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Trichoderma harzianum is a well-known biological control agent (BCA) that shows great potential in controlling many pathogenic fungi. To screen for genes associated with mycoparasitism, we sequenced and analyzed the transcriptome of T. harzianum T4 grown in dual culture with Colletotrichum musae. We analyzed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of Trichoderma harzianum T4 in three different culture periods: before contact (BC), during contact (C) and after contact (AC). A total of 1453 genes were significantly differentially expressed compared to when T. harzianum T4 was cultured alone. During the three periods of double culture of T. harzianum T4 with C. musae, 74, 516, and 548 genes were up-regulated, respectively, and 11, 315, and 216 genes were down-regulated, respectively. The DEGs were screened using GO and KEGG enrichment analyses combined with differential expression multiples. Six gene categories related to mycoparasitism were screened: (a) pathogen recognition and signal transduction, (b) hydrolases, (c) ribosomal proteins and secreted proteins, (d) multidrug-resistant proteins and transporters, (e) heat shock proteins and detoxification, and (f) oxidative stress and antibiotics-related genes. The expression levels of 24 up-regulated genes during T. harzianum T4’s antagonistic interaction with C. musae were detected via real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). This study provided information on the transcriptional expression of T. harzianum T4 against C. musae. These results may help us to further understand the mechanism of mycoparasitism, which can provide a potential molecular target for improving the biological control capacity of T. harzianum T4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single feature cannot show the operational state of a bearing during its entire life cycle. Therefore, a rolling bearing performance deterioration prediction method based on an SAE and the TCN-attention model is proposed. The SAE method is used to fuse the time-domain indicator and the frequency-domain indicator to construct the performance degradation characteristic indicator. The evaluation indices are used to comprehensively evaluate multiple performance degradation indices, and the fused feature indices together, to filter out the features that have a good overall performance. Attention is added to the TCN model, and the output state weight of the TCN model is calculated through a scoring function to increase the important information weight and the prediction accuracy. The appropriate network structure and parameter configuration are determined, and the rolling bearing performance degradation prediction model is established. A validation is performed using publicly available datasets from the University of Cincinnati and XJTU-SY. The results show that the method is more sensitive to the critical information part of the long time series than the other models. At the same time, the average absolute error and the root mean square error are minimized, the accuracy of the rolling bearing performance degradation prediction is high, and the model has a strong robustness and generalization abilities. Additionally, the model has practical engineering value for predicting the health status of equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space-filling designs are crucial for computer experiments. The quality of a space-filling design can be appropriately reflected by its stratification properties. In a recent paper, Tian and Xu (Biometrika 109(2):489–501, 2022) introduced the concept of a space-filling pattern to properly characterize a design’s stratification properties on various grids. In this study, we generalize the space-filling pattern using arbitrary orthonormal contrasts. We also propose a new pattern called the two-dimensional projection pattern to capture the stratification properties of balanced designs in two dimensions more comprehensively. We derive some theoretical results for both patterns and show that they are easier to compute and apply to a wider range of designs. We further show the use of the two patterns in constructing space-filling designs based on existing strong orthogonal arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key messages: Genetic analysis revealed that CmCLV3 is a candidate gene for the variation in melon carpel number. Carpel number (CN) is an important trait in melon. Three-CN melon fruit is oval, while 5-CN melon fruit has a round or flat shape. Herein, a genetic analysis of a population in which the CN locus was segregated indicated that 3-CN is controlled by a major dominant effective gene. Bulked segregant analysis and initial linkage mapping placed the CN locus in a 6.67 Mb region on chromosome 12, and it was narrowed to 882.19 kb with molecular markers and recombinant plants. Fine mapping with a large F2 population containing 1026 individuals further narrowed the locus to an 83.98 kb region harboring five annotated genes. Gene structure alignment between the parental lines revealed MELO3C035640.2 (annotated as CLAVATA3, CmCLV3) as the best candidate gene for the CN trait. CmCLV3 was more highly expressed in 3- than 5-CN lines and specifically expressed in terminal buds rather than in young leaves, hypocotyls, and roots. The CmCLV3 coding region was cloned from eight 3- or 5-CN melon accessions, and a nonsynonymous SNP site was highly correlated with CN variation. This SNP site was also related to CN variations among 40 melon lines according to their resequencing data, causing a helix alteration in the CmCLV3 protein. Promoter region sequence alignment and activity analysis showed that, unlike in cucumber and tomato, CmCLV3 promoter variation and activity were not the main reasons for CN alteration. Overall, this study provides a genetic resource for melon fruit development research and molecular breeding tools for melon CN improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniform designs have been widely applied in engineering and sciences' innovation. When a lot of quantitative factors are investigated with as few runs as possible, a supersaturated uniform design with good overall and projection uniformity is needed. By combining combinatorial methods and stochastic algorithms, such uniform designs with flexible numbers of columns are constructed in this article under the wrap-around L 2 -discrepancy. Compared with the existing designs, the new designs and their two-dimensional projections not only have less aberration, but also have lower discrepancy. Furthermore, some novel theoretical results on the minimum-aberration, uniform and uniform projection designs are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For more than a decade many researchers have been developing new ways to produce laminated composites. In this paper, aluminum/titanium/steel multi-laminated composites were fabricated by the cross accumulative roll bonding (CARB) process, and effects of different rolling passes on microstructure, and mechanical properties were investigated. As the number of rolling passes increased, in spite of having no voids and cracks, more instabilities were observed on titanium and steel layers. With regard to mechanical properties, by increasing the rolling passes, the values of ultimate and yield strength, as well as elongation fell, because of the non-uniform distribution of hard layers within the aluminum matrix. Based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, both ductile and cleavage modes of fracture were observed on fracture surfaces. Furthermore, with an increase in the number of rolling passes, the values of fracture toughness pertaining to the crack initiation declined on account of the increased probability of delamination. Plus, the trend of the R-curves was mainly downward due to the growing number of interfaces within the matrix by increasing the number of passes; nonetheless, the upward trend of these curves may be attributed to the ductile Al matrix in which the path of cracks can be bridged. Also, based on the results of wear tests, different wear mechanisms such as adhesion, abrasion, and delamination were observed, and with an increase in the number of rolling passes, the amount of weight loss showed a decline which was due to the rise of hardness concerning the strain-hardened layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barley mild mosaic virus (BaMMV), transmitted by the soil-borne protist Polymyxa graminis, has a serious impact on winter barley production. Previously, the BaMMV resistance gene rym15 was mapped on chromosome 6HS, but the order of flanking markers was non-collinear between different maps. To resolve the position of the flanking markers and to enable map-based cloning of rym15, two medium-resolution mapping populations Igri (susceptible) × Chikurin Ibaraki 1 (resistant) (I × C) and Chikurin Ibaraki 1 × Uschi (susceptible) (C × U), consisting of 342 and 180 F2 plants, respectively, were developed. Efficiency of the mechanical inoculation of susceptible standards varied from 87.5 to 100% and in F2 populations from 90.56 to 93.23%. Phenotyping of F2 plants and corresponding F3 families revealed segregation ratios of 250 s:92r (I × C, χ2 = 0.659) and 140 s:40r (C × U, χ2 = 0.741), suggesting the presence of a single recessive resistance gene. After screening the parents with the 50 K Infinium chip and anchoring corresponding SNPs to the barley reference genome, 8 KASP assays were developed and used to remap the gene. Newly constructed maps revealed a collinear order of markers, thereby allowing the identification of high throughput flanking markers. This study demonstrates how construction of medium-resolution mapping populations in combination with robust phenotyping can efficiently resolve conflicting marker ordering and reduce the size of the target interval. In the reference genome era and genome-wide genotyping era, medium-resolution mapping will help accelerate candidate gene identification for traits where phenotyping is difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum coherence (QC) as a crucial physical resource plays the vital role in recent researches of quantum information science, whereas the QC within an open system unavoidably deteriorates due to the system–environment interacting. In this paper, we analyze the dynamics of QC when the initial state is exposed to Markovian and non-Markovian reservoirs, respectively. We analytically derive the dynamical conditions under which the QC is frozen in the Markovian reservoir and explore the underlying physical mechanisms by investigating the trade-off relation between QC and mixedness of system. In the non-Markovian reservoir, we demonstrate the damped revivals of QC and show that these revivals can be effectively enhanced by increasing the memory degree of reservoir. These findings might provide an insightful physical interpretation for the dynamical phenomena of QC exhibiting in complex systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An immune-related gene signature (IRGS) was established to better understand the molecular and immunologic characteristics of microsatellite instable (MSI) and microsatellite stable (MSS) endometrial carcinoma (EC), and provide potential immunotherapy directions for MSS patients. Top 20 immune-related hub genes were screened by weight gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), and an IRGS was further established through Cox regression analysis. The molecular and immune characteristics were clarified in IRGS high and low risk groups. Expression and MS status validation of the IRGS were conducted through quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (rt-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. The IRGS includes 2 oncogenes (AGTR1 and HTR3C) and 2 tumor suppressor genes (CD3E and SERPIND1). Patients in IRGS high-risk group were more with MSS status, higher tumor grade, later FIGO stage, serous histology and elder ages compared with IRGS low-risk group (P < 0.05). Besides, patients in MSS group were more FIGO stages II–IV (42.7% vs. 26%), serous histology (35.7% vs. 5.3%) and with higher IRGS risk score (1.51 ± 3.11 vs. 1.02 ± 0.67) (P < 0.05) than patients in MSI group. Furthermore, patients in IRGS high-risk group had higher tumor purity, more Macrophages M1 and Macrophages M2 infiltrating, higher proportion of Macrophages M2 and Dendritic cells activated, lower proportion of T cells regulatory (Tregs), lower tumor mutation burden (TMB). Correspondingly, subjects in IRGS low-risk group had higher immunphenoscores than IRGS high-risk group. The relative mRNA level of AGTR1 and HTR3C were gradually increase, while CD3E and SERPIND1 were reversed in rt-qPCR. Through IHC experiments, AGTR1(69.2% vs 30%, P = 0.074) and HTR3C (76.9% vs 30%, P = 0.024) had higher positive staining rates in ECs than non-ECs. While SERPIND1 (84.6% vs 20%, P = 0.003) and CD3E (61.5% vs 40%, P = 0.000) had higher positive staining rates in non-ECs. IRGS is a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for EC. IRGS low risk group might benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors, while IRGS high risk group deserve other potential immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences in rainfall budgets between convective and stratiform regions of a torrential rainfall event were investigated using high-resolution simulation data produced by the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The convective and stratiform regions were reasonably separated by the radar-based convective-stratiform partitioning method, and the three-dimensional WRF-based precipitation equation combining water vapor and hydrometeor budgets was further used to analyze the rainfall budgets. The results showed that the magnitude of precipitation budget processes in the convective region was one order larger than that in the stratiform region. In convective/stratiform updraft regions, precipitation was mainly from the contribution of moisture-related processes, with a small negative contribution from cloud-related processes. In convective/ stratiform downdraft regions, cloud-related processes played positive roles in precipitation, while moisture-related processes made a negative contribution. Moisture flux convergence played a dominant role in the moisture-related processes in convective or stratiform updraft regions, which was closely related to large-scale dynamics. Differences in cloud-related processes between convective and stratiform regions were more complex compared with those in moisture-related processes. Both liquid- and ice-phase microphysical processes were strong in convective/stratiform updraft regions, and ice-phase processes were dominant in convective/stratiform downdraft regions. There was strong net latent heating within almost the whole troposphere in updraft regions, especially in the convective updraft region, while the net latent heating (cooling) mainly existed above (below) the zero-layer in convective/stratiform downdraft regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rainfall processes during the formation of tropical cyclone (TC) Durian (2001) were investigated quantitatively using the three-dimensional (3D) WRF-based precipitation equation. The rain rate (PS) decreased slightly as the TC approached to formation, and then increased as Durian began to intensify. The rate of moisture-related processes (QWV) in the equation contributed around 80% to PS before TC genesis, and made more contribution during and after TC genesis. The rate of hydrometeor-related processes (QCM) contributed about 20% before TC formation, followed by less contribution during and after TC formation. QWV were dominated by the 3D moisture flux advection rate (QWVA), while the surface evaporation rate (QWVE) also played an important role. Just before TC genesis, moisture from QWVA and QWVE helped the local atmosphere moisten (negative QWVL). QCM were determined by the 3D hydrometeor advection rates (QCLA and QCIA) and the local change rates of hydrometeors (QCLL and QCIL). During TC formation, QCM largely decreased and then reactivated as Durian began to intensify, accompanied by the development of TC cloud. Both the height and the strength of the net latent heating center associated with microphysical processes generally lowered before and during TC genesis, resulting mainly from lessening deposition and condensation. The downward shift of the net latent heating center induced a more bottom-heavy upward mass flux profile, suggesting to promote lower-tropospheric convergence in a shallower layer, vorticity amplification and TC spin-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of mid- and upper-level dry air, represented by low relative humidity (RH) values, on the genesis of tropical cyclone (TC) Durian (2001) in the South China Sea was investigated by a series of numerical experiments using the Weather Research and Forecasting model. The mid-level RH was lowered in different regions relative to TC Durian (2001)’s genesis location. Results suggest that the location of dry air was important to Durian (2001)’s genesis and intensification. The rapid development of the TC was accompanied by sustained near-saturated mid- and upper-level air, whereas low humidity decelerated its development. Water vapor budget analysis showed that moisture at mid and upper levels was mainly supplied by the vertical convergence of moisture flux and the divergence terms, and consumed by the condensation process. The horizontal convergence of moisture flux term supplied moisture in the air moistening process but consumed moisture in the air drying process. With a dryer mid- and upper-level environment, convective and stratiform precipitation were both inhibited. The upward mass fluxes and the diabatic heating rates associated with these two precipitation types were also suppressed. Generally, convection played the dominant role, since the impact of the stratiform process on vertical mass transportation and diabatic heating was much weaker. The vorticity budget showed that the negative vorticity convergence term, which was closely related to the inhibited convection, caused the vorticity to decrease above the lower troposphere in a dryer environment. The negative vorticity tendency is suggested to slow down the vertical coherence and the development rate of TCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium channel antagonists are commonly used to treat neuropathic pain. Their analgesic effects rely on inhibiting long-term potentiation, and neurotransmitters release in the spinal cord. Store-operated Cachannels (SOCCs) are highly Ca-selective cation channels broadly expressed in non-excitable cells and some excitable cells. Recent studies have shown that the potent inhibitor of SOCCs, YM-58483, has analgesic effects on neuropathic pain, but its mechanism is unclear. This experiment performed on spinal nerve ligation (SNL)-induced neuropathic pain model in rats tries to explore the mechanism, whereby YM-58483 attenuates neuropathic pain. The left L5 was ligated to produce the SNL neuropathic pain model in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The withdrawal threshold of rats was measured by the up-down method and Hargreaves' method before and after intrathecal administration of YM-58483 and vehicle. The SOCCs in the spinal dorsal horn were located by immunofluorescence. The expression of phosphorylated ERK and phosphorylated CREB, CD11b, and GFAP proteins in spinal level was tested by Western blot, while the release of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, PGE2) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Intrathecal YM-58483 at the concentration of 300 μM (1.5 nmol) and 1000 μM (10 nmol) produced a significant central analgesic effect on the SNL rats, compared with control + vehicle ( n = 7, P < 0.001). However, both could not prevent the development of neuropathic pain, compared with normal + saline ( P < 0.001). Immunofluorescent staining revealed that Orai1 and STIM1 (the two key components of SOCCs) were located in the spinal dorsal horn neurons. Western blot showed that YM-58483 could decrease the levels of P-ERK and P-CREB ( n = 10, # P < 0.05), without affecting the expression of CD11b and GFAP ( n = 10, # P > 0.05). YM-58483 also inhibited the release of spinal cord IL-1β, TNF-α, and PGE2, compared with control + vehicle ( n = 5, # P < 0.001). The analgesic mechanism of YM-58483 may be via inhibiting central ERK/CREB signaling in the neurons and decreasing central IL-1β, TNF-α, and PGE2 release to reduce neuronal excitability in the spinal dorsal horn of the SNL rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Definitive screening designs are a new class of three-level designs which are shown superior to the classical central composite designs in response surface methodology. They can be constructed by inserting conference matrices into their fold-over structures. How to block definitive screening designs in an optimal way is of practical importance, and lacks systematic theoretical research up to now. Pairwise blocking schemes are usually adopted which assign each pair of fold-over runs into the same block. In this paper, the optimality of such pairwise blocking schemes is thoroughly studied in theory. It is shown that under the linear model consisting of main effects, quadratic effects and block effects, pairwise blocked definitive screening designs are universally optimal for the main effects among all balanced blocking schemes. Moreover, such blocked designs are proved to have the same generalized wordlength pattern and are also shown optimal under the generalized minimum aberration criterion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activated microglia plays an important role in monitoring the microenvironment and prune neural process in healthy neural tissue, in order to maintain synaptic homeostasis. However, hyperactive microglia may release various cytotoxic factors and induce neuroinflammation, which cause neuronal damages leading to neurodegenerative diseases. Tanshinone IIA (TSA), an extract from traditional Chinese medicine, features potent anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects both in vitro and in vivo. But little is known on the effects of TSA on microglial-over-activation-induced neural impairments. In this study, by employing murine BV2 cell lines as well as the combinations of ELISA assay, immunostaining, western blotting analysis and RT-PCR, we found that TSA has the potential to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects. We hereby demonstrated that TSA rescued neural growth and development in the primary cultured hippocampal neurons from impairments caused by BV2 microglial over-activation insult. The results show that TSA attenuated the BV2 cell activation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation through suppressing the NF-кB signal pathway. Also, conditioned mediums (CM) from TSA treated and activated BV2 cells protected against LPS-CM-induced neuronal death. Furthermore, TSA treatment could recover the inhibitory effects of LPS-CM on growth cone extension, neurite sprouting and outgrowth, as well as spinogenesis. Our findings support that TSA is capable of inhibiting BV2 cell over-activation thus has potential protective effects in the cultured hippocampal neurons. This study may lay a foundation for using TSA to restore cerebral injuries after severe neuroinflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The grass carp is an important farmed fish, accounting for ∼16% of global freshwater aquaculture, and has a vegetarian diet. Here we report a 0.9-Gb draft genome of a gynogenetic female adult and a 1.07-Gb genome of a wild male adult. Genome annotation identified 27,263 protein-coding gene models in the female genome. A total of 114 scaffolds consisting of 573 Mb are anchored on 24 linkage groups. Divergence between grass carp and zebrafish is estimated to have occurred 49-54 million years ago. We identify a chromosome fusion in grass carp relative to zebrafish and report frequent crossovers between the grass carp X and Y chromosomes. We find that transcriptional activation of the mevalonate pathway and steroid biosynthesis in liver is associated with the grass carp's adaptation from a carnivorous to an herbivorous diet. We believe that the grass carp genome could serve as an initial platform for breeding better-quality fish using a genomic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorpyrifos (CPF), a common organophosphorus pesticide, is extensively used in agricultural practices. However, we lack sound evidence for the linkage between soil microbial diversity, soil function, and plant biomass under the influence of CPF, which prevents us from assessing the actual impact of CPF on agricultural production. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing to test the effects of CPF on soil microbial diversity, soil function, and cotton biomass in indoor pot experiments. The use of CPF leads to a significant reduction in cotton biomass until the concentration of CPF used reaches 15 mg kg−1, and the cotton biomass is no longer significantly reduced. Compared with the original soil, the alpha-diversity of bacteria, which was significantly linearly related to cotton biomass, was significantly decreased when the soil was treated with 15 mg kg−1 CPF. Affected by CPF, the overall soil microbial composition has changed significantly. Acidobacteria, Nitrospirae, Planctomycetes, and Actinobacteria were significantly regulated after CPF treatment. Correspondingly, key soil functions, including nitrogen metabolism and iron (III) transporter, have been significantly down-regulated. The reduction of nitrogen and Fe3+ should deprive the cotton of essential nutrients during the short crop cycle and thus affect cotton biomass. Our study provides experimental evidence that CPF affects cotton rhizosphere soil microbial diversity, the relative content of key bacterial genera, and soil function, which shows that it has an important impact on plant biomass, and provides a reference for studying the actual impact of CPF on the environment and agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An MIDAS-400 Customised Data Acquisition System was deployed to obtain current velocity and suspended sediment concentration profiles over the intertidal flat at Wanggang, on the Jiangsu coast (China). At the same time, seawater temperature, conductivity and pressure were measured. Using a data sampling rate of 4 Hz, the high-frequency pressure signals in response to water surface fluctuations were recorded and subsequently transformed into wave parameters. The analytical results show that the apparent bed roughness length has a magnitude close to the height of sand ripples, which is much larger than the grain size diameter. The bottom shear stress associated with current-wave interaction is higher than the tidally-induced stress and intensified turbulent mixing and resuspension. Furthermore, several suspended sediment concentration peaks occurred during a tidal cycle, which can be related to strong turbulence near the bed caused by frontal tidal currents and the enhanced resuspension; advection and extreme weather conditions (e. g. storms and strong winds) also played an important role. Finally, large net suspended sediment fluxes were observed to present when the flood or ebb currents prolonged, i.e. the flow became quasi-unidirectional during a tidal cycle. In general, the MIDAS-400 is a suitable tool for high-resolution data collection for the situations of combined current-wave action over intertidal flats; the data obtained can be used to analyze the processes and mechanisms of material transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MIDAS-400 customized data acquisition system has been used for the high-resolution sediment dynamic measurements over the Dafeng intertidal flats of northern Jiangsu during 6 tidal cycles from July 3 to July 10, 2003. The bed shear stress and bedload transport rates, in response to wave-current interactions, are calculated, which indicate that wind waves enhance the bottom shear stress and bedload transport rates. At the station for measurements, bedload transport was directed to seaward, with a sediment discharge of 30-150 kg·m-1 per tidal cycle. The surficial sediment samples were collected from a grid with 10 m spatial intervals over a rectangle 2 × 104 m² experimental area, near the MIDAS-400 during the spring tide of July 4, 2003, and the neap tide of July 9, 2003. In addition, leveling survey was undertaken to obtain the detailed topography of the sampling area. Grain-size trend analysis of the sediment samples shows that the bedload transport patterns are complex, mainly controlled by the hydrodynamics and local geomorphology (e.g. tidal creeks) over the intertidal flats. Furthermore, the grain-size trends pattern during the neap tide rather than during the spring tide is consistent with the calculated bedload transport, and the grain-size trend vectors for the spring tide are larger than those for [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gonad is an essential organ for generating sperm and ova in vertebrates. This review describes several pilot studies on gonad gene manipulation and development in fish. With antisense RNA techniques, we suppressed the gonad development, and thus the fertility, of an antisense gonadotropin-releasing hormone (sGnRH) transgenic common carp. Then, using a tissue-specific exogenous gene excision strategy with sexual compensation, we knocked out the gonad-specific transgene. Under the control of the rainbow trout protamine promoter, the transgenic fish expressed the reporter gene eGFP specifically in the spermary. These results indicate that the fish gonad is a new model organ that can improve contemporary biotechnology experiments. Herein we discuss the potential of fish gonad manipulation for resolving important biosafety problems regarding transgenic fish generation and producing the new transgenic animal bioreactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports that transgenes for growth hormone in common carp promotes thymus development. Observation of the thymus development between the transgenics and non-transgenic controls; Increase in both size and weight of the thymus in a one-year old transgenics; Confirmation that fish growth hormone promotes thymus development and thymocyte proliferation and retards thymus degeneration.

Presents a study of single later blastula nuclei from AB strain of zebrafish (Danio rerio) that were transplanted into enucleated unfertilized eggs of a Long fin strain. The number of reconstructed embryos that developed into fry from the cloning embryos; Similarity of the cloned fish's DNA fingerprinting systems with those of the nuclear donor fish and distinction from those of the nuclear recipient fish; Conclusion that the genetic material came from a nuclear donor cell other than the nuclear recipient egg; Suggestion of a breakthrough in the basic nuclear transplantation technique used with different strains of zebrafish; Implication for studies on gene function and animal development.

Presents a study which discussed the distinct biological effects for multisite-integrated transgenes and provides information on the breeding of fast-growing transgenic fish. Significance of studying transgenic fish; Brood amount of the transgenics and controls; Fertility rate and hatchability of transgenics and controls.

Uniform designs have been widely used in physical and computer experiments due to their robust performances. The level permutation method can efficiently construct uniform designs with both lower discrepancy and less aberration. However, the related existing literature has mostly discussed uniform fixed-level designs, the construction of uniform mixed-level designs has been quite few studied. In this paper, a novel level permutation method for constructing uniform mixed-level designs is proposed. Our main idea is to perform level permutations on a new class of designs, called minimum average discrepancy designs, rather than generalized minimum aberration designs as in the fixed-level case. Several theoretical results on the design optimality and construction are obtained. Numerical results suggest the good performance of the resulting designs under various popular discrepancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent malignant tumor worldwide among women, with the highest incidence rate. The mechanisms underlying nucleotide metabolism on biological functions in BC remain incompletely elucidated. Materials and Methods: We harnessed differentially expressed nucleotide metabolism-related genes from The Cancer Genome Atlas-BRCA, constructing a prognostic risk model through univariate Cox regression and LASSO regression analyses. A validation set and the GSE7390 dataset were used to validate the risk model. Clinical relevance, survival and prognosis, immune infiltration, functional enrichment, and drug sensitivity analyses were conducted. Results: Our findings identified four signature genes (DCTPP1, IFNG, SLC27A2, and MYH3) as nucleotide metabolism-related prognostic genes. Subsequently, patients were stratified into high- and low-risk groups, revealing the risk model's independence as a prognostic factor. Nomogram calibration underscored superior prediction accuracy. Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) uncovered activated pathways in low-risk cohorts and mobilized pathways in high-risk cohorts. Distinctions in immune cells were noted between risk cohorts. Subsequent experiments validated that reducing SLC27A2 expression in BC cell lines or using the SLC27A2 inhibitor, Lipofermata, effectively inhibited tumor growth. Conclusions: We pinpointed four nucleotide metabolism-related prognostic genes, demonstrating promising accuracy as a risk prediction tool for patients with BC. SLC27A2 appears to be a potential therapeutic target for BC among these genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a waterborne pathogen that can cause acute gastroenteritis, wound infection, and septicemia in humans. The molecular basis of its pathogenicity is not yet fully understood. Phages are found most abundantly in aquatic environments and play a critical role in horizontal gene transfer. Nevertheless, current literature on biological roles of prophage-encoded genes remaining in V. parahaemolyticus is rare. In this study, we characterized one such gene VpaChn25_0734 (543-bp) in V. parahaemolyticus CHN25 genome. A deletion mutant ΔVpaChn25_0734 (543-bp) was obtained by homologous recombination, and a revertant ΔVpaChn25_0734-com (543-bp) was also constructed. The ΔVpaChn25_0734 (543-bp) mutant was defective in growth and swimming mobility particularly at lower temperatures and/or pH 7.0–8.5. Cell surface hydrophobicity and biofilm formation were significantly decreased in the ΔVpaChn25_0734 (543-bp) mutant (p < 0.05). Based on the in vitro Caco-2 cell model, the deletion of VpaChn25_0734 (543-bp) gene significantly reduced the cytotoxicity of V. parahaemolyticus CHN25 to human intestinal epithelial cells (p < 0.05). Comparative secretomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed a slightly increased extracellular proteins, and thirteen significantly changed metabolic pathways in the ΔVpaChn25_0734 (543-bp) mutant, showing down-regulated carbon source transport and utilization, biofilm formation, and type II secretion system (p < 0.05), consistent with the observed defective phenotypes. Taken, the prophage-encoded gene VpaChn25_0734 (543-bp) enhanced V. parahaemolyticus CHN25 fitness for survival in the environment and the host. The results in this study facilitate better understanding of pathogenesis and genome evolution of V. parahaemolyticus, the leading sea foodborne pathogen worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti3C2 MQDs were synthesized using an effective fluorine-free method with excitation/emission maxima at 390/490 nm and a fluorescence quantum yield of 11.78%. In contrast to the traditional, hazardous, and time-consuming process of HF pretreatment, our fluorine-free method is safe and simple. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) could catalyze the hydrolysis of acetylthiocholine (ATCh) to produce thiocholine which was further reacted with Ehrman's reagent and decomposed to form a yellow product 2-nitro-5-thiobenate anion (TNB). Due to the obvious overlap between the excitation spectrum of Ti3C2 MQDs and the absorption spectrum of TNB, AChE catalyzed the hydrolysis of substrate DTNB/ATCh to form TNB, which can effectively quench the fluorescence of Ti3C2 MQDs through the inner filter effect (IFE). However, the presence of organophosphorus (OPs) inhibited the activity of AChE, leading to a less expressed IFE and increasing recovery of fluorescence. This was used for the quantification of OPs with a detection limit of 0.20 μg·L−1. Moreover, with the constant increase of AChE activity, the color of the reaction system changed visibly from colorless to yellow, and then from yellow to colorless with further continuous addition of OPs. A colorimetric detection with a paper-based sensor of AChE activity and OP concentration was also fabricated by analyzing changes in RGB value using a smartphone APP. In this work, we proposed an effective fluorescence/colorimetric two-mode detection method, which opened a new horizon to detect other targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The streamflow of major global rivers changes under the influences of climate change and human activities and varies greatly in different regions. The Yellow River has undergone a dramatic shift during the last six decades. Its streamflow gradually dwindled away and even dried-up severely in the late 20th century, but in recent years it has recovered and remains stable. Comprehensive understanding of the river streamflow change and its driving forces promotes effective water resource management within this complex human-natural system. Here, we develop a runoff identity attribution approach to analyze 61 years of streamflow observations from the Yellow River. We find that between the 1950s and the 1980s, human water consumption contributed more than 90% to streamflow reduction, but from the 1970s onwards, land cover change became the major factor to decrease streamflow. Since 2000, government management schemes have prevented streamflow from declining further and guarantee its stability. Based on the analysis framework we propose, persistent droughts, which are related to abrupt streamflow abatement, may be the most uncontrollable factor in the future. A more resilient management system should be therefore built to grapple with the expected increased frequency of such extreme climate events in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ti3C2 MXene quantum dots (Ti3C2 MQDs) derived from Ti3C2 MXene have received much attention because of their remarkable advantages in biosensing. Nevertheless, the functionalization of Ti3C2 MQDs to improve their properties is just in its infant stage. Herein, we firstly synthesized nitrogen and boron co-doped Ti3C2 MQDs (N, B-Ti3C2 MQDs) with good water solubility, strong stability, and high optical characteristics. The N, B-Ti3C2 MQDs exhibit excitation wavelength-dependent blue photoluminescence with optimal excitation/emission peaks at 335/439 nm. Nowadays, the development of fast and real-time detection of tetracycline (TC) in animal derived food is very essential. In this work, a novel point-of-care testing (POCT) platform was established based on ratiometric fluorescence method using N, B-Ti3C2 MQDs coupled with Eu3+. Upon addition of TC in the Eu3+/N, B-MQDs system, blue fluorescence emission of N, B-Ti3C2 MQDs was quenched and red fluorescence emission of Eu3+ was enhanced gradually, which was ascribed to the synergistic inner filter effect and antenna effect. Moreover, we prepared test papers with N, B-Ti3C2 MQDs and Eu3+ for TC detection based on the change of fluorescence color, which could be recognized by color recognizer app installed in the smartphone. Therefore, great promise for POCT of TC is given with the merits of simplicity and visible detection possibility. The proposed method demonstrated a low detection limit of 20 nM. Application of the platform for TC quantification in milk samples opened a novel means for the potential use of N, B-Ti3C2 MQDs in food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astrophysical very high energy (VHE) gamma-rays (with energies >30 GeV) are believed to result almost exclusively from the interactions of populations of highly relativistic particles with ambient matter or photon fields. The study of these VHE photons therefore allows us to examine the processes of particle acceleration in the Universe, and the extreme environments in which they occur. Gamma-rays are also highly directional, making them useful for studying the origin, acceleration, propagation, and composition of cosmic rays. This study uses the Monte Carlo method to simulate the process of extensive air showers being initiated when primary incident γ -rays with energies ranging from 10 GeV to 5 TeV interact with the atmosphere. The ultimate goal is to investigate and analyze the properties and lateral density distributions of Cherenkov light at different altitudes. The simulation considers various energies and zenith angles. The results show that a hump in the lateral density distribution of Cherenkov light is a distinctive feature of a γ -initiated shower, with the hump becoming less prominent at higher energy levels and altitudes. These significant findings not only facilitate better fitting of experimental data obtained from actual extensive air showers but also assist with estimating readings from detectors, thus advancing our understanding of these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is inextricably linked to various diseases, including liver cancer. Thus, detecting the content of AFP in biology has great significance in diagnosis, treatment, and intervention. Motivated by the urgent need for affordable and convenient electronic sensors in the analysis and detection of aqueous biological samples, we combined the solution-gated graphene transistor (SGGT) with the catalytic reaction of enzyme nanoprobes (HRP-AuNPs-Ab2) to accurately sense AFP. The SGGT immunosensor demonstrated high specificity and stability, excellent selectivity, and excessive linearity over a range of 4 ng/mL to 500 ng/mL, with the lower detection limit down to 1.03 ng/mL. Finally, clinical samples were successfully detected by the SGGT immunosensor, and the results were consistent with chemiluminescence methods that are popular in hospitals for detecting AFP. Notably, the SGGT immunosensor is also recyclable, so it has excellent potential for use in high-throughput detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formaldehyde is the main cause of indoor pollution. In this research, we investigated the mechanism that the covalent organic framework (COF) identifies formaldehyde applying density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent (TD) DFT approaches. On one hand, the calculation results of the geometric parameters, IR spectra, as well as 1H-NMR chemical shifts for protons that associated with the hydrogen bonding formation together with the electronic transition energies verified that the furcate hydrogen bonding formed between the COF and formaldehyde is enhanced in the excited S1 state and it is not beneficial to luminescence of the COF. On the other hand, excitingly, our further calculation results of the fluorescence rate coefficients also revealed that the strengthened hydrogen bonding behavior in S1 state caused an efficiently weakened luminescent phenomenon compared with that of the COF. Therefore, this analysis method, which qualitative collaborates with quantitative theoretically, demonstrates the possibility that the COF could be served as a sensor to detect formaldehyde.The luminescence of the Covalent Organic Framework can be greatly weakened after the addition of formaldehyde. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topographic/bathymetric conditions of the continental shelf can significantly influence the long-term growth of river deltas. In particular, these conditions constrain the accommodation space for sedimentation in the deltaic areas. In this study, we use a conceptual geometric model to evaluate the role played by this factor, on the basis of the principle of mass conservation. The Ganges-Brahmaputra, Mekong and Nile deltas are examined as three typical examples, in terms of their different original seabed morphologies. The control variate method is applied to eliminate the effect of the difference in model input variables. The results show that, assuming a constant sediment load, the delta growth rate will decrease with time; a higher value of the original seabed slope leads to a lower shoreline progradation rate for the subaerial delta and a higher growth rate for the subaqueous delta. Thus, the original seabed morphology represented by slope is a critical factor affecting the evolution of Holocene large-river deltas. These results explain the interrelationships between sediment load, deltaic plain area, and the original seabed slopes for the 27 large-river deltas worldwide, located in the middle/low latitudes, with different tectonic backgrounds. In the future, the conceptual geometric model may be combined with sediment dynamic modeling to identify more details of the evolution of these deltas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endophytic fungi play an important role in the growth and development of traditional Chinese medicine plants. We isolated a strain of Acrocalymma vagum from the endophytic fungi of the traditional Chinese plants Paris. To accurately identify this endophytic fungal species of interest, we sequenced the mitochondrial genome of A. vagum, which is the first discovered mitochondrial genome in Massarineae. The A. vagum mitochondrial genome consists of a 35,079-bp closed circular DNA molecule containing 36 genes. Then, we compared the general sequence characteristics of A. vagum with those of Pleosporales, and the second structure of the 22 tRNAs was predicted. The phylogenetic relationship of A. vagum was constructed using two different data sets (protein-coding genes and amino acids). The phylogenetic tree shows that A. vagum is located at the root of Pleosporales. The analysis of introns shows that the number of introns increases with the increase in branch length. The results showed that monophyly was confirmed for all families in Pleosporales except for Pleosporaceae. A. vagum is an ancient species in the Pleosporales, and Pleosporaceae may require further revision. In Pleosporales, the number of introns is positively correlated with branch length, providing data for further study on the origin of introns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endophytic fungi play an important role in the growth and development of traditional Chinese medicine plants. We isolated a strain of Acrocalymma vagum from the endophytic fungi of the traditional Chinese plants Paris. To accurately identify this endophytic fungal species of interest, we sequenced the mitochondrial genome of A. vagum, which is the first discovered mitochondrial genome in Massarineae. The A. vagum mitochondrial genome consists of a 35,079-bp closed circular DNA molecule containing 36 genes. Then, we compared the general sequence characteristics of A. vagum with those of Pleosporales, and the second structure of the 22 tRNAs was predicted. The phylogenetic relationship of A. vagum was constructed using two different data sets (protein-coding genes and amino acids). The phylogenetic tree shows that A. vagum is located at the root of Pleosporales. The analysis of introns shows that the number of introns increases with the increase in branch length. The results showed that monophyly was confirmed for all families in Pleosporales except for Pleosporaceae. A. vagum is an ancient species in the Pleosporales, and Pleosporaceae may require further revision. In Pleosporales, the number of introns is positively correlated with branch length, providing data for further study on the origin of introns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: BMP7 has been shown to have neuroprotective effects and to alleviate demyelination. However, its role in trigeminal neuralgia (TN) has not been well investigated. The current study aims to determine whether BMP7 plays a role in demyelination, its effects on pain behaviors and mechanism of action in rats with TN. Methods: We used an infraorbital-nerve chronic-constriction injury (ION-CCI) to establish a rat model of TN. Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) were injected into the rats to upregulate or downregulate BMP7. The mechanical withdrawal thresholds (MWT) of the injured rats were detected using Von Frey filaments. The changes in expression levels of BMP7 and oligodendrocyte (OL) markers were examined by western blotting, quantitative real-time PCR, immunofluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy. Results: The ION-CCI induced mechanical allodynia, demyelination, and loss of OLs with a reduction of BMP7. Short-hairpin RNA (shRNA)-BMP7 that inhibited BMP7 expression also caused mechanical allodynia, demyelination, and loss of OLs, and its mechanism may be OL apoptosis. Overexpressing BMP7 in the trigeminal spinal subnucleus caudalis(VC) with AAV-BMP7 relieved all three phenotypes induced by the CCI, and its mechanism may be alleviating OLs apoptosis. Two signal pathways associated with apoptosis, STAT3 and p65, were significantly downregulated in the VC after CCI and rescued by BMP7 overexpression. Conclusion: BMP7 can alleviate TN by reducing OLs apoptosis and subsequent demyelination. The mechanism behind this protection could be BMP7-mediated activation of the STAT3 and NF-κB/p65 signaling pathway and subsequent decrease in OL apoptosis. Importantly, our study presents clear evidence in support of BMP7 as a possible therapeutic target for the treatment of TN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: Heterostructure engineering is proposed to construct CoTe2/ZnTe heterostructures with built-in electric field. Conductive and elastic Ti3C2Tx MXene is introduced to improve the conductivity and alleviate the volume change of CoTe2/ZnTe upon cycling. The resulting CoTe2/ZnTe/Ti3C2Tx (CZT) demonstrates outstanding rate capability (137.0 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1) and cycling stability (175.3 mAh g−1 after 4000 cycles at 3.0 A g−1). Moreover, the CZT-based full cells demonstrate excellent energy density (220.2 Wh kg−1) and power density (837.2 W kg−1). Exploiting high-rate anode materials with fast K+ diffusion is intriguing for the development of advanced potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) but remains unrealized. Here, heterostructure engineering is proposed to construct the dual transition metal tellurides (CoTe2/ZnTe), which are anchored onto two-dimensional (2D) Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets. Various theoretical modeling and experimental findings reveal that heterostructure engineering can regulate the electronic structures of CoTe2/ZnTe interfaces, improving K+ diffusion and adsorption. In addition, the different work functions between CoTe2/ZnTe induce a robust built-in electric field at the CoTe2/ZnTe interface, providing a strong driving force to facilitate charge transport. Moreover, the conductive and elastic Ti3C2Tx can effectively promote electrode conductivity and alleviate the volume change of CoTe2/ZnTe heterostructures upon cycling. Owing to these merits, the resulting CoTe2/ZnTe/Ti3C2Tx (CZT) exhibit excellent rate capability (137.0 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1) and cycling stability (175.3 mAh g−1 after 4000 cycles at 3.0 A g−1, with a high capacity retention of 89.4%). More impressively, the CZT-based full cells demonstrate high energy density (220.2 Wh kg−1) and power density (837.2 W kg−1). This work provides a general and effective strategy by integrating heterostructure engineering and 2D material nanocompositing for designing advanced high-rate anode materials for next-generation KIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple one-step solvothermal method is proposed to prepare hydrophobic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (MNPs) using iron acetylacetonate (Fe(acac)3), oleylamine (OAm), and ethylene glycol (EG). X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscope, infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry, and vibrating sample magnetometer are used to characterize the structure, morphology, and properties of products. The testing results indicate that the as-synthesized products are spherical-like hydrophobic MNPs, superparamagnetic at room temperature, with a saturation magnetization up to 76.8 emu/g. The good hydrophobic property of MNPs is attributed to the coverage of oleylamine, without causing a remarkable loss of magnetic property. In addition, the influences of material ratio, aging time, oleic acid, and stearic acid used as additives are studied in our research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive activation of pro-inflammatory (M1) microglia phenotypes after spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts tissue repair and increases the risk of secondary SCI. We previously reported that adeno-associated virus (AAV) mediated delivery of bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7) promotes functional recovery after SCI by reducing oligodendrocyte loss and demyelination; however, little is known about the early effects of BMP7 in ameliorating neuroinflammation in the acute SCI phase. Herein, we demonstrate that treatment with recombinant human BMP7 (rhBMP7) suppresses the viability of LPS-induced HMC3 microglia cells and increases the proportion with the M2 phenotype. Consistently, in a rat SCI model, rhBMP7 decreases the activation of microglia and promotes M2 polarization. After rhBMP7 administration, the STAT3 signaling pathway was activated in LPS-induced HMC3 cells and microglia in spinal cord lesions. Furthermore, the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β were significantly decreased in cell culture supernatants, lesion sites of injured spinal cords, and cerebrospinal fluid circulation after rhBMP7 administration, thus reducing neuron loss in the injured spinal cord and promoting functional recovery after SCI. These results provide insight into the immediate early mechanisms by which BMP7 may ameliorate the inflammation response to secondary SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) was referred to be participating in various malignant tumors. Location based analysis of the mechanism in lncRNA and genes have been highly focused. In this study, we reported that lncRNA named NALT which was located near NOTCH1 within 100 bp away. We confirmed that up-regulation of NALT associating with NOTCH1 in human samples. Increased expression of NALT dramatically promoted cell proliferation in cell lines via CCK8 assay and EDU stain. Further xenograft tumor also indicated the growth inducing affection of NALT while could be partial reversed by GSI. Besides, through sorting the side-population cells in T ALL cells treated with NALT shRNA could decrease percentage of SP cell which companied by the down-regulation of NOTCH1. Gal4-λN/BoxB reporter system revealed that the nuclear located NALT could function as a transcription activator which caused an activation of NOTCH signal pathway as confirmed by western blot. Taken together, we found a neighbor of NOTCH1, Lnc-RP11-611D20.2 (named NALT) which could regulate the NOTCH1 signal pathway through cis-regulation. This founding may trigger a comparable development of diagnosis or novel molecularly-directed therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article" The draft genome of the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) provides insights into its evolution and vegetarian adaptation" published online on 4th May2015 regarding affiliation for Songhun Jang is presented.

To identify the distribution pattern of macrofaunal assemblages of the Dafeng intertidal flats in response to hydrodynamic and sediment dynamic processes in the northern Jiangsu coast, East China, macrofauna sampling and hydrodynamic observations were carried out simultaneously across the mud flat, mixed mud-sand flat, and silt-sand flat of the intertidal zone in June 2018. Results show that there was a clear zonal distribution pattern of the macrofaunal communities, as is controlled by local hydrological and sedimentary environments. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed three types of intertidal area in terms of hydrological and surficial sediment parameters. Similarly, three distinct groups of the macrofaunal communities, i.e., mud flat, mix mud-sand, and silt-sand groups, were recognized at similarity level of 24% based on the CLUSTER analysis in similarity profile (SIMPROF) test. Correlation analysis upon best variables stepwise search (BVSTEP) indicated the importance of the hydrodynamics (e.g., water temperature and salinity, tidal duration, flow speed, suspended sediment concentration, and wave height) in the differentiation of macrofaunal communities with different taxonomic classes over the intertidal zone. Therefore, macrofaunal assemblages, similar to hydrology and surficial sediment, have a unique zonation pattern. Small-sized deposit feeders adapt better to low energy environments, thus dominated the upper part of the intertidal flat, whilst the heavy and large-sized filter feeders and deposit feeders were dominant over the middle and lower parts. The hydrodynamic and sediment processes cause biota-niche separation, which affected the biological processes across the intertidal flat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a critical complication following a lung transplant, cardiopulmonary bypass, pulmonary embolism, and trauma. Immune cells and their effector functions are involved in the lung I/R injury. Store-operated calcium channels (SOCC) are highly Ca-selective cation channels and have crucial effects on the immune system. It has been indicated that BTP2, a potent SOCC blocker, could inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokine production from immune cells both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the beneficial effects of BTP2 on lung I/R injury in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The left lungs of male SD rats underwent ischemia for 60 min and reperfusion for 2 h. Treated animals received BTP2 4 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg intraperitoneally 30 min before the ischemia. The results revealed that pretreatment with BTP2 markedly attenuated I/R injury-induced pulmonary edema, microvascular protein leakage, neutrophil infiltration, adhesion molecules, cytokine production (e.g., ICAM-1, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-2), and the transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T cells c1 nuclear translocation in the lung tissue. These findings indicate that BTP2 can be a potential therapeutic drug for lung I/R injury and suggest that SOCC may play a critical role in lung I/R injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface inert of luminescent gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) toward biomolecules set a challenge to further exploit their bioanalytical applications using the direct luminescence response. Herein, we report a novel approach to induce significant luminescence quenching of the AuNPs upon the interaction with a metal coordination ligand tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP), providing a strategy for the detection of HO with a limit of detection (LOD) of 14 nM through the reaction between HO and TCEP to protect the luminescence quenching of the AuNPs. Furthermore, this strategy is also extended for sensitive and selective detection of glucose with a LOD of 1.1 μM based on monitoring the production of HO catalyzed from the oxidation of glucose. The highly extendable feature of this strategy can have great potential in the sensitive detection of other biomolecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hematopoietic stem cells show biological manifestations of aging, diminished hematopoietic function and abnormal differentiation, which can lead to leukemia. It is therefore important to explore the mechanism underlying hematopoietic stem cell aging to develop strategies for delaying the process. Our evaluations revealed that the number of bone marrow hematopoietic cells (BMHCs) started to decrease significantly after 45 years of age, and the number of senescent BMHCs, as determined by senescence-associated beta-galactosidase staining, gradually increased with age. In addition, BMHCs from individuals over 45 years of age presented with notably reduced proliferative capacity, increased G1-phase cell cycle arrest, and significantly decreased generation of mixed colony forming units, which suggests that BMHCs enter senescence during middle age. Furthermore, we observed significantly lower antioxidant capacity and a significant increase in oxidative damage products, a gradual increase in the expression of senescence-associated proteins and genes, and a gradual decrease in the expression of cell cycle related proteins in BMHCs after middle age. Taken together, these findings offer both a theoretical and experimental basis for better understanding of the senescence progression of BMHCs and the optimal timing for anti-senescence drug interventions in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of an unreasonable residual stress state in the ring blank forgings of thin-walled casings harms the dimensional stability and service life of the parts. Stress control of rolled rings is achieved by using a segmental mandrel bulging process, the effectiveness of which is closely related to the process parameters. The objective of this investigation was to enhance the effectiveness of the bulging in controlling the residual stresses during the manufacturing process. The residual stress evolution mechanism for the bulging process was analyzed. The residual stress results obtained from response surface experimental procedures were established to relate the empirical relationship between each process parameter and the stress response. A quadratic regression model based on an analysis of variance was developed, and the validity of its response parameters was verified. The results indicate that the prediction model can effectively arrange the parameter settings to obtain the stress condition with optimal index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Licorice chalcone A (LCA) possesses a variety of pharmacological activities amid poor solubility in water which consequently restricts its clinical application. In this study, LCA micelles (LCA-M) and LCA micelles modified with TPGS (LCA-M-T) were prepared, wherein in vitro, in vivo, and hepatoprotection potential of the formulations were evaluated. LCA-M-T and LCA-M were prepared by thin-film dispersion method and characterized by a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The encapsulation efficiency, in vitro release, and stability of LCA-M-T and LCA-M were detected by HPLC and UV, respectively. The pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution studies, and pharmacodynamics research were also carried out after oral administration. The sizes of micellar particles were 34.02 ± 0.29 nm (LCA-M) and 62.46 ± 0.51 nm (LCA-M-T) with 0.223 ± 0.021 (LCA-M) and 0.343 ± 0.006 (LCA-M-T) polydispersities, − 35.06 ± 2.27 mV (LCA-M) and − 38.58 ± 1.69 mV (LCA-M-T) zeta potentials, and 95.2 ± 0.27% (LCA-M) and 90.34 ± 0.31% (LCA-M-T) encapsulation efficiencies. The drug loadings were 8.56 ± 0.27% (LCA-M) and 8.04 ± 0.19% (LCA-M-T). The two preparations released quickly and reached over 95% in the four-dissolution media (pH = 1.2 pH = 6.8 pH = 7 pH = 7.4). The preparations of LCA showed significant elevation of cumulative release compared with the free LCA and more importantly 119% (LCA-M) and 285% (LCA-M-T) increments in the relative oral bioavailability of the drug. Preparations of LCA may act as a promising approach to improve solubility and enhance bioavailability and liver protective activity of LCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study on dolomite characteristics and its forming mechanism is of great significance for dolomitization theory and dolomite reservoir exploration. In recent years, the exploration of dolomite reservoirs in the Sichuan Basin has reached a bottleneck state. This study takes the Qixia Formation, Middle Permian in Northwest Sichuan basin as an example, the characteristics, distribution, diagenetic fluid, diagenetic environment of dolomite, and the dolomite formation mechanism were analyzed by means of observation and sampling of outcrops and cores, electronic scanning microscopy (SEM), and measurements of rare-earth elements (REEs), carbon isotopes, oxygen isotopes, and strontium isotopes. The results show that the dolomite exists in two forms, P-dol (dolomite in the dolomitic part of the mottled dolomitic limestone), and C-dol (crystalline dolomite). Core photos show that C-dol can be divided into two types: dolomite-A (dol-A) and dolomite-B (dol-B). The samples are low ∑REEs + Y, 13C (1.32‰–4.32‰), negative δ18O (− 5.87‰ to − 1.99‰) and δCe, and high in δEu and 87Sr/86Sr ratio (0.70724–0.70923). The partition pattern of REEs in the samples shows seawater characteristics of LREE loss, La enrichment, Ce weak loss, and Gd enrichment. These characteristics indicate that the diagenetic fluid of dolomite in the study area was a hybrid of seawater and freshwater and the diagenetic environment was at relatively high temperature. Moreover, after extending the “Mg cage effect” theory proposed by Folk, it is found that Mg2+ removed from sediments that were flushed by fresh water during the syndiagenetic stage facilitate the formation of dolomites. In accordance with the geological setting, a unique dolomitization model of the Middle Permian Qixia formation in the northwestern Sichuan Basin was built. The stratum in this model can be divided into four zones from top to bottom: freshwater vadose zone, mixed vadose zone, mixed phreatic zone, and seawater phreatic zone. The mottled dolomitic limestone is developed in the mixed vadose zone and the crystalline dolomite in the mixed phreatic zone. This study provides important evidences for the formation mechanism of dolomite and a reference to the study of ancient dolomite genesis and reservoirs of the Middle Permian Qixia formation in the northwest Sichuan Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fiberoptic bronchoscopy is a complex procedure with the need for sufficient patient anesthesia/sedation while maintaining safety. This trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of HSK3486 during fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Methods: This multicenter, double-blind, randomized, non-inferiority, parallel-group phase 3 trial was conducted in patients who underwent fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Patients randomly received HSK3486 0.4 mg/kg (N = 134) or propofol 2.0 mg/kg (N = 133). The primary efficacy endpoint was the successful rate of fiberoptic bronchoscopy, and secondary efficacy endpoints included successful induction of anesthesia/sedation, duration, time to being fully alert, and time to patient discharge. Safety assessments and drug concentrations were also measured. Results: A total of 267 patients completed fiberoptic bronchoscopy, with a success rate of 100% and a 95% confidence interval of − 2.8 to 2.8% for the difference between the groups, which met the predesigned criteria of > − 8%, confirming the non-inferiority of anesthesia/sedation produced by HSK3486 compared to propofol. Among the secondary efficacy endpoints, only time to full alertness (median 8.50 vs. 6.00 min, P = 0.012) and time to discharge (median 13.00 vs. 9.87 min, P = 0.002) were slightly longer in the HSK3486 group. The incidence of adverse events was significant lower in the HSK3486 group (52.6 vs. 76.5%, P < 0.001) mainly because of less pain on injection (4.4 vs. 39.4%, P < 0.001) compared to the propofol group. HSK3486 had a similar terminal elimination half-life as propofol. Conclusions: HSK3486 exhibited non-inferiority anesthesia/sedation compared to propofol in patients undergoing fiberoptic bronchoscopy, and had a good safety profile with a lower incidence of pain on injection. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04111159, registered on 1 October 2019 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]