Search

The jet charge is an old observable that has proven uniquely useful for discrimination of jets initiated by different flavors of light quarks, for example. In this Letter, we propose an approach to understanding the jet charge by establishing simple, robust assumptions that hold to good approximation nonperturbatively, such as isospin conservation and large particle multiplicity in the jets, forgoing any attempt at a perturbative analysis. From these assumptions, the jet charge distribution with fixed particle multiplicity takes the form of a Gaussian by the central limit theorem and whose mean and variance are related to fractional-power moments of single particle energy distributions. These results make several concrete predictions for the scaling of the jet charge with the multiplicity, explaining many of the results already in the literature, and new results we validate in Monte Carlo simulation.

We present the first global analysis of generalized parton distributions (GPDs) combing lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD) calculations and experiment measurements including global parton distribution functions (PDFs), form factors (FFs) and deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) measurements. Following the previous work where we parameterize GPDs in terms of their moments, we extend the framework to allow for the global analysis at non-zero skewness. Together with the constraints at zero skewness, we fit GPDs to global DVCS measurements from both the recent JLab and the earlier Hadron-Electron Ring Accelerator (HERA) experiments with two active quark flavors and leading order QCD evolution. With certain choices of empirical constraints, both sea and valence quark distributions are extracted with the combined inputs, and we present the quark distributions in the proton correspondingly. We also discuss how to extend the framework to accommodate more off-forward constraints beyond the small $\xi$ expansion, especially the lattice calculated GPDs., Comment: 23 pages, 7 figures and 3 tables

In order to overcome the bad precision of fitted error, lower accuracy optimization results and other flaws, when extraction technology of the lotus leaf alkaloids was optimized by response surface method or regression analysis method, a linear constraint optimization method based on BP neural network is proposed. The testing program of three factors, three level was designed, which selected the hydrochloric acid mass fraction, ultrasound time, liquid-solid ratio as experimental factors. Taking the experiment data as training sample, the BP neural network model of the lotus leaf alkaloid yield and the influencing factors was obtained, and it was optimized by the proposed optimization method. The optimal parameter combination of extraction technology for lotus leaf alkaloid was obtained as follows: extraction temperature 60 °C, ultrasonic power 500W, hydrochloric acid mass fraction 0.3%, ultrasonic time 43 min, liquid-solid ratio 27, the yield of lotus leaf alkaloids under this process condition is 4.26 mg/g. It better than the best extraction technology obtained by response surface method. The obtained results is used for verification experiment, the verification results shown that the method has high fitting accuracy and stable optimization results, which optimize the extraction technology for lotus leaf alkaloid.

Varieties of pathological conditions, including diabetes, are closely related to oxidative stress (OS), but the osseointegration or bioadaptation of implants to OS and the related mechanism remain poorly explored. In this study, the antioxidation and osteoimmune regeneration of titanium implants with micro/nanotopographies were evaluated under H2O2-, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and hyperglycemia-mediated cellular OS models and in diabetic rats as a representative animal model of OS. TiO2 nanotube (TNT) coating on titanium implants directly induced superior osteogenic differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and osseointegration compared with microscale sand blasted-acid etched topography (SLA) under OS, attributed to higher superoxide dismutase 2 activity, the neutralization of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and less apoptosis. Mechanistically, the oxidation resistance on TNT is driven by upregulated forkhead box transcription factor O1 (FoxO1), which is abolished after knockdown of FoxO1 via shRNA in MSCs. Indirectly, TNT also alleviates OS in macrophages, therefore inducing a higher portion of the M2 phenotype under OS with increased secretion of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, further promoting the osseoimmunity capacity compared with SLA. The current study not only suggests the potential application of TiO2 nanotube-coated titanium implants in compromised conditions but also provides a systematic evaluation strategy for the future development of bone biomaterials., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • H2O2, lipopolysaccharide and hyperglycemia induced cellular oxidative stress models. • TiO2 nanotubes promote oxidation resistance and osteogenesis under oxidative stress. • TiO2 nanotubes activate forkhead box transcription factor O1 to enhance osteogenesis. • TiO2-nanotube-coated implants promote osseointegration in diabetic rats. • TiO2 nanotubes induce anti-inflammatory osteoimmunity under oxidative stress.

Introduction It will be challenging to develop high-performance organic chromophores for light-triggered thermal ablation of the tumor. Besides, the mechanisms of organic chromophores for tumor therapy remain unclear. Herein, an acceptor-π-donor (A-π-D) structured organic chromophore based on 2-dicyanomethylenethiazole named PTM was developed for photothermal therapy (PTT) of tumors. Methods and Results Biocompatible PTM nanoparticles (PTM NPs) were fabricated by enclosing PTM with Pluronic F-127. The results of optical and photothermal properties of PTM NPs showed robust near-infrared (NIR) absorption, excellent photostability and high photothermal conversion efficiency (56.9%). The results of flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy, apoptosis, CCK-8 assays and animal experiments showed that PTM NPs had a good killing effect on tumors under NIR laser irradiation. Furthermore, mechanistic studies, RNA-seq and biological analysis revealed that PTM NPs can cause tumor cell death via DNA damage-mediated apoptosis. Conclusion Light-induced thermal ablation effects of PTM NPs in vitro and vivo were surveyed. Collectively, our studies provided a new approach to developing a safe and effective photothermal agent for cancer treatment., Graphical Abstract

Current evidence has suggested that diabetes increases the risk of implanting failure, and therefore, appropriate surface modification of dental implants in patients with diabetes is crucial. TiO2 nanotube (TNT) has an osteogenic nanotopography, and its osteogenic properties can be further improved by loading appropriate drugs. Cinnamaldehyde (CIN) has been proven to have osteogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial effects. We fabricated a pH-responsive cinnamaldehyde-TiO2 nanotube coating (TNT-CIN) and hypothesized that this coating will exert osteogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial functions in a simulated diabetes condition. TNT-CIN was constructed by anodic oxidation, hydroxylation, silylation, and Schiff base reaction to bind CIN, and its surface characteristics were determined. Conditions of diabetes and diabetes with a concurrent infection were simulated using 22-mM glucose without and with 1-μg/mL lipopolysaccharide, respectively. The viability and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, polarization and secretion of macrophages, and resistance to Porphyromonas gingivalis and Streptococcus mutans were evaluated. CIN was bound to the TNT surface successfully and released better in low pH condition. TNT-CIN showed better osteogenic and anti-inflammatory effects and superior bacterial resistance than TNT in a simulated diabetes condition. These findings indicated that TNT-CIN is a promising, multifunctional surface coating for patients with diabetes needing dental implants.

Green design pursues maximum economic efficiency and minimum environmental impact. Green design of mechanical equipment can ensure environmentally friendly design and manufacturing. A rust-off machine is a crucial piece of equipment in remanufacturing. As attention to remanufacturing grows, the demand for rust-off machines is gradually increasing, but their green characteristics have not attracted attention. There is a need to carry out a green design for a rust-off machine that can improve its economy and environmental friendliness. In response to this need, in this study, a green design method for a rust-off machine was developed, combining the strengths of quality function deployment for environment (QFDE) and function analysis. In this method, functional analysis was used to determine the mapping relationship between functions and components. QFDE was used not only to determine the relationship between customer requirements and engineering metrics, but also to establish the relationship between engineering metrics and components and to obtain optimal structural solutions. A green design of a steel plate surface rust-off machine was taken as a case study. The results show that this method can achieve a win-win design that achieves maximum economic benefit and environmental protection.

Active remanufacturing is an important technique that is used to reduce the uncertainty of the quality of remanufactured cores. However, the implementation of active remanufacturing too early or late will lead to a reduction in economic benefits and an increase in environmental impact during the whole life cycle of the product. To this end, an active-remanufacturing-timing decision method is proposed based on an economic, energy and environmental (3E) analysis of product life cycle. In this method, the quantitative function of the cost, energy consumption and environmental emissions of used products in the manufacturing stage, service stage, and remanufacturing stage are firstly constructed based on life-cycle assessment (LCA) and life-cycle cost (LCC). Then, a multi-objective optimization method and the particle swarm algorithm are utilized to obtain active-remanufacturing timing with the optimal economic and environmental benefits of remanufacturing. Finally, a case study on remanufacturing on used engines is demonstrated to validate the proposed method.

Current evidence has suggested that diabetes increases the risk of implanting failure, and therefore, appropriate surface modification of dental implants in patients with diabetes is crucial. TiO

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were carboxylated by nitric acid oxidation/plasma pretreatment, and melamine phosphate (MP) was grafted onto the surface of MWCNTs to obtain functionalised MWC...

Aim: To evaluate the biological function of titanium implants coated with cell-derived mineralized extracellular matrix, which mimics a bony microenvironment. Materials & methods: A biomimetic titanium implant was fabricated primarily by modifying the titanium surface with TiO2 nanotubes or sand-blasted, acid-etched topography, then was coated with mineralized extracellular matrix constructed by culturing bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells. The osteogenic ability of biomimetic titanium surface in vitro and in vivo were evaluated. Results: In vitro and in vivo studies revealed that the biomimetic titanium implant enhanced and accelerated osteogenesis of bone marrow stromal cells by increasing cell proliferation and calcium deposition. Conclusion: By combining surface topography modification with biological coating, the results provided a valuable method to produce biomimetic titanium implants with excellent osteogenic ability.

Background Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have a higher failure rate of dental implant treatments. However, whether titanium (Ti) implants with TiO2 nanotubes (TNT) surface can retain their biocompatibility and osteogenetic ability under DM conditions has not been investigated; in addition, their behavior in DM conditions is not well characterized. Materials and methods Pure Ti discs were surface treated into the polishing (mechanically polished, MP), sandblasted and acid-etched (SLA), and TNT groups. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the surface morphology. The cell adhesion and proliferation ability on different modified Ti surfaces at various glucose concentrations (5.5, 11, 16.5, and 22 mM) was detected by the CCK-8 assay. The osteogenetic ability on different modified Ti surfaces under high-glucose conditions was evaluated by alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteopontin (OPN) immunofluorescence, Western blot, and Alizarin Red staining in vitro. Detection of cell apoptosis and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was undertaken both before and after N-acetylcysteine (NAC) treatment to assess the oxidative stress associated with different modified Ti surfaces under high-glucose conditions. An in vivo study was conducted in DM rats with different modified Ti femoral implants. The osteogenetic ability of different modified Ti implants in DM rats was assessed using a micro-CT scan. Results High-glucose conditions inhibited cell adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenetic ability of different modified Ti surfaces. High-glucose conditions induced higher apoptosis rate and intracellular ROS level on different modified Ti surfaces; these effects were alleviated by NAC. Compared with the SLA surface, the TNT surface alleviated the osteogenetic inhibition induced by high-glucose states by reversing the overproduction of ROS in vitro. In the in vivo experiment, micro-CT scan analysis further confirmed the best osteogenetic ability of TNT surface in rats with DM. Conclusion TNT surface modification alleviates osteogenetic inhibition induced by DM. It may provide a more favorable Ti implant surface for patients with DM.

UDP-GlcNAc is a sugar substrate necessary for the O-GlcNAcylation of proteins. SLC35B4 is one of the nucleotide sugar transporters that transport UDP-GlcNAc and UDP-xylose into the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus for glycosylation. The roles of SLC35B4 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumorigenesis remain unknown. We find that the expression levels of SLC35B4 are higher in HCC tissues than adjacent non-tumor tissues. SLC35B4 is important for the proliferation and tumorigenesis of HCC cells. Mechanistically, SLC35B4 is important for the O-GlcNAc modification of c-Myc and thus the stabilization of c-Myc, which is required for HCC tumorigenesis. Therefore, SLC35B4 is a promising therapeutic target for treating HCC.

Mitochondria are identified as a valuable target for cancer therapy owing to their primary function in energy supply and cellular signal regulation. Mitochondria in tumor cells are depicted by excess reactive oxygen species (ROS), which lead to numerous detrimental results. Hence, mitochondria-targeting ROS-associated therapy is an optional therapeutic strategy for cancer. In this contribution, a light-induced ROS generator (TBTP) is developed for evaluation of the efficacy of mitochondria-targeting ROS-associated therapy and investigation of the mechanism underlying mitochondrial-injure-mediated therapy of tumors. TBTP serves as an efficient ROS generator with low cytotoxicity, favorable biocompatibility, excellent photostability, mitochondria-targeted properties, and NIR emission.

Photothermal therapy has gained widespread attention in cancer treatment, although its efficacy is suppressed due to the inflammatory response and immunosuppression, resulting in a discounted therapeutic effect. In this contribution, a high-performance NIR absorption organic small chromophore is developed, which is encapsulated into Pluronic F-127 to fabricate NIR absorption organic nanoparticles (TTM NPs) with excellent photothermal conversion efficiency (51.49%) for photothermal therapy. TTM NPs based photothermal therapy are combined with Aspisol, a kind of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, to weaken the inflammation and immunosuppression tumor microenvironment and enhance the antitumor effect. The results prove that the combination therapy realizes effective thermal elimination of primary tumors, inhibition of distant tumors, and suppression of tumor metastasis. The data show that combination therapy can suppress the expression of inflammatory factors, enhance dendritic cell activation and maturation, reverse the immunosuppression, facilitate T cell infiltration, and restore antitumor cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity. This study provides a paradigm to extend the development of photothermal therapy.

Characterizing the serologic features of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection is imperative to improve diagnostics and control of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. In this study, we evaluated the antibody profiles in 272 plasma samples collected from 59 COVID-19 patients, consisting of 18 asymptomatic patients, 33 mildly ill patients and 8 severely ill patients. We measured the IgG against five viral structural proteins, different isotypes of immunoglobulins against the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) protein, and neutralizing antibodies. The results showed that the overall antibody response was lower in asymptomatic infections than in symptomatic infections throughout the disease course. In contrast to symptomatic patients, asymptomatic patients showed a dominant IgG-response towards the RBD protein, but not IgM and IgA. Neutralizing antibody titers had linear correlations with IgA/IgM/IgG levels against SARS-CoV-2-RBD, as well as with IgG levels against multiple SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins, especially with anti-RBD or anti-S2 IgG. In addition, the sensitivity of anti-S2-IgG is better in identifying asymptomatic infections at early time post infection compared to anti-RBD-IgG. These data suggest that asymptomatic infections elicit weaker antibody responses, and primarily induce IgG antibody responses rather than IgA or IgM antibody responses. Detection of IgG against the S2 protein could supplement nucleic acid testing to identify asymptomatic patients. This study provides an antibody detection scheme for asymptomatic infections, which may contribute to epidemic prevention and control.

Background Casticin, an isoflavone compound extracted from the herb Fructus Viticis, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities and properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects and mechanisms of casticin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells and to determine its potential for targeted use as a medicine. Methods NPC cells were used to perform the experiments. The CCK‑8 assay and colony formation assays were used to assess cell viability. Flow cytometry was used to measure the cell cycle and apoptosis analysis (annexin V/PI assay). A three-dimensional (3D) tumour sphere culture system was used to characterize the effect of casticin on NPC stem cells. In silico molecular docking prediction and high-throughput KINOME scan assays were used to evaluate the binding of casticin to phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), including wild-type and most of mutants variants. We also used the SelectScreen assay to detect the IC50 of ATP activity in the active site of the target kinase. Western blotting was used to evaluate the changes in key proteins involved cell cycle, apoptosis, stemness, and PI3K/protein kinase B (AKT) signalling. The effect of casticin treatment in vivo was determined by using a xenograft mouse model. Results Our results indicate that casticin is a new and novel selective PI3K inhibitor that can significantly inhibit NPC proliferation and that it induces G2/GM arrest and apoptosis by upregulating Bax/BCL2 expression. Moreover, casticin was observed to affect the self-renewal ability of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines, and a combination of casticin with BYL719 was observed to induce a decrease in the level of the phosphorylation of mTORC1 downstream targets in BYL719-insensitive NPC cell lines. Conclusion Casticin is a newly emerging selective PI3K inhibitor with potential for use as a targeted therapeutic treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Accordingly, casticin might represent a novel and effective agent against NPC and likely has high potential for combined use with pharmacological agents targeting PI3K/AKT.

Graphical abstract, Highlights • ADH of Candida albicans was cloned and purified for the first time. • ADH triggers THP-1 cells to differentiate into M1 macrophages. • ERK pathway plays an important role for macrophage differentiation. • ADH induces the productions of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α by THP-1 cells. • As an antigen protein, ADH may induce the host innate immune system., Candida albicans proteins located on the cell wall and in the cytoplasm have gained great attention because they are not only involved in cellular metabolism and the maintenance of integrity but also interact with host immune systems. Previous research has reported that enolase from C. albicans exhibits high immunogenicity and effectively protects mice against disseminated candidiasis. In this study, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) of C. albicans was cloned and purified for the first time, and this study focused on evaluating its effects on the differentiation of the human monocytic cell line THP-1. The morphological features of THP-1 cells exposed to ADH were similar to those of phorbol-12-myristate acetate-differentiated (PMA-differentiated) macrophages. Functionally, ADH enhanced the adhesion, phagocytosis, and killing capacities of THP-1 cells. A flow cytometric assay demonstrated that ADH-induced THP-1 cells significantly increased CD86 and CD11b expression. The production of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α by cells increased in the presence of ADH. As expected, after pretreatment with a MEK inhibitor (U0126), ADH-induced THP-1 cells exhibited unaltered morphological features, eliminated ERK1/2 phosphorylation, prevented CD86/CD11b upregulation and inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokine increase. Collectively, these results suggest that ADH enables THP-1 cells to differentiate into macrophages via the ERK pathway, and it may play an important role in the immune response against fungal invasion.

Nanomaterial-related photothermal therapy has been intensively investigated for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, owing to the low specificity to tumors and easy excretion from the systemic circulation, the low dose of photoactive nanomaterials in solid tumors severely hinders the photothermal therapy applications for HCC. Herein, an innovative strategy for transarterial infusion photothermal therapy (TAIPPT) of VX2 tumors implanted in rabbits is reported. NIR-absorbing Prussian blue nanoparticles were prepared by microemulsion methods, which demonstrate excellent photothermal therapy capacity and satisfactory biocompatibility. Prussian blue nanoparticles are transarterially infused into VX2 tumors and irradiated for photothermal therapy. TAIPPT achieves fast and efficient delivery of nanoparticles into tumors and complete ablation by one-time transarterial infusion treatment. Furthermore, TAIPPT could activate the immune cells in rabbits and inhibit distant tumors. Our findings describe a promising strategy for tumor eradication and may benefit future clinical HCC patients.

Hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated TiO

A compact high power microwave source based on power combining of permanent magnet focused klystrons and pulse compression is proposed. The microwave source includes four parallel klystrons simultaneously driven by a high voltage pulse modulator. The modulator utilizes several high step-up ratio pulse transformers with multi-parallel primary coils excited by corresponding low voltage pulse modulator cells, and the secondary coils of all the transformers are series connected in sequence. Each klystron can provide 10 MW peak power with microsecond level pulse width. A planar eight-port power combiner is used to achieve the power combining of four klystrons. Also a spherical cavity pulse compressor is used to multiply the output microwave peak power from several tens of megawatts to more than 200 MW, and to compress the pulse width from a few microseconds to 100 ns.

An S-band high power microwave generation and radiation system with a center frequency of 2856 MHz based on conventional high power klystron and rectangular helical array antenna fed from a radial waveguide has been fabricated and tested for both high average power and high peak power requirements. The klystron providing a peak power of 50 MW can run stably at modest repetitive pulse in pulse durations of several microseconds level, especially with good phase stability suited to power combining. The helical array antenna is composed of 16×16 helixes used as radiation elements. A radial line power divider using probe coupling is adopted to realize the equal-amplitude in-phase multiport power division of the high power microwave from the klystron.

Owing to continual advances in computational fluid dynamics, simulations of fluids have emerged as an important means of analyzing the aerodynamic characteristics of flapping-wing flight. This study establishes an aerodynamic model of bionic flapping-wing flight and uses dynamic hybrid grid technology to divide its flow field and other parts. We formulate equations to control the discretized flow field and combine the Navier–Stokes equation (N–S equation) with the theory of dynamic vortices to solve the flow field of the motion of flapping wings. We analyzed the lift and drag generated by the flapping wing at different wind speeds, amplitudes, frequencies, and chordal torsion angles. The results show the following: (1) wind speed had a significant influence on the lift resistance of the flapping wing. When the wind speed was 1 m/s, the lift force was 1.544 N and increased 4.3 times to 6.636 N when the wind speed was 5 m/s. The resistance increased from 0.39 to 0.88 N. (2) Changes in the amplitude of flutter had little effect on the average lift resistance. When the amplitude was increased from 15° to 45°, the lift force increased to only 0.757 N and drag changed by little. (3) The increase in the flapping frequency improved flight lift. When the frequency was increased from 1 to 5 Hz, the lift increased by 2.9 N (1.78 times) and resistance increased by only 0.08 N. (4) Increasing the chord torsion angle increased flight lift. The lifts at β = 5° and 15° were 6.636 and 6.654 N, respectively, 0.85 and 0.87 N greater than those at β = 0°. As the torsion angle continued to increase, the lift decreased, while the resistance increased more quickly. When β = 15°, the resistance increased by 1.53 N, 9.6 times larger than that at 0°. Increasing the flight speed and flapping frequency can increase flight lift. A small increase in the chord torsion angle increased flight lift, but an excessively large angle led to a substantial increase in drag. Increasing the amplitude of flapping can increase the instantaneous lift generated but has a smaller effect on the average lift. By revealing the influence of different parameters on the lifting resistance of a flapping wing during flight, this paper provides a theoretical foundation for the design and control of bionic flapping-wing aircraft.

Mid-long term power load forecasting takes 5 or 10 years as an unit for forecasting. There are several methods for mid-long term load forecasting, in which the gray system prediction method is more effective. GM (1, 1) model is the most commonly used model of gray system. This model which has some limitations in real prediction, does not apply to predict the object has an S-shaped curve of growth. In this paper, the gray Verhulst model is applied to load forecasting, and predict the forecast of actual grid. This paper studies the application of gray Verhulst model in the mid-long term load forecasting: Firstly, it has been proved by examples that the gray Verhulst has higher accuracy than GM (1, 1) model when the forecast has an S-shaped curve. And the result based on the grey Verhulst model can be high precision prediction. Secondly, we applied the gray Verhulst model as a single model to the combination forecasting, and adopted recursive equal weighting method to calculate the weight of each single model that participate in the combination forecasting. Finally, we drew the following conclusion that it is feasible for the grey Verhulst model to involve in the combination forecasting and at the same time when the grey Verhulst model is applied to the combination forecasting which predict the mid-long term load, ideal result can be achieved.

Background As a relatively conservative transcriptional regulator in biological evolution, heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is activated by, and regulates the expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in response to a variety of stress conditions. HSF1 also plays a key role in regulating the development of various tumors; however, its role in pancreatic cancer and the specific underlying mechanism are not clear. Methods We first examined HSF1 expression in pancreatic cancer tissues by immunohistochemistry, and then studied its clinical significance. We then constructed HSF1-siRNA to investigate the potential of HSF1 to regulate apoptosis, proliferation and the cell cycle of pancreatic cancer cells and the underlying mechanism both in vitro and in vivo. Protein chip analysis was used subsequently to explore the molecular regulation pathway. Finally, second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase (SMAC)-siRNA was used to validate the signaling pathway. Results HSF1 was highly expressed in pancreatic cancer tissues and the level of upregulation was found to be closely related to the degree of pancreatic cancer differentiation and poor prognosis. After HSF1-silencing, we found that pancreatic cancer cell proliferation decreased both in vitro and in vivo and the apoptotic cell ratio increased, while the mitochondrial membrane potential decreased, and the cells were arrested at the G0/G1 phase. In terms of the molecular mechanism, we confirmed that HSF1 regulated SMAC to inhibit mitochondrial apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells, and to promote the occurrence of pancreatic tumors. SMAC silencing reversed the effects of HSF1 silencing. Conclusion Our study provides evidence that HSF1 functions as a novel oncogene in pancreatic tumors and is implicated as a target for the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13046-017-0537-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Investigation of functional changes in PANC-1 cells following HSF1-siRNA # 2 transfection. A. PANC-1 cell proliferation was examined by CCK-8 assay. B. PANC-1 cell proliferation was evaluated by colony formation assay. C. Annexin V/PI double staining was used to detect PANC-1 cell apoptosis. D. PI staining analysis of the cell cycle of PANC-1 cells. (PDF 1337Â kb)

Low SMAC expression levels and negative association with the HSF1 expression in pancreatic cancer tissues. A. Representative image of immunohistochemical detection of SMAC protein expression in 50 pairs of pancreatic cancer and para-carcinoma tissue specimens. Scale bar, 50 μm. B. Semi-quantitative analysis of SMAC protein expression in pancreatic cancer and para-carcinoma tissues. Differences were analyzed by paired t-test and data represent the mean ± standard deviation of three independent experiments. ***P

The Xiangjiang River is one of the most important tributaries of the Changjiang River in southern China. In this study, floodplain sediments from the Xiangjiang River have been analyzed for sediment grain size, and trace and rare earth elements (REEs). The results have been used to characterize the sediments REE composition and distribution and to identify the sediment sources and the effects of industrial pollution. The total REE (ΣREE) concentrations of the river sediments show wide variations, ranging from 37.5 to 237.4 μg g −1 , with an average of 145.6 μg g −1 . The chondrite-normalized REE patterns can be differentiated into two groups, whereas the average upper continental crust (UCC)-normalized REE pattern can be classified four groups. ΣREE shows strong positive correlations with clay (%) ( r = 0.91), and r = 0.89) and strong negative correlations with sand (%) ( r = 0.91), implying that the grain size is an important factor in controlling the REE abundance because REEs are preferentially enriched in clay minerals in fine sediments and diluted by quartz and carbonate minerals in coarse sediments. ΣREE yields strong positive correlations with Mn ( r = 0.78) and Fe ( r = 0.97), suggesting that the REE composition of Xiangjiang river sediments is controlled by clay mineral compositions. The reason is that Fe- and Mn- oxyhydroxides accumulate in fine-grained sediments and control the REE abundance. Two stations (XJ08 and XJ14) show different UCC- and chondrite-normalized REE distribution patterns with relative light rare earth element (LREE) depletion and heavy rare earth element (HREE) enrichment compared with other stations, suggesting they have been polluted by industrial effluents. Therefore, REEs can be effectively used to trace sediment provenance and pollution sources.

qFS07.1 controlling fiber strength was fine-mapped to a 62.6-kb region containing four annotated genes. RT-qPCR and sequence of candidate genes identified an LRR RLK gene as the most likely candidate. Fiber strength is an important component of cotton fiber quality and is associated with other properties, such as fiber maturity, fineness, and length. Stable QTL qFS07.1, controlling fiber strength, had been identified on chromosome 7 in an upland cotton recombinant inbred line (RIL) population from a cross (CCRI35 × Yumian1) described in our previous studies. To fine-map qFS07.1, an F2 population with 2484 individual plants from a cross between recombinant line RIL014 and CCRI35 was established. A total of 1518 SSR primer pairs, including 1062, designed from chromosome 1 of the Gossypium raimondii genome and 456 from chromosome 1 of the G. arboreum genome (corresponding to the QTL region) were used to fine-map qFS07.1, and qFS07.1 was mapped into a 62.6-kb genome region which contained four annotated genes on chromosome A07 of G. hirsutum. RT-qPCR and comparative analysis of candidate genes revealed a leucine-rich repeat protein kinase (LRR RLK) family protein to be a promising candidate gene for qFS07.1. Fine mapping and identification of the candidate gene for qFS07.1 will play a vital role in marker-assisted selection (MAS) and the study of mechanism of cotton fiber development.

KEGG analysis results of differentially expressed genes at the 0 DPA ovule and 5 DPA fiber comparing RIL118 and Yumian1. (DOCX 195Â kb)

The frequency distribution of five fiber quality traits in 1434-individual F2 population in 2011. (DOCX 607Â kb)

The concentrations of heavy metals (Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) in 16 samples collected from the lower reach (Changsha–Xiangtan–Zhuzhou section) of the Xiangjiang River in southern China were determined by high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (HR-ICPMS). Multivariate analysis, such as principal component analysis and cluster analysis, coupled with correlation coefficient analysis, was used to analyze the analytical data and to identify possible pollution sources of heavy metals. The results showed that the eight studied heavy metals accumulated in the sediments from the lower Xiangjiang River, especially Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd, which were 2.0–2.6, 1.7–2.6, 3.5–3.8, 3.2–3.6 and 189.5–152.8 times the soil trace element background for Hunan Province and UCC background values, respectively. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis, coupled with correlation coefficient analysis, revealed that the sediments from lower Xiangjiang River were mainly influenced by two sources: Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb mainly originated from industrial sources, whereas Mn was derived from both industrial and natural sources, but mainly from natural sources due to weathering and erosion.

The concentrations of 21 metals in surface sediments collected from 16 stations in lower reach of Xiangjiang River (Zhuzhou–Xiangtan–Changsha section) were determined by using high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy and their pollution levels were assessed by applying enrichment factor (EF), the geo-accumulation index (I geo) and pollution index (PI). The results show the total concentrations in μg g−1 are as follows: 1.80–14.88 for Sc, 16.66–144.29 for V, 13.27–87.99 for Cr, 159.50–2413.74 for Mn, 2.21–23.14 for Co, 4.71–42.45 for Ni, 5.31–188.89 for Cu, 38.41–1250.47 for Zn; 5.1–22.15 for Ga, 91.8–161.57 for Rb, 20.4–62.51 for Sr, 0.2–2.45 for Mo, 0.9–81.79 for Cd, 3.8–30.3 for Sn, 5.9–18.33 for Cs, 208.10–464.74 for Ba, 1.6–22.05 for W, 18.90–198.01 for Pb, 0.3–8.54 for Bi, 2.6–18.27 for Th, 0.6–13.62 for U. The mean concentrations in sediments divided by the UCC value decrease in the order of Cd > Bi > W > Zn > Pb > Cs > Sn > Mn > Cu > 1.5 times > Cr > U = Ni > V > Co > Rb > 1.0 time > Th > Ga > Sc > Mo > Ba > Sr. The calculated EF and I geo of metals implied the lower reach of Xiangjiang River had widespread been polluted by Cd, Bi, W, Cs, Pb, Zn, Sn, and locally been polluted by Cu and Mn, and not been polluted by other 12 metals. The PI values indicated almost all stations had been polluted by metals in this river.

To identify the weathering intensity and to deduce the provenance of sediments (black-brown soil and loess) from the loess tableland in the Liyang Plain is of great importance for understanding the development and origin of civilization of this critical region in China. The geochemical results show similar REE distribution patterns among sediments sampled from the YC profile in the Liyang Plain, reticulated red soils from the Dongting lake area, Xiashu loess in Zhenjiang, and loess from the Loess Plateau in China. These similarities imply a single provenance, from dust storms. REEs, especially the LREE/HREE ratio and Eu anomaly, can trace weathering intensity. Higher LREE/HREE ratios, and remarkably Eu anomalies, are present in the top loess (L0), Lower LREE/HREE ratios and insignificant Eu anomalies are present in black-brown soil (S0*) from the Liyang Plain. These demonstrate that the black-brown soils have undergone a lower intensity of weathering than the loess of YC profile. Moreover, CIA values for sediments from the YC profile provide powerful evidence to support the above result. Comparisons of analyses of the REE contents of sediments from the YC profile, of reticulated red soils from the Dongting Lake area, Xiashu loess from the Yangtze River, and loess from the Loess Plateau, clearly show the weathering intensity decreases according to the following sequence: reticulated red soil from the Dongting Lake area > sediments of YC profile from the Liyang Plain, which formed from dust storms ≈ Xiashu loess from lower reach of the Yangtze River > loess from the Loess Plateau.

Gas hydrate is a recently-found new source of energy that mostly exists in marine sediments. In recent years, we have conducted gas hydrate exploration in the South China Sea. The Xisha trough, one of the promising target areas for gas hydrate, is located in the northern margin of the South China Sea, adjacent to several large oil and gas fields. The Xisha trough extends 420 km long with the water depth of 1 500 m in the west part and 3 400 m in the east part and deposits thick sediments with organic matter content of 0.41%–1.02%. Previous studies on topographical features, geological P-T conditions, structural geology, sedimentary geology and geophysical bottom simulating reflectors (BSR) in the Xisha trough suggest that this area is favorable for the formation and accumulation of gas hydrate. In this paper, we present geochemical analyses for the sediment and pore water from a piston core at Site XS-01 in the Xisha trough. Seven pore water samples were analyzed for their anion (Cl−, SO42−, Br−, I−) contents, cation (Na, K, Ca, Mg) contents and trace element (Li, B, Sr, Ba, Rb, Mn) contents. Eight sediment samples were analyzed for stable carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions. A number of geochemical anomalies such as anions (e.g. Cl−, SO42−), cations (e.g. Ca, Mg) and trace elements (e.g. Sr, Ba, B) were found in this study. For example, the concentrations of Cl− and SO42− in pore water show a decreasing trend with depth. The estimated sulfate/methane interface (SMI) is only 18 m, which is quite similar to the SMI value of 23 m in the ODP164 Leg 997 at Blake Ridge. The Ca, Mg and Sr concentrations of pore water also decrease with depth, but concentrations of Ba, and Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios increase with depth. These geochemical anomalies are quite similar to those found in gas hydrate locations in the world such as the Blake Ridge and may be related to the formation and dissociation of gas hydrates. The salt exclusion effect during the gas hydrate formation will cause an increase in major ion concentrations in the pore waters that diffused upward such as Cl. The anaerobic methane oxidation (AMO) may lead to the change of SO42− and other cations such as Ca, Mg, Sr and Ba in pore water. Low δ13C value of authigenic carbonates is a good indicator for gas hydrate occurrence. However, the bulk sediment samples we analyzed all show normal δ13C values similar to biogenic marine carbonates, and this may also suggest that no gas hydrate-related authigenic carbonates exist or their amount is so small that they are not detectable by using this bulk analytical method. In conclusion, we suggest that the Site XS-01 in the Xisha trough of the northern margin of the South China Sea is a potential target for further gas hydrate exploration.

In this paper, we analyze the effect of the speed on the task of random number generation. Each subjectgenerates the sequences of ``random'' numbers under various speed conditions. In addition to the 16 indiceswhich have been used in the past studies, we introduce and calculate the new indices called the ``frequency ofschema''. From the statistical analysis, we find that there is an obvious change, along with the speed, in theproperties of sequences, indicating the transition of the underling information processing. It is shown that thefrequencies of schemas are effective indices for describing the properties of sequences produced under high-speed conditions.

Rare earth element (REE) compositions in ceramics from the Tongguanyao site (TGY) of China were determined by the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to compare their sources. Total REE concentrations of 14 samples range from 120.9 to 453 μgg-1, with an average value of 228.5 μgg-1. The inconformity of chondrite-normalized REE patterns suggests that pottery and porcelain have different material sources. The normalized REE patterns indicates similar trends between the raw materials and ceramics in the same period, as a higher concentration of REEs is presented in the ceramics, suggesting that REEs enriched during the production process of ceramics with high temperature. A different chondrite normalized REE pattern between the reticulated soil and ceramics implies that they had not a single source, probably mixed material sources.

Keywords: High power microwave, spatial power combining, microwave source, phased array antenna, klystron. Abstract. Spatial power combining scheme of employing multiple coherent high power microwave sources together with phased array antennas is presented to improve effective radiation power of High Power Microwave Source (HPMS). HPMS and spatial power combining validation system are developed, and spatial power combining experiment with 2 sets of HPMSs is conducted. HPMS, based on common high power klystrons and making use of inductive-adder ultra-high-voltage all-solid-state modulators, transmits and distributes its power uniformly to each radiation element of phased array antenna via radial line waveguides, and the spatial direction of transmitting beam is controlled by setting phase value of each radiation element. Experimental result shows that power combining efficiency is better than 90%.

The microstructure evolution of a single crystal nickel-base superalloy with [0 0 1] orientation during compressive creep at 1040 degreesC has been investigated by means of the observation of transmission electron microscopy. Results show that the cuboidal gamma' phase in the alloy is transformed into the strip-like rafted structure along the direction parallel to [0 0 1] stress axis during compressive creep. During the primary creep, the deformation feature of the alloy is the 1/2 dislocations activated in the gamma matrix. After crept for 50 h, the strip-like rafted gamma' (Ni3Al) phase in alloy is sheared by the super-dislocations which may be dissociated into the 1/3 super-Shockley dislocations. The SISF formed from the dissociation of the [1 0 (1) over bar] super-dislocation is enclosed by the partials loops. One of the reason resulting in a smaller strain value of the alloy during compressive creep is the Giameis locks made from a combination of the partials loops and SISF which hinder the continuous expansion of the original [1 0 (1) over bar] super-dislocation. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Volcanic ash beds from shallow- to deep-water fades strata of the Sinian-Early Cambrian (Meishucunian) on the Yangtze Platform consist of Bentonites and tuffites which are readily recognized in the field by their physical features and confirmed by geochemical analyses. Geochemistry suggests that the volcanic ash beds in Meishucunian time are rhyolite and rhyodacite while those in the Qiongzhusian and Sinian are andesite and trachyandesite. The ash beds in the time-equivalent strata, even in different areas display rather similar geochemical features, whereas the ash beds in different strata even in the same areas show large chemical difference. The results suggest that these ash beds can be used for intra- and extra-basinal correlations of the Sinian- Early Cambrian interval on the Yangtze Platform. Additionally, these ash beds suggest high potentials for further U-Pb dating strategies.