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Background The aim of this study was to find the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and mRNAs acting as biomarker of early and late hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset was used to identify shared differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) and mRNAs (DEmRNAs) between early and late HCC and normal tissue. Functional annotation and protein-protein interaction network of shared DEmRNAs were performed. Furthermore, DElncRNAs-DEmRNAs co-expression network of early and late HCC were also performed. The expression of selected candidate genes were validated by the quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results A total of 1,201 shared DEmRNAs and 162 shared DElncRNAs were identified in both early and late HCC compared with normal controls. Cell cycle, p53 signaling pathway, retinol metabolism and metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450 were four significantly enriched pathways. Base on the protein-protein interaction network, CDK1, AURKA, CDC20, PLK1, AURKB, HIST1H2BG, BUB1B, CCNA2, CCNB1 and CDT1 were key protein. CTD-2510F5.4 and HAND2-AS1 were hub lncRNAs in both early and late HCC. Overall, the confirmation results of qRT-PCR were generally consistent with our integrated analysis. Conclusions A total of 4 DEmRNAs (CDK1, KIFC1, CENPF and ECM1) and 2 DElncRNAs (CTD-2510F5.4 and HAND2-AS1) were identified as key biomarkers for HCC. This study may contribute to reveal the pathogenesis of early and late HCC and provide new and accurate therapeutic targets for HCC.

The present study aimed to identify novel diagnostic differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) in order to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying hepatocellular carcinoma. The expression data of miRNA and mRNA were downloaded for differential expression analysis. Optimal diagnostic differentially expressed miRNA biomarkers were identified via a random forest algorithm. Classification models were established to distinguish patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and normal individuals. A regulatory network between optimal diagnostic differentially expressed miRNA and differentially expressed mRNAs was then constructed. The {"type":"entrez-geo","attrs":{"text":"GSE63046","term_id":"63046"}}GSE63046 dataset and in vitro experiments were used to validate the expression of the optimal diagnostic differentially expressed miRNAs identified. In addition, diagnostic and prognostic analyses of optimal diagnostic differentially expressed miRNAs were performed. In total, 14 differentially expressed miRNAs (all upregulated) and 2,982 differentially expressed mRNAs (1,989 upregulated and 993 downregulated) were identified. hsa-miR-10b-5p, hsa-miR-10b-3p, hsa-miR-224-5p, hsa-miR-183-5p and hsa-miR-182-5p were considered as the optimal diagnostic biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma. The mRNAs targeted by these five miRNAs included secreted frizzled related protein 1 (SFRP1), endothelin receptor type B (EDNRB), nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3 (NR4A3), four and a half LIM domains 2 (FHL2), NK3 homeobox 1 (NKX3-1), interleukin 6 signal transducer (IL6ST) and forkhead box O1 (FOXO1). ‘Bile acid biosynthesis and cholesterol’ was the most enriched signaling pathways of these target mRNAs. The expression validation of the five miRNAs was consistent with the present bioinformatics analysis. Notably, hsa-miR-10b-5p and hsa-miR-10b-3p had a significant prognosis value for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. In conclusion, the five differentially expressed miRNAs may be considered as diagnostic biomarkers for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition, the differential expression levels of the targets of these five mRNAs, including SFRP1, EDNRB, NR4A3, FHL2, NKX3−1, IL6ST and FOXO1, may be involved in hepatocellular carcinoma tumorigenesis.

Additional file1:. Figure S1. The original images of western blot.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) induce immune tolerance in patients after organ transplantation. Various immunosuppressors can affect Tregs function through different mechanisms. PD-1 and TIGIT are important receptors on Tregs surface. Here, we investigated the effects of Tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) on the inhibitory function of Tregs and explored the regulatory mechanism in patients after liver transplantation.Thirty patients that underwent a liver transplant and 15 healthy people were enrolled. Fifteen patients received Tacrolimus only, and 15 received a combination of Tacrolimus and MMF. Tregs and effector T cells (Teffs) were isolated using magnetic beads and were mixed at different ratios of 0:1, 1:4, 1:2 and 1:1. An inhibition assay was performed by adding anti-PD-1 and anti-TIGIT when the mixture ratio was 1:1. The Tregs inhibition rate was determined and the levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α were measured.As the ratios of Tregs to Teffs in the mixture increased, the Tregs inhibition rate increased and the levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α decreased. At each mixture ratio, Tacrolimus + MMF group had the highest Tregs inhibition rate compared to Tacrolimus and control group. At the specific mixture ratio of 1:1, the addition of both anti- PD-1 and anti-TIGIT led to lower Tregs inhibition rate and higher IFN-γ and TNF-α levels in all three groups as opposed to the addition of each antibody separately. Additionally, both the decrease in the Tregs inhibition rate and the increase in the IFN-γ and TNF-α levels were the most for Tacrolimus + MMF group among all cases, either adding antibodies alone or mixed.Tacrolimus and MMF enhanced the function of Tregs by synergistically affecting PD-1 and TIGIT in liver transplant patients.

Rationale: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is characterized by clinical and radiological features, including headache, disturbed consciousness, seizures, and cortical blindness associated with findings indicating posterior leukoencephalopathy on imaging studies. Ours is the first case of PRES developing after postpartum hemorrhage and uterine artery embolization. Patient concerns: An 18-year-old patient had postpartum hemorrhage after a normal delivery. She required uterine artery embolization to stop the bleeding; however, she developed PRES 2 hours after the surgery. Diagnoses: Brain computed tomography suggested subarachnoid hemorrhage or cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. However, findings on magnetic resonance imaging were highly indicative of PRES. Interventions: The patient received diazepam and midazolam to prevent seizures. Outcomes: Seizures were controlled on the first day. The patient's visual acuity returned to normal on the fourth day of admission. Thirteen days after admission, her neurological signs and symptoms were completely managed. Lessons: PRES may be related to postpartum hemorrhage, blood pressure fluctuation, inflammation, and contrast agents. Collectively, they cause a breakage in the blood–brain barrier and endothelial cell damage, eventually leading to PRES. We also found PRES had many features similar with contrast-induced encephalopathy.

In the existing epidemic-based routing algorithms for opportunistic networks, a specific data structure is utilized to store immunity information, which leads to extra control overhead. To address this problem, we propose the following four novel mechanisms: 1) embedding immunity information into summary vectors (SVs), thus no control overhead is required for storing and transmitting immunity information in most cases; 2) improving the SV exchange mechanism; 3) adaptively compressing the size of SVs; and 4) making the neighbors of destinations quickly generate immunity information with a cross-layer method. Theoretical analysis verifies the effectiveness of our proposed mechanisms, and performance evaluation shows that the improved epidemic routing algorithm integrating with the four new mechanisms outperforms the existing epidemic-based routing algorithms in terms of the control overhead and the end-to-end delay of messages.

In this paper, a new simple hardware-oriented spiking neuron model is proposed. It is mainly based on one of intrinsic features of single- electron transistor (SET)––Coulomb Oscillation. In fact, Coulomb Oscillation can be considered as current pulses under the gate's voltage, which is similar with the pulses of spiking neurons. Accordingly, the circuit structure of spiking neuron model has been designed. By simulation on the PSPICE, the proposed new model can show different spiking types according to the different input signals and implement information encoding. The model can exhibit the property of synchronization. Unlike traditional neuron model, the proposed new model has the capacity of integrating both spatial and temporal signals. In addition the phase encoding is also involved. So the experiments’ results demonstrate that the model is an implement way of hardware-oriented spiking neuron models or even spiking neural networks (SNN).

In this paper, the refractive index of GdTaO4 crystal is measured by the auto-collimation method. GdTaO4 crystal is processed into three rectangular prisms, their planes with longer right angle side are planes a, b and c of the crystal, respectively, and their normal directions are the directions of crystal plane axes a, b and c, respectively. with a side by angle . Plane enclosed by hypotenuse and the longer right angle side is subjected to fine polishing, while the surface plating for the latter is subjected to Al reflectance coating, so that the light is incident along the hypotenuse plane with minimum angle of deviation (), reflects on the plane with longer right angle and returns along the original path. The rectangular prisms processed by GdTaO4 crystal are placed on the platform of 32 J goniometer with an accuracy of arc seconds. The 473, 532 nm YAG double frequency laser, 633 nm He-Ne laser and 1064 nm YAG laser with stable light intensity are used as a measuring light source, light will refract into the light perpendicular to the longer right angle side when the laser of measuring light source shoots towards the bevel of a prism with a minimum angle of deviation (). The refractive indexes nx, ny, and nz of a crystallographic axis directions can be measured by , and the relationship between refractive index ellipsoid section and prism refraction of light. The constants Ai, Bi, Ci, and Di (i=x, y, z) are given in Sellmeier's equation ni2 =Ai+Bi/(2-Ci)-Di2, and the values of angle Vz included between light axis and refractive index at wavelengths of 473, 532, 632.8 and 1064 nm are calculated to be 22.5, 22.5, 21.9 and 22.0, respectively. It is proved that GdTaO4 crystal is optically positive biaxial crystal.

The Cr/Nd:GLSAG crystal were grown by Czochralski method, its structure and luminescence properties were studied, which show that the luminescence properties of Nd3+ ions were improved by co-doping Cr3+ ions and adjusted by mixed garnet.

In this paper, Nd3+-doped GdTaO4 laser crystal for scintillator with high density is successfully grown by the Czochralski method, and the absorption spectra are measured along the a, b and c directions in a wide wavelength range of 260-2000 nm. The experimental energy levels for Nd3+ are analyzed and identified. The free-ions and crystal-field parameters are fitted by the experimental energy levels with the root mean square deviation of 12.66 cm-1, and 102 Stark energy levels for Nd3+ in GdTaO4 host crystal are assigned. The fitting results of free-ions and crystal-field parameters are compared with those already reported for Nd3+:GdxLu1-xTaO4 (x=0.85) crystal. It indicates that the fitting results of Stark energy levels agree well with the experimental spectra.

The invention relates to high-performance concrete which is prepared from the following raw materials: 290-305kg/m of cement, 220-270kg/m of mineral powder, 20-30kg/m of silica fume, 104-114kg/m of water, 679-720kg/m of sand, 1070-1135kg/m of stones and 8-9 kg/m of an ether regulator modified polycarboxylate superplasticizer. Compared with the conventional high-strength concrete, the high-performance concrete disclosed by the invention has the advantages that the cement content is reduced from 500kg/m to 209-305kg/m , and the cementing agent content is reduced from 600-750kg/m to 540-570kg/m . The slump of the high-performance concrete is 230-250mm, pump concrete without slump loss is obtained at the temperature of 32 DEG C within 3 hours, and the dumping time is less than 20 seconds.

Er3+-doped Y3Sc2Ga3O12 (Er:YSGG) single crystal is grown by Czochralski method successfully, and the absorption spectra are measured in a wider spectral wavelength range (340-1700 nm). The experimental energy levels are analyzed and identified. The free-ion and crystal-field parameters are fitted by the experimental energy levels with a root mean square deviation of 10.34 cm-1, and 102 Stark energy levels of Er3+ in YSGG host crystals are assigned. It indicates that the fitting results of Stark energy levels are more satisfactory with the experimental spectra. Finally, the fitting results of free-ion and crystal-field parameters are compared with those already reported of Er:YAG crystal. A conclusion is drawn that the Er:YSGG has higher laser efficiency than Er:YAG, which may result from Er:YSGG that has a strong crystal field interaction.

In this paper, the DV-X method of ab-initio calculations and the effective Hamiltonian model are introduced to calculate the crystal-field and spin-orbit parameters of rare earth ions doped in various crystals, especially for the crystal with low-symmetry. For the low-symmetry crystal, the number of parameters is more than that of energy levels, thus experimental energy levels fitting cannot determine all parameters, while ab-initio calculations can determine all crystal-field and spin-orbit parameters accurately. Firstly, the crystal-field and spin-orbit parameters of Yb3+ doped in GdTaO4 crystal are calculated by this model, and then the energy level structure of Yb3+:GdTaO4 is given and the continuous emission band of Yb3+:GdTaO4 emission spectrum is analyzed, which is conducive to the laser tunable and laser mode-locking output, so Yb3+:GdTaO4 is a potential laser medium for high efficiency laser operation and new ultrashort pulse output. Also, the crystal-field and spin-orbit parameters of Yb3+ doped in YTaO4 and ScTaO4 are calculated by this model, and the energy level structures of Yb3+:YTaO4 and Yb3+ :ScTaO4 are given, which leads to a conclusion similar to that drawn from the Yb3+:GdTaO4 crystal.

A method to compute the numerical derivative of eigenvalues of parameterized crystal field Hamiltonian matrix is given, based on the numerical derivatives the general iteration methods such as Levenberg–Marquardt, Newton method, and so on, can be used to solve crystal field parameters by fitting to experimental energy levels. With the numerical eigenvalue derivative, a detailed iteration algorithm to compute crystal field parameters by fitting experimental energy levels has also been described. This method is used to compute the crystal parameters of Yb3+ in Sc2O3 crystal, which is prepared by a co-precipitation method and whose structure was refined by Rietveld method. By fitting on the parameters of a simple overlap model of crystal field, the results show that the new method can fit the crystal field energy splitting with fast convergence and good stability.