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Muscle mass is important in determining patients' nutritional status. However, measurement of muscle mass requires special equipment that is inconvenient for clinical use. We aimed to develop and validate a nomogram model for predicting low muscle mass in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). A total of 346 patients undergoing HD were enrolled and randomly divided into a 70% training set and a 30% validation set. The training set was used to develop the nomogram model, and the validation set was used to validate the developed model. The performance of the nomogram was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, a calibration curve, and the Hosmer–Lemeshow test. A decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate the clinical practicality of the nomogram model. Age, sex, body mass index (BMI), handgrip strength (HGS), and gait speed (GS) were included in the nomogram for predicting low skeletal muscle mass index (LSMI). The diagnostic nomogram model exhibited good discrimination with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.906 (95% CI, 0.862–0.940) in the training set and 0.917 (95% CI, 0.846–0.962) in the validation set. The calibration analysis also showed excellent results. The nomogram demonstrated a high net benefit in the clinical decision curve for both sets. The prediction model included age, sex, BMI, HGS, and GS, and it can successfully predict the presence of LSMI in patients undergoing HD. This nomogram provides an accurate visual tool for medical staff for prediction, early intervention, and graded management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a surge burden worldwide due to its high prevalence, with complicated deterioration symptoms such as liver fibrosis and cancer. No effective drugs are available for NALFD so far. The rapid growth of clinical demand has prompted the treatment of NAFLD to become a research hotspot. Protocatechuic acid (PCA) is a natural secondary metabolite commonly found in fruits, vegetables, grains, and herbal medicine. It is also the major internal metabolites of anthocyanins and other polyphenols. In the present manuscript, food sources, metabolic absorption, and efficacy of PCA were summarized while analyzing its role in improving NAFLD, as well as the mechanism involved. The results indicated that PCA could ameliorate NAFLD by regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, oxidative stress and inflammation, gut microbiota and metabolites. It was proposed for the first time that PCA might reduce NAFLD by enhancing the energy consumption of brown adipose tissue (BAT). However, the PCA administration mode and dose for NAFLD remain inconclusive. Fresh insights into the specific molecular mechanisms are required, while clinical trials are essential in the future. This review provides new targets and reasoning for the clinical application of PCA in the prevention and treatment of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the updated consensus, low muscle strength overtook the role of low muscle mass, and probable sarcopenia was diagnosed once low muscle strength was detected. Whether the modified creatinine index (mCI) could identify persons with probable sarcopenia who may be at risk of adverse outcomes remains unknown. We aimed to evaluate the association of the mCI with probable sarcopenia and mortality in patients undergoing hemodialysis. In the cross-sectional study (n = 346), univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to study the association of mCI with probable sarcopenia. Modified Quantitative Subjective Global Assessment (MQSGA) was used to evaluate the nutritional status. The performance of the mCI value for identifying probable sarcopenia was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The appropriate cutoff points were determined using Youden's method. In the longitudinal cohort study composed of an independent hemodialysis cohort (n = 218), cox proportional regression models were used to evaluate crude and adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of death by mCI and MQSGA. Cross-sectional results showed that after adjusting for confounders, the association of mCI with low muscle strength remained significant. The area under the curve (AUC) of the mCI to predict probable sarcopenia was 0.804 (95% CI, 0.744–0.863; p < 0.001) for men and 0.787 (95% CI, 0.711–0.864; p < 0.001) for women. The optimal mCI cutoff values were 21.07 mg/kg/d for men and 19.57 mg/kg/d for women, respectively. Longitudinal results showed that compared with those in the high mCI group, subjects in the low mCI group had a higher risk of death for all causes (adjusted HR, 2.51; 95% CI, 1.16–5.41; p = 0.019). Adding the mCI significantly improved the predictive accuracy for death with an increase in C-index from 0.785 to 0.805 (p = 0.026) and improved the net reclassification index (38.6%, p = 0.021), while adding MQSGA did not. The mCI is a predictor of muscle strength and survival in hemodialysis patients, and is preferable to the MQSGA for predicting death. Assessment of mCI could provide additional predictive and prognostic information to sarcopenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the existence of multiple periodic solutions for a class of second-order difference equations with quadratic–supquadratic growth condition at infinity. Moreover, we give three examples to illustrate our main result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a class of nonlocal elliptic equations (− Δ) α / 2 ρ (x) − b (x) ⋅ ∇ ρ (x) = f (x) on a bounded domain Ω ⊂ R d . For f ∈ L q (Ω) ( q > d / α), by the Lax–Milgram theorem and the De Giorgi iteration, we prove the existence and uniqueness of L ∞ solution. Furthermore, we investigate the existence of densities for measure-valued solutions to nonhomogeneous measure-valued nonlocal elliptic equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper is to establish the Lipschitz and W 2 , ∞ estimates for a second-order parabolic PDE ∂ t u (t , x) = 1 2 Δ u (t , x) + f (t , x) on R d with zero initial data and f satisfying a Ladyzhenskaya–Prodi–Serrin type condition. Following the theoretic result, we then give two applications. The first is to discuss the regularity of the stochastic heat equations, and the second is to discuss the Sobolev differentiability of strong solutions to a class of SDEs with singular drift coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non‐invasive theranostics that integrate the advantages of multimodality imaging and therapeutics have great potential in the field of biomedicine. Herein, a new nanohybrid based on Bi2Se3‐conjugated upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) has been successfully developed through a simple in situ growth strategy. Under 808 nm near‐infrared laser irradiation, the UCNPs can emit bright visible light, whereas the Bi2Se3 nanomaterial exhibits efficient photothermal conversion capacity. Moreover, the as‐synthesized UCNP–Bi2Se3 nanohybrid exhibits efficient cell upconversion luminescence (UCL), reasonable CT imaging, and admirable cancer cell ablation capacity, further emphasizing the efficiency of this strategy for simultaneous UCL imaging and photothermal therapy. The designed theranostic strategy guided by dual‐modal imaging endowed with real‐time dynamic monitoring, remote controllability, and non‐invasiveness makes the UCNP–Bi2Se3 nanohybrid an ideal candidate for non‐invasive multimodal imaging‐guided photothermal therapy for the precise diagnosis and treatment of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs)-based active targeting optical bioimaging has attracted tremendous scientific interest because of its noninvasive real-time signal feedback, superior tissue penetration depth and high spatial resolution in early diagnosis of disease. Herein, we synthesize a novel carboxy-terminated silica coated NaErF 4 : 10% Yb@NaYF 4 : 40% Yb@NaNdF 4 : 10% Yb@NaGdF 4 : 20% Yb UCNPs (termed as UCNP@SiO 2 -COOH) with 808 nm near-infrared (NIR) excitation and bright 655 nm upconversion luminescence (UCL) emission for realizing deep tissue imaging. Under 808 nm NIR laser excitation (1.5 W cm−2), the UCL of UCNP@SiO 2 -COOH with relative low concentration (2 mg mL−1) can be successfully visualized under a chicken breast slice with 10 mm thickness. After conjugated with various molecules including NH 2 -PEG 3400 -COOH, peptide D-SP5 and Uelx Europaeus Agglutinin-I (UEA-I), biodistributions, clearance pathways and tumor-targeting capacities of the UCNP@SiO 2 -COOH and corresponding bioconjugates (termed as UCNP@SiO 2 -PEG, UCNP@SiO 2 -D-SP5 and UCNP@SiO 2 -UEA-I, respectively) were investigated by tracking the UCL intensities of livers, kidneys and tumors. Both of in vitro and in vivo experimental results reveal that there is no significant difference for their in vivo biodistributions and clearance pathways. The UCNP@SiO 2 -UEA-I exhibits much higher SW480 tumor-targeting capacity than those of other bioconjugates. In particular, the as-prepared UCNP@SiO 2 -UEA-I even to visualize ultrasmall (c.a. 3 mm3 in volume) subcutaneous SW480 tumor in Balb/c nude mouse through intravenous administration. The study implies that the red UCL emitted UCNPs with a minimized heating effect is suitable for deep tissue biomedical imaging and UCNP@SiO 2 -UEA-I can serve as an efficient optical probe for early diagnosis of SW480 tumor. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we prepared a newly adsorbent, Chitosan (CTS) and sodium lignosulphonate (SLS) were added as monomers for the copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA), then ammonium persulfate (APS) bisacrylamide (NMBA) as a cross-linking agent, under the premise of ultrasound mixed uniformly prepared lignin-based hydrogel. The hydrogel samples were characterized by SEM, FT-IR and TG analysis. Finally, the samples were applied to the adsorption of heavy metal ions Cu2+ and Co2+. The influences of external environmental factors such as pH value, adsorption time, adsorbent dosage and initial concentration of heavy metal ions on the adsorption process were discussed. It was found that the optimum pH value for the adsorption of two heavy metal ions was close to 6, and the adsorption kinetics was found to fit the pseudo-second-order model and the isotherm model was fitted to the Freundlich model. Among them, the adsorption capacity of Co2+ is 385 mg g−1 and Cu2+ is 290 mg g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There is a high desire for novel targets/biomarkers to diagnose and treat colorectal cancer (CRC). Here, an approach starting from a polyacrylamide hydrogel–based lectin microarray is presented to screen the high expression of glycans on the CRC cell surface and to identify new lectin biomarkers for CRC. Three common CRC cell lines (SW480, SW620, and HCT116) and one normal colon cell line (NCM460) are profiled on the microarray with 27 lectins. The experimental results reveal that CRC cells highly express the glycans with d‐galactose, d‐glucose, and/or sialic acid residues, and Uelx Europaeus Agglutinin‐I (UEA‐I) exhibits reasonable specificity with SW480 cells. After conjugation of UEA‐I with silica‐coated NaGdF4:Yb3+, Er3+@NaGdF4 upconversion nanoparticles, the follow‐up in vitro and in vivo experiments provide further evidence on that UEA‐I can serve as tumor‐targeting molecule to diagnose SW480 tumor by multimodal imaging including upconversion luminescence imaging, T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging, and X‐ray computed tomography imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reliable detection and monitoring of microRNAs (miRNAs) are of great significance for gaining a better understanding of the functions of miRNAs in a wide range of biological processes. In this work, a competitive DNA microarray-based resonance light scattering (RLS) assay has been developed for the multiplexed detection of miRNAs with relatively high sensitivity and selectivity. After one-step competition hybridization reactions of miRNAs and multiple single strand DNA (ssDNA) conjugated gold nanoparticles (ssDNAsn@GNPs) with immobilized ssDNA probes on the dendrimer-modified slide, the captured ssDNAsn@GNPs are further enlarged through silver deposition. The silver enlarged ssDNAsn@GNPs can generate strong RLS under white light excitation. The simultaneous detection of multiple miRNAs can be easily achieved by monitoring the RLS signal changes of microarrays. In the proof of concept experiment, eight miRNA let-7 family members are detected with high specificity down to 0.2 pM, 0.8 pM, 0.2 pM, 0.2 pM, 0.2 pM, 0.8 pM, 0.8 pM, and 0.8 pM for miRNA let-7a to 7g, and 7i, respectively. Furthermore, the expression levels of eight miRNA let-7 family members in the total RNA extracts from five cell lines have been evaluated, and satisfactory results are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove the existence and uniqueness of strong solutions for stochastic differential equations in which the drift coefficient is square integrable in time variable and Hölder continuous in space variable. Moreover, we prove that the unique strong solution has a continuous modification, which is β -Hölder continuous in space variable for every β ∈ (0 , 1) , and as an L 2 (Ω × (0 , T)) valued function, it is differentiable as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is becoming increasingly evident that the accurate assessment of fluid status is critical to ensure optimal care in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). Various fluid parameters, including overhydration (OH) and overhydration/extracellular water (OH/ECW%), which can be obtained using a bioimpedance spectroscopy device have been used to indicate the hydration status in such patients. This study aimed to explore the effect of these fluid parameters on cardiovascular events and determine which parameter was a better predictor of cardiovascular events (CVEs). A total of 227 patients who underwent HD at the Hangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were enrolled in this prospective study between December 2017 and August 2018. Clinical data were collected, and the fluid status of patients was assessed using a body composition monitor. The patients were followed up until December 2020. The primary outcomes were CVEs. The association between fluid parameters and CVEs was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of receiver operating characteristic analysis and improvement in the global chi-squared value were used to compare the predictive values of fluid parameters for CVEs. During a median follow-up of 31 months, 66 CVEs were recorded. The patients with a higher absolute hydration index (OH) and a relative hydration index (OH/ECW%) exhibited an increased risk of developing CVEs. After adjusting for confounding factors, both OH [hazard ratio (HR) 1.279 per L, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.047–1.562; p = 0.016] and OH/ECW% (HR 1.061 per %, 95% CI 1.017–1.108; p = 0.006) were independently associated with CVEs. The predictive ability of the absolute hydration index was superior to the relative hydration index based on AUC calculations for CVEs. Furthermore, a greater change in χ2 in predicting CVEs was noted for the absolute hydration index. Both absolute hydration index and relative hydration index were found to be independent predictors of CVEs in univariate and multivariate analyses. Furthermore, the absolute hydration index had a better additive predictive value than the relative hydration index in predicting CVEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are a class of ligand-gated ion channels that participate in signal transduction and are reported to play an important role in the immunomodulation of vertebrates and invertebrates. Previous studies have shown that the nAChRs in mollusks have undergone large-scale expansion after tandem repeats and retrotransposition, with the most expansion observed in bivalves. This study characterized the sequence of a tandem repeat nAChR unique to several bivalve mollusks and investigated its functions in Pinctada fucata martensii. Firstly, phylogenetic analysis revealed that the tandem arrays of nAChRs existed before bivalve differentiation and m ost tandem-replicated nAChR genes have a conserved genomic structure and domain combination. In present study, five tandemly duplicated nAChR genes were cloned from P. f. martensii and designated as PmnAChR-1 to PmnAChR-5. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that five PmnAChRs were specifically expressed in adult gills. In addition, after PAMP stimulation, the expression of PmnAChRs in hemocytes of P. f. martensii were strongly induced but exhibited different responses to different stimuli. PmnAChR-1 , PmnAChR-4 , and PmnAChR-5 exhibited strong and wide responsiveness to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation but had no response to peptidoglycan (PGN) stimulation. PmnAChR-2 expression was notably upregulated at 6 h after PGN challenge but had no response to LPS stimulation. Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid challenge upregulated nearly all PmnAChRs , except for PmnAChR-5. Furthermore, Pm-miR-873-3p, Pm-miR-4577, Pm-miR-103a-3p, and Pm-miR-6753-3p were identified as the regulatory miRNA of PmnAChR-1 , PmnAChR-3 , PmnAChR-4 , and PmnAChR-5 , respectively. These findings suggested that these tandem arrays of nAChRs are unique to bivalves, and the tandem duplication of nAChR genes may be involved in the immune regulation process after pathogen stimulation. [Display omitted] • A tandem array of nAChRs unique to bivalves was identified. • The tandem array of nAChRs exists before bivalves differentiation. • PmnAChR genes expression were high in gill. • The expression of the PmnAChR genes was significantly up-regulated under PAMPs challenge. • Four regulatory miRNAs of PmnAChRs were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway has been identified as a reflex monitoring system that contributes to the physiological and pathological regulation of cytokines. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) plays an important role in immune regulation as a key molecule in neuronal communication. In this work, we investigated the characteristics and functions of a novel nAC hR β gene identified from the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata martensii (PmnAC hR-β). PmnAC hR-β displays structural similarities to nAChR molecules described in mammals, including a typical neurotransmitter-gated ion-channel ligand binding domain (LBD) and transmembrane (TM) domain. The result of phylogenetic analysis speculated that nAChR-β in Mollusca, Chordata and Arthropoda were separated into three branches. The LBD of PmnAChR-β was highly conserved, but its TM was variable. PmnAChR-β was highly expressed in eggs and fertilized eggs and had the most abundant mRNA expression in the gills of pearl oyster. The expression of PmnAChR-β mRNA was dramatically upregulated 12 h after lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Furthermore, PmnAChR-β was highly expressed at 12 h and 6–18 d after transplantation in hemocytes. Pm-miR-516b-5p was identified as the regulatory microRNA of PmnAChR-β. These results indicated that PmnAChR-β may be an important component of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway and participates in the immune regulation process of pearl oysters. Unlabelled Image • A novel nAChR-β gene was cloned from pearl oysters. • Tissue and developmental stage specificity expression of PmnAChR-β. • PmnAChR-β was involved in the immunoregulatory of pearl oysters after LPS stimulation and transplantation. • The regulatory miRNA of PmnAChR-β was identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consider the following stochastic differential equation (SDE): X t = x + ∫ 0 t b (s , X s) d s + ∫ 0 t σ (s , X s) d B s , 0 ≤ t ≤ T , x ∈ R , where { B s } 0 ≤ s ≤ T is a 1-dimensional standard Brownian motion on [ 0 , T ] . Suppose that q ∈ (1 , ∞ ] , p ∈ (1 , ∞) , b = b 1 + b 2 , b 1 ∈ L q (0 , T ; L p (R)) such that 1 / p + 2 / q < 1 and b 2 is bounded measurable, with σ ∈ L ∞ (0 , T ; C u (R)) there being a real number δ > 0 such that σ 2 ≥ δ . Then there exists a weak solution to the above equation. Moreover, (i) if σ ∈ C ([ 0 , T ] ; C u (R)) , all weak solutions have the same probability law on 1-dimensional classical Wiener space on [ 0 , T ] and there is a density associated with the above SDE; (ii) if b 2 = 0 , p ∈ [ 2 , ∞) and σ ∈ L 2 (0 , T ; C b 1 / 2 (R)) , the pathwise uniqueness holds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co 9 S 8 nanoparticles embedded in two dimensional/three dimensional (2D/3D) porous carbon foams are synthesized from carbonized melamine foam (CMF) @Co-ZIF-L. Due to the vertical-growth of 2D Co-ZIF-L on the carbonized 3D melamine foam wires, abundant meso- and macropores are formed among Co-ZIF-L nanosheets with sufficient micropores created from the carbonization of ZIF-L; thus 2D/3D carbon foam with hierarchical pores can be obtained. Meanwhile, Co 9 S 8 nanoparticles are formed and uniformly dispersed into porous carbon, and such carbon wrapping can effectively alleviate the volume expansion of metal sulfide; thus high electrochemical performance can be achieved. For example, the specific capacity is as high as 615 mAh g−1 at 500 mA g−1 after 450 cycles, much higher than that of pristine CMF (79.5 mAh g−1). Moreover, due to the excellent flexibility of carbonized melamine foam, such composite can be directly used as free-standing binder-free electrode for lithium ion batteries, which exhibits great potential to be used in wearable electronics. • Co 9 S 8 nanoparticles were embedded in 2D/3D porous carbon foam. • The hybrid composite can be used as free-standing electrode. • The unique porous structure effectively alleviates the volume expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing lucerne field is an efficient way to protect natural steppes, alleviate conflicts between meadows and livestock, and promote the development of animal husbandry. However, problems such as extensive field management, valuing yield over quality, and low resource utilization are endemic in production. Exploring reasonable cultivation patterns can contribute to improving the current situation of artificial grassland production and promoting the high-quality development of husbandry and prataculture. Lucerne the field experiment was carried out in Jingtai, Gansu Province, China in 2021–2022; this study compared and analyzed the effects of three cultivation patterns—ridge tillage with plastic film mulching (PM), ridge tillage with biodegradable film mulching (BM), and traditional flat planting (FP)—on soil water, heat, and fertilizer, as well as lucerne growth, yield, quality, and water and nitrogen use efficiency. The results show that: (1) during the growth period of lucerne, PM and BM treatments augment the average moisture content of the soil layer of 0–120 cm by 31.19% and 24.03% compared to the FP treatment, respectively. In the soil layer of 0–40 cm, PM and BM treatments abate the soil moisture content of the ridges by an average of 19.29% and 7.89% compared to that in the ditches, respectively. In the soil layer of 40–120 cm, PM and BM treatments elevate the soil moisture content of the ridges by 4.40% and 4.65% on average compared to that in the ditches, respectively. The average soil temperature in a soil layer of 5–25 cm shows PM > BM > FP. In contrast with the FP treatment, PM and BM treatments increase the soil temperature of the ridges by an average of 1.87 °C and 0.96 °C and decrease that of the ditches by an average of 0.47 °C and 0.46 °C, respectively. After two years of planting, the three cultivation patterns all promote the soil nutrient content. Compared to the FP treatment, PM and BM treatments increase the organic matter content by 9.94% and 19.94%, respectively. (2) Ridge tillage with film mulching can evidently stimulate the growth of lucerne and enhance yield and quality. Compared to the FP treatment, PM and BM treatments enhance plant height by an average of 15.37% and 4.04%, stem diameter by an average of 34.14% and 14.58%, yield by an average of 21.20% and 14.77%, crude protein content by an average of 13.47% and 7.68%, and relative feed value by an average of 8.71% and 4.41%, respectively. (3) During the two-year growing period, the irrigation amount of lucerne was 508.60–615.30 mm, and the evapotranspiration was 563.70–761.80 mm. Compared to the FP treatment, PM and BM treatments hoist water use efficiency by an average of 43.50% and 17.56%, nitrogen partial factor productivity by an average of 21.20% and 15.22%, and net income by an average of 14.78% and 11.05%, respectively. In summary, in ridge tillage, both ordinary film mulching and biodegradable film mulching can create a favorable soil environment for lucerne growth and heighten production effect. The former has a better effect on advancing the lucerne production effect, and the latter exhibits superior performance in improving soil fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) production in arid and semi-arid areas is drastically affected by the low utilization rate of soil and water resources and the irrational application of water and nitrogen fertilizers. Thus, this study explored a high-yielding, high-quality, and efficient irrigation and nitrogen regulation model to promote the production efficiency of wolfberry and rational utilization of water and land resources in arid and semi-arid areas. We compared and analyzed the effects of different soil water treatments (the upper and lower limits of soil water were estimated as the percentage of soil water content to field water capacity (θf), with the following irrigation regimen: adequate irrigation (W0, 75–85% θf), mild water deficit (W1, 65–75% θf), moderate water deficit (W2, 55–65% θf), and severe water deficit (W3, 45–55% θf)) and nitrogen levels (no nitrogen (N0, 0 kg·ha−1), low nitrogen (N1, 150 kg·ha−1), moderate nitrogen (N2, 300 kg·ha−1), and high nitrogen (N3, 450 kg·ha−1)) on the growth, physiology, and production of wolfberry. The results showed that water regulation, nitrogen application level, and their interaction significantly affected plant height and stem diameter growth amount (p < 0.05). Additionally, the relative chlorophyll content of wolfberry leaves first increased and then decreased with increasing nitrogen levels and water deficit. The average net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (gs), intercellular carbon dioxide concentration, and transpiration rate (Tr) reached the highest values in plants exposed to W0N2 (19.86 μmmol·m−2·s−1), W1N1 (182.65 mmol·m−2·s−1), W2N2 (218.86 μmol·mol−1), and W0N2 (6.44 mmol·m−2·s−1) treatments, respectively. Pn, gs, and Tr were highly correlated with photosynthetically active radiation and water vapor pressure difference (goodness-of-fit: 0.366–0.828). Furthermore, water regulation and nitrogen levels exhibited significant effects on the yield and water- (WUE), and nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) (p < 0.01), and their interactions exhibited significant effects on the yield, WUE, and nitrogen partial productivity of wolfberry plants (p < 0.05). Moreover, the contents of total sugar, polysaccharides, fats, amino acids, and proteins were the highest in W1N2, W1N2, W1N2, W2N3, and W0N2 treatments, respectively, which were increased by 3.32–16.93%, 7.49–54.72%, 6.5–45.89%, 11.12–86.16%, and 7.15–71.67%, respectively. Under different water regulations (except for the W3 condition) and nitrogen level treatments, the net income and input–output ratio of wolfberry were in the order W1 > W0 > W2 > W3 and N2 > N3 > N1 > N0. The TOPSIS method also revealed that the yield, quality, WUE, NUE, and economic benefits of wolfberry improved under the W1N2 treatment, suggesting that WIN2 might be the most suitable irrigation and nitrogen regulation model for wolfberry production in regions with scarce land and water resources such as the Gansu Province and areas with similar climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider nonlocal PDEs driven by additive white noises on R d . For L q integrable coefficients, we derive the existence and uniqueness, as well as Hölder continuity, of mild solutions. Precisely speaking, the unique mild solution is almost surely Hölder continuous with Hölder index 0 < θ < (1 / 2 − d / (q α)) (1 ∧ α) . Moreover, we show that any order γ (< q) moment of Hölder normal for u on every bounded domain of R + × R d is finite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the existence and uniqueness of stochastic entropy solution for a nonlinear transport equation with a stochastic perturbation. The uniqueness is based on the doubling variable method. For the existence, we develop a new scheme of parabolic approximation motivated by the method of vanishing viscosity given by Feng and Nualart (J. Funct. Anal. 2008, 255, 313–373). Furthermore, we prove the continuous dependence of stochastic strong entropy solutions on the coefficient b and the nonlinear function f. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly flexible carbon foam with double-layer structure and hierarchical pores is synthesized based on Co-ZIF-L supported on carbonized melamine sponge (MS). Due to the special leaf-like structure of Co-ZIF-L, the uniform in-situ growth of ZIF-L onto carbonized MS makes the three-dimensional carbon wires dendriform-like, which after carbonization and KOH activation, sufficient micro- and mesopores are created resulting from Co-ZIF-L particles and gaps among them. Such hierarchical pore structure significantly improves the specific capacities (238 F/g at 1 A/g compared to that of 92 F/g for carbonized pristine MS). Moreover, due to the excellent mechanical properties inheriting from MS, the obtained sample can be used directly as a flexible electrode and remains high electrochemical performance under different bending states (the capacitance remains 99% and 96.1% respectively when bent at 90° and 180°). When using such foam as all-solid-state supercapacitors, it shows high specific capacity (149 F/g at 5 mV/s), high stability in high operation voltage window (0–1.8 V) and excellent flexibility, which makes such material a potential candidate for high-performance supercapacitors in modern portable and wearable devices. Image 1 • Carbonized melamine sponge@Co-ZIF-L based carbon foam was synthesized. • Such carbon foam has hierarchical pores. • Such carbon foam can be used as flexible free-standing electrode. • Such carbon foam shows good electrochemical performance for supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomerase is extensively expressed in various cancer cells and recognized as a target for cancer drug discovery. In the present study, a simple and amplification-free fluorescence assay based on polyamidoamine starburst dendrimer (PAMAM dendrimer)-activated paper device is proposed for sensitive detection of telomerase activity through hybridization of Cy5 modified single strand DNA probes with telomerase extension products. The paper substrate is fabricated by hand drawing according to a template, which is low cost, instrument free and easy operation. PAMAM is rich in amino groups on its surface and employed to immobilize the telomerase substrate (TS) primer. Highly sensitive detection of telomerase activity in HeLa cell lysate of 10 cells is achieved since the PAMAM dendrimer-activated paper surface can provide high density of binding sites for immobilization of TS primer. The experimental results also demonstrate that the assay can be employed to evaluate telomerase activity levels of various cell lines and screen telomerase inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are abundant in the genome of higher forms of eukaryotes and implicated in regulating the diversity of biological processes partly because they host microRNAs (miRNAs), which are repressors of target gene expression. In vertebrates, miR-133 regulates the differentiation and proliferation of cardiac and skeletal muscles. Pinctada martensii miR-133 ( pm-miR-133 ) was identified in our previous research through Solexa deep sequencing. In the present study, the precise sequence of mature pm-miR-133 was validated through miR-RACE. Stem loop qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that mature pm-miR-133 was constitutively expressed in the adductor muscle, gonad, hepatopancreas, mantle, foot, and gill of P. martensii . Among these tissues, the adductor muscle exhibited the highest pm-miR-133 expression. Target analysis indicated that pm-RhoA was the potential regulatory target of pm-miR-133 . Bioinformatics analyses revealed that a potential LncRNA (designated as Lnc133 ) with a mature pm-miR-133 could generate a hairpin structure that was highly homologous to that of Lottia gigantea . Lnc133 was also highly expressed in the adductor muscle, gill, hepatopancreas, and gonad. Phylogenetic analysis further showed that the miR-133s derived from chordate and achordate were separated into two classes. Therefore, Lnc133 hosting pm-miR-133 could be involved in regulating the cell proliferation of adductor muscles by targeting pm-RhoA . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The miR‐29 family includes miR‐29a, miR‐29b and miR‐29c. Our previous research showed that miR‐29a of Pinctada martensii (Pm‐miR‐29a) is involved in nacre formation via targeting neuropeptide Y receptor type 2 (Y2R). In this report, we validated and corrected the precise sequence of mature Pm‐miR‐29b and elucidated its function and mechanism difference with Pm‐miR‐29a in nacre formation. Our results showed that the precursor of Pm‐miR‐29b has 87 bp with a characteristic hairpin structure, which is the same with that of Pm‐miR‐29a. Stem‐loop quantitative real‐time PCR analysis indicated that Pm‐miR‐29b was constitutively expressed in all of the tissues, with high expression in gonads. After overexpression of Pm‐miR‐29b via mimic injection into P. martensii, the nacre microstructure showed a disordered growth status with a little difference with Pm‐miR‐29a. Target prediction analysis indicated that tyrosinase‐like protein (Pfty), nacre protein (N19), fibroblast growth factor 18, protein serine kinase and neuropeptide Y2R were the potential target gene of Pm‐miR‐29b. Dual‐luciferase analysis showed that the luciferase activity of the reporter containing 3′ UTR of Pfty and Y2R gene was significantly inhibited by Pm‐miR‐29b mimics. However, only the expression of Pfty was downregulated after overexpression of Pm‐miR‐29b in vivo. Therefore, Pm‐miR‐29b participated in nacre formation via targeting Pfty in P. martensii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To study lymphatic recurrence distribution after radical surgery in the real world and guide clinical tumor volume delineation for regional lymph nodes during postoperative radiotherapy for lower thoracic squamous cell esophageal carcinomas.Methods: We enrolled patients who underwent radical esophagectomy, without radiation before or after surgery, at 3 cancer hospitals. Patients were classified into groups according to tumor locations. We included patients with tumors in the lower thoracic segment and analyzed the postoperative lymph node recurrence mode. A cutoff value of 10% was used to differentiate high-risk lymph node drainage areas from others.Results: We enrolled 1905 patients in the whole study series, including 652 thoracic esophageal carcinomas that met our inclusion criteria; there were 241 cases of lower thoracic esophageal carcinomas. 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th groups of lymph nodes, according to the 8th edition of the AJCC classification, displayed as high-risk recurrence areas, representing 17.8%, 23.9%, 11.7%, 10.9% and 12.2% of lymph node recurrence. Stage III-IV tumors located in the lower segment of the thoracic esophagus showed a tendency to recur in the left gastric nodes (7.9%) and celiac nodes (10.6%).Conclusions: According to our results, we recommended including the 4th, 7th and 8th groups of lymph nodes in the radiation field, and for patients with stage III-IV disease, the 17th and 20th groups of nodes should be irradiated during postoperative treatment. Whether including 1st/2nd groups in preventive irradiation needed more proofs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are concerned with the initial value problem for a multidimensional balance law with multiplicative stochastic perturbations of Brownian type. Using the stochastic kinetic formulation and the Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook approximation, we prove the uniqueness and existence of stochastic entropy solutions. Furthermore, as applications, we derive the uniqueness and existence of the stochastic entropy solution for stochastic Buckley-Leverett equations and generalized stochastic Burgers type equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorbitol, a major end-product of photosynthesis in many species of the Rosaceae family, accumulates in response to abiotic stressors. However, the relationship that arises between the expression of sorbitol transporters and sorbitol accumulation under abiotic stress remains unclear. In this study, micropropagated 'Fuji' apple plants ( Malus domestica Borkh. 'Fuji') were exposed to two varying degrees of osmotic stress and compared relative to an unstressed control. The osmotic stress was generated by adding PEG 6000 into full-strength Hoagland solution and adjusted the osmotic potential to either −0.75 MPa (mild drought stress [MIS]) or −1.5 MPa (severe drought stress [SES]). Analysis of sorbitol levels via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed that the sorbitol concentration was elevated in roots, phloem tissues and leaves in both the MIS and SES treatments compared to controls for the entire duration of the experiment. Three cDNA sequences, encoding sorbitol transporters ( MdSOT3, MdSOT4 and MdSOT5), were isolated from leaves. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) data suggests that the expression levels of MdSOT3 and MdSOT5 were higher under MIS and SES in roots, phloem tissues and leaves compared to unstressed controls. The average mRNA levels of MdSOT4 in phloem tissues declined under both drought treatments (with the exception being at 2 h of SES). In roots and leaves under SES, mRNA production was increased. These results indicate that the up-regulation of MdSOT3 and MdSOT5 expression is consistent with the accumulation of sorbitol under conditions of osmotic stress in apple plants. They enhanced drought tolerance in vegetative tissues. Increased MdSOT4 mRNA enhanced drought tolerance under SES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]