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Adjusting decision-making under uncertain and dynamic situations is the hallmark of intelligence. It requires a system capable of converting feedback information to renew the internal value. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) involves in error and reward events that prompt switching or maintenance of current decision strategies. However, it is unclear whether and how the changes of stimulus-action mapping during behavioral adaptation are encoded, nor how such computation drives decision adaptation. Here, we tracked ACC activity in male mice performing go/no-go auditory discrimination tasks with manipulated stimulus-reward contingencies. Individual ACC neurons integrate the outcome information to the value representation in the next-run trials. Dynamic recruitment of them determines the learning rate of error-guided value iteration and decision adaptation, forming a non-linear feedback-driven updating system to secure the appropriate decision switch. Optogenetically suppressing ACC significantly slowed down feedback-driven decision switching without interfering with the execution of the established strategy. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is involved in decision strategies. Here the authors show that individual ACC neurons can be dynamically recruited to encode outcome information and promptly update internal value representations, thereby forming a non-linear feedback-driven updating system that ensures robust and agile decision adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pH-driven method is a green and efficient encapsulation technology to incorporate hydrophobic polyphenols, excluding phenolic acids, which were unstable in a strong alkaline solution. In the present study, the pH-driven method was expanded for encapsulating caffeic acid in sodium caseinate (NaCas). Caffeic acid–loaded NaCas nanoparticles were fabricated by increasing the mixture to pH 12.0, followed by acidification to pH 8.0. Subsequently, caffeic acid was dissolved in the NaCas dispersion that was further acidified to pH 5.5 to prepare NaCas-caffeic acid nanoparticles (NCNs). The encapsulation efficiency of caffeic acid in NCN was up to 72.94% with an initial concentration of no more than 1.4 mg/mL and remained stable in 21 days at 21 °C. Based on particle structure and zeta potential assays, reassembly of casein structure was critical to caffeic acid encapsulation during acidification to pH 5.5 with reduced particle size. Moreover, caffeic acid was almost molecularly distributed in NCN based on XRD patterns. Loading caffeic acid in NCN significantly improved the bioaccessibility and Caco-2 cell monolayer uptake. This research provided a novel method for loading phenolic acids in a green and efficient way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), insufficient apoptosis of macrophages and excessive generation of pro-inflammatory cytokines are intimately connected, accelerating the development of disease. Here, a fluorinated polyamidoamine dendrimer (FP) is used to deliver miR-23b to reduce inflammation by triggering the apoptosis of as well as inhibiting the inflammatory response in macrophages. Following the intravenous injection of FP/miR-23b nanoparticles in experimental RA models, the nanoparticles show therapeutic efficacy with inhibition of inflammatory response, reduced bone and cartilage erosion, suppression of synoviocyte infiltration and the recovery of mobility. Moreover, the nanoparticles accumulate in the inflamed joint and are non-specifically captured by synoviocytes, leading to the restoration of miR-23b expression in the synovium. The miR-23b nanoparticles target Tab2, Tab3 and Ikka to regulate the activation of NF-κB pathway in the hyperplastic synovium, thereby promoting anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative responses. Additionally, the intravenous administration of FP/miR-23b nanoparticles do not induce obvious systemic toxicity. Overall, our work demonstrates that the combination of apoptosis induction and inflammatory inhibition could be a promising approach in the treatment of RA and possibly other autoimmune diseases. Delivery of anti-inflammatory microRNA (miRNA) could be beneficial for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here the authors show that a fluorinated polyamidoamine dendrimer nanoparticle delivers miR-23b to affected RA joints and reduces inflammation, joint damage and synovial cell influx. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeromonas hydrophila is a Gram-negative pathogen that can infect various fish, including largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), which have caused huge economic losses. In present study, largemouth bass anti-A. hydrophila antibodies were produced, then a highly immunogenic outer membrane proteins, AHA_3793, was identified by combined western blotting and mass spectrometry analysis. Moreover, AHA_3793 was expressed, and its immunogenicity was further verified by western blotting. Subsequently, the protective efficacy of AHA_3793 were evaluated in largemouth bass. The results showed that rAHA_3793 could produce a relative percentage survival (RPS) of 61.76% for largemouth bass against A. hydrophila challenge. ELISA analysis showed the specific serum antibodies of largemouth bass against rAHA_3793 and A. hydrophila in vaccinated group in weeks 4 and 5 after immunization were significantly higher than those in control group, which suggested that rAHA_3793 induced production of specific serum antibodies against rAHA_3793 and A. hydrophila. The qRT-PCR analysis showed that expressions of CD4-2 and MHC IIα were also significantly up-regulated after immunization. These results collectively demonstrated that rAHA_3793 could induce a strong humoral immune response of largemouth bass, and then produce high immune protection effects against A. hydrophila infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the value of an ultrasound contrast agent (Sonovue) as an interventional treatment for periappendiceal abscesses. Methods: From January 2019 to December 2020, 30 patients were recruited who were admitted to Jinan Central Hospital due to periappendiceal abscesses. Before the operation, 2.5 ml of SonoVue® contrast agent was injected intravenously to determine the non-enhanced area of liquefaction and necrosis in the abscess cavity. The puncture sites were selected. Percutaneous catheterization and drainage (PCD) were performed under contrast-enhanced ultrasound guidance. After the operation, 1 ml of diluted SonoVue® suspension was injected through the drainage tube to observe the position of the drainage tube, the degree of drainage and the development of the abscess. Results: An ultrasound contrast agent was used preoperatively to assess the extent of the abscess. Liquefaction and necrosis were observed in the abscess cavity. CEUS showed hyperenhancement in the wall of the abscess in the arterial phase and the liquefied necrotic area in the abscess cavity was not enhanced before PCD. CEUS allowed operators to confidently identify the puncture site. Amongst the 30 cases of PCD, 27 cases showed the clear positioning of the drainage tube. The head of the drainage tube was placed in the ideal position and development could be seen in the abscess cavity. The diffusion effect of the contrast agent was good with no spillover and the drainage was unobstructed. Abscess development was observed in 3 patients after puncture injection of the contrast agent but the head of the drainage tube was not in the predetermined position. After adjusting the position of the drainage tube, CEUS was repeated and showed a strong diffusion effect of the contrast agent. Conclusions: Intravenous injection of Sonovue before PCD of periappendiceal abscesses can evaluate the extent of the abscess, liquefaction and necrosis in the abscess cavity. The approach can also provide guidance for the placement of the drainage tube. After the operation, a diluted contrast agent was injected through the drainage tube. The position of the drainage tube and the flow direction of the contrast agent could be seen. This approach has good value for clinical applications to accurately judge the position of the drainage tube. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban waterbodies are one of the most pertinent issues involved in multiple aspects of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, waterbodies in large Chinese cities are highly vulnerable to urban-land expansion, which is mostly due to economic development, population growth, and rural–urban migration. In this work, we selected 159 Chinese cities of over one million in population to investigate the encroachment on waterbodies due to rapid urbanization from 1990 to 2018. Overall, 20.6% of natural waterbody area was lost during this period to urban expansion, and this fraction varied from city to city which was related to waterbody abundance. With the acceleration of urbanization, waterbody occupation is becoming more serious (P < 0.01). However, in all cities, this encroachment has eased since 2010, which justifies the effective implementation of national-scale policies to conserve urban waterbodies. Meanwhile, gains have occurred during urbanization, in addition to the loss of waterbodies. Especially, cities lacking waterbody placed a greater emphasis on ecological factors, whose urban waterbody areas showed an increasing trend. In the future, ecological resources, including waterbody, should be considered in urban planning to provide reasonable protection to waterbodies in the quest for urban sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser melt injection (LMI) is a promising technology to produce ceramic particles reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs) to achieve surface modification and performance upgrading. In this paper, the LMI process was conducted on a Ti6Al4V substrate with ZrO2 particles (ZrO2p) to produce a functionally graded material. Subsequently, a novel finite element model, at both macro and micro scales, was proposed to calculate the thermal–mechanical characteristics during the LMI process to expound on the crack formation mechanism. The differences in experiments, including track dimensions, particle distribution, and crack morphology of the MMC layer, were analyzed, corresponding to varied laser power and scanning velocity. The three-dimensional macro-simulated results showed alternating tensile-compressive residual stresses spread over the heat-affected zone. Besides, the most significant longitudinal tensile stress, the peak values exceeding the yield strength of Ti6Al4V, was distributed on the MMC top surface, leading to cracks. The two-dimensional micro-scale models revealed the residual stress distributed remarkably uniformly in the ZrO2 particles, and the stress values were more significant than those of the Ti6Al4V substrate. Furthermore, there were stress concentration points on the surfaces of ZrO2p, which were the sources of micro-fissure. At the same time, the gaps caused between the Ti6Al4V matrix and the ZrO2p surface also provided the conditions for the formation of microcracks. More conspicuous cracks would be generated after lots of microcracks were gathered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human males absent on the first (MOF), a histone acetyltransferase (HAT), forms male-specific lethal (MSL) and non-specific lethal (NSL), two multiprotein HATs, in cells. MSL was originally discovered in dosage compensation study in Drosophila that can specifically acetylate H4K16, while NSL can simultaneously catalyze the H4 at K5, K8, and K16 sites. However, comparative studies of the two HATs in regulating specific biological functions are rarely reported. Here, we present evidence to argue that MSL and NSL function in different ways in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. At first, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated MSL1 (a key subunit of the MSL)-knockout (KO) and NSL3 (a key subunit of the NSL)-KO cells seem to prefer to grow in clusters. Interestingly, the former promotes cell survival and clonal formation, while the latter has the opposite effect on it. Cell staining revealed that MSL1-KO leads to multipolarized spindles, while NSL3-KO causes more lumen-like cells. Furthermore, in Transwell experiments, silencing of MSL1 promotes cell invasion in 293 T, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231 cells. In contrast, the inhibitory effects on cell invasion are observed in the same NSL3-silenced cells. Consistent with this, mesenchymal biomarkers, like N-cadherin, vimentin, and snail, are negatively correlated with the expression level of MSL1; however, a positive relationship between these proteins and NSL3 in cells has been found. Further studies have clarified that MSL1, but not NSL3, can specifically bind to the E-box-containing Snail promoter region and thereby negatively regulate Snail transactivation. Also, silencing of MSL1 promotes the lung metastasis of B16F10 melanoma cells in mice. Finally, ChIP-Seq analysis indicated that the NSL may be mainly involved in phosphoinositide-mediated signaling pathways. Taken together, the MOF-containing MSL and NSL HATs may regulate the EMT process in different ways in order to respond to different stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiogenesis is a critical, fine-tuned, multi-staged biological process. Tip-stalk cell selection and shuffling are the building blocks of sprouting angiogenesis. Accumulated evidences show that tip-stalk cell selection and shuffling are regulated by a variety of physical, chemical and biological factors, especially the interaction among multiple genes, their products and environments. The classic Notch-VEGFR, Slit-Robo, ECM-binding integrin, semaphorin and CCN family play important roles in tip-stalk cell selection and shuffling. In this review, we outline the progress and prospect in the mechanism and the roles of the various molecules and related signaling pathways in endothelial tip-stalk cell selection and shuffling. In the future, the regulators of tip-stalk cell selection and shuffling would be the potential markers and targets for angiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cholinergic system is very important for many higher brain functions, including learning and memory. Cholinergic neurons, especially those in the basal forebrain, are specifically susceptible in some neurodegenerative diseases, such as in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Here, we studied the cholinergic system lesion effects of five familial AD mutations in 5XFAD mice, a transgenic mouse model of AD. Although the cholinergic system has been studied in this mouse model, the cholinergic deficits in AD mice have never been systematically mapped in a whole-brain three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction. Using the 3D reconstruction technology combined with immunohistochemistry (3D-IHC) and design-based stereology, we comprehensively compared the differences of the cholinergic neurons and fibers between the 5XFAD mice and C57BL/6 control mice at different age. Here, we found that the lesion of cholinergic fibers occurred earlier than the cholinergic neuron loss in 5XFAD mice. The cholinergic fiber lesions in the AD mice started sequentially in amygdala, cortex, hippocampus, and then basal forebrain. However, the basal forebrain was the first brain region observed with cholinergic neuron loss at the age of 9 months in 5XFAD mice, whereas such phenomenon first occurred at the age of 15 months in C57BL/6 control mice. Moreover, using 3D reconstruction to compare the lesion of cholinergic system of aged 5XFAD and C57BL/6 control mice, it is intuitive to notice the pathologic regions and severity of lesion. Therefore, the 3D-IHC provides detailed overview of the cholinergic neurons in the whole mouse brain, which will contribute to the study of the developing and pathologic mouse brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liquid phase acylation of 2-methylfuran with acetic anhydride over modified Hβ zeolite was first conducted in a continuous flow reactor. The deactivation of Hβ zeolites was attributed to strong adsorption of reactants or products and was verified by GC-MS and C MAS NMR. Deactivated zeolites can be regenerated to their original state by calcination. The acidic properties was adjusted by surface modification on Hβ, the maximum yield of 89.5 mol% and selectivity of 100 % were obtained over tartaric acid modified by Hβ. The deposition of tetraethoxysilane to silica on Hβ contributed to enhancing the catalytic stability. Combined with the results of NH-TPD and Py-FTIR, the amount of Broensted acids played a major role on catalytic activity. A close relationship between the catalytic stability and the ratio of the amount of strong to weak acids at 1:1 was highlighted here. The solvents' effect on the catalytic performances was examined, and 1,2-dichloroethane with moderate polarity exerted a positive effect on catalytic stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selection and design of an optimal solvent for extractive distillation require reliable vapour-liquid phase equilibrium data and knowledge of extraction mechanisms. Compared with time-consuming experiments, molecular simulation presents great potential in research on the properties of fluids. Therefore, in this work, Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo was applied to successfully predict the vapour-liquid phase equilibrium data of binary and ternary systems containing benzene, thiophene and N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) at P = 101.3 kPa. The explicit hydrogen version of the transferable potentials for phase equilibria potential model was chosen for benzene and thiophene, whereas the OPLS potential model was selected for DMF. The predicted phase diagrams were compared with experimental data and the UNIQUAC thermodynamic model. A good agreement was obtained, which corroborated the validity of the potential models. In addition, the extraction mechanism was explored by radial distribution function (RDF) of the liquid-phase structure. The RDFs showed that thiophene and benzene shared a similar liquid-phase structure because of the intermolecular interaction. The distinct difference between the RDFs of DMF/benzene and those of DMF/thiophene is that the oxygen atom of DMF is more associated with hydrogen atoms of thiophene than that of benzene, which may be responsible for the extraction effect of DMF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum manganese complex oxide was prepared and applied to the oxidation of toluene. The influences of various factors on the oxidation were observed and large amounts of benzyl acetate were formed in the reaction. When 30 mL water was added into the feed, the conversion of toluene and the maximum yield of benzaldehyde increased. Graphical Abstract: Benzaldehyde was synthesized by the oxidation of toluene. The influences of various factors on the oxidation were observed and large amounts of benzyl acetate were formed in the reaction. To suppress the formation of benzyl acetate and increase the selectivity of benzaldehyde, water was added into the feed. It indicated that water not only increased the conversion of toluene, but improved the selectivity of benzaldehyde. The redox potential theory was used to explain the phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence suggests that genetic polymorphisms in X-ray repair cross-complementation group 1 ( XRCC1) gene could be associated with pancreatic cancer risk. However, previous published studies on the association between XRCC1 rs1799782 genetic polymorphism and pancreatic cancer risk reported inconsistent results. For better understanding of the effects of XRCC1 rs1799782 genetic polymorphism on pancreatic cancer risk, we conducted a meta-analysis of previous published studies by calculating the pooled odds ratio (OR) with a 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI). A total of five eligible studies with 1,144 pancreatic cancer cases and 2,925 controls were eventually enrolled. Overall, we found that the XRCC1 rs1799782 genetic polymorphism was not associated with pancreatic cancer risk in total population under all genetic models (TT vs. CC: OR = 1.11, 95 % CI 0.76-1.63, P = 0.583; CT vs. CC: OR = 1.39, 95 % CI 0.92-2.10, P = 0.118; TT/CT vs. CC: OR = 1.39, 95 % CI 0.92-2.10, P = 0.121; TT vs. CT/CC: OR = 1.07, 95 % CI 0.73-1.55, P = 0.743; T vs. C: OR = 1.31, 95 % CI 0.93-1.86, P = 0.125). In the subgroup analysis based on ethnicity, there was no statistically significant association between XRCC1 rs1799782 genetic polymorphism and pancreatic cancer risk in Asians/Caucasians under all genetic models (all P values > 0.05). No publication bias was detected in this study. Our meta-analysis suggests that the XRCC1 rs1799782 genetic polymorphism is not significantly associated with pancreatic cancer risk. Considering the limited sample size and ethnicity enrolled in this meta-analysis, further larger scaled studies are needed to provide a more precise estimation on the association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is rich in rare earth resources. Rare earth elements, also named lanthanides, are number 58 to number 81 elements in the elemental periodic table. They have unique electronic structures and may form various coordination compounds. In the early 1960s, researchers at the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CIAC) found the catalytic activities of lanthanide compounds in stereospecific polymerization of conjugated dienes, and published the first paper on this topic in 1964. On the basis of this finding, CIAC launched extensive research activities on lanthanide compounds as diene polymerization catalysts, from a series of fundamental research to the efforts of industrializing the rare earth catalyzed cis-1,4-polybutatine rubber and cis-1,4-polyisoprene rubber. This review aims to summarize the progress in this field in the past half century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differentiation syndrome (DS) is the second leading cause of death in acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) patients. Few studies have tested predictors of DS events. This study aimed to identify optimized predictors of DS events related to APL. The data of 298 consecutive patients who were newly diagnosed with APL between December 2012 and June 2023 were retrospectively investigated. A systematic review of computer-based patient medical records was conducted to obtain clinical data, including baseline characteristics, routine blood examination findings, biochemical indices and clinical manifestations of DS. Among the 298 patients, 158 were classified into the no-DS group, while 140 had DS. Compared with those of patients without DS, the peripheral blast count, age, and WBC count at each time point were significantly different in patients with DS (P < 0.05 for all time points). Generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) revealed that WBC Double (Coeff. 0.442, P = 0.000) and WBCPeak (Coeff. 0.879, P = 0.000) were independent risk factors for DS. The frequencies of clinical manifestations of unexplained fever (P = 0.003), dyspnoea (P = 0.002), weight gain of more than 5 kg (P = 0.006), pleural effusion (P = 0.001), pulmonary infiltrates (P < 0.001), pericardial effusion (P = 0.002) and renal failure (P = 0.006) were considerably lower in moderate DS patients than in severe DS patients. The WBCDouble occurs earlier than the WBCpeak occurrence, so WBC Double might be a new indicator of DS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]