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Lithium polysulfide clusters LiSn− (n = 3–5) have ring structures.

To explore the composition of the

Objective Hypopharyngeal carcinoma has a very poor prognosis. The high incidence of second esophageal neoplasia is one of the major causes. To establish an efficient follow-up scheme for increasing the diagnostic yield and reducing the adverse impact of second esophageal neoplasia on survival, the purpose of this study was to explore a biomarker to predict second esophageal neoplasia. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, consecutive tissue specimens from those patients who underwent tumor resection between September 2007 and October 2015 were collected. Gene amplification was performed by real-time PCR. The expression of cortactin was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The predictive risk factors of developing second esophageal neoplasia and prognostic factors related to survival were analyzed. Results A total of 187 patients were included with a mean follow-up of 48 months (12–118 months). Second esophageal tumors were found in 53 (28.3%), including 41 (21.9%) esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and 12 severe dysplasia. The results of multivariate analyses revealed that age (OR 2.81, 95% CI 1.16–6.78), cortactin overexpression (OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.17–5.33), and stage IV versus I (OR 6.49, 95% CI 1.68–25.18) were independent predictors of second esophageal neoplasia, and second esophageal neoplasia (HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.05–3.01) was an independent predictor of overall survival. Conclusion This is the first report to identify a potential biomarker for predicting second esophageal neoplasia in patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma. In those patients with cortactin overexpression and younger age (≤60 years old), close surveillance for second esophageal neoplasia is required. In addition, the real effect of cortactin overexpression on development of primary esophageal carcinoma is required to be validated in a large cohort study.

Phytoplankton and bacteria are crucial components of aquatic food webs, playing critical roles in the structure and function of freshwater ecosystems. However, there are few studies on how the algal and bacterial communities interact and respond to changing environmental conditions in the water reservoirs. Thus, the ecological interaction relationship between the temporal succession of the phytoplankton community and the bacterial community was investigated using 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing and a co-occurrence network in the Lijiahe Reservoir. The results showed that Bacillariophyta and Chlorophyta were also dominant taxa in the phytoplankton community. In August, Cyanobacteria replaced Bacillariophyta as the second-most dominant taxa, with an average relative abundance of 30.13%. DNA sequencing showed that Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes dominated throughout the year. Proteobacteria reached a maximum relative abundance of 71.68% in July. Acidobacteria and Deinococcus-Thermus, which were rare taxa, reached maximum relative abundances of 10.20% and 5.56%, respectively. The co-occurrence network showed that the association between algae and bacteria was mainly positive, indicating that the interaction between them may be dominated by mutualism. As a keystone taxa

Olfactory microorganisms mainly include actinomycetes, algae, and myxobacteria, and are widely found in typical water ecosystems such as water source reservoirs, lakes, streams, and oceans. Biologically-derived taste and odor compounds can cause severe off-flavor problems at trace concentrations, threatening the safety of water supplies. Physical and chemical methods have been implemented, but they need to be improved and optimized. Microbial methods show attractive prospects due to their environmentally friendly characteristics. This article reviews the literature regarding the types, biological sources, detection methods, control measures, influencing factors, and odor-producing mechanisms of microbial methods. Future research directions and fields of investigation are discussed in order to promote the related research of taste and odor compounds and ensure the safety of urban water supplies.

Aerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis bacteria (AAPB) play a significant role in the material circulation of the hydrosphere, with diverse community structure and unique metabolic functions. To investigate the spatial and temporal succession characteristics of AAPB abundance and community structure in Jinpen Reservoir, a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technique targeting the

Phytoplankton and bacteria are important components of the aquatic food web, and play a critical role in substance circulation and energy exchange in freshwater ecosystems. The succession of algae is closely related to the metabolism and structural succession of bacterial populations in the water column. Thus, in this study, the vertical succession characteristics of phytoplankton and bacteria community structure and their coupling with water quality were investigated during an algal bloom in the Lijiahe Reservoir using high-throughput DNA sequencing and Biolog technologies. The results showed that the Lijiahe Reservoir was in the thermal stratification stage in August, and the pH, dissolved oxygen, and NH

Background: Due to the varying characteristics and conflicting outcomes on the overall survival of rectal cancer patients, many studies have been undertaken to determine various prognostic and predictive factors for the mainstay treatment of CCRT followed by surgery. Cancer cell motility contributes to tumor invasion, migration and eventually metastasis. However, the genes associated with cell motility (i.e., GO:0048870) have not been systemically evaluated in rectal cancers. Methods: A comparative analysis of gene expression profiles was applied to the transcriptomic dataset (GSE35452) with a focus on genes associated with cell motility (GO:0048870), where SERPINB5 was recognized as the most significantly up-regulated gene. Tumor samples from 172 primary rectal cancer patients who underwent neoadjuvant CCRT followed by surgical resection were collected. Immunohistochemistry was used to semi-quantitatively assess the expression level of SERPINB5 protein. Statistical analyses of SERPINB5 expression and various clinicopathological features as well as survival were then performed. Results: High immunoreactivity of SERPINB5 was significantly linked to pre- and post-CCRT advanced disease, lymphovascular invasion, and poor response to CCRT (all P ≤ 0.015). SERPINB5 overexpression was not only negatively associated with disease-specific survival (DSS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) and metastasis-free survival (MeFS) rates in univariate analyses but also was an independent prognostic factor for DSS and MeFS in rectal cancer patients (all P ≤ 0.043). Conclusion: SERPINB5 may play an important role in rectal cancer progression and response to neoadjuvant CCRT and serve as a novel prognostic factor.

This work proposes the first hot-polymer fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (HPFFPI) anemometer for sensing airflow. The proposed HPFFPI is based on a single-mode fiber (SMF) endface that is attached to a UV-cured polymer to form an ultracompact fiber Fabry-Perot microcavity. The proposed polymer microcavity was heated using a low-cost chip resistor with a controllable dc driving power to achieve a desired polymer's steady-state temperature (T) that exceeds the T of the surrounding environment. The polymer is highly sensitive to variations of T with high repeatability. When the hot polymer was cooled by the measured flowing air, the wavelength fringes of its optical spectra shifted. The HPFFPI anemometers have been experimentally evaluated for different cavity lengths and heating power values. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed HPFFPI responses well in terms of airflow measurement. A high sensitivity of 1.139 nm/(m/s) and a good resolution of 0.0088 m/s over the 0~2.54 m/s range of airflow were achieved with a cavity length of 10 μm and a heating power of 0.402 W.

Clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCA) in the urinary tract is a rare neoplasm morphologically identical to the Müllerian counterpart. Clear cell adenocarcinoma is extremely rare in the upper urinary tract. We present a case with CCA of the renal pelvis. Microscopically, the tumor exhibited exophytic growth with predominantly tubulocystic structures, as well as solid and papillary patterns. The neoplastic cells were cuboidal with clear to pale eosinophilic cytoplasm and abundant intracellular and extracellular eosinophilic hyaline globules. By immunohistochemically, the tumor was labeled by cytokeratins and hepatocyte nuclear factor-1β. The patient was still alive without evidence of recurrence in the follow-up period of nineteen months after diagnosis.

CD97 belongs to the adhesion GPCR family characterized by a long ECD linked to the 7TM via a GPCR proteolytic site (GPS) and plays important roles in modulating cell migration and invasion. CD97 (EGF1-5) is a splicing variant of CD97 that recognizes a specific ligand chondroitin sulfate on cell membranes and the extracellular matrix. The aim of this study was to elucidate the extracellular molecular basis of the CD97 EGF1-5 isoform in protein expression, auto-proteolysis and cell adhesion, including epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domain, GPCR autoproteolysis-inducing (GAIN) domain, as well as GPS mutagenesis and N-glycosylation. Both wild-type (WT) CD97-ECD and its truncated, GPS mutated, PNGase F-deglycosylated, and N-glycosylation site mutated forms were expressed and purified. The auto-proteolysis of the proteins was analyzed with Western blotting and SDS-PAGE. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and molecular modeling were used to determine a structural profile of the properly expressed receptor. Potential N-glycosylation sites were identified using MS and were modulated with PNGase F digestion and glyco-site mutations. A flow cytometry-based HeLa cell attachment assay was used for all aforementioned CD97 variants to elucidate the molecular basis of CD97-HeLa interactions. A unique concentration-dependent GPS auto-proteolysis was observed in CD97 EGF1-5 isoform with the highest concentration (4 mg/mL) per sample was self-cleaved much faster than the lower concentration (0.1 mg/mL), supporting an intermolecular mechanism of auto-proteolysis that is distinct to the reported intramolecular mechanism for other CD97 isoforms. N-glycosylation affected the auto-proteolysis of CD97 EGF1-5 isoform in a similar way as the other previously reported CD97 isoforms. SAXS data for WT and deglycosylated CD97ECD revealed a spatula-like shape with GAIN and EGF domains constituting the body and handle, respectively. Structural modeling indicated a potential interaction between the GAIN and EGF5 domains accounting for the absence of expression of the GAIN domain itself, although EGF5-GAIN was expressed similarly in the wild-type protein. For HeLa cell adhesion, the GAIN-truncated forms showed dramatically reduced binding affinity. The PNGase F-deglycosylated and GPS mutated forms also exhibited reduced HeLa attachment compared with WT CD97. However, neither N-glycosylation mutagenesis nor auto-proteolysis inhibition caused by N-glycosylation mutagenesis affected CD97-HeLa cell interactions. A comparison of the HeLa binding affinities of PNGase F-digested, GPS-mutated and N-glycosylation-mutated CD97 samples revealed diverse findings, suggesting that the functions of CD97 ECD were complex, and various technologies for function validation should be utilized to avoid single-approach bias when investigating N-glycosylation and auto-proteolysis of CD97. A unique mechanism of concentration-dependent auto-proteolysis of the CD97 EGF1-5 isoform was characterized, suggesting an intermolecular mechanism that is distinct from that of other previously reported CD97 isoforms. The EGF5 and GAIN domains are likely associated with each other as CD97 expression and SAXS data revealed a potential interaction between the two domains. Finally, the GAIN and EGF domains are also important for CD97-HeLa adhesion, whereas N-glycosylation of the CD97 GAIN domain and GPS auto-proteolysis are not required for HeLa cell attachment.

A 62-year-old male without significant medical history presented with intermittent epigastric pain and abdominal fullness for 2 months. He denied having bloody stool or weight loss. He visited the outpatient department, where the CT scan of abdomen was performed (figure 1). He then underwent oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), which revealed a subepithelial tumour at gastric antrum with obstruction of the pylorus (figure 2 and video in the online supplementary file 1). Endoscopic ultrasound sonography (EUS) was performed …

We incidentally observed a case of clear cell papillary renal cell carcinoma of an 81-year-old woman, presenting with intermittent left flank pain. It is a recently described rare renal parenchymal tumor.

Interaction with virtual objects among different devices attracts lots of attention recently. LuminAR [Linder and Maes] was developed for a portable and compact projector-camera system for interactive displaying. THAW [Leigh et al.] was proposed to use a back-facing camera of a smartphone to assist the interactive displaying. RealSense [Lin et al.] was adopted the built-in compass sensor on a mobile device to calibrate the relative position among different mobile devices. However, the complex calibration process of LuminAR [Linder and Maes] and THAW [Leigh et al.] limited the applications. On the other hand, as addressed by the authors, once the users with mobile devices using RealSense [Lin et al.] move larger than 15°, the positioning relationship cannot be kept stable. Therefore, in this paper, a 3D positioning scheme is proposed based on the built-in gyro sensor on a mobile device for effective and intuitive calibration and allow users to freely move the mobile devices with a natural user experience.

A new compound, gigantin (1), and seven known compounds, uridine (2), 5-(2′-methylpropyl)hydantoin (3), 5-(4′-hydroxybenzyl)hydantoin (4), 5-benzylhydantoin (5), riboflavin (6), nicotinic acid (7), and cyclo(Leucyl-Tyrosyl) (8), were isolated from the rhizome of Typhonium giganteum. The structure of the new compound was elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data. All known compounds were isolated from the genus Typhonium for the first time, and compound 4 was isolated from higher plants for the first time.

We report a rare case of melanotic oncocytic metaplasia of the nasopharynx in a 63-year-old man, presenting as several black nodules up to several millimeters at the nasopharynx. It is a benign mimicker of malignant melanoma.

Aims Angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma (AFH) is histologically typified by nodules of histiocytoid spindle cells with pseudoangiomatoid spaces, fibrous pseudocapsules and lymphocytic cuffs. The principal goal was to expand the spectrum of AFHs through clinicopathological and molecular characterisation. Methods Thirteen AFHs, including 11 with confirmed hallmark translocation, were reappraised for classic features, reactive osteoclasts, mitoses and stromal, architectural and cytomorphological variations, with CD99, desmin and EMA stained in available cases. Results Seven male and six female patients ranged in age from 4 to 63 years (median, 13), including 4 older than 20 years. Tumours were located on the extremities (n=6), trunk (n=4) and scalp (n=3). Although fibrous pseudocapsules were observed in all cases, four showed solid histology without pseudoangiomatoid spaces and another one lacked peripheral lymphoid infiltrates. Nuclear pleomorphism was striking in two cases, moderate in seven and absent in four, with osteoclasts seen in two cases. In three AFHs with sclerotic matrix, one exhibited perivascular hyalinisation and nuclear palisading, reminiscent of a schwannoma. In three varyingly myxoid tumours, one closely resembled a myoepithelioma with prominent reticular arrangement of spindle cells in an abundant myxoid stroma. Besides EWSR1 gene rearrangement detected in four cases by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH), EWSR1-CREB1 fusion was confirmed in nine cases, including a schwannoma-like AFH, and EWSR1-ATF1 fusion detected in a myoepithelioma-like AFH. Immunohistochemically, 56% of AFHs were positive for EMA, 78% for desmin and 100% for CD99. Conclusions Molecular testing is diagnostic of variant AFHs displaying diverse histomorphological alterations in the architectural patterns, cytomorphology and extracellular matrix.