Search

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic systemic inflammatory condition regarded as a major risk factor for colitis‐associated cancer. However, the underlying mechanisms of IBD remain unclear. First, five GSE data sets available in GEO were used to perform 'batch correction' and Robust Rank Aggregation (RRA) to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Candidate molecules were identified using CytoHubba, and their diagnostic effectiveness was predicted. The CIBERSORT algorithm evaluated the immune cell infiltration in the intestinal epithelial tissues of patients with IBD and controls. Immune cell infiltration in the IBD and control groups was determined using the least absolute shrinkage selection operator algorithm and Cox regression analysis. Finally, a total of 51 DEGs were screened, and nine hub genes were identified using CytoHubba and Cytoscape. GSE87466 and GSE193677 were used as extra data set to validate the expression of the nine hub genes. CD4‐naïve T cells, gamma–delta T cells, M1 macrophages and resting dendritic cells (DCs) are the main immune cell infiltrates in patients with IBD. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1, CCR5 and integrin subunit beta 2 (ITGB2) were significantly upregulated in the IBD mouse model, and suppression of ITGB2 expression alleviated IBD inflammation in mice. Additionally, the expression of ITGB2 was upregulated in IBD‐associated colorectal cancer (CRC). The silence of ITGB2 suppressed cell proliferation and tumour growth in vitro and in vivo. ITGB2 resting DCs may provide a therapeutic strategy for IBD, and ITGB2 may be a potential diagnostic marker for IBD‐associated CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and osteoporosis (OP) are systemic metabolic diseases and often coexist. The mechanism underlying this interrelationship remains unclear. We downloaded microarray data for T2D and OP from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Using weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA), we identified co‐expression modules linked to both T2D and OP. To further investigate the functional implications of these associated genes, we evaluated enrichment using ClueGO software. Additionally, we performed a biological process analysis of the genes unique in T2D and OP. We constructed a comprehensive miRNA–mRNA network by incorporating target genes and overlapping genes from the shared pool. Through the implementation of WGCNA, we successfully identified four modules that propose a plausible model that elucidates the disease pathway based on the associated and distinct gene profiles of T2D and OP. The miRNA–mRNA network analysis revealed co‐expression of PDIA6 and SLC16A1; their expression was upregulated in patients with T2D and islet β‐cell lines. Remarkably, PDIA6 and SLC16A1 were observed to inhibit the proliferation of pancreatic β cells and promote apoptosis in vitro, while downregulation of PDIA6 and SLC16A1 expression led to enhanced insulin secretion. This is the first study to reveal the significant roles of PDIA6 and SLC16A1 in the pathogenesis of T2D and OP, thereby identifying additional genes that hold potential as indicators or targets for therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the problem of estimating a |$k$| -sparse signal |${\boldsymbol \beta }_{0}\in{\mathbb{R}}^{p}$| from a set of noisy observations |$\mathbf{y}\in{\mathbb{R}}^{n}$| under the model |$\mathbf{y}=\mathbf{X}{\boldsymbol \beta }+w$|⁠ , where |$\mathbf{X}\in{\mathbb{R}}^{n\times p}$| is the measurement matrix the row of which is drawn from distribution |$N(0,{\boldsymbol \varSigma })$|⁠. We consider the class of |$L_{q}$| -regularized least squares (LQLS) given by the formulation |$\hat{{\boldsymbol \beta }}(\lambda)=\text{argmin}_{{\boldsymbol \beta }\in{\mathbb{R}}^{p}}\frac{1}{2}\|\mathbf{y}-\mathbf{X}{\boldsymbol \beta }\|^{2}_{2}+\lambda \|{\boldsymbol \beta }\|_{q}^{q}$|⁠ , where |$\|\cdot \|_{q}$|   |$(0\le q\le 2)$| denotes the |$L_{q}$| -norm. In the setting |$p,n,k\rightarrow \infty $| with fixed |$k/p=\epsilon $| and |$n/p=\delta $|⁠ , we derive the asymptotic risk of |$\hat{{\boldsymbol \beta }}(\lambda)$| for arbitrary covariance matrix |${\boldsymbol \varSigma }$| that generalizes the existing results for standard Gaussian design, i.e. |$X_{ij}\overset{i.i.d}{\sim }N(0,1)$|⁠. The results were derived from the non-rigorous replica method. We perform a higher-order analysis for LQLS in the small-error regime in which the first dominant term can be used to determine the phase transition behavior of LQLS. Our results show that the first dominant term does not depend on the covariance structure of |${\boldsymbol \varSigma }$| in the cases |$0\le q\lt 1$| and |$1\lt q\le 2,$| which indicates that the correlations among predictors only affect the phase transition curve in the case |$q=1$| a.k.a. LASSO. To study the influence of the covariance structure of |${\boldsymbol \varSigma }$| on the performance of LQLS in the cases |$0\le q\lt 1$| and |$1\lt q\le 2$|⁠ , we derive the explicit formulas for the second dominant term in the expansion of the asymptotic risk in terms of small error. Extensive computational experiments confirm that our analytical predictions are consistent with numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common lymphoid subtype. However, unsatisfactory survival outcomes remain a major challenge, and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. N6‐methyladenosine (m6A), the most common internal modification of eukaryotic mRNA, participates in cancer pathogenesis. In this study, m6A‐associated long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNA) were retrieved from publicly available databases. Univariate, LASSO, and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to establish an m6A‐associated lncRNA model specific to DLBCL. Kaplan–Meier curves, principal component analysis, functional enrichment analyses and nomographs were used to study the risk model. The underlying clinicopathological characteristics and drug sensitivity predictions against the model were identified. Risk modelling based on the three m6A‐associated lncRNAs was an independent prognostic factor. By regrouping patients using our model‐based method, we could differentiate patients more accurately for their response to immunotherapy. In addition, prospective compounds that can target DLBCL subtypes have been identified. The m6A‐associated lncRNA risk‐scoring model developed herein holds implications for DLBCL prognosis and clinical response prediction to immunotherapy. In addition, we used bioinformatic tools to identify and verify the ceRNA of the m6A‐associated lncRNA ELFN1‐AS1/miR‐182‐5p/BCL‐2 regulatory axis. ELFN1‐AS1 was highly expressed in DLBCL and DLBCL cell lines. ELFN1‐AS1 inhibition significantly reduced the proliferation of DLBCL cells and promoted apoptosis. ABT‐263 inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis in DLBCL cells. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that ABT‐263 combined with si‐ELFN1‐AS1 can inhibit DLBCL progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The celestial background (CB) has a potential significant influence on the laser intersatellite links (ISLs). A simple method to analyze the power and statistical distribution of the CB noise received by optical terminals is described for application to the ISLs. In order to evaluate the CB noise of the ISLs, an emulation analytic system is established. The CB noise of two adjacent interorbital plane ISLs and two intraorbital plane ISLs of a low Earth orbit satellite in the constellation is analyzed. The system can also be applied to examine the CB noise of other ISLs. The simulation results conduce to the performance evaluation of the ISLs. OCIS codes: 060.2605, 000.4430, 060.4230.

For a nonparametric Behrens-Fisher problem, a directional-sum test is proposed based on division-combination strategy. A one-layer wild bootstrap procedure is given to calculate its statistical significance. We conduct simulation studies with data generated from lognormal, t and Laplace distributions to show that the proposed test can control the type I error rates properly and is more powerful than the existing rank-sum and maximum-type tests under most of the considered scenarios. Applications to the dietary intervention trial further show the performance of the proposed test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The far infrared polarimeter–interferometer system (POLARIS) on the Joint-TEXT has been upgraded recently. A new support structure has been applied to the mixer array of the POLARIS for adjusting the position of the mixers precisely. Five detection chords have been added to the system on the low field side by optimizing the utilization efficiency of the laser beams on both sides of the beam splitting grid. The spatial resolution can be improved from 3 to 1.5 cm. A better measurement on plasma electron density and current density has been obtained after the system is upgraded. The initial experimental result will be introduced along with the upgrade details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the carbon disclosure quality of China's Shenzhen-Shanghai listed companies and its impact on investor protection, this paper constructs an evaluation index framework for carbon disclosure quality. The content analysis and principal component factor analysis methods were used to calculate the index score of the carbon disclosure quality, while empirical research on investor protection indexes was carried out by the method of variance weighting. This study found that an improvement in carbon disclosure quality can effectively protect the interests of investors, especially those of controlling shareholders and minority shareholders, but the degree of protection of large shareholders' interests decreases with the improvement in the quality of carbon disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manure and chemical fertilizers have different effects on soil properties, the nitrogen cycle, and crop yield. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different fertilizer applications under the same N input on soil physicochemical properties and soil bacterial communities and to explain the contributions of soil properties to grain yield. Manure substitution of chemical fertilizer was conducted in leaching monitoring systems. The study began in 2009 and sampling was carried out in 2014 and 2016. Three fertilizer treatments with the same total N, P, and K application rates and one control treatment were designed as follows: (1) CK, without nitrogen fertilizer; (2) 100%U, whole nitrogen coming from urea; (3) 100%M, whole nitrogen coming from composted cattle manure; and (4) 50%U + 50%M, half nitrogen from composted cattle manure and half nitrogen from urea. Soil organic carbon (SOC) content was positively correlated with total N (TN), NO3−–N, and NH4+–N contents, the mean weight diameter of soil aggregates, and the Shannon diversity index of bacteria, whereas SOC content was not significantly correlated with grain yield. NO3−–N content was positively correlated with grain yield. Substituting half the amount of chemical fertilizer with manure as a nitrogen source improved soil stability, increased bacterial diversity, and enhanced nitrogen supply, while reducing nitrogen loss from ammonia volatilization and nitrogen leaching. Substituting half the amount of chemical fertilizer with manure as a nitrogen source was a more sustainable way to increase grain yield through a sustainable nitrate supply and to reduce N loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, the most common grain crop is maize (Zea mays). The increasing pressure to meet the food demands of its growing population has pushed Chinese maize farmers toward an excessive use of chemical fertilizers, a practice which ultimately leads to a massive waste of resources and widespread environmental pollution. As a result, increasing the yield and improving the nitrogen (N) use efficiency of maize has become a critical issue for agriculture in China. This study, which analyzes the combined data from a simulation carried out using the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT), a field experiment, and a household survey, explored the effectiveness of several approaches aimed at narrowing the maize yield gap and improving the N utilization efficiency in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain (HHHP), the most important area for the production of summer maize in China. The various approaches we studied deploy different methods for the integrated management of N fertilizer input and the planting density. The study produced the following results: (1) For the simulated and actual maize yields, the root mean square error (RMSE), the normalized root mean squared errors (NRMSE) and the index of agreement (d) were 1,171 (kg ha–1), 12% and 0.84, respectively. These results show that the model is viable for the experiment included in the study; (2) The potential yield was 15.58 t ha–1, and the yields achieved by the super-high-yield cultivation pattern (SH), the optimized nutrient and density management pattern (ONM), the simulated farmer's practice cultivation pattern (FP) and actual farmer's practice (AFP) were 11.43, 11.06, 10.33, and 7.95 t ha–1, respectively. The yield gaps associated with the different yield levels were large; (3) For summer maize, the high yield and a high N partial factor productivity (NPFP) was found when applying a planting density of 9 plants m–2 and an N application amount of 246 kg ha–1. These results suggest that the maximum yield that can actually be achieved by optimizing the N application and planting density is less than 73% of the potential yield. This implies in turn that in order to further narrow the observed yield gaps, other factors, such as irrigation, sowing dates and pest control need to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a class of correlated Bernoulli variables, which have the following form: for some 0 < p < 1, $$\begin{align}{P(X_{j+1}=1 \vert {\cal F}_{j})= (1-\theta_j)p+\theta_jS_j/j,}\end{align}$$ where 0 ≤ θj ≤ 1, $S_n=\sum _{j=1}^nX_j$ and ${\cal F}_n=\sigma \{X_1,\ldots , X_n\}$. The aim of this paper is to establish the strong law of large numbers which extend some known results, and prove the moderate deviation principle for the correlated Bernoulli model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This long-term study used a lysimeter platform to monitor the changes of organic matter and total nitrogen content in deep soils of various fertilization treatments of wheat-maize in the Huanghuaihai area, with the goal to improve the soil environment and increase the quantity and diversity of soil microbes, and then provide a theoretical basis for synergetic improvement of production and resource utilization efficiency. Materials and methods: The experiment included a no-N-fertilizer treatment as a control (CK) to study the following three fertilizer treatments: the exclusive application of urea (U), the exclusive application of cattle manure (M), and the combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers (UM). Results and discussion: These results showed that fertilization significantly increased the soil organic matter content. Compared with CK, the average soil organic matter content of each soil layer treated with M, UM, and U was increased by 25.00%, 22.81%, and 8.96% in wheat growing season, respectively. The average soil organic matter content of each soil layer in the 2-year average M, UM, and U treatments increased by 148.70%, 16.81%, and − 7.18% maize growing season, respectively. In the 2-year wheat field, in the 0–20 cm soil layer, the effects of each treatment on the total nitrogen content of the soil were significant, and compared with the CK treatment, the UM, M, and U treatments increased by 105.72%, 75.07%, and 47.13%. For maize field, compared with the CK treatment, the total nitrogen content of M, UM, and U increased by 83.34%, 50.27%, and 7.10%. The addition of organic fertilizer can increase the number and diversity of bacteria and fungi in the soil, and the application of urea significantly reduced the quantities and diversities of bacteria. The combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers can increase the number and diversity of soil actinomycetes. The combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers could significantly increase the number of maize roots. Compared with CK treatment, the number of roots increased by 66.67%. After long-term experimental treatment, the yields of wheat and maize were all expressed as UM > U > M > CK. Conclusions: The combination of organic and inorganic N fertilizers increased the soil organic matter content, improved the soil environment, increased the quantity and diversity of soil microbes, promoted the growth and development of crop roots, and increased the yield of wheat and maize. It was a reasonable fertilization method to synergistically improve the production and resource utilization efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we consider the following simple linear errors-in-variables (EV) model: and obtain the asymptotic normality of the least square (LS) estimators for the unknown parameters β, θ in the above EV model under the assumptions that the errors are positively associated stationary sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Because of ensuring very low propagation delay between satellites, and providing global space-based broadband network services, low earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations with laser inter-satellite links (ISLs) are considered to be the enabling technology to satisfy the increasing data traffic demand. However, significant Doppler can be observed by the onboard terminals on the ISLs, due to the high relative speed of the two communicating LEO satellites. This paper describes an analytic derivation of the Doppler wavelength shift measured by the terminal onboard a satellite on the signal transmitted through the ISLs. The Point-Ahead Mechanism of the optical ISLs is considered in the analytical expression of the Doppler wavelength shift. Then, in terms of the ISLs characteristics of the satellite constellations, the expression of Doppler wavelength shift is deduced into two aspects. First, for the full time accessing ISLs, it evolves as a function of the constellation parameters. Thus, the Doppler characterization for two kinds of interorbit full time accessing ISLs of LEO satellite constellations is analyzed. Second, for the intermittent accessing ISLs, the expression of Doppler wavelength shift is given as a function of the minimum ISL distance between two communicating satellites. And the visibility duration of the destination satellite at the source satellite is estimated for the intermittent ISLs. This work is helpful to evaluate the design of constellation networking. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Satellites communication networks by means of optical WDM intersatellite links (ISLs) with wavelength routing is demonstrated. A method has been described for dimensioning their required wavelengths. Using this method, satellite network with the proposal to include WDM ISLs is investigated and discussed to estimate the bounds of its wavelength requirements based on considering the regular Bi-directional Manhattan Street Network as the physical ISL topologies of the networks. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

SARS-CoV-2 is the etiological agent responsible for the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The main protease of SARS-CoV-2, 3CLpro, is an attractive target for antiviral inhibitors due to its indispensable role in viral replication and gene expression of viral proteins. The search of compounds that can effectively inhibit the crucial activity of 3CLpro, which results to interference of the virus life cycle, is now widely pursued. Here, we report that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), an active ingredient of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), is a potent inhibitor of 3CLpro with half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.874 ± 0.005 μM. In the study, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 123 cases of COVID-19 patients, and found three effective Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) prescriptions. Multiple strategies were performed to screen potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro from the active ingredients of TCMs, including network pharmacology, molecular docking, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) binding assay and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based inhibition assay. The SPR assay showed good interaction between EGCG and 3CLpro with KD ~6.17 μM, suggesting a relatively high affinity of EGCG with SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. Our results provide critical insights into the mechanism of action of EGCG as a potential therapeutic agent against COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]