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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a global challenge, and heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is identified as a key driver in cancer progression. However, the tumor-promoting mechanism of HSP90 in CRC, particularly HSP90AB1, remains unclear. This study aims to explore and analyze the oncogenic mechanism of HSP90AB1 in CRC and identify potential therapeutic targets. HSP90AB1 expression underwent analysis in CRC cell lines and tissues at mRNA and protein levels. Through the use of shRNA, targeted suppression of HSP90AB1 was achieved in CRC cell lines, enabling analysis of its influence on cell proliferation, invasion, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression. Subsequent investigation focused on elucidating the regulatory relationship between HSP90AB1 and IDO1, employing a combination of bioinformatics approaches and in vitro/vivo experiments. These efforts confirmed IDO1 as a downstream target of HSP90AB1 and provided insight into its role in driving CRC progression. HSP90AB1 exhibits overexpression in both CRC cell lines and tumor tissues (p<0.05). Its downregulation impedes cell proliferation and invasion (p<0.01), promotes apoptosis and cell cycle arrest (p<0.05). Investigation reveals that decreased HSP90AB1 leads to the inhibition of IDO1 (p<0.01), suggesting that IDO1 regulation plays a crucial role in mediating the pro-tumorigenic effects of HSP90AB1. In vivo experiments confirm the substantial reduction in tumor growth upon HSP90AB1 knockdown in xenograft models (p<0.01). However, this tumor-suppressive effect is reversed upon IDO1 overexpression (p<0.01), highlighting IDO1 as a downstream target of HSP90AB1 in CRC progression. HSP90AB1 exerts a regulatory role in the progression of CRC by upregulating IDO1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of a 56 m deep circular excavation supported by a double-wall system, consisting of an inner circular diaphragm wall and an outer rectangular cut-off wall, in Shanghai soft ground is studied in this paper. The surveyed data (e.g., lateral wall deflections (δh), horizontal displacement of soil (δs), ground surface settlement (δv), soil rebound (δv+), earth pressure (P), pore water pressure (Pw), and soil stress path) are systematically investigated. The results show that the maximum lateral wall deflections are 0.002% ∼ 0.03% of the excavation depth (He). The maximum ground surface settlement (δvm) is generally larger than δhm, which is located at 0.4 ∼ 0.6He. Moreover, an innovative formula is proposed to estimate the ground settlement. It is able to distinguish various characteristics of surface settlement in different zones of the settlement profile. The ground surface settlements are mainly induced by surcharge loading and continuous excavation, and they are related to the change in confined water level. The lateral earth and pore water pressures in the active zone are relatively insensitive to the excavation, while the correlation becomes obvious in the passive zone. The findings from this study can be helpful to the design of other similar deep excavations in soft clay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the nonlocal, nonordinary state-based peridynamics (NOSBPD) is introduced as a novel regularization technique to study the strain localization and progressive failure of soil slopes due to strain softening behavior. The NOSBPD formulations are introduced first, and then the strain-softening Mohr–Coulomb model is incorporated into the nonlocal framework. The implicit formulations of the nonlinear NOSBPD model under the plane strain condition combined with the energy dissipation-based arc-length method to avoid the limitations of the force and displacement control in the nonlinear analysis are given. Numerical examples, including the plane strain biaxial experiments and slope models, validate the effectiveness of the proposed method in terms of alleviating mesh sensitivity. The results show that this nonlocal method can remove the mesh dependence, and the localized shear band is related to the nonlocal parameter δ. The proposed method involves being able to capture strength mobilization in different parts of the sliding surface during the progressive failure process of the soil slope. It can avoid the dilemma that the peak strength is too dangerous and the residual strength is too conservative due to the rigid body assumption in the limit equilibrium method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) cause therapeutic refractoriness and relapse in hepatocellular carcinoma. Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) plays versatile roles in multiple cancers. However, the role of HSF1 in LCSCs is not well understood. This study investigated the function and signal mechanisms of HSF1 in maintaining LCSC phenotypes. Methods: We established two LCSC lines, HepG2‐R and HuH‐7‐R. Constitutive activation of HSF1 was observed in these LCSCs. Specific short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) and chemical inhibitors were used to identify the relationship between HSF1 expression and LCSCs phenotypes. Results: We revealed a concomitant activation modality involving HSF1 and STAT3 in LCSCs and liver cancer tissues. We also found that liver cancer patients whose HSF1 and STAT3 mRNA expression levels were high presented with unfavorable clinicopathological characteristics. Moreover, the secretion of interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) was elevated in the LCSC medium and was directly regulated by HSF1 at the transcriptional level. In turn, IL‐8 activated HSF1 and STAT3 signaling, and a neutralizing IL‐8 antibody inhibited HSF1 and STAT3 activity, reduced cancer stem cell marker expression, and decreased LCSC microsphere formation. Simultaneous intervention with HSF1 and STAT3 led to synergistically suppressed stemness acquisition and growth suppression in the LCSCs in vivo and in vitro. Conclusions: Our study indicates that IL‐8 mediates the crosstalk between the HSF1 and Stat3 signaling pathways in LCSCs and that the combined targeting of HSF1 and STAT3 is a promising treatment strategy for patients with advanced liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analytical method is proposed to characterize the stress distribution of the soil around a caisson foundation under lateral load in an elastic half-space. A series of model-scale tests is performed to delineate the characteristics of lateral resistance stress along the foundation periphery. Accordingly, the mathematical expression of circumferential resistance stress is established based on the elastic-beam theory. Thereafter, the stress increment in the surrounding soil is derived by numerically integrating the Mindlin's stress solution. The analytical solution for the stress variation in different directions can be solved by a numerical calculation program, the effectiveness of which is further evaluated by comparing with the experimental results. It is found that the stress increment of the soil around the caisson foundation decreases exponentially with the increase of the distance from the foundation side. The vertical additional stress is approximately saddle-shaped and anti-symmetric with respect to the x-axis and the y-axis of the foundation. A bridge project with caisson foundation is further analyzed using the proposed method to demonstrate the influence of caisson foundation geometry, including the embedment and the diameter, on the additional stress distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The essence of energy metabolism has spread to the field of esophageal cancer (ESC) cells. Herein, we tried to develop a prognostic prediction model for patients with ESC based on the expression profiles of energy metabolism associated genes.Materials and Methods: The overall survival (OS) predictive gene signature was developed, internally and externally validated based on ESC datasets including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), GSE54993 and GSE19417 datasets. Hub genes were identified in each energy metabolism related molecular subtypes by weighted gene correlation network analysis, and then enrolled for determination of prognostic genes. Univariate, LASSO and multivariate Cox regression analysis were applied to assess prognostic genes and build the prognostic gene signature. Kaplan-Meier curve, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, nomogram, decision curve analysis (DCA), and restricted mean survival time (EMST) were used to assess the performance of the gene signature.Results: A novel energy metabolism based eight-gene signature (including UBE2Z, AMTN, AK1, CDCA4, TLE1, FXN, ZBTB6 and APLN) was established, which could dichotomize patients with significantly different OS in ESC. The eight-gene signature demonstrated independent prognostication potential in patient with ESC. The prognostic nomogram constructed based on the gene signature showed excellent predictive performance, whose robustness and clinical usability were higher than three previous reported prognostic gene signatures.Conclusions: Our study established a novel energy metabolism based eight-gene signature and nomogram to predict the OS of ESC, which may help in precise clinical management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colon carcinogenesis is the third most commonly occurring malignant neoplasm and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Betulin (BE) is a pentacyclic lupane-type triterpenoid naturally dispersed in many plants. It is also recognized as betuline, betulinol, or betulinic alcohol. Objectives: In this study, we explored the anticancer, antiproliferative, and anti-inflammatory effects of BE on 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-treated rat model of colon cancer. Materials and Methods: Colon cancer was induced by a subcutaneous injection of DMH (20 mg/kg bwt) once a week for the initial 4 weeks of the experiment. We analyzed body weight, tumor incidence, tumor volume, total number of tumors, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and levels of antioxidants (glutathione peroxidase, glutathione, catalase, and superoxide dismutase), bacterial enzymes (β-glucuronidase and mucinase), Phase I (cytochrome P450 and cytochrome b5) and Phase II (GST and Glutathione reductase (GR)) detoxification enzymes, and inflammatory (cyclooxygenase-2, interleukin-1 beta [IL-1β], inducible nitric oxide synthase, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and IL-6) and cell proliferative (cyclin D1 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen) markers. We also assessed the histopathological alterations found in experimental and control rats. Results: We observed decreased body weight and levels of antioxidants and Phase II enzymes; augmented tumor incidence, tumor volume, total number of tumors, Phase I enzymes, TBARS, and levels of bacterial enzymes; and irregular histopathological changes in DMH-treated rats. Moreover, the Western blotting analysis of colon tissues revealed upregulation of inflammatory and cell proliferative markers in DMH-treated rats. Oral supplementation of 20 mg/kg bwt BE led to inhibition of tumor formation and inflammation, regulation of cell proliferation, and restoration of biochemical parameters. Our findings were supported by histopathological analysis. Conclusion: Our results suggested that BE exhibited anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative effects against DMH-induced colon cancer in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate the uplift bearing capacity of belled piers beside slopes, a series of numerical simulations are carried out based on field tests data. First, a number of uplift loading tests of full-scale belled piers are carried out on the project site of transmission line in Anhui Province, China. Second, a slope-foundation model for numerical modeling is proposed and calibrated based on field tests data. The behavior of belled piers adjacent to slopes subject to uplift load is studied by numerical modeling. The impact of three parameters, including distance (a) from the belled pier to the crest of the slope, slope angle (β), and embedment depth (h) of the belled pier, has been investigated on the uplift capacity of the belled pier. Based on the simulation results, an attenuation coefficient (ω) is put forward for evaluating the reduction of uplift bearing capacity of the belled pier. The results show that the coefficient ω is negatively correlated with distance a and depth h, and the influence of distance a is greater than that of depth h according to the results of variance analysis, but the difference is not significant by F test. Moreover, the empirical equation between attenuation coefficient ω and three key factors a, β, and h had been presented by a series of fitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the novel properties distinguished from their bulk counterparts, the two-dimensional layered materials have attracted great interest recently. In this report, the SnSe pyramid structure was successfully synthesized using the gradient vapor deposition method developed herein. The SnSe pyramid structure was grown by layered stacking along the a-axis by van der Waals forces in which shrinkage occurred gradually from the bottom to the tip. Furthermore, an Sn nanoparticle was found in the tip and suggested to be the catalyst to grow the nanostructure; then, a growth mechanism was proposed based on the results mentioned above. As an ideal model, the SnSe pyramid structure was applied in Raman spectroscopy to identify the crystal orientation. The results mentioned here may provide a valuable guidance to design a unique SnSe nanostructure even with other 2D layered materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The total synthesis of the natural indole alkaloids (+)-notoamide F, I, and R and (−)-sclerotiamide is described. The four heptacyclic compounds were synthesized in 10-12 steps in a convergent and highly stereoselective manner from the readily available Seebach acetal. Key steps of the synthesis include a stereoselective oxidative aza-Prins cyclization to construct the bicyclo[2.2.2]diazaoctane, and a cobalt-catalyzed radical cycloisomerization to create the cyclohexenyl ring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The total synthesis of the natural indole alkaloids (+)-notoamide F, I, and R and (−)-sclerotiamide is described. The four heptacyclic compounds were synthesized in 10-12 steps in a convergent and highly stereoselective manner from the readily available Seebach acetal. Key steps of the synthesis include a stereoselective oxidative aza-Prins cyclization to construct the bicyclo[2.2.2]diazaoctane, and a cobalt-catalyzed radical cycloisomerization to create the cyclohexenyl ring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As is well established, mastery to precise control of the layer number, stacking order of graphene, and the size of single-crystal monolayer graphene is very important for both fundamental interest and practical applications. In this report, millimeter-sized single-crystal monolayer graphene has been synthesized to multilayer graphene on Cu by chemical vapor deposition. The relationship of the growth process between monolayer graphene and multilayer graphene is investigated carefully. Besides the general multilayer graphene with Bernal stacking order, parts of multilayer graphene with non-Bernal stacking order were modulated under optimized growth conditions. The oxide nanoparticle on the Cu surface derived from annealing has been found to play the key role in nucleation. In addition, the hydrogen concentration impacts significantly on the layer number and shape of the graphene. Moreover, a possible mechanism was proposed to understand the growth process discussed above, which may provide an instruction to graphene growth on Cu by chemical vapor deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanoparticles (NPs) films with different nominal thicknesses were deposited on the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates with pore diameter about 200 nm by thermal evaporation. These NPs films were used as the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active substrates. The microstructure and surface morphology of the films were studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The SERS activity of the films was investigated by Raman scattering of adsorbed rhodamine 6G (R6G) at different concentrations. The results revealed that the average diameter of NPs in different samples is 58 nm, 75 nm, 93 nm and 108 nm, respectively. NPs film on AAO template is very suitable as a SERS active substrate and can detect R6G molecules with a concentration of 10-8 M. The intensity of the SERS spectra is related to both the NPs size and interparticle distance. The sample with an average particle diameter of 93 nm has the highest SERS enhancement factor (1.3 × 106). The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique has been widely used in analytical chemistry and biomedicine. Silver nanoparticles (NPs) films with the average diameter of NPs ranging from 58 nm to 108 nm were deposited on the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates by thermal evaporation. It is found that Ag NPs film on AAO template is a very good SERS active substrate and can detect R6G molecules with a concentration of 10-8 M. The intensity of the SERS spectra is related to both the Ag NPs size and interparticle distance. The Ag NPs film with an average particle diameter of 93nm has the highest SERS enhancement factor (1.3 × 106). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using glasses with 200-nm films as substrates, the colored solar energy selective absorbing films with three-layer structure had been designed by optical multilayer design software. The three layers materials were doped and . The optical constants of doped films with different volume fractions were calculated by the effective medium theories. The color of the absorbing films includes orange yellow, purplish pink, pink, purple, and green. The solar absorptance of each colored film is between 0.89 and 0.96. The thermal emittance is lower than 0.1. The green film has the highest brightness. The purplish pink film has the highest absorptance, while the orange yellow and purple films have the lowest emittance. The color, absorptance, emittance, and brightness of the green film at different angles of light incidence had been analyzed. When the incident angle increases from 0° to 50°, the color of the green film changes from green to blue, and its absorptance and emittance decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of passing electric current on the electrical and optical properties of indium tin oxide (ITO) films in air has been studied. Resistivities of the ITO films deposited by direct current magnetron sputtering on glass substrates were about 10.5 × 10-4Ωcm (group A) and 4.3 × 10-4Ωcm (group B). A constant electric current i between 30 and 150 mA was applied to the films in air for 3 h. The results show that there is a critical current (icri) for each group sample. icri of group A is 60 mA and icri of group B is 90 mA. When i > icri, the electrical performance declines and optical transmittance increases for the electric annealed sample. However, both the electrical and optical performances may be improved for the annealed film when i ≤ icri. It is found that the variations in electrical and optical properties of the films strongly depend on the electric power applied to ITO films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intelligent and efficient closed-loop simulation system without any hardware is proposed for AC servo system. According to the characteristics of AC servo system and its control processor, the code executing platform combined with the reverse Polish notation algorithm is developed. To gain the accurate simulation results, the discrete motor model and IPM model are built to deal with the dead-time. Based on the simulation system, parameter identification can be implemented and control parameters can be optimized by using the exhaust algorithm. The parameters obtained by the simulation system were successfully applied to an experimental system, and the favorable control performance was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The presence of residual DNA carried by biological products in the body may lead to an increased oncogenicity, infectivity, and immunomodulatory risk. Therefore, current agencies including WHO, EU, and the FDA limited the accepted amounts of residual DNA (less than 10 ng or 100 pg/dose). Among the methods of detecting residual DNA, qPCR is considered to be the most practical for residual DNA quantitation due to its sensitivity, accuracy, precision, and time-saving. Results: In this study, the detection capacity of this method was determined by comparing the detected concentration of the commercial kit and the self-designed primer/probe set after the same treatment of the extraction method. Then, a universal sample pretreatment method based on a co-precipitant was optimized. The validation results demonstrated that the method has appropriate specificity, sensitivity, accuracy, and precision according to ICH guidelines. The limit of detection and quantitation reached 3 fg/ul and 0.3 pg/reaction respectively, which satisfies the requirement of limit of residual DNA detection in biologics. Spike recovery (82.3–105.7%) showed that the proposed qPCR assay was accurate and has good extraction efficiency. Moreover, the precision of the method based on intra- and inter-assay was 0.065–0.452% and 0.471–1.312%, respectively. Conclusions: These results all indicated that the method for determination of residual DNA in biological products expressed from CHO cells is sensitive, accurate and robust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P-type binary copper oxide semiconductor films for various O2 flow rates and total pressures (Pt) were prepared using the reactive magnetron sputtering method. Their morphologies and structures were detected by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectrometry, and SEM. A phase diagram with Cu2O, Cu4O3, CuO, and their mixture was established. Moreover, based on Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) and conductive AFM (C-AFM), by measuring the contact potential difference (VCPD) and the field emission property, the work function and the carrier concentration were obtained, which can be used to distinguish the different types of copper oxide states. The band gaps of the Cu2O, Cu4O3, and CuO thin films were observed to be (2.51 ± 0.02) eV, (1.65 ± 0.1) eV, and (1.42 ± 0.01) eV, respectively. The resistivities of Cu2O, Cu4O3, and CuO thin films are (3.7 ± 0.3) × 103 Ω·cm, (1.1 ± 0.3) × 103 Ω·cm, and (1.6 ± 6) × 101 Ω·cm, respectively. All the measured results above are consistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]