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Wood-rotting fungi are organisms that can decompose wood substrates and extract nutrients from them to support their growth. They play a crucial role in the material cycle of forest ecosystems. The genus Pluteus plays a significant role in wood decomposition. In this study, the morphology and molecular systematics of the sect. Celluloderma of the genus Pluteus were carried out. Pluteus brunneodiscus was identified as a new species, along with the discovery of two new records, P. cystidiosus and P. chrysophlebius, and a common species, P. romellii. Pluteus brunneodiscus is characterized by the brown center of the pileus that transitions to white towards the margins, with the surface cracking to form irregular granules. It is typically found in Populus forests growing on decomposing twigs or wood chips. Line drawings, color photographs, and phylogenetic analyses of related species within the genus Pluteus accompany the descriptions of these four species. The analyses are based on ITS + TEF1-α sequence data. Finally, a key for the twenty species within the sect. Celluloderma of the genus Pluteus, which has been documented in China, is provided.

Brown-rot fungi are an important group of wood-decaying fungi, but there has been limited research on the species diversity of brown-rot fungi in Xinjiang, China. During an investigation of brown-rot fungi in Xinjiang, from July 2018 to July 2023, five new species belonging to the family Postiaceae were discovered based on morphological and molecular evidence. Amaropostia altaiensis is characterized by a conchate pileus, circular pores (5–8 per mm), and growing on Populus. Amaropostia tianshanensis is characterized by a flabelliform-to-conchate pileus, angular pores (5–6 per mm), and growing on Picfea. Cyanosporus latisporus is characterized by a hirsute and dark greyish blue pileal surface with fresh, larger pores (3–6 per mm) and broad basidiospores (4.3–5.9 × 1.4–2 µm). Cyanosporus tianshanensis is characterized by a smooth and white-to-cream pileal surface with fresh, smaller pores (6–9 per mm). Osteina altaiensis is characterized by a light mouse-grey-to-honey-yellow pileal surface, smaller pores (4–6 per mm), and slightly wide basidiospores (5–6 × 1.7–2.2 µm). Each of these five new species form independent lineages in phylogenetic analyses based on the seven gene loci (ITS + nLSU + nSSU + mtSSU + TEF1 + RPB1 + RPB2). This research enriches the diversity of brown-rot fungi species, while also demonstrating the substantial discovery potential and research value of brown-rot fungi in Xinjiang.

Wood-inhabiting fungi are abundant in China, but their distribution is uneven, with more fungi in southwest China and fewer fungi in northwest China. During the investigation of wood-inhabiting fungi in Xinjiang, we collected a large number of specimens. Eight specimens growing on Picea schrenkiana were collected from Tianshan Mountains, and they were described as two new species in Ceriporiopsis and Sidera based on morphological characters and molecular evidence. Ceriporiopsis tianshanensis is characterized by a cream to salmon-buff pore surface, larger pores measuring 1–3 per mm, and broadly ellipsoid basidiospores 5–6.5 × 3–4 μm. Sidera tianshanensis is characterized by annual to perennial basidiocarps, measuring 15 mm thick, pores 5–7 per mm, cream to rosy buff pore surface, and allantoid basidiospores 3–3.5 × 1–1.4 µm. Detailed illustrations and descriptions of the novel species are provided.

Summary: Ischemic brain injury is a severe medical condition with high incidences in elderly people without effective treatment for the resulting neural damages. Using a unilateral mouse stroke model, we analyze single-cell transcriptomes of ipsilateral and contralateral cortical penumbra regions to objectively reveal molecular events with single-cell resolution at 4 h and 1, 3, and 7 days post-injury. Here, we report that neurons are among the first cells that sense the lack of blood supplies by elevated expression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ). To our surprise, the canonical inflammatory cytokine gene targets for C/EBPβ, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), are subsequently induced also in neuronal cells. Neuronal-specific silencing of C/EBPβ or IL-1β and TNF-α substantially alleviates downstream inflammatory injury responses and is profoundly neural protective. Taken together, our findings reveal a neuronal inflammatory mechanism underlying early pathological triggers of ischemic brain injury.

Cyanosporus is a genus widely distributed in Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Oceania. It grows on different angiosperm and gymnosperm trees and can cause brown rot of wood. Blue-tinted basidiomata of Cyanosporus makes it easy to distinguish from other genera, but the similar morphological characters make it difficult to identify species within the genus. Phylogeny and taxonomy of Cyanosporus were carried out based on worldwide samples with an emphasis on Chinese collections, and the species diversity of the genus is updated. Four new species, C. flavus, C. rigidus, C. subungulatus and C. tenuicontextus, are described based on the evidence of morphological characters, distribution areas, host trees and molecular phylogenetic analyses inferred from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, the large subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU), the small subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nSSU), the small subunit of mitochondrial rRNA gene (mtSSU), the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB1), the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2), and the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (TEF). Our study expanded the number of Cyanosporus species to 35 around the world including 23 species from China. Detailed descriptions of the four new species and the geographical locations of the Cyanosporus species in China are provided.

Abstract Background Emerging studies have shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) predominantly function in the carcinogenesis of multiple developing human tumors. The current study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of LINC00337 in lung adenocarcinoma. Methods We analyzed TCGA and GTEx datasets and chose LINC00337 as the research object. Cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, cell cycle, migration, and invasion were detected in the gain and loss experiments of LINC00337 both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, RNA pull-down, luciferase reporter assays, western blotting analysis, and rescue experiments were performed to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of LINC00337 function. Results LINC00337 expression was remarkably upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma. In addition, LINC00337 knockdown was shown to repress cell migration, invasion, and proliferation, as well as the cell cycle, and gear up apoptosis in lung adenocarcinoma in vitro and in vivo. With respect to the mechanism, LINC00337 knockdown boosted miR-1285-3p expression and then restrained YTHDF1 expression post-transcriptionally. Crucially, both miR-1285-3p decrement and YTHDF1 overexpression successfully reversed the influence on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis caused by LINC00337 shRNA. Conclusions These results suggest that LINC00337 acts as an oncogenic lncRNA, targeting miR-1285-3p and regulating YTHDF1 expression, to promote the progression of lung adenocarcinoma.

Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China embraces a unique geographical and ecological environment, and the macrofungi represent a rich resource. However, few studies on the genus Pluteus have been reported from Xinjiang. In 2021, the macrofungal resources in Xinjiang were surveyed, and 10 specimens belonging to the genus Pluteus were collected. Based on the morphological study and molecular analysis, three species were recognized, P. aletaiensis, P. brunneidiscus, and P. hongoi. Pluteus aletaiensis is proposed as a new species. It is characterized by its bright yellow lamellae and stipe, brittle texture, subfusiform to vesicular pleurocystidia, with short pedicels to broadly lageniform to obtuse at apices, a hymeniderm pileipellis, containing dark brown intracellular pigment, and it grows on the ground. Pluteus brunneidiscus, a new record to China, is characterized by uneven, smooth, grayish brown to brown pileus, with an entire margin, and pointed or flatter apices intermediate cystidia, without apical hooks. Pluteus hongoi, a new record to Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, is characterized by the apical hook’s structure (commonly bifid) of pleurocystidia. The nuclear internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1-a) region were used for the molecular analysis. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using both the maximum likelihood analysis (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI). Detailed descriptions of the three species are presented herein. Finally, a key to the list of eight species of the genus Pluteus knew from Xinjiang is provided.

The genus Hydnellum is a kind of ectomycorrhizal fungi that can play a role in the material cycle by connecting the plant roots to the soil, and some species of Hydnellum are medicinal fungi with vital research value. The species diversity of Hydnellum is unclear in China. In this study, five new species of Hydnellum are described from China based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses inferred from two datasets of ITS + LSU and ITS + LSU + SSU + RPB2 sequences. H. chocolatum is characterized by its chocolate basidiomata with the fibrillose, spongy to tomentose pileal surface, and subglobose to globose basidiospores measuring (4.5–)5–6 × 4–5(–5.8) μm. H. concentricum is characterized by its zonate pileal surface, thin context, short stipe, presence of both simple septa and clamp connections in generative hyphae of spines, and subglobose to ellipsoidal basidiospores measuring (3.5–)4–5(–5.2) × (3.2–)3.5–5 μm. H. crassipileatum is characterized by its thick pileus with the reddish brown to grayish brown pileal surface, and subglobose to ellipsoidal basidiospores measuring 4–6(–6.5) × 4–5.5 μm. H. melanocarpum is characterized by its vinaceous brown to black pileus with spongy pileal surface, presence of both simple septa and clamp connections in generative hyphae of spines, and subglobose basidiospores measuring 4.5–5.5(–6) × (3.5–)3.8–5.1 μm. H. radiatum is characterized by its radially aligned stripes on pileal surface, grayish brown context, short stipe, and subglobose to ellipsoidal basidiospores measuring (3.5–)4–5 × 3–4.5(–5) μm. Full descriptions, illustrations, and phylogenetic trees to show the placement of the new species are provided.

AIM: To investigate whether head and neck proprioception and motor control could be compensatory enhanced by long-term vision loss or impairment. METHODS: Individuals who were blind, low vision or sighted were included in the study, which would undergo the head repositioning test (HRT). The constant error (CE), absolute error (AE), variable error (VE) and root mean square error (RMSE) of each subject were statistically analyzed. Data were analyzed using the SAS 9.4. Tukey-Kramer for one-way ANOVA was used for comparison of blind, low vision, and sighted subjects, as well as to compare subjects with balanced vision, strong vision in the left eye and strong vision in the right eye. Independent sample t-test was used to compare subjects with congenital blindness and acquired blindness, as well as left and right hand dominance subjects. RESULTS: A total of 90 individuals (25 blind subjects, 31 low vision subjects, and 34 sighted subjects) were included in the study. Among the blind subjects, 14 cases had congenital blindness and 11 cases had acquired blindness. Among the blind and low vision subjects, 21 cases had balanced binocular vision, 17 cases had strong vision in the left eye and 18 cases had strong vision in the right eye. Among all subjects, 11 cases were left hand dominance, and 79 cases were right hand dominance. There were significant differences in AE, VE, and RMSE in head rotation between blind, low vision, and sighted subjects (P0.05). Significant differences in CE and AE of head right rotation and CE of general head rotation between congenital and acquired (P0.05). CONCLUSION: Long-term vision loss or impairment does not lead to compensatory enhancement of head and neck proprioception and motor control. Acquired experience contributes to HRT performance in the blind and has long-lasting effects on plasticity in the development of proprioception and sensorimotor control.

Fomitopsis is a worldwide brown-rot fungal genus of Polyporales, which grows on different gymnosperm and angiosperm trees and has important ecological functions and economic values. In this study, species diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and ecological habits of Fomitopsis were investigated. A total of 195 specimens from 24 countries representing 29 species of Fomitopsis were studied. Based on the morphological characters and phylogenetic evidence of DNA sequences including the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, the large subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU), the small subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nSSU), the small subunit of mitochondrial rRNA gene (mtSSU), the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (TEF), and the second subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2), 30 species are accepted in Fomitopsis, including four new species: F. resupinata, F. srilankensis, F. submeliae and F. yimengensis. Illustrated descriptions of the novel species and the geographical locations of the Fomitopsis species are provided.

Sanghuangporus refers to a group of rare medicinal fungi with remarkable therapeutic properties. However, current knowledge on the bioactive ingredients and antioxidant activities of different species of this genus is limited. In this study, a total of 15 wild strains from 8 species of Sanghuangporus were selected as the experimental materials for identification of the bioactive components (polysaccharide, polyphenol, flavonoid, triterpenoid, and ascorbic acid) and antioxidant activities (scavenging activities against hydroxyl, superoxide, DPPH, and ABTS radicals; superoxide dismutase activity; and ferric reducing ability of plasma). Notably, individual strains contained different levels of various indicators, among which Sanghuangporus baumii Cui 3573, S. sanghuang Cui 14419 and Cui 14441, S. vaninii Dai 9061, and S. zonatus Dai 10841 displayed the strongest activities. The correlation analysis of bioactive ingredients and antioxidant activities revealed that the antioxidant capacity of Sanghuangporus is mainly associated with the contents of flavonoid and ascorbic acid, followed by polyphenol and triterpenoid, and finally, polysaccharide. Together, the results obtained from the comprehensive and systematic comparative analyses contribute further potential resources and critical guidance for the separation, purification, and further development and utilization of bioactive agents from wild Sanghuangporus species, as well as the optimization of their artificial cultivation conditions.

Perenniporia is an important genus of Polyporaceae. In its common acceptation, however, the genus is polyphyletic. In this study, phylogenetic analyses on a set of Perenniporia species and related genera were carried out using DNA sequences of multiple loci, including the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, the large subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU), the small subunit mitochondrial rRNA gene (mtSSU), the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (TEF1) and the b-tubulin gene (TBB1). Based on morphology and phylogeny, 15 new genera, viz., Aurantioporia, Citrinoporia, Cystidioporia, Dendroporia, Luteoperenniporia, Macroporia, Macrosporia, Minoporus, Neoporia, Niveoporia, Rhizoperenniporia, Tropicoporia, Truncatoporia, Vanderbyliella, and Xanthoperenniporia, are proposed; 2 new species, Luteoperenniporia australiensis and Niveoporia subrusseimarginata, are described; and 37 new combinations are proposed. Illustrated descriptions of the new species are provided. Identification keys to Perenniporia and its related genera and keys to the species of these genera are provided.

Abstract AB209371 gene has been characterized as an oncogenic lncRNA in liver cancer. However, its involvement in ovarian carcinoma (OC) is unknown. In the present study, we analyzed the roles of AB209371 in OC. We found that AB209371 gene and Survivin gene were up-regulated in OC and positively correlated with OC development. AB209371 over-expression led to up-regulated Survivin in OC cells, while Survivin over-expression failed to affect AB209371. In addition, AB209371 over-expression led to down-regulated miR-203. However, miR-203 over-expression failed to affect AB209371, but down-regulated the expression of Survivin. In addition, over-expressions of AB209371 and Survivin resulted in the increased proliferation rate of OC cells. Over-expression MiR-203 played the opposite role and attenuated the effects of AB209371 over-expression. Therefore, AB209371 may down-regulate miR-203 to up-regulate Survivin, thereby promoting OC cell proliferation. Our study provided novel insights into the pathogenesis of OC.

A new poroid wood-inhabiting fungal genus, Crassisporus gen. nov., is proposed on the basis of morphological characters and molecular evidence. The genus is characterized by an annual growth habit, effused-reflexed to pileate basidiocarps with pale yellowish brown to yellowish brown, concentrically zonate or sulcate, and velutinate pileal surface, a trimitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae, tissues turning to dark in KOH, oblong to broadly ellipsoid, hyaline, smooth, and slightly thick-walled basidiospores. Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS+nLSU sequences indicate that Crassisporus belongs to the core polyporoid clade. The combined ITS+nLSU+mtSSU+EF1-α+RPB2 sequences dataset of representative taxa in the Polyporaceae demonstrate that Crassisporus is grouped with Haploporus but forms a monophyletic lineage. In addition, four new species of Crassisporus, C. imbricatus, C. leucoporus, C. macroporus, and C. microsporus are described.

Pancreatic cancer is a lethal malignancy with relatively few effective therapies. Recent investigations have highlighted the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) as crucial regulators in various tumor processes including tumor progression. Hence the current study aimed to investigate the role of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC)-derived exosomal microRNA-126-3p (miR-126-3p) in pancreatic cancer. Initially, miRNA candidates and related genes associated with pancreatic cancer were screened. PANC-1 cells were transfected with miR-126-3p or silenced a disintegrin and a metalloproteinase-9 (ADAM9) to examine their regulatory roles in pancreatic cancer cells. Additionally, exosomes derived from BMSCs were isolated and co-cultured with pancreatic cancer cells to elucidate the effects of exosomes in pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, the effects of overexpressed miR-126-3p derived from BMSCs exosomes on proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, tumor growth, and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells were analyzed in connection with lentiviral packaged miR-126-3p in vivo. Restored miR-126-3p was observed to suppress pancreatic cancer through downregulating ADAM9. Notably, overexpressed miR-126-3p derived from BMSCs exosomes inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells, and promoted their apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, the key findings of the study indicated that overexpressed miR-126-3p derived from BMSCs exosomes inhibited the development of pancreatic cancer through the downregulation of ADAM9, highlighting the potential of miR-126-3p as a novel biomarker for pancreatic cancer treatment. Keywords: bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, exosomes, microRNA-126-3p, a disintegrin and a metalloproteinase-9, pancreatic cancer, invasion, metastasis

Abstract Background Innate immune dysfunction contributes to the development and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), however, its pathogenesis is still incompletely understood. Identifying the key innate immune component responsible for the pathogenesis of NAFLD and clarifying the underlying mechanisms may provide therapeutic targets for NAFLD. Recently, F-box- and WD repeat domain-containing 7 (FBXW7) exhibits a regulatory role in hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism. This study aims to investigate whether FBXW7 controls high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1)-mediated innate immune signaling to improve NAFLD and the mechanism underlying this action. Methods Mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 or 20 weeks to establish NAFLD model. Hepatic overexpression or knockdown of FBXW7 was induced by tail-vein injection of recombinant adenovirus. Some Ad-FBXW7-injected mice fed a HFD were injected intraperitoneally with recombinant mouse HMGB1 to confirm the protective role of FBXW7 in NAFLD via inhibition of HMGB1. Results FBXW7 improves NAFLD and related metabolic parameters without remarkable influence of body weight and food intake. Moreover, FBXW7 markedly ameliorated hepatic inflammation and insulin resistance in the HFD-fed mice. Furthermore, FBXW7 dramatically attenuated the expression and release of HMGB1 in the livers of HFD-fed mice, which is associated with inhibition of protein kinase R (PKR) signaling. Thereby, FBXW7 restrains Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) signaling in HFD-fed mouse livers. In addition, exogenous HMGB1 treatment abolished FBXW7-mediated inhibition of hepatic inflammation and insulin resistance in HFD-fed mouse livers. Conclusions Our results demonstrate a protective role of FBXW7 in NAFLD by abating HMGB1-mediated innate immune signaling to suppress inflammation and consequent insulin resistance, suggesting that FBXW7 is a potential target for therapeutic intervention in NAFLD development.

Abstract Background Liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) are a small subset of cells characterized by unlimited self-renewal, cell differentiation, and uncontrollable cellular growth. LCSCs are also resistant to conventional therapies and are thus believed to be held responsible for causing treatment failure of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It has been recently found that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators in HCC. This present study aims to explore the underlying mechanism of how lncRNA DLX6-AS1 influences the development of LCSCs and HCC. Methods A microarray-based analysis was performed to initially screen differentially expressed lncRNAs associated with HCC. We then analyzed the lncRNA DLX6-AS1 levels as well as CADM1 promoter methylation. The mRNA and protein expression of CADM1, STAT3, CD133, CD13, OCT-4, SOX2, and Nanog were then detected. We quantified our results by evaluating the spheroid formation, proliferation, and tumor formation abilities, as well as the proportion of tumor stem cells, and the recruitment of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) in LCSCs when lncRNA DLX6-AS1 was either overexpressed or silenced. Results LncRNA DLX6-AS1 was upregulated in HCC. The silencing of lncRNA DLX6-AS1 was shown to reduce and inhibit spheroid formation, colony formation, proliferation, and tumor formation abilities, as well as attenuate CD133, CD13, OCT-4, SOX2, and Nanog expression in LCSCs. Furthermore, downregulation of lncRNA DLX6-AS1 contributed to a reduction in CADM1 promoter methylation via suppression of DNMT1, DNMT3a, and DNMT3b in LCSCs and inactivating the STAT3 signaling pathway. Conclusion This study demonstrated that down-regulated lncRNA DLX6-AS1 may inhibit the stem cell properties of LCSCs through upregulation of CADM1 by suppressing the methylation of the CADM1 promoter and inactivation of the STAT3 signaling pathway.

Abstract Background Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common malignant tumor of the head and neck region with poorly understood progression and prognosis. The present study aims at exploring whether the expression of β-catenin, TCF-4, and survivin affects clinicopathological features and prognostic significance in NPC. Methods We enrolled 164 patients with NPC and 70 patients with chronic nasopharyngitis (CNP) in this study. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were conducted to evaluate the expression of β-catenin, TCF-4, and survivin. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis and Pearson correlation analysis were used to measure the correlation of β-catenin, TCF-4, and survivin. Risk factors for prognosis and survival conditions of NPC patients were analyzed by Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan–Meier curves. Results The results obtained revealed that mRNA and protein expression of β-catenin, TCF-4, and survivin was higher in NPC tissues than in CNP tissues. Positive correlations amongst β-catenin, TCF-4, and survivin were identified by Spearman’s rank correlation analysis and Pearson correlation analysis. There was a significant correlation in expression of β-catenin, TCF-4, and survivin with EBV DNA, EBV-VCA-IgA, EBV-EA-IgA, T stage, N stage, and clinicopathological stages. Lower overall survival (OS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were detected in NPC patients with positive expression of β-catenin, TCF-4, and survivin, in contrast to those with negative expression. Cox proportional hazards model demonstrated that β-catenin, TCF-4, and survivin protein positive expression were independent risk factors for OS and DFS of NPC prognosis; there was an evident correlation between clinicopathological stages, TCF-4, and EBV-EA-IgA and OS, DMFS, LRFS, and DFS of NPC. Conclusions The aforementioned results indicate that β-catenin, TCF-4, and survivin proteins are highly expressed in NPC, which can be used as factors to predict the malignancy of NPC. In addition, positive expression of β-catenin, TCF-4, and survivin are potential risk factors that lead to an unfavorable prognosis of OS and DFS in NPC patients.

In this paper, a control strategy is proposed to improve the tracking performance of the lower limb exoskeleton (LLE). The proposed active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) with fast terminal sliding mode control (FTSMC) can not only alleviate the disturbance but also converge to a bounded region fast. Based on the robotics analysis, a dynamic model for the LLE was established. To achieve decoupling control for a coupled system, the virtual control input was introduced, where the system uncertainty and external disturbances were regarded as lumped disturbances. To validate the feasibility of the proposed control strategy, the simulations and experiments were both carried out. The numerical simulation results were shown that the proposed control strategy and ADRC can remarkably reduce the chattering phenomena, which is owing to the estimation ability of extended state observer (ESO). Both the simulations and the experiments results were shown that this strategy was better than the conventional proportional-integral-derivative (PID) and ADRC in terms of tracking performance. With the proposed ADRC-FTSMC, the LLE system can achieve higher tracking precision and faster response.

This paper describes a system design and hybrid control algorithm of an electrically actuated lower limb exoskeleton (LLE). The system design mainly includes three parts: mechanical structure design, actuation system design and sensor system design. According to the initial state of the joint angle, LLE can be divided into Non-anthropomorphic state (NAS) and anthropomorphic state (AS). The human motion intention (HMI) estimation can be divided into gait phase classification and reference trajectory estimation. The fuzzy logic is used to detect different phases in the gait phase classification. In the reference trajectory estimation, the kinematic model of the LLE is utilized to obtain a continuous joint trajectory, which is used as input of the control law. To make the LLE accurately follow the movement of people and remain stable, a hybrid dual-mode control strategy is proposed in this paper, i.e., the adaptive impedance control (AIC) method is used to improve the stability and resistance to shock in stance phase, and the active disturbance rejection control with the fast terminal sliding mode control (ADRC-FTSMC) method is employed to improve the response speed and the tracking precision in swing phase. Furthermore, in order to solve the torque discontinuity in the switching process, a smoothing method is proposed during the transition. Finally, the prototype experiments were set up to verify the tracking performance and power-assisted effect of the proposed exoskeleton. The experiments results show the LLE can achieve excellent tracking performance and power-assisted effect based on the proposed HMI methodology and hybrid dual-mode control strategy.

In the process of on-orbit servicing, chasers achieve approach and contact with target spacecraft are via a series of orbital transfer and motion control. However, most target spacecraft are non-cooperative targets. As a matter of fact, mainly technical difficulty of non-cooperative targets still lies in unable directly obtaining their motion parameters, thereby, it is impossible to realize their autonomously rendezvous and capture. Thus, measure motion parameters of non-cooperative targets from outside is significant for research on-orbit service. In this paper, a pose measurement method coupled initial pose measurement with model-based tracking is put forward for space non-cooperative targets. Specifically, an algorithm based on SIFT matching to measure initial pose of target tracking is proposed to start subsequent target tracking. Afterwards, a target tracking algorithm is presented, which is via a priori information and the combination of edge features and point features. As well as, an M estimator is introduced to improve the accuracy and robustness of target tracking algorithm. Finally, an experimental platform is constructed to fulfill experiments to validate the effectiveness of proposed method. Also, the experimental results demonstrate that our approach has highly precision and robustness in vary illuminations. Simultaneously, our method could satisfy the real-time requirement of pose measurement for non-cooperative targets.

Fomitopsis pinicola is a common brown-rot fungal species found in northern hemisphere. It grows on many different gymnosperm and angiosperm trees. Recent studies show that it is a species complex; three species from North America and one species from Europe have been recognized in this complex. In the current study, six new species in the Fomitopsis pinicola complex were discovered from East Asia, based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses inferred from the sequence data of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, the second subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2), and the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (TEF). Detailed descriptions of the six new species are provided. Our results also indicates that species of the F. pinicola complex from East Asia usually have limited distribution areas and host specialization.

This article has been retracted. Please see the Retraction Notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-019-1239-3.

The family Boletaceae primarily represents ectomycorrhizal fungi, which play an essential ecological role in forest ecosystems. Although the Boletaceae family has been subject to a relatively global and comprehensive history of work, novel species and genera are continually described. During this investigation in northern China, many specimens of boletoid fungi were collected. Based on the study of their morphology and phylogeny, four new species, Butyriboletus pseudoroseoflavus, Butyriboletus subregius, Tengioboletus subglutinosus, and Suillellus lacrymibasidiatus, are introduced. Morphological evidence and phylogenetic analyses of the single or combined dataset (ITS or 28S, rpb1, rpb2, and tef1) confirmed these to be four new species. The evidence and analyses indicated the new species’ relationships with other species within their genera. Detailed descriptions, color photographs, and line drawings are provided. The species of Butyriboletus in China were compared in detail and the worldwide keys of Tengioboletus and Suillellus were given.

Background/Aims: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative movement disease with a high annual incidence. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that microRNAs play important roles in the pathogenesis of multiple neurological disorders, including PD. This study aims to investigate how microRNA-200a (miR-200a) regulates striatal dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) to affect apoptosis of striatum in rats with PD and to explore the associated mechanism. Methods: After successfully establishing a PD model by 6-hydroxydopamine injections, PD rats were mainly treated with miR-200a mimics, inhibitors, Forskolin or a combination of miR-200a inhibitors and Forskolin. High-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) was employed to detect the levels of dopamine, 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA), and chemistry colorimetric methods were applied to detect the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). A TUNEL assay and immunocytochemical staining were performed to observe apoptosis and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive cells in the striatum. The expression of miR-200a, DRD2, Bad, Bax, Bcl-2, cAMP and PKA was determined by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot assays. Results: In the cellular experiments, after transfection with the inhibitor of miR-200a, decreased levels of Bax, GSH-Px, SOD, dopamine, DOPAC and HVA but increased levels of MDA and Bcl-2 were found along with a reduced apoptosis rate and increased TH-positive cell number. In addition, downregulating miR-200a resulted in lower expression of AKT, cAMP and PKA but higher expression of DRD2 and CREB, indicating that the downregulation of miR-200a increases DRD2 expression, which blocks the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that the inhibition of miR-200a can repress apoptosis in the striatum via inhibition of the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway by upregulating DRD2 expression in PD rats.

Background/Aims: Spinal cord glioma is a highly aggressive malignancy that commonly results in high mortality due to metastasis, high recurrence and limited treatment regimens. This study aims to elucidate the effects of long non-coding RNA LINC01260 (LINC01260) on the proliferation, migration and invasion of spinal cord glioma cells by targeting Caspase recruitment domain family, member 11 (CARD11) via nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling. Methods: The Multi Experiment Matrix (MEM) website was used for target gene prediction, and the DAVID database was used for analysis of the relationship between CARD11 and the NF-κB pathway. In total, 60 cases of glioma tissues and adjacent normal tissues were collected. Human U251 glioma cells were grouped into blank, negative control (NC), LINC01260 vector, CARD11 vector, siRNA-LINC01260, siRNA-CARD11, LINC01260 vector + CARD11 vector and LINC01260 + siRNA-CARD11 groups. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was conducted to verify the target relationship between LINC01260 and CARD11. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot analysis were employed to assess expression of LINC01260, E-cadherin, p53, CARD11, Ki67, N-cadherin, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, NF-κBp65 and NF-κBp50. MTT, flow cytometry, wound-healing and Transwell assays were performed to examine cell viability, the cell cycle, apoptosis, invasion and migration. Tumor growth was assessed through xenografts in nude mice. Results: CARD11 was confirmed to be a target gene of LINC01260 and was found to be involved in regulating the NF-κB pathway. Compared with adjacent normal tissues, glioma tissues showed reduced expression of LINC01260 and elevated expression of CARD11 and genes related to apoptosis, invasion and migration; activation of NF-κB signaling was also observed. In contrast to the blank and NC groups, an elevated number of cells arrested in G1 phase, increased apoptosis and reduced cell proliferation, invasion and number of cells arrested in S and G2 phases, as well as tumor growth were found for the LINC01260 vector and siRNA-CARD11 groups. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that overexpression of LINC01260 inhibits spinal cord glioma cell proliferation, migration and invasion by targeting CARD11 via NF-κB signaling suppression.

Background/Aims: MiRNAs are involved in phenotype modulation of neural cells after peripheral nerve injury. However, the roles of miRNAs on the survival of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons have not yet been fully understood. Methods: In this study, the expression of miR-142-3p was measured in rat DRGs (L4-L6) during the initial 24 hours post sciatic nerve transection by microarray profiling and quantitative PCR. The functional assays including the cell viability, colony formation, cell cycle and apoptosis assays were performed in miR-142-3p mimic or inhibitor transfected cell lines. Results: MiR-142-3p was identified to be siginificantly upregulated in rat DRGs (L4-L6) during the initial 24 hours post sciatic nerve transection. MiR-142-3p mimic enhanced cell viability by promoting cell cycle and inhibiting cell apoptosis in cultured DRG neurons. In addition, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B (CDKN1B, also known as p27/Kip1) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3 (TIMP3) were identified as targets of miR-142-3p. Furthermore, knockdown of CDKN1B or TIMP3 by specific siRNAs could reverse the effect of miR-142-3p. Conclusions: In the conclusion, the results showed that miR-142-3p could promote neuronal cell cycle and inhibit apoptosis at least partially through suppressing CDKN1B and TIMP3 after peripheral nerve injury.

Abstract Background As a form of dementia primarily affecting the elderly, vascular dementia (VD) is characterized by changes in the supply of blood to the brain, resulting in cognitive impairment. The aim of the present study was to explore the effects involved with cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element-binding (CREB)1 gene silencing on cognitive dysfunction through meditation of the protein kinase A (PKA)-CREB signaling pathway in mice with VD. Methods Both the Morris water maze test and the step down test were applied to assess the cognitive function of the mice with VD. Immunohistochemical and TUNEL staining techniques were employed to evaluate the positive expression rates of the protein CREB1 and Cleaved Caspase-3, as well as neuronal apoptosis among hippocampal tissues in a respective manner. Flow cytometry was applied to determine the proliferation index and apoptosis rate of the hippocampal cells among each group. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis methods were applied to detect the expressions of cAMP, PKA and CREB in hippocampal cells. Results Compared with the normal group, all the other groups exhibited impaired cognitive function, reduced cell numbers in the CAI area, positive expressions of CREB1 as well as positive optical density (OD) values. Furthermore, increased Cleaved Caspase-3 positive expression, OD value, proliferation index, apoptosis rate of hippocampal cells and neurons, were observed in the other groups when compared with the normal group, as well as lower expressions of cAMP, PKA and CREB1 and p-CREB1 (the shCREB1–1, H89 and shCREB1–1 + H89 groups < the VD group). Conclusion The key findings of the present study demonstrated that CREB1 gene silencing results in aggravated VD that occurs as a result of inhibiting the PKA-CREB signaling pathway, thus exasperating cognitive dysfunction.

Background/Aims: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease, and recent studies suggested that oxidative stress (OS) contributes to the cascade that leads to dopamine cell degeneration in PD. In this study, we hypothesized that salidroside (SDS) offers protection against OS injury in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) unilaterally lesioned rats as well as the underlying mechanism. Methods: SDS and LiCl (activators of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway) administration alone and in combination with 6-OHDA injection in rats was performed 3 days before modeling for 17 consecutive days to verify the regulatory mechanism by which SDS affects the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway as well as to evaluate the protective effect of SDS on PD in relation to OS in vivo. In addition, pheochromocytoma 12 (PC12) cells were incubated with 10 µmol/L SDS or LiCl alone or with both in combination for 1 h followed by a 24-h incubation with 100 µmol/L 6-OHDA to obtain in vitro data. Results: In vivo the administration of LiCl was found to ameliorate behavioral deficits and dopaminergic neuron loss; increase superoxide dismutase (SOA) activity, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels, and glycogen synthase kinase 3β phosphorylation (GSK-3β-Ser9); reduce malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation in the striatum and the GSK-3β mRNA level; as well as elevate β-catenin and cyclinD1 mRNA and protein levels in 6-OHDA-injected rats. This SDS treatment regimen was found to strengthen the beneficial effect of LiCl on 6-OHDA-injected rats. In vitro LiCl treatment decreased the toxicity of 6-OHDA on PC12 cells and prevented apoptosis. Additionally, LiCl treatment increased SOA activity, GSH-Px levels, and GSK-3β-Ser9 phosphorylation; decreased MDA accumulation in the striatum and GSK-3β mRNA levels; as well as increased β-catenin and cyclinD1 mRNA and protein levels in 6-OHDA-treated PC12 cells. Additionally, SDS treatment increased the protective effect of LiCl on 6-OHDA-treated PC12 cells. Conclusion: Evidence from experimental models suggested that SDS may confer neuroprotection against the neurotoxicity of 6-OHDA in response to OS injury and showed that these beneficial effects may be related to regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Therefore, SDS might be a potential therapeutic agent for treating PD.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are an emerging class of RNA species that may play a critical regulatory role in gene expression. However, the association between lncRNAs and atrial fibrillation (AF) is still not fully understood. In this study, we used RNA sequencing data to identify and quantify the both protein coding genes (PCGs) and lncRNAs. The high enrichment of these up-regulated genes in biological functions concerning response to virus and inflammatory response suggested that chronic viral infection may lead to activated inflammatory pathways, thereby alter the electrophysiology, structure, and autonomic remodeling of the atria. In contrast, the downregulated GO terms were related to the response to saccharides. To identify key lncRNAs involved in AF, we predicted lncRNAs regulating expression of the adjacent PCGs, and characterized biological function of the dysregulated lncRNAs. We found that two lncRNAs, ETF1P2, and AP001053.11, could interact with protein-coding genes (PCGs), which were implicated in AF. In conclusion, we identified key PCGs and lncRNAs, which may be implicated in AF, which not only improves our understanding of the roles of lncRNAs in AF, but also provides potentially functional lncRNAs for AF researchers.

Bacterioplankton play a key role in the global cycling of elements. To characterize the effects of hypoxia on bacterioplankton, bacterial community structure and function were investigated in the Changjiang Estuary. Water samples were collected from three layers (surface, middle, and bottom) at ten sampling sites in the Changjiang Estuary hypoxic and non-hypoxic zones. The community structure was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rDNA genes, and the predictive metagenomic approach was used to investigate the functions of the bacterial community. Co-occurrence networks are constructed to investigate the relationship between different bacterioplankton. The results showed that community composition in hypoxic and non-hypoxic zones were markedly different. The diversity and richness of bacterial communities in the bottom layer (hypoxic zone) were remarkably higher than that of the surface layer (non-hypoxic). In the non-hypoxic zone, it was found that Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Flavobacteriia were the dominant groups while Alphaproteobacteria, SAR406 and Deltaproteobacteria were the dominant groups in the hypoxic zone. From the RDA analysis, it was shown that dissolved oxygen (DO) explained most of the bacterial community variation in the redundancy analysis targeting only hypoxia zones, whereas nutrients and salinity explained most of the variation across all samples in the Changjiang Estuary. To understand the genes involved in nitrogen metabolism, an analysis of the oxidation state of nitrogen was performed. The results showed that the bacterial community in the surface layer (non-hypoxic) had more genes involved in dissimilatory nitrate reduction, assimilatory nitrate reduction, denitrification, and anammox, while that in the middle and bottom layers (hypoxic zone) had more abundant genes associated with nitrogen fixation and nitrification. Co-occurrence networks revealed that microbial assemblages in the middle and bottom layers shared more niche spaces than in the surface layer (non-hypoxic zone). The environmental heterogeneity in the hypoxic and non-hypoxic zones might be important environmental factors that determine the bacterial composition in these two zones.

Purpose: Gastric cancer is mainly treated by gastrectomy, the results of which were unsatisfactory without any adjuvant treatments. This study aimed to examine the performance of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and chemoradiotherapy after surgery in order to acquire the optimal adjuvant treatment.Method: Embase and PubMed were retrieved to conduct a systematic research. Hazard ratios (HR) of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) as outcomes were calculated by synthesizing direct and indirect evidence to evaluate the efficacy of three treatments against surgery alone. The P-score ranking was utilized to rank the therapies. Consistency was assessed by heat plot. Begg's test was performed to evaluate publication bias.Results: A total of 35 randomized controlled studies (RCTs) with 8973 patients were included in our network meta-analysis (NMA). As for efficacy outcomes, OS and PFS of 1, 2, 3, and 5 years, all revealed chemoradiotherapy (CRT) as the best of three adjuvant therapies. Meanwhile, P-score ranking results also displayed that CRT was the optimal regimen. Additionally, radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy (CT) were two alternative options following CRT since RT performed well in short-term survival while CT could improve the long-term survival.Conclusion: CRT was the most recommended therapy to accompany surgery according to our results. However, no analysis about the safety of these three treatments was mentioned in our study. Further studies including safety outcomes were required to draw a more comprehensive conclusion.

Changes in the vascular cylinder of wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. et Zucc) roots under alkaline stress were investigated in an experiment that applied 90 mmol L−1 alkaline stress for 10 d at the five-trifoliate plant growth stage in Huinan County, Jilin Province, China. Root samples were collected and paraffin-cut sections were made, and the root structure was observed under an optical microscope. There were significant changes in the vascular cylinder of G. soja roots under alkaline stress. Root diameter was reduced and the vascular cylinder changed from tetrarch to triarch pattern. Alkaline stress resulted in reduced, diameters of root vessels, and a large amount of residual, alkaline solution was stained cyaneous in vessels. The paratracheal parenchymatous cells of the vessels were large and there was little secondary xylem. Thus, alkaline stress caused structural changes in the vascular cylinder of G. soja.

The infructescence of Platycarya strobilacea is a rich source of ellagic acid (EA) which has shown antioxidant, anticancer and antimutagen properties. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the conditions for ultrasonic extraction of EA from infructescence of P. strobilacea. A central composite design (CCD) was used for experimental design and analysis of the results to obtain the optimal processing parameters. The content of EA in the extracts was determined by HPLC with UV detection. Three independent variables such as ultrasonic extraction temperature (°C), liquid:solid ratio (mL/g), and ultrasonic extraction time (min) were investigated. The experimental data obtained were fitted to a quadratic equation using multiple regression analysis and also analyzed by appropriate statistical methods. The 3-D response surface and the contour plots derived from the mathematical models were applied to determine the optimal conditions. The optimum ultrasonic extraction conditions were as follows: ultrasonic extraction temperature 70 °C, liquid:solid ratio 22.5, and ultrasonic extraction time 40 min. Under these conditions, the experimental percentage value was 1.961%, which is in close agreement with the value predicted by the model.

The inflammasome is a multi-protein complex which when activated regulates caspase-1 activation and IL-1β secretion. Inflammasome activation is mediated by NLR proteins that respond to stimuli. Among NLRs, NLRP3 senses the widest array of stimuli. NLRP3 inflammasome plays an important role in the development of many cancer types. However, Whether NLRP3 inflammasome plays an important role in the process of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still unknown. Here, the anticancer effect of luteoloside, a naturally occurring flavonoid isolated from the medicinal plant Gentiana macrophylla, against HCC cells and the underlying mechanisms were investigated. Luteoloside significantly inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Live-cell imaging and transwell assays showed that the migration and invasive capacities of HCC cells, which were treated with luteoloside, were significantly inhibited compared with the control cells. The inhibitory effect of luteoloside on metastasis was also observed in vivo in male BALB/c-nu/nu mouse lung metastasis model. Further studies showed that luteoloside could significantly reduce the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. The decreased levels of ROS induced by luteoloside was accompanied by decrease in expression of NLRP3 inflammasome resulting in decrease in proteolytic cleavage of caspase-1. Inactivation of caspase-1 by luteoloside resulted in inhibition of IL-1β. Thus, luteoloside exerts its inhibitory effect on proliferation, invasion and metastasis of HCC cells through inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome. Our results indicate that luteoloside can be a potential therapeutic agent not only as an adjuvant therapy for HCC, but also, in the control and prevention of metastatic HCC.

The aim of our study is to characterize the venous vasculatures of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using a multi-breath-hold two-dimensional (2D) susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) in comparison with conventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) sequences. Twenty-nine patients with pathologically confirmed HCC underwent MR examination at a 3.0 T scanner. The number of venous vascularity in or around the lesion was counted and the image quality was subjectively evaluated by two experienced radiologists independently based on four image sets: 1) SWI, 2) T1-weighted sequence, 3) T2-weighted sequence, and 4) T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) sequence. Of the 29 patients, a total of 33 liver lesions were detected by both SWI and conventional MR sequences. In the evaluation of the conspicuity of venous vascularity, a mean of 10.7 tumor venous vessels per mass was detected by the SWI and 3.9 tumor vasculatures were detected by T1-weighted DCE (P