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Oceanic water quality monitoring is essential for environmental protection, resource management, and ecosystem vitality. Optical remote sensing from space plays a pivotal role in global surveillance of oceanic water quality. However, the spatial resolution of current ocean color data products falls short of scrutinizing intricate small-scale marine features. This study introduces a hybrid model that fuses MODIS (Moderate Resolution lmaging Spectroradiometer) ocean color products with Sentinel-2 's remote sensing reflectance data to generate high-resolution ocean color imagery, specifically investigating the diffuse attenuation coefficient at a wavelength of 490 nm (Kd490). To address the intricacies of coastal environments, we propose two complementary strategies to improve the accuracy of inversion. The first strategy leverages MODIS ocean color products alongside a geographic segmentation model to perform distinct inversions for separate marine zones, enhancing spatial resolution and specificity in coastal regions. The second strategy bolsters model interpretability during training by integrating predictions from conventional physical models into a Random Forestbased Regression Ensemble (RFRE) model. This study focuses on the coastal regions surrounding the Beibu Gulf, near Hainan Island in China. Our findings exhibit a strong concordance with MODIS products, achieving a monthly average coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.90, peaking at 0.97, and sustaining a monthly average rootmean-square error (RMSE) of less than 0.02. These results substantiate the model's efficacy. Moreover, the annual trend analysis and localized assessment of the reconstructed Kd490 offer nuanced insights that surpass MODIS data, establishing a robust foundation for high-resolution water quality monitoring in coastal zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From June 2008 to August 2013, approximately 67 kt of CO2 was injected into a deep saline formation at the Ketzin pilot CO2 storage site. During injection, 3D seismic surveys have been performed to monitor the migration of sequestered CO2. Seismic monitoring results are limited by the acquisition and signal-to-noise ratio of the acquired data. The multiphysical reservoir simulation provides information regarding the CO2 fluid behavior, and the approximated model should be calibrated with the monitoring results. In this work, property models are delivered from the multiphysical model during 3D repeated seismic surveys. The simulated seismic data based on the models are compared with the real data, and the results validate the effectiveness of the multiphysical inversion method. Time-lapse analysis shows the trend of CO2 migration during and after injection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global incidence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is steadily escalating, with discernible linkage to the intricate terrain of intestinal microecology. The intestinal microbiota orchestrates a dynamic equilibrium in the organism, metabolizing dietary-derived compounds, a process which profoundly impacts human health. Among these compounds, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which result from microbial metabolic processes, play a versatile role in influencing host energy homeostasis, immune function, and intermicrobial signaling, etc. SCFAs emerge as pivotal risk factors influencing CKD's development and prognosis. This paper review elucidates the impact of gut microbial metabolites, specifically SCFAs, on CKD, highlighting their role in modulating host inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, cellular autophagy, the immune milieu, and signaling cascades. An in-depth comprehension of the interplay between SCFAs and kidney disease pathogenesis may pave the way for their utilization as biomarkers for CKD progression and prognosis or as novel adjunctive therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceropegia sunhangiana P.R.Luo and T.Deng, a new species from Qiaojia, northeast Yunnan, southwest China, is described and illustrated herein based on its morphological characteristics and molecular evidence. This species is similar to C. christenseniana, and C. sinoerecta but can be distinguished easily by its stem, indumentum, leaf, and floral features, especially the corolla shape and size, the corolla tube and lobe characters. Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS, trnL‐trnF, trnS‐trnG, psbA‐trnH and rps16 sequences shows that this new species belongs to C. sect. Chionopegia H.Huber with strong support, which was mutually verified by morphology analyses. A table including the morphological characters of related species and a dichotomous key to all 25 species of Ceropegia in China are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As an effective measurement for severe acute kidney injury (AKI), the prolonged intermittent renal replacement therapy (PIRRT) received attention. Also, machine learning has advanced and been applied to medicine. This study aimed to establish short-term prognosis prediction models for severe AKI patients who received PIRRT by machine learning. Methods: The hospitalized AKI patients who received PIRRT were assigned to this retrospective case-control study. They were grouped based on survival situation and renal recovery status. To screen the correlation, Pearson's correlation coefficient, partial ETA square, and chi-square test were applied, eight machine learning models were used for training. Results: Among 493 subjects, the mortality rate was 51.93% and the kidney recovery rate was 30.43% at 30 days post-discharge, respectively. The indices related to survival were Sodium, Total protein, Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Phosphorus, Thrombin time, Liver cirrhosis, chronic kidney disease stage, number of vital organ injuries, and AKI stage, while Sodium, Total protein, LDH, Phosphorus, Thrombin time, Diabetes, peripherally inserted central catheter and AKI stage were selected to predict the 30-day renal recovery. Naive Bayes has a good performance in the prediction model for survival, Random Forest has a good performance in 30-day renal recovery prediction model, while for 90-day renal recovery prediction model, it's K-Nearest Neighbor. Conclusions: Machine learning can not only screen out indicators influencing prognosis of AKI patients receiving PIRRT, but also establish prediction models to optimize the risk assessment of these people. Moreover, attention should be paid to serum electrolytes to improve prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the gender differences of dioecious plants in response to heavy metal stress, the metabolites of Marchantia polymorpha under cadmium (Cd) stress were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography combined with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS ), and the differential metabolites and metabolic pathways related to different genders were analyzed- The results showed that, without cadmium stress, the levels of flavonoid biosynthesis, purine metabolism and zeatin biosynthesis in females were higher than those in males with significantly higher contents of apigenin, luteolin, adenine and adenosine. After cadmium stress, the levels of flavonoid biosynthesis, purine metabolism and zeatin biosynthesis in females were decreased with the significant decrease of apigenin, luteolin, cyanidin-3-O-galactoside, adenine and adenosine. The metabolic levels of the above three pathways increased in males with the significant increase of differential metabolites kaempferol-3-O-robinoside-7-O-rhamnoside, quercetin, adenosine monophosphate and inosine. Studies have shown gender differences in metabolic changes of M. polymorpha in response to cadmium stress. Among them, female M. polymorpha reduced the synthesis level of zeatin and genetic material, and induced the synthesis of glutathione. Male M. polymorpha increased zeatin synthesis, alleviated chlorophyll degradation, and up-regulated secondary metabolites with antioxidant activity such as quercetin and kaempferol-3-O-robinosider7-O-rhamnoside in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce the harm caused by industrial solid waste to the environment, and solve the problem of excavated soil disposal in buried pipeline management projects, this study proposes a method to produce soil-based controlled low strength materials (CLSM) by using industrial solid wastes (including fly ash and red mud) as partial replacements for cement. The properties of CLSM were characterized in terms of flowability, unconfined compressive strength, phase composition and microstructure. The test results showed that fly ash could significantly improve the flowability of CLSM, while red mud had more advantages for the strength development. When 20% fly ash and 30% red mud were combined to replace cement, the fluidity of CLSM was 248 mm, and the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) at 3, 7 and 28 days was 1.08, 1.49 and 3.77 MPa, respectively. The hydration products of CLSM were mainly calcium silicate hydrate gels, ettringite and calcite. Fly ash provided nucleation sites for cement hydration, while the alkali excitation of red mud promoted the dissolution of SiO2 and Al2O3 in fly ash. The filling and gelation of hydration products make the microstructure dense, which improves the mechanical properties of the mixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhizobia inoculation is widely used in legumes to improve the yield and quality of forage. However, the symbiotic interactions of different legumes are specific. The search for efficient strains plays an important role in legume forage and in practical production. In this study, Desmodium intortum was first inoculated with rhizobia from different regions, and then the production traits, nutritional quality, and fermentation of D. intortum in the rumen were evaluated according to the rhizobia strains. The results showed that, compared with the control, inoculation with different rhizobia strains significantly increased the number of nodules, shoot fresh weight, crude protein content, plant protein yield, and ether extract content of D. intortum, and inoculation with the R3 strain (Bradyrhizobium elkanii) increased these values by 61.0%, 29.6%, 16.1%, 62.9%, and 30.4%, respectively. In the basal diet of Pennisetum purpureum Rich. × P. americana King grass cv. Reyan No.4, D. intortum inoculated with different rhizobia was added (75:25), and the combination of the inoculated R3 and R5 strains increased the rumen's ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) levels and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD): R3 increased the contents of NH3-N and IVDMD by 50.1% and 12.3%, respectively, while R5 increased them by 50.9% and 15.4%, respectively. Based on a comprehensive evaluation through principal component analysis, R3 was ranked first overall. These results support the development of competitive inoculants from indigenous strains as a strategy to improve the nutritional value of D. intortum and ruminal fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leptonic mixing patterns are usually extracted on the basis of groups or algebraic structures. In this paper, we introduce an alternative geometric method to study the correlations between the leptonic mixing parameters. At the 3 σ level of the recent global fit data of neutrino oscillations, the distribution of the scattered points of the angles between the vectors, which are constructed by the element of the leptonic mixing matrix, is analysed. We find that the scattered points are concentrated on several special regions. Using the data in these regions, correlations of the leptonic mixing angles and the Dirac CP violating phase are obtained. The implications of the correlations are shown through the predicted flavor ratio of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos (HANs) at Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent reported Glashow resonance (GR) event shows a promising prospect in the test of the Lorentz violation (LV) by the high-energy astrophysical neutrinos (HANs) around the resonant energy. However, since the production source and the energy spectra of HANs are uncertain at present, moderate LV effects may be concealed at the TeV energy-scale. In this paper, we propose the LV Hamiltonian of a special texture which can lead to the decoupling of ν μ ( ν ̄ μ). On the base of the decoupling, a noticeable damping of the GR event rate is shown for the HANs from the source dominated by ν ̄ μ , irrespective of the energy spectra of the HANs at Earth. Accordingly, the observation of GR events may bring stringent constraints on the LV and the production mechanism of HANs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been established that long-chain coding RNA (lncRNA) SLC25A25-AS1 is associated with cancer progression. However, the roles and mechanisms of SLC25A25-AS1 in prostate cancer (PC) have not been reported in the literature. The present study explored the relationship between SLC25A25-AS1 expression and PC progression via comprehensive analysis. The pan-cancer expression of SLC25A25-AS1 was identified using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and tissue specimens from our hospital. The expression levels of SLC25A25-AS1 in various subgroups based on the clinical features were identified. The prognostic value of SLC25A25-AS1 and SLC25A25-AS1 co-expressed lncRNAs in PC patients was assessed by survival analysis and ROC analysis, and prognosis-related risk models of SLC25A25-AS1 were constructed. The relationship between SLC25A25-AS1 and the PC immune microenvironment was investigated using correlation analysis. SLC25A25-AS1 expression in PC was significantly increased and correlated with the T stage, clinical stage, Gleason score (GS), and dismal prognosis. SLC25A25-AS1 overexpression exhibited good performance in evaluating the prognosis of PC patients. The area under the curves (AUCs) of the 1-, 3-, and 5- year overall survival (OS) for SLC25A25-AS1 was 1, 0.876, and 0.749. Moreover, the AUCs for the 1-, 3-, and 5-year progress free interval (PFI) for SLC25A25- AS1 were 0.731, 0.701, and 0.718. SLC25A25-AS1 overexpression correlated with the infiltration of CD8 T cells, interstitial dendritic cells (IDC), macrophages and other cells. AC020558.2, ZNF32-AS2, AP4B1-AS1, AL355488.1, AC109460.3, SNHG1, C3orf35, LMNTD2-AS1, and AL365330.1 were significantly associated with SLC25A25-AS1 expression, and short OS and PFI in PC patients. The risk models of the SLC25A25-AS1-related lncRNAs were associated with a dismal prognosis in PC. Overall, SLC25A25-AS1 expression was increased in PC and related to the prognosis and PC immune microenvironment. The risk model of SLC25A25-AS1 have huge prospect for application as prognostic tools in PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA modification of m6A/m5C/m1A contributes to the occurrence and development of cancer. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the functions of m6A/m5C/m1A regulated genes in the prognosis and immune microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The expression levels of 45 m6A/m5C/m1A regulated genes in HCC tissues were determined. The functional mechanisms and protein–protein interaction network of m6A/m5C/m1A regulated genes were investigated. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) HCC gene set was categorized based on 45 m6A/m5C/m1A regulated genes, and survival analysis was used to determine the relationship between the overall survival of HCC patients in subgroups. Cox and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analyses were used to construct the risk model and nomogram for m6A/m5C/m1A regulated genes. The relationships between m6A/m5C/m1A regulated gene subsets and risk model and immune cell infiltration were analyzed using CIBERSORT. m6A/m5C/m1A regulated genes were involved in mRNA and RNA modifications, mRNA and RNA methylation, mRNA and RNA stability, and other processes. There was a statistically significant difference between cluster1 and cluster2 groups of genes regulated by m6A/m5C/m1A. The prognosis of cluster1 patients was significantly better than that of cluster2 patients. There were statistically significant differences between the two cluster groups in terms of fustat status, grade, clinical stage, and T stage of HCC patients. The risk model comprised the overexpression of YBX1, ZC3H13, YTHDF1, TRMT10C, YTHDF2, RRP8, TRMT6, LRPPRC, and IGF2BP3, which contributed to the poor prognosis of HCC patients. The high-risk score was associated with prognosis, fustat status, grade, clinical stage, T stage, and M stage and was an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in HCC patients. High-risk score mechanisms included spliceosome, RNA degradation, and DNA replication, among others, and high-risk was closely related to stromal score, CD4 memory resting T cells, M0 macrophages, M1 macrophages, resting mast cells, CD4 memory activated T cells, and follicular helper T cells. In conclusion, the cluster subgroup and risk model of m6A/m5C/m1A regulated genes were associated with the poor prognosis and immune microenvironment in HCC and are expected to be the new tools for assessing the prognosis of HCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to their excellent characteristics, Pickering emulsions have been widely used in the development and the application of new carriers for embedding and for delivering active compounds. In this study, β-carotene was successfully encapsulated in a Pickering emulsion stabilized using Desmodium intortum protein isolate (DIPI). The results showed that the encapsulation efficiencies of β-carotene in the control group Tween 20 emulsion (TE) and the DIPI Pickering emulsion (DIPIPE) were 46.7 ± 2.5% and 97.3 ± 0.8%, respectively. After storage for 30 days at 25 °C and 37 °C in a dark environment, approximately 79.4% and 72.1% of β-carotene in DIPIPE were retained. Compared with TE, DIPIPE can improve the stability of β-carotene during storage. In vitro digestion experiments showed that the bioaccessibility rate of β-carotene in DIPIPE was less than that in TE. Cytotoxicity experiments showed that DIPI and β-carotene micelles within a specific concentration range exerted no toxic effects on 3T3 cells. These results indicate that DIPIPE can be used as a good food-grade carrier for embedding and transporting active substances to broaden the application of the protein-based Pickering emulsion system in the development of functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leptonic mixing parameters of high precision and the next-generation neutrino telescopes make it possible to test new physics in the flavor transition of the high-energy astrophysical neutrinos (HAN). We introduce a nonsymmetric matrix to modify the predictions of the standard flavor transition matrix. It is constructed with the mixing matrix in vacuum and that at the source of the HAN. The mismatch of the mixing matrices results in the new expectation of the flavor ratio of the HAN at Earth. It also leads to a secondary effect called the apparent P violation (APV). The quantitative analyses of the new effects are performed with a moderate setup of the parameters at the source of the HAN. The correlations between the mixing parameters and the new predictions are shown. From the correlations, the dominant parameters determining the new-physics effects are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Insulin resistance in chronic kidney disease (CKD) stimulates muscle wasting, but the molecular processes behind the resistance are undetermined. However, inflammation in skeletal muscle is implicated in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and cachexia. Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) are known to regulate local innate immune responses, and microarray data have shown that Tlr13 is upregulated in the muscles of mice with CKD, but the relevance is unknown. Materials and Methods: We performed in vitro experiments in C2C12 myotubes and constructed a CKD murine model using subtotal nephrectomy to conduct experiments in vivo. Results: Tlr13 expression was stimulated in C2C12 myotubes treated with uremic serum. The expression of Tlr13 was also upregulated in the tibialis anterior muscles of mice with CKD. Tlr13 knockdown with siRNAs in skeletal muscle cells decreased insulin resistance despite the inclusion of uremic serum. This led to increased levels of p‐AKT and suppression of protein degradation. Using immunofluorescence staining and coimmunoprecipitation assay, we found that TLR13 recruits IRF3, which activates Irf3 expression, resulting in decreased AKT activity. Moreover, insulin resistance and proteolysis are re‐induced by Irf3 overexpression under Tlr13 deletion. Conclusions: Our results indicate that TLR13 is involved in CKD‐mediated insulin resistance in muscle. In catabolic conditions where insulin signaling is impaired, targeting TLR13 may improve insulin sensitivity and prevent muscle atrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Muscle protein catabolism in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) results in striking loss of muscle proteins, which increases morbidity and mortality risks. Evidence shows that short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs) play an important role in health maintenance and disease development. Recently, the connection between butyrate (a SCFA) and DN has been revealed, although the relationship between butyrate and muscle atrophy remains unclear. Experimental Approach We studied changes in serum butyrate levels in DN patients using metabolomic analyses. In db/db mice, protective effects of butyrate on DN‐induced muscle atrophy. were explored. Inhibition of muscle atrophy by butyrate and the underlying mechanism(s) were studied in C2C12 cells exposed to high glucose/lipopolysaccharide (HG/LPS). Key Results: Butyrate levels in DN patients were significantly decreased. In db/db mice, supplementing normal diet with butyrate improved intestinal barrier function. Concurrently, butyrate alleviated muscle atrophy, promoted PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling, and suppressed oxidative stress and autophagy in skeletal muscle of db/db mice, and in HG/LPS‐exposed C2C12 cells. Further, FFA2 receptors, key components of SCFA signalling, were decreased in skeletal muscle of db/db mice and in HG/LPS‐exposed C2C12 cells. Overexpression of FFA2 receptors activated PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling and inhibited oxidative stress and autophagy in HG/LPS‐exposed C2C12 cells. Silencing of FFA2 blocked PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling that was improved by butyrate, as well as the suppression of oxidative stress and reduction of autophagy. Conclusion and Implication: Butyrate exerts protective effects on muscle atrophy induced by DN by enhancing intestinal barrier function and activating the FFA2 receptor‐mediated PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vascular calcification associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) can increase the risk of mortality. Elevated serum levels of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) promotes vascular calcification in CKD via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) prevents fibrosis in CKD by blocking the expression of β-catenin target genes through deacetylation. This study aimed to investigate whether the inhibition of vascular calcification by bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC)-derived exosomes is related to SIRT6 activity and assess the regulatory relationship between HMGB1 and SIRT6. Methods: CKD characteristics, osteogenic markers, calcium deposition, and the differential expression of HMGB1 and SIRT6 have been measured in a 5/6 nephrectomized mouse CKD model fed a high-phosphate diet to induce aortic calcification. In vitro assays were also performed to validate the in vivo findings. Results: High phosphate promotes the translocation of HMGB1 from the nucleus to the cytosol and induces the expression of Runx2, osteopontin, and Msx2. However, BMSC-derived exosomes were found to alleviate CKD-related fibrosis and the induction of osteogenic genes although less significantly when SIRT6 expression is suppressed. SIRT6 was found to modulate the cytosol translocation of HMGB1 by deacetylation in vascular smooth muscle cells. Conclusion: Our results indicate that BMSC-derived exosomes inhibit high phosphate-induced aortic calcification and ameliorate renal function via the SIRT6–HMGB1 deacetylation pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichoderma spp. are widely applied, eco-friendly mycofungicides and plant growth promoters. Native Trichoderma strains are likely to have more productive, stable biocontrol and biofertilizer activities since they are well adapted to the local environment. In this study, we isolated a native Trichoderma strain 'Th62' from the rhizosphere soil of wild Chelidonium majus plants in Harbin, China (126.6341°E, 45.7242°N). The isolated Trichoderma strain was identified as a T. harzianum strain via morphological observation and molecular methods based on the rDNA internal transcribed spacer region and elongation factor-1α gene sequences. Significant antagonistic activities of Th62 against five soil-borne fungal phytopathogens, Fusarium oxysporum, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Alternaria alternata, Cytospora chrysosperma, and Rhizoctonia solani, were confirmed by dual-culture assays. Furthermore, the crude fermentation products of Th62 also displayed antifungal activities against these five pathogens. To evaluate the function of Th62 as a biofertilizer, we subsequently applied Th62 on cockscomb (Celosia cristata L), a plant species with both ornamental and medicinal values, by inoculation with Th62 conidia at different concentrations, 1 × 1010 cfu mL−1, 1 × 1011 cfu mL−1, and 1 × 1012 cfu mL−1. The beneficial effects of Th62 were evaluated by measuring the growth and photosynthetic traits of the inoculated cockscomb plants, and the results demonstrated that Th62 significantly improved the photosynthetic efficiency, photosynthetic capacity, and the adaptability to intense light of the inoculated cockscomb plants compared to the controls. Consistently, Th62 inoculation significantly improved the growth and flower yield of cockscomb. We presented a positive case of isolating and applying native microbial resources on local plantation practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsions exhibit delivery matrix and exhibit poor lipid solubility. Therefore, increasing the stability of W/O microemulsions is necessary to broaden their applications. In our experiment, a protein microemulsion system was constructed and its stability was investigated. The effects of surfactants, co-surfactants, quality ratio of them (Km) and hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) values were determined by using the pseudo-ternary phase diagrams and the area of microemulsions (MEs) as the indexes. The results showed that MEs' stability was the best when the limonene was used as oil phase, Tween 20 + span 80 as the surfactant, and anhydrous alcohol as co-surfactant, if and only if HLB = 6.0 and Km = 3:1. Under this condition, the area of micro-emulsion was the largest, and the quality of microemulsion was better when the mass ratio of oil phase and emulsifier was 7:5.The protein microemulsion was a water-in-oil type, with a particle size of 1.41 ± 0.03 μm, containing 1127.37 ± 30.87 μg/g of proteins. Moreover, the temperature, light, and sample observation tests showed that the solution's protein retention rate was lower than those in the microemulsion. Low-concentration NaCl, less than 9% of glucose and maltose exerted no significant influence on the protein microemulsion stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: P. multocida (Pasteurella multocida) is animal-sourced gram-negative coccobacillus which can be transmitted to human through many animals including household pets. P. multocida induced peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis has rarely been reported. In recent years, there has been an increase in the incidence of P. multocida induced peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis, for the reason that patients with PD at home bred household pets. In this study, we present a case of a P. multocida induced peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis, which is suspected to be caused through intimate contact with a household cat and we have reviewed 28 cases reported before and give suggestions for treatment and the way of prevention.Case Presentation: A 75-year-old man with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) for nearly 5 years on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) was admitted to the nephrology department with a 1-week history of abdominal pain and a cloudy peritoneal dialysis effluent. Based on the history, physical examination and laboratory results with the findings in the peritoneal dialysis fluid, a diagnosis of peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis was confirmed. The final culture of initial peritoneal effluent results indicated the organism was P. multocida. After a 12-day antibiotic treatment, the condition of patient was not improved. The patient was switched to ampicillin/sulbactam (3 g intravenously) twice every day and the condition was improved significantly. On further inquiring, the patient reported that he had had a cat at home and when the patient did CAPD, the cat was usually playing with the tubing or contacting the patient during CAPD.Conclusion: In our case and reviewed cases, P. multocida induced peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis could be cured by proper antibiotic treatment. If individuals keep the pet away from the PD process, the infection route may be severed. P. multocida induced peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis does not need catheter removal and exchange with hemodialysis except long-time intractable peritonitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lepton mixing patterns from the modular group PSL2(7) with generalized CP symmetries are studied. The residual symmetries in both charged lepton and neutrino sectors are Z 2 × C P. Seven types of mixing patterns at the 3σ level of the new global fit data are obtained. Among these patterns, three types of patterns can give the Dirac CP phase which is in the 1σ range of the global fit data. The effective mass of neutrinoless double-beta decay for these patterns is also examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent stringent experiment data of neutrino oscillations induces partial symmetries such as Z 2 and Z 2 × CP to derive lepton mixing patterns. New partial symmetries expressed with elements of group algebras are studied. A specific lepton mixing pattern could correspond to a set of equivalent elements of a group algebra. The transformation which interchanges the elements could express a residual CP symmetry. Lepton mixing matrices from S 3 group algebras are of the trimaximal form with the μ − τ reflection symmetry. Accordingly, elements of S 3 group algebras are equivalent to Z 2 × CP. Comments on S 4 group algebras are given. The predictions of Z 2 × CP broken from the group S 4 with the generalized CP symmetry are also obtained from elements of S 4 group algebras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To collect information and statistical data regarding the current oral health care and dental education resources in China. Methods: Electronic databases were searched and a literature review conducted. The homepages of relevant universities and colleges were visited to collect dental education information. In addition, private conversations with related experts were conducted. Results: Compared with the 3rd National Oral Health Survey (2005), the ratio of gingival bleeding in individuals aged 33 to 44 years has increased in the last 10 years. The average percentage of residents visiting departments of dentistry in public hospitals is less than 10%. The total number of dentists and assistant dentists increased to 167,227 in 2016, with a ratio of 1.21 per 10,000 people. There is a great imbalance in the distribution of dental practitioners among the provinces. There are 101 dental schools or departments of stomatology that provide 5-year dental training courses and offer bachelor's degrees in dentistry, with another 93 dental institutions offering shorter 3-year training courses for assistant dentists. Conclusion: The results of the present study show that there has been significant change during recent years in China. However, the ratio of dental practitioners to the population as well as the number of dental visits carried out is still much lower than in developed countries and does not satisfy the demand for dental care in China. The quality and quantity of dental education, including continuing dental education, calls for improvement in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are considered the most important seed cells in bone tissue engineering. The present study aimed to investigate the potential of rabbit BMSCs in osteogenesis after the transfection of human BMP-2 and EGFP recombinant adenovirus. Rabbit BMSCs were isolated and the surface stem cell makers, including CD29, CD44 and CD45 were detected by flow cytometry. The expression of BMP-2 mRNA and protein in BMSCs were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis, respectively. After an induction with osteogenic medium, the alkaline phosphatase (ALK) activity at 7 days, the type I collagen at 14 days, and the calcium nodules at 21 days were performed using an ALK activity kit, immunohistochemical staining and alizarin red S staining, respectively. The expression levels of proteins related to the Wnt signaling pathway were detected by western blot analysis. The positive rates of CD29, CD44 and CD45 were 62.92±1.99, 93.55±0.99 and 0.21±0.12%. The expression of BMP-2 mRNA and protein was significantly upregulated in Ad-BMP-2/EGFP transfected BMSCs. Furthermore, Ad-BMP-2/EGFP induced ALP activity, promoted the production of type I collagen and calcium nodule formation in rabbit BMSCs. The levels of β-catenin, cyclin D1, Runx2 and c-myc were upregulated in Ad-hBMP-2/EGFP transfected BMSCs, while the level of GSK3β was significantly decreased. Results also indicated that the overexpression of BMP-2 by Ad-hBMP-2/EGFP enhanced the osteogenic differentiation ability of cultured rabbit BMSCs via stimulating the Wnt signaling pathway with the accumulation of β-catenin and suppression of GSK3β. The Ad-hBMP-2/EGFP transfected rabbit BMSCs are expected to be a good seed cell in bone tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This clinical study used cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) to locate the position of the anastomosis canal in lateral wall of maxillary sinuses, and to evaluate the thickness of lateral sinus wall and the distance from the lower border of the canal to the sinus floor, which could provide surgeon with information about this anastomosis. Two hundred and forty-two (242) volumes of CBCT scans were included in this study. The distances from the lower border of the anastomosis canal to the sinus floor and from the maxillary alveolar crest to the sinus floor were evaluated in transversal plane, and the thickness of the lateral sinus wall was measured at the distance of 3, 6, 9 mm from the sinus floor and at the level of the lower border of the canal at the same plane. The canal was identified in 87.6% (424/484) of the sinus. Most canals were intraosseous, or beneath the sinus membrane. The mean distance was 9.2 ± 3.5 mm from the lower border of the canal to the sinus floor, and 10.8 ± 4.0 mm from the alveolar crest to the sinus floor. The thickness of the lateral sinus wall was 2.4 ± 0.9 mm, 1.8±0.8 mm, 1.7 ± 0.7 mm, 1.8 ± 0.8 mm at the distance of 3, 6, 9 mm from the sinus floor and at the level of the lower border of the canal. The location of the anastomosis canals varied from each patient, but the distance from the sinus floor was similar in different teeth sites. The sinus floor could be an anatomic landmark of sinus floor augmentation. In order not to interrupt this canal, great care must be taken by the implant surgeon to identify this canal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a pulsed wavelength-agile laser near 765 nm, which was frequency doubled from an erbium-doped fiber amplifier for oxygen A-band spectroscopy. A single frequency distributed feedback laser around 1529.6 nm was employed as the seed. After three stages of amplification, its average power was boosted to 610 mW and was then frequency doubled via a 15-mm-long MgO:PPLN crystal with the highest conversion efficiency of 34%. Thanks to the short crystal length expanding the acceptance bandwidth, a power difference of only 36% for the second harmonic output was achieved within the whole wavelength tuning range benefitting low-noise remote sensing. The measured oxygen transmission spectra using a 0.5-meter-long gas cell with multiple passes were mostly in good agreement with the calculations from HITRAN 2012 database indicating the capability of our laser for oxygen A-band related remote sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Skeletal myoblast transplantation seems a promising approach for the repair of myocardial infarction (MI). However, the low engraftment efficacy and impaired angiogenic ability limit the clinical efficiency of the myoblasts. Gene engineering with angiogenic growth factors promotes angiogenesis and enhances engraftment of transplanted skeletal myoblasts, leading to improved infarction recovery in myocardial ischemia. The present study evaluated the therapeutic effects of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) gene-engineered skeletal myoblasts on tissue regeneration and restoration of heart function in a rat MI model. Methods and results: The skeletal myoblasts were isolated, expanded, and transduced with adenovirus carrying the HGF gene (Ad-HGF). Male SD rats underwent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. After 2 weeks, the surviving rats were randomized into four groups and treated with skeletal myoblasts by direct injection into the myocardium. The survival and engraftment of skeletal myoblasts were determined by real-time PCR and in situ hybridization. The cardiac function with hemodynamic index and left ventricular architecture were monitored; The adenovirus-mediated-HGF gene transfection increases the HGF expression and promotes the proliferation of skeletal myoblasts in vitro. Transplantation of HGF-engineered skeletal myoblasts results in reduced infarct size and collagen deposition, increased vessel density, and improved cardiac function in a rat MI model. HGF gene modification also increases the myocardial levels of HGF, VEGF, and Bcl-2 and enhances the survival and engraftment of skeletal myoblasts. Conclusions: HGF engineering improves the regenerative effect of skeletal myoblasts on MI by enhancing their survival and engraftment ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Virtual Touch tissue imaging quantification (VTIQ; Siemens Medical Solutions, Mountain View, CA) is useful for assessing tissue hardness. This study aimed to investigate the value of VTIQ in differential diagnosis of cervical lymph nodes. Methods We retrospectively analyzed conventional sonograms and VTIQ images of 85 pathologically confirmed patients with superficial lymph node lesions. Conventional sonography was first performed, with 2-dimensional images described. Then VTIQ shear wave velocity (SWV) values of superficial lymph nodes were measured. With pathologic diagnosis as the reference standard, a receiver operating characteristic curve was generated to evaluate VTIQ efficacy in differential diagnosis of metastatic and nonmetastatic cervical lymph nodes. Results Of the 85 nodes, 44 and 41 were metastatic and nonmetastatic, respectively. The latter group included 24 and 17 hematologic/lymphatic system disease and reactive hyperplastic nodes, respectively. Shear wave velocity values of metastatic nodes were significantly higher than those of their nonmetastatic counterparts ( P < .001). With an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.953 and SWV cutoff of 3.27 m/s, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 89.4%, 88.6%, and 90.2%, respectively, for distinguishing metastatic and nonmetastatic nodes. An AUC of 0.943 and SWV cutoff of 3.23 m/s yielded accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 88.2%, 88.6%, and 87.5% for differentiating metastatic from hematologic/lymphatic system disease nodes. Finally, an AUC of 0.968 and SWV cutoff of 3.27 m/s yielded accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 90.2%, 88.6%, and 94.1% for differentiating metastatic from reactive hyperplastic nodes. Conclusions Virtual Touch tissue imaging quantification is efficient in differential diagnosis of metastatic and nonmetastatic cervical lymph nodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many viable combinations of texture zeros in lepton mass matrices. We propose an economical and stable mass texture. Analytical and numerical results on mixing parameters and the effective mass of neutrinos are obtained. These results satisfy new constraints from neutrinos oscillation experiments and cosmological observations. Their stabilities are also examined through the perturbations to some structure parameters. Our proposition reveals that, in the complex forest of neutrinos mixing models, a simple and stable one is still possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maternal or paternal dietary composition can have important effects on various aspects of their offspring's physiology. Studies from animal models and humans showed that a maternal high-fiber diet protected offspring against fat accumulation. However, little is known about how a maternal lowfiber diet modifies the metabolism of offspring in herbivorous rodents. We hypothesized that a maternal low-fiber diet would confer long-lasting beneficial effects on offspring metabolic phenotypes in herbivorous Brandt's vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii). Female voles were fed either a control (12.4% fiber) or a low-fiber (3.5% fiber) diet throughout pregnancy and lactation, and all offspring were fed the control diet after weaning till 14 wk old. Offspring were sampled from each litter at 18 d and 14 wk of age. Another subset of adult offspring at 15 wk of age was fed a high-fat diet for 8 wk.We found that there was no difference in litter size, litter mass, or pupmass before weaning between the two maternal diet groups. Offspring from the maternal low-fiber diet increased energy intake, body mass, and lean mass; suppressed fat accumulation; and improved glucose tolerance compared with those from the control diet. Moreover, the maternal low-fiber diet alleviated high-fat diet-induced obesity in the adult offspring. Serum leptin concentration and uncoupling protein 1 content in brown adipose tissue of offspring were not affected by a maternal low-fiber diet. We demonstrate that herbivorous females fed a low-fiber diet during pregnancy and lactation may predispose their offspring to accelerated growth of lean tissue, which may increase the opportunity for survival and reproduction in offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Proliferation and migration of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play important roles in restoring vascular injuries. β2 adrenergic receptors (β2ARs) are widely expressed in many tissues and have a beneficial impact on EPCs regulating neoangiogenesis. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of overexpressing β2ARs in infused peripheral blood (PB)-derived EPCs on the re-endothelialization in injured vessels. Methods: Induction of endothelial injury was performed in male nude mice that were subjected to wire-mediated injury to the carotid artery. Human PB-derived EPCs were transfected with an adenovirus serotype 5 vector expressing β2AR (Ad5/β2AR-EPCs) and were examined 48 h later. β2AR gene expression in EPCs was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. In vitro, the proliferation, migration, adhesion, and nitric oxide production of Ad5/β2AR-EPCs were measured. Meanwhile, phosphorylated Akt and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), which are downstream of β2AR signaling, were also elevated. In an in vivo study, CM-DiI-labeled EPCs were injected intravenously into mice subjected to carotid injury. After 3 days, cells recruited to the injury sites were detected by fluorescent microscopy, and the re-endothelialization was assessed by Evans blue dye. Results: In vitro, β2AR overexpression augmented EPC proliferation, migration, and nitric oxide production and enhanced EPC adhesion to endothelial cell monolayers. In vivo, when cell tracking was used, the number of recruited CM-DiI-labeled EPCs was significantly higher in the injured zone in mice transfused with Ad5/β2AR-EPCs compared with non-transfected EPCs. The degree of re-endothelialization was also higher in the mice transfused with Ad5/β2AR-EPCs compared with non-transfected EPCs. We also found that the phosphorylation of Akt and eNOS was increased in Ad5/β2AR-EPCs. Preincubation with β2AR inhibitor (ICI118,551), Akt inhibitor (ly294002), or eNOS inhibitor (L-NAME) significantly attenuated the enhanced in vitro function and in vivo re-endothelialization capacity of EPCs induced by β2AR overexpression. Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that β2AR overexpression enhances EPC functions in vitro and enhances the vascular repair abilities of EPCs in vivo via the β2AR/Akt/eNOS pathway. Upregulation of β2AR gene expression through gene transfer may be a novel therapeutic target for endothelial repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multiple protein or microRNA markers have been recognized to contribute to the progression and recurrence of cervical cancers. Particular those, which are associated with the chemo- or radio-resistance of cervical cancers, have been proposed to be promising and to facilitate the definition for cervical cancer treatment options. Methods: This study was designed to explore the potential prognosis value of p21-activated kinase (PAK)-4 in cervical cancer, via the Kaplan-Meier analysis, log-rank test and Cox regression analysis, and then to investigate the regulatory role of PAK4 in the cisplatin resistance in cervical cancer cells, via the strategies of both PAK4 overexpression and PAK4 knockout. Results: It was demonstrated that PAK4 was upregulated in cervical cancer tissues, in an association with the cancer's malignance variables such as FIGO stage, lymph node or distant metastasis and the poor histological grade. The high PAK4 expression was also independently associated with poor prognosis to cervical cancer patients. Moreover, PAK4 confers cisplatin resistance in cervical cancer Hela or Caski cells. In addition, the PI3K/Akt pathway has been implicated in the PAK4-confered cisplatin resistance. And the PI3K/Akt inhibitor, LY294002, markedly deteriorated the cisplatin-mediated viability reduction of Hela or Caski cells, indicating the involvement of PI3K/Akt pathway in the cisplatin resistance in cervical cancer cells. Conclusion: This study has confirmed the significant prognostic role of PAK4 level in cervical cancer patients and has recognized the regulatory role in cervical cancer progression. Moreover, our study has indicated that PAK4 also confers the chemoresistance of cervical cancer cells in a PI3K/Akt-dependent way. Thus, our study indicates PAK4 as a promising marker for cervical cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Usher syndrome (USH) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by hearing impairment and vision dysfunction due to retinitis pigmentosa. Phenotypic and genetic heterogeneities of this disease make it impractical to obtain a genetic diagnosis by conventional Sanger sequencing. Methods: In this study, we applied a next-generation sequencing approach to detect genetic abnormalities in patients with USH. Two unrelated Chinese families were recruited, consisting of two USH afflicted patients and four unaffected relatives. We selected 199 genes related to inherited retinal diseases as targets for deep exome sequencing. Through systematic data analysis using an established bioinformatics pipeline, all variants that passed filter criteria were validated by Sanger sequencing and co-segregation analysis. Results: A homozygous frameshift mutation (c.4382delA, p.T1462Lfs*2) was revealed in exon20 of gene USH2A in the F1 family. Two compound heterozygous mutations, IVS47 + 1G > A and c.13156A > T (p.I4386F), located in intron 48 and exon 63 respectively, of USH2A, were identified as causative mutations for the F2 family. Of note, the missense mutation c.13156A > T has not been reported so far. Conclusion: In conclusion, targeted exome sequencing precisely and rapidly identified the genetic defects in two Chinese USH families and this technique can be applied as a routine examination for these disorders with significant clinical and genetic heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are protein-bound uremic toxins and are elevated in patients with the end-stage of renal disease. The present study sought to develop an effective method to remove the circulating AGEs from patients using the combination of hemodialysis (HD) and hemoperfusion (HP). Thirty-six patients undergoing maintenance HD for 3 months were randomly divided into two groups. Patients in Group 1 received HD, followed by the combined HP + HD treatment once, whereas patients in Group 2 were first treated with HP + HD and then they received the HD treatment alone. Patients treated with HD alone did not alter higher levels of serum AGEs. In contrast, patients treated with the combined HP + HD exhibited significantly lower levels of serum AGEs and TNF-α. Results from this study demonstrate that the combination of HD + HP treatment may be an effective and better approach to remove the protein-bound uremic toxins and inflammatory cytokines. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemodialysis catheters remain necessary for long-term vascular access in patients for whom arteriovenous access may be problematic or impossible. Developments in catheter design have improved long-term catheter functionality, and reduced the rate of infection and complications associated with their use. This retrospective study of 284 cases of chronic catheterization in 271 patients treated between 2009 and 2011 using Tal Palindrome™ symmetrical-tip (N = 118) or Quinton™ Permcath™ step-tip (N = 166) hemodialysis catheters evaluates the efficacy and the safety of symmetrical-tip dialysis catheters for chronic hemodialysis, compared with a step-tip catheter. Measurements of catheter performance included mean catheter dwell time, incidence of low blood flow, and rates of infection and catheter-related blood stream infection (CRBSI). The symmetrical-tip catheter had a significantly longer mean dwell time compared with the step-tip catheter; 329.4 ± 38.1 versus 273.1 ± 25.4 d (p < 0.05). In addition, the rate of occurrence of low blood flow per 1000 catheter days was lower for the symmetrical-tip compared with the step-tip catheter; 1.13 versus 6.86 (p < 0.01). The symmetrical-tip catheter was also associated with a lower incidence of complications; the rates of infection (0.28 vs. 0.78;p < 0.01) and CRBSI (0.15 vs. 0.44;p < 0.01) were lower compared with those for step-tip catheters, and catheter removal occurred less often for the symmetrical-tip catheter (8% vs. 16%;p < 0.05). The symmetrical-tip hemodialysis catheter was associated with a longer mean dwell time, lower incidence of low blood flow, and lower infection rate compared with the step-tip catheter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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