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Objectives: Reconstruction of large lower lip defects remains challenging in terms of aesthetics, function and safety. The aim of this study is to explore a modified nasolabial flap to repair large lower lip defects. Methods: The full‐thickness nasolabial facial artery flap was used for reconstruction of defects in lip squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) patients after tumor ablation. The postoperative recovery of patients was obtained through clinical review and follow‐up in the first and sixth month. Results: There were four LSCC patients who received tumor ablation at the Beijing Stomatological Hospital of Capital Medical University from November 2022 to March 2023, were included in our study. All patients did not suffer from postoperative infection, orocutaneous fistula, flap necrosis, and flap loss. One patient had the trapdoor deformity. These patients achieved better lip closure function. One patient developed cervical lymph node metastasis 2 months after surgery. Conclusions: The modified nasolabial flap could achieve good outcomes in terms of aesthetics, function, and safety. It provided a supplementary strategy for the using of nasolabial flap in larger defects of lower lip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automatic medical image segmentation has shown great potential in recent years. Howerver, magnetic resonance images (MRI) usually have the characteristics of noise and artifacts, existing methods cannot accurately segment the boundaries. In addition, most existing algorithms are unable to effectively capture the global dependencies to offset the local inductive bias. In this work, we present a novel denoising diffusion model based on 3D Swin Transformer for brain tumor segmentation, called DiffSwinTr. Furthermore, a conditional encoder module is designed to extract multi‐scale features and enhance the ability of local feature perception. We extensively evaluate our model on three BraTS datasets. The proposed DiffSwinTr can achieve average Dice Scores of 79.91%, 83.07%, and 85.38%, as well as the average Hausdorff Distances (95%) of 3.361, 3.334, and 2.975mm, respectively. The experimental results illuminate that DiffSwinTr outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art segmentation methods. Besides, our proposed model is robust to segmenting images with noise and artifacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Transfusion of cold‐stored whole blood is the preferred resuscitation method for trauma patients but may cause transfusion‐associated graft‐versus‐host disease (TA‐GVHD). Standard clinical practice to prevent this is to irradiate blood components with gamma‐rays. X‐ray irradiations are also a safe and effective alternative to gamma‐ray irradiation. We established a visual mouse model of TA‐GVHD to compare the viability and function of lymphocytes exposed to gamma‐ and x‐ray irradiation. Materials and Methods: A haploidentical transplantation mouse model was established to simulate TA‐GVHD with Balb/c mice as donors and hybrid F1 CB6 mice (Balb/c × C57) as recipients. Spleen cells from Tg‐Fluc+ Balb/c mice were isolated and irradiated with gamma‐rays and x‐rays. Lymphocyte activation, apoptosis and proliferation post phorbol 1 2‐myristate 1 3‐acetate (PMA) stimulation were evaluated. After transfusion, we monitored Fluc+ lymphocytes daily by bioluminescence imaging. Recipients were euthanized on day 21, and tissues were examined pathologically and for inflammatory cytokines. Results: The viability of gamma‐ or x‐ray irradiated lymphocytes decreased significantly with slight changes in proliferation in vivo after transfusion. Compared with the non‐irradiated group, both the gamma‐ and x‐ray irradiated groups showed significantly decreased clinical scoring and inflammatory cytokine levels. The fluorescence intensity of the body and target organs was reduced after irradiation. Conclusion: No recipients acquired TA‐GVHD after lymphocyte transfusion subjected to gamma‐ or x‐rays, showing that x‐rays inactivate as well as gamma rays and are suitable for irradiating whole blood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a life‐threatening disease characterised by elevated pulmonary pressure, right ventricular failure (RVF) and ultimately death. Aggressive treatment of RVF is considered an important therapeutic strategy to treat PAH. Previous studies have indicated that betaine may be may a promising therapeutic approach for PAH‐induced RVF. Therefore, in this study, betaine solution for injection was prepared and characterised using various techniques. The therapeutic efficacy of three different methods of administration (intragastric, nebulised inhalation and intravenous injection) were comprehensively evaluated in terms of pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution and pharmacodynamics. The pharmacokinetic results demonstrated that betaine injection administered via nebulised inhalation significantly prolonged betaine's half‐life and increased its internal circulation time compared to the intragastric and intravenous routes. Biodistribution experiments verified that the betaine formulation accumulated in the lung tissue when administered via inhalation. The results of the pharmacodynamic analysis further confirmed that right ventricular systolic pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure and right ventricular hypertrophy index increased in the model group and that inhaled betaine suppressed these pathological changes to a level comparable to those observed in the control group. Taken together, these results indicate that betaine administered by inhalation is a promising strategy for the treatment of PAH‐induced RVF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Golden apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata, is one of the world's 100 worst invasive alien species that is best known for its damage to wetland agriculture. It also acts as an intermediate host of some zoonotic parasites such as Angiostrongylus cantonensis, posing threats to human public health and safety. Despite is being an important agricultural pest, the genetic information and population expansion history of this snail remains poorly understood in China. In this study, we analyzed the genetic variation and population genetics of P. canaliculata populations in seven regions of China based on molecular markers of three mitochondrial (mt) genes. A total of 15 haplotypes were recognized based on single mt cox1, nad1, and nad4, and eight haplotypes were identified using the concatenated genes. High haplotype diversity, moderate nucleotide diversity, low gene flow, and high rates of gene differentiation among the seven P. canaliculata populations were detected. Shanghai and Yunnan populations showed higher genetic flow and very low genetic differentiation. The results of Tajima's D, Fu's Fs, and mismatch distribution showed that P. canaliculata did not experience population expansion in China. Genetic distance based on haplotypes suggested that nad1 gene was more conserved than cox1 gene within P. canaliculata. The phylogenetic analyses showed there may be two geographical lineages in the Chinese mainland. The present study may provide a new genetic marker to analyze P. canaliculata, and results support more evidence for studying the genetic distribution of P. canaliculata in China and contribute to a deeper understanding of its population genetics and evolutionary biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunotherapy using dendritic cell (DC)‐based vaccination is an established approach for treating cancer and infectious diseases; however, its efficacy is limited. Therefore, targeting the restricted migratory capacity of the DCs may enhance their therapeutic efficacy. In this study, the effect of laponite (Lap) on DCs, which can be internalized into lysosomes and induce cytoskeletal reorganization via the lysosomal reprogramming–calcium flicker axis, is evaluated, and it is found that Lap dramatically improves the in vivo homing ability of these DCs to lymphoid tissues. In addition, Lap improves antigen cross‐presentation by DCs and increases DC‐T‐cell synapse formation, resulting in enhanced antigen‐specific CD8+ T‐cell activation. Furthermore, a Lap‐modified cocktail (Lap@cytokine cocktail [C‐C]) is constructed based on the gold standard, C‐C, as an adjuvant for DC vaccines. Lap@C‐C‐adjuvanted DCs initiated a robust cytotoxic T‐cell immune response against hepatitis B infection, resulting in > 99.6% clearance of viral DNA and successful hepatitis B surface antigen seroconversion. These findings highlight the potential value of Lap as a DC vaccine adjuvant that can regulate DC homing, and provide a basis for the development of effective DC vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human mpox is occurring worldwide, however, evidence from the Asian Pacific Region is limited. In this multicenter cross‐sectional study, information of confirmed mpox cases diagnosed between June 1 and July 31, 2023 in China. Information included demographic and epidemiological characteristics, and clinical manifestations, laboratory results, and mental health status of mpox cases. A total of 115 confirmed mpox cases were enrolled. All cases were men. A total of 102 (90.3%) identified as homosexual. The median age was 31.0 years (interquartile range 27.0–36.5). A total of 65 (56.5%) were HIV‐positive, of whom 92.3% were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). A total of 19/39 (40.4%) had a CD4 cell count <500 cells/μL. Systemic features such as fever (73.0%), lymphadenopathies (49.6%), and myalgia (28.7%) were commonly observed. Skin lesions were present in all participants: 49.6% in the genital area and 27.0% in the perianal area. Vesicular rash (78.3%) and papular rash (44.3%) were the most common lesion morphologies. People living with HIV were more likely to have anxiety than those living without HIV. The majority of mpox cases had primary genital lesions and sexual activities before diagnosis, which supports the likelihood of sexual contact transmission. Guidelines on hospitalization and isolation protocols for mpox patients necessitate further confirmation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to improve the efficiency of parameter identification of the nonlinear state‐space model (SSM). The commonly used particle Markov chain Monte Carlo (PMCMC) method is time‐consuming. The surrogate model is a useful acceleration strategy, but it is expensive to establish a global high‐precision surrogate model. This paper proposes an efficient algorithm that gradually estimates the unknown parameters in two stages. In the first stage, a reduced region is established based on the latest method. We train a local Gaussian Process regression (GPR) of the likelihood function in the reduced region based on the optimum Latin hypercube design (OLHD). In the second stage, we identify the unknown parameters more accurately based on the MCMC method. When the proposal sample is in the reduced region, we use GPR to estimate the likelihood; otherwise, BPF is used to estimate the likelihood. The reduced region is usually the high probability density region, which is why the algorithm is efficient. It is proved that the acceptance rate of any two samples based on the proposed algorithm is theoretically convergent to that of the PMCMC algorithm. Two examples demonstrate that the proposed method performs well in accuracy and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sijunzi Decoction is composed of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Atractylodes Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Poria, and Glycyrrhizae Radix Et Rhizoma Praeparata Cum Melle, and it is a classic formula for treating spleen deficiency syndrome in Chinese medicine. Clarifying the active substances is an effective way to develop Traditional Chinese medicine and innovative medicines. Carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, saponins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and inorganic elements in the decoction were analyzed by multiple approaches. A molecular network was also used for visualizing the ingredients in Sijunzi Decoction, and representative components were also quantified. The detected components accounted for 74.544% of the Sijunzi Decoction freeze‐dried powder, including 41.751% crude polysaccharides, 17.826% sugars (degree of polymerization 1–2), 8.181% total saponins, 2.427% insoluble precipitates, 2.154% free amino acids, 1.177% total flavonoids, 0.546% total phenolic acids, and 0.483% inorganic elements. Molecular network and quantitative analysis used to characterize the chemical composition of Sijunzi Decoction. The present study systematically characterized the constituents of Sijunzi Decoction, revealed the composition ratio of each type of constituent, and provided a reference for study on the substance basis of other Chinese medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal transport (OT) methods seek a transformation map (or plan) between two probability measures, such that the transformation has the minimum transportation cost. Such a minimum transport cost, with a certain power transform, is called the Wasserstein distance. Recently, OT methods have drawn great attention in statistics, machine learning, and computer science, especially in deep generative neural networks. Despite its broad applications, the estimation of high‐dimensional Wasserstein distances is a well‐known challenging problem owing to the curse‐of‐dimensionality. There are some cutting‐edge projection‐based techniques that tackle high‐dimensional OT problems. Three major approaches of such techniques are introduced, respectively, the slicing approach, the iterative projection approach, and the projection robust OT approach. Open challenges are discussed at the end of the review. This article is categorized under:Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Dimension ReductionStatistical Learning and Exploratory Methods of the Data Sciences > Manifold Learning [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a three‐dimensional (3D) finite‐difference time‐domain (FDTD) approach utilizing time‐domain weighted Laguerre polynomials (WLPs) and space‐domain isotropic–dispersion (ID) finite‐difference scheme is presented (i.e., 3D ID‐WLP‐FDTD). The method exhibits unconditional stability and comprehensively improved performance such as lower anisotropic numerical dispersion error. To demonstrate its advantage, it is applied in an example of the propagation of a plane wave in a 3D cavity. The results calculated by the proposed ID‐WLP‐FDTD method and the conventional 3D WLP‐FDTD are compared, which shows that the proposed method can achieve reduced anisotropic numerical dispersion error while consuming less calculation time and hardware resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recently, functional homotopy (FH) architecture, defined as robust functional connectivity (FC) between homotopic regions, has been frequently reported to be altered in MDD patients (MDDs) but with divergent locations. Methods: In this study, we obtained resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R‐fMRI) data from 1004 MDDs (mean age, 33.88 years; age range, 18–60 years) and 898 matched healthy controls (HCs) from an aggregated dataset from 20 centers in China. We focused on interhemispheric function integration in MDDs and its correlation with clinical characteristics using voxel‐mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) devised to inquire about FH patterns. Results: As compared with HCs, MDDs showed decreased VMHC in visual, motor, somatosensory, limbic, angular gyrus, and cerebellum, particularly in posterior cingulate gyrus/precuneus (PCC/PCu) (false discovery rate [FDR] q < 0.002, z = −7.07). Further analysis observed that the reduction in SMG and insula was more prominent with age, of which SMG reflected such age‐related change in males instead of females. Besides, the reduction in MTG was found to be a male‐special abnormal pattern in MDDs. VMHC alterations were markedly related to episode type and illness severity. The higher Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score, the more apparent VMHC reduction in the primary visual cortex. First‐episode MDDs revealed stronger VMHC reduction in PCu relative to recurrent MDDs. Conclusions: We confirmed a significant VMHC reduction in MDDs in broad areas, especially in PCC/PCu. This reduction was affected by gender, age, episode type, and illness severity. These findings suggest that the depressive brain tends to disconnect information exchange across hemispheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nipple‐areola complex is a naturally hyperpigmented skin area which can be involved in vitiligo. But limited study focused on the treatment of nipple‐areola complex vitiligo, and few methods were proven to be effective. In this study, we aimed to explore the feasibility and efficacy of ReCell® on vitiligo in the nipple‐areola complex area. Methods: Medical records of patients with vitiligo involving nipple‐areola complex and underwent ReCell® treatment from October 2016 to April 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. The repigmentation rate of the nipple‐areola complex and other breast area were calculated under the Wood's light at each follow‐up. The grade of repigmentation and patient‐reported satisfaction rate were also evaluated to prove the effect of ReCell® on vitiligo of breast and especially in the nipple‐areola complex area. Results: A total of 18 patients were included in this study. No surgical complications were reported. The mean postoperative repigmentation rate in the nipple‐areola complex area (3rd‐month, 78.7 ± 5.8%; 6th‐month, 87.6 ± 5.1%; and 12th‐month, 96.1 ± 3.5%) was significantly higher than that in the other breast treatment area (3rd‐month, 70.4 ± 6.9%; 6th‐month, 84.2 ± 5.7%, and 12th‐month, 93.2 ± 3.6%). All patients showed good or excellent grades at the last follow‐up, and 94.4% of them considered the overall treatment results satisfactory. Conclusions: ReCell® is a feasible and efficient treatment strategy in the nipple‐areola complex vitiligo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study investigated the prevalence and patterns of pre‐treatment and acquired HIV drug resistance mutations among people living with HIV (PLWH) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) for 12 (±3) months in Tianjin, China. Methods: From Jan 2018 to Dec 2020, PLWH with HIV‐1 RNA greater than 1000 copies/mL visiting the ART clinic in the Tianjin Second People's Hospital were enrolled. Viral RNA isolated from blood samples were taken for genotypic resistance testing using an in‐house method. Major drug resistance mutations were analyzed for reverse transcriptase and protease Sanger sequences using the Stanford University HIV Drug Resistance Database. Multivariable Poisson regressions were used to evaluate the factors associated with drug resistance mutations. Results: HIV drug resistance testing was successfully performed on 584 ART‐naive and 71 ART‐experienced participants. Pre‐treatment drug resistance mutation prevalence was 13.5% (79/584) to any antiretroviral drug, 12.5% (73/584) to non‐nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), 1.5% (9/584) to nucleoside reverse‐transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), and 0.3% (2/584) to protease inhibitors (PIs). Acquired drug resistance to any antiretroviral drug among PLWH on ART with viral load >1000 copies/mL was 88.7% (63/71). The prevalence of mutation for NNRTIs, NRTIs, and PIs were 93.7% (59/63), 82.5% (52/63), and 3.2% (2/63), respectively. Conclusions: Pre‐treatment and acquired drug resistance mutations were highly prevalent among PLWH in Tianjin; therefore, routine baseline genotypic resistance testing and adequate intervals of viral load surveillance are urgently needed for the long‐term treatment success. Our findings provide important evidence for first‐ and second‐line regimen drugs for PLWH, especially in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Summary: This article researches the filtering‐based parameter estimation issues for a class of multivariate control systems with colored noise. A filtering‐based recursive generalized extended least squares algorithm is derived, in which the data filtering technique is used for transforming the original system into two subidentification systems and the least squares principle is used for estimating parameters of these two subsystems. Furthermore, in order to improve the parameter estimation accuracy, the multiinnovation theory is added for deducing a filtering‐based multiinnovation recursive generalized extended least squares algorithm. The numerical example confirms that these two proposed algorithms are effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), a typical representative of phthalate esters (PAEs), is used as a plasticizer in various industrial applications and has been reported to be responsible for neurobehavioral changes. Despite mounting evidence showing that nimodipine (Nim) palys a neuropharmacological and psychopharmacological role in neurons, the attenuating effects of Nim on learning and memory impairment induced by DBP exposure remain unknown. Based on bioinformatics analysis we found that the biological processes affected by both DBP and Nim may involve the calcium signaling pathway, the MAPK signaling pathway and the apoptosis pathway. The results of an in vivo study confirmed that DBP affects the levels of Ca2+‐related proteins, up‐regulates phosphorylated ‐ERK1/2 expression and results in hippocampal neuronal damage and apoptosis, whereas Nim as a Ca2+ antagonist, has a certain neuroprotective role to avoid these adverse effects. Our data suggest that Nim could be used to attenuate the learning and memory impairment in DBP‐exposed mice, to down‐regulate intracellular Ca2+ levels, subordinate the ERK1/2 pathway and attenuate apoptosis in hippocampal tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the influence of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) routes, i.e., A and Bc, on the microstructure and texture evolution of a Mg–3.7Al–0.7Zn–0.8Sn–0.4Mn (wt%) alloy is investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). It is found that with increasing the number of ECAP passes, the area fraction of the dynamically precipitated secondary‐phase particles increases, whereas particle size becomes larger. After four and six passes of ECAP via route A, shear deformation induced by ECAP promotes the incline of c‐axes toward extrusion direction (ED). The optimum room temperature (RT) mechanical properties (yield strength of ≈225 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of ≈312 MPa, and elongation to fracture of ≈31.9%) are obtained after four passes of ECAP at 200 °C via route A. The improved strength results from fine dynamic recrystallization (DRX)/ed grains, nanoscale secondary‐phase particles, and basal texture. Herein, it is indicated that Mg–Al–Zn–Sn alloys have great potential as low‐cost high‐strength‐ductility wrought Mg alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the weighted Laguerre polynomials (WLPs) and artificial anisotropic (AA) parameters, a 3‐D unconditionally stable finite‐difference time‐domain (FDTD) electromagnetic simulation approach is proposed. The implementation of WLPs in time domain effectively eliminates the time step and AA parameters in spatial difference, resulting in suppressed numerical dispersion error. The monochromatic wave is employed as an example to obtain the numerical dispersion relationship of 3‐D AA‐WLP‐FDTD under AA parameter, in which reduced numerical dispersion error is observed. Compared with the conventional WLP‐FDTD technique, this approach demonstrates smaller numerical dispersion error under similar calculation cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Microscopy has been recognized as the "gold‐standard" cellular analysis of serous cavity effusion. However, this method is time‐consuming, labor‐intensive, and requires accomplished skills. Here, we investigated the efficiency of hematology analyzer in screening malignant cells in serous cavity effusion. Methods: A total of 991 serous cavity effusion samples and 370 validation specimens collected from different departments were sent to the clinical laboratory for routine cell count using the automated hematology body fluid (BF) mode and exfoliative cytology simultaneously. High‐fluorescent cells (HFCs) were measured as the relative count (HF%) and absolute count (HF#) by BF mode. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was combined with scattergram rules to screen malignant cells. Results: HF# and HF% in malignant samples (subgroup) were significantly higher than those in benign samples, and the HF# and HF% levels were different between ascites and pleural effusion (PE). The area under the curve values were also different between ascites and PE. Positive of malignant cells was very high when the ascites or PE sample touching Rule 1 positive and either Rule 2 negative or positive. The cutoff levels of HF# were 5.5 HFC/μL on the basis of Rules 1 and 2 negative, whereas 83.5 HFC/μL on the basis of Rule 1 negative but Rule 2 positive in ascites. By contrast, the cutoff levels of HF% were 0.55 HFC/100 WBC on the basis of Rules 1 and 2 negative, whereas 4.95 HFC/100 WBC on the basis of Rule 1 negative but Rule 2 positive in PE. Conclusions: Serous cavity effusion will be increasingly analyzed using the automated hematology analyzer BF mode in the future because of its rapidness and convenience. The combined application of HFC with scattergram rules is a feasible and useful approach to screen malignant cells in serous cavity effusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a malignant disease with high mortality and closely involves the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway. Mutations in BMPR2 caused proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) leading to PAH. Isorhamnetin, one of the main naturally occurring flavonoids extracted from Hippophae rhamnoides L, shows antiinflammatory and anti-proliferative properties. Nevertheless, the effects of isorhamnetin on PAH remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether isorhamnetin has protective effects against PAH and explore possible mechanisms. An in vivo model of PAH induced by monocrotaline (MCT) was employed, and sildenafil and isorhamnetin were orally administered for 21 consecutive days. An in vitro model induced by TNF-α was employed, and cell proliferation of HPASMCs was detected. Results indicated that isorhamnetin significantly improved hemodynamic, histopathological, and echocardiographic changes in MCT-induced PAH in rats. In vitro, isorhamnetin suppressed TNF-α-induced HPASMCs proliferation. Furthermore, isorhamnetin improved protein expression of BMPR2 and suppressed protein expression of TNF-α and IL-6 in rat lungs. Isorhamnetin improved protein expression of BMPR2 and p-smad1/5 and mRNA expression of Id1 and Id3 in HPASMCs. Isorhamnetin ameliorated MCT-induced PAH in rats and inhibited TNF-α-induced HPASMCs proliferation by a mechanism likely involving the regulation of the BMP signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the prevalent and typical chronic liver diseases. In this study, we extracted a novel Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP) with low molecular weight (MW) of 3.2 kDa through optimized "one‐step" purification process. The major monosaccharide components of ASP were mannose, rhamnose, glucuronic acid, galactose, arabinose, and xylose with weight ratio of 0.23:0.17:14.41:0.39:1.68:0.87, respectively. Herein, "small" ASP could serve as an effective therapeutic option for NAFLD both in free fatty acid‐induced L02 models and in high‐fat diet‐induced mice models. Results revealed that low MW ASP dose‐dependently decreased TG, TC in vitro and TG, TC, ALT, HDL‐C, and LDL‐C in vivo. Oil Red O‐positive area and Nile red fluorescence intensity decreased in ASP treatment groups both in vitro and in vivo which suggested ASP could reduce lipid accumulation and fatty regeneration. Hematoxylin–eosin staining results shown a decrease in hepatocytes ballooning indicating that ASP could ameliorate liver lipid degeneration. Briefly, a novel polysaccharide with low MW was successfully obtained which can prospectively act as NAFLD therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low Foxp3+ regulatory T‐cell (Treg) presence in the tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is considered favorable in breast cancer, and numerous CD25‐targeting agents have been applied in the attempt to remove Foxp3+ Treg cells, which typically present CD4+CD25+/hi surface phenotype. However, CD25 is not Treg‐exclusive and can be upregulated by effector T cells. Hence, CD25 depletion may cause the elimination of activated T cells that are responding to tumor‐specific antigens. In this study, the composition and function of CD4+CD25+ cells inside the microenvironment of triple‐negative breast carcinoma (TNBC) were investigated. Directly ex vivo, the Foxp3+ Treg cells represented a minor subset in total CD4+CD25+ TILs. Significant differences were observed in the expression of Treg‐associated molecules between CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ TILs and CD4+CD25+Foxp3− TILs. While both the CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ and the CD4+CD25+Foxp3− TILs could express CTLA‐4 and LAG‐3, the expression levels were significantly higher in CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ TILs than in CD4+CD25+Foxp3− TILs. Upon TCR stimulation, the expression of TGF‐beta was significantly higher in CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ TILs, while the expression of IL‐10 was significantly higher in CD4+CD25+Foxp3− TILs. These differences were conserved in the blood counterparts of these cells. Interestingly, the level of CD25+Foxp3+ cells in circulating CD4+ T cells was positively correlated with the level of CD25+Foxp3+ cells in CD4+ TILs, but the level of CD25+Foxp3− cells in circulating CD4+ T cells was not associated with the level of CD25+Foxp3‐ cells in CD4+ TILs. Th17‐polarizing medium could readily remodel CD4+CD25+Foxp3−, but not CD4+CD25+Foxp3+, T cells into RORgammat and IL‐17‐expressing T cells, demonstrating stronger plasticity of the former subset. Together, these data demonstrated that the CD4+CD25+ TILs were composed of distinctive Foxp3− and Foxp3+ cells, with the former representing the major subset. The antigen specificity and effector molecule expression of the CD4+CD25+Foxp3− thus require further analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of its hydrophobicity and persistence, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is ubiquitous in sediments and poses significant risk to benthic organisms. Therefore, it is imperative to evaluate the long‐term toxicity of DDT. However, limited information is available on its chronic toxicity to benthic invertebrates. Full–life cycle toxicity of sediment‐bound DDT to Chironomus dilutus was assessed. Median lethal concentrations (with 95% confidence limits) of DDT and its degradation products (DDX) to C. dilutus were 334 (165–568), 21.4 (11.2–34.3), and 7.50 (4.61–10.6) nmol/g organic carbon after 10‐, 20‐, and 63‐d exposure, respectively. In addition, median effect concentrations of DDX were 20.0 (15.0–25.3), 7.13 (4.10–10.5), and 8.92 (3.32–15.1) nmol/g organic carbon for growth, emergence, and reproduction, respectively. A toxicity spectrum was established to visually summarize chronic effects of DDX to midges. In addition, DDT degraded to dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) during sediment aging, and their toxicity differed from that of the parent compound. Predicted toxic units of DDX in porewater were utilized to distinguish between toxicity from DDT and that of DDD and DDE. The results showed that DDD was the main contributor to the toxicity in C. dilutus. To improve the accuracy of sediment risk assessment of DDT, the composition of DDX should be considered. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:2698–2707. © 2019 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quest for developing electrochemical energy‐storage and ‐conversion technologies continues to be a great impetus to develop cost‐effective, highly active, and electrochemically stable electrocatalysts for overcoming the activation energy barriers of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Co3O4 nanocrystals have great potential as OER catalysts, and research efforts on improving the catalytic activity of Co3O4 are currently underway in many laboratories. Herein, CoFe layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets were directly grown on the active Co3O4 substrate to form nanohybrid electrocatalysts for OER. The CoFe LDH/Co3O4(6:4) nanohybrid exhibited superior catalytic performance with a low overpotential and a small Tafel slope in alkaline solution. The outstanding performance of the CoFe LDH/Co3O4(6:4) nanohybrid was primarily owing to the synergistic effects induced by the strongly coupled interface between CoFe LDH and Co3O4; this feature enhanced the intrinsic OER catalytic activity of the nanohybrid and favored fast charge transfer. Compared with other Co3O4‐based catalysts, the nanohybrid shows advantages and offers a feasible avenue for improving the activity of Co3O4‐based catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study concentrates on the parameter estimation of multivariate pseudo‐linear autoregressive moving average systems by means of the multi‐innovation identification theory and data filtering technique. A multi‐innovation stochastic gradient algorithm is derived by introducing the innovation length in the stochastic gradient algorithm. Then, the original system is transformed into two subsystems by using a filter. A filtering‐based multi‐innovation stochastic gradient algorithm is presented, whose parameter estimation accuracy is higher than the multi‐innovation stochastic gradient algorithm. The simulation results confirm that these two algorithms are effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common age‐related disorder. Chondrocytes in joint tissue play a critical role in normal articular cartilage function and tissue homeostasis. Local inflammatory cytokine‐induced chondrocyte senescence contributes to the development and progression of OA. Various dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitors have been widely used to treat type 2 diabetes. Here, we report a novel pharmacological role of the DPP‐4 inhibitor vildagliptin in chondrocyte senescence. Our data indicate that DPP‐4 is an inducible factor responsive to tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) treatment in chondrocytes. The inhibition of DPP‐4 by vildagliptin ameliorates TNF‐α‐induced chondrocyte senescence as determined by cellular senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase (SA‐β‐Gal) activity. Vildagliptin displayed protective capabilities against TNF‐α‐induced chondrocyte cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase. Moreover, vildagliptin suppresses the three major TNF‐α‐induced chondrocyte senescence proteins including p53, p21, and plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1). Vildagliptin also suppresses TNF‐α‐induced p53 acetylation at K382. Consistently, our findings demonstrate the inhibitory effect of vildagliptin on p53 acetylation, which is mediated by sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) as the inhibition of SIRT1 negated the inhibitory action of vildagliptin on p53 acetylation. Furthermore, we found that the effect of vildagliptin on SIRT1 protection is adenosine 5′‐monophosphate (AMP)‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) dependent, and the inhibition of AMPK activity negated the protection of vildagliptin against SIRT1 and chondrocytes senescence. In conclusion, our study explored the molecular mechanism and protective effect of the antidiabetic drug vildagliptin against chondrocyte senescence, and our findings imply that vildagliptin has a therapeutic potential in OA. © 2019 IUBMB Life, 1–2, 2019 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and design of a highly active and affordable nanostructured material as an efficient electrocatalyst for electrochemical oxygen evolution is a pressing necessity to realize industrial production of hydrogen by water electrolysis. Amorphous nanocomposites have recently attracted interest owing to their superior electrocatalytic activity derived from their unique structure. Herein, amorphous CoFe double hydroxides (Am‐CFDH) decorated with N‐doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) is synthesized by a facile and simple one‐pot approach under room temperature. Through electrochemical measurement, the bare Am‐CFDH nanocomposite already exhibits a comparable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity to the commercial IrO2 catalyst on account of its amorphous nature and the interaction between Co and Fe. The introduced NCNTs can provide better electrical conductivity, more anchoring sites, and functional groups for enhancing the transfer of electrons and reactants, preventing the agglomeration of Am‐CFDH to expose more active sites, and improving the synergistic effect between Am‐CFDH and NCNTs. Thus, the Am‐CFDH/NCNTs hybrid displays favorable durability beyond 20 h and advanced OER activity, owning a small overpotential of 270 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a low Tafel slope of 56.88 mV dec−1 in alkaline medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Band selection is an important data dimensionality reduction tool in hyperspectral images (HSIs). To identify the most informative subset band from the hundreds of highly corrected bands in HSIs, a novel hyperspectral band selection method using a crossover‐based gravitational search algorithm (CGSA) is presented in this study. In this method, the discriminative capability of each band subset is evaluated by a combined optimisation criterion, which is constructed based on the overall classification accuracy and the size of the band subset. As the evolution of the criterion, the subset is updated using the V‐shaped transfer function‐based CGSA. Ultimately, the band subset with the best fitness value is selected. Experiments on two public hyperspectral datasets, i.e. the Indian Pines dataset and the Pavia University dataset, have been conducted to test the performance of the proposed method. Comparing experimental results against the basic GSA and the PSOGSA (hybrid PSO and GSA) revealed that all of the three GSA variants can considerably reduce the band dimensionality of HSIs without damaging their classification accuracy. Moreover, the CGSA shows superiority on both the effectiveness and efficiency compared to the other two GSA variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactions of Ephrins and Eph receptors at cell membranes play crucial role in boundary formation and axon guidance. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), such as exosomes, are formed by cells communicating with each other in paracrine or endocrine manner. Until now, it is thought that direct cell–cell contact is necessary for ephrin and Eph receptor signal transduction. In this review, we discuss recent data that indicate the existence of a novel Eph‐ephrin family anchored exosome signaling pathway in long‐range intercellular communication and provide evidence that this type of signaling elicits cellular responses in cancer cells, independent of juxtacrine interactions. We emphasize that exosome‐anchored Eph/ephrin involves a variety of biological processes and transduction signals, which may serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Our previous study found that ClC‐3 chloride channel functioned differently in the vascular and intestinal inflammation, the loss of ClC‐3 reduced vascular inflammation but exacerbated intestinal inflammation. To furtherly clarify the role of ClC‐3 chloride channels in systemic inflammation, we used LPS‐induced endotoxemia model to investigate the response of wild‐type and ClC‐3 knockout mice to systemic inflammation. The results showed that in the LPS‐induced endotoxemia model, the mortality of mice with ClC‐3 deletion was significantly higher than that of wild‐type mice. The liver and lung inflammations in mice with ClC‐3 deletion were significantly less than those in wild‐type mice, and the levels of TNF‐α and MIP‐2 in serum were lower than those of wild‐type mice. However, intestinal inflammatory cytokines contents and intestinal permeability were higher than wild‐type mice. After transfection of THP‐1 cells with ClC‐3 siRNA, the contents of TNF‐α and IL‐8 in LPS‐induced cell supernatants were significantly decreased. Further experiments revealed that the level of Bax and Cleaved Caspase 3 in intestinal tissue of mice with ClC‐3 deletion was significantly increased, while the level of Bcl2 did not change, which indicated that the intestinal apoptosis was increased after LPS‐induced mice intestinal integrity destruction. Therefore, the regulation of intestinal tissue integrity by ClC‐3 is crucial for maintaining LPS‐induced survival in mice with endotoxemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: B7‐H3 is attractive for cancer immunotherapy with B7‐H3 overexpressed tumors. To explore whether B7‐H3 is an effective target for patients with bladder cancer, anti‐CD3× anti‐B7‐H3 bispecific antibodies (B7‐H3Bi‐Ab) was armed with activated T cells (ATC) to kill bladder cancer cells. Methods: High expressions of B7‐H3 on human bladder cancer cells were detected, including Pumc‐91 and T24 cells, and their chemotherapeutic drug‐resistant counterparts. ATC generated from healthy donors were stimulated with anti‐CD3 monoclonal antibody and interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) for 13 days. The ability of ATC armed with B7‐H3Bi‐Ab to kill bladder cancer cells was detected by flow cytometry, LDH, Elisa, and luciferase quantitative assay. Moreover, ATC generated from bladder cancer patients was armed with B7‐H3Bi‐Ab to verity the cell killing by the methods as previously described. Results: Compared with unarmed ATC, a significant increased cytotoxicity of B7‐H3Bi‐Ab‐armed ATC against bladder cancer cells was discovered. The B7‐H3Bi‐Ab‐armed ATC secreted more IFN‐γ, TNF‐α, and expressed high levels of activation marker CD69. Interestingly, despite the presence of immunosuppression in patients and resistance in chemotherapeutic drug‐resistant cancer cell lines, B7‐H3Bi‐Ab‐armed ATC from patients with bladder cancer still showed significant cytotoxic activity against bladder cancer cells and their chemotherapeutic drug‐resistant counterparts. Conclusion: B7‐H3 is an effective target for bladder cancer. B7‐H3Bi‐Ab enhances the ability of ATC to kill bladder cancer cells. B7‐H3Bi‐Ab‐armed ATC is promisingly to provide a novel strategy for current bladder cancer therapy. B7‐H3 is an effective target for bladder cancer. B7‐H3Bi‐Ab enhances the ability of ATC to kill bladder cancer cells. B7‐H3Bi‐Ab‐armed ATC is promisingly to provide a novel strategy for current bladder cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A finite‐difference time‐domain method is proposed to reduce the numerical dispersion error induced by the non‐uniform meshing of multiscale configurations utilizing weighted Laguerre polynomials. The update functions of two‐dimensional TEz waves are obtained with the introduction of the artificial anisotropic parameters in the derivation procedure. The theoretical analysis of utilizing artificial anisotropic weighted Laguerre polynomial finite‐difference time‐domain for the suppression of numerical dispersion error is also presented. To verify the validation of the proposed method, the propagation of plane waves in a two‐dimensional cavity filled with the dielectric material is modelled. Compared with the existing approaches, the proposed method achieves low numerical dispersion error and improved accuracy without increasing computational cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There is a vital need to explore highly efficient and stable non‐precious‐metal catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) to reduce the overpotential and further improve the energy‐conversion efficiency. Herein, we report a unique and cost‐effective lyophilization and thermal treatment two‐step procedure to synthesize a high‐performance hybrid consisting of CoFe alloy nanoparticles embedded in N‐doped carbon nanosheets interspersed with carbon nanotubes (CoFe‐N‐CN/CNTs) hybrid. The lyophilization step during the catalyst preparation leads to a uniform dispersion of carbon‐like precursors and avoids the agglomeration of metal particles. In addition, the inserted CNTs and doped N in this hybrid provide a good electrical conductivity, an abundance of chemically active sites, good mass transport capability, and effective gas adsorption/release channels. All these lead to a high specific surface area of 240.67 m2 g−1, favorable stability, and remarkable OER activities with an overpotential of only 285 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 51.09 mV dec−1 in 1.0  m KOH electrolyte, which is even superior to commercial IrO2 catalysts. The CoFe‐N‐CN/CNTs hybrid thus exhibits great potential as a highly efficient and earth‐abundant anode OER electrocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to study the effect of artificially constructed consortia of microalgae‐bacterial symbionts on growth and lipid production by Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris), as well as the inter‐relationship between microalgae and bacterial in a photoautotrophic system. The results showed that compared to an axenic culture of C. vulgaris, H1 co‐culture system (axenic C. vulgaris‐Stenotrophomona smaltophilia) had the strongest effect on the C. vulgaris growth. The biomass, specific growth rate and maximum productivity of C. vulgaris were increased by 21.9, 20.4, and 18%, respectively. The bacteria in co‐culture system had a significant effect on the accumulation of lipid and fatty acid components of C. vulgaris: the content of lipid was increased by 8.2–33.83%, and the components of the saturated fatty acids and oleic acids also had an obvious improvement. The results indicate that the microalgae‐bacterial co‐culture system can improve microalgal biomass and the quality of biodiesel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate whether conventional predisposing factors modify the associations of homocysteine with blood pressure levels and hypertension. A total of 2615 adults were recruited from Liaoning province. An elevated homocysteine level was significantly associated with increased hypertension risk and blood pressure (all P<.05). Interaction analyses showed that homocysteine acted synergistically with age, overweight/obesity, dyslipidemia, and family history of hypertension to affect hypertension risk, and the relative excess risk due to interaction was 1.21 (95% confidence interval, 0.07-2.35), 0.72 (95% confidence interval, 0.07-1.36), 0.45 (95% confidence interval, 0.06-0.85), and 1.87 (95% confidence interval, 0.77-2.97), respectively. Increases in blood pressure were higher in patients who were overweight/obese or had a family history of hypertension than in their counterparts (all Pinteraction <.05). This study provides some strong evidence for interactions of homocysteine with conventional predisposing factors on hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human cytomegalovirus ( HCMV) infection can be accelerated by intracellular and extracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) stimulation, mediated by the activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase ( MAPK) pathway. However, it remains unknown whether host gene expression is involved in H2O2-upregulated HCMV replication. Here, we show that the expression of the host gene, cyclophilin A (Cy PA), could be facilitated by treatment with H2O2 in a dose-dependent manner. Experiments with Cy PA-specific si RNA, or with cyclosporine A, an inhibitor of Cy PA, confirmed that H2O2-mediated upregulation of HCMV replication is specifically mediated by upregulation of Cy PA expression. Furthermore, depletion or inhibition of Cy PA reduced H2O2-induced p38 activation, consistent with that of H2O2-upregulated HCMV lytic replication. These results show that H2O2 is capable of activating ROS-Cy PA-p38 MAPK interactions to enhance HCMV replication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have shown that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with multiple adverse health outcomes and PM2.5-induced oxidative stress is now commonly known as a proposed mechanism of PM2.5-mediated toxicity. However, the association between allergic symptoms in children and exposure to PM2.5 has not been fully elucidated, particularly the role of PM2.5 on the indoor environment involved in allergy or non-allergy is unknown. The aim of the present study was to explore whether indoor PM2.5 from the homes of children with allergic symptoms had more increased risks of allergy than that of healthy ones and then compare the toxicity and inflammatory response of them. In this study, indoor PM2.5 was collected from the homes of schoolchildren with allergic symptoms and those of healthy ones respectively, and components of PM2.5 were analyzed. PM2.5-mediated oxidative damage and inflammatory response were further evaluated in mouse peritoneal macrophages based on its effects on the levels of reactive oxygen species accumulation, lipid peroxidation, DNA damage or cytokine production. It seems that oxidative stress may contribute to PM2.5-induced toxicity, and PM2.5 from the allergic indoor environment produced more serious toxic effects and an inflammatory response on mouse peritoneal macrophages than that from a non-allergic indoor environment. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dynamic Monte Carlo simulation is performed to investigate the dynamical heterogeneity during cooling toward the glass transition temperature ( Tg). By tracking the evolution of the probability of segment movement (PSM), it is found that the ring polymer exhibits higher Tg than that of the linear polymer. The distributions of the mean square displacements (MSDs) of segments for the two kinds of polymers indicate the presence of heterogeneous dynamics upon approaching Tg. Compared with the linear chains, the ring chains exhibit weaker dynamical heterogeneity. The relatively weak dynamical heterogeneity in the ring chains is mainly caused by the mobility difference between the gauche- and trans-conformations. The observation on the local domains of blocked segments (LDBS) demonstrates that end segments with high mobility hinder the growth of LDBS, and thus enhance the dynamical heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) show chemopreventive and chemosuppressive effects on various cancer cell lines. They exert anticancer activities by inhibiting both at the protein level and/or at the transcription level. Thus, in this paper, the interaction between tenoxicam (TXM) and calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) was investigated by UV-visible light, fluorescence, viscosity experiments and DNA melting studies. The results showed that TXM could bind to ct-DNA in the groove binding mode. The binding constants were 7.67 × 103 and 5.48 × 103 M-1 at 293 and 300 K, respectively. Furthermore, the calculated thermodynamic parameters suggested that hydrogen bonds or van derWaals force might play an important role in the binding of TXMto ct-DNA. The obtained results should give new insight into the pharmacological activity of TXM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediments in urban waterways of Guangzhou, China, were contaminated by a variety of chemicals and showed prevalent toxicity to benthic organisms. A combination of whole-sediment toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) and bioavailability-based extraction was used to identify the causes of sediment toxicity. Of the 6 sediment samples collected, 4 caused 100% mortality to Chironomus dilutus in 10-d bioassays, and the potential toxicants were assessed using TIE in these sediments after dilution. The results of phase I characterization showed that organic contaminants were the principal contributors to the mortality of the midges in 2 sediments and that metals and organics jointly caused the mortality in the other 2 sediments. Ammonia played no role in the mortality for any samples. Conventional toxic unit analysis in phase II testing identified Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn as the toxic metals, with cypermethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, and fipronils being the toxic organics. To improve the accuracy of identifying the toxicants, 4-step sequential extraction and Tenax extraction were conducted to analyze the bioavailability of the metals and organics, respectively. Bioavailable toxic unit analysis narrowed the list of toxic contributors, and the putative toxicants included 3 metals (Zn, Ni, and Pb) and 3 pesticides (cypermethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, and fipronils). Metals contributed to the mortality in all sediments, but sediment dilution reduced the toxicity and confounded the characterization of toxicity contribution from metals in 2 sediments in phase I. Incorporating bioavailability-based measurements into whole-sediment TIE improved the accuracy of identifying the causative toxicants in urban waterways where multiple stressors occurred and contributed to sediment toxicity jointly. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:1744-1750. © 2015 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]