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Diabetic nephropathy constitutes the leading cause for end‐stage kidney disease. Ginkgetin is a common natural non‐toxic biflavone and fulfills pleiotropic pharmacological characterizations, such as anti‐inflammation and kidney injury. Nevertheless, its efficacy in diabetic nephropathy remains elusive. Here, ginkgetin exhibited little cytotoxicity in glomerular mesangial cells. Of note, ginkgetin restrained high glucose (HG)‐induced mesangial cell proliferation and oxidative stress by inhibiting ROS and malonaldehyde levels, but enhancing antioxidant SOD activity. Additionally, ginkgetin suppressed HG‐evoked transcript and release of inflammatory cytokine TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6. Concomitantly, the increased extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition in HG‐treated glomerular mesangial cells was attenuated by ginkgetin via decreasing expression of collagen IV, fibronectin, and laminin. Intriguingly, ginkgetin‐restored HG‐impaired autophagy; whereas blocking autophagy by its inhibitor 3‐MA overturned ginkgetin function against HG‐evoked mesangial cell dysfunction. Mechanistically, ginkgetin‐mediated AMPK/mTOR axis accounted for HG‐impaired autophagy. Importantly, blockage of AMPK signaling reversed ginkgetin‐restored autophagy and its protective efficacy against HG‐induced dysfunction in mesangial cells. Thus, these findings highlight that ginkgetin may attenuate HG‐evoked mesangial cell hyperplasia, oxidative stress, inflammation, and ECM accumulation by activating AMPk/mTOR‐mediated autophagy pathway. Therefore, ginkgetin may alleviate the progression of diabetic nephropathy by regulating glomerular mesangial cell dysfunction, supporting a promising therapeutic agent against diabetic nephropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex determination is a crucially important developmental event that is pervasive throughout nature and enhances the adaptation of species. Among plants, cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) can generate both unisexual and bisexual flowers, and the sex type is mainly controlled by several 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthases (CsACSs). However, the regulatory mechanism of these synthases remains elusive. Here, we used gene expression analysis, protein-DNA interaction assays, and transgenic plants to study the function of a gynoecium-specific gene, ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR31 (CsERF31), in female flower differentiation. We found that in a predetermined female flower, ethylene signaling activates CsERF31 by CsEIN3, and then CsERF31 stimulates CsACS2, which triggers a positive feedback loop to ensure female rather than bisexual flower development. A similar interplay is functionally conserved in melon (Cucumis melo L.). Knockdown of CsERF31 by RNAi causes defective bisexual flowers to replace female flowers. Ectopic expression of CsERF31 suppresses stamen development and promotes pistil development in male flowers, demonstrating that CsERF31 functions as a sex switch. Taken together, our data confirm that CsERF31 represents the molecular link between female-male determination and female-bisexual determination, and provide mechanistic insight into how ethylene promotes female flowers, rather than bisexual flowers, in cucumber sex determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have shown that autophagy exhibits a renoprotective role in various models of acute kidney injury (AKI). However, its role in vancomycin (Van)-induced AKI remains largely unclarified. This study was the first to indicate that autophagy was rapidly activated in both human kidney-2 cells and renal tissues, and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) was inactivated via the suppression of ERK1/2 and mTOR during Van treatment. Interestingly, for both in vitro and in vivo experiments, the suppression of autophagy via chloroquine and PT-Atg7-KO significantly ameliorated Van-induced kidney injury and renal tubular cell apoptosis. Global gene expression analysis indicated that the expression levels of 6159 genes were induced by Van treatment in the kidney cortical tissues of PT-Atg7 wild-type mice, and 18 of them were notably suppressed in PT-Atg7-KO mice. These 18 genes were further classified as programmed cell death, protein binding, signal transduction, E3 ubiquitin ligase, nucleoside diphosphate kinase activity, and E1-like activating enzyme. Unexpectedly, following Van treatment, PKC-δ expression was found to be highest among the 4 genes related to cell death, which was remarkably suppressed in vitro and in PT-Atg7-KO mice. In addition, Atg7 could induce renal cell apoptosis during Van treatment via binding to PKC-δ. Likewise, the inhibition of PKCδ ameliorated Van-induced apoptosis in human kidney-2 cells and kidney tissues. Furthermore, the data showed that PT-Atg7-KO exerted a renoprotective effect against Van-induced nephrotoxicity, but this effect was lost after injection with myc-tagged PKCδ. Taken altogether, these results indicate that Van induces autophagy by suppressing the activation of the ERK1/2 and mTOR signaling pathway. In addition, Atg7 mediates Van-induced AKI through the activation of PKCδ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to determine whether the application of ultrahigh pressure could modify the content of inosine 5′-monophosphate (IMP) in fresh pork and give direct detection of each relevant enzymatic activity to affirm the enzymatic mechanism. Pressure (0–400 MPa) and time (10 min) were applied to two types of samples: adenosine monophosphate deaminase, acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase in normal saline and IMP in pork tenderloin. The results showed that varied degrees of susceptibility depended upon the pressure level. The pressure of 300 MPa could promote the formation of IMP to 1250%, at which the activity of adenosine monophosphate deaminase, an enzyme catalyzing adenosine monophosphate (AMP) to IMP, was maximized. In contrast, the activities of acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase were suppressed at this extreme pressure, resulting in decomposition of IMP. Finally, IMP accumulated to its maximum level at 300 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed formal [4 + 2] synthesis of dihydrocoumarins was realized from saturated carboxylic acids and o-quinone methides via an in situ activation strategy. This protocol results in excellent diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity and good yields and uses readily available and inexpensive starting materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines features, patterns, and driving forces of urban expansion in a urban-mining composited zone from 1986 to 2013 with geographical information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS). Urban land information was extracted from remote sensing images of 1986, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2009, and 2013 to analyze the variation characteristics of urban land in quantity and spatial distribution. Expansion intensity, barycenter of urban land, and urban compactness are usedto analyze the expansion features of urban land over 27 years, describe the expansion types in each period, and discuss the expansion pattern. Additional analyses are conducted to determine the driving forces of urban expansion. The research results are as follows. Firstly, the area of urban land presented a trend of linear increase, with the expansion intensity index indicating a trend of exponential growth, and gentle expansion alternating with dramatic expansion. Secondly, urban land sprawled in a distinct concentric pattern around one center at first and two centers later. Thirdly, there were five expansion types during the 27 years, including westward-slow-concentrated expansion, westward-slow-scattered expansion, eastward-moderate-scattered expansion, eastward-moderate-concentrated expansion, and westward-dramatic-scattered expansion. Finally, the compactness of urban land fluctuated in 1986–2013, which implies that internal enrichment expansion and external extending appeared alternately. Furthermore, by analyzing natural and social economic data, four factors are considered as driving forces of urban expansion in Pingshuo mining area of China: limitation from landform, relative policies, increase of economy, and the development of mining area. Urban expansion and mining activities have resulted in dramatic landscape changes, which are studied by five landscape metrics. This study provides a typical case of urban expansion in an urban mining composited zone, and the findings can help provide better understanding of the process and mechanism of urban expansion in this kind of area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichohepatoenteric syndrome (THES) is a rare autosomal, recessively inherited disorder. Mutations in the tetratricopeptide repeat domain 37 (TTC37) gene and the superkiller viralicidic activity 2-like (SKIV2L) gene have been identified to cause THES. The present study reported a case of a Chinese boy, who presented clinically with intrauterine growth retardation, intractable diarrhea, facial dysmorphism, abnormal scalp hair shafts, immune disorders and liver involvement. Targeted next-generation sequencing and Sanger DNA sequencing showed compound heterozygous mutations of the SKIV2L gene. The present study was the first, to the best of our knowledge, to report a case of a boy with THES resulting from compound heterozygous mutations of the SKIV2L gene in China. Target sequence capture combined with high-throughput next-generation sequencing technologies have shown to be effective methods for the molecular genetic assessment of rare inherited disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The malignant glioma remains one of the most aggressive human malignancies with extremely poor prognosis. Glioma cell invasion and migration are the main causes of death. In the current study, we studied the expression and the potential functions of tetraspanin 8 (Tspan8) in malignant gliomas. We found that Tspan8 expression level is high in both malignant glioma tissues and in several human glioma cell lines, where it formed a complex integrin α3 and rictor, the latter is a key component of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 2 (mTORC2). Disruption of this complex, through siRNA-mediated knockdown of anyone of these three proteins, inhibited U251MG glioma cell migration in vitro. We further showed that Tspan8-rictor association appeared required for mTORC2 activation. Knockdown of Tspan8 by the targeted siRNAs prevented mTOR-rictor (mTORC2) assembly as well as phosphorylation of AKT (Ser-473) and protein kinase C α (PKCα) in U251MG cells. Together, these results demonstrate that over-expressed Tspan8 in malignant glioma forms a complex with rictor and integrin α3 to mediate mTORC2 activation and glioma cell migration. Therefore, targeting Tspan8-rictor-integrin α3 complex may provide a potential therapeutic intervention for malignant glioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Skull base malignancies are problematic. We evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) in the treatment of patients with primary and secondary malignancies in the skull base. Methods: The data of 43 patients were retrospectively analyzed. Sixteen of these patients had a primary skull base malignancy, and 27 patients had skull base metastasis or an invasion from other cancers. The median tumor volume was 7.2 cm³ (range, 0.6-33.4). The median prescription margin dose was 14.0 Gy (range, 10-16). Nine patients with tumor regrowth after initial reduction received another treatment. Results: The median follow-up time was 14 months (range, 1-60). Following GKRS, the progression-free survival was 89% and 62% at 1 and 2 years, respectively, and the overall survival rate was 74% and 45% at 1 and 2 years, respectively. Nineteen (44%) patients reported an improvement following GKRS. One patient (2%) reported decreased vision, which was considered to be a side effect from cumulative GKRS doses. Conclusion: Gamma knife radiosurgery is an effective treatment for primary and secondary malignant tumors in the skull base as initial monotherapy or as an adjunct therapy to surgery or radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inactivation of the selected vegetative bacteria Escherichia coli, Listeria innocua, and Lactobacillus plantarum by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) in physiological saline (PS) and in four fruit juices with pHs ranging from 3.4 to 6.3, with or without dissolved CO2, was investigated. The inactivation effect of HHP on the bacteria was greatly enhanced by dissolved CO2. Effective inactivation (>7 log) was achieved at 250 MPa for E. coli and 350 MPa for L. innocua and L. plantarum in the presence of 0.2 M CO2 at room temperature for 15 min in PS, with additional inactivation of more than 4 log for all three bacteria species compared with the results with HHP treatment alone. The combined inactivation by HHP and CO2 in tomato juice of pH 4.2 and carrot juice of pH 6.3 showed minor differences compared with that in PS. By comparison, the combined effect in orange juice of pH 3.8 was considerably promoted, while the HHP inactivation was enhanced only to a limited extent. In another orange juice with a pH of 3.4, all three strains lost their pressure resistance. HHP alone completely inactivated E. coli at relatively mild pressures of 200 MPa and L. innocua and L. plantarum at 300 MPa. Observations of the survival of the bacteria in treated juices also showed that the combined treatment caused more sublethal injury, which increased further inactivation at a relatively mild pH of 4.2 during storage. The results indicated that the combined treatment of HHP with dissolved CO2 may provide an effective method for the preservation of low- or medium-acid fruit and vegetable juices at relatively low pressures. HHP alone inactivated bacteria effectively in high-acid fruit juice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

J Oral Pathol Med (2010) 39 168–175 Objective: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) often spreads from the primary tumor to regional lymph nodes in the early stage. Better understanding of the biology of lymphatic spread of oral cancer cells is important for improving the survival rate of cancer patients. Methods: We established the cell line LNMTca8113 by repeated injections in foot pads of nude mice, which had a much higher lymphatic metastasis rate than its parental cell line Tca8113. Then, we compared the biologic behaviors of cancer cells between them. Moreover, microarray-based expression profiles between them were also compared, and a panel of differential genes was validated using real-time-PCR. Results: In contrast to Tca8113 cells, LNMTca8113 cells were more proliferative and resistant to apoptosis in the absence of serum, and had enhanced ability of inducing capillary-like structures. Moreover, microarray-based expression profiles between them identified 1341 genes involved in cell cycle, cell adhesion, lymphangiogenesis, regulation of apoptosis, and so on. Some genes dedicating to the metastatic potential, including JAM2, TNC, CTSC, LAMB1, VEGFC, HAPLN1, ACPP, GDF9 and FGF11, were upregulated in LNMTca8113 cells. Conclusion: These results suggested that LNMTca8113 and Tca8113 cells were proper models for lymphatic metastasis study because there were differences in biologic behaviors and metastasis-related genes between them. Additionally, the differentially expressed gene profiles in cancer progression may be helpful in exploring therapeutic targets and provide the foundation for further functional validation of these specific candidate genes for OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are important innate immune receptors for the identification and clearance of invading pathogens. Twelve TLRs that recognize various conserved components of microorganisms are currently known. Among these, the endosomal TLRs 3, 7/8, and 9 recognize dsRNA, ssRNA, and CpG DNA, respectively. Nucleic acid-sensing TLRs, TLR 7 in particular, have been implicated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and are thought to exacerbate disease pathology. Activation of these TLRs results in the production of inflammatory cytokines and type I interferon. Genome-wide association studies, single nucleotide polymorphism analyses as well as experimental mouse models have provided evidence of TLR signaling involvement in SLE and other autoimmune diseases. Since activation of these receptor pathways promotes autoimmune phenotypes, inhibitory drugs that target these pathways constitute important new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of systemic autoimmunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider two nonlinear equations ut - uxxt + 3u2ux = 2uxuxx + uuxxx and ut - uxxt + 4u2ux = 3uxuxx + uuxxx which are called modified forms of Camassa–Holm and Degaperis–Procesi equations, respectively. For given constant wave speed, we investigate the coexistence of multifarious explicit nonlinear wave solutions, solitary wave solution, peakon wave solution, singular wave solution, smooth periodic wave solution and singular periodic wave solution. Not only is the coexistence shown, but the concrete expressions are presented via the bifurcation method of dynamical systems. From our work it can be seen that these two equations possess a lot of similar properties, and the types of their explicit nonlinear wave solutions are more than that of Camassa–Holm and Degaperis–Procesi equations. Many previous results are our special cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractEsophageal cancer is characterized by rapid clinical progression and poor prognosis, due to early-stage invasion of adjacent tissues and metastasis. Tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 (TFPI-2) has been implicated as a metastasis-associated gene in many types of tumors. Here we describe the potential involvement of TFPI-2 in the development of esophageal carcinoma. Western blotting revealed that TFPI-2 was downregulated in 75% of esophageal carcinomas and in most esophageal carcinoma cell lines. Immunohistochemistry revealed that TFPI-2 was significantly downregulated in tumor tissues and in lymph node metastases. Experimental overexpression of TFPI-2 in KYSE450, KYSE510, YES2, and EC9706 cells significantly inhibited their invasive ability. Overexpression of TFPI-2 in EC9706 cells inhibited xenograft tumor growth and invasion into surrounding tissues, as well as reduced lung metastasis. Further studies demonstrated that recombinant TFPI-2 protein significantly inhibited the activity of matrix metalloproteinases and tumor-related angiogenesis. Parenteral treatment with recombinant TFPI-2 protein significantly suppressed xenograft growth and metastasis. Together, these data indicate that TFPI-2 inhibits tumor invasion and angiogenesis both in vitroand in vivo, and suggest a potentially important therapeutic role for recombinant TFPI-2 in the treatment of malignant esophageal carcinomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understading functional properties of tumor-derived lymphatic endothelial cells (TLEC) are relevant for blocking lymphatic metastasis. The changes of lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC) cocultured with oral cancer cells in a vitro model were examined. TLEC, in contrast to LEC, were more proliferative and have enhanced ability of lymphangiogenesis and anti-apoptosis. Gene microarrays revealed that 677 unique genes had two-fold or higher change between the two groups. Differential expressions of selected genes were confirmed by real-time PCR. Our results indicate that TLEC display abnormal characteristics and are distinct at the molecular level. Manipulation of TLEC is encouraging for therapy of lymphatic metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid and sensitive silver ion high-performance liquid chromatographic (Ag[I]-HPLC) method is developed for the simultaneous determination of the biologically active diterpenoids andrographolide, 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide, 14-deoxyandrographolide, and neoandrographolide in Andrographis paniculata Nees. HPLC is carried out for determining andrographolide and its derivatives with methanol–water (55:45, v/v) as the mobile phase on a C18 column (5 µm, 150 mm × 4.6 mm i.d.) with UV detection at 205 nm. Four andrographolides are baseline separated in a novel way: by adding silver ions (0.005 mol L–1) to the previously mentioned mobile phase. Validation of the method challenges specificity, linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, accuracy, and repeatability, and the results met the acceptance criteria for all analytes. The molecular mechanism of retention is demonstrated by comparing partition coefficients (logP) of different andrographolides and andrographolide-Ag(I) complexes. Thus, the method is successfully applied to characterize and determine the four andrographolides in Andrographis paniculata Nees extract and its commercial product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determine the degrees of maps between two given closed ( n−1)–connected 2 n–manifolds when n ≡1(mod 8). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of recovering a sparse signal buried in noise from a linear observing system has been studied, via utilising statistic prior information of noise and signal, a fast matching pursuit revised maximum a posterior (MP-RMAP) estimation method is proposed. The proposed method overcomes the none-robust estimation problem that fast Bayesian matching pursuit has in high signal-to-noise ratio cases. Compared with other methods, the MP-RMAP method is able to improve the estimation accuracy with low complexity. Experimental results verify the validity of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hairy fig (Ficus hirta Vahl.) root is a traditional medicinal and food homologous plant in China. Due to the lignified roots are extremely difficult to cut and package, postharvest treatment is very difficult. Therefore, when the roots of the hairy fig are used as a soup ingredient, the root cortex is simply peeled off and used.In order to promote the development and utilization of hairy fig root, chemical composition, volatile profiles and antioxidant activities of entire root (ER), root cortex (RC) and root internal tissue (RIT) of hairy fig were investigated. Hairy fig root was rich in fat, protein, soluble sugar, polyphenols, flavones and other nutrients, which had significant difference in ER, RC and RIT (P<0.05). Chemical components and nutrients were highest in RC, and lowest in RIT, as well as psoralen and bergapten. In ER, RC and RIT, content of psoralen was 0.70, 0.77, 0.32 mg/g, and 0.27, 0.42, 0.14 mg/g for bergapten. Phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium were the main minerals, and arginine was the main free amino acid. There were 47 volatile components detected in ER, RC and RIT, where aldehydes and heterocyclic compounds were the dominant components. The relative level of aldehydes was 16.98~34.09%, and 6.71~45.23% for heterocyclic compounds. In addition, total relative amount of volatile components was 75.68% in RC, but 57.94% in RIT. From chemical components, nutritional components and volatile components content, the quality of RC was better than ER and RIT. The results might be related to chemicals accumulation position and the physiological structure of different parts of plants. According to antioxidant activity, ER, RC and RIT have scavenging activity of 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6- sulphonic acid) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radicals. The half inhibitory concentration (IC50) of RC on ABTS, DPPH and hydroxyl radical were 3.51, 0.08 and 1360.40 mg/mL, respectively, which were lower than ER and RIT. Based on the drying process of the samples, the RC and RIT exhibited the best drying efficiency. All in all, from the point of view of saving energy and quality, RC not only had better quality but need less energy to dry. These results provided a reference for the development and utilization of hairy fig root cortex as a raw material in medicine, functional food or dietary additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focal adhesions (FAs) are specialized sites where intracellular cytoskeleton elements connect to the extracellular matrix and thereby control cell motility. FA assembly depends on various scaffold proteins, including the G protein-coupled receptor kinase-interacting protein 1 (GIT1), paxillin, and liprin-α. Although liprin-α and paxillin are known to competitively interact with GIT1, the molecular basis governing these interactions remains elusive. To uncover the underlying mechanisms of how GIT1 is involved in FA assembly by alternatively binding to liprin-α and paxillin, here we solved the crystal structures of GIT1 in complex with liprin-α and paxillin at 1.8 and 2.6 Å resolutions, respectively. These structures revealed that the paxillin-binding domain (PBD) of GIT1 employs distinct binding modes to recognize a single α-helix of liprin-α and the LD4 motif of paxillin. Structure-based design of protein variants produced two binding-deficient GIT1 variants; specifically, these variants lost the ability to interact with liprin-α only or with both liprin-α and paxillin. Expressing the GIT1 variants in COS7 cells, we discovered that the two PBD-meditated interactions play different roles in either recruiting GIT1 to FA or facilitating FA assembly. Additionally, we demonstrate that, unlike for the known binding mode of the FAT domain to LD motifs, the PBD of GIT1 uses different surface patches to achieve high selectivity inLDmotif recognition. In summary, our results have uncovered the mechanisms by which GIT1's PBD recognizes cognate paxillin and liprin-α structures, information we anticipate will be useful for future investigations of GIT1-protein interactions in cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herpesviral hematopoietic necrosis caused by cyprinid herpesvirus-2 (CyHV-2) is highly prevalent in gibel carp (Carassius gibelio Bloch) and is associated with high mortality and great economic loss. Currently, no efficient methods of prevention and control of CyHV-2 infection are available. Increasing evidence suggests that antigen-specific egg yolk immunoglobulins (IgY) are highly effective against various pathogens in farmed fish. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a specific IgY against CyHV-2 infection in gibel carp. We first produced a recombinant D4ORFs protein that encodes four open reading frames of CyHV-2 and then generated specific IgY by immunizing laying hens with this protein. The eggs laid by immunized hens were processed into spray-dried egg powder containing D4ORFs IgY. The D4ORFs IgY showed high neutralizing activity in vitro against CyHV-2, as evidenced by a significant reduction in cytopathic effect in gibel carp brain cells cultured in the presence of the IgY antibodies. Whole-egg powder containing IgY specific to D4ORFs protein was incorporated into the basal diet at levels of 0, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.6% to prepare experimental diets for use in intervention studies in gibel carp. Another group received non-specific IgY. For preventive intervention, all fish were fed these experimental diets for 25 days before being immersion challenged with CyHV-2, after which the fish were switched to the basal diet for 21 days. For therapeutic intervention, fish were first challenged with CyHV-2 and then fed the diet with 0.6% D4ORFs IgY. Fish that received D4ORFs IgY prior to CyHV-2 challenge had significantly higher survival rates and significantly lower viral load in the trunk kidney compared to those that received non-specific IgY. Improved survival and reduced viral load were also observed in CyHV-2-challenged fish that received dietary supplementation of D4ORFs IgY. Hematological and serum biochemical analysis also showed improved health and enhanced antiviral defense in fish that received D4ORFs IgY. Overall, these findings demonstrated both preventive and therapeutic effects of anti-D4ORFs IgY against CyHV-2 infection. • D4ORFs encoded by four tandem ORFs of CyHV-2 showed high immunogenicity. • Anti-D4ORFs IgY can effectively neutralize CyHV-2 in vitro. • Dietary inclusion of anti-D4ORFs IgY improves survival in CyHV-2-infected gibel carp. • Anti-D4ORFs IgY is prophylactically and therapeutically effective against CyHV-2 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute Kraft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is a major complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplintation (ailo-HSCT). We examined the association between the composition of the cell subsets present in allogeneic grafts (allografts) and the occurrence and severity of aGVHD in pediatric patients. Met/zods.· We retrospectively analyzed 80 consecutive pediatric patients undergoing allo-HSCT at our center. Results.· Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the number of CD34 and CD3- T-cells iii 8110- grafts were the two highest risk factors associated with Ii-IV aGVHD. Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, the cutoff levels of the allo-HSCT cell doses were used to divide the recipients into low-dose and highdose groups. The 100-day cumulative incidence of II-IV aGVHD in the high-dose CD34 - and CD3 T-cells group was significantly higher than that of the low-dose group (CD34 : 57% vs. 29%, p = 0.009; CDS-: 63% vs. 180/0, p < 0.001). No other clinical factors or cell subsets correlated with aGVHD incidence. Conclusions: Our analysis indicates that the CD:34'" and CD3 ' T-cell numbers in the allografts could be the risk factors for the development of severe aGVHD (level II-IV). Further studies should aim to optimize the critical number of CD34- and CD3- T-cells to reduce the risk of severe aGVHD occurrence in pediatric patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study determined the changes in the expression levels of MYPT1, CPI-17 and MLC20 in the ileum of mice with neonatal induced necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) to provide a basis for a pathogenesis model that includes smooth muscle changes during NEC. A group of 7-day-old BALB/c mice were fed with formula (40 μl/g, 5 times/day) and given hypoxia treatments (5% O2 and 95% N2 for 10 min, twice daily) for 4 days to induce NEC and establish a mouse model. A control group of 7-day-old BALB/c mice were left with their mother for the duration of the treatment. After establishing the model, the two groups of mice were sacrificed, and the terminal ileum tissue was collected and subjected to western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. The results showed the expression levels of MYPT1 and pMYPT1 in the ileum of the mice in the NEC group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). The levels of CPI17 and pCPI17 were higher in the NEC group compared with those in the control group. The expression level of MLC20 in NEC group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.01), but the level of pMLC20 in the NEC group was higher (P<0.05). The results of immunohistochemistry showed that the staining intensities of MYPT1, CPI-17 and MLC20 in the NEC group were lighter than those in the control group, and the proportion of positive cells was also lower in the NEC group (P<0.01). Taken together our results suggest that establishment of NEC is accompanied by changes in the protein levels of MYPT1 and pCPI-17, which can regulate smooth muscle contraction in the ileum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction roasting ammonia leaching process (RRAL) originally defined by Caron (1950) has been extensively applied to treat low grade nickel laterite and a large amount of slag-containing some valuable metals, has been generated and accumulated over the years since then. However, there are no reports on how to utilize it based on its essential properties. In this investigation, the textural and mineralogical characterization of the typical nickel slag from RRAL inWestern Australia was performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The results show that the nickel slag is dominated by magnetite, maghemite, gangue minerals and minor Cr-spinel. The magnetite and maghemite possess simple distribution relationship with other minerals and their particles are highly variable with most over 50 μm, which are easily able to be recovered. In term of the complex association and distribution feature of chromium and nickel minerals, it is very difficult to recovery them. Meanwhile, an economically viable extraction process was proposed to preliminarily utilize the nickel slag based on textural and mineralogical characteristics of the slag, and the magnetic concentrate, assaying about 62% iron grade at over 75% recovery rate, was obtained through the recommended method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights that Lithium metal anode have shown exceptional potential for high-energy batteries whereas the practical cell-level energy density of Li metal batteries is usually limited by the low areal capacity (<3 mAh cm−2) because of the accelerated degradation of high–areal capacity Li metal anodes upon cycling.

We investigate epitaxy of AlN layers on sapphire substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. It is found that an atomically flat surface can be obtained under Al-rich conditions at growth temperature of 780degC. However, the growth window to obtain an Al-droplet-free surface is too narrow to be well-controlled. However, the growth window can be greatly broadened by increasing the growth temperature up to 950degC, where an Al-droplet-free surface with a step-flow feature is obtained due to the enhanced re-evaporization rate and migration ability of Al adatoms. The samples grown at the higher temperature also show a higher crystalline quality than those grown at lower temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to explore the function of miR-34b promoter methylation in cell proliferation in children's acute leukemia. Quantitative PCR and methylation-specific PCR were performed to measure the levels of miR-34b and its promoter methylation in normal cells, eight leukemia cell lines as well as primary leukemic cells isolated from patients newly diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and mixed lymphocytic lymphoma. miR-34b levels in leukemia cell lines and primary leukemic cells were significantly lower than those in normal cells. The miR-34b promoter was found to be methylated in all leukemia cell lines, 24 of 31 ALL patients and 8 of 19 AML patients, but not in the 23 normal controls. miR-34b expression and methylation of its promoter were not associated with most clinical parameters assessed; however, miR-34b levels in prednisone-sensitive ALL were significantly different from those in insensitive ALL. A cell counting kit-8 assay showed that transfection of miR-34b mimics into K562 cells inhibited their proliferation. Furthermore, treatment with the demethylating agent 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine significantly enhanced miR-34b expression levels and decreased the methylation status of its promoter in HL-60 and K562 cells. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that in pediatric leukemia cells and leukemia cell lines, the expression of miR-34b is inhibited by methylation of its promoter, which impairs the restraining effects of miR-34b on cell proliferation. It was also indicated that the expression of miR-34b in ALL patients may affect their response to early treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present evidence for the existence and control of bulk-surface coupling in Bi2Te2Se nanoribbons. Our magnetoresistance measurements reveal that the number of coherent channels contributing to quantum interference in the nanoribbons changes abruptly when the film thickness exceeds the bulk phase relaxation length. We interpret this observation as an evidence for bulk-mediated coupling between metallic states located on opposite surfaces. This hypothesis is supported by additional magnetoresistance measurements conducted under a set of gate voltages and in a parallel magnetic field, the latter of which alters the intersurface coupling in a controllable way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder characterized by memory loss, language impairment, personality changes and intellectual decline. Taking into account the key pathological features of AD, such as low levels of acetylcholine, beta-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation, oxidative stress and dyshomeostasis of biometals, a new series of paeonol derivatives 5a–5d merging three different functions, i.e., antioxidant, anti-acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, metal chelating agents for AD treatment have been synthesized and characterized. Biological assays revealed that compared with paeonol (309.7 μM), 5a–5d had a lower DPPH IC50 value (142.8–191.6 μM). 5a–5d could significantly inhibit hydrogen peroxide-induced neuronal PC12 cell death assessed by MTT assay in the concentration range of 5–40 μM. AChE activity was effectively inhibited by 5a–5d, with IC50 values in the range of 0.61–7.04 μM. 5a–5d also exhibited good metal-chelating ability. All the above results suggested that paeonol derivatives may be promising multifunctional agents for AD treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the research on rare earth metals has expanded to the field of microbiology. In China, the production of Vitamin C is through mixed culture fermentation, which transforms L-sorbose to 2-keto-L-gulonic acid (2-KGA), the precursor of Vitamin C. In this study we compared the yields of 2-KGA by an acid-producing strain of Ketogulonigenium vulgare that was co-cultured with different companion bacterial strains in the presence of four light rare earth elements, lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, and samarium at selected concentrations. We found that all of the tested rare earth elements had a promoting effect on 2-KGA production at concentration up to 5 mM. At or above 10 mM, the yield of 2-KGA was reduced. When cultured separately with 5 mM of given rare earth elements, the growth of two companion bacterial strains (Bacillus megaterium 25-B and B. subtilis A9) were both significantly reduced, while that of the K. vulgare strain was enhanced. © 2014 Friends Science Publishers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the progress of titanium dioxide crystals with tailored facets. Topics include its synthesis with different facets, usual properties like surface reconstruction, anisotropic surface electronic structures and anisotropic molecule, and modification of its electronic structure and interfacial properties using doping, intrinsic defects and heterostructuring. Also mentioned are its applications including lithium ion batteries, photocatalysis, and solar cells.

[Display omitted] • Composite CuCeO x -A catalyst with strong CuO-CeO 2 interactions were prepared. • CuCeO x -A afforded a TOF that was 6.8 times that of CuO for TOC removal from 2-naphthol solution. • Cu leaching of CuCeO x -A was at lower level of 1.0 ± 0.2 mg/L than that of CuO (12.8 ± 1.9 mg/L) • CuO-CeO 2 interactions facilitated Cu+ regeneration by up-lifting the redox potential of Cu2+/Cu+. • The Cu species was stabilized in CuCeO x -A via the Cu–O-Ce bonds. The copper (Cu)-driven advanced oxidation process (AOP) represents one green and efficient technology for the removal of refractory aromatic organic pollutants from water. However, its application remained challenged by the sluggish regeneration of the active Cu+ species and the environmental risk induced by Cu leaching. Herein we reported a facile approach to the bimetallic composite CuCeO x -A catalyst with strong CuO-CeO 2 interactions ("A" referred to the acid-activation process). It enabled a TOC removal efficiency (δ%) of 92.4 % and a turnover frequency (TOF) of 1.57 min−1 for TOC removal from 100 mg/L 2-naphthol aqueous solution, outperforming the CuO (δ% = 82.9 % and TOF = 0.23 min−1) and most of the reported Cu-based catalysts. It was more active under neutral/weakly acidic conditions, and could keep high performances in a wide 2-NAP concentration window and in the presence of some impurity ions (PO 4 3-, NH 4 + or SiO 3 2-). Additionally, the Cu leaching of CuCeO x -A maintained at a much lower level of ∼ 1.0 ± 0.2 mg/L than that of CuO (∼12.8 ± 1.9 mg/L). Mechanistic studies demonstrated that the enhanced AOP performance and chemical stability of CuCeO x -A originated from the strong CuO-CeO 2 interactions, which facilitated the Cu+ regeneration by up-lifting the redox potential of Cu2+/Cu+ and stabilized Cu species via the Cu–O-Ce bonds. Further biological safety testing using chlorella cells as probe organism revealed that the CuCeO x -A-driven AOP was environmentally benign for aromatic organic pollutants removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the fabrication of a highly active nonstoichiometric SnO2-δ based counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The introduction of oxygen vacancies into SnO2 results in a much lower charge transfer resistance and a higher polarization current density. The solar energy conversion efficiency of the SnO2-δ based DSSCs is increased by 67%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a dynamic hand gesture detection technology to effectively detect dynamic hand gesture areas, and a hand gesture recognition technology to improve the dynamic hand gesture recognition rate. Meanwhile, the corresponding relationship between state sequences in hand gesture and speech models is considered by integrating speech recognition technology with a multimodal model, thus improving the accuracy of human behavior recognition. The experimental results proved that the proposed method can effectively improve human behavior recognition accuracy and the feasibility of system applications. Experimental results verified that the multimodal gesture-speech model provided superior accuracy when compared to the single modal versions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved cell renewal process that depends on phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns(3)P). In metazoans, autophagy is inhibited by PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, the product of class IA PI3Ks, which mediates the activation of the Akt-TOR kinase cascade. However, the precise function of class IA PI3Ks in autophagy remains undetermined. Class IA PI3Ks are heterodimeric proteins consisting of an 85kD regulatory subunit and a 110kD catalytic subunit. Here we show that the class IA p110-β catalytic subunit is a positive regulator of autophagy. Genetic deletion of p110-β results in impaired autophagy in mouse embryonic fibroblasts, liver, and heart. p110-β does not promote autophagy by affecting the Akt-TOR pathway. Rather, it associates with the autophagypromoting Vps34-Vps15-Beclin 1-Atg14L complex and facilitates the generation of cellular PtdIns(3)P. Our results unveil a previously unknown function for p110-β as a positive regulator of autophagy in multicellular organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A study on sintering of imported chromite fines using sinter pot (diameter 150 mm, depth 600 mm) was conducted. The effect of sintering parameters including coke breeze size and dosage, sinter mix moisture, bed depth, ignition duration and suction, and sintering suction on the sintering performance of chromite fines was investigated. It is shown that normal sintering process is suitable for agglomeration of chromite fines. And the sintering of chromite fines is characterized by wider combustion zone (75.00 mm), higher sintering temperature (1450 °C–1500 °C) and longer cooling time when compared with iron ores. Furthermore, the consolidation mechanism of chromite sinter was determined by using Leica DMRXP microscope equipped with Leica Qwin image processing and analysis application, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). It is revealed that the consolidation of chromite sinter mainly depended on about 20% liquid phase of olivine along with solid-state reactions and recrystallization of Cr2O3 contributing to sinter strength to some extent, which is quite different from the sintering of iron ores with about 35%–40% liquid phase. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Loss due to coupling between two parallel microstrip lines is investigated in this paper. It is found that the transmission characteristic of the aggressor line was impaired by coupling. Most energy would be coupled to the victim line at resonant frequencies determined by the space between traces and the coupled length, which seriously affects the transmitted signals with high data rate. Two coupled microstrip lines are analyzed in terms of even and odd modes to explain this additional loss mechanism. Several design parameters are simulated. It is clearly shown that resonant frequencies increase with the space between traces and decrease with the coupled length. Electromagnetic simulations are also performed to illustrate this extra loss mechanism. Good agreement is seen between analytical and experimental analyses. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 197–202, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23041 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We first follow De Concini and Kac [in: A. Connes, M. Dulfo, A. Joseph, R. Rentshler (Eds.), Operator Algebras, Unitary Representations, Enveloping Algebras and Invariant Theory, 1990, pp. 471–506] to give a presentation for the infinitesimal quantum , , and then reconstruct or realize in two different ways following the Beilinson–Lusztig–MacPherson geometric setting approach [Duke Math. J. 61 (1990) 655–677]. Thus, we obtain three new bases for . In the second part of the paper, we use to introduce the little q-Schur algebra as a subalgebra of the q-Schur algebra . The symmetry structure of a little q-Schur algebra is then investigated through the construction of various bases of monomial, BLM and PBW types for and q-Schur algebras. We also obtain a formula for the dimension of . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of grape pomace extracts on obesity-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in rats. To this end, forty male Wistar rats were assigned into four groups and were fed regular chow, high-fat diet, high-fat diet plus low-dose grape pomace extract (0.5%, w/w) or high-dose (2%, w/w) grape pomace extract (GPE) for 16 weeks. We observed that lipid concentrations (triglyceride and cholesterol) were elevated in the plasma and liver in rats on a high-fat diet and also on those receiving 2% GPE with high-fat diet. These changes were resulting from the downregulation of lipogenic enzymes and stimulation of hepatic lipolysis. A high-fat diet-mediated increase in hepatic oxidative stress was reduced by GPE. The plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly decreased by GPE. These results suggest that the supplementation with GPE may ameliorate adiposity, hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress and inflammation in high-fat diet-fed rats and potentially retard the development of obesity-induced NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an efficient and robust electrochemical deposition method to fabricate large-scale two-dimensional rigid arrays of metal colloids with a precise control of the particle morphology by monitoring metal growth that is confined within a templated organic porous mold. Light transmission resonances through the metallic periodic microstructures are observed and the resonance wavelengths are found to depend on the morphology of the scattering elements. Further numerical simulations confirm these transmission resonances and reveal that they are attributed to the excitations of localized or propagating surface plasmon modes supported by the specific structures. The present method of tailoring metallic microstructures could find applications in plasmonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sepsis represents a complex disease with the dysregulated inflammatory response and high mortality rate. The goal of this study was to identify potential transcriptomic markers in developing pediatric sepsis by a co-expression module analysis of the transcriptomic dataset.Methods: Using the R software and Bioconductor packages, we performed a weighted gene co-expression network analysis to identify co-expression modules significantly associated with pediatric sepsis. Functional interpretation (gene ontology and pathway analysis) and enrichment analysis with known transcription factors and microRNAs of the identified candidate modules were then performed. In modules significantly associated with sepsis, the intramodular analysis was further performed and "hub genes" were identified and validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) in this study.Results: 15 co-expression modules in total were detected, and four modules ("midnight blue", "cyan", "brown", and "tan") were most significantly associated with pediatric sepsis and suggested as potential sepsis-associated modules. Gene ontology analysis and pathway analysis revealed that these four modules strongly associated with immune response. Three of the four sepsis-associated modules were also enriched with known transcription factors (false discovery rate-adjusted P < 0.05). Hub genes were identified in each of the four modules. Four of the identified hub genes (MYB proto-oncogene like 1, killer cell lectin like receptor G1, stomatin, and membrane spanning 4-domains A4A) were further validated to be differentially expressed between septic children and controls by qPCR.Conclusions: Four pediatric sepsis-associated co-expression modules were identified in this study. qPCR results suggest that hub genes in these modules are potential transcriptomic markers for pediatric sepsis diagnosis. These results provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of pediatric sepsis and promote the generation of diagnostic gene sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Overexpression of cyclin D1 dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) is a common feature of many human cancers including leukemia. LEE011 is a novel inhibitor of both CDK4 and 6. To date, the molecular function of LEE011 in leukemia remains unclear. Methods: Leukemia cell growth and apoptosis following LEE011 treatment was assessed through CCK-8 and annexin V/propidium iodide staining assays. Cell senescence was assessed by β-galactosidase staining and p16INK4a expression analysis. Gene expression profiles of LEE011 treated HL-60 cells were investigated using an Arraystar Human LncRNA array. Gene ontology and KEGG pathway analysis were then used to analyze the differentially expressed genes from the cluster analysis. Results: Our studies demonstrated that LEE011 inhibited proliferation of leukemia cells and could induce apoptosis. Hoechst 33,342 staining analysis showed DNA fragmentation and distortion of nuclear structures following LEE011 treatment. Cell cycle analysis showed LEE011 significantly induced cell cycle G1 arrest in seven of eight acute leukemia cells lines, the exception being THP-1 cells. β-Galactosidase staining analysis and p16INK4a expression analysis showed that LEE011 treatment can induce cell senescence of leukemia cells. LncRNA microarray analysis showed 2083 differentially expressed mRNAs and 3224 differentially expressed lncRNAs in LEE011-treated HL-60 cells compared with controls. Molecular function analysis showed that LEE011 induced senescence in leukemia cells partially through downregulation of the transcriptional expression of MYBL2. Conclusions: We demonstrate for the first time that LEE011 treatment results in inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of G1 arrest and cellular senescence in leukemia cells. LncRNA microarray analysis showed differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs in LEE011-treated HL-60 cells and we demonstrated that LEE011 induces cellular senescence partially through downregulation of the expression of MYBL2. These results may open new lines of investigation regarding the molecular mechanism of LEE011 induced cellular senescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]