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Pleural parasitic infection is an extremely rare disease of the pleura caused by a variety of parasites, with paragonimiasis infection being the most common. The lack of specific clinical symptoms for paragonimiasis makes it easy to misdiagnose as tuberculosis, causing unnecessary drug-related adverse effects and financial burdens from incorrect treatment. We report a case of a pediatric patient presenting with an isolated pleural effusion that was misdiagnosed as tuberculosis; the patient was eventually diagnosed with pleuropulmonary paragonimiasis infection after immunologic and serologic tests. The patient finally recovered after anti-parasitic treatment involving praziquantel administration. This report will help increase awareness of this disease among medical practitioners to avoid misdiagnosis and treatment delays which may lead to disease progression., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest concerning the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cirsium japonicum contains a variety of medicinal components with good clinical efficacy. With the rapid changes in global climate, it is increasingly important to study the distribution of species habitats and the factors influencing their adaptability. Utilizing the MaxEnt model, we forecasted the present and future distribution regions of suitable habitats for C. japonicum under various climate scenarios. The outcome showed that under the current climate, the total suitable area of C. japonicum is 2,303,624 km 2 and the highly suitable area is 79,117 km 2 . The distribution of C. japonicum is significantly influenced by key environmental factors such as temperature annual range, precipitation of the driest month, and precipitation of the wettest month. In light of future climate change, the suitable habitat for C. japonicum is anticipated to progressively relocate toward the western and northern regions, leading to an expansion in the total suitable area. These findings offer valuable insights into the conservation, sustainable utilization, and standardized cultivation of wild C. japonicum resources., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Many kinds of medicinal ingredients occur in Cirsium lineare that have good clinical efficacy, conferring on this species its high medicinal development value. However, with a rapidly changing global climate, it is increasingly imperative to study the factors affecting the habitat distribution and survival of species. We predicted the current and future distribution areas of suitable habitats for C. lineare , analyzed the importance of environmental variables in influencing habitat shifts, and described the alterations to suitable habitats of C. lineare in different periods (modern, 2050s, and 2070s) and scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5). The results show that, under the current climate, the total suitable area of C. lineare is about 2,220,900 km 2 , of which the highly suitable portion amounts to ca. 292,600 km 2 . The minimum temperature of the coldest month, annual precipitation, and mean daily temperature range are the chief environmental variables affecting the distribution of habitat for C. lineare . In the same period, with rising greenhouse gas emission concentrations, the total suitable area will increase. In general, under future climate change, the suitable habitat for C. lineare will gradually migrate to the west and north, and its total suitable area will also expand. The results of this experiment can be used for the conservation and management of the wild resources of C. lineare. We can choose suitable growth areas to protect the medicinal resources of C. lineare through in situ conservation and artificial breeding., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Widespread species that inhabit diverse environments possess large population sizes and exhibit a high capacity for environmental adaptation, thus enabling range expansion. In contrast, narrow-range species are confined to restricted geographical areas and are ecologically adapted to narrow environmental conditions, thus limiting their ability to expand into novel environments. However, the genomic mechanisms underlying the differentiation between closely related species with varying distribution ranges remain poorly understood. The Niviventer niviventer species complex (NNSC), consisting of highly abundant wild rats in Southeast Asia and China, offers an excellent opportunity to investigate these questions due to the presence of both widespread and narrow-range species that are phylogenetically closely related. In the present study, we combined ecological niche modeling with phylogenetic analysis, which suggested that sister species cannot be both widespread and dominant within the same geographical region. Moreover, by assessing heterozygosity, linkage disequilibrium decay, and Tajima's D analysis, we found that widespread species exhibited higher genetic diversity than narrow-range species. In addition, by exploring the "genomic islands of speciation", we identified 13 genes in highly divergent regions that were shared by the two widespread species, distinguishing them from their narrow-range counterparts. Functional annotation analysis indicated that these genes are involved in nervous system development and regulation. The adaptive evolution of these genes likely played an important role in the speciation of these widespread species.

We report the discovery and detailed investigation of superconductivity in Mo 4 Ga 20 As. Mo 4 Ga 20 As crystallizes in a space group of I 4/ m (No. 87), with the lattice parameters a = 12.86352 Å and c = 5.30031 Å. The resistivity, magnetization, and specific heat data reveal Mo 4 Ga 20 As to be a type-II superconductor with T c = 5.6 K. The upper and lower critical fields are estimated to be 2.78 T and 22.0 mT, respectively. In addition, electron-phonon coupling in Mo 4 Ga 20 As is possibly stronger than the BCS weak-coupling limit. First-principles calculations suggest the Fermi level being dominated by the Mo-4 d and Ga-4 p orbitals., (© 2023 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Objective: To summarize the clinical features, management and outcome of superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) associated with mediastinal malignancy in children. Methods: Clinical data of 42 children of SVSC associated with mediastinal malignancy in Shanghai Children's Medical Center from January 2015 to December 2021 were collected and analyzed retrospectively. The clinical manifestations, pathological diagnosis, disease diagnosis process, and prognosis were summarized. Results: Among 42 children of SVCS associated with mediastinal malignancy, there were 31 males and 11 females. The age at diagnosis was 8.5 (1.9, 14.9) years. Cough and wheezing (33 cases, 79%), orthopnea (19 cases, 45%) and facial edema (18 cases, 43%) occurred most commonly. T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) was the most frequent pathological diagnosis (25 cases, 60%), followed by T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) (7 cases, 17%), anaplastic large cell lymphoma (4 cases, 10%) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (2 cases, 5%), peripheral T-lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, Ewing's sarcoma and germ cell tumor (1 case each). Pathological diagnosis was confirmed by bone marrow aspiration or thoracentesis in 14 cases, peripheral lymph node biopsy in 6 cases, and mediastinal biopsy in 22 cases. Twenty-seven cases (64%) had local anesthesia. Respiratory complications due to mediastinal mass developed in 3 of 15 cases who received general anesthesia. Of the 42 cases, 27 cases had sustained remission, 1 case survived with second-line therapy after recurrence, and 14 cases died (2 cases died of perioperative complications and 12 cases died of recurrence or progression of primary disease). The follow-up time was 36.7 (1.2, 76.1) months for 27 cases in continuous complete remission. The 3-year overall survival (OS) and events free survival (EFS) rates of 42 children were 59% (95% CI 44%-79%) and 58% (95% CI 44%-77%) respectively. Conclusions: SVCS associated with mediastinal malignancy in children is a life-threatening tumor emergency with high mortality. The most common primary disease is T-LBL. The most common clinical symptoms and signs are cough, wheezing, orthopnea and facial edema. Clinical management should be based on the premise of stable critical condition and confirm the pathological diagnosis through minimal invasive operation.

Arsenic doping in silicides has been much less studied compared with phosphorus. In this study, superconductivity is successfully induced by As doping in Mo 5 Si 3 . The superconducting transition temperature ( T c ) reaches 7.7 K, which is higher than those in previously known W 5 Si 3 -type superconductors. Mo 5 Si 2 As is a type-II BCS superconductor with upper and lower critical fields of 6.65 T and 22.4 mT, respectively. In addition, As atoms are found to selectively take the 8 h sites in Mo 5 Si 2 As. The emergence of superconductivity is possibly due to the shift of Fermi level as a consequence of As doping, as revealed by the specific heat measurements and first-principles calculations. Our work provides not only another example of As doping but also a practical strategy to achieve superconductivity in silicides through Fermi level engineering.

Background: The molecular mechanisms driving hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain largely unclear. As one of the major epitranscriptomic modifications, N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) plays key roles in HCC. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression, roles, and mechanisms of action of the RNA methyltransferase methyltransferase-like protein 16 (METTL16) in HCC., Methods: The expression of METTL16 and RAB11B-AS1 was determined by RT-qPCR. The regulation of RAB11B-AS1 by METTL16 was investigated by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), methylated RIP (MeRIP), and RNA stability assays. In vitro and in vivo gain- and loss-of-function assays were performed to investigate the roles of METTL16 and RAB11B-AS1., Results: METTL16 was upregulated in HCC, and its increased expression was correlated with poor prognosis of HCC patients. METTL16 promoted HCC cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion, repressed HCC cellular apoptosis, and promoted HCC tumoral growth in vivo. METTL16 directly bound long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) RAB11B-AS1, induced m 6 A modification of RAB11B-AS1, and decreased the stability of RAB11B-AS1 transcript, leading to the downregulation of RAB11B-AS1. Conversely to METTL16, RAB11B-AS1 is downregulated in HCC, and its decreased expression was correlated with poor prognosis of patients with HCC. Furthermore, the expression of RAB11B-AS1 was negatively correlated with METTL16 in HCC tissues. RAB11B-AS1 repressed HCC cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion, promoted HCC cellular apoptosis, and inhibited HCC tumoral growth in vivo. Functional rescue assays revealed that overexpression of RAB11B-AS1 reversed the oncogenic roles of METTL16 in HCC., Conclusions: This study identified the METTL16/RAB11B-AS1 regulatory axis in HCC, which represented novel targets for HCC prognosis and treatment., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Competing Interests: Conflicts of interests: The authors have no competing interests.

Uric acid (UA), as the final product of purine metabolism, exists in urine and serum, which plays an important role in human metabolism, immunity and other functions. The sensitive, efficient, and rapid detection of UA has far-reaching significance in clinical diagnosis and disease prevention. Herein, a novel coordination polymer constructed by dual-ligand was successfully prepared, which exhibited excellent thermal and water stability. The polymer was interlaced by coordination bonds and hydrogen bonds to form an infinitely extended three-dimensional framework, which showed a rare and novel topological structure. The complex selectively recognized UA through significant fluorescence quenching response in the presence of various interferences. The excellent detection sensitivity (the limited detection of 1.2 μM), outstanding anti-interference ability and remarkable recyclability marked the complex to be a promising sensor material towards UA. In addition, the detection mechanism of UA by the complex was investigated in detail by combining density functional theory (DFT) and a variety of other analytical methods., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy with significant prevalence and mortality rates. Circular RNA FOXO3 (circ‑FOXO3; hsa_circ_0006404) has been reported to be involved in cancer regulation; however, its role in CRC is yet to be fully elucidated. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of circ‑FOXO3 on CRC progression and identify its underlying mechanism. In the present study, the expression of circ‑FOXO3 was investigated in CRC tissues and cells via reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR. A Cell Counting Kit‑8 and colony formation assays were used to assess cell proliferation. The cell migratory and invasive abilities were detected using the Transwell migration and invasion assays. The luciferase assay and RNA pull‑down assay were conducted to verify the relationship of circ‑FOXO3, microRNA (miR)‑543 and Large tumor suppressor kinase 1 (LATS1). The results demonstrated that circ‑FOXO3 expression was downregulated in CRC tissues and cells, and was associated with poor overall survival of patients with CRC. Moreover, circ‑FOXO3 was associated with tumor size, distant metastasis, differentiation, lymph node metastasis and TMN stages of patients with CRC. circ‑FOXO3 overexpression suppressed CRC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Luciferase assay and RNA pull‑down assay results indicated that circ‑FOXO3 functioned as a sponge for miR‑543. In addition, circ‑FOXO3 increased the expression of LATS1 via sponging miR‑543, thus inhibiting CRC cell aggressive features. Collectively, the present results suggested that circ‑FOXO3 inhibited CRC metastasis and progression via elevated LATS1 expression by sponging miR‑543. Therefore, circ‑FOXO3 may be a promising target for CRC therapy.

Tryptophan (Trp) is one of the essential amino acids, which plays important roles in biological systems and the normal growth of human beings, and it is of great significance to be able to detect Trp in a rapid, efficient, and sensitive way. Herein, a 3D network metal-organic framework ([Sm 2 (BTEC) 1.5 (H 2 O) 8 ]·6H 2 O) with excellent thermal and water stability was synthesized by a hydrothermal method. Interestingly, it could discriminate Trp from other natural amino acids in aqueous solution through a significant fluorescence enhancement effect, and showed high detection sensitivity (LOD = 330 nM) and outstanding anti-interference ability. The sensor system was successfully applied to the detection of Trp in practical samples, so it was expected to be a sensitive and efficient Trp sensor. In addition, the sensing mechanism was explained in detail by a series of characterization methods combined with density functional theory (DFT). There were many coordination water molecules in the crystal structure of the complex. Based on the small steric hindrance and molecular structure of water molecules, it provided the possibility for coordination interaction between Trp and Sm 3+ . On the other hand, the triplet energy level (T1) of Trp matched with the 4 G 5/2 vibrational energy level of Sm 3+ , so Trp could be used as the second "antenna molecule" besides 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid (H 4 BTEC). Therefore, it effectively broadened the way for Sm-MOF to absorb excitation light.

Using a cross-sectional study, 246 patients with hemorrhage and transformation after cerebral ischemic stroke(CIS) thrombolysis who were admitted to Shangqiu First People's Hospital, Shangqiu Municipal Hospital, and Shangqiu Liangyuan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from March 2018 to May 2020 were selected as the observation group, 246 patients with no hemorrhage transformation after CIS thrombolysis during the same period were selected as the control group with a ratio of 1∶1. Polymerase chain reaction and pyrosequencing methods were used to detect the single nucleotide polymorphisms of the two groups of ABCB 1 genes. The frequency distribution of each genotype of the two groups of ABCB 1 gene polymorphism sites was counted. The conditional logistic regression equation was used to analyze the CIS after thrombolysis. Related influencing factors of hemorrhage transformation, and compare the single nucleotide polymorphisms of ABCB 1 gene in patients with different prognosis in the observation group. The results showed that the CC genotype frequency of rs1045642 in the observation group was 34.55% higher than that of the control group 25.02%, the CT genotype frequency was 12.20%, and the TT genotype frequency 3.25% was lower than that of the control group 14.63% and 9.35% (χ 2 =21.527, P <0.05); GG genotype frequency at rs2032582 locus in observation group was 17.89%, GT genotype frequency 21.54% was lower than control group 37.60%, 93.96%, TT genotype frequency 10.57% higher than control group 2.44%, the difference was statistically significant (χ 2 =80.427, P <0.05); TT genotype at rs1045642 is a protective factor for hemorrhage transformation, and TT genotype at rs2032582 is a risk factor for hemorrhage transformation ( OR =2.903, P <0.05). The risk of bleeding after thrombolysis in CIS patients in Shangqiu area may be related to the TT genotype at the ABCB 1 rs1045642 locus and the TT genotype at the rs2032582 locus.

Thirteen Λ-S states of TlBr molecule are calculated by the method of multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) plus Davidson correction (+Q), and the spectroscopic constants of these states are fitted. The dipole moment of thirteen Λ-S states are also included and analyzed in this calculation. Two bound states split into five Ω states with the SOC effect. The interaction between the molecular configurations of TlBr is analyzed with spin orbit coupling. Considering the forbidden transition, transition dipole moment with SOC effect is considered. On account of the accurate potential energy curves and the transition dipole moment, the Franck-Condon factors and radiative lifetime of the a 3 Π 0 +  ↔ Χ 1 Σ 0 + + transition are calculated. The feasibility of laser cooling of TlBr molecule is analyzed by comparing with the thallium compounds and the bromides of the group-IIIA., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No conflict of interest exits in the submission of this manuscript, and manuscript is approved by all authors for publication. The authors declare that the work described was original research that has not been published previously, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bacillus anthracis is an extremely dangerous bacterium that is associated with high morbidity and mortality. 2,6-Pyridine dicarboxylic acid (DPA) is a major biomarker of Bacillus anthracis, and it is of great significance to be able to detect DPA in a rapid, efficient, and sensitive way. Herein, a 3D network metal-organic framework (Tb-MOF) with excellent thermal and water stability was synthesized. Tb-MOF could be used to selectively detect DPA via green fluorescence recovery with a fluorescence intensity enhancement factor of 103. In addition, due to the high detection sensitivity (a detection limit of 2.4 μM) and excellent anti-interference abilities, Tb-MOF was less affected by environmental factors when compared with a "turn-off"-response luminescence sensor; it can be employed as a promising "turn-on" luminescence sensor for DPA in the future. Finally, quantum calculations showed that a large energy difference appeared between the 5D4 level of Tb3+ and the first excited triplet energy level of H2-DHBDC2-, which was the reason that the complex did not show characteristic Tb3+ emission.

Glioma is one of the most common malignancies of the nervous system. Long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are regulators involved in the progression of tumors. The present study aimed to determine the role of lncRNA cancer susceptibility 19 (CASC19) in glioma and its underlying molecular mechanism. Reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR was performed to detect CASC19 and microRNA (miR)‑454‑3p expression in glioma and normal brain tissues. Ras‑related protein in brain 5A (RAB5A) expression in glioma cells was also analyzed via western blotting. The relationship between CASC19 expression, clinicopathological parameters and MRI characteristics in patients with glioma was analyzed. Cell Counting Kit‑8, BrdU, wound healing and Transwell assays were adopted to detect glioma cell proliferation, migration and invasion, respectively. The dual‑luciferase reporter gene and RNA immunoprecipitation experiments were conducted to verify the targeting relationship between CASC19 and miR‑454‑3p, and between miR‑454‑3p and RAB5A. The results revealed that CASC19 expression was significantly upregulated in glioma tissues and cell lines. CASC19 expression was also positively associated with tumor diameter and pathological grade. Additionally, its high expression was closely associated with tumor MRI signal heterogeneity and peritumoral edema. CASC19 upregulation promoted glioma cell proliferation and metastasis, while CASC19‑knockdown demonstrated the opposite effect. CASC19 sponged miR‑454‑3p, which indirectly increased RAB5A expression. The results demonstrated that the CASC19/miR‑454‑3p/RAB5A axis is involved in the promotion of glioma progression.

Anthocyanins spatiotemporally accumulate in certain tissues of particular species in the banana plant, and MYB transcription factors (TFs) serve as their primary regulators. However, the precise regulatory mechanism in banana remains to be determined. Here, we report the identification and characterization of MaMYB4 , an R2R3-MYB repressor TF, characterized by the presence of EAR (ethylene-responsive element binding factor-associated amphiphilic repression) and TLLLFR motifs. MaMYB4 expression was induced by the accumulation of anthocyanins. Transgenic banana plants overexpressing MaMYB4 displayed a significant reduction in anthocyanin compared to wild type. Consistent with the above results, metabolome results showed that there was a decrease in all three identified cyanidins and one delphinidin, the main anthocyanins that determine the color of banana leaves, whereas both transcriptome and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that many key anthocyanin synthesis structural genes and TF regulators were downregulated in MaMYB4 overexpressors. Furthermore, dual-luciferase assays showed that MaMYB4 was able to bind to the CHS , ANS , DFR , and bHLH promoters, leading to inhibition of their expression. Yeast two-hybrid analysis verified that MaMYB4 did not interact with bHLH, which ruled out the possibility that MaMYB4 could be incorporated into the MYB-bHLH-WD40 complex. Our results indicated that MaMYB4 acts as a repressor of anthocyanin biosynthesis in banana, likely due to a two-level repression mechanism that consists of reduced expression of anthocyanin synthesis structural genes and the parallel downregulation of bHLH to interfere with the proper assembly of the MYB-bHLH-WD40 activation complex. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first MYB TF that regulates anthocyanin synthesis that was identified by genetic methods in bananas, which will be helpful for manipulating anthocyanin coloration in banana programs in the future., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Deng, Zhang, Yang, Gao, Sheng, Bi, Li, Dong, Yi, He and Hu.)

Background: Asparaginase-associated pancreatitis (AAP) is one of the most common complications occurring in patients with asparaginase-treated acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Peg-asparaginase (peg-asp), a chemically recombined asparaginase with lower hyposensitivity and better patient tolerance, is now approved as the first line asparaginase formulation in ALL chemotherapy regimens. Due to the differences in pharmacokinetic characteristics and administration procedure between l-asp and peg-asp, this study aimed to investigate the clinical manifestations of peg-asp-associated pancreatitis., Method: Patients with peg-asp-associated pancreatitis diagnosed within a 5-year period (July 2014 to July 2019) were identified and retrospectively studied. The clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and imaging results of patients with AAP were analyzed. AAP patients were further classified into mild/moderate and severe groups based on criteria used in previous studies. Clinical outcomes were compared between groups., Results: A total of 38 patients were enrolled in this study. The underlying disease included ALL (n=35) and lymphoma (n=3). The majority of patients developed AAP during the first phase, called remission induction (n=26, 68.4%), after a median of 2 peg-asp doses (range: 1-11). The DVLP regimen (n=23) is the most common peg-asp regimen used in AAP patients. Abdominal pain occurred after a median of 14.5 days (range: 1-50) from the last peg-asp administration, accompanied by abdominal distension (n=14), nausea (n=17), vomiting (n=21), and fever (n=19). Serum amylase elevation was reported in all AAP patients, of whom 65.8% (n=25) exhibited an elevation in the level of this enzyme three times the upper normal level, fulfilling the Atlanta criteria. The level of serum lipase (median days of elevation=23 days, range: 4-75) was significantly elevated compared with that of serum amylase (median days of elevation=9 days, range: 2-71) and persisted at a markedly high level after the level of serum amylase returned to normal. Common local complications included abdominal ascites (n=10) and peripancreatic fluid collection (n=8). Approximately 42.1% (n=16) of patients with severe AAP experienced systemic complications (septic shock or hypovolemic shock) or severe local complications (pseudocyst), among whom 5 failed to recover. Approximately 84.8% (n=28/33) of the remaining patients resumed chemotherapy; among them, peg-asp formulation in 30.3% (n=10/33) of these patients was adjusted, while asparaginase treatment in 39.4% (n=13/33) was permanently discontinued. Five patients experienced an AAP relapse in later stages of asparaginase treatment. Comparison between mild/moderate and severe AAP patients showed a statistically significant difference in the number of pediatric intensive care unit stays (p=0.047), survival rate (p=0.009), AAP prognosis (p=0.047), and impacts on chemotherapy (p=0.024), revealing a better clinical outcome in mild/moderate AAP patients., Conclusion: Early recognition and management of AAP is essential in reversing the severity of AAP. The existing AAP criteria had a low strength in determining the severity of pediatric AAP. A well-defined AAP definition could help distinguish patients with high anticipated risk for redeveloping AAP and ALL relapse, in order to prevent unnecessary withdrawal of asparaginase. Our study could serve as a basis for conducting future large cohort studies and for establishing an accurate definition of pediatric AAP., (Copyright © 2020 Zhang, Yang, Qing, Li, Qian, Wang and Ning.)

Metastasis accounts for 90% of cancer death worldwide, and effective therapeutic strategies are lacking. The aim of this work is to identify the key drivers in tumor metastasis and screen therapeutics for treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Gene Ontology analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) gene expression datasets of ESCC patients with or without lympy metastasis identifies that TGF β 2 is highly enriched in the pathways essential for tumor metastasis and upregulates in the metastatic ESCC tumors. High TGF β 2 expression in ESCC correlates with metastasis and patient survival, and functionally contributes to tumor metastasis via activating extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) signaling. By screening of a library consisting of 429 bioactive compounds, imperatorin is verified as a novel TGF β 2 inhibitor, with robustly suppressive effect on tumor metastasis in multiple mice models. Mechanistically, direct binding of imperatorin and CREB1 inhibits phosphorylation, nuclear translocation of CREB1, and its interaction with TGF β 2 promoter, represses TGF β 2 expression and fibroblasts-secreted CCL2, and then inactivates ERK signaling to block cancer invasion and abrogates the paracrine effects of fibroblasts on tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. Overall, the findings suggest the use of TGF β 2 as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in ESCC, and supports the potential of imperatorin as a novel therapeutic strategy for cancer metastasis., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2020 The Authors. Published by WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A cognitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-targeted prostate biopsy conducted by an experienced clinician enhances the detection rate of (high-grade) prostate cancer; however, this method is less successful in the hands of inexperienced surgeons. Therefore, an alternative method of conducting a cognitive MRI-targeted biopsy that can be successfully performed by the inexperienced clinicians should be developed. Ninety-six males suspected of prostate cancer were analyzed using systematic biopsy and cognitive MRI-targeted biopsy based on our novel three-dimensional matrix positioning method. Typically, the core principle of the latter procedure was to put the MRI and ultrasound images into the same virtual coordinate system. Afterward, the targeted biopsy was transformed to target a coordinate for the suspected lesion in the MRI. Subsequently, patients were assessed for the presence/absence of prostate cancer or high-grade prostate cancer. According to our results, the overall detection rate of prostate cancer was 70.8% (68/96), and the detection rate of high-grade prostate cancer was 56.3% (54/96). Specifically, the detection rate of prostate cancer by systematic biopsy was 54.2% (52/96) and that by targeted biopsy was 59.4% (57/96; P = 0.560). Clearly, the combined application of targeted biopsy could remarkably increase the detection rates of prostate cancer (P = 0.025) and high-grade prostate cancer (P = 0.009). Taken together, the findings of this study suggest that the combination of systematic biopsy with our three-dimensional matrix positioning-driven cognitive-targeted biopsy is superior to systematic biopsy in detecting prostate cancer and high-grade prostate cancer., Competing Interests: None

Finding a promising laser cooling candidate molecule is an essential part of laser cooling experiments. The possibility of laser cooling the MgBr, MgI and MgAt molecules is investigated using ab initio method in this paper. Twelve low-lying Λ-S and six Ω electronic states of the MgBr, MgI and MgAt molecule have been calculated at the multi-reference configuration interaction level of theory. The fitted spectral constants of the bound state are in good agreement with previously obtained theoretical and experimental value. The highly diagonally distributed Franck-Condon factors for the A 2 Π 1/2  → X 2 ∑ 1/2 + transition of the MgBr, MgI and 2 2 Π 1/2  → X 2 ∑ 1/2 + transition of the MgAt are obtained by using the LEVEL program based on the potential energy curves and transition dipole moments. The short radiative lifetime of the A 2 Π 1/2 of the MgBr, MgI and 2 2 Π 1/2 of the MgAt state are determined. Then, we design a laser cooling scheme with one cooling the main laser beam and two repumping laser beams. Finally, the transition spectral data of hyperfine energy level with the errors relative to the experimental data not exceeding 6 MHz are evaluated via employing a quantum effective Hamiltonian approach. We hope that a helpful reference can be provided for experimental observation and operation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To develop and internally validate nomograms to help choose the optimal biopsy strategy among no biopsy, targeted biopsy (TB) only, or TB plus systematic biopsy (SB)., Patients and Methods: This retrospective study included a total of 385 patients who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided TB and/or SB at our institute after undergoing multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) between 2015 and 2018. We developed models to predict clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) based on suspicious lesions from a TB result and based on the whole prostate gland from the results of TB plus SB or SB only. Nomograms were generated using logistic regression and evaluated using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, calibration curves and decision analysis. The results were validated using ROC curve and calibration on 177 patients from 2018 to 2019 at the same institute., Results: In the multivariate analyses, prostate-specific antigen level, prostate volume, and the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score were predictors of csPCa in both nomograms. Age was also included in the model for suspicious lesions, while obesity was included in the model for the whole gland. The area under the curve (AUC) in the ROC analyses of the prediction models was 0.755 for suspicious lesions and 0.887 for the whole gland. Both models performed well in the calibration and decision analyses. In the validation cohort, the ROC curve described the AUCs of 0.723 and 0.917 for the nomogram of suspicious lesions and nomogram of the whole gland, respectively. Also, the calibration curve detected low error rates for both models., Conclusion: Nomograms with excellent discriminative ability were developed and validated. These nomograms can be used to select the optimal biopsy strategy for individual patients in the future.

Red bayberry ( Morella rubra ) is an evergreen fruit tree found in southern China whose whole-genome sequence has recently been published. We updated the linkage map of the species by adding 118 SSR markers and the female-specific marker MrFT2&#95;BD-SEX. The integrated map included eight linkage groups and spanned 491 cM. Eleven sex-associated markers were identified, six of which were located in linkage group 8, in agreement with the previously reported location of the sex-determining region. The MrFT2&#95;BD-SEX marker was genotyped in 203 cultivated accessions. Among the females of the accessions, we found two female-specific alleles, designated W-b (151 bp) and W-d (129 bp). We previously found that ' Dongkui ' , a female cultivar, could produce viable pollen (we refer to such plants ' Dongkui-male ' ) and serve as the paternal parent in crosses. The genotypes of the MrFT2&#95;BD-SEX marker were W-b/Z in ' Biqi ' and W-d/Z in ' Dongkui-male ' . The progeny of a cross between these parents produced a 3:1 female (W-) to male (ZZ) ratio and the expected 1:1:1:1 ratio of W-b/W-d: W-b/Z: W-d/Z: Z/Z. In addition, the flowering and fruiting phenotypes of all the F1 progeny fit their genotypes. Our results confirm the existence of ZW sex determination and show that the female phenotype is controlled by a single dominant locus (W) in a small genomic region (59 kb and less than 3.3 cM). Furthermore, we have produced a homozygous "super female" (WW) that should produce all-female offspring in the F2 generation, providing a foundation for commercial use and presenting great potential for use in modern breeding programs., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2020.)

Glucocorticoids are the most common cause of glucocorticoid‑induced osteoporosis (GIOP). Moreover, the role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the regulation of bone metabolism remains unclear. Therefore, in the present study, it was hypothesized that hsa&#95;circ&#95;0006393 may play an important role in GIOP. To investigate the role of circRNAs in GIOP, treatment with dexamethasone or transfection with a vector overexpressing hsa&#95;circ&#95;0006393 were performed using in vitro cell and in vivo mouse models. Reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR, fluorescence in situ hybridization and western blotting were performed to investigate the function of hsa&#95;circ&#95;0006393 in vitro. In addition, the effects of hsa&#95;circ&#95;0006393 on osteogenesis were investigated. Dual‑energy X‑ray absorptiometry analysis was performed to examine the osteogenic potential of hsa&#95;circ&#95;0006393 in vivo. Moreover, the mechanism underlying hsa&#95;circ&#95;0006393‑mediated bone metabolism regulation via the microRNA (miR)‑145‑5p/forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) pathway was investigated. The present results suggested that the expression level of hsa&#95;circ&#95;0006393 was decreased in patients with GIOP. Furthermore, the overexpression of hsa&#95;circ&#95;0006393 increased the expression level of genes associated with osteogenesis. Moreover, hsa&#95;circ&#95;0006393 was identified to be localized mainly in the cytoplasm and nucleus of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. miR‑145‑5p was found to be directly targeted by hsa&#95;circ&#95;0006393. Collectively, hsa&#95;circ&#95;0006393 increases the expression levels of osteogenic genes during bone remodeling by sponging miR‑145‑5p and upregulating FOXO1.

Background: Holobionts comprising nitrogen-fixing diazotrophs and phytoplankton or zooplankton are ubiquitous in the pelagic sea. However, neither the community structure of plankton-associated diazotrophs (PADs) nor their nitrogenase transcriptional activity are well-understood. In this study, we used nifH gene Illumina sequencing and quantitative PCR to characterize the community composition and nifH expression profile of PADs with > 100 μm size fraction in the euphotic zone of the northern South China Sea., Results: The results of DNA- and RNA-derived nifH gene revealed a higher alpha-diversity in the active than in the total community. Moreover, the compositional resemblance among different sites was less for active than for total communities of PADs. We characterized the 20 most abundant OTUs by ranking the sum of sequence reads across 9 sampling stations for individual OTUs in both nifH DNA and RNA libraries, and then assessed their phylogenetic relatedness. Eight of the 20 abundant OTUs were phylogenetically affiliated with Trichodesmium and occurred in approximately equal proportion in both the DNA and RNA libraries. The analysis of nifH gene expression level showed uneven attribute of the abundance and nitrogenase activities by the remaining 12 OTUs. Taxa belonging to cluster III and Betaproteobacteria were present at moderate abundance but exhibited negligible nitrogenase transcription activity. Whereas, the abundances of Richelia, Deltaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were low but the contribution of these groups to nitrogenase transcription was disproportionately high., Conclusions: The substantial variation in community structure among active dizatrophic fractions compared to the total communities suggests that the former are better indicators of biological response to environmental changes. Altogether, our study highlights the importance of rare PADs groups in nitrogen fixation in plankton holobionts, evidenced by their high level of nitrogenase transcription.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LAD) is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play an important regulatory role in cancer biology, including that of LAD. The aim of this experiment was to explore the interaction of LINC00483, microRNA-144 (miR-144), and homeobox A10 (HOXA10), and their effects on radio sensitivity and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of LAD. Initially, microarray analysis was used to screen out miRNAs and lncRNAs, as well as the differentially expressed genes related to LAD. Following the screening process, the targeting relationship of LINC00483, miR-144, and that of miR-144 and HOXA10 was determined. Following that, the expression of LINC00483, miR-144, messenger RNA (mRNA), as well as protein expression of HOXA10, MMP-2, MMP-9, E-cadherin, vimentin, and N-cadherin that followed in cells was determined. Also, the effect of LINC00483 on cell migration and invasion ability, and cell tumorigenic ability was detected. LINC00483 and HOXA10 were found to be upregulated whereas miR-144 was downregulated in LAD. Silencing of LINC00483 could competitively bind to miR-144, thereby upregulating HOXA10. LINC00483 or HOXA10 silencing led to decreased HOXA10, MMP-2, MMP-9, vimentin, and N-cadherin but elevated miR-144 and E-cadherin. Moreover, after being transfected with silenced LINC00483, the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were inhibited with enhanced radiosensitivity. Consequently, the data of the study indicates that interference of LINC00483 weakens its competitive binding ability to miR-144, thus reducing HOXA10 expression, and enhancing radiosensitivity in LAD., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Chalcone synthase( CHS) and chalcone isomerase( CHI) are key enzymes in the biosynthesis pathway of flavonoids. In this study,unigenes for CHS and CHI were screened from the transcriptome database of Arisaema heterophyllum. The open reading frame( ORFs) of chalcone synthase( Ah CHS) and chalcone isomerase( Ah CHI) were cloned from the plant by RT-PCR. The physicochemical properties,expression and structure characteristics of the encoded proteins Ah CHS and Ah CHI were analyzed. The ORFs of Ah CHS and Ah CHI were 1 176,630 bp in length and encoded 392,209 amino acids,respectively. Ah CHS functioned as a symmetric homodimer. The N-terminal helix of one monomer entwined with the corresponding helix of another monomer. Each CHS monomer consisted of two structural domains. In particular,four conserved residues define the active site. The tertiary structure of Ah CHI revealed a novel open-faced β-sandwich fold. A large β-sheet( β4-β11) and a layer of α-helices( α1-α7) comprised the core structure. The residues spanning β4,β5,α4,and α6 in the three-dimensional structure were conserved among CHIs from different species. Notably,these structural elements formed the active site on the protein surface,and the topology of the active-site cleft defined the stereochemistry of the cyclization reaction. The homology comparison showed that Ah CHS had the highest similarity to the CHS of Anthurium andraeanum,while Ah CHI had the highest similarity to the CHI of Paeonia delavayi. This study provided the basis for the functional study of Ah CHS and Ah CHI and the further study on plant flavonoid biosynthesis pathway.

Accurate cholesterol level measurement plays an important role in the diagnosis of severe diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, anemia, myxedemia, hyperthyroidism, coronary artery illness. Traditionally, electrochemical sensors have been employed to detect the cholesterol level. However, these sensors have limitations in terms of sensitivity and selectivity. In this paper, a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) -based biosensor is demonstrated that accurately detects and measures the concentration of cholesterol. In the present study, a tapered optical fiber-based sensor probe is developed using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) to increase the sensitivity and selectivity of the sensor. Synthesized AuNPs were characterized by UV-visible spectrophotometer, transmission electron microscope (TEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Further, coating of AuNPs over fiber was confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The developed sensor demonstrates for a clinically important cholesterol range of 0 to 10 mM, and the limit of detection is found to be 53.1 nM., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest related to this article.

Through market investigation, the adulteration of Zaocys dhumnades on markets was found out, and samples of authentic and adulterated Z. dhumnades on markets were collected. The origin and properties of the adulterated Z. dhumnades were studied in order to provide reference for the identification of Z. dhumnades. The counterfeit Z. dhumnades sold on markets were as follows: Ptyas korros, P. mucosus, Najanaja atra, Sinonatrix annularis, Dinodon septentrionalis, etc. It is found that there existed a obvious difference between the traits of the Z. dhumnades and counterfeits. Genuine Z. dhumnades with "sword ridge" "iron tail", strongly ribbed scales and other features, is the key point to identify the difference from adulterants.

Objective: To explore whether tumor suppressor gene Foxo1 and PTEN play a critical role in the tumorigenesis of mouse natural killer-cell lymphoma., Methods: NKp46-iCre mice were crossed with mice carrying floxed Foxo1 alleles (Foxo1 fl/fl ) as well as floxed PTEN alleles (PTEN fl/fl ) to generate mice in which Foxo1 and PTEN in NK cells were knock-out, referred as Foxo1 △NK PTEN △NK . The growth and development of the mice and tumor formation were observed. The flow cytometry was used to detect the percentages of NK cells in main lymphatic organs. B16F10 metanoma model of tumor metastasis was utilized to investigate NK cell-mediated tumor surveillance in vivo after NK cells special deletion of Foxol and PTEN., Results: The mouse model with NK cell-special Foxo1 and PTEN double knockout was established. Compared with control group (Foxo1 fl/fl PTEN fl/fl mice), Foxo1 △NK PTEN △NK mice were born alive and appeared to be healthy over a period of 46 weeks. No spontaneous tumor formation was observed at this stage. There were no significant differences in NK cell percentages of gated lymphocytes from various organs including blood, bone marrow, peripheral lymph node and spleen between Foxo1 △NK PTEN △NK mice and Foxo1 fl/fl PTEN fl/fl mice [PB: 4.76%±0.46% vs 4.17%±0.64% (P＞0.05, n=8); BM: 1.13%±0.23% vs 1.31%±0.10% (P＞0.05, n=8) ; LN: 0.50%±0.10% vs 0.85%±0.20% (P＞0.05, n=8); SP: 4.41%±0.65% vs 3.50%±0.24% (P＞0.05, n=8)]. B16F10 melanoma metastasis model of tumor was established, No differences in median survival time were observed in the 2 types of mice (P＞0.05, n=13)., Conclusion: The simultaneous deletion of the Foxo1 and PTEN genes may not plays significant role in the tumorigenesis of mouse natural killer-cell lymphoma and NK cell-mediated tumor surveillance in vivo.

Remanufacturing is a practice of growing importance due to increasing environmental awareness and regulations. However, the stochastic natures inherent in the remanufacturing processes complicate its scheduling. This paper undertakes the challenge and presents a remanufacturing job shop scheduling approach by integrating alternative routing assignment and machine resource dispatching. A colored timed Petri net is introduced to model the dynamics of remanufacturing process, such as various process routings, uncertain operation times for cores, and machine resource conflicts. With the color attributes in Petri nets, two types of decision points, recovery routing selection and resource dispatching, are introduced and linked with places in CTPN model. With time attributes in Petri nets, the temporal aspect of recovery operations for cores as well as the evolution dynamics in cores' operational stages is mathematically analyzed. A hybrid meta-heuristic algorithm embedded scheduling strategy over CTPN is proposed to search for the optimal recovery routings for worn cores and their recovery operation sequences on workstations, in minimizing the total production cost. The approach is demonstrated through the remanufacturing of used machine tool and its effectiveness is compared against another two cases: baseline case with fixed recovery process routings and case 2 using standard SA/MST.

Rationale: Dysregulated microRNA (miRNA) expressions in cancer can contribute to chemoresistance. This study aims to identify miRNAs that are associated with fluorouracil (5-FU) chemoresistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The potential of miR-29c as a novel diagnostic, prognostic and treatment-predictive marker in ESCC, and its mechanisms and therapeutic implication in overcoming 5-FU chemoresistance were explored. Methods: The miRNA profiles of an ESCC cell model with acquired chemoresistance to 5-FU were analyzed using a Taqman miRNA microarray to identify novel miRNAs associated with 5-FU chemoresistance. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine miR-29c expression in tissue and serum samples of patients. Bioinformatics, gain- and loss-of-function experiments, and luciferase reporter assay were performed to validate F-box only protein 31 (FBXO31) as a direct target of miR-29c, and to identify potential transcription factor binding events that control miR-29c expression. The potential of systemic miR-29c oligonucleotide-based therapy in overcoming 5-FU chemoresistance was evaluated in tumor xenograft model. Results: MiR-29c, under the regulatory control of STAT5A, was frequently downregulated in tumor and serum samples of patients with ESCC, and the expression level was correlated with overall survival. Functional studies showed that miR-29c could override 5-FU chemoresistance in vitro and in vivo by directly interacting with the 3'UTR of FBXO31, leading to repression of FBXO31 expression and downstream activation of p38 MAPK. Systemically administered miR-29c dramatically improved response of 5-FU chemoresistant ESCC xenografts in vivo . Conclusions: MiR-29c modulates chemoresistance by interacting with FBXO31, and is a promising non-invasive biomarker and therapeutic target in ESCC., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists.

The optimal modified performance of the multi-input multi-output (MIMO) networked control systems (NCSs) with encoding-decoding, channel noise in the forward channel and packet dropouts, quantization in the feedback channel is investigated in this paper. A new and efficient tracking performance index for the NCSs is presented which prevents variations in the tracking error where there is no integrator in the plant. The optimal modified performance is obtained by the method of coprime factorization and partial fraction. The results demonstrate that the optimal modified performance is related to the locations of the non-minimum phase (NMP) zeros, unstable poles of the given plant as well as their directions. In addition, the modified factor, packet dropouts probability, channel noise and encoding-decoding are also closely related to optimal modified performance of the NCSs. Finally, we present some particular examples to illustrate the theoretical results., (Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The epoxy resin coating is a fundamental species with epoxy resins used as main components to form the final film. Unexpectedly, bulky CO 2 bubbles that occasionally appeared during the curing process of epoxy resin coatings might destroy the final film properties. With an attempt to thoroughly understand the formation mechanism of CO 2 bubbles and further propose countermeasures to control them, Density Function Theory (DFT) in this paper was employed to calculate the absorption process, the curing reaction and the formation mechanism of CO 2 bubbles. The gas phase basicity (GB) values and pK a values of common amine curing agents were calculated. The total Gibbs free energies difference of the curing reactions between polluted curing agents and epoxy resins were calculated according to a thermodynamic cycle. Whether in gas phase or resin phase, the energetically negative ΔG solv indicated that the curing reactions might occur spontaneously and CO 2 molecules would be separated and released from amine molecules. The total Gibbs free energy calculations also revealed that the re-absorption of CO 2 by the curing system was energetically unfavorable. Thus, the formation mechanism of CO 2 bubbles of epoxy resin coatings could be summarize in three steps: (1) Carbon dioxide pollutes accidentally the curing agents. (2) CO 2 molecules are gradually released as the curing process occurs. (3) CO 2 molecules are collected to form big bubbles which can lead to seriously surface and/or internal defects. Finally, based on practical experiences three tips were proposed to control CO 2 bubbles. The present results not only evidenced the nature of the unexpected bubbles of epoxy resin coatings, but also additionally paved to the way to full utilization of the formation mechanism to improve the epoxy coatings' properties., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Due to their excellent properties and two-dimensional geometry, graphenes (Grs) have been widely used as reinforced fillers in graphene/aluminum nanolaminated composite (GANC). The separation and slippage behavior of the GANC is highly dependent on the interfacial properties between Gr and aluminum (Al). In this study, two interfacial failures of GANCs, i.e., pull-up failure and pull-out failure, were investigated using a molecular dynamics (MD) method. The effects of the crystal orientation of single-crystal Al component and the geometry of the Gr component on the normal and shear interfacial properties of the GANC were examined. It was evident that the interfacial pull-up resistance resulted from the atomic forces of all the atoms at the interface, whereas the interfacial shear force during pull-out stems from the atomic forces of the atoms at the crack tip. In addition, the studies revealed that the interface bonding strength between the Gr and Al was sensitive to both the crystal orientation of the Al and the environmental temperature. Finally, the cohesive law was used to describe the interfacial behavior of the Gr and Al, providing the interfacial data for the finite element modeling of composites with Gr and Al interface.

The potential energy curves (PECs) of the fourteen low-lying Λ-S electronic states, spectroscopic constants, transition properties for the 24 Mg 19 F molecule are calculated at the multi-reference configuration interaction level of theory. The spin-orbit coupling effects are also taken into account in the electronic structure calculations. Spectroscopic constants agree well with previously obtained theoretical and experimental values. Based on the potential energy curves and transition dipole moments, the highly diagonally distributed Franck-Condon factors (f 00  = 0.975, f 11  = 0.926) for the A 2 Π (v' = 0, 1) → X 2 Σ + (v″ = 0, 1) transition are determined. Moreover, it is important to note that the dissociation energy (2.68 eV) of the B 2 Σ + state is achieved for the first time. Then, employing a quantum effective Hamiltonian approach, we investigate the hyperfine structure branching ratios between the A 2 Π 1/2 state and the X 2 Σ 1/2 + state. And the numerically analyze is obtained for a simple one-dimension (1D) case on 24 Mg 19 F molecular MOT. We hope that these data can provide a helpful reference for the assignment and analysis of guiding further experimental spectroscopic measurements and laser cooling in experimental on the 24 Mg 19 F molecule., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder due to the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. This study focuses on the effect of microRNA-329 (miR-329) on nigral dopaminergic neurons in a rat model of PD via the FoxO3a signaling pathway by binding to CDKN2D. Brain tissues from the substantia nigra were taken from the rats in two groups. TUNEL staining was used to observe tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons. Nigral dopaminergic neurons were randomized into the normal, blank, negative control (NC), miR-329 mimics, miR-329 inhibitors, small interfering (siRNA)-CDKN2D, and miR-329 inhibitors + siRNA-CDKN2D groups. Expressions of miR-329, CDKN2D, FoxO3a, AKT, caspase-3 and Bcl-2 were determined using RT-qPCR and western blotting. Apoptosis rate of nigral dopaminergic neurons in 7 groups was determined by flow cytometry. Compared with the blank and NC groups, the miR-329 mimics group showed increased miR-329 and caspase-3 expressions as well as decreased expressions of CDKN2D, FoxO3a, AKT, and Bcl-2, the siRNA-CDKN2D group indicated enhanced expressions of caspase-3 and declined expressions of CDKN2D, FoxO3a, AKT, and Bcl-2, and the miR-329 inhibitors group revealed decreased miR-329 and caspase-3 expressions and increased expressions of CDKN2D, FoxO3a, AKT, and Bcl-2. The apoptosis rate of nigral dopaminergic neurons was significantly increased in the miR-329 mimics and siRNA-CDKN2D groups, but was decreased in the miR-329 inhibitors group. Our data suggested that downregulated miR-329 could inhibit apoptosis of nigral dopaminergic neurons in a rat model of PD by upregulating the expression of CDKN2D via the activation of the FoxO3a signaling pathway., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

A library consisting of 429 food-source compounds was used to screen the natural products with anticancer properties in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We demonstrated for the first time that synephrine, an active compound isolated from leaves of citrus trees, markedly suppressed cell proliferation (inhibition rate with 20 μM synephrine at day 5:71.1 ± 5.8% and 75.7 ± 6.2% for KYSE30 and KYSE270, respectively) and colony formation (inhibition rate with 10 μM synephrine: 86.5 ± 5.9% and 82.3 ± 4.5% for KYSE30 and KYSE270, respectively), as well as migration (inhibition rate with 10 μM synephrine: 76.9 ± 4.4% and 62.2 ± 5.8% for KYSE30 and KYSE270, respectively) and invasion abilities (inhibition rate with 10 μM synephrine: 73.3 ± 7.5% and 75.3 ± 3.4% for KYSE30 and KYSE270, respectively) of ESCC cells in a dose-dependent manner, without significant toxic effect on normal esophageal epithelial cells. Mechanistically, quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics analyses were performed to explore the synephrine-regulated proteins. Western blot and qRT-PCR data indicated that synephrine may downregulate Galectin-3 to inactivate AKT and ERK pathways. In addition, we found that the sensitivity of ESCC to fluorouracil (5-FU) could be enhanced by synephrine. Furthermore, in vivo experiments showed that synephrine had significant antitumor effect on ESCC tumor xenografts in nude mice (inhibition rate with 20 mg/kg synephrine is 61.3 ± 20.5%) without observed side effects on the animals. Taken together, synephrine, a food-source natural product, may be a potential therapeutic strategy in ESCC.

We study the interplay between active Brownian particles (ABPs) and a "hairy" surface in two-dimensional geometry. We find that the increase of propelling force leads to and enhances inhomogeneous accumulation of ABPs inside the brush region. Oscillation of chain bundles (beating like cilia) is found in company with the formation and disassembly of a dynamic cluster of ABPs at large propelling forces. Meanwhile chains are stretched and pushed down due to the effective shear force by ABPs. The decrease of the average brush thickness with propelling force reflects the growth of the beating amplitude of chain bundles. Furthermore, the beating phenomenon is investigated in a simple single-chain system. We find that the chain swings regularly with a major oscillatory period, which increases with chain length and decreases with the increase of propelling force. We build a theory to describe the phenomenon and the predictions on the relationship between the period and amplitude for various chain lengths, and propelling forces agree very well with simulation data.

The possibility of laser cooling the 24 Mg 35 Cl molecule is investigated using the electronic, rovibrational, and hyperfine structure. Twelve low-lying Λ-S electronic states of the 24 Mg 35 Cl molecule have been calculated at the multireference configuration interaction level of theory. The spin-orbit coupling effects are taken into account in the electronic structure calculations. Spectroscopic constants agree well with previously obtained theoretical and experimental values. On the basis of the potential energy curves and transition dipole moments, the highly diagonally distributed Franck-Condon factors for the A 2 Π → X 2 Σ + transition and short radiative lifetime of the A 2 Π state are determined. Then, employing a quantum effective Hamiltonian approach, we investigate the hyperfine manifolds of the X 2 Σ + state and obtain the zero-field hyperfine spectrum with the errors relative to the experimental data not exceeding 8-20 kHz. Finally, we design a laser cooling scheme with one cooling main laser beam and two repumping laser beams with modulated sidebands, which is sufficient for the implementation of efficient laser slowing and cooling of the 24 Mg 35 Cl molecule. Moreover, it is important to note that the dissociation energy (2.2593 eV) of the B 2 Σ + state is obtained for the first time at the multireference configuration interaction level. We hope that this can provide a helpful reference for experimental observation.

Banana is an important tropical fruit with high economic value. One of the main cultivars ('Cavendish') is susceptible to low temperatures, while another closely related specie ('Dajiao') has considerably higher cold tolerance. We previously reported that some membrane proteins appear to be involved in the cold tolerance of Dajiao bananas via an antioxidation mechanism. To investigate the early cold stress response of Dajiao, here we applied comparative membrane proteomics analysis for both cold-sensitive Cavendish and cold-tolerant Dajiao bananas subjected to cold stress at 10°C for 0, 3, and 6 h. A total of 2,333 and 1,834 proteins were identified in Cavendish and Dajiao, respectively. Subsequent bioinformatics analyses showed that 692 Cavendish proteins and 524 Dajiao proteins were predicted to be membrane proteins, of which 82 and 137 differentially abundant membrane proteins (DAMPs) were found in Cavendish and Dajiao, respectively. Interestingly, the number of DAMPs with increased abundance following 3 h of cold treatment in Dajiao (80) was seven times more than that in Cavendish (11). Gene ontology molecular function analysis of DAMPs for Cavendish and Dajiao indicated that they belong to eight categories including hydrolase activity, binding, transporter activity, antioxidant activity, etc., but the number in Dajiao is twice that in Cavendish. Strikingly, we found peroxidases (PODs) and aquaporins among the protein groups whose abundance was significantly increased after 3 h of cold treatment in Dajiao. Some of the PODs and aquaporins were verified by reverse-transcription PCR, multiple reaction monitoring, and green fluorescent protein-based subcellular localization analysis, demonstrating that the global membrane proteomics data are reliable. By combining the physiological and biochemical data, we found that membrane-bound Peroxidase 52 and Peroxidase P7, and aquaporins (MaPIP1;1, MaPIP1;2, MaPIP2;4, MaPIP2;6, MaTIP1;3) are mainly involved in decreased lipid peroxidation and maintaining leaf cell water potential, which appear to be the key cellular adaptations contributing to the cold tolerance of Dajiao. This membrane proteomics study provides new insights into cold stress tolerance mechanisms of banana, toward potential applications for ultimate genetic improvement of cold tolerance in banana.

Background/aims: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent disease that leads to motor and cognitive disabilities, and oxidative stress (OS) injury was found to be related to the etiology of PD. Increasing evidence has shown that SHC3 is aberrantly expressed in neurons. The current study examines the involvement of SHC3 silencing in OS injury in the nigral dopamine neurons in rats with PD via the PI3K-AKT-FoxO signaling pathway., Methods: To study the mechanisms and functions of SHC3 silencing in PD at the tissue level, 170 rats were selected, and a lentivirus-based packaging system was designed to silence SHC3 expression in rats. Furthermore, PC12 cells were selected for in vitro experimentation. To evaluate the effect of SHC3 silencing in nigral dopamine neuronal growth, an MTT assay, propidium iodide (PI) single staining and Annexin V-PI double staining were performed to detect cell viability, cell cycle progression and cell apoptosis, respectively., Results: SHC3 shRNA led to decreased SOD and MDA levels and enhanced GSH activity, indicating that SHC3 silencing leads to motor retardation. SHC3 silencing repressed the extent of Akt and FoxO phosphorylation, thereby inhibiting the PI3K-AKT-FoxO signaling pathway. Furthermore, in cell experiments, SHC3 silencing suppressed PC12 cell proliferation and cell cycle progression, whereas it enhanced cell apoptosis., Conclusion: The current study provides evidence suggesting that SHC3 silencing may aggravate OS injury in nigral dopamine neurons via downregulation of the PI3K-AKT-FoxO signaling pathway in PD rats., (© 2018 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Lithium-sulfur batteries have attracted great concern because of the high theoretical capacity of sulfur (1675 mA h g -1 ). However, the poor electrical conductivity and volumetric expansion of sulfur along with the dissolution of lithium polysulfides largely limit their practical application. In this study, nitrogen-doped graphene aerogel (NGA) with high nitrogen content and porosity is used as a host for the impregnation of sulfur. The effects of sulfur impregnation on the specific surface area, pore volume, and microstructure of NGA supported sulfur composite (S@NGA) are well investigated. Furthermore, NGA is also processed into a NGA film, which is sandwiched between a separator and S@NGA cathode. The lithium-sulfur battery with such a configuration delivers a high reversible capacity of 1514 mA h g -1 at 0.1 C, excellent rate performance (822 mA h g -1 at 2.0 C), and good cycling stability (946 mA h g -1 at 0.5 C even after 100 cycles). The enhanced electrochemical performance can be ascribed to the introduction of the NGA interlayer, the unique interconnected porous structure, and strong interaction between the three-dimensional nitrogen-doped graphene network and the homogeneously dispersed sulfur and/or lithium polysulfides.

Ammonium is an important nitrogen sources for plant growth. In this study, we report on the gene characterization of the ammonium transporter AMT1 subfamily in the apple rootstock Malus robusta Rehd. Thirteen AMT genes were comprehensively evaluated from the apple genome (version 1.0). Then the gene features and expression patterns of five AMT1 members from M. robusta were analyzed. These genes fell into four clusters in the AMT phylogenetic tree: clade I (MrAMT1;1 and MrAMT1;3), clade II (MrAMT1;4), clade III (MrAMT1;2), and clade IV (MrAMT1;5). All the AMT1s, apart from MrAMT1;4, were expressed in vegetative organs and strongly responded to nitrogen concentration changes. For example, MrAMT1;2 and MrAMT1;3 had high transcript accumulation levels in the leaves and roots, respectively. Finally, the functions of these AMT1s were studied in detail by heterologous expression in yeast. These genes allowed strain 31019b to assimilate nitrogen, but their 15 NH 4 + uptake kinetics varied. These results revealed the functional roles of AMT1 during ammonium absorption in the AMT-defective mutant yeast system.