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Novel MnCo 2 O 4 -discs and MnCo 2 O 4 -rings were respectively prepared through a facile hydrothermal approach with a post annealing treatment. These MnCo 2 O 4 -discs exhibited battery-type electrochemical response with a high capacity of 296.1C/g at 1 A/g in 2 M of KOH electrolyte. The assembled MnCo 2 O 4 -discs//AC asymmetric supercapacitor delivered a high energy density of 35.8 W h kg−1 at the power density of 927.5 W kg−1. [Display omitted] • Novel MnCo 2 O 4 -discs were hydrothermally prepared with a post annealing treatment. • A high specific capacity of 296.1C/g at 1 A/g was delivered. • Just a little capacity decay over 5000 cycles at a high current density of 6 A/g. • The ASC device delivered an energy density of 35.8 W h kg−1 at 927.5 W kg−1. Herein, porous MnCo 2 O 4 with disc-like (MnCo 2 O 4 -discs) and ring-like (MnCo 2 O 4 -rings) microstructures were respectively synthesized using an initial hydrothermal method at different temperatures and a calcination treatment in air. The electrochemical properties of these MnCo 2 O 4 materials were investigated in three-electrode and two-electrode systems, and as such, MnCo 2 O 4 presented a battery-like electrochemical response. The specific capacity of MnCo 2 O 4 -discs was determined to be 296.1C/g at 1 A/g, superior to 246.3C/g for MnCo 2 O 4 -rings. An asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) was assembled with MnCo 2 O 4 as the cathode and activated carbon (AC) as the anode to evaluate the potential for practical application. The MnCo 2 O 4 -discs//AC ASC exhibited an energy density (E d) of 35.8 W h kg−1 at a power density (P d) of 927.5 W kg−1. For the MnCo 2 O 4 -rings//AC ASC, an inferior E d of 31.4 W h kg−1 under 890.9 W kg−1 was achieved. Furthermore, the two ASCs presented outstanding cyclic performance after 5000 cycles at 6 A/g. The exceptional properties of MnCo 2 O 4 microstructures can be applied to the assembly of ASC devices, which can have promising potential for application in electrochemical energy storage. This synthetic method is straightforward, cost-effective, and can be extended to fabricate similar electrode materials with superior electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) can cause localized or systemic infections, collectively known as avian colibacillosis, resulting in huge economic losses to poultry industry globally per year. In addition, increasing evidence indicates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a critical role in regulating host inflammation in response to bacterial infection. However, the role of lncRNAs in the host response to APEC infection remains unclear. Results: Here, we found 816 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs and 1,798 DE mRNAs in APEC infected chicken macrophages by RNAseq. The identified DE lncRNA-mRNAs were involved in Toll like receptor signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway, fatty acid metabolism, phosphatidylinositol signaling system, and other types of O-glycan biosynthesis. Furthermore, we found the novel lncRNA TCONS_00007391 as an important immune regulator in APEC infection was able to regulate the inflammatory response by directly targeting CD86. Conclusion: These findings provided a better understanding of host response to APEC infection and also offered the potential drug targets for therapy development against APEC infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study aimed to evaluate conjunctival vessels in patients with dry eye disease (DED) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods. This was a cross-sectional, observational clinical study. Twenty-three eyes of 18 patients with DED and 28 eyes of 23 healthy controls were included for examination in this study. The evaluation included the application of an Ocular Surface Disease Index Questionnaire, Schirmer Basic Secretion Test, and anterior OCTA targeting the temporal conjunctiva. AngioTool software was used to quantify the total vessel length and vessel density in the 3 × 3 mm temporal region of interest. Results. Blood vessel density measurements were compared across the OCTA systems. The total vessel length within the conjunctiva of the DED group (4799.34 ± 834.36) exceeded that of the control eye (3864.89 ± 1455.70) group (P < 0.05). However, the difference in vessel density between the two groups was not statistically significant. Conclusion. Measurement and analysis of conjunctival blood vessels using OCTA exhibited robust repeatability. In dry eyes, the total number of conjunctival blood vessels increased in accordance with disease severity. Hypoxia of conjunctival tissue may be an important cause of dry eye disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a delayed diffusive predator–prey model with fear effect under Neumann boundary conditions is considered. For the system without diffusion and delay, the conditions for the existence and local stability of equilibria are obtained by analyzing the eigenvalues. Then, the instability induced by diffusion and delay-diffusion of the positive constant stationary solutions are discussed, respectively. Moreover, the regions of instability and pattern formation can be achieved with respect to diffusion and delay coefficients. Furthermore, the existence and direction of Hopf bifurcation and the properties of the homogeneous/nonhomogeneous bifurcated periodic solutions are driven by using the center manifold theorem and the normal form theory. Finally, some numerical simulations are carried out to verify the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Conventional short‐axis PET typically utilizes multi‐bed multi‐pass acquisition to produce quantitative whole‐body dynamic images and cannot record all the uptake information simultaneously, resulting in errors when fitting the time‐activity curves (TACs) and calculating radiation doses. Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the 13N‐ammonia biodistribution and the internal radiation doses using a 194 cm long total‐body PET/CT scanner (uEXPLORER), and make a comparison with the previous short‐axis PET results. Methods: Ten subjects (age 40–74 years) received 13N‐NH3 injection (418.1‐670.81 MBq) and were under a dynamic scan for about 60 min with using a 3‐dimensional whole‐body protocol. ROIs were drawn visually on 11 major organs (brain, thyroid, gallbladder, heart wall, kidneys, liver, pancreas, spleen, lungs, bone marrow, and urinary bladder content) for each subject. TACs were generated using Pmod and the absorbed radiation doses were calculated using Olinda 2.2. To compare with the conventional PET/CT, five points were sampled on uEXPLORER's TACs to mimic the result of a short‐axis PET/CT (15 cm axial FOV, consisted of 9 or 10 bed positions). Then the TACs were obtained using the multi‐exponential fitting method, and the residence time and radiation dose were also calculated and compared with uEXPLORER. Results: The highest absorbed organ doses were the pancreas, thyroid, spleen, heart wall, and kidneys for the male. For the female, the first five highest absorbed organ dose coefficients were the pancreas, heart wall, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. The lowest absorbed dose was found in red marrow both for male and female. The simulated short‐axis PET can fit TACs well for the gradually‐changed uptake organs but typically underestimated for the rapid‐uptake organs during the first‐10 min, resulting in errors in the calculated radiation dose. Conclusion: uEXPLORER PET/CT can measure 13N‐ammonia's TACs simultaneously in all organs of the whole body, which can provide more accurate biodistribution and radiation dose estimation compared with the conventional short‐axis scanners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of performing cesarean section surgery before aortic repair after acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) during pregnancy. Methods: A total of six patients who received ATAAD repair during their pregnancies were retrospectively identified in the hospital database from January 2002 to December 2021. Results: The mean gestational period at the time of aortic repair was 35.3 ± 2.7 weeks, and the aortic root diameter ranged from 40 to 60 mm. The mean time from disease onset to arrival at the operation room was 20.3 ± 10.8 h (range 10–36 h). All patients successfully received aortic repair operations following cesarean section and survived the peri‐surgery period without developing major complications. All fetuses were successfully delivered. After an average follow up of 25.8 months, all patients and their children had survived without developing major complications except for one mother who committed suicide 6 months after discharge as a result of postpartum depression. Conclusion: The present study suggested that ATAAD repair can be safely performed in the third‐trimester. Synopsis: Cesarean section before aortic repair is recommended for patients with acute type A aortic dissection at their third trimester of pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent studies have shown that circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) can be used as diagnostic biomarkers for melanoma. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of circulating miRNAs for melanoma. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted and the quality of the included literature was evaluated using QUADAS-2 (Quality Assessment for diagnostic accuracy studies), and the diagnostic accuracy was assessed by pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the curve (AUC). We used Deeks' funnel plot to evaluate publication bias. Results: The meta-analysis included 10 articles covering 16 studies, and the results showed that circulating miRNAs provide high diagnostic accuracy for melanoma. The overall pooled sensitivity was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.82–0.91), specificity was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.77–0.85), PLR was 4.6 (95% CI: 3.7–5.8), NLR was 0.16 (95% CI: 0.11–0.23), DOR was 29 (95% CI: 18–49), and AUC was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.87–0.92), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed better diagnostic value in miRNA clusters, European population, plasma miRNAs, and upregulated miRNAs compared to other subgroups. Conclusions: The results indicated that circulating microRNAs can be used as a non-invasive biomarker for the diagnosis of melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells-derived exosomes (MSC-Exo) are considered to have great potential in the treatment of human diseases. However, the role of MSC-Exo in the process of diabetes with sepsis and the underlying molecular mechanism remain unclear. Human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) were treated with high glucose (HG) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Cell viability, migration, angiogenesis were analyzed by cell counting kit 8 assay, transwell assay and tube formation assay. Transmembrane electrical resistance (TER) detection and FITC-dextran assay were performed to evaluate cell barrier function. The protein levels of cell permeability-related markers, ferroptosis-related markers, exosomes-related markers, Nrf2 and HO-1 were examined using western bolt (WB) analysis. Besides, the levels of inflammation factors were tested by ELISA, and the levels of ferroptosis-related indicators were examined using corresponding assay kits. Flow cytometry was employed to analyze stem cell markers. The identification of MSC-Exo was performed using transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis and WB analysis. DIO staining was used to examine the uptake of MSC-Exo by HPMECs. HG treatment suppressed HPMECs viability, migration, angiogenesis and TER, while promoted permeability, inflammation and ferroptosis. LPS treatment aggravated HG-induced HPMECs dysfunction, inflammation and ferroptosis. After HPMECs were co-cultured with MSC-Exo, cell injury induced by HG + LPS could be relieved. Moreover, MSC-Exo treatment enhanced the activity of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway in HG + LPS-induced HPMECs, and Nrf2-silenced MSC-Exo could promote HG + LPS-induced HPMECs injury. MSC-Exo alleviated HG + LPS-induced HPMECs injury via activating Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, confirming that it might be used for the treatment of diabetes with sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a diffusive genetic regulatory network under Neumann boundary conditions is considered. First, the criteria for the local stability and diffusion-driven instability of the positive stationary solution without and with diffusion are investigated, respectively. Moreover, Turing regions and pattern formation are obtained in the plane of diffusion coefficients. Second, the existence and multiplicity of spatially homogeneous/nonhomogeneous non-constant steady-states are studied by using the Lyapunov–Schmidt reduction. Finally, some numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) can cause localized and systemic diseases in poultry, threatening human health via meat or egg contamination and resulting in considerable economic losses to the poultry industry globally. Increasing evidence shows circRNAs were widely involved in various biological processes. However, the role of circRNAs in the host response against APEC infection, especially correlated with the regulation of RIP2, remains unclear. Herein, the RNAseq technology was used to identify the circRNA expression profiles in the overexpression of RIP2 macrophages with or without APEC infection. A total of 256 and 287 differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs were identified in the overexpression of RIP2 group (oeRIP2) vs. the wild-type group (WT) and oeRIP2 + APEC vs. APEC, respectively, whose parental genes were involved in MAPK signalling pathway, Wnt signalling pathway, focal adhesion, tight junction, and VEGF signalling pathways. Specifically, the key circRNAs, such as 5:814443-825127, 10:18922360-18928461, 2:8746306-8750639, and 2:124177751-124184063 might play a critical role in APEC infection and the regulation of RIP2. As a whole, these findings will facilitate understanding the molecular mechanism underlying circRNAs, especially related to the regulation of the RIP2 gene. Meanwhile, the study may offer new ideas to improve host immune and inflammatory response against APEC infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let A k A k − 1 ⋯ A 1 be the product of some nonnegative 2-by-2 matrices. In general, its elements are hard to evaluate. Under some conditions, we show that ∀ i , j ∈ { 1 , 2 } , (A k A k − 1 ⋯ A 1) i , j ∼ c ϱ (A k) ϱ (A k − 1) ⋯ ϱ (A 1) as k → ∞ , where ϱ (A n) is the spectral radius of the matrix A n and c ∈ (0 , ∞) is some constant. Consequently, the elements of A k A k − 1 ⋯ A 1 can be estimated. As applications, consider the maxima of certain excursions of (2,1) and (1,2) random walks with asymptotically zero drifts. We get some delicate limit theories which are quite different from those of simple random walks. Limit theories of both the tail and critical tail sequences of continued fractions play important roles in our studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the in-situ treatment process of landscape waters, ponds, reservoirs and other water bodies, there is a significant deviation between the experiment results and the actual treatment effect due to volume amplification effect. Therefore, this study systematically explored the influence of hydraulic conditions, dosing frequency, dosing intervals of coagulant, and coagulant dilution multiples on the removal efficiency of particulate and organic matter on a large scale to precisely simulate the practical treatment situation. Results showed that dosing intervals and dosing frequency played an important role in the aggregation and settling process of particulate matter by influencing the energy barrier between particles, while hydraulic conditions affected the structure and settling characteristics of flocs. The overall trend of the total organic matter was consistent with that of particulate matter. However, only the freshly formed aluminum hydroxide precipitates had adsorption activity to humic substances. The adsorption could be completed rapidly so that hydraulic conditions had no influence on the aggregation process of humic substances. While during stirring and aging process, humic substances was found to be released due to the polymerization and crystallization of aluminum precipitates. From the results of pilot tests, a treatment strategy was implemented for a reservoir in southern China and the ideal treatment effect was achieved. This study provided theoretical foundation and design guidance for the in-situ coagulation treatment of landscape waters, ponds and reservoirs. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body and plays a vital role in colorectal cancer (CRC) cell metabolism. However, limited studies have investigated the clinical and prognostic significance of preoperative serum glutamine levels in patients with colorectal cancer, and the underlying mechanism has not been explored.Methods: A total of 121 newly diagnosed CRC patients between 2012 and 2016 were enrolled in this study. Serum glutamine levels were detected, and their associations with clinicopathological characteristics, systemic inflammation markers, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and prognosis were analysed. In addition, the effect of glutamine depletion on recurrence and metastasis was examined in SW480 and DLD1 human CRC cell lines, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related markers were detected to reveal the possible mechanism.Results: A decreased preoperative serum level of glutamine was associated with a higher T-class and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). A higher serum level of glutamine correlated with a lower CEA level (r = - 0.25, P = 0.02). Low glutamine levels were correlated with shorter overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that serum glutamine was an independent prognostic factor for DFS (P = 0.018), and a nomogram predicting the probability of 1-, 3- and 5-year DFS after radical surgery was built. In addition, glutamine deficiency promoted the migration and invasion of CRC cells. E-cadherin, a vital marker of EMT, was decreased, and EMT transcription factors, including zeb1and zeb2, were upregulated in this process.Conclusions: This study elucidated that preoperative serum glutamine is an independent prognostic biomarker to predict CRC progression and suggested that glutamine deprivation might promote migration and invasion in CRC cells by inducing the EMT process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colibacillosis is an acute and chronic avian disease caused by avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC). Previous studies have demonstrated that RIP2 plays a significant role in APEC infection. Moreover, increasing evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in host–pathogen interactions and the immune response. However, the role of miRNAs in the host against APEC infection remains unclear. Herein, we attempted to reveal new miRNAs potentially involved in the regulation of the immune and inflammatory response against APEC infection, with a particular focus on those possibly correlated with RIP2 expression, via miRNA-seq, RT-qPCR, Western blotting, dual-luciferase reporter assay, and CCK-8. The results showed that a total of 93 and 148 differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were identified in the knockdown of RIP2 cells following APEC infection (shRIP2+APEC) vs. knockdown of RIP2 cells (shRIP2) and shRIP2 vs. wild-type cells (WT), respectively. Among those identified DE miRNAs, the biological function of gga-miR-455-5p was investigated. It was found that gga-miR-455-5p regulated by RIP2 was involved in the immune and inflammatory response against APEC infection via targeting of IRF2 to modulate the expression of type I interferons. Additionally, RIP2 could directly regulate the production of the type I interferons. Altogether, these findings highlighted the crucial role of miRNAs, especially gga-miR-455-5p, in host defense against APEC infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a serious emergency in 2020, COVID-19 had a great impact on people's lives. In this paper, short-term and long-term response to emergency supplies needs after the outbreak of COVID-19 in a region is studied. Firstly, a comparative study of different regional resource coordination options in the early stages of COVID-19 is conducted using a multiobjective decision-making approach to arrive at the optimal solution. Then, a system dynamics model is established for the follow-up development of the epidemic, to predict the long-term development trend of the epidemic, and to study the urgency of the needs of different materials in different periods. The results show that time and satisfaction are the two most important indicators in the decision-making of the material deployment programme in the early stages of an outbreak. In the long-term control of the epidemic, the number of patients with minor illnesses generally peaks around 20 days, while the number of patients with severe illnesses generally peaks around 40 days, providing a focus for the supply of supplies at different times in the actual development of the epidemic, in order to better and more effectively control the epidemic and reduce inefficient consumption of supplies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Receptor interacting serine/threonine kinase 2 (RIP2), ubiquitous in many tissue/cell types, is the key regulator of immune and inflammatory responses for many diseases, including avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC), which causes a wide variety of localized or systemic infections. However, the molecular mechanisms by which RIP2 drives its transcriptional program to affect immune and inflammatory response upon APEC infection remains poorly understood. Results: In this study, RNA-seq and bioinformatics analyses were used to detect gene expression and new direct/indirect RIP2 targets in the treatments of wild type HD11 cells (WT), RIP2 knockdown cells (shRIP2), APEC stimulation cells (APEC), and RIP2 knockdown cells combined with APEC infection (shRIP2 + APEC). The results revealed that a total of 4691 and 2605 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened in shRIP2 + APEC vs. APEC and shRIP2 vs. WT, respectively. Functional annotation analysis showed that apoptosis, MAPK, p53, Toll-like receptor, and Nod-like receptor signaling pathways were involved in APEC-induced RIP2 knockdown HD11 cells. By analyzing the enriched pathway and gene networks, we identified that several DEGs, including HSP90AB1, BID, and CASP9 were targeted by RIP2 upon APEC infection. Conclusion: As a whole, this study can not only provide data support for constructing gene networks of RIP2 knockdown with APEC challenge but also provide new ideas for improving the immune and inflammatory response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) can cause localized or systemic infection, resulting in large economic losses per year, and impact health of humans. Previous studies showed that RIP2 (receptor interacting serine/threonine kinase 2) and its signaling pathway played an important role in immune response against APEC infection. In this study, chicken HD11 cells were used as an in vitro model to investigate the function of chicken RIP2 and the transcription factor binding to the RIP2 core promoter region via gene overexpression, RNA interference, RT-qPCR, Western blotting, dual luciferase reporter assay, CHIP-PCR, CCK-8, and flow cytometry assay following APEC stimulation. Results showed that APEC stimulation promoted RIP2 expression and cells apoptosis, and inhibited cells viability. Knockdown of RIP2 significantly improved cell viability and suppressed the apoptosis of APEC-stimulated cells. Transcription factor NFIB (Nuclear factor I B) and GATA1 (globin transcription factor 1) binding site was identified in the core promoter region of RIP2 from −2300 bp to −1839 bp. However, only NFIB was confirmed to be bound to the core promoter of RIP2. Overexpression of NFIB exacerbated cell injuries with significant reduction in cell viability and increased cell apoptosis and inflammatory cytokines levels, whereas opposite results were observed in NFIB inhibition treatment group. Moreover, RIP2 was up-regulated by NFIB overexpression, and RIP2 silence mitigated the effect of NFIB overexpression in cell apoptosis, inflammation, and activation of NFκB signaling pathways. This study demonstrated that NFIB overexpression accelerated APEC-induced apoptosis and inflammation via up-regulation of RIP2 mediated downstream pathways in chicken HD11 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endomesodermal cell fate specification and archenteron formation during gastrulation are tightly linked developmental processes in most metazoans. However, studies have shown that in the anthozoan cnidarian Nematostella vectensis , Wnt/β-catenin (cWnt) signalling-mediated endomesodermal cell fate specification can be experimentally uncoupled from Wnt/Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) signalling-mediated primary archenteron invagination. The upstream signalling mechanisms regulating cWnt signalling-dependent endomesoderm cell fate specification and Wnt/PCP signalling-mediated primary archenteron invagination in Nematostella embryos are not well understood. By screening for potential upstream mediators of cWnt and Wnt/PCP signalling, we identified two Nematostella Frizzled homologs that are expressed early in development. NvFzd1 is expressed maternally and in a broad pattern during early development while NvFzd10 is zygotically expressed at the animal pole in blastula stage embryos and is restricted to the invaginating cells of the presumptive endomesoderm. Molecular and morphological characterization of NvFzd1 and NvFzd10 knock-down phenotypes provide evidence for distinct regulatory roles for the two receptors in endomesoderm cell fate specification and primary archenteron invagination. These results provide further experimental evidence for the independent regulation of endomesodermal cell fate specification and primary archenteron invagination during gastrulation in Nematostella. Moreover, these results provide additional support for the previously proposed two-step model for the independent evolution of cWnt-mediated cell fate specification and Wnt/PCP-mediated primary archenteron invagination. [Display omitted] • Endomesoderm specification and gastrulation are tightly linked events in Bilateria. • These processes can be experimentally uncoupled in the cnidarian N. vectensis. • Nematostella primary gut invagination can occur without endomesoderm specification. • NvFzd1 regulates endomesoderm specification and NvFzd10 regulates gut invagination. • These results suggest that the two processes arose independently during evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This meta-analysis was performed to identify the prognostic value of SLNCR1 in multiple cancer types. Methods. Electronic databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Medline, BioMed Central, Springer, Science Direct, and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI), were searched for relevant studies up to August 2021, and the hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated to assess the relationship between SLNCR1 expression and overall survival (OS). Results. 12 studies with a total of 1155 patients with 9 different types of cancers were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled HR indicates that high SLNCR1 expression represented poorer prognosis of cancer (HR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.59–2.80, I2 = 0%, P < 0.00001). Additionally, high SLNCR1 expression was correlated with TNM stage (odds ratio (OR): 1.72, 95% CI: 1.08–2.74, I2 = 62%, P = 0.02), lymph node metastasis (LNM) (OR:2.42, 95% CI: 1.61–3.64, I2 = 55%, P < 0.0001), and distant metastases (DM) (OR: 2.30, 95% CI: 1.50–3.55, I2 = 27%, P = 0.0002). However, no evidence was found for a relationship between SLNCR1 expression and clinical features such as tumor size (OR: 1.71, 95% CI: 0.93–3.14, I2 = 71%, P = 0.09), age (OR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.68–1.08, I2 = 0%, P = 0.19), or gender (OR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.64–1.81, I2 = 55%, P = 0.79). Conclusion. Our findings found that high SLNCR1 expression was associated with poor OS, advanced tumor stage, tumor size, LNM, and DM in multiple cancers, indicating that SLNCR1 may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for cancer patients in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a diagnostic and prognostic marker of melanoma. However, whether ctDNA mutations can independently predict survival remains controversial. This meta-analysis assessed the prognostic value of the presence or change in ctDNA mutations in melanoma patients. Methods. We identified studies from the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases. We estimated the combined hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) using either fixed-effect or random-effect models based on heterogeneity. Results. Sixteen studies including 1,781 patients were included. Both baseline and posttreatment detectable ctDNA were associated with poor OS (baseline detectable vs. undetectable, pooled HR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.64–2.36, P < 0.00001 ; baseline undetectable vs. detectable, pooled HR = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.11–0.36, P < 0.00001 ; posttreatment detectable vs. undetectable, pooled HR = 2.36, 95% CI = 1.30–4.28, P = 0.005). For PFS, baseline detectable ctDNA may be associated with adverse PFS (baseline detectable vs. undetectable, pooled HR = 1.41, 95% CI = 0.84–2.37, P = 0.19 ; baseline undetectable vs. detectable, pooled HR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.19–0.95, P = 0.04) and baseline high ctDNA and increased ctDNA were significantly associated with adverse PFS (baseline high vs. low/undetectable, pooled HR = 3.29, 95% CI = 1.73–6.25, P = 0.0003 ; increase vs. decrease, pooled HR = 4.48, 95% CI = 2.45–8.17, P < 0.00001). The baseline BRAFV600 ctDNA mutation-positive group was significantly associated with adverse OS compared with the baseline ctDNA-negative group (pooled HR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.58–2.29, P < 0.00001). There were no significant differences in PFS between the baseline BRAFV600 ctDNA mutation-detectable group and the undetectable group (pooled HR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.72–1.44, P = 0.92). Conclusion. The presence or elevation of ctDNA mutation or BRAFV600 ctDNA mutation was significantly associated with worse prognosis in melanoma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More and more attention has been paid to the aggregation behavior of nanoparticles, but little research has been done on the effect of particle size. Therefore, this study systematically evaluated the aggregation behavior of nano-silica particles with diameter 130–480 nm at different initial particle concentration, pH, ionic strength, and ionic valence of electrolytes. The modified Smoluchowski theory failed to describe the aggregation kinetics for nano-silica particles with diameters less than 190 nm. Besides, ionic strength, cation species and pH all affected fast aggregation rate coefficients of 130 nm nanoparticles. Through incorporating structural hydration force into the modified Smoluchowski theory, it is found that the reason for all the anomalous aggregation behavior was the different structural hydration layer thickness of nanoparticles with various sizes. The thickness decreased with increasing of particle size, and remained basically unchanged for particles larger than 190 nm. Only when the distance at primary minimum was twice the thickness of structural hydration layer, the structural hydration force dominated, leading to the higher stability of nanoparticles. This study clearly clarified the unique aggregation mechanism of nanoparticles with smaller size, which provided reference for predicting transport and fate of nanoparticles and could help facilitate the evaluation of their environment risks. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CoNi LDH nanostructures with large specific surface areas were prepared through a facile sonochemical approach in the solutions with different pH values. The CoNi LDH exhibited battery-type electrochemical response with the highest capacity of 740.8C/g at 1 A/g in 2 M of KOH electrolyte. The assembled CoNi LDH//AC hybrid supercapacitor delivered the highest energy density of 35.6 W h kg−1 at the power density of 781.1 W kg−1. [Display omitted] • CoNi LDH nanostructures with large surface area were sonochemically prepared. • A high specific capacity of 740.8C/g at 1 A/g was delivered. • Just a little capacity decay over 5000 cycles at a high current density of 8 A/g. • The HSC device delivered an energy density of 35.6 W h kg−1 at 781.1 W kg−1. Fabricating battery-type electrode materials with large specific surface area and mesopores is an efficient method for enhancing the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors. This method may provide more active sites for Faradic reactions and shorten the ion-diffusion paths. In this study, the CoNi layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with the morphology of nanoflowers and nanoflakes were prepared in solutions with pH values of 7.5 (CoNi LDH-7.5) and 8.5 (CoNi LDH-8.5) via a simple sonochemical approach. These CoNi LDHs possessed large specific surface areas and favourable electrochemical properties. The CoNi LDH-7.5 delivered a specific capacity of 740.8C/g at a current density of 1 A/g, surpassing CoNi LDH-8.5 with 668.1C/g. The hybrid supercapacitor (HSC) was assembled with activated carbon as the anode and CoNi LDH as the cathode to assess its practical application potential in the field of electrochemical energy storage. The CoNi LDH-7.5//AC HSC achieved the highest energy density of 35.6 W h kg−1 at a power density of 781.1 W kg−1. In addition, both HSCs exhibited little capacity decay over 5,000 cycles at a high current load of 8 A/g. These electrochemical properties of CoNi LDHs make them promising candidates for battery-type electrode materials. The current sonochemical method is simple and can be applied to the preparation of other LDHs-based electrode materials with favourable electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness and safety of ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser systems (CO2 AFL) combined with autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of acne scars through the retrieval and collection of related literature to further guide the treatment of acne scars. We searched Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Wanfang Data, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and VIP Database. All randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials on CO2 AFL combined with PRP in the treatment of acne scars were included, and Revman5.3 systematic review software was used in the meta-analysis. Nine studies were included in this meta-analysis. The data analysis results showed that the CO2 AFL combined with PRP treatment group showed significantly better results than the pure CO2 AFL control group in terms of clinical improvement score, clinical improvement rate, patient satisfaction, and crusting period. The results of this meta-analysis showed that CO2 AFL combined with PRP in the treatment of acne scars is more effective and safer than CO2 AFL alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A predator-prey model with nonlinear cross-diffusion is investigated. • The extension of cross diffusion parameters brings new biological significance. • Appearance of Turing instability depends on cross-diffusion negative coefficient. • Bifurcation near trivial and non-trivial equilibrium is derived. • Numerical simulations illustrate and supplement our theoretical analysis. A nonlinear reaction cross-diffusion predator-prey system under Neumann boundary condition is considered. Negative diffusion coefficients with local accumulation effect of prey are introduced. Firstly, the criteria for local asymptotic stability of the positive homogeneous steady state with or without cross-diffusion are discussed. Moreover, the conditions for diffusion-driven instability are obtained and the Turing regions in the plane of cross-diffusion coefficients is achieved. Secondly, the existence and multiplicity of spatially nonhomogeneous/homogeneous steady-state solutions are studied by virtue of the Lyapunov–Schmidt reduction. Finally, to clarify the theoretical results, some numerical simulations are carried out. One of the most interesting finding is that Turing instability in the model is induced by the negative diffusion coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RDX/aluminum composites were prepared by the spray-drying method with F2602 as a binder. The morphology and covering effect of composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The effect of the processing parameters on the morphology of the samples was investigated. The impact sensitivity and thermal decomposition behavior of RDX/aluminum composites were also measured and analyzed. Optimal morphology of samples was achieved when the inlet temperature, nitrogen flow rate, and suspension feed flow rates were 80°C, 473 L·h-1, and 4.5 mL·min-1, respectively. In addition, RDX/aluminum composites with the same content were prepared by a coverage-mixing method for comparative analysis. Experimental results showed that the thermal sensitivity and the impact sensitivity of RDX/aluminum composites prepared by the spray-drying method were significantly lower than those of RDX/aluminum composites prepared by the coverage-mixing method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, manganese dioxide hybridized with graphene oxide (GO/MnO2) nanocomposite was prepared by a facile synthesis method, which was applied to modify the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) in an electrochemical sensor of Cu(II) and Pb(II) for the first time. The morphology and structure of the nanocomposite were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction, which exhibited MnO2 had been uniformly attached to the lamellar structure of GO, resulting in more adsorptive sites. Electrochemical properties of GO/MnO2/GCE were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and the result confirmed GO/MnO2/GCE had an excellent electrochemical performance. Furthermore, the important factors affecting on the sensor sensitivity, including pH value, deposition potential, deposition time and material proportion were systematically investigated using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). The interferences from other ions on the target ion have also been discussed in this study. Under the optimal conditions, the GO/MnO2/GCE exhibited the linear ranges of 0.05 ∼ 1 μM for Cu(II) and Pb(II) with the detection limits of 1.67 nM and 3.33 nM, respectively, which was much lower than some electrochemical methods in reported literatures. The work provides a novel, simple and fast method for the simultaneous determination of Cu(II) and Pb(II). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Denote by B ̇ α , ϕ (Ω) the Orlicz–Besov space, where α ∈ R , ϕ is a Young function and Ω ⊂ R n is a domain. For α ∈ (− n , 0) and optimal ϕ , in this paper we characterize domains supporting the imbedding B ̇ α , ϕ (Ω) into L n ∕ | α | (Ω) via globally n -regular domains. This extends the known characterizations for domains supporting the Besov imbedding B ̇ p p s (Ω) into L n p ∕ (n − s p) (Ω) with s ∈ (0 , 1) and 1 ≤ p < n ∕ s. The proof of the imbedding B ̇ α , ϕ (Ω) → L n ∕ | α | (Ω) in globally n -regular domains Ω relies on a geometric inequality involving ϕ and Ω , which extends a well-known geometric inequality of Caffarelli, Savin and Valdinoci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate the influence of particle size and particle concentration on the coagulation process, two kinds of particle suspensions, nanoparticles and microparticles, were employed to investigate the effect of particle size on coagulation mechanisms with varying coagulation parameters. Results showed that it is easier for nanoparticles to cause self-aggregation because of Brownian motion, while interception and sedimentation are the mainly physical processes affecting particle transport for microparticles, so they are more stable and disperse more easily. The particle size distribution and particle concentration had distinct influence on the coagulation mechanisms. Under neutral conditions, as the amount of coagulant increased, the coagulation mechanism for nanoparticles changed from charge neutralization to sweep flocculation and the nanoparticles became destabilized, re-stabilized and again destabilized. For microparticles, although the coagulation mechanism was the same as that of nanoparticles, the increased rate of aluminum hydroxide precipitation exceeded the adsorption of incipiently formed soluble alum species, resulting in the disappearance of the re-stabilization zone. Under acidic conditions, Brownian motion dominates for nanoparticles at low particle concentrations, while sweep flocculation is predominant at high particle concentrations. As for microparticles, charge neutralization and sweep flocculation are the mechanisms for low and high particle concentrations respectively. Under alkaline condition, although the mechanisms for both nano- and microparticles are the same, the morphology of flocs and the kinetics of floc formation are different. At low particle concentrations, nanoparticles have larger growth rate and final size of flocs, while at high particle concentrations, nanoparticles have higher fractal dimension and recovery factors. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart failure (HF) is a syndrome with multiple clinical phenotypes affecting around 1%–2% of adult population worldwide, and about 230 million Chinese are affected by cardiovascular diseases. The important role of pro-inflammatory plasma cytokines with HF has been demonstrated in different populations. The aim of this study was to investigate importance of pro-inflammatory cytokines in Chinese HF patients. In all, 134 HF patients were enrolled in this study and further classified in to four clinical distinct groups according to New York Heart Association classification criteria (NYHA-I: n = 34, NYHA-II: n = 35, NYHA-III: n = 22 and NYHA-IV: n = 43). Sixty-eight healthy Chinese were enrolled as controls. Plasma levels of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), TNF-receptor 1 (TNFRI), TNF-receptor 2 (TNFRII), interleukin 6 (IL-6), soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R), C-reactive protein (CRP), soluble cluster of differentiation 14 (sCD14) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Plasma levels of all parameters investigated in this study remained comparable among healthy controls and NYHA-I group. Plasma levels of TNF-α, TNFRI, TNFRII, IL-6, sIL-6R, CRP, sCD14 and IL-1β were significantly higher in NYHA-III and NYHA-IV clinical categories compared to other HF phenotype (NYHA-I and NYHA-II). Interestingly, TNFR-II levels were significantly higher in NYHA-II compared to NYHA-I. No significant difference of plasma sIL-6R was observed among various clinical categories. In conclusion, plasma levels of pro-inflammatory molecules are elevated in severe HF patients and may be used as possible biomarkers for accessing severity of HF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Denote by B˙⁎α,ϕ(Ω) the intrinsic Orlicz-Besov space, where α∈R, ϕ is a Young function, and Ω⊂Rn is a domain. For α∈(-n,0) and optimal ϕ, via John domains, we establish criteria for bounded domains Ω⊂Rn supporting an Orlicz-Besov Poincaré inequality. ‖u-uΩ‖Ln/|α|(Ω)≤C‖u‖B˙⁎α,ϕ(Ω)  ∀u∈B˙⁎α,ϕ(Ω). This extends the known criteria for bounded domains supporting Sobolev-Poincaré inequality and its fractional analogue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A consensus is building that interleukin-10 (IL-10), as a multifunctional anti-inflammatory cytokine, has a critical influence in cancer development. A meta-analysis was carried out regarding the relationships among the -592 A/C, -1082 G/A, and -819 T/C IL-10 polymorphisms and their association with skin squamous cell carcinoma (sSCC), melanoma, and basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Materials and Methods: A meta-analysis was carried out to study the inter-relationships among three IL-10 SNPs and their association with sSCC, melanoma, and BCC. Results: In this analysis, a total of 11 researches, involving 2149 controls and 2128 cases, were included. No association was found between skin cancer risk and any of the alleles of either the -592A/C SNP or the 1082T/C SNP. However, a moderately decreased skin cancer risk was found in the -819 TC versus CC model (odds ratio [OR] = 0.81 and 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.67–0.99, p = 0.04). From the subgroup analysis, a decreased risk was found between the studies of nonmelanoma skin cancers and IL-10-819T/C in the dominant model (OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.43–0.85, p = 0.004 for TT+TC vs. CC). Egger's and Begg's tests demonstrated that there was no significant publication bias. Conclusion: This meta-analysis showed that there is an association between risk of non-melanoma skin cancers (BCC & sSCC) and the IL-10 -819T/C polymorphism, but that IL-10 -polymorphisms -592A/C and -1082G/A are unlikely to be risk factors for any of the evaluated skin cancers including melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CYP24A1 is overexpressed in colorectal cancer, and the reason for the dysregulation of CYP24A1 in colorectal cancer is still unknown. In the present study, experiments were designed to test whether CYP24A1 inhibition facilitated the antiproliferative effect of 1,25(OH)2D3. In addition, the role of methylation in the regulation of CYP24A1 expression in human colorectal cancerwas investigated. The expression of CYP24A1 in SW480 and Caco2 colorectal cancer cells was inhibited by RNAi. CYP24A1 inhibition significantly increased the antiproliferative effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 in SW480 cells compared with 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment alone (16.78% - 2.08% vs. 33.53% - 2.47%, p < 0.05). In addition, CYP24A1 inhibition sensitized Caco2 cells to 1,25(OH)2D3.We also found that CYP24A1 inhibition induced bcatenin to translocate from the nucleus to the plasma membrane in SW480 cells and enhanced the inhibitory effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on C-myc. Furthermore, CYP24A1 mRNA expression in Caco2 cells was increased after demethylation treatment, and the expression of CYP24A1 induced by 1,25(OH)2D3 was significantly higher in cells treated with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (DAC) than in an untreated group. In conclusion, inhibition of CYP24A1 expression enhances the antitumor effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 in colorectal cancer, and DNA methylation is involved in the regulation of CYP24A1 expression in a cell-dependent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colibacillosis is a complex disease that caused by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), resulting in huge economic loss to the global poultry industry and threatening to human health. Alternative splicing (AS) is a universal post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism, which can simultaneously produce many proteins from a single gene to involve in various diseases and individual development. Herein, we characterized genome-wide AS events in wild type macrophages (WT) and APEC infected macrophages (APEC) by high-throughput RNA sequencing technology. A total of 751 differentially expressed (DE) AS genes were identified in the comparison of APEC vs. WT, including 587 of SE, 114 of MXE, 25 of RI, 17 of A3 and 8 of A5 event. Functional analysis showed that these identified DE AS genes were involved in 'Endocytosis', 'p53 signaling pathway', 'MAPK signaling pathway', 'NOD-like receptor signaling pathway', 'Ubiquitin mediated proteolysis' and 'Focal adhesion' immune related pathways. In summary, we comprehensively investigate AS events during APEC infection. This study has expanded our understanding of the process of APEC infection and provided new insights for further treatment options for APEC infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene shows great promise as a high-efficiency electrothermal film for flexible transparent defoggers/defrosters. However, it remains a great challenge to achieve a good balance between the production cost and the properties of graphene films. Here, we proposed a cost-effective self-assembly method to fabricate high-performance, large-area graphene oxide/electrochemically exfoliated graphene hybrid films for heater applications. The self-assembled graphene hybrid films with the area of 20 × 20 cm 2 could be transferred onto arbitrary substrates with nonplanar surfaces and simply patterned with the hard mask. After reduction by hydrogen iodide vapor followed by 800 °C thermal treatment, the hybrid films with the transmittance of 76.2% exhibit good heating characteristics and defogging performance, which reach a saturation temperature of up to 127.5 °C when 40 V was applied for 60 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SmBaCo 2−x−y Mn x Mg y O 5+δ (x = 0.5, 1, 1.5 and y = 0.05, 0.1) samples are synthesized by sol-gel method. The influence of different substitution of Mn and Mg for Co on crystal structures, thermal expansion coefficient (TEC), electrical conductivities and electrochemical performances have been investigated. The generation of the secondary phase BaMnO 3 is suppressed with Mg 2+ increasing. Demonstrated by temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction from 25 °C to 700 °C, the structure of SmBaCo 0.4 Mn 1.5 Mg 0.1 O 5+δ in high temperature is stable. The TEC of SmBaCo 1.45 Mn 0.5 Mg 0.05 O 5+δ , SmBaCo 0.95 MnMg 0.05 O 5+δ , SmBaCo 0.45 Mn 1.5 Mg 0.05 O 5+δ and SmBaCo 0.4 Mn 1.5 Mg 0.1 O 5+δ are 15.77 × 10 −6 K −1 , 16.20 × 10 −6 K −1 , 12.19 × 10 −6 K −1 and 12.58 × 10 −6 K −1 , respectively, which are much lower than those of cobalt-based layered perovskites and more compatible with the thermal expansion of SDC electrolyte. Although the electrochemical performances of SmBaCo 2−x−y Mn x Mg y O 5+δ (x = 0.5, 1, 1.5 and y = 0.05, 0.1) decrease slightly with Mn increasing, the polarization resistances of the SmBaCo 1.45 Mn 0.5 Mg 0.05 O 5+δ and SmBaCo 0.4 Mn 1.5 Mg 0.1 O 5+δ are 0.17 Ω cm 2 and 0.30 Ω cm 2 at 800 °C, respectively, which can meet the electrochemical performance requirements of cathode materials. Among the samples, the SmBaCo 1.45 Mn 0.5 Mg 0.05 O 5+δ and SmBaCo 0.4 Mn 1.5 Mg 0.1 O 5+δ show better tradeoff properties between TEC and electrochemical performance as cathode materials for IT-SOFCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an acidic polysaccharide (CAs) was extracted and purified from the peels of Citrus aurantifolia by Sephadex G-150. HPGPC showed the molecular weight of CAs was about 7.94 × 10 6 Da. Ion chromatography (IC) analysis showed CAs was mainly composed of rhamnose (Rha), arabinose (Ara), galactose (Gal), glucose (Glu), mannose (Man) and galacturonic acid (GalA), with the molar ratio of 0.67: 7.67: 10.83: 3.83: 4.00: 1.00. 1 H and 13 C NMR spectra of CAs also identified the presence of five kinds of monosaccharides and galacturonic acid. Moreover, the antitumor activity of CAs was evaluated in mice transplanted H22 hepatoma cells. It was shown that CAs dose-dependently suppressed tumor cells growth with few toxic effects on host. Further investigations revealed that CAs increased the levels of tumor infiltrating CD8 + T lymphocytes, blocked tumor cell cycle in S phase, down-regulated anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 expression, and led to the activation of caspase 3. These results suggested that CAs had capacity of inducing tumor cells apoptosis in vivo , and it supported considering CAs as an adjuvant reagent in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Conventional clinical PET scanners typically have an axial field of view (AFOV) of 15–30 cm, resulting in limited coverage and relatively low photon detection efficiency. Taking advantage of the development of long-axial PET/CT, the uEXPLORER PET/CT scanner with an axial coverage of 194 cm increases the effective count rate by approximately 40 times compared to that of conventional PET scanners. Ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) is the most widely used iterative algorithm in PET. The major drawback of OSEM is that the iteration process must be stopped before convergence to avoid image degradation due to excessive noise. A new Bayesian penalized-likelihood iterative PET reconstruction, named HYPER iterative, was developed and is now available on the uEXPLORER total-body PET/CT, which incorporates a noise control component by using a penalty function in each iteration and finds the maximum likelihood solution through repeated iterations. To date, its impact on lesion visibility in patients with a full injected dose or half injected dose is unclear. The goal of this study was to determine a proper protocol for routine 18F-FDG uEXPLORER total-body PET/CT scans. Results: The uEXPLORER total-body PET/CT images reconstructed using both OSEM and HYPER iterative algorithms of 20 tumour patients were retrospectively reviewed. The quality of the 5 min PET image was excellent (score 5) for all of the dose and reconstruction methods. Using the HYPER iterative method, the PET images reached excellent quality at 1 min with full-dose PET and at 2 min with half-dose PET. The PET image reached a similar excellent quality at 2 min with a full dose and at 3 min with a half dose using OSEM. The noise in the OSEM reconstruction was higher than that in the HYPER iterative. Compared to OSEM, the HYPER iterative had a slightly higher SUVmax and TBR of the lesions for large positive lesions (≥ 2 cm) (SUVmax: up to 9.03% higher in full dose and up to 12.52% higher in half dose; TBR: up to 8.69% higher in full dose and up to 23.39% higher in half dose). For small positive lesions (≤ 10 mm), the HYPER iterative had an obviously higher SUVmax and TBR of the lesions (SUVmax: up to 45.21% higher in full dose and up to 74.96% higher in half dose; TBR: up to 44.91% higher in full dose and up to 93.73% higher in half dose). Conclusions: A 1 min scan with a full dose and a 2 min scan with a half dose are optimal for clinical diagnosis using the HYPER iterative and 2 min and 3 min for OSEM. For quantification of the small lesions, HYPER iterative reconstruction is preferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can undergo unlimited self-renewal and maintain pluripotency to differentiate into any cell type of the three germ layers. Extensive studies have shown ESC identity is regulated by transcription factors, epigenetic regulators and multiple signal transduction pathways. However, the kinase regulation of pluripotency is not well understood. Here we show that the serine/threonine kinase PIM2, which is highly expressed in ESCs but not in somatic cells, functions as a crucial stemness regulator in ESCs. Knockout of Pim2 inhibits the self-renewal and differentiation capability of ESCs. Mechanistic studies identified that PIM2 can directly phosphorylate 4E-BP1, leading to release of eIF4E which facilitates the translation of pluripotent genes in ESCs. Our study highlights a novel kinase cascade pathway for ESC identity maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), an extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC), constitutes an animal health and a potential zoonotic risk. Most studies focus on the response of a single tissue to APEC infection. Understanding interactions among lymphoid tissues is of importance in controlling APEC infection. Therefore, we studied bone marrow, bursa, and thymus transcriptomes because of these tissues' crucial roles in development of pre-lymphocytes, B cells, and T cells, respectively. Using lesion scores of liver, pericardium, and air sacs, infected birds were classified as either resistant or susceptible. Little difference in gene expression was detected in resistant birds in bone marrow versus bursa or thymus, while there were large differences between tissues in susceptible birds. Phagosome, lysosome and cytokine interactions were strongly enhanced in thymus versus bone marrow in susceptible birds, and T cell receptor (TCR), cell cycle, and p53 signaling were significantly decreased. B cell receptor (BCR) was also significantly suppressed in bursa versus bone marrow in susceptible birds. This research provides novel insights into the complex developmental changes in gene expression occurring across the primary lymphoid organs and, therefore, serves as a foundation to understanding the cellular and molecular basis of host resistance to APEC infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Many randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors ( EGFR- TKIs) are advantageous over standard chemotherapy, either as front-line treatment or as further management of patients with EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer ( NSCLC). However, which subgroup of these patients could benefit more from EGFR- TKIs needs to be further explored. In the present study, we explored the predictive factors in such cohorts of patients who received gefitinib. Methods The study included 95 patients with EGFR mutation-positive advanced NSCLC who received gefitinib treatment. Multivariate analysis of progression-free survival ( PFS) was performed using classification and regression tree ( CART) analysis to assess the effect of specific variables on PFS in subgroups of patients with similar clinical features. Results The median PFS in patients with EGFR mutation-positive advanced NSCLC who received gefitinib treatment was 13.3 months (95% confidence interval 9.4-17.2). CART analysis showed an initial split on body mass index ( BMI); subsequently, three terminal subgroups were formed. The median PFS in the three subsets ranged from 8.2 to 15.2 months, in which the subgroup with a BMI less than or equal to 20.8 kg/m2 had the longest PFS (15.2 months). In addition, PFS in the EGFR exon 19 mutation group was better than in the other mutation site group (10.3 vs. 8.2 months). Conclusions BMI and exon 19 mutation may be predictors of PFS in patients with EGFR mutation-positive advanced NSCLC who receive gefitinib treatment. Both active EGFR mutation and patient-specific factors may be used to predict the therapeutic efficacy of EGFR- TKIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) has major negative impacts on human and animal health. Recent research suggests food-borne links between human and animal ExPEC diseases with particular concern for poultry contaminated with avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC), the avian ExPEC. APEC is also a very important animal pathogen, causing colibacillosis, one of the world’s most widespread bacterial diseases of poultry. Previous studies showed marked atrophy and lymphocytes depletion in the bursa during APEC infection. Thus, a more comprehensive understanding of the avian bursa response to APEC infection will facilitate genetic selection for disease resistance. Four-week-old commercial male broiler chickens were infected with APEC O1 or given saline as a control. Bursas were collected at 1 and 5 days post-infection (dpi). Based on lesion scores of liver, pericardium and air sacs, infected birds were classified as having mild or severe pathology, representing resistant and susceptible phenotypes, respectively. Twenty-two individual bursa RNA libraries were sequenced, each yielding an average of 27 million single-end, 100-bp reads. There were 2469 novel genes in the total of 16,603 detected. Large numbers of significantly differentially expressed (DE) genes were detected when comparing susceptible and resistant birds at 5 dpi, susceptible and non-infected birds at 5 dpi, and susceptible birds at 5 dpi and 1 dpi. The DE genes were associated with signal transduction, the immune response, cell growth and cell death pathways. These data provide considerable insight into potential mechanisms of resistance to ExPEC infection, thus paving the way to develop strategies for ExPEC prevention and treatment, as well as enhancing innate resistance by genetic selection in animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better understand the adaptive strategies of osmotic and ionic regulation inPenaeus vannamei, a full-length cDNA sequence encoding the Na,K-ATPase alpha subunit was isolated and characterized by rapid amplification of the cDNA ends (RACE). The nucleotide sequence was 3953 bp in length and included a 300 bp 5′ untranslated region (UTR), 536 bp 3′ UTR with an AATAA canonical polyadenylation signal sequence and poly (A) tail, and a 3117 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a 1038 amino acid protein. The calculated molecular weight of the protein was 115.4 kDa with an estimated pI of 5.29. This sequence was submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank under accession number KF765670. A phenetic analysis showed that the Na,K-ATPase α-subunit ofP. vannameishared a high degree of identity with other species. The relevant mRNA was detected in all of the tissues examined by fluorescent quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The expression level was higher in the gills and hepatopancreas, and lower in the guts, muscles and epithelia. Increased expression of Na,K-ATPase mRNA levels was observed in all of the tissues examined in response to salinity exposure, and there was a significant difference in the tissues of the gills and hepatopancreas (P< 0.05); however, no statistical difference was observed in the epithelia, guts and muscles compared with the controls (P> 0.05). The findings demonstrated that the Na,K-ATPase α-subunit is highly conserved in crustaceans, and differential expression in different tissues ofP. vannameiwas observed, indicating that the gene might have multiple functions in the shrimp. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The induction of polyploidy to improve agronomically and economically useful characters is a process commonly used in crop plants. Neopolyploids were obtained from the diploid pear cultivar ‘Fertility’ by in vitro colchicine treatment. Different clones of polyploids were rooted to be transferred to the greenhouse and then to the net house, a survey orchard was established. The morphological characteristics and the performance of 3 tetraploid clones, 2 triploid clones, 1 mixploid clone and a diploid control were investigated under greenhouse and field conditions. Results revealed that plants of different neopolyploids showed markedly different phenotypic traits. Compared to the diploid control, three out of four polyploid clones plants had significantly thicker leaves and a shorter petiole length. The significance of the difference in leaf index (ratio of leaf lamina length to leaf lamina width) between diploid and polyploids depended on the individual clone of the neopolyploid plants. In the greenhouse and the field, the triploid clone ‘3 x − 1’ and the tetraploid clones ‘4 x − 1’ and ‘4 x − 2’ had significantly decreased leaf index, and the triploid ‘3 x − 2’ had significantly increased leaf index. However, the tetraploid clone ‘4 x − 4’ and the mixploid clone ‘Mi x − 1” showed phenotypic abnormalities, such as stunted growth and leaf malformation. The ex vivo grafted shoots of the pentaploid ‘5 x − 1’ and ‘5 x − 2’ were very difficult to maintain or had a very short survival period. The grafted plants of triploid ‘3 x − 2’ showed a compact habit. Most neopolyploid plants had significantly shorter internodes and all had reduced plant height compared to the height of their parent diploid plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Glutelin is a potential allergen that can cause allergies, celiac disease, and diabetes in infants and may even lead to autoimmune diseases in infants under 4 months of age. Given the critical role of glutelin, there exists a need for clear and standardised methods for their detection in infant formulas for special medical purposes (IFSMPs). The aim of this study was to develop an accurate and effective HPLC method for the identification of glutelin in IFSMPs. The heat‐stable subunit was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulphate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis after subjecting glutelin to various heat‐treatment processes. To validate the HPLC method, the different food matrices present in IFSMPs were simulated by mixing rice glutelin with milk protein concentrate (MPC), soy protein isolate (SPI), and both MPC and SPI in various ratios. The results revealed that the limit of detection (LOD) for glutelin solution was 9.7 μg·mL−1 and the coefficient of determination (R2) was 0.9909. Meanwhile, the LOD of glutelin in the food matrices ranged from 10 to 50 mg·g−1, and R2 varied from 0.9802 to 0.9983. The HPLC method developed in this study displays superior detection results compared with existing methods, shortens the total detection time, and allows for more rapid and accurate identification of glutelin in IFSMPs. The developed method is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the quality control and evaluation of IFSMPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous simvastatin (amorphous SIM) and Form I of SIM were prepared separately from SIM acetone (AC)/ethyl acetate (ETAC)/ethanol (ET) solutions by simply controlling the solvent evaporation rate, and the kinetic formation of amorphous SIM from SIM AC/ETAC/ET solutions was explained using mid-frequency Raman difference spectra analysis. The mid-frequency Raman difference spectra analysis results indicate that the amorphous phase has close connections with solutions and might be the bridge, playing an important role in the intermediate phase, between solutions and their outcome polymorphs. Graphical Abstract This is a visual representation of the abstract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel carbon-supported Pt-V-SnO 2 catalyst is prepared by a modified Bönnemann method. Pt/C, PtV/C, and PtSnO 2 /C are used for comparative analysis to study PtVSnO 2 /C in terms of its structure and electrocatalytic activity for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). Characterization of its structural properties by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is described. It is shown that the Pt lattice parameter decreases with the addition of V but increases with the addition of Sn in the PtVSn/C catalyst. TEM analysis reveals that the prepared catalyst particles are in the nanosize range (2-4 nm). EDS confirms the atomic compositions of the synthesized catalysts to be similar to the nominal values. The electrocatalytic activities are characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperometric i - t curve measurement ( i - t ) techniques. The incorporation of a small amount of V in the PtSnO 2 /C electrocatalyst leads to higher activity for the ethanol oxidation reaction at room temperature. According to the Arrhenius equation, the apparent activation energy of PtVSnO 2 /C (3:1:3) for EOR is the lowest among the studied catalysts, which may be attributed to a synergistic effect between Sn and V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) play important roles in chemical communication by insects, as they recognize and transport environmental chemical signals to receptors within sensilla. In this study, we identified HoblCSP1 and HoblCSP2 from a cDNA library of Holotrichia oblita antennae, successfully expressed them in E. coli and purified them by Ni ion affinity chromatography. We then measured the ligand-binding specificities of HoblCSP1 and HoblCSP2 to 50 selected ligands in a competitive binding assay. These results demonstrated that HoblCSP1 and HoblCSP2 have similar ligand-binding spectra. Both proteins displayed the highest affinity for β-ionone, α-ionone and cinnamaldehyde, indicating that they prefer binding to odorants other than sex pheromones. Additionally, immuno-localization revealed that HoblCSP1 is highly concentrated in sensilla basiconica, while HoblCSP2 is specifically localized to sensilla placodea. In conclusion, HoblCSP1 and HoblCSP2 are responsible for binding to general odorants with slightly different specificities due to their different in vivo environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]