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We report a promiscuous flavonoid 7,4′-di-O-glycosyltransferase (ZjOGT3), which shows high catalytic efficiency and regio-selectivity. And the regio-selectivity of ZjOGT3 was controlled by intrinsic reactivity and the enzyme microenvironment.

Apiose is a natural pentose containing an unusual branched-chair structure. Apiosides are bioactive natural products widely present in the plant kingdom. However, the essential apiosylation reaction in the biosynthetic pathways of apiosides has been missing. In this work, we report the first apiosyltransferase GuApiGT, which from medicinal plant Glycyrrhiza uralensis. GuApiGT could efficiently catalyze 2″-O-apiosylation of flavonoid glycosides, and exhibits strict sugar donor selectivity towards UDP-apiose. We solved the crystal structure of GuApiGT, determined a key sugar-binding motif (RLGSDH) through structural analysis and theoretical calculations, and obtained mutants with altered sugar selectivity through protein engineering. Based on the motif, we discovered 121 candidate apiosyltransferase genes from Leguminosae plants, and identified the functions of 4 enzymes. Moreover, we introduced GuApiGT and its upstream genes into Nicotiana benthamiana, and completed de novo biosynthesis of a series of flavonoid apiosides, including the anti-tussive compound liquiritin apioside at a yield of 5.46 mg/g (DW).

Large-scale N-S shortening induced by India-Asia convergence caused the formation of numerous E-W−trending mountain ranges in Tibet. However, the mechanism(s) of formation of N-S−trending mountain ranges remains elusive. We report on a felsic magmatic belt located along the N-S−trending Yardoi-Kongbugang mountain ranges on the flank of the Cona rift in the eastern Tethyan Himalaya. Zircon and monazite geochronology and whole-rock geochemistry revealed three epochs of middle- to lower-crustal anatexis beneath the Cona rift at ca. 47−42 Ma, 35−34 Ma, and 24−14 Ma. The mid-Eocene and early Oligocene granitoids show adakitic signatures indicating continuous crustal thickening, while the formation of Miocene leucogranites and N-S−trending dacitic dikes was related to ductile crustal extension. Silicic melts were exposed along the whole rift since the early Oligocene, suggesting that the early Oligocene could be regarded as a transitional epoch from tectonic compression to orogen-parallel extension. Widespread mid-Eocene and Miocene magmatism in the Himalaya, together with coeval metamorphic anatexis, represents two phases of crustal weakening. The weakened crustal zones under continued India-Asia convergence may have favored uplift and subsequent lateral flow of the weak zones, which initiated E-W extension. Finally, significant upwelling of the weak zones evolved into magma extrusion and formed the N-S−trending mountain ranges. This study provides new insights into the mechanisms of surface uplift and E-W extension and challenges the common view of initiation of E-W extension in southern Tibet not earlier than the early Miocene.

As important pollinators, honey bees play a crucial role in both maintaining the ecological balance and providing products for humans. Although several versions of the western honey bee genome have already been published, its transcriptome information still needs to be refined. In this study, PacBio single-molecule sequencing technology was used to sequence the full-length transcriptome of mixed samples from many developmental time points and tissues of A. mellifera queens, workers and drones. A total of 116,535 transcripts corresponding to 30,045 genes were obtained. Of these, 92,477 transcripts were annotated. Compared to the annotated genes and transcripts on the reference genome, 18,915 gene loci and 96,176 transcripts were newly identified. From these transcripts, 136,554 alternative splicing (AS) events, 23,376 alternative polyadenylation (APA) sites and 21,813 lncRNAs were detected. In addition, based on the full-length transcripts, we identified many differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) between queen, worker and drone. Our results provide a complete set of reference transcripts for A. mellifera that dramatically expand our understanding of the complexity and diversity of the honey bee transcriptome.

We report a novel 2′′-O-glycosyltransferase indicating a new biosynthetic pathway of flavonoid O-glycosyl-C-glycosides.

In the study, we synthesize a novel auto-catalytic phthalonitrile monomer containing siloxane segments and secondary amino groups. The phthalonitrile monomer has good processability. And the new polymer shows a higher Tg.

GuRhaGT is the first saponin 2′′-O-rhamnosyltransferase with broad substrate promiscuity, high sugar donor- and regio-specificity. It could be an efficient biocatalyst for the synthesis of bioactive saponins.

As a common autoimmune disease with the characteristic of early complication, primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) leads to an increasing number of mortalities among people with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) waiting for liver transplantation. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is the only approved first-line medicine for PBC, and a good response to treatment could acquire an ideal prognosis. Patients with poor UDCA response usually have more adverse outcomes and worse survival, therefore, the management of this group become a major consideration.Due to the complexity of race and environment for PBC, different criteria for UDCA response exhibit various predictive performances. Factors affecting UDCA response conditions include gender, age, ethnicity, serum indicators, auto-antibodies, and autoimmune comorbidities, while no agreement has been reached. In this review, we mainly focus on cellular senescence, immune-mediated damage, and vitamin D deficiency as possible mechanisms for UDCA non-responders.The pathogenesis of PBC has yet to be clarified. Immunology-related mechanisms and therapy targets ought to be the main effort made for further study. Irrespective of the response condition, UDCA is recommended for routine administration in all PBC patients without contraindication. Ongoing clinical trials of second-line and additional therapy exhibit promising prospects.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a hepatotropic virus, which damage to hepatocytes is not direct, but through the immune system. HBV specific CD4+ T cells can induce HBV specific B cells and CD8+ T cells. HBV specific B cells produce antibodies to control HBV infection, while HBV specific CD8+ T cells destroy infected hepatocytes. One of the reasons for the chronicity of HBV infection is that it cannot effectively activate adoptive immunity and the function of virus specific immune cells is exhausted. Among them, virus antigens (including HBV surface antigen, e antigen, core antigen, etc.) can inhibit the function of immune cells and induce immune tolerance. Long term nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) treatment and inactive HBsAg carriers with low HBsAg level may “wake up” immune cells with abnormal function due to the decrease of viral antigen level in blood and liver, and the specific immune function of HBV will recover to a certain extent, thus becoming the “dominant population” for functional cure. In turn, the functional cure will further promote the recovery of HBV specific immune function, which is also the theoretical basis for complete cure of hepatitis B. In the future, the complete cure of chronic HBV infection must be the combination of three drugs: inhibiting virus replication, reducing surface antigen levels and specific immune regulation, among which specific immunotherapy is indispensable. Here we review the relationship, mechanism and clinical significance between the cure of hepatitis B and immune system.

The sex of honey bees is decided by a regulatory cascade comprising of csd, fem and Amdsx. In order to further identify other genes involved in sex determination and differentiation of honey bees in the early stages of embryo development, the CRISPR/Cas9 method was used to knock out fem gene in the embryonic stage of diploid western honey bees, and RNA-seq was used to analyze gene expression changes in the embryo after fem knockout. Finally, we found that the bees had undergone gender changes due to fem knockout. A total of 155 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained, with 48 up-regulated and 107 down-regulated DEGs in the mutant group compared to the control group. Of them, many genes are related to sex development or differentiation. In addition, 1502 differentially expressed alternative splicing events (DEASEs) related to 1011 genes, including the main honey bee sex-determining genes csd, tra2, fem, and Amdsx, were identified between the mutant group and control group, indicating that fem regulates alternative splicing of a large number of downstream genes. Our results provide valuable clues for further investigating the molecular mechanism of sex determination and differentiation in honey bees.

RNA interference (RNAi) has been used successfully to reduce target gene expression and induce specific phenotypes in several species. It has proved useful as a tool to investigate gene function and has the potential to manage pest populations and reduce disease pathogens. However, it is not known whether different administration methods are equally effective at interfering with genes in bees. Therefore, we compared the effects of feeding and injection of small interfering RNA (siRNA) on the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of alpha-aminoadipic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH7A1), 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL), and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). Both feeding and injection of siRNA successfully knocked down the gene but feeding required more siRNA than the injection. Our results suggest that both feeding and injection of siRNA effectively interfere with brain genes in bees. The appropriateness of each method would depend on the situation.

Spring viraemia of carp (SVC) caused by spring viraemia of carp virus (SVCV) can infect almost all fish of cyprinids, which bring huge economic losses to aquaculture. Glycoprotein (G), as the most important antigenic determinant protein of SVCV, is widely considered as an effective method against SVCV. In our previous study, we found that G3 (131 aa) is the potential dominant antigen epitope that induces strong immune responses similar to G protein (510 aa). Here, in order to further improve the immune effect, we reported a subunit vaccine (PEG-G3) constructed by PEG-modified dominant epitope protein (G3). The results of serum antibody production, enzyme activities and immune-related genes expression showed that PEG-G3 induces significantly stronger immune protective responses against SVCV than G3. PEG modification significantly increased the serum antibody level of the vaccine, which increased significantly after immunization and reached the peak at 21 day post-vaccination. T-AOC and AKP activities in the lowest concentration group (5 μg) of PEG-G3 were significantly higher than those in the highest concentration group (20 μg) of G3. In PEG-G3 group, the expression of almost all genes increased at least 4 times compared with the control group. After 14-day challenge, the RPS (relative percentage survival) of the highest concentration of PEG-G3 group was 53.6%, while that of G3 group is 38.9%. Therefore, this work shows that PEG modification and dominant epitope screening may be effective methods to improve the immune protective effect of vaccines and to resist the infection of aquatic animal viral diseases.

Partial melts derived from crustal anatexis exhibit large variations in field characteristics, composition, and isotope geochemistry. The relative influence of melting process and magmatic differentiation on such heterogeneity is a subject of ongoing debate. Boron and molybdeum isotopes have the potential to shed light on the genesis of crustal melts, but the behaviors of B and Mo isotopes during crustal anatexis and differentiation are unclear. Here, we present geochemical and isotopic data, including whole-rock Sr–Nd–B–Mo and mineral B–Mo data, for the Conadong leucogranites in the Himalayan Block, to provide new insights into these issues. The studied samples include two-mica granites (biotite + muscovite), muscovite leucogranites (muscovite ± garnet), and biotite-rich granites. The two-mica granites were derived from muscovite dehydration melting of metasedimentary rocks. Their initial Sr and Nd isotopic compositions show positive correlation, implying non-modal partial melting associated with dissolution of accessory phases. The B contents (3.44–21.2 ppm) of the two-mica granites decrease but their δ11B (−15.80‰ to −13.25‰) and δ98Mo (−0.15‰ to 0.34‰) values increase with increasing Sr and Ba contents. This may have been controlled by different phases involved in non-modal melting (i.e., muscovite and feldspar). The muscovite leucogranites display features of residual liquids. Their δ11B (−15.38‰ to −11.90‰) and δ98Mo (−0.15‰ to 0.17‰) values negatively correlate with Sr and Ba contents, which can be ascribed to shallow-crustal crystal–liquid separation and melt–fluid interaction. The biotite-rich granites are least evolved, with large variations in their initial Sr–Nd isotopic compositions. They show relatively heavy whole-rock B isotopic compositions of −11.97‰ to −9.00‰. These may indicate that biotite-rich granites may be contaminated by entrained restitic minerals (e.g., biotite, feldspar and accessory minerals). Overall, this study demonstrates that compositional diversity of anatectic melts is controlled primarily by melting processes in the source and secondarily by emplacement-level crystal–liquid separation. Both non-modal partial melting and crystal–liquid separation could result in B–Mo isotopic fractionation in anatectic melts.

We report the single molecule chirality and chiral self-assembly of the achiral phthalocyanine (H2Pc) molecules on Cd(0001) surface. Uniaxial ordering has been found in the submonolayer regime with...

The interfacial structures of C60 molecules adsorbed on solid surfaces are essential for a wide range of scientific and technological processes in carbon-based nanodevices. Here, we report structural transitions of the C60 monolayer on the Bi(111) surface studied via low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). With an increase in temperature, the structure of the C60 monolayer transforms from local-order structures to a (√93 × √93) R20° superstructure, and then to a (11 × 11) R0° superstructure. Moreover, the individual C60 molecules in different superstructures have different orientations. C60 molecules adopt the 6 : 6 C–C bond and 5 : 6 C–C bond facing-up, mixed orientations, and hexagon facing-up in the local-order structure, (√93 × √93) R20°, and (11 × 11) R0° superstructure, respectively. These results shed important light on the growth mechanism of C60 molecules on solid surfaces.

In this article, a terahertz absorber tuned by temperature field with a newfangled structure is presented, which comprises the mercury resonators. In this scheme, temperature (T) build-up will lead the mercury stored in the bottom slot to expand through the columniform hole and be full of the upper central cross container, which can transform the absorption bands of such an absorber. The simulated results manifest that when T is increased from 0 to 25 °C, the dual-frequency absorption points (2.59 THz, 3.03 THz) and a narrow absorption region over 90% (6.54–7.10 THz), whose relative bandwidth (RB) is 7.9%, will be tailored to a single-frequency point absorption (3.12 THz) and a broadband absorption area (6.00–7.21 THz, and RB = 18.3%). For figuring out the property of the absorber mentioned above, the impacts of incident and polarization angles along with some relevant parameters of the structure on the absorption property are investigated. In addition, for plainly expounding the physical mechanism of absorption, the distributions of the surface current diagrams of the presented absorber are calculated, as well as the electric field diagrams, the magnetic field diagrams, the power loss density diagrams, and the power flow density diagrams. The proffered scheme in this article may offer a novel idea for realizing the reconfigurable absorbers.

In this paper, we propose an ultra-wideband terahertz (THz) metamaterial absorber (MA) based on a fractal structure, and the main structure of the MA includes the upper metal patch, the bottom metal reflector, and a single dielectric substrate between the two. The surface metal patch is the gold designed by fractal and topology theory to constitute the basic resonant unit, and then the surface base resonant unit is reduced and amplified at different scales. By approaching the resonance frequencies of each other, MA with an operating range of 6.39 to 9.47 THz was obtained, and its relative bandwidth (RB) is 38.8%. The absorption bandwidth can be extended by adjusting the ratio between the four groups of resonators, and the dielectric height can be adjusted to improve the efficiency of the absorption spectrum. In addition to the discussion of the above influencing factors, we are also curious about the principle behind absorption. Therefore, the distribution of the electric field strength and magnetic field strength of the designed MA and the influence of the polarization angle and incidence angle on the absorption bandwidth are simulated.

Objective To investigate the effects of high-dose rosuvastatin on ventricular remodelling and cardiac function in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Materials and Methods From January 2017 to March 2019, the clinical data of 93 patients with STEMI were collected and analysed, with 46 cases in the conventional-dose group (rosuvastatin, 10 mg/d) and 47 cases in the high-dose group (rosuvastatin, 20 mg/d). Blood lipid (TC, TG, LDL-C and HDL-C), serum inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, IL-6, TNF-α and ICAM-1), ventricular remodelling markers (NT-pro BNP, MMP-9, TIMP-4 and Gal-3) and indicators of cardiac function (LVESD, LVESD, LVESV, LVEDV, IVST and LVEF) were collected from all patients at the time of admission and 8 weeks after rosuvastatin treatment. Results After treatment with rosuvastatin for 8 weeks, compared with those in conventional-dose group, the levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, hs-CRP, IL-6, TNF-α, ICAM-1, NT-pro BNP, MMP-9 and Gal-3 in the high-dose group decreased significantly (P

In this paper, a broadband and polarization-insensitive metamaterial absorber (MA) operating in the visible light band based on a cascade structure is proposed, and the main structure of MA consists of three metal resonator layers (MRLs), a metal reflector at the bottom, and a dielectric substrate between them. Each MRL consists of four different resonators. The similar resonator is proportional to the size of the top view in the different MRLs. Through the different absorption effects generated by different MRLs, a MA working in the visible light band is obtained, which can cover 490–825 nm. Absorption bandwidth can be expanded by adding different MRLs and placing different resonators near the same layer. The center frequency of the absorption spectrum can be controlled by changing the layer distance between different MRLs. To better understand the physical mechanism of absorption, the electric and magnetic field intensity distributions, the power flows, and the power loss densities also are investigated. We also found that the better permanence can be obtained with the lower incident angle.

BACKGROUND Currently, the prognostic stratification and therapeutic evaluation systems for multiple myeloma (MM) lack specific molecular indicators. OC-STAMP is a new gene and is also highly expressed in MM. METHODS A total of 160 MM patients have been investigated with both quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR), flow cytometry (FCM) and cytogenetic FISH on the same mononuclear cells isolated from bone marrow specimens. RESULTS We found that OC-STAMP mRNA levels were significantly higher in newly diagnosed cases of MM than in healthy donors (median, 0.52% vs. 0.02%, P

In this article, a kind of polyester-type phthalonitrile cyano resin (2,2-bis (((3-((4-(3,4-dicyanophenoxy) benzoyl)oxy)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-2-methylpropanoyl)oxy)methyl) propane-1,3-diyl)bis(oxy)) bis (2-(hydroxymethyl)-2-methyl-3-oxopropane-3, 1-diyl) bis (4-(3,4-dicyanophenoxy) benzoate (hbppn)) with branched structure was introduced. The molecular structure and relative molecular mass of hbppn were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). The results showed that the synthesized HBPPN contained both polyester and hyperbranched structures. The thermal and rheological properties of HBPPN were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and rheometer, and the results showed that HBPPN would be cured at about 322°C and the viscosity of the resin showed good processability. The results of dynamic mechanical analysis and thermogravimetric analysis showed that the synthesized resin had good heat resistance. The glass transition temperature was above 329°C, the residual weight ( C y) at 900°C was as high as 66.2% in the nitrogen atmosphere, and the temperature at which the resin lost 5 wt% of heat in air atmosphere was about 423.3°C. The synthesized HBPPN had good comprehensive properties, which could be applied to high-temperature resistant and thermal protection materials.

About 25% of patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) have normal cytogenetics and no nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) mutation or Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD). The prognosis and best therapy for these patients is controversial. We evaluated 158 newly diagnosed adults with this genotype who achieved histological complete remission within two cycles of induction therapy and were assigned to two post-remission strategies with and without an allotransplant. Targeted regional sequencing at diagnosis was performed and data were used to estimate their prognosis, including relapse and survival. In multivariable analyses, having wild-type or mono-allelic mutated CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (CEBPA) [hazard ratio (HR) 2·39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·08-5·30; P = 0·032), mutated NRAS (HR 2·67, 95% CI 1·36-5·25; P = 0·004), mutated colony-stimulating factor 3 receptor (CSF3R) (HR 2·85, 95% CI 1·12-7·27; P = 0·028) and a positive measurable residual disease (MRD)-test after the second consolidation cycle (HR 2·88, 95% CI 1·32-6·30; P = 0·008) were independently correlated with higher cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR). These variables were also significantly associated with worse survival (HR 3·02, 95% CI 1·17-7·78, P = 0·022; HR 3·62, 95% CI 1·51-8·68, P = 0·004; HR 3·14, 95% CI 1·06-9·31, P = 0·039; HR 4·03, 95% CI 1·64-9·89, P = 0·002; respectively). Patients with ≥1 of these adverse-risk variables benefitted from a transplant, whereas the others did not. In conclusion, we identified variables associated with CIR and survival in patients with AML and normal cytogenetics without a NPM1 mutation or FLT3-ITD.

A highly efficient di-C-glycosyltransferase GgCGT was discovered from the medicinal plant Glycyrrhiza glabra. GgCGT catalyzes a two-step di-C-glycosylation of flopropione-containing substrates with conversion rates of >98%. To elucidate the catalytic mechanisms of GgCGT, we solved its crystal structures in complex with UDP-Glc, UDP-Gal, UDP/phloretin, and UDP/nothofagin, respectively. Structural analysis revealed that the sugar donor selectivity was controlled by the hydrogen-bond interactions of sugar hydroxyl groups with D390 and other key residues. The di-C-glycosylation capability of GgCGT was attributed to a spacious substrate-binding tunnel, and the G389K mutation could switch di- to mono-C-glycosylation. GgCGT is the first di-C-glycosyltransferase with a crystal structure, and the first C-glycosyltransferase with a complex structure containing a sugar acceptor. This work could benefit the development of efficient biocatalysts to synthesize C-glycosides with medicinal potential.

The distinct honeybee (

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune cholestatic liver disease. The clinical effectiveness of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) plus glucocorticoids and/or immunosuppressants remains controversial in PBC patients. The study aimed to compare the efficacy of monotherapy and combination therapy in patients with PBC and to assess the factors affecting the efficacy. In this retrospective study, 266 patients diagnosed with PBC were divided into monotherapy group (UDCA), double therapy group (UDCA plus glucocorticoids or immunosuppressants), and triple therapy group (UDCA plus glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants) according to different treatments. Demographic characteristics, immune parameters, biochemistry profiles, and other indicators were evaluated at baseline, 6 months, and 1 year following treatment. The prognosis was evaluated using the Paris II standard. The liver transplant-free survival at 3, 5, 10, and 15 years was predicted by GLOBE score. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS (version 24) software (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL). The long-term survival rate of the triple therapy group was significantly improved compared with the monotherapy group (P = .005). In addition, multivariate analysis showed that abnormal platelet count, alkaline phosphatase, and albumin levels were risk factors for poor response. When IgG levels were elevated but below twice the upper limit of normal, the clinical benefit was not significant compared with monotherapy (P.05). Compared with monotherapy and double therapy, triple therapy may improve the long-term survival rate of PBC patients. Abnormal platelet count, alkaline phosphatase, and albumin levels were associated with a poor prognosis.

C-glycosides represent a large group of natural products with a C-C bond between the aglycone and the sugar moiety. They exhibit great structural diversity, wide natural distribution, and significant biological activities. By the end of 2021, at least 754 C-glycosides and their derivatives have been isolated and characterized from plants. Thus far, 66 functional C-glycosyltransferases (CGTs) have been discovered from plants, and provide green and efficient approaches to synthesize C-glycosides. Herein, advances in plant-derived C-glycosides are comprehensively summarized from aspects of structural diversity and identification, bioactivities, and biotechnological production. New strategies to discover novel C-glycosides and CGTs, as well as the applications of biotechnological methods to produce C-glycosides in the future are also discussed.

BackgroundApproximately 30% of Chinese individuals with cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN-AML) have biallelic CEBPA (biCEBPA) mutations. The prognosis and optimal therapy for these patients are controversial in clinical practice.MethodsIn this study, we performed targeted region sequencing of 236 genes in 158 individuals with this genotype and constructed a nomogram model based on leukemia-free survival (LFS). Patients were randomly assigned to a training cohort (N =111) and a validation cohort (N =47) at a ratio of 7:3. Risk stratification was performed by the prognostic factors to investigate the risk-adapted post-remission therapy by Kaplan–Meier method.ResultsAt least 1 mutated gene other than CEBPA was identified in patients and mutation number was associated with LFS (61.6% vs. 39.0%, P =0.033), survival (85.6% vs. 62.9%, P =0.030) and cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) (38.4% vs. 59.5%, P =0.0496). White blood cell count, mutations in CFS3R, KMT2A and DNA methylation related genes were weighted to construct a nomogram model and differentiate two risk subgroups. Regarding LFS, low-risk patients were superior to the high-risk (89.3% vs. 33.8%, P <0.001 in training cohort; 87.5% vs. 18.2%, P =0.009 in validation cohort). Compared with chemotherapy, allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) improved 5-year LFS (89.6% vs. 32.6%, P <0.001), survival (96.9% vs. 63.6%, P =0.001) and CIR (7.2% vs. 65.8%, P <0.001) in high-risk patients but not low-risk patients (LFS, 77.4% vs. 88.9%, P =0.424; survival, 83.9% vs. 95.5%, P =0.173; CIR, 11.7% vs. 11.1%, P =0.901).ConclusionsOur study indicated that biCEBPA mutant-positive CN-AML patients could be further classified into two risk subgroups by four factors and allo-HSCT should be recommended for high-risk patients as post-remission therapy. These data will help physicians refine treatment decision-making in biCEBPA mutant-positive CN-AML patients.

In the era of antiviral therapy, the main goal of treatment has shifted from the persistent inhibition of hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication to the pursuit of serological clearance of HBs surface antigen (HBsAg). Based on the life cycle of HBV, HBsAg originates from covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and integrated HBV DNA, thus reflecting their transcriptional activity. Complete HBsAg loss may mean elimination or persistent inactivity of the HBV genome including cccDNA and integrated HBV DNA. HBsAg loss improves the recovery of abnormal immune function, which in turn, may further promote the clearance of residual viruses. Combined with functional cure and the great improvement of clinical outcomes, the continuous seroclearance of high-sensitivity quantitative HBsAg may represent the complete cure of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). For many other risk factors besides HBV itself, patients with HBsAg loss still need regular monitoring. In this review, we summarized the evolution of CHB treatment, the origin of serum HBsAg, the pattern of HBsAg seroclearance, and the effect of HBsAg loss on immune function and disease outcomes. In addition, we discuss the significance of high-sensitivity HBsAg detection and its possibility as a surrogate of complete cure.

We have studied the commensurate-incommensurate phase transition, rotation epitaxy, and strain relief patterns in ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ overlayers grown on Cd(0001) with a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. When deposited at low temperature (\ensuremath{\sim}200 K), ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ molecules form the 10\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}10 high-order commensurate (HOC) phase with two different half-unit cells, resembling the $\mathrm{Si}(111)\text{\ensuremath{-}}7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}7$ surface. Postannealing at room temperature (RT) results in the transition from HOC phase to incommensurate phase, in which strain relaxation takes place in the form of periodic vacancies and ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ heptamer arrays. In the case of RT deposition, parallel stripe domain walls appeared in the commensurate $2\sqrt{3}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2\sqrt{3}$ R30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} phase. These results provide essential information for understanding the strain relaxation mechanism, and the role of substrate temperatures in the process of ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ thin films growth.

IntroductionThe aim of this study is to explore serum norepinephrine (NE) concentration and β3-adrenoceptor (β3AR) protein expression at different times during myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in rats and to examine the role of β3AR in I/R.Material and methodsA total of 28 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into one sham group and six I/R groups (6 h, 12 h, 18 h, 24 h, 72 h, and 120 h). The rats in the I/R groups were subjected to ischemia for 45 min. After reperfusion, the serum NE concentration and the β3AR protein expression in the myocardial tissue of the left ventricular injury region were detected. Another 18 SD rats were randomly divided into a sham group, I/R groups, and an I/R + BRL37344 group. The myocardial infarct size (MIS) and the expression of apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins in the left ventricular myocardium of each group were measured.ResultsCompared with the sham group, the serum NE concentration of rats in the I/R groups was significantly higher at 6 h (p < 0.001); the expression of myocardial β3AR protein started at 12 h. The serum NE concentration and myocardial β3AR protein expression were both highest at 72 h but remained high in the 120-hour group. Compared with the sham group, the expression levels of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and cleaved caspase-3 after I/R were significantly higher (p < 0.01, p < 0.001, respectively), and the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was significantly lower (p < 0.01). Compared with I/R groups, the expression levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 in the I/R + BRL37344 group were significantly lower (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, respectively), and that of Bcl-2 was up-regulated (p < 0.05); MIS was significantly decreased (p < 0.001).ConclusionsWith the prolongation of myocardial I/R in rats, serum NE concentration and β3AR protein expression showed a significant increasing trend and reached a peak at 72 h. Specific β3AR agonist BRL37344 can reduce myocardial I/R injury in vivo in rats, alleviate apoptosis, reduce infarct size, and improve cardiac function.