Search

Objective To investigate the effects of metformin(Met) on the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells under different glucose concentration culture conditions, and to find the potential role of miR-139-5p in the process. Methods PANC-1 cells were treated with different concentrations of metformin(0/5/10/20 mmol/L) in 25 mmol/L(high-glucose group,HG) or 5 mmol/L(normal-glucose group,NG) glucose culture, cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and cell cycle were detected after 48 h. The expression of miR-139-5p was quantitatively detected by RT-qPCR, and the miR-139-5p mimics were transfected into PANC-1 cells to clarify the role of miR-139-5p. Results Metformin inhibited the proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and induced S phase and G2/M phase arrest of PANC-1 cells under in high glucose and normal glucose culture conditions, and its anti-proliferation and pro-apoptosis effects were more significant in the normal glucose groups. The expression of miR-139-5p was up-regulated by metformin treatment in normal but not in high glucose culture. Further studies showed that miR-139-5p mimics inhibited of PANC-1 cells proliferation without metformin pre-incubation and enhanced the anti-proliferation effect of 5 mmol/L metformin. The pro-apoptotic effect of 10 mmol/L metformin in normal glucose culture conditions. Conclusions In normal-glucose culture conditions, metformin can inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of PANC-1 cells more significantly than in higher-glucose culture, which may be partly related to the up-regulation of miR-139-5p.

In this review, the research reports on the dispersion processes of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in aqueous cementitious materials are intensively introduced and summarized. The main processes for the CNTs dispersion in aqueous systems include high shear emulsification, ultrasonic treatment, covalent modification, and non-covalent modification. The influences of various factors on the dispersity of CNTs are evaluated, and the pros and cons of dispersion processes of CNTs are analyzed, along with the dispersion mechanism of CNTs in aqueous materials. Several novel techniques are also introduced, including arc thermal excitation and electromagnetic field-induced method, etc. In addition, the challenges when CNTs dispersion are further involved in cementitious alkali pore solution and the improvement means are also described in detail. And, the direct dispersion process (in situ growth process) of CNTs in cementitious materials has also been discussed in depth.

Considering the complicated joint details and installation difficulties of beam‐column joints, a novel type of precast joint that utilizes grouted corrugated metallic ducts was proposed. Four full‐scale specimens were prepared and subjected to the low cyclic loading test, including two precast specimens (interior beam‐column joint and exterior beam‐column joint) and two cast‐in‐place specimens for comparison. The seismic behavior of the joint was evaluated based on failure modes, hysteretic behaviors, ductility, bearing capacity, and energy dissipation. From the test results, all specimens experienced bending failures at the beam end, which kept the plastic hinge away from the joint core area. The precast assembly joints showed excellent seismic behavior, especially in terms of the bearing capacity, ductility, and energy dissipation capacity, which are better than the cast‐in‐place ones. The bearing capacity measured for each specimen was greater than the design standard, indicating that the joints are reasonably designed, and the members are safe and reliable. Parametric analysis was also conducted by finite element modeling and design advice was given accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-construction quality assessment of building projects involves inspecting and verifying that completed construction works meet the specified standards. This process is traditionally conducted through manual methods, which can be inefficient and time-consuming. Existing measurement robots, typically integrating a robotic platform with 3D laser scanners, face challenges such as high storage demands, reliance on specialized post-processing software, and substantial costs. Additionally, robots with multiple sensors may face limitations in handling diverse measurement items. To address these issues, this article introduces a cost-effective and fully automated on-site measuring robot. A systematic approach was employed, including robot design, measurement algorithm development, validation experiments, and engineering applications. Firstly, a cost-effective hardware was designed, reducing expenses by 30% compared to commercial 3D laser scanners. Thereafter, the algorithm was developed by processing effective point cloud data to measure dimensions, wall evenness, alignments, floor heights, and corner angles, achieving a 90% reduction in data storage requirements. Subsequently, validation experiments were conducted, which verified the measurement accuracy of the developed robot. Furthermore, the robot was applied in two building projects, demonstrating a 40% improvement in efficiency over manual measurements and a minimum 50% reduction in labor costs. This investigation shows that the developed on-site measuring robot offers a practical and automated solution for post-construction quality assessment in building projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Low-Carbon Materials & Green Construction is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Microbial proton-pump rhodopsin (PPR)-based phototrophy, a light-harvesting mechanism different from chlorophyll-based photosystems, may contribute significantly to solar energy entry into the marine ecosystem. PPR transforms solar energy into cellular energy that is used for various metabolic processes in the cells or flagellar movement. Although rhodopsins or their encoding genes have been documented in a wide phylogenetic range of cultured dinoflagellates, information is limited about how widespread and how spatiotemporally dynamical dinoflagellate PPR (DiPPR) are in natural marine ecosystems. In this study, we investigated DiPPR in Long Island Sound (LIS), a temperate estuary of the Atlantic Ocean between Connecticut and Long Island, New York, USA. We isolated six novel full-length dinoflagellate proton-pump rhodopsin cDNAs, expanding the DiPPR database that is crucial to PPR research. Based on these new sequences and existing sequences of DiPPR, we designed primers and conducted quantitative PCR and sequencing to determine the abundance and diversity of DiPPR genes spatially and temporally throughout a year in the water samples collected from LIS. DiPPR genes were found year-round and throughout LIS but with higher abundances in the eutrophic Western Sound and in April and July. The gene diversity data suggest that there are at least five distinct rhodopsin-harboring groups of dinoflagellates throughout the year. The abundance of DiPPR genes, measured as copy number per mL of seawater, appeared not to be influenced by water temperature or nitrogen nutrient concentration but exhibited weak negative correlations with orthophosphate concentration and salinity and a positive correlation with the abundance of DiPPR-harboring dinoflagellates. This first quantitative profiling of PPR in natural plankton reveals the prevalence and dynamics of this plastid-independent photoenergy harvesting mechanism in a temperate estuary and provides efficient DiPPR primers potentially useful for future research. Furthermore, this study shed light on the potential role of DiPPR in phosphor nutrition and dinoflagellate population, which warrants further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typical (peridinin-containing) dinoflagellates possess plastid genomes composed of small plasmids named "minicircles". Despite the ecological importance of dinoflagellate photosynthesis in corals and marine ecosystems, the structural characteristics, replication dynamics, and evolutionary forcing of dinoflagellate plastid genomes remain poorly understood. Here, we sequenced the plastid genome of the symbiodiniacean species Fugacium kawagutii and conducted comparative analyses. We identified psbT -coding minicircles, features previously not found in Symbiodiniaceae. The copy number of F. kawagutii minicircles showed a strong diel dynamics, changing between 3.89 and 34.3 copies/cell and peaking in mid-light period. We found that F. kawagutii minicircles are the shortest among all dinoflagellates examined to date. Besides, the core regions of the minicircles are highly conserved within genus in Symbiodiniaceae. Furthermore, the codon usage bias of the plastid genomes in Heterocapsaceae, Amphidiniaceae, and Prorocentraceae species are greatly influenced by selection pressure, and in Pyrocystaceae, Symbiodiniaceae, Peridiniaceae, and Ceratiaceae species are influenced by both natural selection pressure and mutation pressure, indicating a family-level distinction in codon usage evolution in dinoflagellates. Phylogenetic analysis using 12 plastid-encoded proteins and five nucleus-encoded plastid proteins revealed accelerated evolution trend of both plastid- and nucleus-encoded plastid proteins in peridinin- and fucoxanthin-dinoflagellate plastids compared to plastid proteins of nondinoflagellate algae. These findings shed new light on the structure and evolution of plastid genomes in dinoflagellates, which will facilitate further studies on the evolutionary forcing and function of the diverse dinoflagellate plastids. The accelerated evolution documented here suggests plastid-encoded sequences are potentially useful for resolving closely related dinoflagellates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]