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Steel, as a crucial material extensively used in various fields, has a critical impact on the determination of the stability and reliability of engineering structures. Nevertheless, because of inevitable factors in manufacturing, transportation, and other processes, steel may exhibit various surface defects during production and handling. To address these defects, the investigation puts forward a resilient machine-learning method for steel surface defect detection based on lightweight convolution. First, to reduce redundant features, complexity, and computational cost, the Spatial and Channel Reconstruction Convolution (ScConv) module is added before the Spatial Pyramid Pooling-Fast (SPPF) within the YOLOv8n's backbone network. Second, in the Neck layer, lightweight convolution GSConv is used to replace the convolutional modules, and the efficient cross-stage partial network (CSP) module, VoV-GSCSP is substituted for the C2f module to alleviate the model burden while maintaining accuracy. Then, to focus on important information related to the current task, the Coordinate Attention module is added to the Neck layer. Finally, the activation function of YOLOv8n has been swapped for the Leaky Rectified Linear Unit (LeakyReLU) to effectively address issues such as gradient vanishing and overfitting. The method achieved a mean Average Precision (mAP) of 77.7% on the NEU-DET dataset, which is an improvement of 4.7% over the original YOLOv8n. Additionally, the frames per second (FPS) reached 17.36 f/s, representing a 5.79 f/s increase compared to the original YOLOv8n. On the GC10-DET dataset, mAP improves by 5.5%, with a FPS of 15.63 f/s. A plethora of experimentation on both datasets illustrates the method's robustness, meeting the precision criteria for detecting metal defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasmall copper nanoclusters have recently emerged as promising photocatalysts for organic synthesis, owing to their exceptional light absorption ability and large surface areas for efficient interactions with substrates. Despite significant advances in cluster-based visible-light photocatalysis, the types of organic transformations that copper nanoclusters can catalyze remain limited to date. Herein, we report a structurally well-defined anionic Cu40 nanocluster that emits in the second near-infrared region (NIR-II, 1000−1700 nm) after photoexcitation and can conduct single-electron transfer with fluoroalkyl iodides without the need for external ligand activation. This photoredox-active copper nanocluster efficiently catalyzes the three-component radical couplings of alkenes, fluoroalkyl iodides, and trimethylsilyl cyanide under blue-LED irradiation at room temperature. A variety of fluorine-containing electrophiles and a cyanide nucleophile can be added onto an array of alkenes, including styrenes and aliphatic olefins. Our current work demonstrates the viability of using readily accessible metal nanoclusters to establish photocatalytic systems with a high degree of practicality and reaction complexity. Copper nanoclusters have so far been limited in the types of organic transformations they can catalyze. Here the authors introduce a new NIR-II emissive anionic copper nanocluster with intrinsic photoredox activity, enabling efficient photocatalytic three-component radical couplings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mutations in human ether-à-go-go-related gene (hERG) potassium channels are closely associated with long QT syndrome (LQTS). Previous studies have demonstrated that macrolide antibiotics increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. To date, the mechanisms underlying acquired LQTS remain elusive. Methods: A novel hERG mutation I1025N was identified in an azithromycin-treated patient with acquired long QT syndrome via Sanger sequencing. The mutant I1025N plasmid was transfected into HEK-293 cells, which were subsequently incubated with azithromycin. The effect of azithromycin and mutant I1025N on the hERG channel was evaluated via western blot, immunofluorescence, and electrophysiology techniques. Results: The protein expression of the mature hERG protein was down-regulated, whereas that of the immature hERG protein was up-regulated in mutant I1025N HEK-293 cells. Azithromycin administration resulted in a negative effect on the maturation of the hERG protein. Additionally, the I1025N mutation exerted an inhibitory effect on hERG channel current. Moreover, azithromycin inhibited hERG channel current in a concentration-dependent manner. The I1025N mutation and azithromycin synergistically decreased hERG channel expression and hERG current. However, the I1025N mutation and azithromycin did not alter channel gating dynamics. Conclusions: These findings suggest that hERG gene mutations might be involved in the genetic susceptibility mechanism underlying acquired LQTS induced by azithromycin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite promising preclinical and earlier clinical data, a recent phase III trial on the anti-β7 integrin antibody etrolizumab in Crohn's disease (CD) did not reach its primary endpoint. The mechanisms leading to this outcome are not well understood. Here we characterize the β7+ T cell compartment from patients with CD in comparison to cells from individuals without inflammatory bowel disease. By flow cytometric, transcriptomic and functional profiling of circulating T cells, we find that triple-integrin-expressing (α4+β7+β1hi) T cells have the potential to home to the gut despite α4β7 blockade and have a specific cytotoxic signature. A subset of triple-integrin-expressing cells readily acquires αE expression and could be co-stimulated via E-Cadherin-αEβ7 interactions in vitro. Etrolizumab-s fails to block such αEβ7 signalling at high levels of T cell stimulation. Consistently, in CD patients treated with etrolizumab, T cell activation correlates with cytotoxic signatures. Collectively, our findings might add one important piece to the puzzle to explain phase III trial results with etrolizumab, while they also highlight that αEβ7 remains an interesting target for future therapeutic approaches in inflammatory bowel disease. The clinical success of anti- αEβ7 antibody Etrolizumab for Crohn's disease is less than what is expected based on proof-of-concept studies. Here authors show, by characterization of T cells from Etrolizumab-treated patients, in vitro functional assays and reanalysis of public single cell datasets on Etrolizumab-treated patients, that at high level of T cell activation, which characterises T cells in Crohn's disease, E-Cadherin-αEβ7 interactions become resistant to Etrolizumab inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new coordination polymer, {[Zn2(L)2(TDC)2]·H2O}n (1) (L = 1,4-bis(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)butane, H2TDC = 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid), was hydrothermally synthesized and characterized. 1 displays a 2D sql network, which extends into a 3D supramolecular network through hydrogen bonding. 1 shows thermal stability when the TGA temperature is below 245 °C and excellent pH stability (3–12). 1 is able to selectively detect acetylacetone and Fe3+ ions, respectively, with recyclability and low detection limits. The luminescence mechanism is analyzed in detail. A new dual-responsive luminescent coordination polymer (CP), {[Zn2(L)2(TDC)2]·H2O}n (1) (L = 1,4-bis(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)butane, H2TDC = 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid), was hydrothermally synthesized and characterized, which showed good thermal and water stabilities. 1 displays a 2D sql layer and extends into a 3D supramolecular network through hydrogen bonding. 1 is promising a dual-functional luminescent sensor-based CP for detection of acetylacetone and Fe3+ cation with high sensitivity and selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advances in determining the total structure of atomically precise metal nanoclusters have prompted extensive exploration into the origins of chirality in nanoscale systems. While chirality is generally transferrable from the surface layer to the metal–ligand interface and kernel, we present here an alternative type of gold nanoclusters (138 gold core atoms with 48 2,4-dimethylbenzenethiolate surface ligands) whose inner structures are not asymmetrically induced by chiral patterns of the outermost aromatic substituents. This phenomenon can be explained by the highly dynamic behaviors of aromatic rings in the thiolates assembled via π − π stacking and C − H···π interactions. In addition to being a thiolate-protected nanocluster with uncoordinated surface gold atoms, the reported Au138 motif expands the size range of gold nanoclusters having both molecular and metallic properties. Our current work introduces an important class of nanoclusters with intrinsic chirality from surface layers rather than inner structures and will aid in elucidating the transition of gold nanoclusters from their molecular to metallic states.Chiral metal nanoclusters prepared from achiral ligands generally contain chiral kernel structures. Here, the authors report an alternative type of gold nanoclusters whose intrinsic chirality arises solely from the arrangement of the organic components on their surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver kinase B1 (LKB1) mutation is prevalent and a driver of resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy for lung adenocarcinoma. Here leveraging single cell RNA sequencing data, we demonstrate that trafficking and adhesion process of activated T cells are defected in genetically engineered Kras-driven mouse model with Lkb1 conditional knockout. LKB1 mutant cancer cells result in marked suppression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM1). Ectopic expression of Icam1 in Lkb1-deficient tumor increases homing and activation of adoptively transferred SIINFEKL-specific CD8+ T cells, reactivates tumor-effector cell interactions and re-sensitises tumors to ICB. Further discovery proves that CDK4/6 inhibitors upregulate ICAM1 transcription by inhibiting phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein RB in LKB1 deficient cancer cells. Finally, a tailored combination strategy using CDK4/6 inhibitors and anti-PD-1 antibodies promotes ICAM1-triggered immune response in multiple Lkb1-deficient murine models. Our findings renovate that ICAM1 on tumor cells orchestrates anti-tumor immune response, especially for adaptive immunity. LKB1 mutations have been associated with primary resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with lung cancer. Here the authors show that Lkb1-deficient lung tumors are characterized by defective trafficking and adhesion of T cells and that, by upregulating ICAM1 expression, CDK4/6 inhibitors sensitize LKB1 mutant lung cancer to anti-PD1 blockade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum key agreement requires all participants to recover the shared key together, so it is crucial to resist the participant attack. In this paper, we propose a verifiable multi-party quantum key agreement protocol based on the six-qubit cluster states. A verifiable distributor who preserves some subsequences of the six-qubit cluster states is introduced into this protocol, thus the participants cannot obtain the shared key in advance. Besides, the correctness and simultaneity of the shared key are guaranteed by the trusted design combiner and homomorphic hash function. Furthermore, the security analysis shows that the new protocol can resist the external and internal attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To detect frauds from some internal participants or external attackers, some verifiable threshold quantum secret sharing schemes have been proposed. In this paper, we present a new verifiable threshold structure based on a single qudit using bivariate polynomial. First, Alice chooses an asymmetric bivariate polynomial and sends a pair of values from this polynomial to each participant. Then Alice and participants implement in sequence unitary transformation on the d-dimensional quantum state based on unbiased bases, where those unitary transformations are contacted by this polynomial. Finally, security analysis shows that the proposed scheme can detect the fraud from external and internal attacks compared with the exiting schemes and is comparable to the recent schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellobiose is usually preferred as model compound of cellulose to explore its conversion mechanism, in which the first challenge is to acquire the molecular solvation mechanism. The interactions of β-cellobiose with the hydrated Na+ cation and Cl− anion in aqueous solution have been theoretically investigated, using quantum chemical calculations at LC-ωPBE/6-311++G(d,p), aug-cc-pVTZ level under a polarized continuum model (PCM-SMD), together with molecular dynamics stimulation. In aqueous solution, the most stable form of β-cellobiose is syn-ϕ/syn-φ (CB2), including the exocylcic hydroxyl groups and three intramolecular H-bonds. The favorite solvation structure of NaCl is concerned with [Na(H2O)3]+···Cl− ion pair. The Cl− anion interacts with β-cellobiose, favorably affording [ η H 6 , H 2 ′ 2 - CB 2) Cl ] - and [ η H 3 ′ , H 4 ′ 2 - CB 2) Cl ] - with a bridge of OH···Cl···HO interaction. Alternatively, the [Na(H2O)3]+ cation interacts with β-cellobiose, preferably yielding [ η O 3 , O 5 ′ , O 6 ′ 3 - CB 2) Na ] + . Additionally, the [Na(H2O)3]+···Cl− ion-pair interacts cooperatively with β-cellobiose, preferentially producing [ η O 3 , O 5 ′ , O 6 ′ , H 6 , H 2 ′ 3 - CB 2) Na H 2 O 1 ] Cl . For CB2, the reactive sites for the nucleophilic and electrophilic reactions locate at the O5 atom on the reducing end and the H6′ atom on the non-reducing end, respectively. Alternatively, for [ η O 3 , O 5 ′ , O 6 ′ , H 6 , H 2 ′ 3 - CB 2) Na H 2 O 1 ] Cl , the O5 and H6′ atoms should no longer be characteristic of nucleophilicity and electrophilicity. Moreover, [Na(H2O)3]+···Cl− ion-pair can break some intramolecular H-bonds of CB2, which may promote the solvation of β-cellobiose in aqueous solution. It also shields the glycosidic bond by steric effect, which make CB2 not readily hydrated at the glycosidic bond. These functions would alter the reaction pathway in the further degradation of β-cellobiose. This study may advance on the novel design for sustainable conversion system of cellulose into high-added value chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the (t, n) threshold quantum secret sharing scheme, it is difficult to ensure that internal participants are honest. In this paper, a verifiable (t, n) threshold quantum secret sharing scheme is designed to combine with classical secret sharing scheme. First of all, the distributor uses the asymmetric binary polynomial to generate the shares and sends them to each participant. Secondly, the distributor sends the initial quantum state with the secret to the first participant, and each participant performs unitary operation that uses the mutually unbiased bases on the obtained d dimension single bit quantum state (d is a large odd prime number). In this process, distributor can randomly check the participants, and find out the internal fraudsters. Then the secret is reconstructed after all other participants publicly transmit it at the same time. The analysis of this scheme includes correctness analysis, completeness analysis and security analysis. And the security analysis shows that the scheme can resist both external and internal attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Previous studies have indicated that transient receptor potential (TRP) channels can influence cancer development. The TRPC subfamily consists of seven subtypes, TRPC1 − TRPC7. Interestingly, the expression levels of TRPC1 have been shown to be totally different in different breast cancer cell lines. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we explore the significance of TRPC1 expression in breast cancer. Methods: Immunohistochemical TRPC1 staining was performed in 278 samples. TRPC1 expression in different breast tissues were examined. Then, the influence of TRPC1 on migration, invasion and proliferation was explored. We analyzed the protein of TRPC1 by Western blot to prove which pathway may be involved in. Finally, we use online database to predict the prognosis of TRPC1 in breast cancer. Results: Through immunohistochemistry and in vitro experiments, we found that the expression level of TRPC1 was higher in breast cancer cells as compared with that in normal breast epithelial cells. Moreover, the expression level of TRPC1 was different between estrogen receptor-positive (ER +) and -negative (ER −) breast cancer. It was shown that TRPC1 inhibited MCF7 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Western blotting revealed that TRPC1 inhibited the PI3K/AKT pathway and epithelium−mesenchymal transformation, leading to subsequent inhibition of cell proliferation and metastasis. In luminal A and luminal B patients, those with high TRPC1 expression had a better prognosis. On the contrary, in basal-like and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtypes, patients with high-TRPC1 expression had a worse prognosis. Conclusions: We confirmed that TRPC1 was high expression in breast cancer. Overexpression of TRPC1 inhibits proliferation and migration of ER + breast cancer and gives a better prognosis by inhibiting PI3K/AKT pathway activation. TRPC1 may be an independent prognostic predictor in breast cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two reduced Schiff bases, namely 5-[(2-hydroxybenzyl)amino]isophthalic acid (1) and 5-[(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)amino]isophthalic acid (2), were synthesized in two-step method using 5-aminoisophthalic acid as the starting material, and were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, infrared, 1H NMR, mass, absorption and fluorescence spectra. Both 1 and 2 crystallize in monoclinic system with space groups P21/c for 1 and P21/n for 2. Photophysical properties of both 1 and 2 are significantly different from those of raw material 5-aminoisophthalic acid due to stronger p → π conjugation when one amino hydrogen atom in 5-aminoisophthalic acid is substituted with electron-donor group. 1 displays a very strong narrow-band blue fluorescence with the maximum peak at 439 nm, a high quantum efficiency up to 64%, and a narrow full width at half maximum of 35 nm, while 2 has a broader and weaker fluorescence with the peak at 418 nm and FHWM of about 50 nm. Two reduced Schiff bases with blue fluorescence were synthesized from 5-aminoisophthalic acid in two-step method including formation of the corresponding Schiff bases and further reduction by NaBH4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence indicates that the zinc-finger transcription factor ZEB1 is predominantly expressed in the stroma of several tumours. However, the role of stromal ZEB1 in tumour progression remains unexplored. In this study, while interrogating human databases, we uncover a remarkable decrease in relapse-free survival of breast cancer patients expressing high ZEB1 levels in the stroma. Using a mouse model of breast cancer, we show that ZEB1 inactivation in stromal fibroblasts suppresses tumour initiation, progression and metastasis. We associate this with reduced extracellular matrix remodeling, immune cell infiltration and decreased angiogenesis. ZEB1 deletion in stromal fibroblasts increases acetylation, expression and recruitment of p53 to FGF2/7, VEGF and IL6 promoters, thereby reducing their production and secretion into the surrounding stroma. Importantly, p53 ablation in ZEB1 stroma-deleted mammary tumours sufficiently recovers the impaired cancer growth and progression. Our findings identify the ZEB1/p53 axis as a stroma-specific signaling pathway that promotes mammary epithelial tumours. In epithelial cells Zeb1 is involved in the epithelial to mesenchymal transition. In this study, the authors show in a mouse model of breast cancer, that Zeb1 expression in stromal cells is required for tumour formation and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns the problem of stability for the discrete-time switched positive linear systems with mode-dependent average dwell time. By proposing a novel multiple discontinuous co-positive Lyapunov function approach, the conditions of stability are established for such system based on linear programming. Compared with the existing work, it turns out that our proposed approach produces less conservative results because of providing smaller bounds on the dwell time. A numerical example is given to show the effectiveness of our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of crop health status in real time could provide reliable and useful information for making effective and efficient management decisions regarding the appropriate time and method to control crop diseases and insect damage. In this study, hyperspectral reflectance of symptomatic and asymptomatic rice leaves infected by Pyricularia grisea Sacc, Bipolaris oryzae Shoem, Aphelenchoides besseyi Christie and Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Guen was measured in a laboratory within the 350-2 500 nm spectral region. Principal component analysis was performed to obtain the principal component spectra (PCs) of different transformations of the original spectra, including original (R), common logarithm of reciprocal (lg (1/R)), and the first derivative of original and common logarithm of reciprocal spectra (R′ and (lg (1/R))′). A probabilistic neural network classifier was applied to discriminate the symptomatic rice leaves from asymptomatic ones with the front PCs. For identifying symptomatic and asymptomatic rice leaves, the mean overall discrimination accuracies for R, lg (1/R), R′ and (lg (1/R))′ were 91.3, 93.1, 92.3 and 92%, and the mean Kappa coefficients were 0.771, 0.835, 0.829 and 0.82, respectively. To discriminate between disease and insect damage, the overall accuracies for R, lg (1/R), R′ and (lg (1/R))′ were 97.7, 98.1, 100 and 100%, and the Kappa coefficients were 0.962, 0.97, 1 and 1, respectively. These results demonstrated that hyperspectral remote sensing can discriminate between multiple diseases and the insect damage of rice leaves under laboratory conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vanadium(V) complex, [VO(tpy)]ClO ( 1, tpy = 2,2′:6′2″-terpyridine), was synthesized and characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods, as well as by single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction analysis. Complex 1 has a five-coordinate distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry. The in vitro cytotoxicity of complex 1 was evaluated against cell lines of liver hepatocellular carcinoma HepG-2, cervical cancer HeLa, lung carcinoma A549, osteoma sarcomatosum HOS, hepatocarcinoma BEL-7402 and normal human hepatic cells LO2 by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assays. The complex displays excellent antitumor activity against the selected cell lines compared with cisplatin and also exhibits lower cytotoxicity toward LO2 cells. Morphological and staining experiments demonstrated that complex 1 induces BEL-7402 cell apoptosis mediated through reactive oxygen species, DNA fragmentation and decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, cell cycle distribution investigations showed that complex 1 inhibits cell growth at the G0/G1 phase. Graphical abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the clinical characteristics and analyze risk factors for severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in hospitalized infants with acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRIs). Methods: A retrospective review of the medical records of infants with RSV-associated ALRIs between March 1st, 2011 and February 29th, 2012 was conducted. Subjects were followed up over the phone or by outpatient visit six and twelve months after discharge. Results: Among 913 RSV-associated ALRIs infants, 288 (31.5%) had severe infections, which accounted for 4.2% of hospitalized children. The hospital RSV mortality rate was 1.0%. The proportions of cases with tachypnea, apnea, cyanosis, and fine rales were significantly higher in the severe ALRIs group (all P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that low-birth-weight [1.698 (1.028-2.805)], age less than 3 months old [3.385 (2.174-5.271)], congenital heart disease [1.667 (1.149-2.418)], bronchopulmonary dysplasia [8.505 (1.731-41.780)], and airway abnormalities [2.246 (1.008-5.005)] were independent risk factors for severe ALRIs. The incidence of bronchitis, pneumonia and readmission in the severe group was significantly higher than that of the non-severe group during the one-year follow-up (all P<0.001). Conclusions: Younger age, low birth weight and underlying disease are associated with severe RSVassociated ALRIs. Furthermore, severe RSV infections may be associated with a higher frequency of subsequent bronchitis, pneumonia and re-hospitalization in the following year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CKAP4, one kind of type II trans-membrane protein, plays an important role to maintain endoplasmic reticulum structure and inhibits the proliferation of bladder cancer cells by combining its ligand anti-proliferative factor (APF). However, the biological function of CKAP4 in the progression of liver cancer has not been clearly demonstrated. In the present study, we knocked down or overexpressed CKAP4 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and cell proliferation, invasion, and migration capacities were investigated by CCK-8 and transwell assays. In vivo tumor model in mice was used to evaluate the role of CKAP4 on growth and metastasis of HCC. The data documented that HCC cells with high CKAP4 levels were featured by low proliferation capability as well as low invasion potential. Interestingly, we found that CKAP4 suppressed the activation of epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling, which may partly explain the role of CKAP4 in cell biological behavior of HCC. Further study revealed that CKAP4 could associate with EGFR at basal status and the complex was reduced upon EGF stimulation, leading to release EGFR into cytoplasm. Thus, we demonstrate the novel mechanism, for the first time, expression of CKAP4 regulates progression and metastasis of HCC and it may provide therapeutic values in this tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have indicated that heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) had high correlation with the development and progression in several tumors. However, the roles of HSP27 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) were uncertain. The aim in this study is to investigate the potential roles of HSP27 in the metastasis of ESCC. The expression of HSP27 in ESCC tissues and four human esophageal cancer cell lines were examined by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting, respectively. Wound healing assays, transwell assays, and in vivo assays were used to identify the differences of metastasis potential between normal and HSP27 overexpressed cells. HSP27 expression was downregulated in cancer tissue compared to the matched normal tissue. And the positive staining was mainly located in the cytoplasm. Statistical analyses showed that the expression of HSP27 in ESCC was significantly correlated with the tumor differentiation ( P = 0.023), the patient's TNM stage ( P = 0.013), lymph metastasis ( P = 0.020), and distant metastasis ( P = 0.017). HSP27 expression was significantly lower in highly metastatic cells than the less ones. The metastatic potentials of EC9706-H and EC109-H cells were higher than EC9706-L and EC109-L cells. In vitro and in vivo assays showed that overexpression of HSP27 in highly metastatic cells dramatically decreased their metastatic capacity. This study indicated that the expression level of HSP27 may be inversely correlated with the metastasis behavior of ESCC, and HSP27 may play an important role in this progression. HSP27 may be a potential molecular target for the therapy and prognosis of patients with ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, an approach based on antioxidant fingerprint-efficacy relationships and TLC bioautography assay was developed for quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). First, chemical fingerprints of 20 batches of different sources of Rubia cordifolia were established by HPLC. The antioxidant activities of these samples were evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay. Then, five active components from fingerprint peaks were determined by both multiple correlation analysis and TLC bioautography assay. Similarity analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) based on these active peaks were chosen to evaluate the quality of R. cordifolia from different sources. The samples with similarities below 0.9 had poorer antioxidant activities and those having stronger activities fell into the same cluster in HCA. Finally, five batches of commercial samples were processed in the same way to verify the feasibility of this method. The results suggested that chemical fingerprinting combined with similarity analysis based on fingerprint-efficacy relationship and TLC bioautography could evaluate the antioxidant activity of R. cordifolia from various sources. The established technique would also provide an easy method of evaluating the quality of other TCMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aplastic anemia (AA) is an autoimmune disease and interleukin-27 (IL-27) is an important cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. To date there have been no reports concerning the intrinsic association among IL-27 and Thelper (Th) 1 and Th17 cells in AA. Materials and Methods: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to assay IL-27, interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and IL-17 levels, flow cytometry to measure the percentages of Th1 and Th17 cells among peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the mRNA levels of IL-27, IFN-γ, T-bet and IL-17 and retinoid related orphan receptor gamma (RORγt) in PBMCs were performed. In addition, the effect of exogenous rhIL-27 on the differentiation of T cells into Th1 and Th17 cells was investigated in vitro. Results: Plasma and mRNA levels of IL-27 in PBMCs from AA patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls. A positive correlation was found between plasma levels of IL27 and IFN-γ. The proportions of Th1 and Th17 cells accompanied by the mRNA expression of RORγt and T-bet were significantly higher in AA patients than in healthy controls. Plasma levels of IL-27 correlated positively with frequencies of Th1 cells in AA patients. Exogenous rhIL-27 could significantly upregulate the frequency of Th1 cells and the mRNA levels of T-bet and IFN-γ and the application of rhIL-27 in vitro could inhibit the expression of RORγt mRNA. Conclusion: The upregulation of IL-27 might cause Th1 differentiation and immune disorders in AA patients. Blocking the expression of IL-27 could therefore be a reasonable therapeutic strategy for AA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It still needs to be elucidated whether co-detection of EV71 with other intestinal tract viruses plays a role in the pathogenesis of severe hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD). A total of 680 stool specimens collected from clinically diagnosed mild and severe-HFMD patients were tested for EV71, CA16, norovirus, bocavirus and rotavirus. The results showed that EV71 was significantly associated with severe-HFMD patients. Co-detection of EV71 with norovirus and rotavirus was also significantly associated with severe-HFMD patients: The OR (95 % CI) value was 6.466 (2.735, 15.283) and 7.561 (3.560, 16.057), p < 0.001, respectively. Co-detection of EV71 with rotavirus or norovirus is probably associated with severe HFMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the regulatory effect of E3 ubiquitin ligase MIB1 on (NF)-κB activation. It notes the impact of MIB1 deficiency in the IκBα level indicating the upregulation of the IκBα level in MIB1-deficient cells. Furthermore, the roles of MIB1 in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α- or interleukin-1 (IL1)beta-induced gene transcription are explored.

Six main influencing factors: slope, aspect, distance, angle, angle of coal seam, and the ratio of depth and thickness, were selected by Grey correlation theory and Grey relational analysis procedure programmed by the MATLAB software package to select the surface movement and deformation parameters. On this basis, the paper built a BP neural network model that takes the six main influencing factors as input data and corresponding value of ground subsidence as output data. Ground subsidence of the 3406 mining face in Haoyu Coal was predicted by the trained BP neural network. By comparing the prediction and the practices, the research shows that it is feasible to use the BP neural network to predict mountain mining subsidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly sensitive and rapid method for the determination of norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin was developed using capillary electrophoresis coupled with chemiluminescence detection. The chemiluminescence detection was based on the enhancing effects of two analytes on the luminol-hydrogen peroxide reaction. The baseline separation of norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin was obtained within 4.5 min under the optimum conditions. The limits of detection (S/N = 3) of norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin were 2.9 × 10−10 and 1.1 × 10−12 mol L−1, respectively. The method showed wide linear range with four orders of magnitude ( R ≥ 0.9982). The limits of quantification (S/N = 10) of two analytes in human urine samples were 6.0 × 10−8 and 5.1 × 10−10 mol L−1, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin in human urine samples and the monitoring of pharmacokinetics of ciprofloxacin in human body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we first establish the dual Brunn-Minkowski inequality for the star duals for the L p radial sum. Furthermore, we give some Brunn-Minkowski inequalities for the star duals of intersection bodies for the L p radial sum and the L p harmonic Blaschke sum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To estimate the life satisfaction and its predictors between the empty-nest and not-empty-nest elderly. A semi-structured questionnaire including socio-demographic characteristics, physical health, and the Life Satisfaction Index (LSI), UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS), and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was administered to 275 empty-nest and 315 not-empty-nest rural elderly in a Chinese county. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the predictors of LSI score. The empty-nest elderly had lower life satisfaction, lower income, poorer relationships with children, less social support, higher prevalence of chronic diseases, and more feelings of depression and loneliness compared to the not-empty-nest elderly. “Empty-nest status” was negatively related with life satisfaction. Depression was the strongest predictor of life satisfaction in both groups. The second strongest predictor was loneliness among the empty-nest group, while it was chronic diseases among the not-empty-nest group. Marital status and income were correlated with life satisfaction only among the empty-nest elderly. The empty-nest elderly were likely to have mental health problems and to feel unsatisfied with their life. These findings also emphasize the importance of mental health as the determinant of life satisfaction among the empty-nest elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeting STAT5 is an appealing therapeutic strategy for the treatment of hematologic malignancies and inflammation. Here, we present the novel osmium(II) complex 1 as the first metal-based inhibitor of STAT5B dimerization. Complex 1 exhibited superior inhibitory activity against STAT5B DNA binding compared to STAT5A DNA binding. Moreover, 1 repressed STAT5B transcription and blocked STAT5B dimerization via binding to the STAT5B protein, thereby inhibiting STAT5B translocation to the nucleus. Furthermore, 1 was able to selectively inhibit STAT5B phosphorylation without affecting the expression level of STAT5B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A long-lived aldol reaction-based iridium(III) chemosensor [Ir(ppy)2(5-CHOphen)]PF6 (1, where ppy = 2-phenylpyridine and 5-CHOphen = 1,10-phenanthroline-5-carbaldehyde) for proline detection has been synthesized. The iridium(III) complex 1, incorporating an aldehyde group in N^N donor ligand, can take part in aldol reaction with acetone mediated by proline. The transformation of the sp2-hybridized carbonyl group into a sp3-hybridized alcohol group influences the metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) state of the iridium(III) complex, resulting in a change in luminescence in response to proline. The interaction of the iridium(III) complex 1 with proline was investigated by 1H NMR, HRMS and emission titration experiments. Upon the addition of proline to a solution of iridium(III) complex 1, a maximum 8-fold luminescence enhancement was observed. The luminescence signal of iridium(III) complex 1 could be recognized in strongly fluorescent media using time-resolved emission spectroscopy (TRES). The detection of proline in living cells was also demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group 9 transition metal complexes have been widely explored as therapeutic agents due to their unique geometry, their propensity to undergo ligand exchanges with biomolecules and their diverse steric and electronic properties. These metal complexes can offer distinct modes of action in living organisms compared to carbon-based molecules. In this study, we investigated the antimicrobial and anti-proliferative abilities of a series of cyclometallated iridium(III) complexes. The iridium(III) complex 1 inhibited the growth of S. aureus with MIC and MBC values of 3.60 and 7.19 μM, respectively, indicating its potent bactericidal activity. Moreover, complex 1 also exhibited cytotoxicity against a number of cancer cell lines, with particular potency against ovarian, cervical and melanoma cells. This cyclometallated iridium(III) complex is the first example of a substitutionally-inert, Group 9 organometallic compound utilized as a direct and selective inhibitor of S. aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]