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Aim: The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive understanding of the attitudes and experiences of the medical staff regarding the hospital bed‐sharing model. Design: The present research was a qualitative study. Methods: This qualitative study used in‐depth individual interviews with 7 doctors, 10 clinical nurses and 3 head nurses, which were then transcribed and analysed thematically. Results: The study identified six overall themes. Issues were raised about the efficient utilization of hospital bed resources, greater challenges for nursing work, adjustment of doctors' work modes, barriers to communication between doctors, nurses, and patients, potential medical risks, and differentiation of patients' medical experience. Implications for Nursing Management: Hospital administrators and nurse managers should work together to solve the challenges that medical staff face, including strengthening nursing training, improving medical–nursing collaboration models, standardizing and effective communication strategies, and improving patient experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective and safe treatment for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) is lacking. This randomized controlled trial, which was conducted at 13 tertiary hospitals in China during 2020 to 2022, sought to assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture, doxylamine–pyridoxine, and their combination in women with moderate to severe NVP. Visual Abstract. Acupuncture and Doxylamine–Pyridoxine for Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy: An effective and safe treatment for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) is lacking. This randomized controlled trial, which was conducted at 13 tertiary hospitals in China during 2020 to 2022, sought to assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture, doxylamine–pyridoxine, and their combination in women with moderate to severe NVP. Background: An effective and safe treatment for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) is lacking. Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture, doxylamine–pyridoxine, and a combination of both in women with moderate to severe NVP. Design: Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2 × 2 factorial trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04401384) Setting: 13 tertiary hospitals in mainland China from 21 June 2020 to 2 February 2022. Participants: 352 women in early pregnancy with moderate to severe NVP. Intervention: Participants received daily active or sham acupuncture for 30 minutes and doxylamine–pyridoxine or placebo for 14 days. Measurements: The primary outcome was the reduction in Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis (PUQE) score at the end of the intervention at day 15 relative to baseline. Secondary outcomes included quality of life, adverse events, and maternal and perinatal complications. Results: No significant interaction was detected between the interventions (P = 0.69). Participants receiving acupuncture (mean difference [MD], −0.7 [95% CI, −1.3 to −0.1]), doxylamine–pyridoxine (MD, −1.0 [CI, −1.6 to −0.4]), and the combination of both (MD, −1.6 [CI, −2.2 to −0.9]) had a larger reduction in PUQE score over the treatment course than their respective control groups (sham acupuncture, placebo, and sham acupuncture plus placebo). Compared with placebo, a higher risk for births with children who were small for gestational age was observed with doxylamine–pyridoxine (odds ratio, 3.8 [CI, 1.0 to 14.1]). Limitation: The placebo effects of the interventions and natural regression of the disease were not evaluated. Conclusion: Both acupuncture and doxylamine–pyridoxine alone are efficacious for moderate and severe NVP. However, the clinical importance of this effect is uncertain because of its modest magnitude. The combination of acupuncture and doxylamine–pyridoxine may yield a potentially larger benefit than each treatment alone. Primary Funding Source: The National Key R&D Program of China and the Project of Heilongjiang Province "TouYan" Innovation Team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the phase transition during the rapid solidification of liquid metal tungsten (W). In particular, the formation and evolution of the topologically close-packed (TCP) crystals of β-W have been thoroughly investigated in terms of the newly developed largest standard cluster analysis (LaSCA), tracing method, and 3D visual analysis. Results indicate that the system solidifies into the amorphous structure that coexists with TCP crystals rather than pure amorphous ones even at high cooling rates, and the content of the TCP crystals increases with decreasing cooling rate. The defects in the TCP crystal structure are the precursor of the perfect ones; at the beginning of crystallization, both the perfect TCP crystal structure and defect ones increase quickly with decreasing temperature, however, when the perfect TCP crystal structure become dominant in the system, the defective ones begin to gradually transform into perfect ones. Interestingly, the formation and evolution of the TCP crystals of β-W experience three stages: the incubation of the crystal nuclei, formation and rapid growth of the critical nucleus, and slow growth and regulation of crystal nuclei. These findings shed new light on the understanding of the nucleation theory under rapid cooling of metal melts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study investigated the current status and related risk factors of 48-hour unplanned return to the intensive care unit (ICU) to reduce the return rate and improve the quality of critical care management. Methods: Data were collected from 2365 patients discharged from the comprehensive ICU. Multivariate and 1:1 propensity score matching analyses were performed. Results: Forty patients (1.69%) had unplanned readmission to the ICU within 48 hours after transfer. The primary reason for return was respiratory failure (16 patients, 40%). Furthermore, respiratory failure (odds ratio [OR] = 5.994, p = 0.02) and the number of organ failures (OR = 5.679, p = 0.006) were independent risk factors for unplanned ICU readmission. Receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn for the predictive value of the number of organ injuries during a patient's unplanned transfer to the ICU (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.744, sensitivity = 60%, specificity = 77.5%). Conclusion: The reason for patient transfer and the number of organ injuries during the process were independent risk factors for patients who were critically ill. The number of organs damaged had a predictive value on whether the patient would return to the ICU within 48 hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhizosphere and endophytic microbiota significantly affect plant growth and development by influencing nutrient uptake and stress tolerance. Herein, root and rhizosphere soil of Acacia species were collected and analyzed to compare the structural differences of the rhizosphere and root endophytic bacterial communities. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology was employed to analyze the rhizosphere and root endophytic bacterial communities. A total of 4249 OTUs were identified following sequence analysis. The rhizosphere soil contained significantly more OTUs than the root soil. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis indicated that bacterial communities exhibited significant specificity in the rhizosphere and root soil of different Acacia species. The most dominant phylum in the rhizosphere soil was Acidobacteria, followed by Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, whereas the dominant phylum in the root soil was Proteobacteria, followed by Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria. Among the various Acacia species, specific bacterial communities displayed different abundance. We systematically described the core bacteria in the rhizosphere and root endophytic bacterial communities and predicted their relevant functions. The type and abundance of specific bacteria were correlated with the nutrient absorption and metabolism of the Acacia species. This study addresses the complex host-microbe interactions and explores the rhizosphere and root bacterial community structure of different Acacia species. These results provide new insights into the role of rhizosphere and root endophytic bacterial communities on the growth and reproduction of Acacia, thus informing future efforts towards sustainable development and utilization of Acacia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate microstructural evolution and plastic deformation under tension, the rapid solidification processes of the Ni47Co53 alloy are first simulated by molecular dynamics methods at cooling rates of 1011, 1012 and 1013 K s−1. Then, the uniaxial tension simulation study was conducted on a single crystal, polycrystal and metallic glass, which were formed during the rapid solidification. The results show that the dislocation loops evolution in the crystal is caused by the slips and proliferation of stacking faults, and in terms of plastic deformation, the single crystal is carried by stacking faults, while a polycrystal is carried by grain boundaries. A metallic glass formed at the critical cooling rate and crystallized under tension, the plastic deformation is carried by grain boundaries and stacking faults in metallic glass. Ultimately, the stacking faults are the most resistant to plastic deformation. This study has great significance for the study of the mechanical properties of single crystals, polycrystals and metallic glass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topologically close-packed (TCP) structural characteristics in a model metallic glass (MG) of Cu64.5Zr35.5 have been investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. A group of structural indicators based on the largest standard cluster (LaSC) have been correlated with the non-affine displacement (D2) of atoms, so as to reveal the hidden correlation between local structures and deformation behavior of Cu64.5Zr35.5 during compression. It was found that the 15 types of Top-10 LaSCs are all TCP-like ones, among which the most numerous icosahedron (Z12 and 1-Z12) decreases in population sharply and moderately during respectively the elastic and yield region of compression; while in the fluid-flow region, the number of all Top-10 LaSCs tends to be almost constant. Low-D2 atoms prefer to link with each other; while medium-D2 atoms act as transition structures between backbone areas and deformation areas. Most interestingly, the deformation response of TCP-like atoms is not only determined by its nearest neighbor characteristics, but also depends on the linkage with other atoms. In addition, icosahedral atoms with a higher degree of medium range five-fold symmetry (MRFFS) are more resistant to the stress-induced deformation. Therefore, the TCP characteristics, including its nearest neighbor feature and the inter-connection between TCP LaSCs, are closely related with the deformation behavior of atoms, especially the MRFFS (up to 5 layers) of icosahedral atoms. These findings shed new light on the understanding of the relationship between microstructure and deformation response of MGs, which will promote the development of deformation theory of MGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A molecular dynamics simulation has been conducted in Ni73Co27 and Ni74Co26 alloys during rapid solidification at the cooling rate of 1 × 1012 K/s. It indicates that two phase transitions occur with twice drops, and the number of FCC increases suddenly in Ni73Co27 alloy. And finally, FCC atoms are dominant with the amount of 92.94% at 300 K, which neatly arranges themselves into the crystalline structure. A lot of topologically close-packed clusters are formed in Ni74Co26 alloy, indicating the formation of metallic glass. The differences between the formations in crystalline hexagon and amorphous pentagon are demonstrated by three-dimensional visualization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite of the frequently reported Dnmt3a abormality in classical myeloproliferative neoplasms (cMPNs) patients, few research explores how the Dnmt3a is regulated by Jak2V617F mutation. In this study, we have investigated how the Dnmt3a is regulated by Jak2V617F mutation and its effects on downstream signaling pathways in cMPNs.Methods: Specimens of Jak2V617F positive cMPN patients and normal controls were collected. Murine BaF3 cell line was used to construct cell models. Dual-Glo luciferase assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-qPCR were performed to detect the impact of Stat5a on transcription activity of Dnmt3a. Soft agar colony formation assay and cell counting assay were performed to detect cell proliferation. BrdU staining and flow cytometry were used to investigate cell cycle distribution. Western blotting and quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qPCR) were performed to detect the expression levels of genes.Results: Firstly, the results of western blotting and qPCR revealed that compared with the control samples, Dnmt3a is downregulated in Jak2V617F positive samples. Then we explored the mechanism behind it and found that Dnmt3a is a downstream target of Stat5a, the transcription and translation of Dnmt3a is suppressed by the binding of aberrantly activated Stat5a with Dnmt3a promoter in Jak2V617F positive samples. We further revealed the region approximately 800 bp upstream of the first exon of the Dnmt3a promoter, which includes a gamma-activated sequence (GAS) motif of Stat5a, is the specific site that Stat5a binds to. Soft agar colony formation assay, cell counting assay, and BrdU staining and flow cytometry assay found that Dnmt3a in Jak2V617F-BaF3 cells significantly affected the cell proliferation capacity and cell cycle distribution by suppressing Cdkn1a via miR-17-5p/Cdkn1a axis and mediated G0/G1 arrest.Conclusions: Transcription and translation of Dnmt3a is downregulated by the binding of Stat5a with Dnmt3a promoter in Jak2V617F cells. The GAS motif at promoter of Dnmt3a is the exact site where the Stat5a binds to. Dnmt3a conducted G0/G1 arrest through regulating miR-17-5p/Cdkn1a axis. The axis of Stat5a/Dnmt3a/miR-17-5p/Cdkn1a potentially provides a treatment target for cMPNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) plays an important role in the treatment and prognosis of patients with cirrhosis. Our study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram for an HVPG >12 mmHg. Methods: A retrospective study was performed to create a nomogram for an HVPG >12 mmHg in a training cohort that was validated in another cohort. The discriminatory ability and calibration of the nomogram were tested using the C‐statistic, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and calibration plots. Results: The nomogram was based on portosystemic shunts identified on computed tomography images, the etiology of cirrhosis and the Child‐Pugh grade. These parameters were significantly associated with an HVPG >12 mmHg (P < 0.05 for both the training and validation cohorts). In the training cohort, the model showed good discrimination (C‐statistic, AUROC, and R2 of 0.71, 0.71 and 0.13, respectively) and good calibration. The total cutoff value was 112 and the sensitivity and specificity were 57.1% and 77.6%, respectively. The application of the nomogram in the validation cohort still yielded good discrimination (C‐statistic 0.75 [95% confidence interval 0.61‐0.89], AUROC 0.75, and R2 0.16) and good calibration. Conclusions: This nomogram is a convenient tool for predicting an HVPG >12 mmHg in patients with cirrhosis and can help clinicians quickly identify patients with decompensated cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of six different cooling rates on the microstructure of the liquid Cu10Ag90 alloy is investigated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. A newly developed topologically close-packed (TCP) method is used to conduct an extensive structural analysis for the crystalline and amorphous forms. It is found that the system exhibits an amorphous structure when the ratio of crystals to TCP clusters (Rc) is less than 1; otherwise, the structure is crystalline. The system is in the critical state of crystallization at the cooling rate 1 × 1011 K s−1 when Rc is close to 1. The conversion efficiency of TCP to crystal atoms is always at a lower level than other atoms. The crystal and TCP clusters have numerous interconnections, and the primary connections are divided into four types on the basis of the number of atoms, including 20 (I20), 21 (I21), 22 (I22) and 23 (I23) atoms. The lower average atomic energy TCP cluster phase inhibits the growth and formation of crystals by these interconnections because TCP contains more Cu atoms with lower energy than in the crystal form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hearing loss (HL) is a common sensory disorder in humans characterized by extreme clinical and genetic heterogeneity. In recent years, next‐generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have proven to be highly effective and powerful tools for population genetic studies of HL. Here, we analyzed clinical and molecular data from 21 Chinese deaf families who did not have hotspot mutations in the common deafness genes GJB2, SLC26A4, GJB3, and MT‐RNR1. Method: Targeted next‐generation sequencing (TGS) of 127 known deafness genes was performed in probands of 12 families, while whole‐exome sequencing (WES) or trio‐WES was used for the remaining nine families. Results: Potential pathogenic mutations in a total of 12 deafness genes were identified in 13 probands; the mutations were observed in GJB2, CDH23, EDNRB, MYO15A, OTOA, OTOF, TBC1D24, SALL1, TMC1, TWNK, USH1C, and USH1G, with eight of the identified mutations being novel. Further, a copy number variant (CNV) was detected in one proband with heterozygous deletion of chromosome 4p16.3‐4p15.32. Thus, the total diagnostic rate using NGS in our deafness patients reached 66.67% (14/21). Conclusions: These results expand the mutation spectrum of deafness‐causing genes and provide support for the use of NGS detection technologies for routine molecular diagnosis in Chinese deaf populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims: Choline-metabolizing genetic variation may interact with choline intake on fetal programming and pregnancy outcome. This case-control study aims to explore the association of maternal choline consumption and phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT) gene polymorphism rs7946 with preterm birth risk. Methods: 145 Han Chinese women with preterm delivery and 157 Han Chinese women with term delivery were recruited in Shanghai. Dietary choline intake during pregnancy was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Additionally, DNA samples were genotyped for PEMT rs7946 (G5465A) with plasma homocysteine (Hcy) levels measured. Results: Compared with the lowest quartile of choline intake, women within the highest consumption quartile had adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for preterm birth of 0.48 (95% confidence interval, CI [0.24, 0.95]). There was a significant interaction between maternal choline intake and PEMT rs7946 (p for interaction = 0.04), where the AA genotype carriers who consumed the energy-adjusted choline <255.01 mg/day had aOR for preterm birth of 3.75 (95% CI [1.24, 11.35]), compared to those with GG genotype and choline intake >255.01 mg/day during pregnancy. Additionally, the greatest elevated plasma Hcy was found in the cases with AA genotype and choline consumption <255.01 mg/day (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The AA genotype of PEMT rs7946 may be associated with increased preterm birth in these Han Chinese women with low choline intake during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a Volterra series reduced-order model method to evaluate aerodynamic forces of aircraft engine blade designs, whose shape changes during design and are always excited by upstream wakes. The method uses a superposition of the steady and dynamic Volterra series to reach this aim. The steady series represents the influence of the blade shape changes on the blade aerodynamic forces. The dynamic series represents the impact of the unsteady upstream wakes on the blade aerodynamic forces. A T106LPT blade is used as an example to discuss the proposed method. The accuracy of the ROM method is analyzed by the example at the wake excitation condition with or without shape-change. The example shows that the ROM method can predict the wake induced pressure variation of a shape-change blade without repeated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capabilities of the narrow-angle (NA) and wide-angle (WA) parabolic equations (PEs) in the physical coordinate system are well known. For use on the irregular surface, a shift-map (SM) PE (SMPE) form was formulated in terms of the transformed coordinates. In sharp contrast, little is known of the accuracy of the NA and WA-SMPEs in the transformed coordinates. It was thought that the WA-SMPE is entirely superior to the NA-SMPE according to the behavior in the NA and WA propagators. In this article, we analyze the accuracy of the WA and NA-SMPEs in the transformed coordinates through studying their artificial dispersion properties. It is found that the artificial dispersion of the NA-SMPE is independent of the terrain parameters, whereas for the WA-SMPE, the dependence of the dispersion characteristics on the terrain slope is very strong. Also, as the terrain slope increases, its WA capability deteriorates dramatically. Particularly, when the shady terrain slope is larger than about 5°, the accuracy of the WA-SMPE is even worse than the NA-SMPE. To substantiate the accuracy analysis, numerical experiments involving wave propagation over irregular terrain are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (MSCs) are renowned in the field of tissue engineering/regeneration for their multilineage differentiation potential and easy acquisition. These cells encompass the periodontal ligament stem/progenitor cells (PDLSCs), the dental pulp stem/progenitor cells (DPSCs), the stem/progenitor cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED), the gingival mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (GMSCs), the stem/progenitor cells from the apical papilla (SCAP), the dental follicle stem/progenitor cells (DFSCs), the bone marrow mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (BM-MSCs) from the alveolar bone proper, and the human periapical cyst-mesenchymal stem cells (hPCy-MSCs). Apart from their remarkable regenerative potential, oral MSCs possess the capacity to interact with an inflammatory microenvironment. Although inflammation might affect the properties of oral MSCs, they could inversely exert a multitude of immunological actions to the local inflammatory microenvironment. The present review discusses the current understanding about the immunomodulatory role of oral MSCs both in periodontitis and systemic diseases, their "double-edged sword" uniqueness in inflammatory regulation, their affection of the immune system, and the underlying mechanisms, involving oral MSC-derived extracellular vesicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional two-way (2W) parabolic equation (PE) (2W-PE) method has been applied for modeling groundwave propagation over irregular terrain. However, based on a staircase terrain model (STM), the method is not sufficient in sloping facets modeling. Although more accurate one-way PE method based on conformal mapping model (CMM) is available, it handles only forward-propagating waves and neglects the backward-propagating waves, which become significant especially for steep terrain. In this paper, a hybrid 2W-PE method is presented to model the low-frequency (LF) groundwave propagation over irregular terrain. The method combines the STM and CMM to improve the prediction accuracy of both forward and backward propagations. The numerical results are compared with those of the conventional 2W-PE and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) methods. While calibrated against the FDTD method, the proposed hybrid 2W-PE method has higher accuracy than the traditional 2W-PE method at the same computational cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extract of Dracocephalum moldevica (DML) was found to exert protective effects on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI); however, the mechanisms underlying the observed actions of this plant-derived mixture remain to be determined. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the influence of DML on CIRI rat model induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The following parameters were measured: (1) viable neurons in the infarcted area using Nissl staining; and (2) immunohistochemistry and Western blot were employed to determine protein expression levels of p53, bcl-2 associated X protein (bax) and B-cell lymphoma-2 (bcl-2), three biomarkers of apoptosis. MCAO significantly decreased the number of viable cortical pyramidal neurons in the infarcted area, while treatment with DML extract significantly elevated the number of viable neurons. MCAO was found to significantly elevate in gene expression levels of p53 and protein expression levels bax accompanied by diminished protein expression levels of bcl-2. Prior administration of DML extract produced marked reduction in gene expression levels of p53 and protein expression levels bax but increased in protein expression levels of bcl-2. Data suggested apoptosis was initiated in MCAO and that DML was effective in treating CIRI via an anti-apoptotic action as evidenced by inhibition of gene expression levels of p53 and protein expression levels of bax with concomitant elevation in protein expression levels of bcl-2. Our findings suggest that extract of DML may prove beneficial in treatment of cerebrovascular disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The photophysical properties of dihydroindeno[2,1-c]fluorene-based imide (DHIFI) derivatives were investigated by steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy as well as quantum chemical calculations. The hybridized local excited and charge transfer state (HLCT) was introduced to interpret the intercrossing of localized excited (LE) and charge transfer (CT) states. The large extent of CT in the HLCT state of a molecule with a strong electron donor (dimethylaniline) at the terminal site results in strong interaction between the dipole moments of the excited state and polar solvents. Time-resolved spectroscopy results show the formation of a stabilized ICT state in several picoseconds, which results in fluorescence quenching and less possibility of intersystem crossing to the triplet state. In contrast, a molecule with a weak electron donor (benzene) displays less fluorescence quenching. The slowing down of geometry relaxation in the weak-electron-donor molecule increases the possibility of ISC to the triplet state from the unrelaxed HLCT state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously introduced an efficient parabolic equation (PE) method to solve the Loran-C additional secondary factors (ASFs) in the presence of irregular terrain. However, traditional PE analysis, based on the approximation of a narrowband Loran-C source to a 100 kHz sinusoidal source, is not sufficient for realistic Loran-C ASF prediction. In this letter, a pulse PE method is employed to further improve the accuracy of the Loran-C ASF prediction over irregular terrain. The main idea of this approach is that it converts the time-domain wave propagation problems to the frequency-domain wave propagation ones, which can be solved by the traditional PE solution. Numerical examples illustrate the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The positive regulatory domain 1 (PRDM1) exists as two isoforms: PRDM1α and PRDM1β. The former is frequently inactivated, while the latter is overexpressed in a subset of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). To investigate the possible epigenetic alteration ofPRDM1αandPRDM1βexpression, the methylation of these two promoter isoforms was assessed in B lymphoma cell lines and DLBCL samples. Hypomethylation ofPRDM1βCpG islands was preferentially detected in lymphoma cells. However, both high and low methylation ofPRDM1αCpG islands was simultaneously observed in cases of DLBCL compared with the moderate methylation of non-tumor cases. CpG 16–21-specific high methylation was correlated with low expression ofPRDM1αinPRDM1β-positive DLBCL samples. Three increased and one decreased miRNAs were significantly different between cases of DLBCL and non-tumor reactive hyperplasia. Thus, our results indicate that aberrant methylation silencing ofPRDM1αand hypomethylation activation ofPRDM1βare frequent events in DLBCL. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key metabolic and stress sensor/effector. Few investigations have been performed to study the role of AMPK in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)-induced early brain injury (EBI). This study was undertaken to investigate the time course of AMPK activation in the early stage of SAH and to evaluate the influence of AICAR (which is known to mimic AMP and activates AMPK) and compound C (a commonly used AMPK inhibitor) on EBI in rats following SAH. Methods: Adult male rats were divided into six groups: control, sham, SAH, SAH + vehicle, SAH + AICAR and SAH + compound C. SAHs were induced by a modified endovascular perforation method. Immunohistochemistry, real-time PCR and Western blot were used to detect the spatial and dynamic expression of AMPK after SAH. Cortical apoptosis and the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins such as FOXO3a (forkhead box, class O, 3a) and Bim (Bcl-2-interacting mediator of cell death) were detected after different drug interventions. Results: We found SAH induced prolonged activation of AMPK. Treatment with AICAR markedly induced overactivation of AMPK and upregulation of FOXO3a and Bim. AICAR also significantly exacerbated cerebral apoptosis and neurological impairment following SAH. On the other hand, pre-administration of compound C attenuated EBI in this SAH model by modulating cerebral apoptosis by inhibiting FOXO3a and Bim. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the AMPK pathway may play an important role in SAH-induced neuronal apoptosis, and the use of AMPK inhibitors can provide neuroprotection in EBI after SAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A newlanthanummetal organic framework, formulated as [La(DPA)(HDPA)]n(1), (H2DPA = 3-(4-hydroxypyridinium-1-yl) phthalic acid) has been synthesized and structurally characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, thermogravimetry, and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The polymer features a three-dimensional (3D) networks containing La(III)-carboxylate ribbon double chains. The bulk purity of the materials of 1 was confirmed through the powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) patterns. The photoluminescence property of polymer 1 has also been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Plantations of eucalypts as short-rotation tree crops are rapidly expanding in tropical and sub-tropical regions, including southern China, where the soils are acidic and available phosphorus (P) is limited. We investigated seedling growth, dry matter accumulation, and the dynamics of photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content of seven Eucalyptus species/hybrids ( E. dunnii, E. grandis, E. grandis × E. camaldulensis, E. urophylla × E. camaldulensis, E. urophylla × E. tereticornis, E. grandis × E. tereticornis, E. urophylla × E. grandis) in response to different levels of P supply (0, 6, 12 and 18 mg·kg KHPO). The photosynthetic rate and the chlorophyll content significantly declined as the P supply declined in almost a linear fashion for all species as the P stress period extended. In the absence of P supply, height growth of seedlings of all species was significantly impaired, while root collar diameter growth and whole plant dry matter accumulation was not affected by the level of P supply in most of the species. Significant inter-species variations in growth, dry matter accumulation and photosynthetic rate in response to P supply were detected. Eucalyptus dunnii had the lowest growth performance across all levels of P supply while E. Urophylla × E. tereticornis showed superior growth performance. From a practical point of view, E. Urophylla × E. tereticornis is suggested as a candidate hybrid for planting on slightly P-deficient sites in southern China while E. dunnii, being a slow-growing species, is not suitable for short-rotation plantation. On plantation sites where severe P deficiency exists, P fertilization needs to be considered to boost rapid growth of seedlings so as to meet the management objectives of short-rotation plantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been recently proposed by a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis that the CCDC62 variant rs12817488 is a new risk locus associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between rs12817488 and PD in a Chinese cohort. A total of 341 PD patients and 423 matched controls were recruited in Eastern China. Our results showed that the A allele of rs12817488 was significantly associated with an aggravated risk of PD (p = 0.006) and represented a major allele in contrast to a minor one in Caucasians. Genotype distributions also differed between PD patients and controls (p = 0.011 for AA/AG/GG). Further analysis showed that the association of rs12817488 with PD only existed in females. We also investigated the protein level of CCDC62 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 41 AA or GG carriers and found an apparently higher expression in PD patients carrying the AA genotype. A potential interaction was found between two estrogen-related loci, i.e. rs12817488/CCDC62 and rs2697962/PRDM2, particularly in the female stratum. In conclusion, our study demonstrated for the first time a significant association between the rs12817488 polymorphism and PD predisposition in a Chinese population with gender variations and provides new insight regarding the variant's protein expression and estrogen-related genetic interaction. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel lanthanide–organic coordination polymer incorporating both nitrogen hetrocyclic dicarboxylate and oxalate coligand, namely {[Pr2(Hpimda)2(μ4-C2O4)·2H2O]·2H2O}n, (H3pimda = 2-(Pyridin-4-yl)-1H-4,5-imidazole-dicarboxylic acid), has been fabricated successfully and characterized systematically. The polymer features 3D framework structure consisting of oxalate pillared praseodymium -Hpimda2–layers with intersected channels, occupied by coordinated and lattice waters, among which the 1D zig-zag chains are constructed from binuclear (Pr-Hpimda)2units bridged by oxalate, acting as the secondary building unit. The polymer exhibits strong photoluminescence in visible region under ultraviolet excitation using 305 nm radiations in the solid state. The bulk purity analysis and variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility of polymer 1 were also studied. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective To investigate the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and Bim in rat cortex after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and to explore the role of AMPK in cortical apoptosis in early brain injury after SAH. Methods SAH model was established by an endovascular perforation technique. The immunohistochemical method was used to detect the localization of AMPK and phosphorylated AMPK. RT-PCR was performed to detect the dynamic mRNA expression of AMPKα, and Western blot was used to detect the protein leveis of phosphorylated AMPK and apoptosis-related proteins (Bim and caspase-3) in the cortex. After AICAR and compound C were administered via i. c. v, the change of p-AMPK level was examined, and the effects of AICAR and compound C on neurological behavior and apoptosis-related protein expressions were observed. Results Experimental SAH increased the expressions of AMPKα mRNA and phosphorylated AMPK. Bim and caspase-3 were also significantiy increased. Wth compound C treatment, the phosphorylation level of AMPK and the up-regulation of Bim were modfied. However, AICAR administration exacerbated cortical apoptosis and neurological deficit through up-regulation of Bim. Conclusion AMPK is involved in the pathophysiological process of neuronal apoptosis in early brain injury after SAH. The mechanism may be related to the regulation of transcription of Bim. Inhibition of AMPK signaling pathway can provide neuroprotection by reducing cortical apoptosis after SAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim:To investigate the effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation on rat global cerebral ischemia and the underlying mechanisms.Methods:Adult male SD rats underwent asphxial cardiac arrest to induce global cerebral ischemia, then received intravenous injection of 5×106 cultured MSCs of SD rats at 2 h after resuscitation. In another group of cardiac arrest rats, tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 6 (TSG-6, 6 μg) was injected into the right lateral ventricle. Functional outcome was assessed at 1, 3, and 7 d after resuscitation. Donor MSCs in the brains were detected at 3 d after resuscitation. The level of serum S-100B and proinflammatory cytokines in cerebral cortex were assayed using ELISA. The expression of TSG-6 and proinflammatory cytokines in cerebral cortex was assayed using RT-PCR. Western blot was performed to determine the levels of TSG-6 and neutrophil elastase in cerebral cortex.Results:MSCs transplantation significantly reduced serum S-100B level, and improved neurological function after global cerebral ischemia compared to the PBS-treated group. The MSCs injected migrated into the ischemic brains, and were observed mainly in the cerebral cortex. Furthermore, MSCs transplantation significantly increased the expression of TSG-6, and reduced the expression of neutrophil elastase and proinflammatory cytokines in the cerebral cortex. Intracerebroventricular injection of TSG-6 reproduced the beneficial effects of MSCs transplantation in rats with global cerebral ischemia.Conclusion:MSCs transplantation improves functional recovery and reduces inflammatory responses in rats with global cerebral ischemia, maybe via upregulation of TSG-6 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: This study was designed to use meta analysis to compare the success rate between cast metal posts and fiber posts after root canal therapy. METHODS: The Chinese literatures published between 2001 and 2011 about the differences between the success rate of cast metal posts and fiber posts were collected. The criteria for inclusion and exclusion was established according to evidence--based medicine method. Meta--analysis was performed with Review Manager 4.2 (RevMan 4. 2). RESULTS: Eight literatures were eligible for inclusion in this meta analysis, 929 patients were involved. The RR(relative risk) and 95% CI(confidence interval) were 0.92, 0.89-0.95, respectively. CONCLUION: Fiber post has a higher success rate when used in the restoration of endodontically treated teeth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen nutrients can regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana. In this investigation, we report the nitrogen regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis activated by TTG1-GL3/TT8-PAP1 in red pap1- D cells. To understand the mechanisms of nitrogen regulation, we employed red pap1- D cells and wild-type cells (as a control) to examine the effects of different nitrogen treatments on anthocyanin biosynthesis. In general, the higher concentrations of ammonium and high total nitrogen tested (e.g., 58.8 and 29.8 mM total nitrogen consisting of NHNO and KNO) reduced the levels and molecular diversity of anthocyanins; in contrast, the lower concentrations of ammonium and total nitrogen conditions (e.g., 9.4 mM KNO and the depletion of nitrogen) increased the levels and molecular diversity of anthocyanins. An expression analysis of the main regulatory and pathway genes showed that at conditions of higher concentrations of ammonium and total nitrogen, the expression levels of PAP1 and TT8 decreased, but the expression levels of LBD37, 38 and 39, three negative regulators of anthocyanin biosynthesis, increased. In addition, the expression levels of the main pathway genes decreased. In contrast, at conditions of lower concentrations of ammonium and total nitrogen, the expression levels of PAP1, TT8 and the main pathway genes increased, whereas those of LBD37, 38 and 39 decreased. These results show that nitrogen regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in red cells undergoes a mechanism by which nitrogen controls the expression of genes encoding both main components of the TTG1-GL3/TT8-PAP1 complex and negative regulators. Based on these observations, we propose that the regulatory mechanism of nitrogen may occur via two pathways to control the expression of genes encoding positive and negative regulators in red pap1- D cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new compounds (Hbiim)(NO)( 1) and (Hbiim)(phthgly) ( 2) (Hbiim=biimidazole; Hphthgly= N-phthaloylglycine) have been synthesized and characterized by luminescence and single crystal X-ray diffraction study. Compound 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c, where a = 14.8078(15), b = 5.9233(6), c = 20.028(2) Å, β = 92.7910(10)°, V = 1754.6(3) Å and Z = 8. Compound 2 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n, where a = 15.3775(14), b = 5.3200(6), c = 6.4689(18)Å, β = 115.418(2)° V = 1216.9(2)Å and Z = 4. In 1, the N-H groups of Hbiim and the oxygen atoms of NO are linked by hydrogen bonds leading to Hbiim(N,N)-R(10) and N-H···O interactions forming infinite 1D helical chains along the b-axis. Compound 2 consists of a planar diprotonated biimidazole moiety and two phthgly anions which connect to the dication by hydrogen bonds phthgly(O,O)-R(9). Graphical Abstract: The unit crystal structure of (Hbiim)(NO) consists of one Hbiim cation and one NO anion. The (Hbiim)(NO) units form infinite 1D helical chains along the b axis through robust hydrogen bonds Hbiim(N,N)-R(10) involving the N-H groups of Hbiim ligands with the oxygen atoms of nitrate anions, and the two adjacent units of [(Hbiim)(NO)] connect each other by a direct side-by-side interaction.[Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemisia annua L. is the only natural resource that produces artemisinin (Qinghaosu), an endoperoxide sesquiterpene lactone used in the artemisinin-combination therapy of malaria. The cross-hybridization properties of A. annua do not favor studying artemisinin biosynthesis. To overcome this problem, in this study, we report on selection of self-pollinated A. annua plants and characterize their development and artemisinin biosynthesis. Self-pollinated F2 plants selected were grown under optimized growth conditions, consisting of long day (16 h of light) and short day (9 h of light) exposures in a phytotron. The life cycles of these plants were approximately 3 months long, and final heights of 30-35 cm were achieved. The leaves on the main stems exhibited obvious morphological changes, from indented single leaves to odd, pinnately compound leaves. Leaves and flowers formed glandular and T-shaped trichomes on their surfaces. The glandular trichome densities increased from the bottom to the top leaves. High performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolic profiling analyses showed that leaves, flowers, and young seedlings of F2 plants produced artemisinin. In leaves, the levels of artemisinin increased from the bottom to the top of the plants, showing a positive correlation to the density increase of glandular trichomes. RT-PCR analysis showed that progeny of self-pollinated plants expressed the amorpha-4, 11-diene synthase (ADS) and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase 71 AV1 (CYP71AV1) genes, which are involved in artemisinin biosynthesis in leaves and flowers. The use of self-pollinated A. annua plants will be a valuable approach to the study of artemisinin biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of preparing solid dispersions of the poorly soluble budesonide by supercritical fluid (SCF) technique, using poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) as a hydrophilic carrier. The budesonide-PEO solid dispersions were prepared, using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC CO2) as the processing medium, and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), solubility test and dissolution test in order to understand the influence of the SCF process on the physical status of the drug. The endothermic peak of budesonide in the SCF-treated mixtures was significantly reduced, indicating that budesonide was in amorphous form inside the carrier system. This was further confirmed by SEM and PXRD studies. The enhanced dissolution rates of budesonide were observed from SCF-treated budesonide-PEO mixtures. The amorphous characteristic of the budesonide, the better mixing of drug and PEO powders in the presence of SC CO2, together with the improved wettability of the drug in PEO, produced a remarkable enhancement of the in vitro drug dissolution rate. Thus, budesonide-PEO solid dispersions with enhanced dissolution rate can be prepared using organic solvent-free SCF process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, 3D CT images play an important role in the lossless detection of industry, and the focus analysis of medicine are widely used in the industrial and the medicinal field. In order to detect the line targets widely existed in the CT images, traditional methods were Hough transform and Radon transform. However the complexity of them were huge in the 3D space, what's more, they were not applicable by curve targets. So this paper proposed a method based on distance transform and terminal node, turned nodes detection to detect line targets. It was not only suitable to the line, but also to the curve. Furthermore, it could get the thickness of the line targets automatically from the step of distance transform. The result of experiments shows the availability of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Carbohydrate partitioning and utilization is a key determinant of growth rate and of yield in plants and crops. There are few studies on crops in field conditions. In Arabidopsis, starch accumulation in leaves is a negative indicator of growth rate. Results: Here, we wished to establish if starch accumulation in leaves could potentially be a marker for growth rate and yield in crops such as maize. We characterized daily patterns of non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) at different growth stages over two seasons for maize hybrids in the field. In 27 commercial hybrids, we found a significant negative relationship between residual starch in leaves and plant growth, but not with final yield and biomass. We then focused on three typical hybrids and established a method for calculation of C turnover in photosynthetic leaves that took into account photosynthesis, leaf area and NSC accumulation. The ratios of stored NSC decreased from approximately 15% to less than 4% with ongoing ontogeny changes from V7 to 28 days after pollination. Conclusion: The proportion rather than absolute amount of carbon partitioned to starch in leaves at all stages of development related well with yield and biomass accumulation. It is proposed that screening plants at an early vegetative growth stage such as V7 for partitioning into storage may provide a prospective method for maize hybrid selection. Our study provides the basis for further validation as a screening tool for yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]