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Cordyceps cicadae is recognized for its medicinal properties, attributed to bioactive constituents like polysaccharides and adenosine, which have been shown to improve kidney and liver functions and possess anti-tumor properties. Rho GTPase activating proteins (Rho GAPs) serve as inhibitory regulators of Rho GTPases in eukaryotic cells by accelerating the GTP hydrolysis of Rho GTPases, leading to their inactivation. In this study, we explored the function of the CcRga8 gene in C. cicadae, which encodes a Rho-type GTPase activating protein. Our study found that the knockout of CcRga8 resulted in a decrease in polysaccharide levels and an increase in adenosine concentration. Furthermore, the mutants exhibited altered spore yield and morphology, fruiting body development, decreased infectivity, reduced resistance to hyperosmotic stress, oxidative conditions, and cell wall inhibitors. These findings suggest that CcRga8 plays a crucial role in the development, stress response, and bioactive compound production of C. cicadae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a noteworthy cause of liver diseases, especially cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinomas. However, the interaction between the host and HBV has not been fully elucidated. Peptide YY (PYY) is a 36-amino-acid gastrointestinal hormone that is mainly involved in the regulation of the human digestive system. This study found that PYY expression was reduced in HBV-expressing hepatocytes and HBV patients. Overexpression of PYY could significantly inhibit HBV RNA, DNA levels, and the secretion of HBsAg. In addition, PYY inhibits HBV RNA dependent on transcription through reducing the activities of CP/Enh I/II, SP1 and SP2. Meanwhile, PYY blocks HBV replication independent on core, polymerase protein and ε structure of pregenomic RNA. These results suggest that PYY can impair HBV replication by suppressing viral promoters/enhancers in hepatocytes. Our data shed light on a novel role for PYY as anti-HBV restriction factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Platelet transfusion refractoriness (PTR) remains an intractable issue in clinical practice, and is common in hematological patients. At present, it is believed that both immune and non-immune factors play a role. We conducted a meta-analysis of various risk factors which may contribute to PTR. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, and Web of Science were selected as research database platforms. Citations included were further assessed for quality and bias using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. All analyses were performed using Review Manager Version 5.4 and STATA 16.0. Results: The preliminary search revealed 1069 publications, and 17 (5929 patients in total) were ultimately included in the quantitative analysis. The following variables were associated with the occurrence of PTR: fever (OR = 2.26, 95%CI 2.00–2.55, p < 0.00001), bleeding (OR = 2.10, 95%CI 1.36–3.24, p = 0.0008), female sex (OR = 2.06, 95%CI 1.13–3.75, p = 0.02), antibiotic use (OR = 2.94, 95%CI 1.54–5.59, p = 0.001), and infection (OR = 2.19, 95%CI 1.20–4.03, p = 0.01). Antibodies involved in immune activation were a higher risk factor (OR = 4.17, 95%CI 2.36–7.36, p < 0.00001), and splenomegaly was nearly significant (OR = 1.73, 95%CI 0.97–3.07, p = 0.06). Conclusions: We identified some important risk factors for PTR, but further research is needed to identify the many other possible elements that may contribute to or mediate PTR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NLR family CARD domain containing 3 (NLRC3) gene has been reported to have a crucial effect on immunity, inflammation, and tumorigenesis. However, the clinical relevance of NLRC3 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains unclear. This study analyzed both RNA sequencing data and corresponding clinical outcomes obtained from public databases to identify (i) NLRC3 as a tumor suppressor in LUAD and (ii) its predictive value for the likelihood of patient responsiveness to immunotherapy. The results showed that NLRC3 expression was reduced in LUAD and was lower in advanced-stage tumors. Additionally, reduced NLRC3 expression was correlated with worse patient prognosis. The protein level of NLRC3 was also observed to have prognostic significance. Moreover, downregulation of NLRC3 was found to suppress the chemotaxis and infiltration of antitumor lymphocyte subpopulations as well as natural killer cells. Mechanistic analysis indicated that NLRC3 may be involved in immune infiltration by regulating chemokines and their receptors in LUAD. Furthermore, NLRC3 functions as a molecular switch in macrophages, whereby it mediates the polarization of M1 macrophages. Patients with high NLRC3 expression were also found to exhibit a more promising response to immunotherapy. In conclusion, NLRC3 could serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for LUAD, help predict the immunotherapeutic response of patients, and guide personalized strategies for the treatment of LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) is a fatal post-transplant complication. It has a high mortality rate and worse prognosis, but treatment strategies remain controversial. We screened 6 out of 3453 studies on the treatment of TA-TMA. These investigations compared 5 treatment strategies with a network meta-analysis approach. The final outcome was the proportion of patients who responded to these therapies. There were significant differences in response rates for each treatment. Achieving analysis through direct and indirect evidence in the rank probabilities shows that rTM (recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin) is most likely to be rank 1 (64.98%), Eculizumab intervention rank 2 (48.66%), ISM (immunosuppression manipulation) rank 3 (32.24%), TPE (therapeutic plasma exchange) intervention rank 4 (69.56%), and supportive care intervention rank 5 (70.20%). Eculizumab and ISM have significantly higher efficacy than supportive care (odds ratio (OR): 18.04, 18.21 respectively); and TPE having lower efficacy than all other TA-TMA therapies exception to supportive care. In our study, rTM and Eculizumab may be the best choice when treating TA-TMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately predicting the water-bearing structure ahead of the mining face is an urgent problem to be solved in the field of water prevention and control in coal mines. Based on the sensitivity of the polarizability and quadratic time difference parameters to the response of the water body, the induced polarization method is introduced into the advanced detection of the coal mining face. The finite element numerical simulation was used to create forward model of the apparent polarizability response of a typical water-bearing fault structure. It shows that the curve of apparent polarizability varies with the distance from the water-bearing fault to the tunnel face, which appears the law of increasing first and then decreasing, and the maximum point corresponds to the location of the water-bearing fault. The relationship between the half-decay time and the supply current was studied by physical simulation. It shows that half-decay time decreases first and then increases as the current increases under water-bearing conditions. The model has the highest positive slope at half-decay time from 50 to 150 mA, which provides the possibility for the application of coal mine explosion-proof instruments. The positive value of the quadratic time difference and the envelope area between the zero axes is coherent with the amount of water. The results show that it is feasible to predict the water-bearing structure and its relative water volume by advanced detection of mine-induced polarization method under full space conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Complement activation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). We aimed to evaluate the relationship between mesangial C3 deposition and histologic lesions and to investigate the role of mesangial C3 deposition and serum C3 reduction in predicting renal outcome in IgAN children. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study in children with biopsy-proven IgAN. Mesangial C3 deposition (< 2+ vs. ≥ 2+) was detected by the immunofluorescence. Histopathologic kidney grades were determined by the Oxford classification. A decreased serum C3 concentration (hypoC3) was defined when C3 < 90 mg/dl. The endpoint was composite kidney outcome with either a 30% decline in glomerular filtration rates from baseline or kidney failure during the follow-up period. Results: A total of 98 children were analyzed. Mesangial hypercellularity (M) was an independent factor associated with mesangial C3 deposition (HR 3.267; 95% CI 1.028–10.389; P = 0.045). After a median follow-up period of 25 months (interquartile range 18–36 months), 6 (6.1%) children reached the endpoint. Compared with other children, a significantly higher proportion of children with composite kidney outcomes had mesangial C3 deposition ≥ 2+ and hypoC3 (3.4% versus 27.3%, P = 0.002). After adjustment for clinicopathologic risk factors, mesangial C3 deposition ≥ 2+ and hypoC3 were associated with renal outcome (HR 9.772; 95% CI 1.264–75.518; P = 0.029). Conclusion: Mesangial C3 deposition was associated with M in IgAN. Mesangial C3 deposition and hypoC3 were risk factors for renal outcome in children with IgAN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and IgA vasculitis with nephritis (IgAV-N) are related diseases. Galactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1) plays an important role in the pathology of IgAV-N and IgAN, so we aim to compare the serum levels of Gd-IgA1 in Chinese pediatric patients with IgAN, IgAV-N, and IgAV. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 52 patients with IgAN, 57 patients with IgAV-N, 26 patients with IgAV, and 40 healthy children. The serum levels of Gd-IgA1 were measured at the time of biopsy using a lectin-based ELISA method. Results: Gd-IgA1 levels in IgAV-N patients and IgAN patients were higher than in healthy controls (303.94 ± 39.37 U/ml, 314.91 ± 47.79 U/ml vs. 273.57 ± 48.29 U/ml, P < 0.001), and Gd-IgA1 levels in IgAV-N patients were higher than in IgAV patients (303.94 ± 39/ml vs. 286. 21 ± 38.81 U/ml, P = 0.059), but the latter result is not statistically significant. The Gd-IgA1 levels in IgAV patients were comparable with those in healthy controls (286.21 ± 38.81 U/ml vs. 273.57 ± 48.29 U/ml, P = 0.267). Among the four groups, we did not observe significant correlations of Gd-IgA1 levels with eGFR, proteinuria, or the MEST-C score. Conclusion: Serum Gd-IgA1 maybe involved in the pathogenesis of the IgAV-N and IgAN. However, we found no statistically significant correlation between Gd-IgA1 levels and clinical and pathological features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmonic photocatalysis represents the synergetic union of two active fields of research: plasmonic effects in illuminated metallic nanoparticles and catalytic effects in tailored metallic nanoparticles. Traditionally, metallic nanoparticles that excel for one application are limited for the other, but recent developments have shown that desirable catalytic behaviors, such as reduced activation barriers and improved product selectivity, derive from nonthermal behaviors uniquely produced by this synergy. After examining such findings, this review will address a specific debate that has recently surfaced: what is the relative degree of contributions of thermal and nonthermal effects in plasmonic photocatalysis? We demonstrate the importance of correctly accounting for thermal effects before characterizing nonthermal contributions. We show that another synergy occurs: these desirable nonthermal behaviors have a temperature dependence, and the resulting temperature-dependent reaction rates far exceed what can be explained from purely thermal effects alone. Thus, the synergy of plasmonic photocatalysis offers an exciting new contribution to the quest for efficient, selective, sustainable methods for chemical synthesis and energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is controversy over whether IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and Henoch–Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) are the same diseases. This study focuses on the clinicopathological comparison between HSPN and IgAN in children. Methods: Children with IgAN and HSPN who had a diagnostic renal biopsy were enrolled. This study collected the clinical data of patients at biopsy, re-evaluated the pathological lesions of patients according to the Oxford Classification (MEST-C), and made a retrospective comparison between IgAN and HSPN on different stratifications of the course (Tc) and proteinuria. Results: A total of 142 children with IgAN and 57 children with HSPN were enrolled. Various stratification showed the same result, which suggested that IgAN showed more mesangial proliferation (M). HSPN showed more segmental glomerulosclerosis in the Tc > 12 m group than IgAN (S 60.0% vs. 9.10%, P = 0.008). In the non-nephrotic-range and nephrotic-range proteinuria group, there were no significant differences in MEST-C scores between IgAN and HSPN. Conclusion: M is more common in IgAN. HSPN had more S than IgAN over the course of more than 12 months. These results indicate the differences in the pathogenesis in IgAN and HSPN. We propose early biopsy and active treatment of HSPN within 12 months to delay the development of chronic lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In some cases, illumination of traditional thermal catalysts and tailored plasmonic photocatalysts may synergistically combine thermal and nonthermal mechanisms to enhance reaction rates and improve product selectivity at reduced temperatures. To understand how these attributes are achieved in plasmon-driven catalysis, these intertwined thermal and nonthermal effects must be untangled. Here, we show how a novel indirect illumination technique, in conjunction with precisely monitored thermal profiles of the catalyst, can confirm and clarify the role of nonthermal effects in plasmon-enhanced carbon dioxide methanation on a Rh/TiO2 photocatalyst. We find that the extracted nonthermal methane production rate has a linear dependence on the top surface temperature, distinctly different from an exponential dependence for thermal catalysis. We also find that the apparent quantum efficiency from the nonthermal contribution has no dependence on light intensity but maintains a linear dependence on top surface temperatures between 200 and 350 °C. The clear exposition of nonthermal effects in the Rh/TiO2 plasmonic photocatalyst illustrates how this methodology may be applied for the quantitative evaluation of thermal and nonthermal light effects in other plasmon-enhanced catalytic reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the filter technique proposed for solving optimization problem is applied to solve variational inequality problem. It avoids the use of a merit function which often arises in solving VI problems by an optimization method. The presented method is a tri-dimensional filter sequential quadratic programming method. Specially, a differentiable quadratic function is employed as the objective function in implementing the optimality measure in filter components. Under some mild conditions, global convergent is derived. Numerical results show efficiency of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feasible sequential quadratic programming (SQP) filter algorithm is proposed for general nonlinear programming. It is based on the modified quadratic programming (QP) subproblem in which each iteration proceeds in two phases. The first phase solves a general convex QP problem which does not require any feasibility restoration phase whose computation may be expensive. And, under some mild conditions, the global convergence is proved. The second phase can make the presented SQP method derive quadratic convergence by employing exact Hessian information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic dipole transitions between the vector mesons B* and their relevant pseudoscalar mesons B ( B, B*, B(2 S), B* (2 S), B(3 S), B* (3 S) etc., the binding states of ( c $$ \bar b $$) system) of the B family are interesting. The 'hyperfine' splitting due to spin-spin interaction is an important topic for understanding the spin-spin interaction and the spectrum of the the ( c $$ \bar b $$) binding system. The knowledge about the magnetic dipole transitions is also very useful for identifying the vector boson B* mesons experimentally, whose masses are just slightly above the masses of their relevant pseudoscalar mesons B. Considering the possibility to observe the vector mesons via the transitions at Z factory and the potential use of the theoretical estimate on the transitions, we fucus our efforts on calculating the magnetic dipole transitions, i.e. a precise calculation of the rates for the transitions such as decays B* → B γ and B* → B e e, and particularly work in the Bethe-Salpeter framework. As a typical example, we carefully investigate the dependence of the rate Γ( B* → B γ) on the mass difference $$ \Delta M = M_{B_c^* } - M_{B_c } $$. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the cross section of e e → τµ within the frameworks of SM and its Z′ extension. The theoretical prediction of the SM on the total cross section is suppressed by the tiny neutrino masses. On the other hand, the contributions from Z′ to the cross section are enhanced drastically because of the tree level FCNC couplings among Z′ and leptons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is interesting to study the characteristics of the whole family of B which contains two different heavy flavors. LHC and the proposed Z factory provide an opportunity because a large database of the B family will be achieved. B and its excited states can be identified via their decay modes. As suggested by experimentalists, B* ( ns) → B + γ is not easy to be clearly measured, instead, the trajectories of π and π occurring in the decay of B( ns) → B( ms) + π π ( n > m) can be unambiguously identified, thus the measurement seems easier and more reliable; therefore this mode is more favorable at the early running stage of LHCb and the proposed Z factory. In this work, we calculate the rate of B( ns) → B( ms) + π π in terms of the QCD multipole-expansion and the numerical results indicate that the experimental measurements with the luminosity of LHC and Z factory are feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]