Search

Purposes: We have previously reported that Ginsenoside Rb1 may effectively prevent HUVECs from senescence, however, the detailed mechanism has not demonstrated up to now. Recent studies have shown that sirtuin-1 (Sirt1) plays an important role in the development of endothelial senescence. The purpose of this study was to explore whether Sirt1 is involved in the action of Ginsenoside Rb1 regarding protection against H2O2-induced HUVEC Senescence. Methods and Results: Senescence induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was examined by analyzing plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) expression, cell morphology, and senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity. The results revealed that 42% of control-treated HUVECs were SA-β-gal positive after treatment by 60 µmol/L H2O2, however, this particular effect of H2O2 was decreased more than 2-fold (19%) in the HUVECs when pretreated with Rb1 (20 µmol/L) for 30 min. Additionally, Rb1 decreased eNOS acetylation, as well as promoted more NO production that was accompanied by an increase in Sirt1 expression. Furthermore, upon knocking down Sirt1, the effect of Rb1 on HUVEC senescence was blunted. Conclusions: The present study indicated that Ginsenoside Rb1 acts through stimulating Sirt1 in order to protect against endothelial senescence and dysfunction. As such, Sirt1 appears to be of particular importance in maintaining endothelial functions and delaying vascular aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new photocatalyst, namely single-crystalline Bi5O7NO3 nanofibers, was prepared by a facile hydrothermal method in the presence of Triton X-100 and ammonia. Bi5O7NO3 possessing a crystalline sheet morphology could be dissolved and transformed into nanofibers by controlling the reaction time. Samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The Bi5O7NO3 nanofiber growth mechanism is discussed in detail. The band gap energy of the as-prepared Bi5O7NO3 photocatalyst was about 2.70–2.90eV. Results of first-principle density functional theory calculations confirmed that Bi5O7NO3 had a narrow band gap. They revealed that the conduction band bottom was predominantly composed of Bi 6s, Bi 6p, N 2p and O 2p orbitals, while the valence band (VB) top primarily consisted of Bi 6p, Bi 6s and O 2p orbitals. The as-obtained Bi5O7NO3 nanofibers showed good photocatalytic activity and stability for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation, which may be ascribed to the highly mobile conduction band (CB) and VB charge carriers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: ZnMoO4 with a rhombus sheet or flower-like structure, α-ZnMoO4 and needle-like ZnMoO4·0.8H2O were successfully synthesized by simple hydrothermal crystallization processes with citric acid. ZnMoO4·0.8H2O was easily synthesized in a shorter reaction time (2h) at a higher reactant concentration. It gradually transformed into ZnMoO4 with a monoclinic wolframite tungstate structure with an increased reaction time, and pure ZnMoO4 was obtained with a longer reaction time (8h). Citric acid (CA) played an important role in controlling the morphology of the as-obtained molybdates. The α-ZnMoO4 and ZnMoO4 were synthesized by heating ZnMoO4·0.8H2O at 130°C for 4h and 8h, respectively, under hydrothermal conditions. With transforming of ZnMoO4·0.8H2O to α-ZnMoO4 and further to ZnMoO4, the needle-like crystals gradually disappeared and were transformed into crystals with rhombus sheet morphology and then further to pentacle or flower-like crystals that can be ascribed to continuous splitting and growing of the rhombus sheets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Polycarboxylate superplasticizers BMC-L and BMC-S were utilized as modifiers in the formulation of novel cement-based grouting materials. Indoor tests were conducted on 32 groups of cement slurries, varying by water–cement ratio (0.5:1 and 0.6:1) and modifier content (0, 2‰, 4‰, 6‰, 8‰, 10‰, 12‰, and 14‰), to test their density, funnel viscosity, water separation rate, and stone rate. Four groups of slurry modified with BMC-L were selected as the preferred slurry, and the apparent viscosity test, uniaxial, and triaxial compression test of the slurry stone body were conducted. The study investigated the influence of BMC-L on various properties of the slurry, including its apparent viscosity, uniaxial compressive strength, stress–strain relationships, shear strength parameters, and elastic modulus. Ultimately, the pore structure and phase composition of the slurry stone body were detected by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and the impact of BMC-L on slurry performance was examined from a microstructural perspective. Results indicate that the two polycarboxylate superplasticizers exert minimal influence on the density and water separation rate of the slurry. Within the effective incorporation range of the polycarboxylate superplasticizer, increasing the dosage correlates with a decrease in both the stone rate and viscosity of the slurry. BMC-L significantly enhances the mechanical properties of the slurry stone body by promoting more complete cement hydration and reducing porosity. The uniaxial compressive strength of slurry stone body with a 6 ‰ BMC-L dosage reached 29.7 MPa after 7 days and 38.5 MPa after 28 days of curing, representing increases of 118.4% and 64%, respectively, compared to masonry with 0 BMC-L dosage. The shear strength parameters and elastic modulus of the slurry stone body also showed corresponding increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University (Medical Science) is the property of Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University (Medical Science) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Seawater pH is a direct proxy of ocean acidification, and monitoring the global pH distribution and long-term series changes is critical to understanding the changes and responses of the marine ecology and environment under climate change. Owing to the lack of sufficient global-scale pH data and the complex relationship between seawater pH and related environmental variables, generating time-series products of satellite-derived global sea surface pH poses a great challenge. In this study, we solved the problem of the lack of sufficient data for pH algorithm development by using the massive underway sea surface carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2) dataset to structure a large data volume of near in situ pH based on carbonate calculation between underway pCO2 and calculated total alkalinity from sea surface salinity and relevant parameters. The remote sensing inversion model of pH was then constructed through this massive pH training dataset and machine learning methods. After several tests of machine learning methods and groups of input parameters, we chose the random forest model with longitude, latitude, sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll a (Chla), and Mixed layer depth (MLD) as model inputs with the best performance of correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.96) and root mean squared error (RMSE = 0.008) in the training set and R2 = 0.83 (RMSE = 0.017) in the testing set. The sensitivity analysis of the error variation induced by the uncertainty of SST and Chla (SST ≤ ±0.5 °C and Chla ≤ ±20%; RMSESST ≤ 0.011 and RMSEChla ≤ 0.009) indicated that our sea surface pH model had good robustness. Monthly average global sea surface pH products from 2004 to 2019 with a spatial resolution of 0.25° × 0.25° were produced based on the satellite-derived SST and Chla products and modeled MLD dataset. The pH model and products were validated using another independent station-measured pH dataset from the Global Ocean Data Analysis Project (GLODAP), showing good performance. With the time-series pH products, refined interannual variability and seasonal variability were presented, and trends of pH decline were found globally. Our study provides a new method of directly using remote sensing to invert pH instead of indirect calculation based on the construction of massive underway calculated pH data, which would be made useful by comparing it with satellite-derived pCO2 products to understand the carbonate system change and the ocean ecological environments responding to the global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Pyrochlore-type K2Ta2O6 compound cannot be obtained by a conventional solid-state reaction. Here, we report the synthesis of K2Ta2O6 and tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB)-type K6Ta10.8O30 nanopowders using a facile and low-cost sol–gel method at low temperature. The as-prepared samples were characterized by XRD, TG-DSC, FESEM, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectrum and XPS. The compound K2Ta2O6 was formed at 700°C and reached complete crystallization at 750°C, and decomposed into pure K6Ta10.8O30 with the volatilization of K2O at 900°C. The transformation of K2Ta2O6 to K6Ta10.8O30 is reported for the first time. The band gap of the pure K2Ta2O6 and K6Ta10.8O30 samples was found to be about 4.16 and 3.63eV, respectively. The as-prepared K2Ta2O6 sample exhibited an efficient photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of azo dye acid red G (ARG) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP, a typical persistent organic pollutant) solution under UV irradiation. According to the experimental results, the mechanism of the photocatalytic reaction over K2Ta2O6 was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sr6Bi2O9 powders were synthesized by a sol–gel method using Bi(NO3)3·5H2O and Sr(NO3)2 as the starting materials and were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectrum (UV–vis DRS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum and Raman spectrum. The as-prepared Sr6Bi2O9 powders showed an efficient photocatalytic activity in the decomposition of 4BS dye (a widely used azo dye) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP, a priority pollutant) under visible light irradiation (λ >400nm). TA-PL analysis reveals that HOthe dominant photooxidant. The radical scavengers experiments indicated that the main active species was O2 − in the photocatalytic degradation of dye under visible irradiation. A possible photodegradation mechanism of organic pollutants by the visible light driven Sr6Bi2O9 was discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Most of tantalate photocatalysts are mainly synthesized by solid-state (SS) reaction methods and only show photocatalytic activity under UV light irradiation. Ta2O5 as a raw material shows an extremely high chemical stability, limiting its application to a few systems. A novel nanometer Bi3TaO7 photocatalyst was synthesized by a facile and low-cost sol–gel method using Ta2O5 and Bi(NO3)3·5H2O as the Ta and Bi sources, respectively. The as-obtained samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The band gap energy of the as-obtained nanometer Bi3TaO7 photocatalyst was determined to be about 2.75–2.86eV. The Bi3TaO7 nanopowders show a strong adsorbability and a high visible-light photocatalytic activity for the degradation of 4BS, which can be ascribed to the surface physicochemical properties and structure of the Bi3TaO7 nanometer catalyst. The degradation of 4BS is attributed to the photocatalysis but not to the adsorption of 4BS on the as-prepared catalyst. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sphingolipids (SPLs) represent a highly diverse and structurally complex lipid class. The discussion of SPL metabolism-related issues is of importance in understanding the neuropathological progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is characterized by the accumulation of extracellular deposits of the amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) and intraneuronal aggregates of the microtubule-associated protein tau. Critical roles of Aβ oligomer deposited and ganglioside GM1 could be formed as "seed" from insoluble GAβ polymer in initiating the pathogenic process, while tau might also mediate SPLs and their toxicity. The interaction between ceramide and α-Synuclein (α-Syn) accelerates the aggregation of ferroptosis and exacerbates the pathogenesis of AD. For instance, reducing the levels of SPLs can mitigate α-Syn accumulation and inhibit AD progression. Meanwhile, loss of SPLs may inhibit the expression of APOE4 and confer protection against AD, while the loss of APOE4 expression also disrupts SPLs homeostasis. Moreover, the heightened activation of sphingomyelinase promotes the ferroptosis signaling pathway, leading to exacerbated AD symptoms. Ferroptosis plays a vital role in the pathological progression of AD by influencing Aβ, tau, APOE, and α-Syn. Conversely, the development of AD also exacerbates the manifestation of ferroptosis and SPLs. We are compiling the emerging techniques (Derivatization and IM-MS) of sphingolipidomics, to overcome the challenges of AD diagnosis and treatment. In this review, we examined the intricate neuro-mechanistic interactions between SPLs and Aβ, tau, α-Syn, APOE, and ferroptosis, mediating the onset of AD. Furthermore, our findings highlight the potential of targeting SPLs as underexplored avenue for devising innovative therapeutic strategies against AD. [Display omitted] • The emerging technologies field of sphingolipidomic significantly improved the detectability to achieve more SPL biomarkers. • SPLs can affect AD development by regulating different pathogenesis (Aβ, tau, APOE, and α-Syn) of AD. • Ferroptosis may be a crucial potential pathway by which SPLs regulate AD. • Changes in SPLs might activate ferroptosis pathway consequently the pathogenesis of Aβ, tau, APOE, and α-Syn aggravated AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family has a wide range of metabolic processes. FGF21 exerts critical physiological functions in clinical application. This study aimed to explore a convenient and highly efficient approach for rhFGF21 expression using TMV-TES. Firstly, the vector pTTEV-GFP was constructed, followed by optimisation of the expression parameters in Nicotiana benthamiana. Then, the rhFGF21 encoding gene harbouring vector pTTEV-rhFGF21 was constructed. Agrobacterium-mediated vacuum infiltration was performed with the optimised parameters and the expression of rhFGF21 was confirmed by the immunoblotting analysis. ELISA revealed that the protein accumulation of rhFGF21 accounts for 0.11% of total soluble proteins. The biological activity was evaluated and the results suggested that tobacco-expressed rhFGF21 could stimulate the glucose uptake in swiss 3T3-L1 adipocytes, which was similar to the activity of commercial products, suggesting its native biological activity. Therefore, using TMV-TES to express rhFGF21 will be a feasible approach for the mass production of rhFGF21. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The La Niña of 2007/2008 was particularly strong, so was the southward flow of the cold, nutrient-rich Changjiang (Yangtze River) Diluted Water (CDW) when the winter monsoon started to blow in the fall. Here we use shipboard data in 2008 in two transects, one in the southwestern East China Sea and one in the southern Taiwan Strait, to show that as late as April in 2008 the CDW was still clearly identifiable when the winter monsoon had weakened. Waters as cold as 16 °C with a salinity lower than 30 still occupied the southwestern East China Sea. Waters of 17 °C and S < 32 could also be found off the coast of China in the central Taiwan Strait. The concentration of NO3 + NO2 was higher than 18 μmol L−1 at both places, which was as much as 40 times higher than the northward moving South China Sea (SCS) water to the east. As a result, the Changjiang River plume may be a significant source of nutrients, particularly N, to the oligotrophic, N-poor SCS, especially in the La Niña years. Indeed, colder and more turbid CDW was more intense and went farther south in 2008 compared with the normal springs of 2006, 2007 and 2009. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays important roles in the aquatic biogeochemical cycle and the global carbon cycle. However, it is highly spatially and temporally varied due to complex sources from the catchment (allochthonous) and from within the system (autochthonous). Satellite remote sensing provides the ability to monitor DOM and identify the spatio-temporal variations in lakes on a global or regional scale. In this study, field work was conducted in 55 lakes in August 2012 along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (MLR-YR), where most lakes were characterized by eutrophication due to intense human activities. The results showed that both colored DOM (CDOM) and total DOM differed significantly by and were linearly related to the human-induced trophic state index (TSI), with R 2 = 0.41 and 0.61, respectively. Autochthonous substances by phytoplankton contributed to 38.5% of CDOM and 35.2% of DOM, and allochthonous terrestrial substance indexed by land cover change and aquaculture contributed to almost half, with 49.7% of CDOM and 49.8% of DOM. In total, human activities explained as much as 81.7% and 87.5% of the variations in CDOM and DOM, respectively. Finally, a flowchart for estimating DOM from satellite-derived TSI was proposed. This study has great significance for synchronously monitoring and managing aquatic environment quality in regional eutrophic lakes around the world. Image 1 • Quantity and composition of DOM were greatly varied in lakes along the Yangtze River. • Human activities explained 81.7% and 87.5% variations in CDOM and DOM, respectively. • Trophic state index could serve as a bridge for remotely monitoring DOM from Chl-a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Riverine COD content showed high values in the cropland-dominated areas. • Three seasonal variation types were identified for station-based riverine COD. • Variations in riverine COD were co-determined by human and natural factors. Rivers connect terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and export approximately 55.47 % of the net terrestrial carbon fixation. However, due to unavailable high-frequency monitoring data, litter is known about diurnal variation in riverine carbon transport on a national scale. Based on daily measurements between March 2021 and February 2022 at 1491 stations across China, this study clarified the spatiotemporal variations in riverine organic matter indicated by chemical oxygen demand (COD). Spatially, COD content showed a spatial pattern with high values in the northwest (p < 0.05), and COD flux was determined by water discharge (84.01 %). Human activities explained 73.20 % of the spatial variations in riverine COD content; in particular, agricultural planting significantly elevated riverine COD (r = 0.73, p < 0.01). Seasonally, 95.53 % of stations showed significant seasonal variations in COD contents (p < 0.05); 69.72 % (25.81 %) were identified as Type II (III) typically had the maximum (minimum) COD in summer (autumn). Moreover, except for human activities (41.08 ± 22.94 %), natural factors also contributed 47.41 ± 24.04 % to the seasonal variations. In summer, high temperatures increased COD by promoting algal proliferation at Type II stations; however, heavy precipitation diluted COD contents at Type III stations. In these cases, seasonal measurements were essential for estimating riverine organic matter transport, especially the values measured in spring and winter. This study has significant implications for managing the aquatic environment, estimating riverine organic matter transport, and balancing the global carbon budget. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Petroleum Geology & Recovery Efficiency is the property of Petroleum Geology & Recovery Efficiency and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Key message: A selectable marker free, highly expressed single copy locus flanked by insulators was created as landing pad for transgene stacking in sugarcane. These events displayed superior transgene expression compared to single-copy transgenic lines lacking insulators. Excision of the selectable marker gene from transgenic sugarcane lines was supported by FLPe/FRT site-specific recombination. Sugarcane, a tropical C4 grass in the genus Saccharum (Poaceae), accounts for nearly 80% of sugar produced worldwide and is also an important feedstock for biofuel production. Generating transgenic sugarcane with predictable and stable transgene expression is critical for crop improvement. In this study, we generated a highly expressed single copy locus as landing pad for transgene stacking. Transgenic sugarcane lines with stable integration of a single copy nptII expression cassette flanked by insulators supported higher transgene expression along with reduced line to line variation when compared to single copy events without insulators by NPTII ELISA analysis. Subsequently, the nptII selectable marker gene was efficiently excised from the sugarcane genome by the FLPe/FRT site-specific recombination system to create selectable marker free plants. This study provides valuable resources for future gene stacking using site-specific recombination or genome editing tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel long period fiber grating (LPFG) made by using CO2 laser is proposed as torsion sensor. The fiber sheets fabricated clockwise/anticlockwise in the optical fiber causes the dextrorotation/levorotation of the polarization state of the light during propagation in the sensor. The experimental results indicate that the sensors, with the fiber sheets in different rotation, will appear opposite torsion sensitivities. While twisting the proposed sensor, the resonant wavelength shows good linear relationship with the torsion rate. From −360° to 360°, the LPFG with the clockwise revolving fiber sheets (dextrorotation grating) has a torsion sensitivity of 0.175 nm/(rad/m), whereas the LPFG with anticlockwise revolving fiber sheets (levorotation grating) has a torsion sensitivity of −0.153 nm/(rad/m). In addition, the temperature sensitivities of the two LPFGs are approximately the same, 73 pm/°C and 67 pm/°C, respectively. In conclusion, it is strongly believed that this structure can be used to measure the torsion rate and distinguish the torsion direction, and it may have excellent significance for the development of optical fiber torsion sensors in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Coccolithophorids are key player in the marine biological pump and marine carbon cycle, as their production and community-structure are crucial for export and sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere to the deep sea with important implications to climatic trends. Variations in the species composition of coccolithophore communities largely reflect environmental changes and are therefore fundamental for palaeoceanographic reconstructions. The South China Sea (SCS) is an ideal area to study the response of coccolithophores to environmental change because of the remarkable seasonal and interannual variations of the monsoonal climate and the hydrography. However, to date only limited studies on the temporal changes of coccolithophores in the modern SCS have been reported. In the present work, coccolithophores in the northern SCS were investigated using time-series sediment traps during 2009–2010 and 2011–2012. Extinct coccoliths which had their last occurrence in the Miocene (e.g. Triquetrorhabdulus longus , Reticulofenestra floridanus), Pliocene (e.g. Reticulofenestra pseudoumbilica , Discoaster tamilis), and Pleistocene (e.g. Pseudoemiliania locunosa , Discoaster variabilis) were a frequent component of the coccoliths throughout all the seasons and provided, for the first time, a strong micropaleontological evidence for lateral advective transport in the deep SCS. The source of the fossil coccoliths most likely were the reworked Pleistocene sands which cover the outer shelf and upper slope to the west and south of the Dongsha Islands between 20 m and 600 m water depth. These sediments contain limestone fragments with foraminiferal assemblages of Miocene to Pliocene age, and, to the north and south of the islands, Miocene strata are exposed on the sea floor. Mesoscale eddies, both cyclonic and anticyclonic, were probably the main agent for resuspending and transporting the coccoliths as they propagated westwards along-slope from the Dongsha area to the mooring site. Extant coccolithophore were composed of 31 taxa with Florisphaera profunda , Gephyrocapsa oceanica, and Emiliania huxleyi contributing 91.4% and 83.8% of the annual coccolithophore export flux in 2009–2010 and 2011–2012, respectively; F. profunda was the predominant species. Enhanced fluxes of extant coccoliths occurred in the summer of 2009/2010, spring 2010, autumn 2011 and winter 2011/2012, but varied in phase with the extinct species. Therefore, lateral advection of extant taxa may have also taken place but the extent to which this may have masked primary signals from in-situ coccolithophore production remains open. The low fluxes of coccoliths in the winter of 2009/2010 in association with relatively reduced wind strength, higher SST and a shallower mixed layer might compared to those of 2011/2012 have been driven by the weak El Niño event, which affected the northern SCS during that season. Highlights • Coccolithophores were examined in setting particles in the northern South China Sea. • Extinct coccoliths are a strong micropaleontological evidence for lateral advection. • Source of extinct forms are Pleistocene sands and Miocene outcrops at northern slope. • Mesoscale eddies are the main agent in resuspension and transport of coccoliths. • Lateral advection of extant coccoliths may mask signals from in-situ production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Serum amyloid A ( SAA), an acute phase protein, is highly expressed in psoriatic lesions but its function is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to explore its role in activation of keratinocytes. Materials and methods Real-time PCR and immunofluorescence were performed to examine SAA expression in imiquimod ( IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like mice. In vivo function of SAA was examined by treating psoriasis-like mice with SAA neutralising antibody. Cell viability was monitored using the CCK-8 assay. Real-time PCR was performed to determine expression of genes associated with differentiation and inflammation. Ki67+ percentage and immunological markers were analysed by flow cytometry. Involvement of formyl peptide receptor-like 1 ( FPRL1) in SAA signal transduction was determined by RNA interference. Binding of SAA and FPRL1 was examined by co-immunoprecipitaion. Western blotting was conducted to assess phosphorylation of downstream signalling molecules. Results SAA was highly expressed in skin lesions of IMQ-treated psoriasis-like mice and neutralising SAA attenuated epidermal hyperplasia and inflammation. SAA in vitro promoted keratinocyte proliferation and expression of immunological mediators, while inhibiting differentiation. Effects of SAA on keratinocyte proliferation and inflammation were mediated by FPRL1, as well as activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway. Conclusions These observations indicate that SAA/ FPRL1 contributed to pathogenesis of psoriasis by promoting keratinocyte proliferation and inflammation, thus providing a potential therapeutic target for disease therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel algorithm was proposed to remotely observe POC storage in eutrophic lakes. • POC profile could be identified and parameterized by surface Chl-a, POC, and wind. • Spatiotemporal variations in POC storage were determined by temperature and depth. Particulate organic carbon (POC) storage play an essential role in determining carbon sinks and water quality in shallow eutrophic lakes. Although satellite data have been adopted to observe surface POC content, the previous remote sensing results cannot indicate water column-integrated POC storage in shallow eutrophic lakes with vertically nonuniform POC profiles. Based on 272 in-situ POC profiles collected from 19 shallow eutrophic lakes in China's Yangtze-Huai Plain (YHP), this study developed a novel process-oriented method to derive water column-integrated POC storage from OLCI/Sentinel-3A satellite data. The method included three critical steps: remotely estimating surface POC contents, identifying POC profile types (uniform, exponential decay, or power decay) through a binary decision tree, and parameterizing POC profiles using surface POC concentrations. The developed algorithms showed a bias of -25.79% for in-situ match-ups from 15 lakes (N = 88). The POC in the eutrophic lakes was mainly produced by phytoplankton (R 2 = 0.87). As a result, the surface POC content presented a unimodal peak in summer. However, in addition to air temperature regulations (0.52 – 68.53%), the water level also showed apparent effects on increasing POC storage, with relative contributions of 29.29 – 95.51% for the six largest lakes. Therefore, multisource satellite data are needed to derive POC storage in global eutrophic lakes remotely. This study is the first attempt to three-dimensionally observe lake POC contents from space and is important for understanding the carbon cycle in shallow eutrophic lakes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floral shaped monoclinic scheelite BiVO ( ms-BiVO) have been successfully synthesized by a facile microwave assisted method using domestic micro oven. The synthesized material has been subjected to characterized using XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, BET, IR, Raman, PL and UV-Vis DRS techniques to describe the crystalline and morphology nature and photochemical properties of the sample. The floral shaped ms-BiVO possessed strong photoabsorption properties in the visible light with a band gap of ca. 2.3 eV. The analysis report of the ms-BiVO was stated that the catalyst has monoclinic crystalline and high surface area of ca. 24.0 m g. This study denotes that the microwave plays a major impact on the morphology and crystal size. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the degradation of a methylene blue and phenol aqueous solution in the presence of a small amount of HO under visible light illumination. The photocurrent density and more negative flat band potentials also supported to photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting performance of ms-BiVO and the two features could have to improve the recombination life time, electron donor density. The floral shaped ms-BiVO maintained stability with better photocatalytic efficiency even at fifth cycles. The improved photocatalytic activity for methylene blue, phenol degradation and PEC activity of ms-BiVO was associated with the unique crystalline, optical property and morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• OC transport variations in 41 rivers across China during 2004-2018 were studied. • Human activities were the main driving forces decreasing the riverine OC content. • Chinese rivers are losing their Asian features of low DOC/POC ratios. Rivers serve as regulators of global climate by releasing greenhouse gases, burying particulate carbon, and connecting different ecosystem carbon pools. However, long-term organic carbon (OC) transport features across different Asian rivers are not well known due to unavailable data. Based on routinely monitored environmental and hydrological data during 2004-2018, this study investigated the spatiotemporal variations in dissolved (DOC) and particulate OC (POC) transport across 41 rivers in China. Across different rivers, both DOC (1.35 – 16.8 mg/L) and POC (0.27 – 4.48 mg/L) concentrations covered wide ranges. The DOC content was high in the north and low in the south, with significantly higher (t test, p < 0.01) values for rivers north of 30°N (5.39 ± 3.66 mg/L vs. 2.39 ± 1.14 mg/L). Human activities greatly influenced the riverine DOC and POC distributions. The riverine ammonia nitrogen (NH+ 4-N) content was positively correlated with DOC (r = 0.81 and p < 0.01) and explained 85.59% of its spatial variation. High vegetation coverage had significant effects on decreasing the riverine POC content, with r = -0.55 and p < 0.05. During 2004-2018, water pollution prevention and control strategies decreased DOC concentrations in 60.98% of rivers; meanwhile, anthropogenic vegetation restoration and dam construction led to POC content decreases in 90.48% of rivers. Importantly, along with DOC and POC changes, increasing DOC/POC ratios were found in 90.48% of the rivers, with 42.86% being significant, which indicated that Chinese rivers are losing their Asian features of low DOC/POC ratios due to artificial disturbance. This study is significant for accurately quantifying greenhouse gas emissions, carbon burial, and OC export to estuaries by Chinese rivers. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of air and oxygen annealing on the structural and the optical properties of hydrothermally synthesized ZnO nanorods was investigated. After hydrothermal synthesis, the resulting ZnO nanorods were annealed in air and under an oxygen atmosphere at 370°C for 1 h. X-ray diffraction results revealed that the oxygen-annealed nanorods possessed high crystallinity with a hexagonal-wurtzite crystal structure in the (002) plane. Evaluation of strain showed a tensile lattice strain of 0.426% resulting from oxygen annealing. The photoluminescence measurements showed that the relative intensity ratio of the near-band-edge emission (NBE) to the green emission ( I/ I) increased from ~2.6 for the as-grown ZnO nanorods to ~68.7 when the nanorods were annealed under oxygen. After annealing, a red shift of ~30 and ~44 meV in the NBE was observed for the nanorods that were annealed in air and under oxygen, respectively. This shift is attributed to the interaction between the neutral acceptors and the adsorbed oxygen atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly-aligned sulfur (S)-doped ZnO nanorods have been grown using the hydrothermal approach at 90 °C for 2 h onto quartz substrate pre-coated with ZnO seed layer deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering system. The morphology, crystal structure, and transmittance of the S-doped ZnO nanorods grown with varied sulfur concentration have been investigated. The scanning electron microscope images showed that the S-doped ZnO nanorods dimension is affected by sulfur doping. The nanorods doped with sulfur concentration of ~1, 1.5, and 2 at.% found to show nanorods with an average diameter of ~130, 170, and 270 nm respectively. X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that the sulfur-doped ZnO nanorods have hexagonal-wurtzite crystal structure and grown vertically in the (002) plane along c-axis perpendicular to the substrate. The nanorods doped with 1 at.% sulfur showed ~70 % transmittance in the visible region while the nanorods doped with 2 at.% sulfur showed transmittance of ~77 % and exhibited blue shift in the fundamental absorption edge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The androgens and androgen receptor (AR) play key roles in the prostate cancer (PCa) development and progression via epithelium-stroma cross talk. Prostate cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are dominant components in PCa stroma and are essential in the malignant progression by supporting tumorigenesis and metastasis. However, the AR roles in CAFs are still obscure. We isolated and immortalized the CAFs from human PCa tissues and found the CAFs are AR positive. We then knocked down their AR with siRNA and co-cultured the resultant CAFs with PCa cell line PC3. The MTT, invasion, and colony formation assays were performed to study the PC3 biological behavior. The results showed that the PCa epithelial growth, invasion, and colony formation abilities decreased when knocking down the CAFs AR. By using the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we found the IGF1, FGF7, FGF10, SDF1, HGF, and TGFb2 expression levels decreased in the AR knocked down CAFs. These results suggested that the AR in CAFs promoted PCa epithelial growth and invasion via regulating a series of growth factors. Targeting the AR in CAFs might be a potential therapeutic option for PCa in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Since the large-scale poultry industry has been established, femoral head necrosis (FHN) has always been a major leg disease in fast-growing broilers worldwide. Previous research suggested that cartilage homeostasis could be taken into consideration in the cause of FHN, but the evidence is insufficient. (2) Methods: One-day-old broiler chickens were randomly divided into three groups, 16 broilers per group. The birds in group L were injected intramuscularly with methylprednisolone (MP) twice a week for four weeks (12.5 mg·kg−1). The birds in group H were injected intramuscularly with MP (20 mg·kg−1·d−1) for 7 d (impulse treatment). The birds in group C were treated with sterile saline as a control group. Broilers were sacrificed at 42 and 56 d. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein for ELISA and biochemical analysis. Bone samples, including femur, tibia, and humerus, were collected for histopathological analysis, bone parameters detection, and real-time quantitative PCR detection. (3) Results: The FHN broilers in group L and H both showed lower body weight (BW) and reduced bone parameters. In addition, the MP treatment resulted in reduced extracellular matrix (ECM) anabolism and enhanced ECM catabolism. Meanwhile, the autophagy and apoptosis of chondrocytes were enhanced, which led to the destruction of cartilage homeostasis. Moreover, the impulse MP injection increased the portion of birds with severer FHN, whereas the MP injection over a long period caused a more evident change in serum cytokine concentrations and bone metabolism indicators. (4) Conclusions: The imbalance of cartilage homeostasis may play a critical role in the development of FHN in broilers. FHN broilers induced by MP showed a more pronounced production of catabolic factors and suppressed the anabolic factors, which might activate the genes of the WNT signal pathway and hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), and then upregulate the transcription expression of ECM to restore homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]