Search

Abnormal microRNA functions are closely associated with pancreatic β-cell loss and dysfunction in type 2 diabetes. Dysregulation of miR-30d has been reported in the individuals with diabetes. To study how miR-30d affects pancreatic β-cell functions, we generated two transgenic mouse lines that specifically overexpressed miR-30d in β-cells at distinct low and high levels. Transgenic overexpressed miR-30d systemically affected β-cell function. Elevated miR-30d at low-level (TgL, 2-fold) had mild effects on signaling pathways and displayed no significant changes to metabolic homeostasis. In contrast, transgenic mice with high-level of miR-30d expression (TgH, 12-fold) exhibited significant diet-induced hyperglycemia and β-cell dysfunction. In addition, loss of β-cell identity was invariably accompanied with increased insulin/glucagon-double positive bihormonal cells and excess plasma glucagon levels. The transcriptomic analysis revealed that miR-30d overexpression inhibited β-cell-enriched gene expression and induced α-cell-enriched gene expression. These findings implicate that an appropriate miR-30d level is essential in maintaining normal β-cell identity and function.

Isatis indigotica Fort. is a popular herb in traditional Chinese medicine. It possesses pharmacological activities against various diseases, particularly leukemia. Indigoid alkaloids are its main bioactive ingredients. A relatively low nitrogen supply increases indigoid content in I. indigotica leaves, yet the mechanisms that regulate indigoid biosynthesis are unknown. To uncover regulatory mechanisms, we performed transcriptome sequencing of leaf samples from I. indigotica exposed to deficient (0 mM), low (7.5 mM), and high (15 mM) concentrations of NO3−. We generated 38,990 unigenes with an N50 value of 1923 bp, of which 33,007 unigenes (84.65%) were annotated in at least one database. In comparison with deficient N, we identified 6911 and 4845 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in high N and low N. Cluster analysis of these DEGs showed a unique expression pattern in the N-supplied compared with the N-free condition. Twenty-one genes related to nitrogen uptake, transport, and assimilation were highly expressed in N-deficient conditions. Further, 63 putative genes that encode for enzymes involved in indigoid biosynthesis in I. indigotica leaf were identified and analyzed. Thirteen genes involved in indole modification were expressed more highly in low N; their high expression level may explain the increase in indigoid alkaloids in low N. Notably, phylogenetic analysis showed that IiTSA3 may relate to genes involved in indole heterocycle biosynthesis. Additionally, 491 differentially expressed TFs were also identified. Our findings will enrich gene resources for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of indigoid alkaloid biosynthesis in I. indigotica leaves under different nitrogen supplies.

A novel β-glucosidase, BglD1 with high β-galactosidase and transglycosidation activities, was screened and cloned from the deep-sea bacterium Bacillus sp. D1. BglD1 exhibited the maximal β-glucosidase and β-galactosidase activities at 55-60 °C and pH 5.5-6.0. The enzyme maintained approximately 50% of its original activity at 35 °C and pH 6.0 after 120-h incubation. When applied to synthesize galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), BglD1 generated 118.3 g/L GOS (33.8% (w/w)) from 350 g/L lactose, with trisaccharide Gal-β(1 → 3)-Lac and disaccharide Gal-β(1 → 4)-Gal as the main components. Furthermore, BglD1 could hydrolyze lactose in milk and produce GOS simultaneously. Using milk as the substrate, BglD1 hydrolyzed 88.5% lactose and produced 3.3 g/L GOS after incubation at 30 °C for 1 h. To improve the transglycosidation activity, a mutant BglD1:E224T was generated based on the semi-rational design. The GOS yield of BglD1:E224T was 11.5% higher than that of BglD1 when using lactose solution as the substrate. Thus, BglD1 and the mutant could be used as beneficial alternatives of the existing β-galactosidases for the production of GOS.

This study aims to examine the psychometric properties and grouping effect of the Resilience Style Questionnaire (RSQ) among Chinese poor children and adolescents. A cross-sectional survey of resilience and other variables (i.e. mental well-being, loneliness, anxiety, depression, stress and peer relationship) was conducted among 2267 participants aged 12 to 17. Results found that the RSQ had good factor structure and criterion validities. Resilience was positively related to mental well-being and peer relationship, and negatively related to loneliness, anxiety, depression, and stress. The RSQ was a useful screening tool to differentiate individuals with different levels of resilience related to health outcomes. At-risk individuals reported more health problems and poorer peer relationships than others. The results suggested that the RSQ could be applied in practice for resilience interventions among poor children and adolescents in China.

Introduction Laccases are green biocatalysts that possess attractive for the treatment of resistant environmental pollutants and dye effluents. Purpose To exploit the laccase of Anoxybacillus ayderensis SK3-4 that possesses dye decolorization ability at room and higher temperature, we characterized the enzyme in considerable detail and investigated its ability to decolorize different dyes. Results A bacterial laccase gene designed as LacAn from Anoxybacillus ayderensis SK3-4 of hot springs was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. LacAn is a monomeric protein with a molecular weight of 29.8 kDa. The optimum pH and temperature for syringaldazine oxidation were 7.0 and 75 °C, respectively. LacAn was stable at pH values ranging from 6.5 to 8.5 above 65 °C. The enzyme activity was significantly enhanced by Cu2+ and Mg2+ but inhibited by Zn2+ and Fe2+. Furthermore, LacAn showed high decolorization capability toward five dyes (direct blue 6, acid black 1, direct green 6, direct black 19, and acid blue 93) in the absence of redox mediators. It also demonstrated a wide temperature range, and it can retain its high decolorization ability even at high temperatures. Conclusions These properties including better enzymatic properties and efficiency to decolorize dyes demonstrate that the bacterial laccase LacAn has potentials for further industrial applications.

In this paper, a finite-time neural funnel control (FTNFC) scheme is proposed for motor servo systems with unknown input constraint. To deal with the non-smooth input saturation constraint problem, a smooth non-affine function of the control input signal is employed to approximate the saturation constraint, which is further transformed into an affine form according to the mean-value theorem. A fast terminal sliding mode manifold is constructed by using a novel funnel error variable to force the tracking error falling into a prescribe boundary within a finite time. Then, a simple sigmoid neural network is utilized to approximate the unknown system nonlinearity including the saturation. Different from the prescribed performance control (PPC), the proposed finite-time neural funnel control avoids using the inverse transformed function in the controller design, and could guarantee the prescribed tracking performance without knowing the saturation bounds in prior. The effectiveness and superior performance of the proposed method are verified by comparative simulation results.

Position and orientation (P&O) of the large-size component are very important geometrical quantities, which are observed by digital metrology techniques and controlled by fixed or flexible fixtures during assembly. The observed P&O values are usually calculated using measured coordinates of several points on the surface of the large-size component, based on the precondition that the relative position of those points is unchanged. In this paper, a novel P&O best-fitting algorithm is proposed. The related work firstly discussed the influences of the structural deformation of the large-size component on the P&O observation during assembly, and then introduced a deterministic theory for considering the influences. Based on the deterministic theory, the novel best-fitting algorithm which includes three steps was detailed. Finally, based on a wing-fuselage alignment case, the proposed algorithm is verified to be more accurate than the traditional methods, and the computing process is verging and stable.

The original version of this article unfortunately contains incorrect affiliation of the corresponding author. The corrected affiliation is presented below. Social and Public Administration School, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China.

The present study examined the efficacy of a strength-based intervention program among Chinese undergraduates to increase satisfaction with life. A total of 285 undergraduates enrolled in an 18-week elective course participated in this study. A 2 (informed about the purposes of the intervention vs. not informed about the purposes of the intervention) × 2 (strength-training intervention vs. experiential control) experimental design was adopted. The Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) was completed during week two of the course to obtain the personal character strengths profile of each participant. The Satisfaction with Life Scale was adopted as an indicator for this study. Baseline (2nd week), short-term post-test (9th week), and long-term follow-up (18th week) test scores were obtained. All participants increased their satisfaction with life from the baseline to the peaks after the 6-week interventions, and then showed a slow downward trend. In the short-term, the students who were informed about the purpose of the study, as well as those in the strength-training group exhibited more increase in satisfaction with life. However, in the long-term, only those students in the strength-training group sustained the change in satisfaction with life. Strength-based intervention to promote satisfaction with life among Chinese undergraduates was effective. Placebo effect gradually decreased with the passage of time, and eventually disappeared. The results can facilitate the easy-to-use positive intervention in university context.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small RNAs of ~22 nucleotides (nt) that play a key role in down regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level in plants and animals. Various studies have identified numerous miRNAs that were either up regulated or down regulated upon stress treatment. Here, we sought to understand the temporal regulation of miRNAs in different plant species under abscisic acid (ABA) and salt (NaCl) stress. Our results showed that the regulation of miR398 in response to ABA and salt stress was more dynamic in plants than previously reported. In poplars, miR398 was first induced upon 3-4 h of ABA or salt stress. However, this induction declined after 48 h and finally accumulated again over a prolonged stress (72 h). We referred to this kind of regulation as dynamic regulation. In contrast, such dynamic regulation of miR398 under salt stress was completely absent in Arabidopsis, in which miR398 was steadily and unidirectionally suppressed. Interestingly, ABA treatment caused a deviate dynamic regulation of miR398 in Arabidopsis, showing an opposite response as compared to that in poplars. We referred to the difference in regulation between Arabidopsis and poplars as differential regulation. Furthermore, the expression of the miR398 target, copper superoxide dismutase1 (CSD1), was in reverse correlation with the miR398 level, suggesting a control of this specific target expression predominantly by miR398 under abiotic stress. Together, these data consistently show a correlated regulation between miR398 and its representative target, CSD1, by ABA and salt stresses, and raise the possibility that regulation of miRNAs in plants is twofold: a dynamic regulation within a plant species and a differential regulation between different plant species.

A triple layer organic light-emitting diode (OLED) with two heterostructure of indium-tin oxide (ITO)/N,N′-diphenyl-N, N′-bis(1-naphthyl) (1,1′-biphenyl)-4,4′-diamine (NPB)/2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BCP)/ 8-Hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq3)/Mg:Ag has been fabricated by using the vacuum deposition method. The influence of different film thickness of BCP layer on the performance of the OLEDs has been investigated. The results show that when the thickness of the BCP layer film gradually ranges from 0.1-4.0 nm, the electroluminescence (EL) spectra of the OLEDs shift from green to greenish-blue to blue, and the BCP layer acts as the role for the recombination region of charge carriers related to EL spectrum, which enhances the brightness and power efficiency. The power efficiency of the OLEDs reaches to as high as 7.3 lm/W.

Based on conventional double layer device, triple layer organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with two heterostructures of indium-tin oxide (ITO)/N,N′-diphenyl-N,N′-bis(1-naphthyl)(1,1′-biphenyl)-4,4′-diamine(NPB)/2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BCP)/ 8-Hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq3)/Mg:Ag using vacuum deposition method have been fabricated. The influence of different film thickness of BCP layer on the performance of OLEDs has been investigated. The results showed that when the thickness of the BCP layer film gradually varied from 0.1 nm to 4.0 nm, the electroluminescence (EL) spectra of the OLEDs shifted from green to greenish-blue to blue, and the BCP layer acted as the recombination region of charge carriers related to EL spectrum, enhancing the brightness and power efficiency. The power efficiency of OLEDs reached as high as 7.3 lm/W.

A doping system consisting of NPB and PVK is employed as a composite hole transporting layer (CHTL). By adjusting the component ratio of the doping system, a series of devices with different concentration proportion of PVK:NPB are constructed. The result shows that doping concentration of NPB enhances the competence of hole transporting ability, and modifies the recombination region of charge as well as affects the surface morphology of doped film. Optimum device with a maximum brightness of 7852 cd/m2 and a power efficiency of 1.75 lm/W has been obtained by choosing a concentration proportion of PVK:NPB at 1:3.

As quality is one of the essential factors for manufacturing success in the global market, the Quality Engineering Laboratory (QEL) of BeiHang University (BUAA) has been focusing on the research of methodologies for integrated quality information processes to support quality management for more than 10 years. An integrated quality information system—QQ-Enterprise has been developed for Chinese manufacturing industries. A three-dimensional quality information integration model and a flexible architecture are proposed in this paper. The development of the QQ-Enterprise, which is a general-purpose IQIS developing toolkit designed specially for the Chinese manufacturing environment, and an implementation template are also presented.

Facing increasing pressure from customers to achieve greater responsiveness and reliability, as well as the current trend of globalization, many companies are considering global supply chain management as the core of their business strategy. This global tendency brings new challenges to traditional quality management approaches. It requires moving from the past focus of “my quality” to an emphasis on “our quality.” A new concept called global quality chain management (GQCM) is raised in this paper to figure out the principles, approaches, mechanisms, and processes involved in global quality management. In order to support GQCM, a computer-integrated and Internet-based system called the global quality chain management system (GQCMS) is proposed, with which the distributed partners in a global quality chain can cooperate as a whole. This paper outlines the overall framework of the GQCMS and presents the result of the Phase 1 development, known as the QQ-Enterprise system.

Because of e-commerce and the global economy, industries are challenged by world markets and modern enterprise morphologies, such as agile supply chains, expanded companies and virtual enterprises. Enterprises are thinking more and more about the market, customers and suppliers. Product quality is judged by the global market and the customers in the world village, and not only by the domestic market and customers. Enterprise quality assurance systems not only cover internal functional departments in an enterprise, but are expanding to external parties, such as customers, partners and suppliers, so, an expanded enterprise's core competencies or leadership capabilities in quality assurance have to be strengthened by the complementary capabilities of partners. The traditional quality assurance technologies have to be innovated. It is reasonable that customer focus and mutually beneficial supplier relationships blend into the core concepts of a quality management philosophy. As tools used by enterprises to support quality management, quality information management systems (QIMS) have to capture quality information from both internal and external parties, and to facilitate the communication environment, in order to share quality information among enterprises, customers and suppliers. Because of this, it is impossible for a traditional quality information management system based on the Intranet to meet these needs. In this paper, a model of the expanded enterprise is extended. A concept model and a functional model of the quality information management system based on Internet/Extranet/Intranet (IEI-QIS) are proposed. The system is able to integrate quality information from the enterprise, product customers and suppliers, and serves as a powerful tool to benefit the quality management of modern enterprises. A browser/server-based and the three-layer system architecture of IEI-QIS are also investigated.

INSPEX is a computer-aided knowledge based inspection planning system for preparing inspection plans from CAD toleranced component models of rotational components. To achieve the complete automation of the inspection process, INSPEX has been integrated with CMMs (computer controlled coordinate measuring machines) via DMIS (Dimensional Measuring Interface Specification), where DMIS has been as a data exchange standard. The inspection procedures produced by INSPEX can be automatically converted into DMIS data format file by the DMIS pre-processor described in this paper, which can be fed into any CMMs with a DMIS interface for executing the inspection procedures.

Objective: To study the reversal effect of neferine on adriamycin (ADM) resistant human breast cancer cell line MCF-7/ADM. Methods: The cytotoxic effect of Nef or ADM was determined by 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2.-yl], 5-diphenyl tetraxolium bromid (MTT) assay. Apoptosis and the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) were detected by flow cytometry (FCM). The intracellular ADM concentration was measured by HPLC. Results: Nef at 1, 5, 10 μmol/L decreased the IC50 of ADM to MCF-7/ADM from 11.63 μg/mL to 4.59, 2.44, 0.27 μg/mL respectively. MCF-7/ADM could resist the apoptosis induced by ADM while Nef (1-10 μmol/L) could augment ADR-mediated apoptosis. Nef (10 μmol/L) increased the accumulation of ADM up to 2.88 fold in MCF-7/ADM but not in sensitive cells MCF-7/S and reduced the expression of P-gp in MCF-7/ADM cells. Conclusion: Nef can circumvent multidrug resistance (MDR) of MCF-7/ADM cells and the mechanism was associated with the increase of intracellular accumulation of ADM and the reduced expression of P-gp in MCF-7/ADM cells.