment can be taken early to protect the allograft from irreversible damage. We hypothesized that the combination of circulating fractalkine, IFN-γ and IP-10 might serve as effective biomarkers for predicting early acute renal allograft rejection. We conducted a retrospective study of 87 subjects, who were classified into acute rejection group (ARG; n = 38) and non-rejection group (NRG; n = 49). Serum fractalkine, IFN-γ and IP-10 levels were measured by Luminex. The levels of fractalkine on day 0 and 7th day, IP-10 on 4th and 7th day, and IFN-γ on 7th day in ARG was significantly higher than that in NRG. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis highlighted the higher-levels groups of fractalkine on day 0, 4th and 7th day, IFN-γ on day 0, 1st, 4th, and 7th day and IP-10 on the 4th and 7th day in rejection-free survival probability were significantly lower than low-levels groups. ROC analyses highlight the superiority of fractalkine on day 0, IP-10 on day 0, 4th and 7th day, and IFN-γ on day 0, 1st and 7th day in prediction of acute rejection. We found the combination of fractalkine on day 0, IP-10 on 7th day and IFN-γ on 7th day had the highest AUC (0.866) for predicting rejection with a sensitivity of 86.8% and a specificity of 89.8%. Our findings demonstrated a more powerful prediction of early acute renal allograft rejection during the first month after transplantation by combination of multiple-biomarkers of fractalkine, IFN-γ and IP-10, and the results might help stratify the immunologic risk of acute allograft rejection in recipients. Highlights • Biomarkers are urgently required for predicting rejection. • We examined the ability of fractalkine, IFN-γ and IP-10 to predict acute rejection. • ARG showed higher levels of fractalkine, IP-10, and IFN-γ than NRG. • Combination of fractalkine, IP-10 and IFN-γ had the highest AUC to predict rejection. • Three markers provide a more powerful prediction of rejection than single-marker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inbreeding depression is the reduction in fitness observed in inbred populations. In plants, it leads to disease, weaker resistance to adverse environmental conditions, inhibition of growth, and decrease of yield. To elucidate molecular mechanisms behind inbreeding depression, we compared global DNA methylation and transcriptome profiles of a normal and a highly inbred heading degenerated variety of the Chinese cabbage ( Brassica rapa L. ssp . pekinensis ). DNA methylation was reduced in inbred plants, suggesting a change in the epigenetic landscape. Transcriptome analysis by RNA-Seq revealed that genes in auxin-response and synthesis pathways were differentially expressed in the inbreeding depression lines. Interestingly, methylation levels of some of those genes were also changed. Furthermore, endogenous IAA content was decreased in inbred plants, in agreement with expression and methylation data. Chemical inhibition of auxin also replicated the degenerated phenotype in normal plants, while exogenous IAA application had no effect in inbred depression plants, suggesting a more complex mechanism. These data indicate DNA methylation-regulated auxin pathways play a role in establishing inbred depression phenotypes in plants. Our findings reveal new insights into inbreeding depression and leafy head development in Chinese cabbage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The zero band gap problem limits the application of graphene in the field of electronic devices. Opening the band gap of graphene has become a research issue. Nitrogenated holey graphene (NHG) has attracted much attention because of its semiconducting properties. However, the stacking orders and defect properties have not been investigated. In this letter, the structural and stacking properties of NHG are first investigated. We obtain the most stable stacking structure. Then, the band structures for bulk and multilayer NHG are studied. Impact of the strain on the band gaps and bond characteristics is discussed. In addition, we investigate formation mechanism of native defects of carbon vacancy ( V C ) , carbon interstitial ( C i ), nitrogen vacancy ( V N ), and nitrogen interstitial ( N i ) in bulk NHG. Formation energies and transition levels of these native defects are assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

γHerkinorin is an opiate analgesic with limited adverse effects, functioning as a primary selective atypical opioid μ agonist. The present study aimed to identify whether herkinorin has a positive effect on ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Adult male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into five groups: i) Naïve, ii) sham, iii) I/R, iv) I/R with dimethyl sulfoxide (I/R+D) and v) I/R with herkinorin (I/R+H). The I/R injury model was induced by occluding the middle cerebral artery for 1 h followed by 24 h or 7 days of reperfusion. Neurobehavioral scores and sensorimotor functions were examined 24 h and 7 days following reperfusion. In addition, infarct volumes were examined at these time points using a 2,3,5‑triphenyltetrazolium chloride assay. Herkinorin treatment improved neurobehavioral and sensorimotor functional recovery from I/R‑induced brain injury. There was a significant decrease in infarct volume in the I/R+H group at 24 h or 7 days following reperfusion compared with the I/R and I/R+D groups. Western blotting suggested that the decrease in conventional protein kinase C γ (cPKCγ) membrane translocation in the peri‑infarct region may be attenuated by herkinorin pretreatment. These results indicated that herkinorin may be beneficial in I/R‑induced mouse brain injury, and this may be attributed to the membrane translocation of cPKCγ following activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermally conductive structural adhesives (TCSAs) are rendered high requirements with the rapid development of electronic devices towards miniaturization, light-weight and electrically insulating performance. Improving heat dissipation capacity and mechanical properties are both critical for the application of TCSAs as the interconnected materials between chips and metal substrates. Herein, we prepared environment-friendly TCSAs with different hard segments (HS) contents by using castor oil-based polyurethane (PU) as matrix and alumina (Al 2 O 3) as thermal conductive filler through an extremely facile mechanical-mixing process. Impressively, the TCSA with 49.3% HS content exhibited an intense notable tensile stress of 8.6 MPa, a high elongation at break of 21%, and an excellent lap shear strength to different substrates, including organic glass (7.7 MPa), steel (9.5 MPa), cooper (10.3 MPa) and aluminum (14.2 MPa). Furthermore, the thermal conductive pathways in composites with 75 wt% Al 2 O 3 fillers endow its good thermal conductivity with thermal conductivity k of 1.23 W/(m·K), 4.7 times higher than that of pure PU (k = 0.26 W/m·K). Overall, our fabricated TCSAs not only possessed superior mechanical performances but also high thermal conductivity, as well as showed great potential in thermal management application fields due to its simple and environmental fabricating method. [Display omitted] • Using castor oil polyol to make thermally conductive structural adhesives (TCSAs). • The TCSAs demonstrated high lap shear strength to different substrates. • The TCSAs showed excellent solvent resistance. • The addition of 75 wt% Al 2 O 3 endows the good thermal conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reported a novel strategy for investigating small molecule binding to G-quadruplexes (GQs). A newly synthesized dinuclear platinum(II) complex (Pt2L) containing a nitroxide radical was shown to selectively bind a GQ-forming sequence derived from human telomere (hTel). Using the nitroxide moiety as a spin label, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was carried out to investigate binding between Pt2L and hTel GQ. Measurements indicated that two molecules of Pt2L bind with one molecule of hTel GQ. The inter-spin distance measured between the two bound Pt2L, together with molecular docking analyses, revealed that Pt2L predominately binds to the neighboring narrow and wide grooves of the G-tetrads as hTel adopts the antiparallel conformation. The design and synthesis of nitroxide tagged GQ binders, and the use of spin-labeling/EPR to investigate their interactions with GQs, will aid the development of small molecules for manipulating GQs involved in crucial biological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeruginosins are a class of cyanobacteria-derived bioactive linear tetrapeptides composed of nonproteinogenic amino-acid residues, such as the 2-carboxy-6-hydroxyoctahydroindole (Choi) moiety, which is the hallmark of aeruginosin. The biosynthetic pathway of the Choi moiety remains elusive. Previous studies have suggested that AerE, a protein that possesses two cupin domains, participates in the biosynthesis of the Choi moiety. In this study, recombinant AerE from Microcystis aeruginosa, which was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified by Ni2+-chelating affinity and gel-filtration chromatography, was successfully crystallized and X-ray diffraction analysis was performed. The crystal belonged to the orthorhombic space group P212121, with unit-cell parameters a = 34.770, b = 62.133, c = 87.401 Å. The diffraction data from the crystal were scaled to a maximum resolution of 1.60 Å. The calculated Matthews coefficient of the crystal is 1.93 Å3 Da−1, suggesting that there is one molecule in the asymmetric unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triangular grid reinforced by carbon fiber/epoxy (CF/EP) was designed and manufactured. The sandwich structure was prepared by gluing the core and composite skins. The mechanical properties of the sandwich structure were investigated by the finite element analysis (FEA) and three-point bending methods. The calculated bending stiffness and core shear stress were compared to the characteristics of a honeycomb sandwich structure. The results indicated that the triangular core ultimately failed under a bending load of 11000 N; the principal stress concentration was located at the loading region; and the cracks occurred on the interface top skin and triangular core. In addition, the ultimate stress bearing of the sandwich structure was 8828 N. The experimental results showed that the carbon fiber reinforced triangular grid was much stiffer and stronger than the honeycomb structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2-carboxy-6-hydroxyoctahydroindole moiety is an essential residue for the antithrombotic activity of aeruginosins, which are a class of cyanobacteria-derived bioactive linear tetrapeptides. The biosynthetic pathway of the 2-carboxy-6-hydroxyoctahydroindole moiety has not yet been resolved. AerF was indicated to be involved in the biosynthesis of the 2-carboxy-6-hydroxyoctahydroindole moiety. This study reports the cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of AerF from Microcystis aeruginosa with a C-terminal His6 tag. The crystal diffracted to a maximum resolution of 1.38 Å and belonged to the tetragonal space group P4322, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 101.581, c = 116.094 Å. The calculated Matthews coefficient and solvent content of the crystal were 2.47 Å3 Da−1 and 50.32%, respectively. The initial model of the structure was obtained by the molecular-replacement method and refinement of the structure is in progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elevated serum phosphate is associated with cardiovascular and total mortality in patients with kidney diseases and healthy individuals. But whether serum phosphate is associated with stroke is controversial. We searched PubMed and Embase from January 1, 1970 to May 9, 2014 with keywords such as 'serum phosphate', 'serum phosphorus', and 'stroke'. Dose-response meta-analysis was conducted. A restricted cubic spline model was used, and then we estimated pooled RR using generalized least square regression taking into account the correlation among categories of each study. Five studies with a total of 32,608 patients were included. We identified a linear relationship between serum phosphate and risk of stroke ( P for non-linearity = 0.5258). The RR of phosphate (1 mg/dL) for stroke was 1.00 (95 % CI 0.97-1.05), similar results were observed in subgroup analysis. A linear relationship between serum phosphate and risk of stroke is identified. There is no association between serum level of phosphate and stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-reinforcement is a preferred strategy to achieve high tensile strength polymer materials. Sparse work has been reported in this aspect on thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs). Three commercial TPUs, two polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMG)-based TPUs (coded as MDIPTMG and TDIPTMG) and one polycaprolactone (PCL)-based TPU (MDIPCL) were chosen to study the dependences of mechanical tensile properties on the microstructures. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and atomic force microscopy were used to characterize the chemical compositions, thermal stabilities and microphase morphologies. The mechanical properties such as tensile strength and the Young's modulus of the three TPUs were greatly improved through step-cycle tensile deformation, especially for MDIPTMG and MDIPCL. The true stress-true strain curves indicated that point A (the end of the Hooke range) and point B (the yield point) located at about same strains, whilst point C (the formation of oriented microdomains) for MDIPTMG and MDIPCL located at a much lower strain than that for TDIPTMG. In-situ small-angle X-ray scattering further revealed that the hard microdomains of MDIPTMG and MDIPCL could transform to oriented microstructures at the strains above 200%, consistent with the critical strains at point C. The oriented microstructures could be preserved, which played a significant role to achieve high strength TPUs, with a potential to widen their practical applications. [Display omitted] • Superior TPUs with super high tensile strength were produced. • The oriented microdomains played a crucial role for TPUs. • Simple tensile deformation processing is applicable to TPUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel propeller-shaped, trigeminal-ligand-containing, flexible trinuclear PtII complexes, {[Pt(dien)]3 (ptp)}(NO3)6 (1) and {[Pt(dpa)]3(ptp)}- (NO3)6 (2) (dien: diethylenetriamine; dpa: bis-(2-pyridylmethyl)amine; ptp: 6'-(pyridin-3-yl)-3,2':4',3''-terpyridine), have been designed and synthesized, and their interactions with G-quadruplex (G4) sequences are characterized. A combination of biophysical and biochemical assays reveals that both PtII complexes exhibit higher affinity for human telomeric (hTel) and c-myc promoter G4 sequences than duplex DNA. Complex 1 binds and stabilizes hTel G4 sequence more effectively than complex 2. Both complexes are found to induce and stabilize either antiparallel or parallel conformation of G4 structures. Molecular docking studies indicate that complex 1 binds into the large groove of the antiparallel hTel G4 structure (PDB ID: 143D) and complex 2 stacks onto the exposed G-quartet of the parallel hTel G4 structure (PDB ID: 1KF1). Telomeric repeat amplification protocol assays demonstrate that both complexes are good telomerase inhibitors, with IC50 values of (16.0±0.4) mm and (4.20± 0.25) μm for 1 and 2, respectively. Collectively, the results suggest that these propeller-shaped flexible trinuclear PtII complexes are effective and selective G4 binders and good telomerase inhibitors. This work provides valuable information for the interaction between multinuclear metal complexes with G4 DNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional support vector machine(SVM)often falls into over-fitting when outliers are contained in the training data. The fuzzy support vector machine can effectively deal with this problem. According to the deficiency of the membership function designed based on the distance between a sample and its cluster center, a novel fuzzy support vector machine based on the class centripetal degree(CCD-FSVM)is proposed. It combines the distance between a sample and its cluster center with the relationship between samples expressed as the class centripetal degree. This function can effectively separate the valid samples from the noises or outliers. Besides, the size of the class centripetal degree can reflect the samples mixed degree. Experimental results show that the fuzzy support vector machine based on the class centripetal degree is more robust than the traditional support vector machine, and it outperforms the other two FSVM counterparts with different membership functions in terms of antinoise and classification performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by articular cartilage degradation including extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and cell loss. It is known that phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase γ1 (PLCγ1) can trigger several signaling pathways to regulate cell metabolism. However, whether this kinase is expressive and active in human OA chondrocytes and its role in the pathological progression of OA have not been investigated. The current study was designed to investigate the PLCγ1 expression in human OA cartilage, and whether PLCγ1 was involved in the ECM synthesis had been further explored using cultured human OA chondrocytes. Our results indicated that PLCγ1 was highly expressed in human OA chondrocytes. In our further study using the cultured human OA chondrocytes, the results demonstrated that the disruption of PLCγ1 by its inhibitor, U73122, and siRNA contributed to the ECM synthesis of human OA chondrocytes through regulating the expression of ECM-related signaling molecules, including MMP-13, Col II, TIMP1, Sox-9, and AGG. Furthermore, PLCγ1/IP3/Ca(2+)/CaMK II signaling axis regulated the ECM synthesis of human chondrocytes through triggering mTOR/P70S6K/S6 pathway. In summary, our results suggested that PLC-γ1 activities played an important role in the ECM synthesis of human OA chondrocytes, and may serve as a therapeutic target for treating OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is demonstrated that elevated serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and phosphate indicate a higher risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and total mortality in population with chronic kidney disease (CKD), but it remains unclear whether this association exists in people with normal or preserved renal function. Method: Clinical trials were searched from Embase and PubMed from inception to 2013 December using the keywords “ALP”, “phosphate”, “CVD”, “mortality” and so on, and finally 24 trials with a total of 147634 patients were included in this study. Dose-response and semi-parametric meta-analyses were performed. Results: A linear association of serum levels of ALP and phosphate with risks of coronary heart disease (CHD) events, CVD events and deaths was identified. The relative risk(RR)of ALP for CVD deaths was 1.02 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–1.04). The RR of phosphate for CVD deaths and events was 1.05 (95% CI, 1.02–1.09) and 1.04 (95% CI: 1.03–1.06), respectively. A non-linear association of ALP and phosphate with total mortality was identified. Compared with the reference category of ALP and phosphate, the pooled RR of ALP for total mortality was 1.57 (95% CI, 1.27–1.95) for the high ALP group, while the RR of phosphate for total mortality was 1.33 (95% CI, 1.21–1.46) for the high phosphate group. It was observed in subgroup analysis that higher levels of serum ALP and phosphate seemed to indicate a higher mortality rate in diabetic patients and those having previous CVD. The higher total mortality rate was more obvious in the men and Asians with high ALP. Conclusion: A non-linear relationship exists between serum levels of ALP and phosphate and risk of total mortality. There appears to be a positive association of serum levels of ALP/phosphate with total mortality in people with normal or preserved renal function, while the relationship between ALP and CVD is still ambiguous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hemodynamic response measured by Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) is temporally delayed from the onset of the underlying neural activity. As a consequence, NIRS based brain-computer-interfaces (BCIs) and neurofeedback learning systems, may have a latency of several seconds in responding to a change in participants' behavioral or mental states, severely limiting the practical use of such systems. To explore the possibility of reducing this delay, we used a multivariate pattern classification technique (linear support vector machine, SVM) to decode the true behavioral state from the measured neural signal and systematically evaluated the performance of different feature spaces (signal history, history gradient, oxygenated or deoxygenated hemoglobin signal and spatial pattern). We found that the latency to decode a change in behavioral state can be reduced by 50% (from 4.8 s to 2.4 s), which will enhance the feasibility of NIRS for real-time applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What happens when the brain awaits a signal of uncertain arrival time, as when a sprinter waits for the starting pistol? And what happens just after the starting pistol fires? Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we have discovered a novel correlate of temporal expectations in several brain regions, most prominently in the supplementary motor area (SMA). Contrary to expectations, we found little fMRI activity during the waiting period; however, a large signal appears after the ''go'' signal, the amplitude of which reflects learned expectations about the distribution of possible waiting times. Specifically, the amplitude of the fMRI signal appears to encode a cumulative conditional probability, also known as the cumulative hazard function. The fMRI signal loses its dependence on waiting time in a ''countdown'' condition in which the arrival time of the go cue is known in advance, suggesting that the signal encodes temporal probabilities rather than simply elapsed time. The dependence of the signal on temporal expectation is present in ''no-go'' conditions, demonstrating that the effect is not a consequence of motor output. Finally, the encoding is not dependent on modality, operating in the same manner with auditory or visual signals. This finding extends our understanding of the relationship between temporal expectancy and measurable neural signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested the hypothesis that Niaspan (a prolonged release formulation of niacin) increases tumor necrosis factor-α-converting enzyme (TACE) expression and Notch signaling activity and promotes arteriogenesis after stroke. Rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion and were treated with or without Niaspan. Niaspan significantly elevated local cerebral blood flow, and increased arteriogenesis as indicated by increased arterial diameter and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation in the ischemic brain after stroke. The increased arteriogenesis significantly correlated with the functional outcome after stroke. Niaspan treatment of stroke upregulated TACE, Notch1, and Notch intracellular domain expression in the ischemic brain. To further investigate the mechanisms of Niaspan-induced arteriogenesis, a primary brain arterial culture was used. Niacin treatment significantly increased arterial sprouting and VSMC migration compared with control nontreated arterial cells. Inhibition of TACE by the TACE inhibitor or knockdown of TACE gene expression in brain arterial culture significantly attenuated Niacin-induced arterial sprouting and VSMC migration. In addition, TACE treatment of arterial culture significantly increased arterial VSMC migration and arterial sprouting. Knockdown of Notch1 marginally decreased arterial sprouting and VSMC migration compared with scrambled control. Niaspan promotes arteriogenesis, which is mediated, in part, by TACE.Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism (2009) 29, 911–920; doi:10.1038/jcbfm.2009.11; published online 18 February 2009 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We calculate stress in YBa2Cu3O7−x /MgO (YBCO/MgO) and YBa2Cu3O7−x /LaAlO3 (YBCO/LAO) by XRD of the sample, σ 1 =−1.2GPa and σ 2 =−1.4GPa, respectively, which shows that the stress in YBCO/LAO is stronger than that in YBCO/MgO. In addition, microwave response of the two pieces of thin films is also investigated by microstrip resonator technique. Surface resistance and penetration depth of the films are obtained by analyzing S 21 resonant curves of the microstrip resonator, the penetration depth λ 0 =280nm for YBCO/MgO and λ 0 =265nm for YBCO/LAO, and surface resistance R s =0.376mΩ for YBCO/MgO and R s =2.660mΩ for YBCO/LAO at 78K, 10GHz. The results show stronger stress in YBCO/LAO which lead to a larger microwave surface resistance than YBCO/MgO''s. Some rational explanations are also analyzed and discussed in the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to N-diphenylphosphinoylimines afforded N-diphenylphosphinoylamides with enantioselectivity of up to 90% ee in the presence of a catalytic amount of chiral ligand (S)-N-ferrocenoyl-2-[(diphenylphosphino)methyl]-pyrrolidine 13 (7mol%) and Cu(OTf)2 (15mol%). The remarkable improvement of enantioselectivities, as compared with the same type of chiral ligand 6, could be explained by the unique structure of ferrocenyl amidophosphine ligand combining with the reactive intermediate of this addition reaction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: (S)-N-Ferrocenoyl-2-[(diphenylphosphino)methyl]-pyrrolidine 3 was conveniently prepared from commercially available l-proline and ferrocenecarboxylic acid. In the presence of a catalytic amount of chiral ligand 3 (4mol%) and Cu(OTf)2 (3mol%), the asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to N-sulfonylimines was achieved in 57–99% yield with up to 88% ee. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Acute renal rejection usually fails to be diagnosed before the increase in the serum creatinine levels, and the resultant damage to the renal tissues occur in varying degrees. We hypothesized that the combined detection of human leucocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) 14-bp insertion/deletion genotypes and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and osteopontin (OPN) levels in serum might facilitate the prediction of acute renal allograft rejections in kidney transplant recipients. HLA-G 14-bp insertion/deletion genotypes and the serum KIM-1 and OPN levels of 77 kidney transplant recipients were determined and compared before operation and on days 1, 4, and 7 after the operation (32 in acute rejection [AR] group and 45 in stable allograft function [STA] group). These 3 indicators were combined to establish a model for the early prediction of AR. The KIM-1 levels in the serum of patients were significantly higher in the AR group than in the STA group. The area under the receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC) of KIM-1 for the prediction of rejection was maximized on the1st day after operation, with a sensitivity of 84.4% and a specificity of 86.7%. The OPN levels in the serum of patients were significantly higher in the AR group than in the STA group only before operation and on the 7th day after operation. The AUC of OPN for the prediction of rejection was maximized on 7th day after operation, with a sensitivity of 68.8% and a specificity of 88.9%. The HLA-G + 14-bp allele frequency was also significantly higher in the AR group than in the STA group. The results of these three indicators were converted into a qualitative method. If any two of the three indicators show as positive, it was diagnosed as acute rejection, and it has the highest ability to predict acute rejection with a sensitivity and specificity of 84.38% and 91.11%, respectively. The HLA-G 14-bp insertion/deletion genotype and KIM-1 and OPN levels in the patients' serum were significantly different between the AR and STA groups. The power of predicting acute renal allograft rejection could be improved by combined these three biomarkers. • We examined the HLA-G genotype, KIM-1 and OPN to predict acute rejection. • HLA-G genotype, KIM-1 and OPN levels were different between AR and STA. • Combining HLA-G genotypes, KIM-1 and OPN can predict rejection. • Three markers provide a more powerful prediction of rejection than single-marker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein synthesis in response to neuronal activity, known as activity-dependent translation, is critical for synaptic plasticity and memory formation. However, the signaling cascades that couple neuronal activity to the translational events remain elusive. In this study, we identified the role of calmodulin (CaM), a conserved Ca2+-binding protein, in ribosomal RNA (rRNA) biogenesis in neurons. We found the CaM-regulated rRNA synthesis is Ca2+-dependent and necessary for nascent protein synthesis and axon growth in hippocampal neurons. Mechanistically, CaM interacts with nucleolar DEAD (Asp–Glu–Ala–Asp) box RNA helicase (DDX21) in a Ca2+-dependent manner to regulate nascent rRNA transcription within nucleoli. We further found CaM alters the conformation of DDX21 to liberate the DDX21- sequestered RPA194, the catalytic subunit of RNA polymerase I, to facilitate transcription of ribosomal DNA. Using high-throughput screening, we identified the small molecules batefenterol and indacaterol that attenuate the CaM-DDX21 interaction and suppress nascent rRNA synthesis and axon growth in hippocampal neurons. These results unveiled the previously unrecognized role of CaM as a messenger to link the activity-induced Ca2+ influx to the nucleolar events essential for protein synthesis. We thus identified the ability of CaM to transmit information to the nucleoli of neurons in response to stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • High mechanical strength and toughness polyurethane-based thermally conductive composite was prepared. • Mechanical and thermal property are notably affected by the isocyanate index. • Composite with an isocyanate index of 1 exhibited the exceptional comprehensive property performance. • Mixed failure mode obtained the highest tensile lap-shear strength. New requirements for thermal interface materials to combine both mechanical properties and heat dissipation have been proposed by long cruising range and lightweight cell-to-pack (CTP) battery system. Here we report an environment-friendly thermally conductive composite based on polyurethane (PU) as the matrix and alumina (Al 2 O 3) as the thermally conductive filler, which presented all of the thermally conductive, notable mechanical strength and toughness, and electrical insulation with a thermal conductivity of 0.84 W/(m·K), a tensile strength of 8.09 MPa, an elongation at break of 117.51 %, and a volume resistivity of 4.3 × 1014 Ω·cm. Aluminum alloy 5052 adherends were used to manufacture the single-lap joints (SLJs) of composites with different isocyanate indices, and the single-lap shear test was used to investigate the tensile lap-shear strengths and failure modes of the joints. A critical discussion was conducted regarding the relationship between the isocyanate index (R index) and the bonding mechanism. It was found that changing the isocyanate index under the premise of fixed hard segment content enhanced the lap-shear strength of joints from 4.49 MPa to 8.24 MPa. Meanwhile, the failure mode transitioned from the adhesive failure mode to the adhesive/cohesive mixed failure mode, and then to the cohesive failure mode. Hence, the present study sheds light on the rational design of thermally conductive composites to promote the multi-functionality of thermal management applications in the new energy vehicle battery domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydropower has a damaging effect on aquatic biodiversity globally. Extensive research has demonstrated the significance of plant diversity in sustaining wetland services and functions. However, wetland plant diversity conservation has rarely been considered in hydropower operation optimization, and the relationship between hydropower generation and plant diversity indicators has rarely been quantified. In this study, a new optimization approach is proposed for reservoir operation to balance hydropower generation and plant diversity conservation in downstream wetlands. We identify key hydrological indicators affecting wetland plant diversity, accounting for the richness and abundance of plants as well as the evenness of multiple plant species. An artificial neural network (ANN) is subsequently adopted to quantify the complex relationship between hydrological and plant diversity indicators. Using the ANN model for plant diversity prediction, we develop a multi-objective optimization model for reservoir operation to maximize hydropower generation and wetland plant diversity indicators. This approach is applied to a large plant-dominated wetland (Baiyangdian) in China as a case study. Using a genetic algorithm to solve the optimization model, we suggest a reservoir operation scheme which can increase multi-year averaged plant diversity indicator in this wetland by 20% while decreasing reservoir hydropower generation by 10%. We also generate a set of Pareto-optimal solutions from the optimization model, which quantifies the tradeoff relationship between hydropower generation and plant diversity conservation. This relationship provides a reference for managers in determining reservoir operation rules depending on the demands on these two conflicting objectives. • An optimization model is developed to balance hydropower and biodiversity targets. • An artificial neural network is constructed for predicting wetland plant diversity. • The relationship between hydropower and plant diversity indicators is quantified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggregation dependence is a universal feature for fluorophores, ranging from classical planar fluorescent dyes displaying aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) and propeller-shaped AIEgens that exhibit aggregation-induced emission (AIE). In this work, we report compounds emitters (CA-PDA) that display aggregation-independent fluorescence owing to the formation of robust intramolecular, rather than intermolecular hydrogen bonding. We achieved CA-PDA by synthesis of an amide from citric acid (CA) and propane diamine (PDA). Quantum chemistry calculations suggest the CA-PDA compounds have closed structures facilitated by intramolecular hydrogen bonds, which forces the lone pair electrons on oxygen and nitrogen to within 2.9 Å. Then the strong electron clustering generates a pseudo conjugated effect and leads to blue emission. This emission exhibits recoverable photobleaching, as UV irradiation only temporally breaks the intramolecular hydrogen bonds, which may form again upon relaxation. CA-PDA can be used in cell imaging as well as in probes for Hg2+ and sulfur-containing amino acids. We expect that the strategy of a bioinspired intramolecular hydrogen bonds-facilitated compounds emitters will provide a new avenue toward advanced fluorescent materials. Image 1 • The fluorescent compounds emitters CA-PDA were synthesized of an amido from citric acid (CA) and propane diamine (PDA). • CA-PDA displays aggregation independent fluorescence owing to the formation of intramolecular, rather than intermolecular, hydrogen bonds. • Quantum chemistry calculations suggest intramolecular hydrogen bonds of CA-PDA stabilize the distance between oxygen and nitrogen atoms, then lone pairs of electrons on oxygen and nitrogen clustering together generate a pseudo conjugated effect and lead to blue emission. • UV irradiation only temporally breaks the intramolecular hydrogen bonds of CA-PDA, which may form again upon relaxation. • CA-PDA can be used in cell imaging as well as in sensors for Hg2+ and sulfur-containing amino acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A benzothiadiazole-involving donor–acceptor (D–A) covalent organic framework (COF), which has high crystallinity and strong light-harvesting capability (ranging from 300 to 800 nm), can serve as a highly effective photocatalyst for window ledge aerobic cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) reactions (such as Mannich and aza-Henry reactions) even at a gram level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human adipose stromal cells-derived extracellular vesicles (haMSC-EVs) have been shown to alleviate inflammation in acute lung injury (ALI) animal models. However, there are few systemic studies on clinical-grade haMSC-EVs. Our study aimed to investigate the manufacturing, quality control (QC) and preclinical safety of clinical-grade haMSC-EVs. Methods: haMSC-EVs were isolated from the conditioned medium of human adipose MSCs incubated in 2D containers. Purification was performed by PEG precipitation and differential centrifugation. Characterizations were conducted by nanoparticle tracking analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Western blotting, nanoflow cytometry analysis, and the TNF-α inhibition ratio of macrophage [after stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)]. RNA-seq and proteomic analysis with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) were used to inspect the lot-to-lot consistency of the EV products. Repeated toxicity was evaluated in rats after administration using trace liquid endotracheal nebulizers for 28 days, and respiratory toxicity was evaluated 24 h after the first administration. In vivo therapeutic effects were assessed in an LPS-induced ALI/ acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) rat model. Results: The quality criteria have been standardized. In a stability study, haMSC-EVs were found to remain stable after 6 months of storage at − 80°C, 3 months at − 20 °C, and 6 h at room temperature. The microRNA profile and proteome of haMSC-EVs demonstrated suitable lot-to-lot consistency, further suggesting the stability of the production processes. Intratracheally administered 1.5 × 108 particles/rat/day for four weeks elicited no significant toxicity in rats. In LPS-induced ALI/ARDS model rats, intratracheally administered haMSC-EVs alleviated lung injury, possibly by reducing the serum level of inflammatory factors. Conclusion: haMSC-EVs, as an off-shelf drug, have suitable stability and lot-to-lot consistency. Intratracheally administered haMSC-EVs demonstrated excellent safety at the tested dosages in systematic preclinical toxicity studies. Intratracheally administered haMSC-EVs improved the lung function and exerted anti-inflammatory effects on LPS-induced ALI/ARDS model rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new series of coumarin derivatives, 7-hydroxy-7-(trifluoromethyl)-6a,12b-dihydro-6H,7H-chromeno[3,4-c]chromen-6-ones 3a–p, were synthesized via Michael addition, transesterification and nucleophilic addition from the reaction of 3-trifluoroacetyl coumarins and phenols in the presence of an organic base. The products were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR), carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C-NMR) and high-resolution mass spectrometer (HRMS). Single crystal X-ray analysis of compounds 3a and 3n clearly confirmed their assigned chemical structures and their twisted conformations. Compound 3a crystallized in the orthorhombic system, Pbca, in which a = 8.6244(2) Å, b = 17.4245(4) Å, c = 22.5188(6) Å, α = 90°, β = 90°, γ = 90°, v = 3384.02(14) Å3, and z = 8. In addition, the mycelial growth rate method was used to examine the in vitro antifungal activities of the title compounds 3a–p against Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium monitiforme at 500 µg/mL. The results showed that compound 3l exhibited significant anti-Fusarium monitiforme activity with inhibitory index of 84.6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]