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Purpose: Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of concomitant medications on the response and survival of patients with advanced digestive tract cancer receiving an immunotherapy-antiangiogenesis combination. Methods: We conducted a three-center observational retrospective study of patients with advanced digestive tract cancer who received programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors plus antiangiogenic agents between March 2019 and July 2022 in China. The patients had one of the three types of primary tumors: hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), colorectal cancer (CRC), and gastric cancer (GC). Results: The study included 352 patients. The most frequently prescribed co-medications were nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (46.3%), proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) (38.0%), systemic antibiotics (33.8%), and corticosteroids (30.1%). Probiotics had a direct correlation with a higher objective response rate (ORR) (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2 to 4.7, p = 0.013). Patients who received PPIs for gastritis/gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (HR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5 to 1.0, p = 0.045), anticoagulants (HR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3 to 0.9, p = 0.009), and probiotics (HR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5 to 1.0, p = 0.034) had longer progression-free survival (PFS). Patients who received PPIs for gastritis/GERD (HR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4 to 0.9; p = 0.009) had longer overall survival (OS), while patients receiving opioids (HR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.0, p = 0.010) had a significantly higher risk of death. Conclusion: Patients with advanced digestive tract cancer who were administered PPIs for gastritis/GERD indication, anticoagulants, or probiotics in combination with PD-1 inhibitors and antiangiogenic agents experienced improved clinical outcomes. However, opioid administration was linked to reduced OS in patients receiving combined therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to effectively handle imbalanced data is one of the hot issues in the fields of machine learning and data mining. Undersampling is a popular technique of dealing with imbalanced data. The aim of undersampling is to select an instance subset from the majority class of an imbalanced dataset and then make the dataset balanced. However, the traditional undersampling approaches may lead to the information loss of majority class instances. Therefore, on the basis of the concept of the importance degree of a fuzzy granule, a measure criterion of selecting representative instances from the majority class is presented in this paper by considering the fuzzy relations between the k-nearest neighbors of a majority class instance and the minority class instances. Then, we put forward an undersampling approach based on fuzzy rough sets (USFRS). With the proposed USFRS, the representativeness of the selected majority class instances can be guaranteed and the information loss due to undersampling can be reduced to the utmost extent. Furthermore, USFRS is compared with the relative undersampling methods, and the difference of the experimental results is analyzed by the statistic test. The experimental results demonstrate that USFRS performs well in classification for imbalanced data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung recruitment manoeuvres (RMs) during mechanical ventilation may reduce atelectasis, however, the optimal recruitment strategy for patients undergoing thoracic surgery remains unknown. Our study was designed to investigate whether ultrasound-guided lung RMs is superior to conventional RMs in reducing perioperative atelectasis during thoracic surgery with one-lung ventilation. We conducted a randomised controlled clinical trial from August 2022 to September 2022. Sixty patients scheduled for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) under general anaesthesia were enrolled. Subjects were randomly divided into the ultrasound-guided RMs group (manual inflation guided by lung ultrasound) or conventional RMs group (manual inflation with 30 cmH2O pressure). Lung ultrasound were performed at three predefined time points (1 min after anaesthetic induction; after RMs at the end of surgery; before discharge from postanesthesia care unit [PACU]). The primary outcome was lung ultrasound score before discharge from the PACU after extubation. In the early postoperative period, lung aeration deteriorated in both groups even after lung RMs. However, ultrasound-guided lung RMs had significantly lower lung ultrasound scores when compared with conventional RMs in bilateral lungs (2.0 [0.8–4.0] vs. 8.0 [3.8–10.3], P < 0.01) at the end of surgery, which remained before patients discharged from the PACU. Accordingly, the lower incidence of atelectasis was found in ultrasound-guided RMs group than in conventional RMs group (7% vs. 53%; P < 0.01) at the end of surgery. Ultrasound-guided RMs is superior to conventional RMs in improving lung aeration and reducing the incidence of lung atelectasis at early postoperative period in patients undergoing VATS. The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (No. 220,825,810; date of approval: August 5, 2022) and registered on Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR2200062761). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptophyte algae are an evolutionarily distinct and ecologically important group of photosynthetic unicellular eukaryotes. Photosystem II (PSII) of cryptophyte algae associates with alloxanthin chlorophyll a/c-binding proteins (ACPs) to act as the peripheral light-harvesting system, whose supramolecular organization is unknown. Here, we purify the PSII-ACPII supercomplex from a cryptophyte alga Chroomonas placoidea (C. placoidea), and analyze its structure at a resolution of 2.47 Å using cryo-electron microscopy. This structure reveals a dimeric organization of PSII-ACPII containing two PSII core monomers flanked by six symmetrically arranged ACPII subunits. The PSII core is conserved whereas the organization of ACPII subunits exhibits a distinct pattern, different from those observed so far in PSII of other algae and higher plants. Furthermore, we find a Chl a-binding antenna subunit, CCPII-S, which mediates interaction of ACPII with the PSII core. These results provide a structural basis for the assembly of antennas within the supercomplex and possible excitation energy transfer pathways in cryptophyte algal PSII, shedding light on the diversity of supramolecular organization of photosynthetic machinery. The authors report structure of PSII-ACPII from a cryptophyte alga Chroomonas placoidea, providing insights into a distinct supramolecular organization and assembly of antennas in the supercomplex and possible excitation energy transfer pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the motion of charged particles in the electromagnetic field in the inner magnetosphere is essential for space science and space weather. Charge accumulation can occur due to the dipole magnetic and convective electric fields in this region. However, until the recent Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, there were few means to detect charge distribution in situ. We report unambiguous in situ observation of the spatial distribution of the excess charge density in the inner magnetosphere by the MMS mission. We find that a positive (negative) charge accumulates in the dusk (dawn) side inner magnetospheres, which is contrary to the long assumed overall quasi-neutrality of space plasma. These observations and results offer insight into magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling. The magnetospheric multiscale mission (MMS) consists of four identical spacecraft used to collect data on the interaction between the Sun and Earth's magnetic fields and study how the various interactions govern the dynamics of phenomena such as plasmas and particle movement. Here, the authors analyse MMS data on charge distribution, showing that there is a separation of charge on the dawn and dusk sectors of the inner magnetosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel non-intrusive and computer vision-based framework for driver fatigue detection from video is proposed in this paper. To improve the judging accuracy of the driver's facial expressions, the personalized threshold is proposed based on the driver's eye aspect ratio and mouth aspect ratio instead of the traditional average threshold, as individual drivers have different eye and mouth sizes. In order to alleviate the impact of the lack of relevant public data on model training, transfer learning is employed to train the eye and mouth state classifier. Furthermore, to address the low universality and accuracy of driver fatigue detection caused by using only one type of facial features, multiple features, including appearance-based features and deep learning-based features, are utilized. The experiment results indicate that our method achieves a 92.21% F1 score and 29 fps, outperforming traditional methods on the public NTHU-DDD dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diatoms are dominant marine algae and contribute around a quarter of global primary productivity, the success of which is largely attributed to their photosynthetic capacity aided by specific fucoxanthin chlorophyll-binding proteins (FCPs) to enhance the blue-green light absorption under water. We purified a photosystem II (PSII)-FCPII supercomplex and a trimeric FCP from Cyclotella meneghiniana (Cm) and solved their structures by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The structures reveal detailed organizations of monomeric, dimeric and trimeric FCP antennae, as well as distinct assemblies of Lhcx6_1 and dimeric FCPII-H in PSII core. Each Cm-PSII-FCPII monomer contains an Lhcx6_1, an FCP heterodimer and other three FCP monomers, which form an efficient pigment network for harvesting energy. More diadinoxanthins and diatoxanthins are found in FCPs, which may function to quench excess energy. The trimeric FCP contains more chlorophylls c and fucoxanthins. These diversified FCPs and PSII-FCPII provide a structural basis for efficient light energy harvesting, transfer, and dissipation in C. meneghiniana. The cryo-EM structures of an FCP trimer and a PSII-FCPII supercomplex from a diatom are revealed, providing detailed insights into the variety of FCPII and their regulatory roles in green light harvesting, energy transfer and dissipation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In coastal marine sediments, oxygen availability varies greatly, and anoxic conditions can develop quickly over low spatial resolution. Although benthic fungi are important players in the marine carbon cycle, little is known about their adaptation to fluctuating availability of oxygen as terminal electron acceptor. Here, we study which part of a mycobenthic community from oxic coastal sediments can thrive under temporarily anoxic conditions. We test whether phylogeny or certain fungal traits promote plasticity in respect to changes in oxygen availability. Therefore, we incubated mycobenthos under oxic and anoxic conditions, performed ITS2 Illumina tag-sequencing and an additional meta-analysis on a literature survey. Half of all OTUs showed a plasticity towards changing oxygen availability and exhibited different strategies towards anoxic conditions, with rapid response within hours or a delayed one after several days. The strategy of dimorphism and facultative yeasts were significantly linked to OTU occurrence in anoxic conditions, while phylogeny and other traits had less effect. Our results suggest that different fungal niches are formed over the duration of prolonged anoxic conditions. The taxon-specific proliferation seems to be regulated by the fine-tuning of various traits and factors. It is essential to take these results into account when conducting conceptual work on the functionality of the marine benthos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Lung ultrasound is widely accepted as a reliable, noninvasive tool for evaluating lung status at the bedside. We assessed the impact of perioperative variables on atelectasis and lung aeration using lung ultrasound, and their correlation with postoperative oxygenation in patients undergoing general anesthesia. Methods: This prospective observational study evaluated 93 consecutive patients scheduled to undergo elective non-cardiothoracic surgery under general anesthesia. Lung ultrasound was performed 5 min after admission to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). Twelve pulmonary quadrants were selected for each ultrasound examination. The lung ultrasound scores and atelectasis status were calculated. The oxygenation assessment was obtained by arterial blood gas analysis before discharge from the PACU. Results: Thirty-two patients (34%) had atelectasis in at least one of the 12 evaluated segments, whereas 12 patients (13%) had atelectasis in at least three segments. The proportion of B-lines (≥ 3) and atelectasis in the inferolateral and posterior regions was significantly higher than in other regions. Patients with lung ultrasound scores ≥ 5 had a higher body mass index and lower PaO2 before discharge from the PACU than those with scores < 5. Patients with atelectasis had higher body mass indices and lung ultrasound scores. The presence of ≥ 2 regions of atelectasis was associated with lower PaO2. Using multivariate analysis, body mass index, intraoperative body position, and sex independently correlated with lung ultrasound scores. Age and lung ultrasound scores independently correlated with hypoxemia. Conclusion: Lung ultrasound enables early postoperative evaluation of atelectasis and lung aeration, which are closely associated with postoperative oxygenation. Trial registration: The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (No.220,825,810; date of approval: August 5, 2022) and registered on Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (number: ChiCTR2200062761). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is a cytoplasmic multiprotein complex composed of the innate immune receptor protein NLRP3, the adapter protein apoptosis-associate speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), and the inflammatory protease cysteine-1. Pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) or other endogenous danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) activate the NLRP3 inflammasome. As part of the innate immune response, activated NLRP3 promotes GSDMD-dependent pyroptosis, and IL-1β and IL-18 are released during inflammation. Aberrantly activated NLRP3 is deeply involved in various inflammatory diseases. Due to its interaction with adaptive immunity. NLRP3 inflammation has increasingly received attention in autoimmune diseases. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a classic autoimmune disease, which mainly causes bone and cartilage damage. Elevated levels of NLRP3 can be detected in the synovium of RA patients. NLRP3 overactivation is strongly associated with RA activity. Mouse models of spontaneous arthritis has shown that NLRP3/IL-1β axis is implicated in periarticular inflammation in RA. In this review, we describe the current understanding of NLRP3 activation in RA pathogenesis and dissect its impact on innate and adaptive immunity. We also discuss the potential application of specific inhibitors of NLRP3 to provide new therapeutic strategies for treating RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the accumulation of data, it is possible to study the long-term variation of Fluxgate Magnetometers (FGM) of High Precision Magnetometer (HPM) onboard the China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES). The calibration method of HPM depends on an assumption that the linear parameters of FGM, including the gain factors, the offsets, and non-orthogonal angles are stable. However, HPM exhibits some unexpected trends in the scalar residuals when processed according to the assumption. Study on the residual finds out that under changing space thermal conditions, the non-orthogonal angles of FGM change periodically, suggesting that the data calibration method we used before should be modified. A multi-dimensional polynomial model is established for defining the change of non-orthogonal angles of FGM as a function of the sun incidence angles, geographic latitude and sensor temperature. Apply the polynomial model to data from August 2018 to May 2021, the standard deviation of the scalar residuals is reduced to around 0.5 nT and tends to be more random and in line with the normal distribution. Meanwhile, the variation trend in gain factors and offset factors are eliminated. Results show that the model can correctly reflect the period variation of the non-orthogonal angles of FGM with the space thermal conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photosystem II (PSII) has a number of hydrogen-bonding networks connecting the manganese cluster with the lumenal bulk solution. The structure of PSII from Thermosynechococcus vulcanus (T. vulcanus) showed that D1-R323, D1-N322, D1-D319 and D1-H304 are involved in one of these hydrogen-bonding networks located in the interfaces between the D1, CP43 and PsbV subunits. In order to investigate the functions of these residues in PSII, we generated seven site-directed mutants D1-R323A, D1-R323E, D1-N322R, D1-D319L, D1-D319R, D1-D319Y and D1-H304D of T. vulcanus and examined the effects of these mutations on the growth and functions of the oxygen-evolving complex. The photoautotrophic growth rates of these mutants were similar to that of the wild type, whereas the oxygen-evolving activities of the mutant cells were decreased differently to 63–91% of that of the wild type at pH 6.5. The mutant cells showed a higher relative activity at higher pH region than the wild type cells, suggesting that higher pH facilitated proton egress in the mutants. In addition, oxygen evolution of thylakoid membranes isolated from these mutants showed an apparent decrease compared to that of the cells. This is due to the loss of PsbU during purification of the thylakoid membranes. Moreover, PsbV was also lost in the PSII core complexes purified from the mutants. Taken together, D1-R323, D1-N322, D1-D319 and D1-H304 are vital for the optimal function of oxygen evolution and functional binding of extrinsic proteins to PSII core, and may be involved in the proton egress pathway mediated by YZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The medical application of chitosan (Cs) has been for about half a century, but the molecular mechanism has not been elucidated yet. This study is to explore the antibacterial mechanism of chitosan nanoparticles (Csnp) in dentin at the atomic resolution level. Extracted tooth specimen was prepared in three groups: A. control group; B. Csnp treatment under ultrasonic agitation (UA); C. Csnp treatment without UA. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to observe the Csnp distribution on the dentin surface. The incubations of Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) were performed. Further, we explored the protection mechanism of chitosan polymers to collagen type I, using molecular docking technique and crystal structure superimposition analysis. We revealed that Csnp under UA was evenly distributed on the dental surface and the Csnp-pretreated dentin had great antibacterial activity for E. faecalis. Our work demonstrated that Csnp occupied the grooves of the triple-helical collagen surface, strengthened by crosslinking, and interfered with the bond of collagen adhesin through steric hindrance effect and interrupting hydrophobic interaction. Csnp protects dentin against E. faecalis by interacting and crosslinking with collagen type I and prevents bacterial collagen adhesin binding through steric hindrance effect and interrupting hydrophobic interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covering rough sets conceptualize different types of features with their respective generated coverings. By integrating these coverings into a single covering, covering rough set-based feature selection finds valuable features from a mixed decision system with symbolic, real-valued, missing-valued and set-valued features. Existing approaches to covering rough set-based feature selection, however, are intractable to handle large mixed data. Therefore, an efficient strategy of incremental feature selection is proposed by presenting a mixed data set in sample subsets one after another. Once a new sample subset comes in, the relative discernible relation of each feature is updated to disclose incremental feature selection scheme that decides the strategies of increasing informative features and removing redundant features. The incremental scheme is applied to establish two incremental feature selection algorithms from large or dynamic mixed data sets. The first algorithm updates the feature subset upon the sequent arrival of sample subsets and returns the reduct when no further sample subsets are obtained. The second one merely updates the relative discernible relations and finds the reduct when no subsets are obtained. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the two proposed incremental algorithms, especially the second one speeds up covering rough set-based feature selection without sacrificing too much classification performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High precision magnetometer (HPM) is a magnetic field detection payload onboard China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES), including two fluxgate magnetometers (FGM) and a coupled dark state magnetometer (CDSM). Observations show that FGM appears to be influenced when tri-band beacon (TBB) is powered on and emits electromagnetic waves. The interference phenomenon is further validated based on both in-orbit observation analysis and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) tests on the ground. A joint correction algorithm based on the least square fitting and first-order difference method according to scalar magnetometer data is proposed to eliminate the interference. The algorithm significantly improves the consistency of HPM data. After correction, the average scalar deviation error could be reduced from 9.0 nT to around 0.7 nT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES), China's first satellite to measure geophysical fields with scientific goals in both space and solid earth physics, was launched successfully in February 2018. It carries high-precision magnetometers to measure the geomagnetic field. In this study, the CSES magnetic data were used to extract the signal of the lithospheric magnetic field caused by magnetized rocks in the crust and uppermost mantle. First, an along-track analysis of the CSES magnetic data was undertaken near the Bangui magnetic anomaly in central Africa and the Tarim magnetic anomaly in China, demonstrating that the CSES magnetic data are indeed sensitive to the lithospheric magnetic anomaly field. Then a lithospheric magnetic anomaly map over China and surrounding regions was derived. This map is consistent with the lithospheric part of the CHAOS-7 model. In particular, it clearly reveals four major magnetic anomalies containing long-wavelength signals at the altitude of low-earth-orbiting satellites. Three magnetic highs are located over the Tarim, Sichuan and Songliao basin, the origins of which could be related to large-scale tectonic-magmatic activities during geological history. A prominent magnetic low is otherwise found in the southern Himalayan-Tibetan plateau, possibly caused by the shallow Curie depth in this region. To further improve the precision of the lithospheric magnetic field model, more detailed data processing and multi-source data merging are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using magnetic field data from the China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES) mission, we derive a global geomagnetic field model, which we call the CSES Global Geomagnetic Field Model (CGGM). This model describes the Earth's magnetic main field and its linear temporal evolution over the time period between March 2018 and September 2019. As the CSES mission was not originally designed for main field modelling, we carefully assess the ability of the CSES orbits and data to provide relevant data for such a purpose. A number of issues are identified, and an appropriate modelling approach is found to mitigate these. The resulting CGGM model appears to be of high enough quality, and it is next used as a parent model to produce a main field model extrapolated to epoch 2020.0, which was eventually submitted on October 1, 2019 as one of the IGRF-13 2020 candidate models. This CGGM candidate model, the first ever produced by a Chinese-led team, is also the only one relying on a data set completely independent from that used by all other candidate models. A successful validation of this candidate model is performed by comparison with the final (now published) IGRF-13 2020 model and all other candidate models. Comparisons of the secular variation predicted by the CGGM parent model with the final IGRF-13 2020–2025 predictive secular variation also reveal a remarkable agreement. This shows that, despite their current limitations, CSES magnetic data can already be used to produce useful IGRF 2020 and 2020–2025 secular variation candidate models to contribute to the official IGRF-13 2020 and predictive secular variation models for the coming 2020–2025 time period. These very encouraging results show that additional efforts to improve the CSES magnetic data quality could make these data very useful for long-term monitoring of the main field and possibly other magnetic field sources, in complement to the data provided by missions such as the ESA Swarm mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading causes of death worldwide. Increasing reports demonstrated that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been crucially involved in the development of CVDs. Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a novel cluster of small non-coding RNAs with strong uracil bias at the 5′ end and 2′-O-methylation at the 3′ end that are mainly present in the mammalian reproductive system and stem cells and serve as potential modulators of developmental and pathophysiological processes. Recently, piRNAs have been reported to be widely expressed in human tissues and can potentially regulate various diseases. Specifically, concomitant with the development of next-generation sequencing techniques, piRNAs have been found to be differentially expressed in CVDs, indicating their potential involvement in the occurrence and progression of heart diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways involved with piRNA function have not been fully elucidated. In this review, we present the current understanding of the piRNAs from the perspectives of biogenesis, characteristics, biological function, and regulatory mechanisms, and highlight their potential roles and underlying mechanisms in CVDs, which will provide new insights into the potential applications of piRNAs in the clinical diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic strategies for heart diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS) domain-containing proteins (CDCPs) constitute a large family in plants, and members of this family have been implicated in a variety of biological processes. However, the precise functions and the underlying mechanisms of most members of this family in plants remain to be elucidated. CBSDUF proteins belong to the CDCP superfamily, which contains one domain of unknown function (DUF21) and an N terminus that is adjacent to two intracellular CBS domains. In this study, a comprehensive genome database analysis of soybean was performed to investigate the role(s) of these CBSDUFs and to explore their nomenclature, classification, chromosomal distribution, exon–intron organization, protein structure, and phylogenetic relationships; the analysis identified a total of 18 putative CBSDUF genes. Using specific protein domains and phylogenetic analysis, the CBSDUF gene family was subdivided into eight groups. The soybean CBSDUF genes showed an uneven distribution on 12 chromosomes of Glycine max. RNA-seq transcriptome data from different tissues in public databases revealed tissue-specific and differential expression profiles of the GmCBSDUFs, and qPCR analysis revealed that certain groups of soybean CBSDUFs are likely involved in specific stress responses. In addition, GmCBSDUF3 transgenic Arabidopsis was subjected to phenotypic analysis under NaCl, PEG, and ABA stress treatments. The overexpression of GmCBSDUF3 could enhance tolerance to drought and salt stress in Arabidopsis. This study presents a first comprehensive look at soybean CBSDUF proteins and provides valuable resources for functionally elucidating this protein subgroup within the CBS domain-containing protein family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medusae in 116 samples collected from the coastal waters of the northern Beibu Gulf during four seasonal oceanographic cruises from October 2017 to August 2018 were analyzed. In total, 34 species were identified. Two of the species are new to science, Proboscidactyla pentacanalis Xu, Chen & Yang sp. nov. and Helgicirrha apapillata Xu, Chen & Wang sp. nov., and three species are newly recorded in the Beibu Gulf, i.e., Hydractinia vacuolata Xu & Huang, 2006, Proboscidactyla flavicirrata Brandnt, 1834 and Phialella macrogona Xu, Huang & Wang, 1985. Collections of the species were deposited at the Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human action recognition remains an important yet challenging task. This work proposes a novel action recognition system. It uses a novel multi-view region-adaptive multi-resolution-in-time depth motion map (MV-RAMDMM) formulation combined with appearance information. Multi-stream 3D convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are trained on the different views and time resolutions of the region-adaptive depth motion maps. Multiple views are synthesised to enhance the view invariance. The region-adaptive weights, based on localised motion, accentuate and differentiate parts of actions possessing faster motion. Dedicated 3D CNN streams for multi-time resolution appearance information are also included. These help to identify and differentiate between small object interactions. A pre-trained 3D-CNN is used here with fine-tuning for each stream along with multi-class support vector machines. Average score fusion is used on the output. The developed approach is capable of recognising both human action and human–object interaction. Three public-domain data-sets, namely MSR 3D Action, Northwestern UCLA multi-view actions and MSR 3D daily activity, are used to evaluate the proposed solution. The experimental results demonstrate the robustness of this approach compared with state-of-the-art algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular dementia (VD) is a clinical syndrome of acquired cognitive dysfunction caused by various cerebrovascular factors. Estrogen is a steroid hormone involved in promoting neuronal survival and in regulating many signaling pathways. However, the mechanism by which it confers neuroprotective effects in VD remains unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the effect of estrogen on neuronal injury and cognitive impairment in VD rats. Adult female rats were randomly divided into four groups (sham, model, estrogen early and estrogen later treatment) and received sham surgery or bilateral ovariectomy and permanent occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries (BCCAO). The early treatment group received daily intraperitoneal injections of 17β-estradiol (100 µg/kg/day) for 8 weeks starting the day after BCCAO. The later treatment group was administered the same starting 1 week after BCCAO. Learning and memory functions were assessed using the Morris water maze. Morphological changes within the hippocampal CA1 region were observed by hematoxylin/eosin staining and electron microscopy. Expression of proteins associated with autophagy and signaling were detected by immunohistochemical staining and Western blot. We found that estrogen significantly alleviated cognitive damage and neuronal injury and reduced the expression of Beclin1 and LC3B, indicating a suppression of autophagy. Moreover, estrogen enhanced expression of β-catenin and Cyclin D1, while reducing glycogen synthase kinase 3β, suggesting activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. These results indicate that estrogen ameliorates learning and memory deficiencies in VD rats, and that this neuroprotective effect may be explained by the suppression of autophagy and activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tungsten oxide (WO3) has received attention as an electrochromic material because of its excellent properties. However, the long switch time and low coloration efficiency of WO3 film limit its use. Herein, a nanocomposite film containing Preyssler-type polyoxometalate (POM) K12.5Na1.5[NaP5W30O110]·15H2O (P5W30) and WO3 nanoparticles has been fabricated by layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly methods and characterized by UV-Vis spectra, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemical workstation. Compared to the pure WO3 film, the [P5W30/WO3]20 film has better electrochromic properties. Then, the electrochromic properties of [P5W30/WO3]20 film were studied in different electrolyte. The results indicated that the composite film show high coloration efficiency (191.62 cm2 C− 1), fast switch time (2.58 s, 1.48 s), good CV stability (500 th) in 0.5 M LiClO4/PC electrolyte, and successfully assembled of an electrochromic device. These advantages can make the nanocomposite film become a promising candidate for potential application in electrochromic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incremental feature selection refreshes a subset of information-rich features from added-in samples without forgetting the previously learned knowledge. However, most existing algorithms for incremental feature selection have no explicit mechanisms to handle heterogeneous data with symbolic and real-valued features. Therefore, this paper presents an incremental feature selection method for heterogeneous data with the sequential arrival of samples in group. Discernible neighborhood counting that measures different types of features, is first introduced to establish a framework for feature selection from heterogeneous data. With the arrival of new samples, the discernible neighborhood counting of a feature subset is then updated to reveal the incremental feature selection scheme. This scheme determines the criterion for efficiently adding informative features and deleting redundant features. Based on the incremental scheme, our incremental feature selection algorithm is further formulated to select valuable features from heterogeneous data. Extensive experiments are finally conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness and the efficiency of the proposed incremental feature selection algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver fibrosis results from collagen fiber deposition. Antler stem cells (ASCs) naturally in vivo differentiate into cartilage, which is only made of Col II in collagen component; whereas liver fibrosis is caused by over-abundance of Col I and III. In addition, ASCs can effectively promote regenerative wound healing in which tissue contains very few collagen fibers (Col I). In this study, we investigate the therapeutic effects of ASCs in a rat model of CCl4-induced liver fibrosis. Rats were treated with ASCs for 4 weeks in vivo, then biochemical and histopathological analyses were performed. Furthermore, we established cell co-culture systems of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and ASCs and of M1 macrophages and ASCs in vitro. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were used as a positive control. The results showed that ASC transplantation alleviated liver fibrosis effectively as evidenced by reduced collagen accumulation, decreased fatty degeneration, increased hepatocyte regeneration, decreased inflammation and significantly enhanced liver function; moreover, ASCs decreased the expression of pro-fibrogenic factors including TGF-β and α-SMA. Additionally, our study showed that ASCs inhibit HSC activation and proliferation by controlling the expression of MMPs, TIMP1, TGF-β, α-SMA and COL1A2 involved in these processes. Our results suggested that ASCs alleviate liver fibrosis effectively and inhibit HSC activation. Thus, ASCs may serve as a novel stem cell source for the treatment of liver fibrosis in the clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'twin deficits hypothesis' (TDH) claims that there is a connection between fiscal and current account deficits. In its most extreme form, popularized by the 'New Cambridge School' in the 1970s, the argument was that, with equilibrium in the private sector, the size of the public sector deficit was proportional to, and the principal determinant of the size of the current account deficit. In softer versions, private sector equilibrium is not assumed, but it is still argued that changes in the size of the fiscal deficit result in broadly equivalent changes in the current account. If valid, the TDH has important policy implications. In this paper we critically review the theoretical rationale for the TDH. We go on to examine the empirical evidence relating to it. We find little consistent support for the hypothesis either across our sample of advanced OECD countries or members of the BRICS group, excluding Russia. An explanation of current account disequilibria requires going beyond a narrow focus on fiscal imbalances in the context of the twin deficits hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two types of vertebrate cryptochromes (Crys) are currently recognized. Type 2 Crys function in the molecular circadian clock as light-independent transcriptional repressors. Type 4 Crys are a newly discovered group with unknown function, although they are flavoproteins, and therefore, may function as photoreceptors. It has been postulated that Crys function in light-dependent magnetoreception, which is thought to contribute towards homing and migratory behaviors. Here we have cloned and annotated the full-length pigeon ClCry1, ClCry2, and ClCry4 genes, and characterized the full-length proteins and several site-directed mutants to investigate the roles of these proteins. ClCry1 and ClCry2 are phylogenetically grouped as Type 2 Crys and thus are expected to be core components of the pigeon circadian clock. Interestingly, we find that ClCry4 is properly annotated as a Type 4 Cry. It appears that many birds possess a Type 4 Cry which, as in pigeon, is misannotated. Like the Type 2 Crys, ClCry4 is widespread in pigeon tissues. However, unlike the Type 2 Crys, ClCry4 is cytosolic, and purified ClCry4 possesses FAD cofactor, which confers characteristic UV-Vis spectra as well as two photochemical activities. We find that ClCry4 undergoes light-dependent conformational change, which is a property of insect Type 1 Crys involved in the insect-specific pathway of photoentrainment of the biological clock. ClCry4 can also be photochemically reduced by a mechanism common to all FAD-containing Cry family members, and this mechanism is postulated to be influenced by the geomagnetic field. Thus pigeon Crys control circadian behavior and may also have photosensory function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of most important risk factors for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Several long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to be involved in the etiology of HBV-related HCC. AX800134 is one recently identified lncRNA associated with HCC. In this study, we validated the upregulated expression of AX800134 in HBV-positive HCC compared with HBV-negative HCC. Furthermore, we found that HBV X protein (HBx) directly triggered AX800134 expression in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Pro-inflammatory cytokine TNFα also induced AX800134 upregulation in HBx-expressing HepG2 cells, which could be reversed by reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC). Additionally, silencing AX800134 with siRNA interference remarkably inhibited the growth and invasion of HBx-expressing HepG2 cells. AX800134 antagonism also enhanced spontaneous apoptosis of HepG2 cells under serum deprivation condition. Therefore, our results indicate that highly expressed AX800134 acts as an oncogenic factor in HCC, and its upregulation is related with the viral product HBx and chronic inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is a master regulator of cell growth that responds to a diverse set of environmental cues, including amino acids [1], [2]. Deregulation of mTORC1 has been linked with metabolic diseases, cancer and ageing [2]- [4]. In response to amino acids, mTORC1 is recruited by the Rag GTPases to the lysosome, its site of activation [5], [6]. The GATOR1 complex, consisting of DEPDC5, NPRL3 and NPRL2, displays GAP activity to inactivate Rag GTPases under amino-acid-deficient conditions [7]. However, it is unclear how the inhibitory function of GATOR1 is released upon amino acid stimulation. Here we find that in response to amino acids, the CUL3-KLHL22 E3 ubiquitin ligase promotes K48-linked polyubiquitination and degradation of DEPDC5, an essential subunit of GATOR1. KLHL22 plays a conserved role to mediate the activation of mTORC1 and downstream events in mammals and nematodes. Depletion of MEL-26, the Caenorhabditis elegans orthologue of KLHL22, extends worm lifespan. Moreover, KLHL22 levels are elevated in tumours of breast cancer patients, whereas DEPDC5 levels are correspondingly reduced. Depletion of KLHL22 in breast cancer cells suppresses tumour growth in nude mice. Therefore, pharmacological interventions targeting KLHL22 may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of breast cancer and age-related diseases. In response to amino acid stimulation, the ubiquitin E3 ligase CUL3-KLHL22 promotes the activation of mTORC1, which may drive tumour growth in breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors describe an ultrasensitive method for simultaneous detection of neomycin (NEO) and quinolones antibiotics (QNS). It is based on the use of (a) two immuno-nanoprobes (a probe for NEO and a probe for QNS), (b) surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection, and (c), a portable lateral flow assay (LFA). The two probes consist of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) conjugated to the Raman active molecule 4-aminothiophenol (PATP), and to monoclonal antibody against NEO (NEO mAb) or against NOR (NOR mAb). Quantitative detection of NEO and QNS was realized via SERS of the PATP-coated AuNPs captured in the test line of a LFA. Under optimized condition, the visual limits of LFA are 10 ng·mL for NEO and 200 ng·mL for NOR, and with LODs down to 0.37 pg·mL and 0.55 pg·mL by using SERS. The NEO test line is not interfered by the NEO analogues gentamycin, streptomycin and tobramycin, but the NOR test line suffers from different degrees of cross-reactivity (CR) to 12 common other QNS, the CRs ranging from 1.5% to 136%. The recoveries of NEO and NOR from spiked milk samples ranged between 86% and 121%, with relative standard deviations (RSD) from 3% to 6%. The method is highly sensitive, accurate and effective. It may be applied to simultaneous detection of NEO and 8 QNS, including NOR, enoxacin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, fleroxacin, marbofloxacin, enrofloxacin, and pefloxacin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate concentrations and mobility of selected metals (As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) contained in the bulk atmospheric deposition of Beijing, China, between March 2007 and February 2008, and to evaluate the metal deposition fluxes. Beijing endured heavy atmospheric deposited metal pollution with a deposition flux of 149.28 kg km year from nine metals studied, and a significant increasing trend was noted from metals studied during the past 23 years. High enrichment factors (EFs) of As, Zn, Pb, Cd, and Cu manifested their major anthropogenic sources. Among which, Cd and Pb require a consistent monitoring and to be strictly controlled regarding their high mobility and ecotoxicity. Furthermore, a declined metal concentration was observed in the bulk atmospheric deposition during spring, and long-transported crustal particles sourced from East Asian dust emission belt can reasonably account for this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, the mechanisms underlying the flavoprotein l-amino acid oxidase (LAAO) accumulation in cells remain unclear. In this study, using LAAO-producer Pseudoalteromonas spp. as model organisms, we found that the cell biomass is negatively associated with LAAO accumulation, whereas the LAAO accumulation is positively associated with the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging capability. The expression levels of ROS-scavenging-associated genes were up-regulated with LAAO accumulation in Pseudoalteromonas cells, which is presumably due to the requirement for the removal of LAAO-induced ROS. Exogenous HO exposure experiment supported that the ROS-scavenging system is associated with LAAO accumulation in Pseudoalteromonas. All these observations indicate that ROS-scavenging capacity determines LAAO accumulation in bacterial cells. Our results shed a light on understanding the mechanism underlying controlling and adapting to LAAO accumulation in Pseudoalteromonas. Besides, our findings are critical to the improvement of heterologous expression of active LAAO in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) from multinatural and anthropogenic sources poses serious risk to human health and contaminates soil and water resources as it settles back to ground environment and ecosystem. In this study, dust deposition flux (DDF), pollution load index (PLI) of heavy metals, enrichment factor (EF), and settling flux (SF) of eighteen chemical elements were investigated in comparison with crustal composition to assess the influence of anthropogenic emission on PM in major northern Chinese cities. The annual DDF in Lanzhou, Huhhot, Beijing, Zhengzhou, and Harbin was 134.7, 240.6, 103.7, 124.7, and 196.7 g m, respectively. The annual EF of Zn in Harbin, Cd in Lanzhou, and Cd in Beijing was 736.4, 248.6, and 166.3, respectively. Most of the inspected elements were enriched during winter in Lanzhou. Annual PLI showed that deposited dust in Beijing had the highest concentration of heavy metals. Seasonal PLI exhibited obvious changes in different cities. The annual SF of crustal elements was 1-5 orders higher than that of heavy metals. The highest annual SF of elements was identified mainly in Lanzhou and Huhhot. Sulfur, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in the dustfall of most urban areas were from human activities. Fossil fuel burning, metal smelting, mining, construction, and vehicle exhaust are the major sources of enriched elements in dustfall in urban areas of northern China. Toxic pollutants with dustfall are widespread and persistent, which deserves public concern in future sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid lateral flow colloidal gold immunoassay strip was established in a sandwich format with the colloidal gold-labelled mouse anti-β-conglycinin monoclonal antibody (mAb) and the rabbit anti-β-conglycinin polyclonal antibody (pAb) in order to specifically identify a soybean allergen, β-conglycinin. Soybean and soy derivatives have become ubiquitous in many vegetarian and meat-based food products, and as a result, dietary avoidance has become difficult. Therefore, soybean avoidance is challenging for individuals with soybean allergy. In our study, the selected mAb showed high affinity to the target and no cross-reactivity with other soybean allergens. Based on the sandwich immunoassay principle, the rabbit pAb was applied in the test line with high titre. The assay could be accomplished within 10 min without sophisticated procedures. The limit of detection of the test strip was calculated at 1.66 mg/kg in powdered milk using an optical density scanner that measures relative optical density. The assay showed high specificity for β-conglycinin, with no cross-reactions with other food allergens. The efficacy of the lateral flow test strip to detect β-conglycinin in powdered milk samples ranged between 80.8 and 89.2% with relative standard deviations of less than 7.2%. Therefore, the test strip is useful as a rapid and reliable detection method for β-conglycinin in powdered milk. In addition, this assay is suitable for monitoring β-conglycinin in other processed foods when samples are appropriately extracted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is one of the most complex natural hazards affecting agriculture, water resources, natural ecosystems, and society. The negative societal consequences of drought include severe economic losses, famine, epidemics, and land degradation. However, few studies have analyzed the complexity of drought characteristics, both at multiple time scales and with variations in evapotranspiration. In this study, drought occurrences were quantified using a new drought index, the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), based on observed data of monthly mean temperature and precipitation from 1961 to 2013 in Henan province, central China. Based on the SPEI values of each weather station in the study, the frequency and severity of meteorological droughts were computed, and the monthly, seasonal, and annual drought frequency and intensity over a 53-year period were analyzed. The spatial and temporal evolution, intensity, and the primary causes of drought occurrence in Henan were revealed. The results showed that the SPEI values effectively reflected the spatial and temporal pattern of drought occurrence. As the time scale decreased, the amplitude of the SPEI increased and droughts became more frequent. Since 1961, drought has occurred at the annual, seasonal, and monthly scales, and the occurrence of drought has increased. However, regional distribution has been uneven. The highest drought frequency, 35%, was observed in the Zhoukou region, while the lowest value, ~26%, was measured in central and western Henan. The most severe droughts occurred in the spring and summer, followed by autumn. Annually, wide-ranging droughts occurred in 1966-1968, 1998-2000, and 2011-2013. The drought intensity showed higher values in north and west Henan, and lower values in its east and south. The maximum drought intensity value was recorded in Anyang, and the minimum occurred in Zhumadian, at 22.18% and 16.60%, respectively. The factors with the greatest influence on drought occurrence are increasing temperatures, the Eurasian atmospheric circulation patterns, and the El Niño effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covering rough sets, which generalize traditional rough sets by considering coverings instead of partitions, are introduced to deal with set-valued, missing-valued or real-valued data sets. For decision systems with such kinds of data sets, attribute reduction with covering rough sets aims to delete superfluous attributes, and fast algorithms of finding reducts are clearly meaningful for practical problems. In the existing study of attribute reduction with covering rough sets, the approach of discernibility matrix is the theoretical foundation. However, it always shares heavy computation load and large store space because of finding and storing all elements in the discernibility matrix. In this paper, we find that only minimal elements in the discernibility matrix are sufficient to find reducts. This fact motivates us in this paper to develop algorithms to find reducts by only employing minimal elements without computing other elements in the discernibility matrix. We first define the relative discernible relation of covering to characterize the relationship between minimal elements in the discernibility matrix and particular sample pairs in the covering decision system. By employing this relative discernible relation, we then develop algorithms to search the minimal elements in the discernibility matrix and find reducts for the covering decision system. Finally, experimental comparisons with other existing algorithms of covering rough sets on several data sets demonstrate that the proposed algorithms in this paper can greatly reduce the running time of finding reducts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has caused devastating impact on pig-rearing industry in China and current vaccine is not effective against the circulating PEDV variants. In the present study, the full-length genome sequence from a PEDV isolate (CH/HNQX-3/14) was determined. The complete genome sequence analysis showed that the CH/HNQX-3/14 possessed unique deletion regions in the S and ORF3 genes. It was identified as a recombinant strain using phylogenetic analysis and recombination detection program. Further analyses of the full-length sequence suggest that CH/HNQX-3/14 is a natural recombinant between the attenuated vaccine strains (CV777 and DR13) and circulating wild-type strain (CH/ZMDZY/11). The recombination occurred not only in structural protein-coding region (S1 and N genes) but also in non-structural protein-coding region (replicases 1a and ORF3 genes). These results provided new evidence that PEDV strains circulating in China underwent recombination between vaccine and field strains, suggesting that recombination contributes to the genetic diversity of PEDV. Our findings provide valuable information on PEDV evolution and underscore the need for ongoing surveillance of this economically important swine disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a ratiometric colorimetric method for the determination of coenzyme A (CoA) by using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and bis-uranyl-bis-sulfosalophen (BUBSS) as optical probes. BUBSS is a binuclear uranyl complex and formed through the chelating reaction of two uranyl ions with bis-sulfosalophen. CoA is captured by the AuNPs via the thiol group and this leads to the formation of CoA-AuNPs. In a second step, BUBSS binds two CoA-AuNPs through a coordination reaction between the uranyl ions in BUBSS and the phosphate groups in CoA-AuNPs. This causes the CoA-AuNPs to aggregate and results in a color change from wine red to blue. A ratiometric colorimetric assay was established for CoA based on the ratiometric measurement of absorbance changes at 650 and 525 nm. Their ratio is linearly related to the concentration of CoA in the 0 to 1.2 μmol⋅L range, with a 6 nmol⋅L detection limit under optimal conditions. The method was successfully applied to the determination of CoA in spiked liver samples with recoveries between 99.4 and 102.6 %. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report a resonance light scattering (RLS) method for the determination of fructose bisphosphates (FBPs) in water solution using fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (F-1,6-BP) as a model analyte without the procedure of extracting target analyte. The method used a type of modified gold nanoparticles (GNPs) as optical probe. The modified GNPs are uranyl-salophen-cysteamine-GNPs (U-Sal-Cy-GNPs) which are obtained through the acylation reaction of carboxylated salophen with cysteamine-capped GNPs (Cy-GNPs) to form Sal-Cy-GNPs and then the chelation reaction of uranyl with tetradentate ligand salophen in the Sal-Cy-GNPs. A FBP molecule is used easily to connect two U-Sal-Cy-GNPs to cause the aggregation of the GNPs by utilizing the specific affinity of uranyl-salophen complex to phosphate group, resulting in the production of strong RLS signal from the system. The amount of FBPs can be determined through detecting the RLS intensity change of the system. A linear range was found to be 2.5 to 75 nmol/L with a detection limit of 0.91 nmol/L under optimal conditions. The method has been successfully used to determine FBPs in real samples with the recoveries of 96.5-103.5 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop a new resonance light scattering (RLS) method for uranium(VI) detection, we have studied the reaction of uranyl with N, N′-bis(pyridoxal phosphate)- o-phenylenediamine (BPPP) that is a Schiff base containing a tetradentate ligand and two phosphate groups. BPPP can chelate uranyl and then self-assemble to form a supramolecular polymer, resulting in a production of strong RLS signal. The RLS method was established based on this fact. The linear range is 0.5-25 ng mL with a detection limit of 0.2 ng mL. The method is simple and has been successfully applied to determine uranium(VI) in environmental water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a resonance light scattering (RLS) method for the direct detection of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in aqueous solution without the need for separation. The binuclear uranyl complex bis-uranyl-bis-sulfosalophen (BUBSS) was synthesized by the coordination reaction of two uranyl ions with the ditopic tetradentate ligand bis-sulfosalophen. In parallel, gold nanoparticles were modified with anti-ATP aptamer (Apt-AuNPs) to serve as RLS probes. The detection scheme is based on the specific reaction of a BUBSS molecule with two ATP molecules to form a linear supramolecule. This, in turn, binds two Apt-AuNPs molecules, and this is accompanied by the aggregation of the Apt-AuNPs and results in a strong RLS signal. A RLS method was developed on this basis that has a linear response to ATP in the 5 to 500 nM concentration range, with a 4.5 nM detection limit under optimal conditions. The method has been successfully applied to the detection of ATP in spiked real samples and gave recoveries between 96.3 and 102.5 %. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co doped BiFeO powders were synthesized via a simple sol-gel method. The crystal structure of the as-synthesized powders was characterized using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectra. The magnetic properties of the as-synthesized powders were investigated by a SQUID MPMS at 5 K. The results reveal that the calculated lattice parameters of BiFeO decrease and the magnetic properties sharply increase with increasing the content of Co. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the association between the expression of Oct-4 and the biological behavior or prognosis of cervical cancer. Serum-free suspension culture technology was used to select a suspension of microspheres that can stabilize clones. The tumorigenicity of the microsphere suspension was analyzed in NOD/SCID mice. Microarray analysis was used to detect the specific expression of genes in the microsphere suspension. The expression of Oct-4 was detected by immunohistochemistry, and the correlation between Oct-4 expression and clinical pathological prognostic indicators was analyzed in cervical cancer. The expression of the following genes was significantly different between the experimental and control groups: stem cell differentiation (CD44 and Oct-4), markers cell cycle regulators (APC), cell cycle regulators (MYC), and self-renewal markers (MYST2, NEUROG2, and SOX1). The expression of Oct-4 was significantly higher in cervical cancer tissues than in adjacent normal tissues and was significantly related to differentiation, clinical stage, and lymph node metastasis. The 5-year survival rate of patients with Oct-4-positive expression was lower than that of patients with Oct-4-negative expression (36.7 vs. 67.7 %, respectively; P = 0.001). Cox regression analysis revealed that clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, and Oct-4 were independent prognostic factors in cervical cancer ( P = 0.031, 0.012, and 0.001, respectively). Our results showed that Oct-4 was highly expressed in cervical cancer stem cells; Oct-4 expression was associated with biological behavior and was an independent prognostic factor in cervical cancer. Therefore, it may represent a potential target for cervical cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies suggest that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can provide some clinically curative effects on blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI). The specific mechanism by which this occurs still remains unknown, and no standardized time or course of hyperbaric oxygen treatment is currently used. In this study, bTBI was produced by paper detonators equivalent to 600 mg of TNT exploding at 6.5 cm vertical to the rabbit's head. HBO (100 % O at 2.0 absolute atmospheres) was used once, 12 h after injury. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed to investigate the impact of HBOT on the metabolism of local injured nerves in brain tissue. We also examined blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, brain water content, apoptotic factors, and some inflammatory mediators. Our results demonstrate that hyperbaric oxygen could confer neuroprotection and improve prognosis after explosive injury by promoting the metabolism of local neurons, inhibiting brain edema, protecting BBB integrity, decreasing cell apoptosis, and inhibiting the inflammatory response. Furthermore, timely intervention within 1 week after injury might be more conducive to improving the prognosis of patients with bTBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]