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C23H44ClN5NiO7, orthorhombic, P212121 (no. 19), a = 14.4994(16) Å, b = 19.799(2) Å, c = 20.040(2) Å, V = 5752.9(11) Å3, Z = 8, Rgt(F) = 0.0409, wRref(F2) = 0.1061, T = 173(2) K.

To reveal the dynamic behavior of soil anchorage landslide and the mechanical feature of anchors at different frequencies, a shaking table test was performed on a 1:7 scale soil anchorage landslide. Actual seismic wave measured from the Wenchuan earthquake, sinusoidal waves with different frequencies were applied to the model. The acceleration response of the anchorage landslide in frequency domain was analyzed, and the strain distribution of anchors at 1.15 Hz sinusoidal wave and 3.45 Hz sinusoidal wave were investigated separately. The testing results indicate that the anchorage landslide is sensitive not only to higher frequencies (near the natural frequency of the landslide) at low loading amplitude but also to ultra-low frequencies at high loading amplitude. At ultra-low frequency 1.15 Hz sinusoidal wave, when the loading amplitude is low and medium (0.05-0.6 g), the bottom anchor bears greater force. But when the loading amplitude is high (0.8 g), the top anchor bears most of the anchorage force. At 3.45 Hz sinusoidal wave that near the natural frequency of the landslide, no matter how the loading amplitude, the top anchor plays significant role, especially at higher loading amplitude (0.3-0.6 g).

Hydrogen dew point corrosion often occurs in the overhead condensing and cooling system of an atmospheric distillation unit at the initial process of petroleum refining because of the formation of a highly suitable corrosive environment. The consequent thinning and leakage of equipment cause serious environmental pollution and endanger personal safety. Hydrochloric dew point corrosion is affected by various factors, among which temperature and pH values are the most critical. In this study, the hydrochloric dew point corrosion behavior of the 20# steel of an atmospheric tower overhead system as well as its corrosion rate, corrosion morphology, and corrosion products at different temperatures and pH values were analyzed by some analytical methods, such as weight loss method, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results indicate that the hydrochloric dew point corrosion rate of the 20# steel first increases and then decreases with temperature increase, and reaches its peak at 90℃. The hydrochloric acid dew point corrosion rate of the 20# steel is negatively correlated with the pH values of HCl solution, and the dew point corrosion rate decreases rapidly with an increase of the pH value of HCl solution. Generally, uniform corrosion occurs on the steel surface accompanied with local corrosion pits. When the temperature is higher than 90℃, the number of corrosion pits increases with temperature. The corrosion pits become shallower and decreases with an increase of pH value. In addition, the chloride ions in the solution deepen the pits and accelerate the corrosion. The XRD analysis shows that the main compositions of the corrosion products are α-FeOOH, Fe3O4, and γ-FeOOH.

Cancer patients often suffer from local tumor recurrence after radiation therapy. Some intracellular and extracellular factors, such as activity of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), cell cycle status and oxygen availability, have been suggested to affect DNA damage responses and eventual radioresistant characteristics of cancer cells. But when, where, and how these factors affect one another and induce cellular radioresistance is largely unknown. Here, we analyzed mechanistic and spatio-temporal relationships among them in highly heterogeneous tumor microenvironments. Experiments in vitro demonstrated that a decrease in the glucose concentration reduced the transcriptional activity of HIF-1 and expression of a downstream gene for the cell cycle regulator p27Kip1 even under hypoxic conditions. Then, the proportion of cells in the radioresistant S phase increased, whereas that in the radiosensitive G1 phase decreased, significantly. Immunohistochemical analyses showed that cancer cells in perinecrotic hypoxic regions, which should be under low-glucose conditions, expressed little HIF-1α, and therefore, were mainly in S phase and less damaged by radiation treatment. Continuous administration of glucagon, which increases the blood glucose concentration and so improves glucose availability in perinecrotic hypoxic regions, induced HIF-1α expression and increased radiation-induced DNA damage. Taken all together, these results indicate that cancer cells in perinecrotic regions, which would be under low-glucose and hypoxic conditions, obtain radioresistance by decreasing the level of both HIF-1 activity and p27Kip1 expression, and adjusting their cell cycle to the radioresistant S phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In gaining streams, groundwater seeps out into streams. In losing streams, stream water moves into groundwater systems. The flow moving through the streambed sediments under these two types of flow conditions are generally in opposite directions 5 (upward vs. downward). The two opposite flow mechanism will affect the pore size and fine particle content of streambeds. It is thus very likely that the opposite flow conditions affect the streambed hydraulic conductivity. However, comparisons of the hydraulic conductivity (K) of streambeds for losing and gaining streams are not well documented. In this study, we examined the K distribution patterns of sediments below 10 the channel surface or stream banks for the Platte River and its tributaries in Nebraska, USA. Two contrast vertical distribution patterns were observed from the test sites. In gaining reaches, hydraulic conductivity of streambed decreases with the depth of the sediment cores. In losing reaches, hydraulic conductivity increases with the depth of the sediment cores. This contrast patterns in the two types of streams were mostly 15 attributed to flow directions during stream water and groundwater exchanges. In losing reaches, downward movement of water brought fine particle into the otherwise coarse sediment matrix, partially silting the pores. For gaining reaches, upward flow winnows fine particles, increasing the pore spacing in the top parts of streambed, leading to higher hydraulic conductivity in shallower parts of streambeds. These flux directions 20 can impact K values to depth of greater than 5 m. At each test sites, in-situ permeameter tests were conducted to measure the K values of the top streambed layer. Statistical analyses indicated that K values from the sites under losing stream condition are significantly different from the K values from the sites under gaining stream condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A self-made gas-solid erosion testing apparatus driven by shock wave was used to investigate the wear properties of 1Cr9Mo steel commonly used as manufacturing materials in the coal chemical industry, and SiO2, Al2O3 and SiC particles were chosen as erosive particles. Combined with the surface morphology analysis of eroded specimens, high-speed erosion wear characteristics were studied under different conditions involving impact velocity, impact angle, particle hardness, particle size, and specimen temperature. The results show that when the temperature is 20 22 and 400 22, the erosion rate of 1Cr9Mo steel reaches its maximum value within an impact angle range of 15° to 25°, and the wear properties are characterized as ductile metal. At low impact angles the cutting of particles is the main mechanism; but at large impact angles the erosion mechanism is the exfoliation of platelets around the pits from the material surface, which is produced by the vertical impact of particles to the material surface. When the velocity exponent of 1Cr9Mo steel ranges from 2.3 to 3.2, the erosion rate is much dependent on particle hardness. Under the same erosion conditions, the erosion rate caused by Al2O3 and SiC particles is an order of magnitude higher than that caused by SiO2 particles for they have higher hardness values. With the increase of particle size, the erosion rate increases first and then falls. The erosion rate caused by SiO2 particles at 400 ℃ increases significantly, and the maximum erosion rate is 3 times as large as that at 20 22.

C50H92Cl2N12Ni2O14, monoclinic, C2/c (no. 15), a = 25.731(5) Å, b = 9.940(2) Å, c = 26.574(5) Å, β = 114.825(4)°, V = 6169(2) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0675, wRref(F2) = 0.2209, T = 173(2) K.

HTCondor has been widely adopted by HEP clusters to provide high-level scheduling performance. Unlike other schedulers, HTCondor provides loose management of the worker nodes. We developed a maintenance automation tool called “HTCondor MAT” that focuses on dynamic resource management and automatic error handling. A central database records all worker node information, which is sent to the worker node for the startd configuration. If an error happens for the worker node, the node information stored in the database is updated and the worker node is reconfigured with the new node information. The new configuration stops the startd from accepting error-related jobs until the worker node recovers. The MAT has been deployed in the IHEP HTC cluster to provide a central way to manage the worker nodes and remove the impacts of errors on the worker nodes automatically.

C28H50Cl2N4NiO9, monoclinic, P21/n, a = 10.333(4) Å, b = 26.305(9) Å, c = 12.640(5) Å, β = 102.421(4)°, V = 3355(2) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0391, wRref(F2) = 0.1090, T = 296(2) K.

Navigation messages are the basic data for navigation and positioning calculations in satellite navigation systems. Nowadays, there is a growing need to evaluate the protocol conformance of navigation messages. In this paper, the evaluation model and the calculation method for protocol conformance of BDS D1 navigation messages are proposed, and the example analysis of actual BDS D1 navigation messages is presented. The evaluation model is described from three aspects, including formatting conformance, verification conformance and quantization unit conformance. Every aspect is considered carefully with calculation and analysis. The results show that the model can evaluate the protocol conformance of BDS D1 navigation messages reasonably.

In the positioning process of GPS, the linear least squares algorithm and Kalman filtering algorithm are widely used but still have shortcomings. Application of extreme learning machine in this area is proposed in this paper, which breaks through the limitations of the traditional method of positioning based on mathematical models. Two simulation experiments of ELM in GPS positioning process are presented in this paper while the latter is a supplement to the former. Each one contains three phases, including simulation data generation, network training and network prediction, each of which is considered carefully. The feasibility of extreme learning machine is verified through experimental simulation. A more accurate positioning result can be obtained.

Abstract A layer-by-layer technique has been developed to synthesize FeOOH–Au hybrid nanorods that can be transformed into Fe2O3–Au and Fe3O4–Au hybrid nanorods via controllable annealing process. The homogenous deposition of Au nanoparticles onto the surface of FeOOH nanorods can be attributed to the strong electrostatic attraction between metal ions and polyelectrolyte-modified FeOOH nanorods. The annealing atmosphere controls the phase transformation from FeOOH–Au to Fe3O4–Au and α-Fe2O3–Au. Moreover, the magnetic and optical properties of as-synthesized Fe2O3–Au and Fe3O4–Au hybrid nanorods have been investigated.

The novel allele A*11:209 shows three nucleotides difference from A*11:27 in exon 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new allele, A*24:289 is different to A*24:03:01 at codons 151, 152 and 156 at exon 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background HLA-B*15:02 is a known biomarker for carbamazepine ( CBZ)-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis ( SJS/ TEN) in some ethnic populations. The US FDA recommends B*15:02 screening for Asian and other populations with a high prevalence of B*15:02 prior to treatment with CBZ to prevent drug-related SJS/ TEN. Materials and Methods A total of 1607 blood samples were collected from volunteer blood donors who were ethnic minorities living in the Yunnan province of southwestern China, including 153 Yi, 193 Naxi, 167 Miao, 156 Lisu, 166 Derung, 211 Bai, 184 Hani, 198 Dai, and 179 Zhuang. The genetic diversity of the HLA-B*15:02 genes in the ethnic minority samples was examined using sequence based typing at high resolution. Results The allele frequencies of HLA-B*15:02 in the Yi, Naxi, Miao, Lisu, Derung, Bai, Hani, Dai, and Zhuang populations were 4.25%, 4.4%, 5.09%, 5.77%, 6.33%, 7.82%, 8.15%, 9.6%, and 15.36%, respectively. The frequencies of HLA-B*15:02 carriers in the Yi, Naxi, Miao, Lisu, Derung, Bai, Hani, Dai, and Zhuang populations were 8.5%, 8.8%, 9.58%, 10.9%, 12.65%, 15.64%, 16.3%, 18.69%, and 28.49%, respectively. Conclusion The HLA-B*15:02 allele frequencies indicated that the prevalence of B*15:02 was different among the different ethnic populations. Because the number of carriers of B*15:02 was high in some ethnic populations, larger studies are required to confirm these findings. The Zhuang population had the highest frequency of B*15:02 in this study. More attention should be paid to CBZ-induced SJS/ TEN in Chinese minority populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel allele B*15:325 shows difference from B*15:02:01 at codon 127 resulting in changes from Asn to Ser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Septicemia is a common cause of morbidity and mortality among newborns in the developing world. However, accurate clinical diagnosis of neonatal sepsis is often difficult because symptoms and signs are often nonspecific. Blood culture has been the gold standard for confirmation of the diagnosis. However, the sensitivity is low and results are usually not promptly obtained. Therefore, the diagnosis of sepsis is often based on clinical signs in association with laboratory tests such as platelets count, immature/total neutrophils ratio (I/T), and a rise in C-reactive protein (CRP). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods for the detection of neonatal sepsis represent new diagnostic tools for the early identification of pathogens. Methods: During a 4-month prospective study, 16S rRNA PCR was compared with conventional blood culture for the diagnosis of neonatal bacterial sepsis. In addition, the relationship between known risk factors, clinical signs, laboratory parameters, and the diagnosis of sepsis was considered. Results: Sepsis was suspected in 706 infants from the intensive neonatal care unit. They all were included in the study. The number of positive cultures and positive PCR results were 95 (13.5%) and 123 (17.4%), respectively. Compared with blood culture, the diagnosis of bacterial sepsis by PCR revealed a 100.0% sensitivity, 95.4% specificity, 77.2% positive predictive value, and 100.0% negative predictive value. In this study, Apgar scores at 5min, weight, icterus, irritability, feeding difficulties, gestational age (GA), premature rupture of membrane (PRM), platelets count, I/T, and a marked rise in CRP were important in establishing the diagnosis of sepsis in the newborn. In addition, weight, GA, PRM, irritability, duration of antibiotic usage, mortality rate, and number of purulent meningitis cases were significantly different between early-onset sepsis and late-onset sepsis. Conclusion: 16S rRNA PCR increased the sensitivity in detecting bacterial DNA in newborns with signs of sepsis, allowed a rapid detection of the pathogens, and led to shorter antibiotic courses. However, uncertainty about the bacterial cause of sepsis was not reduced by this method. 16S rRNA PCR needs to be further developed and improved. Blood culture is currently irreplaceable, since pure isolates are essential for antimicrobial drug susceptibility testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to establish a relation between observed total precipitation values and estimations from a one-dimensional diagnostic cloud model. Total precipitation values estimated from maximum liquid water content, maximum vertical velocity, cloud top height, and temperature excess are also used to provide an equation for the total precipitation prediction. Data for this study were collected in Istanbul during the autumns of 1987 and 1988. The statistical models are developed with multiple regression technique and then comparatively verified with independent data for 1990. The multiple regression coefficients are in the range of 75% to 80% in the statistical models. Results of the test showed that total precipitation values estimated from the above techniques are in good agreement, with correlation coefficient between 40% and 46% based on test data for 1990.

Simultaneous productions of high-purity CaCO 3 (calcium carbonate) and amorphous nanosized SiO 2 -rich (silica-rich) gel from waste concrete powder remain quite challenging, and thus the high-value added utilization of waste concrete powder is significantly limited. A novel technology involving a combination of alkaline treatment and carbonation, has been proposed for the greatly enhanced utilization of waste concrete powder. Through alkaline treatment, CaCO 3 and SiO 2 -rich gel formed during carbonation of concrete powder were transformed into Ca(OH) 2 (calcium hydroxide) and Na 2 SiO 3 (sodium metasilicate), respectively. Subsequently, Ca(OH) 2 and Na 2 SiO 3 were separated. As a result, CaCO 3 with a high purity of 98.54% and amorphous nanosized SiO 2 -rich gel were obtained via carbonation, and the recovery ratio of CaCO 3 was 81.46%. Furthermore, the concrete powder exhibited a high CO 2 (carbon dioxide) uptake efficiency of 0.24g CO 2 /g. 30.31 Mt CaCO 3 and 2.77 Mt SiO 2 -rich gel productions as well as 38.54 Mt CO 2 emission reduction could be realized via recycling a quarter of annually generated waste concrete powder worldwide., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Our aim is to explore the relation between benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa) from a genetic level utilizing Mendelian randomization (MR)., Methods: The IEU genome-wide association studies database was surveyed for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with BPH, PCa, and PCa (validation cohort). Single nucleotide polymorphisms were subjected to stringent quality control based on rigorous screening criteria. BPH and PCa risk were evaluated using the inverse-variance weighted method (IVW), MR-Egger, simple mode, weighted median, and weighted mode. Horizontal pleiotropy of single nucleotide polymorphisms was assessed using the MR-Egger intercept test, while heterogeneity was evaluated using Cochran's Q test. Reverse causality was assessed by evaluating PCa as the exposure and BPH as the outcome. A validation database was used to verify the exposure and outcome., Results: The risk of PCa increased significantly with genetically predicted BPH (IVW: OR [95% CI] = 1.3849 × 107 [2330, 8.2294 × 1010], P = 2.0814 × 10-4). In reverse MR analysis, PCa also increased the risk of BPH (IVW: OR [95% CI] = 1.0011 [1.0003, 1.0019], P = 0.0031). The findings were consistent with the MR analysis results of the PCa validation cohort. Sensitivity analyses indicated the presence of heterogeneity but no horizontal pleiotropy., Conclusion: The study presents proof of a significant bidirectional causal relationship between genetically predicted BPH and an increased risk of PCa. Key message Three research questions and three bullet points  What is already known on this topic?  Observational studies suggest a controversial relationship between BPH and PCa. MR allows investigation of causality using genetic variants as instrumental variables (IVs). What does this study add?  The study presents proof of a significant bidirectional causal relationship between genetically predicted BPH and an increased risk of PCa. How this study might affect research, practice, or policy?  Recognizing the bidirectional relationship between BPH and PCa, men diagnosed with BPH may benefit from more stringent PCa screening protocols., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

How do the two kinesin-9 members Kif6 and Kif9 function in mammalian cilia? Ou and colleagues discuss new work from Fang et al. (https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202312060) showing that Kif6 is an active motor while Kif9 serves as a stationary regulator, both of which are essential for cilia motility., (© 2024 Xu et al.)

Background: There are 49 B alleles in the ISBT ABO blood group list. This study will describe a new missense mutation, c.784G>T, in exon 7 of the ABO in a Chinese individual., Methods: A weak B was analyzed by serologic techniques. Exons 6 and 7 were sequenced directly through polymerase chain reaction-based typing (PCR-SBT). Subsequently, the heterozygous mutation sites in exon 7 were determined through cloning and sequencing. The mutated GTB proteins were expressed in HEK293F cells after being subcloned into a pCAG vector with a Strep-tag. The potential impact of the mutations on GTB stability was predicted using mCSM software, while UCSF Chimera X software was utilized for visualization of the mutation., Results: The ABO blood typing of serologic characteristics showed weak B phenotype, and the heterozygous site ABO*B.01 (c.784G>T) in Exon 7 was identified by PCR-SBT analysis after TA cloning, which led to an alteration of Asp to Tyr at residue 262 in B glycosyltransferase. Like the ABO*BW.17 (D262Y), D262N also significantly de-creased ABO*B.01 expression and lead to GTB destabilizing., Conclusions: The novel B allele with 784G>T caused an alteration of Asp to Tyr at residue 262 in B glycosyltransferase, affecting the expression of GTB protein and influencing GTB structural instability.

The functionally conserved subcortical maternal complex (SCMC) is essential for early embryonic development in mammals. Reproductive disorders caused by pathogenic variants in NLRP5, TLE6 and OOEP, three core components of the SCMC, have attracted much attention over the past several years. Evaluating the pathogenicity of a missense variant in the SCMC is limited by the lack of information on its structure, although we recently solved the structure of the mouse SCMC and proposed that reproductive disorders caused by pathogenic variants are related to the destabilization of the SCMC core complex. Here we report the cryogenic electron microscopy structure of the human SCMC and uncover that the pyrin domain of NLRP5 is essential for the stability of SCMC. By combining prediction of SCMC stability and in vitro reconstitution, we provide a method for identifying deleterious variants, and we successfully identify a new pathogenic variant of TLE6 (p.A396T). Thus, on the basis of the structure of the human SCMC, we offer a strategy for the diagnosis of reproductive disorders and the discovery of new infertility-associated variants., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc.)

This study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity and structure within the Dengchuan cattle population and effectively protect and utilize their germplasm resources. Herein, the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 100 Dengchuan cattle (46 bulls and 54 cows) were determined using the GGP Bovine 100K SNP Beadchip. The results showed that among the Dengchuan cattle, a total of 101,220 SNPs were detected, and there were 83,534 SNPs that passed quality control, of which 85.7% were polymorphic. The average genetic distance based on identity-by-state (IBS) within the conservation population of Dengchuan cattle was 0.26 ± 0.02. A total of 3,999 genome-length runs of homozygosity (ROHs) were detected in the Dengchuan cattle, with ROH lengths primarily concentrated in the range of 1-5 Mb, accounting for 87.02% of the total. The average inbreeding coefficient based on ROHs was 4.6%, within the conservation population of Dengchuan cattle, whereas it was 4.9% for bulls, and the Wright inbreeding coefficient (F IS ) value was 2.4%, demonstrating a low level of inbreeding within the Dengchuan cattle population. Based on neighbor-joining tree analysis, the Dengchuan cattle could be divided into 16 families. In summary, the conservation population of Dengchuan cattle displays relatively abundant diversity and a moderate genetic relationship. Inbreeding was observed among a few individuals, but the overall inbreeding level of the population remained low. It is important to maintain this low level of inbreeding when introducing purebred bloodlines to expand the core group. This approach will ensure the long-term conservation of Dengchuan cattle germplasm resources and prevent loss of genetic diversity.

Consumption is crucial to individual well-being and national economic development. This study investigates whether high-speed rail (HSR) influences consumption expenditure (CE) and consumption structure (CS) of urban and rural Chinese citizens. Using panel data from 2003 to 2019 and econometric models, this study finds that: (1) HSR significantly increases CE for both urban and rural residents, promotes CS upgrades in rural areas, but inhibits CS upgrades in urban areas. These results remain robust after extensive testing. (2) HSR's impact on urban consumption is relatively focused and singular, whereas its effect on rural consumption is dispersed and extensive. Additionally, the impact of HSR on consumption exhibited significant delays and regional characteristics. (3) Mediation analysis reveals that HSR significantly enhances urban and rural CE and facilitates rural CS upgrades through market, price, and income effects. However, it also triggers housing price increases, impeding urban CS upgrades. This study provides important references for the government to optimize transportation infrastructure investments, promote balanced economic development between urban and rural areas, and enhance residents' well-being., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Xu, Ou. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: In addition to hypertension or diabetes, elderly people are also considered one of the high-risk groups for chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although niacin is recognized for its renal protective properties, the link between dietary niacin intake and CKD remains uncertain. This study investigated this relationship in the elderly., Methods: We included participants aged 60 and older from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 2003-2018. Dietary niacin intake was assessed through two non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls. CKD was diagnosed in individuals with a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio exceeding 30 mg/g or an estimated glomerular filtration rate below 60 mL/min per 1.73 m^2. The study cohort comprised 4,649 participants, 1,632 of whom had CKD. Propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized to adjust for baseline differences between the groups., Results: Our analysis, using smooth curve fitting and generalized additive models both before and after PSM, found a U-shaped curve depicting the relationship between dietary niacin intake and CKD risk, confirmed by a log-likelihood ratio test (P < 0.05). Threshold effect analysis (after PSM) indicated a reduced risk of CKD in older adults with a niacin intake below 38.83 mg per day [odds ratio (OR) = 0.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.97-1.00]. In contrast, higher intake levels significantly increased the risk (OR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.06). Subgroup analysis indicated that these associations were consistent across different stratification variables (P for interaction > 0.05)., Conclusion: Our findings suggested a U-shaped association between dietary niacin intake and CKD risk among older Americans. However, further prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm this finding., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Xie, Peng, Ou, Zhou, Zhang, Jiang, Zhang and Chen.)

The liver is a primary target for distal metastasis of gastric cancer (GC). The hepatic pre-metastatic niche (PMN) facilitates crucial communications between primary tumor and liver, thereby playing an essential role in hepatic metastasis. Identification of the molecular mechanisms driving PMN formation in GC could facilitate development of strategies to prevent and treat liver metastasis. Here, we uncovered a role for ephrin A1 (EFNA1) signaling in development of the PMN. EFNA1 overexpression in GC cells significantly increased CCL2 secretion through the Hippo-YAP pathway. Secreted CCL2 activated hepatic stellate cells (HStCs) within the hepatic PMN via the WNT/β-catenin pathway. Inhibition of CCL2 significantly suppressed HStC activation and reduced liver metastasis triggered by EFNA1 signaling in GC cells. Moreover, high CCL2 expression correlated with poor survival in GC patients. Overall, these findings reveal that EFNA1 signaling in GC cells upregulates CCL2, which activates HStCs to engender establishment of a hepatic pre-metastatic niche that supports liver metastasis.

The subcortical maternal complex (SCMC) is essential for safeguarding female fertility in mammals. Assembled in oocytes, the SCMC maintains the cleavage of early embryos, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we report that 14-3-3, a multifunctional protein, is a component of the SCMC. By resolving the structure of the 14-3-3-containing SCMC, we discover that phosphorylation of TLE6 contributes to the recruitment of 14-3-3. Mechanistically, during maternal-to-embryo transition, the SCMC stabilizes 14-3-3 protein and contributes to the proper control of CDC25B, thus ensuring the activation of the maturation-promoting factor and mitotic entry in mouse zygotes. Notably, the SCMC establishes a conserved molecular link with 14-3-3 and CDC25B in human oocytes/embryos. This study discloses the molecular mechanism through which the SCMC regulates the cell cycle in early embryos and elucidates the function of the SCMC in mammalian early embryogenesis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Exercise enhances synaptic plasticity and alleviates depression symptoms, but the mechanism through which exercise improves high-fat diet-induced depression remains unclear. In this study, 6-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were administered a high-fat diet (HFD, 60% kcal from fat) to a HFD model for 8 weeks. The RUN group also received 1 h of daily treadmill exercise in combination with the HFD. Depressive-like behaviors were evaluated by behavioral assessments for all groups. The key mediator of the effect of exercise on high-fat diet-induced depressive-like behaviors was detected by RNA-seq. The morphology and function of the neurons were evaluated via Nissl staining, Golgi staining, electron microscopy and electrophysiological experiments. The results showed that exercise attenuated high-fat diet-induced depressive-like behavior and reversed hippocampal gene expression changes. RNA-seq revealed Wnt5a, which was a key mediator of the effect of exercise on high-fat diet-induced depressive-like behaviors. Further work revealed that exercise significantly activated neuronal autophagy in the hippocampal CA1 region via the Wnt5a/CamkII signaling pathway, which enhanced synaptic plasticity to alleviate HFD-induced depressive-like behavior. However, the Wnt5a inhibitor Box5 suppressed the ameliorative effects of exercise. Therefore, this work highlights the critical role of Wnt5a, which is necessary for exercise to improve high-fat diet-induced depression., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Neuroinflammation is increasingly recognized as a pivotal factor in the development and progression of neurodegenerative disorders. While correlations between inflammatory cytokines and these diseases are documented, the definitive causal dynamics remain to be elucidated. We explored the causal association between 91 circulating inflammatory cytokines and Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson's disease (PD) through Mendelian randomization analysis. Leveraging genetic variants from the most comprehensive genome-wide association studies (GWAS) available for these cytokines, AD, ALS, MS and PD, we sought to uncover the causality. Our study validated a causal influence of genetically determined cytokine levels on the susceptibility to AD, with notable cytokines including C-X-C motif chemokine 1 (OR = 0.9993, p = 0.0424), Interleukin-18 (OR = 0.9994, p = 0.0186), Leukaemia inhibitory factor receptor (OR = 0.9993, p = 0.0122) and Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (OR = 0.9992, p = 0.0026) in risk attenuation. Additionally, a positive causal relationship was identified between two cytokines-C-C motif chemokine 19 (OR = 1.0005, p = 0.0478) and Fms-related tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (OR = 1.0005, p = 0.0210)-and AD incidence. Conversely, transforming growth factor-alpha (OR = 0.8630, p = 0.0298), CD40L receptor (OR = 0.7737, p = 1.1265E-09) and Interleukin-12 subunit beta (OR = 0.8987, p = 0.0333) showed inverse associations with ALS, MS and PD, respectively. The consistency observed in various MR analyses, alongside sensitivity analysis, underscored the absence of horizontal pleiotropy, thus supporting our causal findings. This study reveals, for the first time, a genetically anchored causal nexus between levels of circulating inflammatory cytokines and the risk of neurodegenerative diseases., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The assessment of residue, absorption, conduction, and degradation of agricultural organosilicon surfactants in the environment is hindered by the lack of information on active ingredients and corresponding quantitative standards for organosilicon spray adjuvants. The spray adjuvant 'Jiexiaoli,' a primary organosilicon spray agent in China, was identified as hydroxy (polyethylene) propyl-heptamethyl trisiloxane (TSS-H) with 3-15 ethoxy (EO) groups. Purification of TSS-H was achieved through semi-preparative separation using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), resulting in TSS-H purity exceeding 96%. An accurate residual detection method for nine oligomers (4-12 EO) of TSS-H in rice roots, stems, leaves, and culture solution samples was developed using HPLC tandem high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS). Recoveries for nine oligomers of TSS-H in the four matrices ranged from 80.22% to 104.01%. Foliar application experiments demonstrated that TSS-H did not transfer from the upper to the lower parts of the rice plant. The half-lives of each oligomer (4-12 EO) in leaves were less than 3.21 days. Root application experiments revealed a root concentration factor (RCF) ranging from 0.20 to 0.56, a biological enrichment factor (BCF) ranging from 0.36 to 0.68, a transpiration factor (TSCF) ranging from 0.069 to 0.086, and a transport factor (TF) ranging from 0.08 to 0.43. These results indicated that TSS-H could be absorbed by rice roots and conducted to the above-ground parts of rice plants. This study fills the data gap in the environmental risk and food safety assessment of agricultural silicone spray adjuvants. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Rechargeable aqueous zinc iodine (Zn-I 2 ) batteries offer benefits such as low cost and high safety. Nevertheless, their commercial application is hindered by hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and polyiodide shuttle, which result in a short lifespan. In this study, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)imidazole (HEI) organic molecules featuring pyrrole-N groups are introduced as dually-functional electrolyte additives to simultaneously stabilize Zn anode and confine polyiodide through ion-dipole interactions. The pyrrole-N groups in HEI can preserve the interfacial pH equilibrium at Zn anode by reversibly capturing H + ions and dynamically neutralizing OH - ions, thereby suppressing the HER. Notably, the H 2 evolution rate at the Zn anode is reduced to a mere 2.20 μmol h -1  cm -2 . Furthermore, the pyrrole-N moieties in HEI effectively curtail the polyiodide shuttle at I 2 cathode, which show adsorption energies of -0.174 eV for I 2 , -0.521 eV for I 3 - , and -0.768 eV for I - , as indicated by density functional theory calculations. Electrochemical testing demonstrates that the Zn//Zn symmetric cell maintains stable cycling for up to 4,200 hours at 1 mA cm -2 . Most strikingly, at a high I 2 mass loading of 9.7 mg cm -2 , the Zn-I 2 battery achieves an extraordinary cycle life of 50,000 cycles., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) blockade has emerged as a promising therapeutic option. However, their specific therapeutic effects in different types of CVDs remain unclear. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of IL-6R blockade in the management of various CVDs, including hypertension (HTN), coronary heart disease (CHD), myocardial infarction (MI), atrial fibrillation (AF), and heart failure (HF). The Mendelian randomization (MR) approach was utilized to investigate the therapeutic impact of IL-6R blockade on HTN, CHD, MI, AF, and HF based on the genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics. MR-Egger intercept test, Cochran's Q test, and leave-one-out analysis were used for sensitivity analysis to verify the reliability of the MR results. The Bonferroni method was used to correct for bias caused by multiple comparisons. Inverse variance weighted (IVW) results demonstrated that IL-6R blockade significantly influenced CHD (odds ratio (OR) = 0.757, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.690 - 0.832, P = 5.804 × 10 -9 ) and MI (OR = 0.840, 95% CI: 0.744 - 0.949, P = 0.005). However, IL-6R blockade had no significant effect on HTN (OR = 1.015, 95% CI: 0.950 - 1.084, P = 0.663), AF (OR = 0.905, 95% CI: 0.800 - 1.025, P = 0.116) and HF (OR = 1.012, 95% CI: 0.921 - 1.113, P = 0.805). Genetically predicted IL-6R blockade was associated with a protective effect on CHD and MI, but not HTN, AF and HF. This study's findings offer valuable insights for tailoring IL-6R blockade treatment for different types of CVD, and serve as a reference for future research., (© 2024. The Author(s).)