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To directly measure the DT neutrons from inertial confinement fusion with a high time resolution, a new type of neutron conversion composed of a CH2 conversion layer, a metal moderation layer, and a CsI secondary electron emission layer is proposed. The conversion screen is based on the principle that recoil protons produced by elastic scattering of the neutrons in CH2 interact with CsI to generate secondary electrons. The moderation layer can filter the energy spectrum of protons to prevent low-energy protons from reaching CsI, which shortens the duration of the secondary electron pulse and improves the temporal resolution of the conversion screen. Based on the Monte Carlo method, both the neutron impulse and background γ-rays response of this conversion screen were calculated. The simulation indicates that the temporal resolution of the conversion screen can reach up to 4.9 ps when the thickness of the gold layer is 100 µm. The detection efficiency of secondary electrons/neutrons can reach 7.4 × 10−3. The detection efficiency of the neutron conversion screen for secondary electrons/γ-rays is an order of magnitude lower than the neutron impulse response, and the response time of γ-rays is 20 ps earlier than the neutron pulses. This means that using this conversion screen is beneficial to distinguish between neutrons and γ-rays and has a good signal-to-noise ratio.

According to the requirements of high-energy particle detection for a large photocathode detection surface, low transit time spread (TTS), and low-cost photomultiplier tube (PMT), a kind of 20-in. hybrid large-area PMT based on the silicon (Si) electron multiplier array was designed and optimized. This study tracked the trajectories of photoelectrons from the photocathode to the silicon electron multiplier array based on the Monte Carlo and finite-integral method. The critical effects on the TTS characteristic of the large-area PMT, including the focusing electrode structure, glass shell structure, different potential differences, and relative distance from the photocathode vertex to the silicon electron multiplier array, were studied in detail. After optimizing the structure of the glass shell, the 20-in. hybrid PMT based on the ultra-small Si electron multiplier array with 40 mm collection diameter can achieve an excellent TTS of about 1.87 ns from the photocathode to the Si electron multiplier array at a collection potential difference of 2000 V.

Prefrontal cortex (PFC)-dependent functions, such as executive function, explicit learning, and memory, are negatively affected in cocaine abusers and experimental animal models of cocaine treatment. However, its molecular mechanisms are less understood. In the present study, we performed transcriptome profiling of the dynamic changes in the PFC after repeated cocaine administration in mice. We found 463, 14, and 535 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 2 h, 24 h, and 7 days, respectively, after the withdrawal of chronic cocaine treatment. Time-series correlation analysis identified 5 clusters of statistically significant expression patterns. The expression levels of DEGs in Clusters 1 and 5 exhibited a gradual or fluctuant decrease, Cluster 2 exhibited an initial increase followed by a decrease or return to the baseline level, and Clusters 3 and 4 exhibited a fluctuant increase in the expression of DEGs. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed that genes related to oxidative phosphorylation, ribosomes, and neurodegenerative disorder were enriched in Cluster 1; genes related to the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, insulin signaling, and circadian pathways were enriched in Cluster 2; genes related to plasticity-related pathways were enriched in Clusters 3 and 4; and genes related to the proteasome were enriched in Cluster 5. Our results suggest that maladaptive neural plasticity associated with psychostimulant dependence may be an ongoing degenerative process with dynamic changes in the gene network at different stages of withdrawal. Furthermore, it could be helpful to develop new therapeutic approaches according to different periods of abstinence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new composite coagulant, polymeric aluminum ferric silicate (PAFSi), was prepared for the pre-treatment of oil-containing wastewater. The structure and morphology of PAFSi were investigated through X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Results revealed that PAFSi is a new complex multi-hydroxyl polymeric coagulant rather than a simple mixture of raw materials. Response surface method was applied to optimize the preparation process. Optimization performance was evaluated according to flocculation efficiency. The flocculation efficiency of PAFSi was determined by measuring the reduction in oil and chemical oxygen demand (COD). In addition, the parameters that affect flocculation efficiency, such as coagulant dosage and oily wastewater initial pH, were examined. Compared with polymeric aluminum ferric sulfate (PAFS), PAFSi exhibited superior flocculation performance, with maximum oil removal efficiency of 96.9% and maximum COD removal efficiency of 95.4% at a dosage of 25 mg·L–1 and pH of 7. PAFSi exhibited better flocculation ability than PAFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (Gli1), affects the progression and the stemness characteristics of malignant carcinoma. The aim of the present study was to identify the relation between Glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (Gli1) and stemness and determine its clinical significance in gastric adenocarcinoma (GA). We investigated Gli1 expression and its correlation with other stemness-associated proteins in 169 GA samples and 5 GA cell lines. Methods To elucidate the role of Gli1 in the clinicopathological significance and stemness of GA, tissues samples from 169 GA patients were collected for immunohistochemistry (IHC). Additionally, MKN74, MKN28, NCI-N87, SNU638, AGS cells were collected for western blotting, MKN28 cells were collected for spheroid formation assay. Results Results showed that Gli1 expression was closely related to tumor grade, primary tumor (pT) stage, distant metastasis, clinical stage, gross type, microvessel density, and shorter overall survival (OS). Cox regression analysis verified that Gli1 was an independent prognostic factor for OS. Furthermore, Gli1 expression correlated with the expression of stemness-related genes, CD44, LSD1, and Sox9. Gli1 inhibitor GANT61 significantly decreased the expression of CD44 and LSD1, and spheroid formation ability of the MKN28 cells. Conclusions In conclusion, Gli1 may be a poor prognostic indicator and a potential cancer stemness-related protein in GA.

Abstract Background Tenascin-C (TNC) is an extracellular matrix protein that is widely expressed in the stromal fibroblasts of various cancers. However, the roles of TNC in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells remain unclear. Methods The expression of TNC, cancer stem cell-like (CSC) and cell cycle markers, and Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway genes were assessed in 100 paraffin embedded clinical CRC patient tissues using immunohistochemistry. The interaction between TNC and CSC marker or HH related genes in CRC cells were detected by immunofluorescence. Cell cycle distribution was measured by flow cytometry. Migration and invasion were evaluated by transwell assays. The expressions of TNC, CSC marker, and HH related proteins were analyzed by western blot. Results TNC expression was markedly upregulated in CRC tissues, and was associated with worse clinical outcomes. TNC overexpression was positively associated with CSC marker LSD1, cell cycle markers CDK4 and p16, and HH signaling pathway related genes SMO and GLI1 in clinical CRC tissue samples. TNC silencing downregulated the expression of the CSC marker LSD1, and the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC cells. Interestingly, the GLI1 inhibitor GANT61 strongly inhibited the expression of TNC in CRC cells. Conclusions TNC may drive tumor progression and is involved in CSC properties via the HH signaling pathway. TNC has potential value in the evaluation of poor prognosis in CRC.

Compressed fluorescence lifetime imaging (Compressed-FLIM) is a novel Snapshot compressive imaging (SCI) method for single-shot widefield FLIM. This approach has the advantages of high temporal resolution and deep frame sequences, allowing for the analysis of FLIM signals that follow complex decay models. However, the precision of Compressed-FLIM is limited by reconstruction algorithms. To improve the reconstruction accuracy of Compressed-FLIM in dealing with large-scale FLIM problem, we developed a more effective combined prior model 3DTGp V_net, based on the Plug and Play (PnP) framework. Extensive numerical simulations indicate the proposed method eliminates reconstruction artifacts caused by the Deep denoiser networks. Moreover, it improves the reconstructed accuracy by around 4dB (peak signal-to-noise ratio; PSNR) over the state-of-the-art TV+FFDNet in test data sets. We conducted the single-shot FLIM experiment with different Rhodamine reagents and the results show that in practice, the proposed algorithm has promising reconstruction performance and more negligible lifetime bias.

With the continuous development of road construction and maintenance, SBS(Styrene-butadiene-styrene)-modified asphalt is widely used. However, there is no mature method for restoring aged SBS-modified asphalt. This study proposes the use of SBR(polymerized styrene butadiene rubber) and bio-oil for the restoration of aged SBS. In this study, five kinds of recycled asphalt were prepared by adding 5% bio-oil, 10% bio-oil, 6% SBR, 6% SBR + 5% bio-oil, and 6% SBR + 10% bio-oil to long-term aged SBS-modified asphalt. Softening point, penetration, and rotational viscosity experiments were tested to evaluate the conventional properties. Rheological tests revealed the performance of asphalt. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and atomic force microscope (AFM) tests were tested to demonstrate the microscopic characteristics of asphalt. Conventional tests investigated that aged asphalt viscosity will increase. Bio-oil could well recycle the asphalt viscosity. SBR could also soften aged asphalt, but its modification effect is limited compared with bio-oil. Rheological tests presented that the SBR and bio-oil have little impact on the temperature sensitivity of SBS-modified asphalt. SBR and bio-oil could decrease the asphalt stiffness. However, SBR and bio-oil could ameliorate the anti-cracking behavior of aged asphalt. The microscopic tests exhibited that SBR and bio-oil could decrease the asphaltene and colloid. Meanwhile, bio-oil could supplement alcohols and ethers at wave number 1000 cm−1–1270 cm−1. Alcohols and ethers are hard to oxidize, something which has a beneficial role in the anti-aged of recycled asphalt.

An increasing amount of waste seashells in China has caused serious environmental pollution and resource waste. This paper aims to solve these problems by using waste seashells as modified materials to prepare high-performance modified asphalt. In this study, seashell powder (SP) and stratum corneum-exfoliated seashell powder (SCESP) were adopted to prepare 10%, 20% and 30% of seashell powder-modified asphalt (SPMA) and stratum corneum-exfoliated seashell powder-modified asphalt (SCESPMA) by the high-speed shear apparatus, respectively. The appearance and composition of two kinds of SPs were observed and determined by the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The types of functional groups, temperature frequency characteristics, low temperature performance and adhesion of SPMA were tested by the Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), bending beam rheometer (BBR) and contact angle meter. The results show that the SP and SCESP are rough and porous, and their main component is CaCO3, which is physically miscible to asphalt. When the loading frequency ranges from 0.1 Hz to 10 Hz, the complex shear modulus (G*) and phase angle (δ) of SPMA and SCESPMA increase and decrease, respectively. At the same load frequency, SCESPMA has a larger G* and a smaller δ than SPMA. At the same temperature, SCESPMA has a larger rutting factor (G*/sin δ) and better high-temperature deformation resistance than SPMA. SP and SCESP reduce the low-temperature cracking resistance of asphalt, of which SCESP has a more adverse effect on the low-temperature performance of asphalt than SP. When SP and SCESP are mixed with asphalt, the cohesion work (Waa), adhesion work (Was) and comprehensive evaluation parameters of water stability (ER1, ER2 and ER3) of asphalt are improved. It is shown that both SP and SCESP have good water damage resistance, of which SCESP has better water damage resistance than SP. These research results have important reference value for the application of waste biological materials in asphalt pavement.

Background: China is now under a period of social transition, and inequity is evident in the field of health care. We aimed to investigate regional health-care inequalities in children's survival in Zhejiang Province, China. Methods: In our study, monitoring data of Zhejiang Province from 2005 to 2014 was collected. The flow of data collection of community-district-city for urban areas or village-township-county rural areas was followed. The factors affecting equity was analyzed including regional economical level and household registry. We adopted standard measures of concentration curve and concentration index to evaluate degree of income-related inequity and the trend of mortality changes. Results: From 2005 to 2014, overall mortality rate in children under five decreased, and regional disparity reduced markedly, and with a reduced disparity of mortality rate among children from urban and rural areas. In 2014, the mortality rate in children from urban and rural areas was similar. In contrast, the mortality rate in the children from migrant population was more than two folds of that in the children from native residency (7.82‰vs. 3.89‰). The mortality rates of newborns (rs = -0.396, P < 0.001), infants (rs = -0.553, P < 0.001) and children under five (rs = -0.568, P < 0.001) were all negatively correlated with per capita GDP in different regions. CI in the newborns, infants and children under 5 years was -0.105, -0.107 and -0.118, respectively. The concentration curve was near to equity curve. The concentration curve was near to equity curve. The mortality rate of children was negatively related with economical level in this study. Conclusions: The survival status was near to equity. Regional economical development can improve children's survival but it was not the only social determinant. Migrant population will be the future monitor focus for reducing disparity on healthcare and increase equity in children's survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal cancer is the most common gastrointestinal cancer. Psoralidin exhibits antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects, which result in the inhibition of cancer formation. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of psoralidin on esophageal carcinoma proliferation and growth, and to elucidate its underlying mechanism of action. The effect of psoralidin on cell proliferation was investigated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Using an annexin V-f luorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide apoptosis detection kit and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining assay, the present study demonstrated that psoralidin significantly enhanced apoptosis of human esophageal carcinoma Eca9706 cells. In addition, caspase-3 activity was analyzed with a caspase-3 colorimetric assay kit, while nuclear factor (NF)-κB activity and protein phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt expression were measured with an NF-κB enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit and western blot analysis, respectively. Eca9706 cells were treated with a PI3K agonist in order to investigate the mechanism of action of psoralidin. It was observed that psoralidin was able to decrease the proliferation and promote the cellular apoptosis of Eca9706 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, psoralidin was also able to inhibit the caspase-3 activity of Eca9706 cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, psoralidin inhibited NF-κB activity and reduced PI3K and Akt protein expression in Eca9706 cells. Notably, the PI3K agonist was able to reverse the effect of psoralidin on Eca9706 cells. The results of the present study demonstrated that psoralidin was able to inhibit proliferation and enhance apoptosis of human esophageal carcinoma cells via the NF-κB and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, colon cancer is the third most common cancer in terms of incidence, following lung and breast cancer. Resistance to psoralidin frequently occurs following its use as an anticancer treatment. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of psoralidin on colon cancer, remain to be elucidated. Hence, the present study investigated the anticancer effects and potential mechanism of action of psoralidin on SW480 human colon cancer cells. In the present study, an MTT assay was performed to measure the viability of SW480 cells. Additionally, an Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide apoptosis detection kit, DAPI staining assay and caspase-3 colorimetric assay kits were used to analyze the cellular apoptosis of SW480 cells. The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 activity and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) protein expression of SW480 cells was detected using NF-κB colorimetric assay kits and western blot analysis, respectively. Bcl-2 inhibitor ABT-737 was added to SW480 cells and the subsequent effects and mechanism of action of psoralidin on SW480 colon cancer cells was studied. In the present study, psoralidin reduced SW480 cell viability and enhanced the cellular apoptosis of SW480 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Caspase-3 activity of SW480 cells was increased following treatment with psoralidin. Additionally, psoralidin was able to reduce the NF-κB p65 activity of SW480 cells. Furthermore, psoralidin was able to reduce Bcl-2 protein expression and increase Bax protein expression in SW480 cells. Notably, Bcl-2 inhibitor was observed to enhance the effects of psoralidin on SW480 cells. The results of the present study suggest that psoralidin may be a candidate drug for the treatment of colon cancer by inhibition of the NF-κB and Bcl-2/Bax signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Although the leucine zipper-EF-hand-containing transmembrane protein 1 (LETM1) is one of the mitochondrial inner membrane proteins that is involved in cancer prognosis in various tumors, LETM1 as a biomarker for prognostic evaluation of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) has not been well studied. Methods To address this issue, we used 75 cases NSCLC, 20 cases adjacent normal lung tissues and NSCLC cell lines. We performed immunohistochemistry staining and western blot analysis as well as immunofluorescence imaging. Results Our studies show that expression of LETM1 is significantly correlated with the lymph node metastasis (p = 0.003) and the clinical stage (p = 0.005) of NSCLC. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that NSCLC patients with positive expression of LETM1 exhibits a shorter overall survival (OS) rate (p = 0.005). The univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that LETM1 is a independent poor prognostic marker of NSCLC. In addition, the LETM1 expression is correlated with cancer stemness-related gene LGR5 (p

Objective: The link between alterations in circadian rhythms and depression are well established, but the underlying mechanisms are far less elucidated. We investigated the circadian characteristics of immobility behavior in wild type (WT) mice and mice with mutations in core Clock genes. Methods: All mice were tested with forced swim test (FST) at 4 h intervals. Results: These experiments revealed significant diurnal rhythms associated with immobility behavior in both male and female WT mice with sex-different circadian properties. In addition, male mice showed significantly less immobility during the night phase in comparison to female mice. Female Per1Brdm1 mice also showed significant rhythmicity. However, the timing of rhythmicity was very different from that observed in female wild type mice. Male Per1Brdm1 mice showed a pattern of rhythmicity similar to that of wild type mice. Furthermore, female Per1Brdm1 mice showed higher duration of immobility in comparison to male Per1Brdm1 mice in both daytime and early night phases. Neither Per2Brdm1 nor ClockÎ"19 mice showed significant rhythmicity, but both female Per2Brdm1 and ClockÎ"19 mice had lower levels of immobility, compared to males. Conclusions: This study highlights the differences in the circadian characteristics of immobility induced by FST in WT, ClockÎ"19, Per1, and Per2 deficient mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] This study aimed to compare the effects of three absorbing medium on microwave degradation of chlordane in contaminated soil under alkaline condition. [Method] Soil samples were collected from the original site of a relocated pesticide production enterprise as experimental materials, to investigate the effects of Cu2O, MnO2 and activated carbon powder as absorbing medium on soil warming and removal rate of chlordane under alkaline condition with 20% moisture content. In addition, the effects of activated carbon as the optimal absorbing media on the removal rate of chlordane in contaminated soil were analyzed, and the effects on the removal rate of chlordane in different weights of soil samples were investigated. [Result] The effects of three different absorbing medium on the removal rates of chlordane demonstrated a descending order of activated carbon > MnO2 > CuO2. Under the same microwave condition, the removal rate of chlordane decreased with the increase of soil weights, but the utilization efficiency of microwave was improved continuously and tended to be stabilized with the increase of soil weights. [Conclusion] This study provided a theoretical basis for further large-scale application in soil remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms of morphogenesis are not well understood, yet shaping structures during development is essential for establishing correct organismal form and function. Here, we examine mechanisms that help to shape the developing face during the crucial period of facial primordia fusion. This period of development is a time when the faces of amniote embryos exhibit the greatest degree of similarity, and it probably results from the necessity for fusion to occur to establish the primary palate. Our results show that hierarchical induction mechanisms, consisting of iterative signaling by Sonic hedgehog (SHH) followed by Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), regulate a dynamic expression pattern of Shh in the ectoderm covering the frontonasal (FNP) and maxillary (MxP) processes. Furthermore, this Shh expression domain contributes to the morphogenetic processes that drive the directional growth of the globular process of the FNP toward the lateral nasal process and MxP, in part by regulating cell proliferation in the facial mesenchyme. The nature of the induction mechanism that we discovered suggests that the process of fusion of the facial primordia is intrinsically buffered against producing maladaptive morphologies, such as clefts of the primary palate, because there appears to be little opportunity for variation to occur during expansion of the Shh expression domain in the ectoderm of the facial primordia. Ultimately, these results might explain why this period of development constitutes a phylotypic stage of facial development among amniotes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the sparsity prior to compressed video reconstruction algorithms. An effective non-convex 3DTPV regularization (0 < p < 1) is proposed for sparsity promotion. Based on the augmented Lagrangian reconstruction algorithm, this paper analyzes and compares three non-convex proximity operators for the ℓp-norm function, and numerous simulation results confirmed that the 3DTPV regularization can gain higher video reconstruction quality than the existing convex regularization and is more competitive than the existing video reconstruction algorithms.

Cancer stem cells have been shown to be important in tumorigenesis processes, such as tumor growth, metastasis, and recurrence. As such, many three-dimensional models have been developed to establish an ex vivo microenvironment that cancer stem cells experience under in vivo conditions. Cancer stem cells propagating in three-dimensional culture systems show physiologically related signaling pathway profiles, gene expression, cell–matrix and cell–cell interactions, and drug resistance that reflect at least some of the tumor properties seen in vivo . Herein, we discussed the presently available Cancer stem cell three-dimensional culture models that use biomaterials and engineering tools and the biological implications of these models compared to the conventional ones.

Objective: To investigate the effect of triglyceride (TG) integrates with plasma major components of apolipoproteins in HDL subclasses distribution and further elicited the TG-apolipoproteins (apos) interaction in the processes of high density lipoprotein (HDL) mature metabolic and atherosclerosis related diseases. Methods: Contents of plasma HDL subclasses were quantities by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis associated with immunodetection in 500 Chinese subjects. Results: Contents of preβ1-HDL, HDL3a, and apoB-100 level along with apoB-100/A-I ratio were significantly increased, whereas there was a significant reduction in the contents of HDL2, apoA-I level as well as apoC-III/C-II ratio with increased TG concentration. Moreover, preβ1-HDL contents is elevated about 9 mg/L and HDL2b contents can be reduced 21 mg/L for 0.5 mmol/L increment in TG concentration. Moreover, with increase of apoA-I levels, HDL2b contents were marginally elevated in any TG concentration group. Furthermore, despite of in the apoB-100/A-I < 0.9 group, the contents of preα 1-HDL increased, and those of HDL2b decreased significantly for subjects in both high and very high TG levels compared to that in normal TG levels. Similarly, in the apoB-100/A-I ≥0.9 group, the distribution of HDL subclasses also showed abnormality for subjects with normal TG levels. Conclusions: The particle size of HDL subclasses tend to small with TG levels increased which indicated that HDL maturation might be impeded and efficiency of reverse cholesterol transport(RCT) might be weakened. These data suggest that TG levels were not only significantly associated with but liner with the contents of preβ1-HDL and HDL2b. They also raise the possibility that the TG levels effect on HDL maturation metabolism are subjected to plasma apolipoproteins and apolipoproteins ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate alteration of high density lipoproteins (HDL) subclasses distribution in different total cholesterol (TC) levels, mainly the characteristics of HDL subclasses distribution in desirable TC levels and analyze the related mechanisms. Methods: ApoA-I contents of plasma HDL subclasses were determined by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with immunodetection. 486 Chinese Adults subjects were assigned to different TC groups according to the third Report of NCEP (ATP- III) guidelines. Results: The increase in contents of small preβ1-HDL, HDL3c, HDL3b, and HDL3a particles clustered and reduce in HDL2b with increased of TC. The distribution of HDL subclasses have shown abnormality characterized by the lower HDL2b (324.2 mg/L) contents and the higher preb1-HDL (90.4 mg/L) contents for desirable TC Chinese subjects. Among 176 desirable TC subjects, 58.6% subjects with triglyceride (TG) < 2.26 mmol/L, 61.2% subjects with HDL-C ≥1.03 mmol/L and 88.6% subjects with low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) < 3.34 mmol/L, and the profile of HDL subclasses distribution for above these subjects was reasonable. Conclusions: The particles size of HDL subclasses shifted towards smaller with increased TC levels. The TC was liner with HDL2b contents and those can be reduced 17 mg/L for 0.5 mmol/L increment in TC levels. The HDL subclasses distribution phenotype was not expectation for Chinese Population with desirable TC levels. Thus, from the HDL subclasses distribution point, when assessing the coronary heart disease(CHD) risk not only rely on the TC levels, but also the concentrations of TG, HDL-C and LDL-C must considered in case the potential risk for desirable TC subjects with other plasma lipids metabolism disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deposition rate of μc-Si films was investigated for four excitation frequencies 30, 40, 60, 70 and 80 MHz with other deposition parameters fixed. Deposition rate increases with the increasing of excitation frequency, while Raman crystallinity behaves more complicated. With the optimization of deposition parameters, p-i-n solar cells at an initial efficiency of 5.41% were fabricated. With the increasing of plasma excitation frequency, the non-uniformity of these thin films increases. To better understand the cause of the non-uniformity of these films, a numerical simulation was carried out. The numerical results generally followed the experimental data. It turned out that the standing waves and the evanescent wave guide modes on the electrode surface played an important role. In order to achieve highly uniform thin films, a triode-electrode was employed together with a pulsed power source. We found that with a proper choice of pulse frequency and DC voltage applied to the mesh, non-uniformity is less than 8% for films deposited on 10×10 cm2 substrates. Simulations were also applied to analyze the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs) have shown great potential for use in environmental bioremediation. In this study, the TTHB128 and TTHB127 genes, which encode the small and large subunits of arsentie oxidase in Thermus thermophilus HB8, respectively, were cloned into the broad-host-range vector pBBR1MCS-5 to produce the recombinant plasmid, TTHB127-pBBR1MCS-5-TTHB128. This resulted in successful construction of a GEM with high tolerance to arsenite and strong arsenite oxidative ability. Culture of the GEM in media containing arsenite for 28 h resulted in 87.6% of the arsenite being oxidized. Overall, the oxidative ability of the GEM was much stronger than that of the wild type host strain. Gentamicin was necessary to maintain the stability of the recombinant plasmid, TTHB127-pBBR1MCS-5-TTHB128, in the GEM. The oxidative ability of the GEM remained unchanged when it was grown in medium containing gentamicin (60 mg/L) for 30 growth cycles, after which its activity gradually decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To evaluate the relationship between the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio and HDL subclass distribution and to further examine and discuss the potential impact of LDL-C and HDL-C together with TG on HDL subclass metabolism. Results: Small-sized preβ1-HDL, HDL3b and HDL3a increased significantly while large-sized HDL2a and HDL2b decreased significantly as the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio increased. The subjects in low HDL-C level (< 1.03 mmol/L) who had an elevation of the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio and a reduction of HDL2b/preβ1-HDL regardless of an undesirable or high LDL-C level. At desirable LDL-C levels (< 3.34 mmol/L), the HDL2b/preβ1-HDL ratio was 5.4 for the subjects with a high HDL-C concentration (≥ 1.55 mmol/L); however, at high LDL-C levels (≥ 3.36 mmol/L), the ratio of LDL-C/HDL-C was 2.8 in subjects, and an extremely low HDL2b/preβ1-HDL value although with high HDL-C concentration. Conclusion: With increase of the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio, there was a general shift toward smaller-sized HDL particles, which implied that the maturation process of HDL was blocked. High HDL-C concentrations can regulate the HDL subclass distribution at desirable and borderline LDL-C levels but cannot counteract the influence of high LDL-C levels on HDL subclass distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Haemophilus parasuis, and Pasteurelle multocida are common pathogens of respiratory diseases in the pig industry, and they may cause secondary infections and serious economic losses to the pig industry. The clinical symptoms caused by these three pathogens are difficult to distinguish with the naked eye, and mix infections bring difficulties to the diagnosis of diseases. In this study, specific primers were designed on the basis of A. pleuropneumoniae Apx IV, H. parasuis Omp P2 and P. multocida PlpE gene. The expected amplified products of A. pleuropneumoniae, H. parasuis, and P. multocida were 157, 120 and 305 bp, respectively. After the amplified fragment was cloned into a vector, a standard plasmid was constructed. By using the standard plasmid as template, a fluorescence quantitative PCR method for simultaneous detection of A. pleuropneumoniae, H. parasuis, and P. multocida multiple SYBR Green I was established. Combined with melting curve analysis, the sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability were also evaluated. The results showed that the sensitivity of the method for detecting the three pathogens were 147, 145, and 61 copies/µL. On the same melting curve that produced three specific Tm peaks, no cross reaction with other bacteria was observed, and the method demonstrated good specificity and repeatability. This method could be used for the simultaneous detection of the three pathogens, thus providing an effective detection tool for disease prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) elicits cardiac fibroblast activation and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition to maintain the structural integrity of the heart. Recent studies demonstrate that Fap (fibroblast activation protein)-a prolyl-specific serine protease-is an important marker of activated cardiac fibroblasts after MI., Methods: Left ventricle and plasma samples from patients and healthy donors were used to analyze the expression level of FAP and its prognostic value. Echocardiography and histological analysis of heart sections were used to analyze cardiac functions, scar formation, ECM deposition and angiogenesis after MI. RNA-Sequencing, biochemical analysis, cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) and endothelial cells co-culture were used to reveal the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which Fap regulates angiogenesis., Results: We found that Fap is upregulated in patient cardiac fibroblasts after cardiac injuries, while plasma Fap is downregulated and functions as a prognostic marker for cardiac repair. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of Fap in mice significantly improved cardiac function after MI. Histological and transcriptomic analyses showed that Fap inhibition leads to increased angiogenesis in the peri-infarct zone, which promotes ECM deposition and alignment by cardiac fibroblasts and prevents their overactivation, thereby limiting scar expansion. Mechanistically, we found that BNP (brain natriuretic peptide) is a novel substrate of Fap that mediates postischemic angiogenesis. Fap degrades BNP to inhibit vascular endothelial cell migration and tube formation. Pharmacological inhibition of Fap in Nppb (encoding pre-proBNP) or Npr1 (encoding the BNP receptor)-deficient mice showed no cardioprotective effects, suggesting that BNP is a physiological substrate of Fap., Conclusions: This study identifies Fap as a negative regulator of cardiac repair and a potential drug target to treat MI. Inhibition of Fap stabilizes BNP to promote angiogenesis and cardiac repair.

Background: Aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) poses a severe threat to human and animal health. Countries worldwide have invested considerable manpower and material resources in degrading aflatoxins. Enzyme degradation is the most efficient and environmentally friendly approach for modifying aflatoxin into less toxic molecules. Catalase is commonly used as a detoxification agent to decrease the contamination levels of aflatoxins in animal feeds. This study aimed to obtain recombinant catalase via gene engineering and determined whether a recombinant catalase could degrade AFB 1 ., Results: The catalase gene (KatA) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, and the expression conditions of this recombinant catalase were optimized. The recombinant catalase was isolated and purified using Ni-chelating affinity chromatography, and its ability to degrade AFB 1 was evaluated. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the expressed of catalase was approximately 55.6 kDa, which was subsequently purified using Ni-chelating affinity chromatography. The degradation rate of AFB 1 by recombinant catalase in the presence of syringaldehyde was 38.79%., Conclusion: The degradation of AFB 1 by a recombinant catalase has been reported for the first time. This study provides a new paradigm for the use of recombinant catalases in degrading AFB 1 in food and feed. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.)