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Background: As the emergence of technologies such as sequencing and gene mapping, significant advancements have been made in understanding the landscape of tumors. However, the effective treatment of tumors continues to pose a tremendous challenge in clinical practice, which highlights the importance of predicting tumor markers and studying drug resistance mechanisms. The prognosis and differential expression of STARD7 in human pan-cancer were investigated by bioinformatic methods and experimental verification. Methods: The expression, diagnostic, and prognostic significance of the STARD7 gene were comprehensive analyzed using bioinformatics techniques. Furthermore, we validated our projected outcomes in liver cancer through experimental methodologies, including the use of qRT-PCR, CCK8 and transwell assays. Results: The STARD7 gene exhibits differential expression in 25 tumors, with high expression observed in 22 tumors. These distinct expression patterns within different tumor types are closely associated with poor prognosis and diagnosis. Furthermore, the STARD7 gene plays a role in regulating the tumor immune microenvironment. Methylation levels of STARD7 vary among 20 types of tumors and are correlated with survival outcomes. Furthermore, the experiment results demonstrated that STARD7 is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Suppression of STARD7 significantly impedes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HepG-2 and SMMC-7721 cells. Conclusions: STARD7 has the potential to function as a crucial prognostic biomarker and exhibit correlation with tumor immunity in various types of human cancers. The implications of our findings extend to informing cancer immune-therapy and promoting the advancement of precision immune-oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal hydrides are crucial intermediates in numerous catalytic reactions. Intensive efforts have been dedicated to constructing molecular metal hydrides, where toxic precursors and delicate mediators are usually involved. Herein, we demonstrate a facile pressure-induced methodology to generate a cost-effective heterogeneous electrocatalytic metal hydride surface for sustainable hydrogen transfer. Taking carbon dioxide (CO2) electroreduction as a model system and zinc (Zn), a well-known carbon monoxide (CO)-selective catalyst, as a model catalyst, we showcase a homogeneous-type hydrogen atom transfer process induced by heterogeneous hydride surfaces, enabling direct hydrogenation pathways traditionally considered "prohibited". Specifically, the maximal Faradaic efficiency for formate is enhanced by ~fivefold to 83% under ambient conditions. Experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that unlike the distal hydrogenation route for CO2 to CO over pristine Zn, the Zn hydride surface enables direct hydrogenation at the carbon site of CO2 to form formate. This work provides a promising material platform for sustainable synthesis. The authors demonstrate a facile pressure-induced methodology to generate a cost-effective heterogeneous electrocatalytic metal hydride surface for sustainable hydrogen transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem finding (PF) is a crucial element of creative thinking. PF facility allows us to manage the rapidly changing world. Tolerance of ambiguity (AT) is a personality variable that plays a vital role in creative thinking. However, few studies have explored PF's brain mechanisms and their relationship with AT. This study aimed to filled this gap using behavioral and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) methods. The behavioral results revealed a significant positive correlation between AT and PF. The VBM analysis found that novel PF positively correlated with the cluster's regional gray matter density (GMD) involving the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and precentral cortex. Additionally, novel and appropriate PF was positively correlated with the GMD of the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and regional white matter density (WMD) of the bilateral thalamus. Further mediation analysis revealed that the rGMD of the right IFG mediated the relation between AT and PF, which showed that the right IFG is associated with inhibitory control and novelty-seeking. Individuals with high AT and regional GMD in right IFG had a greater novel and appropriate PF ability. These findings shed light on the correlation between AT and PF from the brain's structural basis perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transforming carbon dioxide (CO2) into products using renewable electricity is a crucial and captivating quest for a green and circular economy. Compared with commonly used alkali electrolytes, acidic media for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (CO2RR) boasts several advantages, such as high carbon utilization efficiency, high overall energy utilization rate, and low carbonate formation, making it a compelling choice for industrial applications. However, the acidic CO2RR also struggles with formidable hurdles, encompassing the fierce competition with the hydrogen evolution reaction, the low CO2 solubility and availability, and the suboptimal performance of catalysts. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the CO2RR in acidic media. By elucidating the underlying regulatory mechanism, we gain valuable insights into the fundamental principles governing the acidic CO2RR. Furthermore, we examine cutting-edge strategies aimed at optimizing its performance and the roles of reactor engineering, especially membrane electrode assembly reactors, in facilitating scalable and carbon efficient conversion. Moreover, we present a forward-looking perspective, highlighting the promising prospects of acidic CO2RR research in ushering us towards a carbon-neutral society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical CO2 conversion to methane, powered by intermittent renewable electricity, provides an entrancing opportunity to both store renewable electric energy and utilize emitted CO2. Copper-based single atom catalysts are promising candidates to restrain C-C coupling, suggesting feasibility in further protonation of CO* to CHO* for methane production. In theoretical studies herein, we find that introducing boron atoms into the first coordination layer of Cu-N4 motif facilitates the binding of CO* and CHO* intermediates, which favors the generation of methane. Accordingly, we employ a co-doping strategy to fabricate B-doped Cu-Nx atomic configuration (Cu-NxBy), where Cu-N2B2 is resolved to be the dominant site. Compared with Cu-N4 motifs, as-synthesized B-doped Cu-Nx structure exhibits a superior performance towards methane production, showing a peak methane Faradaic efficiency of 73% at −1.46 V vs. RHE and a maximum methane partial current density of −462 mA cm−2 at −1.94 V vs. RHE. Extensional calculations utilizing two-dimensional reaction phase diagram analysis together with barrier calculation help to gain more insights into the reaction mechanism of Cu-N2B2 coordination structure. Developing efficient electrocatalysts for selective CO2 conversion is of high interest. Here the authors investigate B doped Cu single atom catalysts with Cu-N2B2 coordination for enhanced CO2 to CH4 conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: The electrochemical techniques utilizing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-based catalysts for converting CO2 into chemical species are discussed. The structure–activity relationship of MOF-based catalysts in electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reactions is thoroughly reviewed The challenges and opportunities of large-scale applications of MOF-based materials in electrochemical CO2 reduction reactions are discussed, and possible directions for the future development of MOFs and their derivatives are outlined. Electrochemically reducing CO2 to more reduced chemical species is a promising way that not only enables the conversion of intermittent energy resources to stable fuels, but also helps to build a closed-loop anthropogenic carbon cycle. Among various electrocatalysts for electrochemical CO2 reduction, multifunctional metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been employed as highly efficient and selective heterogeneous electrocatalysts due to their ultrahigh porosity and topologically diverse structures. Up to now, great progress has been achieved in the design and synthesis of highly active and selective MOF-related catalysts for electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), and their corresponding reaction mechanisms have been thoroughly studied. In this review, we summarize the recent progress of applying MOFs and their derivatives in CO2RR, with a focus on the design strategies for electrocatalysts and electrolyzers. We first discussed the reaction mechanisms for different CO2RR products and introduced the commonly applied electrolyzer configurations in the current CO2RR system. Then, an overview of several categories of products (CO, HCOOH, CH4, CH3OH, and multi-carbon chemicals) generated from MOFs or their derivatives via CO2RR was discussed. Finally, we offer some insights and perspectives for the future development of MOFs and their derivatives in electrochemical CO2 reduction. We aim to provide new insights into this field and further guide future research for large-scale applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The removal of acetylene impurities remains important yet challenging to the ethylene downstream industry. Current thermocatalytic semihydrogenation processes require high temperature and excess hydrogen to guarantee complete acetylene conversion. For this reason, renewable electricity-based electrocatalytic semihydrogenation of acetylene over Cu-based catalysts is an attractive route compared to the energy-intensive thermocatalytic processes. However, active Cu electrocatalysts still face competition from side reactions and often require high overpotentials. Here, we present an undercoordinated Cu nanodots catalyst with an onset potential of −0.15 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode that can exclusively convert C2H2 to C2H4 with a maximum Faradaic efficiency of ~95.9% and high intrinsic activity in excess of −450 mA cm−2 under pure C2H2 flow. Subsequently, we successfully demonstrate simulated crude ethylene purification, continuously producing polymer-grade C2H4 with <1 ppm C2H2 for 130 h at a space velocity of 1.35 × 105 ml gcat−1 h−1. Theoretical calculations and in situ spectroscopies reveal a lower energy barrier for acetylene semihydrogenation over undercoordinated Cu sites than nondefective Cu surface, resulting in the excellent C2H2-to-C2H4 catalytic activity of Cu nanodots.Cu-based catalysts for the conversion of C2H2 to C2H4 are plagued by side reactions. Here, Cu nanodots for C2H2 semihydrogenation are reported to reach current densities >400 mA cm−2 and selectively produce polymer-grade ethylene over 130 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Patients with diabetes are confronted with numerous obstacles to achieve adequate glycemic control during hospitalization. The aim of this study was to explore the risk factors associated with glycemic control in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII). Methods: This cross-sectional study included 5223 patients hospitalized with T2DM in a tertiary hospital in Xiamen (China) between January 2017 and December 2019. All patients were managed according to established protocols for glycemic monitoring and insulin pump treatment regimens. Demographic information and clinical profiles were collected from electronic health records. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors associated with glycemic control. Results: Among the 5223 hospitalized patients with T2DM receiving CSII therapy, 55.2% achieved their ideal blood glucose level (3.9–10.0 mmol/L), 44.5% experienced hyperglycemia (> 10.0 mmol/L), and 0.3% experienced hypoglycemia (< 3.9 mmol/L) during their hospitalization. Multivariate analyses showed that among inpatients with T2DM, older age, male gender, higher low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) level, lower C-peptide (C-P) level, lower body mass index (BMI), longer duration of diabetes, previous insulin prescriptions, nephropathy, and retinopathy were factors more likely to be associated with a blood glucose level in the hyperglycemic range (P < 0.05). We also observed that among hospitalized patients with T2DM, those with lower BMI, lower C-P, lower LDL-C, longer disease duration, and previous insulin prescriptions were more likely to correlate with a higher proportion of hypoglycemia range (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: Older age, male gender, lower BMI, lower C-P, higher LDL-C, previous insulin prescriptions, longer duration of diabetes, nephropathy, and retinopathy may be risk factors for a higher proportion of hyperglycemic events in hospitalized patients with T2DM under CSII therapy. Furthermore, lower BMI, lower C-P, lower LDL-C, longer duration of diabetes, and previous insulin prescriptions were found to be important factors for a higher proportion of hypoglycemic events. Evaluating the clinical features, comorbidities, and complications of hospitalized patients is essential to achieve reasonable glycemic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: The composite gel electrolyte with low tortuosity ion-conducting arrays (GPE/ICAs) exhibiting high room-temperature ionic conductivity (1.08 mS cm−1) was successfully prepared by directionally growing ice crystals and in-situ polymerization. The stable and rapid Li+ migration through ICAs in the GPE is proved by 6Li solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction combined with computer simulations. Li/LiFePO4 full cells using GPE/ICAs exhibit excellent cycle performance and high-capacity retention at wide temperature (0–60 °C), which has the potential towards all-weather practical solid-state batteries. The rapid improvement in the gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) with high ionic conductivity brought it closer to practical applications in solid-state Li-metal batteries. The combination of solvent and polymer enables quasi-liquid fast ion transport in the GPEs. However, different ion transport capacity between solvent and polymer will cause local nonuniform Li+ distribution, leading to severe dendrite growth. In addition, the poor thermal stability of the solvent also limits the operating-temperature window of the electrolytes. Optimizing the ion transport environment and enhancing the thermal stability are two major challenges that hinder the application of GPEs. Here, a strategy by introducing ion-conducting arrays (ICA) is created by vertical-aligned montmorillonite into GPE. Rapid ion transport on the ICA was demonstrated by 6Li solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and synchrotron X-ray diffraction, combined with computer simulations to visualize the transport process. Compared with conventional randomly dispersed fillers, ICA provides continuous interfaces to regulate the ion transport environment and enhances the tolerance of GPEs to extreme temperatures. Therefore, GPE/ICA exhibits high room-temperature ionic conductivity (1.08 mS cm−1) and long-term stable Li deposition/stripping cycles (> 1000 h). As a final proof, Li||GPE/ICA||LiFePO4 cells exhibit excellent cycle performance at wide temperature range (from 0 to 60 °C), which shows a promising path toward all-weather practical solid-state batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Projected potential of 2.5–4.0 Å cryo-EM structures for structure-based drug design is not well realized yet. Here we show that a 3.1 Å structure of PRMT5 is suitable for selecting computed poses of a chemical inhibitor and its analogs for enhanced potency. PRMT5, an oncogenic target for various cancer types, has many inhibitors manifesting little cooperativity with MTA, a co-factor analog accumulated in MTAP−/− cells. To achieve MTA-synergic inhibition, a pharmacophore from virtual screen leads to a specific inhibitor (11-2 F). Cryo-EM structures of 11-2 F / MTA-bound human PRMT5/MEP50 complex and its apo form resolved at 3.1 and 3.2 Å respectively show that 11-2 F in the catalytic pocket shifts the cofactor-binding pocket away by ~2.0 Å, contributing to positive cooperativity. Computational analysis predicts subtype specificity of 11-2 F among PRMTs. Structural analysis of ligands in the binding pockets is performed to compare poses of 11-2 F and its redesigned analogs and identifies three new analogs predicted to have significantly better potency. One of them, after synthesis, is ~4 fold more efficient in inhibiting PRMT5 catalysis than 11-2 F, with strong MTA-synergy. These data suggest the feasibility of employing near-atomic resolution cryo-EM structures and computational analysis of ligand poses for small molecule therapeutics. Cryo-EM map-guided drug design and computational comparison of ligand poses yield a PRMT5 inhibitor or derivatives that are MTA-synergic and show enhanced potency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic-conductive polymers are appealing electrolyte materials for solid-state lithium-based batteries. However, these polymers are detrimentally affected by the electrochemically-inactive anion migration that limits the ionic conductivity and accelerates cell failure. To circumvent this issue, we propose the use of polyvinyl ferrocene (PVF) as positive electrode active material. The PVF acts as an anion-acceptor during redox processes, thus simultaneously setting anions and lithium ions as effective charge carriers. We report the testing of various Li||PVF lab-scale cells using polyethylene oxide (PEO) matrix and Li-containing salts with different anions. Interestingly, the cells using the PEO-lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) solid electrolyte deliver an initial capacity of 108 mAh g−1 at 100 μA cm−2 and 60 °C, and a discharge capacity retention of 70% (i.e., 70 mAh g−1) after 2800 cycles at 300 μA cm−2 and 60 °C. The Li|PEO-LiTFSI|PVF cells tested at 50 μA cm−2 and 30 °C can also deliver an initial discharge capacity of around 98 mAh g−1 with an electrolyte ionic conductivity in the order of 10−5 S cm−1. The energy content of secondary batteries is often limited by the charge carriers available in the system. Here, the authors employed an anion acceptor cathode for simultaneous use of electrolyte anions and cations as effective charge carriers in solid polymer electrolytes for lithium-based batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: MdHAL3 has PPCDC activity and is involved in the salt tolerance of autotetraploid apple. Apple (Malus × domestica) is the most widely planted fruit tree species worldwide. However, the growth and development of apple have been increasingly affected by abiotic stress, such as high salinity. In our previous study, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis revealed that the expression level of the MdHAL3 gene was significantly upregulated in the autotetraploid apple cultivar Hanfu. In the present study, we first isolated HAL3, whose product was shown to exert 4′-phosphopantothenoylcysteine decarboxylase (PPCDC) activity, from apple. MdHAL3 was expressed in all organs of apple, and its expression was rapidly induced by salt stress. The MdHAL3 protein was localized to the cytomembrane and cytoplasm. Five MdHAL3 overexpression (OE) lines and five MdHAL3-RNAi apple lines were obtained. We found that MdHAL3 enhanced the salt stress tolerance of apple and that the OE plants rooted more easily than the wild-type (WT) plants. The coenzyme A (CoA) content in the leaves of the OE plants was greater than that in the leaves of the WT plants, and the CoA content in the MdHAL3-RNAi plants was lower than that in the WT plants. Taken together, our findings indicate that MdHAL3 plays an essential role in the response to salt stress in apple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To screen genetic polymorphisms of Panax ginseng, as well as those of Panax quinquefolium and Panax notoginseng, analysis of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was performed using 120 random primers. Of the successful amplicons obtained, the Panax ginseng-specific RAPD marker C-12 was cloned into a TA vector and sequenced (GenBank access number KU553472). Based on the sequence analysis results, a pair of primers specific to C-12 was designed. Finally, a SCAR marker-based identification system for Panax ginseng was developed after optimization of the reaction conditions. Using this method, two positive bands were stably observed at 300 bp and 130 bp in 33 batches of Panax ginseng samples tested, while negative results were obtained for another 101 batches of samples, including Panax quinquefolium, Panax notoginseng, adulterants, and other medicinal herbs. Thus, we successfully developed a PCR-based method for rapid and effective identification of Panax ginseng, which can be effectively used for the protection and utilization of germplasm resources and identification of the origins of Panax ginseng samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies demonstrate that microRNA-138 (miR-138) is critical in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) regulation. We further explored the molecular mechanism of miR-138 in NSCLC. Lentivirus was used to upregulate miR-138 in NSCLC cell lines H460 and SPC-A1 cells. Previously known effects of miR-138 upregulation on NSCLC, proliferation, cell cycle division, and cisplatin sensitivity were examined in H460 and SPC-A1 cells. Moreover, previously unknown effect of miR-138 upregulation on NSCLC migration was also examined in H460 and SPC-A1 cells. A new miR-138 downstream target, cyclin D3 (CCND3), was assessed by dual-luciferase reporter assay and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). CCND3 was then ectopically overexpressed in H460 and SPC-A1 cells. The effects of forced overexpression of CCND3 on miR-138-induced NSCLC regulations were further examined by proliferation, cell cycle, cisplatin sensitivity, and migration assays, respectively. Lentivirus-induced miR-138 upregulation inhibited NSCLC proliferation and cell cycle division, in line with previous findings. Moreover, we found that miR-138 upregulation had other anti-tumor effects, such as increasing cisplatin sensitivity and reducing cancer migration, in H460 and SPC-A1 cells. Luciferase assay and qRT-PCR showed that CCND3 was directly targeted by miR-138. Forced overexpression of CCND3 in H460 and SPC-A1 cells reversed the anti-tumor effects of miR-138 upregulation on cancer cell growth, cell cycle, cisplatin sensitivity, and migration. Our study revealed novel anti-cancer effects of miR-138 upregulation in NSCLC, as well as its new molecular target of CCND3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an efficient, mild, one-pot, three-component method, catalyzed by EtN in the ionic liquid [bmim][BF], for synthesis of 2-[(aryl)-(3-hydroxy-6-methyl-4-oxo-4 H-pyran-2-yl)methyl]indan-1,3-diones from aromatic aldehydes, 1,3-indanedione, and 5-hydroxy-2-methyl-4 H-pyran-4-one. The method has the advantages of high yields, mild reaction conditions, convenient operation, and environmental friendliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus is a major biofilm-forming pathogen, and biofilm formation remains an obstacle in the treatment of clinical S. aureus infection. Methylthioadenosine/S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase (Pfs) has been implicated in methylation reactions, polyamine synthesis, vitamin synthesis, and quorum-sensing pathways. In this study, we observed that the deletion of pfs gene in S. aureus NCTC8325 reduced bacterial clumping ability and resulted in the decreased biofilm formation under both static and dynamic flow conditions in an autoinducer-2-independent manner. While the PIA amount was not affected, the pfs mutation significantly decreased the amount of eDNA present in the biofilm and the cell autolysis. Consistent with reduced autolysis, the transcription levels of the autolysin genes, lytM and atlE, were reduced in the absence of Pfs. These data suggest that Pfs promotes autolysis-dependent release of eDNA and biofilm formation in S. aureus, and our findings indicate that Pfs is a potential novel target for anti-biofilm therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this investigation was to compare clinical pathological characteristics and prognosis of very young and older triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients in order to assess their relevance to TNBC in an younger population. Data of TNBC patients diagnosed between 2002 and 2007 were retrospectively analyzed by computer based chart information. Baseline tumor characteristics, biological markers, and patients' prognosis were compared between very young (≤35 years) and older (>35 years) TNBC patients. In the 216 cases of operable TNBC patients, 48 (22.2 %) were ≤35 years and 168 (77.8 %) were >35 years. Very young TNBC patients had showed a high clinical stage, more positive lymph nodes, Ck5/6 and/or EGFR expression ( P = 0.049, 0.006, and 0.011, respectively). Compared to older TNBC patients, very young TNBC patients have short disease-free survival ( P = 0.031), while no significant difference was found in overall survival (OS) ( P = 0.075). In multivariate analysis, lymph node metastatic status was a significant predictor of OS. TNBC of very young patients is an aggressive breast cancer subtype, but the overall survival of both young and older TNBC patients did not have significant differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Help seeking (HS) is a core coping strategy that is directed towards obtaining support, advice, or assistance as means of managing stress. Women have been found to use more HS than men. Neural correlates of sex differences have also been reported in prefrontal-limbic system (PLS) regions that are linked to stress and coping, yet structural differences between men and women relating to HS in the PLS are still unknown. Thus, the association between gray matter volume (GMV) and HS was investigated using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in a large healthy sample (126 men and 156 women). Results indicated women reported more HS than men did.VBMresults showed that the relation between HS scores andGMVdiffered between men and women in regions of the bilateral orbitofrontal cortex extending to the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex(OFC/sgACC). Among women, higher HS scores were associated with smaller GMV in these areas while a positive correlation betweenGMVand HS scores was observed among men. These results remained significant after controlling for general intelligence, stress, anxiety and depression. Thus, this study suggested that structural differences between men and women are correlated to characteristic brain regions known to be involved in the PLS which is considered critical in stress regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human body-surface epithelia coexist in close association with complex bacterial communities and are protected by a variety of antibacterial proteins. C-type lectins of the RegIII family are bactericidal proteins that limit direct contact between bacteria and the intestinal epithelium and thus promote tolerance to the intestinal microbiota. RegIII lectins recognize their bacterial targets by binding peptidoglycan carbohydrate, but the mechanism by which they kill bacteria is unknown. Here we elucidate the mechanistic basis for RegIII bactericidal activity. We show that human RegIIIα (also known as HIP/PAP) binds membrane phospholipids and kills bacteria by forming a hexameric membrane-permeabilizing oligomeric pore. We derive a three-dimensional model of the RegIIIα pore by docking the RegIIIα crystal structure into a cryo-electron microscopic map of the pore complex, and show that the model accords with experimentally determined properties of the pore. Lipopolysaccharide inhibits RegIIIα pore-forming activity, explaining why RegIIIα is bactericidal for Gram-positive but not Gram-negative bacteria. Our findings identify C-type lectins as mediators of membrane attack in the mucosal immune system, and provide detailed insight into an antibacterial mechanism that promotes mutualism with the resident microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heuristics through the application of heuristic knowledge to the creation of imitation devices may be one of the most common processes in scientific innovation. In particular, heuristics suggests that innovation includes the automatic activation of heuristic knowledge and formation of novel associations between heuristic knowledge and problem situations. In this study, 76 scientific innovation problem situations were selected as materials. Among these, 36 contain related heuristic knowledge and 40 have no such information. Through functional magnetic resonance imaging, the learning-testing paradigm was used to explore the brain mechanisms of scientific problem finding inspired by heuristic knowledge. Participants were asked to find a problem on the basis of a given innovation problem situation. Two scenarios were presented: finding scientific problems with related heuristic knowledge and finding conventional problems without related heuristic knowledge. The authors assumed that the regions in the brain significantly activated by the finding scientific problems with related heuristic knowledge condition compared with the finding normal problems without related heuristic knowledge condition are relevant to the brain mechanisms of scientific problem finding inspired by heuristic knowledge. The first scenario more significantly activated the left precuneus and left angular gyrus than did the second scenario. These findings suggest that the precuneus is relevant to the successful storage and retrieval of heuristic knowledge and that the left angular gyrus is involved in the formation of novel associations between heuristic knowledge and problem situations for finding scientific problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our objective is to investigate the expression of CD147 and metallo-proteinase 9 (MMP9) in patients with basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) so as to determine whether these two genes may be correlated with prognosis of BLBC. We examined the expression of the CD147 and MMP9 in BLBC by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, we analyzed the correlation between BLBC and several factors related to tumor progression, along with the prognostic value of BLBC. BLBC was significantly associated with CD147 and MMP9 expression ( P = 0.000), and prone to lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis. Patients with BLBC showed shorter disease-free survival ( P = 0.005) and overall survival (OS) ( P = 0.011). In univariate analysis, CD147, MMP9, lymph node metastasis and clinical stage are independent prognostic factors affecting OS. In multivariate analysis, only clinical stage was identified as an independent prognostic factor. Patients with BLBC have a high expression of CD147 and MMP9; BLBC is correlated with a poor prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cells are organized on length scales ranging from ångström to micrometres. However, the mechanisms by which ångström-scale molecular properties are translated to micrometre-scale macroscopic properties are not well understood. Here we show that interactions between diverse synthetic, multivalent macromolecules (including multi-domain proteins and RNA) produce sharp liquid-liquid-demixing phase separations, generating micrometre-sized liquid droplets in aqueous solution. This macroscopic transition corresponds to a molecular transition between small complexes and large, dynamic supramolecular polymers. The concentrations needed for phase transition are directly related to the valency of the interacting species. In the case of the actin-regulatory protein called neural Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASP) interacting with its established biological partners NCK and phosphorylated nephrin, the phase transition corresponds to a sharp increase in activity towards an actin nucleation factor, the Arp2/3 complex. The transition is governed by the degree of phosphorylation of nephrin, explaining how this property of the system can be controlled to regulatory effect by kinases. The widespread occurrence of multivalent systems suggests that phase transitions may be used to spatially organize and biochemically regulate information throughout biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were used to examine the electrophysiological effect of working memory (WM) load on involuntary attention caused by a task-irrelevant sound in an auditory–visual distraction paradigm. The different WM loads were manipulated by requiring subjects to remember the order of either three digits (low-load condition) or seven digits (high-load condition), and the irrelevant auditory stimuli consisted of repetitive standard sounds (80%) and environmental novel sounds (20%). We found that the difference waves (novel-minus-standard) showed significant MMN and Novelty-P3 components in the two WM load conditions. The amplitude of MMN increased with increasing the WM load, which indicated a more engaged change detection process under high-load condition. Then, the amplitude of Novelty-P3 was attenuated under high-load condition, which indicated a much reduced involuntary orienting of attention to novel sounds when increasing the WM load. These results indicated the top–down control of involuntary attention might be mainly active at the early change detection stage and the control of the later involuntary orienting of attention might be passive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, Kounios J, Frymiare JL, Bowden EM, Fleck JI, Subramaniam K, Parrish TB et al. () found that the mental preparation leading to insight involves heightened activity in medial frontal areas and temporal areas. In the present study, the electrophysiological correlates of successful and unsuccessful Chinese logogriph solving (riddles in which writing characters undergo several changes brought about by the addition, subtraction, omission or substitution of strokes or components of the characters) were studied in 18 healthy subjects using high-density event-related potentials (ERPs). Results show that the mental preparation for successful logogriphs elicited a more positive ERP deflection than unsuccessful logogriphs from −1,000 to −800 ms before onset of the target logogriphs. Dipole analysis localized the generators of the positive component primarily in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). This result is consistent with Kounios’ view that general mental preparatory mechanisms modulate problem-solving strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniform design was used to optimize extraction condition of direct refluence extraction of coumarins from the Chinese traditional medicine of radix angelicae pubescentis(Duhuo); the sum peak area of coumarins separated with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) at detection wavelength of 320 nm was considered as detection index, two factors of solvent concentration and extraction time were mainly studied at extraction temperature of 85°C and a volume ratio of solvent to sample of 10 : 1. Optimal subclass, quadric polynomial step by step aggression and neural network method were applied to process the experimental results. The results show that the first and second methods give the same factors combination (concentration of ethanol: 95%, extraction time: 3.6 h) and the second method is much better than the first one. The extraction model is consequently developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to ethanol during human embryonic period has severe teratogenic effects on the cardiovascular system. In our study, we demonstrated that ethanol of gradient concentrations can interfere with the establishment of circulatory system in embryonic zebrafish. The effective concentration to cause 50% malformations (EC50) was 182.5 mmol/L. The ethanol pulse exposure experiment displayed that dome stage during embryogenesis is the sensitive time window to ethanol. It is found that 400 mmol/L ethanol pulse exposure can induce circulatory defects in 43% treated embryos. We ruled out the possibility that ethanol can interfere with the process of hematopoiesis in zebrafish. By employing in situ hybridization with endothelial biomarker ( Flk-1), we revealed that ethanol disrupts the establishment of trunk axial vasculature, but has no effect on cranial vessels. Combined with the results of semi-thin histological sections, the in situ hybridization experiments with arterial and venous biomarkers ( ephrinB2, ephB4) suggested that ethanol mainly interrupts the development of dorsal aorta while has little effect on axial vein. Further study indicated the negative influence of ethanol on the development of hypochord in zebrafish. The consequent lack of vasculogenic factors including Radar and Ang- 1 partly explains the defects in formation and integrity of dorsal aorta. These results provide important clues to the study of adverse effects of ethanol on the cardiovascular development in human fetus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]