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Gynecological cancers (GCs) include cervical, uterine, ovarian, vulvar and vaginal cancer. For women in China, 2 of the 10 most common cancers are GCs (8th: cervical cancer, incidence rate: 3.96%; 10th: ovarian cancer, incidence rate: 2.91%). These cancers can lead to enormous psychological and economic burdens. Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene and protein kinase B (AKT) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway are widely involved in the development of GCs, and an imbalance in regulatory T cells (Treg) in the cancer micro-environment mediated by PTEN and AKT/mTOR pathway was shown to lead to cancer cell immune escape, growth and metastasis. Considering that the pathogenesis of PTEN and AKT/mTOR pathway in GCs and cancer immune escape remains unclear, this review article intends to provide an update in this field. We made a comprehensive search of several databases, including Web of Science, MEDLINE, Ovid and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, was conducted from inception to March 2022. The search strategy included the combinations of the following medical terms: gynecological cancers, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, vulvar cancer, vaginal cancer, PTEN gene, AKT/mTOR pathway, and cancer immune escape. We found that currently the mechanism of the PTEN gene and AKT/mTOR pathway in GCs is not fully clear. However, the activation of the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and imbalance of Treg cell in the micro-environment caused by the function loss of PTEN is involved in the occurrence and development of GCs, and related to the prognosis of patients. This review article presented the latest research progress on the PTEN gene and AKT/mTOR pathway in GCs and cancer cell immune escape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blended learning has been widely used in K-12 schools, including robotic instruction. This study considers a novel inquiry learning framework in robotic classes, integrated LEGO 4Cs process with engineering CDIO approach together, which emphasizes project-based and authentic learning. To examine the effect of the new learning framework, a quasi- experimental method is conducted in two elective mixed-age classes (with 3rd and 5th grade students), and quality of student engagement and artifacts are evaluated, accompanied with semi-structured interviews. Results show that this framework: (1) significantly improves students' learning engagement towards STEM, and (2) positively improves students' engineering thinking skills. The findings can help inform instructional strategies to encourage more K-12 students to engage in STEM field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ticks are the vectors of various pathogens, threatening human health and animal production across the globe. Here, for the first time we detected Ricketssia spp., Borrelia spp. and protozoan in ticks from Poyang Lake region in Jiangxi Province of eastern China. In 3 habitat categories and on 12 host species, 311 ticks from 11 species were collected. Haemaphysalis longicornis was the predominant species, accounting for 55.63%, followed by Rhipicephalus microplus, Haemaphysalis flava and Ixodes granulatus. Of the collected ticks, 7.07% were positive for tick-borne pathogens, and H. longicornis and H. flava were found to be co-infected with Ricketssia spp. and protozoan. H. flava was the most detected positive for tick-borne pathogens, whereas H. longicornis had the lowest infection rate, and the difference in infection rates between tick species was significant (X²=61.24, P<0.001). Furthermore, adult ticks demonstrated remarkably greater infection rate than immature ticks (X²=10.12, P=0.018), meanwhile ticks on Erinaceidae showed significantly higher positivity than ticks collected on other host species (X²=108.44, P<0.001). Genetic fragment sequencing and analyses showed at least 4 pathogen species presence in ticks, namely Borrelia yangtzensis, Rickettsia slovaca or Rickettsia raoultii related genospecies, Babesia vogeli and Hepatozoon canis or Hepatozoon felis related genospecies. The finding indicates that the abundant ticks can carry diverse pathogens in Poyang Lake region, and pathogen infection is highly related to species, vertebrate hosts and life stages of ticks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to determine the resistance mechanisms of 27 T. pyogenes isolates from swine in the Jilin province of China. Drug sensitivity analysis indicated that most of the isolated strains were resistant to aminoglycosides. We investigated the genes involved in target alteration, drug inactivation, and increased efflux as potential resistance mechanisms. Two known aminoglycoside resistance genes (aphA1 and strB) were not found in the genomic DNA of any isolate. A 3-bp (CCC) deletion in one 16S rRNA operon was detected in all isolates, and efflux pumps were not active in the resistant group. Ultimately, genes encoding aminoglycosidemodifying enzymes carried by class 1 integrons were identified as the main cause of resistance to aminoglycosides in T. pyogenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-three isolates of Pasteurella multocida were tested for susceptibility to six aminoglycoside agents and screened by polymerase chain reaction for the presence of aminoglycoside resistance genes. In addition, mutations in the resistance-determining region of strains showing a high level of induced resistance to spectinomycin strains were examined. Susceptibility testing showed that all of the isolates were resistant to at least two types of aminoglycosides, and that the most effective antimicrobial was spectinomycin. The resistance genes aphA1, strB and aacA4 were present in all 23 isolates. In the three induced spectinomycinresistant strains, a 9-bp deletion in rpsE that encodes ribosomal protein S5 was detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycoplasma bovis has spread widely throughout the world via animal movement and has become an important pathogen of bovine respiratory disease. However, the minimum inhibitory concentrations of antimicrobials for Mycoplasma bovis have not been studied in China. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Mycoplasma bovis isolated from young cattle with respiratory infection in China. Mycoplasma bovis was detected in 32/45 bovine respiratory infection outbreaks at beef farms in 8 provinces in China. The isolates were susceptible or had medium sensitivity to ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin and doxycycline, but were frequently resistant to macrolides (13/32, 41%). An A2058G (Escherichia coli Numbering) mutation located in the rrnA operon in domain V of 23S rRNA was observed in strains that were resistant to macrolides. This single mutations at the rrnA operon in domain V of 23S rRNA may play an important role in the resistance of Mycoplasma bovis strains to macrolides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Aconitine hydrolysis is deemed to be the guarantee for the safe application of Aconitum phytomedicine. Studies have suggested that hydrolysates of aconitine not only include benzoylaconitine and aconine, but other hydrolysates. Moreover, these hydrolysates maybe have a mutual transformation relationship, which has not been confirmed. Herein, hydrolysates of aconitine and their mutual transformation relationship were studied by the theoretical quantum chemistry, UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, the separation and identification of target products, etc. Then the toxicity of its hydrolysates was evaluated. The results demonstrate that the probability is the same for aconitine hydrolysis to pyroaconitine and benzoylaconitine, but they are difficult to convert to each other. Aconitine hydrolysis has three independent hydrolysis pathways, 1) to indaconitine, 2) to benzoylaconitine, and aconine, 3) to pyroaconitine and to 16- epi -pyroaconine. The result of embryotoxicity evaluation on zebrafish was aconitine > indaconitine > benzoylaconitine > α-pyroaconitine > β- pyroaconitine > aconine > 16- epi -pyroaconine. In conclusion, aconitine have three independent hydrolysis pathways and the hydrolysates of different pathways cannot be transformed into each other. Pyroaconitine is a hydrolysate of aconitine except for benzoylaconitine, and its toxicity is lower than benzoylaconitine. More importantly, it clarifies the long-standing debate and provides scientific evidence for the processing and detoxification of Aconitum phytomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between coaches and athletes forms in the long term of daily training, competition and the life, which is related to achievements of coaches and athletes. It has much to do with the success of sports undertaking. With Chinese political and economic reform, the sports operation system has to be changed from government-oriented sports system to market-oriented sports system. The relationship between coaches and athletes also changes in the reform from status to contract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proline accumulation is a common physiological response of plants to various environmental stresses. However, the physiological importance of proline accumulation in stress tolerance remains controversial. Here, we examined whether proline accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings is correlated with tolerance to saline-alkaline stress factors, namely, salt, alkaline and osmotic stresses, by using 25 japonica cultivars. The tolerance of seedlings to each stress treatment varied significantly among the cultivars as evaluated by membership degree (MD) of fuzzy set theory on the basis of changes in shoot length (SL), total root length (TRL), total root surface area (RSA), average root diameter (RD), total root volume (RV), and root numbers (RN), after 6 d of stress treatment. The proline levels in all thejaponica cultivars increased significantly in response to the investigated stresses. However, partial correlation analysis showed no significant correlations between the basal or elevated proline levels and tolerance to any of the investigated stress factors. These findings suggest that proline accumulation levels do not serve as reliable parameters for assessing saline-alkaline stress tolerance in rice. On the other hand, several root growth indices of rice seedlings, namely TRL, RSA, RD, RV, and RN, showed good correlations with the investigated stress tolerance, and therefore, represent a useful set of growth parameters for assessing saline-alkaline stress tolerance in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Saline-alkaline (SA) stress is a complex effect of three main factors: ion toxicity from high salinity, alkalinity, and high osmotic pressure. In this study, we dissected response of rice (Oryza sativa L.) to above-mentioned SA stress factors simulated by using NaCl, Na2CO3, and PEG6000, respectively. Seed germination was most strongly affected by osmotic stress, followed by alkaline and salt stresses. Meanwhile, the seedling growth was most reduced under alkaline stress. The alkaline treatment significantly reduced total biomass, total root length (TRL), root surface area (RSA), root numbers (RN), and root volume (RV), while it increased root diameter (RD) and Na+/K+ ratio. Further, it caused severe damages to the root system as shown by a remarkable increase in degree of cell injury and expression of the cell death-related gene OsNAC4. On the other hand, salt stress reduced the total biomass, RSA and RV, and increased the Na+/K+ ratio, while to less extent than those under alkaline stress. These results suggest that the deleterious effect of alkaline stress on rice seedlings is due mainly to high alkalinity that induces cell injury in the root system. In contrast, the response to osmotic stress exhibited the typical adaptive responses to dehydration: reduced relative water content (RWC), RD, RV, and shoot biomass; whereas increased TRL, RSA, RN, and root biomass. In addition, we show that proline was accumulated most abundantly in response to alkaline treatment, and which was corroborated by the transcriptional induction of OsP5CS1 and OsP5CS2, the genes encoding proline carboxylate synthase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With respect to thermal barrier coating, the analysis of interface cohesion and residual stress is important to the life of TBC from mechanical view point. Up to now, there is not a model of describing interface cohesion. In the paper, we give a simple model of computing residual stress and study the residual stress of TBC with ANSYS. The distribution of the residual stress in different interface topography and the relationship between the residual stress and the interface topography dimension are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper introduces a simple method to synthesize novel liquid crystalline polystyrene (LC-PS) containing a mesogenic unit at a side chain by hydrosilylation through poly[(4- vinylphenyl)dimethylsilanol] (PVPDMS) and liquid crystal monomer cholesteryl 4-[4-(undec-10-enoyloxy)benzoyloxy]- phenyladipate (M). The LC-PS had high purity, high molecular weight, narrow distribution, good thermal stability, and typical thermotropic liquid crystallinity (SA phase), as shown by ¹H NMR analyses, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarizing optical microscopy (POM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The glass-transition temperature (Tg) of LCPS was much lower than that of PVPDMS, while the clearing point (Ti) of LC-PS significantly increased compared with M. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of large - scale sports events must be attached to reality, and develop urbanely by steps, so that it can play more active role. Relying on the present situation of urban economy, cultural feature, this article mainly probe such problems as the scale, type and development trend of the large - scale sports events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]