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The rigid hull encasing Tartary buckwheat seeds necessitates a laborious dehulling process before flour milling, resulting in considerable nutrient loss. Investigation of lignin composition is pivotal in understanding the structural properties of tartary buckwheat seeds hulls, as lignin is key determinant of rigidity in plant cell walls, thus directly impacting the dehulling process. Here, the lignin composition of seed hulls from 274 Tartary buckwheat accessions is analyzed, unveiling a unique lignin chemotype primarily consisting of G lignin, a common feature in gymnosperms. Furthermore, the hardness of the seed hull showed a strong negative correlation with the S lignin content. Genome‐wide detection of selective sweeps uncovered that genes governing the biosynthesis of S lignin, specifically two caffeic acid O‐methyltransferases (COMTs) and one ferulate 5‐hydroxylases, are selected during domestication. This likely contributed to the increased S lignin content and decreased hardness of seed hulls from more domesticated varieties. Genome‐wide association studies identified robust associations between FtCOMT1 and the accumulation of S lignin in seed hull. Transgenic Arabidopsis comt1 plants expressing FtCOMT1 successfully reinstated S lignin content, confirming its conserved function across plant species. These findings provide valuable metabolic and genetic insights for the potential redesign of Tartary buckwheat seed hulls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), stomatal closure mediated by abscisic acid (ABA) is redundantly controlled by ABA receptor family proteins (PYRABACTIN RESISTANCE 1 [PYR1]/PYR1-LIKE [PYLs]) and subclass III SUCROSE NONFERMENTING 1 (SNF1)-RELATED PROTEIN KINASES 2 (SnRK2s). Among these proteins, the roles of PYR1, PYL2, and SnRK2.6 are more dominant. A recent discovery showed that ABA-induced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mitochondria promotes stomatal closure. By analyzing stomatal movements in an array of single and higher order mutants, we revealed that the mitochondrial protein VOLTAGE-DEPENDENT ANION CHANNEL 3 (VDAC3) jointly regulates ABA-mediated stomatal closure with a specialized set of PYLs and SnRK2s by affecting cellular and mitochondrial ROS accumulation. VDAC3 interacted with 9 PYLs and all 3 subclass III SnRK2s. Single mutation in VDAC3, PYLs (except PYR1 and PYL2), or SnRK2.2/2.3 had little effect on ABA-mediated stomatal closure. However, knocking out PYR1, PYL1/2/4/8, or SnRK2.2/2.3 in vdac3 mutants resulted in significantly delayed or attenuated ABA-mediated stomatal closure, despite the presence of other PYLs or SnRK2s conferring redundant functions. We found that cellular and mitochondrial accumulation of ROS induced by ABA was altered in vdac3pyl1 mutants. Moreover, H2O2 treatment restored ABA-induced stomatal closure in mutants with decreased stomatal sensitivity to ABA. Our work reveals that VDAC3 ensures redundant control of ABA-mediated stomatal closure by canonical ABA signaling components. Arabidopsis mitochondrial protein VOLTAGE-DEPENDENT ANION CHANNEL 3 regulates abscisic acid–mediated stomatal closure by affecting cellular and mitochondrial accumulation of reactive oxygen species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum hydroxide adjuvants are widely used in human vaccines, such as diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines. The adsorption of antigens on aluminum hydroxide adjuvants determines the immune boosting effect of vaccines, but it is not clear how changes in physicochemical properties resulting from the production and formulation processes affect the adsorption of aluminum hydroxide adjuvants with antigens. In this study, the commercial aluminum hydroxide adjuvant Alhydrogel® was pretreated by commonly used processes such as autoclaving and calcination, and the changes of aluminum hydroxide adjuvant in physicochemical properties during the treatment were then comprehensively characterized. The adsorption of ovalbumin (OVA) with treated Alhydrogel®, was also investigated, it was found that the decrease in specific surface area caused by the autoclaving process reduced the adsorptive capacity of the antigen, and the adsorptive strength of antigen was decreased only when the surface hydroxyl groups and chemically bound water of adjuvant were reduced by calcination. These findings help to optimize the production and formulation process of adjuvants for the rational regulation of antigen adsorption in vaccines. [Display omitted] • Autoclaved Alhydrogel® exhibits crystal growth and dehydration. • The decreased surface area of Alhydrogel® reduces adsorptive capacity of OVA. • Alhydrogel® loses surface hydroxyl group when calcined to 350 °C. • The loss of hydroxyl groups of Alhydrogel® reduces adsorptive strength of OVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, two-dimensional (2D) bilayer magnetic systems have been widely studied. Their interlayer magnetic interactions play a vital role in the magnetic properties. In this paper, we theoretically studied the interlayer magnetic interactions, magnetic states, and ferroelectricity of π / 3 -twisted CrX2 (X = Se, Te) bilayers (π / 3 -CrX2). Our study reveals that the lateral shift could switch the magnetic state of the π / 3 -CrSe2 between interlayer ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic, while just tuning the strength of the interlayer antiferromagnetic interactions in π / 3 -CrTe2. Furthermore, the lateral shift can alter the off-plane electric polarization in both π / 3 -CrSe2 and π / 3 -CrTe2. These results show that stacking is an effective way to tune both the magnetic and ferroelectric properties of 1T-CrX2 bilayers, making the 1T-CrX2 bilayers hold promise for 2D spintronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is a reflexive analysis of my fieldwork experience studying Chinese police officers' responses to domestic violence, focusing on recruitment and access. As one of the first qualitative works that investigate the gender quality of China's street-level police subculture, it examines how having a female gatekeeper and studying a gendered topic in a male-dominated and chivalrously sexist subculture can shape female researchers' fieldwork. This article clarifies the multiple roles a gatekeeper plays. The findings also highlight that doing gender in fieldwork involves a mutual categorization by emphasizing the participants' gender performance in response to the researcher's gender identity as well as the research topic. Finally, this work also provides tips that fellow researchers working in the field may find helpful in managing gender performance, avoiding sexist treatments, and enhancing the trustworthiness of the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ultrasound (US) is the primary imaging modality for the assessment of transplanted kidneys. This study aims to investigate the ability of conventional US and contrast‐enhanced US (CEUS) in assessing renal allograft function and prognosis. Methods: A total of 78 consecutive renal allograft recipients were enrolled. Patients were classified as normal allograft function (n = 41) and allograft dysfunction (n = 37) groups. All patients underwent US and parameters were measured. The independent‐samples t‐test or Mann–Whitney U test, logistic regression analysis, Kaplan–Meier survival plots, and Cox regression analysis were used. Results: In multivariable analysis, cortical echo intensity (EI) and cortical peak intensity (PI) were determinant US parameters for renal allograft dysfunction (p =.024 and p =.003, respectively). The combination of cortical EI and PI showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of.785 (p <.001). Of 78 patients (median follow‐up: 20mo), 16 (20.5%) exhibited composite end points. Cortical PI had a general prediction accuracy with an AUROC of.691, sensitivity of 87.5%, and specificity of 46.8% at the threshold of 22.08 dB in predicting prognosis (p =.019). The combination of estimated‐glomerular filtration rate (e‐GFR) and PI in predicting prognosis showed an AUROC of.845 with a cut‐off value of.836, sensitivity of 84.0%, and specificity of 67.3% (p <.001). Conclusion: This study indicates that cortical EI and PI are useful US parameters for evaluating renal allograft function and e‐GFR combined with PI may provide a more accurate predictor of survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-view clustering based on graph learning has attracted extensive attention due to its simplicity and efficiency in recent years. However, there are still some issues in most of the existing graph-based multi-view clustering methods. First, most of those methods require post-processing such as K-means or spectral rotation to get the final discrete clustering result. Second, graph-based clustering methods perform clustering on a fixed input similarity graph, which could induce bad clustering results if the initial graph is with low quality. Third, these methods have high computation cost, which hinders them for dealing with large-scale data. In order to solve these problems, we propose a multi-view spectral clustering method via joint Adaptive Graph Learning and Matrix Factorization (AGLMF). In this method, to reduce computational cost, we adopt the anchor-based strategy to construct the input similarity graphs. Then, we use the l 1 -norm to learn a high quality similarity graph adaptively from original similarity graphs which can make the final graph more robust than original ones. In addition, AGLMF uses symmetric non-negative matrix factorization to learn the final clustering indicators which can show the final consistent clustering result directly. Finally, experimental results on multiple multi-view datasets validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm when compared with previous multi-view spectral clustering algorithms. The demo code of this work is publicly available at https://github.com/theywq/AGLMF.git. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few effective medications to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has been suggested that several ginsenosides possess mild or moderate anti-AD activity. In our present work, a preferred combined ginsenosides was shown to have a more significant benefit effect on AD-like symptoms of worm paralysis and hypersensitivity to exogenous 5-HT in C. elegans. The combined ginsenosides can suppress Aβ deposits and Aβ oligomers, alleviating the toxicity induced by Aβ overexpression more effectively than used alone. Its anti-AD effect was partially abolished by hsf-1 RNAi knocked down or hsf-1 inactivation by point mutation, but not by daf-16 or skn-1 RNAi knocked down. Furthermore, it markedly activated hsp-16.2 gene expression downstream of HSF-1. Our results demonstrated that HSF-1 signaling pathway exerts an important role in mediating the therapeutic effect of combined ginsenosides on AD worms. These results provided powerful evidences and theoretical foundation for reshaping medicinal products of ginsenosides and ginseng on prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the restriction of CMAS corrosion, the YSZ TBCs are facing great challenges, which accelerates the development of the novel potential thermal barrier materials. This work has investigated the CMAS corrosion resistance of the novel thermal barrier material GdTaO 4 and YbTaO 4 to assess their potential in replacing the traditional YSZ. The results indicate that GdTaO 4 and YbTaO 4 possess excellent phase stability, and there is no phase transition after 150 h sintering at 1350 °C. The crystallization phenomenon has occurred in the residual CMAS when the reaction time is 0.5 h, and the main crystallization product is CaMgSi 2 O 6. In comparison, when the reaction time increase to 10 h, the crystallization phenomenon has disappeared completely. The maximum reaction layer thickness of GdTaO 4 and YbTaO 4 are ∼10 μm and ∼6 μm after 10 h CMAS corrosion, respectively. The XRD patterns indicate that the main product after 10 h reaction is Ca 2 Ta 2 O 7. Compared with the CaMgSi 2 O 6 , the Ca 2 Ta 2 O 7 possesses lower formation enthalpy and cohesion energy. With the reaction time rising, the formation of Ca 2 Ta 2 O 7 consumes lots of Ca elements and restrain the formation of CaMgSi 2 O 6. Besides, the difference of GdTaO 4 and YbTaO 4 in CAMS corrosion resistance is also attributed to cohesion energy. These results indicate that GdTaO 4 and YbTaO 4 exhibit enormous potential to manufacture the novel TBCs in CMAS corrosion resistance compared with the YSZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Salicylic acid (SA) is a key phytohormone regulating plant immunity. Although the transcriptional regulation of SA biosynthesis has been well‐studied, its post‐translational regulation is largely unknown.We report that a Kelch repeats‐containing F‐box (KFB) protein, SMALL AND GLOSSY LEAVES 1 (SAGL1), negatively influences SA biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana by mediating the proteolytic turnover of SYSTEMIC ACQUIRED RESISTANCE DEFICIENT 1 (SARD1), a master transcription factor that directly drives SA biosynthesis during immunity.Loss of SAGL1 resulted in characteristic growth inhibition. Combining metabolomic, transcriptional and phenotypic analyses, we found that SAGL1 represses SA biosynthesis and SA‐mediated immune activation. Genetic crosses to mutants that are deficient in SA biosynthesis blocked the SA overaccumulation in sagl1 and rescued its growth. Biochemical and proteomic analysis identified that SAGL1 interacts with SARD1 and promotes the degradation of SARD1 in a proteasome‐dependent manner.These results unravelled a critical role of KFB protein SAGL1 in maintaining SA homeostasis via controlling SARD1 stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-view clustering (MVC) has attached extensive attention as it provides an effective approach to deal with the unlabeled data in real-world applications. To enjoy the strong feature extraction capacity of deep learning, traditional shallow MVC methods are further extended to deep version. Though achieve superiorities in many fields, most existing deep MVC models are still limited by their lacking assurance of the trustworthiness and robustness. This drawback also leads to the possible poor clustering performance. To tackle this drawback, we propose an alternating generative adversarial learning strategy based network, termed as Alternating Generative Adversarial Representation Learning (AGARL) network for multi-view clustering, aiming to drive different views to fall into the same semantic space for the further alignment and information fusion. Various from the traditional generative adversarial learning strategy, the proposed alternating adversarial representation learning strategy successes in further aligning the distributions of the view-specific representations and exploring the cross-view consistency credited by its setting each view as the reference alternately. Then a consensus representative latent representation can be learned through an attention-like sub-network for all views. Finally, a self-supervised clustering module is employed in the proposed network to guide the learning of cluster assignment. In addition, comprehensive experiments on numerous benchmark MVC datasets have been performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed network compared to other state-of-the-art methods. • A novel deep multi-view clustering network termed as AGARL is proposed in this paper. • The alternating adversarial learning strategy is employed to ensure the trustworthiness. • A self-supervised sub-network is designed to ensure the compactness of the clusters. • Extensive experiments demonstrate the outstanding performance of the proposed network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "Integrative Dissection of Lignin Composition in Tartary Buckwheat Seed Hulls for Enhanced Dehulling Efficiency" discusses the challenges of dehulling Tartary buckwheat due to its tough seed hull. The authors, Qiao Zhao, Zhaoxia Sun, Xuebin Zhang, and their colleagues, have identified a unique lignin composition in the seed hull that contributes to its rigidity. They have also identified the genetic basis controlling this lignin chemotype. These findings have the potential to improve the dehulling process of Tartary buckwheat, which is known for its high nutritional value. [Extracted from the article]

• ZnO- S.cerevisiae could improve the growth of A.memeranaceus seedlings and increase the content of chlorophyll and Astragaloside IV. • ZnO- S.cerevisiae could be antifungal agent against Fusarium oxysporum in vitro and in vivo. • The composited material can directly inhibit pathogens, activate the antioxidant enzymes and induce resistance genes in plants. Astragalus memeranaceus has been widely used in health, and root rot is a common disease in its cultivation, which is caused by Fusarium oxysporum. ZnO- Saccharomyces. cerevisiae was synthesized and its antifungal activity against F.oxysporum was investigated in vitro and in vivo for the first time. It can directly inhibit pathogens by down-regulating physiological genes. In the plant experiment, the disease severity decreased in the ZnO- S.cerevisiae treated A.memeranaceus. Additionally, ZnO- S.cerevisiae increased the content of chlorophyll and Astragaloside IV, and improved the growth of A.memeranaceus seedlings. Furthermore, by analysis of muti-omic, activity of antioxidant enzymes and molecular docking, the obtained ZnO- S.cerevisiae could activate the antioxidant enzymes, improve antifungal metabolites and induce resistance genes in A.memeranaceus , indicating higher resistance of plants under biotic stresses. The multifunctional ZnO- S.cerevisiae with superior antifungal activity provides a promising alternative to the traditional antifungal agents and has great potential in plant protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because the CMAS corrosion and phase transformation at elevated temperatures above 1250 °C have limited the applications of traditional YSZ, the design of novel thermal barrier materials is a hotspot. GdTaO 4 is considered as a type of potential novel thermal barrier material owing to its low thermal conductivity. In this study, the mechanical and thermal properties, CMAS corrosion resistance, and the wettability of the GdTaO 4 were studied and compared with that of YSZ. The results show that the coefficient of thermal expansion and hardness of GdTaO 4 are 14.1 × 10−6 K−1 (1350 °C) and 534.2 Hv 0.3 respectively. The thickness of CMAS reaction layer of GdTaO 4 is ~30.8 μm after 24 h reaction at 1350 °C, which is thinner than that of YSZ. After corrosion reaction, the CMAS glass aggregated instead of completely disappearing or continuously extending over the surface of GdTaO 4. The main reaction product is Ca 2 Ta 2 O 7 , and the anorthite phase may not be detected, which is similar to YTaO 4. By comparison, the dense substrate of YSZ became porous and CMAS glass has disappeared after 10 h. CMAS corrosion at 1350 °C. The on-line contact angle results show that the wettability of CMAS on GdTaO 4 is worse than that on YSZ at 1350 °C, while the opposite of the work of adhesion, which indicates that GdTaO 4 can remove liquid CMAS more easily than YSZ TBCs during the service. Furthermore, the corrosion depth and areas of GdTaO 4 are smaller than those of YSZ in the same situation. These findings suggest that GdTaO 4 possesses better high-temperature properties and CMAS corrosion resistance than YSZ as a kind of potential of thermal barrier material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural color colloidal sols of perovskite nanosheets were synthesized and were immobilized in a polymer hydrogel film by in situ photopolymerization, leading to a novel mechanochromic material. Visible absorption spectroscopy, polarized optical microscopy and small‐angle X‐ray scattering revealed that the nanosheets are aligned parallel to the film surface with the periodic distance of up to ca. 300 nm, giving the structural color tunable over full color range. The present structural color gel showed reversible mechanochromic response that detects weak stress of 1 kPa with the quick response time less than 1 ms as well as high mechanical toughness (compressive breaking stress of up to 3 MPa). These excellent properties are suitable for applications for mechano‐sensors and displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural color colloidal sols of perovskite nanosheets were synthesized and were immobilized in a polymer hydrogel film by in situ photopolymerization, leading to a novel mechanochromic material. Visible absorption spectroscopy, polarized optical microscopy and small‐angle X‐ray scattering revealed that the nanosheets are aligned parallel to the film surface with the periodic distance of up to ca. 300 nm, giving the structural color tunable over full color range. The present structural color gel showed reversible mechanochromic response that detects weak stress of 1 kPa with the quick response time less than 1 ms as well as high mechanical toughness (compressive breaking stress of up to 3 MPa). These excellent properties are suitable for applications for mechano‐sensors and displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CMAS corrosion is one of the significant failure mechanisms for thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). In this work, the corrosion behaviors and wettability of CMAS on M-YTaO4 at 1350 °C are studied to evaluate the M-YTaO4 ceramics' potential to replace YSZ. The results show that the contact angles of CMAS on M-YTaO4 with different time (1 min, 0.5 h, 4 h, 10 h and 24 h) are around 14.3° (14.4°14.4°, 14.4°, 14.3° and 14.2°, respectively), and larger than that on YSZ (8.0°, 1 min), which means the wettability of CMAS on M-YTaO4 is worse than that on YSZ and which is benefit to improve its corrosion resistance. The thickness of reaction layer is increasing with elapsed time, but the increasing rate is decreased, and the maximum reaction thickness is 31.42 μm at 24 h. There are four main phases after reaction, which are M-YTaO4, M'-YTaO4, Ca2Ta2O7 and Y2Si2O7. For the effects of lattice distortion and thermodynamics reason, M'-YTaO4 can retain steadily at room temperature. Besides, the chemical reaction process between CMAS and yttrium tantalite is also be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-Glucosidase exists in all areas of living organisms, and microbial β-glucosidase has become the main source of its production because of its unique physicochemical properties and the advantages of high-yield production by fermentation. With the rise of the green circular economy, the production of enzymes through the fermentation of waste as the substrate has become a popular trend. Lignocellulosic biomass is an easily accessible and sustainable feedstock that exists in nature, and the production of biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass requires the involvement of β-glucosidase. This review proposes ways to improve β-glucosidase yield and catalytic efficiency. Optimization of growth conditions and purification strategies of enzymes can increase enzyme yield, and enzyme immobilization, genetic engineering, protein engineering, and whole-cell catalysis provide solutions to enhance the catalytic efficiency and activity of β-glucosidase. Besides, the diversified industrial applications, challenges and prospects of β-glucosidase are also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-Glucosidase exists in all areas of living organisms, and microbial β-glucosidase has become the main source of its production because of its unique physicochemical properties and the advantages of high-yield production by fermentation. With the rise of the green circular economy, the production of enzymes through the fermentation of waste as the substrate has become a popular trend. Lignocellulosic biomass is an easily accessible and sustainable feedstock that exists in nature, and the production of biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass requires the involvement of β-glucosidase. This review proposes ways to improve β-glucosidase yield and catalytic efficiency. Optimization of growth conditions and purification strategies of enzymes can increase enzyme yield, and enzyme immobilization, genetic engineering, protein engineering, and whole-cell catalysis provide solutions to enhance the catalytic efficiency and activity of β-glucosidase. Besides, the diversified industrial applications, challenges and prospects of β-glucosidase are also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corrosion of YSZ TBCs attacked by calcium–magnesium–aluminosilicate (CMAS) is a serious problem. Yttrium tantalite (YTaO 4), a new kind of potential thermal barrier ceramic material, was expected to replace the YSZ to manufacture the TBCs because of its great thermophysical characteristics. In this study, porous YTaO 4 ceramic pellets, instead of actual TBCs, were used to investigate the CMAS corrosion resistance at 1250 °C. Results indicated that CMAS couldn't cover the whole surface of YTaO 4 pellets homogeneously because of low wettability between liquid CMAS and YTaO 4 , in addition, there was almost no reaction layer after 4 h reaction. The XRD results showed that M-YTaO 4 , M′-YTaO 4 , Ca 2 Ta 2 O 7 and Y 2 Si 2 O 7 were the main four phases after reaction and there was no phase containing the elements of Mg and Al. Compared with YSZ TBCs, this new kind of potential thermal barrier ceramic material showed well resistance to CMAS corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There was a high comorbidity rate of major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), showing a poor prognosis and significant detrimental impact on functioning. The study aimed to find whether patients with comorbid GAD and MDD had some differences in cognitive functions from patients with MDD or GAD alone. 360 adult patients were enrolled from inpatient department of psychiatry from 2020 to 2022. They were divided into three groups with 120 patients for each group: MDD, GAD, and MDD + GAD. All the patients completed psychological evaluation scales including patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and 7-item generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7). All the patients underwent examinations of auditory brainstem response and event-related potentials (ERPs). In MDD + GAD group, P3b latency was significantly longer than patients with MDD alone, and P300 reaction time was positively correlated with total score of GAD-7 and PHQ-9, and PHQ-9 total score was also significantly positively correlated with P2-P3b amplitude (all p < 0.05). In addition, MDD patients had significantly longer P300 reaction time and lower P2-P3b amplitude than the GAD group (p < 0.05). It was a single-center and cross-sectional study, and we used self-report scales as assessment tools. Patients with MDD and GAD comorbidity might have a worse cognitive function than MDD patients, and the severity of cognitive impairments was positively correlated with the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms. • The first study to use ERPs to explore differences in patients comorbid with depression and anxiety, depression or anxiety alone. • P300 latency was significantly prolonged in patient comorbid with depression and anxiety. • P300 reaction time and P2-P3b amplitude might be indicative of severity of depression and anxiety symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the potential of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) for evaluating the severity of tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis (TA/IF) in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) patients.Materials and methods: A total of 80 patients with IgAN and 33 healthy adults were investigated. Patients were divided into three groups according to the TA/IF (T) grade of the Oxford classification: T0 (n = 28), T1 (n = 35), and T2 (n = 17). Patients and control subjects underwent conventional ultrasound (US) and CEUS. Time-intensity curves of CEUS were drawn for regions of interest located in the renal cortex and medulla using QLab software. Conventional US and CEUS quantitative parameters were analyzed. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), binary logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used.Results: There were no significant differences in renal size, cortical thickness, and medullary perfusion parameters (P > 0.05), whereas the differences in peak intensity (PI), area under the time-intensity curve (AUC) and wash-in slope (WIS) of cortical perfusion parameters between the control subjects and patients were significant (P < 0.05). PI was significantly lower with the increasing degree of T (P < 0.05). PI was associated independently with the degree of T in IgAN patients (P < 0.05). ROC analysis revealed that using the optimal cutoff values of 15.38 dB for diagnosis of T0-T1 (sensitivity 83.30% and specificity 63.00%) and 14.69 dB for diagnosis of T2 (sensitivity 100.00% and specificity 66.70%), the corresponding areas under the ROC curve were found to be 0.782 and 0.952, respectively.Conclusions: CEUS can potentially be used as a noninvasive imaging marker to evaluate the severity of TA/IF in IgAN patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic patients are more sensitive to ischemic injury than non-diabetics. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been reported to be closely associated with the pathophysiology of ischemic injury in diabetes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanisms involved in the progression of diabetes complicated by myocardial infarction (MI) and further verify the role of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)-homologous protein (CHOP) using an in vitro model of diabetes/MI. The rats were exposed to 65 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) and left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery ligation. ST-segment elevation, heart rate, left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP) and LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) were measured. Serum creatinine kinase-MB (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) levels were examined by ELISA. Infarct size and apoptosis were measured by triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay. Pathological changes were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining. H9c2 cells were used to establish an in vitro model of diabetes complicated by MI. Following CHOP knockdown, cell viability, cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were examined by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, flow cytometry and Hoechst staining. Glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), CHOP, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), endoplasmic reticulum oxidoreductase 1 (Ero1)-α, Ero1β and protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) levels in both myocardial tissues and H9c2 cells were determined by western blotting. In the present study, diabetes complicated by MI promoted ST-segment elevation and myocardial apoptosis, increased infarct size, induced pathological changes and elevated LVEDP, CK-MB, cTnT, GRP78, CHOP, Bax, Ero1α, Ero1β and PDI; however, it decreased heart rate, LVSP and Bcl-2. Additionally, high glucose combined with hypoxic treatment reduced cell viability, induced cell cycle arrest at G1 phase, promoted cell apoptosis, and activated the GRP78/CHOP and Ero1/PDI signaling pathways, which were reversed by CHOP knockdown. Thus, CHOP may be an effective therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetes complicated by MI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To investigate the impact of peroxisome proliferator–activator receptor delta (PPARD) gene polymorphism and additional gene–smoking interaction on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk based on this Chinese population.Methods: A total of 1048 subjects (617 males, 431 females) with a mean age of 52.9 ± 14.1 years old were selected, including 520 CVD patients and 528 normal control subjects. The logistic regression model was used to examine the association between three SNPs and CVD risk, odds ratio (OR), and 95% confident interval (95%CI) were calculated. Generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) was employed to investigate the gene–smoking interaction.Results: Genotypes of variants in rs2016520 and rs9794 were associated with decreased CVD risk, and CVD risk was significantly lower in carriers of C allele of the rs2016520 polymorphism than those with the TT genotype (TC+CCversusTT), adjusted OR (95%CI) = 0.71 (0.56–0.86). In addition, we also found that CVD risk was also significantly lower in carriers of the G allele of the rs9794 polymorphism than those with the CC genotype (CG+ GGversusCC), adjusted OR (95%CI) = 0.69 (0.53–0.86). GMDR analysis suggested a potential gene–environment interaction between rs2016520 and smoking. Overall, the two-locus models had a cross-validation consistency of 10 of 10, and had the testing accuracy of 62.17%, and never smokers with TC or CC of the rs2016520 genotype have the lowest CVD risk, compared to smokers with TT of rs2016520, OR (95%CI) was 0.42 (0.23–0.66).Conclusions: The minor allele of rs2016520 and rs9794 in PPAR-δ and interaction between rs2016520 and non-smoking were associated with decreased risk of CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The plant phytohormone abscisic acid ( ABA) plays significant roles in integrating environmental signals with embryogenesis, germination, seedling establishment, the floral transition and the adaptation of plants to stressful environments by modulating stomatal movement and stress-responsive gene expression. ABA signalling consists of ABA perception, signal transduction and ABA-induced responses. ABA receptors such as members of the PYR/ PYL family, group A type 2C protein phosphatases (as negative regulators), Sn RK2 protein kinases (as positive regulators), bZIP transcription factors and ion channels are key components of ABA signalling. Post-translational modifications, including dephosphorylation, phosphorylation and ubiquitination, play important roles in regulating ABA signalling. In this review, we focus on the roles of post-translational modifications in ABA signalling. The studies presented provide a detailed picture of the ABA signalling network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power gives people the ability to control themselves and their environment, and this control is considered a fundamental human need. We investigated whether experiencing powerlessness induces the experience of self-dehumanization using three methods: priming, role-playing, and cueing. People in a position of low power viewed themselves (Experiments 1–3) as less human relative to people in a position of high power; furthermore, people with low power believed that they were viewed as less human by others as well (Experiments 2–3). In all of the experiments, human nature traits were most negatively affected by powerlessness in self-perception judgments, and uniquely human traits were most negatively affected by powerlessness in meta-perception judgments. Furthermore, the powerless believed they were viewed as less human not only by the powerful people but also the outside observers of the power dynamic. Self-dehumanization also appears to be a consequence of powerlessness rather than an incidental result of a change in mood or a negative self-view. Our findings are an important extension of previous work on the adverse effects of powerlessness and dehumanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Shear wave elastography ultrasound (SWE) is an emerging non-invasive candidate for assessing kidney stiffness. However, its prognostic value regarding kidney injury is unclear. Methods: A prospective cohort was created from kidney biopsy patients in our hospital from May 2019 to June 2020. The primary outcome was the initiation of renal replacement therapy or death, while the secondary outcome was eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Ultrasound, biochemical, and biopsy examinations were performed on the same day. Radiomics signatures were extracted from the SWE images. Results: In total, 187 patients were included and followed up for 24.57 ± 5.52 months. The median SWE value of the left kidney cortex (L_C_median) is an independent risk factor for kidney prognosis for stage 3 or over (HR 0.890 (0.796–0.994), p < 0.05). The inclusion of 9 out of 2511 extracted radiomics signatures improved the prognostic performance of the Cox regression models containing the SWE and the traditional index (chi-square test, p < 0.001). The traditional Cox regression model had a c-index of 0.9051 (0.8460–0.9196), which was no worse than the machine learning models, Support Vector Machine (SVM), SurvivalTree, Random survival forest (RSF), Coxboost, and Deepsurv. Conclusions: SWE can predict kidney injury progression with an improved performance by radiomics and Cox regression modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of YSZ TBCs has been limited by the CMAS corrosion and thermophysical characteristics. The Ytterbium Tantalate (YbTaO 4) ceramic was selected in this study to evaluate its potential to replace traditional YSZ. The thermal and mechanical properties of YbTaO 4 show great advantages over YSZ, especially the hardness (191.3 ± 7.6 Hv 0.3). The CMAS hot corrosion results indicate that the maximum thickness of the reaction layer at 1350 °C after 24 h is ~16.8 μm, which is much thinner than that of YSZ. Moreover, the porosity of the reaction layer does not increase significantly compared with the YSZ TBCs. The main product after the reaction is the Ca 2 Ta 2 O 7 phase, and there is no anorthite phase after the reaction, mainly because the formation of the Ca 2 Ta 2 O 7 phase consumes a lot of Ca atoms. In addition, the equilibrium contact angle of YbTaO 4 is higher than that of YSZ, which indicates that the YbTaO 4 possesses worse wettability. In actual conditions, low wettability is conducive to the YbTaO 4 TBCs get rid of the liquid CMAS, which can effectively reduce the corrosion effect of CMAS. Furthermore, the corrosion depth and area of YbTaO 4 causing by residual CMAS are also smaller due to the poor wettability. Based on the above results, YbTaO 4 exhibits excellent potential to replace YSZ in preparing TBCs for the next generation aero engines. • The on-line contact angle was measured by the high-temperature contact angle analyzer. • The CMAS glass on the YbTaO 4 samples has not disappeared after different time reaction. • The reaction layer thickness of YbTaO 4 after 24 h CMAS attacking is thinner than YSZ TBCs. • The YbTaO 4 ceramics possess worse CMAS wettability compared with the YSZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The compartmentalized metabolic engineering is proposed and summarized. • More precise and efficient production of compounds through compartmentalization. • BMCs and MLOs are potential compartments in prokaryotes. • New directions in compartmentalized metabolic engineering are presented. Metabolic engineering has witnessed remarkable advancements, enabling successful large-scale, cost-effective and efficient production of numerous compounds. However, the predominant expression of heterologous genes in the cytoplasm poses limitations, such as low substrate concentration, metabolic competition and product toxicity. To overcome these challenges, compartmentalized metabolic engineering allows the spatial separation of metabolic pathways for the efficient and precise production of target compounds. Compartmentalized metabolic engineering and its common strategies are comprehensively described in this study, where various membranous compartments and membraneless compartments have been used for compartmentalization and constructive progress has been made. Additionally, the challenges and future directions are discussed in depth. This review is dedicated to providing compartmentalized, precise and efficient methods for metabolic production, and provides valuable guidance for further development in the field of metabolic engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence suggests that hepatocyte mitochondrial dysfunction leads to abnormal lipid metabolism, redox imbalance, and programmed cell death, driving the onset and progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Identifying hub mitochondrial genes linked to NASH may unveil potential therapeutic targets. Methods: Mitochondrial hub genes implicated in NASH were identified via analysis using 134 algorithms. Results: The Random Forest algorithm (RF), the most effective among the 134 algorithms, identified three genes: Aldo–keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10), thymidylate synthase (TYMS), and triggering receptor expressed in myeloid cell 2 (TREM2). They were upregulated and positively associated with genes promoting inflammation, genes involved in lipid synthesis, fibrosis, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis activity scores in patients with NASH. Moreover, using these three genes, patients with NASH were accurately categorized into cluster 1, exhibiting heightened disease severity, and cluster 2, distinguished by milder disease activity. Conclusion: These three genes are pivotal mitochondrial genes implicated in NASH progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mode cross-over from ductile response to brittle failure is observed. • The effective number of nails in a row is suggested. • Folz's model is capable of predicting the load-slip relationship of the connection. Laminated bamboo lumber (LBL) nailed connection made with LBL main member and sandwiched by LBL side members is introduced, which plays an essential role in the safe and reliability of bamboo buildings. However, little research attention has been paid on to the mechanical behavior of connections. This paper reports an experimental study on the effect of parameters on reference loads (yield load and maximum load), stiffness and load-slip behavior of the connections, including nail diameter, number of lines and rows of nails. For single nail connection, nail pull-through and plastic hinges forms in LBL members. Mode cross-over from ductile response to brittle failure is observed in multi-nail connections with one or more splitting cracks develop from the nails hole edges toward the ends of the side or middle members. A decreasing ductility of connections is investigated with increasing diameter and number of nails. The capacity of effective number of nails in a row is evaluated and compared with that obtained from existing analytical formulas. Predictions from existed various theoretical modes are compared with experimentally determined capacities of nailed connection per shear plane per nail and conclude that the load carrying capacity of connections with laterally load nails can be applied to accurately estimate using European yield models (EYMs). Furthermore, the model developed by Folz is capable of predicting the load-slip relationship of LBL nailed connections. The findings of this study will provide the scientific basis and useful information for the design and finite element numerical simulation of engineered bamboo structures containing LBL nailed connections and promote the rational use of bamboo resources in the field of civil engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive hepatic lipid droplets (LDs) accumulation-induced lipid metabolism disorder contributes to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Exercise is a promising therapeutic strategy for NAFLD. However, the mechanism by which exercise ameliorates NAFLD through regulating the catabolism of hepatic LDs remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effect of perilipin2 (PLIN2)–lysosomal acid lipase (LIPA) axis mediating exercise-triggered lipophagy in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD mouse model. Our results showed that exercise could reduce HFD-induced hepatic LDs accumulation and change the expression of lipolysis-related enzymes. Moreover, exercise upregulated the expression of microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and autophagy-related proteins, and downregulated sequestosome 1 (P62) expression and promoted autophagosomes formation. Interestingly, exercise downregulated PLIN2 expression, upregulated LIPA expression, and increased the activity of hepatic LIPA and serum levels of LIPA in the NAFLD mouse model. Further mechanistic studies demonstrated that adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator-5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAr) treatment significantly increased mRNA levels and protein expression of LIPA and LC3II and decreased levels of PLIN2 and P62 in palmitic acid (PA)-treated HepG2 cells. PLIN2 silencing and LIPA overexpression notably increased the mRNA level and protein expression of LC3II and decreased the mRNA level and protein expression of p62, respectively. In summary, our findings reveal novel insights into the effect of exercise on improving lipid droplet metabolism disorder in NAFLD. Enhancing the PLIN2–LIPA axis-mediated lipophagy may be one of the key mechanisms involved in NAFLD alleviation by exercise. • Exercise enhances lipid droplets catabolism by promoting AMPKα-dependent lipophagy. • Exercise regulates lipophagy via the PLIN2-LIPA axis. • Exercise alleviates NAFLD through promoting the PLIN2-LIPA axis-mediated AMPKα-dependent lipophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibiting the activity of intestinal α-glucosidase is considered an effective approach for treating type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In this study, we employed an in vitro enzymatic synthesis approach to synthesize four derivatives of natural products (NPs) for the discovery of therapeutic drugs for T2DM. Network pharmacology analysis revealed that the betulinic acid derivative P3 exerted its effects in the treatment of T2DM through multiple targets. Neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction and the calcium signaling pathway were identified as key signaling pathways involved in the therapeutic action of compound P3 in T2DM. The results of molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and binding free energy calculations indicate that compound P3 exhibits a more stable binding interaction and lower binding energy (−41.237 kcal/mol) with α-glucosidase compared to acarbose. In addition, compound P3 demonstrates excellent characteristics in various pharmacokinetic prediction models. Therefore, P3 holds promise as a lead compound for the development of drugs for T2DM and warrants further exploration. Finally, we performed site-directed mutagenesis to achieve targeted synthesis of betulinic acid derivative. This work demonstrates a practical strategy of discovering novel anti-hyperglycemic drugs from derivatives of NPs synthesized through in vitro enzymatic synthesis technology, providing potential insights into compound P3 as a lead compound for anti-hyperglycemic drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With diverse genetic backgrounds, soybean landraces are valuable resource for breeding programs. Herein, we apply multi‐omic approaches to extensively characterize the molecular basis of drought tolerance in the soybean landrace LX. Initial screens established that LX performed better with PEG6000 treatment than control cultivars. LX germinated better than William 82 under drought conditions and accumulated more anthocyanin and flavonoids. Untargeted mass spectrometry in combination with transcriptomic analyses revealed the chemical diversity and genetic basis underlying the overall performance of LX landrace. Under control and drought conditions, significant differences in the expression of a suite of secondary metabolism genes, particularly those involved in the general phenylpropanoid pathway and flavonoid but not lignin biosynthesis, were seen in LX and William 82. The expression of these genes correlated with the corresponding metabolites in LX plants. Further correlation analysis between metabolites and transcripts identified pathway structural genes and transcription factors likely are responsible for the LX agronomic traits. The activities of some key biosynthetic genes or regulators were confirmed through heterologous expression in transgenic Arabidopsis and hairy root transformation in soybean. We propose a regulatory mechanism based on flavonoid secondary metabolism and adaptive traits of this landrace which could be of relevance to cultivated soybean. The diverse genetic resources in soybean landraces could confer adaptive agricultural traits to certain regional stress conditions and could be utilized to accelerate breeding programs. However, few studies focus on the molecular basis of the stress resistances in soybean. In this work, we applied multi‐omic approach to dissect the genetic and metabolic basis of drought resistance in a soybean landrace LX. Combining transcriptome and metabolome analysis, we unraveled that enhanced phenylpropanoid metabolism, especially flavonoid metabolism, could be the key in LX resistance against drought. A suite of regulatory and biosynthetic genes were also functionally validated in either Arabidopsis or soybean. The results presented in this work pinpoint the significance of plant secondary metabolism in important agricultural traits and provide new targets for soybean breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ferroptosis, is characterized by lipid peroxidation of fatty acids in the presence of iron ions, which leads to cell apoptosis. This leads to the disruption of metabolic pathways, ultimately resulting in liver dysfunction. Although ferroptosis is linked to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), understanding the key ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) involved in NASH remains incomplete. NASH may be targeted therapeutically by identifying the genes responsible for ferroptosis. Methods: To identify ferroptosis-related genes and develop a ferroptosis-related signature (FeRS), 113 machine-learning algorithm combinations were used. Results: The FeRS constructed using the Generalized Linear Model Boosting algorithm and Gradient Boosting Machine algorithms exhibited the best prediction performance for NASH. Eight FRGs, with ZFP36 identified by the algorithms as the most crucial, were incorporated into in FeRS. ZFP36 is significantly enriched in various immune cell types and exhibits significant positive correlations with most immune signatures. Conclusion: ZFP36 is a key FRG involved in NASH pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tissue stiffness of donor kidneys in transplantation may increase due to pathological changes such as glomerulosclerosis and interstitial fibrosis, and those changes associate worse outcomes in kidney transplantation recipients. Ultrasound elastography is a noninvasive imaging examination with the ability to quantitatively reflect tissue stiffness. Aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of ultrasound elastography for adverse kidney outcome in kidney transplantation recipients. Shear wave elastography (SWE) examinations were performed by two independent operators in kidney transplantation recipients. The primary outcome was a composite of kidney graft deterioration, all-cause re-hospitalization, and all-cause mortality. Survival analysis was calculated by Kaplan-Meier curves with the log-rank test and Cox regression analysis. A total of 161 patients (mean age 46 years, 63.4% men) were followed for a median of 20.1 months. 27 patients (16.77%) reached the primary endpoint. The mean and median tissue stiffness at the medulla (hazard ratio: 1.265 and 1.229, respectively), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and serum albumin level were associated with the primary outcome in univariate Cox regression. Adding mean or median medulla SWE to a baseline model containing eGFR and albumin significantly improved its discrimination (C-statistics: 0.736 for the baseline, 0.766 and 0.772 for the model added mean and median medulla SWE, respectively). The medullary tissue stiffness of kidney allograft measured by shear wave elastography may provide incremental prognostic value to adverse outcomes in kidney transplantation recipients. Including SWE parameters in kidney transplantation recipients management could be considered to improve risk stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to evaluate the structural performance and withdrawal capacity of three types of nails embedded in southern pine (SP) framing members. Pull-out tests on 430 specimens were conducted until complete withdrawal occurred. Representative variables derived from practical wall-to-wall or wall-to-floor connections were considered, including nail type, nail diameter, embedment length, and nail direction. Results reveal that the failure modes of specimens depend on nail shank roughness. Smooth shank nails (SSNs) and concrete nails (CNs) mainly experience nail-wood interface sliding and wood fiber tearing failures, while zinc-coated helically threaded nails (ZHTNs) exhibit wood fiber shearing and tearing failures. As expected, the ultimate withdrawal capacity increased with greater embedment length, with the highest capacity of nails in the perpendicular-to-grain direction, followed by parallel-to-grain. The withdrawal load-slip relationships of nails in SP consist of three stages: linear-elastic rise, plunge, and failure stage for SSNs and CNs, while ZHTNs exhibit elastic-plastic behavior during the second phase. The modified Rafi model suggested in this study can be used to translate the withdrawal bond-slip relationships of nails in SP. Finally, a withdrawal resistance calculation equation for SP was put forward and validated, showing an average difference of 10.33% between theoretical and experimental values. • The withdrawal tests on southern pine were conducted. • The impact of nail type, diameter, embedment depth, and direction was presented. • A bond-slip analysis model and withdrawal capacity calculation formulas were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metal magnetic memory is used to detect the micro damage of structure based on the SMFL (self-magnetic flux leakage) effect, but it lacks an effective comprehensive diagnosis index suitable for the ferromagnetic material. In this paper, steel strand specimens were tensioned at different force levels, and the experimental study on the corrosion detection was carried out. Besides the monitoring analysis of the cable force, the initial structural magnetic field ΔBx0 and the surface SMFL signals Bx(α) induced by corrosion were both analysed. The results show that ΔBx0 curves of steel strand material present the periodic fluctuation. Considering ΔBx0 and measuring distance z, the proposed dimensionless damage analysis index X can be used for the quantitative research of corrosion diagnosis. The small influence of the cable force on index X is also illustrated. Moreover, the strong correlation that exists between the average maximum index X m a x ‾ and the corrosion ratio α is well fitted by the three-order polynomial curves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has been the third most common malignancy and the second cause of cancer-related mortality. As the core of volume-sensitive chloride currents, leucine-rich repeat-containing 8A (LRRC8A) contributes to tumor progression but is not consistent, especially for whom the roles in colon carcinoma metastasis were not fully elucidated. Herein, LRRC8A proteins were found highly expressed in hematogenous metastasis from human colorectal cancer samples. The oxaliplatin-resistant HCT116 cells highly expressed LRRC8A, which was related to impaired proliferation and enhanced migration. The over-expressed LRRC8A slowed proliferation and increased migration ex vivo and in vivo. The elevated LRRC8A upregulated the focal adhesion, MAPK, AMPK, and chemokine signaling pathways via phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. Inhibition of LRRC8A impeded the TNF-α signaling cascade and TNF-α-induced migration. LRRC8A binding to PIP5K1B regulated the PIP2 formation, providing a platform for LRRC8A to mediate cell signaling transduction. Importantly, LRRC8A self-regulated its transcription via NF-κB1 and NF-κB2 pathways and the upregulation of NIK/NF-κB2/LRRC8A transcriptional axis was unfavorable for colon cancer patients. Collectively, our findings reveal that LRRC8A is a central mediator in mediating multiple signaling pathways to promote metastasis and targeting LRRC8A proteins could become a potential clinical biomarker-driven treatment strategy for colon cancer patients. [Display omitted] • LRRC8A proteins are highly expressed in colon cancer tissues of distant metastasis. • LRRC8A promotes colon cancer metastasis via mediating multiple signaling pathways. • LRRC8A regulates the PIP2 formation via binding to PIP5K1B. • LRRC8A regulates its transcription via NF-κB1 and NF-κB2 pathways. • NIK/NF-κB2/LRRC8A transcriptional axis is unfavorable for colon cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium–sulfur batteries have attracted attention due to their high energy capacities and low costs, but the dissolution of sodium polysulfides still severely affects their cycle life, limiting their real‐world applications. Herein, a stable sulfur host is reported, based on a N,O‐codoped carbon composite derived from a bimetallic Cu–Zn metal‐organic framework, which ensures high sulfur loading (67 wt%). Most importantly, this composite also includes single‐atom copper catalysts, with a high Cu loading of 8.03 wt%. Solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance, synchrotron X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis show that single atoms of Cu are coordinated with two N and two O atoms within the produced composite material. Those copper sites can weaken SS bonds in the S8 ring structure, and thus are able to catalyze the formation of short‐chain sulfur molecules in even larger‐size pores. In addition, Cu atoms facilitate the conversion between the short‐chain sulfur and Na2S. As a result, when the produced sulfur‐loaded carbon framework containing the atomic Cu catalyst is used as a cathode for sodium–sulfur batteries, it exhibits superior capacity of 776 mAh g–1 with a high sulfur utilization (1158 mAh gs–1 normalized with sulfur content) after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g–1, and an excellent rate performance of 483 mAh g–1 (720 mAh gs–1) at 5 A g–1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) disrupts energy homeostasis and leads to weight gain. The fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene has been consistently identified to be associated with HFD-induced obesity. The hypothalamus is crucial for regulating energy balance, and HFD-induced hypothalamic leptin resistance contributes to obesity. FTO, an N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation regulator, may be a key mediator of leptin resistance. However, the exact mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the association between FTO and leptin resistance. After HFD or standard diet (SD) feeding in male mice for 22 weeks, m6A-sequencing and western blotting assays were used to identify target genes and assess protein level, and molecular interaction changes. CRISPR/Cas9 gene knockout system was employed to investigate the potential function of FTO in leptin resistance and obesity. Our data showed that chemokine (C-X3-C motif) ligand 1 (CX3CL1) was a direct downstream target of FTO-mediated m6A modification. Furthermore, upregulation of FTO/CX3CL1 and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) in the hypothalamus impaired leptin-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling, resulting in leptin resistance and obesity. Compared to wild-type (WT) mice, FTO deficiency in leptin receptor-expressing neurons of the hypothalamus significantly inhibited the upregulation of CX3CL1 and SOCS3, and partially ameliorating leptin resistance under HFD conditions. Our findings reveal that FTO involved in the hypothalamic leptin resistance and provides novel insight into the function of FTO in the contribution to hypothalamic leptin resistance and obesity. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adropin as a secretory peptide has shown a protective role on the disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism. However, the role and mechanism of this peptide on the hepatic glucose production has remained unclear. Adropin knockout (KO) mice were generated to explore its effects on the enhanced hepatic glucose production in obesity. We found that compared to wild‐type (WT) mice, adropin‐KO mice developed the unbalanced enhanced hepatic glucose production in advance of the whole‐body insulin resistance (IR) by high‐fat diet (HFD). Mechanistically, adropin dissociated CREB‐CRTC2 and FoxO1‐PGC1α complex and reduced their binding to the promoters of G6Pase and PEPCK to decrease glucose production in IR. However, these effects were not observed in insulin‐sensitive hepatocytes. Furthermore, in IR hepatocytes, dampened AMPK signaling was re‐activated by adropin treatment via inhibition of PP2A. To further authenticate AMPK role in vivo, we administrated HFD‐fed mice with AAV8‐CA AMPKα and found that AMPK activation functionally restored the aberrant glucose production and IR induced by adropin‐deficiency. This study provides evidence that adropin activates the AMPK pathway via inhibition of PP2A and decreases the liver glucose production in IR context. Therefore, adropin may represent a novel target for the prevention and treatment of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tangshan city in Hebei Province is one of the most heavily polluted cities in China, with substantial industrial emissions. The development of effective air pollution emission reduction policies requires knowledge of the sources and health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)‐enriched fine particulate matter (PM2.5). We investigated the seasonal variation and source apportionment of 16 priority PAH‐enriched PM2.5 samples in Tangshan during 2014 and 2015, and we assessed the health risks associated with inhalation exposure to PAHs. The PM2.5 samples were collected from April 2014 to February 2015. We analyzed the concentrations of PM2.5 and PAH‐enriched PM2.5, and used principal component analysis and molecular diagnostic ratios to identify potential sources. We explored the relationship between distribution and meteorological conditions, and used an incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) model to quantitatively evaluate exposure from the inhalation risk of PAHs. The average mass concentration of PM2.5 was 196 µg/m3, with a range 34.0 to 586 µg/m3. The median ∑16PAH values in PM2.5 were 190 ng/m3, with a range of 60.2 to 862 ng/m3 over the sampling period. The order of ∑16PAHs concentration was winter > autumn > summer > spring. The results show that the primary sources of PAH‐enriched PM2.5 are coal combustion, vehicle exhaust, and biomass burning. The annual mean of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) was 8.37 ng/m3, more than 8‐fold greater than the BaP annual standard (1 ng/m3) set by the Chinese State Environmental Protection Agency. The ILCR values for 3 groups (children, teenagers, and adults) over the 4 seasons were between 10–6 and 10–4, indicating a potential health risk from PAHs in Tangshan. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:458–467. © 2019 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The prognostic utility of serum albumin level for mortality in heart failure patients has received considerable attention. This meta-analysis sought to examine the prognostic significance of hypoalbuminemia for prediction of all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure. Materials and methods: Pubmed and Embase databases were systematically searched up to 10 March 2019 to identify eligible studies. Epidemiological studies reporting a multivariable-adjusted risk estimate of all-cause mortality associated with hypoalbuminemia in acute or chronic heart failure patients were included. Results: Nine studies from 10 articles involving 16,763 heart failure patients were included in the final analysis. Hypoalbuminemia was associated with an increased in-hospital mortality (risk ratio [RR] 4.90; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.96–8.10) and long-term all-cause mortality (RR 1.75; 95% CI 1.35–2.27) in acute heart failure patients. Chronic heart failure patients with hypoalbuminemia exhibited a 3.5-fold (95% CI 1.29–9.73) higher risk for long-term all-cause mortality. Conclusions: Hypoalbuminemia is possibly an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with acute or chronic heart failure. However, the current findings should be further confirmed in future prospective studies. Moreover, future well-designed randomized controlled trials would be required to investigate whether correcting hypoalbuminemia in heart failure patients has potential to improve survival outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims We previously found that miR-10b inhibits cholesterol efflux from thioglycollate-elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages through repressing ATP binding cassette transporter (ABCA1). Herein, we deciphered the mechanism underlying macrophage miR-10b expression and the role of miR-10b in atherosclerosis. Methods and results MiR-10b expression was increased in the arteries with advanced but not early atherosclerotic plaques of ApoE −/− mice. Free cholesterol-induced macrophage apoptotic cells (FC-AM) promoted miR-10b expression in mouse resident peritoneal macrophages (RPM) by up-regulation of Twist1/2 in a Mer receptor tyrosine kinase dependent manner. Surprisingly, antagomiR-10b de-repressed ABCA1 in RPM engulfing FC-AM but not in RPM alone or RPM-derived foam cells; systemic delivery of antagomiR-10b enhanced reverse cholesterol transport from RPM engulfing FC-AM but not from RPM or the foam cells in ApoE −/− mice. Mechanistically, RPM engulfing FC-AM possessed sufficient miR-10b functionally repressing ABCA1 expression, whereas RPM and foam cells had little miR-10b incompetently repressing ABCA1 expression. Notably, antagomiR-10b administration reduced advanced plaque size and also enhanced plaque stability in ApoE −/− mice, which were associated with increased plaque macrophage ABCA1 expression and reduced plaque apoptosis and inflammation. However, antagomiR-10b administration did not affect early atherosclerotic plaque formation in ApoE −/− mice. Conclusion These data suggest that apoptotic cell induction of miR-10b in macrophages is important in advanced atherosclerosis progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 3 rd most common cancer worldwide. Recently, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were found to be critical modulators in the CRC progression. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential roles of lncRNA P73 antisense RNA 1T (TP73-AS1) in CRC development and progression. METHODS: Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to determine relevant gene expression levels; western blot was performed to determine protein expression levels; CCK-8, colony formation, wound healing and Transwell invasion assays were used to determined CRC cell proliferation, migration and invasion; in vivo tumor growth was assessed in xenograft mice model. RESULTS: TP73-AS1 was up-regulated in both CRC tissues and CRC cell lines. Overexpression of TP73-AS1 was associated with metastasis and advanced clinical stages in CRC patients. Overexpression of TP73-AS1 promoted CRC cell growth, proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro; and knockdown of TP73-AS1 significantly inhibited CRC cell growth, proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro as well as tumor growth in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay indicated that TP73-AS1 could bind directly with miR-194, and TP73-AS1 negatively regulated the expression of miR-194 in CRC cells. Further study indicated that miR-194 negatively regulated the downstream target of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF α) via targeting its 3’ untranslated region, and TP73-AS1 positively regulated the expression of TGF α in CRC cells. Moreover, overexpression of miR-194 suppressed CRC cell proliferation and invasion, and attenuated the effects of TP73-AS1 overexpression on CRC cell proliferation and invasion. Silence of TGF α inhibited CRC cell proliferation and invasion, and also reversed the effects of TP73-AS1 overexpression on CRC cell proliferation and invasion. CONCLUSIONS: this study demonstrated that TP73-AS1 regulated CRC progression by acting as a competitive endogenous RNA to sponge miR-194 to modulate the expression of TGF α. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) has a high mortality rate and its treatment is currently limited to chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy. The long non-coding RNA antisense non-coding RNA in the INK4 locus (ANRIL) has been identified as an oncogene that can regulate cell proliferation and apoptosis in multiple types of cancer. However, the function of ANRIL in BL remains unknown. The present study aimed to determine the effect of ANRIL on cell proliferation and apoptosis in BL. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was used to analyze the expression levels of ANRIL in BL cells. The effect of ANRIL knockdown on BL cells was determined using Cell Counting Kit-8, flow cytometric, western blotting, immunofluorescence staining and Hoechst staining assays. The results revealed that ANRIL silencing inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of BL cells. In addition, the expression levels of cyclin D1, E2F transcription factor 1 and Bcl-2 were downregulated, while the expression levels of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A, Bcl-2-associated X protein, cleaved-caspase-9/pro-caspase-9 and cleaved-caspase-3/pro-caspase-3 were upregulated. Furthermore, the knockdown of ANRIL activated the TGF-β1 signaling pathway, as evidenced by the upregulated expression levels of TGF-β1, phosphorylated (p)-SMAD2/3/SMAD2/3, p-SMAD1/SMAD1 and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2. Moreover, the protective effect of ANRIL silencing in BL could be inhibited by the TGF-β receptor type I/II dual inhibitor, LY2109761. In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggested that the knockdown of ANRIL may inhibit cell proliferation and promote cell apoptosis in BL by regulating the TGF-β1 signaling pathway, which may provide a novel target for the treatment of BL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autophagy is an orderly catabolic process for degrading and removing unnecessary or dysfunctional cellular components such as proteins and organelles. Although autophagy is known to play an important role in various types of cancer, the effects of autophagy-related genes (ARGs) on colon cancer have not been well studied. Methods: Expression profiles from ARGs in 457 colon cancer patients were retrieved from the TCGA database (https://portal.gdc.cancer.gov). Differentially expressed ARGs and ARGs related to overall patient survival were identified. Cox proportional-hazard models were used to investigate the association between ARG expression profiles and patient prognosis. Results: Twenty ARGs were significantly associated with the overall survival of colon cancer patients. Five of these ARGs had a mutation rate ≥ 3%. Patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups based on Cox regression analysis of 8 ARGs. Low-risk patients had a significantly longer survival time than high-risk patients (p < 0.001). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the resulting risk score, which was associated with infiltration depth and metastasis, could be an independent predictor of patient survival. A nomogram was established to predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival of colon cancer patients based on 5 independent prognosis factors, including the risk score. The prognostic nomogram with online webserver was more effective and convenient to provide information for researchers and clinicians. Conclusion: The 8 ARGs can be used to predict the prognosis of patients and provide information for their individualized treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]