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To meet the low-cost concept advocated by the sodium metal anode, this paper reports the use of a pulsed electrodeposition technology with ionic liquids as electrolytes to achieve uniform nanoplating of metallic magnesium films at around 20 nm on spaced titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes (STNA-Mg). First, the sodiophilic magnesium metal coating can effectively reduce the nucleation overpotential of sodium metal. Moreover, three-dimensional STNA can limit the volume expansion during sodium metal plating and stripping to achieve the ultrastable deposition and stripping of sodium metals with a high Coulombic efficiency of up to 99.5% and a small voltage polarization of 5 mV in symmetric Na∥Na batteries. In addition, the comparative study of sodium metal deposition behavior of STNA-Mg and STNA-Cu prepared by the same route further confirmed the advantage of magnesium metal to guide sodium metal growth. Finally, the prepared STNA-Mg–Na metal anode and commercial sodium vanadium phosphate cathode were assembled into a full cell, delivering a discharge capacity of 110.2 mAh·g−1 with a retention rate of 95.6% after 110 cycles at 1C rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Central South University is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A series of Ln-MOFs 1–3 and codoped Ln-MOFs [[(CH3)2NH2][Eu2xTb2(1-x)(HL)(H2O)7]·2H2O [x = 0.01 (4), 0.015 (5), 0.03 (6), 0.07 (7), 0.11 (8), 0.14 (9), 0.17 (10), 0.21 (11), 0.26 (12), 0.30 (13), 0.50 (14), 0.75 (15)] were synthesized. Isostructural Ln-MOFs display 2D Layers. Chemical compositions of Ln-MOFs were characterized by plasma mass spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectra, transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy elemental mapping. Remarkably, the luminescent color of codoped Ln-MOFs 4–15 can be gradually controlled and tunable emission colors with corresponding CIE coordinates gradually change from (0.3787, 0.5623) to (0.541, 0.399). A meticulous theoretical investigation of the Tb3+-to-Eu3+ energy transfer in codoped Ln-MOFs is also performed and calculated efficiency from Tb3+ to Eu3+ can exceed 49%. Furthermore, codoped Ln-MOF 9 allows for the design of a ratiometric luminescent thermometer with function of T = −721.36654ITb/IEu + 793.34658 over a wide range of 80 to 280 K. A series of codoped Ln-MOFs assembled by octacarboxylate-based resorcin[4]arene ligands were synthesized and characterized, where codoped Ln-MOF 9 allows for the design of a ratiometric luminescent thermometer over a wide range of 80 to 280 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various methods have been exploited to treat oil/water mixtures, but they are not suitable for widespread application due to high cost or low efficiency. Superhydrophobic materials with water-repellent and lipophilic are desirable materials for the separation. Here, composite superhydrophobic coatings, capable of applying to a variety of substrates, were developed using a simple co-blending method of dispersing fumed TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) and hydrophobic silica sol into non-fluorinated modified polystyrene resin (MPS). The properties of the coating were investigated by a variety of techniques such as FTIR, FESEM, TG-DSC, and contact angle measurement. The results suggested that the surface had exceptional superhydrophobicity with the WCA as high as 160.8°. The coating remained superhydrophobic after 3 times of sandpaper abrasion. The superhydrophobic surface had excellent self-cleaning properties and could be applied to separate the oil/water mixture. The separation efficiency could be over 96% and remained stable after 5 cycles. It is a great prospect in the treatment of oily wastewater. Furthermore, the reagents and instruments used during the procedure are easily available, so it has the potential for production in large quantities. The superhydrophobic composite coatings for self-cleaning were fabricated by mixing the non-fluorinated modified polystyrene resin (MPS) and two nanoparticles of TiO2 and SiO2. The superhydrophobic composite coatings could be applied to separate the oil/water mixture. The separation efficiency could be over 96%, and remained stable after 5 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite glial cells (SGCs) tightly surround neurons and modulate sensory transmission in dorsal root ganglion (DRG). At present, the biological property of primary SGCs in culture deserves further investigation. To reveal the key factor for SGCs growth and survival, we examined the effects of different culture supplementations containing Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM)/F12, DMEM high glucose (HG) or Neurobasal-A (NB). CCK-8 proliferation assay showed an increased proliferation of SGCs in DMEM/F12 and DMEM/HG, but not in NB medium. Bax, AnnexinV, and propidium iodide (PI) staining results showed that NB medium caused cell death and apoptosis. We showed that glutamine was over 2.5 mM in DMEM/F12 and DMEM/HG, whereas it was absence in NB medium. Interestingly, exogenous glutamine application significantly reversed the poor proliferation and cell death of SGCs in NB medium. These findings demonstrated that DMEM/F12 medium was optimal to get high-purity SGCs. Glutamine was the key molecule to maintain SGCs growth and survival in culture. Here, we provided a novel approach to get high-purity SGCs by changing the key component of culture medium. Our study shed a new light on understanding the biological property and modulation of glial cells of primary sensory ganglia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A type of waterborne polyurethane (WPU) with excellent self-healing and recyclable properties was successfully prepared by introducing Diels–Alder (DA) reaction groups into it. FT-IR was used to verify the successful synthesis of samples and the retro-DA reaction in the WPU-DA films. It was found that the self-healing efficiency of the WPU-DA-4/4 films was 72.8%. After four cycle times, the self-healing efficiency could still achieve 49.7%. Moreover, the WPU-DA film could be applied as the positive friction layer to prepare a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). Working in contact-separation mode, the electrical outputs with 2 × 2 cm2 area can reach 58 V, 3.2 µA, 17.6 nC, respectively. It is also interesting to find that the electrical output properties of the TENG after damage-healed can be restored to more than 90% of the original one. The cross-linked WPU had good reprocessability and had great potential application prospects in intelligent materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an analytical model based on Classic Laminate Theory was developed for the prediction of effective thermal expansion coefficients (ETECs) of general angle-ply laminates (symmetrical and asymmetrical). Examples are given of the applications of the analytical solution to the prediction of the ETEC of sandwich structures with fiber reinforced composite (FRC) core for various ply angles. The proposed analytical solutions are applied to predict the ETEC of laminate structures with fiber reinforced composite core for various ply angles. Laminate structures with negative thermal expansion (NTE) are obtained and considered as special cases of interest. For an extreme case, a laying angle of [0Ti/(± 30)2S/0Ti] and [0Ti/(± 60)2S/0Ti] along with an NTE of -1.335 × 10–5/K has been achieved. Meanwhile, Finite Strip Method is extended to the framework of first order shear theory, and the corresponding governing equations are established. With the help of the Bolotin method, the dynamic instability region of the sandwich structures with NTE is obtained. Numerical results show that the thermal vibration, buckling and dynamic instability behaviors may be adjusted and controlled by changing the TEC and stacking configurations. The present analytical results are not only theoretical fundament for understanding the interrelationship between the mechanical and temperature dependent material properties and the shrinkage of the structures but also serve as guiding NTE design of structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and performance prediction of efficient anticorrosion materials is a work full of value, novelty, and challenges. In this work, from the perspective of nanostructure and composition, ZnO-based dilute magnetic solid solution (DMSs) with hydrophobic micronano network structure was synthesized through the self-induced effect of raw materials, the impact-resistant network structure, complex micro-channels, and densely nested layers resisted electrolyte intrusion. Further, the doping of mixed valence Mn element endowed the solid solution with dilute magnetic properties, so the Lorentz force from micromagnetic field changed the movement path of electrons produced by the anode reaction to improve the corrosion inhibition ability of the protective layer. Under the synergy of morphology and magnetism, the corrosion resistance of the DMSs materials was 555.4% and 173.8% higher than that of epoxy resin and ZnO shielding layer, respectively. Besides, a valuable phenomenon was found that the photocatalytic property of DMSs materials was positively correlated with their corrosive defense. In conclusion, this research provided a novel design idea for new high-efficiency anticorrosion materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to explore factors associated with prognosis in patients with metastatic small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) as well as to develop and validate nomograms to predict overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Relevant information of patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2016 was extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Nomograms for predicting 1- and 3-year OS and CSS were established with potential risk factors screened from multivariate cox regression analysis. The discrimination and accuracy of the nomograms were assessed by concordance index (C-index), calibration plots, and the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). In total, 373 SBA patients with M1 category were enrolled. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, size and grade of primary tumor, primary tumor surgery, and chemotherapy were significant variables associated with OS and CSS. The C-index values of the nomogram for OS were 0.715 and 0.687 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. For CSS, it was 0.711 and 0.690, respectively. Through AUC, decision curve analysis (DCA) and calibration plots, the nomograms displayed satisfactory prognostic predicted ability and clinical application both in the OS and CSS. Our models could be served as a reliable tool for prognostic evaluation of patients with metastatic SBA, which are favorable in facilitating individualized survival predictions and clinical decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the rapid advances in endoscopic technology, endoscopic therapy (ET) is increasingly applied to the treatment of small (≤ 20 mm) colorectal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). However, long-term data comparing ET and surgery for management of T1N0M0 colorectal NETs are lacking. The purpose of this work was to compare overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) of such patients with ET or surgery. Methods: Patients with T1N0M0 colorectal NETs were identified within the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database (2004–2016). Demographics, tumor characteristics, therapeutic methods, and survival were compared. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used 1:3 and among this cohort, Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed to evaluate correlation between treatment and outcomes. Results: Of 4487 patients with T1N0M0 colorectal NETs, 1125 were identified in the matched cohort, among whom 819 (72.8%) underwent ET and 306 (27.2%) underwent surgery. There was no difference in the 5-year and 10-year OS and CSS rates between the 2 treatment modalities. Likewise, analyses stratified by tumor size and site showed that patients did not benefit more from surgery compared with ET. Moreover, multivariate analyses found no significant differences in OS [Hazard Ratio (HR) = 0.857, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.513–1.431, P = 0.555] and CSS (HR = 0.925, 95% CI: 0.282–3.040, P = 0.898) between the 2 groups. Similar results were observed when comparisons were limited to patients with different tumor size and site. Conclusions: In this population-based study, patients with lesions < 10 mm treated endoscopically had comparable long-term survival compared with those treated surgically, which demonstrates ET as an alternative to surgery in T1N0M0 colorectal NETs of < 10 mm. Further high-quality prospective studies are warranted to comprehensively evaluate the role of ET in patients with tumors 10 to 20 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Central South University is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Total testosterone levels decline with age, while prostate volume and the prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia increase with age. We sought to investigate the correlation of serum testosterone levels with prostate volume in aging men. We analyzed clinical data obtained from 416 ostensibly healthy men who underwent routine health check-ups and recruited and collected data from these subjects 4 years later. We analyzed the correlation between prostate volume and relevant factors, as well as the correlation between changes in prostate volume and low testosterone over a 4-year period. Men with low testosterone had significantly larger prostate volume than those in the normal testosterone group (26.86 ± 8.75 vs. 24.06 ± 6.77 P = 0.02), and subjects with low testosterone had significantly higher levels of obesity-related factors, including waist circumference, body mass index, and insulin (all P < 0.001). After adjustment for age, testosterone level was negatively correlated with prostate volume (P = 0.004), and prostate volume and 4-year changes in prostate volume were associated with low testosterone. With increased testosterone level, prostate volume showed a significant linear decreasing trend. These findings provide evidence of the relationship between testosterone and prostate volume. Additional large studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effect of surgery on the survival and prognosis of patients with multifocal intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICCA). Patients with multifocal ICCA were selected from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database between 2010 and 2016. Kaplan–Meier analyses and log-rank tests were used to evaluate the difference in survival between the surgery group and the non-surgery group. We applied the Cox proportional hazards regression model to identify prognostic factors of overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). In total, 580 patients were enrolled in our study, including 151 patients who underwent surgery and 429 patients who did not. The median survival time of surgical patients was longer than non-surgical patients (OS: 25 months vs. 8 months, p < 0.001; CSS: 40 months vs. 25 months, p < 0.001). Similarly, the 5-year survival rate in the surgery group was significantly higher than those in the non-surgery group (5-year OS rate: 12.91% vs. 0%; p < 0.001; 5-year CSS rate:26.91% vs. 0%; p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that the OS (HR:0.299, 95% CI: 0.229–0.390, p < 0.001) and CSS (HR:0.305, 95% CI:0.222–0.419, p < 0.001) of patients undergoing surgical resection were significantly improved. Meanwhile, after propensity score matching (PSM) of the original data, we come to the same conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendritic cell (DC) vaccine has been proved to be an effective way in cancer immunotherapy in both preclinical and clinical studies. However, limitations in DC isolation and culture have hampered its practice and promoted the development of other antigen-presenting cells (APCs) sources to fulfill that role. Our previous studies have shown that B cells loaded by tumor cell-derived autophagosomes, which we named as DRibbles (defective ribosomal products-containing blebs), could reactivate DC-induced effector T cell response. In this study, the roles of DRibble-loaded B cells in priming naïve CD8+ T cell responses and controlling tumors were investigated. We found that high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) on DRibbles was involved in DRibble-induced B cell activation, and the DRibble-triggered B cell phagocytosis via the caveolae-mediated endocytosis pathway. By using OT-I mouse-derived T cells, we demonstrated that DRibble-loaded B cells could activate specific naïve CD8+ T cells in vitro and ex vivo. In a tumor-bearing mouse model, DRibble-loaded B cells elicited systemic antitumor immunity and significantly suppressed the tumor growth. Moreover, the antitumor efficacy of DRibble-loaded B cells was enhanced when they were combined with CpG and anti-CD40 stimulation. These results suggest that DRibble-loaded B cells represent a viable and practical therapeutic vaccination strategy that might have important clinical implications for tumor immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The downward continuation of potential fields is a process of calculating their values in a lower plane based on those of a certain plane. This technology is not only a data processing method for resource exploration but also plays an extremely important role in military applications. However, the downward continuation of potential fields is a typical linear inverse problem that is ill-posed. Generalized minimal residuals (GMRES) is an effective solution to ill-posed inverse problems, but it is unstable under the condition wherein the GMRES is directly applied in the calculation process. Moreover, the long-term behavior of its iterative computation is a disordered, divergent result. Therefore, to obtain stable solutions, GMRES is applied to solve the normal equations of the downward continuation of potential fields; it is also used to prequalify for occasional interruptions in the operation process by adding the damping coefficient, thus strengthening the stability conditions of the equations of residual minimization. Finally, the stable downward continuation of the potential fields method is proposed. As indicated by the theoretical data and the measured testing data, the method proposed in this paper has the advantages of high-precision and excellent stability. Furthermore, compared with the Tikhonov iteration method, the proposed method avoids the need to choose regularization parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To advance biomass-metal oxide composite synthesis, develop its interfacial chemistry and raise its performance in applications, specifying local structures and their effects are of great importance. Herein, a facile hydrothermal route was utilized to prepare a composite of renewable cellulose and zinc oxide. Microstructures from nanoscale to atomic level were examined with electron microscopy, spectroscopic technique and relativistic density functional theory. ZnO nanoparticles uniformly grow on linear cellulose nanofiber, affording an orderly hierarchical structure in general. Chemical interfacial coupling is computationally borne out. Three types of local structures with different hydrogen locations are energetically favored; notably the hydrogen-transfer one is most possibly occurring in the composite, whose interfacial interaction is dominated by orbital attractions and interfacial strength reaches − 5.06 eV. Electronic structures of the composite rationalized experimental diffuse reflectance spectra. The influence of different hydrogen positions in composite on various properties was discussed in detail. Experimental and computational characterizations unravel local structures of a typical cellulose–ZnO composite, which show different hydrogen positions. Hydrogen-transfer isomers are found the most possibly occurring, resembling the photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells. The interfacial nature and interaction strength as well as electronic structures are determined by hydrogen locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We successfully prepared Sr4La6(SiO4)6F2:Eu3+ (SLSOF:Eu3+) and Sr4La6(SiO4)6Cl2:Eu3+ (SLSOC:Eu3+) oxyapatite phosphors via the traditional solid-state method. The phosphors' structure and photoluminescence properties were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectra and temperature-dependent emission spectra. Among them, the irregular morphology of SLSOF and SLSOC particles was displayed by SEM images, and the phase formation of both sets of phosphors was illustrated by XRD analysis. Additionally, PL spectra indicated that the phosphor could be efficiently excited by the near ultraviolet (NUV) light, and then emitted shining red light, agreeing well with that the calculated color coordinates are within the red region. Comparatively, the luminescence intensity of SLSOF:Eu3+ is higher than that of SLSOC:Eu3+ on the basis of the greater electronegativity of F−, which directly leads to the enhancement of 5D0→7F2 transition. The temperature-dependent emission spectra indicated that samples have excellent thermal stability. Internal quantum efficiency value of phosphors were calculated. These results indicated that the halogen anions of these Sr4La6(SiO4)6M2:Eu3+ play important roles in their PL properties and both phosphors have great potential to serve as red emitting phosphor for NUV white light emitting diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies showed that, in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients with isolated 13q deletion (13q-), those carrying higher percentage of leukemic cells with 13q- had more aggressive diseases. However, the prognostic value of the percentage of leukemic cells with 13q- in Chinese CLL patients with isolated 13q- remained to be determined. Using interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), we identified 82 patients (25.4%) with isolated 13q deletion from a cohort of 323 untreated CLL patients. Among patients with isolated 13q deletion, cases of 13q- cells ≥ 80% (13q-H) had significantly shorter time to first treatment (TTT) than those of < 80% 13q- cells (13q-L) (median 11 vs. 92 months, p = 0.0016). A higher lymphocyte count (p = 0.0650) was associated with 13q-H, while other clinical, immunophenotypic, or molecular features did not differ between patients with 13q-H and 13q-L. Although 13q-H only showed marginal significance in multivariate analysis of TTT (hazards ratio 2.007; 95% confidence interval 0.975-4.129; p = 0.059), it helped refine the risk stratification based on Binet stage or immunoglobulin heavy chain variable gene (IGHV) status. In cases in Binet A or B stage, patients with 13q-H had a significantly shorter TTT (median TTT 18 months vs. undefined, p = 0.0101). And in IGHV mutated patients, 13q-H was also associated with reduced TTT (median TTT 13q-H. 18 months vs. 13q-L undefined, p = 0.0163). In conclusion, the prognosis of CLL patients with isolated 13q deletion was heterogeneous with 13q-H identifying patients with worse outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report the discovery and molecular characterization of a novel mycovirus, Nigrospora oryzae fusarivirus 1 (NoFV1) isolated from the rice-infecting fungus Nigrospora oryzae. Excluding a poly (A) tail, the genome of the virus is 7004 nucleotide (nt) long containing three putative nonoverlapping open reading frames (ORF1, ORF2, and ORF3). The large ORF1 encodes a polypeptide with a conserved RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) domain and a helicase domain that functions for RNA replication. Each of the smaller ORF2 and the smallest ORF3 encodes a putative protein with an unknown function. Amino acid (aa) sequence similarities between the NoFV1-ORF1- and ORF2-encoded proteins and the homologous sequences from other mycoviruses were found. Phylogenetic analysis on the basis of the RdRp and helicase domains showed that NoFV1 is phylogenetically related to viruses in the newly proposed family Fusariviridae. Thus, we suggest that NoFV1 might be a novel member of family Fusariviridae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved, high-yielding, and efficient protocol for the production of Regorafenib ( 1), a novel diaryl urea inhibitor of multiple protein kinases, is described. The highlight of the process chemistry design and development is an optimization of the route for preparing key intermediate 4-(4-amino-3-fluorophenoxy)- N-methylpicolinamide ( 7) by O-alkylation, nitration and reduction reactions. The developed process avoids using column chromatography to isolate 7, reduces the reaction requirements and is cost-saving, resulting in an increased overall yield from 35.0 to 57.0 % and purity from 97.0 to 99.8 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dacron heart patch has been used in decompressive craniectomy, performing the function of septa, mainly to prevent extra adhesion of temporal muscle and decompressive meningeal adhesion in the second-stage cranioplasty, so as to make the operation easier. Then, we made the following modification technology: (1) We used artificial suturing-free dura participate directly in the duraplasty. (2) Dacron patch is not in need of trimming the side holes and can directly cover the decompression window. From March 2012 to October 2013, we applied the technology of artificial dura with Dacron heart patch in 23 patients; after operation, we found that the initial depressive craniectomy cost less time, due to the tension-reduced suture which was not needed, and in the second-stage cranioplasty, the temporal was easy to remove and had no adhesion with the Dacron patch, so as to reach temporal muscle anatomy preservation, and with no obvious postoperative complication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to isolate, identify, and quantify protease-producing bacteria in traditional Chinese fish sauce. Fifty-five protease-producing bacteria were isolated from 10 fermented fish sauce samples in five growth media based on their morphology and caseinolytic activity. These isolates were identified through their 16S rDNA gene sequences. BLAST analysis of 16S rDNA sequences revealed that 46 and 9 strains belonged to Bacillus sp. and Virgibacillus halodenitrificans, respectively. We used EvaGreen dye in real-time PCR assay to target the partial bacterial 16S rDNA gene sequences of the 55 strains from fish sauce. Two primer pairs (A and B) were designed. Primer pair B was more suitable than primer pair A for real-time PCR assay, in which the optimum annealing temperature was 60 °C. The significance of the developed method was proven by the highly linear characteristic of the standard curve that relates lower threshold cycle (Ct) values and 16S rDNA copy numbers of the standard DNA sample. This method was used to calculate the number of protease-producing bacteria in fish sauce. The minimum level of detection (1.44 × 10 copies/μL) was also verified. The concentration of protease-producing bacteria in fish sauce was estimated to be (1.47 ± 0.73) × 10 colony-forming units (cfu)/mL by real-time PCR assay and showed a percentage of positive results correctly assigned of 91.8 % when compared to the plate culture method used as reference. The results may serve as a foundation for future studies on the microbial succession and variation of microorganisms during fish sauce fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy, an evolutionarily conserved catabolic process involving the engulfment and degradation of non-essential or abnormal cellular organelles and proteins, is crucial for homeostatic maintenance in living cells. This highly regulated, multi-step process has been implicated in diverse diseases including cancer. Autophagy can function as either a promoter or a suppressor of cancer, which makes it a promising and challenging therapeutic target. Herein, we overview the regulatory mechanisms and dual roles of autophagy in cancer. We also describe some of the representative agents that exert their anticancer effects by regulating autophagy. Additionally, some emerging strategies aimed at modulating autophagy are discussed as having the potential for future anticancer drug discovery. In summary, these findings will provide valuable information to better utilize autophagy in the future development of anticancer therapeutics that meet clinical requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytochrome P450s (CYPs) are widespread proteins that interact with exogenous chemicals from the diet or the environment. CYP9A subfamily genes are important in the silkworm Bombyx mori. We previously reported transcriptional levels of two CYP9A genes in different tissues and their responses to sodium fluoride (NaF). In this study, promoter truncation analysis using a dual-luciferase reporter assay in B. mori ovary cells (BmN) showed that the regions −1,496 to −1,102 bp for CYP9A19, and −1,630 to −1,210 bp for CYP9A22 were essential for basal transcriptional activity. Sequence analysis of these regions revealed several transcriptional regulatory elements but no typical promoter elements. Promoter activities were regulated after NaF induction and with an obvious dose effect. Although the dual-luciferase assay has been widely used to determine the activity of a given promoter in cell lines, problems with it still exist. Our results indicate that both plasmid size and construct protocols affect the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess whether the TaqIB polymorphism of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) in Chinese population, we performed a meta-analysis in this paper. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, the Science Citation Index (SCI), the China Biological Medicine database (CBM), the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and the Wanfang database for relevant articles. Data were extracted, and pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Results: The literature search yielded 448 studies, in which 10 case-control studies including 1 694 cases and 1 456 controls matched the selection criteria. The combined B1 and B2 allele frequencies were 0.587 and 0.413, respectively. The pooled OR was 1.10 (95% CI, 0.89-1.34) for comparing the B1B1 or B1B2 carriers with B2B2 carriers, and was 1.27 (95% CI, 1.09-1.49) in the B1B1 carriers versus B2B2 or B1B2 carriers. Conclusions: In the present study, the TaqIB polymorphism of CETP was found to be associated with CAD in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recovery of nickel from molybdenum leach residue by the process of segregation roasting-sulfuric acid leaching-solvent extraction was investigated. The residue was characterized by microscopic investigations, using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD) techniques and the residue after segregation roasting was characterized by chemical phase analysis method. A series of experiments were conducted to examine the mass ratio of activated carbon (AC) to the residue, segregation roasting time and temperature, sulfuric acid concentration, liquid-to-solid ratio, leaching time, leaching temperature, addition amount of 30% HO, stirring speed (a constant) on the leaching efficiency of nickel. A maximum nickel leaching efficiency of 90.5% is achieved with the mass ratio of AC to the residue of 1:2.5, segregation roasting time of 2 h, segregation roasting temperature of 850 °C, sulfuric acid concentration of 4.5 mol/L, liquid-to-solid ratio of 6:1, leaching time of 5 h, leaching temperature of 80 °C, addition of 30% HO of 0.6 mL for 1 g dry residue. Under these optimized conditions, the average leaching efficiency of nickel is 89.3%. The nickel extraction efficiency in the examined conditions is about 99.6%, and the nickel stripping efficiency in the examined conditions is about 99.2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method has been developed for simultaneous analysis of salinomycin and narasin in chicken muscle. Muscle samples were extracted with acetonitrile. Clean-up of the extracts on an immunoaffinity chromatography column was followed by liquid chromatography with postcolumn derivatisation and UV–visible detection at 520 nm. The immunoaffinity columns were prepared by coupling the anti-salinomycin monoclonal antibody to CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B. When chicken muscle fortified at 5, 25, and 50 ng g−1 was analyzed, intra-assay mean recoveries of salinomycin and narasin were in the ranges 87.5–93.1 and 86.2–94.3%, respectively, with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 4.7–6.2 and 2.4–5.7%. Inter-assay mean recoveries were 86.0–93.0 and 86.0–92.1%, respectively, with RSD of 4.8–6.5 and 5.8–7.4%. The limit of detection of the method was 2.5 ng g−1 for both drugs in chicken muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surimi gel was made from silver carp (hypophthalmichthys molitrix). Texture analyzer was adopted to measure stress-relaxation curve to study the effects of water, Na+ and Ca2+ on relaxation properties of surimi gel, so as to provide the basic data for development of surimi gel products. Micromodel of gel based on continuous phase of protein network with water embed and dispersed phase of myofibril was established. Stress-relaxation properties of the gel were imitated by use of five-element relaxation mathematical model, with high fitted precision. The results show that addition of water can reduce hardness of gel; Na+ and Ca2+ can improve the viscoelasticity of gel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice gel was prepared by simulating the production processes of Chinese local rice noodles, and the properties of thermal relaxation and mechanical relaxation during gelatinization were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurement and dynamic rheometer. The results show that during gelatinization, the molecular chains of rice starch undergo the thermal relaxation and mechanical relaxation. During the first heating and high temperature holding processes, the starch crystallites in the rice slurry melt, and the polymer chains stretch and interact, then viscoelastic gel forms. The cooling and low temperatures holding processes result in reinforced networks and decrease the viscoelasticity of the gel. During the second heating, the remaining starch crystallites further melt, the network is reinforced, and the viscoelasticity increases. The viscoelasticity, the molecular conformation and texture of the gel are adjusted by changing the temperature, and finally construct the gel with the textural characteristics of Chinese local rice noodle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, rapid and sensitive liquid chromatographic method with programmable fluorescence and ultraviolet detection was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of seven fluoroquinolones (marbofloxacin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, lomefloxacin, danofloxacin, enrofloxacin and difloxacin) and four sulfonamides (sulfadiazine, sulfapyridine, sulfathiazole and sulfadimidine) in chicken muscle in a single run. The tissue sample was extracted with phosphate buffer (pH 6.0) and cleaned-up with a solid phase extraction cartridge. The mean recoveries for each drug in chicken muscle ranged from 78.0 to 105.2% with a relative standard deviation below 9.3% at 0.2–400 ng g−1 fortification levels. The limit of quantification was 0.2–4.0 ng g−1 for fluoroquinolones and 15.0 ng g−1 for sulfonamides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rheological property and retrogradation regulation of amylopectins from three types of rice (indica rice, japonica rice and waxy rice) in China were investigated using concentric cylinder viscometer. The flow behavior index of three rice amylopectin pastes were less than 1 according to power law model and the flow behavior index increasing with storage time suggests that the fluid presents pseudoplastic behavior and the rigidity of macromolecular chain increases during storage. Among the three types of rice, the flow behavior index and retrogradation rate of indica rice paste are the greatest, while waxy rice paste has the smallest flow behavior index and retrogradation rate. Power function models based on molecular mass are proved suitable for the prediction of retrogradation rate of amylopectin paste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer cells acquire invasive ability to degrade and adhere to extracellular matrix (ECM) and migrate to adjacent tissues. This ultimately results metastasis. Hence, the present study investigated the in vitro effects of cyclopeptide glycoside, RA-XII on cell adhesion, invasion, proliferation and matrix degradation, and its underlying mechanism in murine breast tumour cells, 4T1. The effect of RA-XII on tumour growth and metastasis in 4T1-bearing mice was also investigated. Our results showed that RA-XII inhibited tumour cell adhesion to collagen, fibronectin and laminin, RA-XII also reduced the expressions of vascular cell adhesion molecule, intracellular adhesion molecule and integrins, and integrin binding. In addition, RA-XII significantly inhibited breast tumour cell migration via interfering cofilin signaling and chemokine receptors. The activities of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and urokinase-type of plasminogen activator, and the expressions of ECM-associated proteinases were attenuated significantly by RA-XII. Furthermore, RA-XII induced G1 phase arrest and inhibited the expressions of cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases. RA-XII inhibited the expressions of molecules in PI3K/AKT, NF-kappaB, FAK/pSRC, MAPK and EGFR signaling. RA-XII was also shown to have anti-tumour, anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic activities in metastatic breast tumour-bearing mice. These findings strongly suggested that RA-XII is a potential anti-metastatic agent for breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While H2N2 viruses have been sporadically isolated from wild and domestic birds, H2N2 viruses have not been detected among human populations since 1968. Should H2N2 viruses adapt to domestic poultry they may pose a risk of infection to people, as most anyone born after 1968 would likely be susceptible to their infection. We report the isolation of a novel influenza A virus (H2N2) cultured in 2013 from a healthy domestic duck at a live poultry market in Wuxi City, China. Sequence data revealed that the novel H2N2 virus was similar to Eurasian avian lineage avian influenza viruses, the virus had been circulating for ≥ two years among poultry, had an increase in α2,6 binding affinity, and was not highly pathogenic. Approximately 9% of 100 healthy chickens sampled from the same area had elevated antibodies against the H2 antigen. Fortunately, there was sparse serological evidence that the virus was infecting poultry workers or had adapted to infect other mammals. These findings suggest that a novel H2N2 virus has been circulating among domestic poultry in Wuxi City, China and has some has increased human receptor affinity. It seems wise to conduct better surveillance for novel influenza viruses at Chinese live bird markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]