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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of acute lower respiratory tract infection in infants and children. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of miR-146a on RSV replication and the related mechanisms. Material and methods: We pretreated A549 and HEp-2 cells and young rats with miR-146a mimic before infection with RSV. The expressions of miR-146a and RSV-F mRNA in cells and lung tissues were detected by RT-qPCR, and production of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α in bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined by ELISA. The expression level of TRAF-6 and activation of the JNK/ERK/MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway was detected by Western blotting. Results: RSV infection significantly reduced miR-146a levels in both A549 and HEp-2 cells and rat lung tissues. RSV infection resulted in accelerated growth, increased release of inflammatory cytokines, increased expression of TRAF-6, and activation of the JNK pathway in cells, and the lung inflammatory infiltration and the pathological score increased in rats. Overexpression of miR-146a targeted down-regulation of TRAF-6 expression and JNK/ERK/MAPK/NF-κB pathway induced by RSV infection, reduced the production of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, and alleviate lung injury in young rats. We got similar results in both A549 and HEp-2 cell experiments. Conclusion: MiR-146a alleviates lung injury caused by RSV infection in young rats by targeting TRAF-6 and regulating JNK/ERK/MAPK signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to investigate the role of free triiodothyronine (FT3) in patients with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis. 137 consecutive inpatients (2016–2019) were registered prospectively and followed up for 12 months. 96 eligible patients were included in the study. The modified Rankin scale (mRS) score was collected, and the score of 3–6 was defined as a poor outcome. The patients were equally classified into 3 subgroups based on their FT3 levels obtained within 24 h of admission, and the subgroup differences were analyzed by parametric or nonparametric tests as appropriate. Logistic regression analysis was performed. We found that there was no difference in the mRS scores upon admission among 3 subgroups, however, patients in the low-FT3 subgroup tended to have higher disease severity during hospitalization and worse outcome in follow-up visits, represented by higher chances of intense care unit (ICU) admission (P < 0.001), longer hospital stay (P < 0.001), greater maximum mRS scores during hospitalization (P = 0.011), lower rates of getting clinical improvement within 4 weeks of starting treatment (P = 0.006), and higher percentages of poor 1-year outcome (P = 0.002). The level of FT3 was an independent factor correlated with ICU admission (P = 0.002) and might be a potential predictor for 1-year outcome. Our preliminary results suggest that the FT3 may be a risk factor involved in the evolution and progression of anti-NMDAR encephalitis, whereas the underline mechanisms remain to be explored. Attention should be paid to these patients with relatively low FT3 upon admission, which might possibly aid clinical prediction and guide clinical decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodeterioration caused by filamentous fungi is often a threat to the architectural heritage (i.e. tombs and historic sites). To specifically understand the deterioration phenomena caused by microorganisms in tombs and how these are shaped due to various environmental factors, the fungal communities in the coffin chamber of the Chinese emperor Yang (BC 569–618) were investigated at different heights using denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting. The associated environmental conditions, such as humidity, temperature, height and illumination, were also assessed. The results showed that a great diversity of fungal species (Cordyceps, Fusarium, Harpochytrium, Emericellopsis, Volutella, Cladosporium, Stachybotrys, Trichoderma, Cochlonema and two unknown fungal species) was present in emperor Yang's coffin chamber. The predominant species were Stachybotrys, Fusarium, Trichoderma and Cochlonema. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that humidity, temperature, height and illumination were the most significantly related factors shaping the fungal communities. Humidity showed the highest degree of variance description (19.2%) than all other environmental factors, followed by illumination (18.3%) and height (12.8%). Furthermore, fungal richness and diversity indices showed a positive correlation with humidity (p < 0.05). These results help in understanding the fungal community in tombs, promoting the mitigation of deterioration phenomena of such building heritage for the present and future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to be important in a variety of cancer types. The specific expression and roles of miR-520f-3p in the context of gastric cancer (GC), however, remains unknown. Herein we determined miR-520f-3p expression to be significantly reduced in human GC cells compared to cells of the gastric epithelium, with comparable down-regulation also being evident in gastric cancer tissue samples and the low expression of this miRNA was positively correlated with features of more aggressive large tumor size (p = 0.019), depth of invasion (p = 0.008), and distant metastasis (p = 0.037). We further found that lower levels of miR-520f-3p corresponded with poorer GC patient overall (p = 0.003) and disease-free (p = 0.036) survival. When over-expressed in GC cells, miR-520f-3p was able to impair their growth, proliferation, and survival, instead leading to the induction of apoptosis. We further found that miR-520f-3p was able to bind the SOX9 3′-UTR, thereby negatively regulating its expression in GC cells. Consistent with this model, SOX9 and miR-520f-3p expression were negatively correlated with one another in GC tissues. When SOX9 was upregulated, this was also able to abrogate miR-520f-3p-mediated inactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Together our findings thus suggest that miR-520f-3p can act to suppress GC progression, at least in part via suppressing SOX9 expression and thus disrupting Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Our results thus highlight potential novel therapeutic targets in GC worthy of future investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the impregnation synthesis of NiO/sepiolite and its application for dye removal during wastewater treatment is introduced. The NiO/sepiolite materials act as an adsorbent/catalyst. It comprises a unique combination of adsorption and high-temperature gas flow regeneration (the NiO/sepiolite acts as a catalyst at this stage, using regeneration rate as evaluation index of catalytic activity of NiO/sepiolite) in a single unit, in which the NiO/sepiolite was regenerated and reused for the next round adsorption of dye. An aqueous solution of methylene blue was used to evaluate the adsorption and regeneration performance of the adsorbent/catalyst. The regeneration rate reached 74% when the reaction time and temperature were 7 min and 350 °C, respectively. The effects of the regeneration temperature and volume fraction of O2 on the regeneration rate were investigated. And the regeneration reaction kinetics was provided. The combination of adsorptive and catalytic properties in the NiO/sepiolite composites received interesting results for removing refractory biodegradable organic pollutants. This work provides new insights for the removal of dye from wastewater using Ni catalysts supported on natural low-cost clay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) is one of the most endangered primate species found in China, exhibiting multilevel society consisting of several one-male-females together with their offspring units (OMU), and all-male units (AMU). Female dispersal patterns of the species within herd have been well documented, whereas those of the males within or between herds are still poorly understood. Our results based a long-term observation indicate that more than half of sub-adult males, and half of the deposed males that stayed a short period in OMU disperse between herds, three of them established their own OMU in new herd after the dispersal. Smaller number of the sub-adult and adult males, compared with adult females, stayed in natal herd, implying sub-adult males started dispersing and male-biased dispersal occurred between herds. High frequencies of resident males were wounded as their OUMs were taken over, and resident males co-operation defend bachelor males were found. Mating competition among males within the herd may have contributed to the scenarios of male-biased dispersal. The results also suggest that maintaining connection between isolated herds and establishing the corridors among the fragmented habitats for the species will greatly benefit increasing its gene flow and promoting conservation status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alloying-dealloying reactions of SnS2 proceeds with the initial conversion reaction of SnS2 with lithium that produces Li2S. Unfortunately, due to the electrochemical inactivity of Li2S, the conversion reaction of SnS2 is irreversible, which significantly limit its potential applications in lithium-ion batteries. Herein, a systematic understanding of transition metal molybdenum (Mo) as a catalyst in SnS2 anode is presented. It is found that Mo catalyst is able to efficiently promote the reversible conversion of Sn to SnS2. This leads to the utilization of both conversion and alloying reactions in SnS2 that greatly increases lithium storage capability of SnS2. Mo catalyst is introduced in the form of MoS2 grown directly onto self-assembled vertical SnS2 nanosheets that anchors on three-dimensional graphene (3DG) creating a hierarchal nanostructured named as SnS2/MoS2/3DG. The catalytic effect results in a significantly enhanced electrochemical properties of SnS2/MoS2/3DG; a high initial Coulombic efficiency (81.5%) and high discharge capacities of 960.5 and 495.6 mA h g−1 at current densities of 50 and 1000 mA g−1, respectively. Post cycling investigations using ex situ TEM and XPS analysis verifies the successful conversion reaction of SnS2 mediated by Mo. The successful integration of catalyst on alloying type metal sulfide anode creates a new avenue towards high energy density lithium anodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling and reducing the formation of pathogenic biofilm on tooth surface is the key to the prevention and treatment of the biofilm-associated oral diseases. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), considered as possible future alternatives for conventional antibiotics, have been extensively studied for the control of bacterial infection. Due to the rapid dilution and degradation by human saliva, AMP preparations designed for oral use with longer retention and higher efficacy are in urgent need. To this end, a hydroxyapatite (HAp)-binding antimicrobial peptide (HBAMP), which is based on the fusion of a specific HAp-binding heptapeptide (HBP7) domain and a broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptide (KSLW) domain, has been developed in our laboratory. HBAMP was supposed to form a contact-active antibacterial interface on tooth surface to inhibit the formation of biofilms. In this study, we investigated its binding behaviour, antibacterial activity against bacteria in both planktonic and sessile states, enzymatic stability in human saliva, and cytocompatibility to human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs). Our findings suggest that HBAMP could adsorb on tooth surface to provide effective antibacterial activity with improved retention. This study provides a proof-of-concept on using conjugated molecules to promote antibacterial efficacy by synergistically actions of HBAMP free in solution and bound on tooth surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When plates with edge cracks in the rolling process is straightened by cyclic tensile and compressive stress, the tip of edge crack always accompanied by stress concentration, which leads to crack propagation. In this paper, damage parameters are imported into the plate straightening model based on determining the GTN damage parameters of magnesium alloy materials by inverse finite element calibration method, the influence of different straightening process schemes and prefabricated V-shaped crack geometry on crack growth is analyzed through the way of the combination of simulation and straightening experiment. The results show that the peak values of equivalent stress and equivalent strain under each straightening roll appear at the crack tip. The value of longitudinal stress and equivalent stain decrease with the distance to crack tip becomes larger. The peak value of longitudinal stress appears when the crack circumferential angle is about 100°, and the crack tip is easy to form crack propagation; when the plate passes roll 2 and roll 4, the equivalent stress and strain concentration at the crack tip are most obvious; when the reduction reaches a certain degree, the void volume fraction (VVF) reaches the VVF of the material breaking; with the increase of the entrance reduction, the number of VVF at the crack tip which reaches the material fracture increases, and the length of crack propagation increases; the stress concentration at the tip of V-shaped crack with large length–width ratio is obvious, and the VVF is more likely to reach the VVF at the time of material fracture, crack initiates and propagates easily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For topological insulators to be implemented in practical applications, it is a prerequisite to select suitable substrates that are required to leave insulators' nontrivial properties and sizable opened band gaps (due to spin-orbital couplings) unaltered. Using ab initio calculations, we predict that Ge(111) surface qualified as a candidate to support stanene sheets, because the band structure of √3 × √3 stanene/Ge(111) (2 × 2) surface displays a typical Dirac cone at Γ point in the vicinity of the Fermi level. Aided with the result of Z2 invariant calculations, a √3 × √3 stanene/Ge(111) (2 × 2) system has been proved to sustain the nontrivial topological phase, with the prove being confirmed by the edge state calculations of stanene ribbons. This finding can serve as guidance for epitaxial growth of stanene on substrate and render stanene feasible for practical use as a topological insulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal cobalt (Co) nanoparticle was designed as catalyst to promote the conversion reaction of Sn to SnO2 during the delithiation process which is deemed as an irreversible reaction. The designed nanocomposite, named as SnO2/Co3O4/reduced-graphene-oxide (rGO), was synthesized by a simple two-step method composed of hydrothermal (1st step) and solvothermal (2nd step) synthesis processes. Compared to the pristine SnO2/rGO and SnO2/Co3O4 electrodes, SnO2/Co3O4/rGO nanocomposites exhibit significantly enhanced electrochemical performance as the anode material of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The SnO2/Co3O4/rGO nanocomposites can deliver high specific capacities of 1038 and 712 mAh g−1 at the current densities of 100 and 1000 mA g−1, respectively. In addition, the SnO2/Co3O4/rGO nanocomposites also exhibit 641 mAh g−1 at a high current density of 1000 mA g−1 after 900 cycles, indicating an ultra-long cycling stability under high current density. Through ex-situ TEM analysis, the excellent electrochemical performance was attributed to the catalytic effect of Co nanoparticles to promote the conversion of Sn to SnO2 and the decomposition of Li2O during the delithiation process. Based on the results, herein we propose a new method in employing the catalyst to increase the capacity of alloying-dealloying type anode material to beyond its theoretical value and enhance the electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute respiratory infections are widespread in vulnerable populations of all ages and are characterized by a variety of symptoms. The underlying infection can be caused by a multitude of microorganisms, including viruses and bacteria. Early detection of respiratory infections through rapid pathogen screening is vital in averting infectious respiratory disease epidemics. This study utilized a multiplex real-time PCR system to develop a three-tube reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assay, enabling simultaneously detect nine respiratory pathogens, including: influenza A and B, adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Streptococcus pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, Haemophilus influenzae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. This technique utilizes a one-step assay, with specifically designed TaqMan primer–probe sets combined in the same tube. This assay provided rapid and simplified detection of the nine prevalent pathogens, as well as increased sensitivity and reduced cross-contamination. This assay was evaluated using 25 related viral/bacterial strains as positive references, the other 25 irrelevant strains as negative controls, and clinical specimens from 179 patients. All positive strains were detected with no amplification of the non-target microorganism mixtures and the assay's detection limits ranged between 250–500 copies/ml (1.25–2.5 copies/reaction). A total of 167 (93.3%) samples tested positive for at least one of the pathogens identified; 109 of these samples were from patients confirmed to have RSV infections. The diagnostic accuracy of our assay was further confirmed by matching results from classical direct immunofluorescence assay and nucleotide sequencing. These data demonstrate the innovative multiplex real-time PCR assay as a promising alternative to the current approaches used for early screening of acute respiratory infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topological Dirac materials are attracting a lot of attention because they offer exotic physical phenomena. An exhaustive search coupled with first-principles calculations was implemented to investigate 10 Zintl compounds with a chemical formula of CaM2X2 (M = Zn or Cd, X = N, P, As, Sb, or Bi) under three crystal structures: CaAl2Si2-, ThCr2Si2-, and BaCu2S2-type crystal phases. All of the materials were found to energetically prefer the CaAl2Si2-type structure based on total ground state energy calculations. Symmetry-based indicators are used to evaluate their topological properties. Interestingly, we found that CaM2Bi2 (M = Zn or Cd) are topological crystalline insulators. Further calculations under the hybrid functional approach and analysis using k · p model reveal that they exhibit topological Dirac semimetal (TDSM) states, where the four-fold degenerate Dirac points are located along the high symmetry line in-between Г to A points. These findings are verified through Green's function surface state calculations under HSE06. Finally, phonon spectra calculations revealed that CaCd2Bi2 is thermodynamically stable. The Zintl phase of AM2X2 compounds have not been identified in any topological material databases, thus can be a new playground in the search for new topological materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the expression of miR-571 in patients with liver fibrosis and its role in the progression of liver fibrosis. A total of 74 patients with liver fibrosis in our institution from September to December 2018 were collected for study, and the expression of miR-571, Notch3 and Jagged1 in patients with different progressions of liver fibrosis was determined by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Set up Notch3 up group and Notch3 down regulated group, RT-PCR and Western blot were used to determine the effect of Notch signaling on the expression of fibrogenic factors. CCK-8, cell scratch assays, Transwell assays, flow cytometry were used to determine the effect of miR-571 on LX-2 proliferation, migration, apoptosis in human stem stellate cells, and RT-PCR, Western blot assays were performed to determine the effect of miR-571 on the Notch3 signaling pathway and the expression of profibrogenic factors. miR-571, Notch3 and Jagged1 are up-regulated in patients with liver fibrosis and is associated with the progression of liver fibrosis. Notch3 signaling pathway can promote the expression of fibroblast in human hepatic stellate cells; miR-571 can inhibit the apoptosis of human hepatic stellate cells, promote cell proliferation and migration; up regulation of miR-571 can promote the expression of Notch3 and Jagged1, and up-regulation of miR-571 also promoted the expression of related fibroblasts. MiR-571 can promote the activation of human stem cell stellate cells and the expression of fibroblast related factors through Notch3 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is usually associated with varying degrees of cirrhosis. Among cirrhotic patients with solitary HCC in the absence of macro-vascular invasion, whether tumor size drives prognosis or not after hepatectomy remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of tumor size on long-term outcomes after hepatectomy for solitary HCC patients with cirrhosis and without macrovascular invasion. A total of 813 cirrhotic patients who underwent curative hepatectomy for solitary HCC and without macrovascular invasion between 2001 and 2014 were retrospectively studied. We set 5 cm as the tumor cut-off value. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to minimize the influence of potential confounders including cirrhotic severity that was histologically assessed according to the Laennec staging system. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between the two groups before and after PSM. Overall, 464 patients had tumor size ≤ 5 cm, and 349 had tumor size > 5 cm. The 5-year RFS and OS rates were 38.3% and 61.5% in the ≤ 5 cm group, compared with 25.1% and 59.9% in the > 5 cm group. Long-term survival outcomes were significantly worse as tumor size increased. Multivariate analysis indicated that tumor size > 5 cm was an independent risk factor for tumor recurrence and long-term survival. These results were further confirmed in the PSM cohort of 235 pairs of patients. In cirrhotic patients with solitary HCC and without macrovascular invasion, tumor size may significantly affect the prognosis after curative hepatectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains are characterized by progressive neuron loss and gliosis. Previous studies of gene expression using bulk tissue samples often fail to consider changes in cell-type composition when comparing AD versus control, which can lead to differences in expression levels that are not due to transcriptional regulation. We mined five large transcriptomic AD datasets for conserved gene co-expression module, then analyzed differential expression and differential co-expression within the modules between AD samples and controls. We performed cell-type deconvolution analysis to determine whether the observed differential expression was due to changes in cell-type proportions in the samples or to transcriptional regulation. Our findings were validated using four additional datasets. We discovered that the increased expression of microglia modules in the AD samples can be explained by increased microglia proportions in the AD samples. In contrast, decreased expression and perturbed co-expression within neuron modules in the AD samples was likely due in part to altered regulation of neuronal pathways. Several transcription factors that are differentially expressed in AD might account for such altered gene regulation. Similarly, changes in gene expression and co-expression within astrocyte modules could be attributed to combined effects of astrogliosis and astrocyte gene activation. Gene expression in the astrocyte modules was also strongly correlated with clinicopathological biomarkers. Through this work, we demonstrated that combinatorial analysis can delineate the origins of transcriptomic changes in bulk tissue data and shed light on key genes and pathways involved in AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNA-212-3p inhibits several human cancers but its effects on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. In this study, we show that miR-212-3p is down-regulated in HCC cell lines and tissues, and correlates with vascular invasion (p = 0.001), and the absence of capsule formation (p = 0.009). We found that miR-212-3p influenced the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HCCLM3 and Huh7 cells. Mechanistically, miR-212-3p repressed cell invasion through the suppression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). We therefore validate the anti-HCC effects of miR-212-3p through its ability to suppress CTGF and subsequent EMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common renal genetic disorder, however it still lacks a cure. The discovery of new therapies heavily depends on understanding key signalling pathways that lead to ADPKD. The JAnus Kinase and Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway is aberrantly activated and contributes to ADPKD pathogenesis via enhancing epithelial proliferation. Yet the mechanisms underlying the upregulation of JAK/STAT activity in this disease context is completely unknown. Here, we investigate the role of JAK2 in ADPKD using a murine model of ADPKD (Pkd1nl/nl). In normal kidneys, JAK2 expression is limited to tubular epithelial and vascular cells with lesser staining in bowman's capsule and remains below detection level in the interstitium. By contrast, in kidneys of mice with ADPKD, JAK2 is higher in cyst-lining cells when compared to normal tubules and critically, it is ectopically expressed in the interstitium, suggesting that ectopic JAK2 may contribute to ADPKD. JAK2 activity was inhibited using either curcumin, a natural compound with strong JAK2 inhibitor activity, or Tofacitinib, a clinically used selective JAK small molecule inhibitor. JAK2 inhibition led to significantly reduced tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3 and markedly reduced cystic growth of human and mouse ADPKD-derived cells in cystogenesis assays. Taken together, our results indicate that blockade of JAK2 shows promise as a novel therapeutic target in ADPKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeting angiogenesis has emerged as a promising strategy for cancer treatment. Methylseleninic acid (MSA) is a metabolite of selenium (Se) in animal cells that exhibits anti-oxidative and anti-cancer activities at levels exceeding Se nutritional requirements. However, it remains unclear whether MSA exerts its effects on cancer prevention by influencing angiogenesis within Se nutritional levels. Herein, we demonstrate that MSA inhibited angiogenesis at 2 µM, which falls in the range of moderate Se nutritional status. We found that MSA treatments at 2 µM increased cell adherence, while inhibiting cell migration and tube formation of HUVECs in vitro. Moreover, MSA effectively inhibited the sprouts of mouse aortic rings and neoangiogenesis in chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane. We also found that MSA down-regulated integrin β3 at the levels of mRNA and protein, and disrupted clustering of integrin β3 on the cell surface. Additionally, results showed that MSA inhibited the phosphorylation of AKT, IκBα, and NFκB. Overall, our results suggest that exogenous MSA inhibited angiogenesis at nutritional Se levels not only by down-regulating the expression of integrin β3 but also by disorganizing the clustering of integrin β3, which further inhibited the phosphorylation involving AKT, IκBα, NFκB. These findings provide novel mechanistic insight into the function of MSA for regulating angiogenesis and suggest that MSA could be a potential candidate or adjuvant for anti-tumor therapy in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic and electronic properties of hydrogenated and halogenated group-IV zigzag nanoribbons (ZNRs) are investigated by first-principles density functional calculations. Fascinatingly, we find that all the ZNRs have magnetic edges with a rich variety of electronic and magnetic properties tunable by selecting the parent and passivating elements as well as controlling the magnetization direction and external strain. In particular, the electric property of the edge band structure can be tuned from the conducting to insulating with a band gap up to 0.7 eV. The last controllability would allow us to develop magnetic on-off nano-switches. Furthermore, ZNRs such as SiI, Ge, GeI and SnH, have fully spin-polarized metallic edge states and thus are promising materials for spintronics. The calculated magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy can be as large as ~9 meV/edge-site, being 2×103 time greater than that of bulk Ni and Fe (~5 μeV/atom), and thus has great potential for high density magneto-electric data-storage devices. Finally, the calculated exchange coupling strength and thus magnetic transition temperature increases as the applied strain goes from −5% to 5%. Our findings thus show that these ZNRs would have exciting applications in next-generation electronic and spintronic nano-devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synchrotron radiation core-level photoemission spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and first-principles calculations have been utilized to explore the growth processes and the atomic structure of the resulting films during the two-step molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) of In and Bi on the Si(111) surface. Deposition of 1.0-ML Bi on the In/Si(111)-(4 × 1) surface at room temperature results in Bi-terminated BiIn-(4 × 3) structures, which are stable up to ~300 °C annealing. By contrast, deposition of In on the β-Bi/Si(111)-(√3 × √3) surface at room temperature results in three dimensional (3D) In islands. In both cases, annealing at 460 °C results in the same In-terminated In0.75Bi/Si(111)-(2 × 2) surface. Our DFT calculations confirm that the surface energy of In-terminated In0.75Bi/Si(111)-(2 × 2) system is lower than that of Bi-terminated Bi0.75In/Si(111)-(2 × 2). These findings provide means for the control of the polarity of the MBE In-Bi atomically thick films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparative studies of subspecies under different ecological environments offer insights into intraspecies evolutionary adaptive mechanisms. Golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) include three subspecies in China classified mainly by their morphological variations: R. r. roxellana (Sichuan and Gansu province), R. r. qinlingensis (Shaanxi province) and R. r. hubeiensis (Hubei province). These three subspecies live in three isolated area with different environments. Past works focused on the last two subspecies, but little information of habitat and behaviors of the nominated subspecies (R. r. roxellana) is available to date. We conducted a two-year study on the diet, activity budget, home range and social organization of 4 herds of R. r. roxellana, based on a total of 106 days’ observation in Laohegou (LHG) Nature Reserve, Sichuan province. By using scan sampling method, our results suggest that the R. r roxellana feeds predominantly on leaves (77.5%), and spends more time feeding (40.0%) and resting (27.0%) while compared to the other two subspecies. Kernel Density Estimation Method based on GPS technology confirms that R. r roxellana has relatively larger home ranges (49.1 km2). The unit size (8.3 ± 3.5 individuals) of R. r roxellana is also smaller. Therefore, it is possible that differences in food availability in relation to habitats have important impacts on the feeding strategy and social system of the golden snub-nosed monkey. These results provide data to further explore intraspecific adaptations of living primates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Target-guided synthesis is an approach to drug discovery that allows the target to self-assemble its own binding agents. So far, target-guided synthesis and especially in situ click chemistry have attracted extensive attention and have led to the identification of highly potent inhibitors for proteins. In this study, we expand the application of in situ click chemistry and present a procedure using this approach to identify selective fluorescent probes for a specific topology of G-quadruplex nucleic acids, the parallel G-quadruplexes. On this basis, compound 15 assembled by triarylimidazole scaffold and carboxyl side chain was a positive hit, demonstrating highly potential in the sensitive and selective detection of parallel G-quadruplexes. Such selective fluorescence response can be rationalized in terms of different binding affinities between 15 and G-quadruplexes. Our work accordingly represents a new development towards the application of in situ click chemistry to develop selective fluorescent probes and may also shed light on the search for probes for a specific G-quadruplex topology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AZD6244 (ARRY-142886), a highly selective MAPK-ERK kinase inhibitor, has shown excellent clinical efficacy in many tumors. However, the anti-tumor and anti-angiogenesis efficacy of AZD6244 on gastric cancer has not been well characterized. In this study, high p-ERK expression was associated with advanced TNM stage, increased lymphovascular invasion and poor survival. For absence of NRAS, KRAS and BRAF mutation, SGC7901 and BGC823 gastric cancer cells were relative resistance to AZD6244 in vitro. And such resistance was not attributed to the insufficient inhibition of ERK phosphorylation. However, tumor growth was significantly suppressed in SGC7901 xenografts by blockage of angiogenesis. This result was further supported by suppression of tube formation and migration in HUVEC cells after treatment with AZD6244. Moreover, the anti-angiogenesis effect of AZD6244 may predominantly attribute to its modulation on VEGF through p-ERK − c-Fos − HIF-1α integrated signal pathways. In conclusions, High p-ERK expression was associated with advanced TNM stage, increased lymphovascular invasion and poor survival. Targeting inhibition of p-ERK by AZD6244 suppress gastric cancer xenografts by blockage of angiogenesis without systemic toxicity. The anti-angiogenesis effect afford by AZD6244 may attribute to its modulation on p-ERK − c-Fos − HIF-1α − VEGF integrated signal pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have carried out systematic first-principles electronic structure computations of growth of ultrathin films of compounds of group III (B, Al, In, Ga, and Tl) with group V (N, P, As, Sb, and Bi) elements on Si(111) substrate, including effects of hydrogenation. Two bilayers (BLs) of AlBi, InBi, GaBi, TlAs, and TlSb are found to support a topological phase over a wide range of strains, in addition to BBi, TlN, and TlBi which can be driven into the nontrivial phase via strain. A large band gap of 134 meV is identified in hydrogenated 2 BL film of InBi. One and two BL films of GaBi and 2 BL films of InBi and TlAs on Si(111) surface possess nontrivial phases with a band gap as large as 121 meV in the case of 2 BL film of GaBi. Persistence of the nontrivial phase upon hydrogenations in the III-V thin films suggests that these films are suitable for growing on various substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) major structure protein Gag is synthesized in the cytoplasm, assembles on the plasma membrane, subsequently buds and releases. HIV-1 viral particles incorporate a number of host proteins to facilitate or inhibit HIV-1 replication. Here we identify a new host protein, coiled-coil domain containing protein 8 (CCDC8), in HIV-1 particles. Incorporation of CCDC8 into virions is dependent on the interaction between CCDC8 and Gag matrix region. Exogenous overexpression of CCDC8 can strongly inhibit HIV-1 production, up to ~30 fold. CCDC8 is a membrane-associated protein. The interaction between exogenously expressed CCDC8 and Gag on the plasma membrane changes the assembly of Gag, and redirects it into intracellular sites, or causes Gag endocytosis. CCDC8, along with cytoskeleton protein obscuring-like1 (Obsl1) and E3 ligase Cul7, induces Gag polyubiquitination and degradation. Thus we identify a new host protein and a new pathway for HIV-1 Gag polyubiquitination and degradation. This pathway presents potential therapeutic strategies against HIV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]