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Background Targeted genomic sequencing (TS) greatly benefits precision oncology by rapidly detecting genetic variations with better accuracy and sensitivity owing to its high sequencing depth. Multiple sequencing platforms and variant calling tools are available for TS, making it excruciating for researchers to choose. Therefore, benchmarking study across different platforms and pipelines available for TS is imperative. In this study, we performed a TSof Reference OncoSpan FFPE (HD832) sample enriched by TSO500 panel using four commercially available sequencers, and analyzed the output 50 datasets using five commonly-used bioinformatics pipelines. We systematically investigated the sequencing quality and variant detection sensitivity, expecting to provide optimal recommendations for future research. Results Four sequencing platforms returned highly concordant results in terms of base quality (Q20>94%), sequencing coverage (>97%) and depth (>2000×). Benchmarking revealed good concordance of variant calling across different platforms and pipelines, among which, FASTASeq 300 platform showed the highest sensitivity (100%) in high-confidence variants calling when analyzed by SNVer and VarScan 2 algorithms. Furthermore, this sequencer demonstrated the shortest sequencing time (~21 hr) at the sequencing mode PE150. Through the intersection of 50 datasets generated in this study, we recommended a novel set of variant genes outside the truth set published by HD832, expecting to replenish HD832 for future research of tumor variant diagnosis. Considering the dissimilarity of variant calls across different pipelines for datasets from the same platform, we recommended an integration of multiple tools to improve variant calling sensitivity and accuracy for the cancer genome. Conclusions Illumina and GeneMind technologies can be used independently or together by public health laboratories performing tumor TS. FASTASeq 300 platform performs better regarding variant detection sensitivity under SNVer and VarScan 2 algorithms along with the shortest turnaround time. Our study provides a standardized target sequencing resource to benchmark new bioinformatics protocols and sequencing platforms.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to characterize the genomic epidemiology of human adenoviruses (HAdVs) in Hubei, China, using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS).MethodsIn total, 25 HAdV-positive samples collected from 21 pediatric patients were sequenced and subjected to mNGS using the NextSeq 550 and GenoLab M sequencing platforms. The metagenomic data were assembled de novo for molecular typing, phylogenetic and recombination analyzes.ResultsWe assembled 50 HAdV genomes, 88% (22/25) genomes from GenoLab M, and 84% (21/25) genomes from NextSeq 550 have perfect alignments to reference genomes with greater than 90%. The most fully assembled 25 genomes were categorized into 7 HAdV genotypes, the most abundant of which were HAdV-B3 (9/25) and HAdV-C2 (6/25). Phylogenetic analyzes revealed that the newly isolated HAdV-B3 strains diverged into separate clusters according to their genotypes. Vigilance is needed that HAdV-B3 isolates have begun to form new distinct clusters. High nucleotide identity was observed in the whole genome level within the same HAdV genotypes, while marked differences of three capsid genes across HAdV genotypes were noted. The high nucleotide diversity regions were concordant with the reported hypervariable regions. Further, three recombinant strains were identified: S64 and S71 originated from the parental strains HAdV-B14 and HAdV-B11, and S28 originated from HAdV-C1, HAdV-C5, and HAdV-CBJ113. GenoLab M and NextSeq 550 showed comparable performance with respect to data yield, duplication rate, human ratio, and assembly completeness.ConclusionThe sequencing quality and assembly accuracy showed that mNGS assembled genomes can be used for subsequently HAdV genotyping and genomic characterization. The high nucleotide diversity of capsid genes and high frequency of recombination events has highlighted the necessity for HAdV epidemiological surveillance in China.

IgG4-related disease has been manifested with fibrosis, inflammation and deregulated metabolism clinical symptoms. IgG4 patients has reduced USP25 expression that upregulates Smad3, fibronectin and clo1a1 that cause the fibrosis.

We detected the adenovirus infection in nasopharyngeal swab samples from patients with respiratory tract infection. mNGS was performed on NextSeq 550 and GenoLab M sequencing platforms to study viral phylogenetics and recombination.

IgG4-related disease has been manifested with fibrosis, inflammation and deregulated metabolism clinical symptoms. In this study, we have investigated the molecular mechanism of aforementioned clinical symptoms with PBMC from IgG4-RD patients, IgG4 cells lines and USP25 KO mice. By using RNA-seq, we have identified that USP25 controls the symptoms via several pathways as the central hub.

Target sequencing of Reference OncoSpan FFPE (HD832) sample enriched by TSO500 panel

To study the mechanism of EPN3 in non-small cell lung cancer, we constructed the stable shEPN3 konckdown cell line in A549 cells and performed RNA-seq.

Molting is critical for growth, development, and survival in insects. As the main components of cuticle, dynamic change of chitin is consistent with molting process. Chitinase is main enzyme to mediate chitin metabolism in the old cuticle. To avoid over-degrading chitin from the new cuticle, expression of chitinase must be precisely regulated. In this study, we performed microRNA-sequencing to investigate expression change of microRNAs in silkworm epidermis during molting process. Comparative microRNA transcriptomic analysis from different molting stages and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) treatment identified bmo-miR-282-5p as candidate. By bioinformatic analysis, chitinase 5 (BmCht5) was predicted to be a target of bmo-miR-282-5p. Meanwhile, temporal expression analysis revealed that BmCht5 only expressed at molting D3 stage, whereas bmo-miR-282-5p showed converse pattern, in which its transcript signal disappeared at this time point. Furthermore, luciferase assay and agomir treatment demonstrated that bmo-miR-282-5p suppressed transcript of BmCht5 in vivo. As a result, injection of 282-5p agomir triggered 40% death due to molting failure. In addition, RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated silencing of BmCht5 caused 30% developmental defect. Taken together, our data demonstrates the coordinated regulation of chitinase 5 by conserved miR-282-5p and 20E signaling pathway is essential for the normal molting process in the domesticated silkworm. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Exercise can reduce the incidence of stress-related mental diseases, such as depression and anxiety. Control group was neither exposed to CVMS nor TRE (noCVMS/noTRE). Females were tested and levels of serum17-beta-oestradiol (E2), estrogen receptors α immunoreactive neurons (ERα-IRs), estrogen receptors β immunoreactive neurons (ERβ-IRs) and oxytocin immunoreactive neurons (OT-IRs) were measured. The results showed there’s increased anxiety-like behaviors for mice from CVMS/noTRE, CVMS/higher speed TRE (CVMS/HTRE) and noCVMS/HTRE groups when they were put in open field and elevated maze tests. They had lower serum E2 levels than mice from CVMS/low-moderate speed TRE (CVMS/LMTRE), noCVMS/LMTRE and noCVMS/noTRE groups. The three groups of CVMS/noTRE, CVMS/HTRE and noCVMS/HTRE mice had more ERα-IRs and less ERβ-IRs in the medial preoptic area (mPOA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and medial amygdala (MeA), hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON). The number of OT-IRs in PVN and SON of CVMS/noTRE, CVMS/HTRE and noCVMS/HTRE mice was also lower than that of mice from CVMS/LMTRE, noCVMS/LMTRE and noCVMS/noTRE groups. Interestingly, CVMS/LMTRE and noCVMS/LMTRE mice were similar to noCVMS/noTRE mice in that they did not show anxiety, while CVMS/HTRE and noCVMS/HTRE mice did not, which were similar to the mice in CVMS/noTRE. We propose that LMTRE instead of HTRE changes the serum concentration of E2. ERβ/ERα ratio and OT level in the brain may be responsible for the decrease in anxiety-like behavior in female mice exposed to anxiety-inducing stress conditions., Highlights • CVMS/LMTRE did not show anxiety. • noCVMS/LMTRE did not show anxiety. • ERβ/ERα ratio decreas anxiety. • OT decreas anxiety.

Diospyros (Ebenaceae) is a widely distributed genus of trees and shrubs native to tropical and subtropical regions, with numerous species valued for their fruits (persimmons), timber, and medicinal values. However, information regarding their plastomes and chloroplast evolution is scarce. The present study performed comparative genomic and evolutionary analyses on plastomes of 18 accepted Diospyros species, including three newly sequenced ones. Our study showed a highly conserved genomic structure across the species, with plastome size ranging from 157,321 bp (D. jinzaoshi) to 157,934 bp (D. deyangensis). These plastomes encoded 134–138 genes, including 89–91 protein-coding genes, 1–2 pseudogenes (Ψycf1 for all, Ψrps19 for a few), 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Comparative analysis of Diospyros identified the intergenic regions (trnH-psbA, rps16-trnQ, trnT-psbD, petA-psbJ, trnL-trnF-ndhJ) as the mutational hotspots in these species. Phylogenomic analyses identified three main groups within the genus designated as the evergreen, deciduous, and island groups. The codon usage analysis identified 30 codons with relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) values greater than 1 and 29 codons ending with A and U bases. A total of three codons (UUA, GCU, and AGA) with highest (RSCU) values were identified as the optimal codons. ENC-plot indicated the significant role of mutational pressure in shaping codon usage, while most protein-coding genes in Diospyros experienced relaxed purifying selection (Ka/Ks < 1). Additionally, the ndhG, rpoC1, and ycf3 genes showed positive selection (Ka/Ks > 1) in the island, deciduous, and both deciduous and evergreen species, respectively. Thus, the results provide a foundation for elaborating Diospyros’s genetic architecture and taxonomy, conserving genetic diversity and enriching genetic resources.

Technological innovation and increased affordability have contributed to the widespread adoption of target genome sequencing (TS) technologies in scientific research and clinical diagnostic applications. Cancer research consortia showed increasing acceptance of TS techniques to define the mutation landscape of multiple cancer types. These studies have primarily utilized Illumina’s sequencing instruments. In this study, we performed target genome sequencing of Reference OncoSpan FFPE (HD832) sample enriched by TSO500 panel using a new platform, GenoLab M, and compared it with NovaSeq 6000 and NextSeq 550 platforms. The data demonstrated that all three platforms showed high-quality scores, deep coverage, and high concordance for variant detection (94.8%). Besides, the GenoLab M platform displays high accuracy in tumor diagnosis of FFPE sample. Briefly, the GenoLab M platform shows comparable performances with NovaSeq 6000 and NextSeq 550, indicating its potential applicability in cancer TS at a lower cost.

Background Ovarian malignancy is among the most common lethal cancers in gynaecology. It has been considered that nutrition status and inflammation are two essential factors associated with the poor survival rates of patients suffering from multiple tumours. Methods This research included 174 subjects who suffered from FIGO stage I-IV OC and underwent surgeries between May 2008 and March 2013. Results The results showed that FAR, T3–T4 depth, high CA125, stage III-IV and metastasis were highly associated with low overall survival rates. Moreover, higher FCI was markedly correlated with decreased survival in patients with OC. Conclusions The combination of FAR and CA125 could be a new non-invasive marker in blood and probably assist physicians in evaluating the prognosis of patients.

Two pyridinium amide-based receptors L1 and L2 with a small difference of H-bond position of the amide have been synthesized and characterized. Interestingly, they exhibited a huge difference in sensing towards AcO- and H2PO4 -, respectively. Receptor L1 was found to be ‘naked-eye’ selective for AcO- anions, while receptor L2 showed clear fluorescence enhancement selective to H2PO4 - anion. The recognition ability has been established by fluorescence emission, UV-vis spectra, and 1HNMR titration.

Phellinus noxius causes brown root rot (BRR) of diverse trees. Basidiospores and diseased host tissues have been recognized as important sources of P. noxius inoculum. This study aimed to understand whether P. noxius could occur or survive in soil without host tissues in the natural environment. Soil was sampled before and after the removal of diseased trees at eight BRR infection sites (total of 44 samples). No P. noxius colonies were recovered in soil plating assays, suggesting that no or little viable P. noxius resided in the soil. To know whether P. noxius could disseminate from decayed roots to the surrounding soil, rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils were sampled from another two infection sites. Although P. noxius DNA was detectable with specific primers, no P. noxius could be isolated, even from the rhizosphere soils around decayed roots covered with P. noxius mycelial mats. The association between viable P. noxius and the presence of its DNA was also investigated using field soil mixed with P. noxius arthrospores. After P. noxius was exterminated by flooding or fumigation treatment, its DNA remained detectable for a few weeks. The potential of onsite soil as an inoculum was tested using the highly susceptible loquat (Eriobotrya japonica). Loquats replanted in an infection site that had been cleaned up by simply removing the diseased stump and visible residual roots remained healthy for a year. Taken together, P. noxius is not a soilborne pathogen, and diseased host tissues should be the focus of field sanitation and detection for BRR.

Aim To develop and validate a prediction model to evaluate the perioperative hypoglycemia risk in hospitalized type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients undergoing elective surgery. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the electronic medical records of 1410 T2DM patients who had been hospitalized and undergone elective surgery. Regression analysis was used to develop a predictive model for perioperative hypoglycemia risk. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the Hosmer–Lemeshow test were used to verify the model. Results Our study showed an incidence of 10.7% for level 1 hypoglycemia and 1.8% for level 2 severe hypoglycemia during the perioperative period. A perioperative hypoglycemic risk prediction model was developed that was mainly composed of four predictors: duration of diabetes ≥ 10 year, body mass index (BMI) 2, standard deviation of blood glucose (SDBG) ≥ 3.0 mmol/L, and preoperative hypoglycemic regimen of insulin subcutaneous. Based on this model, patients were categorized into three groups: low, medium, and high risk. Internal validation of the prediction model showed high discrimination (ROC statistic = 0.715) and good calibration (no significant differences between predicted and observed risk: Pearson χ2 goodness-of-fit P = 0.765). Conclusions The perioperative hypoglycemic risk prediction model categorizes the risk of hypoglycemia using only four predictors and shows good reliability and validity. The model serves as a favorable tool for clinicians to predict hypoglycemic risk and guide future interventions to reduce hypoglycemia risk.

In this study, we performed target genome sequencing of Reference OncoSpan FFPE (HD832) sample enriched by TSO500 panel using a new platform, GenoLab M (GeneMind LTD., China), and compared the results obtained with Illumina NovaSeq 6000 and NextSeq 550 platforms.

The use of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) has been increasing dramatically worldwide. More than 8,000 flavors of e-cigarettes are currently marketed and menthol is one of the most popular flavor additives in the electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). There is a controversy over the roles of e-cigarettes in social behavior, and little is known about the potential impacts of flavorings in the ENDS. In our study, we aimed to investigate the effects of menthol flavor in ENDS on the social behavior of long-term vapor-exposed mice with a daily intake limit, and the underlying immunometabolic changes in the central and peripheral systems. We found that the addition of menthol flavor in nicotine vapor enhanced the social activity compared with the nicotine alone. The dramatically reduced activation of cellular energy measured by adenosine 5′ monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling in the hippocampus were observed after the chronic exposure of menthol-flavored ENDS. Multiple sera cytokines including C5, TIMP-1, and CXCL13 were decreased accordingly as per their peripheral immunometabolic responses to menthol flavor in the nicotine vapor. The serum level of C5 was positively correlated with the alteration activity of the AMPK-ERK signaling in the hippocampus. Our current findings provide evidence for the enhancement of menthol flavor in ENDS on social functioning, which is correlated with the central and peripheral immunometabolic disruptions; this raises the vigilance of the cautious addition of various flavorings in e-cigarettes and the urgency of further investigations on the complex interplay and health effects of flavoring additives with nicotine in e-cigarettes.

Stress is a risk factor for emotion and energy metabolism disorders. However, the neurocircuitry mechanisms for emotion initiation and glucose mobilization underlying stress responses are unclear. Here we demonstrate that photoactivation of Gad2+ projection from the anterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (aBNST) to the arcuate nucleus (ARC) induces anxiety-like behavior as well as acute hyperglycemia. Photoinhibition of the circuit is anxiolytic and blocks hyperglycemia induced by restraint stress. Pharmacogenetic inhibition of the ARC

PURPOSE The epidemiology and clinicopathology of aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) secondary to giant cell tumors of bone (GCTBs) have been well documented in the previous literature. However, reports on whether secondary ABCs could affect the postoperative recurrence of GCTBs are rare. This study analyzed the effects of secondary ABCs and other relevant clinical factors on the postoperative recurrence of GCTBs of the extremities. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 256 cases of GCTBs of the extremities that were treated surgically at our institution. Among them, there were 60 patients diagnosed with GCTBs combined with secondary ABCs and 196 patients diagnosed with simple GCTBs. Intralesional curettage and tumor resection were performed in 136 and 120 cases, respectively. Univariate analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and multivariate regression analysis were used to assess the factors for postoperative recurrence. The follow-up period was at least 24 months. RESULTS The total postoperative recurrence rate was 32%. The recurrence rate in the secondary ABCs group was significantly higher than that in the simple GCTBs group (53.3% vs 25.5%, P

Background To retrospectively analyze the tumor resection method used in 20 patients with clavicular tumors and evaluate its clinical efficacy. Methods A total of 9 patients with clavicular benign tumors underwent intracapsular resection, and 11 patients with clavicular malignant tumors underwent tumor resection from May 2012 to May 2017. Of the 11 patients, 5 underwent clavicular reconstruction using the plate-cement complex. Surgical efficacy was assessed using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society, Constant-Murley, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons shoulder outcome scores preoperatively until 12 months postoperatively. Results The average duration of follow-up care was 33.7 (12–71) months. Of the 20 patients, 3 patients died, 3 survived with tumor recurrence or metastasis, and 14 survived with no tumor recurrence. Among the 5 patients who underwent resection of malignant clavicular tumors and reconstruction, 2 underwent a re-operation because of a loose screw and plate displacement. In the functional assessment of the shoulder joint, patients with benign and malignant clavicular tumors showed significantly higher scores postoperatively compared with preoperative scores. For malignant clavicular tumors, no significant improvement was observed when comparing the non-reconstruction and reconstruction groups. Conclusions Surgery is an optimal treatment for clavicular tumors. In patients with benign clavicular tumors, simple intracapsular resection can achieve a satisfactory prognosis. Reconstruction of a clavicular defect after resection of a clavicular malignant tumor is not recommended.

In order to select a surfactant formulation with an ultra-low oil-water interfacial tension for application in a low permeability oil field, surfactant combinations were developed consisting of non-ionic alkanolamides, anionic alkyl benzene sulfonate and betaine in certain proportions. The results showed that the oil-water interfacial tension (oil from the Changing Jing'an field) could decease to 10−4 mN m−1∼10−5 mN m−1 in the wide surfactant concentration range of 0.3%∼0.6% and a salinity of 100 000 mg L−1 at 40°C∼70°C. From 2012 to 2013, the field tests of 8 injection and 39 production wells were carried out. The water-cut escalating rate decreased from + 1.26% to −0.15% monthly. The yield changing rate increased from −1.59% monthly to + 0.12%. The valid period of the test was more than 10 months. The improved oil recovery of the in-test well groups were predicted to increase 6.3% using type A characteristic curve of drive water. When comparing the three injection technologies, the key to the success of field application of surfactant combinations having an ultra-low oil-to-water interfacial tension is a consistent profile protocol of water injection.

Rotor blade design relies heavily on the aerodynamic theory. Extensive calculations are necessary in order to determine the blade parameters such as chord and thickness distributions, twist angle distribution and taper that is matched with the selected airfoil sections. For practical purposes, the engineers need a convenient means to verify their design. Wind turbine blades must be designed to operate in desirable performance. This research proposes a computer aided method that helps the engineers to examine the design and amend it in time. The numerical example shows good applicability of the methodology proposed. The proposed methodology not only lets us verify our design scientifically but also makes us understand the associated physical insight. The numerical example demonstrated here showed the converted power by the rotor can be evaluated easily by Flow Simulation according to the aerodynamics theory.

Angular leaf spot of strawberry, considered an A2 quarantine pest by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO 2019), is an important bacterial disease in many regions. Since 2017, symptoms similar to angular leaf spot were observed in several strawberry cultivars including 'Taoyuan No. 1' and 'Xiang-Shui'. Early symptoms were angular, water-soaked lesions on the abaxial leaf surface, and later, reddish-brown irregular spots and coalesced lesions developed on the adaxial surface. In the humid conditions, sticky bacterial ooze exuding from lesions was observed. To isolate the causal agent, leaves showing water-soaked lesions were surface sterilized, cut into small pieces and soaked in 5 ml sterile water for at least 15 min. The supernatant from the cut-up pieces was serially diluted followed by spreading on sucrose peptone agar (SPA) (Hayward 1960). After incubating at 20°C for 4-5 days, single colonies grown on SPA were transferred to a new SPA plate and cultured at 20°C until colonies appeared. The yellow, glossy and mucoid colonies, which resembled the colony morphology of Xanthomonas fragariae, were selected as candidates for further confirmation. First, bacterial DNA of four candidate isolates, B001, B003 and B005 from Miaoli County and B004 from Taoyuan City, was PCR amplified with X. fragariae-specific primers: XF9/XF12 (Roberts et al. 1996) and 245A/B and 295A/B (Pooler et al. 1996). All four isolates could be detected by XF9/XF12 primer. Furthermore, isolates B003 and B004 could be detected by both 245A/B and 295A/B primers, while B001 and B005 could be detected by 295A/B only. Next, DNA gyrase subunit B (gyrB) was PCR amplified with the primers XgyrB1F/XgyrB1R (Young et al. 2008). The gyrB sequences of these four isolates were deposited in GenBank with accession numbers MT754942 to MT754945. The gyrB phylogenetic tree was constructed based on Bayesian inference analysis and maximum likelihood analysis. The gyrB sequences of the four isolates from Taiwan clustered in the clade containing the type strain of X. fragariae ICMP5715, indicating that they belong to X. fragariae. B001 and B005 formed a sub-group separated from B003 and B004, suggesting genetic differences between these isolates. To fulfill Koch's postulates, the abaxial surface of strawberry leaves were syringe infiltrated (KJP Silva et al., 2017) or wounded inoculated (Wang et al., 2017) with bacterial suspensions (final OD600 = 1.0-2.0) prepared from colonies of B001 and B003 washed from SPA plates. Inoculated plants were enclosed in a plastic bag (> 90% RH) at 25/20°C (day/night) under a 12-h/12-h photoperiod. After 7-14 days, water-soaked lesions similar to those observed in the field were developed on all inoculated leaves. The bacteria were successfully re-isolated from lesions of inoculated leaves and confirmed by specific primers XF9/XF12, 245A/B and 295A/B. We also found that the disease commonly occurs in the strawberry fields/nurseries with sprinkler irrigation during winter or early spring, and was particularly serious in the windward side or near riverside. To our knowledge, this is the first report of X. fragariae causing angular leaf spot on strawberry in Taiwan. Currently, the disease only occurs severely in certain regions, but establishment of effective management strategies will be needed to prevent spreading of this disease and potential economic loss in the future.

An intracellular metabolomics method based on gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was established to explore the toxicity mechanism of aconitine and benzoylaconine. BeWo, a continuous cell lines originated from human placenta, was selected to establish in vitro placenta model. The intracellular metabolites were extracted after exposed to 5 μg mL −1 aconitine and benzoylaconine for 0, 6, 12, 24 and 36 h, respectively. The intracellular metabolic profiles were acquired by GC-MS. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) score plot showed the time-dependent change of the metabolomic profiles between the control and intervention groups. After screening by variable influence on projection (VIP) value and one-way analysis of variance, and searching with NIST 2014 database, 11 metabolites were identified, including proline, glycine, threonine, glutamic acid, N -acetylglutamine, glutamine, lysine, histidine, succinic acid, glucose and galactose, which were mainly involved in the following pathways: (1) glutamine and glutamate metabolism; (2) glycine, serine and threonine metabolism; (3) alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism; (4) lysine degradation; (5) arginine and proline metabolism and (6) histidine metabolism. The results demonstrated that amino acid metabolism was the main metabolic pathway and responsible for the placental and fetal toxicity of aconitine and benzoylaconine.

Background: Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common psychiatric disorder that affects about 2% of the population, but the underlying neuropathophysiology of OCD is not well understood. Although increasing lines of evidence implicate dysfunction of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in OCD, a detailed understanding of the functional alterations in different neuronal types in the OFC is still elusive. Methods: We investigated detailed activity pattern changes in putative pyramidal neurons and interneurons, as well as local field potential oscillations, in the lateral OFC underlying OCD-relevant phenotypes. We applied in vivo multichannel recording in an awake OCD mouse model that carried a deletion of the Sapap3 gene, and in wild type littermates. Results: Compared with wild type mice, the lateral OFC of Sapap3 knockout mice exhibited network dysfunction, demonstrated by decreased power of local field potential oscillations. The activity of inhibitory and excitatory neurons in the lateral OFC showed distinct perturbations in Sapap3 knockout mice: putative interneurons exhibited increased activity; putative pyramidal neurons exhibited enhanced bursting activity; and both putative pyramidal neurons and interneurons exhibited enhanced discharge variability and altered synchronization. Limitations To exclude motor activity confounders, this study examined functional alterations in lateral OFC neurons only when the mice were stationary. Conclusion: We provide, to our knowledge, the first direct in vivo electrophysiological evidence of detailed functional alterations in different neuronal types in the lateral OFC of an OCD mouse model. These findings may help in understanding the underlying neuropathophysiology and circuitry mechanisms for phenotypes relevant to OCD, and may help generate and refine hypotheses about potential biomarkers for further investigation.

Innate defensive responses are essential for animal survival and are conserved across species. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) plays important roles in learned appetitive and aversive behaviors, but whether it plays a role in mediating or modulating innate defensive responses is currently unknown. We report that VTAGABA+ neurons respond to a looming stimulus. Inhibition of VTAGABA+ neurons reduced looming-evoked defensive flight behavior, and photoactivation of these neurons resulted in defense-like flight behavior. Using viral tracing and electrophysiological recordings, we show that VTAGABA+ neurons receive direct excitatory inputs from the superior colliculus (SC). Furthermore, we show that glutamatergic SC-VTA projections synapse onto VTAGABA+ neurons that project to the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and that the CeA is involved in mediating the defensive behavior. Our findings demonstrate that aerial threat-related visual information is relayed to VTAGABA+ neurons mediating innate behavioral responses, suggesting a more general role of the VTA. Keywords: Ventral tegmental area; GABAergic neurons; innate fear; superior collic-55ulus; looming; defensive responses.

Two isoforms, Bmpop-a and Bmpop-b, were cloned and characterized, which were found to encode prolyl oligopeptidase (Pop) of the domestic silkworm Bombyx mori. The full lengths of Bmpop-a and Bmpop-b were 2497 and 2508 bp, deducing 707 and 740 amino acids, respectively. Both of them, possessing the typical characteristics of the Pop family of serine proteinase, were detected to be expressed among different tissues and development stages at the transcription and translation levels. Soluble recombinant BmPop-a (rBmPop-a) had oligopeptidase activity toward the substrates, Z-Gly-Pro-pNA, Z-Gly-Pro-AMC and angiotensin I. An inhibition assay showed that the activity of rBmPop-a was significantly inhibited by KYP-2047 and S17092 in vitro. BmPop-b was identified in the molting fluids at three different stages by Western blotting analysis, showing a predominant expression in the integument. Two isoforms of Bmpop gene and other three genes in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the integument were down-regulated by starvation treatments but up-regulated by refeeding. These results suggested that BmPops may play an important role in balancing the molting fluid pressure to guarantee ecdysis normally. This study provides clues for further elucidating the function and regulation mechanisms of two isoforms of Bmpop gene.

Actinidia arguta is a species native to East Asia, and its genetic diversity is largely unknown. Here, the genetic diversity of five natural A. arguta populations distributed from northeast to southwest China was evaluated with 15 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The observed heterozygosity and polymorphism information content of populations from Da-Ba Mountains and Mei County in the Qin-Ling Mountains were higher than those of populations from the Chang-Bai Mountains. Analysis of molecular variance revealed 16.62% SSR variation among and 83.38% variation within populations. An unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean clustering analysis showed clustering of the two populations from the Qin-Ling Mountains and clustering of the populations from the Da-Ba and Chang-Bai Mountains. Most wild A. arguta accessions were clustered according to the populations. These results imply that wild A. arguta resources in the Qin-Ling and Da-Ba Mountains represent a potential germplasm pool, which broadens the genetic basis of the kiwifruit germplasm for breeding.

Sample entropy can reflect the change of level of new information in signal sequence as well as the size of the new information. Based on the sample entropy as the features of speech classification, the paper firstly extract the sample entropy of mixed signal, mean and variance to calculate each signal sample entropy, finally uses the K mean clustering to recognize. The simulation results show that: the recognition rate can be increased to 89.2% based on sample entropy.

By means of self-emulsifying, blocked & crosslinked cationic polyurethane (CBPU) microemulsion was prepared with isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), polycaprolactone glycol, bisphenol A, methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) as cationic hydrophilic chain-extending agent, ̴̵̹̹̱̼̽͊̿˰̱̓˰̷̲̼̳̻̹̿̾˰̷̵̱̾̈́˰̴̱̾˰̞˽̫˸́˼́˽̴̵̸̹͉̼̽̈́˽̂˽̵̱̳͉̼̈́˹̵̸͉̼̭̈́˽ڂ˽̴̸̴̵̸̹͉͈͉͉̼̱̹͂̿̈́̽̾̿˰̴̵̱̱̹̀͂̿̀̾̽˸̠̔̔˹˰̱̓˰̷̳̼̹̻̹͂̿̓̓̾̾˰̷̵̱̾̈́˾˰̶̶̵̳̈́̓̕˰̶̿˰̸̵̈́˰̠̥̓̒˰̵̴̲̼̳̻̿˰̱̹͂̈́̿˰̿̾˰̸̵̈́˰̸͉̹̳̱̼̀̓˰̵̵̹̀͂̿̀͂̈́̓˰̶̿˰̸̵̈́˰̵̵̴̱̈́͂̈́˰̵̱̀̀͂˰̵̵͇͂˰̴̵̴̹̓̈́ͅ˾˰̸̵̤˰̵̵̵͈̹̱̼̀͂̽̾̈́˰̵̼͂̓̈́̓ͅ˰̸͇̓̿˰̓̈́͂uctures of tertiary amine group, imidazole ring and urethane group are found in CBPU molecular structure. The morphology of the particle is uniform spheric structure and its size is related to the content of tertiary amine groups of CBPU. The paper strength, especially the wet strength can be obviously increased with the increasing of the blocked ratio of CBPU. The optimum blocked ratio of CBPU is 10%.

According to the characteristic of polyhydroxy alcohol fracturing fluid system, the regeneration of the system was investigated for the first time. A stable organic boron crosslinking poly (vinyl alcohol) regenerable polyhydroxy alcohol fracturing fluid system was prepared, and the rheological property of the polyhydroxy alcohol fracturing fluid system with different regenerable times was also researched. The effect of regenerable times on the rheological property of the system was studied. The results indicated that the aims of gel breaking and regeneration can be achieved by regulating its pH value and controlling its crosslinking degree. With the increment of the regenerable time, both the temperature resistance and shearing resistance performances were decreased, and the viscoelasticity of the gel was also reduced.

Algae possess complex and diverse biology and evolutionary history. They play an important role in the ecosystem. A mass of unique genes and biological processes also make them attractive. The application of high-throughput sequencing approaches to algal research has greatly contributed to the development of algal genomics and transcriptomics, as well as enriched the gene information of algae. In this article, we summarize the advances of algal genomics and transcriptomics, describe and compare the characteristics of different algae genomes, and introduce the application of expression sequence tags (ESTs), microarray and RNA sequencing technique to algal transcriptomics research. Furthermore, the advances of algal gene expression and small RNA are also reviewed in detail. At last, we discuss the challenges and future development of this area.

Waterborne UV curable polyurethane emulision containing C=C bond was prepared with self-emulsification. 3% water soluble photoinitiator was added to the polyurethane emulision, and polyurethane films was prepared by ultraviolet irradiation. The structure of the polyurethane emulision and films were confirmed by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetric analysis. FTIR test result shows that cross linking and solidification reaction of C=C double bond happened after UV irradiation. When C=C content increases, the particle size of polyurethane emulision increases, crosslinking degree of films increases, water resistance and heat resistance have both been improved. When C=C content is 8.51%, gel content is more than 90% and the lowest water absorption can be 12.5%.

Fracturing fluid was obtained by putting the organic borate and organic titanium crosslinkers into the base fluid of konjac glucomannan. The properties of the fracturing fluid were also discussed. The system was very stable until the temperature reach to 90°C. The system also performed good shear resistance ability when the shear rate was 170s-1 at 80°C for half an hour. The residue content after gel breaking and the suspended sand performance both satisfied the requirements of the operation.

Fluorinated emulsifier-free emulsion surface sizing agent (FEE) was prepared by emulsifier-free polymerization of hexafluoro-butyl methacrylate (FA), styrene (St) and so on in the presence of fuorinated random amphiphilic polymers (ASRF) copolymerized by FA, St and acrylatic acid. Effects of ASRF content and treatment temperature on the surface properties of the films were investigated. Effects of ASRF content and oxide starch on the application were also discussed. Additionally, fiber morphologies of the samples were characterized by SEM.The results show that the appropriate increases of ASRF content and treatment temperature are good for the decreases of surface free energies of the films. When the ASRF content and oxide starch content is 5% and less 50% respectively, the FEE and its combination with oxide starch have good sizing performance. After the treatment by FEE, the fiber surface becomes smooth, which provides lower surface free energy of the fibers.

The waterborne curing agent was prepared by reaction of isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), polyethylene glycol single methyl ether(MPEG) and trimethylol propane (TMP). The synthesis process of curing agent were monitored by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and initial tack, peel strength, heat aging resistance, shear strength, creep resistance of all samples with different curing agent content were measured. The results showed that the curing agent dispersed well as an incorporated state in the waterborne polyurethane. The water and ethanol absorption decreased with increasing curing agent content, the peel strength was significantly increased up to 6.7 N/mm.

The modified guar gum was synthesized with guar gum as material and bromododecane as etherifying agent by suspension polymerization method. The solution and gel of the modified guar gum were also prepared. The structure and the property of the modified guar gum were analysized by Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The heat resistance and the viscoelasticity modulus of the gel were also researched by rheometer. The results of FT-IR and XRD show that the hydrophobic long chain has been introduced into the guar gum successfully. TGA indicates that the modified guar gum has higher thermal stability. The rheology tests reflect that with different temperature conditions, the shear viscosity, the viscoelasticity modulus of the gel and the heat resistance of the modified guar gum are both better than that of the unmodified guar gum. The modified guar gum can be used as thickener of fracturing fluid, and it can reduce its amount.

So far, many investigations had been made on the concentration and species distribution of heavy metals in aquatic environments. However, there are only a few studies on heavy metals in upper reaches of the Yellow River, especially in Gansu, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia sections. We have literatures related to the Yellow River, in this work, we remarkably discussed about the contents, speciation and potential risks of Cd, Pb, Cr, V, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn in surface sediments from 12 sampling sites in Gansu, Ningxia, and Inner Mongolia sections of the Yellow River of China in 2011 year wet season by high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (HR-ICP-MS) and sequential extraction procedure of BCR method. The results indicated that the metals contents were arranged as CrVZnCuNiPbCoCd in all sites. Comparing with the background value of soil in local section, Cd showed the highest level at S5 (1.30 μg x g(-1)), which was almost 13 times higher than the background value (0.103 μg x g(-1)). Pollution assessment indicated that Cd presented a strong polluted status with the geo-accumulation index (I(geo)) value of 3.08 at S5, moderately to strong polluted status with the I(geo) ranged from 2.02 to 2.90 in Inner Mongolia section (S1-S4). Moreover, enrichment factor (EF) showed that all heavy metals in these sediments have been influenced by anthropogenic activities. According to potential ecological risk index (RI), S5 and S3 demonstrated high ecologic risk of heavy metals, while other sampling sites showed moderately ecological risk. The results of BCR exhibited that Cd was the most available metal, followed by Co and Ni, while V and Cr were unavailable in the sediments. Risk assessment code (RAC) exhibited high risk for Cd at S1-S4 and very high risk at S5, while medium risk for Ni and Co at all sites. The results and conclusions may be important information and therefore of interest to the relevant departments of the governments.

Cationic polyacrylamides modified with fluorinated methacrylate (FPAM) were prepared with acrylamide, dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate (DFM) and methacryloxyethyl trimethylammonium chloride by free radical micellar copolymerization. The solution properties of FPAM were investigated. The results show that there are strong hydrophobic associations in the FPAM aqueous solution. The intrinsic viscosity decreases and Huggins constant increases with the increase of DFM content. The apparent viscosity of FPAM solution increases with increasing the FPAM concentration both in water and salt solution. There are maximum values of the apparent viscosity of FPAM with addition of sodium chloride, CTAB and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), respectively. Additionally, the FPAM has higher surface activity in salt solution than in water.

Salviae miltiorrhizae is one of the most commonly used herbal plants in the treatment of numerous ailments including cardiovascular diseases for hundreds of years. According to the theory of traditional Chinese herbal medicine, S. miltiorrhizae is always used in combination with borneol to obtain better pharmacological effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of borneol on the pharmacokinetic and bioavailability of S. miltiorrhizae. The pharmacokinetics studying on rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid A and salvianolic acid B which are the main active compounds of S. miltiorrhizae in rat plasma, was achieved using a optimal high-performance liquid chromatographic technique coupled with liquid-liquid extraction method. After administration of either single salvianolic acids or salvianolic acids in combination with borneol, plasma concentrations of rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid A and salvianolic acid B of male Sprague-Dawley rats were determined at different time points (5, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300, and 360 min). In comparison with salvianolic acid extract alone, there were statistically significant differences in pharmacokinetic parameters of rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B and salvianolic acid A, and the bioavailability of the three salvianolic acids increased by different degrees when the salvianolic acid extract and borneol were administered together. These results indicated that borneol could enhance the intestinal absorption, decrease the distribution and inhibit the metabolism of salvianolic acids.

Waterborne polyurethane emulsions were synthesized with isophorone diisocyanate(IPDI), dihydromethyl propionic acid(DMPA) and poly-ε-caprolactone glycol(PCL), and then reacted with hydroxy-ethyl acrylate(HEA) and 3-aminopropyltriethoxylsilane(APTES) to cap the terminal -NCO groups. The polyurethane emulsions were used to copolymerize with acrylates to synthesize the modified waterborne polyurethane-acrylate hybrid emulsions. The structure, thermal stability and crystallinity of modified polyurethane were studied by FTIR, TG, XRD and the mechanical properties of modified polyurethane films was also investigated. The results show that crystallization of the modified waterborne polyurethane decreases and thermal stability is improved. When the mass fraction of acrylate is 20% and APTES content is 15%, tensile strength of the modified polyurethane films can reach 23.9MPa and elongation at break is 247%.

By the method of linear regression, the correlations of the differential fluxes of space energetic protons and heavy ions in the solar quiet period with the neutron intensity measured at OULU Cosmic Ray Station are investigated respectively. Starting from the energy spectra of protons and heavy-ions, and combining with the neutron intensity data of OULU station, we have proposed a new method to calculate the differential fluxes of space protons and heavy ions from inversion of ground-level neutron intensities. Taking the energetic protons at the 4 energy channels P8–P11(350–420 MeV, 420–510 MeV, 510–700 KeV, >700 MeV) of the GEOS satellite and the element C measured by the ACE satellite as examples, we have compared the inversion results with the measured data, and found that they are fairly consistent. Besides, in order to explore the possible applications of this method in the description of space environments, a further verification is made by using the inversion result of the proton fluxes in Nov. and Dec. of 2006. It is concluded that with this method, the differential fluxes of space protons and heavy ions can be recovered very well from inversion of ground-level neutron intensity data.

Plasmonic colour printing has drawn wide attention as a promising candidate for the next-generation colour-printing technology. However, an efficient approach to realize full colour and scalable fabrication is still lacking, which prevents plasmonic colour printing from practical applications. Here we present a scalable and full-colour plasmonic printing approach by combining conjugate twin-phase modulation with a plasmonic broadband absorber. More importantly, our approach also demonstrates controllable chromotropic capability, that is, the ability of reversible colour transformations. This chromotropic capability affords enormous potentials in building functionalized prints for anticounterfeiting, special label, and high-density data encryption storage. With such excellent performances in functional colour applications, this colour-printing approach could pave the way for plasmonic colour printing in real-world commercial utilization., Plasmonics offers an alternative approach to robust colour printing, but real applications require a full-colour and scalable process. Here, the authors develop such an approach by combining plasmonic broadband absorbers with conjugate twin-phase modulation, demonstrating its potential for anticounterfeiting technology.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by a persistent decline of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Despite its frequency, effective therapeutic strategies that halt the neurodegenerative processes are lacking, reinforcing the need to better understand the molecular drivers of this disease. Importantly, increasing evidence suggests that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced unfolded protein response is likely involved in DA neuronal death. Salidroside, a major compound isolated from Rhodiola rosea L., possesses potent anti-oxidative stress properties and protects against DA neuronal death. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In the present study, we demonstrate that salidroside prevents 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced cytotoxicity by attenuating ER stress. Furthermore, treatment of a DA neuronal cell line (SN4741) and primary cortical neurons with salidroside significantly reduced neurotoxin-induced increases in cytoplasmic reactive oxygen species and calcium, both of which cause ER stress, and cleaved caspase-12, which is responsible for ER stress-induced cell death. Together, these results suggest that salidroside protects SN4741 cells and primary cortical neurons from 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity by attenuating ER stress. This provides a rationale for the investigation of salidroside as a potential therapeutic agent in animal models of PD.