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The effect of stormwater runoff on dissolved organic matter (DOM) in rivers is one of the central topics in water environment research. Jiujiang is one of the first cities established in the Green Development Demonstration Zone of the Yangtze River Economic Belt (Jiangxi Province, China). Three-dimensional excitation–emission matrix fluorescence with parallel factor analysis (3DEEM-PARAFAC) and ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy were used to explore the effects of runoff on organic matter in Shili River (Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, China). The results show that the runoff led to an increase of some critical pollutants and DOM concentrations, especially in the middle reaches of the river. The concentration and relative molecular weight of DOM in water increased as a result of runoff. Three humic-like (C1–C3) and two protein-like (C4 and C5) components of DOM were identified using the PARAFAC model. The sources of the three humic-like components were consistent, unlike those of the protein-like component C4. The runoff contained lower amounts of humic compounds which caused the relative content and proportion of humic substances little change and protein-like species increasing. The DOM mainly derived from autochthonous sources, and runoff had limited effect on its characteristics. The PARAFAC components could adequately represent different indicators and sources of DOM in urban rivers, providing an important reference for urban river management.

The development of white adipose tissue (WAT) browning helps to protect animals from cold conditions and prevent obesity. AMPKα1 has been involved in the process of white adipocytes browning. Although Irisin plays a vital role in the browning of WAT, the detailed regulatory mechanism of Irisin inducing the browning of WAT remains unclear. Herein, we firstly investigated the potential roles of differentiation and Irisin in regulating the browning of 3T3-L1 cells. The results found that they could significantly increase the number of lipid droplets and upregulate the expression levels of UCP1, PGC-1α, PRDM16, and p-AMPKα1. Then we proved the effectiveness of the AMPKα1 signaling pathway in the process of Irisin inducing the browning of 3T3-L1 cells. Compared with si-NC, si-AMPKα1 not only decreased the number of Irisin-induced lipid droplets, but also attenuated the expression of Irisin-induced UCP1, PGC-1α, and PRDM16 protein and mRNA levels in 3T3-L1 cells. Furthermore, the results showed that Irisin increased the positive distribution of UCP1 and PGC-1α, and upregulated the expression of UCP1, PGC-1α, and PRDM16 at both protein and mRNA levels in WAT. Once siRNA treated mice, the facilitation of Irisin on UCP1 and PGC-1α in si-AMPKα1-injected mice was lower than that in si-NC-injected mice. Compared with si-NC, si-AMPKα1 significantly downregulated the expression of UCP1, PGC-1α, and PRDM16 in Irisin-injected mice. Taken together, our results demonstrate that Irisin activates the AMPKα1 pathway to promote the browning of WAT by upregulating the mRNA and protein levels of UCP1, PGC-1α, and PRDM16.

This paper is devoted to the limit cycle bifurcation problem for some cubic polynomial systems, whose unperturbed systems have a period annulus and two invariant lines. Using the first order Melnikov function and Chebyshev criterion, we obtain the maximum number of limit cycles bifurcating from the period annulus. It improves a known result given by Sui and Zhao [Internat. J. Bifur. Chaos Appl. Sci. Engrg. 28 (2018), 1850063].

Autophagy functions in plant host immunity responses to pathogen infection. The molecular mechanisms and functions used by the citrus Huanglongbing (HLB)-associated intracellular bacterium ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas) to manipulate autophagy are unknown. We identified a CLas effector, SDE4405 (CLIBASIA_04405), which contributes to HLB progression. Transgenic SDE4405 in Wanjincheng orange (Citrus sinensis) promotes CLas proliferation and symptom expression via suppressing host immunity response. SDE4405 interacts with ATG8-family proteins (ATG8s) and their interactions activate autophagy in Nicotiana benthamiana. The occurrence of autophagy is also significantly enhanced in SDE4405-transgenic citrus plants. Interrupting NbATG8s-SDE4405 interaction by silencing NbATG8s reduces Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato strain DC3000ΔhopQ1-1 (Pst DC3000ΔhopQ1-1) proliferation in N. benthamiana, and transient overexpression of CsATG8c and SDE4405 in citrus promotes Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) multiplication, suggesting SDE4405-ATG8s interaction negatively regulates plant defense. These data show the role of the CLas effector protein in manipulating autophagy and provide new insights into the molecular interaction between CLas and citrus.

Ante-inclination (AI) of the cup is a key component of the combined sagittal index (CSI) for predicting joint stability after total hip arthroplasty (THA). We aimed to (1) validate a mathematical algorithm relating AI to radiographic anteversion (RA), radiographic inclination (RI), and pelvic tilt (PT); (2) convert the AI criterion of the CSI into the coronal functional safe zone (CFSZ) and explore the influences of standing-to-sitting pelvic motion (PM) and pelvic incidence (PI) on the CFSZ; and (3) attempt to locate a universal cup orientation that always fulfills the AI criterion of the CSI for all patients.In the first phase, a phantom pelvis was designed to simulate a range of PT values, and an acetabular cup was implanted with different RA, RI, and PT settings using a robot-assisted technique and scanned using the EOS imaging system. The second phase involved patient radiographs. We enrolled 100 patients who underwent robot-assisted THA from April 2019 to December 2019, and EOS images before THA and at the 12-month follow-up were recorded. The AI was measured on a lateral radiograph; this angle was used as the reference and compared with the calculated AI to assess the accuracy of the algorithm. Linear regression was conducted to explore the relationship between the size of the CFSZ and the values of PM and PI. We calculated the intersection of the CFSZs of the patients to find a universal cup orientation (RA and RI) for the CSI.The algorithm was accurate according to both the phantom study and patient radiographs using PT at the time of follow-up, with mean absolute errors (MAEs) of 1.5° (width of 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2°) and 2.8° (width of 95% CI, 3.0°), respectively. However, the preoperatively predicted AI had an MAE of 9.0° (width of 95% CI, 10.5°). In patient subgroups with lower PM or PI, the sizes of the CFSZ and of its intersection with the Lewinnek safe zone were significantly smaller (p0.017). No universal cup orientation existed to fulfill the CSI criteria for all patients or for any of the PM or PI subgroups.The target orientation for the cup in THA should be individualized. Our validated algorithm may serve as a quantitative tool for the patient-specific optimization of cup AI on the basis of the functional safe zone.The Lewinnek safe zone fails because it cannot predict the functional orientation of the cup. The concept of a universal safe zone of cup orientation should be abandoned and replaced by a patient-specific surgical target.

The mechanical quality factor Qm of BS–PT ceramics increased to 90 and the thermal depolarization temperature Td remained above 300 °C after GeO2 doping.

AIM To explore the association between haemorrhagic transformation (HT) subtypes and functional outcome in acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) patients with successful recanalization treated by endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). MATERIALS and METHODS Consecutive patients with AIS due to large-vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation, who were treated between January 2015 and June 2019 and achieved successful EVT, were enrolled in this retrospective study. HT was categorized according to the Heidelberg Bleeding Classification. Functional outcome was evaluated using the 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) after stroke onset. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association of HT subtypes with functional outcomes. RESULTS A total of 243 patients were included for further analysis. Among them, 121 (49.8%) had HT. Ten (4.1%) patients were classified as haemorrhagic infarction (HI) subtype 1, 61 (25.1%) as HI subtype 2, 17 (7.0%) as parenchymal haematoma (PH) subtype 1, and 33 (13.6%) as PH subtype 2. Ordinal logistic regression analysis suggested that HI subtype 2 (adjusted common OR 0.357, 95% CI: 0.192–0.667), PH1 (adjusted common OR 0.254, 95% CI: 0.093–0.696) and PH subtype 2 (adjusted common OR 0.017, 95% CI: 0.006–0.051) were significantly associated with poor functional outcomes. CONCLUSION The present study shows that HI subtype 2, PH subtype 1, and PH subtype 2 are independently associated with poor clinical outcomes in AIS patients with successful recanalization after EVT.

A catalyst- and additive-free sunlight-induce autoxidation of a wide range of aldehydes to carboxylic acids with oxygen from air is reported. It can be applied even at gram scale and proceeds smoothly even at lower temperatures down to 2–10 °C.

We aim to evaluate the efficacies of combination therapy with low-frequency ultrasound-stimulated microbubbles (USMB) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on suppressing the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cell and treating Panc02 subcutaneous xenograft mice. The proliferation of HPDE6-C7 and Panc02 cells after the treatment of USMB and RFA alone or combination were evaluated by CCK-8 assay. Scratch test was performed to assess the cell migration capability. Panc02-bearing mice were received 14-day treatment of USMB and RFA alone or combination. Tumor size and survival rate were recorded once two days. The serum levels of immune-related factors and changes of apoptosis- and autophagy-related factors were detected by ELISA and western blotting methods. As a result, CKK-8 assays revealed significant inhibition on Panc02 cell proliferation in combination therapy with USMB and RFA relative to other groups (all p

Increasing energy expenditure and reducing energy intake are considered two classical methods to induce weight loss. Weight loss through physical methods instead of drugs has been a hot research topic nowadays, but how these methods function in adipose and cause weight loss in body remains unclear. In this study, we set up chronic cold exposure (CCE) and every other day fasting (EODF) as two distinct models in long-term treatment to induce weight loss. They showed their own characteristics in energy expenditure and metabolism. We demonstrated that CCE and EODF caused different types of thermogenic programs in white and brown adipose depots whether through Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), Creatine-driven or FGF21-adiponectin axis. In this study, we further explained that thermogenic mechanisms function in adipose and metabolic benefits of the stable phenotype through physical treatments used for weight loss, providing more details for the study on weight-loss models.