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The effects of heteroatoms doping and defects on the selectivity and activity of graphite for hydrogen peroxide evolution via the two-electron water oxidation reaction (2e− WOR) were investigated by density functional theory calculations. The results show that the activation of H2O to form OH* is severely difficult on the pristine graphite, leading to unsatisfactory selectivity and activity for H2O2 formation. In general, the doping of boron and nitrogen and the introduction of defects are positive for improving the selectivity and activity of graphite for the 2e− WOR. In contrast, the doping of phosphorus and sulfur bring negative effects for graphite towards H2O2 evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we report two anthracene-thiophene based π-conjugated homologues, in which the synthesis and structural characterizations were accomplished by NMR, HR-MS, etc. Subsequently, their electron absorptions, photoluminescence (PL) emissions, and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) properties were further investigated. Interestingly, in the visible region of ~400–550 nm, both of the two homologous chromophores displayed strong PL emissions. Finally, intense and stable cathodic ECL emissions in the visible region of ~400–1000 nm for the title compounds were further observed, which provided excellent potential candidates for the future construction of high-performance ECL emitters. Besides, the phenyl group substituted homologue exhibited more intense in fluorescence spectrum, while relatively weak in ECL emission, which added new insights into the structure-properties relationships of anthracene-thiophene containing π-conjugated luminescent materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic wounds and their treatment present a significant burden to patients and healthcare systems alike, with their management further complicated by bacterial infection. Historically, antibiotics have been deployed to prevent and treat infections, but the emergence of bacterial antimicrobial resistance and the frequent development of biofilms within the wound area necessitates the identification of novel treatment strategies for use within infected chronic wounds. Here, several non-antibiotic compounds, polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB), curcumin, retinol, polysorbate 40, ethanol, and D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate 1000 (TPGS) were screened for their antibacterial and antibiofilm capabilities. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and crystal violet (CV) biofilm clearance against two bacteria frequently associated with infected chronic wounds, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were determined. PHMB was observed to have highly effective antibacterial activity against both bacteria, but its ability to disperse biofilms at MIC levels was variable. Meanwhile, TPGS had limited inhibitory activity but demonstrated potent antibiofilm properties. The subsequent combination of these two compounds in a formulation resulted in a synergistic enhancement of their capability to kill both S. aureus and P. aeruginosa and disperse their biofilms. Collectively, this work highlights the utility of combinatory approaches to the treatment of infected chronic wounds where bacterial colonization and biofilm formation remains significant issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of high performance is essential for the realization of ultra-broadband imaging technology, which can be widely used in astronomy, medical health, defense and security, and many other applications. In this work, we demonstrate an ultra-broadband upconversion device based on a heterojunction interfacial work function internal photoemission (HEIWIP) detector and an AlGaAs/GaAs/In0.04Ga0.96 As quantum well LED. The up-converter exhibits an ultra-broad response covering from the terahertz to mid-infrared region (3–165 THz) due to free carrier absorption and inter-valence-band absorption in p-type based photodetectors. The peak responsivity in the terahertz and mid-infrared region is measured to be 7.2 A/W at 9.2 THz and 3.5 A/W at 28.8 THz, respectively, which is improved by an order of magnitude compared to the previous homojunction interfacial work function internal photoemission-based up-converter (0.5 A/W) in the THz region. The up-converter also demonstrates an improved upconversion efficiency of 1.5%. The noise equivalent power (NEP) of the imaging system consisting of the HEIWIP-LED up-converter and Si CCD is studied. The optimized NEP can achieve ∼10 pW/Hz1/2 in both terahertz and mid-infrared regions. The HEIWIP-LED up-converter exhibits excellent properties of high responsivity, ultra-broad response, and low noise, making it a great prospect for future applications in the field of ultra-broadband imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid rise in the health burden associated with chronic wounds is of great concern to policymakers, academia, and industry. This could be attributed to the devastating implications of this condition, and specifically, chronic wounds which have been linked to invasive microbial infections affecting patients' quality of life. Unfortunately, antibiotics are not always helpful due to their poor penetration of bacterial biofilms and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Hence, there is an urgent need to explore antibiotics-free compounds/formulations with proven or potential antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and wound healing efficacy. The mechanism of antibiotics-free compounds is thought to include the disruption of the bacteria cell structure, preventing cell division, membrane porins, motility, and the formation of a biofilm. Furthermore, some of these compounds foster tissue regeneration by modulating growth factor expression. In this review article, the focus is placed on a number of non-antibiotic compounds possessing some of the aforementioned pharmacological and physiological activities. Specific interest is given to Aloevera, curcumin, cinnamaldehyde, polyhexanide, retinoids, ascorbate, tocochromanols, and chitosan. These compounds (when alone or in formulation with other biologically active molecules) could be a dependable alternative in the management or prevention of chronic wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this meta-analysis, we analyzed 9 cross-sectional studies for an association between type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and bone mineral density (BMD) in children. We found that BMD Z-scores were significantly reduced in children with T1DM. Introduction: Recent cross-sectional studies have examined how T1DM influences bone health in children and adolescents, but the relationship between T1DM and BMD remains unclear due to conflicting reports. Methods: In this meta-analysis, we systematically searched PubMed, Cochrane library, and Web of Science databases (for publications through March 12, 2020), and calculated weight mean difference (WMD) along with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2 method. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Results: Data were analyzed from 9 eligible studies, including a total of 1522 children and adolescents. These data were tested for an association between T1DM and BMD. This analysis found a significant decrease in BMD Z-score in the whole body (pooled WMD, − 0.47, 95% CI, − 0.92 to − 0.02, I2 = 80.2%) and lumbar spine (pooled WMD, − 0.41, 95% CI, − 0.69 to − 0.12, I2 = 80.3%) in children and adolescents with T1DM, which was consistent in published studies from Asia and South America, but inconsistent in the North America and Europe. Importantly, the differences in BMD Z-scores were independent of age, level of glucose control (HbA1c), and prepubertal stage. Sensitivity analyses did not modify these findings. Funnel plot and the Egger test did not reveal significant publication bias. Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that T1DM may play a role in decreasing BMD Z-scores in the whole body and lumbar spine in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of unsaturated fatty acids on clinical plasmids. Methods and Results: Two unsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid (LA) and α‐linolenic acid (ALA) at final concentration 0, 0·03, 0·3 and 3 mmol l−1, respectively, were used to assess the effects on conjugative transfer of a mcr‐1‐harbouring plasmid pCSZ4 (IncX4) in conjugation experiment. The inhibitory mechanisms were analysed by molecular docking and the gene expression of virB11 was quantitated by qRT‐PCR. Target plasmid diversity was carried out by TrwD/VirB11 homology protein sequence prediction analysis. Our results showed that LA and ALA inhibit plasmid pCSZ4 transfer by binding to the amino acid residues (Phe124 and Thr125) of VirB11 with dose‐dependent effects. The expression levels of virB11 gene were also significantly inhibited by LA and ALA treatment. Protein homology analysis revealed a wide distribution of TrwD/VirB11‐like genes among over 37 classes of plasmids originated from both Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacteria. Conclusions: This study demonstrates representing a diversity of plasmids that may be potentially inhibited by unsaturated fatty acids. Significance and Impact of the Study: Our work reported here provides additional support for application of curbing the spread of multiple plasmids by unsaturated fatty acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An in-depth characterization of the thermal reset transition in RRAM has been performed based on coupling self-consistent simulations to experimental results. A complete self-consistent simulator accounting for the electrical and thermal descriptions of the conductive filaments (CFs) has been developed for the numerical study of the temporal evolution of the reset transition in RRAM. The CFs series resistance, including the contributions of the setup and Maxwell components, has been included in the calculations. Using this simulation tool, we have been able to reproduce many experimental details of the experimental reset data obtained in Cu/HfO2/Pt devices. In doing so, we explained the current steps observed in some reset cycles by considering CFs with several coupled branches that break down at different times. The reset voltage dependence on the initial resistance of the CF has been analyzed and the relevant role played by the CF shape has also been demonstrated. In this respect, devices with a same initial resistance but different CF shape can switch at different voltages. A simulation study of the reset voltage distribution obtained for these devices has also been performed in order to explain the variability of the experimental samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-temporal building change detection is one of the most essential major issues of photogrammetry and remote sensing at current stage, which is of great significance for wide applications as offering real estate indicators as well as monitoring urban environment. Although current photogrammetry methodologies could be applicated to 2-D remote sensing imagery for rectification with sensor parameters, multi-temporal aerial or satellite imagery is not adequate to offer spectral and textual features for building change detection. Alongside recent development of Dense Image Matching (DIM) technology, the acquisition of 3-D point cloud and Digital Surface Model (DSM) has been generally realized, which could be combined with imagery, making building change detection more effective with greater spatial structure and texture information. Over the past years, scholars have put forward vast change detection techniques including traditional and model-based solutions. Nevertheless, existing appropriate methodology combined with Neural Networks (NN) for accurate building change detection with multi-temporal imagery and DSM remains to be of great research focus currently due to the inevitable limitations and omissions of existing NN-based methods, which is of great research prospect. This study proposed a novel end-to-end model framework based on deep learning for pixel-level building change detection from high-spatial resolution aerial ortho imagery and corresponding DSM sharing same resolution, which is from the dataset of Tokyo whole area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digestive glands of marine molluscs are colonized by a large number of microorganisms, and the structure and function of bacterial community could be severely affected by diets. Microalgae is the main food and energy sources for bivalves, while the impact of phytoplankton composition on the bacterial community as well as the health of bivalves are still not well understood. In the present study, the bacterial communities in digestive glands of oyster Crassostrea gigas fed with different diets were compared based on the high-throughput sequencing of partial 16S rRNA gene. There were significant differences of bacterial composition rather than diversity in digestive glands between the oysters fed with diatom dominant diet (Group N, mainly made up of Nitzschia closterium f.minutissima) and dinoflagellate dominant diet (Group P, mainly made up of Prorocentrum micans). The abundances of Prevotella, Vibronaceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Polaribacter were significantly higher in Group N (p < 0.05), and the abundances of Streptophyta and Acidimicrobiales were significantly higher in Group P (p < 0.05). According to the functional prediction results, the bacterial community in Group P displayed weaker capacities of Kdo2-lipid A biosynthesis as well as taurine degradation, and a stronger capacity of glycolysis compared with the bacterial community in Group N. The higher phylogenetic clustering degree of the bacterial community in Group P (p < 0.05) indicated the higher host selectivity on bacteria. These results suggested that the change of phytoplankton composition of diet would have large effects on bacterial communities in oyster digestive glands. The bacterial community in digestive glands of oysters living in dinoflagellate dominant waters would produce harmful impact to hosts. The present study provided a new perspective to explore the potential mechanism for the massive mortalities of oysters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Recent studies have focused on initial clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is the mainly revealing situation in Wuhan, Hubei. Aim This study aims to reveal more data on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients outside of Wuhan, Zhejiang, China. Design This study was a retrospective case series. Methods Eighty-eight cases of laboratory-confirmed and three cases of clinically confirmed COVID-19 were admitted to five hospitals in Zhejiang province, China. Data were collected from 20 January 2020 to 11 February 2020. Results and discussion Of all 91 patients, 88 (96.70%) were laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 with throat swab samples that tested positive for SARS-Cov-2, three (3.30%) cases were clinically diagnosed. The median age of the patients was 50 (36.5–57) years, and female accounted for 59.34%. In this sample, 40 (43.96%) patients had contracted the disease from local cases, 31 (34.07%) patients had been to Wuhan/Hubei, eight (8.79%) patients had contacted with people from Wuhan, and 11 (12.09%) patients were diagnosed after having flown together in the same flight with no passenger that could later be identified as the source of infection. In particular within the city of Ningbo, 60.52% cases can be traced back to an event held in a temple. The most common symptoms were fever (71.43%), cough (60.44%) and fatigue (43.96%). The median of incubation period was 6 (interquartile range 3–8) days and the median time from the first visit to a doctor to the confirmed diagnosis was 1 (1–2) days. According to the chest computed tomography scans, 67.03% cases had bilateral pneumonia. Conclusions Social activity cluster, family cluster and flying alongside with persons already infected with COVID-19 were how people got infected with COVID-19 in Zhejiang. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digestive glands of marine molluscs are colonized by a large number of microorganisms, and the structure and function of bacterial community could be severely affected by diets. Microalgae is the main food and energy sources for bivalves, while the impact of phytoplankton composition on the bacterial community as well as the health of bivalves are still not well understood. In the present study, the bacterial communities in digestive glands of oyster Crassostrea gigas fed with different diets were compared based on the high-throughput sequencing of partial 16S rRNA gene. There were significant differences of bacterial composition rather than diversity in digestive glands between the oysters fed with diatom dominant diet (Group N, mainly made up of Nitzschia closterium f.minutissima) and dinoflagellate dominant diet (Group P, mainly made up of Prorocentrum micans). The abundances of Prevotella, Vibronaceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Polaribacter were significantly higher in Group N (p < 0.05), and the abundances of Streptophyta and Acidimicrobiales were significantly higher in Group P (p < 0.05). According to the functional prediction results, the bacterial community in Group P displayed weaker capacities of Kdo2-lipid A biosynthesis as well as taurine degradation, and a stronger capacity of glycolysis compared with the bacterial community in Group N. The higher phylogenetic clustering degree of the bacterial community in Group P (p < 0.05) indicated the higher host selectivity on bacteria. These results suggested that the change of phytoplankton composition of diet would have large effects on bacterial communities in oyster digestive glands. The bacterial community in digestive glands of oysters living in dinoflagellate dominant waters would produce harmful impact to hosts. The present study provided a new perspective to explore the potential mechanism for the massive mortalities of oysters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What Is Known and Objective. To reevaluate the benefits and risks of corticosteroid treatment in adult patients with septic shock. Methods. This study was performed based on PRISMA guidelines. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of corticosteroids versus placebo were retrieved from PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Central RCTs, and ClinicalTrials.gov from January 1980 to April 2018. We also conducted a trial sequential analysis to indicate the possibility of type I or II errors and calculate the information size. Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach (GRADE) was applying to assess the certainty of evidence at the primary outcome level. Results. Twenty-one RCTs were identified and analyzed. Patients treated with corticosteroid had a 7% reduction in relative risk in 28-day all-cause mortality compared to controls (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.99). However, there were no significant differences for the intensive care unit (ICU) mortality (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.09) or in-hospital mortality (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.11). Corticosteroids shortened the length of ICU stay by 1.04 days (RR -1.04, 95% CI -1.72 to -0.36) and the length of hospital stay by 2.49 days (RR -2.49, 95% CI -4.96 to -0.02). Corticosteroids increased the risk of hyperglycemia (RR 1.11, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.16) but not gastroduodenal bleeding (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.37) or superinfection (RR 1.04, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.15). However, some date on secondary outcomes were unavailable because they were not measured or not reported in the included studies which may cause a lack of power or selective outcome reporting. The information size was calculated at 10044 patients. Trial sequential analysis showed that the meta-analysis was conclusive and the risk of type 2 error was minimal. What Is New and Conclusion. Corticosteroids are likely to be effective in reducing 28-day mortality and attenuating septic shock without increasing the rate of life-threatening complications. TSA showed that the risk of type II error in this meta-analysis was minimal and the result was conclusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effect of replacing fish meal (FM) with meat and bone meal (MBM) in diets for juvenile Pseudobagrus ussuriensis was evaluated in a 90‐day feeding trial. Six isonitrogenous (crude protein, 430 g/kg) and isolipidic (crude lipid, 74 g/kg) diets were formulated to contain MBM to replace FM at 0 (S0), 200 (S20), 400 (S40), 600 (S60), 800 (S80) and 1000 g/kg (S100), respectively. The results showed that there was no significant difference in weight gain (WG) among fish fed S0, S20 and S40 diets. However, a significant reduction in WG occurred when 600, 800 and 1000 g/kg FM protein was replaced by MBM (p < .05). Similar trends were observed in specific growth rate and protein efficiency ratio. Apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of protein and dry matter of the diets S80 and S100 were significantly lower than those of the other diets. The ADC of phosphorus significantly reduced with the increase in dietary MBM level. Nitrogen and phosphorus excretion increased with the increasing dietary MBM level. Protease, lipase and amylase activities of the diets S80 and S100 were significantly lower than those of the other diets (p < .05). The results of this study showed that the optimum dietary MBM replacement level was 34.3% according to broken‐line model based on WG against dietary MBM replacement level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Little is known about the features of gastric cancer located in the lesser and greater curve. This study aims to investigate the clinicopathological features and prognosis of gastric cancer located in the lesser and greater curve. Patients: From September 2008 to March 2015, 780 gastric cancer patients were enrolled in the present study. The associations between locations and features of patients were analyzed. Results: There were 571 male (73.2 %) and 209 female (26.8 %) patients. The median age was 56 years (ranged 21-86). There were 684 tumors located in the lesser curve (87.7 %) and 96 located in the greater curve (12.3 %). The incidence of melena was significantly lower in patients with tumors located in the lesser curve than that in the greater curve (8.5 vs 15.6 %, P = 0.024). The median size of tumors in the lesser curve was significantly larger than that in the greater curve (5.0 (0.3-15) vs 4.0 cm (0.5-15), P = 0.001). The remaining clinicopathological features were comparable between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Tumor location was not a risk factor for the prognosis of gastric cancer by univariate and multivariate analysis (both P > 0.05). The postoperative complications (all P > 0.05) and prognoses ( P = 0.279) were comparable between tumors located in the lesser and greater curve. Conclusions: The ratio of gastric cancer located in the lesser to greater curve was 7.1:1. Compared with tumors located in the greater curve, the incidence of melena was significantly lower and the tumor size was significantly larger in tumors located in the lesser curve. The prognoses were comparable between tumors located in the lesser and greater curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO nanosheets were synthesised by a facile hydrothermal method using egg white as bio-template and dispersing agent. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy investigation show that the ZnO nanosheets have a hexagonal wurtzite structure with a diameter of 10 to 25 nm. Moreover, egg white played an important role in controlling the morphology and size of nano ZnO, while ZnO changed from nanorods to nanosheets when adding egg white in a hydrothermal system. The gas sensing measurements revealed that the response of the sensor made from the templated ZnO nanosheets to ethanol gas is nearly 6·9 times higher than that of ZnO without using egg white as template, and its response and recovery time are 3 and 5 s respectively. Furthermore, it shows an excellent antibacterial activity againstStaphylococcus aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The movement and deformation of the overlying strata and surface induced by underground mining are processes involving temporal and spatial changes, which, in turn, cause damage to buildings. Estimating the dynamic ground movement and deformation is important to ascertain the damage degree of buildings. To predict the dynamic ground subsidence caused by underground coal mining and protect ground buildings from dynamic damage, a dynamic prediction model was established to calculate ground deformation. A derivation of the dynamic subsidence prediction model based on Knothe's dynamic subsidence hypothesis and Litwiniszyn's stochastic medium theory was proposed under the conditions of constant advancing speed mining and post-mining. The composition and significance of the dynamic model were analyzed and provided a basis for calculating the dynamics and programming implementation. Through case studies, the dynamic prediction model was verified and the expected results were obtained during mining and post-mining. Results showed the dynamic prediction model is fit for the normal geological condition of mining but is limited for the special geological condition, that is, thick loose layer and thick bedrock. The study can meet the demand of protecting ground buildings from deformation caused by underground mining. The proposed model solves the time issue in mining subsidence prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower-like ZnO microspheres have been solvothermally synthesised using zinc acetate and glycerol as starting materials. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction results show that the 5 μm diameter as synthesised ZnO microspheres were orderly assembled by numerous nanorods at a radiate posture with a diameter of 70 nm. The gas sensing measurement indicates that the microsphere based sensor has a good linear relationship between gas content and sensitivity, and the maximum sensitivity of 103·24 and 26·70–500 ppm ethanol and acetone at a relatively low temperature respectively. Moreover, its response and recovery time to ethanol and acetone were 1 s and 2, 7 and 9 s respectively. In addition, the photoluminescence measurement shows that the microspheres have an obvious UV (370–400 nm) and visible emission (∼480 nm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study focusing on the impact of lipids in patient plasma on the complete blood count (CBC) of the patients. Topics discussed include the identification of fat emulsion infusion fluids as sources of lipid interferences, the use of automated hematology analyzers in the study, and the simulation experiments conducted using fat emulsion. Also mentioned are parameters of CBC such as the red blood cells (RBC), the white blood cells (WBC), and the platelets.

Methods The miRNA expression profiles of the myocardium, amniotic fluid and maternal serum of VSD rat fetus were obtained. To analyse the microRNA (miRNA) expression profile of myocardium, amniotic fluid and maternal serum in ventricular septal defect (VSD) rat fetuses, find out the relationship between circulating miRNAs and myocardium. Amniotic fluid from 7 human fetuses with VSD and 7 normal human fetuses were collected, and the expression of amniotic fluid-derived DE-miRNA was verified in clinical samples. [Extracted from the article]

NdNiO3 (NNO) films were grown by pulsed laser deposition on orthorhombic (110)-, (001)-, and (100)-oriented NdGaO3 substrates. It is found that all the films are tensile-strained but show dramatically different metal-insulator transition (MIT) temperatures (TMI) (160-280 K), as compared with the NNO bulk (∼200 K). A high resemblance in the sharpness of MIT and lattice variation across the MIT was observed. The TMI is highly dependent on the magnitude of the orthorhombic distortion induced by the different substrate surface plane and tends to recover the bulk value after annealing. Our results suggest that the anisotropic epitaxial strain can effectively tune the MIT of NNO films, and the NiO6 octahedra rotation and deformation involved in accommodating the tensile strain might cause the different TMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water use efficiency (WUE) is a key indicator to assess ecosystem adaptation to water stress. Rain use efficiency (RUE) is usually used as a proxy for WUE due to lack of transpiration data. Furthermore, RUE based on aboveground primary productivity (RUEANPP) is used to evaluate whole plant water use because root production data is often missing as well. However, it is controversial as to whether RUE is a reliable parameter to elucidate transpiration efficiency (TE), and whether RUEANPP is a suitable proxy for RUE of the whole plant basis. The experiment was conducted at three differently managed sites in the Inner Mongolia steppe: a site fenced since 1979 (UG79), a winter grazing site (WG) and a heavily grazed site (HG). Site HG had consistent lowest RUEANPP and RUE based on total net primary productivity (RUENPP). RUEANPP is a relatively good proxy at sites UG79 and WG, but less reliable for site HG. Similarly, RUEANPP is good predictor of transpiration efficiency based on aboveground net primary productivity (TEANPP) at sites UG79 and WG but not for site HG. However, if total net primary productivity is considered, RUENPP is good predictor of transpiration efficiency based on total net primary productivity (TENPP) for all sites. Although our measurements indicate decreased plant transpiration and consequentially decreasing RUE under heavy grazing, productivity was relatively compensated for with a higher TE. This offset between RUE and TE was even enhanced under water limited conditions and more evident when belowground net primary productivity (BNNP) was included. These findings suggest that BNPP should be considered when studies fucus on WUE of more intensively used grasslands. The consideration of the whole plant perspective and “real” WUE would partially revise our picture of system performance and therefore might affect the discussion on the C-sequestration and resilience potential of ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the cellular mechanisms modulating the shift in balance from a state of survival to cell death by caspase-mediated apoptosis in response to a lethal stress. Here we show that the RNA-binding protein HuR has an important function in mediating this switch. During caspase-mediated apoptosis, HuR is cleaved to generate two cleavage products (CPs). Our data demonstrate that the cleavage of HuR switches its function from being a prosurvival factor under normal conditions to becoming a promoter of apoptosis in response to a lethal stress. In the absence of an apoptotic stimuli, HuR associates with and promotes the expression of caspase-9 and prothymosin α (ProT) mRNAs, and pro- and antiapoptotic factors, respectively, both of which have been characterized as important players in determining cell fate. During the early steps of caspase-mediated apoptosis, however, the level of caspase-9 protein increases, while ProT remains unchanged. Under these conditions, the two HuR-CPs selectively bind to and stabilize caspase-9 mRNA, but do not bind to ProT. Hence, taken together, our data show that by maintaining a threshold of expression of proapoptotic factors such as caspase-9 in response to a lethal stress, the HuR-CPs help a cell to switch from resisting death to undergoing apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, a novel fluorescent material, composed of CeO/ANS nanocomposites was successfully synthesized by a simple ultrasonic method, using CeO nanoparticles and 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS) as the raw materials. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), photoluminescence spectroscopy and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results showed that the PL intensity of the CeO/ANS nanocomposites was higher than that of both CeO nanoparticles and ANS powders, and the peak wavelength was also different from the peak wavelength typical of each of the used materials, which suggests that the chemical reaction occurs between CeO nanoparticles and ANS molecules. In addition, the effect of the ANS concentrations on the photoluminescence of the nanocomposites was also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wnt10b ( wingless-related mouse mammary tumour virus integration site 10b) plays various roles in a wide range of biological actions, including hair-follicle development. To assess the roles that Wnt10b plays in postnatal hair-follicle growth. Adenovirus vectors AdWnt10b, AdGFP, AdGFP plus AdRFP, AdWnt10b plus AdFrzB, and AdWnt10b plus AdSimBC were co-cultured separately with vibrissae. In situ protein expression of Wnt10b, β-catenin and Lef1 was determined by immunohistochemistry, and the proliferation status of the hair follicle was detected by 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) labelling. The presence of Wnt signalling molecules in the three stages of hair-follicle growth was detected by PCR-based microarray. AdWnt10b-infected cells were able to secrete bioactive Wnt10b, and when this was added into the basal medium, the vibrissae grew faster than in control medium or in medium containing canonical Wnt signalling antagonists. The in situ protein expression of Wnt10b was consistent with that of β-catenin and Lef1. The expression locus of Wnt10b was almost the same as the proliferating cells labelled by BrdU in the anagen hair follicle. Wnt10b may promote hair-follicle growth by inducing the switch from telogen to anagen via a canonical Wnt signalling pathway to promote the proliferation of matrix cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vibrio parahaemolyticus causes acute gastroenteritis and inflammations in humans. A variety of pathogenic bacteria can stimulate mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in host cells. Phosphorylation of MAPKs leads to production of interleukin (IL)- 8 and subsequently causes inflammations. Thus, MAPK cascades were strong candidates for the main signaling pathway of V. parahaemolyticus-induced acute inflammation.Methods: To determine whether the signaling pathway on V. parahaemolyticus infection induces inflammation, we analyzed the secretion level of IL-8 and phosphorylation of MAPKs by use of intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells.Results: V. parahaemolyticus infection of Caco-2 cells activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 and p38 MAPK signal pathways, leading to IL-8 secretion, whereas MAPK inhibitors, UO126 or SB203580, suppressed IL-8 secretion. A strain carrying a deletion of VP1680, a type three secretion system 1 (T3SS1) effector protein, failed to activate phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK and secretion of IL-8. ERK1/2 pathway inhibitor, UO126, failed IL-8 promoter activity, whereas p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580, decreased the stabilization of IL-8 messenger RNA following V. parahaemolyticus infection.Conclusions: We showed that V. parahaemolyticus infection of Caco-2 cells results in the secretion of IL-8, and that VP1680 plays a pivotal role in manipulating host cell signaling and is responsible for triggering IL-8 secretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biota of black fungi in humid indoor environments was established using a protocol that consisted of non-selective and selective isolation procedures. In total, 113 samples were taken from bathrooms of residences in The Netherlands, Germany and Austria. Samples were processed either (i) directly by culturing on agar media, or (ii) by pre-incubating samples for enrichment in mineral solutions with perlite granules under constant toluene atmosphere for three months. Dilutions from the latter were then cultured and incubated as were those directly plated to agar media. Black colonies were selected and identified by sequencing the rDNA Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region. Twenty-eight strains of black fungi were found in 26 positive samples without enrichment, and 42 strains were isolated from 38 positive samples after enrichment in toluene. The great majority of black fungal species were members of the order Chaetothyriales, which is the main order of melanized human opportunistic pathogens. Cladosporium species ( Capnodiales) were the most frequent isolates when no enrichment was applied, as opposed to Exophiala species ( Chaetothyriales) with enrichment. The enrichment method provides insight into a fungal biota commonly occurring in homes which has previously been overlooked. Several species have been previously known only from cutaneous infections and could suggest that bathrooms are a likely reservoir of these fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional vehicle electric/electronic system architecture has become an obstacle of the booming development of in-vehicle electric and electronic devices. The surging number of these devices and the runup of the information exchange requirement among the devices call for a brand new system architecture. In this paper, a completely distributed electric/electronic system architecture with a centralized coordinator is introduced. The new architecture concept features a set of hierarchy on-site serial buses together with a digitalized power supply network coordinated by a central controller. The basic functionality and diagnosis of all the in-vehicle electric devices are implemented as digitalized nodes with unified connection interface in the network, which execute commands and share information with the central coordinator. The new architecture facilitates the information exchange, minimizes the cost and effort of vehicle harness, and reserves the configurability and expandability. The distributed structure with twin backup central coordinators ensures the system reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Whereas cilia damage and reduced cilia beat frequency have been implicated as causative of reduced mucociliary clearance in smokers, theoretically mucociliary clearance could also be affected by cilia length. Based on models of mucociliary clearance predicting that cilia length must exceed the 6-7 mm airway surface fluid depth to generate force in the mucus layer, we hypothesized that cilia height may be decreased in airway epithelium of normal smokers compared to nonsmokers. Methodology/Principal Findings: Cilia length in normal nonsmokers and smokers was evaluated in aldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded endobronchial biopsies, and air-dried and hydrated samples were brushed from human airway epithelium via fiberoptic bronchoscopy. In 28 endobronchial biopsies, healthy smoker cilia length was reduced by 15% compared to nonsmokers (p<0.05). In 39 air-dried samples of airway epithelial cells, smoker cilia length was reduced by 13% compared to nonsmokers (p<0.0001). Analysis of the length of individual, detached cilia in 27 samples showed that smoker cilia length was reduced by 9% compared to nonsmokers (p<0.05). Finally, in 16 fully hydrated, unfixed samples, smoker cilia length was reduced 7% compared to nonsmokers (p<0.05). Using genome-wide analysis of airway epithelial gene expression we identified 6 cilia-related genes whose expression levels were significantly reduced in healthy smokers compared to healthy nonsmokers. Conclusions/Significance: Models predict that a reduction in cilia length would reduce mucociliary clearance, suggesting that smoking-associated shorter airway epithelial cilia play a significant role in the pathogenesis of smoking-induced lung disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]