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Background and purpose Methods Results Conclusion The aim was to investigate the causal relationships of inflammatory cytokines and serum metabolites in cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD).Bidirectional Mendelian randomization was first conducted to screen inflammatory cytokines and serum metabolites that were associated with imaging features of CSVD, including white matter hyperintensities, recent small subcortical infarcts, cortical cerebral microinfarcts, cerebral microbleeds, lacunes and enlarged perivascular spaces. Sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness and pleiotropy of these results. Subsequently, inflammatory cytokines and serum metabolites that were associated with CSVD were subjected to functional enrichment. Finally, mediation analysis was employed to investigate whether inflammatory cytokines or serum metabolites acted as an intermediary for the other in their causal relationship with CSVD.Of the inflammatory cytokines, five were risk factors (e.g., tumour‐necrosis‐factor‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand) and five (e.g., fibroblast growth factor 19) were protective factors for CSVD. Eleven serum metabolites that increased CSVD risk and 13 metabolites that decreased CSVD risk were also identified. The majority of these markers of CSVD susceptibility were lipid metabolites. Natural killer cell receptor sub‐type 2B4 was determined to act as a mediating factor of an unidentified metabolite for the enlargement of perivascular spaces.Several inflammatory cytokines and serum metabolites had causal relationships with imaging features of CSVD. A natural killer cell receptor mediated in part the promotional effect of a metabolite on perivascular space enlargement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Location Taxon Methods Results Main Conclusions Long‐term climate stability, contemporary climate and environmental heterogeneity have been linked to bird diversity patterns through their direct impacts on diversification rate, as well as through their indirect effects on plant species richness, which could also directly and indirectly affect bird diversity. This study aimed to quantitatively assess whether these potential drivers could indirectly affect bird species richness through their direct effects on the diversification rate in birds in eastern Asia.Mainland China.Birds.Using the distribution data of 1127 bird species across 320 prefecture cities in China and a phylogenetic tree of these bird species, we analysed the distribution patterns of bird species richness and diversification rate of all birds, passerine birds and non‐passerine birds, respectively. We also investigated their relationships with long‐term climate stability, contemporary climate, elevation range and plant diversity using ordinary least squares regression model and simultaneous autoregressive model. In addition, structural equation model was used to analyse whether these drivers could indirectly affect bird species richness through their direct effects on bird diversification rate.The results showed that bird species richness and diversification rate were highest in southwestern China. Additionally, diversification rate for passerine birds was higher than non‐passerine birds and all birds. Regression analyses revealed that plant species richness was the variable most associated with bird species richness and diversification rate across the three groups. Notably, results from structural equation model indicated that plant species richness, elevation range and glacial–interglacial climate change can indirectly influence bird species richness by directly affecting diversification rates.These findings emphasize the importance of considering diversification rate when understanding the geographic distribution patterns of bird diversity. The direct and indirect effects of plant species richness, elevation range and glacial–interglacial climate change on bird diversity highlight the crucial role of mountain regions with higher plant diversity and stable paleoclimate in forming and maintaining biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The (k , r) -fan, denoted by F k , r , is the graph consisting of k copies of the complete graph K r which intersect in a single vertex. Desai et al. [7] proved that E X s p (n , F k , r) ⊆ E X (n , F k , r) for sufficiently large n , where E X s p (n , F k , r) and E X (n , F k , r) are the sets of n -vertex F k , r -free graphs with maximum spectral radius and maximum size, respectively. In this paper, the set E X s p (n , F k , r) is uniquely determined for n large enough. Let H s , t 1 , ... , t k be the graph consisting of s triangles and k odd cycles of lengths t 1 , ... , t k ≥ 5 intersecting in exactly one common vertex, denoted by H s , k for short. Li and Peng [12] showed that E X s p (n , H s , k) ⊆ E X (n , H s , k) for n large enough. In this paper, the set E X s p (n , H s , k) is uniquely characterized for sufficiently large n. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a non-bipartite graph which does not contain any odd cycle of length at most 2 k + 1. In this paper, we determine the maximum Q -index of G if its order is fixed, and the corresponding extremal graph is uniquely characterized. Moreover, if the size of G is given, the maximum Q -index of G and the unique extremal graph are also proved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress has been considered to be closely related to spaceflight‐induced bone loss; however, mechanism is elusive and there are no effective countermeasures. Using cultured rat calvarial osteoblasts exposed to microgravity simulated by a random positioning machine, this study addressed the hypotheses that microgravity‐induced shortening of primary cilia leads to oxidative stress and that primary cilium protection prevents oxidative stress and osteogenesis loss. Microgravity was found to induce oxidative stress (as represented by increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde production, and decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes), which was perfectly replicated in osteoblasts growing in NG with abrogated primary cilia (created by transfection of an interfering RNA), suggesting the possibility that shortening of primary cilia leads to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress was accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction (represented by increased mitochondrial ROS and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential) and intracellular Ca2+ overload, and the latter was found to be caused by increased activity of Ca2+ channel transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4), as also evidenced by TRPV4 agonist GSK1016790A‐elicited Ca2+ influx. Supplementation of HC‐067047, a specific antagonist of TRPV4, attenuated microgravity‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and osteogenesis loss. Although TRPV4 was found localized in primary cilia and expressed at low levels in NG, microgravity‐induced shortening of primary cilia led to increased TRPV4 levels and Ca2+ influx. When primary cilia were protected by miR‐129‐3p overexpression or supplementation with a natural flavonoid moslosooflavone, microgravity‐induced increased TRPV4 expression, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and osteogenesis loss were all prevented. Our data revealed a new mechanism that primary cilia function as a controller for TRPV4 expression. Microgravity‐induced injury on primary cilia leads to increased expression and overactive channel of TRPV4, causing intracellular Ca2+ overload and oxidative stress, and primary cilium protection could be an effective countermeasure against microgravity‐induced oxidative stress and loss of osteogenic potential of osteoblasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A classic result in extremal graph theory, known as Mantel's theorem, states that every non-bipartite graph of order n with size m > ⌊ n 2 4 ⌋ contains a triangle. Lin, Ning and Wu [Comb. Probab. Comput. 30 (2021) 258-270] proved a spectral version of Mantel's theorem for given order n. Zhai and Shu [Discrete Math. 345 (2022) 112630] investigated a spectral version for fixed size m. In this paper, we prove Q -spectral versions of Mantel's theorem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the development of China's international talent policy (ITP) during 1978–2020. An analytical framework is constructed to track the profound changes of ITP and examine the main driving forces for these changes. Four main phases of ITP development are identified through analyzing significant changes in the four core components of China's ITP, including guiding frameworks, hierarchy of goals, policy instruments, and governance institutions. The driving forces mainly include crises and policy problems, the authoritative CCP leadership, and government responses to crises/problems. It is concluded that the stable and authoritative leadership in a centralized government is the key to profound policy changes without fundamentally shifting the ultimate policy goal, but lacking societal forces can be problematic especially when the government role becomes weakened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low temperature limits photosynthesis and leads to reduced production in plants. Accurate monitoring of the physiological state of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings and assessing their chilling injury are of great importance for the off-season cucumber industry. Dark chlorophyll fluorescence parameters have been proven to be efficient for revealing environmental stress on plant growth. We used seedlings of cucumber cultivar Bonai 14-3 to test a nested set of fluorescence parameters to assess the response characteristics of dark chlorophyll fluorescence parameters during eight days at low temperatures. Mutual information analysis showed that the dark chlorophyll fluorescence parameter Fv/Fo, an indicator of the potential activity of photosystem II, gave the strongest correlation with stage of chilling injury. We compared three Fv/Fo prediction models with different inputs, constructed using a quantum genetic algorithm support vector regression method. The model showed the highest accuracy when the inputs were Fv and Fo measured before low-temperature treatment, coupled with temperature, and duration. The coefficient of determination of the training and testing sets were both greater than 0.98. The root mean square error and the mean absolute error were both less than 0.15. This model was able to achieve accurate prediction of Fv/Fo for seedlings in a low-temperature environment, providing a potential method for non-destructive analysis and diagnosis of cucumber chilling injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: The physical locations of citrus centromere are revealed by combining genetic and immunological assays for the first time and nine citrus centromere-specific markers for cytogenetics are mined. Centromere localization is challenging, because highly redundant repetitive sequences in centromeric regions make sequence assembly difficult. Although several citrus genomes have been released, the centromeric regions and their characteristics remain to be elucidated. Here, we mapped citrus centromeres through half-tetrad analysis (HTA) that included the genotyping of 54 tetraploid hybrids derived from 2n megagametophytes of Nadorcott tangor with 212 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. The sizes of centromeric regions, which estimated based on the heterozygosity restitution rate pattern along the chromosomes, ranged from 1.12 to 18.19 Mb. We also profiled the binding sequences with the centromere-specific histone variant CenH3 by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq). Based on the positions of the top ten CenH3-enriched contigs, the sizes of centromeric regions were estimated to range from 0.01 to 7.60 Mb and were either adjacent to or included in the centromeric regions identified by HTA. We used DNA probes from two repeats selected from the centromeric regions and seven CenH3-binding centromeric repeats to verify centromeric locations by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Centromere localization in citrus will contribute to the mining of centromeric/pericentromeric markers, thus to facilitate the rapid identification of mechanisms underlying 2n gamete formation and serve the polyploidy breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on global cropland distribution and agricultural production is critical for the world's agricultural monitoring and food security. We present datasets of cropland extent and agricultural production in the two-paper series of a cultivated planet in 2010. In the first part, we propose a new self-adapting statistics allocation model (SASAM) to develop the global map of cropland distribution. SASAM is based on the fusion of multiple existing cropland maps and multilevel statistics of the cropland area, which is independent of training samples. First, cropland area statistics are used to rank the input cropland maps, and then a scoring table is built to indicate the agreement among the input datasets. Secondly, statistics are allocated adaptively to the pixels with higher agreement scores, until the cumulative cropland area is close to the statistics. The multi-level allocation results are then integrated to obtain the extent of cropland. We applied SASAM to produce a global cropland synergy map with a 500 m spatial resolution circa 2010. The accuracy assessments show that the synergy map has higher accuracy than the input datasets, and better consistency with the cropland statistics. The synergy cropland map is available via an open-data repository (DOI: https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/ZWSFAA. Lu et al., 2020). This cropland map has been used as an essential input to the Spatial Production Allocation Model (SPAM) for producing the global dataset of agricultural production circa 2010, which is described in the second part of the two-paper series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a graph and H be a certain connected subgraph of G. The H -structure connectivity κ (G ; H) (resp. H -substructure connectivity κ s (G ; H)) of G is the minimum number of a set of subgraphs F = { H 1 , H 2 , ⋯ , H m } (resp. F = { H 1 ′ , H 2 ′ , ⋯ , H m ′ }) such that H i is isomorphic to H (resp. H i ′ is a connected subgraph of H) for every 1 ≤ i ≤ m , and F 's removal will disconnect G. For the k -ary n -cube Q n k , the κ (Q n k ; H) and κ s (Q n k ; H) were determined for H ∈ { K 1 , K 1 , 1 , K 1 , 2 , K 1 , 3 }. In this paper, we show κ (Q n k ; H) and κ s (Q n k ; H) for H ∈ { P l , C l } where 3 ≤ l ≤ 2 n. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential energy consumption has increased sharply in China and is further expected to grow owing to rapid economic growth and improved living standards. The residential sector will be one of the leading drivers of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, this study divides China into three areas considering regional differences and re-investigates the influence of human activities on residential CO 2 emissions in China's 28 provinces during 2000–2016. Using an extended stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence, and technology model, the key factors behind residential CO 2 emissions are investigated. The main findings are as follows: Residential CO 2 emissions in China have regional characteristics and the effects of urbanization, energy intensity, and price elasticities vary among the three regions. GDP per capita is the key factor and positively influences total residential CO 2 emissions. By adding the squared and cubed terms of GDP per capita, the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis is tested for all regions and for China overall. The results confirm the environmental Kuznets curve in the eastern region and show an "N" shaped curve at the national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: miR-106b has been reported to play a vital role in pathogenesis of some types of cancer, whilst the role of miR-106b in renal carcinoma cancer (RCC) remains unknown. Purpose: The objective of this study was to identify the mechanism of miR-106b regulating the progression of renal carcinoma. Method: The expression of miR-106b was analyzed in RCC cell lines, RCC and adjacent normal renal tissues through qRT-PCR assays. Target mRNA of miR-106b was predicted with databases and verified by luciferase reporter assays. And the effects of miR-106b or targeted mRNA on cell proliferation, invasion, the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) were assessed in vitrothrough CCK-8, transwell cell invasion assays, qRT-PCR and Western blotting assays respectively. In addition, the effects of miR-106b on the growth of xenografts mice were analyzedin vivo. Results: The results demonstrated that miR-106b was significantly increased both in RCC tissues and cell lines. Luciferase reporter assays revealed that miR-106b inhibited Capicua expression by targeting its 3ʹ-UTR sequence. And miR-106b promoted cell proliferation, invasion, EMT progression in RCC cellin vitro, as well as promoted the tumor growth of 786-O cells derived xenografts mice. Additionally, loss of Capicua promoted the activation of MAPK signaling pathway. Conclusion: The study suggested that miR-106b regulated RCC progression through MAPK signaling pathway partly by targeting Capicua, which might provide valuable evidence for therapeutic target development of RCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political promotion is a significant factor in shaping the behavior of local officials in China. Given that the focus on economic growth has shifted from "quantity" to "quality," it is imperative to assess whether reforms in incentive structures effectively facilitate the transition towards green development at the local level. A quasi-natural experiment was conducted based on the 2013 Performance Appraisal System (PAS) reform to examine the impact of local officials’ promotional incentives on green innovation. The findings indicate that restructuring incentives significantly inhibit high environmental-risk (ER) firms' green innovation. Under economic pressure, local officials tend to promote the green transition of local high-ER firms. The mechanism analysis indicates that local officials, in the context of environmental protection tournaments, tend to prioritize measures aimed at reducing the quantity of pollutants emitted by high-emission-rate firms over those focused on improving production process quality, thereby impeding green innovation. Furthermore, the heterogeneity analysis confirms that local officials adopt strategic behaviors to achieve economic and environmental protection objectives while conducting political games among stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetically encoded light-up RNA aptamers have become powerful tools for visualizing RNAs in cells. However, fluorogenic dye/aptamer pairs used for super-resolution RNA imaging are still rare. Herein, we reported an environment-sensitive dye Nap which can light up its target RNA aptamer NapRA for aptamer-based RNA imaging with confocal and structured illumination microscopy (SIM). Nap was designed to be amphiphilic to assemble into nano-particles in water associated with the quenched fluorescence by the aggregation effects. NapRA was obtained from SELEX technology with a 12-round Nap -based selection and has a high binding affinity to Nap of K d = 3.142 nM. The super affinity disintegrated the dye aggregate and resulted in a turn-on fluorescent signal. The light-up feature combined with high photostability made Nap / NapRA a useful system capable of super-resolution imaging of the expression of RNA in bacteria. This work represents the first application of dye aggregation-disaggregation for aptamer-based RNA imaging. [Display omitted] • A novel fluorogenic dye-aptamer pair was developed for RNA imaging. • Aggregation-disaggregation property of dye Nap was used to light up aptamer. • Aptamers targeting Nap of K d = 3.142 nM was screened by SELEX. • Super-resolution imaging of bacteria mRNA was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The n-dimensional hypercube Qn is bipancyclic and contains a 3-regular, 3-connected subgraph on l vertices for every even l from 8 to 2n except 10. In this paper, we strengthen the previous works to Cartesian product of paths. The bipancyclicity and the existence of 3-regular subgraphs of Cartesian product of paths are studied in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate information on cropland extent is critical for scientific research and resource management. Several cropland products from remotely sensed datasets are available. Nevertheless, significant inconsistency exists among these products and the cropland areas estimated from these products differ considerably from statistics. In this study, we propose a hierarchical optimization synergy approach (HOSA) to develop a hybrid cropland map of China, circa 2010, by fusing five existing cropland products, i.e., GlobeLand30, Climate Change Initiative Land Cover (CCI-LC), GlobCover 2009, MODIS Collection 5 (MODIS C5), and MODIS Cropland, and sub-national statistics of cropland area. HOSA simplifies the widely used method of score assignment into two steps, including determination of optimal agreement level and identification of the best product combination. The accuracy assessment indicates that the synergy map has higher accuracy of spatial locations and better consistency with statistics than the five existing datasets individually. This suggests that the synergy approach can improve the accuracy of cropland mapping and enhance consistency with statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization has exerted substantial pressure on China’s energy system and contributed to climate change. To find the key drivers of urban residential energy consumption and CO 2 emissions, this paper uses an extended Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology (STIRPAT) model that employs city-level data to examine the influences of population scale, income level, population compactness and price on house-based residential energy consumption, energy-related CO 2 emissions and private vehicle ownership. The empirical results indicate that factors such as population scale, affluence, and population compactness can lead to increases in residential energy consumption and CO 2 emissions. In terms of transportation, income and population scale positively drive the growth of private vehicle ownership, while the fuel price negatively influences private vehicle ownership. Moreover, population scale is the most important factor in residential energy consumption and CO 2 emissions. Finally, policy recommendations are suggested for China’s urban development strategy and urban design and to encourage technology innovations that reduce residential energy consumption and CO 2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is urgent to understand the infection mechanism of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The infection of SARS-CoV-2 starts when the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of viral spike protein binds to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) of the host cell, but the endocytosis details after this binding are not clear. Here, RBD and ACE2 were genetically coded and labeled with organic dyes to track RBD endocytosis in living cells. The photostable dyes enable long-term structured illumination microscopy (SIM) imaging and to quantify RBD-ACE2 binding (RAB) by the intensity ratio of RBD/ACE2 fluorescence. We resolved RAB endocytosis in living cells, including RBD-ACE2 recognition, cofactor-regulated membrane internalization, RAB-bearing vesicle formation and transport, RAB degradation, and downregulation of ACE2. The RAB was found to activate the RBD internalization. After vesicles were transported and matured within cells, RAB was finally degraded after being taken up by lysosomes. This strategy is a promising tool to understand the infection mechanism of SARS-CoV-2. [Display omitted] • RBD endocytosis is resolved by imaging the location and ratio of ACE2/RBD fluorescence • Exploring the initiation and influencing factors of RBD internalization • The movement and maturation of ACE2/RBD co-localized vesicles are tracked by SIM imaging • The RBD-ACE2 complex is taken up and degraded by lysosomes Miao et al. genetically encoded RBD and ACE2 with Halo/SNAP tags and then labeled them with rhodamine/cyanine dyes. SIM imaging resolved endocytosis of RBD-ACE2 binding in living cells, including RBD-ACE2 recognition on the plasma membrane, cofactor-regulated membrane internalization, RAB-bearing vesicle formation and transport, RAB degradation, and downregulation of ACE2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple strategy has been developed to construct high-ordered protein nanotubes using electrostatic interactions and “zero-length” crosslinking induced by small molecular ethylenediamine. Furthermore, utilizing covalent crosslinking, we constructed stable nanoenzymes with multi-glutathione peroxidase (GPx) active centers on the surface of the nanotubes, which were anticipated to be ideal functional bionanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing penetration of wind power in power systems, it is desirable for wind turbines to have similar characteristics as conventional synchronous generators. Conventional generators provide frequency support to the grid through the methods of inertial response and primary and secondary frequency regulation, whereas variable-speed wind turbine generators (WTGs) do not have those desired abilities because they are integrated into the power grid via power electronic converters. Although many different control strategies have already been published to enable WTGs to temporarily support the transient frequency, the published strategies may bring various negative effects to the system. This paper proposes a new control strategy to compensate for inertia of the wind farm. It can improve WTGs' temporary frequency support based on the coordinated control of the WTGs and the energy storage (ES) system. The simulation results show that this strategy could provide better performance of temporary frequency support and overcome problems such as system frequency oscillation and a secondary frequency drop. The proposed control strategy can be realized in all wind speed conditions with a small-scale ES system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A heating (or cooling) equipment's operation is consisted of cycles. In each cycle, the equipment operates to generate heat to raise the room temperature and shuts down when the desired temperature is reached. This research studies the cyclic characteristics of typical gas burning furnaces. Each cycle is divided into runtime and idle states. The runtime process is further decomposed into three phases: startup, stable operation and shutdown. The measured data shows that the length of runtime in each cycle remains constant but idle time varies from cycle to cycle responding to outdoor environmental conditions. Four Data Mining Algorithms (DMAs) including k-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Naive Bayes (NB), Support Vector Machines (SVM) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) are used to analyze the relationship between cycle idle time and weather conditions based on actual minute-by-minute electricity usage data of two furnaces in a residential house and weather data from the near-by weather station for a period of four months (January to April 2011). The obtained results show that SVM and ANN provide more accurate predictions of idle time. Parametric correlation analysis indicates that indoor–outdoor temperature difference and wind speed are two key parameters affecting cycle idle time. The obtained results on the cyclic characteristics of a heating equipment provide essential information for estimate heating energy demand according to weather conditions, determining the equipment's energy efficiency, and diagnosing potential faults in its operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significance: Ionizing radiation is a vital component in the oncologist's arsenal for the treatment of cancer. Approximately 50% of all cancer patients will receive some form of radiation therapy as part of their treatment regimen. DNA is considered the major cellular target of ionizing radiation and can be damaged directly by radiation or indirectly through reactive oxygen species (ROS) formed from the radiolysis of water, enzyme-mediated ROS production, and ROS resulting from altered aerobic metabolism. Recent Advances: ROS are produced as a byproduct of oxygen metabolism, and superoxide dismutases (SODs) are the chief scavengers. ROS contribute to the radioresponsiveness of normal and tumor tissues, and SODs modulate the radioresponsiveness of tissues, thus affecting the efficacy of radiotherapy. Critical Issues: Despite its prevalent use, radiation therapy suffers from certain limitations that diminish its effectiveness, including tumor hypoxia and normal tissue damage. Oxygen is important for the stabilization of radiation-induced DNA damage, and tumor hypoxia dramatically decreases radiation efficacy. Therefore, auxiliary therapies are needed to increase the effectiveness of radiation therapy against tumor tissues while minimizing normal tissue injury. Future Directions: Because of the importance of ROS in the response of normal and cancer tissues to ionizing radiation, methods that differentially modulate the ROS scavenging ability of cells may prove to be an important method to increase the radiation response in cancer tissues and simultaneously mitigate the damaging effects of ionizing radiation on normal tissues. Altering the expression or activity of SODs may prove valuable in maximizing the overall effectiveness of ionizing radiation. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 20, 1567-1589. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significance: Radiation therapy is widely used for treatment of prostate cancer. Radiation can directly damage biologically important molecules; however, most effects of radiation-mediated cell killing are derived from the generated free radicals that alter cellular redox status. Multiple proinflammatory mediators can also influence redox status in irradiated cells and the surrounding microenvironment, thereby affecting prostate cancer progression and radiotherapy efficiency. Recent Advances: Ionizing radiation (IR)-generated oxidative stress can regulate and be regulated by the production of proinflammatory mediators. Depending on the type and stage of the prostate cancer cells, these proinflammatory mediators may lead to different biological consequences ranging from cell death to development of radioresistance. Critical Issues: Tumors are heterogeneous and dynamic communication occurs between stromal and prostate cancer cells, and complicated redox-regulated mechanisms exist in the tumor microenvironment. Thus, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory strategies should be carefully evaluated for each patient at different stages of the disease to maximize therapeutic benefits while minimizing unintended side effects. Future Directions: Compared with normal cells, tumor cells are usually under higher oxidative stress and secrete more proinflammatory mediators. Thus, redox status is often less adaptive in tumor cells than in their normal counterparts. This difference can be exploited in a search for new cancer therapeutics and treatment regimes that selectively activate cell death pathways in tumor cells with minimal unintended consequences in terms of chemo- and radio-resistance in tumor cells and toxicity in normal tissues. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 20, 1481-1500. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is still a major global public health problem. Presently the only tuberculosis (TB) vaccine available is Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG), although it fails to adequately protect against pulmonary TB in adults. To solve this problem, the development of a new effective vaccine is urgently desired. BCG-prime DNA-booster vaccinations strategy has been shown to induce greater protection against tuberculosis (TB) than BCG alone. Some studies have demonstrated that the two genes (Rv1769 and Rv1772) are excellent T-cell antigens and could induce T-cell immune responses. In this research, we built BCG-C or BCG-P prime-recombination plasmid PcDNA3.1-Rv1769 or PcDNA3.1-Rv1772 boost vaccinations strategy to immunize BALB/c mice and evaluated its immunogenicity. The data suggests that the BCG-C+3.1-72 strategy could elicit the most long-lasting and strongest Thl-type cellular immune responses and the BCG-C+3.1-69 strategy could induce the high level CD8+ T-cell response at certain time points. These findings support the ideas that the prime-boost strategy as a combination of vaccines may be better than a single vaccine for protection against tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation (dating from 635 Ma to 551 Ma) of South China is composed of alternating siliciclastic and carbonate units and yields abundant extraordinarily preserved animal embryos, macroscopic multicellular algae and Ediacara-type fossils. Thus, it is critical for the chronostratigraphic calibration of the Ediacaran Period and for deciphering the evolutionary history of life during this time interval. In order to establish a high-resolution Ediacaran chronostratigraphic framework and to clarify the correlation problem of the Doushantuo Formation, we reinvestigated the Tianjiayuanzi section, which is the stratotype section of the Doushantuo Formation. The new carbon isotope and sequence stratigraphic data, as well as the integrative correlation of the Tianjiayuanzi section with other sections in the Yangtze Gorges area demonstrate that there are four negative carbon isotope excursions (N1-N4) in the Doushantuo Formation in the Yangtze Gorges area. The N1 (CANCE) excursion occurs within the cap carbonate interval at the base of the formation. Extreme negative δ13C values (< -18%) are recorded within this interval from most of the sections in the Yangtze Gorges area. The N2 (WANCE) excursion, with δ13C values shifting from +6% to -1%, occurs in the middle of Member 2 at a major sequence boundary in the middle of the formation. The N3 excursion is situated in a horizon near the boundary between Member 2 and Member 3 of the formation and is characterized by δ13C values down to -6%. The N4 (DOUNCE) excursion with a nadir of δ13C values as low as -9.6% at the top of the formation represents the most distinct negative carbon isotope excursion in the Ediacaran. New observations in the field confirm the presence of a sequence boundary at a karstic surface in the upper part of the Doushantuo Formation, which coincides with the beginning of the nadir of δ13C values within the DOUNCE. Additional δ13C data from the basal Dengying Formation indicates that the DOUNCE interval with the most negative δ13C values crosses entirely the black shale Member 4 at the top of the Doushantuo Formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a polymer-based micropump for liquid control or drug delivery. The dimension of the pump was 20 × 24 × 3 mm. A pair of O-ring SU-8 passive valves was fabricated by lift-off technique to control the fluid movement. Micropumps with dimple, bridge, and cantilever valves were studied. The PZT bimorph acted on the polymer membrane to periodically drive fluid. The maximum flow rate was 16.4 ml/min, and the back pressure was 1,525 mmHO at 150 V (Vp-p). In frequency sweeping experiments, two flow rate peaks and back pressure peaks were analyzed. Bidirectional flow rate was achieved by changing the valve seat from a one-size hole to a step hole. The maximum backward flow rate was 5.1 ml/min, and the driving frequency was about 355 Hz higher than the forward flow rate driving frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Numerous short-lived and highly reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide (O2 −), hydroxyl radical, and hydrogen peroxide are continuously generated in vivo. Depending upon concentration, location, and intracellular conditions, ROS can cause toxicity or act as signaling molecules. The cellular levels of ROS are controlled by antioxidant enzymes and small-molecule antioxidants. As major antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutases (SODs), including copper–zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/ZnSOD), manganese superoxide dismutase, and extracellular superoxide dismutase, play a crucial role in scavenging O2 −. This review focuses on the regulation of the sod genes coding for these enzymes, with an emphasis on the human genes. Current knowledge about sod structure and regulation is summarized and depicted as diagrams. Studies to date on genes coding for Cu/ZnSOD (sod1) are mostly focused on alterations in the coding region and their associations with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Evaluation of nucleotide sequences reveals that regulatory elements of the sod2 gene reside in both the noncoding and the coding region. Changes associated with sod2 lead to alterations in expression levels as well as protein function. We also discuss the structural basis for the changes in SOD expression associated with pathological conditions and where more work is needed to establish the relationship between SODs and diseases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To investigate the possible effects of alagebrium chloride (ALT-711) on oxidative stress (OS) process in aging hearts, we examined the role of ALT-711 in cardiac function and OS in the heart of aging rats. Increased mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletion as well as nearly a twofold increase in advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accumulation were observed in aging heart, whereas only about 50% of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activities were seen. However, after treatment with ALT-711, preserved cardiac diastolic function accompa- nied with reduced mtDNA deletion and about 30% of AGEs decrease was observed in aging hearts. In addition, ALT-711 can increase SOD and GSH-PX activities in aging hearts as well as in cultured cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, our study suggests that AGEs accumulation and the abnormalities in the OS in aging hearts can be attenuated by ALT-711, and this might be a novel underlying mechanism for ALT-711 in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases that develop with aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike that in macro scale, adhesive force becomes a important factor in micro dimensions in the area of MEMS and NMES. Therefore, it is one of the key parameters that need measuring and modeling. A novel micro mechanical structure called " micro leverage" was presented to measure adhesive force. The value of the adhesive force between different surfaces can be simply obtained through the electrostatic voltage that balance the required adhesive force. The principle of "micro leverage" was discussed in details, and a novel process that we called alternative silicon dissolved process is used to fabricate the structure for the advantage of anti-sticking. At the end of the paper, the idea is demonstrated by testing results on gold-gold surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explores the function of residue Tyrosine-83 (Tyr83) in bacteriorhodopsin using Y83F and Y83N mutants. Location of Tyr83 at the extracellular side in helix C of bacteriorhodopsin; Role of Tyr83 in proton transport; Effects of Y83F on the absorption spectrum.

Studies the effects of the substitution of R134 with a histidine on light-induced proton release and on the photocycle transitions associated with proton transfer in bacteriorhodopsin (bR) from the purple membrane of Halobacterium salinarum. Indication of the importance of the R134-E194 interaction in modulating proton release D85 after protonation.

The spread of marine anoxia is believed to have played a key role in the development of the SPICE (Steptoean Positive Carbon Isotope Excursion) event and the end-Marjuman extinction in the late Cambrian (∼497.5 m.y. ago), but their cause-and-effect relationship is poorly constrained. Here we present an integrated analysis of carbonate δ13C, cerium anomalies (Ce/Ce*), and genus-level diversity data of trilobites from the North China Platform. Our results show tightly coupled changes between the SPICE, an increase in Ce/Ce*, and a trilobite turnover event, which we interpret as indicating enhanced productivity and organic remineralization, leading to the development of low-oxygen conditions in shallowwater settings. This study therefore establishes a direct link between local ecological stress and trilobite turnover during the global SPICE event. Furthermore, the presence of low-oxygen rather than fully anoxic conditions during the peak of the SPICE event could explain the nature of the end-Marjuman crisis, which was characterized by the replacement of shallowwater fauna by deeper-water counterparts that were potentially more tolerant of hypoxia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intestinal obstruction caused by endometriosis maybe easily misdiagnosed as a tumor or other occupying disease in emergency condition. How to deal with it depending on the clarity of the preoperative diagnosis and the experience of the surgeon.Case Presentation: A 47-year-old woman, admitted to our emergency service with abdominal pain and distension for 5 days, anal stop exhausting and defecating for 3 days. Based on imaging and laboratory examination, we made a preoperative diagnosis of rectal endometriosis probably. After 7 days of colon decompression with a intestinal obstruction catheter, an operation of laparoscopic partial rectal and sigmoid resection without protective stoma and total hysterectomy was performed successfully. The patient obtained a smooth postoperative course and doing well after 12-weeks follow up.Conclusions: Obstruction caused by rectal endometriosis is very rare and easily overlooked by surgeon and gynecologist. Appropriate preoperative diagnosis and preoperative management can reduce the trauma and incidence of complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendroctonus spp. is one of the most portable pests in imported and exported timber and wooden packages, and it is an important object of the port quarantine. Making rapid and accurate identification of Dendroctonus spp. is an important method to reduce the invasion risk of Dendroctonus spp. for China. In this paper, Dendroctonus punctatus, which belongs to the Dendroctonus spp., is introduced in detail from the aspects of taxonomic status, biological characteristics, morphological characteristics and the invasion risk, providing reference for the identification of Dendroctonus punctatus in inspection and quarantine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fluorescent Probes for the cell walls of pathogenic bacteria have been reviewed. • The function of the bacterial cell wall was discussed. • The composition and dynamic behavior of bacterial cell walls are discussed. • The cell wall components are used to classify the recognized objects. Contamination of pathogenic bacteria seriously threatens human health and safety, and the types and pathogenicity of bacteria are closely related to cell walls. Fluorescent probes can perform specific and sensitive detection of bacterial cells, and make an important contribution to the diagnosis of bacterial diseases and the development of antibiotics. In this review, we summarized the latest developments in integrating identification elements targeting bacterial cell walls with different chromogenic elements (small molecule fluorophores, conjugated polymers, and fluorescent nanomaterials) to detect and sense pathogenic bacteria. We hope this review paper can provide ideas for the design of new pathogen detection probes with better performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-assembly process, patterning, and characterization of well-aligned single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) films are presented in this letter. The dc current in an ac dielectrophoresis of an SWNT solution was measured and used to control the self-assembly process to get an oriented, compact SWNT film 15–20 nm thick. The film was further patterned to form submicron beams by focused ion beams, or lithography and oxygen plasma etching. The Young’s modulus of the film ranged from 350 to 830 GPa. The electrical resistivity was about 8.7×10-3 Ω cm. The temperature coefficient of resistance was -1.2%/K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuzi is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine developed from the lateral roots of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx. It is rich in alkaloids that display a wide variety of bioactivities, and it has a strong cardiotoxicity and neurotoxicity. In order to discriminate the geographical origin and evaluate the quality of this medicine, a method based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed for multicomponent quantification and chemical fingerprint analysis. The measured results of 32 batches of Fuzi from three different regions were evaluated by chemometric analysis, including similarity analysis (SA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA), and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The content of six representative alkaloids of Fuzi (benzoylmesaconine, benzoylhypaconine, benzoylaconine, mesaconitine, hypaconitine, and aconitine) were varied by geographical origin, and the content ratios of the benzoylmesaconine/mesaconitine and diester-type/monoester-type diterpenoid alkaloids may be potential traits for classifying the geographical origin of the medicine. In the HPLC fingerprint similarity analysis, the Fuzi from Jiangyou, Sichuan, was distinguished from the Fuzi from Butuo, Sichuan, and the Fuzi from Yunnan. Based on the HCA and PCA analyses of the content of the six representative alkaloids, all of the batches were classified into two categories, which were closely related to the plants' geographical origins. The Fuzi samples from Jiangyou were placed into one category, while the Fuzi samples from Butuo and Yunnan were put into another category. The LDA analysis provided an efficient and satisfactory prediction model for differentiating the Fuzi samples from the above-mentioned three geographical origins. Thus, the content of the six representative alkaloids and the fingerprint similarity values were useful markers for differentiating the geographical origin of the Fuzi samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The combination of the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase delta (PI3Kδ) inhibitor zandelisib with the Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor zanubrutinib was hypothesized to be synergistic and prevent resistance to single‐agent therapy. This phase 1 study (NCT02914938) included a dose‐finding stage in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) B‐cell malignancies (n = 20) and disease‐specific expansion cohorts in follicular lymphoma (FL; n = 31) or mantle cell lymphoma (MCL; n = 19). The recommended phase 2 dose was zandelisib 60 mg on Days 1–7 plus zanubrutinib 80 mg twice daily continuously in 28‐day cycle. In the total population, the most common adverse events (AEs; all grades/grade 3–4) were neutropenia (35%/24%), diarrhoea (33%/2%), thrombocytopenia (32%/8%), anaemia (27%/8%), increased creatinine (25%/0%), contusion (21%/0%), fatigue (21%/2%), nausea (21%/2%) and increased aspartate aminotransferase (24%/6%). Three patients discontinued due to AEs. The overall response rate was 87% (complete response [CR] = 33%) for FL and 74% (CR = 47%) for MCL. The median duration of response and progression‐free survival (PFS) were not reached in either group. The estimated 1‐year PFS was 72.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 51.9–85.1) for FL and 56.3% (95% CI, 28.9–76.7) for MCL (median follow‐up: 16.5 and 10.9 months respectively). Zandelisib plus zanubrutinib was associated with high response rates and no increased toxicity compared to either agent alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Summary on chemical compositions and their pharmacological effects of Leonurus japonicus. • Abundant terpenoids and alkaloids are closely related to traditional efficacy of L. japonicus. • Alkaloids show remarkable effects on gynecological and cerebral-cardio vascular diseases. • Many Chinese patent medicines made by L. japonicus have been used in clinic in China. Leonurus japonicus Houtt. is a traditional medicinal herb with significant effects; dating back more than 1800 years, it is widely used in Asia. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is essential in the treatment of menstrual and delivery disorders caused by blood stasis, such as dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, and postpartum hemorrhage. In the last three decades, many phytochemists, pharmacologists, and doctors have focused on the chemical components, pharmacological activities, and clinical applications of L. japonicus. More than 280 chemical compounds have been isolated from this plant. The effects of most of the terpenoids and alkaloids isolated from the plant have been found to be closely related to the traditional functions of L. japonicus. Owing to its excellent therapeutic effects for obstetrical and gynecological diseases, L. japonicus has been widely used in both ancient and modern times. Nowadays, it has also been developed into a series of Chinese patent medicines in clinics in China. This review summarizes the phytochemistry, pharmacology, and clinical applications of L. japonicus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transformation acoustics are concentrated for the purpose of designing novel acoustic devices to tailor acoustic waves to achieve desirable characteristics. However, these devices require fluid or fluid-like materials with an anisotropic density that generally does not exist in nature. Therefore, we introduce pentamode metamaterials into an alternating multilayer isotropic medium model to build fluid-like metamaterials with an anisotropic density. A 2D acoustic bending based on transformation acoustics is established and investigated to verify our method. This idea provides a method to design broadband and physically realizable acoustic metamaterials with an anisotropic density and is meaningful for the design of acoustic metamaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identified the key sectors of water resource use in China from the perspective of the water footprint to improve the use of water resources. The empirical results showed that there were six key sectors (including Crop Cultivation; Forestry; Livestock and Livestock Products; Fishery, Technical Services for Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock and Fishing; Other Food Products, and Scrap and Waste) for water consumption in China in 2015.We analyzed the use of green water, blue water, and grey water. These six sectors accounted for 66.15% of the total impact and 90.76% of the direct impact. Seven key sectors (the six sectors above plus Steel Processing)for the consumption of blue water in China can explain 59.70% of the total impact and 86.94% of the direct effect in 2015. Eight key sectors (Crop cultivation, Other food products, Scrap and Waste, Railway Freight Transport, Highway Freight and Passengers Transport, Water Freight and Passengers Transport, Pipeline Transport, and Health Services) responsible for the consumption of grey water in China in 2015 can explain 81.28% of the total impact and 95.73% of the direct impact. Therefore, the Chinese government should focus on the departments that manage water resources in these sectors when designing water-saving policies and improving water-use efficiency, such as promoting water-saving irrigation technology (including sprinkler irrigation and drip irrigation) in the agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the therapeutic effects of a water-soluble biphenyl compound, WLP-S-14, in acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Wistar rats were injected intraperitoneally with porcine serum twice a week for 8 weeks prior to administration of 600 mg/kg D-galactosamine and 50 μg/kg lipopolysaccharide to induce ACLF. Study groups were treated intravenously with saline or with 100 or 200 mg/kg WLP-S-14. WLP-S-14 ameliorated ACLF with significant reductions in the mortality rate and transaminase levels, indicating improved liver function. The mechanism underlying these effects may involve decreased levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6, with associated inhibition of apoptotic pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Al 2 O 3 -TiO 2 nanocomposite powders with or without nano-additives used for plasma spraying were successfully prepared by spray drying, heat treatment and plasma treatment. The effects of treatment process and nano-additives on the microstructure and properties of Al 2 O 3 -TiO 2 nanocomposite powders were investigated. Al 2 O 3 -TiO 2 composite powders prepared by spray drying and heat treatment were nanostructured composite powders with high sphericity and nanosized grains. Spherical and dense particles with smooth surface were formed due to the extremely rapid liquid phase sintering during plasma treatment. The formation of different microstructures after plasma treatment was mainly determined by two key factors: the density and heating temperature of powder particles. The three-dimensional network structure was the typical microstructure in the plasma treated Al 2 O 3 -TiO 2 composite powder with nano-additives. The nanocomposite powder with three-dimensional network structure was composed of amorphous intergranular network thin film rich in Ti, Zr and Ce surrounding the α-Al 2 O 3 colonies. Spherical powders with smooth surface and dense microstructure were formed due to the rapid melting and solidifying of plasma treatment. Therefore, the flowability and density of the plasma treated powders was significantly improved. The plasma treated composite powders were good spraying material with excellent performance, which can be used to prepare high performance nanostructured coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A frequency-reconfigurable antenna with rectangular increasing distance spiral slots (RIDSS) PBG, which is controlled by two microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches, is presented. The antenna can work at four states (in the 32–36-GHz band) with different configurations of the switches. The RIDSS PBG structure can restrain the leakiness of RF energy through DC control of the feed lines of the switches. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 47: 394–395, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.21179 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Al 2 O 3 -Y 2 O 3 system composite coatings were prepared by plasma spraying Al 2 O 3 -Y 2 O 3 composite powders with or without TiO 2 addition. The effects of TiO 2 on the microstructure and properties of the Al 2 O 3 -Y 2 O 3 coatings were investigated. The results show that the composition of the composite powders had great influence on their microstructure evolution. The Al 2 O 3 -Y 2 O 3 coatings were composed mainly of α-Al 2 O 3 and c-Y 2 O 3 . There were amorphous phase, Y 3 Al 5 O 12 (YAG) phase and Y 4 Al 2 O 9 (YAM) phase formed in the Al 2 O 3 -Y 2 O 3 coating. The content of Y 3 Al 5 O 12 in the Al 2 O 3 -Y 2 O 3 -TiO 2 coating increased with addition of 2 wt% TiO 2 , and the content of Y 4 Al 2 O 9 and amorphous phases decreased correspondingly. There was no Y 3 Al 5 O 12 formed in the Al 2 O 3 -Y 2 O 3 -TiO 2 coatings with further increasing of TiO 2 , while the content of amorphous phase increased. The microhardness of the Al 2 O 3 -Y 2 O 3 -TiO 2 coating was improved with the addition of 2 wt% TiO 2 , which was attributed to its lower porosity, more uniform microstructure, more YAG phase, and less amorphous phase. The microhardness of the Al 2 O 3 -Y 2 O 3 -TiO 2 coatings decreased significantly with further increasing of TiO 2 due to the significant decrease of YAG phase and the increase of the amorphous phase. The Al 2 O 3 -Y 2 O 3 -TiO 2 coating with addition of 2 wt% TiO 2 possessed higher toughness, adhesive strength and wear resistance compared with the Al 2 O 3 -Y 2 O 3 coating, which was due to its lower porosity, smaller and spherical pores, and more YAG phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 1,8-naphthalimide-derived fluorogenic probe was reported to label SNAP-tag fusion proteins in living cells. The probe can rapidly label a SNAP-tag and exhibit a fluorescence increase of 36-fold due to the additive effects of environment sensitivity of fluorophores and inhibition of photo-induced electron transfer from O6-benzylguanine to the fluorophore. The labeling of intracellular proteins has been successfully achieved without a wash-out procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]