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Introduction: The aim of the study was to evaluate the risk factors for cervical instability in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Material and methods: Computer searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, the Wan Fang database, the Chinese Scientific Journal Databases (VIP) database, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature database (CBM) from their establishment until November 2022. Results: A total of 8 articles were included in this study, including 1 cross-sectional study, 5 case-control studies, and 2 cohort study, including 3078 patients with RA. Meta-analysis results showed that: male sex (OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.19-2.42), course of disease (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.29-2.28), long-term glucocorticosteroid use (OR = 2.84, 95% CI: 1.97-2.40), Steinbrocker staging (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.61-3.28), disability at baseline (OR = 24.57, 95% CI: 5.51-109.60), peripheral joint destruction (OR = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.56-3.21), Steinbrocker stage I-IV progression to disability (OR = 20.08, 95% CI: 4.18-96.53), and previous joint surgery (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.06-2.26) are the main risk factors for cervical instability in RA. Conclusions: There are many risk factors for cervical instability in RA. In clinical practice, special attention should be paid to patients who are male, have a longer course of disease, have long-term glucocorticosteroid use, have previous joint surgery, have peripheral joint damage, and develop disability in Steinbrocker stage I-IV. Attention should be paid to the high-risk groups mentioned above, and effective measures such as early screening and full monitoring should be taken to prevent the occurrence of cervical instability in RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of hybrid progeny through distant hybridization holds great significance in enriching germplasm resources for fish breeding. In this study, a hybridization experiment was conducted between female KOC (Cyprinus carpio haematopterus) and male GR (Gobiocypris rarus), resulting in the production of two distinct types of hybrid offspring. These progenies were classified as allodiploid and allotriploid based on their DNA content and chromosome numbers, hereafter referred to as CG and CCG. Subsequently, a comprehensive comparative analysis was performed between the CG and CCG hybrids and their parents, focusing on countable traits, measurable traits, erythrocyte morphology, as well as karyogene and mitochondrial gene composition. The majority of the examined countable and measurable traits in both CG and CCG exhibited similarities predominantly with GR, except for the ratios of body length (BL) to body height (BH) and head length (HL). Moreover, observing erythrocytes revealed the presence of dumbbell-shaped nuclei in CCG, a characteristic not observed in CG hybrids or the parents. Sequencing alignment revealed that the homeobox (Hox) genes and 5S RNA in CG and CCG were inherited from both KOC and GR, signifying their status as allodiploid and allotriploid organisms. The mitochondrial genes in CG and CCG showed substantial similarity to KOC, albeit with a few sites displaying paternal leakage inheritance from GR. In comparison to CG, the growth rate of CCG was found to be significantly faster, which could be attributed to the upregulation of growth hormone 1 (gh1) and the downregulation of myostatin b (mstn). This study successfully produced two hybrid offspring with distinct growth characteristics but similar genetic backgrounds, making them ideal subjects for future investigations into growth traits. The findings of this research established a fundamental basis for investigating the growth mechanism of fish and provided significant implications for the advancement of fish breeding through hybridization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Retromer protein AtVPS29 upregulates the SLY1 protein and downregulates the RGA protein, positively stimulating the development of the root meristematic zone, which indicates an important role of AtVPS29 in gibberellin signaling. In plants, the large retromer complex is known to play roles in multiple development processes, including cell polarity, programmed cell death, and root hair growth in Arabidopsis. However, many of its roles in plant development remain unknown. Here, we show that Arabidopsis trimeric retromer protein AtVPS29 (vacuolar protein sorting 29) modulates gibberellin signaling. The SLEEPY1 (SLY1) protein, known as a positive regulator of gibberellic acid (GA) signaling, exhibited lower abundance in vps29-3 mutants compared to wild-type (WT) plants. Conversely, the DELLA repressor protein, targeted by the E3 ubiquitin ligase SCF (Skp, Cullin, F-box) complex and acting as a negative regulator of GA signaling, showed increased abundance in vps29-3 mutants compared to WT. The vps29-3 mutants exhibited decreased sensitivity to exogenous GA supply in contrast to WT, despite an upregulation in the expression of GA receptor genes within the vps29-3 mutants. In addition, the expression of the GA synthesis genes was downregulated in vps29-3 mutants, implying that the loss of AtVPS29 causes the downregulation of GA synthesis and signaling. Furthermore, vps29-3 mutants exhibited a reduced meristematic zone accompanied by a decreased cell number. Together, these data indicate that AtVPS29 positively regulates SLY1-mediated GA signaling and plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present new existence results for the quasivariational inequality problem (QV I) in reflexive Banach spaces using the fixed point method with quasi-monotonicity and local upper sign-continuity assumptions. These results improve upon previous ones which only required a weaker monotonicity condition and did not impose compactness on the involved set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shale porosity measurements have crucial scientific and economical applications in unconventional petroleum systems. As a standard technique, liquid saturation methods, including water saturation (WS) and oil saturation (OS), have been widely used to measure the porosity of many rock types. For clay-rich shale reservoirs with high organic matter content, it is well known that the WS method may cause clay swelling and induce structural changes in the pore system. The OS method affects the accuracy of porosity measurements because of some of the oil being dissolved by kerogen within the shale; however, this has not received sufficient research attention. In this study, we compare the previously reported and newly tested OS porosities with helium (He) expansion porosity. Results show that OS porosity generally exceeds the He porosity. Furthermore, the higher the total organic carbon (TOC) content and lower the maturity of shale, the greater the difference between the OS and helium porosities. When using the OS method, the effect of kerogen-dissolved oil causes an overestimation of the shale porosity by ∼30%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time to note the kerogen-dissolve oil effects on OS porosity. Herein, we propose a new, simple, and effective correction method for estimating OS porosity that involves subtracting the kerogen-dissolved oil content from raw OS porosity. In addition, the quantification model of kerogen-dissolved oil capacity is established, taking into account the abundance and maturity of organic matter. Taking the He porosity as the benchmark, the absolute error of the corrected OS porosity does not exceed 1% and the average relative error is only ∼10%. The obtained results can help improve the accuracy of shale porosity evaluation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma cladding was used to prepare a CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) coating under different conditions. The process parameters were optimized using an orthogonal experiment design based on surface morphology quality characteristics, dilution rate, and hardness. The optimal process parameters were determined through range and variance analysis to be a cladding current of 70 A, a cladding speed of 7 cm⋅min-1, and a powder gas flow rate of 8 L⋅s-1. During the optimized experiments, both the cladded and annealed CoCrFeMnNi HEA coatings exhibit some pores, micro-voids, and a small amount of aggregation. However, the aggregation in the annealed coating is more dispersed than that in the cladded coating. The cladded CoCrFeMnNi HEA coating consists of simple FCC phases, while a new Cr-rich phase precipitates from the FCC matrix after annealing the coating at a temperature range of 550 °C-950 °C. After annealing at 850 °C, the proportion of the FCC phase decreases compared to the cladded coating, and the number of large-angle grain boundaries is significantly reduced. However, the proportion of grains with sizes below 50 µm increases from 61.7% to 74.3%. The micro-hardness and wear resistance of the cladded coating initially increases but then decreases with an increase in annealing temperature, indicating that appropriate annealing can significantly improve the mechanical properties of the CoCrFeMnNi HEA coatings by plasma cladding. The micro-hardness of the CoCrFeMnNi HEA coatings after annealing at 650 °C increases to 274.82 HV0.2, while the friction coefficient decreases to below 0.595. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its emergence, SARS-CoV-2 virus, the causative agent of COVID-19, has undergone over three years of evolutionary changes. Throughout this evolutionary process, multiple variants, such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron, have emerged, leading to widespread outbreaks and pandemics. A comprehensive analysis of the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 over the past three years reveals its progression through three distinct stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molisch in 1937 coined Allelopathy from two Greek words, 'allelo' (means two organisms) and 'pathos' (means harm). The term defined as plant released metabolites into environment through ecological processes (volatilization, leaching, root exudation and decomposition of plant debris in soil), resulting in detrimental effects on understory or neighboring plants sharing the same habitat. This essay aimed to describe the allelopathy researches in the past, present and future, dealing with the allelopathy in natural and managed ecosystems and the allelochemicals in biomedical researches. It has 3-parts: Part I. Role of allelopathy in natural ecosystems, Part II. Allelopathy in managed ecosystems (Role in agroecology and sustainable agriculture) and Part III. Isolation and identification of allelochemicals, which exhibit bioactivities (anti-microbial, anti-hepatitis, anti-cancers and anti-diabetes to be potentially used to cure human diseases. For example, many natural products, such as flavonoids, terpenoids and alkaloids isolated from Rhododendron and Alstonia, exhibited anti-microbial activity against several microorganisms (Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae). The allelochemicals, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, botulin and 2,3,28-lup-20(29)-ene triol isolated from A. scholaris, showed the proliferative activity of non-small-cell-lung cancer (NSCLC). The ursolic acid isolated from R. formosanum also showed pronounced growth inhibition of NSCLC, in addition, cinnamtannin D1 also exhibited anti-cancer efficacy that induced G1 arrest and autophagy via the mTOR pathway inhibition and ERK 1/2 pathway activation. Several Solanum species are traditionally used to treat HBV infection. In Cucurbitace family, fruits and stems of Momordica charantia (called bitter melon) possess anti-diabetic and anti-lipedemic compounds. This essay also describes the mode of actions of the aforementioned allelochemicals in the metabolomic pathway of anticancer or antimicrobial activities. The authors create a new scientific term called "Allelochemicology", which hopefully, inspires young scientists in life sciences to explore this field, to solve the most difficult tasks on ecology, sustainable agriculture, pharmaceutical and medicine that can be beneficial to human beings for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aim to address an unresolved question raised in a previously published paper regarding the 1-9 bounded scale and consistency index. The objective of this study is to demonstrate that researchers need not be concerned about the inconsistency phenomenon highlighted in the aforementioned article. This paper has a four-fold purpose. Firstly, we illustrate that by employing an alternative ordering approach for the entries of a comparison matrix, the issue of inconsistency can be eliminated. Secondly, we emphasize that, by accepting Murphy's assumptions, we can present an efficient method for deriving the priority vector without relying on the comparison matrix. This reveals that Murphy's assumptions are excessively stringent for ordinary researchers to accept. Additionally, we offer a simplified version to establish the condition for the optimal solution in an inventory model with a temporary price discount, which was previously proposed in another published paper. Consequently, an additional condition put forth by the aforementioned paper becomes redundant. We have made revisions to a related paper discussing local stability intervals in the Analytic Hierarchy Process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by some well-known conjugate gradient methods, in this paper, we propose a new hybrid conjugate gradient method for unconstrained optimization. Without any dependence on line search, the new method generates sufficient descent property. Under some mild conditions, we prove that the new method with MWWP line search is globally convergent. Our numerical experiments show the effectiveness and robustness of the new modified method in comparison with three exiting algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on a method to enhance carrier mobility in materials by controlling polaron transport using laser-induced coherent phonon excitation. The study demonstrates that specific phonon modes can be selectively excited by lasers, reducing the energy barrier for polaron hopping and significantly improving carrier mobility.

This article concerns the internal stabilization problem of 1-D interconnected heat-wave equations, where information exchange and the two actuators occur at the adjacent side of the two equations. By designing an inverse back-stepping transformation, the original system is converted into a dissipative target system. Moreover, we investigate the eigenvalues distribution and the corresponding eigenfunctions of the closed-loop system by an asymptotic analysis method. This shows that the spectrum of the system can be divided into two families: one distributed along the a line parallel to the left side of the imaginary axis and symmetric to the real axis, and the other on the left half real axis. Then we work on the properties of the resolvent operator and we verify that the root subspace is complete. Finally, we prove that the closed-loop system is exponentially stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has multiple negative impacts on the psychiatric health of both those previously infected and not infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Moreover, the negative impacts of COVID-19 are closely associated with geographical region, culture, medical system, and ethnic background. We summarized the evidence of the impact of COVID-19 on the psychiatric health of the Korean population. This narrative review included thirteen research articles, which investigated the impact of COVID-19 on the psychiatric health of Koreans. COVID-19 survivors were reported to have a 2.4 times greater risk of developing psychiatric disorders compared to members of a control group, and anxiety and stress-related disorders were the most common newly diagnosed psychiatric illnesses. Studies also reported that COVID-19 survivors had a 3.33-fold higher prevalence of insomnia, a 2.72-fold higher prevalence of mild cognitive impairment, and a 3.09-fold higher prevalence of dementia compared to the control group. In addition, more than four studies have highlighted that the medical staff members, including nurses and medical students, exhibit a greater negative psychiatric impact of COVID-19. However, none of the articles investigated the biological pathophysiology or mechanism linking COVID-19 and the risk of diverse psychiatric disorders. Moreover, none of the studies were actual prospective studies. Thus, longitudinal studies are needed to more clearly elucidate the effect of COVID-19 on the psychiatric health of the Korean population. Lastly, studies focusing on preventing and treating COVID-19–associated psychiatric problems are needed to provide a benefit in real clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shale samples from the Ordovician Wulalike Formation at the western margin of the Ordos Basin are studied to define the types, microstructures and connectivity of pores as well as the relationships between the pore structures and gas content of the samples by using experimental techniques such as high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP), low-temperature nitrogen adsorption (LTNA), CO2 adsorption, and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM). The results show that the shale has 10 different lithofacies, typical mixed sedimentary characteristics, and poorly developed pores. The reservoir space mainly consists of intercrystalline pores, dissolution pores, intergranular pores, and micro-fissures, with organic pores occasionally visible. The pore size is mostly within 0.4e250 nm range but dominated by micropores and mesopores less than 20 nm, with pore numbers peaking at pore sizes of 0.5 nm, 0.6 nm, 0.82 nm, 3 nm, and 10 nm, respectively. The pores are poorly connected and macropores are rarely seen, which may explain the low porosity and low permeability of the samples. Samples with high content of organic matter and felsic minerals are potential reservoirs for oil and gas with their favorable physical properties and high connectivity. The pores less than 5 nm contribute significantly to the specific surface area and serve as important storage space for adsorbed gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molish in 1937 coined Allelopathy from two Greek words, 'allelo' (means two organisms) and 'pathy' (means harm). The term defined as plant released metabolites into environment through ecological processes: volatilization, leaching, root exudation and decomposition of plant debris in soil, resulting in detrimental effects on understorey or neighbouring plants sharing the same habitat. This essay aimed to describe the allelopathy researches dealing with the allelopathy in natural and managed ecosystems in the past, present and future. The allelopathy plays an important role in managed ecosystems, particularly in agricultural productivity. The yield reduction of rice (Oryza stiva L.) in the second crop season was 25 to 50 % lower than the first crop season in Taiwan. This phenomenon was designated as auto-intoxication, which is another phase of allelopathy. The potential of allelochemicals are often modified by environmental stresses (temperature, soil pH, drought, nutrients deficiency, light and physiological or biochemical interactions) under varied environmental conditions. The action modes of allelochemicals on the structure and function of plants are via physiological and molecular interactions. Allelochemicals released from plants, microorganisms, or algae can be used as agro-chemicals (Herbicides, fungicides, nematicides and anti-pathogens), these are environmental friendly for sustainable agriculture. For example, the win-win strategy of pasture-forest intercropping results in the kikuyu grass suppresses the weed growth due to the allelopathic effects of kikuyu grass, but is good for the regeneration of chinese fir. Furthermore, the mechanisms of allelochemicals action on crops are discussed. The allelochemicals cover very broad aspects of chemical interactions among organisms, thus, the fundamental studies of natural products from organisms need trainings in multi-disciplinary sciences viz., Biology, ecology, biochemistry, organic chemistry, molecular biology, soil science and earth sciences. The authors coined a new scientific term called "Allelochemicology", which hopefully, inspires young scientists in life sciences to explore this field to solve the most difficult tasks in ecology, sustainable agriculture, pharmaceutical and medicinal applications. The research finding of allelopathy, indeed, can be beneficial to human beings in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In maize, prolificacy, the number of ears per plant, is a trait of interest to maize breeders for breeding high grain-yielding cultivars or specialty corn, as well as being a model trait for decoding the molecular mechanism of maize evolution. Its genetic basis remains largely unknown. We identified a stable quantitative trait locus, qEN7, for ear number on chromosome 7 in both F2 and F2:3 populations derived from a single cross between the nonprolific inbred line Mo17 and the prolific inbred line LAN404 derived from the landrace PI217404. qEN7 explained 10.7%-11.9% of phenotypic variation, and the LAN404 allele at this locus was associated with an increase of around one ear per plant. qEN7 was confined by fine-mapping to a 0.56-Mb region containing eight annotated genes. Analysis of selection, gene expression patterns in various maize tissues, and sequence polymorphisms between the two parental lines suggested that Zm00001d020683, which encodes a putative INDETERMINATE DOMAIN (IDD) transcription factor, is the most likely candidate gene underlying qEN7. Zm00001d020683 is expressed mainly in the vegetative meristem, immature ears, and internodes and has undergone selection during maize improvement. The identification of qEN7 and the prediction of its candidate gene sheds some light on the evolution of maize ear number and provides a novel resource for breeding of multi-ear maize cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On December 7, 2022, China adjusted public health control measures, there have been widespread of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Chinese mainland. As the number of infected people increased, the mutation probability of SARS-CoV-2 is also raised. Therefore, it is of great importance to monitor SARS-CoV-2 variants and its mutations in China. In this current study, 665 SARS-CoV-2 genomes from China deposited in the public database were used to analyze the proportion of different variants; to determine the composition of variants in China across different provinces; and analyze specific mutation frequency, focusing on 12 immune escape residues. The results showed that no new mutations were generated on the 12 immune escape residues. The evolutionary analysis of the BF.7 variant circulating in China showed that there is an independent evolutionary branch with unique mutation sites, officially named BF.7.14 by PANGO. This variant may have been imported from Russia to Inner Mongolia at the end of September 2022 and continued its spread in China. The evolutionary analysis of BA.5.2 variant shows that the variant is composed of two sub-variants, named BA.5.2.48 and BA.5.2.49 by PANGO, respectively. This variant may have been imported from abroad to Beijing at the beginning of September 2022 and formed two sub-variants after domestic transmission. Finally, this study showed that current epidemic variants in China were already circulating in other countries, and there were no additional mutations on immune escape residues that could pose a threat to other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article concerns the internal stabilization problem of 1-D interconnected heat-wave equations, where information exchange and the two actuators occur at the adjacent side of the two equations. By designing an inverse back-stepping transformation, the original system is converted into a dissipative target system. Moreover, we investigate the eigenvalues distribution and the corresponding eigenfunctions of the closed-loop system by an asymptotic analysis method. This shows that the spectrum of the system can be divided into two families: one distributed along the a line parallel to the left side of the imaginary axis and symmetric to the real axis, and the other on the left half real axis. Then we work on the properties of the resolvent operator and we verify that the root subspace is complete. Finally, we prove that the closed-loop system is exponentially stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay aimed to describe the allelopathy researches in the past, present and future, dealing with the allelopathy in natural and managed ecosystems. The unique allelopathic patterns of chaparral, coniferous forests, fern vegetations, tropical and subtropical vegetations from forests to grassland communities and introduced and invasive species are presented. The aforementioned species exhibit unique inhibitory effects on the growth of the adjacent plants or understory species. The allelopathy plays an important role in vegetation dominance and succession. The potential of allelochemicals are often modified by environmental stresses (soil pH, drought, nutrients deficiency, light etc.) and physiological or biochemical interactions. The allelopathic interactions among the aquatic organisms, such as algae, seaweeds and coral are also presented. Of which, the formation of algae red-bloom and the effects of global climatic change on ocean acidification to marine organisms is also presented. The modes of action allelochemicals on the structure and function of plants via physiological, molecular interactions are expressed. The allelochemicals cover very broad aspects of chemical interactions among organisms, thus, the fundamental studies of natural products from organisms need trainings of multidisciplinary sciences. The authors create a new scientific term called “Allelochemicology”, which hopefully, inspires young scientists in life sciences to explore this field to solve the most difficult tasks in Ecology, Sustainable Agriculture, Pharmaceutical and Medicine that can be beneficial to human welfare in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. This eassy covers the research in the past, present and future in 3-parts: Part I. Natural Ecosystems, Part II. Managed Ecosystems and Part III. Allelochemicals use in Pharmaceutical Agents and Biomedical Sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the change of the service performance of wood-plastic composites degraded by sea water and acid rain, three types of woodplastic composite materials were prepared with sorghum straw reinforced with high-density polyethylene (SS/HDPE), polypropylene (SS/PP), and polyvinyl chloride (SS/PVC). Under the extreme alternate degradation conditions simulated by seawater (salinity 3.5%, temperature 55 °C) and acid rain (pH 2.5, temperature 55 °C), the effects on the mechanical and wear properties and the chemical structures of the composites were determined. The exposure to the alternate sea water and acid rain deteriorated the fiber/matrix bonding quality of the composites; the mechanical and wear properties decreased accordingly. Before and after degradation, the three composites were sorted in descending order of the mechanical and wear properties as follows: SS/PVC composites > SS/PP composites > SS/HDPE composites. Sorghum straw /PVC had the best resistance to degradation and sorghum straw /HDPE composite had the least resistance. The matrix molecular chains of the SS/HDPE under the conditions of exposure were broken after 12 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eucalyptus/polyvinyl chloride (PVC) composites were prepared by extrusion molding with eucalyptus as filler, PVC as matrix, and different contents of acrylonitrile styrene acrylate copolymer (ASA). The effects of different ASA content on the mechanical properties, water absorption properties, and thermal stability of eucalyptus/PVC composites were studied. The morphology of the tensile section of the composites was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the addition of ASA could improve the mechanical properties, heat resistance, and interfacial compatibility of eucalyptus/PVC composites. It also could reduce the water absorption of the composites. When ASA content was 10 wt%, the mechanical properties and heat resistance of eucalyptus/PVC composite were the best, and the water absorption in 24 h was the lowest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The independent movements and flexibility of various parts of the skull, called cranial kinesis, are an evolutionary innovation that is found in living vertebrates only in some squamates and crown birds and is considered to be a major factor underpinning much of the enormous phenotypic and ecological diversity of living birds, the most diverse group of extant amniotes. Compared to the postcranium, our understanding of the evolutionary assemblage of the characteristic modern bird skull has been hampered by sparse fossil records of early cranial materials, with competing hypotheses regarding the evolutionary development of cranial kinesis among early members of the avialans. Here, a detailed three-dimensional reconstruction of the skull of the Early Cretaceous enantiornithine Yuanchuavis kompsosoura allows for its in-depth description, including elements that are poorly known among early-diverging avialans but are central to deciphering the mosaic assembly of features required for modern avian cranial kinesis. Our reconstruction of the skull shows evolutionary and functional conservation of the temporal and palatal regions by retaining the ancestral theropod dinosaurian configuration within the skull of this otherwise derived and volant bird. Geometric morphometric analysis of the palatine suggests that loss of the jugal process represents the first step in the structural modifications of this element leading to the kinetic crown bird condition. The mixture of plesiomorphic temporal and palatal structures together with a derived avialan rostrum and postcranial skeleton encapsulated in Yuanchuavis manifests the key role of evolutionary mosaicism and experimentation in early bird diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past two years, scientists throughout the world have completed more than 6 million SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences. Today, the number of SARS-CoV-2 genomes exceeds the total number of all other viral genomes. These genomes are a record of the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in the human host, and provide information on the emergence of mutations. In this study, analysis of these sequenced genomes identified 296,728 de novo mutations (DNMs), and found that six types of base substitutions reached saturation in the sequenced genome population. Based on this analysis, a "mutation blacklist" of SARS-CoV-2 was compiled. The loci on the "mutation blacklist" are highly conserved, and these mutations likely have detrimental effects on virus survival, replication, and transmission. This information is valuable for SARS-CoV-2 research on gene function, vaccine design, and drug development. Through association analysis of DNMs and viral transmission rates, we identified 185 DNMs that positively correlated with the SARS-CoV-2 transmission rate, and these DNMs where classified as the "mutation whitelist" of SARS-CoV-2. The mutations on the "mutation whitelist" are beneficial for SARS-CoV-2 transmission and could therefore be used to evaluate the transmissibility of new variants. The occurrence of mutations and the evolution of viruses are dynamic processes. To more effectively monitor the mutations and variants of SARS-CoV-2, we built a SARS-CoV-2 mutation and variant monitoring and pre-warning system (MVMPS), which can monitor the occurrence and development of mutations and variants of SARSCoV-2, as well as provide pre-warning for the prevention and control of SARS-CoV-2 (https://www. omicx.cn/). Additionally, this system could be used in real-time to update the "mutation whitelist" and "mutation blacklist" of SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An adaptive element free Galerkin (EFG) method is extended to the analysis of linear elasticity problems. The error estimation of this adaptive analysis is based on the element residual error. The residual-based posterior error estimation of the finite element method (FEM) is directly implemented in the adaptive EFG method, benefiting from the use of the arbitrary polygonal influence domain technique in EFG method. Four benchmark problems of elasticity are tested by this proposed method. The numerical results are close to the exact solutions, and the error estimates are consistent with those in the finite element method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidences show that unmodified extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from various cells can effectively inhibit the malignant progression of different types of tumors by delivering the bioactive molecules. Therefore, EVs are expected to be developed as emerging anticancer drugs. Meanwhile, unmodified EVs as an advanced and promising nanocarrier that is frequently used in targeted delivery therapeutic cargos and personalized reagents for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer. To improve the efficacy of EV-based treatments, researchers are trying to engineering EVs as an emerging nanomedicine translational therapy platform through biological, physical and chemical approaches, which can be broaden and altered to enhance their therapeutic capability. EVs loaded with therapeutic components such as tumor suppressor drugs, siRNAs, proteins, peptides, and conjugates exhibit significantly enhanced anti-tumor effects. Moreover, the design and preparation of tumor-targeted modified EVs greatly enhance the specificity and effectiveness of tumor therapy, and these strategies are expected to become novel ideas for tumor precision medicine. This review will focus on reviewing the latest research progress of functionalized EVs, clarifying the superior biological functions and powerful therapeutic potential of EVs, for researchers to explore new design concepts based on EVs and build next-generation nanomedicine therapeutic platforms. Abbreviations: EVs: extracellular vesicles; MSCs: mesenchymal stem cells; DCs: dendritic cells; EMT: epithelial-mesenchymal transition; Exos: exosomes; MVBs: multivesicular bodies; ILVs: intraluminal vesicles; ESCRT: endosomal sorting complex required for transport-dependent pathway; GTPases: rab guanosine triphosphatases; VPS33B: vacuolar protein sorting protein 33b; TSAP6: p53-regulated protein tumor suppressor-activated pathway 6; KIBRA: kidney and brain expressed protein; SIRT1: Sirtuin1; ESCs: embryonic stem cells; hBMMSCs: human bone marrow MSCs; hMMSCs: human menstrual MSCs; hucMSCs: human umbilical cord MSCs; TRA2B: transformer 2ß; ESM1: endothelial cell specific molecule 1; ADMSCs: adipose MSCs; MARCKS: myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate; NK cells: natural killer cells; GM-CSF: granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor; aPD-1: anti-programmed death-1; AFP: a-fetoprotein; TAM: tumorassociated macrophages; FasL: fas/fas ligand; LFA-1: lymphocyte function-associated antigen; DNAM1: DNAX accessory molecule-1; PD-1: programmed cell death protein; TRAIL: tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand; OXA: oxaliplatin; PDAC: pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; ADCs: antibody-drug conjugates; EGFR: epidermal growth factor receptor; HER2: human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; ADCC: antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity; STING: stimulator of interferon genes; TLR2: toll-like receptor 2; CAR: chimeric antigen receptor; OMVs: outer membrane vesicles; Redd1: DNA damage response 1; AGAP2: ankyrin repeat and PH domain 2; TFF3: trefoil factor 3; CPPs: cell penetrating polypeptides; ASO: santisense oligonucleotides; Qts: quantum dots; GIONP: gold-iron oxide nanoparticles; MYCBP: c-MyC binding protein; hTERT: human telomerase reverse transcriptase; 5-FU: 5-fluorouracil; CPPO: bis [2, 4, 5-trichloro-6-(pentoxycarbonyl) phenyl] oxalate; Dox-EMCH: aldoxorubicin; FA: folic acid; c-Met: mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor; DMD: duchenne muscular dystrophy; PTEN: phosphatase and tensin homologue; circRNA: circular RNA; RVG: rabies virus glycoprotein; sFlt-1: soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1; Cur: curcumin; Tf: transferrin; MVs: matrix vesicles; BPQDs: BP quantum dots; NSCs: neural stem cells; FAP: fibroblast activation protein-a; mRNA: messenger RNA; siRNA: small interfering RNA; miRNA: microRNA; circRNA: circular RNA; EDC: 1-Ethyl-3-(3'-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide; NHS: N-Hydroxysuccinimide; PTX: paclitaxel; MTX: methotrexate; DOX: doxorubicin; TPZ: tirapazamine; Cis: cisplatin; PTT: photothermal therapy; PDT: photodynamic therapy; ROS: reactive oxygen species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Pterostilbene (PTE), a common polyphenol compound, exerts an anti-inflammatory effect in many diseases, including acute lung injury (ALI). Objective: This study explores the potential mechanism of PTE pre-treatment against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI. Materials and methods: Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control, ALI, 10 mg/kg PTE + LPS, 20 mg/kg PTE + LPS, and 40 mg/kg PTE + LPS groups. At 24 h before LPS instillation, PTE was administered orally. At 2 h before LPS instillation, PTE was again administered orally. After 24 h of LPS treatment, the rats were euthanized. The levels of inflammatory cells and inflammatory factors in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), the expression of nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 1 (NR4A1), and the nuclear factor (NF)-κB pathway-related protein levels were detected. NR4A1 agonist was used to further investigate the mechanism of PTE pre-treatment. Results: After PTE pre-treatment, the LPS induced inflammation was controlled and the survival rate was increased to 100% from 70% after LPS treatment 24 h. For lung injury score, it decreased to 1.5 from 3.5 after treating 40 mg/kg PTE. Compared with the control group, the expression of NR4A1 in the ALI group was decreased by 20-40%. However, the 40 mg/kg PTE pre-treatment increased the NR4A1 expression by 20-40% in the lung tissue. The results obtained with pre-treatment NR4A1 agonist were similar to those obtained by pre-treatment 40 mg/kg PTE. Conclusions: PTE pre-treatment might represent an appropriate therapeutic target and strategy for preventing ALI induced by LPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory vascular disease associated with endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and atherosclerotic plaque formation. Glycolysis is a conservative and rigorous biological process that decomposes glucose into pyruvate. Its function is to provide the body with energy and intermediate products required for life activities. However, abnormalities in glycolysis flux during the progression of atherosclerosis accelerate the disease progression. Herein, we review the role of glycolysis in the development of atherosclerosis to provide new ideas for devising novel antiatherosclerosis strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Densities for aqueous lithium pentaborate solutions at the molalities of (0.011–0.976) mol kg−1 were measured with an Anton Paar Digital vibrating-tube densimeter at temperature intervals of 5 K from 288.15 to 323.15 K. The coefficient of thermal expansion (α), apparent molar volume (), apparent molar expansibility () and limiting apparent molar expansibility () were obtained based on the experimental density data. On the basis of the Vogel–Tamman–Fulcher equation, the coefficients of the correlation equation for densities of LiB5O8(aq) against temperature and molality were parameterized. The results suggest a strong solute-solvent interaction in the solution, and lithium pentaborate is classified as a "structure breaking" solute. As temperatures rise, the hydrophilic character becomes unapparent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite steel is the most commonly used material for artillery barrels. Ablation and wear of the steel material during artillery firing affect the life of the barrel. In this paper, we propose a new model that combines the advantages of convolutional neural network (CNN) and long and short-term memory network (LSTM) in feature extraction and memory prediction, respectively, using Nadam (Nesterov-accelerated Adaptive Moment Estimation) algorithm and Bayesian Optimization (BO) to optimize the model parameters. The improved accuracy compared to other prediction models demonstrates the feasibility and superiority of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution characteristics and resources (in plentiful and dry seasons) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Liuxi River were analyzed and toxicity of typical PAHs to biological cells were assessed. The results showed that: Compared with the dry season, the species and content of PHAs in Liuxi River are fewer in the plentiful season. In the plentiful season, 7 kinds of PHAs were detected, and the total PAHs content (∑PAHs) in each sampling point ranges from 73.2 to 258.5 ng/g. While in the dry season, 13 kinds of PHAs were detected, and the ∑PAHs ranges from 26.3 to 1701.5 ng/g. To trace the sources of PAHs, the molecular ratio methods, such as LMW/HMW, Fla/(Fla + Pyr) and BaA/(BaA + Chr), were used respectively. In most cases, PAHs in Liuxi Ricer were pyrogenic. These sources included combustion of petroleum fuel, and burning of biomass fuels like coal and wood. The toxicity of fluorene and fluoranthene in Liuxi River was evaluated. The results showed that there was oxidative damage induced by H2O2 at a fluorine concentration of 50 mg/L, and fluoranthene could induce oxidative stress and DNA damage. In addition, the damage stress induced by fluoranthene was stronger than by fluorine under the same concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: Heat shock protein 90a (Hsp90a) is considered a tumor biomarker in many human malignancies. This study investigated the diagnostic value of Hsp90a combined with other traditional lung cancer biomarkers (CEA, CYFRA21-1, and NSE) and its role in monitoring the treatment response of lung cancer patients. Materials and methods: A total of 205 patients with lung cancer and 186 patients with lung benign disease who were admitted to our hospital were enrolled from 2018 to 2020. The 205 patients included 76 cases of squamous, 92 cases of adenocarcinoma, and 37 cases of small cell lung cancer. There were 49 patients with TNM I+II and 156 patients with TNM III+IV. A total of 10 mL baseline peripheral venous blood samples and subsequent peripheral venous blood samples (7 days after two cycles of chemotherapy) were collected, and the levels of Hsp90a, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), Cytokeratin 19 fragments (CYFRA21-1), and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) were detected by ELISA kit. Results: Hsp90a was obviously higher in serum from patients with lung cancer than in patients with benign lung disease (p < 0.0001). Moreover, Hsp90a levels were higher in patients with advanced-stage (stage III-IV) lung cancer compared to those with early-stage (stage I-II). Hsp90a level was significantly decreased following treatment with chemotherapy in the progress partial response group (p = 0.017), whereas the level of Hsp90α was significantly higher after chemotherapy treatment in the progressive disease group (p < 0.0001). In addition, compared with CYFRA21-1, CEA, or NSE alone, the AUC of Hsp90a combined with CYFRA21-1, CEA, or NSE were significantly higher in the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma or small-cell lung cancer. Conclusion: Hsp90a combined with CYFRA21-1, CEA, and NSE can be used as diagnostic indicators of lung cancer. The Hsp90a level can be used to monitor treatment response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to optimize the application quality of the English auxiliary teaching system, shorten the system response time and CPU utilization, design a Web-based college English auxiliary teaching system, and test its application effect. Using the B/S mode in the Web, install the developed auxiliary teaching system on the server of the control center. The B/S function modules in the system software include the presentation layer, application service layer, and resource layer. Based on this, design the user management module and college English auxiliary teaching functions and allocate bandwidth to the platform resource transmission rate to maximize network utility, reduce platform data transmission failures, and optimize the quality of English auxiliary teaching. The experimental results demonstrate that the system based on the B/S multilayer structure passed all of its tests, showing that it is relatively robust and capable of meeting the needs of college English teaching aids for students and teachers while also achieving the desired outcomes. The teaching information communication delay and response time of the designed system are shorter, and the central processing unit (CPU) utilization rate is also lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neuroprotective effect of ginsenoside-Mc1 (GMc1) in hyperlipidemic rats in the setting of cerebral ischemiareperfusion injury (I/RI), as well as the role of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium (mitoKATP) channels and oxidative/endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, was investigated. Hyperlipidemia (8 weeks) was induced by a high-fat diet in Sprague Dawley rats. GMc1 (10 mg/kg, i.p.) was given to hyperlipidemic rats daily for one month before I/RI. Rat brains were subjected to 2 h of local ischemia followed by 24 h reperfusion. The cerebral infarcted injury was measured by triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining and the levels of oxidative stress indicators were detected by ELISA and spectrophotometry. A fluorometric technique was employed to evaluate mitochondrial function. Western blotting was used to detect changes in the expression of ER stress proteins. GMc1 reduced cerebral infarct volume in hyperlipidemic rats in comparison to untreated ones (P<0.01). GMc1 reduced cerebral infarct volume in hyperlipidemic rats as compared to untreated rats (P<0.01). GMc1 significantly decreased mitochondrial membrane depolarization, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mitoROS) and malondialdehyde levels (P<0.01), while increasing the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione-peroxidase (GPx) (P<0.001). GMc1 administration reduced the expression of ER stress markers, including phosphorylated (p)-endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), p-eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 subunit 1 (elF2a), and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP). Inhibition of mitoKATP channels with hydroxydecanoate significantly eliminated the protective impacts of GMc1 in hyperlipidemic rats subjected to cerebral I/RI. The neuroprotective effect of GMc1 preconditioning was remarkably improved by increasing mitoKATP channel activity and decreasing oxidative and ER stress levels in hyperlipidemic rats, implying that this compound could be an appropriate candidate for reducing cerebral I/RI in comorbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to compare the clinical efficacy of myomectomy and total hysterectomy in the treatment of perimenopausal uterine fibroids. 124 cases of uterine fibroids were randomly divided into a control group and a study group, each with 62 cases. The control group underwent a total hysterectomy. Study participants underwent a myomectomy. Both groups of patients were observed and compared for surgery-related indicators, quality of life scores, perimenopausal syndrome and inflammatory factors. The study group had a shorter operation time and less intraoperative blood loss (p < 0.05). Before operation, there was no significant difference in Quality of life Short Form 36 (SF-36) score, Interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and IL-10 between both groups (p > 0.05) at 6 months after operation, SF-36 score in both groups were higher than before operation, and IL-6, TNF-α and IL-10 in both groups were higher than before operation (p < 0.05). Perimenopausal syndrome incidence was significantly lower in the study group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Myomectomy is more suitable for treating perimenopausal uterine fibroids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is evidence that linguistic alignment can give rise to prosocial effects in human–human interaction (HHI), but little has been done to explore whether the same effects can be evoked in human–computer interaction (HCI). This study investigates whether being lexically aligned improves people's evaluation of their conversational partner and the interaction in HHI and HCI, and whether such effects differ in HHI and HCI. A text-based interaction task was adopted in which a naïve participant and his/her partner took turns to name and match pictures. In both HHI and HCI, participants interacted with a computer program but they were led to believe that the partner they were interacting with was a human interlocutor in HHI conditions but a smart dialogue system (i.e. a computer partner) in HCI conditions. Lexical alignment was varied in the experiment such that in the align condition the program repeated the word use of participants, whereas in the nonalign condition, it chose words different from those used by participants. After the interaction task, a questionnaire survey was carried out to measure participants' evaluation of their partner and the interaction. Results showed that lexical alignment significantly improved participants' evaluation of the interaction in terms of perceived cognitive demand and response accuracy in both HHI and HCI. In addition, lexical alignment significantly enhanced people's liking of the aligning partner and reduced their perceived annoyance in HHI, but the effect was negligible in HCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian cancer (OV) is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. One major reason of the high mortality of the disease is due to platinum-based chemotherapy resistance. Increasing evidence reveal the important biological functions and clinical significance of zinc finger proteins (ZNFs) in OV. In the present study, the relationship between the zinc finger protein 76 (ZNF76) and clinical outcome and platinum resistance in patients with OV was explored. We further analyzed ZNF76 expression via multiple gene expression databases and identified its functional networks using cBioPortal. RT-qPCR and IHC assay shown that the ZNF76 mRNA and protein expression were significantly lower in OV tumor than that in normal ovary tissues. A strong relationship between ZNF76 expression and platinum resistance was determined in patients with OV. The low expression of ZNF76 was associated with worse survival in OV. Multivariable analysis showed that the low expression of ZNF76 was an independent factor predicting poor outcome in OV. The prognosis value of ZNF76 in pan-cancer was validated from multiple cohorts using the PrognoScan database and GEPIA 2. A gene-clinical nomogram was constructed by multivariate cox regression analysis, combined with clinical characterization and ZNF76 expression in TCGA. Functional network analysis suggested that ZNF76 was involved in several biology progressions which associated with OV. Ten hub genes (CDC5L, DHX16, SNRPC, LSM2, CUL7, PFDN6, VARS, HSD17B8, PPIL1, and RGL2) were identified as positively associated with the expression of ZNF76 in OV. In conclusion, ZNF76 may serve as a promising prognostic-related biomarker and predict the response to platinum in OV patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a type of behavioral addiction characterized by poorly controlled and interfering patterns of game playing. Studies have suggested that the IGD is usually accompanied by increased desire or craving for gaming, suggesting that secondary rewards related to gaming may become more salient than those for primary rewards like food. However, this hypothesis has not been formally tested and potential neural mechanisms remain unclear. Methods: This is a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study. Twenty-one IGD subjects and 23 matched individuals with recreational game use (RGU) were scanned when exposed to gaming (secondary rewards), food (primary rewards) and neutral cues. Group-by-cue-type interaction analyses and subsequent within-group analyses for fMRI data were performed and seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analyses explored further potential neural features. Results: IGD subjects' subjective craving responses to gaming cues were higher than to food cues, while the opposite was observed in RGU subjects. Group-by-cue interaction effects implicated the precuneus and precuneus-caudate FC. Simple effect analysis showed that for IGD subjects, gaming-related cues elicited higher FC in precuneuscaudate relationships than did food-related cues. In the RGU subjects, the opposite was observed. Significant correlations were found between brain features and craving scores. Conclusions: These results support the hypothesis regarding imbalances in sensitivities to different types of reward in IGD, and suggest neural mechanisms by which craving for gaming may make secondary rewards more salient than primary ones, thus promoting participation in addictive patterns of gaming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While higher high specific surface area allows micro-supercapacitor (MSC) electrode materials to have improved performance, it also tends to make them less stable thermodynamically and microstructurally, which can easily deteriorate and seriously affects their service life. So here, we have chosen a crosslinked copolymer film structure as MSC electrodes. The pyrrole-thieno [3,4-b] thiophene (TbT) copolymer film (namely PPy-co-TbT) exhibits high specific capacity, which can reach 47.8 mF cm-2 (a specific volumetric capacitance of 23.9 F cm-3 and a specific gravimetric capacitance of 28.1 F g-1) at a current density of 0.1 mA cm-2 using LiCl/PVA gel electrolyte with ultra-long cycling stability (capacitance retention after 50 000 charge/discharge cycles is still higher than 93%, which is the leading level in MSCs). The electrochemical performance of this cross-linked copolymer is superior to that of the singlecomponent polymer, achieving a 1 + 1 > 2 effect. Both features of crosslinking and copolymerization have positive effects on microelectrodes requiring stable microstructures and high performance. The structurally stable crosslinked copolymer obtained by copolymerization design may become a durable material for next generation ultra-long-life, high-performance microsupercapacitor electrodes and will be widely developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During sperm cryopreservation, the most significant phenotype of cryodamage is the decrease in sperm motility. Several proteomics studies have already been performed to search for key regulators at the protein level. However, sperm functions are known to be highly regulated by phosphorylation signaling. Here, we constructed a quantitative phosphoproteome to investigate the expression change of phosphorylated sites during sperm cryopreservation. A total of 3107 phosphorylated sites are identified and 848 of them are found to be significantly differentially expressed (DE). Bioinformatics analysis showed that the corresponding genes of these regulated sites are highly associated with sperm motility, providing a connection between the molecular basis and the phenotype of cryodamage. We then performed kinase enrichment analysis and successfully identified glycogen synthase kinase-3α (GSK3A) as the key kinase that may play an important role in the regulation of sperm motility. We further constructed a GSK3A centric network that could help us better understand the molecular mechanism of cryodamage in sperm motility. Finally, we also verified that GSK3A was abnormally activated during this process. The presented phosphoproteome and functional associations provide abundant research resources for us to learn the regulation of sperm functions, as well as to optimize the cryoprotectant for sperm cryopreservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and pulsed electric field (PEF) were used as innovative approaches to recover extracts from rainbow trout and sole side streams rich in high-added-value compounds. Then, after aseptic filtration, the impact of the obtained extracts on bacterial growth and anti-inflammatory potential was evaluated. Moreover, the protein content and the total antioxidant capacity of the samples were determined. The results showed that some extracts could inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria, including the ASE rainbow trout skin and the PEF sole viscera extracts, which showed significant antibacterial activity on Staphylococcus aureus. The PEF sole viscera extract also showed an inhibitory effect on the growth of Salmonella. In addition, some extracts promoted probiotic bacteria growth. For example, the PEF rainbow trout head and skin extracts promoted Lactobacillus casei growth, while the ASE rainbow trout head and skin extracts promoted Bifidobacterium lactis growth. In addition, some samples, such as the ASE rainbow trout viscera and the PEF sole skin extracts had interesting anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, the use of ASE and PEF can be considered as useful strategies to recover antimicrobial, prebiotic and anti-inflammatory extracts from rainbow trout and sole side streams, although it is necessary to evaluate each specific side stream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) is involved in the pathogenesis of airway inflammation and remodeling in asthma. Storeoperated calcium entry-associated regulatory factor (SARAF) can downregulate SOCE. We sought to investigate the role of SARAF in the regulation of airway inflammation and remodeling in asthma mice models, as well as in the functional regulation of human airway smooth muscle cells (hASMCs). Balb/c mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin to establish the asthma mice models. Mice were transfected with lentivirus, which expressed the SARAF gene þ GFP (green fluorescence protein) or the negative control gene þ GFP. Airway resistance was measured with the animal pulmonary function system. Airway inflammation and remodeling were evaluated via histological staining. In vitro cultured hASMCs were transfected with scrambled small interfering RNA (siRNA) or SARAF-specific siRNA, respectively. The proliferation, migration rate, hypertrophy, and SOCE activity of hASMCs were examined with Cell Counting Kit-8, wound healing test, bright field imaging, and Ca2+ fluorescence imaging, respectively. SARAF expression was measured by quantitative real-time PCR. Asthma mice models showed decreased SARAF mRNA expression in the lungs. SARAF overexpression attenuated airway inflammation, resistance, and also remodeling. Downregulation of SARAF expression with siRNA promoted the proliferation, migration, hypertrophy, and SOCE activity in hASMCs. SARAF plays a protective role against airway inflammation and remodeling in asthma mice models by blunting SOCE; SARAF may also be a functional regulating factor of hASMCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tissue remodeling caused by increased MMPs is involved in the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP). We previously found higher levels of periostin and tenascin C in CRSwNPs, but whether they are associated with the dysregulation of MMPs is unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the regulatory roles of these two ECM proteins in the expression of MMPs in nasal polyps. Methods: The concentrations of MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-7, MMP-8, MMP-9, MMP-12, MMP-13, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, TIMP-3, TIMP-4, periostin, and tenascin C in tissue homogenates of 51 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps and 15 control subjects were measured and were analyzed by adjusted logistic regression and spearman correlation test. Primary human nasal polyp fibroblasts and epithelial cells were stimulated ex vivo with periostin and tenascin C and the gene expression of MMPs and TIMPs was determined by means of real-time PCR. Results: The protein levels of MMP-3, MMP-7, MMP-8, MMP-9, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, periostin, and tenascin C were significantly higher in patients with CRSwNPs than in healthy control subjects. The adjusted logistic regression analyses showed that MMP-3, MMP-7, MMP-8, MMP-9, TIMP-2, periostin, and tenascin C were related to the occurrence of CRSwNP. Spearman correlation test showed periostin was positively correlated with MMP-3 and TIMP-2, and tenascin C was positively correlated with MMP-3, MMP-7, MMP-8, MMP-9, and TIMP-2. Periostin stimulated the gene expression of MMP-3, MMP-7, MMP-8, and MMP-9 in fibroblasts and MMP-9 in epithelial cells ex vivo. Tenascin C stimulated the expression of MMP-3, MMP-7, MMP-8, and MMP-9 in epithelial cells. The expression of TIMPs in fibroblasts and epithelial cells was affected by neither periostin nor tenascin C. Conclusions: Periostin and tenascin C might be involved in the remodeling of nasal polyps by regulating the expression of different MMPs in epithelial cells and fibroblasts. Our findings have the potential to identify key factors of tissue remodeling in CRSwNPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic nanocomposites have attracted much attention in the field of wastewater treatment due to their great advantages of fast and efficient removal and separation. Therefore, Fe3O4 magnetic nanocomposites coated with fulvic acid (Fe3O4/FA) were applied to remove ammonia nitrogen, phosphate and basic blue 3 (BB3) from the effluent. The performance of the adsorbents towards the pollutant removal under different contact time, pH, ionic strength and temperatures were investigated. The whole process with adsorption kinetics and adsorption thermodynamics were also studied. The results showed that the adsorption equilibrium could be achieved in 180 min. The high susceptibility of ammonia nitrogen, phosphorus and BB3 to the alternation of pH, ionic strength and temperatures indicated that electrostatic interaction played a dominant role in the process. Fe3O4/FA exhibited excellent adsorption performance for ammonia nitrogen, phosphorus and BB3, and the qmax obtained by the Langmuir model were 106.21 mg/g, 116.81 mg/g and 203.54 mg/g, respectively. Its adsorption performance remained constant in the treatment of ammonia nitrogen, phosphate and BB3 after consecutive 6 cycles. In practical wastewater treatment, Fe3O4/FA improved the removal of ammonia nitrogen and phosphate. Therefore, Fe3O4/FA magnetic nanocomposites have a promising application for wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Capecitabine is an extensively used oral prodrug of 5-fluorouracil in treatment of colon cancer and is known to cause handfoot syndrome (HFS). As the target enzyme for capecitabine, thymidylate synthase (TYMS) plays a key role for 5-fluorouracil metabolism and has been associated with some side effects caused by capecitabine. The aim of our study is to identify the possible genetic predictors of capecitabine-induced HFS (CAP-HFS) in Chinese colorectal cancer patients. Materials and Methods Whole exons of TYMS were sequenced for 288 extreme phenotype HFS patients, including 144 severe or early-onset (first 2 cycles) moderate HFS extreme cases and 144 extreme controls with no reported HFS. The associations between polymorphisms and CAP-HFS were analyzed using logistic regression under an additive model. Results We identified a novel risk mutation (c.1A>G, chr18:657743), was associated with severe HFS in an extreme case who was affected during the first cycle of treatment. Moreover, we identified three new variants, rs3786362, rs699517, rs2790, and two previously reported variants, 5'VNTR 2R/3R and 3′-untranslated region 6-bp ins-del, which were significantly associated with CAP-HFS (p < 0.05). In silico analysis revealed that the effect of these polymorphisms in the TYMS region on the development of HFS might not be restricted solely to the regulation of TYMS expression, but also the TYMS catalytic activity through the indirect effect on ENOSF1 expression. Conclusion This study identified new polymorphisms in TYMS gene significantly associated with CAP-HFS, which may serve as useful genetic predictors for CAP-HFS and help to elucidate the underlying mechanism of HFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Malignant hilar biliary obstruction (MHBO) can arise in patients with malignant hilar hepatobiliary tumors or lymph nodules. Most MHBO patients are not suitable for surgical resection due to the advanced tumor stage. The only palliative treatment available is provided by endoscopic or percutaneous stenting. Aim: To compare the efficacy of endoscopic unilateral versus bilateral metal stent insertion for treating MHBO. Material and methods: A search of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases identified all relevant studies published until June 2020. The meta-analysis was undertaken using RevMan v5.3. Results: We identified 154 studies initially, eight of which were used in our meta-analysis. The eight studies included 818 MHBO patients treated using either endoscopic unilateral (n = 396) or bilateral (n = 422) metal stenting. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in clinical success rate (OR = 2.64; p = 0.18), complication rate (OR = 0.63; p = 0.46), or OS (HR = 1.03; p = 0.53). The bilateral group had a lower stent dysfunction rate without significance (OR = 1.43; p = 0.09). Significantly longer stent patency was observed in the bilateral group (HR = 1.28; p = 0.01). Technical success rate was significantly higher in the unilateral group (OR = 0.26; p = 0.04). Funnel plot analysis indicated an absence of publication bias related to the selected study endpoints. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis indicated that endoscopic unilateral stenting had a greater technical success rate for MHBO patients than bilateral stenting. However, the bilateral stenting could achieve longer stent patency [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a modulus-based Shamanskii-Like Levenberg-Marquardt method is proposed for solving nonlinear complementarity problems (NCPs). First, the NCP is reformulated in the form of an equivalent non-smooth system of equations. Then, a non-smooth Shamanskii-Like Levenberg-Marquardt method using a non-monotone r-order Armijo line search is developed by generalizing a smooth Levenberg-Marquardt method to solve the resulting system. Global convergence of the proposed method is achieved under some suitable assumptions. Numerical experiments verify the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In cervical cancer (CC), the efficacy of chemotherapy is often hindered by the development of paclitaxel (PTX) resistance, even in patients who initially responded to chemotherapy. However, the mechanisms underlying PTX resistance in CC patients remain unclear. In this study, we uncover a unique role played by CENPU (centromeric protein U, also known as PBIP1/KLIP1/CENP-50/MLF1IP) in association with paclitaxel resistance in CC cells. First, we established paclitaxel-resistant cell lines from Hela and SiHa cells (designated as Hela/PTX and SiHa/PTX) and confirmed their resistance by determining the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values and assessing cell viability. The results demonstrated that Hela/PTX and SiHa/PTX cells exhibited an elevated IC50 and enhanced cell proliferation, accompanied by a decrease in apoptosis. Subsequently, si-CENPU was used to silence CENPU in Hela/PTX and SiHa/PTX cells, which led to a reduction in cell viability and an increase in cell apoptosis, indicating that the silencing of CENPU mitigated paclitaxel resistance in Hela/PTX and SiHa/PTX cells. Furthermore, CENPU knockdown suppressed Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) and Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) binding cassette subfamily C member 5 (ABCC5) expression in Hela/PTX and SiHa/PTX cells. Interestingly, the alleviating effects of CENPU silencing on paclitaxel resistance in CC cells were compromised when FOXM1 levels were supplemented, indicating that CENPU knockdown could attenuate PTX resistance by downregulating the FOXM1/ABCC5 signaling pathway. In conclusion, our study reveals an elevated expression of CENPU in paclitaxel-resistant CC (Hela/PTX and SiHa/PTX) and demonstrates that the knockdown of CENPU can mitigate paclitaxel resistance in CC cells by deregulating the FOXM1/ABCC5 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of sexual selection on the evolution of birds has been widely acknowledged. Although sexual selection has been hypothesized as a driving force in the occurrences of numerous morphological features across theropod evolution, this hypothesis has yet to be comprehensively tested due to challenges in identifying the sex of fossils and by the limited sample size. Confuciusornis sanctus is arguably the best-known early avialan and is represented by thousands of well-preserved specimens from the Early Cretaceous Jehol lagerstätte, which provides us with a chance to decipher the strength of sexual selection on extinct vertebrates. Herein, we present a morphometric study of C. sanctus based on the largest sample size of this taxon collected up to now. Our results indicate that the characteristic elongated paired rectrices is a sexually dimorphic trait and statistically robust inferences of the sexual dimorphism in size, shape, and allometry that have been established, providing the earliest known sexual dimorphism in avian evolution. Our findings suggest that sexual selection, in conjunction with natural selection, does act upon body size and limb length ratio in early birds, thereby promoting a deeper understanding of the role of sexual selection in large-scale phylogenetic evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]