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The transcription factor MYB proto-oncogene like 2 (MYBL2) is critical in regulating gene expression and tumorigenesis. However, the biological function of MYBL2 in bladder cancer (BLCA) remains to be elucidated. Here, we first revealed that MYBL2 was elevated in BLCA tissues and significantly correlated with clinicopathological parameters and cancer-specific survival in BLCA patients. Phenotypic assays showed that MYBL2 deficiency suppressed the proliferation and migration of BLCA cells in vitro and in vivo, whereas MYBL2 overexpression contributed to the opposite phenotype. Mechanistically, MYBL2 could bind to the promoter of its downstream target gene cell division cycle-associated protein 3 (CDCA3) and transactivate it, which in turn promoted the malignant phenotype of BLCA cells. Further investigations revealed that MYBL2 interacted with forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) to co-regulate the transcription of CDCA3. In addition, MYBL2/FOXM1 and CDCA3 might activate Wnt/β-catenin signaling, thereby promoting the malignant phenotype of BLCA cells. In conclusion, the current study identifies MYBL2 as an oncogene in BLCA. MYBL2 can accelerate the proliferation and metastasis of BLCA through the transactivation of CDCA3.

The ability to slow or reverse biological ageing would have major implications for mitigating disease risk and maintaining vitality1. Although an increasing number of interventions show promise for rejuvenation2, their effectiveness on disparate cell types across the body and the molecular pathways susceptible to rejuvenation remain largely unexplored. Here we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on 20 organs to reveal cell-type-specific responses to young and aged blood in heterochronic parabiosis. Adipose mesenchymal stromal cells, haematopoietic stem cells and hepatocytes are among those cell types that are especially responsive. On the pathway level, young blood invokes new gene sets in addition to reversing established ageing patterns, with the global rescue of genes encoding electron transport chain subunits pinpointing a prominent role of mitochondrial function in parabiosis-mediated rejuvenation. We observed an almost universal loss of gene expression with age that is largely mimicked by parabiosis: aged blood reduces global gene expression, and young blood restores it in select cell types. Together, these data lay the groundwork for a systemic understanding of the interplay between blood-borne factors and cellular integrity.

To date, most studies on the DNA polymerase, POLD1, have focused on the effect of POLD1 inactivation mutations in tumors. However, the implications of high POLD1 expression in tumorigenesis remains elusive. Here, we determine that POLD1 has a pro-carcinogenic role in bladder cancer (BLCA) and is associated to the malignancy and prognosis of BLCA. Our studies demonstrate that POLD1 promotes the proliferation and metastasis of BLCA via MYC. Mechanistically, POLD1 stabilizes MYC in a manner independent of its’ DNA polymerase activity. Instead, POLD1 attenuates FBXW7-mediated ubiquitination degradation of MYC by directly binding to the MYC homology box 1 domain competitively with FBXW7. Moreover, we find that POLD1 forms a complex with MYC to promote the transcriptional activity of MYC. In turn, MYC increases expression of POLD1, forming a POLD1-MYC positive feedback loop to enhance the pro-carcinogenic effect of POLD1-MYC on BLCA. Overall, our study identifies POLD1 as a promotor of BCLA via a MYC driven mechanism and suggest its potential as biomarker for BLCA.

Herein, we compared the association intensity of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) equations using creatinine (Cr) or cystatin C (CysC) with hyperphosphatemia and secondary hyperparathyroidism occurrence, which reflect the physiological changes occurring during chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. This study included 639 patients treated between January 2019 and February 2022. The patients were divided into low- and high-difference groups based on the median value of the difference between the Cr-based eGFR (eGFRCr) and CysC-based eGFR (eGFRCysC). Sociodemographic and laboratory factors underlying a high difference between eGFRCr and eGFRCysC were analyzed. The association intensity of eGFRCr, eGFRCysC and both Cr- and CysC-based eGFR (eGFRCr-CysC) was compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AuROC) values for hyperphosphatemia and hyperparathyroidism occurrence in the overall cohort and the low- and high-difference groups. Age > 70 years and CKD grade 3 based on eGFRCr were significant factors affecting the high differences. eGFRCysC and eGFRCr-CysC showed higher AuROC values than that of eGFRCr, especially in the high-difference group and in patients with CKD grade 3. Our results show that CysC should be evaluated in patients with significant factors, including age > 70 years and CKD grade 3, to accurately assess kidney function to better determine the physiological changes in CKD progression and predict prognosis accurately.

The current study tested the hypothesis of whether specific metal doping may show synergy with plant chromophore-based solar cells using a titanium dioxide (TiO2) electrode. A natural dye-sensitized, magnesium-doped TiO2 solar cell was assembled using the methanol extract from various western African plants including Lawsonia inermis (henna). Mg2+–TiO2 nanoparticles were applied on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass to serve as the photoanode of the solar cells with $$I^{ - } /I_{3}^{ - }$$ electrolyte. A surface-modified TiO2 photoanode was prepared through the immersion method using a selective dopant including magnesium and potash. An inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrophotometer (ICP-OES) was utilized to characterize the potash dopant for comparative analysis. Instrumental analysis including ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis were carried out to characterize the natural henna dye extracts. The photovoltaic performance including open-circuit voltage (Voc), short circuit current density (Jsc), current (I), and power output (P) was analyzed quantitatively. ICP-OES analysis demonstrated that potash contains a composite of 26 elemental metals with K and Na accounting for 72.2% (5192.2 mg/kg) and 9.5% (682.6 mg/kg), respectively. GC–MS analysis confirmed the presence of lawsone and tocopherol in henna extracts. Among the tested samples, the Mg-doped TiO2 group generated the highest improvement in Jsc, from 0.66 to 1.28 (mA/cm2), representing a 93% increase. Our experiments demonstrated that the presence of magnesium as a doping agent improves the photogenerated electron transport and the light-harvesting performance of the henna dye to increase the overall efficiency of light-to-electricity conversion of the photovoltaic cells.

The current study tested the hypothesis of whether the low-temperature catalytic cracking of waste plastics would generate carbon fules using high-density polyethylene (HDPE) polymer by potash as a novel catalyst for both energy recovery and carbon recycling. We applied a one-stage pyrolysis reactor system with a 75 min reaction time to observe the highest yield at a low temperature range of 70–170 °C. The effects of the potash and zeolite catalysts, temperature, and catalyst–polymer ratio on the pyrolysis liquid yield and hydrocarbon contents were determined. The mineral concentration of potash was analyzed semiquantitatively using an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrophotometer (ICP-OES) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The ICP-OES demonstrated that nine metals, in the order of K > Na > Fe > Si > Mg > Al > Cu > Ca > Ni, were predominant in the potash. GC–MS analysis of the liquid products showed that major catalytic cracking molecules are C11 to C20 as kerosene- to diesel-range liquid. Potash catalyst produced an average liquid conversion of 34.7% at a catalyst ratio of 30 wt% over a distillate temperature range of 76–140 °C, whereas zeolite generated 19.5% at the same catalyst ratio over 90–120 °C. Although the two catalysts favored mainly olefinic products, a higher potash ratio promoted a smaller carbon products with a purer composition. Our experiments demonstrated that the new natural potash catalyst could convert waste plastics into kerosene to diesel range of valuable and recyclable liquid products as potential renewable fuel sources for carbon recycling.

Primary familial brain calcification (PFBC) is a neurogenetic disorder characterized by bilateral calcified deposits in the brain. We previously identified that MYORG as the first pathogenic gene for autosomal recessive PFBC, and established a Myorg-KO mouse model. However, Myorg-KO mice developed brain calcifications until nine months of age, which limits their utility as a facile PFBC model system. Hence, whether there is another typical animal model for mimicking PFBC phenotypes in an early stage still remained unknown. In this study, we profiled the mRNA expression pattern of myorg in zebrafish, and used a morpholino-mediated blocking strategy to knockdown myorg mRNA at splicing and translation initiation levels. We observed multiple calcifications throughout the brain by calcein staining at 2–4 days post-fertilization in myorg-deficient zebrafish, and rescued the calcification phenotype by replenishing myorg cDNA. Overall, we built a novel model for PFBC via knockdown of myorg by antisense oligonucleotides in zebrafish, which could shorten the observation period and replenish the Myorg-KO mouse model phenotype in mechanistic and therapeutic studies.

The current study examined the carbon recycling application of waste materials. Thermal catalytic cracking reactions were carried out in a fixed bed to synthesize gasoline-range hydrocarbon fuels from used plastics. Titanium (IV) oxide (TiO2) and zeolite were tested as catalysts for pyrolysis using low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyvinylchloride (PVC), and polystyrene (PS) reactants. In addition to the catalyzed pyrolysis reactions, we also investigated non-catalyzed thermal degradation of the plastic substrates for negative control. The liquid yield, reaction temperature profile, and physical appearance of the synthesized liquid products were determined. The pyrolysis reactions demonstrated that the optimum catalyst–polymer ratio is 40%. The distillate collection temperatures ranged between 82 and 198 °C (LDPE), 68–172 °C (PVC), and 40–168 °C (PS). Our experiments showed that LDPE, PVC, and PS can readily be pyrolyzed to produce 44% (LDPE), 13% (PVC), and 89% (PS) hydrocarbon liquid products using zeolite catalyst. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used to analyze the structure and chemical composition of the products. The main products were C5 (1,2-dimethylcyclopropane), C6 (2-methylpentane), C7 (1,3-dimethylcyclopentene, 1-heptene), and C8 (2-octene, 4-octene, octane, 3-ethylhexane), indicating gasoline-range hydrocarbon molecules. The highest liquid yield of 89.3% was obtained from zeolite catalyst over polystyrene in comparison to all plastics cracked while the lowest liquid yield of 3.9% was obtained from the cracking of PVC under no catalyst condition.

PURPOSE: The current study aims to determine the molecular mechanisms of diabetic retinopathy (DR) using the protein-protein interactome and metabolome map. We examined the protein network of novel biomarkers of DR for direct (physical) and indirect (functional) interactions using clinical target proteins in different models. METHODS: We used proteomic tools including 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry analysis, and database search for biomarker identification using in vivo murine and human model of diabetic retinopathy and in vitro model of oxidative stress. For the protein interactome and metabolome mapping, various bioinformatic tools that include STRING and OmicsNet were used. RESULTS: We uncovered new diabetic biomarkers including prohibitin (PHB), dynamin 1, microtubule-actin crosslinking factor 1, Toll-like receptor (TLR 7), complement activation, as well as hypothetical proteins that include a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM18), vimentin III, and calcium-binding C2 domain-containing phospholipid-binding switch (CAC2PBS) using a proteomic approach. Proteome networks of protein interactions with diabetic biomarkers were established using known DR-related proteome data. DR metabolites were interconnected to establish the metabolome map. Our results showed that mitochondrial protein interactions were changed during hyperglycemic conditions in the streptozotocin-treated murine model and diabetic human tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Our interactome mapping suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction could be tightly linked to various phases of DR pathogenesis including altered visual cycle, cytoskeletal remodeling, altered lipid concentration, inflammation, PHB depletion, tubulin phosphorylation, and altered energy metabolism. The protein-metabolite interactions in the current network demonstrate the etiology of retinal degeneration and suggest the potential therapeutic approach to treat DR. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s40200-020-00570-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

PURPOSE: The current study aimed to determine the antidiabetic effects of leaf extract of Ficus asperifolia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. METHODS: A total of ninety-five (95) adult rats were used for the experiment. The whole study protocol was divided into three sets of individual experiments. The animals were divided randomly into seven groups of five rats each. The rats were given a diet supplemented with 50 g high fat to 50 g vital feeds for two weeks. The study lasted 28 days with daily administration and weekly blood glucose and body weight check. At the end of the experiment protocol, the rats were fasted overnight and were anesthetized. Blood was collected via cardiac puncture from each animal for biochemical analysis. Metglim 3.38 mg/kg bodyweight was used as positive control. Diabetes was induced using streptozotocin (35 mg/kg in 0.1 M phosphate-buffered saline) intraperitoneally for 5 days. Phytochemicals were analyzed in both extract and fractions. RESULTS: Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins, carotenoids, terpenes, and steroids in both extract and fractions. Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats were detected by systematic molecular analysis. Fraction 1 of plant extracts prevented glucose-induced hyperglycaemia 30 min’ post glucose load in all rats. Streptozotocin treatment caused a significant increase (p˂0.05) in blood sugar, total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, low-density lipoproteins and a significant (p˂0.05) decrease in food intake, body weight and high-density lipoproteins in diabetic rats. CONCLUSION: Treatment with the extract significantly improved the derangements caused by streptozotocin. These results suggest that the leaf extracts of Ficus asperifolia could serve as a potential treatment for diabetes therapy. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s40200-020-00524-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

In this paper, the performances of various ILU type parallel preconditioners for the finite element discretization of the incompressible Naiver-Stokes equations have been investigated. The solution algorithm of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equation is based on a fractional 4-step method combined with P1P1 finite element and the parallel preconditioners have been implemented by using the domain decomposition method and MPI library. The performances have been measured for momentum and pressure equation, respectively. The speedup of the pressure equation is found to be less than that of the momentum equation because the pressure equation requires a larger communication overhead by a larger iteration numbers of an iterative solver while element-matrix generation and assemble process is nearly scalable for both equations. The performance of the parallel preconditioners are dependent on time-step size, the Reynolds number and the number of the domains. Although BIWO (block ILU without overlapping) works well both for momentum and pressure equation, MDLU (modified distributed ILU(O)) is recommended for an ill-conditioned matrix or a large number of subdomains. Further, we have conducted the time complexity and spectral analysis of the preconditioned matrices to analyze the performance of the preconditioners.

Background Aim to identify potential biomarkers to assess therapeutic efficacy for hereditary spastic paraplegias type 5 (SPG5) by investigating the clinical, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study to compare SPG5 patients with age- and sex-matched healthy controls who underwent conventional and quantitative MRI techniques of spinal cord (C1-T9) and brain. SPG5 patients also underwent assessment for clinical status and CSF biomarkers (27-hydroxycholesterol, neurofilament light). We identified a set of markers with standardized effect sizes (|t|> 0.5) to estimate sample sizes for disease progression (disease duration > 14 years vs. ≤ 14 years). Results Seventeen genetically confirmed SPG5 patients (11 men, 6 women; age range, 13–49 years; median disease duration, 14 years) were enrolled. Compared to healthy controls, the total spinal cord area (SCA) of SPG5 patients was reduced particularly at the thoracic levels (cervical levels: 12–27%; thoracic levels 41–60%). Patients did not show significant alterations of brain signal abnormalities or atrophy relative to controls. A total of 10 surrogate markers were selected and a minimum sample size was achieved with the measurement of SCA on T9 (n = 22) much less that what would be required if using clinical disability assessment (n = 124). Conclusions SPG5 patients showed distinct MRI features of spinal cord atrophy without significant brain alterations. Our finding supports the measurements of spinal cord on T9 level as potential endpoint for SPG5 clinical trials. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04006418. Registered 05 July 2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04006418?term=NCT04006418&draw=2&rank=1.

Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) refers to a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by bilateral weakness, spasticity, and hyperreflexia in the lower limbs. The autosomal dominant HSP (ADHSP) predominantly presents as the pure form, but the clinical profiles and causal genetic variants underlying ADHSP are complex, and many remain unknown. A cohort of 15 Chinese HSP pedigrees (including 35 patients and their 22 relatives) were screened by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) or whole-exome sequencing (WES). Neurological assessments were also conducted. The main subtypes of HSP above detected in our cohort were SPG4, SPG3A, and SPG6. Fifteen HSP-inducing mutations were identified, among which six were novel mutations: SPAST c.1277T>C, c.1292G>C, c.1562T>C, and c.1693A>T, NIPA1 c.748A>C, and KIDINS220 c.4448C>G. As expected, the most common presentation of the ADHSP cases was the pure form, manifesting spasticity of lower limbs and hyperreflexia, as well as pyramidal signs. Differing substantially from previous reports for KIDINS220 variants, our study family exhibited autosomal dominant inheritance, and only presented with spastic paraplegia, with no signs of intellectual disability, nystagmus, or obesity. Our work reveals a non-classical spastic paraplegia, intellectual disability, nystagmus, and obesity phenotype for a KIDINS220 mutation, which broadens both the clinical and genetic spectrum for ADHSP. Beyond underscoring the utility of using both MLPA and WES in studies of HSP, our work deepens the scientific understanding of phenotypes for ADHSP and defines new genetic variants to facilitate future diagnoses.

1D hollow Co0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4-PANI nanofibers were synthesized through sequential processes of electrospinning, heat treatment in air, and chemical polymerization of polyaniline. The morphology and photocatalytic properties of heterostructured Co0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4-PANI as photocatalysts were investigated by SEM, TEM, XRD, TGA, and photocatalysis experiments of methyl orange under visible-light irradiation. The hollow Co0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4-PANI nanofibers showed a high photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 92% within 120 min and a kinetic constant of 115-times higher than hollow Co0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4 nanofibers. These high photocatalytic properties are attributed to both unique 1D hollow nanofiber morphology with macroporous hollow core, PANI/Co0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4/PANI shell and the heterojunction structure composed of Co0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4 and PANI. In addition, the outstanding magnetic properties of the hollow Co0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4-PANI nanofibers with its inherent spinel structure facilitate the recovery of the photocatalyst.

A finite element code is parallelized by vertex-oriented domain decomposition method which utilizes one- or multi-dimensional partitioning in structured mesh and METIS Library in unstructured mesh. For obtaining the domain-decomposed solution, iterative solvers like conjugate gradient method are used. To accelerate the convergence of iterative solvers, parallel incomplete LU factorization preconditioners are employed, and their performances are compared. For the communication between processors, Message Passing Interface Library is used. The speedups of parallel preconditioned iterative solvers are estimated through computing 2- and 3-dimensional Laplace equations. The effects of mesh and partitioning method on the speedup of parallel preconditioners are also examined.

Here we present a compendium of single-cell transcriptomic data from the model organism Mus musculus that comprises more than 100,000 cells from 20 organs and tissues. These data represent a new resource for cell biology, reveal gene expression in poorly characterized cell populations and enable the direct and controlled comparison of gene expression in cell types that are shared between tissues, such as T lymphocytes and endothelial cells from different anatomical locations. Two distinct technical approaches were used for most organs: one approach, microfluidic droplet-based 3'-end counting, enabled the survey of thousands of cells at relatively low coverage, whereas the other, full-length transcript analysis based on fluorescence-activated cell sorting, enabled the characterization of cell types with high sensitivity and coverage. The cumulative data provide the foundation for an atlas of transcriptomic cell biology.

Hashing based ANN search has drawn lots of attention due to its low storage and time cost. Supervised hashing methods can leverage label information to generate compact and accurate hash codes and have achieved promising results. However, when dealing with the learning problem, most of existing supervised hashing methods are time-consuming and unscalable. To overcome these limitations, we propose a novel supervised hashing method named Class Consistent Hashing (CCH). In particular, CCH avoids using instance pairwise semantic similarity matrix which is widely used in existing methods. Instead, it uses class-pairwise semantic similarity whose size is far less than the former one, and generates hash codes for every class by optimizing the least-squares style objective function. Then, instances in the same class share the same class hash codes. Finally, we adopt a two-step hashing design strategy to learn the hash functions for out-of-sample instances. Experimental results on several widely used datasets illustrate that CCH can outperform several state-of-the-art shallow methods with the fastest training speed among supervised hashing methods.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease seriously threatening the elderly. Recent studies have shown that autophagy plays a key role in the clearance of organelles associated with neurodegenerative diseases, and plays an important role in the development and progression of PD; however, its mechanism is not yet clear. In this study, the model of aging mice was used to establish PD model by intra peritoneal injection of MPTP to study the effect of aging changes of autophagy on the mechanism of MPTP toxicity mechanism and its relationship with mitochondrial function and mitochondrial dynamics; and at the same time, young mice were selected to carry out moderate-intensity treadmill training, after 6 weeks, the PD model was established to explore the effect of exercise pre-training on the above indexes of PD mice, and explore the relationship between autophagy and PD, autophagy and mitochondrial dynamics and mitochondrial function.

Primary familial brain calcification (PFBC) is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by bilateral cerebral calcification with diverse neurologic or psychiatric symptoms. Recently, XPR1 variation has accounted for PFBC as another new causative gene. However, little is known about the distribution and basic function of XPR1 and its interaction with the other three pathogenic genes for PFBC (SLC20A2, PDGFRB and PDGFB). The aim of this study was to further clarify the role of XPR1 in PFBC brain pathology. As a result, gene expression profiles showed that XPR1 mRNA was widely expressed throughout the mouse brain. Cerebellum and striatum, most commonly affected in PFBC, contained a higher level of XPR1 protein than other brain regions. Additionally, XPR1 deficiency seriously affected Pi efflux and XPR1 mutations seemed to have an effect through haploinsufficiency mechanism. The immunoprecipitation and immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that XPR1 could interact with PDGFRB and might form a complex on the cell membrane. These results suggested that XPR1 played a fundamental role in the maintenance of cellular phosphate balance in the brain. This provided us with a novel perspective on understanding the pathophysiology of PFBC. The expression networks and interaction with the known pathogenic genes could shed new light on additional candidate genes for PFBC.

Four causative genes, including solute carrier family 20 member 2 (SLC20A2), platelet-derived growth factor receptor b (PDGFRB), platelet-derived growth factor b (PDGFB)and xenotropic and polytropic retrovirus receptor 1 (XPR1), have been identified to cause primary familial brain calcification (PFBC). However, PDGFRB mutations seem to be quite rare and no PDGFRB mutations have been reported in Chinese PFBC patients. A total of 146 PFBC patients including 12 families and 134 sporadic patients were recruited in this study. All of them were previously tested negative for the SLC20A2. Mutational analyses of the entire exons and exon-intron boundaries of PDGFRB were carried out by direct gene sequencing. In silico analyses of the identified variants were conducted using Mutation Taster, PolyPhen-2 and Sorts Intolerant From Tolerant. Two heterozygous variants, c.3G>A and c.2209G>A, of the PDGFRB gene were revealed in two PFBC families, respectively. These two variants were not observed in 200 healthy controls. The variant c.3G>A was located in exon 2 and affected the initiation codon of the PDGFRB gene. The variant c.2209G>A resulted in amino-acid substitutions of aspartic acid to asparagine at position 737. Both of these two variants co-segregated with the disease phenotype (variant carriers in Family 1: I1, II2 and II3; variant carriers in Family 2: I2 and II8), suggesting a pathogenic impact of these variants. The prevalence of PDGFRB mutations in Chinese PFBC patients seems to be quite low, indicating that PDGFRB is not a major causative gene of PFBC in Chinese population.

The current study tested the hypothesis whether common plant extracts could be used as redox molecules in biobattery. Natural quinone molecules were extracted from Lawsonia inermis (henna) via sequential extraction using hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol and 80% methanol in water, followed by purification using column chromatography to examine their potential function as redox molecules in biobattery. A combination of UV–visible spectroscopy and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis confirmed the presence of quinones in the extracted fractions. UV analysis showed maximum absorbance at 295 nm and 450 nm which correspond to 4-t-butyl-1,2-benzoquinone and duroquinone. In addition, GC–MS analysis of the henna extract confirmed the presence of tocopherol (vitamin E) as a potential redox molecule. We determined the impact of the type of electrolyte, electrode, salt bridge and volume of extract on the overall efficiency of biobattery. Among the different cell combinations tested, the optimum battery with a maximum voltage of 0.97 V was achieved using a carbon||quinone cathodic half-cell, copper||sulphuric acid anodic half-cell and a KCl (1.0 M) salt bridge. Our experiments demonstrate that natural redox molecules from common African plants, including L. inermis extracts, can serve as source of electrical energy and alternative materials for the renewable battery.

Mitochondria mediate energy metabolism, apoptosis, and aging, while mitochondrial disruption leads to age-related diseases that include age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Descriptions of mitochondrial morphology have been non-systematic and qualitative, due to lack of knowledge on the molecular mechanism of mitochondrial dynamics. The current study analyzed mitochondrial size, shape, and position quantitatively in retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) using a systematic computational model to suggest mitochondrial trafficking under oxidative environment. Our previous proteomic study suggested that prohibitin is a mitochondrial decay biomarker in the RPE. The current study examined the prohibitin interactome map using immunoprecipitation data to determine the indirect signaling on cytoskeletal changes and transcriptional regulation by prohibitin. Immunocytochemistry and immunoprecipitation demonstrated that there is a positive correlation between mitochondrial changes and altered filaments as well as prohibitin interactions with kinesin and unknown proteins in the RPE. Specific cytoskeletal and nuclear protein-binding mechanisms may exist to regulate prohibitin-mediated reactions as key elements, including vimentin and p53, to control apoptosis in mitochondria and the nucleus. Prohibitin may regulate mitochondrial trafficking through unknown proteins that include 110 kDa protein with myosin head domain and 88 kDa protein with cadherin repeat domain. Altered cytoskeleton may represent a mitochondrial decay signature in the RPE. The current study suggests that mitochondrial dynamics and cytoskeletal changes are critical for controlling mitochondrial distribution and function. Further, imbalance of retrograde vs. anterograde mitochondrial trafficking may initiate the pathogenic reaction in adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases.

The author names are incorrectly displayed in the original article and should be Faith Pwaniyibo Samson (F.P. Samson), Ambrose Teru Patrick (A.T. Patrick), Margret Samuel Nadro (M.S. Nadro), and Jin Jahng Wan (J.J. Wan).

Variation of reservoir physical properties can cause changes in its elastic parameters. However, this is not a simple linear relation. Furthermore, the lack of observations, data overlap, noise interference, and idealized models increases the uncertainties of the inversion result. Thus, we propose an inversion method that is different from traditional statistical rock physics modeling. First, we use deterministic and stochastic rock physics models considering the uncertainties of elastic parameters obtained by prestack seismic inversion and introduce weighting coefficients to establish a weighted statistical relation between reservoir and elastic parameters. Second, based on the weighted statistical relation, we use Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations to generate the random joint distribution space of reservoir and elastic parameters that serves as a sample solution space of an objective function. Finally, we propose a fast solution criterion to maximize the posterior probability density and obtain reservoir parameters. The method has high efficiency and application potential.

Alternative splicing is a key process of multi-exonic gene expression during pre-mRNA maturation. In this process, particular exons of a gene will be included within or excluded from the final matured mRNA, and the resulting transcripts generate diverse protein isoforms. Recent evidence demonstrates that approximately 95% of human genes with multiple exons undergo alternative splicing during pre-mRNA maturation. Thus, alternative splicing plays a critical role in physiological processes and cell development programs, and.dysregulation of alternative splicing is highly associated with human diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we discuss the regulation of alternative splicing, examine the relationship between alternative splicing and human diseases, and describe several approaches that modify alternative splicing, which could aid in human disease diagnosis and therapy.

Triple-shelled ZnFe2O4 hollow microspheres (ZFO) as anode materials for lithium ion battery are prepared through a one-pot hydrothermal reaction using the composite solution consisting of sucrose in water and metal ions in ethylene glycol (EG), followed by different calcination processes. The architectures of ZFO micro spheres are differently synthesized through a mutual cooperation of inward and outward ripening with three different calcination temperatures. Thin triple-shelled ZnFe2O4 hollow microspheres calcined at 450 °C (ZFO-450) delivers a high reversible capacity of 932 mA h g−1 at a current density of 2 A g−1 even at the 200th cycle without obvious decay. Furthermore, ZFO-450 delivers 1235, 1005, 865, 834, and 845 mA h g−1 at high current densities of 0.5, 2, 5, 10, and 20 A g−1 after 100 cycles. Thin triple-shelled hollow microsphere prepared at an optimum calcination temperature provides exceptional rate capability and outstanding rate retention due to (i) the formation of nanoparticles leading to thin shell with morphological integrity, (ii) the facile mass transfer by thin shell with mesoporous structure, and (iii) the void space with macroporous structure alleviating volume change occurring during cycling.

Oaks have often been the focus of research on plant evolution owing to their propensity to intercross and their important role in ecology and economy. Compared with traditional molecular markers, such as amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) and simple sequence repeats (SSRs), multiple single-copy nuclear genes (SCNGs) are of greater utility in inferring evolutionary processes in oaks. Nineteen primer pairs were developed from expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of Quercus mongolica and Q. robur that could produce orthologous products in Chinese white oaks (section Quercus). These SCNG markers showed a moderate to high level of nucleotide polymorphism in 42 individuals of two closely related white oaks, Q. mongolica and Q. liaotungensis, and demonstrated high transferability across seven white oaks, four oaks from section Cerris, and one oak from section Lobatae. A phylogenetic tree based on these SCNGs provided resolution at deep nodes and robust support for delimiting populations of Q. mongolica and Q. liaotungensis; Bayesian analysis clustered individuals into their respective species with high probability and no admixture. When the same individuals were used, Bayesian clusters based on either 194 AFLPs or 19 SSRs gave comparable results, but one or several individuals respectively were identified as having admixed ancestry. This indicates that the hybridization rate between these two oaks may have been overestimated using SSR markers due to the occurrence of homoplasy. The SCNGs are powerful for species delimitation of white oaks, and these markers could be useful for future phylogenetics and phylogeography research in white oaks.

Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) and myotonia congenita (MC) are independent disorders that share some clinical features. We aimed to investigate the sequences of PRRT2 and CLCN1 in a proband diagnosed with PKD and suspected MC. Clinical evaluation and auxiliary examinations were performed. Direct sequencing of the entire coding regions of the PRRT2 and CLCN1 genes was conducted. Haplotype analysis confirmed the relationships among the family members. The proband suffered choreoathetosis attacks triggered by sudden movements, and lower-limb weakness and stiffness that worsened in cold weather. Carbamazepine monotherapy completely controlled his choreoathetosis and significantly relieved his limb weakness and stiffness. His father, when young, had similar limb stiffness, while his mother and brother were asymptomatic. Genetic analysis revealed that the proband and his father harbored a PRRT2 c.649dupC mutation, and CLCN1 c.1723C>T and c.2492A>G mutations. His brother carried only the two CLCN1 mutations. None of these mutations were identified in his mother and 150 unrelated controls. This is the first report showing the coexistence of PRRT2 and CLCN1 mutations. Our results also indicate that both the PRRT2 and CLCN1 genes need to be screened if we fail to identify PRRT2 mutations in PKD patients or CLCN1 mutations in MC patients.

In this paper, finite element prediction of sheet metal forming process is investigated using solid elements. A three-dimensional rigidviscoplastic finite element method with linear tetrahedral MINI-elements is employed. This technique has traditionally been used for bulk metal forming simulations. The solid element approach with remeshing capability is applied to simulating a plate metal forming process to reveal its possible problems. The similar approach is also applied to a typical sheet forming process. Both single- and double-layer finite element mesh systems are studied, with particular attention to their effect on the deformed shape of the workpiece and thickness variation of a cold sheet forming process. The procedure is applied to the well-known problem of the NUMISHEET93 international benchmark. The resulting predictions are compared with experimental observations found in the literature, and good agreement is noted.

A LiNi0.7Co0.15Mn0.15O2 thin film cathode has been successfully prepared by hybrid direct current - radio frequency magnetron sputtering onto glass substrate from the LiNi0.7Co0.15Mn0.15O2 target and post-annealed by the rapid thermal annealing process. Its structure and morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy while its chemical compositions were confirmed with the inductively coupled plasma atomic absorption spectrophotometer, Raman spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, and glow discharge spectrometer. Its electrochemical properties were measured by galvanostatic charge - discharge test and cyclic voltammetry. First discharge capacity of 73 μAh∙cm−2∙μm−1 was obtained from a half cell with the LiNi0.7Co0.15Mn0.15O2 thin film cathode and lithium metal anode in the potential range of 4.3 ~ 2.5 V at 30 μA and its coulombic efficiency was more than 99 %.

Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia is the most common type of paroxysmal movement disorder and is often misdiagnosed clinically as epilepsy. Using whole-exome sequencing followed by Sanger sequencing, we identified three truncating mutations within PRRT2 (NM_145239.2) in eight Han Chinese families with histories of paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia: c.514_517delTCTG (p.Ser172Argfs*3) in one family, c.649dupC (p.Arg217Profs*8) in six families and c.972delA (p.Val325Serfs*12) in one family. These truncating mutations co-segregated exactly with the disease in these families and were not observed in 1,000 control subjects of matched ancestry. PRRT2 is a newly discovered gene consisting of four exons encoding the proline-rich transmembrane protein 2, which encompasses 340 amino acids and contains two predicted transmembrane domains. PRRT2 is highly expressed in the developing nervous system, and a truncating mutation alters the subcellular localization of the PRRT2 protein. The function of PRRT2 and its role in paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia should be further investigated.

The selective pressures for the retention of primordial p53 genes predated the appearance of cancer. Therefore, wild-type tumour suppressive functions were probably co-opted from unrelated primordial activities. Is it possible to deduce what these early functions might have been? Evolutionary patterns indicate that primordial p53 genes predated the appearance of cancer. Therefore, wild-type tumour suppressive functions and mutant oncogenic functions that give celebrity status to this gene family were probably co-opted from unrelated primordial activities. Is it possible to deduce what these early functions might have been? And might this knowledge provide a platform for therapeutic opportunities?

Korea has recently developed a total shock physics code, ExLO, based on the three-dimensional finite element method in order to calculate highly transient events involving large deformations. One special feature of the code is that the Lagrangian, ALE and Eulerian schemes are integrated into a single framework. The details of the numerical schemes are described in a previous paper [1]. In this paper, the modeling capability of ExLO has been described for two extreme loading events: high-speed impacts and explosions. Results of three-dimensional calculations for penetration of long rods and segments (L/D < 1) into thick target show a good agreement with experimental results and other finite difference solutions. Next, we include the free field air blast modeling by two approaches, one-dimensional spherical coordinates and three-dimensional rectangular coordinates. The predictions are compared with an analytic solution of air blast. For large scale simulations required for complex design problems, some advances in the field of parallelization and adaptive meshing are demanded.

A unified shock physics code, ExLO, in which Lagrangian, ALE and Eulerian solvers are incorporated into a single framework, has recently been developed in Korea. It is based on the three-dimensional explicit finite element method and written in C++. ExLO is mainly designed for the calculation of structural responses to highly transient loading conditions, such as high-speed impacts, high-speed machining and explosions. In this paper the numerical schemes are described. Some improvements of the material interface and advection scheme are included. Details and issues of the momentum advection scheme are provided. Numerical predictions are in good agreement with the existing experimental data. Specific applications of the code are discussed in a separate paper in this journal. Eventually, ExLO will provide an optimum simulation environment to engineering problems including the fluid-structure interaction problems, since it allows regions of a problem to be modeled with Lagrangian, ALE or Eulerian schemes in a single framework.

The aim of this review is to systematically analyze the prospective randomized controlled trials on the efficacy of botulinum toxin injection (Botox) vs. lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS) for the treatment of chronic anal fissure (CAF). A systematic review of the literature was undertaken. The prospective randomized controlled trials on the effectiveness of Botox vs. LIS for the management of CAF were selected according to specific criteria and analyzed to generate pooling data. Four studies encompassing 279 patients were qualified for the meta-analysis. There was a statistically significant higher healing in LIS group compared with Botox group (RR 1.31[1.57, 1.50] 95% CI, z = 4.11, p

Mucinous adenocarcinoma arising from a chronic anorectal fistula is rare, with few reports in the literature. Such lesions can be misdiagnosed for the more common benign perianal abscess or fistula.From our retrospective chart review, we identified three patients with chronic perianal fistula-in-ano who were subsequently found to have developed perianal mucinous adenocarcinoma on biopsy. We recorded the symptomatology, subsequent management and further follow-up of each patient.Two of three patients who received irradiation and chemotherapy were still alive during 28 and 24 months of follow-up, respectively without any evidence of distant metastasis. One patient with inguinal lymph node metastases died due to distant metastasis 6 months after diagnosis.Fistula-associated perianal mucinous adenocarcinoma is an uncommon malignant transformation of chronic fistula-in-ano. MRI can provide important diagnostic information on patient with this suspicious inflammatory condition. Although radical resection of the tumour with abdominoperineal resection remains the surgical treatment of choice. Combined chemoradiotherapy may be appropriate for these patients with promising results.

This paper reports novel results regarding the effects of electrospun carbon nanofibers (e-CNF) as a catalyst support by comparison with the commercial Vulcan XC-72R (denoted as XC-72R) as granular particles. The e-CNF was synthesized by stabilizing and carbonizing the electrospun PAN-based fibers. The e-CNF showed an average diameter of 250 nm with a rough surface and was partially aligned along the winding direction of the drum winder. The characteristic morphology was fundamentally dependant on the shape of the carbon materials. The average pore size of the e-CNF was 2.36 nm, while that of the XC-72R was 10.92 nm. The morphology of e-CNF was developed by shallow pores with rough surfaces due to the effects of electrospinning and carbonization, while that of the XC-72R was largely developed by mesopores rather than micropores due to the granular shape. Compared to XC-72R, the performance of the MEA prepared by e-CNF was excellent, owing to the morphology and the enhanced electrical conductivity. The Pt utilization of Pt/e-CNF was 69%, while that of Pt/XC-72R was 35%.

This paper presents a new method for planar development of the 3D surfaces of a shoe upper. The 3D surface is first faceted into triangular elements and then roughly laid down on a 2D plane. Next, the nodal points of elements are repositioned by a refinement technique that minimizes the geometric errors. Even after elements have been refined by minimizing geometric errors, the resulting 2D shape still has some strain energy that needs to be reduced by a relaxation process. Hence, these elements are then used as an initial guess for further optimization during which the finite element inverse method is used to minimize the total strain energy. In fact, the two-step optimization technique not only can prevent the divergence of solutions (e.g., interferences between elements) but also yields a more reliable result. The method has been implemented as a module of the shoe design system by which a prototype shoe can be designed and manufactured more precisely and quickly.

A three-stage axial turbine was redesigned by jointly applying S2 flow surface direct problem calculation methods and multistage local optimization methods. A genetic algorithm and artificial neural network were jointly adopted during optimization. A three-dimensional viscosity Navier-Stokes equation solver was applied for flow computation. H-O-H-topology grid was adopted as computation grid, that is, an H-topology grid was adopted for inlet and outlet segment, whereas an O-topology grid was adopted for stator zone and rotor zone. Through the optimization design, the total efficiency increases 1.1%, thus indicating that the total performance is improved and the design objective is achieved.

In this paper we have reviewed the recent progresses on the ion trapping for quantum information processing and quantum computation. We have first discussed the basic principle of quantum information theory and then focused on ion trapping for quantum information processing. Many variations, especially the techniques of ion chips, have been investigated since the original ion trap quantum computation scheme was proposed. Full two-dimensional control of multiple ions on an ion chip is promising for the realization of scalable ion trap quantum computation and the implementation of quantum networks.

In this paper, we report on the physical properties of films that have been synthesized by using native corn starch (NS) and chemically modified starch (RS4). NS or RS4/PVA blend films were synthesized by using the mixing process and the casting method. Glycerol (GL), sorbitol (SO), and citric acid (CA) were used as additives. The chemically modified starch (RS4) was synthesized by using sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) and sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) as a crosslinker. Then, the RS4 thus synthesized was confirmed by using the pancreatin-gravimetric method, swelling power and an X-ray diffractometer (XRD). Tensile strength (TS), elongation (%E), swelling behavior (SB), and solubility (S) of the films were measured. The result of the measurements indicated the RS4-added film was better than the NS-added film. Especially, the RS4/PVA blend film with CA as an additive showed the physical properties superior to other films.

p53 is a fundamental determinant of oncogenesis, aging physiology and neurodegenerative pathologies. The complexity of the p53 regulatory network can hinder attempts to fully understand how this oncogenic protein operates within/ between cells to constrain growth potential. Orthologs of p53 in non-mammalian models, such as zebrafish, Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans, afford simpler models that illuminate core properties of this ancient network. The existence of p53 in short-lived organisms, where cancers do not occur, argues that tumor suppression per se was not the evolutionary pressure shaping p53. Instead, p53 as a constraint against tumor growth was probably co-opted from more ancestral, nonautonomous functions that are entirely unknown. Describing these functional properties will be essential for a comprehensive picture of the p53 regulatory network in normal and disease states. The tractable systems described here offer sophisticated genetic tools and fundamental insights that will continue to be indispensable models for achieving this goal.

By means of ink trace visualization of the flows in conventional straight, positively curved and negatively curved cascades with tip clearance, and measurement of the aerodynamic parameters in the transverse section, and by appling topology theory, the structures on both endwalls and blade surfaces were analyzed. Compared with conventional straight cascade, blade positive curving eliminates the separation line of the upper passage vortex and leads the secondary vortex to change from close separation to open separation, while blade negative curving effects merely the positions of singular points and the intensities and scales of vortex.

By means of ink trace visualization of the flows in conventional straight, positively curved and negatively curved cascades with tip clearance, and measurement of the aerodynamic parameters in transverse section, and by appling topology theory, the topological structures and vortex structure in the transverse section of a blade cascade were analyzed. Compared with conventional straight cascade, blade positive curving eliminates the separation line of the upper passage vortex, and leads the secondary vortex to change from close separation to open separation, while blade negative curving effects merely the positions of singular points and the intensities and scales of vortex.

The dependence of CVD W growth on various types of TiN layers was investigated with blanket and patterned wafers. There were no appreciable effects of the properties of TiN on the resistivity, structure, growth rate or reflectivity of CVD W in the case of blanket wafers; however, the stress of the W layer was found to be dependent upon the type of TiN glue layer adopted. W deposited on the TDMAT-TiN glue layer exhibits the lowest stress levels among the tested TiN films. TiCl4-TiN proved to be superior to TDMAT-TiN from the viewpoint of W conformality. Although there was no appreciable effect of deposition temperature silane reduction time, contact size or shape of contact upon the W conformality on a TiCl4-TiN layer, the W conformality on TDMAT-TiN was highly dependent on the above parameters, apparently caused by insufficiently plasma treated TiN on the side walls of contacts.

Defect-free skinned asymmetric gas separation membranes were prepared by a dual bath coagulation method that is a wet/wet phase inversion technique. The membranes were cast from a polysulfone/N,N-dimethylacetamide solution. In two sequent nonsolvent baths, the first bath using iso-propanol (IPA) leads to the formation of a dense skin top layer and the second bath using water makes the actual polymer precipitation. The top skin layer thickness was governed by changing the immersion time of the first IPA bath. We suggest that the growth rate of the skin layer is to be determined by a diffusion process.