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Background: Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) is widely applied to monitor measurable residual disease (MRD). However, there are limited studies on the feasibility of ddPCR-MRD monitoring after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), especially targeting multiple molecular markers simultaneously. Methods: Our study collected samples from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in complete remission after allo-HSCT between January 2018 and August 2021 to evaluate whether posttransplant ddPCR-MRD monitoring can identify patients at high risk of relapse. Results: Of 152 patients, 58 (38.2%) were MRD positive by ddPCR within 4 months posttransplant, with a median variant allele frequency of 0.198%. The detectable DTA mutations (DNMT3A, TET2, and ASXL1 mutations) after allo-HSCT were not associated with an increased risk of relapse. After excluding DTA mutations, patients with ddPCR-MRD positivity had a significantly higher cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR, 38.7% vs. 9.7%, P < 0.001) and lower rates of relapse-free survival (RFS, 55.5% vs. 83.7%, P < 0.001) and overall survival (OS, 60.5% vs. 90.5%, P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, ddPCR-MRD positivity of non-DTA genes was an independent adverse predictor for CIR (hazard ratio [HR], 4.02; P < 0.001), RFS (HR, 2.92; P = 0.002) and OS (HR, 3.12; P = 0.007). Moreover, the combination of ddPCR with multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) can further accurately identify patients at high risk of relapse (F+/M+, HR, 22.44; P < 0.001, F+/M-, HR, 12.46; P < 0.001 and F-/M+, HR, 4.51; P = 0.003). Conclusion: ddPCR-MRD is a feasible approach to predict relapse after allo-HSCT in AML/MDS patients with non-DTA genes and is more accurate when combined with MFC. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06000306. Registered 17 August 2023 –Retrospectively registered (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06000306?term=NCT06000306&rank=1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Numerous studies have revealed a tight connection between tumor development and the coagulation system. However, the effects of coagulation on the prognosis and tumor microenvironment (TME) of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remain poorly understood. Methods: We employed the consensus clustering method to characterize distinct molecular subtypes associated with coagulation patterns. Subsequently, we examined variations in the overall survival (OS), genomic profiles, and TME characteristics between these subtypes. To develop a prognostic coagulation‐related risk score (CRRS) model, we utilized the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression and stepwise multivariate Cox regression analyses. We also created a nomogram to aid in the clinical application of the risk score, evaluating the relationships between the CRRS and the immune microenvironment, responsiveness to immunotherapy, and targeted treatment. The clinical significance of PLAUR and its biological function in ccRCC were also further analyzed. Results: There were significant differences in clinical features, prognostic stratification, genomic variation, and TME characteristics between the two coagulation‐related subtypes. We established and validated a CRRS using six coagulation‐related genes that can be employed as an effective indicator of risk stratification and prognosis estimation for ccRCC patients. Significant variations in survival outcomes were observed between the high‐ and low‐risk groups. The nomogram was proficient in predicting the 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year OS. Additionally, the CRRS emerged as a novel tool for evaluating the clinical effectiveness of immunotherapy and targeted treatments in ccRCC. Moreover, we confirmed upregulated PLAUR expression in ccRCC samples that was significantly correlated with poor patient prognosis. PLAUR knockdown notably inhibited ccRCC cell proliferation and migration. Conclusion: Our data suggested that CRRS may be employed as a reliable predictive biomarker that can provide therapeutic benefits for immunotherapy and targeted therapy in ccRCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FecB (also known as BMPR1B) is a crucial gene in sheep reproduction, which has a mutation (A746G) that was found to increase the ovulation rate and litter size. The FecB mutation is associated with reproductive endocrinology, such mutation can control external estrous characteristics and affect follicle-stimulating hormone during the estrous cycle. Previous researches showed that the FecB mutation can regulate the transcriptomic profiles in the reproductive-related tissues including hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovary during the estrous cycle of small-tailed Han (STH) sheep. However, little research has been reported on the correlation between FecB mutation and the estrous cycle in STH sheep oviduct. To investigate the coding and noncoding transcriptomic profiles involved in the estrous cycle and FecB in the sheep oviduct, RNA sequencing was performed to analyze the transcriptomic profiles of mRNAs and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the oviduct during the estrous cycle of STH sheep with mutant (FecB BB) and wild-type (FecB ++) genotypes. In total, 21,863 lncRNAs and 43,674 mRNAs were screened, the results showed that mRNAs had significantly higher expression levels than the lncRNAs, and the expression levels of these screened transcripts were lower in the follicular phase than they were in the luteal phase. Among them, the oviductal glycoprotein gene (OVGP1) had the highest expression level. In the comparison between the follicular and luteal phases, 57 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs and 637 DE mRNAs were detected, including FSTL5 mRNA and LNC_016628 lncRNA. In the comparison between the FecB BB and FecB ++ genotypes, 26 DE lncRNAs and 421 DE mRNAs were detected, including EEF1D mRNA and LNC_006270 lncRNA. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes functional enrichment analysis indicated that the DE mRNAs were enriched mainly in terms related to reproduction such as the tight junction, SAGA complex, ATP-binding cassette, nestin, and Hippo signaling pathway. The interaction network between DE lncRNAs and DE mRNAs indicated that LNC_018420 may be the key regulator in sheep oviduct. Together, our results can provide novel insights into the oviductal transcriptomic function against a FecB mutation background in sheep reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water crown deformation process of a liquid droplet oblique impacting a curved liquid film was simulated by using the coupled level-set and volume-of-fluid method. The morphological differences of the front and back sides of the water crown were compared. The jet sheet is thin and splash occurs at the front, while the crown sheet is stable and smooth at the back. The influence of impact angle on the shape of water crown is analyzed. Influence of impact angle on rear water crown height is quantified. The rim of the water crown presents an inclined line, and the variation of its inclination angle affected by the impact angle is studied. The position deviations of water crown cavities at different impact angles are investigated. With the decrease in impact angle, the spreading coefficient of the front side of the water crown cavity increases, while that of the back side decreases, and the displacement difference of the front water crown is smaller than that of the back water crown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dorper and Hu sheep exhibit different characteristics in terms of reproduction, growth, and meat quality. Comparison of the genomes of two breeds help to reveal important genomic information. In this study, whole genome resequencing of 30 individuals (Dorper, DB and Hu sheep, HY) identified 15,108,125 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Population differentiation (Fst) and cross population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH) were performed for selective signal analysis. In total, 106 and 515 overlapped genes were present in both the Fst results and XP-EHH results in HY vs DB and in DB vs HY, respectively. In HY vs DB, 106 genes were enriched in 12 GO terms and 83 KEGG pathways, such as ATP binding (GO:0005524) and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway (oas04151). In DB vs HY, 515 genes were enriched in 109 GO terms and 215 KEGG pathways, such as skeletal muscle cell differentiation (GO:0035914) and MAPK signaling pathway (oas04010). According to the annotation results, we identified a series of candidate genes associated with reproduction (UNC5C, BMPR1B, and GLIS1), meat quality (MECOM, MEF2C, and MYF6), and immunity (GMDS, GALK1, and ITGB4). Our investigation has uncovered genomic information for important traits in sheep and provided a basis for subsequent studies of related traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Triglyceride glucose (TyG) index is a good surrogate biomarker to evaluate insulin resistance (IR). The study aimed to investigate whether the TyG index is related to the severity of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: A total of 1059 T2DM patients were enrolled in this observational, retrospective, single-center study. TyG index was calculated as ln[fasting triglycerides (mg/dl) × fasting glucose (mg/ dl)/2]. The severity of DFUs was classified into mild-to-moderate DFUs (Wagner grade score < 3) and severe DFUs (Wagner grade score ≥ 3) based on Wagner classification. Patients were stratified according to the tertiles of TyG index. Logistic regression models were implemented to explore the association between TyG index and the severity of DFUs. Subgroup analyses were used to verify the reliability of results. Results: Compared with the reference lowest TyG tertile (T1), the highest tertile (T3) was associated with 0.377-fold increased risk of prevalence of severe DFUs (odds ratio [OR] 1.377, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.017–1.865) (P = 0.039). After adjusting for potential confounders, the multivariable-adjusted OR and 95% CI were 1.506 (1.079–2.103) (P = 0.016) in patients with highest tertile. Moreover, subgroup analyses indicated that the association was stronger among men, patients with age ≥ 65 years, duration of diabetes more than 10 years, or without PAD. Conclusions: Elevated TyG index is independently associated with severity of DFUs even after adjusting conventional confounders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Escherichia coli (E. coli) F17 is one of the main pathogens causing diarrhea in young livestock. The specific F17 fimbriae and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the surface components of E. coli F17 induces immune activation via interacting with the intestinal epithelial cells (IECs)-expressed innate immune toll-like receptors (TLRs) signaling pathway. In this study, the expression patterns of eight canonical genes from the TLR signaling pathway (IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, TLR4, MyD88, CD14, TNF-α and TRAF6) were analyzed in LPS-induced IECs, E. coli F17-infected IECs and ileum tissue of E. coli F17-infected lambs. The results showed that increased expression levels of all the studied genes were observed following post-LPS-induced and E. coli F17-infected treatment, with TLR4 having the highest up-regulated expression multiple (compared to NC, fold change = 17.94 and 20.11, respectively), and CD14 having the lowest up-regulated expression multiple (fold change = 2.68 and 1.59, respectively), and higher expression levels of all the studied TLR signaling pathway genes were observed in ileum tissue of E. coli F17 antagonistic (AN) lambs than in E. coli F17 sensitive (SE) lambs. Furthermore, when compared to LPS-induced IECs, E. coli F17-infected IECs showed a more pronounced increase in the expression of IL6, TLR4 and TNF-α, indicating the different roles of these genes in the IECs resistance to E. coli F17 infection. Our results demonstrate that the TLR signaling pathway likely promotes immune activation and provide the first evidence that TLRs have a significant potential to protect against E. coli F17 infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our Voyage from Catalytic Cross-Hydroalkenylation to Transfer-Dehydroaromatization of Cyclic -Systems: Reactivity and Selectivity Changes Enabled by NHC-Ni and NHC-Pd Hydride Equivalents Subsequently, we found that the (NHC)Pd-H catalyst could be generated analogously according to a reported procedure using silane and CataXium A ligated palladium chloride, [98] which was used as an olefin isomerization catalyst (Scheme 13). Only a few examples with limited isomerization problems are reported under harsh conditions (under 50 equiv. cyclic olefin) by P-based systems..[71] Presumably, the problem is related to the high olefin isomerization ability of the P-M-H (e.g., M = Ni or Pd). Keywords: hydroalkenylation; transfer-hydrogenation; dehydroaromatization; N-heterocyclic carbenes; nickel; palladium EN hydroalkenylation transfer-hydrogenation dehydroaromatization N-heterocyclic carbenes nickel palladium 1639 1654 16 08/18/23 20230901 NES 230901 Graph 1 Introduction Transition-metal hydrides (M-H) are important catalysts or intermediates in organic transformations such as catalytic olefin polymerization/oligomerization, [1] allylic CH activation, [2] isomerization, [5] and cross-hydroalkenylation (HA) of olefins (Scheme 1). [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: Escherichia coli (E. coli) F17 is one of the major pathogenic bacteria responsible for diarrhea in farm animals; however, little is known about the biological mechanism underlying E. coli F17 infection. The aim of our study was to reveal the interplay between intestinal genes, metabolites and bacteria in E. coli F17 infected sheep. Our results confirm that the intestinal differ significantly in sheep with different E. coli F17 susceptibility, and integrated omics analyses reveal subsets of potential biomarkers for E. coli F17 infection (i.e., GlcADG 18:0-18:2, ethylmalonic acid and FBLIM1). Our results can help in the development of new insight for the treatment of farm animals infected by E. coli F17. Escherichia coli (E. coli) F17 is one of the most common pathogens causing diarrhea in farm livestock. In the previous study, we accessed the transcriptomic and microbiomic profile of E. coli F17-antagonism (AN) and -sensitive (SE) lambs; however, the biological mechanism underlying E. coli F17 infection has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the present study first analyzed the metabolite data obtained with UHPLC-MS/MS. A total of 1957 metabolites were profiled in the present study, and 11 differential metabolites were identified between E. coli F17 AN and SE lambs (i.e., FAHFAs and propionylcarnitine). Functional enrichment analyses showed that most of the identified metabolites were related to the lipid metabolism. Then, we presented a machine-learning approach (Random Forest) to integrate the microbiome, metabolome and transcriptome data, which identified subsets of potential biomarkers for E. coli F17 infection (i.e., GlcADG 18:0-18:2, ethylmalonic acid and FBLIM1); furthermore, the PCCs were calculated and the interaction network was constructed to gain insight into the crosstalk between the genes, metabolites and bacteria in E. coli F17 AN/SE lambs. By combing classic statistical approaches and a machine-learning approach, our results revealed subsets of metabolites, genes and bacteria that could be potentially developed as candidate biomarkers for E. coli F17 infection in lambs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysfunctions of the ovaries and adrenal glands are both evidenced to cause aberrant adipose tissue (AT) remodeling and resultant metabolic disorders, but their distinct and common roles are poorly understood. In this study, through biochemical, histological and RNA-seq analyses, we comprehensively explored the mechanisms underpinning subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) remodeling, in response to ovariectomy (OVX) versus adrenalectomy (ADX) in female mice. OVX promoted adipocyte differentiation and fat accumulation in both SAT and VAT, by potentiating the Pparg signaling, while ADX universally prevented the cell proliferation and extracellular matrix organization in both SAT and VAT, likely by inactivating the Nr3c1 signaling, thus causing lipoatrophy in females. ADX, but not OVX, exerted great effects on the intrinsic difference between SAT and VAT. Specifically, ADX reversed a large cluster of genes differentially expressed between SAT and VAT, by activating 12 key transcription factors, and thereby caused senescent cell accumulation, massive B cell infiltration and the development of selective inflammatory response in SAT. Commonly, both OVX and ADX enhance circadian rhythmicity in VAT, and impair cell proliferation, neurogenesis, tissue morphogenesis, as well as extracellular matrix organization in SAT, thus causing dysfunction of adipose tissues and concomitant metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase transition of LaAlO 3 in heavy metal oxide lead-tellurite glass was obtained and verified, along with its influence on glass structure, magnetic, and Faraday rotation properties were characterized through various techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray neutron diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron microscopy, vibrating-sample magnetometer, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Cubic LaAlO 3 nanocrystals were synthesized by one-pot hydrothermal technique and doped at 1, 5, 10, and 15 mol% into glasses, respectively. The LaAlO 3 nanocrystals in as-casted glasses were characterized to be around 17 nm in cubic phase belonging to the Pm3m space group. After crystallization treatment at 360 °C for 2 h, cubic LaAlO 3 phases were changed to 14–27 nm-rhombohedral phases due to the temperature-induced viscosity and strain in the melt. The phase transition yielded great modification to the glass structure through converting TeO 4 →TeO 3 , AlO 6 →AlO 4, BO 4 →BO 3 , and producing non-bridging oxygen. The LaAlO 3 doping enhanced the diamagnetism of as-casted glasses, but after phase transition, the weak diamagnetic nature was changed to strong ferromagnetism and the magnetization significantly increased with the LaAlO 3 doping amount (M s =55 emu/g). The mechanism behind magnetic property enhancement was discussed through 27Al NMR and EPR of glasses. The Verdet constant of glass with 10% LaAlO 3 was greatly improved to 175 rad/ T.m at 633 nm which is much higher than the documented values in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a vibrating system where the pendulum and vibrators are coupled together, the relevant dynamic model and the corresponding synchronization problem are rarely studied, due to its complex dynamic coupling relationships. In this paper, a vibrator–pendulum coupling system is proposed to study its synchronization principle; here, the pendulum is driven by the synchronous motion of the two vibrators directly. By exploiting the system motion differential equations and their vibration responses, the synchronization criterion of the two vibrators is deduced via the average method. After that, the stability criterion for the synchronous states is presented according to the convergence and divergence characteristics of the perturbed differential equation in the balanced state. Based on the theoretical results, the synchronous stable states and motion characteristics of the system under different parameter conditions are discussed by numerical qualitative analyses, and the reasonable parameters matching principles in designing the real vibrating machine are provided. A series of numerical simulations and experiments are further given to examine the validity of the theoretical methods and the obtained results. The dynamic model and research results presented in this paper can be applied to design a new kind of vibrating jaw crusher; in this case, the pendulum is served as the moving jaw and can work with its swing motion trajectory under the premise of the stable zero-phase difference between the two vibrators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timing of fault activity is a concern for geologists. This study used zircon U-Pb and apatite fission-track dating of fault breccia to determine the upper and lower limits for the time of faulting. The Guangsan fault in South China was taken as an example, and zircon U-Pb and apatite fission-track thermochronology were applied to the surrounding rock and fault breccia. The surrounding rock and fault breccia demonstrated 74.9–91.8 Ma and 73.9–93.5 Ma zircon U-Pb dates, respectively, indicating that the breccia formed after 73.9 Ma. They also demonstrated 71.6 ± 7.3 Ma and 85.9 ± 8.2–65.5 ± 6.5 Ma fission-track dates, implying that the fault breccia samples likely formed before ~70 Ma. Their thermal histories were highly consistent: both showed rapid cooling during 70–65 Ma and slow cooling during 65–0 Ma, implying that the fault was likely still active during 70–65 Ma, resulting in the rapid exhumation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect with hetero‐p–n structure shows promising benefits to optical linear and nonlinear properties. In this study, Au nanoparticles (NPs) decorated p–n hetero‐structured Co3O4/Bi2WO6 composite was synthesized and characterized in terms of the optical linear and nonlinear and magnetic properties, morphology, electron transition, charge transfer, energy band gap, polarizability, SPR effect, and oxygen vacancies using scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, Z‐scan, ultraviolet–visible spectra, and vibrating sample magnetometer. The combination of Co3O4 provided active 3d electrons transition and charge transfer which increased carriers' concentration and reduced the energy band gap. Au SPR enhanced the internal polarization and strengthened the built‐in electric field, yielding strong nonlinear behavior. In addition, magnetic Co3O4 endowed sample with room‐temperature ferromagnetism which was obviously strengthened by Au NPs. The obtained sample is promising for laser and photonics applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the WHO-5 and the ICC 2022 criteria have emphasized poor prognosis in AML/MDS patients with multi-hit TP53 mutations, whereas mutated TP53 plays a critical role in tumorigenesis, drawing substantial interest in exploring its biological behaviors. Diverse characteristics of TP53 mutations, including types, VAF, CNVs, allelic status, karyotypes, and concurrent mutations have been extensively studied. Novel potential targets and comprehensive treatment strategies nowadays are under swift development, owing to great advances in technology. However, accurately predicting prognosis of patients with TP53 -mutated myeloid neoplasms remains challenging. And there is still a lack of effective treatment for those patients. • In-depth exploration of characteristics of TP53 mutation, including types, VAFs, CNVs, allelic status, karyotypes, and concurrent mutations, provides a profound comprehension of in TP53 -mutated MNs. • The importance of TP53 multi-hit status in precisely predicting disease prognosis has been revealed by several studies. • Innovations and challenges coexist in treating TP53 -mutated MNs, navigating towards future potential therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arabinogalactan (AG), a biologically active substance found abundantly in plants, is of significant interest in plant physiology due to its unique physicochemical properties. Yariv reagent, widely utilized in AG-II related applications, forms insoluble precipitates when bound to AG-II. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the synthesis methods, physicochemical properties, and various dissociation methods of the Yariv reagent to enhance its utility in AG-II studies. Furthermore, the review explores the binding mechanisms and applications of the Yariv reagent, highlighting the advancements in studying the Yariv-AG complex in plant physiology. The aim of this review is to inspire new research ideas and foster novel applications of the Yariv reagent from synthesis to implementation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Diarrhea and vomiting caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli) F17 are considered significant threats to animal farming. In the present study, RNA-Seq was performed to investigate the potential circRNA and miRNA biomarkers for E. coli F17-antagonism (AN) and -sensitive (SE) lambs. The results indicated that circRNA and miRNA expression is closely associated with the susceptibility of E. coli F17 in lambs. Numbers of circRNAs and miRNAs may serve as potential biomarkers for intestinal inflammatory response against E. coli F17 infection. Our study can provide a preliminary understanding of the underlying mechanisms of intestinal immunity. It has long been recognized that enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is the major pathogen responsible for vomiting and diarrhea. E. coli F17, a main subtype of ETEC, is characterized by high morbidity and mortality in young livestock. However, the transcriptomic basis underlying E. coli F17 infection has not been fully understood. In this study, RNA sequencing was performed to explore the expression profiles of circRNAs and miRNAs in the jejunum of E. coli F17-antagonism (AN) and -sensitive (SE) lambs. A total of 16,534 circRNAs and 271 miRNAs (125 novel miRNAs and 146 annotated miRNAs) were screened, and 214 differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs and 53 DE miRNAs were detected between the AN and SE lambs (i.e., novel_circ_0025840, novel_circ_0022779, novel_miR_107, miR-10b). Functional enrichment analyses showed that source genes of DE circRNAs were mainly involved in metabolic-related pathways, while target genes of DE miRNAs were mainly enriched in the immune response pathways. Then, a two-step machine learning approach combining Random Forest (RF) and XGBoost (candidates were first selected by RF and further assessed by XGBoost) was performed, which identified 44 circRNAs and 39 miRNAs as potential biomarkers (i.e., novel_circ_0000180, novel_circ_0000365, novel_miR_192, oar-miR-496-3p) for E. coli infection. Furthermore, circRNA-related and lncRNA-related ceRNA networks were constructed, containing 46 circRNA-miRNA-mRNA competing triplets and 630 lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA competing triplets, respectively. By conducting a serious of bioinformatic analyses, our results revealed important circRNAs and miRNAs that could be potentially developed as candidate biomarkers for intestinal inflammatory response against E. coli F17 infection; our study can provide novel insights into the underlying mechanisms of intestinal immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports an inkjet-printed radiation pattern reconfigurable (RPR) receiving antenna for wireless power transfer application with 2.45 GHz frequency. Conductive ink EGaIn and polyimide are employed as the radiator and the flexible substrate, respectively. The geometrical parameters of the proposed antenna are optimized to obtain a favorable matching of impedance, and the S11 at 2.45 GHz is −22.71 dB, with good agreement between the simulation and measurement results. The reconfigurable characteristics of the pattern are achieved by the flexible antenna bent conformally, while the trends of S11 are investigated under various bending radii of curvature. The performance of the RPR flexible antenna receiving RF energy under multi-angle incidences is verified experimentally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Disorders of autophagic processes have been reported to affect the survival outcome of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients. The purpose of our study was to identify and validate the candidate prognostic long noncoding RNA signature of autophagy. Methods. Transcriptome profiles were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The autophagy gene list was obtained from the Human Autophagy Database. Based on coexpression analysis, we obtained a list of autophagy-related lncRNAs (ARlncRNAs). GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis were conducted to explore the functional annotation of these ARlncRNAs. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were conducted to elucidate the correlation between overall survival and the expression level of each ARlncRNAs. We then established a prognostic signature that was a linear combination of the regression coefficients from the multivariate Cox regression model (β) multiplied by the expression levels of the respective ARlncRNAs in the training cohort. The predictive performance was tested in the validation cohort. Additionally, the independence of the risk signature was assessed, and the relationship between the risk signature and conventional clinicopathological features was explored. Results. Seven autophagy-related lncRNAs with prognostic value (SNHG3, SNHG17, MELTF-AS1, HOTAIRM1, EPB41L4A-DT, AP003352.1, and AC145423.2) were identified and integrated into a risk signature, dividing patients into low-risk and high-risk groups. The risk signature was independent of conventional clinical characteristics as a prognostic indicator of ccRCC (HR, 1.074, 95% confidence interval: 1.036-1.113, p < 0.001) and was valuable in the prediction of ccRCC progression. Conclusion. Our risk signature has potential prognostic value in ccRCC, and these ARlncRNAs may play a significant role in ccRCC tumor biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CircRNAs are involved in the regulation of various cellular and biological processes, but none of the studies have focused on hair follicle in sheep. In this study, the expression profile of circRNAs between small waves (SM) and straight wool (ST) groups was investigated using RNA-Seq. The results showed that a total of 5,527 circRNAs were identified and 114 of them were differentially expressed between two groups. Enrichment analysis revealed that the host genes with DE circRNAs were mainly enriched in TGF-beta pathway, Notch pathway. Miranda software was used to found that 129 miRNAs might be binding to 114 DE circRNAs, including miR-10a, miR-143, miR-let-7a, miR-199a-3p, miR-200a, which also had important influence on hair follicle morphogenesis. Furthermore, the coding potential of circRNAs was predicted, and 11 circRNAs were simultaneously identified with coding potential. In summary, circRNAs have important effects on hair follicle growth and development, and these results will provide a basis for molecular mechanism of pattern formation. • This is the first paper to investigate the expression profile of circRNAs in Hu sheep hair follicle using RNA-Seq. • 5,527 circRNAs were identified and 114 circRNAs were differentially expressed between small waves and straight wool groups. • Some source genes of differentially expressed circRNAs were enriched in TGF-β signaling pathways. • Some target miRNAs were related to hair follicle morphogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a pathological condition, affecting an increasing number of pregnant women worldwide. Safe and effective treatment for GDM is very important for the public health. In this study, we utilized a high-fat diet-induced GDM model to evaluate the effects of LBP on GDM and examined the changes of exosomal microRNA expression profiling to decipher the potential underlying mechanism of LBP. Methods. Female C57BL/6J mice were fed a control diet, HFD, or 150 mg/kg LBP-supplemented HFD for 6 weeks before conception and throughout gestation. Oral glucose tolerance test and plasma lipid levels were determined, and liver histopathology was assessed. Sequencing was used to define the microRNA expression profiling of plasma exosomes in the three groups of mice, and protein expression levels of the candidate target genes were analyzed. Results. LBP significantly relieved glucose intolerance, abnormal plasma lipid levels, and pathomorphological changes of liver histopathology in HFD-induced GDM mice. Moreover, we found that this effect of LBP was mediated by downregulation of the increase of 6 miRNAs (miR-93-3p, miR-188-5p, miR-466k, miR-1188-5p, miR-7001-3p, and miR-7115-5p) and reversing the increase of the protein expression of CPT1A, which is the target gene of miR-188-5p. Conclusions. Our findings provide novel insights into the biological activities of LBP in the treatment of GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Aidi injection (ADI) combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for primary hepatic carcinoma (PHCC). Methods. We conducted a literature search in EMBASE, PubMed, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases from the earliest possible year to April 2018. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving ADI combined with TACE versus TACE alone for patients with PHCC were included. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was applied for quality assessment. Results. 22 studies involving 1611 participants were included. The clinical response rate (RR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.17-1.40; P < 0.00001), KPS score (RR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.59-2.00; P < 0.00001), survival rate (RR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.16-1.39; P < 0.00001), immune function (MD = 1.24, 95% CI: 0.98-1.51; P < 0.00001), and adverse effects (RR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.57-0.68; P < 0.00001) of ADI plus TACE showed significant difference when compared with TACE alone. Conclusions. ADI combined with TACE in the treatment of PHCC improved the clinical response rate and safety compared to TACE alone. However, due to poor methodological quality of many of the included RCTs, more rigorously designed and large-scale RCTs are warranted to examine this beneficial effect in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cross‐hydroalkenylation of a vinyl ether (1) with an α‐olefin (2) was first achieved by a set of [NHC‐Ni(allyl)]BArF (NHC=N‐heterocyclic carbene) catalysts. Both 1,2‐ and 1,3‐disubstituted allyl ethers were obtained, highly selectively, by using NHCs of different sizes. In contrast, the chemoselectivity (i.e., 1 as acceptor and 2 as donor) was controlled mostly by electronic effects through the catalyst–substrate interaction. Sterically bulkier alkenes (2) were used as preferred donors compared to smaller alkenes. This electronic effect also served as a basis for the first tail‐to‐head cross‐hydroalkenylations of 1 with either a vinyl silane or boronic ester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cross‐hydroalkenylation of a vinyl ether (1) with an α‐olefin (2) was first achieved by a set of [NHC‐Ni(allyl)]BArF (NHC=N‐heterocyclic carbene) catalysts. Both 1,2‐ and 1,3‐disubstituted allyl ethers were obtained, highly selectively, by using NHCs of different sizes. In contrast, the chemoselectivity (i.e., 1 as acceptor and 2 as donor) was controlled mostly by electronic effects through the catalyst–substrate interaction. Sterically bulkier alkenes (2) were used as preferred donors compared to smaller alkenes. This electronic effect also served as a basis for the first tail‐to‐head cross‐hydroalkenylations of 1 with either a vinyl silane or boronic ester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CUT-like homeobox 1 (CUX1) has been proven to be a key regulator in sheep hair follicle development. In our previous study, CUX1 was identified as a differential expressed gene between Hu sheep lambskin with small wave patterns (SM) and straight wool patterns (ST); however, the exact molecular mechanism of CUX1 expression has been obscure. As DNA methylation can regulate the gene expression, the potential association between CUX1 core promotor region methylation and lambskin pattern in Hu sheep was explored in the present study. The results show that the core promoter region of CUX1 was present at (−1601–(−1) bp) upstream of the transcription start site. A repressive region (−1151–(−751) bp) was also detected, which had a strong inhibitory effect on CUX1 promoter activity. Bisulfite amplicon sequencing revealed that no significant difference was detected between the methylation levels of CUX1 core promoter region in SM tissues and ST tissues. Although the data demonstrated the differential expression of CUX1 between SM and ST probably has no association with DNA methylation, the identification of the core region and a potential repressive region of CUX1 promoter can enrich the role of CUX1 in Hu sheep hair follicle development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly selective cross-hydroalkenylations of endocyclic 1,3-dienes at the least substituted site with α-olefins were achieved with a set of neutral (NHC)NiIIH(OTf) catalysts and cationic NiII catalysts with a novel NHC ligand. Under heteroatom assistance, skipped dienes were obtained in good yields, often from equal amounts of the two substrates and at a catalyst loading of 2-5 mol %. Rare 4,3-product selectivity (i.e., with the H atom at C4 and the alkenyl group at C3 of the diene) was observed, which is different from the selectivity of known dimerizations of α-olefins with both acyclic Co and Fe systems. The influence of the various substituents on the NHC, 1,3-diene, and α-olefin on the chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselectivity was studied. High levels of chirality transfer were observed with chiral cyclohexadiene derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly selective cross-hydroalkenylations of endocyclic 1,3-dienes at the least substituted site with α-olefins were achieved with a set of neutral (NHC)NiIIH(OTf) catalysts and cationic NiII catalysts with a novel NHC ligand. Under heteroatom assistance, skipped dienes were obtained in good yields, often from equal amounts of the two substrates and at a catalyst loading of 2-5 mol %. Rare 4,3-product selectivity (i.e., with the H atom at C4 and the alkenyl group at C3 of the diene) was observed, which is different from the selectivity of known dimerizations of α-olefins with both acyclic Co and Fe systems. The influence of the various substituents on the NHC, 1,3-diene, and α-olefin on the chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselectivity was studied. High levels of chirality transfer were observed with chiral cyclohexadiene derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image-based 3D reconstruction from a single-view image is critical and fundamental in many areas and can be integrated into many applications to provide useful functions. However, there are several crucial difficulties and challenges in accomplishing this process. For example, the issues of self-occlusion and lack of object information in a different perspective of viewing. Thus, the quality of the generated 3D shape from a single-view image may not be satisfactory and robust, hence affecting its feasibility in further applications. Conventionally, the 3D reconstruction process requires multiple input images such that the context of the target object can be fully conveyed. In this paper, we propose a new and simple, yet powerful framework that improves the quality of the generated point cloud from a single-view image. Concretely, the significant representatives are first discovered and selected by adopting a network architecture that contains both encoder and decoder models. Finally, the resultant point clouds are obtained by extracting the mean shape using the methods of Chamfer Distance (CD), Earth Mover's Distance (EMD), and Self-Organizing Map (SOM). As a result, the proposed algorithm is capable to demonstrate its robustness and effectiveness when compared to state-of-the-art 3D reconstruction methods. The best mean loss exhibited is 4.45 when evaluated on 12 classes in the ShapeNetCoreV1 dataset. In addition, qualitative results are presented to further verify the reliability of the proposed method. • Proposal of single RGB image as the input for 3D point cloud reconstruction. • The utilization of the mean shape extractor to improve the quality of 3D modeling. • Three different mean shape extraction methods are employed for framework validation. • The effectiveness of each mean shape is evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively. • Compelling CD and EMD results are achieved when tested in the ShapeNetCore dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fourteen new p -terphenyl derivatives were obtained from a sponge derived fungus Aspergillus sp. • Comprehensive methods such as chiral-phase HPLC analysis, ECD calculations and X-ray diffraction analysis were applied to determine the absolute configurations. • Asperterphenyls B and C represented the first reported natural p -terphenyl derivatives possessing a dicarboxylic acid system. • Asperterphenyl A displayed significant neuraminidase inhibitory activity with an IC 50 value of 1.77 µM. • Asperterphenyl A could efficiently inhibit infection of multiple strains of H1N1 through decreasing viral plaque formation in a dose-dependent manner. Guided by Global Natural Products Social molecular networking, 14 new p -terphenyl derivatives, asperterphenyls A–N (1 – 14), together with 20 known p -terphenyl derivatives (15 – 34), were obtained from a sponge derived fungus Aspergillus sp. SCSIO41315. Among them, new compounds 2 – 8 and 15 – 17 were ten pairs of enantiomers. Comprehensive methods such as chiral-phase HPLC analysis, ECD calculations and X-ray diffraction analysis were applied to determine the absolute configurations. Asperterphenyls B (2) and C (3) represented the first reported natural p -terphenyl derivatives possessing a dicarboxylic acid system. Asperterphenyl A (1) displayed neuraminidase inhibitory activity with an IC 50 value of 1.77 ± 0.53 µM and could efficiently inhibit infection of multiple strains of H1N1 with IC 50 values from 0.67 ± 0.28 to 1.48 ± 0.60 µM through decreasing viral plaque formation in a dose-dependent manner, which suggested that asperterphenyl A (1) might be exploited as a potential antiviral compound in the pharmaceutical fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we reported the synthesis of perovskite La 0.8 Sr 0.2 FeO 3 nanocrystals in heavy metal oxide glass under the Al 2 O 3 tailoring. 10 nm-nanocrystals of orthogonal La 0.8 Sr 0.2 FeO 3 were synthesized and well distributed in glass by melting quenching followed with subsequent crystallization process at 400 °C for 30 min for 10% Al 2 O 3 content. Aluminum abnormality effect and the Sr2+ induced multi-valence states of Fe ions and oxygen vacancies in La 0.8 Sr 0.2 FeO 3 lattice, resulting in polarizability and oxygen packing density change. The glass with 10%Al 2 O 3 amount exhibited a large thermal stability (132 °C) and significant enhancement in Verdet constant of 105 rad/T.m at 633 nm wavelength. The obtained Verdet constant values were compared with relative literatures and the values in this study are superior than values in literatures. The obtained glass with extremely good magnetic property and magneto optical performances can be promising candidate for photonics device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the biological role of RhoB in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). The expression of RhoB was examined in specimens of patients and cell lines by Western blot and Immunohistochemistry. The correlation between RhoB expression and clinicopathologic variables was also analyzed. The effects of RhoB on cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell apoptosis, and invasion/migration were detected by over-expression and knockdown of RhoB level in ccRCC cells via plasmids and RNAi. The results showed that RhoB was low-expressed in ccRCC surgical specimens and cell lines compared with adjacent normal renal tissues and normal human renal proximal tubular epithelial cell lines (HKC), and its protein expression level was significantly associated with the tumor pathologic parameter embracing tumor size(P = 0.0157), pT stage(P = 0.0035), TNM stage(P = 0.0024) and Fuhrman tumor grade(P = 0.0008). Further, over-expression of RhoB remarkably inhibited the cancer cell proliferation, colony formation and promoted cancer cell apoptosis, and aslo reduced the invasion and migration ability of ccRCC cells. Interestingly, up-regulation of RhoB could induce cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase and led to cell cycle regulators(CyclineB1,CDK1) and pro-apoptotic protein(casp3,casp9) aberrant expression. Moreover, knockdown of RhoB in HKC cells promoted cell proliferation and migration. Taken together, our study indicates that RhoB expression is decreased in ccRCC carcinogenesis and progression. Up-regulation of RhoB significantly inhibits ccRCC cell malignant phenotype. These findings show that RhoB may play a tumor suppressive role in ccRCC cells, raising its potential value in futural therapeutic target for the patients of ccRCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To investigate whether acupuncture induced the proliferation and differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) in a rat model of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods. 104 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal, model, and acupuncture groups. Each group was subdivided into three-day (3 d), seven-day (7 d), and fourteen-day (14 d) groups. The rat TBI model was established using Feeney’s freefall epidural impact method. The rats in the acupuncture group were treated at acupoints (Baihui, Shuigou, Fengfu, Yamen, and bilateral Hegu). The normal and model groups did not receive acupuncture. The establishment of the rat TBI model and the therapeutic effect of acupuncture were assessed using neurobehavioral scoring and hematoxylin-eosin staining. The proliferation and differentiation of NSCs in TBI rats were analyzed using immunofluorescence microscopy. Results. The levels of nestin-expressing cells and bromodeoxyuridine/glial fibrillary acidic protein- (BrdU/GFAP-) and BrdU/S100 calcium-binding protein B-positive and BrdU/microtubule-associated protein 2- and BrdU/galactocerebrosidase-positive cells were more significantly increased at various time points in the acupuncture group than in the model group (P<0.01), except for a decreased level of BrdU/GFAP-positive cells at 7 d and 14 d. Conclusion. Acupuncture induced the proliferation and differentiation of NSCs, thereby promoting neural repair in the TBI rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to complex dynamic coupling relationships in the system, the research that couples pendulum and vibrators in the same system is rarely found. Especially in the vibrating system with spatial motion, the theoretical derivation may be too complex to be easy to implement. In this paper, we present a vibrator-pendulum coupling system with spatial motion characteristics; here, the pendulum is driven by the two vibrators mounted on it. The synchronization of the vibrators and the motion characteristics of the system are studied via theory, numeric, and experiment. In theory, the synchronization and stability criteria of the two vibrators are deduced. According to the theoretical results, some numerical qualitative analyses are given to further reveal the synchronous stable states and spatial motion characteristics of the system. The validity of the theoretical methods and the correctness of the numerical qualitative results are examined by simulation and experiment. Taking the pendulum as the working rigid frame, the proposed dynamic model and research results can be applied to design a new kind of vibrating jaw crusher with spatial motion characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the safety and efficacy of transurethral photoselective Greenlight™ laser vaporization in adult patients with orthotopic ureterocele. Materials and methods: Thirty adult patients diagnosed with orthotopic urecterocele were recruited at our center. Transurethral photoselective Greenlight laser vaporization was used as the exclusive technique for endoscopic management during the study period. Information, including age, gender, mode of presentation, ureterocele size, vesicoureteral reflux, hydronephrosis status, and incidence of reoperation, were collected for evaluation. Results: Our series included 12 men and 18 women. The mean patient age at presentation was 30.5 years (range, 18-62 years). The mean size of ureterocele was 18 mm (range, 10-41 mm). All patients successfully underwent transurethral photoselective Greenlight laser to vaporize the ureterocele. The operation ranged from 13 min to 38 min (mean 19.6 min). The average blood loss was <10 mL. No patient had intraoperative complications. The average postoperative hospital stay was 18.3 h. All patients were voided after postoperative catheter removal. None of the patients demonstrated any residual ureterocele and/or hydronephrosis when evaluated with ultrasonography after 3 months. Only one patient with a duplex collecting system presented asymptomatic low-grade reflux at 3 months, which was spontaneously resolved after 6 months of follow-up. All patients were free of any symptoms. No reoperative procedures were required at a mean follow-up of 14.2 months (range, 8-16). Conclusions: Transurethral photoselective Greenlight laser vaporization is safe, effective, and efficient for the management of orthotopic urecteroceles in adults. Therefore, this technique should be considered as the initial treatment in most patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the clinical efficacy of DRTR (Double Reverse Traction Repositor, DRTR)and traction table in the treatment of femoral shaft fractures with the aid of AN-IMN (Antegrade intramedullary nailing). Patients and Methods: In this study, patients with femoral shaft fractures admitted to the Department of Orthopedics at Zhaoqing First People’s Hospital from May 2018 to October 2022 were recruited. All patients were treated with anterograde intramedullary nailing, with 23 patients in the DRTR-assisted group and 21 patients in the traction table-assisted group. The demographic characteristics, fracture classification, intraoperative data, postoperative data, and prognostic indicators of the two groups were recorded and analyzed retrospectively. All procedures were performed by the same team of experienced physicians. Results: All the patients in the two groups were followed up for more than 12 months. Both traction methods could provide stable traction for the operator during AN-IMN, and there was no significant difference in demographic characteristics and fracture classification. The intraoperative fluoroscopy times and opening reduction rate of the DRTR group were lower than those of the traction table group (P < 0.05), and the postoperative Harris Hip Score, as well as the Lyshol Lysholm knee function Score of the DRTR group, were significantly higher than the traction table group members (P < 0.05). Postoperative complications such as perineal soft tissue injury and lateral femoral cutaneous nerve injury occurred in the traction table group, but not in the DRTR group. Conclusion: DRTR can safely and effectively provide continuous and stable traction in the femoral shaft fractures surgery, and outperforms the traction table in the number of intraoperative fluoroscopy, opening reduction rate, reduction of complications, and postoperative joint function score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibins suppress the FSH production in pituitary gonadotrope cells by robustly antagonizing activin signaling by competitively binding to activin type II receptors (ACTR II). The binding of inhibin A to ACTR II requires the presence of its co-receptor, namely, betaglycan. In humans, the critical binding site for betaglycan to inhibin A was identified on the inhibin α subunit. Through conservation analysis, we found that a core 13-amino-acid peptide sequence within the betaglycan-binding epitope on human inhibin α subunit is highly conserved across species. Based on the tandem sequence of such a conserved 13-amino-acid betaglycan-binding epitope (INHα13AA-T), we developed a novel inhibin vaccine and tested its efficacy in promoting female fertility using the female rat as a model. Compared with placebo-immunized controls, INHα13AA-T immunization induced a marked (p < 0.05) antibody generation, enhanced (p < 0.05) ovarian follicle development, and increased ovulation rate and litter sizes. Mechanistically, INHα13AA-T immunization promoted (p < 0.05) pituitary Fshb transcription and increased (p < 0.05) serum FSH and 17β-estradiol concentrations. In summary, active immunization against INHα13AA-T potently increased FSH levels, ovarian follicle development, ovulation rate and litter sizes, thus causing super-fertility in females. Therefore, immunization against INHα13AA is a promising alternative to the conventional approach of multiple ovulation and super-fertility in mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hair follicle development is closely associated with wool curvature. Current studies reveal the crucial role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in hair follicle growth and development. However, few studies are known regarding their role in wool curvature. To reveal the potential roles of miRNAs in Hu sheep lambskin with different patterns, a total of 37 differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were identified in hair follicles between small waves (SM) and straight wool (ST) groups using RNA-seq. Through functional enrichment and miRNA-mRNA co-expression analysis, some key miRNAs (oar-miR-143, oar-miR-200b, oar-miR-10a, oar-miR-181a, oar-miR-10b, oar-miR-125b, etc.) and miRNA-mRNA pairs (miR-125b target CD34, miR-181a target FGF12, LMO3, miR-200b target ZNF536, etc.) were identified. Though direct or indirect ways affecting hair follicle development, these miRNAs and mRNAs may have possible effects on wool curvature, and this study thus provides valuable insight on potential pattern formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 3D carbon cloth frame decorated with Au particles was prepared by a simple one-step hydrothermal method. • CC with Au particles can be used to reduce the local current density and the nucleation overpotential during Li plating. • The Au-CC/Li electrode exhibits quite a promising stability during the repeated plating/stripping cycles. • The Au-CC/Li|LFP full cell delivers a high capacity retention. [Display omitted] Li metal has been proven to increase the energy density of rechargeable Li batteries significantly. However, the growth of Li dendrites has hindered the practical application of Li metal. Herein, an Au modified carbon cloth (Au-CC) was prepared by a simple one-step hydrothermal method. Benefiting from the miscibility of Li and Au on the surface of skeleton, the Au-CC can regulate the uniform plating/stripping process of Li effectively and alleviate the formation of Li dendrites, leading to a superior electrochemical performance (near 100% CE for 200 cycles at 2 mA cm−2). The as-fabricated Au-CC/Li electrode delivers a ultralong lifespan of 1200 h with low voltage hysteresis at 1 mA cm−2 for 1 mAh cm−2 in symmetric cells. By assembling the full-cell batteries using LiFePO 4 and Au-CC/Li as cathode and anode respectively, the capacity retention of 80.8% is achieved after 200 cycles at 3C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary lymphedema is a chronic and incurable disease lacking satisfactory therapeutic drugs. It primarily results from lymphatic vessel dysfunction resulting from factors such as tumor-related surgery, injury, or infection. Promoting lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic vessel remodeling is crucial for restoring tissue fluid drainage and treating secondary lymphedema. In this study, we discovered that the oral administration of a type-II arabinogalactan (CAPW-1, molecular weight: 64 kDa) significantly promoted lymphangiogenesis and alleviated edema in mice with secondary lymphedema. Notably, the tail diameter of the CAPW-1200 group considerably decreased in comparison to that of the lymphedema group, with an average diameter difference reaching 0.98 mm on day 14. CAPW-1 treatment also reduced the average thickness of the subcutaneous area in the CAPW-1200 group to 0.37 mm (compared with 0.73 mm in the lymphedema group). It also facilitated the return of injected indocyanine green (ICG) from the tail tip to the sciatic lymph nodes, indicating that CAPW-1 promoted lymphatic vessel remodeling at the injury site. In addition, CAPW-1 enhanced the proliferation and migration of lymphatic endothelial cells. This phenomenon was associated with the activation of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway, thereby promoting the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C), which can be abolished using a TLR4 antagonist. Despite these findings, CAPW-1 did not alleviate the symptoms of lymphedema or restore lymphatic drainage in VEGFR3flox/flox/Prox1-CreERT2 mice. In summary, CAPW-1 alleviates secondary lymphedema by promoting lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic vessel remodeling through the activation of the TLR4/NF-κB/VEGF-C signaling pathway, indicating its potential as a therapeutic lymphangiogenesis agent for patients with secondary lymphedema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diamagnetic Y3+ ions doped magneto-optical TbVO 4 nanocrystals were synthesized and characterized, the influence of mixed valence effect in TbVO 4 : Y to structure and properties of diamagnetic glasses/ceramic was studied. 80–100 nm spherical TbVO 4 nanocrystals were hydrothermally synthesized. The doping of 30% and 40% Y3+ into TbVO 4 increased the grain size to 120–150 nm and transformed pure zircon-type to a combination of zircon- scheelite type structure. EDX, Raman and infrared spectra revealed that the Y3+ occupied the site of Tb3+ with chemical formula of Tb 0.7 Y 0.3 VO 4 and Tb 0.6 Y 0.4 VO 4 respectively. More than 40% Y3+ could not be incorporated into TbVO 4 lattice. Y doped TbVO 4 nanocrystals presented two absorption peaks at 266 nm and 301 nm and one broad emission peak centered at 468 nm. A quenching of emission was observed for 40%Y doped TbVO 4 due to the non-radiation energy transfer between Tb3+ and Y3+. Three nanocrystals displayed EPR resonance signal at g = 1.98 for V4+ ions due to the ion (oxygen) vacancies and structure deformation. VSM and XPS results indicated that the Y3+ doping changed paramagnetic to diamagnetic due to the increase concentration of diamagnetic Y3+, V5+ and Tb4+ ions. Three nanocrystals doped diamagnetic glass/ceramic presented different transparency, homogeneity and structures because of multivalence states of Tb and V in glasses/ceramic. Pure TbVO 4 and TbVO 4 :30%Y doped glasses exhibited transition 7F 0 →5D 2 of Tb3+ and 2B 2 g →2B 1 g of V4+ ions which resulted in the reduction of band gap energy and red-shifts of absorption edges. A quenching of 5D 4 →7F 5–2 transition of Tb3+ was observed in Tb 0.6 Y 0.4 VO 4 doped ceramic. Closed and open-aperture Z-scan showed an enhancement of nonlinearity due to the increase of polarizability. The mixed valence states of Tb and V yielded different magnetization and magneto optical rotation performances in glasses/ceramic. TbVO 4 :30%Y doped glass exhibited remarkable third nonlinear susceptibility (7.66 × 10−11 esu), magnetization and Verdet constant (0.2248 min/G.cm) at 633 nm. • Diamagnetic Y3+ doped ~100 nm spherical magneto-optical TbVO 4 were synthesized, characterized. • Tb 0.7 Y 0.3 VO 4 /Tb 0.6 Y 0.4 VO 4 show lower band gap, modified magnetization and zircon-scheelite structure. • Glasses/ceramic with different homogeneity, transparency and structure were obtained. • Multivalence of Tb and V in diamagnetic matrix contributed to linear and nonlinearity improvement. • TbVO 4 :30%Y doped glass show giant magnetization and Verdet constant (0.2248 min/G.cm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In present work, the double and triple-frequency synchronization behaviors of a vibrating mechanical system with two different driving frequencies, driven by three reversed rotating exciters, are investigated by theory, numeric, and experiment. Based on Lagrange's equations, the dynamic model corresponding to vibrating machine is proposed and motion differential equations are constructed. The Bogoliubov standard formal equations for three exciters are established, by introducing the asymptotic method, in which the synchronization problem is converted into that of the existence and stability of zero-valued solution of the average differential equations. The synchronization criterion of satisfying the synchronous operation is deduced. According to the Routh–Hurwitz criterion, the stability criterion of the synchronous states is achieved analytically. Based on the obtained theory results, the stability characteristics of the system, are numerically discussed in detail, including the stability ability coefficients and stable phase differences. Finally, simulations and experiments under the condition of two different driving frequencies, are performed to further examine the validity of the theoretical and numerical qualitative results. The present work can provide a theoretical reference for designing some new types of the vibrating machines with adjustable frequencies and motion trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel algorithm is proposed for sample partitioning optimization in NIR models. • AHCTS is a hybrid method and it is self-adaptive to the spectral data. • The AHCTS optimization combined with PLSR is suitable for NIR application. • AHCTS outperforms the conventional methods of KS and SPXY. The division of calibration and validation is one of the essential procedures that affect the prediction result of the calibration model in quantitative analysis of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The conventional methods are Kennard-Stone (KS) and sample set partitioning based on joint x -y distances (SPXY). These algorithms use Euclidean distance to cover as many representative samples as possible. This paper proposes an Adaptive Hybrid Cuckoo-Tabu Search (AHCTS) algorithm for partitioning samples based on optimization. The algorithm combines the characteristics of cuckoo search (CS) and tabu search (TS) and fuses with an adaptive function. For comparison, using fishmeal samples as spectral analysis data, KS, SPXY, and AHCTS algorithms were used to divide the modeling samples to establish partial least squares regression (PLSR) models. The experimental results showed that the model established by the proposed algorithm performs better than KS and SPXY. It reveals that the AHCTS method may be an advantageous alternative for quantitative analysis of NIR spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magneto-optical materials exhibiting low/no temperature-dependent Faraday rotation, high magnetization and good thermal/mechanical stability are required in various magneto-optical sensing and photonic applications. For the first time, we employed the rare earth Lu3+ and Sc3+ ions to strengthen the structure and enhance magnetic& magneto-optical properties of heavy metal oxide diamagnetic glasses. Experimental results revealed that the doping of Lu 2 O 3 and Sc 2 O 3 not only significantly increased the UV-VIS transmittance, improved the thermal stability, Vicker's hardness and tensile strength, but also remarkably increased the magnetic susceptibility and Verdet constant. The reasons were analyzed through the XRD, FT-IR, Raman spectra, oxygen chemical bonds, EPR of Lu 2 O 3 and Sc 2 O 3 crystal fields and affinity to oxygen. Promising Faraday rotating glass with Verdet constant of 76.32 rad/Tm at 633 nm, thermal stability KH = 0.817, very low thermal expansion coefficient (14.04 × 10−6 K−1) and high diamagnetic susceptibility of 9.25 × 10−6 emu/g has obtained which has potential merits for photonics and MO devices applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Lambskin trait is one of the important economic traits of Hu sheep, and its quality depends on the pattern type of lambskin, which is affected by hair follicle growth and development. In our study, RNA-seq was used to detect the expression profiles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) between straight wool and small waves of the hair follicle in Hu sheep lambskin. The results showed that a total of 75 differentially expressed lncRNAs, and 25 differentially expressed mRNAs were screened between small waves group and straight wool group. Functional annotation of differentially expressed mRNAs showed that FGF12 and ATP1B4 were enriched in MAPK, PI3K-Akt, and Ras signaling pathways, which had a certain influence on hair follicle growth and development. Interestingly, TCONS_00279168 was predicted to target FGF12 and its source gene ATP1B4. Thus, TCONS_00279168, FGF12, and ATP1B4 can be used for follow-up research and provide a new idea for the molecular mechanism in Hu sheep hair follicle growth and development. Lambskin of the Hu sheep exhibits high economic value due to its water-wave pattern. Wool curvature is the key factor of the pattern types and quality of lambskin, and it is formed by the interaction between dermal papilla cells and hair matrix cells in the hair follicle, which is regulated by various genes and signaling pathways. Herein, three full-sibling pairs of two-day-old healthy lambs (n = 6) were divided into a straight wool group (ST) and small waves group (SM) with three repetitions. RNA-seq was applied to determine the expression profile of mRNAs and lncRNAs in Hu sheep hair follicles. 25 differentially expressed mRNAs and 75 differentially expressed lncRNAs were found between SM and ST. FGF12, ATP1B4, and TCONS_00279168 were probably associated with hair follicle development. Then, Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment analysis were implemented for the functional annotation of target genes of differentially expressed lncRNAs. The results showed that many genes, such as FGF12 and ATP1B4, were found enriched in PI3K-Akt signaling, MAPK signaling, and Ras signaling pathway associated with hair follicle growth and development. In addition, the interaction network of differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs showed that a total of 6 differentially expressed lncRNAs were associated with 12 differentially expressed mRNAs, which may be as candidate mRNAs and lncRNAs. TCONS_00279168 may target ATP1B4 and FGF12 to regulate MAPK, PI3K-Akt, Ras signaling pathways involved in the sheep hair follicle development process. These results will provide the basis for exploring hair follicle development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have suggested that macrophages are present during lens regeneration in newts, but their role in the process is yet to be elucidated. Methods: Here we generated a transgenic reporter line using the newt, Pleurodeles waltl, that traces macrophages during lens regeneration. Furthermore, we assessed early changes in gene expression during lens regeneration using two newt species, Notophthalmus viridescens and Pleurodeles waltl. Finally, we used clodronate liposomes to deplete macrophages during lens regeneration in both species and tested the effect of a subsequent secondary injury after macrophage recovery. Results: Macrophage depletion abrogated lens regeneration, induced the formation of scar-like tissue, led to inflammation, decreased iris pigment epithelial cell (iPEC) proliferation, and increased rates of apoptosis in the eye. Some of these phenotypes persisted throughout the last observation period of 100 days and could be attenuated by exogenous FGF2 administration. A distinct transcript profile encoding acute inflammatory effectors was established for the dorsal iris. Reinjury of the newt eye alleviated the effects of macrophage depletion, including the resolution of scar-like tissue, and re-initiated the regeneration process. Conclusions: Together, our findings highlight the importance of macrophages for facilitating a pro-regenerative environment in the newt eye by regulating fibrotic responses, modulating the overall inflammatory landscape, and maintaining the proper balance of early proliferation and late apoptosis of the iPECs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperspectral image (HSI) classification plays a key role in the field of earth observation missions. Recently, transformer-based approaches have been widely used for HSI classification due to their ability to model long-range sequences. However, these methods face two main challenges. First, they treat HSI as linear vectors, disregarding their 3D attributes and spatial structure. Second, the repeated concatenation of encoders leads to information loss and gradient vanishing. To overcome these challenges, we propose a new solution called the multi-level feature extraction network (MLFEN). MLFEN consists of two sub-networks: the hybrid convolutional attention module (HCAM) and the enhanced dense vision transformer (EDVT). HCAM incorporates a band shift strategy to eliminate the edge effect of convolution and utilizes hybrid convolutional blocks to capture the 3D properties and spatial structure of HSI. Additionally, an attention module is introduced to identify strongly discriminative features. EDVT reconfigures the organization of original encoders by incorporating dense connections and adaptive feature fusion components, enabling faster propagation of information and mitigating the problem of gradient vanishing. Furthermore, we propose a novel sparse loss function to better fit the data distribution. Extensive experiments conducted on three public datasets demonstrate the significant advancements achieved by MLFEN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Screening for polymorphisms in the promoter region of a functional gene is an effective way to identify useful markers for improving sheep growth and development. Non-SMC condensin I complex subunit G (NCAPG) is a candidate gene linked with sheep growth and development. Its explicit role in muscle development is still unclear, and markers in NCAPG's promoter region have not been explored yet. The goal of this study was to investigate the direct role of NCAPG in regulating myogenic development and the differentiation of myoblasts and explore potential markers in its promoter region in relation to sheep growth and development traits. To achieve this goal, cell proliferation and differentiation after RNA interference with NCAPG were investigated in embryonic myoblasts. In addition, the genetic markers in the promoter region of NCAPG were scanned, and association analysis between the markers and sheep growth and development traits was carried out. The results suggest that interfering with NCAPG inhibits the proliferation and differentiation of myoblasts. Five variants detected in the promoter region of NCAPG were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with sheep growth and development traits. These results provide direct evidence of NCAPG regulating myogenesis and provide useful genetic markers to increase the efficacy of the selection of sheep growth and development traits. Previously, NCAPG was identified as a candidate gene associated with sheep growth traits. This study aimed to investigate the direct role of NCAPG in regulating myogenesis in embryonic myoblast cells and to investigate the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in its promoter region and sheep growth traits. The function of NCAPG in myoblast proliferation and differentiation was detected after small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) knocked down the expression of NCAPG. Cell proliferation was detected using CCK-8 assay, EdU proliferation assay, and flow cytometry cell cycle analysis. Cell differentiation was detected via cell immunofluorescence and the quantification of myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs). SNPs in the promoter region were detected using Sanger sequencing and genotyped using the improved multiplex ligation detection reaction (iMLDR®) technique. As a result, a notable decrease (p < 0.01) in the percentage of EdU-positive cells in the siRNA-694-treated group was observed. A significant decrease (p < 0.01) in cell viability after treatment with siRNA-694 for 48 h and 72 h was detected using the CCK-8 method. The quantity of S-phase cells in the siRNA-694 treatment group was significantly decreased (p < 0.01). After interfering with NCAPG in myoblasts during induced differentiation, the relative expression levels of MRFs were markedly (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01) reduced compared with the control group on days 5–7. The myoblast differentiation in the siRNA-694 treatment group was obviously suppressed compared with the control group. SNP1, SNP2, SNP3, and SNP4 were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with all traits except body weight measured at birth and one month of age. SNP5 was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with body weight, body height, and body length in six-month-old sheep. In conclusion, interfering with NCAPG can inhibit the proliferation and differentiation of ovine embryonic myoblasts. SNPs in its promoter region can serve as potential useful markers for selecting sheep growth traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weihao Chen, a Frost & Sullivan analyst based in Shanghai, looks at how China''s rapid growth will affect the pump industry – and what consequences it could have for large and small manufacturers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is widely used in the assisted reproduction and a synthetic peptide corresponding to a receptor binding region of the human (h) FSH-β-(34–37) (TRDL) modulated reproduction. Furthermore, a 13-amino acid sequence corresponding to hFSH-β-(37–49) (LVYKDPARPKIQK) was recently identified as the receptor binding site. We hypothesized that the synthetic peptides corresponding to hFSH-β-(37–49) and hFSH-β-(34–49), created by merging hFSH-β-(34–37) and hFSH-β-(37–49), modulate the reproductive functions, with the longer peptide being more biologically active. In male or female prepubertal mice, a single injection of 200 μg/g BW ip of hFSH-β-(37–49) or hFSH-β-(34–49) hastened (p < 0.05) puberty, whereas the same treatments given daily for 4 d promoted (p < 0.05) the gonadal steroidogenesis and gamete formation. In addition of either peptide to the in vitro cell cultures, promoted (p < 0.05) the proliferation of primary murine granulosa cells and the estradiol production by upregulating the expression of Ccnd2 and Cyp19a1, respectively. In adult female mice, 200 μg/g BW ip of either peptide during diestrus antagonized the FSH-stimulated estradiol increase and uterine weight gain during proestrus. Furthermore, hFSH-β-(34–49) was a more potent (p < 0.05) reproductive modulator than hFSH-β-(37–49), both in vivo and in vitro. We concluded that hFSH-β-(37–49) and especially hFSH-β-(34–49), have the potential for reproductive modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]