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The edible fungi have both edible and medicinal functions, in which terpenoids are one of the most important active ingredients. Terpenoids possess a wide range of biological activities and show great potential in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. In this review, the diverse biological activities of edible fungi terpenoids were summarized with emphasis on the mechanism of anti-cancer and anti-inflammation. Subsequently, this review focuses on advances in knowledge and understanding of the biosynthesis of terpenoids in edible fungi, especially in the generation of sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, and triterpenes. This paper is aim to provide an overview of biological functions and biosynthesis developed for utilizing the terpenoids in edible fungi.

OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate whether Chinese endoscopists without narrow-band imaging (NBI) experiences could achieve high accuracy in the real-time diagnosis of colorectal polyps using NBI International Colorectal Endoscopic (NICE) classification after web-based training. METHODS Altogether 15 endoscopists from five centers with no NBI experiences followed a short, web-based training program on the NICE classification and took web-based test. Their performances were compared with 15 matched experienced endoscopists with no NBI experience who received no NBI training. These 15 trained endoscopists then made real-time diagnoses of colorectal neoplasia. A logistic regression was used to assess potential predictors of diagnostic performance. RESULTS Compared with those who received no training, trained endoscopists achieved comparable overall accuracy (85.3% vs 83.1%, P = 0.408) and accuracy at a high-confidence level (87.0% vs 86.0%, P = 0.670), but had a higher confidence rate (86.1% vs 83.7%, P = 0.004) for the diagnosis of neoplasia. Real-time diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were 94.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 91.5%-96.2%), 96.2% (95% CI 93.4%-97.9%) and 85.3% (95% CI 74.8%-92.1%) at high-confidence level. The high-confidence level was the strongest predictor of real-time diagnostic accuracy (odds ratio 12.66, P

In this paper, we investigate the relationships between fixed points of meromorphic functions, and their higher order differences and shifts, and generalize the case of fixed points into the more general case for first order difference and shift. Concretely, some estimates on the order and the exponents of convergence of special points of meromorphic functions and their differences and shifts are obtained.

The catalytic activities of small-pore Cu-CHA and large-pore Cu-BEA catalysts for the selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 were measured at a very high flow rate. Cu-CHA clearly exhibited much higher intrinsic SCR activity and lower N2O selectivity. In situ DRIFT spectra were recorded during the adsorption and desorption following NO and (NO + O2) exposure to fully oxidized samples in a flow cell. The results are in agreement with what we have reported previously based on in situ transmission IR studies of partially reduced samples. Both suggest that different SCR reaction pathways might exist on these two catalysts and that NO+ could be an important reaction intermediate for Cu-CHA. Detailed IR studies with various isotopically labeled gas mixtures of (NO + O2), (15NO + O2), (NO + 18O2) and (15N18O + O2) were conducted to understand the origin of the surface adsorption complexes on Cu-CHA. Formation of NO+ was not the consequence of a simple charge transfer reaction, NO + Cu2+ = NO+ + Cu+. Instead, O2 was found to be essential in changing the oxidation state of N from +2 to +3 although it did not participate in new N O bond formation. The majority of the adsorbed NO+ maintained its isotopic origin of the feed gas.

Backgrounds: Retinal vascular dysfunction is an important factor to the progression of diabetic retinopathy(DR). Multiple abnormal microRNAs (miRNAs) contributes to the pathogenesis of vascular dysfunction. However, the role and underlying mechanism of miR-424 in retinal vascular endothelial cells dysfunction under hyperglycemia stress remain obscure. Methods: Rhesus macaque choroid retinal endothelial cell line (RF/6A) cells were cultured under normal glucose (NG) and high glucose (HG) condition. qPCR was used to quantify the mRNA expression of miR-424 and Cyclin D1 (CCND1) and western blot was applied to detect the protein amount of CCND1. RF/6A cells were transfected with miR-424 mimics, miR-424 inhibitor, miR-424 inhibitor+ siRNA-CCND1 or with vehicle molecules. The cell proliferation, wound healing, tube formation ability and cell cycle were evaluated by MTT assay, scratch wound healing assay, tube formation assay and flow cytometric analysis, respectively. Interaction between miR-424 and CCND1 was predicted with bioinformatics and confirmed by Dual Luciferase Reporter Analysis.Results: Compared with NG, miR-424 was up-regulated and cell phenotype such as proliferation, wound healing and tube formation were inhibited in HG. The phenotypes can be reversed by inverting miR-424 expression under different conditions. CCND1 was confirmed as one of target genes of miR-424 and it can be modulated at transcriptional or translation level. Manipulation of silencing CCND1 can reverse the influences, such as promotion in proliferation, scratch wound tube formation and cell cycle, induced by transfecting miR-424 inhibitor into RF/6A cells under HG. Conclusions: Overexpression of miR-424 in RF/6A cells under HG stress significantly inhibited the cell function such as cell proliferation, wound healing, tube formation through suppressing CCND1 and blocking cell cycle.

Cordyceps militaris carotenoids are widely used as food additives, animal feed supplements, and so on. However, the biosynthetic pathway of carotenoids in C. militaris is still obscure. In this paper, changes of mycelial morphology and carotenoid accumulation of C. militaris were investigated under oxidative (KMnO4) and osmotic stress (NaCl). Subsequently, qRT-PCR was employed to detect the expression levels of genes related to carotenogenesis to explore the mechanism of adaptation to abiotic stress. When the concentrations of KMnO4 and NaCl were respectively 0.4 g/L and 2 g/L, carotenoid accumulation reached a maximum of 6616.82 ± 666.43 μg/g and 6416.77 ± 537.02 μg/g. Under the oxidative stress condition of KMnO4, the expressions of psy and hsp70 increased significantly compared with control. Besides, the genes fus3 and hog1 were significantly enriched in the MAPK signal pathway. Compared with the control group, there was no significant difference in expression of psy in the NaCl group. Moreover, the accumulation of triacylglycerols may contribute significantly to the increase in carotenoid accumulation. The increased accumulation of antioxidant carotenoids induced under environmental stress is to resist oxidative conditions. Fus3 and Hog1 signaling in the MAPK pathway was activated and subsequently take effects on the resistance of oxidative condition by regulating related metabolic processes. C. militaris resist the stress of high oxygen by producing a large amount of glycerol and carotenoids when this fungus is cultured in a saline environment for a long time.

Among arthropod vectors, ticks transmit the most diverse human and animal pathogens, leading to an increasing number of new challenges worldwide. Here we sequenced and assembled high-quality genomes of six ixodid tick species and further resequenced 678 tick specimens to understand three key aspects of ticks: genetic diversity, population structure, and pathogen distribution. We explored the genetic basis common to ticks, including heme and hemoglobin digestion, iron metabolism, and reactive oxygen species, and unveiled for the first time that genetic structure and pathogen composition in different tick species are mainly shaped by ecological and geographic factors. We further identified species-specific determinants associated with different host ranges, life cycles, and distributions. The findings of this study are an invaluable resource for research and control of ticks and tick-borne diseases.

Background Currently, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide and become a global health concern. Here, we report a familial cluster of COVID-19 infection in a northern Chinese region and share our local experience. Methods A familial cluster of six patients infected with severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was included for analysis. The demographic data, clinical features, laboratory examinations, and epidemiological characteristics of enrolled cases were collected and analyzed. Results Two family members (Cases 1 and 2) had Hubei exposure history and were admitted to the hospital with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19; eight familial members who had contact with them during the incubation period were isolated in a hospital. Finally, the condition of four members (Cases 3, 4, 5, and 6) was as follows. Case 3 had negative SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR results but was suspected to have COVID-19 because of radiographic abnormalities. Cases 4 and 5 developed COVID-19. Due to positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR results, Case 6 was considered an asymptomatic carrier. In addition, four close contacts did not have evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Conclusions Our findings suggest that COVID-19 has infectivity during the incubation period and preventive quarantine is effective for controlling an outbreak of COVID-19 infection.

The aim of the present study was to explore the clinical efficacy and safety of different methods of calcium supplementation in osteoporosis (OP). Patients with OP were divided into four groups, including the control, oral calcium supplementation, intravenous calcium supplementation and combined calcium supplementation groups. The duration of the calcium supplementation was 3-6 years. Medical records were collected and examined along with demographic data, the incidence of certain diseases and adverse reactions. All subjects in the three treatment groups exhibited statistically significant reductions in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels, visual analog score (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) compared with the respective pre-treatment values. Furthermore, compared with prior to treatment, the lumbar and hip bone mineral density (BMD) of patients receiving intravenous calcium supplementation was significantly increased. In addition, after treatment, the lumbar and hip BMD was significantly increased, whereas ALP levels, VAS and ODI were significantly decreased in the oral calcium supplementation group compared with the control group. Also, compared with the control and oral calcium supplementation groups, the BMD was significantly increased, whereas ALP, VAS, ODI, the rate of infection and tooth loss, the incidence of fragility fractures, joint replacement surgery, arrhythmia, lumbar disc herniation and cerebral infarction were significantly decreased in the two groups treated with intravenous calcium supplementation. The results of the present study may enable a better understanding of the effectiveness and safety of the different methods for supplementing calcium in OP.

Background Cell based therapy has been heralded as a novel, promising therapeutic strategy for cardiovascular diseases including pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, the low survival rate after transplantation due to cell death via anoikis is a major obstacle in stem cell therapy. Cells adhesion via Integrin alpha5beta1 (ITGA5B1) has a tendency to exert higher maximum forces. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential protective effect of ITGA5B1 on rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) from anoikis. Methods Mononuclear cells were isolated by density gradient centrifugation with Ficoll, and rBMSCs cell surface markers were evaluated by flow cytometry. Osteogenic and adipocyte differentiation was determined by Alizarin Red S and Oil Red O staining respectively. The expression of Integrin A5 (ITGA5), Integrin B1 (ITGB1), eNOS and actived-caspase-3 mRNA or protein was confirmed by qPCR and western-blot. Cell adhesion, cell viability, anoikis and the migration of rBMSCs were also evaluated. Nitric oxide (NO) production was detected by the greiss assay. Results Co-infected with Integrin A5 and B1 lentivirus to rBMSCs increased ITGA5 and ITGB1 mRNA and protein expression. ITGA5B1 enhanced the cell adhesion, cell viability, cell migration and NO production but reduced the cell anoikis in rBMSCs/ITGA5B1 groups. Conclusion Transduction of rat rBMSCs with ITGA5B1 lentivirus could prevent cell anoikis and increase NO production.

The lack of axonal regeneration is the major cause of vision loss after optic nerve injury in adult mammals. Activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway has been shown to enhance the intrinsic growth capacity of neurons and to facilitate axonal regeneration in the central nervous system after injury. The deletion of the mTOR negative regulator phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) enhances regeneration of adult corticospinal neurons and ganglion cells. In the present study, we used a tyrosine-mutated (Y444F) AAV2 vector to efficiently express a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) for silencing PTEN expression in retinal ganglion cells. We evaluated cell survival and axonal regeneration in a rat model of optic nerve axotomy. The rats received an intravitreal injection of wildtype AAV2 or Y444F mutant AAV2 (both carrying shRNA to PTEN) 4 weeks before optic nerve axotomy. Compared with the wildtype AAV2 vector, the Y444F mutant AAV2 vector enhanced retinal ganglia cell survival and stimulated axonal regeneration to a greater extent 6 weeks after axotomy. Moreover, post-axotomy injection of the Y444F AAV2 vector expressing the shRNA to PTEN rescued ~19% of retinal ganglion cells and induced axons to regenerate near to the optic chiasm. Taken together, our results demonstrate that PTEN knockdown with the Y444F AAV2 vector promotes retinal ganglion cell survival and stimulates long-distance axonal regeneration after optic nerve axotomy. Therefore, the Y444F AAV2 vector might be a promising gene therapy tool for treating optic nerve injury.

Background: Stem and progenitor cell populations sequentially accumulate and lead to cancer through various genetic/epigenetic alterations. The stemness and its association with the tumor microenvironment (TME) have not been studied in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Methods: Molecular data from Gene Expression Omnibus of 702 DLBCL patients who received cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone combined with rituximab (R-CHOP) were analyzed. A one-class logistic regression (OCLR) machine-learning algorithm was applied to obtain a stemness index (mRNAsi) for each patient and to build molecular stemness-associated genetic signature. A novel stemness molecular signature was established via artificial intelligence to evaluate therapeutic response and prognosis in DLBCL. The significance between the stemness signature and TME cell-infiltrating characteristics was dissected. Results: mRNAsi was biologically significant among DLBCL subtypes and was associated with overall survival (OS). Based on refined 12 stemness-related genes, the stemness molecular signature was able to classify DLBCL patients into high- and low-risk groups. The signature could accurately predict OS and provide a clinically-significant risk stratification in distinguishing DLBCL patients who benefitted from R-CHOP therapy from those with poor outcomes. TME analysis revealed negative correlation between DLBCL stemness origin and features of infiltrating immune cells. Two additional immunotherapy cohorts validated above discoveries in which patients with low-risk score showed significant clinical benefits from PD1/PD-L1 blockade. Conclusions: mRNAsi and stemness molecular signature as new prognostic algorithm was valuable to quantify DLBCL stemness and therapeutic resistance. Such molecular signature and stemness prediction model represent a solid foundation of biologic features for cancer stem cell therapy and immunotherapy in DLBCL. A. survival of patients with high and low mRNAsi. B. According to the stemness molecular signature, two cohorts were defined: high-risk and low-risk cohort. overall survival (OS) in 702 DLBCL patients in the training set. C. AUC for OS at 3 and 5 years in the training cohort to assess prognostic accuracy. D. Expression of 12 stemness signature genes between the germinal B cell and non-germinal B cell subtypes of the training cohort. E. Expression of 12 stemness signature genes between patients at early and advanced stages in the training cohort. F. Proportion of patients with different therapy responses in the high- and low-risk groups of the GSE31312 cohort. G. According to the stratification of the therapy responses, the survival analysis of DLBCL patients. H-I. Survival plots showing the stratification of risk model for each of the individual responses to R-CHOP. J. GSVA enrichment analysis showing the activation states of biological pathways in high- and low-risk groups. K. Abundance of TME-infiltrating cells between high- and low-risk groups. L. Component differences of immune cells between low-risk and high-risk samples analyzed by the CIBERSORT algorithm. M. Based on multivariate Cox regression analysis, riskScore, age, subtype, stage, ECOG, and extranodal sites were integrated to construct a nomogram for predicting patients' prognosis. N-O. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to evaluate the accuracy of the OS nomogram. P-Q. Calibration curves for 3-year OS nomogram model in the training cohort (P), GSE31312 cohort (Q). R. Survival analyses for low- (172 cases) and high- (176 cases) riskScore patient groups in the anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy cohort (IMvigor210 cohort). S. Proportion of patients with different therapy responses in the high- and low-risk groups of the IMvigor210 cohort. T. Difference in riskScore among different clinical response groups in the anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy cohort. U. Kaplan-Meier survival curve according to stratification of the responses to anti-PD-L1 therapy. V. Correlation between each stemness molecular signature gene and each TME infiltration cell type using Pearson correlation analyses. W. Difference in ImmuneScore between high and low ODC1 expression groups. X. Differences in immune-activated pathways between the high and low ODC1 expression groups. Y. Survival analyses for patients with low or high ODC1 expression in the anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy cohort. Figure Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

OBJECTIVE: To study the association of suicidal ideation with family environment and psychological resilience in adolescents. METHODS: Cluster sampling was used to perform an investigation among 3 230 junior and senior high school students in Xinxiang of Henan Province, China December 2014. A general social information questionnaire, 11-Item Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale(KADS-11), Family Environment Scale-Chinese Version (FES-CV) and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC; Chinese version) were used for evaluation. A multivariate logistic regression analysis and a case-control study were used to investigate the association of suicidal ideation with family environment and psychological resilience in adolescents. RESULTS: A total of 2 960 usable questionnaires were received. Among the 2 960 adolescents, 247 (8.50%) had suicidal ideation (98 boys and 149 girls). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjustment for age and sex, single-parent/remarried family was associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation (OR=2.655). Suicidal ideation in boys was negatively correlated with family cohesion (OR=0.750, P < 0.001) and organization (OR=0.855, P=0.036) and was positively correlated with family conflict (OR=1.159, P=0.017). Suicidal ideation in girls were negatively correlated with family cohesion (OR=0.771, P < 0.001), emotional expression (OR=0.815, P=0.001) and intellectual-cultural orientation (OR=0.915, P=0.037). The adolescents with suicidal ideation had a significantly lower total score of psychological resilience than those without suicidal ideation (P < 0.05). Compared with those without suicidal ideation, the adolescents with suicidal ideation had significantly lower scores on 4 factors of the CD-RISC (ability, tolerance of negative emotions, acceptance of changes and control) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Family cohesion is a protective factor against suicidal ideation in adolescents. Family organization in boys and family emotional expression in girls are associated with a decreased risk of suicidal ideation. Enhanced psychological resilience may help to reduce the incidence of suicide ideation in adolescents.

Background/Objectives Carbonic anhydrase 1 (CA1)/kininogen and selenoprotein W (SelW)/14-3-3η signal transduction orchestrate oxidative stress, which can also be regulated by nitric oxide (NO). The mutated caveolin-1 (Cav-1F92A) gene may enhance NO production. This study explored the effect of Cav-1F92A-modified rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSC/Cav-1F92A) on oxidative stress regulation through CA1/kininogen and SelW/14-3-3η signal transduction in a rat model of monocrotaline- (MCT-) induced pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Method PAH was induced in rats through the subcutaneous injection of MCT. Next, rBMSC/Vector (negative control), rBMSC/Cav-1, rBMSC/Cav-1F92A, or rBMSC/Cav-1F92A+L-NAME were administered to the rats. Changes in pulmonary hemodynamic and vascular morphometry and oxidative stress levels were evaluated. CA1/kininogen and SelW/14-3-3η signal transduction, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) dimerization, and eNOS/NO/sGC/cGMP pathway changes were determined through real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, or immunohistochemical analyses. Results In MCT-induced PAH rats, rBMSC/Cav-1F92A treatment reduced right ventricular systolic pressure, vascular stenosis, and oxidative stress; downregulated CA1/kininogen signal transduction; upregulated SelW/14-3-3η signal transduction; and reactivated the NO pathway. Conclusions In a rat model of MCT-induced PAH, rBMSC/Cav-1F92A reduced oxidative stress by regulating CA1/kininogen and SelW/14-3-3η signal transduction.

Background/Objectives. Carbonic anhydrase 1 (CA1)/kininogen and selenoprotein W (SelW)/14-3-3η signal transduction orchestrate oxidative stress, which can also be regulated by nitric oxide (NO). The mutated caveolin-1 (Cav-1F92A) gene may enhance NO production. This study explored the effect of Cav-1F92A-modified rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSC/Cav-1F92A) on oxidative stress regulation through CA1/kininogen and SelW/14-3-3η signal transduction in a rat model of monocrotaline- (MCT-) induced pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Method. PAH was induced in rats through the subcutaneous injection of MCT. Next, rBMSC/Vector (negative control), rBMSC/Cav-1, rBMSC/Cav-1F92A, or rBMSC/Cav-1F92A+L-NAME were administered to the rats. Changes in pulmonary hemodynamic and vascular morphometry and oxidative stress levels were evaluated. CA1/kininogen and SelW/14-3-3η signal transduction, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) dimerization, and eNOS/NO/sGC/cGMP pathway changes were determined through real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, or immunohistochemical analyses. Results. In MCT-induced PAH rats, rBMSC/Cav-1F92A treatment reduced right ventricular systolic pressure, vascular stenosis, and oxidative stress; downregulated CA1/kininogen signal transduction; upregulated SelW/14-3-3η signal transduction; and reactivated the NO pathway. Conclusions. In a rat model of MCT-induced PAH, rBMSC/Cav-1F92A reduced oxidative stress by regulating CA1/kininogen and SelW/14-3-3η signal transduction.

For traditional search methods affected by the index build time, resulting in poor search results, a multi-mode retrieval method for big data of economic time series based on machine learning theory is proposed. According to the good extensibility of big data, construct a retrieval model and use binary data conversion methods to match big data. The binary sequence is defined by the relationship between different data, the similarity of data features is calculated, and the candidate candidate sequence is filtered. Data with no similar features are filtered, and each sub-sequence set matching the pattern is given by similarity size. After the threshold is added, on the basis of slightly reducing the filtering amplitude, the calculation of the similarity matching in the big data retrieval process is greatly reduced, and combined with the fixed interval sampling matching method to determine the characteristics of big data, thereby realizing the machine learning theory. The multi-mode retrieval method for big data of economic time series based on machine learning theory retrieval. According to the experimental comparison results, the retrieval efficiency of the method can reach 95%, which provides effective help for large-scale retrieval of massive data.

Pd supported on various zeolites has been found to be able to adsorb NO at temperatures below 200 °C with high storage efficiency and capacities in a gas feed which simulate diesel engine exhaust conditions. Highly dispersed Pd at the exchange sites of the zeolites are believed to be the active site for the low temperature NO storage. Different framework structures of the zeolites significantly affect not only the NO storage capacity but also the NOx desorption temperature. These materials show high potential for low temperature NOx emission control.

The comparative activities of a small-pore Cu-CHA and a large-pore Cu-BEA catalyst for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH3, and for the oxidation of NO to NO2 and the subsequent formation of surface nitrates were investigated. Although both catalysts are highly active in SCR reactions, they exhibit very low NO oxidation activity. Furthermore, Cu-CHA is even less active than Cu-BEA in catalyzing NO oxidation but is clearly more active for SCR reactions. Temperature-programed desorption (TPD) experiments following the adsorption of (NO2 + NO + O2) with different NO2:NO ratios reveal that the poor NO oxidation activity of the two catalysts is not due to the formation of stable surface nitrates. On the contrary, NO is found to reduce and decompose the surface nitrates on both catalysts. To monitor the reaction pathways, isotope exchange experiments were conducted by using 15NO to react with 14N-nitrate covered catalyst surfaces. The evolution of FTIR spectra during the isotope exchange process demonstrates that 14N-nitrates are simply displaced with no formation of 15N-nitrates on the Cu-CHA sample, which is clearly different from that observed on the Cu-BEA sample where formation of 15N-nitrates is apparent. The results suggest that the formal oxidation state of N during the NO oxidation on Cu-CHA mainly proceeds from its original +2 to a +3 oxidation state, whereas reaching a higher oxidation state for N, such as +4 or +5, is possible on Cu-BEA.

Ticks are the vectors of various pathogens, threatening human health and animal production across the globe. Here, for the first time we detected Ricketssia spp., Borrelia spp. and protozoan in ticks from Poyang Lake region in Ji- angxi Province of eastern China. In 3 habitat categories and on 12 host species, 311 ticks from 11 species were collected. Haemaphysalis longicornis was the predominant species, accounting for 55.63%, followed by Rhipicephalus microplus, Haemaphysalis flava and Ixodes granulatus. Of the collected ticks, 7.07% were positive for tick-borne pathogens, and H. longicornis and H. flava were found to be co-infected with Ricketssia spp. and protozoan. H. flava was the most detected positive for tick-borne pathogens, whereas H. longicornis had the lowest infection rate, and the difference in infection rates between tick species was significant (χ2=61.24, Plt;0.001). Furthermore, adult ticks demonstrated remarkably greater infection rate than immature ticks (χ2=10.12, P=0.018), meanwhile ticks on Erinaceidae showed significantly higher positivity than ticks collected on other host species (χ2=108.44, Plt;0.001). Genetic fragment sequencing and analyses showed at least 4 pathogen species presence in ticks, namely Borrelia yangtzensis, Rickettsia slovaca or Rickettsia raoultii related genospecies, Babesia vogeli and Hepatozoon canis or Hepatozoon felis related genospecies. The finding indicates that the abundant ticks can carry diverse pathogens in Poyang Lake region, and pathogen infection is highly related to species, vertebrate hosts and life stages of ticks.

Background G protein-coupled receptors (GPR) are involved in a wide range of physiological processes, some of which, however, can be hijacked by tumor cells. Over-expression of G protein-coupled receptors 137 (GPR137) are associated with the growth of tumor cells, but under-expression of GPR137 has shown to inhibit cell proliferation in several different types of cancers. Currently, the role of GPR137 in leukemia is still unclear. In this study, the effect of under-expression of GPR137 on inhibiting the proliferation of leukemia cells is explored, to identify a novel target for leukemia treatment. Materials and methods In this study, lentivirus-mediated RNA interference (RNAi) was employed to investigate the role of GPR137 in two leukemia cell lines K562 and HL60. The gene expression of GPR137 was analyzed by RT-PCR and its protein expression was determined by Western blot. Flow cytometry and Annexin V/7-AAD Apoptosis Detection Kit was used respectively in cell cycle and apoptosis analysis. The protein expression of CyclinD1, CDK4, BCL-2 and caspase-3 were also determined. Results There was high level of constitutive expression of GPR137 in leukemia cancer cell lines K562 and HL60. Lentivirus-mediated RNAi could significantly down-regulate gene and protein expression of GPR137 in both cell lines. Down regulation of GPR137 was associated with the reduction in proliferation rate and colony forming capacity. In addition, down regulation of GPR137 arrested cells in the G0/G1 phase of cell cycle and induced apoptosis in both leukemia cell lines K562 and HL60. Conclusions The expression of GPR137 is associated with the proliferation of leukemia cell lines. Down regulation of GPR137 could inhibit proliferation and promote apoptosis in leukemia cells, which makes it a promising bio-marker and therapeutic target to treat patients with leukemia.

A comparative study was carried out on a small-pore Cu-CHA and a large-pore Cu-BEA zeolite catalyst to understand the lower N 2 O formation on small-pore zeolite supported Cu catalysts in the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with NH 3 . On both catalysts, the N 2 O yield increases with an increase in the NO 2 /NOx ratios of the feed gas, suggesting N 2 O formation via the decomposition of NH 4 NO 3 . Temperature-programmed desorption experiments reveal that NH 4 NO 3 is more stable on Cu-CHA than on Cu-BEA. In situ FTIR spectra following stepwise (NO 2 + O 2 ) and ( 15 NO + NH 3 + O 2 ) adsorption and reaction, and product distribution analysis using isotope-labeled reactants, unambiguously prove that surface nitrate groups are essential for the formation of NH 4 NO 3 . Furthermore, Cu-CHA is shown to be considerably less active than Cu-BEA in catalyzing NO oxidation and the subsequent formation of surface nitrate groups. Both factors, i.e., (1) the higher thermal stability of NH 4 NO 3 on Cu-CHA, and (2) the lower activity for this catalyst to catalyze NO oxidation and the subsequent formation of surface nitrates, likely contribute to the higher SCR selectivity with less N 2 O formation on this catalyst as compared to Cu-BEA. The latter is determined as the primary reason since surface nitrates are the source that leads to the formation of NH 4 NO 3 on the catalysts.

Collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 (Cthrc1) is a secreted protein that has been observed to lead to poorer prognosis by inducing the invasion and metastasis in different tumors; however, it has not been demonstrated that Cthrc1 is involved in tumor angiogenesis. Immunohistochemical staining of Cthrc1 and CD31 in gastrointestinal stromal tumor tissue demonstrated that Cthrc1 is associated with microvascular density. Overexpression of Cthrc1 protein may alter the properties of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), including migration, invasion, tubule formation and aortic ring sprouting. Small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of Cthrc1 was performed to verify the opposite effects. Migration and tubule formation induced by Cthrc1 overexpression in HUVECs was attenuated by inhibition of phosphorylation in extracellular-signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathways. The pro-angiogenic effect of Cthcr1 is associated with increased phosphorylation of ERK and JNK in HUVECs. Silencing the expression of Cthrc1 protein may be a promising strategy to inhibit tumor angiogenesis.

Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) belong to a class of immunosuppressive cells that control the pathological changes of autoimmunity and inflammation. Prostaglandin E

Thalidomide is effective in the treatment of angiodysplasia. The mechanisms underlying its activity may be associated with inhibition of angiogenic factors. It was recently shown that Slit2/Robo1 signaling plays a role in angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to explore the expression and effects of Robo1 and Slit2 in angiodysplasia and to identify the possible therapeutic mechanisms of thalidomide. Slit2 and Robo1 expression were analyzed in tissue samples and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with thalidomide using a combination of laboratory assays that were able to detect functional activity. Slit2, Robo1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were strongly expressed in five angiodysplasia lesions out of seven cases, while expression was low in one out of seven normal tissues. Exposure of HUVECs to recombinant N-Slit2 resulted in an increase in VEGF levels and stimulated proliferation, migration and tube formation. These effects were blocked by an inhibitor of PI3K and thalidomide. Robo1 and Slit2 may have important roles in the formation of gastrointestinal vascular malformation. High concentrations of Slit2 increased the levels of VEGF in HUVECs via signaling through the PI3K/Akt pathway—an effect that could be inhibited by thalidomide.

A comparison study on the hydrothermal stability of Cu SCR catalysts supported on an 8-ring small pore chabazite and a 12-ring large pore beta zeolite was performed to understand why small pore zeolite supported Cu catalysts are in general hydrothermally more stable than medium pore or large pore zeolite supported Cu catalysts and how different pore sizes affect the hydrothermal stability of the catalysts. In situ XRD hydrothermal experiments show that, even though the parent chabazite and beta zeolites have comparable hydrothermal stability and both can maintain their zeolite framework structure after a 900 °C hydrothermal exposure, the presence of Cu in the Cu/beta catalyst accelerates the collapse of the BEA framework structure at temperatures above 800 °C whereas Cu in the Cu/chabazite catalyst has little effect on the CHA framework structure. The loss of beta zeolite framework structure is due to a detrimental Cu/Al2O3 interaction. It is proposed that the constricting dimensions of the small openings in a small pore zeolite can hinder the destructive Cu/Al2O3 interaction as well as the zeolite dealumination process, hence significantly improving the hydrothermal stability of the small pore zeolite supported Cu catalyst.

The circulating level of platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) is a novel biomarker to predict the presence of coronary heart disease. PAF-AH gene polymorphisms may be responsible for the variance of circulating PAF-AH levels in individuals. However, the association of PAF-AH gene polymorphisms with circulating PAF-AH levels and the susceptibility to coronary heart disease (CHD) remains unsolved. Blood stasis syndrome (BSS) of CHD is the most common type of TCM syndromes, and a previous study discovered its relationship with the elevated circulating PAF-AH levels. However, the association of gene polymorphisms and CHD with BSS is unclear at present. In this study, four polymorphisms (R92H, I198T, A379V, V279F) of the PAF-AH gene were genotyped in 570 CHD patients, of which 299 had BSS. In addition, 317 unaffected individuals from the same hospitals served as controls. Plasma PAF-AH levels were measured in 155 controls and 271 CHD patients selected randomly, including 139 CHD patients with BSS. In the Chinese Han population, plasma PAF-AH levels in CHD patients with BSS or without BSS were significantly higher (12.9 ± 6.5 and 11.1 ± 5.0 μM, respectively) than in controls (9.3 ± 5.2 μM); this difference still remained significant after adjustment for traditional risk factors or the inflammatory factors. The R92H polymorphism was highly related to the plasma PAF-AH levels and the risk of CHD, especially among patients with BSS, even with the adjustment for the effects of traditional factors. The I198T polymorphism was highly associated with risk of CHD with BSS, but was associated with neither the risk of CHD with no BSS nor with elevated plasma PAF-AH levels.

The reactor pressure vessel is an unchangeable component of the light water reactor. To some extent, the life of the pressure vessel depends on the fast neutron fluence. In addition, the fast neutron fluence is an important parameter for radiation protection. So, the fast neutron fluence is one of the main parameters which should be verifying calculated by the reviewers. The verifying calculation of the fast neutron fluence of one reactor pressure vessel is presented in this paper, and the standard deviation between the verifying and designing calculations is lower than 10%. The reasons for the deviation are discussed.

The ORIGEN-S and ORIGEN2 codes were described in this paper, which were used to calculate the source term in the reactor core. The differences between ORIGEN-S and ORIGEN2 codes were compared and analyzed. The most significant difference was the methodology used to prepare and provide the neutron data for the codes, which directly affected the accuracy of calculation results of the ORIGEN2 code under different values of the parameters. Finally, the radioactivity of the actinide and fission products was calculated by changing the fuel enrichment, burnup and specific power of PWR, which was used to make quantitative analysis of the difference of results calculated by ORIGEN-S and ORIGEN2 and verify the degree of influence of various parameters on the results.

Stricter emission standards in the near future require not only a high conversion efficiency of the toxic air pollutants but also a substantial reduction of the greenhouse gases from automotive exhaust. Advanced engines with improved fuel efficiency can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions; their exhaust temperature is, however , also low. This consequently poses significant challenges to the emission control system demanding the catalysts to function at low temperatures both during the cold start period and under the normal engine operation conditions. In this paper, we will introduce a gasoline Cold Start Concept (gCSC™) technology developed for advanced stoichiometric-burn gasoline engines to meet future stringent emission regulations.