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Abstract Cisplatin is the most commonly used platinum-based treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, its clinical application is limited owing to its nephrotoxicity and gastrointestinal reactions. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been reported to increase nephrotoxicity risk in previous studies. We aimed to evaluate whether PPIs increase cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in patients with NPC. In total, 295 patients were included in this prospective cohort study: 145 in the PPIs group and 150 in the non-PPIs group. All patients underwent cisplatin-based induction chemotherapy, followed by cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The PPIs group received 40 mg of intravenous esomeprazole sodium for 7 days in each chemotherapy cycle. Chi-squared test and logistic regression analyses with odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were applied to assess the association between PPIs and the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI). AKI incidence in the PPIs group was significantly higher than that in the non-PPIs group (P = 0.005). After adjusting for various confounders including demographic features, clinical features, and renal function indices, PPIs use was significantly associated with a higher AKI risk (odds ratio: 2.775; 95% confidence interval 1.280–6.020; P = 0.010). The incidences of acute and chronic kidney diseases were similar between both groups (P > 0.05), whereas the incidence of nausea was lower in the PPIs group than in the non-PPIs group (P = 0.029). This study has shown that PPIs use may increase the risk of cisplatin-induced acute nephrotoxicity in patients with NPC.

Chronic diabetic wounds are the most common complication for diabetic patients. Due to high oxidative stress levels affecting the entire healing process, treating diabetic wounds remains a challenge. Here, we present a strategy for continuously regulating oxidative stress microenvironment by the catalyst-like magnesium-gallate metal-organic framework (Mg-GA MOF) and developing sprayable hydrogel dressing with sodium alginate/chitosan quaternary ammonium salts to treat diabetic wounds. Chitosan quaternary ammonium salts with antibacterial properties can prevent bacterial infection. The continuous release of gallic acid (GA) effectively eliminates reactive oxygen species (ROS), reduces oxidative stress, and accelerates the polarization of M1-type macrophages to M2-type, shortening the transition between inflammation and proliferative phase and maintaining redox balance. Besides, magnesium ions adjuvant therapy promotes vascular regeneration and neuronal formation by activating the expression of vascular-associated genes. Sprayable hydrogel dressings with antibacterial, antioxidant, and inflammatory regulation rapidly repair diabetic wounds by promoting neurovascular network reconstruction and accelerating re-epithelialization and collagen deposition. This study confirms the feasibility of catalyst-like MOF-contained sprayable hydrogel to regulate the microenvironment continuously and provides guidance for developing the next generation of non-drug diabetes dressings.

Background: The efficacy of immunotherapy plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy and concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC) has not been reported. This study retrospectively compared the efficacy of tislelizumab plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy and CCRT with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by CCRT. Methods: Ninety patients with stages III–IVa NPC were identified between January 2020 and March 2021 at the Affiliate Hospital of Guangdong Medical University. Forty-three patients in the observation group (OG) received tislelizumab plus nano albumin–paclitaxel and cisplatin (nab-TP) regimen, followed by CCRT, while forty-seven patients in the control group (CG) received nab-TP regimen followed by CCRT. Results: The complete response rate after neoadjuvant therapy was significantly higher in the OG compared to the CG (37.2% vs. 12.8 %). The objective response rates were 88.4 % in the OG and 70.2 % in the CG. The 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates for OG and CG patients were 93.0 % and 78.7 %, respectively (P = 0.04, HR = 0.31). The overall survival (OS) rates for the OG and the CG were 95.3 % and 87.2 %, respectively (P = 0.15, HR = 0.36). Locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS) rates were 90.7 % for the OG and 72.3 % for the CG (P = 0.04, HR = 0.38), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rates were 95.3 % for the OG, and 80.9 % for the CG (P = 0.04, HR = 0.30). For PD-L1 high-expression and low-expression rates, the 3-year PFS rates were 89.2 % and 85.7 % (P = 0.77, HR = 1.21), and the OS rates were 90.2 % and 89.2 % (P = 0.65, HR = 1.36), respectively. Conclusion: Tislelizumab combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and CCRT showed encouraging therapeutic effects and good tolerability in patients with LA-NPC compared to the standard treatment.

Abstract Background Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a common tick-borne, natural focal disease. SFTS virus (SFTSV) transmission can occur between family members through close contact with an infected patient. In this study, we explored the possible transmission route of an outbreak cluster in east China. Method A case-control study was carried out to analyze the potential risk factors for person-to-person transmission. Bunia virus was detected by IgM antibody, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Chi-square, univariate, and multivariate analyses were performed to calculate the association of possible risk factors for SFTSV transmission. Results Two patients had a clear history of blood and aerosols contact, and one may be exposed to aerosols in a closed environment. Five close contacts of the Index patient were IgM-positive and three were IgM and SFTSV RNA positive. Exposure to a poorly ventilated space where the corpse was stored (χ2 = 5.49, P = 0.019) and contact with the Index patient’s contaminated items (χ2 = 15.77, P

Abstract Background Gene editing has emerged as an exciting therapeutic development platform for numerous genetic and nongenetic diseases. Targeting lipid-modulating genes such as angiopoietin-related protein 3 (ANGPTL3) with gene editing offers hope for a permanent solution to lower cardiovascular disease risks associated with hypercholesterolemia. Results In this study, we developed a hepatocyte-specific base editing therapeutic approach delivered by dual adeno-associated virus (AAV) to enable hepatocyte-specific targeting of Angptl3 to lower blood lipid levels. Systemic AAV9-mediated delivery of AncBE4max, a cytosine base editor (CBE), targeting mouse Angptl3 resulted in the installation of a premature stop codon in Angptl3 with an average efficiency of 63.3 ± 2.3% in the bulk liver tissue. A near-complete knockout of the ANGPTL3 protein in the circulation were observed within 2–4 weeks following AAV administration. Furthermore, the serum levels of triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) were decreased by approximately 58% and 61%, respectively, at 4 weeks after treatment. Conclusions These results highlight the promise of liver-targeted Angptl3 base editing for blood lipid control.

Background: Obesity is the underlying risk factor for major metabolism complications, including non-alcoholic-fatty liver disease, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease. The adipose tissue is a vital endocrine organ that plays a role in the synthesis and storage of lipid and, therefore, is a contributory factor to the development and progression of obesity. A growing interest in nutraceuticals suggests that natural products can alleviate the risk factors and may be effective in mitigating obesity. Aim: The objective of this study was to examine the underlying mechanisms of immature ginger on adipocyte differentiation and lipogenesis in a 3T3-L1 cellular model. Methods: Ginger samples, extracted in 80% methanol, were dried and resuspended in DMSO at 50 μg/mL as stock solution. For analysis, the extracted samples were further diluted in media. Effects on adipogenesis were evaluated by determining lipid droplet and triglyceride accumulation, whereas effects on lipogenesis were determined by measuring triglyceride contents and fatty acid profile. The expression of key regulatory genes involved in adipogenesis and lipogenesis was also determined. Results: Our data indicate that the intracellular lipid accumulation decreased significantly by 15 or 25% on treatment with 25 or 50 μg/mL of ginger extract. Consistent with these data, significantly reduced triglyceride levels by 30 or 50% were observed on 25 or 50 μg/mL treatment with ginger extracts, respectively. In addition, ginger treatment significantly inhibited the differentiation-induced de novo lipogenesis and Δ9 desaturase activity. Furthermore, ginger treatment reduced adipogenesis genes, C/ebpβ and C/ebpδ, expression by 47 or 64%, respectively, but significantly increased Pparγ expression by 60% and adiponectin by 75%. Ginger extracts had no effect on Fas genes but reduced lipogenesis genes, acyl CoA carboxylase (Acc) expression by two-fold, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxy kinase 1 (Pepck1) expression by 50%. Conclusion: Our findings suggest immature ginger can potentially inhibit lipogenesis pathways by limiting the channeling of glucose carbon in fatty acid synthesis by inhibiting the expression of ACC and glycerol production via inhibiting the expression of PEPCK, which consequently inhibits triglyceride formation.

cAMP is an important second messenger involved in many aspects of biological processes. Here, Li et al. shows that blood vessel epicardial substance (BVES) is a negative regulator of cAMP signaling required for maintaining muscle mass and function.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by mutations in the DMD gene. Previously, we showed that adenine base editing (ABE) can efficiently correct a nonsense point mutation in a DMD mouse model. Here, we explored the feasibility of base-editing-mediated exon skipping as a therapeutic strategy for DMD using cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). We first generated a DMD hiPSC line with a large deletion spanning exon 48 through 54 (ΔE48–54) using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. Dystrophin expression was disrupted in DMD hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (iCMs) as examined by RT-PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence staining. Transfection of ABE and a guide RNA (gRNA) targeting the splice acceptor led to efficient conversion of AG to GG (35.9% ± 5.7%) and enabled exon 55 skipping. Complete AG to GG conversion in a single clone restored dystrophin expression (42.5% ± 11% of wild type [WT]) in DMD iCMs. Moreover, we designed gRNAs to target the splice sites of exons 6, 7, 8, 43, 44, 46, and 53 in the mutational hotspots and demonstrated their efficiency to induce exon skipping in iCMs. These results highlight the great promise of ABE-mediated exon skipping as a promising therapeutic approach for DMD.

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are expected to be one of the next generations of high-energy-density battery systems due to their high theoretical energy density of 2600 Wh kg−1. Embracing the trends toward flexibility, lightweight design, and cost-effectiveness, paper-based electrodes offer a promising alternative to traditional coated cathodes in Li–S batteries. Within paper-based electrodes, conductive fibers such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) play a crucial role. They help to form a three-dimensional network within the paper matrix to ensure structural integrity over extended cycling while mitigating the shuttle effect by confining sulfur within the cathode. Herein, we explore how variously functionalized CNTs, serving as conductive fibers, impact the physical and electrochemical characteristics of paper-based sulfur cathodes in Li–S batteries. Specifically, graphitized hydroxylated carbon nanotubes (G-CNTs) exhibit remarkable capacity at low currents owing to their excellent conductivity and interaction with lithium polysulfide (LiPS), achieving the highest initial specific capacity of 1033 mAh g−1 at 0.25 C (1.1 mA cm−2). Aminated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (NH2-CNTs) demonstrate an enhanced affinity for LiPS due to the -NH2 groups. However, the uneven distribution of these fibers may induce electrode surface passivation during charge–discharge cycles. Notably, hydroxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (OH-CNTs) can establish a uniform and stable 3D network with plant fibers, showcasing superior mechanical properties and helping to mitigate Li2S agglomeration while preserving the electrode porosity. The paper-based electrode integrated with OH-CNTs even retains a specific capacity of approximately 800 mAh g−1 at about 1.25 C (5 mA cm−2), demonstrating good sulfur utilization and rate capacity compared to other CNT variants.

Micro-nanostructured electrode materials are characterized by excellent performance in various secondary batteries. In this study, a facile and green hydrothermal method was developed to prepare amorphous vanadium-based microspheres on a large scale. Hollow V2O5 microspheres were achieved, with controllable size, after the calcination of amorphous vanadium-based microspheres and were used as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. As the quantity of V2O5 microspheres increased, the electrode performance improved, which was ascribed to the smaller charge transfer impedance. The discharge capacity of hollow V2O5 microspheres could be up to 196.4 mAhg−1 at a current density of 50 mAg−1 between 2.0 and 3.5 V voltage limits. This sheds light on the synthesis and application of spherical electrode materials for energy storage.

Abstract Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has become a global public health problem. The prevalence of IBD in China increased annually in past two decades. Methods This study was to translate and validate the rating form of IBD patients' concerns (RFIPC), and to describe disease-related worries and concerns of patients with IBD. The simplified Chinese version of the RFIPC was developed according to translation and back-translation procedure. Patients with IBD were consecutively enrolled from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. The participants were assessed using the RFIPC and the Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (SIBDQ). Internal consistency, test–retest reliability, measurement error, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and correlation of the RFIPC with the SIBDQ were performed to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the RFIPC. Results A total of 116 patients with IBD, 73 with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 43 with Crohn’s disease (CD), were enrolled in this study. Thirty-seven of them recompleted the questionnaires for the second time between 7 and 14 days after the first interview. The results of CFA indicated the original structure of the RFIPC was reasonable. Cronbach's alpha value of the RFIPC were 0.97. The intraclass correlation coefficients of four domains ranged from 0.85 to 0.92. The standard error of measurement was 7.10. The correlation coefficients between total score of the RFIPC and the SIBDQ score ranged from − 0.54 to − 0.70. Median total score of the RFIPC was 39.4 (IQR 24.0–59.3). Patients with severe symptoms reported higher scores of the RFIPC. The uncertain nature of disease, having surgery, having an ostomy bag, developing cancer, feeling out of control, being a burden on others and financial difficulties were highest concerns of patients with IBD. Comparing with patients with UC, patients with CD had more concerns of the ability to have children and being treated as different (P

Non-thermal plasma (NTP) is thought to have a cytotoxic effect on tumor cells. Although its application in cancer therapy has shown considerable promise, the current understanding of its mechanism of action and cellular responses remains incomplete. Furthermore, the use of melatonin (MEL) as an adjuvant anticancer drug remains unexplored. In this study, we found that NTP assists MEL in promoting apoptosis, delaying cell cycle progression, and inhibiting cell invasion and migration in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. This mechanism may be associated with the regulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species levels and ribonucleotide reductase regulatory subunit M2 expression. Our findings confirm the pharmacological role of MEL and the adjuvant value of NTP, emphasizing their potential in combination therapy for HCC. Our study may have important implications for the development of new approaches for HCC treatment.

Manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanosheets are regarded as a new class of two-dimensional nanomaterials with several attractive properties with enormous progress in biomedical fields. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are also important biocompatible nanomaterials with unusual optical properties. Hetero-nanostructure of MnO2 and AuNPs with the medium of DNA is an interesting topic. In this work, the protection of the hetero-nanostructure from salt-induced aggregation is systematically investigated including the effects of sequence length, reagents concentrations, incubation time and temperature. The MnO2@Au nanostructures are thus applied for the analysis of miRNA. Duplex-specific nuclease (DSN) catalyzed digestion, hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) are utilized for signal amplification. By finally analyzing the optical responses of the nanocomponents, highly sensitive analysis of target miRNA can be achieved. Excellent analytical performances are attributed to the unique features of MnO2@Au nanostructures and signal amplification designs. They are promising basis for the construction of novel biosensors for clinical applications.

Most neurons in the nematode C. elegans communicate in an analog manner. Here, the authors demonstrate that enteric motor neurons can fire all-or-none action potentials, and that this digital communication is important for defecation.

ObjectivesFor Crohn’s disease (CD), the alternation of the active phase and inactive phase may be related to humoral immunity and cellular immunity. This study aims to understand the characteristics of immune cells in patients with active CD (CDa) and inactive CD (CDin).MethodsMass cytometry (CyTOF) and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data about CDa, CDin, and healthy control (HC) were included. CyTOF analysis was performed to capture gated subsets, including T cells, T regulatory (Treg) cells, B cells, innate immune cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. Differential analysis was used to identify different immune cell subsets among CDa, CDin, and HC. ScRNA-seq analysis was used to verify the results of CyTOF. CD-related signaling pathways were obtained using KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. CellChat analysis was used to infer the cell communication network among immune cell subsets.ResultsCompared to patients with CDin, patients with CDa had higher abundances of CD16+CD38+CD4+CXCR3+CCR6+ naive T cells, HLA-DR+CD38+IFNγ+TNF+ effector memory (EM) T cells, HLA-DR+IFNγ+ naive B cells, and CD14++CD11C+IFNγ+IL1B+ monocytes. KEGG analysis showed the similarity of pathway enrichment for the earlier four subsets, such as thermogenesis, oxidative phosphorylation, and metabolic pathways. The patients with CDin were characterized by an increased number of CD16+CD56dimCD44+HLA-DR+IL22+ NK cells. Compared to HC, patients with CDa demonstrated a low abundance of HLA-DR+CCR6+ NK cells and a high abundance of FOXP3+CD44+ EM Tregs. CellChat analysis revealed the interaction network of cell subsets amplifying in CDa compared with CDin.ConclusionSome immune subsets cells were identified for CDa and CDin. These cells may be related to the occurrence and development of CD and may provide assistance in disease diagnosis and treatment.

Abstract Background To investigate the application value of the treatment of breast cancer bone metastases with radioactive seed 125I implantation under CT-guidance. Methods A total of 90 patients with breast cancer admitted to our hospital from January 2017 to January 2018 were selected as the research objects and were divided into control group and experimental group according to random grouping, with 45 cases in each group. Conventional treatment was used in the control group, while the treatment of radioactive seed 125I implantation under CT-guidance was used in the experimental group. The clinical efficacy, pain intensity and levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carcinoembryonic antigen 153 (CA153), carbohydrate antigen (CA125) in the two groups were compared. Results As for the pain intensity, it was evidently lower in the experimental group after treatment than that in the control group (P

Abstract We determined the phenolic content and anti‐oxidation properties of ginger at different harvesting time and tested its effects on lipid droplet formation and glucose uptake in HepG2 cells. Ginger samples at different stages of maturity were harvested every two weeks starting from mid‐October for 16 weeks. Our data indicate that ginger has the highest phenolic contents and superior anti‐oxidation activity when harvested early (immature baby ginger); however, the concentration of phenolic contents and its anti‐oxidation activity were progressively reduced up to 50% as ginger matures. Furthermore, the data indicate that baby ginger extract inhibits lipid accumulation and triglyceride content in oleic acid‐induced HepG2 cells up to 20% in a dose‐dependent manner. Baby ginger exhibited significant inhibition of α‐amylase enzyme activity by 29.5% and ameliorated glucose uptake in HepG2 cell at similar level. Our results suggest that harvesting ginger at an appropriate (early) time may be beneficial for optimizing its biological active contents and qualitative properties. The data also suggest that a regular use of ginger can potentially lower incidences of obesity and diabetes.

African-American (AA)/Black hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients have increased incidence and decreased survival rates compared to non-Hispanic (White) patients, the underlying molecular mechanism of which is not clear. Analysis of existing RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and in-house RNA-sequencing of 14 White and 18 AA/Black HCC patients revealed statistically significant activation of type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling pathway in AA/Black patients. A four-gene signature of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) showed increased expression in AA/Black HCC tumors versus White. HCC is a disease of chronic inflammation, and IFN-Is function as pro-inflammatory cytokines. We tested efficacy of ginger extract (GE), a dietary compound known for anti-inflammatory properties, on HCC cell lines derived from White (HepG2), AA/Black (Hep3B and O/20) and Asian (HuH-7) patients. GE exhibited a significantly lower IC50 on Hep3B and O/20 cells than on HepG2 and HuH-7 cells. The GE treatment inhibited the activation of downstream mediators of IFN-I signaling pathways and expression of ISGs in all four HCC cells. Our data suggest that ginger can potentially attenuate IFN-I-mediated signaling pathways in HCC, and cells from AA/Black HCC patients may be more sensitive to ginger. AA/Black HCC patients might benefit from a holistic diet containing ginger.

Abstract Background Anoctamin 5 (ANO5) is a membrane protein belonging to the TMEM16/Anoctamin family and its deficiency leads to the development of limb girdle muscular dystrophy R12 (LGMDR12). However, little has been known about the interactome of ANO5 and its cellular functions. Results In this study, we exploited a proximal labeling approach to identify the interacting proteins of ANO5 in C2C12 myoblasts stably expressing ANO5 tagged with BioID2. Mass spectrometry identified 41 unique proteins including BVES and POPDC3 specifically from ANO5-BioID2 samples, but not from BioID2 fused with ANO6 or MG53. The interaction between ANO5 and BVES was further confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), and the N-terminus of ANO5 mediated the interaction with the C-terminus of BVES. ANO5 and BVES were co-localized in muscle cells and enriched at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. Genome editing-mediated ANO5 or BVES disruption significantly suppressed C2C12 myoblast differentiation with little impact on proliferation. Conclusions Taken together, these data suggest that BVES is a novel interacting protein of ANO5, involved in regulation of muscle differentiation.

Macrophage inflammation promotes insulin resistance during diet-induced obesity. Here the authors show that macrophage NOC4L is decreased in humans and mice with obesity, that macrophage NOC4L deficiency aggravated high-fat diet induced inflammation and insulin resistance, and that NOC4L interacts with toll-like receptor 4, to inhibit endocytosis, and thus blocks TLF4/TRIF inflammatory signaling.

Impaired biomolecules and cellular organelles are gradually built up during the development and aging of organisms, and this deteriorating process is expedited under stress conditions. As a major lysosome-mediated catabolic process, autophagy has evolved to eradicate these damaged cellular components and recycle nutrients to restore cellular homeostasis and fitness. The autophagic activities are altered under various disease conditions such as ischemia-reperfusion cardiac injury, sarcopenia, and genetic myopathies, which impact multiple cellular processes related to cellular growth and survival in cardiac and skeletal muscles. Thus, autophagy has been the focus for therapeutic development to treat these muscle diseases. To develop the specific and effective interventions targeting autophagy, it is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms by which autophagy is altered in heart and skeletal muscle disorders. Herein, we summarize how autophagy alterations are linked to cardiac and skeletal muscle defects and how these alterations occur. We further discuss potential pharmacological and genetic interventions to regulate autophagy activities and their applications in cardiac and skeletal muscle diseases.

PurposeHead and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a very diverse malignancy with a poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to develop a new signature based on 12 ion channel genes to predict the outcome and immune status of HNSCC patients.MethodsClinicopathological information and gene sequencing data of HNSCC patients were generated from the Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases. A set of 323 ion channel genes was obtained from the HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee database and literature review. Using univariate Cox regression analysis, the ion channel genes related to HNSCC prognosis were identified. A prognostic signature and nomogram were then created using machine learning methods. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to explore the relevance of the risk scores and overall survival (OS). We also investigated the association between risk scores, tumor immune infiltration, and gene mutational status. Finally, we detected the expression levels of the signature genes by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry.ResultsWe separated the patients into high- and low-risk groups according to the risk scores computed based on these 12 ion channel genes, and the OS of the low-risk group was significantly longer (p

This student-led project studied the production of cilantro (greens stage) and coriander (seed stage) of Coriandrum sativum L. with the objective of developing this crop as an alternate specialty crop in Virginia. Results indicated that both fall-planted for spring harvest and spring-planted for summer harvest are possible in Virginia. Rows spaced 37.5 cm apart resulted in the superior yield of both cilantro and coriander over rows 75 cm apart. Mean cilantro fresh yields from fall-planted experiments (three cultivars during 2015 and five cultivars during 2016) varied from 3301 to 5775 kg⋅ha−1, whereas those from spring-planted experiments varied from 4971 to 11811 kg⋅ha−1. Corresponding values for dry cilantro yields varied from 274 to 1129 kg⋅ha−1 and 862 to 2280 kg⋅ha−1, respectively. Mean coriander seed yields from three fall-planted cultivars varied from 818 to 1554 kg⋅ha−1, and those from three spring-planted cultivars varied from 869 to 1277 kg⋅ha−1. The total phenolic content in cilantro was significantly greater than that in coriander seed (4.95 and 1.15 g of gallic acid equivalent per 100 g of material, respectively). The total mesophiles, yeast and mold, and coliforms from three grocery store-bought cilantro were considerably higher than those of greenhouse-grown cilantro. Even though both spring and fall plantings are possible for supplying cilantro in Virginia, fall planting for spring harvest might be more profitable for producers because of the earlier availability of locally grown cilantro.

To assess the diagnostic value of 18F-NaF PET/CT in diagnosing bone metastases in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) using visual and quantitative analyses. 164 patients with NPC who underwent 18F-NaF PET/CT between 2017 and 2021 were included. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated. All bone lesions were divided into metastatic bone lesion group and benign lesion group; the benign lesion group was further subdivided into benign lesion without osteophyte and fracture group (CT images showing no osteophyte, no fracture), and benign lesion with osteophyte and fracture group (CT images showing typical osteophytes and fractures), the differences in maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) were compared between every two groups, and the diagnostic cut-off values were derived from receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC). Quantitative data were expressed as mean ± SD, multiple continuous variables were compared using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple comparisons among more than two groups were made using the Bonferroni method. The sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy of 18F-NaF PET/CT for the diagnosis of bone metastases in NPC were 97.1%, 94.6%, and 95.1% based on the patient level and 99.5%, 91.5%, and 96.4% based on the lesion level, respectively. The SUVmax was significantly different between the metastatic bone lesion group and the benign lesion without osteophyte and fracture group (p < 0.05); the area under the curve was 0.865, the threshold was 12.5, the sensitivity was 0.912, and the specificity was 0.656. Visual analysis of 18F-NaF PET/CT has high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing bone metastases in NPC. After excluding osteophytes and fracture lesions based on CT findings, using SUVmax ≥12.5 as the threshold can be an important reference for the differential diagnosis of bone metastases and benign bone lesions in patients with NPC.

Although costimulatory molecules have been shown to boost antitumor immune responses, their significance in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the gene expression patterns of costimulatory molecule genes in patients with STAD and develop a predictive signature to aid in therapy selection and outcome prediction. We used 60 costimulatory family genes from prior research to conduct the first complete costimulatory molecular analysis in patients with STAD. In the two study groups, consensus clustering analysis based on these 60 genes indicated unique distribution patterns and prognostic differences. Using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and Cox regression analysis, we identified nine costimulatory molecular gene pairs (CMGPs) with prognostic value. With these nine CMGPs, we were able to develop a costimulatory molecule-related prognostic signature that performed well in an external dataset. For the patients with STAD, the signature was proven to be a risk factor independent of the clinical characteristics, indicating that this signature may be employed in conjunction with clinical considerations. A further connection between the signature and immunotherapy response was discovered. The patients with high mutation rates, an abundance of infiltrating immune cells, and an immunosuppressive milieu were classified as high-risk patients. It is possible that these high-risk patients have a better prognosis for immunotherapy since they have higher cytolytic activity scores and immunophenoscores of CTLA4 and PD-L1/PD-L2 blockers. Therefore, our signature may help clinicians in assessing patient prognosis and developing treatment plans.

Obesity and diabetes, often characterized as “metabolic syndrome”, have been recognized as two of the most important public health issues worldwide. The objective of the present research was to evaluate green and yellow papaya for anti-oxidation and anti-diabetic properties. Leaves, skin, pulp, and seed samples from papayas were freeze-dried and then extracted in water or 80% methanol. The extracts were used to determine total polyphenolic content and anti-oxidation activities, and to determine biological activities, including glucose uptake, Glut-2 expression, triglyceride reduction, and wound-healing activity. Our data demonstrated that methanol and water extracts of green and yellow papaya have similar concentrations of polyphenols in skin (10–20 mg/g dry powder), leaf (25–30 mg/g dry powder), and pulp (1–3 mg/g dry powder) fractions. However, both methanol and water extracts of seeds from yellow papaya have substantially higher concentrations of polyphenols compared to green papaya. Both water and methanol extracts of yellow papaya exhibited higher anti-oxidation activity compared to green papaya in skin (50–60%), pulp (200–300%), and seeds (10–800%). Old leaves also showed greater anti-oxidation activity (30–40%) compared to new leaves. Pulp extracts from both yellow and green papaya stimulated greater glucose uptake, but only pulp from green papaya stimulated glucose uptake in muscle cells. Similarly, pulp extract stimulated glucose transporter Glut-2 expression in liver cells. The skin, pulp, and seeds of green or yellow papaya showed triglyceride-lowering activity in liver cells by 60–80%, but samples taken from yellow papaya had a more potent effect. Seeds from both green and yellow papaya significantly stimulated the migration of fibroblasts in the wounded area by 2–2.5-fold compared to the untreated control. Consistent with these data, seeds from both green and yellow papaya also significantly stimulated collagen synthesis in fibroblast cells by almost 3-fold. In conclusion, our data indicate that different parts of papaya produce stimulatory effects on glucose uptake, Glut-2 expression, TG reduction, and wound-healing activities. This study concludes that different parts of the papaya can be beneficial for preventing diabetes and diabetes-related wound healing.

Abstract. Objective:. Emetine, an isoquinoline alkaloid that is enriched at high concentrations in the lung, has shown potent in vitro activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The aim of this study was to better understand the effectiveness of low-dose emetine for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods:. In this real-world study, 63 patients with mild or common COVID-19 were recruited from Wuhan Fangcang Shelter Hospital and five COVID-19-designated hospitals in Anhui Province, China from February to March 2020. Thirty-nine patients from Wuhan Fangcang Shelter Hospital were assigned to a pragmatic randomized controlled clinical trial, and 24 patients from the 5 COVID-19-designated hospitals in Anhui Province underwent a real-world study. The medication course of emetine was less than 10 days. The main symptoms and adverse reactions of all patients were observed and recorded. The primary outcome measure was the time required for a negative SARS-CoV-2 RNA result or the negative result rate on day 10. Secondary outcomes included axillary temperature, transcutaneous oxygen saturation, and respiratory frequency recovery. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University on February 20, 2019 (approval No. PJ2020-03-19) and was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on February 20, 2019 (registration number: ChiCTR2000030022). Results:. The oxygen saturation values were higher in the treatment group than in the control group on the first day after enrollment for patients treated at Fangcang Shelter Hospital. The axillary body temperature, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation among patients in Fangcang Shelter Hospital were related to the time effect but not to the intervention measures. The respiratory rate and oxygen saturation of patients in the Anhui designated hospitals were related to the intervention measures but not to the time effect. The axillary body temperature of patients in Anhui designated hospitals was related to the time effect but not to the intervention measures. Conclusion:. Our preliminary study shows that low-dose emetine combined with basic conventional antiviral drugs improves clinical symptoms in patients with mild and common COVID-19 without apparent adverse effects, suggesting that moderately increased doses of emetine may have good potential for treatment and prevention of COVID-19.

Base editing is one approach used to correct mutations causing cause Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), but limitations are in the requirement for a specific PAM motif and the large size beyond the packaging capacity of adeno-associated virus (AAV). Here, the authors modify the NG-targeting adenine base editor to recognize a broader PAM, devise an intein split strategy to package the otherwise oversized adenine base editor into AAV, and show it efficiently restores dystrophin expression in muscle and heart when systemically injected in a mouse model of DMD

Subfamily Nandinoideae Heintze (Berberidaceae), comprising four genera and ca. 19 species, is disjunctively distributed in eastern North America vs. Eurasia (eastern Asia, Central Asia, Middle East, and southeastern Europe), and represents an ideal taxon to explore plastid phylogenomics and plastome evolution in Berberidaceae. Many species of this subfamily have been listed as national or international rare and endangered plants. In this study, we sequenced and assembled 20 complete plastomes, representing three genera and 13 species of Nandinoideae. Together with six plastomes from GenBank, a total of 26 plastomes, representing all four genera and 16 species of Nandinoideae, were used for comparative genomic and phylogenomic analyses. These plastomes showed significant differences in overall size (156,626–161,406 bp), which is mainly due to the expansion in inverted repeat (IR) regions and/or insertion/deletion (indel) events in intergenic spacer (IGS) regions. A 75-bp deletion in the ndhF gene occurred in Leontice and Gymnospermium when compared with Nandina and Caulophyllum. We found a severe truncation at the 5’ end of ycf1 in three G. altaicum plastomes, and a premature termination of ropC1 in G. microrrhynchum. Our phylogenomic results support the topology of {Nandina, [Caulophyllum, (Leontice, Gymnospermium)]}. Within the core genus Gymnospermium, we identified G. microrrhynchum from northeastern Asia (Clade A) as the earliest diverging species, followed by G. kiangnanense from eastern China (Clade B), while the rest species clustered into the two sister clades (C and D). Clade C included three species from West Tianshan (G. albertii, G. darwasicum, G. vitellinum). Clade D consisted of G. altaicum from northern Central Asia, plus one species from the Caucasus Mountains (G. smirnovii) and three from southeastern Europe (G. odessanum, G. peloponnesiacum, G. scipetarum). Overall, we identified 21 highly variable plastome regions, including two coding genes (rpl22, ycf1) and 19 intergenic spacer (IGS) regions, all with nucleotide diversity (Pi) values > 0.02. These molecular markers should serve as powerful tools (including DNA barcodes) for future phylogenetic, phylogeographic and conservation genetic studies.

At present, the self-supporting paper-based electrode has some problems, such as low mechanical strength and insufficient flexibility, which restrict its application in flexible electronics. In this paper, FWF is used as the skeleton fiber, and the contact area and the number of hydrogen bonds of the fiber are increased by grinding the fiber and adding nanofibers to bridge it, and a level three gradient enhanced skeleton support network structure is constructed, which effectively improves the mechanical strength and foldability of the paper-based electrodes. The tensile strength of FWF15-BNF5 paper-based electrode is 7.4 MPa, the elongation at break is increased to 3.7%, the electrode thickness is as low as 66 μm, the electrical conductivities is 5.6 S cm−1, and the contact angle to electrolyte as low as 45°, which has excellent electrolyte wettability, flexibility, and foldability. After three-layer superimposed rolling, the discharge areal capacity reached 3.3 mAh cm−2 and 2.9 mAh cm−2 at the rate of 0.1 C and 1.5 C, respectively, which was superior to the commercial LFP electrode, it had good cycle stability, and the areal capacity was 3.0 mAh cm−2 and 2.8 mAh cm−2 after 100 cycles at the rate of 0.3 C and 1.5 C.

Abstract Potassium-ion hybrid capacitors (PIHCs) have been considered as promising potentials in mid- to large-scale storage system applications owing to their high energy and power density. However, the process involving the intercalation of K+ into the carbonaceous anode is a sluggish reaction, while the adsorption of anions onto the cathode surface is relatively faster, resulting in an inability to exploit the advantage of high energy. To achieve a high-performance PIHC, it is critical to promote the K+ insertion/desertion in anodic materials and design suitable cathodic materials matching the anodes. In this study, we propose a facile “homologous strategy” to construct suitable anode and cathode for high-performance PIHCs, that is, unique multichannel carbon fiber (MCCF)-based anode and cathode materials are firstly prepared by electrospinning, and then followed by sulfur doping and KOH activation treatment, respectively. Owing to a multichannel structure with a large interlayer spacing for introducing S in the sulfur-doped multichannel carbon fiber (S-MCCF) composite, it presents high capacity, super rate capability, and long cycle stability as an anode in potassium-ion cells. The cathode composite of activated multichannel carbon fiber (aMCCF) has a considerably high specific surface area of 1445 m2 g−1 and exhibits outstanding capacitive performance. In particular, benefiting from advantages of the fabricated S-MCCF anode and aMCCF cathode by homologous strategy, PIHCs assembled with the unique MCCF-based anode and cathode show outstanding electrochemical performance, which can deliver high energy and power densities (100 Wh kg−1 at 200 W kg−1, and 58.3 Wh kg−1 at 10,000 W kg−1) and simultaneously exhibit superior cycling stability (90% capacity retention over 7000 cycles at 1.0 A g−1). The excellent electrochemical performance of the MCCF-based composites for PIHC electrodes combined with their simple construction renders such materials attractive for further in-depth investigations of alkali-ion battery and capacitor applications.

Summary: Escape is an evolutionarily conserved and essential avoidance response. Considered to be innate, most studies on escape responses focused on hard-wired circuits. We report here that a neuropeptide NLP-18 and its cholecystokinin receptor CKR-1 enable the escape circuit to execute a full omega (Ω) turn. We demonstrate in vivo NLP-18 is mainly secreted by the gustatory sensory neuron (ASI) to activate CKR-1 in the head motor neuron (SMD) and the turn-initiating interneuron (AIB). Removal of NLP-18 or CKR-1 or specific knockdown of CKR-1 in SMD or AIB neurons leads to shallower turns, hence less robust escape steering. Consistently, elevation of head motor neuron (SMD)'s Ca2+ transients during escape steering is attenuated upon the removal of NLP-18 or CKR-1. In vitro, synthetic NLP-18 directly evokes CKR-1-dependent currents in oocytes and CKR-1-dependent Ca2+ transients in SMD. Thus, cholecystokinin peptidergic signaling modulates an escape circuit to generate robust escape steering.

Cell-laden hydrogel microspheres with uniform size show great potential for tissue repair and drug screening applications. Droplet microfluidic systems have been widely used for the generation of cell-laden hydrogel microspheres. However, existing droplet microfluidic systems are mostly based on complex chips and are not compatible with well culture plates. Moreover, microspheres produced by droplet microfluidics need demulsification and purification from oil, which requires time and effort and may compromise cell viability. Herein, we present a simple one-step approach for producing and purifying hydrogel microspheres with an easily assembled microfluidic device. Droplets were generated and solidified in the device tubing. The obtained hydrogel microspheres were then transferred to a tissue culture plate filled with cell culture media and demulsified through evaporation of the oil at 37°C. The removal of oil caused the gelled microspheres to be released into the cell culture media. The encapsulated cells demonstrated good viability and grew into tumor spheroids in 12–14 days. Single cell-laden hydrogel microspheres were also obtained and grown into spheroid in 14 days. This one-step microsphere generation method shows good potential for applications in automated spheroid and organoid cultures as well as drug screening, and could potentially offer benefits for translation of cell/microgel technologies.

Amorphous-nanocrystalline (a-nc) boron carbide thin films were prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) by using ortho-carborane as a single-source precursor for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) application. The effects of deposition temperature (Tdep) and total pressure (Ptot) on chemical composition, microstructure, stoichiometry and morphology of the boron carbide films were investigated. The TEM results show that the structure of the film is mainly composed of amorphous boron carbide with dispersive nano-grains, which will be able to improve the mechanical properties of the film with relatively low roughness. The hardness of the (a-nc) boron carbide film obtained in this study reached 20.6 GPa, and roughness of 3.21 nm. The deposited films sized 0.2–1.9 μm in thickness with B/C atomic ratio ranged from 0.14 to 3.29. The deposition rate decreased with increasing deposition temperature and Ptot, while B/C ratio increased.

Abstract Objective The ability to accurately and efficiently quantify mouse locomotor activity is essential for evaluating therapeutic efficacy and phenotyping genetically modified mice, in particular for the research of neuromuscular diseases. Our objective is to develop a program for video tracking of mice and locomotion analysis. Results Here we describe a MATLAB program for video tracking of mice and locomotion analysis. The system is composed of a webcam, an open field, and a computer with MATLAB installed. Animal behavior is recorded by the webcam and the video is then analyzed for mouse position on each frame by a customized MATLAB code. The system has been tested for analyzing two or more mice simultaneously placed in individual chambers. The accumulative moving distance, velocity and thigmotaxis (percentage of time spending in the outer peripheral of the arena, which is commonly used as an index of anxiety) within a test period can be readily obtained. This system can be easily implemented in any laboratory as an in vivo locomotion assay to assess the neuromuscular abnormality of genetically modified animals and the impact of therapeutic interventions.

Abstract Cancers of the lymphatic system are broadly classified into Hodgkin and non‐Hodgkin types. Although lymphomas can be effectively treated with chemotherapy, this approach is associated with the risk of adverse side effects. High intake of certain vegetables and fruits is associated with a reduced risk of cancer development. We hypothesized that Annona fruit, which is rich in fibers and phytochemicals that are known to possess anticancer properties, can be effective in inhibiting lymphoma growth. The Annona fruit's fractions were extracted with water, methanol, or chloroform and then assayed for total phenolic, flavonoids, and tannins content; antioxidation activities; and inhibition of in vitro cell proliferation using the Ramos‐1 lymphoma cells. The methanol fractions contained the highest phenolics, flavonoids, and tannins content, and antioxidation activity. However, the methanol extracts of skin, pulp, and seeds had a moderate whereas the chloroform extracts of pulp and seeds had strong effects on Ramos‐1 cell proliferation. Our findings suggest that Annona fruits may be effective in the prevention or treatment of lymphoma.

Background: The frequency coupling characteristics in electroencephalogram (EEG) induced by anesthetics have been well studied in adults, but the investigation of the age-dependent cross frequency coupling features from children to adults is still lacking. Methods: We analyzed EEG signals recorded from pediatric to adult patients (n = 131), separated into six age groups:

Helicobacter pylori was classified by the World Health Organization as a class 1 carcinogen. The development of drug-resistant strains of this pathogen poses a serious threat to human health worldwide. The cell invasion of H. pylori activates xenophagy in gastric epithelial cells by mediating miR-30b/c, and the emergence of autophagosomes provides a niche that enables the survival of intracellular H. pylori and promotes its drug resistance. This study revealed that some clinical drug-resistant H. pylori strains present much stronger invasive ability than standard strains. Patchouli alcohol (PA), a tricyclic sesquiterpene from Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth (Labiatae), showed reliable activity against intracellular H. pylori. The mechanisms appeared to involve the downregulation of miR-30c-3p/5p and miR-30b-5p, thereby upregulating xenophagy-related gene expression (ULK1, ATG5, ATG12, and ATG14) and enhancing xenophagy. PA also inhibited the nuclear transfection of miR-30b-5p induced by H. pylori, thereby enhancing transcription factor EB function and increasing lysosome activity. The finding of strongly invasive intracellular H. pylori has great implications for clinical treatment, and PA can act against invasive H. pylori based on the improvement of miR-30b/c mediated xenophagy. Taken together, the results demonstrate that PA have potential use as a candidate medication for intracellular drug-resistant H. pylori.

A qualitative and quantitative study was performed on the carbonization temperature (TC) and carbonization time (tC) with respect to the microstructure and growth rate (Rg) of a 3C-SiC epitaxial layer on Si (111) substrates by carbonization via laser chemical vapor deposition (LCVD). The results showed that the density and size of the voids depended strongly on TC. The voids were sealed, and thin films were formed continuously and uniformly after a carbonization time of 6 min at TC = 1200 °C. Rg was also dependent on TC, and increased from 0.43 to 1.35μm·h−1 with increases in TC from 1000 to 1200 °C. These deposition rates are 10 to 100 times greater than those of observed for conventional CVD methods.

Abstract In order to simultaneously improve system performance and resource utilization of distributed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar systems, a joint resource allocation method is proposed to address the velocity estimation problem for multiple targets tracking in this paper. The paper focuses to improve the tracking performance for key targets using the remaining resources when the general targets have obtained resources to reach to tracking requirements. Firstly, a criterion minimizing the velocity estimation mean square error (MSE) for a key target is considered. Restricted by limited and relatively sufficient system resources and given velocity estimation requirements for general targets, a joint resource allocation optimization model with transmitters, receivers, transmitted power, and signal time is established. We propose a suboptimal method to approximately solve this problem. The method separates the optimization into three steps, where each step transforms the corresponding mixed-Boolean optimization problem into a second-order cone programming (SOCP) problem by convex relaxation. Finally, the approximately optimal solution can be obtained by cyclic minimization method. Extensive simulations indicate that compared with other methods, the proposed joint method can achieve the lowest velocity estimation MSE with the fewest transmitters. Meanwhile, limited by the given velocity estimation MSE, the proposed method can focus on the key target and achieve the whole velocity estimation error minimization while a greater flexibility for target tracking number can be obtained. Moreover, random experiments can further validate and evaluate the proposed method’s effectiveness and traceability with the given scenario.

Microfluidic-based droplet generation approaches require the design of microfluidic chips and a precise lithography process, which require skilled technicians and a long manufacturing time. Here we developed a centrifugal buoyancy-based emulsification (CBbE) method for producing droplets with high efficiency and minimal fabrication time. Our approach is to fabricate a droplet generation module that can be easily assembled using syringe needles and PCR tubes. With this module and a common centrifuge, high-throughput droplet generation with controllable droplet size could be realized in a few minutes. Experiments showed that the droplet diameter depended mainly on centrifugal speed, and droplets with controllable diameter from 206 to 158 μm could be generated under a centrifugal acceleration range from 14 to 171.9 g. Excellent droplet uniformity was achieved (CV < 3%) when centrifugal acceleration was greater than 108 g. We performed digital PCR tests through the CBbE approach and demonstrated that this cost-effective method not only eliminates the usage of complex microfluidic devices and control systems but also greatly suppresses the loss of materials and cross-contamination. CBbE-enabled droplet generation combines both easiness and robustness, and breaks the technical challenges by using conventional lab equipment and supplies.

Objective This study aimed to detect circulating microRNA (miR)-17 and miR-20a levels in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and to investigate whether circulating miR-17 levels are associated with PAH. Methods Thirty-five PAH patients and 20 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Circulating miR-17 and miR-20a levels were measured using real-time PCR analysis. Results miR-17 levels were significantly increased in PAH patients compared with healthy controls. They were also higher in PAH patients at World Health Organization functional class (WHO FC) III–IV than WHO FC I–II PAH patients. There was no significant difference in miR-20a levels between PAH patients and controls. miR-17 had a high area under the corresponding receiver operating characteristic curve. Further, we found that circulating miR-17 levels correlated with the 6-minute walk distance, mean pulmonary artery pressure, and mean right atrial pressure in PAH patients. Conclusion Circulating miR-17 levels may be associated with human PAH. Therefore, miR-17 could be used as a diagnostic index and prognostic factor for PAH patients.

Expression patterns of estrogen receptors [ERα, ERβ, and G-protein associated ER (GPER)] in melanoma and skin may suggest their differential roles in carcinogenesis. Phytoestrogenic compound cyanidin-3-o-glucoside (C3G) has been shown to inhibit the growth and metastatic potential of melanoma, although the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the mechanism of action of C3G in melanoma in vitro and in vivo, as well as to characterize the functional expressions of ERs in melanoma. In normal skin or melanoma (n = 20/each), no ERα protein was detectable, whereas expression of ERβ was high in skin but weak focal or negative in melanoma; and finally high expression of GPER in all skin vs. 50% melanoma tissues (10/20) was found. These results correspond with our analysis of the melanoma survival rates (SRs) from Human Protein Atlas and The Cancer Genome Atlas GDC (362 patients), where low ERβ expression in melanoma correlate with a poor relapse-free survival, and no correlations were observed between SRs and ERα or GPER expression in melanoma. Furthermore, we demonstrated that C3G treatment arrested the cell cycle at the G2/M phase by targeting cyclin B1 (CCNB1) and promoted apoptosis via ERβ in both mouse and human melanoma cell lines, and inhibited melanoma cell growth in vivo. Our study suggested that C3G elicits an agonistic effect toward ERβ signaling enhancement, which may serve as a potential novel therapeutic and preventive approach for melanoma.

The use of polypropylene fibers as a geosynthetic in infrastructures is a promising ground treatment method with applications in the enhancement of the bearing capacity of foundations, slope rehabilitation, strengthening of backfills, as well as the improvement of the seismic behavior of geo-systems. Despite the large number of studies published in the literature investigating the properties of fiber-reinforced soils, less attention has been given in the evaluation of the dynamic properties of these composites, especially in examining damping characteristics and the influence of fiber inclusion and content. In the present study, the effect of polypropylene fiber inclusion on the small-strain damping ratio of sands with different gradations and various particle shapes was investigated through resonant column (macroscopic) experiments. The macroscopic test results suggested that the damping ratio of the mixtures tended to increase with increasing fiber content. Accordingly, a new expression was proposed which considers the influence of fiber content in the estimation of the small-strain damping of polypropylene fiber-sand mixtures and it can be complementary of damping modeling from small-to-medium strains based on previously developed expressions in the regime of medium strains. Additional insights were attempted to be obtained on the energy dissipation and contribution of fibers of these composite materials by performing grain-scale tests which further supported the macroscopic experimental test results. It was also attempted to interpret, based on the grain-scale tests results, the influence of fiber inclusion in a wide spectrum of properties for fiber-reinforced sands providing some general inferences on the contribution of polypropylene fibers on the constitutive behavior of granular materials.

Abstract Background Aging is characterized by a gradual breakdown of cellular structures. Nuclear abnormality is a hallmark of progeria in human. Analysis of age-dependent nuclear morphological changes in Caenorhabditis elegans is of great value to aging research, and this calls for an automatic image processing method that is suitable for both normal and abnormal structures. Results Our image processing method consists of nuclear segmentation, feature extraction and classification. First, taking up the challenges of defining individual nuclei with fuzzy boundaries or in a clump, we developed an accurate nuclear segmentation method using fused two-channel images with seed-based cluster splitting and k-means algorithm, and achieved a high precision against the manual segmentation results. Next, we extracted three groups of nuclear features, among which five features were selected by minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance (mRMR) for classifiers. After comparing the classification performances of several popular techniques, we identified that Random Forest, which achieved a mean class accuracy (MCA) of 98.69%, was the best classifier for our data set. Lastly, we demonstrated the method with two quantitative analyses of C. elegans nuclei, which led to the discovery of two possible longevity indicators. Conclusions We produced an automatic image processing method for two-channel C. elegans nucleus-labeled fluorescence images. It frees biologists from segmenting and classifying the nuclei manually.

In this study, an ultrasensitive detection method for aqueous Pb2+ based on digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) technology and a Pb2+-dependent DNAzyme was developed. In the presence of Pb2+, the Gr-5 DNAzyme was activated and catalyzed the hydrolytic cleavage of the substrate strand, resulting in an increase in the amount of template DNA available for dPCR and a resultant change in the number of droplets showing a positive signal. Moreover, the detection system was found to be sensitive and stable in environmental sample detection. In summary, an ultrasensitive quantitative detection method for Pb2+ within environmental substrates was established.

The estimation speed of positioning parameters determines the effectiveness of the positioning system. The time of arrival (TOA) and direction of arrival (DOA) parameters can be estimated by the space-time two-dimensional multiple signal classification (2D-MUSIC) algorithm for array antenna. However, this algorithm needs much time to complete the two-dimensional pseudo spectral peak search, which makes it difficult to apply in practice. Aiming at solving this problem, a fast estimation method of space-time two-dimensional positioning parameters based on Hadamard product is proposed in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system, and the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) is also presented. Firstly, according to the channel frequency domain response vector of each array, the channel frequency domain estimation vector is constructed using the Hadamard product form containing location information. Then, the autocorrelation matrix of the channel response vector for the extended array element in frequency domain and the noise subspace are calculated successively. Finally, by combining the closed-form solution and parameter pairing, the fast joint estimation for time delay and arrival direction is accomplished. The theoretical analysis and simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can significantly reduce the computational complexity and guarantee that the estimation accuracy is not only better than estimating signal parameters via rotational invariance techniques (ESPRIT) algorithm and 2D matrix pencil (MP) algorithm but also close to 2D-MUSIC algorithm. Moreover, the proposed algorithm also has certain adaptability to multipath environment and effectively improves the ability of fast acquisition of location parameters.

Preventing muscle wasting in certain chronic diseases including cancer is an ongoing challenge. Studies have shown that polyphenols derived from fruits and vegetables shows promise in reducing muscle loss in cellular and animal models of muscle wasting. We hypothesized that polyphenols derived from plums (Prunus domestica) could have anabolic and anti-catabolic benefits on skeletal muscle. The effects of a polyphenol-enriched plum extract (PE60) were evaluated in vitro on C2C12 and Colon-26 cancer cells. Data were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA and we found that treatment of myocytes with plum extract increased the cell size by ~3-fold (p < 0.05) and stimulated myoblast differentiation by ~2-fold (p < 0.05). Plum extract induced total protein synthesis by ~50% (p < 0.05), reduced serum deprivation-induced total protein degradation by ~30% (p < 0.05), and increased expression of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) by ~2-fold (p < 0.05). Plum extract also reduced tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)-induced nuclear factor κB (NFκB) activation by 80% (p < 0.05) in A549/NF-κB-luc cells. In addition, plum extract inhibited the growth of Colon-26 cancer cells, and attenuated cytotoxicity in C2C12 myoblasts induced by soluble factors released from Colon-26 cells. In conclusion, our data suggests that plum extract may have pluripotent health benefits on muscle, due to its demonstrated ability to promote myogenesis, stimulate muscle protein synthesis, and inhibit protein degradation. It also appears to protect muscle cell from tumor-induced cytotoxicity.

In this study, we demonstrated the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of vertically standing molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets, with an unconventional combination of molybdenum hexacarbonyl (Mo(CO)6) and 1,2-ethanedithiol (C2H6S2) as the novel kind of Mo and S precursors respectively. The effect of the distance between the precursor’s outlet and substrates (denoted as d) on the growth characteristics of MoS2, including surface morphology and nanosheet structure, was investigated. Meanwhile, the relationship between the structure characteristics of MoS2 nanosheets and their catalytic performance for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was elucidated. The formation of vertically standing nanosheets was analyzed and verified by means of an extrusion growth model. The crystallinity, average length, and average depth between peak and valley (Rz) of MoS2 nanosheets differed depending on the spatial location of the substrate. Good crystalized MoS2 nanosheets grown at d = 5.5 cm with the largest average length of 440 nm, and the highest Rz of 162 nm contributed to a better HER performance, with a respective Tafel slope and exchange current density of 138.9 mV/decade, and 22.6 μA/cm2 for raw data (127.8 mV/decade and 19.3 μA/cm2 for iR-corrected data).