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Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is one of the fastest growing endocrine system malignant carcinomas detected over the past decade. Unfortunately, more than 25% of PTC patients are characterized by their aggressiveness and subsequent metastasis; these characteristics usually indicate poor prognosis. Recently, increasing evidence has suggested that solute carrier (SLC) transporters may play a pivotal role in the initiation, invasion and metastasis of human carcinoma. However, the expression and clinicopathological significance of SLC transporters in patients with PTC remains undetermined. In this study, we aimed to elucidate how the differential expression of SLC transporters affects clinicopathological features, as well as determine the possible regulatory signaling pathways involved. Three differentially expressed SLC transporters were screened from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database using a bioinformatics approach. The results indicated that high SLC34A2 and low SLC4A4 protein expression exhibited a higher percentage of capsular invasion and extra-thyroid metastasis in patients. Logistic regression analysis showed that high SLC34A2 expression in tumors was identified as an independent risk factor for capsular invasion [odds ratio (OR)=11.400, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.733-74.995, P=0.011] and extra-thyroid metastasis (OR=4.920, 95%CI=1.234-19.623, P=0.024), while low SLC4A4 expression in tumors was only identified as independent risk factors for extra-thyroid metastasis (OR=8.568, 95%CI =1.186-61.906, P=0.033). Specifically, for tumors with capsular invasion and extra-thyroid metastasis, the protein expression staining of SLC34A2 was markedly enhanced in the cytoplasm of follicular epithelial cells, contrastingly, SLC4A4 expression was notably weakened in the cytomembrane and nucleus. Intriguingly, both high SLC34A2 and low SLC4A4 protein expression were significantly linked to a high urinary iodine concentration in patients with PTC. Mechanistically, compared with adjacent normal thyroids, p-ERK was significantly up-regulated by 17.8% in the invading tumor; p-ERK, p-JNK, and p-P38 were markedly up-regulated by 29.2%, 67.1%, and 38.9% for metastatic tumors, respectively. Importantly, SLC4A4 negatively correlated with p-JNK (r=-0.696, P= 0.004) and p-P38 (r=-0.534, P=0.049). In conclusion, we suggest that up-regulated SLC34A2 (mainly in the cytoplasm) and down-regulated SLC4A4 (mainly in the cytomembrane and nucleus), which might be attributed to excess iodine intake, were closely linked to extra-thyroid metastasis in PTCs. Furthermore, this effect of SLC4A4 may be through the activation of JNK/P38 MAPK signaling pathway. Future in vivo and in vitro gain- or loss-of-function experiments are needed to verify these findings and further elucidate the deeper molecular mechanisms.

Free nitrous acid (FNA, i.e., HNO

Patients with osteoporosis and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at increased risk of fracture and associated negative outcomes, including increased mortality. The present post hoc analysis of two randomized, multicenter, phase 3 clinical trials-Fracture Study in Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis (FRAME) and Active-Controlled Fracture Study in Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis at High Risk (ARCH)-investigated the efficacy and safety of romosozumab in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and mild-to-moderate CKD. The analysis included data from 7147 patients from FRAME and 4077 from ARCH. Eighty-one percent of patients from FRAME and 85% from ARCH had mild or moderate reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at baseline, and part of this reduction is likely age related. During the 1-year double-blind phases of the trials, patients received romosozumab 210 mg sc or placebo monthly in FRAME and romosozumab 210 mg sc monthly or alendronate 70 mg po weekly in ARCH. Bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine, total hip, and femoral neck and vertebral and nonvertebral fractures were assessed at baseline and month 12. In both trials, the least-square mean percent change from baseline BMD was significantly greater in the romosozumab groups versus controls across all kidney function categories at month 12. Romosozumab reduced the relative risk of new vertebral fractures at month 12 among patients with eGFR of 30-59, 60-89, and ≥90 mL/min by 72% (95% confidence interval [CI] 14-91; p = 0.017), 70% (40-85; p

The bacterial infection that involves antimicrobial resistance is a rising global threat to public health. Chlorine-based water disinfection processes can inactivate antibiotic resistant bacteria. However, at the same time, these processes may cause the release of antibiotic resistance genes into the water as free DNA, and consequently increase the risk to disseminate antibiotic resistance via natural transformation. Presently, little is known about the contribution of residual chlorine affecting the transformation of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). This study investigates whether chloramine and free chlorine promote the transformation of ARGs and how this may occur. We reveal that both chloramine and free chlorine, at practically relevant concentrations, significantly stimulated the transformation of plasmid-encoded ARGs by the recipient Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1, by up to a 10-fold increase. The underlying mechanisms underpinning the increased transformations were revealed. Disinfectant exposure induced a series of cell responses, including increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), bacterial membrane damage, ROS-mediated DNA damage, and increased stress response. These effects thus culminated in the enhanced transformation of ARGs. This promoted transformation was observed when exposing disinfectant-pretreated A. baylyi to free plasmid. In contrast, after pretreating free plasmid with disinfectants, the transformation of ARGs decreased due to the damage of plasmid integrity. These findings provide important insight on the roles of disinfectants affecting the horizontal transfer of ARGs, which could be crucial in the management of antibiotic resistance in our water systems.

Background X‐ray repair cross‐complementary 5 (XRCC5) and 6 (XRCC6) are critical for DNA repair. Few studies have assessed their association with breast cancer risk, and related gene‐environment interactions remain poorly understood. This study aimed to determine the influence of XRCC5/6 polymorphisms on breast cancer risk, and their interactions with cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and sleep satisfaction. Methods The study included 1039 patients with breast cancer and 1040 controls. Four single‐nucleotide polymorphisms of XRCC5 and two of XRCC6 were genotyped. Information about smoking, alcohol consumption, and sleep satisfaction was collected through questionnaires. Odds ratios (OR) and related 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were assessed using unconditional logistic regression models. Gene‐environment interactions were analyzed using logistic regression with multiplicative interaction models. Results XRCC5 rs16855458 was associated with increased breast cancer risk in the co‐dominant (p trend = 0.003) and dominant (CA + AA vs. CC, OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.07–1.56, p = 0.008) genetic models after Bonferroni correction. The CG + GG genotype of XRCC6 rs2267437 was associated with an increased risk of estrogen receptor‐negative/progesterone receptor‐negative (ER−/PR−) breast cancer (CG + GG vs. CC: OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.12–2.13, p = 0.008) after Bonferroni correction. Moreover, an antagonistic interaction between XRCC5 rs16855458 and alcohol consumption (p interaction = 0.017), and a synergistic interaction between XRCC6 rs2267437 and sleep satisfaction were associated with breast cancer risk (p interaction = 0.0497). However, these interactions became insignificant after Bonferroni correction. Conclusion XRCC5 rs16855458 was associated with breast cancer risk, and XRCC6 rs2267437 was associated with the risk of ER−/PR− breast cancer. Breast cancer risk associated with XRCC5 and XRCC6 polymorphisms might vary according to alcohol consumption and sleep satisfaction, respectively, and merit further investigation., XRCC5 rs16855458 was associated with breast cancer risk, and XRCC6 rs2267437 was associated with the risk of ER−/PR− breast cancer. Breast cancer risk associated with XRCC5 and XRCC6 polymorphisms might vary according to alcohol consumption and sleep satisfaction, respectively, and merit further investigation.

Better documentation and understanding of long-term temporal dynamics of nutrients in watersheds are necessary to support effective water quality management. We examined the hypothesis that the recent management of fertilizer use and pollution control in the Changjiang River Basin could govern the fluxes of nutrients from the river to the sea. Results based on historical data since 1962 and surveys in recent years show that concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus (DIP) in the mid- and downstream reaches were higher than those in the upper reaches due to intensive anthropogenic activities, while dissolved silicate (DSi) was distributed evenly from the up- to downstream reaches. Fluxes of DIN and DIP increased rapidly, and DSi declined during the 1962–1980 and 1980–2000. After the 2000s, concentrations and fluxes of DIN and DSi remained almost unchanged; those of DIP remained stable until the 2010s and slightly decreased afterward. The decline in fertilizer use explains 45 % of the variance in the decline of DIP flux, followed by pollution control, groundwater and water discharge. As a result, the molar ratio of DIN:DIP, DSi:DIP and ammonia:nitrate varied largely during 1962–2020, and the excess DIN relative to DIP and DSi lead to increased limitations of silicon and phosphorus. A turning point probably occurred for nutrient fluxes in the Changjiang River in the 2010s, with the pattern of DIN from continuous increase to stability and DIP from increase to decrease. This decline in phosphorus in the Changjiang River has many similarities with the rivers worldwide. The continued basin nutrient management is likely to have a major influence on river nutrient delivery and therefore may control coastal nutrient budget and ecosystem stability.

Objective: Benign breast disease (BBD), especially benign proliferative breast disease (BPBD), is related to increased breast cancer risk. However, few studies have examined whether conventional breast cancer risk factors influence risk of breast cancer among women with BBD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of lifestyle factors with risk of breast cancer among women biopsied for BBD within a multi-center, hospital-based, case-control study in China, in order to provide scientific basis of health guidance for BBD patients and lay the foundation for primary prevention of breast cancer. Methods: A multi-center, hospital-based, case-control study was conducted. Patients with BPBD (n=608) and patients with non-proliferative breast disease (NPBD) (n=366) were collected from 23 hospitals in 11 provinces during April 2012 to April 2013. A face-to-face survey, baseline data and fasting blood was collected with all study subjects. Serum adiponectin levels were assayed using ELISA. After 10 years, the cumulative incidence rate of breast cancer in the two groups was counted through follow-up. Logistic regression analysis was used to obtain the association between specific factors and risk of breast cancer. Results: After 10 years’ follow-up, 388 BPBD and 240 NPBD cases were included in the final analysis (Table 1), of which 16 (4.12%) and 3 (1.25%) developed breast cancer, respectively. The cumulative incidence of breast cancer between the two groups was significant difference (P=0.041). Compared with women in the NPBD group, BPBD group were more likely to be central obesity (with higher waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)) (OR 24.98, 95% CI 1.845-336.203, P=0.015) and less likely to have physical activity (OR 0.626, 95% CI 0.416-0.943, P=0.025) and less often to eat carrots (OR 0.616, 95% CI 0.398-0.953, P=0.030) (Table 2). Subgroup analyze indicated that, physical activity, eat carrots and ham sausage, body weight, BMI, waist circumference and WHR were statistical differences in premenopausal BPBD patients, while only physical activity (OR 0.423, 95% CI 0.269-0.665 P < 0.001) was the independent risk factors. Meanwhile, among the factors of Tea consumption, Glycemia, Body weight, BMI, Waist circumference, WHR and HMW/total adiponectin ratio in postmenopausal group, only HMW/total adiponectin ratio (OR 0.041, 95% CI 0.002-0.820 P=0.037) was statistically significant factor. These stratified multivariate logistic regression analysis results are shown in Table 3. Conclusion: In patients with BBD, physical activity may be the protect factor for breast cancer carcinogenesis in premenopausal women while lower HMW/total adiponectin ratio is a risk factor for postmenopausal women, which can provide direction for primary prevention of breast cancer. Table 1. Pathological types of all subjects. Table 2. The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis. Table 3. Stratified multivariate Logistic regression analysis by menopause status. Citation Format: Chao Zheng, Dandan Ma, Linfeng Zhao, Maolin Guo, Shude Cui, Fuguo Tian, Zhimin Fan, Cuizhi Geng, Xuchen Cao, Zhenlin Yang, Xiang Wang, Hong Liang, Shu Wang, Hongchuan Jiang, Xuening Duan, Haibo Wang, Guolou Li, Qitang Wang, Jianguo Zhang, Feng Jin, Jinhai Tang, Liang Li, Shi-Guang Zhu, Wenshu Zuo, Fei Wang, Lixiang Yu, Fei Zhou, Yujuan Xiang, Mingming Guo, Yongjiu Wang, Wenzhong Zhou, Shuya Huang, Zhaohui Li, Yajie Zhou, Lijuan Hou, Xinyi Yang, Xuan Zhang, Liyuan Liu, Zhigang Yu. Lifestyle factors are associated with breast cancer risk in women biopsied for benign breast diseases in China: 10-year results of a multi-center, hospital-based, case-control study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-03-31.

Contaminants in high-altitude mountains such as the Tibetan Plateau (TP) have attracted extensive attention due to their potential impact on fragile ecosystems. Rapid development of the economy and society has promoted pollution caused by local traffic emissions in the TP. Among the pollutants emitted by traffic, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs) are of particular concern due to their high toxicity. The TP provides an environment to explore the degree and range of contribution for traffic-induced PAHs and OPAHs. In this study, soils and moss were collected at different altitudes and distances from the G318 highway in the southeast TP. The total concentrations of PAHs (∑

It is crucial to consider regional heterogeneity while analyzing drivers of changes in sectoral water use for developing differentiated and effective demand-regulation strategies in China. By using the logarithmic mean Divisia index method, this study compares dynamic influences of intensity, structure and scale factors on changes in productive and domestic water use during 2003–2017 between Tianjin (a socio-economic developed region) and Hebei (less-developed). The results show that the scale effect stimulated the growth of productive water use in both regions, while structure and intensity effects restrained such growth. The three effects all stimulated the growth of domestic water use in most years in both regions. In both regions, the largest contributor to changes in productive and domestic water use was the scale and intensity effect, respectively. However, in the two regions, the synergies of three effects resulted in different change trends of productive water use, and cumulative contributions of sub-sectors to the intensity, structure and scale effects were not exactly the same. Tianjin and Hebei need to keep on adjusting industrial structure and lowering water-use intensity to control future growth of productive water use and take strict measures to tackle the increasing trend of domestic water use but should have different policy implementation focuses. Highlights The drivers of water-use changes of regions at different socio-economic development stages were compared.; The forces of driving-factors of productive and domestic water use changed with time.; The root cause of changes in productive and domestic water use was not exactly the same in the two regions.; The results are helpful for formulating differentiated water-demand management policies.

The three large marine ecosystems (LMEs) bordering China (Yellow Sea/Bohai Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea) have received excess nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in the past decades with de...

Reinforced concrete girders of curved cable-stayed bridges are subjected to the combined loads of compression-bending-shear-torsion, which can result in complex interaction behaviours. This paper presents an experimental study conducted to understand the behaviours of T-shaped reinforced concrete columns subjected to the combined loads of compression-bending-shear-torsion. The main variables considered in this study are axial pressure ratio and torsional change. The results of tests on twelve reinforced concrete columns subjected to the combined loads are obtained, and the effects of combined loads on the bending strength are discussed. This paper presents the formula established for calculating the bending strength and the diagrams of interaction under the combined loads of compression-bending-shear-torsion. Particularly, the results highlight the turning point from the bending failure to the compression failure, and demonstrate that bending capability increases within the specified range of axial pressure ratio and decreases with the increasing torsion. In addition, this study indicates the importance of considering the effects of compression, shear and torsion on bending strength in the engineering design.

The detection and repair of cycle slips are key steps in high-accuracy GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) data processing using carrier phase observations. BDS (BeiDou Navigation Satellite System) triple-frequency observations provide better combinations for cycle slip detections and repairs compared to dual-frequency observations. Although a number of algorithms have been developed and may correctly detect cycle slips most of the time, the reliability of empirical thresholds methods cannot be guaranteed. In this study, an adaptive threshold is proposed for three sets of triple-frequency Geometry-Free (GF) pseudorange minus phase combinations to improve the cycle slip detection performance and reduce the false alarm rate of the cycle slip detection by combining the predicted epoch-differenced ionospheric delays under active ionospheric conditions. Moreover, in the cycle slip repair, the integral combined cycle slips are determined by directly rounding the estimated float-combined cycle slips, which will lead to a repair error if the between-epoch ionospheric variation is large. In this study, a new rounding method considering the predicted epoch-differenced ionospheric delays is proposed, and it is proven that the new method has a higher success rate for estimating the integer value of a cycle slip than the traditional method. The performance of the newly proposed method is validated by using static BDS triple-frequency observations that contain simulated cycle slips. BDS triple-frequency observations were collected at 30-s sampling intervals under active ionospheric conditions. The results show that this method can successfully detect and repair all slips of more than one cycle. In addition, dynamic BDS data collected with a vehicle-based receiver at a 1-s sampling intervals are processed, and the results show that the proposed method is also effective in the detection and repair of cycle slips in dynamic data.

The primary factors that impact food safety are the quality and safety of agricultural products. The quality and safety of agricultural products are closely related to farmers’ decision-making behavior. In addition, the decision-making behavior of the government and consumers is the key factor of farmers’ decision-making behavior. The study explores the ideal state among the government, farmers and consumers to promote the improvement of the quality of agricultural products, thereby contributing to food safety. The study includes the government, farmers and consumers in an evolutionary game model to explore game relationships and evolution paths of decision making among the three stakeholders. The dynamic analysis of the decision replication, the stability analysis of strategy evolution, and the numerical simulation experiment verify the following: the evolutionary process of the decision-making behavior of the three stakeholders to an ideal state is affected by many factors, and the value ranges of the different factors have different impacts on the convergence speed of the three stakeholders to an ideal state; When certain conditions are met, the decision-making behaviors of the three stakeholders can evolve to an ideal state, and effective government supervision can promote the transformation of farmers from nongreen to green pesticide application behavior, and encourage consumers to purchase high-quality agricultural products.

Molybdenum dioxide (MoO2) suffers from large volume expansion and poor conductivity as anode material for lithium ion battery (LIB). Herein, the three-dimensional (3D) MoO2/N-doped carbon composites constructed by amorphous nanowires and crystalline nanoparticles (marked as 3D MoO2/NC composites) are prepared. It is worth mentioning that the conductivity could be largely improved as well as the volume expansion could be effectively relieved since the structure design including amorphous, carbon-composited and pony-size are taken, resulting in high Li storage capacity of MoO2. Benefiting from the especial structural feature, the 3D MoO2/NC composites exhibit an excellent electrochemical performance compared to the pristine crystalline MoO2 and display a higher capacity of 912 mAh g−1 after 250 cycles at 0.1 A g−1. The proposed structure design can be reference to prepare other electrode materials for boosting the Li storage properties.

The morphological evolution of the sand barrier in the Anhaiao coastal zone of Pingtan from 1996 to 2018 was studied. Tidal correction was used to refine the location of the coastline. A standard deviation ellipse method was applied to further analyze the movement of the barrier head with the axis and rotation angle. A natural neighbor interpolation (NNI) method was carried out to calculate the terrain of the intertidal area, and the erosion and deposition characteristics were illustrated based on the terrain. The results showed that the northern part of the sand barrier facing the lagoon area was deposited over the whole studied period, while erosion has always occurred in the southern part of the sand barrier facing the open sea. The erosion and deposition were slightly different on both sides of the barrier head due to hydrodynamic turbulence. The middle sand barrier moved 102.60 m away from its original location in 1996, and the end of the barrier moved 65.45 m. The head of the sand barrier continued moving 379 m to the northwest. Consequently, the preliminary morphological evolution of the sand barrier corresponding to the distance and direction of movement was detected.

Illumina sequencing and quantitative PCR (qPCR) based on the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene were conducted to characterize the vertical distribution of bacterial and archaeal communities in the sediments of two sites from the South Yellow Sea. Both bacterial and archaeal communities showed a clear stratified distribution with sediment depth. The microbial communities in the upper layers were distinct from those in the deeper layers; the relative abundances of sequences of Thaumarchaeota, Gammaproteobacteria, and Actinobacteria were higher in the upper than in the deeper sediments, whereas the sequences of Bathyarchaeia, Lokiarchaeota, Euryarchaeota, Chloroflexi, and Deltaproteobacteria were relatively more abundant in the deeper sediments. Sediment depth and total organic carbon (TOC) can significantly influence both the bacterial and archaeal communities. Furthermore, bacterial and archaeal groups potentially involved in nitrogen, sulfur, and methane metabolism were detected in both sites. In our study, both ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (Nitrospira) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (Candidatus Nitrosopumilus) were responsible for ammonia oxidization. Additionally, sulfur-reducing bacteria SEEP-SRB1 forming consortia with anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea ANME-2a-2b were capable of anaerobic methane oxidation (AOM) in the 3400-02 sediment samples.

In this study, we constructed a highly sensitive and selective electrochemical sensing strategy for l-ascorbic acid (AA) based on a covalent organic framework (COF)-loading non-noble transition metal Co ion and macrocyclic cationic pillar[6]arene (CP6) nanocomposite (CP6-COF-Co). The COF plays a crucial role in anchoring the Co ion according to its crystalline porous and multiple coordination sites and has an outstanding performance for building an electrochemical sensing platform based on a unique two-dimensional structure. Accordingly, the transition-metal Co ion can be successfully anchored on the framework of COF and shows strong catalytic activity for the determination of AA. Moreover, introduction of host-guest recognition based on CP6 and AA can bring new properties for enhancing selectivity, sensitivity, and practical application in real environment. Host-guest interactions between CP6 and AA were evaluated by the 1H NMR spectrum. When compared with other literatures, our method displayed a lower determination limit and broader linear range. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study carried out for the non-noble transition-metal Co ion, COF, and pillar[6]arene hybrid material in sensing field, which has a potential value in sensing, catalysis, and preparation of advanced multifunction materials.

This article presents the control synthesis of robotic manipulators with an unknown constant payload. A novel nonlinear disturbance observer with an adaptive scheme is designed to estimate the external force induced by the unknown constant payload. A general design procedure for designing the gain of the nonlinear observer is developed rather than the time-consuming trials and error to choose proper gain. The nonlinear observer gain is designed using an adaptive technique to extend the applicability of the disturbance observer. The stability of the proposed observer is established using Lyapunov method under certain conditions. The proposed nonlinear disturbance observer will be integrated with the sliding mode control to substantially alleviate the chattering problem. Also, simulation results are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

Investigating the spatiotemporal variability of biogeochemical processes and ecological responses under multiple physical controls in shelf seas is of great importance for obtaining an in-depth understanding of marine ecosystem. Based on a compiled data set of historical observations and remote sensing data, the spatiotemporal variability and heterogeneity of physical-biogeochemical processes in the semi-enclosed South Yellow Sea (SYS) are investigated, and the intrinsic connectivity among different subregions and the associated mechanisms are examined. The results show that the seasonal alternation between southward transport in cold seasons and upwelling-induced vertical delivery in warm seasons is the primary physical control of the biogeochemical processes and primary production off Shidao and in the area adjacent to the Haizhou Bay. The northeastward expansion of coastal waters in the Subei Shoal constitutes an important physical driver for the offshore transport of Ulva prolifera in summer. Stratification significantly affects the biogeochemical processes in the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (YSCWM)-dominated area during warm seasons, and nutrients can accumulate in bottom waters from spring to autumn, making the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (YSCWM) be an important nutrient pool. Upwelling around the YSCWM boundary in the stratified season leads to consistency among the high chlorophyll a (Chl a) area, high primary productivity region and low-temperature upwelling zone. During cold seasons, the interactions of the southward cold waters in the western nearshore area and the northward warm waters in the central region lead to an “S”-shaped front in the SYS. In summer, upwelling can extract nutrients from the YSCWM; thus, the biogeochemical-ecological processes inside the cold-water mass and in the frontal zone are well connected via upwelling, and three typical physical-biogeochemical coupling regions are generated, namely, the Shidao coast, the area beyond the Haizhou Bay and the area off the Subei Shoal. This work refines and integrates studies on regional oceanography in the SYS and provides a comprehensive and systematic framework of physical-biogeochemical-ecological processes.

The microstructures and the hydrogen sorption performances of TiFe0.8Mn0.2Cox (x = 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15) and TiFe0.8Mn0.2-yCoy (y = 0.05, 0.10) alloys have been investigated. For TiFe0.8Mn0.2Cox alloys, the lattice parameters of TiFe phase decreased and the Laves phase contents increased with the addition of Co. With the increase of Co content in TiFe0.8Mn0.2Cox alloys, the maximum hydrogen storage capacities of TiFe0.8Mn0.2Co0.05 and TiFe0.8Mn0.2Co0.10 alloys decreased, but the effective hydrogen capacities increased, which is ascribed to the improved flatness of the α-β desorption plateau. Substitution of Co for Mn in TiFe0.8Mn0.2-yCoy alloys can effectively lead to single phase of TiFe alloys. Therefore, TiFe0.8Mn0.2-yCoy alloy showed a deteriorated activation property, but its effective hydrogen capacity increased remarkably due to the obviously improved flatness of the α-β desorption plateau. The addition of Co might adjust the change of the octahedral intersitial environment caused by Mn doping in TiFe phase, which contributes to the improved flatness of the α-β desorption plateau and hence the increased effective hydrogen capacity.

Polyglutamine (polyQ) tract expansion leads to proteotoxic misfolding and drives a family of nine diseases. We study spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), a progressive degenerative disorder of the neuromuscular system caused by the polyQ androgen receptor (AR). Using a knock-in mouse model of SBMA, AR113Q mice, we show that E3 ubiquitin ligases which are a hallmark of the canonical muscle atrophy machinery are not induced in AR113Q muscle. Similarly, we find no evidence to suggest dysfunction of signaling pathways that trigger muscle hypertrophy or impairment of the muscle stem cell niche. Instead, we find that skeletal muscle atrophy is characterized by diminished function of the transcriptional regulator Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2 (MEF2), a regulator of myofiber homeostasis. Decreased expression of MEF2 target genes is age- and glutamine tract length-dependent, occurs due to polyQ AR proteotoxicity, and is associated with sequestration of MEF2 into intranuclear inclusions in muscle. Skeletal muscle from R6/2 mice, a model of Huntington disease which develops progressive atrophy, also sequesters MEF2 into inclusions and displays age-dependent loss of MEF2 target genes. Similarly, SBMA patient muscle shows loss of MEF2 target gene expression, and restoring MEF2 activity in AR113Q muscle rescues fiber size and MEF2-regulated gene expression. This work establishes MEF2 impairment as a novel mechanism of skeletal muscle atrophy downstream of toxic polyglutamine proteins and as a therapeutic target for muscle atrophy in these disorders.

This article reviews The Routledge handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics 978 0 415 74840 7

CaO–Al2O3–CaF2 system is the most basic slag system for electroslag remelting (ESR). Its physicochemical properties, such as viscosity, electrical conductivity and sulfide capacity are all critical to the control and optimization of ESR process. However, it is difficult to obtain all these data through experiment. In this article, an extended geometrical model is introduced for the prediction of these three properties, while three empirical models for various properties are also used for comparison. The present model shows better agreements with the experimental data than the other three empirical models with the mean deviations being 11.0%, 11.2% and 1.7% for viscosity, electrical conductivity and sulfide capacity respectively. The contour lines of various properties are also calculated by the present model. It is anticipated that the introduction of the present model will simplify the calculation of physicochemical properties of metallurgical slags and promote the optimization of ESR process greatly.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in China. Hence, how best to live with and improve the quality of life (QOL) of this growing population of women is thus becoming of great public health importance. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship of lifestyle habits to QOL among younger and older women who were initially diagnosed with breast cancer within the first two weeks, determine the contribution of lifestyle habits factors on QOL. Methods: A multi-center, hospital-based, case control study was conducted among breast cancer women from 21 hospitals in 11 provinces or municipalities in northern and eastern China from April 2012 to April 2013. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Cancer (FACT-B) simplified Chinese version 4 was used to measure QOL. Chi-square test, t-test and Generalized Linear Models were conducted to verify differences in QOL between two groups and to evaluate the contribution of lifestyle habits factors (including smoking, passive smoking, alcohol intake, Tea, Coffee, Sleep satisfaction, Current life satisfaction, Physical activity, BMI) on QOL of breast cancer patients. Results: 1199 eligible breast cancer patients were used for analysis as appropriate. Younger women (age The mean scores of the FACT-B Total between two age groupsVariable28.084.82±17.04588.41±17.180 Generalized Linear Models ResultsVariableBS.E.95% C.I.walddfPLowerUpper Citation Format: Chao Zheng, Liyuan Liu, Shude Cui, Fuguo Tian, Zhimin Fan, Cuizhi Geng, Xuchen Cao, Zhenlin Yang, Xiang Wang, Hong Liang, Shu Wang, Hongchuan Jiang, Xuening Duan, Haibo Wang, Guolou Li, Qitang Wang, Jianguo Zhang, Feng Jin, Jinhai Tang, Liang Li, Shiguang Zhu, Wenshu Zuo, Fei Wang, Lixiang Yu, Fei Zhou, Yujuan Xiang, Mingming Guo, Yongjiu Wang, Shuya Huang, Zhongbing Ma, Liang Li, Dezong Gao, Qiang Zhang, Qinye Fu, Zhigang Yu. Relationship of lifestyle habits to quality of life of recently diagnosed breast cancer between younger and older women in China [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-17-02.

Objective Obesity is closely associated with metastasis in breast cancer patients. Secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (SFRP5), one of the novel adipokines with anti-inflammatory properties, is associated with obesity. This study aims to study the role of SFRP5 in the crosstalk between obesity and breast cancer metastasis and identify the underlying mechanism. Methods 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes were differentiated to mature adipocytes and a hypertrophic adipocyte model was induced with palmitic acid (PA). Cell motility was measured in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells co-cultured with adipocytes conditioned medium (CM) with or without SFRP5 protein. Wnt and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signal pathways were investigated by western blot. Circulating SFRP5 level in 218 breast cancer patients and the association with clinicopathologic characteristics of breast cancer were further determined. Online databases ENCORI and PREDICT Plus were used to exam the link between SFRP5 and prognosis. Results Reduced SFRP5 level was detected in the hypertrophic adipocyte model. Recombinant SFRP5 protein inhibited MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells invasion and migration induced by PA-treated adipocyte CM, and SFRP5 inhibition by specific antibody reversed the effect of SFRP5. Furthermore, SFRP5 significantly inhibited Wnt and downstream EMT in breast cancer cells. Low circulating SFRP5 level correlated with body mass index (BMI), lymph node (LN) metastasis, TNM stage and high Ki67 expression in breast cancer patients. Increased SFRP5 level was associated with favorable predicted survival. Kaplan-Meier curves showed high SFRP5 level in tumor tissue was associated with better outcome of breast cancer patients. Conclusions Our findings demonstrated SFRP5 is a vital adipokine that mediates the crosslink between obesity and the metastatic potential of breast cancer. Promotion of SFRP5 expression in the adipose microenvironment may represent a novel approach for preventing breast cancer metastasis.

Refining slags is widely used in the production of high-value-added alloys and special steels. The removal of impurities depends on the mass transfer between the slag-metal interface, and the carbide capacity of the refining slags is crucial to control the carbon content in the final products. A phenomenological model is introduced in this article for the calculation of carbide capacity of different CaO-based ternary refining slags. The contour lines of carbide capacity in CaO-Al2O3- CaF2, CaO-SiO2-CaF2 CaO-SiO2-MnO systems are calculated based on limited experimental data by the present model. The experimental data within the calculation boundary are compared with the predicted values and satisfactory agreements are observed with the mean deviation being 1.4%, 2.3%, and 1.6%, for these three systems respectively. The present model is powerful and flexible in the calculation of carbide capacity of CaO-based ternary refining slags and can be applied to other systems.

In this study, microalgae-bacteria consortia were developed using bacteria and microalgae isolated from biogas slurry for enhanced nutrients recovery and promoted microalgae growth in wastewater. The enhancement rate was introduced to quantify the interaction between bacteria and microalgae. Co-culture of the indigenous microalgae and bacteria could significantly improve the tolerance of microorganisms to pollutants, increase value-added products' production, promote nutrients removal, and reduce carbon emissions compared to mono-culture. The co-culture of Chlorella sp. GZQ001 and Lysinibacillus sp. SJX05 performed best, with its biomass, lipid, protein and fatty acid methyl ester productivities achieved 113.3, 19.2, 40.9 and 3.7 mg·L

Face recognition is a relatively mature technology, which has some applications in many aspects, and now there are many networks studying it, which has indeed brought a lot of convenience to mankind in all aspects. This paper proposes a new face recognition technology. First, a new GoogLeNet-M network is proposed, which improves network performance on the basis of streamlining the network. Secondly, regularization and migration learning methods are added to improve accuracy. The experimental results show that the GoogLeNet-M network with regularization using migration learning technology has the best performance, with a recall rate of 0.97 and an accuracy of 0.98. Finally, it is concluded that the performance of the GoogLeNet-M network is better than other networks on the dataset, and the migration learning method and regularization help to improve the network performance.