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Self-assembled peptide hydrogels are a class of versatile materials with inherent biocompatibility and sound biological activities; however, they tend to exhibit weak mechanical properties and unsatisfactory release profiles of drugs. To address these problems, we propose an enzymatic approach to synthesize an enzymatically cross-linked peptide hydrogel (Fmoc-Gly-Phe-Tyr-Tyr, or Fmoc-GFYY) on the basis of inter-cross-linking of tyrosines (Tyr) under the action of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Compared to Fmoc-GFYY without HRP or H2O2, the Fmoc-GFYY/enzymatically cross-linked hydrogels exhibited denser cross-linking networks, a more orderly secondary structure, and greater mechanical strength. Further characterizations using HPLC, UV, fluorescence, and LC-MS confirmed that the tyrosines of Fmoc-GFYY were inter-cross-linked to give dimeric tyrosines under the action of HRP and H2O2. By taking doxorubicin (DOX) and rhodamine B (RhB) as model drugs, the Fmoc-GFYY/enzymatically cross-linked hydrogel displayed slow release of DOX in vitro and a long retention time of RhB in vivo. Cell experiments revealed that the DOX-loaded enzymatically cross-linked hydrogel formulation exhibited higher anticancer efficacy compared to DOX solution alone. The utility of enzymatic cross-linking in this study represents a new approach for the structural optimization of peptide hydrogels, which could have broad prospects in the controlled release of various therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) derived from diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) may help diagnose endometrial cancer (EC). However, the association between ADC and the recurrence and survival of EC remains unknown. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate whether pretreatment ADC on DWI could predict the prognosis of women with EC. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane’s Library were searched for relevant cohort studies comparing the clinical outcomes between women with EC having low versus high ADC on pretreatment DWI. Two authors independently conducted data collection, literature searching, and statistical analysis. Using a heterogeneity-incorporating random-effects model, we analyzed the results. In the meta-analysis, 1358 women with EC were included from eight cohort studies and followed for a median duration of 40 months. Pooled results showed that a low pretreatment ADC on DWI was associated with poor disease-free survival (DFS, hazard ratio [HR]: 3.29, 95% CI: 2.04 to 5.31, p < 0.001; I2 = 41%). Subgroup analysis according to study design, tumor stage, MRI Tesla strength, ADC cutoff, follow-up duration, and study quality score showed consistent results (p for subgroup analysis all > 0.05). The predictive value of low ADC for poor DFS in women with EC decreased in multivariate studies compared to univariate studies (HR: 2.59 versus 32.57, p = 0.002). Further studies showed that a low ADC was also associated with poor overall survival (HR: 3.36, 95% CI: 1.33 to 8.50, p = 0.01, I2 = 0). In conclusion, a low ADC on pretreatment DWI examination may predict disease recurrence and survival in women with EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Plants have evolved sophisticated regulatory networks to cope with dynamically changing light and temperature environments during day–night and seasonal cycles. However, the integration mechanisms of light and low temperature remain largely unclear.Here, we show that low red : far‐red ratio (LR : FR) induces FAR‐RED ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL3 (SlFHY3) transcription under cold stress in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Reverse genetic approaches revealed that knocking out SlFHY3 decreases myo‐inositol accumulation and increases cold susceptibility, whereas overexpressing SlFHY3 induces myo‐inositol accumulation and enhances cold tolerance in tomato plants.SlFHY3 physically interacts with ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5 (SlHY5) to promote the transcriptional activity of SlHY5 on MYO‐INOSITOL‐1‐PHOSPHATE SYNTHASE 3 (SlMIPS3) and induce myo‐inositol accumulation in tomato plants under cold stress. Disruption of SlHY5 and SlMIPS3 largely suppresses the cold tolerance of SlFHY3‐overexpressing plants and myo‐inositol accumulation in tomato. Furthermore, silencing of SlMIPS3 drastically reduces myo‐inositol accumulation and compromises LR : FR‐induced cold tolerance in tomato.Together, our results reveal a crucial role of SlFHY3 in LR : FR‐induced cold tolerance in tomato and unravel a novel regulatory mechanism whereby plants integrate dynamic environmental light signals and internal cues (inositol biosynthesis) to induce and control cold tolerance in tomato plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the ultrasonic imaging and endoscopic resection of the intelligent segmentation algorithm, this study is aimed at exploring whether nursing intervention can promote the good recovery of patients with colon polyps, hoping to find a new method for clinical treatment of the colon polyps. Patients with colon polyps were divided into an experimental group (fine nursing) and a control group (general nursing). The colonoscopy polyp ultrasound image was preprocessing to select the seed points and background points. The random walk decomposition algorithm was applied to calculate the probability of each marked point, and then, the marked image was outputted. The accuracy of the intelligent segmentation algorithm was 81%. The incidence of complications in the experimental group was 4.83%, which was lower than 16.66% in the control group, and the difference was statistically obvious (P < 0.05). Perioperative refined nursing intervention for colon polyp patients undergoing endoscopic electrosurgical resection can decrease postoperative adverse reactions; reduce postoperative mucosal perforation, blood in the stool, abdominal pain, and small bleeding; lower the incidence of postoperative complications; and allow patients to recover quickly, enhancing the life comfort of patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To cope with the nonlinear and nonstationarity challenges faced by conventional runoff forecasting models and improve daily runoff prediction accuracy, a hybrid model-based "feature decomposition-component prediction-result reconstruction" named VMD-LSTM-PSO was proposed. First, variational mode decomposition (VMD) was used to decompose the original daily runoff series into a discrete number of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) to produce clearer signals. Then, for each IMF, a long short-term memory (LSTM) network was applied to establish the prediction model, and a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm was utilised to optimise the number of hidden layer nodes and the learning rate of the LSTM. The model was applied in three hydrologic stations in the main stream of the Yellow River of China and compared with the complementary ensemble empirical mode decomposition coupled long short-term memory and particle swarm optimization (CEEMD-LSTM-PSO), wavelet transform coupled long short-term memory and particle swarm optimization (WT-LSTM-PSO) and LSTM-PSO models. Based on its high predictive accuracy and stability, the novel model promises to be a preferred data-driven tool for hydrological forecasting in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-assembled peptide hydrogels possess remarkable biological activity and biocompatibility. When utilized for local drug delivery, they require enhanced mechanical properties and the ability to facilitate controlled release of drugs. Herein, we present the design and synthesis of a supramolecular hydrogel (Fmoc-GFFG/SBE-β-CD). The hydrogel incorporates host–guest interactions between a self-assembling peptide (Fmoc-GFFG) and cyclodextrin molecules (SBE-β-CD) to improve the viscoelastic strength of the hydrogel while maintaining biocompatibility. With remarkable shear-thinning properties, the Fmoc-GFFG/SBE-β-CD hydrogel exhibits enhanced in vivo retention time, thereby facilitating the development of an injectable drug delivery system. Using 10-hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) as a model drug, we develop a hydrogel system (Fmoc-GFFG/SBE-β-CD@HCPT) that capitalizes on the inclusion complex formation between SBE-β-CD and HCPT. The resulting composite hydrogels effectively prevent the agglomeration of drug molecules, ensuring the sustained release of HCPT while preserving its anticancer efficacy. The findings presented in this work establish a foundation for the broadening of peptide-based biomaterials and offer a promising avenue for the development of sophisticated drug delivery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• HN-AD system using PCL as carbon source efficiently treated low C/N wastewater. • HN-AD strain JQ-H3 facilitated TN removal by stimulating carbon release. • Heterotrophic and autotrophic nitrification pathway coexist. • Bioaugmentation could control the residual COD. Heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification (HN-AD) process was achieved in a moving bed biofilm reactor after 180-days acclimation using PCL as carbon source for low C/N wastewater treatment. A novel HN-AD strain, JQ-H3, with ability of PCL degradation was augmented to improve nitrogen removal. TN removal efficiencies of 82.31%, 90.05%, and 93.16% were achieved in the augmented reactor (R2), at different HRTs of 24 h, 20 h, and 16 h, while in the control reactor (R1), the TN removal efficiencies were 59.24%, 74.61%, and 76.68%. The effluent COD in R2 was 10.17 mg/L, much lower than that of 42.45 mg/L in R1. Microbial community analysis revealed that JQ-H3 has successfully proliferated with a relative abundance of 4.79%. Relative abundances of functional enzymes of nitrogen cycling remarkably increased due to bioaugmentation based on the analysis of PICRUSt2. This study provides a new approach for enhancing nitrogen removal in low C/N sewage treatment via the HN-AD process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two kinds of branched TiO 2 nanorods arrays (TNRs), i.e. rutile nanorod covered with rutile branches (BTNRs) and rutile nanorod covered with anatase branches (ATNRs), were synthesized on FTO films as photoanodes. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) performances of the both photoanodes were comparably evaluated. The PEC hydrogen production rate of ATNRs photoanode is 4.2 and 2.7 times those of the TNRs and BTNRs photoanodes, respectively. The ATNRs showed a highly PEC response because of a lower intrinsic resistance and a heterophase structure between rutile nanorod and anatase branches. The study explicitly ascertains a kind of more effective structure for photoelectrical materials and gives new insight into intrinsic resistance based on PEC analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two kinds of branched hydrogenated TiO 2 nanorod arrays, i.e., hydrogenated TiO 2 nanorod supported hydrogenated TiO 2 branch arrays (H-BTNRs) and hydrogenated TiO 2 nanorod supported unhydrogenated TiO 2 branch arrays (B/H-TNRs), have been successfully designed and prepared by a facile approach. Under simulated solar light, the prepared B/H-TNRs have the highest hydrogen evolution rate of 6.65 μmol cm −2 h −1 , which is 4.7 and 2.4 times those of hydrogenated TiO 2 nanorod arrays (H-TNRs) and H-BTNRs, respectively. This study indicates that the heterostructure design of the unhydrogenated TiO 2 branch and hydrogenated TiO 2 nanorod promotes the separation of charge carries on the interface and enhances photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

V-4Cr-4Ti alloys currently constitute advanced candidate materials for the blanket of future fusion reactors. Precipitations occur in the working environment of V-4Cr-4Ti alloy and affect the stability of the alloy. The working environment was simulated by aging at 773–973 K and the formation of precipitation and its effect on mechanical properties was studied. The result showed that Ti-rich precipitates formed in the alloy when aged. The precipitates were lath-like and lower in size and density when aged at 773 K. And lath-like precipitates with larger size and density formed at 873 K. While polygon precipitates formed at 973 K with a size and density lower than 773 K and 873 K. The composition analysis indicates that the three precipitates formed during aging consist of Ti(CN). The crystal structures of the precipitates are face-centered cubic (FCC). The interface between the matrix and the precipitate can be semi-coherent. Both lath-like and polygon precipitates increase the hardness and strength of the alloy. Among these, the comprehensive mechanical properties due to higher strength and elongation obtained in alloys with polygon precipitates. The formation mechanism of precipitation was analyzed from the atomic point of view. [Display omitted] • The composition of the precipitate was determined to be Ti(CN). • It is found that the matrix and Ti(CN) are semi-coherent interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-noble metals are attractive alternatives to Pt co-catalysts for hydrogen production. Herein, Co nanoparticles were designed to uniformly deposit on the surface of TiO 2 nanotube arrays (Co/TNAs) via photo-deposition and reduction method. The structure and optical property of the Co/TNAs were characterized. Compared with pure TNAs, Co/TNAs showed a highly photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production without the Pt co-catalyst under UV–vis light irradiation. The study presents a promising practical way using non-noble metal as co-catalyst for photocatalytic splitting of water into hydrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type II diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a chronic metabolic disorder that results from defects in both insulin secretion and insulin action. The deficit and dysfunction of insulin secreting β-cell are signature symptom for T2D. Additionally, in pancreatic β-cell, a small group of genes which are abundantly expressed in most other tissues are highly selectively repressed. Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) is one of such genes. Upregulation of LDHA is found in both human T2D and rodent T2D models. In this study, we identified a LDHA-suppressing microRNA (hsa-miR-590-3p) and used it together with human embryonic stem cell (hESC) derived pancreatic endoderm (PE) transplantation into a high-fat diet induced T2D mouse model. The procedure significantly improved glucose metabolism and other symptoms of T2D. Our findings support the potential T2D treatment using the combination of microRNA and hESC-differentiated PE cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type II diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a chronic metabolic disorder that results from defects in both insulin secretion and insulin action. The deficit and dysfunction of insulin secreting β-cell are signature symptom for T2D. Additionally, in pancreatic β-cell, a small group of genes which are abundantly expressed in most other tissues are highly selectively repressed. Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) is one of such genes. Upregulation of LDHA is found in both human T2D and rodent T2D models. In this study, we identified a LDHA-suppressing microRNA (hsa-miR-590-3p) and used it together with human embryonic stem cell (hESC) derived pancreatic endoderm (PE) transplantation into a high-fat diet induced T2D mouse model. The procedure significantly improved glucose metabolism and other symptoms of T2D. Our findings support the potential T2D treatment using the combination of microRNA and hESC-differentiated PE cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between HbA1c levels and the complexity of coronary artery lesions among the older patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: This retrospective study enrolled a total of 3805 consecutive type 2 DM patients aged 60 years and older who underwent their first elective coronary angiography and had their HbA1c levels measured at the Chinese PLA General Hospital between December 2005 and December 2012.The complexity of the coronary artery lesions was evaluated using the Syntax score, and the subjects were divided into three groups according to their HbA1c levels. Logistic regression and Pearson correlation were used to analyze the association between the measured HbA1c levels and Syntax score. Results: The mean age was 72.3±10.6 years. The higher HbA1c levels were significantly associated with higher Syntax score (p<0.001). The unadjusted correlation coefficient of HbA1c levels and the Syntax score was 0. 371 (p<0.001). In addition, the higher HbA1c categories were able to independently predict patients with intermediate or high Syntax score (Syntax score ≥23) after adjustment for age, sex, hypertension, smoking, dyslipidemia and creatinine levels in the logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: HbA1c is significantly associated with the complexity of coronary lesions among older patients with DM. A higher HbA1c value is an independent predictor of the prevalence of complex coronary lesions. Further prospective multi-centre studies are needed to confirm this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Fig fruit latex (FFL) contains significant amounts of polyphenolic compounds and can serve as a source of antioxidants after human consumption. The purpose of this study is to confirm anticancer activity of FFL against human cancer cells and to further elucidate its mechanism of activity. Human glioblastoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and normal liver cells were used for in vitro tests of FFL effects. Those tests included cytotoxicity, colony formation inhibition, Brdu incorporation, acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining for apoptotic cells, cell cycle distribution through flow cytometry (FCM), and ADP-ribosyltransferase (NAD+; poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase)-like 1 (ADPERL1) mRNA expression through RT-PCR in response to FFL treatment. After FFL treatment, the proliferation, colony formation, and Brdu labeling indices of cancer cells decreased (P <0.05), while the AO/EB stained apoptotic cells increased (P <0.05). By FCM analysis, an increase of G 0/G 1 phase cell population and decrease of S and G 2/M phase cells were observed (P <0.01), while both ADPRTL1 mRNA expression and apoptotic indices increased (P <0.01). The findings in these studies suggested that FFL exhibited potent cytotoxicity in some human cancer cells with little effect in normal cells at certain concentration. The mechanism for such effects might be associated with the inhibition of DNA synthesis, induction of apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest of cancer cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The hexaaza macrocyclic nickel(II) complex (Ni(II)L—1,8-Dihydroxyethyl-1,3,6,8,10,13-hexaazacyclotetradecane nickle(II) perchlorate monohydrate) was synthesized and purified. The electrochemical character of Ni(II)L was measured, and the interaction of Ni(II)L with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) was studied using electrochemical techniques, emission and viscometry, and circular dichroic spectral measurements. All of the experiments suggested that the complex interacted with DNA primarily by partial intercalation. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) showed that the currents of both the reduction peak and the oxidation peak decreased significantly in the presence of DNA, which indicated that Ni(II)L could interact with DNA. The fluorescence intensity of the DNA-ethidium bromide(EB) system decreased distinctly when Ni(II)L was added. The results indicated that Ni(II)L may be completed effectively with EB for the intercalative binding sites. The viscosity of DNA would be decreased slightly by the addition of the complex. Circular dichroic spectral studies revealed that B conformation of CT-DNA became more A-like in structure on interaction with the complex. Noticeably, the complex has been found to cleave plasmid pBR 322 by agarose gel electrophoresis and cleave CT-DNA by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Litchi fruit pericarp (LFP) extract contains significant amounts of polyphenolic compounds and exhibits powerful antioxidative activity against fat oxidation in vitro. The purpose of this study is to confirm the anticancer activity of LFP extract on human breast cancer in vitro and in vivo, and to elucidate the mechanism of its activity. Human breast cancer cells were tested in vitro for cytotoxicity, colony formation inhibition, BrdU incorporation, and gene expression profiling after treatment with LFP extract. Seven nude mice bearing human breast infiltrating duct carcinoma orthotopically were tested for its anticancer activity and expression of caspase-3 in vivo by oral administration of 0.3% (0.3 mg/ml) of LFP water-soluble crude ethanolic extract (CEE) for 10 weeks. LFP extract demonstrated a dose- and time-dependent inhibitory effect on cell growth (IC50 = 80 μg/ml), and it significantly inhibited colony formation and BrdU incorporation of human breast cancer cells. Oligonucleotide microarray analysis identified 41(1.22%) up-regulated and 129 (3.84%) down-regulated genes after LFP water-soluble CEE treatment; the predominantly up-regulated genes were involved in various biological functions including cell cycle regulation and cell proliferation, apoptosis, signal transduction and transcriptional regulation, and extracellular matrix/adhesion molecules; and down-regulated genes were mainly associated with adhesion, invasion, and malignancy of cancer cells. A 40.70% tumor mass volume reduction and significant increase of casepase-3 protein expression were observed in vivo experiment. The findings in this study suggested that LFP extract might have potential anticancer activity on both ER positive and negative breast cancers, which could be attributed, in part, to its DNA damage effect, proliferating inhibition and apoptosis induction of cancer cells through up-regulation and down-regulation of multiple genes involved in cell cycle regulation and cell proliferation, apoptosis, signal transduction and transcriptional regulation, motility and invasiveness of cancer cells; ADP-ribosyltransferase (NAD+; poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase)-like 1 (ADPRTL1), Cytochrome P450, subfamily I (CYP1A1) and Hyaluronan-mediated motility receptor (HMMR) might be the main molecular targets at which LFP water-soluble CEE acted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Litchi fruit pericarp (LFP) extract contains significant amounts of polyphenolic compounds, and exhibits powerful antioxidative activity against fat oxidation in vitro. The purpose of this study is to confirm the anticancer activity of LFP extract against hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo, and to elucidate the mechanism of its activity. Human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line was tested in vitro for cytotoxicity, colony formation inhibition, and cell cycle distribution through flow cytometry after treatment with water-soluble crude ethanolic extract (CEE) from LFP. Murine hepatoma bearing-mice were fed doses of 0.15, 0.3, and 0.6g/kg/day of water-soluble CEE in DH2O p.o. for 10 days, respectively, to test the anticancer activity and BrdU incorporation of cancer cells in vivo. LFP extract demonstrated a dose- and time-dependent inhibitory effect on cancer cell growth; IC50 was 80μg/ml, and significantly inhibited colony formation in vitro, tumor growth and BrdU incorporation into cancer cells in vivo. The tumor inhibitory rates at doses of 0.15, 0.3, and 0.6g/kg/day were 17.31% (P>0.05), 30.77% (P<0.05), and 44.23% (P<0.01), respectively. BrdU labeled tumor cells of treated animals were 11.80±2.79%, and were significantly lower than that in untreated controls (23.00±5.42%, P<0.05). Our findings showed that LFP extract exhibited potential anticancer activity against hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo through proliferating inhibition and apoptosis induction of cancer cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors. The present study aimed to investigate a non-invasive molecular marker that can evaluate the diagnosis and potential molecular mechanism of CRC. Microarray assays and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis demonstrated that microRNA (miR)-325-3p expression was significantly increased in both tissues and serum samples of patients with CRC. In addition, miR-325-3p expression in the tissues and serum was significantly associated with differentiation, TNM stage and lymph node metastasis. The results of the dual-luciferase reporter assay and western blot analysis revealed that cytokeratin 18 (CK18) is a target gene of miR-325-3p. Furthermore, treatment with transforming growth factor (TGF)-β increased miR-325-3p expression in a time-dependent manner. Conversely, TGF-β decreased CK18 expression at 48 and 72 h. Western blot analysis demonstrated that TGF-β1 significantly decreased the expression of the epithelial marker, CK18, and increased the expression of the mesenchymal markers, α-SMA and vimentin. Notably, these effects were reversed following inhibition of miR-325-3p expression. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that miR-325-3p is a key regulator of TGF-β-induced CK18 downregulation. Thus, elevated levels of miR-325-3p is an important factor affecting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and is likely to be a molecular marker in the progression of CRC and act as a potential therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pseudomonas sp. exhibited the HN-AD ability using PCL as a sole carbon source. • The amoA , napA , nirS , cnorB and nosZ genes were successfully expressed. • The weight loss of PCL films reached 94.03% after 60-days degradation. • The increase in PCL concentrations led to a decrease in nitrogen removal rate. The novel isolated strain JQ-H3 exhibited heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification (HN-AD) ability using poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) as a sole carbon source under aerobic conditions. This was the first time that a PCL-degrading bacterium was characterized to be with capability of nitrifying and denitrifying performances. Strain JQ-H3 removed approximately 95.40% of NH 4 +-N (102.40 mg/L), about 91.1% of NO 3 −-N (99.01 mg/L), with the maximum specific removal rates of 0.308 mg NH 4 +-N/mg DCW/h and 0.220 mg NO 3 −-N/mg DCW/h, respectively. The functional genes amoA , napA , nirS , cnorB , and nosZ were successfully expressed during the nitrogen removal process. An increasing PCL concentrations caused a decline in cell growth and nitrogen removal efficiency, which was attributed to the decrease in the rate of the PCL hydrolysis and the amount of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release. These results demonstrated the strain as an ideal candidate for nitrogen removal from wastewater by using PCL as carbon source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite Internet has gone through the two stages of competing with the terrestrial network and supplementing the terrestrial network, it has begun to enter the third stage of constructing the satellite-ground integrated network with the terrestrial network to provide seamless global coverage. 5G New Radio (NR) is one of the core enabling technologies of the third stage of satellite Internet. This paper focuses on how to make full use of the power and bandwidth resources on the LEO satellite by using adaptive transmission scheme to maximize the throughput of the user downlink based on 5G NR. To solve the problem that the ultra-long propagation delay, outdated channel state information (CSI) and dynamic multi-scenario of LEO satellite will lead to the high implementation cost and greatly reduced performance when applied the 5G adaptive transmission scheme to LEO satellites, we optimized the adaptive transmission scheme of 5G NR based LEO satellite from multiple dimensions such as adaptive transmission process, signal to noise ratio (SNR) prediction and modulation and coding scheme (MCS) adaptive switching strategy. The simulation results show that compared with the fixed threshold switching strategy based adaptive transmission scheme, the proposed scheme can improve the average throughput of the system by 26.6% under the dynamic multi-scenario environment served by the LEO satellite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to single functional materials, multifunctional materials with magnetism and luminescence are more attractive and promising; Thus, it has become an important subject. In our work, bifunctional Fe3O4/Tb(acac)3phen/polystyrene) microfibers with magnetic and luminescent properties (acac: acetylacetone, phen: 1,10-phenanthroline) were synthesized by simple electrospinning process. The doping of Fe3O4 and Tb(acac)3phen made the fiber diameter larger. The surface of pure polystyrene microfibers and microfibers doped only with Fe3O4 nanoparticles were chapped similar to bark, whereas the surface of the microfibers was smoother after doping with Tb(acac)3phen complexes. The luminescent properties of the composite microfibers were systematically studied in contrast to pure Tb(acac)3phen complexes, including excitation and emission spectra, fluorescence dynamics, and the temperature dependence of intensity. Compared with the pure complexes, the thermal activation energy and thermal stability of composite microfiber was significantly improved, and the luminescence of the unit mass of Tb(acac)3phen complexes in composite microfibers was stronger than that in pure Tb(acac)3phen complexes. The magnetic properties of the composite microfibers were also investigated using hysteresis loops, and an interesting experimental phenomenon was found that the saturation magnetization of the composite microfibers gradually increased with the increase in the doping proportion of terbium complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an analysis of variable sediment erosion and deposition, and their the complex mechanism in natural heavy silt-carrying rivers in the Ningxia Plain Reaches of the Yellow River (NPRYR). The aims of this study are to examine the sediment scouring and siltation laws, along with the evolution trend of fluvial facies in the NPRYR. Four small-scale typical reaches (R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 ) were divided firstly based on river regimes and geological conditions of the river beds. And then with ground-truth data from 1993 to 2015, a cross-section morphology method was used to calculate the average fluvial facies coefficient ζ a of the typical river reaches, and also the sediment siltation weight T during the different time periods. In this study, with application of mathematical statistics and regression analysis, the main channel, beach, and whole reach were used as the basic units in order to identify the relationships of the responses among the suspended sediment concentration per unit discharge ( ξ ), sediment deposition per unit water weight ( W ), and variations of the fluvial facies coefficient (△ ζ a ) in different units. This analysis is for establishing the prediction method for the sediment erosion and deposition, along with the evolution trends of fluvial facies. Our results show a logarithmic mapping relationship between the ξ and W , and significant correlation between T and △ ζ a . Therefore, a quick analysis and prediction of the silt sedimentation, and the trends of fluvial facies variations in the small-scale river reaches under a single water and sediment condition are feasible with our approaches presented here. The critical incoming sediment coefficient ξ cs for the scouring and siltation balance in the R 1 to R 3 reaches were 0.0051 kg·s·m −6 , 0.0055 kg·s·m −6 , and 0.0049 kg·s·m −6 , respectively, while the R 4 reach shows an overall continuous siltation trend. The fluvial facies coefficient of the R 1 to R 4 reaches show an overall decreasing trend. Our results provided robust theoretical support for analyzing the sediment erosion and siltation, and the river regime evolution in the NPRYR. Our study also indicates a need for future research with an aim to further understand the evolution of erosion and siltation in heavy silt-carrying rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As powerful tools for local gene delivery, adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are widely used for neural circuit studies and therapeutical purposes. However, most of them have the characteristics of large diffusion range and retrograde labeling, which may result in off-target transduction during in vivo application. Here, in order to achieve precise gene delivery, we screened AAV serotypes that have not been commonly used as gene vectors and found that AAV13 can precisely transduce local neurons in the brain, with a smaller diffusion range than AAV2 and rigorous anterograde labeling. Then, AAV13-based single-viral and dual-viral strategies for sparse labeling of local neurons in the brains of C57BL/6 or Cre transgenic mice were developed. Additionally, through the neurobehavioral test in the ventral tegmental area, we demonstrated that AAV13 was validated for functional monitoring by means of carrying Cre recombinase to drive the expression of Cre-dependent calcium-sensitive indicator. In summary, our study provides AAV13-based toolkits for precise local gene delivery, which can be used for in situ small nuclei targeting, sparse labeling and functional monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately half of those who survive severe carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning develop delayed neurologic sequelae. Growing evidence supports the crucial role of free radicals in delayed brain injury associated with CO toxicity. Xanthine oxidase (XO) has been reported to play a pivotal role in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in CO poisoning. A recent report indicates that allopurinol both attenuated oxidative stress and possessed anti-inflammatory properties in an animal model of acute liver failure. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential of allopurinol to reduce the severity of delayed neurologic sequelae. The rats were first exposed to 1000 ppm CO for 40 min and then to 3000 ppm CO for another 20 min. Following CO poisoning, the rats were injected with allopurinol (50 mg/kg, i.p.) six times. Results showed that allopurinol significantly reduced neuronal death and suppressed expression of pro-inflammatory factors, including tumor necrosis factor-α, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1, and degraded myelin basic protein. Furthermore, behavioral studies revealed an improved performance in the Morris water maze test. Our findings indicated that allopurinol may have protective effects against delayed neurologic sequelae caused by CO toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Clinical risk stratification has an important function in preoperative evaluation of patients at risk for cardiac events prior to non-cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to determine whether the combined measurement of pre-operative N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) could provide useful prognostic information about postoperative major adverse cardiac events (MACE) within 30 days in patients aged over 60 years undergoing emergent non-cardiac surgery. Methods: The study group comprised 2519 patients aged over 60 years that were undergoing emergent non-cardiac surgery between December 2007 and December 2013. NT-pro-BNP and cTnI were measured during hospital admission. The patients were monitored for MACE (cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or cardiac arrest) during the 30-day postoperative follow-up period. Results: MACE occurred in 251 patients (10.0%). Preoperative NT-pro-BNP and cTNI level were significantly higher in the individuals that experienced MACE than in those who did not (P < 0.001). The confounding factors of age, sex, co-morbidities and preoperative medications were adjusted in a multivariate logistic regression analysis. This analysis showed that preoperative NT-proBNP level > 917 pg/mL (OR 4.81, 95% CI 3.446–6.722, P < 0.001) and cTnI ≥ 0.07 ng/mL (OR 8.74, 95% CI 5.881–12.987, P < 0.001) remained significantly and independently associated with MACE after the adjustment of the confounding factors. Kaplan-Meier event-free survival curves demonstrated that patients with preoperative simultaneous NT-proBNP level > 917 pg/mL and cTnT ≥0.07 ng/mL had worse event-free survival than individual assessments of either biomarker. Conclusion: Preoperative plasma NT-proBNP and cTnI are both independently associated with an increased risk of MACE in elderly patients after emergent non-cardiac surgery. The combination of these biomarkers provides better prognostic information than using either biomarker separately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The unique n-n type conductive polymers PorCoPc-CMP gas sensor was fabricated. • High sensitivity, stability, selectivity, and low LOD for NO 2 gas sensing were obtained. • The periodic n-n type heterojunction and porous structure enhanced sensing performance. Today's society has an unprecedented demand and requirement for sensors, and the research of toxic gas sensors is its top priority. In this paper, a chemiresistive sensor for NO 2 sensing based on a porphyrin-cobalt phthalocyanine-based conjugated microporous polymer (PorCoPc-CMP) was fabricated. Benefiting from the periodic intramolecular n-n type heterojunction and the sufficiently exposed active sites on the 2D sheet-like structure, the prepared chemiresistive sensor exhibited liner response in the range of 0.1–0.5 ppm with the lower limit of detection (30 ppb) and higher sensitivity (22.91 % ppm−1) than that of the monomers. Moreover, the PorCoPc-CMP also possessed good selectivity, long-term stability, and excellent recovery towards the detection of NO 2. This work certified the potential of conjugated microporous polymers for gas sensing applications and provided an alternative approach for the long-term detection of NO 2 gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• BH4 possess carbon catabolism repression on glucose utilization by acetate. • Extracellular glucose metabolism generates lactones to promote qsdA expression. • BH4 possess much stronger competitiveness for acetate than glucose. • Biomass was highest in the reactor fed with sodium acetate. • BH4 biomass and QQ activity gradually disappeared in the glucose fed reactor. Carbon sources are critical factors influencing bacterial bioaugmentation, however, the underlying mechanisms, particularly the metabolic characteristics of bioaugmented bacteria remain poorly understood. The bioaugmented bacterium Rhodococcus sp. BH4 secretes the quorum quenching (QQ) enzyme QsdA to disrupt the quorum sensing (QS) in the activated sludge (AS) process, reducing AS yield in-situ. This study investigated the carbon metabolic characteristics of BH4 and explored the effects on bioaugmentation with different influent carbon sources. Because of the absence of glucose-specific phosphoenol phosphotransferase system (PTS), BH4 prefers sodium acetate to glucose. However, the lactones produced during extracellular glucose metabolism enhance BH4 qsdA expression. Moreover, BH4 possess carbon catabolite repression (CCR), acetate inhibits glucose utilization. BH4 microbeads were added to reactors with different carbon sources (R1: sodium acetate; R2: glucose; R3: a mixture of sodium acetate and glucose) for in-situ AS yield reduction. During operation, AS reduction efficiency decreased in the following order: R1 > R3 > R2. R2 and R3 microbeads exhibited similar QQ activity to R1, with less BH4 biomass at 5 d. 13C labeling and Michaelis-Menten equation showed that, due to differences in the competitiveness of carbon sources, R1 BH4 obtained the most carbon, whereas R2 BH4 obtained the least carbon. Moreover, acetate inhibited glucose utilization of R3 BH4. Transcriptome analysis showed that R1 BH4 qsdA expression was the lowest, R2 BH4 was the most serious form of programmed cell death, and the R3 BH4 PTS pathway was inhibited. At 10 d, R1 BH4 biomass and microbead QQ activity were higher than that in R3, and the R2 BH4 lost viability and QQ activity. This study provides new insights into bioaugmentation from the perspectives of carbon source competitiveness, carbon metabolism pathways, and CCR. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The current guideline for the management of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is insufficient for accurate risk prediction to guide adjuvant therapy. Given frequent and severe therapeutic side effects, a better estimate of survival is warranted for risk-specific assignment to adjuvant treatment. We attempted to construct an integrated model based on a prognostic gene signature and clinicopathological features to improve risk stratification and survival prediction in ACC. Methods. Using a series of bioinformatic and statistical approaches, a gene-expression signature was established and validated in two independent cohorts. By combining the signature with clinicopathological features, a decision tree was generated to improve risk stratification, and a nomogram was constructed to personalize risk prediction. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (tROC) and calibration analysis were performed to evaluate the predictive power and accuracy. Results. A three-gene signature could discriminate high-risk patients well in both training and validation cohorts. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated the signature to be an independent predictor of overall survival. The decision tree could identify risk subgroups powerfully, and the nomogram showed high accuracy of survival prediction. Particularly, expression of a gene hitherto unknown to be dysregulated in ACC, TIGD1, was shown to be prognostically relevant. Conclusion. We propose a novel gene signature to guide decision-making about adjuvant therapy in ACC. The score shows unprecedented survival prediction and hence constitutes a huge step towards personalized management. As a secondary important finding, we report the discovery and validation of a new oncogene, TIGD1, which was consistently overexpressed in ACC. TIGD1 might shed further light on the biology of ACC and might give rise to targeted therapies that not only apply to ACC but potentially also to other malignancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: WRKY proteins are a large family of transcription factors that mainly participate in plant biotic stress responses. So far, one hundred and five OsWRKY genes have been predicted in the rice genome. To identify OsWRKY genes that might function in inducible defense responses, a phylogenetic tree including 184 WRKY proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana, rice, and other species was constructed. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, ten candidate OsWRKY genes that may be involved in defense responses were isolated from salicylic acid (SA)-treated rice seedlings. One of them, OsWRKY71, was up-regulated by several defense signaling molecules, such as SA, methyl jasmonate (MeJA), 1-aminocyclo-propane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), as well as wounding and pathogen infection, suggesting that OsWRKY71 might function in rice biotic stress response. Transient expression of OsWRKY71:GFP fusion protein in onion epidermis cells revealed that OsWRKY71 was localized in the nucleus. Overexpression of OsWRKY71 gene in rice resulted in enhanced resistance to virulent bacterial pathogens Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) 13751. Furthermore, two marker genes in defense signaling pathway, OsNPR1 and OsPR1b, were constitutively expressed in OsWRKY71-overexpressing transgenic plants. These results suggest that OsWRKY71 might function as a transcriptional regulator upstream of OsNPR1 and OsPR1b in rice defense signaling pathways. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Increasing cases of human infections with the high pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 have raised great concern on potential human flu pandemics caused by H5N1. The two viral surface glycoproteins, the hemagglutinin (HA) and the neuraminidase (NA) proteins, are major antigens of H5N1. Introducing new mutations on these two proteins is the major strategy used by H5N1 to expand host range and to avoid the recognition of host immune systems. We analyzed the two surface proteins of H5N1 from Asian human patients and identified many new mutation sites, including a few that were unique to certain lethal strains. We also analyzed the distribution of mutations on different epitopes of the two surface proteins. A receptor-binding site that might involve in the determination of host specificity of H5N1 was also found. Results reported here provided information for better understanding of the evolution trend of H5N1 genome in human. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the scenario that the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite based on Ka-band uses the agile beam to provide Internet access services for users, and studies the random access control and resource scheduling of the agile beam of LEO satellite integrated with 5G. Firstly, the dynamic Access Class Barring (ACB) algorithm is used to reduce the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) load and reduce the collisions of preambles. In order to realize the dynamic ACB algorithm, the Auto-regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) algorithm is used to predict the number of users who want to initiate access. After the random access is completed, the ground 5G New Radio (NR) beam management process is first studied and it is reasonably migrated to the beam management process of the LEO satellite. The beam management algorithms of the signaling beam and the traffic beam are designed, that is, priority scheduling of the maximal predicted requests for the signaling beam and priority scheduling of the maximal remaining traffic for traffic beam. The beam management algorithms ensure that the beam position meets the access time threshold, the service experience time threshold, and the requirement of synchronization, while maximizing the amount of access and provided traffic. Finally, the proposed algorithms are simulated and verified. The results show that the ARIMA algorithm can predict the number of users who want to initiate random access well, and the dynamic ACB algorithm can significantly improve the access success rate and reduce collision probability. Compared with the traditional polling beam management scheme, the proposed algorithms for beam management can improve the service satisfaction rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult hippocampus are composed of multiple subpopulations. However, their origin and functional heterogeneity are still unclear. Here, we found that the contribution of murine Wnt-responsive (Axin2+) and Hedgehog-responsive (Gli1+) embryonic neural progenitors to adult NSCs started from early and late postnatal stages, respectively. Axin2+ adult NSCs were intended to actively proliferate, whereas Gli1+ adult NSCs were relatively quiescent and responsive to external stimuli. Moreover, Gli1+ NSC-derived adult-born neurons exhibited more complex dendritic arborization and connectivity than Axin2+ NSC-derived ones. Importantly, genetic cell ablation analysis identified that Axin2+ and Gli1+ adult NSCs were involved in hippocampus-dependent learning, but only Axin2+ adult NSCs were engaged in buffering stress responses and depressive behavior. Together, our study not only defined the heterogeneous multiple origins of adult NSCs but also advanced the concept that different subpopulations of adult NSCs may function differently. [Display omitted] • Murine Axin2+ and Gli1+ NSCs asynchronously acquire the quiescent property • Axin2+ and Gli1+ NSCs contribute differently to adult neurogenesis • Axin2+ and Gli1+ NSC-derived neurons show differences in maturation and connectivity • Axin2+, not Gli1+, NSCs buffer stress responses and depressive behaviors Luo et al. demonstrate that adult murine Axin2+ and Gli1+ NSCs show differences in the timing of acquiring the quiescent properties, age-induced neurogenesis decline, and responsiveness to external stimuli. They further show that Axin2+, not Gli1+, adult dentate NSCs are responsible for buffering stress responses and depressive behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• COMP and flow coordinately fine-tune endothelial homeostasis. • COMP inhibits disturbed flow-induced endothelial activation by interacting with integrin α5 via its C-terminus. • CCPep24, the key structural motif in mediating a specific COMP–integrin α5 interaction, protects against endothelial activation and atherosclerosis in vivo. • COMP is an endogenous protector of endothelial against disturbed flow and a potential therapeutic target in atherosclerosis. Disturbed flow leads to increased inflammatory responses of endothelial cells (ECs) prone to atherogenic state. Currently, little is known about the physiological mechanisms protecting vasculature against disturbed flow-activated ECs leading to atherosclerosis. Understanding the protective mediators involved in EC activation could provide novel therapeutic strategies for atherosclerosis. The extracellular matrix microenvironment profoundly regulates cellular homeostasis. A non-EC resident ECM protein, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), has diverse protective roles in the cardiovascular system. To determine whether COMP could protect against disturbed flow-activated EC and atherosclerosis, we compared oscillatory shear stress (OSS) induced EC activation coated with various ECM proteins. Purified COMP inhibited EC activation caused by OSS. EC activation was upregulated in the aortic arch where the flow is disturbed in COMP−/− mice as compared with wild-type mice under physiological conditions or pathologically in partially ligated mouse carotid arteries. Mechanistically, co-immunoprecipitation, mammalian two-hybrid and FRET assay results suggest that COMP bound directly to integrin α5 via its C-terminus. We next synthesized a COMP-derived peptidomimetics (CCPep24) mimicking a specific COMP–integrin α5 interaction and found that CCPep24 protected against EC activation and atherogenesis in vivo. This study extends our current understanding of how ECM and flow coordinately fine-tune EC homeostasis and reveals the potential therapeutic effect of COMP or COMP-derived peptidomimetics on blocking aberrant integrin α5 activation, inflammatory EC activation and atherosclerosis pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exosomes contain plenty of bioactive information, playing an important role in intercellular communication by transfer their bioactive molecular contents to recipient cells. Glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) and non-GSC glioma cells coexist in GBM microenvironment; GSC-released exosomes contain intracellular signaling molecules, which may affect the biological phenotypes of recipient cells. However, whether GSC exosomes could affect the biological phenotype of non-GSC glioma cells has not yet been defined. To explore whether GSC exosomes could reprogramme non-GSC glioma cells into GSCs and its possible mechanism involved, non-GSC glioma cells were treated with GSCs released exosomes; the potential mechanisms of action were studied with RNA interference, Notch inhibitors and Western blot analysis. The proliferation, neurosphere formation, invasive capacities, and tumorigenicity of non-GSC glioma cells were increased significantly after GSC exosome treatment; Notch1 signaling pathway was activated in GSCs; Notch1 protein was highly enriched in GSC exosomes; Notch1 signaling pathway and stemness-related protein expressions were increased in GSC exosome treated non-GSC glioma cells and these cell generated tumor tissues; Notch1 protein expression in GSCs and their exosomes, and the neurosphere formation of GSCs were decreased by Notch1 RNA interference; Notch1 signaling pathway protein and stemness protein expressions were decreased in GSC exosome treated non-GSC glioma cells by Notch1 RNA interference and Notch inhibitors. The findings in this study indicated that GSC exosomes act as information carriers, mediated non-GSC glioma cell dedifferentiation into GSCs by delivering Notch1 protein through Notch1 signaling activation, and enhanced stemness and tumorigenicity of non-GSC glioma cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the mining of rare earth minerals, the application of neodymium-containing manures, and the treatment of spent neodymium iron boron magnet, the generation of ammonia wastewater containing neodymium is increasing. Thus, the effects of neodymium (Nd(III)) on anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) were investigated from the aspects of performance, kinetics, statistics, microbial community and sludge morphology, and the recovery strategy of EDTA-2Na wash was discussed. The nitrogen removal efficiency of the Anammox reactor decreased significantly and eventually collapsed at the Nd(III) dosing levels of 20 and 40 mg L−1, respectively. And the toxicity of Nd(III) to AnAOB was determined by the amount internalized into the cells. The EDTA-2Na wash successfully increased the total nitrogen removal rate (TNRR) of Nd(III)-inhibited Anammox to 41.60% of its initial value within 30 days, and the modified Boltzmann model accurately simulated this recovery process. The transient and extended effects of Nd(III), self-recovery, and EDTA-2Na wash on Anammox were effectively assessed using a one-sample t -test. 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that Nd(III) remarkably decreased the relative abundance of Planctomycetes and Candidatus Brocadia. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) revealed crystal-like neodymium particles on the surface of Anammox sludge. The above-mentioned results demonstrate that the concentration of Nd(III) should be below the toxicity threshold (20 mg L−1) when treating ammonia wastewater containing neodymium by Anammox, and also emphasize the importance of an appropriate recovery strategy. [Display omitted] •The toxicity of Nd(III) to AnAOB was determined by the amount internalized into the cells. •Optimal kinetic models for the EDTA-2Na recovery were determined. •Statistical analysis was performed to determine the transient or extended effects of Nd(III) and EDTA-2Na on Anammox. •Nd(III) has a significant inhibitory effect on Candidatus Brocadia. •SEM-EDS revealed the presence of distinct crystal-like neodymium particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• V-4Cr-4Ti and 316SS were laser welded by inserting a Cu interlayer. Three characteristic interfaces (V-4Cr-4Ti and HAZ, HAZ and Weld, Weld and 316SS) were formed after welding. • Due to the formation of IMC at the interface, the hardness and elastic modulus of HAZ and weld are higher than that of the base metal. • The sequence and mechanism of IMC formation are discussed. In fusion reactors, the efficient connection of V-4Cr-4Ti and 316 stainless steel (316SS) is critical for heat transfer between blankets and heat exchangers. However, the presence of brittle intermetallic compounds (IMCs) can degrade the properties of welded joints, so it is necessary to investigate the formation and their mechanism of IMCs. In this study, the morphology, microstructure, hardness of the welded joint between V-4Cr-4Ti and 316SS, were analyzed after laser welding with a Cu interlayer. No significant defects (e.g., pores, macrocracks, or microcracks) were observed in the welded joints after welding, indicating good weldability. Three interfaces are formed according to the analysis of the morphology: V-4Cr-4Ti and the heat affected zone (HAZ), the HAZ and the weld, and the weld and 316SS. According to the microstructural analysis, the CuTi 2 with a structure of face-centered cubic (FCC) is formed at the interface between the IMC layer and the weld, while TiFe with a structure of body-centered cubic (BCC) is formed at the weld and 316SS interface. The σ phase is formed at all three characteristic interfaces. The results of nanoindentation test show that the hardness and elastic modulus of HAZ and weld are higher than that of base metal, which may be due to the formation of IMCs. In addition, the sequence and mechanism of IMCs formation in V-4Cr-4Ti/316SS laser welded joints with Cu interlayers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A SNAD biofilm reactor was well operated under low DO concentration. • TIN removal efficiency and TIN removal rate reached 92.7% and 0.30 kg N·m−3·d−1. • Enriching bacteria and well mixed biofilm enhanced the reactor performance. • Candidatus Anammoxoglobus was the abundant anammox bacteria genus in biofilm. The simultaneous partial nitrification, anammox and denitrification (SNAD) process for treating mainstream wastewater was investigated under different intermittent aeration modes. By controlling the aeration time of 20, 60 and 180 min during the intermittent modes, the oxygen concentration remained 3.50, 1.45 and 0.70 mg·L−1. Correspondingly, the reactor achieved the nitrogen removal rate of 0.17, 0.29 and 0.30 kg N·m−3·d−1. Meanwhile, the average total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) removal efficiency reached 93.4%, 87.5% and 92.7%. The effluent NO 3 −-N concentration was very low. High-throughput sequencing analysis indicated that the proportion of nitrite oxidization bacteria (NOB), anammox bacteria and denitrification bacteria was 0.15%, 0.33% and 8.78%. Candidatus Anammoxoglobus was the abundant anammox bacteria genus. Further study on the unclassified sequences revealed the possibility of the high relative abundance of Nitrosomonas-related genus and Candidatus Kuenenia-related genus on the SNAD biofilm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giant prolactinomas represent a rare entity of pituitary tumors so that the management of these patients is still a prevalent challenge at present. Paying special attention to the treatment strategy and outcomes, we presented a large series of 42 cases looking forward to share our understanding and experience in management of these patients. Male patients accounted for 71.4% of this series and were relatively younger (35.70±2.42 vs. 52.00±3.55 years, p=0.0011) and harbored bigger tumors (14.57 vs. 7.74 cm3 , p=0.0179) compared to females. Almost all of these tumors showed suprasellar extension (97.6%) and cavernous sinus invasion (92.9%). Dopamine agonist represented an efficient method to control PRL concentrations (98.8%) and reduce tumor burdens (81.2 %). PRL normalization was detected in 13 out of the 27 patients initially treated with bromocriptine (BRC) whereas none of the 14 patients with first-line operation gained a normalization of PRL concentration after surgery. Although there was no reliable predictor of tumor response, First PRL reduction was a predictive criterion for the nadir PRL level during the long-time period of follow-up for first-line bromocriptine treatment. In conclusion, patients with giant prolactinomas did not gain more benefits from initial surgery. Dopamine agonist (BRC) should be first-line treatment for giant prolactinomas whereas operation merely served as a remedy for acute compression symptoms and dopamine agonist resistance. Consecutive monitoring of serum PRL levels in the early stage of initial BRC treatment is useful for evaluation of therapeutic effect and further therapeutic decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play important roles in tissue regeneration, and multi-lineage differentiation and immunomodulation are two major characteristics of MSCs that are utilized in stem cell therapy. MSCs in vivo have a markedly different three-dimensional (3D) niche compared to the traditional two-dimensional (2D) culture in vitro. A 3D scaffold is predicted to provide an artificial 3D environment similar to the in vivo environment. Significant changes in MSC differentiation are shown to be occurred when under 3D culture. However, the immunomodulatory characteristics of MSCs under 3D culture remain unknown. In this study, 3D culture systems were constructed using different substrates to evaluate the common immunomodulatory characteristics of MSCs. Compared to the MSCs under 2D culture, the MSCs under 3D culture, which had higher stemness and maintained cell phenotype, showed altered immunophenotypic pattern. Gene expression profile analysis at mRNA and protein level detected by gene chip and protein chip, respectively, further revealed the difference between 3D cultured MSCs and 2D cultured MSCs, which was mainly concentrated in the immunoregulation related aspects. Moreover, the immunoregulatory role of 3D culture was confirmed by our immunosuppressive experiments. These findings demonstrated that the immunomodulatory capacities of MSCs were enhanced by the 3D geometry of substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, tremendous efforts have been devoted to develop new photocatalyst with wide spectrum response for H 2 generation from water or aqueous solution. In this work, CdS nanoparticles (NPs) have been immobilized on hydrogenated three-dimensional (3D) branched TiO 2 nanorod arrays, resulting in a highly efficient photocatalyst, i.e, CdS/H-3D-TiO 2 . In addition, electrochemical reduction of H + ion is identified as a limiting step in the photocatalytic generation of H 2 at this catalyst, while here a Pt wired photocatalysis system (CdS/H-3D-TiO 2 /Pt-wire) is designed to overcome this barrier. Without the application of potential bias, visible light photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of CdS/H-3D-TiO 2 /Pt-wire is 18.42 μmol cm −2 h −1 , which is 11.2 times that of CdS/H-3D-TiO 2 without Pt (1.64 μmol cm −2 h −1 ). The Pt wire acts as an electron super highway between the FTO substrate and H + ions to evacuate the generated electrons to H + ions and catalyze the reduction reaction and consequently generate H 2 gas. This work successfully offers a novel direction for dramatic improvement in H 2 generation efficiency in photocatalysis field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study reports the inhibition kinetics and granular sludge in an anaerobic ammonium-oxidation (ANAMMOX) - up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor fed with diluted mature landfill leachate. The activity of ANAMMOX bacteria was inhibited by addition of mature landfill leachate, but gradually adapted to the leachate. The system achieved efficient nitrogen removal during 65-75 d and the average removal efficiencies for NH4+-N, NO2--N and total nitrogen (TN) were 96%, 95% and 87%, respectively. ANAMMOX was the main pathway of nitrogen removal in the system, and heterotrophic denitrification occurred simultaneously. In addition, aerobic ammonia oxidation and aerobic nitrite oxidation were active in this system. Inhibition kinetic experiments showed that the NH4+-N and NO2--N inhibition concentration threshold of ANAMMOX were 489.03 mg/L and 192.36 mg/L, respectively. ANAMMOX was significantly inhibited by mature landfill leachate, and was completely inhibited when the leachate concentration was 1,450.69 mg/L (calculated in chemical oxygen demand). Thus, the inhibition concentration of substrate and landfill leachate should be considered when applying the ANAMMOX process to landfill leachate. The color of granular sludge ANAMMOX changed from brick-red into a reddish-brown. The particle size increased from small to large, with evident granulation of the ANAMMOX sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the study is to measure the vasoactive peptides, urotensin II (UII), endothelin (ET) and adrenomedullin (ADM) in a well-characterized population of normal controls and patients with essential hypertension, and to study their association with this disease.Methods: The contents of plasma UII, ET and ADM were measured by radioimmunoassay in 40 normal controls and 120 patients with essential hypertension. Echocardiographic examinations were performed using an ultrasonic system, and the left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDd) along with the left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT) and interventricular septal thickness (IST) were determined. The left ventricular mass index (LVMI) was calculated according to the method reported by Devereux et al.Results: Plasma UII, ET and ADM contents were increased in patients than healthy controls (3.28 ± 1.257 pmol/L vs. 1.80 ± 0.639 pmol/L,p < 0.01), and correlated with the severity of hypertension in patients. Besides, all the three vasoactive peptides in plasma had significant correlations with SBP, IST, LVPWT, LVMI (p ≤ 0.05), while they showed insignificant associations with LVEDd (p > 0.05). UII was remarkably associated with ADM content, while the association of UII level with LVEDd and ET content were not significant.Conclusion: The vasoactive peptides UII, ET and ADM may be involved in the pathophysiologic process of essential hypertension, and function as the indicators for severity of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithocarpus polystachyus leaves have been used as tea beverage and folk medicine for healthy care in the Southwest of China. The purpose of this study is to investigate the anticancer activity of Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd leaf aqueous extract (LPAE) and to explore the possible mechanism of its activity. Growth inhibition effects of LPAE breast cancer were tested in vitro and in vivo. The possible mechanism of its activity was analyzed with cell biological and molecular biological assays. After LPAE treatment, the proliferation and colony formation of cancer cells decreased; apoptotic cells increased; DNA fragmentations were evident; mRNA and protein expressions of PPARγ, Bax, and caspase-3 genes increased and expressions of cyclin D1 and Bcl-2 genes decreased; in vivo experiment, LPAE inhibited human beast cancer growth. The findings in this experimental study suggested that LPAE has potential cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on human breast cancer cells in vitro and inhibits the cancer growth in vivo, and its mechanism of activity might be associated with apoptosis induction of cancer cells through upregulation of the mRNA and protein expressions of PPARγ, Bax, and capase-3 genes and downregulation of the expressions of cyclin D1 and Bcl-2 genes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Increasing evidence suggests that three-dimensional (3D) cultures provide more appropriate microenvironments to control stem cell response compared with traditional two-dimensional (2D) cultures. However, the molecular mechanism involved in 3D cultured stem cells is not well known. Several microRNAs whose target genes involved in the regulation of self-renewal and differentiation of stem cells were found to be downregulated in 3D cultured PA-1 cells. Among them, miR-7 was predicted to target Kruppel-like factor 4 ( Klf4), a key gene for self-renewal of neural stem cells (NSCs). We showed that the differentiation of NSCs was inhibited in 3D collagen scaffolds compared with 2D cultured cells. The quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis indicated that the expression of miR-7 and Klf4 changed significantly in 2D cultures, whereas the expression stability of miR-7 and Klf4 was detected in 3D cultures. Using luciferase assay and western blot, Klf4 was identified as a target of miR-7 indicating that miR-7 plays a critical role in maintaining the self-renewal capacity through a Klf4-dependent mechanism in 3D cultured cells. Thus, the collagen scaffold-based 3D cell cultures may provide a platform to reveal the regulatory mechanism of cell regulators, which are difficult to find in traditional 2D cell cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin 23 (IL-23), plays a role in tumor progression by inducing inflammation in the tumor microenvironment, although there is debate about its role in carcinogenesis. Direct effects of IL-23 on tumor cells have been reported rarely, and contradictory effects have been observed. Here, we studied such effects of IL-23 in lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo and explored the underlying mechanism. We found IL-23 receptor expression in tissues from lung adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinoma but not in lung squamous cell carcinoma tissue. Interestingly, different concentrations of IL-23 had opposite effects in the same types of cells. We confirmed that the different effects could be explained by differences in binding to the IL-23 receptor (subunits IL-23r and IL-12Rβ1). Low concentrations of IL-23 promoted the proliferation of IL-23 receptor-positive A549 and SPCA-1 lung cancer cells by binding to IL-23r, whereas high concentrations of IL-23 inhibited proliferation of these cells by binding to both IL-23r and IL-12Rβ1. In contrast, IL-23 had no effect on IL-23 receptor-negative SK-MES-1 cells. IL-23 regulated the growth of human lung cancer cells through its effects on STAT3 expression and phosphorylation in a concentration-dependent way; the Ki-67 gene was involved in these processes. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that IL-23 affects the proliferation of IL-23 receptor-positive lung cancer cells and that this effect is dependent on the IL-23 concentration. This can explain at least part of the inconsistent reports on the role of IL-23 in the progression of carcinogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most malignant and aggressive primary brain tumor in humans, with a uniformly poor prognosis. Hypoxia is a predominant feature in GBM and its microenvironment; it is associated with the tumor growth, progression and resistance to conventional therapy of cancers. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are the master regulators of the transcriptional response to hypoxia in tumor cells and their microenvironment. Numerous studies indicated that hypoxia and HIFs played pivotal roles in the initiation, progression, therapy resistance and recurrence of GBM and maintained the phenotype of glioma stem cells (GSCs), which makes the prognosis of GBM patients worse. This review summarized the current research advance of hypoxia and HIFs in GBM progression and therapeutic implications, which will provide a better understanding of the contribution of hypoxia and HIFs to GBM initiation and progression and highlight that HIFs might be taken as the attractive molecular target approaches for GBM therapeutics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Alocasia macrorrhiza has been used as a folk medicine for cancer treatment in the Southwest of China. Aim of the study: The purpose of this study is to confirm the anticancer activity of aqueous extract of alocasia macrorrhiza against hepatic cancer and to elucidate its mechanism of action. Materials and methods: Human normal liver cells and hepatocellular carcinoma cells were tested in vitro for cytotoxicity, colony formation inhibition, EdU incorporation, AO/EB staining apoptotic cells, apoptotic DNA fragmentation, and cell cycle distribution in response to alocasia macrorrhiza extract. The mRNA and protein expressions of PPARγ, Cyclin D1, Rb, P21, Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3 were detected through RT-PCR and Western blotting; the tumor growth inhibition in vivo was tested by oral administration of the extract. Results: Alocasia macrorrhiza aqueous extract exhibited proliferation inhibition and apoptosis effects on human hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro, inhibited hepatoma growth in vivo. Conclusion: Alocasia macrorrhiza extract has potential cytotoxic and apoptotic effect on human hepatocellular carcinoma cells and inhibits hepatoma growth in vivo, its mechanism of action might be associated with the inhibition of DNA synthesis, cell cycle (G0/G1) arrest, apoptosis induction through up-regulation the mRNA and protein expressions of PPARγ, Rb, Bax and capase-3genes and down-regulation of the expressions of Cyclin D1 and Bcl-2 genes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a type of small non-coding RNA found in eukaryotes. They play a key role in gene expression by down-regulating gene expression and are involved in the environment stress response in plants. Although a large number of miRNAs have been identified from Arabidopsis, few studies have focused on Oryza sativa miRNAs, especially on stress-related miRNAs. Five cDNA libraries of small RNAs from rice seedlings treated with cold, dehydration, salinity, and abscisic acid (ABA), as well as wild-type seedlings, were constructed. Seven rice novel miRNAs were identified by Northern analysis, and their expression patterns under different stress treatments were determined. Results showed that the expression of several novel miRNAs was regulated by one or more stress treatments. Our identification of novel stress-related miRNAs in rice suggests that these miRNAs might be involved in rice stress response pathways. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: miRNAs are ∼21nt non-coding RNAs and play important roles in plant development and response to stress. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) is agronomically important for reducing the need of nitrogen fertilizers. The soybean root nodule is the place where SNF takes place. To identify miRNAs that are possibly involved in nitrogen fixation in soybean functional nitrogen-fixing nodules, a small library of RNAs was constructed from the functional nodules harvested 28 days after inoculation with rhizobium. Thirty-two small RNA sequences were identified as belonging to 11 miRNA families. Eight miRNAs are conserved across plant species, twenty are specific to soybean, and the four remaining miRNAs are novel. Expression analysis revealed that miRNAs were differentially expressed in the different tissues. Combinatorial miRNA target prediction identified genes that are involved in multiple biological processes. The results suggest that miRNAs play critical and diverse roles in SNF, nutrient acquisition, and plant development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]