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M2-polarized macrophages, also known as alternatively activated macrophages, have long been associated with pulmonary fibrosis; however, the mechanism has not been fully defined. Gab1 and Gab2 proteins belong to the Gab family of adaptors and are integral components of the signal specificity in response to various extracellular stimuli. In this report, we found that levels of both Gab1 and Gab2 were elevated in M2-polarized macrophages isolated from bleomycin-induced fibrotic lungs. In vitro Gab1/2 deficiency in bone marrow-derived macrophages abrogated IL-4–mediated M2 polarization. Furthermore, in vivo conditional removal of Gab1 (Gab1MyKO) and germ line knock-out of Gab2 (Gab2−/−) in macrophages prevented a bias toward the M2 phenotype and attenuated bleomycin-induced fibrotic lung remodeling. In support of these observations, Gab1/2 were involved in responses predominated by IL-4 signaling, an essential determinant for macrophage M2 polarization. Further investigation revealed that both Gab1 and -2 are recruited to the IL-4 receptor, synergistically enhancing downstream signal amplification but conferring IL-4 signal preference. Mechanistically, the loss of Gab1 attenuated AKT activation, whereas the absence of Gab2 suppressed STAT6 activation in response to IL-4 stimulation, both of which are commonly attributed to M2-driven pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Taken together, these observations define a non-redundant role of Gab docking proteins in M2 polarization, adding critical insights into the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Background Multi-wavelength lasers are reportedly useful for treating venous lake (VL) in Caucasian patients. However, the same parameters may not be safe for Asian patients with Fitzpatrick skin type (FST) IV. Purpose Report experience with using multi-wavelength laser for VL treatment in Asian patients with FST IV. Methods Seventeen episodes of VL in 15 Chinese patients with FST IV were treated. 595-nm pulsed dye (PDL) laser followed by 1,064-nm neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser were administered. The treatment was performed with 7 mm spot size at 7-11.5 J/cm2, 2-10 ms with PDL, followed with Nd:YAG at 35-40 J/cm2, 15-40 ms. The laser treatment was performed with a single pass without overlap. Results Complete resolution was observed in 14 lesions after 1–2 treatment sessions, with 10 ms duration of PDL. The remaining 3 patients achieved 80–90% resolution after 1–3 treatment sessions, with 2 ms duration of PDL. Only 1 case exhibited recurrence after 1 year. Conclusion Multi-wavelength laser treatment for VL is highly effective and safe in Asians, although a much lower fluence of Nd:YAG is used, as compared to that used in Caucasians in the literature. Moreover, an appropriate PDL pulse duration (10 ms) ensures better outcomes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Our previous studies have revealed that the ThCAP gene plays a vital role in transgenic Populus (P. davidiana × P. bolleana) in response to cold stress. However, the regulatory mechanism of ThCAP gene expression has been unclear. In this study, the 5′ flanking region of the ThCAP promoter (PThCAP) was cloned using a genome-walking method. By analyzing cis-acting regulatory elements of PThCAP, a DRE motif and MYC and MYB elements were found to be located in the promoter. To identify the regulatory elements that control the expression of the ThCAP gene promoter, a series of deletion derivatives of PThCAP, P1–P5, from the translation start code (−1538, −1190, −900, −718 and −375 bp), were fused to the GUS reporter gene, and then each deletion was stably introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana plants. Deletion analysis of the promoter suggested that only the P2 fragment had strong GUS expression in leaves and roots of A. thaliana exposed to low temperature stress. These results suggest that this 290-bp region (−1190 to −900 bp), as an important part in PThCAP, was associated with cold tolerance of A. thaliana. Our results provide evidence for the regulatory mechanism of ThCAP gene involved in the response to cold stress, and that the gene is promising candidate gene for genetic improvement of crops.

Smart distribution network will achieve the optimal operation of the distribution network, provide high-quality and reliable power, guarantee the development of modern social economy. The deep integration of cyber system and power physical system is the key to smart distribution network. The emergence of cyber-physical system (CPS) provides a new way to solve this problem, the cyber-physical model for smart distribution grid becomes an urgent problem to be solved. In this paper, the content and method of cyber-physical model for smart distribution grid are analyzed by combining with the coupling of information flow and power flow of smart distribution network from the perspective of cyber-physical model. At last, taking 110 kV typical substation as an example, the coupling mechanism and function of power flow and information flow is studied.

Asthma is a common allergic disorder involving a complex interplay among multiple genetic and environmental factors. Recent studies identified genetic variants of human GAB1 as a novel asthma susceptibility factor. However, the functions of Gab1 in lung remain largely unexplored. In this study, we first observed an elevation of Gab1 level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from asthmatic patients during acute exacerbation compared with convalescence. Mice with a selectively disrupted Gab1 in myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) considerably attenuated allergic inflammation in experimental models of asthma. Further investigations revealed a prominent reduction in CCL19-mediated migration of Gab1-deficient mDCs to draining lymph nodes and subsequent impairment of Th2-driven adaptive activation. Mechanistically, Gab1 is an essential component of the CCL19/CCR7 chemokine axis that regulates mDC migration during asthmatic responses. Together, these findings provide the first evidence for the roles of Gab1 in lung, giving us deeper understanding of asthmatic pathogenesis.

Considering the fact that more and more collision-warning events occur in daily management of low-orbit spacecraft, this paper investigates some key techniques of the spacecraft collision-avoidance. Radial and trajectory separation methods are analyzed emphatically. The relationship between separating effect and control quantity, control position as well as control time is revealed. The radial separation method uses relationship of velocity control quantity and the radial distance change quantity to calculate control quantity which satisfied mission requirement. New method design has guidance role for collision-avoidance realization in the practical work.

Resveratrol (RSV), a natural polyphenol found in grapes and other herbal plants, has been reported to possess anti‑inflammatory, anti‑oxidative and anti‑proliferative activities. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of RSV on interleukin (IL)‑33‑induced inflammatory responses in mast cells and identify the underlying molecular mechanisms. Rat basophilic leukemia (RBL‑2H3) cells were stimulated with IL‑33 in the presence or absence of RSV. MTT, ELISA, reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blot analyses were then performed in order to assess cytotoxicity, inflammatory cytokine production, suppression of tumorigenicity 2 receptor expression, protein expression involved in mitogen‑activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor (NF)‑κB signaling, respectively. Finally, rats were used to determine the biological effect of RSV in vivo. The results revealed that RSV inhibited cell viability and increased cytotoxicity in a dose‑dependent manner. Medium concentration of RSV (10 µM) treatment attenuated inflammatory cytokine production, such as IL‑6, IL‑13, tumor necrosis factor‑α and monocyte chemotactic protein‑1, and curbed IL‑33‑induced enhancement of immunoglobulin E‑mediated responses in RBL‑2H3 cells, which were associated with the suppression of NF‑κB‑mediated transcription and inhibition of P38 phosphorylation in response to IL‑33 stimulation, but not extracellular signal regulated kinase or JNK. Notably, RSV application also decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines in rats induced by IL‑33 injection, which was similar to the anti‑inflammatory effect in vitro. The data from the present study demonstrated that RSV played a regulatory role in antagonizing the effects of IL‑33 on mast cells both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that it has therapeutic potential in IL‑33‑mediated inflammatory diseases that are associated with mast cells.

A path planning method based on Biogeography-Based optimized (BBO) artificial potential field algorithm is presented. The parameters of artificial attraction potential field and artificial repulsion potential field is optimized through state feedback and cyclic iteration. The BBO algorithm is used for parameters optimizing. While involving the optimization, the complexity of the design of path planning algorithm is reduced. The simulation results under local minimum situation and target unreachable situation is done. The results illustrate that the BBO based path planning algorithm is able to effectively accomplish the 2D path planning.

Sensor faults diagnosis is an important research field of the Hypersonic Vehicle (HV). A fast and effective fault diagnosis method can reduce the probability of flight accidents and improve the reliability of vehicle. Aiming at the uncertainty of the HV model and the rapidity of fault diagnosis, wavelet packet decomposition integrated with Biogeography Based Optimization Kernel Extreme Learning Machine (BBO-KELM) is proposed for the first time to identify fault. And the Biogeography Based Optimization (BBO) is used to improve the performance of the KELM firstly. The time-frequency analysis capability of wavelet packet decomposition and the high learning speed of KELM enable fast and accurate sensor faults diagnosis for the HV.

The paper addresses then event-triggered consensus problem for the leader-following multi-agent system with unknown nonlinear inherent dynamics and subject to external disturbances. Based on the neighbors’ sampled information at event-triggering time instants, a distributed control protocol is proposed to ensure that the nonlinear multi-agent system can reach consensus with the desired disturbance attenuation level. Some conditions are further derived to determine the feedback matrix of the controller for networks with directed and undirected interaction topology, respectively. Finally, a simulation is given to verify the obtained theoretical results.

The dynamic monitoring for the scene of the engineering vehicle dynamic load of the vibration was performed. By developing a subroutine of ABAQUS DLOAD to simulate the process of vehicle traffic, the characteristics of vehicle vibration transmission in soil was analyzed. Based on three different indicators: displacement, acceleration and vibration level, the influence of different speeds and different weights of the vehicle vibration on the surrounding soil and reasonable control distance was analyzed. This paper provides reference and guidance to avoid the influence of traffic dynamic load when designing and constructing.

Management estimation is an account of your most basic estimated balance sheet and income statement items. The people of such pensions and employee stock option expenses can be obtained from the multiple estimates. These estimates not only affect the reliability and validity of dishonest financial reporting, and not only due to the objective estimation error. That machine learning can significantly improve the estimate of management. More specifically, using our file of implementation, estimates and loss reserves of the insurance company's data, estimates, for 14 insurance, generated by the financial practices learning to learn the loss, the fifth of the check of the line, which is better than the estimated value of the management report of the machine. Machine learning technology, thereby investors, enhance the usefulness of financial information of management and audit, to be able to improve the accounting estimates show us the evidence. Course, our universality results beyond insurance data; you will need further research to test. Keywords: accounting machine learning, the estimation. Internal financial management functions, machine learning, can be applied to the classification of help and transaction. When used as part of the Financial Planning and Analysis (FP & A), machine learning can be optimized for the data model and optimization used to analyse the data used to define the predicted.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly aggressive solid malignancy throughout the world. Dysregulation of miRNAs play essential roles in HCC progression via aberrant regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, as well as metastasis. miR-663a is a poorly investigated miRNA. Whether miR-663a regulates HCC development remains unknown. The aim of the study was to explore the role of miR-663a in HCC development. To determine the expression level of miR-663a in HCC, we analyzed the data from GSE21362 and TCGA. The results showed that miR-663a was significantly down-regulated in HCC tissue compared with adjacent non-tumor tissue. Gain of function and loss of function assays revealed that miR-663a distinctly inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that miR-663a modulated cell functions through targeting and suppressing high mobility group A2 (HMGA2). In addition, overexpression of HMGA2 remarkably attenuated the tumor repressive effect of miR-663a. Taken together, miR-663a inhibits HCC cell proliferation and motility by targeting HMGA2.

One-dimensional Kohonen’s algorithm is a process of mining knowledge which finds the characteristics of social media websites as a mode from the sequence database. Social media web log records generated constantly, and user access patterns will change accordingly. This study focused on taking advantage of the dynamic characteristics of the Kohonen algorithm, delivering a fast and efficient incremental mining algorithm and testing the new developed model.

MADS-box transcription factors show highly diverse regulatory functions in a wide variety of organisms. In this study, we characterized a MADS-box gene (BpMADS12) from the white birch (Betula platyphylla Suk). This gene is a member of the suppressor of overexpression of CO 1/tomato MADS 3 class of MADS-box genes. We generated lines overexpressing BpMADS12 and found that these had higher levels of lignin compared to that observed in nontransgenic lines. Transcriptome analysis revealed numerous changes in gene expression patterns. In total, 8794 differentially expressed genes were identified, including 5006 upregulated unigenes and 3788 downregulated unigenes in BpMADS-overexpression lines. Differentially expressed genes involved in the pathways for lignin and brassinosteroid biosynthesis were significantly enriched and may have contributed to phenotypic changes. The results from a quantitative RT-PCR analysis were consistent those obtained with the transcriptome analysis. Our transcriptome analysis, in combination with measurement of lignin level, indicated that BpMADS12 promotes lignin synthesis through regulation of key enzymes in response to brassinosteroid signaling. These results suggest that this MADS-box protein is crucial to all subsequent structural events and provide a good foundation for studies aiming to elucidate the developmental mechanisms underlying formation of wood.

Understanding how genders differ in their acceptance patterns is a critical factor for successful market segmentation. Using a modified technology acceptance model with 343 participants, this paper examines how gender differences influence the acceptance of mobile computing devices among Asian college students. By means of a structural equation model based on the partial least squares technique, this study develops two different and intriguing models that influence the acceptance of mobile devices in higher education. Male college students favor status and values orientations, so their acceptance of mobile devices in study was significantly influenced by the perceived usefulness and social benefits. Female college students on the other hand, prefer social and utilitarian orientations; therefore, their acceptance of mobile devices was influenced by all five selected factors. The results of this survey should be interpreted as speculative and should not be relied upon as an accurate depiction of behaviour in the surveyed communities.

In this work, the molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) and non-imprinted polymers (NIPs) for clopyralid (3,6-DCP) were successfully synthesized via precipitation polymerization using methacrylic acid (MAA) as functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as crosslinker and a mixture of butanone (MEK) and n-heptane as porogen under the existence of azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN). The morphologies, particle sizes, structures, adsorption properties and selective recognitions of polymers were investigated systematically. The average particle sizes of MIP3 and NIP3 were 2.76 μm and 2.15 μm. The apparent maximum binding amount (Qmax) of MIP3 and NIP3 were 67.50 mg·g−1 and 65.02 mg·g−1 in Scatchard analysis. Langmuir isotherm displayed that the Langmuir constant (Kl) of MIP3 and NIP3 were 0.015 L·mg−1 and 0.0065 L·mg−1, the saturation adsorption capacity (Qmax) of MIP3 and NIP3 were 63.23 mg·g−1 and 58.17 mg·g−1. Lagergren pseudo-second-order kinetic plot described that the adsorption proces...

Sequential pattern mining is a process of knowledge discovery which finds the frequent subsequence as a mode from the sequence database. Web log database is typically dynamic. Web log records are generated constantly, and user access patterns will change accordingly. This study focused on taking advantage of the dynamic characteristics of the Web access database, delivering a fast and efficient incremental mining algorithm. An IncWTP algorithm suitable for Web access sequence mode is developed to handle non-simple path with dynamic data storage structure, and detect and delete the failed sequence data timely.

Based on finite element numerical calculation, calculation results of first support, trough excavation and over-excavation working conditions were compared in this paper. Analysis of deformation difference of retaining structure in water-rich and thick sand stratum was provided. Calculation results were compared with actual monitoring data, in order to explore the influence law of trough excavation on the horizontal deformation of retaining structure. The results show that the trough over-excavation soil exacerbates the lateral deformation of underground diaphragm wall, the cumulative maximum is 9.28mm and the process maximum is 10.45mm, 34.93% of the maximum underground diaphragm wall deformation. Conclusion of back pressure soil restrains the deformation of underground diaphragm wall can also be drawn, the process maximum is 6.44mm, 21.52% of the maximum underground diaphragm wall deformation. The design of the deep foundation pit retaining structure should be checked as far as possible according to the actual working conditions to reduce the engineering risk, ensuring that the design is economical, reliable and reasonable.

In this paper, the fixed-time formation control is studied for multi-agent systems with first-integrator dynamics. Using the neighboring state information, the fixed-time formation protocols are designed for both time-invariant and time-varying formation cases. Then for the two cases, it can be demonstrated that the multi-agent systems can realize the expected formation within the prescribed settling time that is independent of initial conditions. To make the system move as a whole after realizing the expected formation, a reference speed input is added into the distributed protocols. Simulations are included to demonstrate the correctness of our theoretical results.

BACKGROUND As a clinically important natural isoquinoline alkaloid, berberine has been reported to possess various pharmacological effects. OBJECTIVES This study was aimed to investigate the effect of berberine on cell migration and invasion in human retinoblastoma (Rb) cells. MATERIAL AND METHODS The cytotoxicity of berberine was estimated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. After being stimulated with berberine under various concentrations, the cell migration and invasion were evaluated by transwell assay. Then, the expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers were determined by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot analysis. Furthermore, the phosphorylation levels of protein kinase B (Akt) and p38 were detected by western blot analysis. Finally, the effect of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) and p38 inhibitors on cell migration and invasion was estimated by transwell assay. Untreated cells acted as control for all the experiments. RESULTS The concentrations of berberine for further studies were controlled in a range of 0 to 100 μM. The cell migration and invasion were both suppressed by berberine in a dose-dependent manner compared to the control (p < 0.05 or p < 0.001). Berberine remarkably down-regulated expression of E-cadherin and up-regulated expression of vimentin and α-SMA compared to the control (p < 0.01 or p < 0.001). Furthermore, the phosphorylation levels of Akt and p38 were both down-regulated by berberine in comparison to the control. Furthermore, the addition of berberine accompanied by LY294002 or SB203580 significantly suppressed cell migration and invasion compared to the addition of berberine alone (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Berberine suppressed cell migration and invasion via inactivation of PI3K/Akt and p38.

This paper proposes an accurate system model independent resilient control approach with heuristic parameter optimization algorithm for air-breathing hypersonic vehicle tracking control. Th...

The planktonic and benthic fungi in a sea cucumber farming system were simultaneously investigated on three sampling dates. Analyses of SSU rRNA gene libraries of four samples revealed 131 fungal operational taxonomic units, of which 58 % were potentially novel. Chytridiomycota, Blastocladiomycota and Monoblepharidomycota were detected only from sediment, whereas ascomycetes and basidiomycetes dominated in sediment and water, respectively. Cryptomycota phylotypes were detected in both water and sediment samples. Based on terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphisms, distinct succession and contrasting community structure were found between planktonic and benthic habitats. Redundancy analysis indicated that the concentration of dissolved silicate in surface water and N:P in porewater were the most significant abiotic variables shaping the planktonic and benthic communities, respectively. This study indicates that plankton and benthos are distinct habitats for fungal distribution even in shallow coastal systems, and nutrients and stoichiometric ratios play important roles in driving succession of fungal communities.

A molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction (MISPE) coupled with gas chromatography (GC) for the simultaneous separation and determination of four chloroacetamide herbicides, alachlor, acetochlor, pretilachlor and metolachlor, in soil was developed. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) with butachlor as the dummy template were synthesized via precipitation polymerization, where methacrylic acid (MAA) was used as the functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) as the crosslinker and acetonitrile as the porogen. Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the polymers. Under the optimum SPE conditions, the polymer sorbents can selectively extract and enrich alachlor, acetochlor, pretilachlor and metolachlor. A comparison experiment also showed that the MISPE cartridges were better than the nonimprinted and C18 cartridges in terms of recovery. The mean recoveries of the four chloroacetamide herbicides from blank soil spiked at 0.1, 0.5, and 1 μg mL−1 ranged between 80.6 and 90.2% with relative standard deviations (RSD) of less than 8% (n = 5). The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) of the four analytes were in the range of 1.0 × 10−12 to 5 × 10−11 g and 0.0005–0.025 mg kg−1, respectively. The presented MISPE-GC method exhibited highly selective separation and enrichment of trace chloroacetamide herbicides and could be potentially applied to the determination of chloroacetamide herbicides in soil.

Objectives/Hypothesis To explore the difference in the course of the lingual arteries between the tongue in the fully extended position and in the resting position in obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) patients. Study Design Prospective nonrandomized study. Methods Seventeen patients with OSAHS were included in the study. Each patient received two lingual artery computed tomography angiography (CTA) examinations. For the first CTA examination, each subject was requested to keep the mouth closed with the tongue in a resting position. For the second CTA examination, each subject was asked to keep the mouth open with the tongue in a fully extended position. The difference in the distances between the bilateral lingual arteries and the depths of the lingual artery beneath the lingual surface, based on three reference marks, was analyzed with the tongue in a resting and extended position using the CTA images. Results Both the depths of the lingual artery beneath the lingual surface and the distances between the bilateral lingual arteries based on three reference marks in the fully extended position were all significantly smaller than those in the resting position (P

Peanut is one of the major oilseed crops in the world and is a staple food crop for much of the world . It also faces many challenges in production and possesses many opportunities in advancing science. The U.S. Peanut Genome Initiative (PGI) was launched in 2004, and brought to the international stage in 2006 to meet these challenges through coordination of international efforts in genome research beginning with molecular marker development and the improvement of genetic map resolution and coverage. The International Peanut Genome Initiative (IPGI) was the first committed step by the global peanut research community toward meeting these needs and challenges. Ultimately, a peanut genome sequencing project was initiated in 2010 by the Peanut Genome Consortium (PGC) and the genome sequences of two diploid peanut progenitors were published in 2016. During this time, IPGI and PGC have been guiding and leading demand-driven innovations in peanut genome research and translating the information into practical research and breeding. In this chapter, we review the background and history of IPGI and its achievement in developing improved genotypes using marker-assisted breeding. We also reviewed the development of peanut populations for high-resolution genetic and trait mapping, highlighting the transition to and preparation for next-generation, multi-parental genetic mapping populations from individual bi-parental populations.

Modification of the poly-urea-formaldehyde (UF) shell always interests formulators for obtaining special properties and applications of the microcapsules. Here, we were able to modify the UF shell with the biodegradable lignosulfonate-Ca as copolymer for encapsulation of acetochlor. The modified microcapsules were characterized by ultraviolet spectrophotometer (UV), laser particle size analyzer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Results showed 15% lignosulfonate-Ca substitution of urea benefits for higher encapsulation efficiency and finer particle size. Compared with the pure UF microcapsules, the modified shell surface became rougher with increasing lignosulfonate-Ca substitution of urea under 45%. We expect this modification approach will be applied by other fields besides pesticide manufacturing.

Bibliometric methods was used to outline the scientific research of nanosafety around the word. Categories of nanosafety, publications trend, geographical distribution, authors, and journals were chosen as the basic parameters in this study. In a depth, key terms and classical papers in nanosafety were also analyzed. The results shown that the research area of nanosafety topic are mainly in science technology, chemistry and materials science, the categories of nanosafety in Web of Science are in nanoscience nanotechnology, chemistry multidisciplinary and materials science multidisciplinary. Publications of nanosafety have approximate linear trends from 2003 to 2013. The countries with most publications have been USA, Germany, China and the UK. Chinese Academic Science and Osaka University are high productive institutions in nanosafety research. Additional, Journal of Nanoparticle Research, Yakugaku Zasshi-Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan and Risk Analysis were the most representative journal...

An intracellular bacterium was discovered in an isolate of Paramecium bursaria from a freshwater pond in Yantai, China. The bacteria were abundant and exclusively found in the cytoplasm of the host which, along with the green alga Chlorella, formed a three-partner consortium that could survive in pure water for at least one week. Cloning, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene showed that the bacterium belonged to the uncultured candidate division OM, which usually forms part of the rare biosphere. Transmission electron microscopy and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with specific probes showed that the bacteria were usually located close to the perialgal membranes of endosymbiotic Chlorella cells, and occasionally irregularly distributed throughout the host cytoplasm. The name "Candidatus Sonnebornia yantaiensis" gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed for the new bacterium. A strongly supported monophyletic subclade, OD1-p, which included the new species, was recognized and this study highlights that protists can be important hosts for rare bacterial taxa. (C) 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Accumulating evidence has revealed that aberrantly expressed long non-coding transcripts are involved in the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Small nucleolar RNA host gene 3 (SNHG3) is a newly identified lncRNA, and little is known about its clinical significance and biological functions in the development of CRC. In the present study, we found that the expression of SNHG3 was significantly upregulated in CRC, and upregulation of SNHG3 predicted poor prognosis for patients with CRC as determined through analysis of the data obtained from TCGA database. Gain-of function and loss-of function assays revealed that SNHG3 markedly promoted cellular proliferation of CRC cells. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) suggested that high expression of SNHG3 was positively associated with c-Myc and its targets genes. Furthermore, ectopic overexpression of SNHG3 increased the expression of c-Myc and its target genes, whereas inhibition of SNHG3 had opposite effect on the expression of c-Myc and its targets. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that SNHG3 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to 'sponge' miR-182-5p, thus leading to the release of c-Myc from miR-182-5p and modulating the expression of c-Myc. In conclusion, SNHG3 promoted CRC progression via sponging miR-182-5p and upregulating c-Myc and its target genes.

In tunnel and shaft construction, the impermeability of concrete lining joint is involved with the safety of the lining structure. The chloride ion diffusion test is used to test the impermeability of concrete sample. The orthogonal test is designed with three factors, including water-cement ratio, waterproof interface form and prestress load. Each factor establishes three levels. The test results show that the interface form has the greatest influence on impermeability, followed by the prestress load, which can be used to optimize the design of concrete lining joints.

The lingua/pharynx (L/P) ratio has high sensitivity and specificity in predicting the severity of retroglossal obstruction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).To evaluate the diagnostic value of the L/P ratio in predicting the severity of retroglossal obstruction in patients with OSAHS.Airway computed tomography (CT) was performed in 115 patients with OSAHS. The retroglossal cross-sectional area (RCSA) was measured at the axial level of the hypopharynx, immediately superior to the tip of the epiglottis. Moreover, nine lines, which were lined up in the order of n = 1, 2, 3, …, 9, were drawn from the genial tubercle (point G) to nine points (point P n ) proximally on the posterior pharyngeal wall and hard palate in the sagittal plane. Meanwhile, the nine lines intersected the lingual surface at point Ln, respectively. The L/P ratios of the lingual segment (G to L n distance) to the pharyngeal segment (G to P n distance) were measured. We analyzed the correlations between nine L/P values (L/P n ) and RCSA.Both simple linear correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis showed that L/P6 and L/P9 had significant negative correlations with RCSA.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms of the 5' regulatory region of the FSHR gene were detected in 3 goat breeds (Jining Grey, Boer, and Inner Mongolia Cashmere) by the polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism method, and its effects on litter size in Jining Grey goats were also evaluated. Concerning primer P1, 2 genotypes (AA and BB) were detected in Boer goats, while only the AA genotype was identified in Jining Grey and Inner Mongolia Cashmere goats. Sequencing revealed a T->A transversion at the 26th position and an A->C transversion at the 61st position of the amplified region in genotype BB in comparison to genotype AA. Regarding primer P2, 3 genotypes (CC, CD, and DD) were identified in the 3 goat breeds mentioned above. Sequencing revealed a T->A transversion at the 70th position and a G->C transversion at the 130th position of the amplified region in genotype DD compared with CC. Does with genotype CC had 0.46 (P < 0.05) or 1.03 (P < 0.05) kids more than those with genotype CD or DD, respectively, while does with CD had 0.57 (P < 0.05) kids more than those with DD in Jining Grey goats. These results preliminarily showed that allele C of the FSHR gene was a potential marker for improving litter size in goats.

Conclusions: Modified Friedman stage can be used to predict glossopharyngeal obstruction better than before in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of modified Friedman stage in predicting glossopharyngeal obstruction in patients with OSA.Methods: Eighty-five OSA patients with Friedman stage III were divided into IIIa group and IIIb group based on an imaginary line drawn in the horizontal and middle position of the soft palate. Polysomnography (PSG) was performed after nasopharyngeal tube (NPT) insertion (NPT-PSG) to diagnose glossopharyngeal obstruction. Apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) determined by NPT-PSG (NPT-AHI) and glossopharyngeal obstruction result determined by NPT-PSG (NPT-PSG result) were compared between the two groups.Results: There were significant differences in NPT-AHI (p

GRB2-associated-binding protein 1 (Gab1) belongs to Gab adaptor family, which integrates multiple signals in response to the epithelial growth factors. Recent genetic studies identified genetic variants of human Gab1 gene as potential risk factors of asthmatic inflammation. However, the functions of Gab1 in lungs remain largely unknown. Alveolar type-II cells (AT-IIs) are responsible for surfactant homeostasis and essentially regulate lung inflammation following various injuries (3). In this study, in vitro knockdown of Gab1 was shown to decrease the surfactant proteins (SPs) levels in AT-IIs. We further examined in vivo Gab1 functions through alveolar epithelium-specific Gab1 knockout mice (Gab1Δ/Δ). In vivo Gab1 deficiency leads to a decrease in SP synthesis and the appearance of disorganized lamellar bodies. Histological analysis of the lung sections in Gab1Δ/Δmice shows no apparent pathological alterations or inflammation. However, Gab1Δ/Δmice demonstrate inflammatory responses during the LPS-induced acute lung injury. Similarly, in mice challenged with bleomycin, fibrotic lesions were found to be aggravated in Gab1Δ/Δ. These observations suggest that the abolishment of Gab1 in AT-IIs impairs SP homeostasis, predisposing mice to lung injuries. In addition, we observed that the production of surfactants in AT-IIs overexpressing Gab1 mutants, in which Shp2 phosphatase and PI3K kinase binding sites have been mutated (Gab1ΔShp2, Gab1ΔPI3K), has been considerably attenuated. Together, these findings provide the direct evidence about the roles of docking protein Gab1 in lungs, adding to our understanding of acute and interstitial lung diseases caused by the disruption of alveolar SP homeostasis.

Low back pain (LBP) continues to be the most common type of work-related musculoskeletal disorder. Since 1974, there have been 637 publications about low back pain in the ergonomic field. This study evaluates the research trends of low back pain in the ergonomic field between 1974 and 2015. Data was based on the citation indexing service, Web of Science. The analyzed parameters include authors, countries, organizations, journals, publication years, and terms. Of the 637 publications, 29 % were published in the United States (US), followed by 17 % from Canada, and 9 % from the Netherlands. Correspondingly, the University of Waterloo, Ohio State University, and the University of Amsterdam were the most productive research organizations. The results also showed that low back pain research in the ergonomics field consistently increased over the past four decades. Through term analysis, four clusters were obtained on the term map: Epidemiological Research of LBP, Biomechanics Analysis of Lifting Tasks, Association of Whole Body Vibration (WBV), and LBP at School. Most current research trends are Epidemiologic Research on LBP and Association of WBV and LBP.

Regarding poly(vinyl alcohol)/silicotungstic acid (PVA/H 4 SiW 12 O 40 ) gel as precursor, the silver nanoparticles (NPs) were selectively deposited on the surface of the PVA/H 4 SiW 12 O 40 nanofibers by using electrospinning and photoreduction methods. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy were used to affirm the structure and formation of tri-component nanohybrids. Field environmental scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscopy indicate that the average diameter of silver NPs was changed from 25 nm to 50 nm, with decreasing the relative concentration of SiW 12 in the as-electrospun nanofibers. The nanocomposites exhibit excellent photocatalytic activity in degradation of Rhodamine B. This result arises from the synergistic effects and the large specific surface areas of Ag/PVA/H 4 SiW 12 O 40 tri-component nanohybrids.

The underlying causes for separation of industrial safety and health proceedings from Labor Standards Act for legislation in Japan in 1970s was the disputes and prevarication over accidents as incurred by obscure definition of person of the first responsibility for safety in addition to some provisions in the ACT not adaptive to demands for economic development. For this reason, person of the first responsibility for safety was changed from “Employer” to “Business Owner”, the starting point for stipulation of Industrial Safety and Health Law. It is also essential for China to take the secondary orientation of occupational health monitoring functions in Code of Occupational Disease Prevention as revised and implemented in 2011 as the opportunity to put stipulation of Occupational Safety and Health Act on the agenda as early as possible. Furthermore, it is also necessary to take settlement of outstanding practical problems as the starting point.

A self-circulation helium liquefaction system (SCHLS) with five 4 K G-M cryocoolers is developed to supply liquid helium (LHe) for SECRAL (a superconducting ECR ion source used in Lanzhou city, China). LHe is vaporized in SECRAL and warmed up to room temperature. SCHLS will re-liquefy the helium gas at a rate of 83.2 L/day under normal atmosphere pressure. With SCHLS, SECRAL system can run online without any interruption of refilling LHe.

To investigate a quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) assay different from 21-gene assay which can be used to prognosticate the risk of recurrence in patients with estrogen receptor (ER) positive, lymph node (LN) negative breast cancer. To accurately determine the relationship between the Recurrence Score (RS) derived from our assay and the risk of distant recurrence in Chinese patients with LN negative and positive breast cancer through the analysis of paraffin tissues. We obtained archival paraffin-embedded tissues from patients with invasive breast cancer and varying axillary lymph node involvement. QRT-PCR reaction was performed by using the method of SYBR Green I dye with primers. Expression of the 21-genes was converted to RS by a prespecified algorithm. We then assessed the probability of the test to accurately predict distant recurrence-free survival in this retrospective cohort. Ninety-three patients were eligible based on gene expression profiles. In our population, most breast cancer patients were premenopausal (82.6%), at early stage (93.6%) and ER positive (91.4%). Median follow-up was 65.9 months. The 5-year recurrence-free survival rate for the group was 58.8%. The concordance between the reverse transcription-PCR and immunohistochemical (IHC) measurement for ER, progesterone receptor (PgR), and HER-2 determinations was high and comparable. High RS was predictive of an elevated risk of relapse (p

A set of 210 F 2:3 families developed from 5003(107) and 178 were used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) under high and low phosphorus treatments at Taian and Yantai. Six agronomic traits, including GY, 100KW, EL, RN, KN and ED were evaluated. A genetic map comprising 207 SSR markers spanned 1755.1 cm in length with an average interval of 8.48 cm between adjacent markers. A total of 69 QTLs were identified for the six traits at two sites. Thirty-six distinct QTLs were identified from Taian, in which 7 out of 36 for GY, 7 for 100KW, 5 for EL, 5 for RN, 6 for KN and 6 for ED, while 33 distinct QTLs were identified at Yantai, in which 6 out of 33 for GY, 5 for 100KW, 5 for EL, 7 for RN, 5 for KN and 5 for ED. In addition, three stable common loci crossing the two phosphorus treatment sites are in the interval umc2215–bnlg1429, umc1464–umc1829 and umc1645–bnlg1839 were detected on chromosome 1, 5 and 10. Our results suggest the presence of these QTLs may contribute to fine-mapping, identification of candidate genes and MAS strategies for maize improvement purposes under phosphorus deficiency combining traditional breeding approaches.

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a neuropeptide with pleiotropic functions. We report here that PACAP-deficient (PACAP-/-) mice showed increased immobility in a forced swimming test, which was reduced by the antidepressant desipramine, to a similar extent as in wild-type mice. The atypical antipsychotic risperidone and the selective serotonin (5-HT)(2) antagonist ritanserin normalized the depression-like behavior in PACAP-/- mice. The 5-HT(2) agonist (+/-)-2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine-induced 5-HT syndrome was exaggerated in PACAP-/- mice, which suggests a 5-HT(2)-receptor-dependent mechanism in the depression-like behavior. The circadian rhythm of plasma corticosterone and body core temperature was significantly flattened in the mutants. mRNA expression of glucocorticoid receptor was reduced in the mutant hippocampus. The present results suggest that alterations in PACAP signaling might contribute to the pathogenesis of certain depressive conditions amenable to atypical antipsychotic drugs.