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Aims: The dysregulation of TGF‐β signaling is a crucial pathophysiological process in tumorigenesis and progression. LncRNAs have diverse biological functions and are significant participants in the regulation of tumor signaling pathways. However, the clinical value of lncRNAs related to TGF‐β signaling in glioma is currently unclear. Methods: Data on glioma's RNA‐seq transcriptome, somatic mutation, DNA methylation data, and clinicopathological information were derived from the CGGA and TCGA databases. A prognostic lncRNA signature was constructed by Cox and LASSO regression analyses. TIMER2.0 database was utilized to deduce immune infiltration characteristics. "ELMER v.2" was used to reconstruct TF‐methylation‐gene regulatory network. Immunotherapy and chemotherapy response predictions were implemented by the TIDE algorithm and GDSC database, respectively. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to verify the results and clarify the regulatory mechanism of lncRNA. Results: In glioma, a TGF‐β signaling‐related 15‐lncRNA signature was constructed, including AC010173.1, HOXA‐AS2, AC074286.1, AL592424.1, DRAIC, HOXC13‐AS, AC007938.1, AC010729.1, AC013472.3, AC093895.1, AC131097.4, AL606970.4, HOXC‐AS1, AGAP2‐AS1, and AC002456.1. This signature proved to be a reliable prognostic tool, with high risk indicating an unfavorable prognosis and being linked to malignant clinicopathological and genomic mutation traits. Risk levels were associated with different immune infiltration landscapes, where high risk was indicative of high levels of macrophage infiltration. In addition, high risk also suggested better immunotherapy and chemotherapy response. cg05987823 was an important methylation site in glioma progression, and AP‐1 transcription factor family participated in the regulation of signature lncRNA expression. AGAP2‐AS1 knockdown in in vitro and in vivo experiments inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells, as well as the growth of glioma, by downregulating the expression levels of NF‐κB and ERK 1/2 in the TGF‐β signaling pathway. Conclusions: A prognostic lncRNA signature of TGF‐β signaling was established in glioma, which can be used for prognostic judgment, immune infiltration status inference, and immunotherapy response prediction. AGAP2‐AS1 plays an important role in glioma progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic and magnetocaloric properties were studied in a stuffed honeycomb polycrystalline antiferromagnet GdInO3. The onset temperature of antiferromagnetic ordering was observed at ∼ 2.1 K. Negligible thermal and magnetic hystereses suggest a reversible magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in the GdInO3 compound. In the magnetic field changes of 0 kOeâ€"50 kOe and 0 kOeâ€"70 kOe, the maximum magnetic entropy change values are 9.65 J/kgâ‹...K and 18.37 J/kgâ‹...K, respectively, near the liquid helium temperature, with the corresponding relative cooling power values of 115.01 J/kg and 211.31 J/kg. The MCE investigation of the polycrystalline GdInO3 serves to illuminate more exotic properties in this frustrated stuffed honeycomb magnetic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic and magnetocaloric properties were studied in a stuffed honeycomb polycrystalline antiferromagnet GdInO3. The onset temperature of antiferromagnetic ordering was observed at ∼ 2.1 K. Negligible thermal and magnetic hystereses suggest a reversible magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in the GdInO3 compound. In the magnetic field changes of 0 kOeâ€"50 kOe and 0 kOeâ€"70 kOe, the maximum magnetic entropy change values are 9.65 J/kgâ‹...K and 18.37 J/kgâ‹...K, respectively, near the liquid helium temperature, with the corresponding relative cooling power values of 115.01 J/kg and 211.31 J/kg. The MCE investigation of the polycrystalline GdInO3 serves to illuminate more exotic properties in this frustrated stuffed honeycomb magnetic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to compare the characteristics and the differences in carbon catabolic diversity of air samples collected from five locations that around the edge of Taklamakan desert. The characteristics and the differences of carbon metabolic profiles were detected by using the BIOLOG micro plate (BIOLOG EcoPlate). The results showed that the average well color development (AWCD) curve of all five samples did not reach clear saturation during the incubation time (10 days), but differences among them were significant. The highest AWCD value appeared in Shache and the lowest was in Hotan, which were 0.24 and 0.1, respectively. Carbon utilization showed that all samples exhibited high level of polymer, carbohydrates, amino acids and carboxylic acid; however, amine and the phenol compound were the lowest. Principal components analysis (PCA) indicated that twenty categories of carbon significantly related to PC1 and twelve categories for PC2. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed these five areas could be divided into 2 clusters: (1) Hotan, Pishan, (2) Shache, Luntai, Ulugqat. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that those community functional diversities were highly affected by some environmental factors, such as wind speed, altitude, humidity. Further investigation by correlation analysis revealed that the microbial communities using single carbon source were significantly affected by abiotic factors, such as the utilization of beta-methyl-D-glucoside, D-galacturonic acid and putrescine had significantly positive correlation (P < 0.05) with latitude; 2-hydroxy benzoic acid and alpha-D-lactose significantly related to wind speed (P < 0.05); and D-glucosaminic acid was positive with air pressure, but it negatively correlated with altitude (P < 0.05). In conclusion,the carbon sources provided by BIOLOG EcoPlate were utilized slowly by air microbial communities; and the characteristics of the air community carbon catabolic along the edge of the Taklamakan desert revealed regional feature, which may be affected by environmental factors.

Non-progressive congenital myopathy is a group of muscle diseases occurring at birth or during teenage years. A number of new reports of congenital myopathy, such as homogeneous bodies myopathy, muscle quality control myopathy and type 1 fiber predominance have recently been reported, but they lack of sufficient quantity and constant clinico-pathologic manifestations. This paper reports two cases of congenital myopathy with type 1 fiber predominance confirmed by muscle biopsy. The clinical manifestations of the two children (a 4.5-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy) included non-progressive symptoms of muscle weakness, skeletal deformities and other clinical features of congenital myopathy. The physical examinations showed a long face or figure and funnel chest or kyphosis/scoliosis, high palatal arch and wing-like shoulder. Serum levels of creatine kinase were normal but slightly elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase levels were noted in the two children. The skeletal muscle biopsy by ATPase staining showed that type 1 fibers accounted for more than 90% of the total number of muscle fibers. No other abnormal pathological changes, such as central cores, muscle tube and central nuclei, were found in the two children.

Objective: to explore whether 6 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within SMAD4 gene were involved in the genetic susceptibility of coal worker's pneumoconiosis (CWP) by case-control study., Methods: this study consisted of 438 CWP patients and 448 controls. All study subjects were Han Chinese, underground coal miners and recruited from coal mines of Xuzhou Mining Business Group Co Ltd. The 5 ml venous blood sample was obtained from all studied subjects and extracted genome DNA from the isolated leucocytes. Six SNPs were selected from the HapMap and detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP)., Results: the single SNP analyses showed that the genotype frequencies of SMAD4 (rs10502913) was significantly different from those in controls (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that SMAD4 (rs10502913) AA genotype was associated with increased risk of CWP (adjusted OR = 1.63, 95%CI = 1.00 - 2.69, P = 0.05) and this was evident among subgroups of those smoker (adjusted OR = 2.28, 95%CI = 1.09 ∼ 4.80, P < 0.05) and cases with stage I (adjusted OR = 2.42, 95%CI = 1.41 ∼ 4.14, P < 0.01). The SMAD4 (rs9304407) GG genotype was associated with an decreased risk of CWP (adjusted OR = 0.65, 95%CI = 0.43 ∼ 0.98, P < 0.05) and the further stratification analysis showed that the risk of CWP was decreased in nonsmoking groups., Conclusions: our results suggest that individuals with the SMAD4 (rs10502913) AA genotype was associated with an increased risk of CWP. However, carriers of SMAD4 (rs9304407) GG genotype have a protective effect on the developing CWP.