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Cost estimation in construction engineering is a crucial topic of study. Low precision in construction engineering cost prediction results from traditional models' inability to adequately capture the evolving trend of construction engineering costs. As a result, a descriptive data mining-based cost prediction model for construction engineering is suggested. The database of engineering costs is first built using several characteristic indices, and the aberrant data are found and filtered using the K-means clustering approach. Second, the mathematical model is established, and its solution is carried out using the LSSVM. Finally, the model is optimized using the PSO technique. The experimental results demonstrate that, in comparison to the conventional engineering cost prediction models, our model's predicted value of the single cost is the closest to the actual cost of one party, and the predicted difference is all within 30 yuan/m2. This finding has significant implications for engineering investment decisions because it can achieve higher accuracy and stability in engineering cost prediction.

PurposeThis paper aims to correct the existing mixed integer programming (MIP) model proposed by Yadav et al. (2019) [“Bi-objective optimization for sustainable supply chain network design in omnichannel.”, Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, Vol. 30 No. 6, pp. 972–986].Design/methodology/approachThis paper first presents a counterexample to show that the existing MIP model is incorrect and then proposes an improved mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model for the considered problem. Last, a numerical experiment is conducted to test our improved MILP model.FindingsThis paper demonstrates that the formulations of the facility capacity constraints and the product flow balance constraints in the existing MIP model are incorrect and incomplete. Due to this reason, infeasible solutions could be identified as feasible ones by the existing MIP model. Hence, the optimal solution obtained with the existing MIP model could be infeasible. A counter-example is used to verify our observations. Computational results verify the effectiveness of our improved MILP model.Originality/valueThis paper gives a complete and correct formulation of the facility capacity constraints and the product flow balance constraints, and conducts other improvements on the existing MIP model. The improved MILP model can be easily implemented and would help companies to have more effective distribution networks under the omnichannel environment.

Objective The current research was aimed to identify candidate genes associated with development and progression of epithelial ovarian carcinoma using bioinformatics analysis. Materials and methods We screened and validated candidate genes associated with carcinogenesis and development of epithelial ovarian carcinoma via bioinformatic analysis in three microarray datasets (GSE14407, GSE29450, and GSE54388) downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Results Our bioinformatic analysis identified 514 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and nine candidate hub genes (CCNB1, CDK1, BUB1, CDC20, CCNA2, BUB1B, AURKA, RRM2, and TTK). Survival analysis using the Kaplan-Meier plotter showed that high expression levels of seven candidate genes (CCNB1, RRM2, BUB1, CCNA2, AURKA, CDK1, and BUB1B) were associated with poor overall survival (OS). Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) revealed a higher expression level of these seven candidate genes in ovarian carcinoma samples than in normal ovarian samples. Immunostaining results from the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database suggested that the protein expression levels of CCNB1, CCNA2, AURKA, and CDK1 were increased in ovarian cancer tissues. No difference was observed in RRM2 protein expression level between normal ovarian and ovarian cancer samples. Oncomine analysis revealed an association between the expression patterns of BUB1B, CCNA2, AURKA, CCNB1, CDK1, and BUB1 and patient clinicopathological information. Finally, six genes, namely CCNB1, CCNA2, AURKA, BUB1, BUB1B, and CDK1, were identified as hub genes and a transcription factor (TF)-gene regulatory network was constructed to identify TFs, including POLR2A, ZBTB11, KLF9, and ELF1, that were implicated in regulating these hub genes. Conclusion Six significant hub DEGs associated with a poor prognosis in epithelial ovarian cancer were identified. These could be potential biomarkers for ovarian cancer patients.

Background：Physical activity (PA) is likely to be the most important modifiable factor in skeletal muscle development. However, the influence of PA on skeletal muscle of preschool children has not been thoroughly investigated. The main objective of this study is to objectively measure PA) and then evaluate the association between site-specific muscle changes and PA in relation to sex and weight statusin preschool children aged 3 to 4 years. Methods: A total of 86 healthy preschool children, aged 3-4 years, were instructed to wear an accelerometer for seven consecutive days. The number of steps taken daily and minutes spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and total PA (TPA) were recorded. Muscle thickness was measured by B-mode ultrasonography using a 5-18 MHz scanning head. muscle thickness was measured at seven sites: the lateral forearm, upper arm, abdomen, anterior and posterior thigh, anterior and posterior lower leg. Results: There was no significant difference between boys and girls in terms of MVPA and TPA on weekdays and weekends. According to the linear regression models, after adjusting for daylight duration, the muscle of the posterior thigh was significantly positively associated (p < 0.05) with daily steps and MVPA on weekdays for boys and girls, respectively. Conclusions: We found that the muscle thickness of the posterior thigh in preschool children was significantly positively associated with PA, as measured by daily steps and MVPA. We suggest that for the overall health and wellbeing of preschool children, levels of PA should be maintained and/or increased, and preferably transformed into a regular part of daily living.

Rare-earth AB5-type hydrogen storage alloys are widely studied due to their extensive application potentials in hydrogen compressors, heat pump, Ni–MH batteries etc. However, their shortcomings such as plateau splitting and capacity degradation during hydrogen absorption/desorption hinder their practical applications. In this paper, we study the effect of Mn partial substitution for Ni on the plateau characteristics and long-term cycling performance of LaNi5-xMnx alloys. It is found that Mn addition expands the lattice interstitial for hydrogen accommodation, thus prohibiting the plateau splitting phenomenon. In addition, the substitution of Mn for Ni stabilizes the crystal structure of the alloys against hydrogen absorption/desorption, thus relieving the capacity degradation. The capacity retention of the alloys at the 1000th cycle (S1000) increases from 83.2% (x = 0) to 94.0% (x = 0.75). But when x reaches 1, the hydrogen desorption reversibility is reduced due to the low plateau pressure, resulting in a slight decrease in capacity retention.

Projects of engineering construction have the characteristics of large investment and long cycle, which makes the cost management difficult and the data are often abnormal. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the detection of abnormal data in engineering cost list. Based on this, the establishment of a detection model of engineering cost list is studied in this paper. By introducing K-means clustering method into the model, the list is clustered according to the comprehensive unit cost, and the list data are classified by Bayesian list classification method where the value of k is selected as 5. The detection of abnormal data method in engineering cost list is compared with that of the traditional detection method based on distance, which is known that the detection model has good effect, high accuracy and recall rate.

China’s construction industry has been suffering from high cost, high efficiency, and maladjustment of management. The traditional management mode makes the construction project face the risk of cost overruns and delays, which cannot achieve the effect of cost control. Therefore, by summarizing the characteristics of construction projects and the classification of costs, this paper analyzes the foundation of earned value management method in construction and combines it with cost management; in addition, the actual development of Company A is taken as an example, where a cost early-warning system suitable for construction projects is constructed, including the design of the organizational structure, operation platform, and early-warning model of this system, which can improve the cost management level of construction enterprises to a certain extent.

DanDan Ke,1 YiYi Hong,2 XinNan Jiang,1 XuFang Sun1 1Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China; 2Research Center of Ophthalmic Diseases, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences & Department of Ophthalmology, The People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: XuFang Sun, Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jie-Fang Road, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China, Email sunxufang2016@163.comPurpose: To compare the clinical features and vitreous biomarkers of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) between patients with early-onset and late-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Materials and Methods: This case-control study analyzed the clinical data of 74 patients with PDR who underwent vitrectomy. The patients were divided into the early-onset (T2DM diagnosis age ≤ 40 years, n = 39) and late-onset (T2DM diagnosis age > 40 years, n = 35) groups. Thirty-six specimens were collected, and the liquid chip technology was used to detect the content of 27 types of cytokines in the vitreous. Differences in clinical features and cytokine levels between the two groups were evaluated. Bonferroni correction was applied for multiple comparisons.Results: Compared with the late-onset group, the levels of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and total cholesterol were significantly higher in the early-onset group (P < 0.001 and P = 0.009, respectively). Patients with early-onset T2DM PDR had worse visual prognoses and a higher rate of postoperative recurrent vitreous hemorrhage. The results of cytokine detection showed that the levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-8, IL-9, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, interferon-γ, interferon-inducible 10 kDa, monocyte chemotactic protein 1, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, and MIP-1β in the early-onset group were significantly higher than those in the late-onset group (p < 0.0026). Age at diabetes diagnosis and HbA1c, IL-4, and regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted levels were independent risk factors for visual acuity after undergoing vitrectomy.Conclusion: Early-onset T2DM PDR patients had poor blood glucose and lipid metabolism, higher levels of inflammatory factors, and worse visual prognosis. Stricter metabolic management and earlier anti-inflammatory interventions may be required for patients with early-onset T2DM.Keywords: early-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, vitrectomy, cytokines, hemoglobin A1c

Xian Zhang,1,&ast; Liting Chen,2,&ast; Gaoxiang Wang,2,&ast; Liwen Chen,1 Lifang Huang,2 Yang Cao,2 Xing Chen,2 Chaohua Deng,1 Xuhui Chen,1 Dandan Ke,1 Yuanjun Qin,1 Bo Chen,1 Xufang Sun1 1Department of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Bo Chen; Xufang SunDepartment of Ophthalmology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Ave., Wuhan, 430030, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail eyechen@aliyun.com; sunxufang2016@163.comPurpose: This study detects SARS-CoV-2 in the ocular surface through one-step reverse-transcription droplet digital PCR (one-step RT-ddPCR) and evaluates the possibility of the ocular surface as a possible transmission route.Methods: A single-center prospective observational study was designed to investigate the viral loads in ocular surface. Specimens including the conjunctival swabs, nasopharyngeal swabs and blood were synchronously collected at a single time point for all COVID-19 patients. SARS-CoV-2 loads in nasopharyngeal swabs were tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR); the blood samples and conjunctival swabs were tested by real-time PCR and one-step RT-ddPCR.Results: Sixty-eight COVID-19 patients confirmed by nasopharyngeal real-time PCR were recruited. In the single time point test, 40 cases showed positive SARS-CoV-2 detection in either the blood, tears, or nasopharynx, of which four cases were triple-positive, 10 were dual-positive, and 26 were single-positive. The positive rate of nasopharyngeal swab real-time PCR test was 22.1% (15/68). The positive rate of blood and conjunctival swabs by one-step RT-ddPCR was 38.2% (26/68) and 25% (17/68), respectively, whereas real-time PCR was all negative. Positive conjunctival swabs were significantly correlated with positive nasopharyngeal swabs (P = 0.028). The sampling lags from illness onset to sampling day in 3 out of 4 triple-positive patients and in 9 out of 10 dual-positive patients were respectively less than 9 days and less than 20 days.Conclusion: Our results indicate that the positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 on the ocular surface is much higher than expected. Transmission possibility through the ocular surface may be greatly underestimated.Keywords: absolute quantification, virus detection, transmission, nasopharyngeal specimens, blood samples, tear samples

This study aimed to examine the combined effect of voluntary exercise and screen time during the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions on subsequent grip strength among health and sports science students in Japan. The participants performed grip strength tests and had their weight assessed on 21 October 2020. Furthermore, they completed an online survey between 21 October and 28 October 2020, which included participants’ current age, height, voluntary exercise, and screen time during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (April and May 2020). In total, 380 participants provided complete data (mean age ± standard deviation [SD]: 18.8 ± 0.6 years; 233 males). Our results revealed that 87.6% of male students and 84.4% of female students performed voluntary exercise >1 day/week during the first wave of the pandemic. Moreover, 21.5% of male students and 23.1% of female students had >8 h/day of screen time. A trend toward greater grip strength was observed for both male and female students with high voluntary exercise and low screen time. In particular, grip strength (p < 0.05) was significantly greater in male students with high voluntary exercise and low screen time than those with low voluntary exercise and high screen time. In conclusion, this study revealed that during the first wave of COVID-19 restrictions, a combination of high voluntary exercise and low screen time positively affected the subsequent grip strength of health and sports science students.

Background Athletic performances are complex traits with heritability of ~66%. Dynamic balance is one of the most important athletic performances, and there has been little studies for it in sports genomics. The candidate PPARD gene was reported to be able to affect muscle development for balance predisposition and influence the athletic performance including skiing triumph in the Caucasian population. This study aims to investigate whether the PPARD gene is a susceptibility gene for dynamic balance performance in Han Chinese children. Results A total 2244 children were recruited and their balance beam performances were measured. Five polymorphisms in the PPARD gene were genotyped through the MassARRAY Sequenom platform. Rs2016520 exerted significant association with dynamic balance performance (minor allele C, P = 0.015, Pcorrected < 0.05) and was affirmed in a meta-analysis by combining previously reported Caucasian cohorts (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = [1.30, 1.91], P < 10 -5) . Another polymorphism, rs2267668, was also significantly associated with dynamic balance performance (minor allele G, P = 0.015, Pcorrected < 0.05). In the dichotomous study, 321 cases (61% boys and 39% girls) and 370 controls (49% boys and 51% girls) in our samples were selected as representatives, and the thresholds were the mean velocity (0.737 m/s) ± standard deviation (0.264 m/s), in which rs2016520-C and rs2267668-G still remained significant (CI =1.41 [1.11~1.79], P = 0.004, Pcorrected < 0.016; CI =1.45 [1.14~1.86], P = 0.002, Pcorrected < 0.016). In different genders, consistent OR direction was observed for each variant. Conclusions Our results suggested that the PPARD gene is associated with dynamic balance performance of human being, and further studies to reveal its etiology is strongly suggested. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s41065-019-0092-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

CoPt-Co hybrids were successfully supported on amino modified SiO2 nanospheres by a chemical reduction method at a temperature of 278 K. The solid carrier i.e. amino modified SiO2, provides numerous anchoring sites for the metal nanoparticles (NPs) to improve the dispersion while reducing the size of metal NPs. The supported NPs displayed a narrow particle size distribution on the SiO2 surface with an average diameter of 12 nm. The XRD results alongside with the binary alloy phase diagram suggest that the resulted NPs are bimetallic, composed of CoPt and amorphous Co. Among the prepared materials, the solid with the specific composition of SiO2@Pt0.1Co0.9 was proved to be effective catalyst for ammonia borane (AB) hydrolysis in aqueous solution. The turnover frequency (TOF) value of the supported nanocatalyst was 25.59 molH2⋅min−1⋅molM−1, almost twice as that of unsupported Pt0.1Co0.9 NPs while the activation energy was 37.05 kJ mol−1. Furthermore, the SiO2@Pt0.1Co0.9 composite manifested high catalytic activity even after five cycles of reuse. Keywords: CoPt-Co hybrid catalyst, Hydrogen generation, NH3·BH3 hydrolysis, SiO2 nanospheres

Is humanin present in the human ovary and follicular fluid? What relationship exists between humanin concentration in the follicular fluid and ovarian reserve and clinical outcomes after IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)?Follicular fluid samples were collected from 179 patients undergoing their first IVF or ICSI cycle during oocyte retrieval. Ovarian tissues were collected from two patients undergoing surgery for ovarian cysts. Ovarian humanin localization was analysed using immunofluorescence staining. Expression of humanin in granulosa cells was confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. Follicular fluid humanin levels were evaluated with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Relationships between follicular fluid humanin levels and ovarian reserve markers and clinical outcomes were analysed.Strong humanin expression was found in the granulosa cells, oocytes and stromal cells of the ovary. Agarose gel electrophoresis of RT-PCR products showed rich humanin mRNA expression in human granulosa cells (119 bp). Follicular fluid humanin concentrations ranged from 86.40 to 417.60 pg/ml. They significantly correlated with FSH (r = -0.21; P0.01), LH (r = -0.18; P = 0.02), antral follicle count (r = 0.27; P0.01), anti-Müllerian hormone (r = 0.24; P = 0.03) and inhibin B (r = 0.46; P0.01) levels. Patients were subdivided into four groups according to follicular fluid humanin concentration quartiles (Q1-Q4). Patients in Q4 were more likely to achieve a pregnancy than Q1 (OR = 3.60; 95% CI 1.09 to 11.84).Humanin concentration in the follicular fluid was positively associated with ovarian reserve and clinical pregnancy rate.

Physical fitness measures overall physical health. It is the ability of the body to work effectively and stay healthy during leisure and emergencies. Given the progressive integration of 2–3-year-olds into preschool, physical fitness testing of these children has become increasingly important. We aimed to develop and test the reliability of an appropriate field test method for physical fitness in 2–3-year-olds children. One hundred and three children (44 boys and 59 girls) volunteered for this study. Their height and weight were tested, and the same tester conducted the test twice for handgrip strength, 3 m balance walking, stair climbing, 5 m run, and kicking a ball at one-minute intervals. Pearson correlation coefficient and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used for reliability testing. The reliability of this field test method for physical fitness was high in the repetitive tests of Chinese 2–3-year-olds for the four items of handgrip strength, 3 m balance walking, stair climbing and 5 m run, and the reliability was moderate for the kicking the ball item. This study indicates that these field-based physical fitness test methods have good reliability and are simple, feasible, safe, and easy to be accepted and understood by 2–3-year-old children; thus, it may be used as a reference for professionals in China and abroad.

Poly(amidoamine) dendrimers-modified reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (PAMAM/rGO) composite was selected as a carrier of heterogeneous Ag0.3Co0.7 nanoparticles in order to obtain an excellent catalyst for ammonia borane (AB) hydrolysis. During the synthetic processes, GO could easily assembled with PAMAM by the electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding interactions. Structural characterization revealed that Ag0.3Co0.7 bimetallic nanoparticles with uniform size distribution of 5 nm are well dispersed on PAMAM/rGO composite architecture. Ag0.3Co0.7@PAMAM/rGO was found to be a highly active and reusable catalyst in hydrogen generation from the hydrolysis of AB with a turnover frequency value (TOF) of 19.79 molH2 min–1 molM–1 at 25.0 ± 0.1 °C and retained 75.4% of their initial activity with a complete release of hydrogen in five runs. The relatively high TOF value and low apparent activation energy (34.21 kJ mol–1) make these Ag0.3Co0.7@PAMAM/rGO NPs as a high-efficient catalyst for catalytic dehydrogenation of AB facilitating the development of practically applicable energy storage materials.

Introduction: Physical fitness is an adaptive state that varies with an individual's growth and maturity status. Considering that the difference in skeletal maturity already existed among preschool children, this study was designed to determine the influence of skeletal age and chronological age on preschoolers' physical fitness performance.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 945 healthy preschoolers (509 males, 436 females) aged between 3.0 and 6.0 years in Shanghai, China. We used the method of TW3-C RUS to determine skeletal age. Chronological age was measured by subtracting the date of birth from the test date. Sit and reach, 2 × 10 m shuttle run test, standing long jump, tennis ball throw, 5 m jump on both feet, and balance beam walk were considered for physical fitness performance. Correlation coefficients and partial correlations adjusting height and weight were used to determine the relationships among the variables of skeletal age/ relative skeletal age, chronological age/relative chronological age, and physical fitness items.Results: Skill-related physical fitness was weakly to moderately associated with skeletal age (the absolute value of r: 0.225–0.508, p < 0.01) and was moderately to strongly associated with chronological age (the absolute value of r: 0.405–0.659, p < 0.01). Health-related physical fitness items (BMI and sit and reach) showed a fairly weak to no correlation with skeletal age and chronological age. After adjusting the height and weight, an extremely weak to no correlation was observed between skeletal age and both health- and skill-related physical fitness, and weak-moderate correlations were noted between chronological age and skill-related physical fitness (the absolute value of r: 0.220–0.419, p < 0.01). In children in Grade 1, skill-related physical fitness (except for balance beam walk) showed a weak to moderate correlation with relative chronological age (the absolute value of r: 0.227–0.464, p < 0.05).Conclusion: (1) both skeletal age and chronological age are associated with skill-related rather than health-related physical fitness performance, and after adjusting height and weight, chronological age, rather than skeletal age, is associated with skill-related physical fitness performance; (2) for preschool children, skill-related physical fitness performance is influenced by relative chronological age rather than individual differences in skeletal maturation, especially in the lower grades.

Objective:Several epidemiological studies have linked tomato products consumption with prostate cancer risk; however, the findings yielded inconsistent results. The aim of the present meta-analysis is to summary the evidence on this association based on eligible cohort studies.Materials and Methods:A comprehensive literature search of articles was performed in March 2021 using PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Scopus databases. A random-effects model was used to calculate the combined relative risks (RRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity across studies was assessed using Cochran's Q statistic and theI2score.Results:A total of 10 prospective studies were finally included in our meta-analysis. There was no evidence of a significant association between tomato products consumption and prostate cancer risk (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.79–1.03,P= 0.138). Subgroup meta-analyses were performed by tomato types, geographical region, publication year, study quality and number of cases. No significant associations were observed in any subgroups (allP> 0.05). No significant publication bias was observed using Begg's test (P= 0.602) or Egger's test (P= 0.957).Conclusion:The results of this meta-analysis indicated that tomato consumption was not related with the risk of prostate cancer. Further prospective large-scale cohort studies are still warranted to verify our findings.

Background Ovarian tumors are the most malignant tumors of all gynecological tumors, and although multiple efforts have been made to elucidate the pathogenesis, the molecular mechanisms of ovarian cancer remain unclear. Methods In this study, we used bioinformatics to identify genes involved in the carcinogenesis and progression of ovarian cancer. Three microarray datasets (GSE14407, GSE29450, and GSE54388) were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. For a more in-depth understanding of the DEGs, functional and pathway enrichment analyses were performed and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed. The associated transcriptional factor (TFs) regulation network of the DEGs was also constructed. Kaplan Meier-plotter, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database and the Oncomine database were implemented to validated hub genes. Results A total of 514 DEGs were detected after the analysis of the three gene expression profiles, including 171 upregulated and 343 downregulated genes. Nine hub genes ( CCNB1, CDK1, BUB1, CDC20, CCNA2, BUB1B, AURKA, RRM2, TTK) were obtained from the PPI network. Survival analysis showed that high expression levels of seven hub genes ( CCNB1, BUB1, BUB1B, CCNA2, AURKA, CDK1, and RRM2) were associated with worse overall survival (OS). All of seven hub genes were discovered highly expressed in ovarian cancer samples compared to normal ovary samples in GEPIA. Immunostaining results from the HPA database suggested that the expressions of CCNB1, CCNA2, AURKA, and CDK1 proteins were increased in ovarian cancer tissues, and Oncomine analysis indicated that the expression patterns of BUB1B, CCNA2, AURKA, CCNB1, CDK1, and BUB1 have associated with patient clinicopathological information. From the gene-transcriptional factor network, key transcriptional factors, such as POLR2A, ZBTB11, KLF9, and ELF1, were identified with close interactions with these hub genes. Conclusion We identified six significant DEGs with poor prognosis in ovarian cancer, which could be of potential biomarkers for ovarian cancer patients.

BACKGROUND Cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRBP) is associated with cell stress. However, its upstream regulatory factors are still largely unknown. OBJECTIVES This study investigated whether CIRBP expression was regulated by transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) during the process of heat-induced testicular damage. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ten male adult ICR mice were allocated to heat treatment (scrotal hyperthermia at 43 °C for 30 min, n = 5) and control group (n = 5); CIRBP and TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3 expression levels in the testis in mRNA and protein were analyzed. Then, we conducted in vivo and in vitro studies to investigate the regulatory effects of TGF-β on CIRBP. In the in vivo study, male adult ICR mice were subjected to testicular hyperthermia followed by a local testicular injection of TGF-β antagonist (non-selective TGF-β I/II receptor inhibitor, 5 μg or 10 μg). In the in vitro study, GC2-spd cells were cultured under 43 °C for 30 min or with different TGF-β isoforms (10 ng/mL), and CIRBP expression levels in the testis and GC2-spd cells were analyzed 24 and 48 h, respectively, after treatment. RESULTS As a result, heat treatment significantly downregulated the relative CIRBP mRNA and protein expression (p = 0.006 and 0.011), and significantly upregulated TGF-β2 and TGF-β3 expression levels (p = 0.022 and 0.04, for mRNA, and p = 0.001 for both protein levels). Local testicular injection of 10 μg TGF-β antagonist significantly attenuated heat-induced histological damage to the testes and CIRBP downregulation (p = 0.038). Furthermore, TGF-β2 and TGF-β3 significantly downregulated CIRBP mRNA and protein expression in GC2-spd cells (all p

This study aimed to determine whether intrauterine placement of a novel composite material [copper (Cu) microparticles, low-density polyethylene, and methyl vinyl silicone rubber (Cu/LDPE/MVQ)] could prevent pregnancy in rabbits, and to evaluate the effects of Cu/LDPE/MVQ on the endometrial environment.Eighty sexually mature female rabbits were randomly divided into four groups (n=20 each group): control (sham-operated), LDPE/MVQ, Cu/LDPE/MVQ microcomposite, and bare Cu. Ten rabbits from each implant-bearing group were randomly selected for a mating experiment beginning 30 days after insertion. Pregnancy outcomes were observed 15 days after mating. Factors associated with endometrial bleeding and inflammation in the remaining rabbits in each group, and the surface conditions of the implants, were investigated 90 days post-insertion.The Cu (0 embryo) and Cu/LDPE/MVQ (0 embryo) groups had significantly fewer embryos than the LDPE/MVQ (1.0±0.6 embryos, p.05) and sham-operated groups (4.1±1.3 embryos, p.05). Compared with bare Cu, the Cu/LDPE/MVQ composite material was associated with considerable reductions in injuries and factors associated with abnormal endometrial bleeding and inflammation, such as matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and prostaglandin E2 (PGEThis novel Cu-containing intrauterine device material exhibits a similar effect in prevention of pregnancy with bare copper, and lower levels of inflammatory markers.This study demonstrates the potential of the novel Cu/LDPE/MVQ microcomposite material as a future substitute for conventional intrauterine device materials.

The ACTN3 gene locates on 11q13-q14 and encodes the α-actinin-3 protein, which is only expressed in human skeletal muscle and influenced muscle function and metabolism. The previous studies reported that SNP rs1815739 is associated with elite power athletes’ performance. In this study, we investigated the association between five SNPs within the ACTN3 gene and Chinese children physical fitness. We recruited 2244 Han Chinese children participants, and measured their 25-m run, stand broad jump, 10-m shuttle run, handgrip, BMI (calculated by weight and height) data. SNPs rs1671064, rs2275998, rs2290463, rs10791881, and rs1815739 of ACTN3 gene were genotyped and analyzed in five physical fitness data. QTL analysis on genotype and physical fitness data was carried out in all samples. Furthermore, a dichotomous division of samples into an overweight group (543) and a normal group (1701) was used for an association study of overweight. In the QTL analysis, we found rs2290463 was significantly associated with stand broad jump (corrected P value = 0.009, beta = 2.692). After added age and gender as covariates in the regression test, the association became more significant (P value = 5.80 × 10− 5, corrected P value = 4.06 × 10− 4); when we used BMI as a covariate, the association still existed (P value = 4.65 × 10− 4, corrected P value = 0.001). In the association study of overweight, rs2275998 was found to be significant (OR, 95% CI = 0.733 [0.6–0.895]; Pallele = 0.011, Pgenotype = 0.024) after the Bonferroni correction, and the association did not change much after a further correction for gender, age, and stand broad jump performance. Our results showed that common variants in ACTN3 are significantly associated with both stand broad jump performance and overweight in Han Chinese children.

This study was designed to investigate the antifertility effectiveness of a novel copper-containing intrauterine device material containing a composite of micro-copper (Cu), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and methyl vinyl silicone rubber (MVQ) and its effects on the endometrial environment in rats. The contraceptive effectiveness was examined 12 days after pregnancy. The pathological changes; factors associated with bleeding, pain, and inflammation in the endometrium; and the surface condition of the implants were investigated after insertion for 90 days. Furthermore, the release rate of copper ions in simulated uterine solution (SUS) was investigated for 270 days. The contraceptive effectiveness was 100% in both the bulk Cu and micro-Cu/LDPE/MVQ groups, and that in the LDPE/MVQ group was 30%. On day 90 after insertion, histopathological observation and the ultrastructural changes in the endometrium showed that the damage caused by bulk Cu was much more severe than that caused by the Cu/LDPE/MVQ microcomposite and that the surface of the latter was much smoother than that of the former. Furthermore, compared with the sham-operated control group, the concentrations of tissue plasminogen activator and prostaglandin E2 were significantly increased 90 days after insertion in all of the experimental groups except for the LDPE/MVQ group (P 0.05), and the parameters in the Cu/LDPE/MVQ group were significantly lower than those in the Cu group (P 0.05). In addition, the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase 9, metalloproteinase 1 tissue inhibitor, plasminogen inhibitor 1, CD34, vascular endothelial growth factor, substance P, and substance P receptor in the endometrium in all of the experimental groups were significantly lower than those in the Cu group 90 days after insertion (P 0.05). The results of this study indicate that micro-Cu/LDPE/MVQ exhibits satisfactory contraceptive efficacy and causes fewer side effects than Cu.

P38α mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), which is a member of the canonical MAPK family, is activated in response to various extracellular stresses and plays a role in multiple cellular processes. In this study, we investigated the expression, subcellular localization and functional roles of p38α MAPK during the meiotic maturation of rat oocytes. We found that p38α MAPK phosphorylation (p-p38α MAPK, indicative of p38α MAPK activation) was low at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage, increased 3 hr after germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and maintained its maximum at metaphase I (MI) or metaphase II (MII). The p-p38α MAPK mainly accumulated in the GV and had no obvious expression in the nucleus. From GVBD to MII, p-p38α MAPK was distributed in the cytoplasm around either the chromosomes or the spindle. We used SB203580, an inhibitor of p38α MAPK, to investigate the possible functional role of p38α MAPK during rat oocyte meiotic maturation. Treatment of GV stage oocytes with 20 μM SB203580 blocked p-p38α MAPK activity, and the spindles appeared abnormal. Additionally, the rate of GVBD after 3 hr of culture with 20 μM SB203580 (58.8%) was significantly inhibited compared with the control (82.5%, p < .05), and the polar body extrusion rate after 12 hr of culture with SB203580 was also significantly decreased compared with the control (40.1% vs 73.3%, p < .05). Taken together, these data indicate that p38α MAPK may play a vital role in rat oocyte meiotic maturation.

Highly dispersed cobalt nanoparticles supported on three-dimensional graphene oxide particles (Co@3DGO) have been successfully prepared by a chemical reduction method. Cobalt presents a dispersive morphology with an average diameter of 20 nm. 3DGO exhibits a stereo lamellar structure with oxygen containing functional groups which increases effective contact area and anchors the cobalt ions. Co carried on 3DGO induces a higher hydrogen generation rate (HGR) in NaBH4 hydrolysis up to 4394 mL H 2 min − 1 g cobalt − 1 at 298 K. As well as the reaction activation energy is 37 kJ mol−1. Moreover, it was found that recycling performance is inverse to the concentration of NaOH. After five consecutive cycles, the recyclability retention percentage increases from 54% to 70% when the concentration of NaOH was reduced from 0.25 M to 0.05 M.

High-quantity CdSe QDs were synthesized in a novel two-phase liquid/liquid system. This system, ODE/water was stable and as-used solvents were almost nontoxic. The methodology leading to the successful synthesis of CdSe QDs was a typical, one-pot approach and the obtained CdSe QDs with zinc-blende phase structure exhibited excellent optical properties, narrow size distribution, higher particle uniformity and crystallinity. The mechanism of nucleation and growth of CdSe QDs were discussed by the possible thermodynamic equilibrium existing in ODE/water interface. This two-phase liquid/liquid system would broaden the synthesis of other semiconductor QDs.

Nanoporous graphene (PG) supported Pt–Co bimetallic nanoparticles were prepared and their catalytic activity in hydrogen generation from hydrolysis of NH3·BH3 solution were examined. The synthesized Pt–Co@PG with a loading amount of 30 wt% Pt–Co (atomic ratio 1:9) exhibited a superior TOF value of 461.17 molH2 min−1 molPt−1 and an activation energy (Ea) value of 32.79 kJ mol−1 for NH3·BH3 hydrolysis. This remarkably enhanced activity was ascribed to the charge interaction between Pt–Co NPs and PG support. The defects and holes on PG acting as the anchoring sites for Pt–Co NPs was beneficial for achieving a uniform distribution and a decreased particle size for the NPs. The Pt–Co@PG catalysts also showed a well-established reusability, with 81.2% of their initial catalytic activity after five runs of reactions, demonstrating that they had high durability.

Jing Yang,1,* Shifu Hu,1,* Meng Rao,1 Lixia Hu,2 Hui Lei,1 Yanqing Wu,1 Yingying Wang,1 Dandan Ke,1 Wei Xia,1,3 Chang-hong Zhu1,3 1Family Planning Research Institute, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 2Department of Histology and Embryology, Preclinical Medicine College, Xinxiang Medical University, Henan Province, Xinxiang, 3Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally tothis work Abstract: Numerous studies have reported the accumulation of copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) in organs and the corresponding damage, although whether Cu NPs can be translocated to the ovaries and their ovarian toxicity are still unknown. In this study, three groups of female rats were injected with 3.12, 6.25, or 12.5mg/kg Cu NPs for 14 consecutive days. The pathological changes, hormone levels, apoptosis and apoptotic proteins, oxidative stress, and gene expression characteristics in the ovaries were then investigated. The results demonstrated that the CuNPs exhibited obvious accumulation in the rat ovaries, leading to ovarian injury, an imbalance of sex hormones, and ovarian cell apoptosis. Cu NP exposure activated caspase3, caspase8, caspase 9, and tBid, decreased the protein levels of Bcl-2, increased the expression levels of the proteins Bax and cytochrome c, and promoted malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation and superoxide dismutase (SOD) reduction. Furthermore, gene microarray analysis showed that CuNPs (12.5mg/kg/d) caused 321 differentially expressed genes. Of these, 180 and 141 genes were upregulated and downregulated, respectively. Hsd17b1, Hsd3b1, Hsd3b6, and Hsd3b were involved in steroid and hormone metabolism, whereas Mt3 and Cebpb were associated with apoptosis. Overall, these findings provide strong evidence that Cu NPs trigger both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways and regulate key ovarian genes in oxidative stress-mediated ovarian dysfunction. Keywords: Cu NPs, apoptosis, oxidative stress, microarray

In order to make Nd Mg Ni-based alloys more competitive as a candidate of negative electrode materials for nickel/metal hydride batteries, surface coating Ni and Co was performed on Nd0.7Mg0.3Ni3 surface via an electroless plating method. N2H4·H2SO4 in plating solution cleans the alloy surface and makes the coating layer adhere evenly and tightly to the alloy surface. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images show that honeycomb-like Ni and flake-like Co deposited at the Ni-coated and the Co-coated alloy surface, respectively. The Ni-coating tends to form a denser and more stable surface layer than the Co-coating, and consequently Ni-coating brings more remarkable improvements in electrochemical properties. At a discharge current density of 1800 mA/g, the high rate dischargeability of the electrodes increases from 55.3% (untreated) to 75.7% (Ni-coated) and 73.6% (Co-coated), respectively. As well as, the initial discharge capacity is improved and the discharge capacity degradation is suppressed by surface coating. The improvement of electrochemical properties is ascribed to the higher catalytic activity and the protective function of the coating layers.

The p38αMAPK signaling pathway plays a critical role in female reproduction, but an understanding of its expression in rats remains elusive. This study was carried out to investigate the temporal and spatial expression of p38αMAPK and p-p38αMAPK. Ovarian tissue samples were collected from 2-, 4-, 8-, 12-, 16-, 20- and 30-day-old female rats. Western blotting was used to examine the relative expression of p38αMAPK and p-p38αMAPK in ovarian tissue, and subcellular localization was examined using immunohistochemistry of the rat ovaries at different ages of postpartum. The immunohistochemical results showed that p38αMAPK and p-p38αMAPK were widely expressed in the rat ovaries, mainly localized in the follicle cells and granulosa cells. The expression of p38αMAPK was relatively stable for the different stages of oocytes, whereas the expression of p-p38αMAPK gradually increased. At different stages of granulosa cells, the expression of p38αMAPK was also relatively stable, and the p-p38αMAPK expression showed an upward trend during follicular development. Western blotting revealed that the expression of p38αMAPK in the ovaries was relatively stable, where as p-p38αMAPK expression initially exhibited an increasing trend and subsequently decreased, with a maximum at day 20. The expression patterns of p38αMAPK and p-p38αMAPK in the rat ovaries indicate their possible involvement in folliculogenesis. Taken together, the stage- and cell-specific expression of p-p38αMAPK in rat ovaries indicated that p-p38αMAPK might play a vital role during rat follicular development.

Table S1. Physical characteristics of all recruited children. Table S2. Genetic information of five markers. Figure S1. Distribution of the balance beam and vertical jump performance in the Han Chinese children. Figure S2. Diagram of balance beam performance. Figure S3. Location of the five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the PPARD gene. (DOCX 365 kb)

Ce 2 S 3 with a diameter ca. 100–200 nm was synthesized by a solvothermal method and doped into LiBH 4 . Ce 2 S 3 reacts with LiBH 4 , forming Li 2 S and CeB 6 as the dehydrogenated products, and they become active substances in the re-hydrogenation reaction to improve the reversibility of the LiBH 4 system. The composite of LiBH 4 with 20 wt.% Ce 2 S 3 exhibits favorable re-hydrogenation ability, its hydrogen absorption still reaches 3.6 wt.% at the 4th cycle. After dehydrogenation, The initial dehydrogenation temperature of the LiBH 4 + 20 wt.% Ce 2 S 3 composite is decreased to 250 °C, which is 80 °C lower than that of the pristine LiBH 4 system. Furthermore, within 3000 s, the LiBH 4 + 20 wt.% Ce 2 S 3 composite can release about 4.0 wt.% hydrogen at 400 °C, which is 1.67 times higher than that of the pristine LiBH 4 . The activation energy ( E a ) of dehydrogenation reaction of LiBH 4 is reduced from 181.80 kJ/mol to 157.82 kJ/mol.

Multifunctional poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers-encapsulated Ag–Co bimetallic nanoparticles (Ag–Co/PAMAM NPs) have been prepared via a facile co-complexation chemical reduction method. By exploiting the well-defined dendritic spatial construction of PAMAM dendrimers as NPs support and capping ligand, the as-synthesized NPs show unconspicuous agglomeration and uniformly distribution with average diameter of 5 nm. The Ag–Co/PAMAM NPs show the composition-dependent catalytic activity in catalytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane (AB), with NPs in 30 atom.% Ag exhibiting the superior activity and yielding an initial turnover frequency (TOF) as high as 15.84 mol H2 ·min −1 ·mol M −1 . Combined with the electro–transfer interaction between Ag and Co, the effective control of the NPs dispersibility and the electro-donating ability of PAMAM dendrimers with amounts of amide and amine groups facilitate the catalytic performances of Ag–Co/PAMAM catalyst on the hydrolysis of AB. The work also includes the kinetic studies on zero-order with respect to substrate concentration and first-order reaction with respect to catalyst concentration, as well as temperature effect to determine the apparent activation energy of the reaction (Ea = 35.66 kJ mol −1 ). Furthermore, the reusability tests reveal Ag–Co/PAMAM NPs still show good catalytic activity and magnetically reusability in successive runs, which make these dendrimers-stabilized bimetallic nanoparticles promising heterogeneous catalysts in practical application.