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Aims: We aimed to evaluate the impact of C-reactive protein (CRP) gene polymorphism, additional gene–gene interaction, and haplotypes on susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).SNPstats online software (https://www.snpstats.net/start.htm) was employed to evaluate the association between CRP gene and T2DM risk. High-order interactions among SNPs was tested using generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction, and the testing balanced accuracy, training balanced accuracy and cross-validation consistency were calculated. The SHEsisPlus (http://shesisplus.bio-x.cn/SHEsis.html) online software was used for haplotype analysis.A total of 730 T2DM patients and 765 controls were enrolled. The T allele of rs1205 is associated with increased susceptibility to T2DM, OR (95% CI) were 1.51 (1.13–2.01), 1.44 (1.10–1.89) and 1.25 (1.01–1.54) for codominant, dominant and over-dominant models, respectively. We also found that minor allele of rs2794521 is associated with decreased susceptibility to T2DM under codominant and recessive models, OR (95%CI) were 0.38 (0.18–0.79) and 0.37 (0.16–0.80) for codominant and recessive models, respectively. No significant gene–gene interaction existed among CRP gene SNPs, all interaction p- values were more than 0.05. Haplotype analyses suggested the CGCA haplotype containing rs1205-C, rs1130864-G, rs2794521- C and rs3093059- A allele was associated with decreased risk of T2DM, OR (95% CI) = 0.83 (0.68–0.98), P = 0.047.Minor allele of rs1205 was associated with increased T2DM risk. Minor allele of rs2794521 and the CGCA haplotype were associated with decreased T2DM risk.Methods: We aimed to evaluate the impact of C-reactive protein (CRP) gene polymorphism, additional gene–gene interaction, and haplotypes on susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).SNPstats online software (https://www.snpstats.net/start.htm) was employed to evaluate the association between CRP gene and T2DM risk. High-order interactions among SNPs was tested using generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction, and the testing balanced accuracy, training balanced accuracy and cross-validation consistency were calculated. The SHEsisPlus (http://shesisplus.bio-x.cn/SHEsis.html) online software was used for haplotype analysis.A total of 730 T2DM patients and 765 controls were enrolled. The T allele of rs1205 is associated with increased susceptibility to T2DM, OR (95% CI) were 1.51 (1.13–2.01), 1.44 (1.10–1.89) and 1.25 (1.01–1.54) for codominant, dominant and over-dominant models, respectively. We also found that minor allele of rs2794521 is associated with decreased susceptibility to T2DM under codominant and recessive models, OR (95%CI) were 0.38 (0.18–0.79) and 0.37 (0.16–0.80) for codominant and recessive models, respectively. No significant gene–gene interaction existed among CRP gene SNPs, all interaction p- values were more than 0.05. Haplotype analyses suggested the CGCA haplotype containing rs1205-C, rs1130864-G, rs2794521- C and rs3093059- A allele was associated with decreased risk of T2DM, OR (95% CI) = 0.83 (0.68–0.98), P = 0.047.Minor allele of rs1205 was associated with increased T2DM risk. Minor allele of rs2794521 and the CGCA haplotype were associated with decreased T2DM risk.Results: We aimed to evaluate the impact of C-reactive protein (CRP) gene polymorphism, additional gene–gene interaction, and haplotypes on susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).SNPstats online software (https://www.snpstats.net/start.htm) was employed to evaluate the association between CRP gene and T2DM risk. High-order interactions among SNPs was tested using generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction, and the testing balanced accuracy, training balanced accuracy and cross-validation consistency were calculated. The SHEsisPlus (http://shesisplus.bio-x.cn/SHEsis.html) online software was used for haplotype analysis.A total of 730 T2DM patients and 765 controls were enrolled. The T allele of rs1205 is associated with increased susceptibility to T2DM, OR (95% CI) were 1.51 (1.13–2.01), 1.44 (1.10–1.89) and 1.25 (1.01–1.54) for codominant, dominant and over-dominant models, respectively. We also found that minor allele of rs2794521 is associated with decreased susceptibility to T2DM under codominant and recessive models, OR (95%CI) were 0.38 (0.18–0.79) and 0.37 (0.16–0.80) for codominant and recessive models, respectively. No significant gene–gene interaction existed among CRP gene SNPs, all interaction p- values were more than 0.05. Haplotype analyses suggested the CGCA haplotype containing rs1205-C, rs1130864-G, rs2794521- C and rs3093059- A allele was associated with decreased risk of T2DM, OR (95% CI) = 0.83 (0.68–0.98), P = 0.047.Minor allele of rs1205 was associated with increased T2DM risk. Minor allele of rs2794521 and the CGCA haplotype were associated with decreased T2DM risk.Conclusions: We aimed to evaluate the impact of C-reactive protein (CRP) gene polymorphism, additional gene–gene interaction, and haplotypes on susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).SNPstats online software (https://www.snpstats.net/start.htm) was employed to evaluate the association between CRP gene and T2DM risk. High-order interactions among SNPs was tested using generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction, and the testing balanced accuracy, training balanced accuracy and cross-validation consistency were calculated. The SHEsisPlus (http://shesisplus.bio-x.cn/SHEsis.html) online software was used for haplotype analysis.A total of 730 T2DM patients and 765 controls were enrolled. The T allele of rs1205 is associated with increased susceptibility to T2DM, OR (95% CI) were 1.51 (1.13–2.01), 1.44 (1.10–1.89) and 1.25 (1.01–1.54) for codominant, dominant and over-dominant models, respectively. We also found that minor allele of rs2794521 is associated with decreased susceptibility to T2DM under codominant and recessive models, OR (95%CI) were 0.38 (0.18–0.79) and 0.37 (0.16–0.80) for codominant and recessive models, respectively. No significant gene–gene interaction existed among CRP gene SNPs, all interaction p- values were more than 0.05. Haplotype analyses suggested the CGCA haplotype containing rs1205-C, rs1130864-G, rs2794521- C and rs3093059- A allele was associated with decreased risk of T2DM, OR (95% CI) = 0.83 (0.68–0.98), P = 0.047.Minor allele of rs1205 was associated with increased T2DM risk. Minor allele of rs2794521 and the CGCA haplotype were associated with decreased T2DM risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis is the main cause for total knee arthroplasty (TKA), followed by rheumatoid arthritis. Previous studies have reported conflicting results concerning the risk of surgical site infection after TKA for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients. Thus, this study aimed to examine whether rheumatoid arthritis patients had a higher risk of acute surgical site infection after TKA compared to osteoarthritis patients. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database of the whole population from 2012 to 2015, and collected the medical records of osteoarthritis patients or rheumatoid arthritis patients who underwent TKA. To evaluate the risk of acute surgical site infection in rheumatoid arthritis patients, propensity score matching was implemented for osteoarthritis patients. Acute surgical site infection was observed in 2.58% of TKA cases in rheumatoid arthritis patients and 2.66% of TKA cases in osteoarthritis patients. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients had comparable risk for 90-day (odds ratio = 0.81, 95% confidence interval: 0.371–1.768) and 1-year (odds ratio = 0.463, 95% confidence interval: 0.121–1.766) surgical site infection. In conclusion, patients with rheumatoid arthritis were not at higher risk of acute surgical site infection after TKA compared to osteoarthritis patients. The current treatment strategy for patients with RA is safe and appropriate if they require TKA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of frame plays a significant role in art design. However, traditional picture frames do not offer human interaction. To create a new dimension of graphic artwork demonstration, we utilize the Internet of Things (IoT) technology to develop human and digital frame interaction. Specifically, this paper uses IoTtalk, an application-layer IoT device management platform, to quickly establish connections and meaningful interactions between IoT devices. The interaction between human and frame is accomplished by implementing an output device of IoTtalk called FrameTalk, which allows the input devices to control the dynamic graphics on a digital frame. The FrameTalk device can be exhibited in specific frame hardware or the screen of any computing device. We illustrate the functional block diagram of the FrameTalk device and its default applications. Then we demonstrate two FrameTalk application examples. The first example is CalligraphyTalk, where an audience can interact with the frame to write Chinese poems. The second example is PortraitGuess that allows an audience to play the historical figures portrait painting guess game by the frame. We measure the delays between the smartphone and the FrameTalk device, and develop both analytic and simulation models to investigate the user experience of the FrameTalk applications. Our study indicates that good user experience can be achieved in FrameTalk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the spectral element method (SEM) is improved to solve the moving load problem. In this method, a structure with uniform geometry and material properties is considered as a spectral element, which means that the element number and the degree of freedom can be reduced significantly. Based on the variational method and the Laplace transform theory, the spectral stiffness matrix and the equivalent nodal force of the beam-column element are established. The static Green function is employed to deduce the improved function. The proposed method is applied to two typical engineering practices—the one-span bridge and the horizontal jib of the tower crane. The results have revealed the following. First, the new method can yield extremely high-precision results of the dynamic deflection, the bending moment and the shear force in the moving load problem. In most cases, the relative errors are smaller than 1%. Second, by comparing with the finite element method, one can obtain the highly accurate results using the improved SEM with smaller element numbers. Moreover, the method can be widely used for statically determinate as well as statically indeterminate structures. Third, the dynamic deflection of the twin-lift jib decreases with the increase in the moving load speed, whereas the curvature of the deflection increases. Finally, the dynamic deflection, the bending moment and the shear force of the jib will all increase as the magnitude of the moving load increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and dyspepsia are highly prevalent in the general population with significant symptom overlap, while the interaction between both remains poorly understood.Aim: To examine whether GERD overlapping dyspepsia would have an impact on clinical and psychological features as compared with GERD alone.Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in a GERD cohort (n = 868) that was previously recruited from a population-based GERD survey (n = 2752). We compared the clinical and psychological factors between patients with and without dyspeptic symptoms "epigastric pain or burning." All participants were evaluated with Reflux Disease Questionnaire score, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score, Taiwanese Depression Questionnaire score, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory score. Endoscopic findings were classified according to the Los Angeles classification.Results: Among the GERD population, 107 subjects had overlapping "epigastric pain or burning" (GERD-D), and 761 did not have these symptoms (GERD alone). GERD-D subjects had more severe GERD symptoms and were more often associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (OR 3.54, 95% CI 1.92-6.52) as compared subjects with GERD alone. In addition, GERD-D subjects had lower quality of sleep (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.01-1.21), higher depression (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.10), lower blood pressure (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.22-0.95), and higher serum total cholesterol levels (OR 2.78, 95% CI 1.36-5.67) than GERD alone.Conclusions: GERD-D subjects are characterized with worsening clinical symptoms as well as higher psychosocial, IBS, and metabolic comorbidities, but less erosive esophagitis. Our results indicate that clinical awareness of such overlapping condition would help optimize the management of GERD in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stationary state entanglement in a chain with three spins is reported. Each of spins couples to its own separate bosonic reservoir. The master equation for such spins' system is derived under the Born-Markovian approximation. The result presents that the coupling between the middle spin and its bosonic bath in some special temperature region reinforce the entanglement between the spins. By analyzing the heat current between the middle spin and its bosonic bath, we find a tight relationship between the direction of heat current from the middle spin to its bosonic bath and the reinforcement of the entanglement. The entanglement increases with the heat current between the middle spin and its bosonic bath almost linearly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Arabidopsis CK2 α4 subunit regulates the primary root and hypocotyl elongation, lateral root formation, cotyledon expansion, rosette leaf initiation and growth, flowering, and anthocyanin biosynthesis. Abstract: Casein kinase 2 (CK2) is a conserved tetrameric kinase composed of two α and two β subunits. The inhibition of CK2 activity usually results in severe developmental deficiency. Four genes ( CKA1- CKA4) encode CK2 α subunit in Arabidopsis. Single mutations of CKA1, CKA2, and CKA3 do not affect the normal growth of Arabidopsis, while the cka1 cka2 cka3 triple mutants are defective in cotyledon and hypocotyl growth, lateral root development, and flowering. The inhibition of CKA4 expression in cka1 cka2 cka3 background further reduces the number of lateral roots and delays the flowering time. Here, we report the characterization of a novel knockout mutant of CKA4, which exhibits various developmental defects including reduced primary root and hypocotyl elongation, increased lateral root density, delayed cotyledon expansion, retarded rosette leaf initiation and growth, and late flowering. The examination of the cellular basis for abnormal root development of this mutant revealed reduced root meristem cells with enhanced RETINOBLASTOMA- RELATED ( RBR) expression that promotes cell differentiation in root meristem. Moreover, this cka4- 2 mutant accumulates higher anthocyanin in the aerial part and shows an increased expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes, suggesting a novel role of CK2 in modulating anthocyanin biosynthesis. In addition, the complementation test using primary root elongation assay as a sample confirms that the changed phenotypes of this cka4- 2 mutant are due to the lack of CKA4. Taken together, this study reveals an essential role of CK2 α4 subunit in multiple developmental processes in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of Sr–Ce addition on the structure and properties of A356 aluminum alloy are investigated under a constant of Sr content with increasing addition of Ce. When Sr is added to the aluminum melt in combination with Ce, the average secondary dendrite arm spacing reduces in the original matrix phase and decreases initially and later increases with the increase of Ce concentration. In addition, the iron-rich phase changes from coarse acicular structure to Chinese script and short rod-shaped structures, and Ce adsorb on the surface of the iron-rich phase resulting in the transformation of β-Al5FeSi into π-Al8Mg3FeSi6. When Ce content is 0.06%, the best modification effect is achieved. The tensile strength and elongation of the as-cast alloy reach 202MPa and 11.4%, which are 1.5% and 65.2% higher than those of adding Sr alone; the values after T6 heat treatment are 276 MPa and 13.3%, which are 12.7% and 22.0% higher than those of adding Sr alone, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 2007, the economic turmoil in the USA has had a dramatic impact on immigrant populations living within the nation’s borders. One such group is Chinese migrants who came to the USA as students in the 1980s and 1990s. This paper focuses on a segment of this population—medical professionals—who obtained graduate degrees in the USA and subsequently stayed on to work in pharmaceutical or health industries in Philadelphia’s metropolitan area. As a result of the economic crises in the USA and also the burgeoning market in China, pharmaceutical companies have begun to repatriate some of these Chinese professionals. This paper will examine reflections on the return experience to Shanghai, which has developed rapidly to become the most commercialized modern city in China as a result of the market reform initiated in 1979. I argue that neoliberal ideology in the USA not only forces these Chinese immigrants back to China, but also challenges their concepts of identity and citizenship, including cultural citizenship. This paper also examines the ways in which processes of change are affected by global capitalism and neoliberalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to evaluate immune responses in BALB/c mice vaccinated subcutaneously by recombinant protein, or intramuscularly by plasmid DNA with fusion antigen of rhoptry protein 2 (ROP2) and major surface protein 1 (SAG1) from Toxoplasma gondii ( T. gondii). BALB/c mice were immunized with one of three different antigen formulations respectively, which were rROP2-SAG1, pcROP2-SAG1, and pcROP2-SAG1 boosted with rROP2-SAG1. The production of IgG, IgG subclasses, lymphoproliferation, and level of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) were detected after vaccination. The animals vaccinated with rROP2-SAG1 quickly developed specific anti-TLA ( T. gondii lysate antigen) antibodies, which continued to rise after immunization. However, production of IgG against TLA in mice vaccinated with pcROP2-SAG1 was relatively slow and maintained a high level after reaching plateau. There are more vigorous specific lymphoproliferative responses observed in mice of group rROP2-SAG1 than in pcROP2-SAG1. Immune responses in mice of group pcROP2-SAG1 boosted with rROP2-SAG1 were similar to the protein immunization group. Three immunization procedures resulted in a similar level of IFN-γ production. Our results indicate that BALB/c mice vaccinated by three immunization procedures induce similar humoral and cellular immunity against infection of T. gondii. Mice immunized with recombinant protein rROP2-SAG1 produce more humoral immune responses than mice immunized with other antigen formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of tested marker becomes numerous in genetic association studies (GAS) and one major challenge is to derive the multiple testing threshold. Some approaches calculating an effective number (Meff) of tests in GAS were developed and have been shown to be promising. As yet, there have been no comparisons of their robustness to influencing factors. We evaluated the performance of three principal component analysis (PCA)-based Meff estimation formulas (Meff−C in Cheverud (2001), Meff−L in Li and Ji (2005), and Meff−G in Galwey (2009)). Four influencing factors including LD measurements, marker density, population samples and the total number of tested markers were considered. We validated them by the Bonferroni's method and the permutation test with 10 000 random shuffles based on three real data sets. For each factor, Meff−C yielded conservative threshold except with D′ coefficient, and Meff−G would be too liberal compared with the permutation test. Our results indicated that Meff−L based on r2 coefficient achieve close approximation of the permutation threshold. As for a large number of markers, we recommended to use Meff−L with r2 coefficient according to fixed-length separation, as well as fixed-number separation, to obtain accurate estimate of the multiple testing threshold and to save more computational time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cohort study was designed to evaluate the efficiency of gene transfer and whether biological activity from the expressed therapeutic gene resulted after administration of a recombinant adenovirus containing the human wild-type p53 (p53[SUPwt]) gene (rAd-p53 SCH 58500). The cohort study was conducted in five trial subjects with recurrent ovarian cancer. Each trial subject received multiple cycles of rAd-p53 SCH 58500, each cycle comprised of doses of 7.5 × 10[SUP13] particles on each of five consecutive days. Subjects were treated with rAd-p53 SCH 58500 alone during Cycle 1 and in combination with gemcitabine during the subsequent cycles. Both tumor biopsies and peritoneal aspirates were collected and evaluated for gene transfer and evidence of the biological activities of the expressed p53[SUPwt] gene. Using quantitative PCR and RT-PCR, and in situ PCR, gene transfer and expression were documented in tumor biopsies (four of five patients) collected from Cycle 1. Furthermore, upregulation of p21/WAF1, bax and mdm-2, and downregulation of survivin were observed in these same tumor biopsy samples, suggesting that intraperitoneal administration of rAd-p53 SCH 58500 leads to detectable p53 biological activity in target tumor tissue. In addition, gene transfer and its expression were observed in cells obtained from peritoneal aspirates. These fluids were mainly comprised of polymorphonuclear neutrophils, indicating that successful gene transfer can be achieved by multiple cycle intraperitoneal administration of recombinant adenovirus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study that examined the transactivation function of the Nur77 receptor inhibited by the promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML). Background on the PML gene; Analysis of the orphan receptor Nur77; Investigation of the functional significance of the association between PML and Nur 77.

SCH58500 (ACN53) is a replication-deficient, type 5 adenovirus (Ad) expressing human wild-type p53 tumor suppressor. It is currently undergoing clinical trials as a cancer therapeutic. Many SCH58500 clinical trials incorporate an arm comparing traditional chemotherapy against chemotherapy combined with SCH58500. Paclitaxel was chosen for combination therapy in the preclinical study reported here due to its extensive use as a first-line therapy in ovarian cancer, its synergy with SCH58500 in preclinical cancer models, and its activation of p53-independent apoptosis, which might result in a "lowered threshold" for tumor cell death. SCID mice bearing human tumor xenografts were dosed with intratumoral vehicle, control Ad vector, or SCH58500, with or without paclitaxel. Real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assays were developed and validated to quantitate expression of p53, the p53 downstream effector gene p21, and the apoptosis-related genes, bax, bcl-2, and survivin. Protein expression was confirmed using immunohistochemical assays for p53 and p21. Only tumors injected with SCH58500 had detectable levels of exogenous p53 DNA and mRNA. After SCH58500 treatment, 3-11-fold elevations of p21 expression were observed in tumor xenografts containing nonfunctional p53 (MDA-MB-468, MDA-MB-231, MIAPaCa2, DU-145, and SK-OV-3), but no change in p21 mRNA in wild-type p53 PA-1 tumors. Immunohistochemical assays confirmed induction of p21 protein in MDAMB-468 and SK-OV-3 cells, but not in PA-1 cells. Ad vector alone or paclitaxel alone had no effect on p21 mRNA levels in most tumors. However, paclitaxel suppressed p21 expression induced by SCH58500 4-fold in DU-145 and SK-OV-3 tumors. Paclitaxel also affected expression of the housekeeping gene gapdh. There was no consistent pattern to the changes in bax, bcl-2, or survivin after SCH58500 treatment with or without paclitaxel between tumor types, although there were consistent responses within... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new sesquiterpenoid, 1α,3α-dihydroxy-5,7,8,11αH-eudesm-4(15)-en-8β,12-olide ( 1), together with three known compounds, granilin ( 2), β-sitosterol ( 3), and β-daucosterol ( 4), was isolated from the ethanol extract of the flower buds of Carpesium triste. Their structures were elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data, especiallyC NMR and 1D NOE spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed this updated systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate anti-Müllerian hormone levels (AMH) in newborns of mothers with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) compared with healthy controls. A search of the literature was conducted in the PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, WANFANG, and VIP for articles to assess AMH levels in offspring of PCOS and non-PCOS mothers irrespective of language. These databases were searched from their inception to December 7, 2020. The quality of studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) scoring system. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were adopted to calculate the overall estimates with random-effects models. A total of 6 studies with 846 participants were included. The pooled analysis found an increased AMH level in the umbilical cord blood in newborns of PCOS mothers (SMD =0.62, 95% CI [0.28, 0.95]). Subgroup analyses revealed an elevation of AMH concentrations in female neonates, neonates born to American and Asian PCOS mothers. In addition, higher AMH levels were also found in studies diagnosed by the National Institute of Health (NIH) criteria, maternal clinical/biochemical hyperandrogenism, or maternal body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m2. Meta-regression analysis suggested that diagnostic criterion contributed mostly to the high heterogeneity. We demonstrated that AMH levels in neonates born to PCOS mothers were essentially higher, which indicates that AMH may act as an enigmatic role in the pathogenesis of PCOS which inhibits folliculogenesis in the fetal stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have suggested that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number was associated with cancer risk. However, no solid conclusion revealed the potential predictive value of mtDNA copy number for cancer prognosis. The present meta-analysis was performed to clarify the problem. Hence, we performed a systematic search in PubMed, EmBase, Web of Science databases independently and a total of eighteen studies comprising 3961 cases satisfied the criteria and finally enrolled. Our results didn't show the association between them but significant heterogeneity in overall analysis (OS: HR = 0.923, 95% CI: 0.653-1.306, p = 0.652; DFS: HR = 0.997, 95% CI: 0.599-1.659, p = 0.99). However, subgroup analysis stratified by sample came to the opposite conclusion. High level mitochondrial DNA copy number in peripheral blood predicted a poor cancer prognosis (OS: HR = 1.624, 95% CI: 1.211-2.177, p = 0.001; DFS: HR = 1.582, 95% CI: 1.026-2.439, p = 0.038) while patients with high level mitochondrial DNA copy number in tumor tissue exhibited better outcomes (OS: HR = 0.604 95% CI: 0.406-0.899, p = 0.013; DFS: HR = 0.593, 95% CI: 0.411-0.857, p = 0.005). These findings were further proved in detailed analyses in blood or tissue subgroup. In conclusion, our study suggested the elevated mtDNA copy number in peripheral blood predicted a poor cancer prognosis while the better outcome was presented among patients with elevated mtDNA copy number in tumor tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gut microbiota contributes to human health. Plenty of studies demonstrate that antibiotics can disrupt gut ecosystem leading to dysbiosis. Little is known about the microbial variation of appendix and its up/downstream intestine after antibiotic treatment. This study aimed to investigate the microbiome and mucosal morphology of jejunum, appendix, and colon of rats in health and dysbiosis. A rodent model of antibiotic-induced dysbiosis was employed. Microscopy was used to observe mucosal morphological changes. 16S rRNA sequencing was performed for identifying bacterial taxa and microbiome structure. The appendices of dysbiosis were found enlarged and inflated with loose contents. Microscopy revealed the impairment of intestinal epithelial cells. High-throughput sequencing showed the Operational Taxonomic Units changed from 361 ± 33, 634 ± 18, 639 ± 19 in the normal jejunum, appendix, colon to 748 ± 98, 230 ± 11, 253 ± 16 in the disordered segments, respectively. In dysbiosis, Bacteroidetes translocated inversely from the colon and appendix (0.26%, 0.23%) to the jejunum (13.87% ± 0.11%); the relative abundance of all intestinal Enterococcaceae increased, while Lactobacillaceae decreased. Several bacterial clusters were found correlated to the normal appendix, whereas nonspecific clusters correlated to the disordered appendix. In conclusion, species richness and evenness reduced in the disordered appendix and colon; similar microbiome patterns were shared between the appendix and colon regardless of dysbiosis; site-specific bacteria were missing in the disordered appendix. Appendix is likely a transit region involving in upper and lower intestinal microflora modulation. The limitation of this study is all the data were derived from rats. We must be cautious about translating the microbiome results from rats to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two Bacteria were isolated from heavy metal contaminated soil with high concentration of total chromium (ca. 2300 mg/L) showed their significant ability of chromate reduction. The bacteria were identified as Ochrobactrum sp. and Microbacterium sp., and were designed as Ochrobactrum sp. strain 71 and Microbacterium sp. strain 73, respectively according to their 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The ability of the two isolates to reduce hexavalent chromium in actively growing cells as well as in resting cells was examined. The results showed both strains were able to reduce Cr(VI) to trivalent chromium Cr(III) very rapidly when grown in LB medium containing chromate (in the form of K2Cr2O7, 5 mg/L and 50 mg/L). Reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in the phosphate buffer containing chromate was insignificant when using resting cells collected from exponential growth phase. However, when supplemented with electron donor (ex. acetate, citrate or NADH), resting cells also showed significant ability to reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III). Reduction of the toxic Cr(VI) to the less toxic Cr(III) is a promising bioremedial process in detoxification of Cr(VI)-contaminated environment. Therefore, traits of chromate reduction by these two indigenous isolates showed significant potential in helping in situ Cr(VI) bioremediation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on unit cell model, the 3D 4-directional braided composites can be simplified as unidirectional composites with different local axial coordinate system and the compliance matrix of unidirectional composites can be defined utilizing the bridge model. The total stiffness matrix of braided composites can be obtained by the volume average stiffness of unidirectional composites with different local axial coordinate system and the engineering elastic constants of braided composites were computed further. Based on the iso-strain assumption and the bridge model, the stress distribution of fiber bundle and matrix of different unidirectional composites can be determined and the tensile strength of 3D 4-directional braided composites was predicted by means of the Hoffman’s failure criterion for the fiber bundle and Mises’ failure criterion for the matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel compounds, named [Ti2Na4(BTC4A)2(μ6-O2−)(CH3O−)2·2H2O·2DMA] (1) and [Ti4(BTC4A)(OH−)4(EtO−)6(iPrO−)2] (2) (H4BTC4A= p-tert-Butylthiacalix [4] arene), have been synthesized and characterized. Single crystal diffraction shows that compound 1 features a dumbbell-like molecule based on an octahedral Ti2Na4 core and two BTC4A4− ligands with cone conformation. Compound 2 is composed of a bi-titanium(IV) unit and a BTC4A4− ligand with 1,2-alternate conformation. The estimated optical bandgaps of compounds 1 and 2 are 2.87 and 1.97 eV, respectively, which are smaller than that of TiO2. Moreover, compounds 1 and 2 display much higher and more efficient photocatalytic degradation abilities for methylene blue than TiO2 under visible light irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Gram-staining positive aerobic bacterium, designated TLY-12T, was isolated from the Pu-erh tea pile-fermentation process in Pu'er city, Yunnan, China. Strain TLY-12T grew at 15–37 °C (optimum, 30 °C), pH 6.0–11.0 (optimum, pH 9.0) and 0–9.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 3.0%). The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15:0, C16:0 and iso-C16:0. The respiratory quinone were menaquinones MK-9 (H2) and MK-9 (H4). The polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol (PG), diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphoglycolipid (PGL), glycolipid (GL) and an unidentified phospholipid (PL). The peptidoglycan contained glutamic acid, aspartic acid, alanine and lysine, with the last named being the diagnostic diamino acid. Whole-cell sugars of the isolate were ribose, galactose and glucose. Phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA gene showed that this strain belonged to the family Promicromonosporaceae, and was most closely related to Isoptericola cucumis DSM 101603 T, which gave sequence similarity of 97.9%. Genome sequencing revealed a genome size of 3.91 Mbp and a G + C content of 75.0%. Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values were all below the species threshold of described Promicromonosporaceae species. Genome phylogenetic analysis showed that strain TLY-12T formed a separate evolutionary branch, and was parallel to other related genera of Promicromonosporaceae. Based on the phylogenetic, phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genome pairwise data, strain TLY-12T is considered to represent a novel species in a new genus in the family Promicromonosporaceae, for which the name Puerhibacterium puerhi gen. nov, sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TLY-12T (= CGMCC 1.17157T = KCTC 49467T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under intensive and high-density aquaculture conditions, the cultured eels are easily infected by a variety of virulent Aeromonas species, which leads to high mortality rates and economic losses. In this study, a visual closed-tube loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed for targeting aerolysin gene of Aeromonas species affecting cultured eels. Firstly, two pairs of outer and inner primers were designed against a conserved region of the aer gene from different Aeromonas species. Secondly, the weakly buffered aer-LAMP assay was optimized under various Mg2+ concentrations, different amplification times and amplification temperatures followed by the visual evaluation of phenol red dye and SYTO-9. Thirdly, the detection limit of the aer-LAMP assay showed 16.8 copy/μl which was simultaneously evaluated by the color changes from red to yellow and the real-time fluorescence amplification curves. The specificity of the aer-LAMP assay showed no cross-reaction with other related species. In addition, 30 Aeromonas strains and 40 clinical tissues from eels were used to further validate the effectiveness of the aer-LAMP assay. All the results showed that the aer-LAMP assay provided a rapid, simple, and reliable method for detecting Aeromonas harboring the aerolysin gene, which would be helpful for the prevention and control of Aeromonas infection in cultured eels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel silicotungstate-based silver(I) compound, formulated as [{Ag8(H3mtz)12}{SiW12O40}2]·8H2O (1) (H3mtz = 3-Mercapto-1,2,4-triazole) has been hydrothermally synthesized. This compound was identified by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and also characterized by FT-IR, UV, TG, PXRD and elemental analyses. The data show that it possesses the octanuclear silver(I) clusters and the anionic silicotungstates, which were connected via the hydrogen bonds and weak Ag-O bonds. Interestingly, the estimated optical bandgap of compound 1 is 1.95 eV, which falls into the range of semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Middle Jurassic Shaximiao Formation encompasses tens of meters of thick lowstand meandering valley (LMV) strata in the western Sichuan foreland basin. Ancient LMVs newly discovered in this area were further studied based on sequence stratigraphy and seismic sedimentology. The aim of the present study was to investigate the sedimentary characteristics, sequence architecture, and the controls on LMV deposition in this tectonically active basin using field survey data, seismic sections, seismic amplitude imaging, core description, and comprehensive application of drilling data. The results show the following: (1) Three regional sequence boundaries and two flooding surfaces were recognized, and the Shaximiao Formation was divided into two-third-order sequences and four systems tracts. (2) Three sedimentary facies associations were identified: incised valley-fill, tributary channel, and overbank facies. Incised valleys are 5-17 km wide, 20-60 m deep and traceable for 120 km along their axes. (3) In the downstream segment, the role of tectonism gradually diminishes, and periodic base-level changes control the form and evolution of the incised valleys. Three types of LMVs—A1, A2, and A3—developed with changes in base level (lake level); of these types, the base level of the A3 LMV was likely the lowest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting from tripodal ligand tris-(methyl-imidazole) amine (1) the colourless complex tris-(methyl-imidazole)aminesilver(I)perchlorate (2) has been synthesized, characterized by IR, UV/Vis and HNMR spectroscopic studies and finally solid state structure has been established by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. A single crystal X-ray structure determination revealed the formation of coordination polymer. The crystal structure possesses weak d-d 'argentophilic' interactions with Ag-Ag separation (3.348 Å). The weak luminance at 375 nm may be this Ag-Ag weak interaction. The molecule possesses weak H-bonding with C2 and C4H of imidazole with oxygen of ClO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new sesquiterpene hyssopusin A (1), together with four known compounds 2-5, was isolated from Hyssopus cuspidatus. The structure of hyssopusin A (1) was elucidated by physical and spectroscopic data analysis, including 1D NMR, 2D NMR, and HR-ESI-MS. Compounds 1-4 showed antifeedant effects against the third instar larvae of Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in a concentration-dependent manner with 50% antifeedant concentrations (AFC50) of 32.17, 38.33, 25.47, and 36.22 μg/cm2, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of stray grain formation at the platform of turbine blade simulator and the effect of withdrawal rate (V) on the stray grain phenomenon have been investigated using a macro-scale ProCAST coupled with a 3D Cellular Automaton Finite Element (CAFE) model. The results indicate that the stray grains nucleate at the edges of platform at V =150 μm·s-1 and 200 μm·s-1. Using ProCAST computer simulation software, it was proven that the stray grain formation is significantly dependent on the undercooling and the temperature field distribution in the platform. The macroscopic curvature of the liquidus isotherm becomes markedly concave with an increase in the withdrawal rate. The probability of stray grain formation at the edges of platform can be increased by increasing the withdrawal rate in the range of 70 μm·s-1 to 200 μm·s-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antihistamines are the first-line treatment for chronic urticaria (CU). However, some CU patients are relatively refractory to antihistamines. The mechanism underlying the interindividual variation is still unknown. The α-chain of the high-affinity IgE receptor is crucial to the IgE-mediated allergic response. The present study is to investigate whether FCER1A polymorphisms are associated with the risk of CSU, and to determine whether these polymorphisms influence the therapeutic efficacy of nonsedating H1-antihistamines. 191 CSU patients treated by nonsedating H1-antihistamines monotherapy (including desloratadine, mizolastine or fexofenadine) were prospectively enrolled in this study. The response to antihistamines monotherapy was assessed by urticaria activity score (UAS7) after 4 weeks of treatment. FCER1A rs2298805, rs10908703 and rs2494262 genotypes were determined by Sequenom Mass Array technology or direct sequencing. There was significant difference in the allele frequency of rs2298805A between CSU patients and 177 healthy subjects (5.3 vs 10.2 %, P = 0.012, OR = 0.491, 95 % CI 0.278-0.865), and also significant difference in the allele frequency of rs2298805A between effective and ineffective groups (7.5 vs 1.0 %, P = 0.015, OR = 8.328, 95 %CI 1.1-63.039). In addition, rs2298805 polymorphism was significantly associated with total serum IgE concentrations ( P = 0.011). There were no differences in the rs10908703 and rs2494262 either between CSU patients and healthy controls, or between effective and ineffective groups. These data suggest that rs2298805 might be associated with risk for CSU and the therapeutic efficacy of nonsedating H1-antihistamines in Chinese patients with CSU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable and efficient knockdown of multiple gene targets is highly desirable for dissection of molecular pathways. Because it allows sequence-specific DNA binding, transcription activator-like effector (TALE) offers a new genetic perturbation technique that allows for gene-specific repression. Here, we constructed a multicolor lentiviral TALE-Kruppel-associated box (KRAB) expression vector platform that enables knockdown of multiple gene targets. This platform is fully compatible with the Golden Gate TALEN and TAL Effector Kit 2.0, a widely used and efficient method for TALE assembly.Weshowed that this multicolor TALE-KRAB vector system when combined together with bone marrow transplantation could quickly knock down c-kit and PU.1 genes in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells of recipient mice. Furthermore, our data demonstrated that this platform simultaneously knocked down both c-Kit and PU.1 genes in the same primary cell populations. Together, our results suggest that this multicolor TALE-KRAB vector platform is a promising and versatile tool for knockdown of multiple gene targets and could greatly facilitate dissection of molecular pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium head blight (FHB) and crown rot (CR) are two wheat diseases caused by the same Fusarium pathogens. Progress towards CR resistance could benefit from FHB-resistant germplasm if the same genes are involved in resistance to these two different diseases. Two independent studies were conducted to investigate the relationship between host resistances to these two diseases. In the first study 32 genotypes were assessed and no significant correlation between their reactions to FHB and CR was detected. The second study was based on a QTL analysis of a doubled haploid population derived from a variety with resistance to both diseases. Results from this study showed that loci conferring resistance to FHB and CR are located on different chromosomes. Together, these results suggest that, despite a common aetiology, different host genes are involved in the resistance against FHB and CR in wheat. Thus, although it is possible that genes affecting both diseases may exist in other germplasm or under different conditions, separate screening seems to be needed in identifying sources of CR resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interstitial loss of all or part of the long arm of chromosome 5, or del(5q), is a frequent clonal chromosomal abnormality in human myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS, a preleukemic disorder) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of these diseases by deleting one or more tumor-suppressor genes. Although a major commonly deleted region (CDR) has been delineated on chromosome band 5q31.1 (refs. 3–7), attempts to identify tumor suppressors within this band have been unsuccessful. We focused our analysis of gene expression on RNA from primitive leukemia-initiating cells, which harbor 5q deletions, and analyzed 12 genes within the CDR that are expressed by normal hematopoietic stem cells. Here we show that the gene encoding α-catenin (CTNNA1) is expressed at a much lower level in leukemia-initiating stem cells from individuals with AML or MDS with a 5q deletion than in individuals with MDS or AML lacking a 5q deletion or in normal hematopoietic stem cells. Analysis of HL-60 cells, a myeloid leukemia line with deletion of the 5q31 region, showed that the CTNNA1 promoter of the retained allele is suppressed by both methylation and histone deacetylation. Restoration of CTNNA1 expression in HL-60 cells resulted in reduced proliferation and apoptotic cell death. Thus, loss of expression of the α-catenin tumor suppressor in hematopoietic stem cells may provide a growth advantage that contributes to human MDS or AML with del(5q). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Existence of Positive Solutions for a Singular p-Laplacian Differential Equation" that was published in a previous issue of the journal is presented.

Co-incubation of a replication-deficient, recombinant adenovirus carrying the wild-type p53 gene (rAd-p53) and hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) products from patients with breast cancer can significantly reduce tumor cell contamination. Whereas this approach provides a powerful tumor cell purging strategy, potential detrimental effects on the HSC population have not been investigated. The ability of human HSC to reconstitute hematopoiesis in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice and to undergo secondary transplantation provides the only nonclinical measure of self-renewing, stem cell function. The objective of this study was to investigate whether co-incubation with rAd-p53 compromised the SCID repopulating activity (SRA) of HSC. Granulocyte colonystimulating factor-mobilized human CD34[sup +] cells were co-cultured with rAd-p53 at our targeted clinical dose, and the ability of these cells to establish multilineage hematopoiesis in sublethally irradiated, nonobese diabetic (NOD)-SCID mice was investigated. The persistence of human cells in the mice was investigated by flow cytometry, granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming unit assay, and polymerase chain reaction of human Alu sequences. Further, limiting dilution analysis provided a quantitative comparison between the SRA of CD34[sup +] cells co-incubated with rAd-p53 and control CD34[sup +] cells (no rAd-p53 co-incubation). We conclude that co-incubation with rAd-p53 has little effect on the SRA of HSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recombinant adenovirus expressing human interferon α2b driven by the cytomegalovirus promoter, IACB, was shown to produce and secrete biologically active protein in vitro and in vivo. Intravenous administration of IACB in Buffalo rats resulted in circulating levels of biologically active human interferon at 70,000 international units/mL for up to 15 days. Distribution of interferon protein after IACB administration was different from that seen with the subcutaneous delivery of interferon protein. Higher levels of interferon protein were observed in liver and spleen after IACB delivery compared to protein delivery. The antitumor efficacy of IACB, as measured by suppression of tumor growth, was tested in athymic nude mice bearing established human tumor xenografts from different types of human cancer. Subcutaneous tumors most responsive to the intratumoral administration of IACB ranked as U87MG (glioblastoma) and K562 (chronic myelogenous leukemia), followed by Hep 3B (hepatocellular carcinoma) and LN229 cells (glioblastoma). Intravenous administration of IACB in animals bearing U87MG or Hep 3B xenografts was also effective in suppressing tumor growth, although to a lesser extent than the intratumoral administration. IACB was also tested in a metastatic model in beige/SCID mice generated with H69 (small cell lung carcinoma) cells and was found to prolong survival in tumor-bearing animals. This suggested that interferon gene delivery can be effective in suppressing tumor growth in a wide variety of cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotic administration, while facilitating clearance of targeted infections, also perturbs commensal microbial communities. Previous studies have all focused on the effects of short term use of antibiotics. Here, we focus on the effects of long term use of antibiotic on gut microbiota and immunity. BALB/c mice received saline or different doses of ceftriaxone sodium (100, 200 and 400 mg/mL) via daily gavage for 150 days. Alterations of fecal microbiota, small intestine histopathology, body weight, spleen index, serum IgG, mucus SIgA, IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio, CD4/CD8 ratio and CD4+CD25+ cells were evaluated. Long term ceftriaxone sodium administration resulted in gut microbiota dysbiosis, intestine histological lesions, growth inhibition, spleen index reducing. The immune defense ability reduced as serum IgG and mucus SIgA decreased significantly. Not only the immune defense, long term ceftriaxone administration also affected immune regulation. The IFN-γ/IL-4 and CD4/CD8 ratios increased, the CD4+CD25+ cells reduced on days 30 and 60 after ceftriaxone administration. However, after 90 days of ceftriaxone administration, the IFN-γ/IL-4, CD4/CD8 ratios and CD4+CD25+ cells restored, which indicated a new balance of immune regulation had been formed. Overall, these findings contribute to our understanding of long term antibiotic administration influencing gut microbiota and immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]