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Based on 4 annual waves of data from a large sample of Chinese college students (N = 2,329, Mage = 18.40 years old, SD =.85; 63.10% females), this study examines the within-person and between-person effects in the association between problematic Internet use (PIU) and mental health issues. Results of analyses using the developmental equilibrium model (i.e., an autoregressive, cross-lagged panel model) demonstrate a reciprocal positive association between PIU and mental health issues consistently across waves. In contrast, results of analyses utilizing the random intercept, cross-lagged panel model (i.e., a model that can disaggregate within-person and between-person effects) indicate a unidirectional positive within-person effect from PIU to mental health issues (rather than the reverse) consistently over time, while controlling for the between-person effects that exist when comparing different individuals. Such findings highlight the importance of disaggregating within-person and between-person effects in understanding the nature of the temporal dynamics of the association between PIU and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To comprehensively elucidate the ecology of the bacterial community and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in urbanised coastal ecosystems, this study investigated the variations of bacterial community and five common types of ARGs, the impacting factors and assembly of bacterial community, as well as their co-occurrence relationships in two ecosystems of the Pearl River Estuary (PRE). The bacterial community composition and structure of the nearshore ecosystem (NSE) and the eight mouths of the PRE (EPR) markedly differed, with 38 phyla shared between these two ecosystems. The abundances of 10 ARGs and bacterial community diversity were significantly higher in the EPR than NSE. Moreover, 67.82% and 27.82% of the variation in the bacterial community was explained by spatial (44.42%/8.63%) and environmental (23.40%/19.19%) variables in the NSE and EPR, respectively. Significant distance-decay patterns were observed, and distinct stochastic processes (undominated processes or dispersal limitation) dominated bacterial community assembly in the NSE and EPR. Furthermore, co-occurrence patterns showed significant positive correlations between 48/182 ASVs belonging to 6/15 bacterial phyla and 8/11 ARGs in the NSE/EPR, with six common dominant hosts. These results clarify the drivers and mechanism shaping the bacterial community, providing further proof for potential ARG bacterial hosts in urbanised estuarine ecosystems. [Display omitted] • Obvious differences of bacterial community composition and structure were shown in two habitats. • Spatial overwhelmed environmental variables and sleeper slope of distance decay showed in NSE. • Distinct stochastic processes dominated the bacterial community assembly. • Six shared dominant bacterial phyla were potential hosts of ARGs in the different two habitats. • Nine more bacterial hosts of ARGs at phylum level were found in EPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ideally, a guided bone regeneration membrane (GBRM) should possess high strength, as for titanium membranes, along with excellent biocompatibility and osteoconductivity, as for natural absorbable collagen membranes. Besides titanium, magnesium (Mg) is another metal widely used in the biomedical field, which also exhibits biodegradability. In this study, a composite chitosan‑magnesium (CS-Mg) membrane was fabricated by dip-coating Mg alloy into chitosan solution. In vitro and in vivo tests were performed to investigate whether this membrane could be used as biodegradable GBRM, and the test results were compared with those obtained for a commercial GBRM (Heal-All). The microstructure was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy-electron dispersive spectroscopy. The degradation behavior was investigated by immersing the membranes into Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (DMEM). The in vitro biocompatibility was evaluated by cell adhesion, cytotoxicity and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assays using MG63 cells. The cytotoxicity and ALP assays were performed with diluted extracts of Mg, CS-Mg and Heal-All. The results show that CS-Mg has a suitable degradation rate, as well as similar cell adhesion and cytocompatibility to Heal-All. However, the 10% CS-Mg extracts exhibited higher ALP activity at 3 and 5 days (p < 0.05) compared with the medium control and the Heal-All extracts, but no differences with 10% Mg extracts (p > 0.05). Rabbit calvarial defects were used for testing the osteogenic activity in vivo. Three groups of samples were examined: CS-Mg, Heal-All, and a blank control. Higher amounts of new bone were formed for the CS-Mg and Heal-All groups (p < 0.05) compared with the blank control, whereas no significant differences between the CS-Mg and Heal-All groups were observed (p > 0.1). In conclusion, the CS-Mg membrane shows great potential for application as a biodegradable metallic GBRM with excellent osteogenic activity. Highlights • Chitosan coated-Mg alloy was prepared by dip-coating Mg alloy into chitosan solution after etching and coupling treatment. • Chitosan coated-Mg alloy was used as biodegradable barrier membrane in guided bone regeneration. • Chitosan coating decreased the degradation of Mg alloy. • Chitosan coating enhanced the biocompatibility of Mg alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Transcriptional induction of Bim is observed in nigral dopaminergic neurons by in situ detection after MPTP intoxication. • Bim upregulation in the dopaminergic neurons contributes to MPTP-induced parkinsonian neurodegeneration. • c-Jun activates Bim to promote MPTP-induced nigral dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Abstract Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). The proapoptotic BH3-only protein Bim has been reported to be involved in dopaminergic neurodegeneration of experimental PD. However, an in situ expression profile of Bim in PD has not been performed, and the cell types of which Bim accounts for PD pathogenesis is unclear. Here, we report with in situ observations that Bim is transcriptionally induced in the dopaminergic neurons of the SNpc in 1-methyl-4-pheny-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated mice. To investigate the precise role of Bim in the dopaminergic neurons in parkinsonian neuronal death, we obtained dopaminergic neuron-specific Bim null (Bim△Dat) mice. Bim△Dat mice are shown to be resistant to MPTP-induced neurotoxicity, confirming that the induction of Bim in dopaminergic neurons is responsible for parkinsonian neurodegeneration. Furthermore, we demonstrated with dopaminergic neuron-specific c- Jun knockout (c-Jun△Dat) that the transcriptional upregulation of Bim of nigral dopaminergic neurons was c-Jun-dependent and further validated the detrimental role of c-Jun in dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Together, these data specify that c-Jun-mediated Bim upregulation in nigral dopaminergic neurons contributes to parkinsonian neurodegeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The previous research on personality and problematic Internet use (PIU) has predominantly, if not exclusively, focused on their direct associations with cross-sectional designs. Based on four annual waves of data from 2,516 Chinese college students, this study examined the mediating role of maladaptive cognitions over Internet use in the associations between personality traits (i.e., neuroticism, extraversion, and psychoticism) and PIU. Results indicated that these personality traits assessed at year 2 (i.e., the second college year) were indirectly associated with PIU at year 4 via maladaptive cognitions over Internet use at year 3. The indirect associations were robust after controlling for PIU at year 2, depression and anxiety at year 4, and a series of demographic covariates at year 1. Such findings highlight various personality traits as critical antecedents of PIU. Furthermore, identifying maladaptive cognitions over Internet use as a mechanism explaining the associations between personality traits and PIU may facilitate more targeted and effective intervention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are unique precursor cells characterized by active self-renewal and differentiation potential. These cells offer the advantages of ease of isolation and limited ethical issues as a resource and represent a promising cell therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. However, replicative senescence during cell culture as well as low efficiency of cell migration and differentiation after transplantation are major obstacles. In our previous study, we found that FOXQ1 binds directly to the SIRT1 promoter to regulate cellular senescence and also promotes cell proliferation and migration in many tumor cell lines. Currently, little is known about the effects of FOXQ1 on normal somatic cells. Therefore, we examine the effects of FOXQ1 on senescence and migration of MSCs. Lentiviral vector-mediated overexpression of FOXQ1 in human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) resulted in enhanced cell proliferation and viability. Furthermore, the expression of proteins and markers positively associated with senescence (p16, p21, p53) was reduced, whereas expression of proteins negatively associated with senescence (SIRT1, PCNA) was promoted. Following transplantation of hUC-MSCs overexpressing FOXQ1 in an animal model of Alzheimer’s disease (APPV717I transgenic mice) resulted in amelioration of the effects of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) on cognitive function and pathological senescence accompanied the increased numbers of hUC-MSCs in the AD brain. In conclusion, FOXQ1 overexpression promotes anti-senescence and migration of hUC-MSCs in vitro and in vivo. These findings also suggest that this strategy may contribute to optimization of the efficiency of stem cell therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Protonated PMP labeled disaccharides yielded abundant fragments derived from cross-ring cleavage and glycosidic bond cleavage. • 16 isomeric disaccharides were completely distinguished by the relative intensity ratio of three ion pairs. • Three characteristic ion pairs were available to relatively quantitative analysis of binary mixture consisted by different disaccharide isomers. • Three yellow rice wines could be easily discriminated and the relative content of maltose-isomaltose was successfully achieved. Small structural differences bring great difficulties on carbohydrates identification, especially in terms of their quantification. Herein, a novel ESI-MS/MS based strategy was established to discriminate and relatively quantified protonated PMP-disaccharides with different composition and glycosidic bond. Interestingly, protonated PMP labeled-disaccharides provided abundant fragment ions arising from cross-ring cleavage and glycosidic bond cleavage, which could afford diagnostic fragment patterns for isomers differentiation in combination of statistical analysis. It was worth to note that the relative intensity ratios (RIR) of three ion pairs could completely discriminate 16 disaccharides, and subsequently used to relatively quantified isomers in a binary mixture. Ultimately, this method was applied for the discrimination of yellow rice wine, and then the relative content of maltose and isomaltose were confirmed as well. In general, this method was easy to operation and effective for rapid differentiation and quantification of isomeric disaccharides in complex matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder, characterized by the progressive loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons (DANs), involving the dysregulation of both neurons and glial cells. Cell type- and region-specific gene expression profiles can provide an effective source for revealing the mechanisms of PD. In this study, we adopted the RiboTag approach to obtain cell type (DAN, microglia, astrocytes)- and brain region (substantia nigra, caudate-putamen)-specific translatomes at an early stage in an MPTP-induced mouse model of PD. Through DAN-specific translatome analysis, the glycosphingolipid biosynthetic process was identified as a significantly downregulated pathway in the MPTP-treated mice. ST8Sia6, a key downregulated gene related to glycosphingolipid biosynthesis, was confirmed to be downregulated in nigral DANs from postmortem brains of patients with PD. Specific expression of ST8Sia6 in DANs exerts anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in MPTP-treated mice. Through cell type (microglia vs. astrocyte) and brain region (substantia nigra vs. caudate-putamen) comparisons, nigral microglia showed the most intense immune responses. Microglia and astrocytes in the substantia nigra showed similar levels of activation in interferon-related pathways and interferon gamma (IFNG) was identified as the top upstream regulator in both cell types. This work highlights that the glycosphingolipid metabolism pathway in the DAN is involved in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in an MPTP mouse model of PD and provides a new data source for elucidating the pathogenesis of PD. • Glycosphingolipid biosynthetic pathway is de-enriched in dopamine neurons in MPTP mice. • Gene changes of microglia and astrocytes overlap with pro-inflammatory pathways. • Nigral microglia play a major role in pro-inflammation marked by antiviral responses. • ST8Sia6 downregulation is validated in postmortem brains of Parkinson's patients. • Overexpression of ST8Sia6 in mice shows anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) is one of the hallmarks of Parkinson's disease (PD). Neuroinflammation has been proposed to contributes to the progressive nature of the disease. Early growth response-1 (Egr-1), a zinc finger transcription factor, has been shown to have a crucial role in both neuronal death and the inflammatory response. However, whether and how Egr-1 is involved in the pathogenesis of PD has not been investigated. Using the subacute 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse model of PD, we identified early peak induction of Egr-1 in the SNpc but not in the striatum. In situ immunofluorescent analysis showed that Egr-1 predominantly locates in the nuclei of nigral AldoC (+) astrocytes upon MPTP treatment. Genetic ablation of Egr-1 or inhibition of its transcriptional activity by Mithramycin A significantly suppresses the activation of both astrocytes and microglia, decreases proinflammatory cytokine expression, and protects dopaminergic cell bodies from degeneration in the SNpc. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the induction of Egr-1 promotes neuroinflammation and dopaminergic cell body loss in the SNpc of MPTP-induced mouse model, suggesting an important role of astrocytic Egr-1 in neuroinflammation in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P73 antisense RNA 1T (non-protein coding), known as TP73-AS1 or PDAM, is a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), which may regulate apoptosis by regulation of p53-dependent antiapoptotic genes. An abnormal change of TP73-AS1 expression was noticed in cancers. The effects of TP73-AS1 in brain glioma growth and the underlying mechanism remain unclear so far. In this study, the effect of TP73-AS1 in human brain glioma cell lines and clinical tumor samples was detected so as to reveal its role and function. In this study, TP73-AS1 was specifically upregulated in brain glioma cell lines and promoted glioma cell growth through targeting miR-124. TP73-AS1 knocking down suppressed human brain glioma cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis in vitro. The inhibitory effect of TP73-AS1 knocking down on glioma cell proliferation and invasion could partly be restored by miR-124 inhibition. In addition, miR-124-dependent inhibitor of apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53 ( iASPP) regulation was required in TP73-AS1-induced brain glioma cell growth. Data from this study revealed that TP73-AS1 inhibited the brain glioma growth and metastasis as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) through miR-124-dependent iASPP regulation. In conclusion, we regarded TP73-AS1 as an oncogenic lncRNA promoting brain glioma proliferation and metastasis and a potential target for human brain glioma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The [4+3] annulation reaction of crotonate-derived sulfur ylides with thioaurones has, for the first time, been reported using NaH as the base. A diverse array of 2,5-dihydrobenzo[4,5]thieno[3,2-b]oxepines is obtained in good to excellent yields. The proposed mechanism is investigated and supported by DFT calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monolayer MoB is one of MBenes with a structure similar to graphene. Through first-principles calculations, we have investigated the adsorption characteristics of monolayer MoB for CO, NO, SO, SO 2 gases. The results show that CO and NO tend to adsorb at the top of Mo, and SO and SO 2 tend to adsorb at the top of B. The adsorption energies of all gas molecules are negative, with the smallest adsorption energy for SO. All gas molecules are charge acceptors, with SO 2 /MoB having the largest charge transfer value of 0.977 eV. According to the transition state theory, the shortest recovery time for monolayer MoB adsorbed CO molecule. This means that the process of CO adsorption by monolayer MoB is reversible and monolayer MoB has the potential to be used as a CO gas detection sensor. At room temperature, it is almost impossible for monolayer MoB to recover its initial state after adsorption of NO, SO and SO 2. In addition, MoB has high sensitivity in detecting NO, SO and SO 2 due to its low adsorption energy for NO, SO and SO 2 , and has the potential to be a sensitive irreversible detection sensor for detecting NO, SO and SO 2. • It was found that monolayer MoB has a larger adsorption energy for NO, SO, SO 2 molecules. • MoB can be regenerated to its initial state after adsorption of CO molecules at room temperature. • It is almost impossible to regenerate MoB to its initial state after adsorption of NO, SO and SO 2 molecules at room temperature. • Monolayer MoB has potential as a highly sensitive gas sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As far as we know, an ultrasonic evaluation of mycobacterium infection nodules has not yet been reported. I Mycobacterium marinum i is a pathogenic mycobacterium found in skin and soft tissue infections and is associated with fish and bodies of water.1 I Mycobacterium marinum i infections can be divided into four types: a solitary papulonodular lesion, sporotrichoid form, deep infection, and disseminated infection. [Extracted from the article]

Background: The overall survival rate of ovarian cancer patients is still poor because of the difficulties encountered in detection, diagnosis and treatment. Here, we aim to systematically identify the genetic factors causing ovarian cancer and find the accurate diagnostic and therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer.Methods: We collected the known archived ovarian cancer-related genes from the databases used as the investigated targets and employed the minimum redundancy maximum relevance and random forest classification to identify the novel ovarian cancer-related genes in addition to the known ones. We further identified candidates as the markers for the detection of the ovarian cancer based on the gene expression data and then confirmed them by quantitative real-time PCR.Results: We found out the genetic terms to interpret the mechanism of ovarian cancer. Based on those terms, we predicted 860 novel related genes as candidates. These candidates can act as expression biomarkers for clinical detection and they achieved a 100% accuracy. We verified 10 of them as the optimal biomarkers for detection in the expression data.Conclusion: We employed the features of achieved ovarian cancer-related genes to identify 860 novel ovarian cancer genes. We further validated 10 genes as biomarkers for detection of ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultivating microalgae in post hydrothermal liquefaction wastewater (PHWW) offers many benefits, including nutrients recovery and reuse, wastewater purification and biomass production. However, the high nutrients concentration and toxic substances in PHWW undermine the efficiency of biomass production and nutrient recovery. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the microalgae strains, initial nutrients concentrations and inoculum sizes on biomass production and nutrient recovery using PHWW as the cultivation medium. Results indicated that both biomass production and nutrients recovery were successfully improved by using the screened microalgae strain at the desirable initial nutrient concentration with the suggested algae inoculum size. Chlorella vulgaris 1067 probably demonstrated the strongest tolerance ability among the five microalgae strains screened, and performed well in the diluted PHWW, of which initial TN concentration was approximately 500 mg/L. The desirable inoculum size was determined to be 0.103-0.135 g/L. The biomass daily productivity was increased by 15.67-fold (reached 0.13 g/(L‧d)). With the above optimal conditions, high biomass production and nutrient recovery from the PHWW to produce microalgae biomass for bioenergy production were achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It can be seen from the figure that the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy (MAE) of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe and Co adsorption by two-dimensional SnSe 2. The scale on the left means positive and the scale on the right means negative. Positive values represent the in-plane magnetic anisotropy (IMA), in red on the graph, and negative values represent the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), in blue on the graph. Case of V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co showed different IMA of 0.00131, 0.00051, 0.00545, 0.00026, 0.00841 mJ/m2, respectively. That means they're more easily magnetized in the X axis. Ti-adsorbed case showed a larger PMA value of −0.06408mJ/m2, which means it is easier to be magnetized on the Y axis. [Display omitted] • It was found that Ti adsorbed 2D SnSe2 has perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. • V, Cr, Mn, Fe and Co adsorbed 2D SnSe2 has in-plane anisotropy. • TM adsorbed 2D SnSe2 have prospective applications in spintronic devices. • Two-dimensional materials have attracted widespread interest in the field of spintronics. Two-dimensional materials have attracted widespread interest in the field of spintronics due to their unique electronic structure and properties. Monolayer SnSe 2 has been widely used in thermoelectric and optoelectronic applications, but its application for spintronics is limited by its inherent lack of magnetic properties. Tuning the electronic structure and magnetic properties of two-dimensional materials (TDMs) by introducing transition metal elements (TM) to be applicable in the field of spintronic devices is a common means of accomplishing this. The electronic structure and magnetic characteristics of 3d TM adsorbed with two-dimensional SnSe 2 are predicted by first-principles calculations. The value of the magnetic moments from 0.16 to 4.07 μB in the adsorption systems, reaching a maximum in the case of Mn atom adsorption. The case of Ti atom adsorption has the maximum value of MAE in [0 0 1] direction. These results have shown that TM adsorbed 2D SnSe 2 have prospective applications in spintronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The figure of merit of n-type monolayer BiSbS 3 increases with the increase of temperature, and does not show a downward trend in the temperature range studied in this paper. The maximum figure of merit of p-type monolayer BiSbS 3 is 0.78025, which is obtained at a temperature of 1100 K and carrier concentration of 1 × 1020 cm−3. The optimal figure of merit, which is procured from n-type monolayer BiSbS 3 within the range of carrier concentration interval considered in this paper, is about 1.27742 at 1500 K and 5 × 1019 cm−3, which is larger than the maximum figure of merit of p-type monolayer BiSbS 3. The optimal figure of merit of monolayer BiSbS 3 studied in this paper is higher than that of Bi 2 O 2 Se (ZT = 0.53 at 800 K) [87] , Bi 2 O 2 Te (ZT = 0.62 at 800 K) [87] , SnS (ZT = 1.0 at 750 K) and PdTe 2 (ZT = 0.91 at 700 K). [Display omitted] The electronic structure and thermoelectric properties of bulk to monolayer BiSbS 3 are studied by density functional theory and semi-classical Boltzmann transport equation. Meanwhile, it is clear that bulk and monolayer BiSbS 3 are semiconductors with indirect band gaps by using the TB-mBJ scheme, respectively. Further, it can be known that the phonon spectrum of thin film BiSbS 3 has no negative frequency, and it can be inferred further that thin film BiSbS 3 is stable. Monolayer BiSbS 3 studied in this paper has extremely low lattice thermal conductivity at room temperature, which is lower than that of single quintuple layer Bi 2 Te 3 , bulk Sb 2 Te 3 , single-QL Bi 2 Se 3 and Bi 2 Te 3 S at room temperature. The maximum figure of merit of p-type monolayer BiSbS 3 is obtained at a temperature of 1100 K and carrier concentration of 1 × 1020 cm−3. The optimal figure of merit, which is procured from n-type monolayer BiSbS 3 within the range of carrier concentration interval considered in this paper, is obtained at 1500 K and 5 × 1019 cm−3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/c-Jun pathway is a known critical regulator of dopaminergic neuronal death in Parkinson's disease (PD) and is considered a potential target for neuroprotective therapy. However, whether JNK is activated within dopaminergic neurons remains controversial, and whether JNK acts through downstream effectors other than c-Jun to promote dopaminergic neuronal death remains unclear. In this study, we confirm that JNK but not p38 is activated in dopaminergic neurons after 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-intoxication. Furthermore, within the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra in MPTP-treated mice, JNK2/3 phosphorylates threonine 69 (Thr69) of Activating transcription factor-2 (ATF2), a transcription factor of the ATF/CREB family, whereas the phosphorylation of Thr71 is constitutive and remains unchanged. The increased phosphorylation of ATF2 on Thr69 by JNK in the MPTP mouse model suggests a functional relationship between the transcriptional activation of ATF2 and dopaminergic neuron death. By using dopaminergic neuron-specific conditional ATF2 mutant mice, we found that either partial or complete deletion of the ATF2 DNA-binding domain in dopaminergic neurons markedly alleviates the MPTP-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration, indicating that the activation of ATF2 plays a detrimental role in neuropathogenesis in PD. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that JNK-mediated ATF2 activation contributes to dopaminergic neuronal death in an MPTP model of PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can lead to disability, dysfunction, and even death, is a prominent health problem worldwide. Effective therapy for this serious and debilitating condition is needed. Human umbilical cord matrix, known as Wharton's jelly (WJ), provides a natural, interface scaffold that is enriched in mesenchymal stem cells. In this study, we tested the efficacy of WJ tissue transplantation in a weight-drop model of TBI in rats. WJ tissue was cultured and transplanted into the injury site 24 h after TBI. The modified neurologic severity score, body weight, brain edema, and lesion volume were evaluated at various time points after TBI. Cognitive behavior was assessed by the novel object recognition test and the Morris water maze test. Expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the perilesional brain area was measured at day 14 after TBI. We found that WJ tissue transplantation lessened TBI-induced brain edema (day 3), reduced lesion volume (day 28), improved neurologic function (days 21-28), and promoted memory and cognitive recovery. Additionally, expression of BDNF mRNA and protein was higher in WJ tissue-treated rats than in sham-operated or vehicle-treated rats. These data suggest that WJ tissue transplantation can reduce TBI-induced brain injury and may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of TBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prechordal mesendoderm (PME) is a derivative of gastrula organizer underlying the anterior neural plate of vertebrate embryos. It has been firmly established that PME is critical for head induction and anterior–posterior patterning. Therefore, the establishment of PME in a desired shape and size at a correct position during early embryogenesis is crucial for normal head patterning. However, it remains largely unclear how the desired form and size of PME is generated at a predestined position during early embryogenesis. Here we show that in zebrafish a maternal transcription repressor Vsx1 is essential for this early developmental regulation. Knocking down maternal vsx1 resulted in impaired PME formation and progression associated with a deficient and posteriorized forebrain. Loss- and gain-of-function experiments showed that maternal Vsx1 is essential for repressing ntl ectopic expression in more animal region at early gastrula stages. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay in combination with core consensus sequence mutation analysis further revealed that maternal Vsx1 can directly repress ntl transcription by binding to the proximal promoter at a specific site. Simultaneous inhibition of ntl function could successfully suppress the defects of both PME and forebrain formation in maternal Vsx1 knockdown embryos. Our results reveal a pivotal role for maternal Vsx1 as a direct transcriptional repressor of ntl expression at the margin of the zebrafish gastrula to ensure directional cell polarization and migration of PME cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Multiple shell hollow CoFe2O4 spheres have been synthesized using carbon spheres as templates. The formation mechanism and properties have also been demonstrated. The preparation refers to the loading of nucleates into mesopores within solvothermal driven templates, and the creation of multiple shell hollow structure is finally achieved by annealing. The multiple shell hollow CoFe2O4 spheres have exhibited good textural and magnetic properties, which may provide a very promising candidate for their applications in target drug delivery. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copper dual disks are widely used in high-speed and heavy-load condition due to good thermal conductivity and stable friction coefficient. However, they are vulnerable to be damaged due to low hardness. In this study, a new kind of friction material was prepared by using polydopamine (PDA) modified boron nitride (BN) nanosheets to improve its tribological properties when paired with copper dual discs. The results showed improved shear strength, thermal conductivity and excellent wear resistant of the composites with the addition of PDA@BN. The wear rate of copper dual disc was maximally reduced by 55.68% from 2.03 × 10−7 to 0.90 × 10−7 cm3/J. Furthermore, adding PDA@BN could facilitate the formation of lubricating film, thereby reducing the adhesion of copper metal. • The resin-based friction materials were modified with PDA@BN nanosheets. • The shear strength and thermal conductivity of samples were significantly improved. • PDA@BN nanosheets participated in the formation of lubricating film. • PDA@BN nanosheets in friction material improved the adhesion wear of Cu dual disk. • The wear rate of friction material and Cu dual disc was significantly reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigated the effect of oxytetracycline (OTC) on the anti-oxidative defense system, the structure (hemolysis rate and morphology) and function (ATP enzyme activity) of human red blood cells (hRBCs) to investigate the possible toxic mechanism of OTC to hRBCs. The experimental results indicate that OTC can cause a decline in the function of the antioxidant defense system of hRBCs, resulting in oxidative stress. OTC can bring about morphological changes to hRBCs, and further leads to hemolysis, when the concentration of OTC is over 8×10−5 M (about 164 µg/ml). At a low OTC concentration, below 4×10−5 M (82 µg/ml), OTC can enhance the activity of ATP enzyme of hRBCs, known as hormesis. However, at a high concentration, above 4×10−5 M (about 82 µg/ml), the ATP enzymatic activity was inhibited, affecting the function of hRBCs. The estalished mechanism of toxicity of OTC to hRBCs can facilitate a deeper understanding of the toxicity of OTC in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The equilibrium geometries of c-H 2 C 3 O at B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ and HCCCHO and CH 2 CCO at MP2 /aug-cc-pVTZ theoretical level. The three C atoms of c-H 2 C 3 O form a ring, and the three C atoms of the other two isomers form a chain. The difference of structure of three isomers result in the significant difference of spectral properties. [Display omitted] • The relationship between structure and spectral properties of isomers are analyzed. • The ingredients of complex vibration modes of three isomers of C 3 H 2 O are discussed. • The geometries, energies and a series of spectral constants of isomers are predicted. The spectroscopic parameters and anharmonic force fields of three isomers (c-H 2 C 3 O, HCCCHO and CH 2 CCO) of C 3 H 2 O have been calculated by Density Functional Theory (B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP, wB97XD) and second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) combining with 6–311++G (3df, 3pd) and aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets. The equilibrium geometries, energies, rotational constants, harmonic and fundamental frequencies, and centrifugal distortion constants of three isomers of C 3 H 2 O are calculated and compared with the existed results. The anharmonic constants, vibration–rotation interaction constants, Coriolis coupling constants and force constants of three isomers of C 3 H 2 O are firstly predicted. The ingredients of complex vibration modes, and infrared spectral characteristics of three isomers as well as the relationship between structure and spectroscopic properties are detailedly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • p62 of nigral neurons translocates to the nuclei in MPTP-treated mice. • Nuclear translocation of p62 is mediated by GSK-3 in the MPTP model. • Knockout of p62 increased the susceptibility of dopamine neurons to MPTP toxicity. p62/SQSTM1 is a multifunctional, cytoplasmic protein with fundamental roles in autophagy and antioxidant responses. Here we showed that p62 translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in nigral dopaminergic neurons in a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyrid (MPTP)-induced mouse model of Parkinson's disease (PD). We found that p62 was physically associated with glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β, a serine/threonine protein kinase implicated in dopaminergic neurodegeneration in PD, and that MPTP treatment promoted dissociation of the complex in mice. Conditional knockout of GSK-3 prevented nuclear translocation of p62, suggesting that this translocation was detrimental to dopaminergic neurons. p62 knockout mice were used to investigate the role of p62 in MPTP-induced neuronal death. Knockout of p62 aggravated neuronal injury induced by MPTP intoxication, suggesting that p62 plays an important role in dopaminergic cell survival in stress conditions. Together, our data demonstrate that GSK-3 mediates nuclear translocation of p62 during MPTP-induced parkinsonian neurodegeneration. These findings shed new light on the role of the cytoplasmic-nuclear shuttling of p62 and the mechanism underlying GSK-3-depedent neuronal death in PD pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 97.4% of SD was removed by two-stage US-ZVI/PS system within 15 min. • Ultrasonic time was reduced to 7 min by applying intermittent operation of US. • ZVI usage was reduced by 35% compared to traditional US-ZVI/PS system. • Energy consumption was saved by 74.2% compared to traditional US-ZVI/PS system. • 68.3–98.5% of energy consumption was saved compared to O 3 , UV/pre-Fe0/PS and UV-C/PS. The existence of sulfonamides (SAs) in water bodies leads to a series of human health problems and environmental risks. Ultrasound (US) enhanced zero-valent iron catalyzed persulfate (ZVI/PS) process is a potential approach to eliminate SAs. However, high energy consumption and large ZVI usage limited its application. In this study, a novel two-stage US-ZVI/PS process was first proposed, which reduced 35% of ZVI usage and saved 74.2% of energy consumption compared with traditional US-ZVI/PS process. The effect of introduction time and operation mode of US on sulfadiazine (SD, 20 mg L−1) degradation was first investigated. The intermittent operation method of US (60 s on/60 s off) could help controlling the releasing of Fe2+ in a reasonable range (0.37–0.56 mg L−1), which was the key reason for the high SD degradation efficiency. SO 4 −, OH were confirmed as the key radicals for SD removal, and four degradation pathways were proposed. The initial pH of 5.0–7.0, the initial ZVI and PS doses of 0.6 mM and 1.4 mM were determined as the optimal conditions for high SD removal efficiency. Compared to other SD removal processes (traditional US/ZVI/PS, ozonation and UV-based process), two-stage US-ZVI/PS saved 68.3–98.5% energy consumption and enhanced 0.7–14.0 times degradation rate. Therefore, two-stage US-ZVI/PS system is promising and cost-effective for the removal of SD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose a cascade network framework for liver DCE-MRI registration to deal with joint enhancement and shape variability. • The enhancement field in DCE-MRI is extracted by means of the DL-based method. • Compared with the traditional registration method, our method shows comparable performance with much better efficiency. Registration of hepatic dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance images (DCE-MRIs) is an important task for evaluation of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or radiofrequency ablation by quantifying enhancing viable residue tumor against necrosis. However, intensity changes due to contrast agents combined with spatial deformations render technical challenges for accurate registration of DCE-MRI, and traditional deformable registration methods using mutual information are often computationally intensive in order to tolerate such intensity enhancement and shape deformation variability. To address this problem, we propose a cascade network framework composed of a de-enhancement network (DE-Net) and a registration network (Reg-Net) to first remove contrast enhancement effects and then register the liver images in different phases. In experiments, we used DCE-MRI series of 97 patients from Renji Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University and registered the arterial phase and the portal venous phase images onto the pre-contrast phases. The performance of the cascade network framework was compared with that of the traditional registration method SyN in the ANTs toolkit and Reg-Net without DE-Net. The results showed that the proposed method achieved comparable registration performance with SyN but significantly improved the efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastic (MP) pollution in soil has been becoming an emerging environmental hot spot, but little is known about the interaction between MPs and chemical contaminants in soil. In this study, batch experiments were performed to study adsorption-desorption behavior and mechanism of triclosan (TCS) on MPs, polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS), and soil particles. PE showed the highest adsorption rate (29.3 mg μg−1 h−1) and equilibrium capacity (1248 μg g−1), while the similar profiles between PS (0.27 mg μg−1 h−1 and 1033 μg g−1, respectively) and soil (0.60 mg μg−1 h−1 and 961 μg g−1, respectively). Two adsorption stages, representing liquid-film and intra-particle diffusion were observed obviously for PE. Adsorption isotherm results revealed that the interaction between MPs and TCS was relatively weak. The sorption potential of soil was lower than that of MPs especially at high concentrations. PE addition induced TCS sorption increase in soil, while PS had no significant (P > 0.05) influence. For MP-soil systems, TCS preferred to adsorb on MPs, which was more pronounced for PE than PS. The desorption rate of TCS was the highest for soil, followed by PE and PS, while equilibrium release amount ranked: PE > PS > soil. Moreover, soil solution better facilitated the desorption, with the amount increasing by 38% for PE compared with 0.01 M CaCl 2 solution. Therefore, MPs, especially PE with high adsorption and desorption potentials may serve as a source and carrier to TCS, and its amendment can change TCS environmental behavior and further risk in soil. Image 1 • MPs exhibited different adsorption-desorption behavior toward triclosan from soil. • PE had the higher adsorption rate and capacity than PS and soil. • Triclosan preferred to adsorb on MPs, especially PE in MP-soil systems. • Pre-adsorbed triclosan was more easily released from PE than PS and soil. • Soil solution facilitated triclosan desorption, significantly from PE. MPs and soil particles showed different adsorption-desorption behaviors towards TCS, thereby MPs input into soil may change TCS mobility and bioavailability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exploration for the four possible isomers of sulfur trioxide (SO 3) has led to the analysis of spectroscopic constants and anharmonic force fields for cis-OSOO, trans-OSOO, OS(=O) O and SOOO. Quantum chemical calculations are performed with Density Functional Theory (DFT) by employing B3LYP, B3P86 and B3PW91 three different functionals, in combination with Dunning's correlation-consistent cc-pVnZ, aug-cc-pVnZ (n = T, Q) basis sets. The equilibrium geometries, energies, force constants, a series of spectroscopic constants of these four isomers of SO 3 are calculated. The relationship between their structures and spectroscopic properties are analyzed in detail. The present results well reproduce the previous corresponding theoretical or experimental values. Therefore, we hope that our predictions on the isomers of SO 3 can provide the useful reference to further study their spectroscopic properties. Unlabelled Image • All four isomers of SO 3 have stable structures and their energies closely related to their structures. • The equilibrium geometries, energies and a series of spectroscopic constants for four isomers of SO 3 are predicted. • The relationship between the structures of four isomers of SO 3 and spectroscopic properties are analyzed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered materials are generally considered to be good candidates for thermoelectric materials, and the monolayer ZrNCl and HfNCl obtained from layered material ZrNCl and HfNCl should have lower lattice thermal conductivity. Here the electronic structure and thermoelectric properties of monolayer ZrNCl and HfNCl are studied by the first principles and the semi-classical Boltzmann theory. It is found that the DOS of HfNCl is larger than that of ZrNCl near Fermi surface, which shows that Seebeck coefficient of HfNCl are also larger than that of ZrNCl. The high frequency of the acoustic branch of HfNCl is relatively low, therefore, the lattice thermal conductivity of HfNCl is lower. The electrical conductivity of HfNCl is larger than that of ZrNCl. Therefore, HfNCl have good thermoelectric transport performance and high thermoelectric optimal value. ZT as a function of temperature for monolayer ZrNCl (Left) and monolayer HfNCl (Right). The Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity of HfNCl is larger than that of ZrNCl, nevertheless the lattice thermal conductivity of HfNCl is smaller than that of ZrNCl. Therefore, HfNCl have good thermoelectric transport performance and high thermoelectric optimal value. Image 1 • Seebeck coefficient of HfNCl are also larger than that of ZrNCl. • High frequency of acoustic branch of HfNCl causes lower lattice thermal conductivity. • The electrical conductivity of HfNCl is larger than that of ZrNCl. • HfNCl have good thermoelectric transport performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is characterized by impairment of cognitive functions, is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that mainly affects the elderly. Currently available anti-AD drugs can only offer limited symptom-relieving effects. "One-compound-Multitargeted Strategy" have been recognized as the promising way to win the war against AD. Herein we report a potential anti-AD agent PT109 with multi-functions. First, an 81-kinase screening was carried out and results showed that PT109 potently inhibited c-Jun N-terminal kinases and Serum and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1, which are the important signaling molecules involved in neurogenesis, neuroprotection and neuroinflammation and mildly inhibit glycogen synthase kinase-3β as well as protein kinase C gamma, both are involved in AD pathological processes. In addition, in vitro studies of immunofluorescent staining and Western blot showed that PT109 might promote the neurogenesis of C17.2 cells and induce synaptogenesis in primary cultured rat hippocampal neurons. We detected and confirmed the neuroprotective effect of PT109 in cultured HT22 cells by MTT assay, dehydrogenase assay, glutathione assay and reactive oxygen species assay. Furthermore, the results of Western blot, ELISA assay and immunofluorescent staining indicated that PT109 attenuated lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in BV2 cells and primary astrocytes. The results of Morris water maze and Step-through test indicated that PT109 improved the spatial learning ability in APP/PS1 mice. More importantly, the in vivo pharmacokinetic parameters indicated that PT109 had better medicinal properties. Taken together, our findings suggest that PT109 may be a promising candidate for treating AD through multiple targets although further studies are ought to be conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influence of isotope effect on vibration frequency and rotation constant of H 2 PO at CAM-B3LYP/QZ level. • Spectroscopic constants and anharmonic force fields of H 2 PO and D 2 PO free radicals are predicted. • CAM-B3LYP/cc-pVQZ level theoretical levels are reasonable to H 2 PO and D 2 PO free radicals. • Influence of isotope effect on spectroscopic constants and anharmonic force fields of H 2 PO are studied. This work presents a systematic theoretical study on the calculation of the spectroscopic constants of H 2 PO and D 2 PO free radicals, computed with Density Functional Theory (DFT). Different functionals of B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP-D3(BJ), B3LYP-D3(BJ), and wB97XD are employed and discussed in details. Our results of CAM-B3LYP/ cc-pVQZ are in nice agreement with the experiment. The remarkable isotope effect is addressed and discussed. The nice results demonstrate that our predicted values of anharmonic constants and vibrational frequencies, centrifugal distortion constants, vibration-rotation interaction constants, and unknown anharmonic force field of H 2 PO and D 2 PO free radicals are accurate enough to provide a theoretical support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MS-275 has been demonstrated to inhibit the growth of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells in our previous study, but its role in ESCC remains to be further explored. Cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II, DDP) is the first-line chemotherapeutic drug widely used in clinic for ESCC patients. However, the side effects of nephrotoxicity and drug resistance limit its clinical use. This study aimed to evaluate the anticancer effects of MS-275 combined with DDP on ESCC cell line EC9706 both in vitro and in vivo , and to investigate the possible mechanisms that mediate these effects. We found that MS-275 combined with DDP showed synergistic antitumor effects on EC9706 cells in vitro by decreasing cell proliferation, increasing apoptosis and oxidative damage, and inhibiting migration and stemness. The combination of MS-275 and DDP triggered pro-survival autophagy in EC9706. Moreover, MS-275 combined with DDP suppressed EC9706 xenografts growth and promoted apoptosis in vivo. Further study displayed that MS-275 combined with DDP suppressed Wnt/β-catenin signaling in EC9706 cells and xenografts. These results indicate that MS-275 combined with DDP exerts synergistic antitumor effects by enhancing the chemosensitivity of EC9706 cells to DDP, which may be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of patients with ESCC. • MS-275 combined with DDP significantly inhibits the survival of EC9706 cells in vitro and in vivo. • The combination of MS-275 and DDP triggers pro-survival autophagy in EC9706 cells. • MS-275 combined with DDP suppresses Wnt/β-catenin signaling in EC9706 cells and xenografts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The edge of phonon spectrum, that is, the highest optical frequency is only 170 cm−1, which will cause the large optical mode scattering. The strong coupling of acoustic and optical modes will enhance phonon scattering. Phonon optical modes contribute little to thermal conductivity. The lattice thermal conductivity of monolayer Sb 2 Te 2 Se is very low, only 0.46 W/mK at 300 K, it's less than 0.85W/mK of TlBiSe 2. The lattice thermal conductivity of monolayer Sb 2 Te 2 Se is less than 0.06 W/mK at 1000 K. The lattice thermal conductivity of monolayer Sb 2 Te 2 Se is much lower. The reasons for the low thermal conductivity of monolayer Sb 2 Te 2 Se are as follows. First of all, monolayer Bi 2 Te 2 Se contains heavy elements. Secondly, the small band gap between acoustic and optical branches causes the large phonon scattering rate is and the small average free path is, which will produce small K l. • The seebeck coefficient is the highest at 300 K. • The lattice thermal conductivity is much lower than other thermoelectric materials. • The heavy elements and small band gap cause the low thermal conductivity. • The strong coupling of acoustic and optical modes causes lower lattice thermal conductivity. • For the better n-type, Z e T reaches 1.5 at a temperature of 1000 K. The electronic structure and thermoelectric properties of monolayer Sb 2 Te 2 Se are studied by density functional theory and semi-classical Boltzmann transport equation. The Seebeck coefficient for monolayer Sb 2 Te 2 Se is very high, comparing with other thermoelectric materials. The strong coupling of acoustic and optical modes enhanced phonon scattering, which will cause lower lattice thermal conductivity. The heavy elements and small band gap cause the low thermal conductivity of monolayer Sb 2 Te 2 Se, so the lattice thermal conductivity of monolayer Sb 2 Te 2 Se is much lower than other thermoelectric materials. The optimal value Z e T of monolayer Sb 2 Te 2 Se is so high, mainly due to the very low lattice thermal conductivity. For the better n-type, Z e T reaches 1.5 at a temperature of 1000 K, which proves that monolayer Sb 2 Te 2 Se is a good choice for thermoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence has confirmed the involvement of the homeobox (HOX) gene family in carcinogenesis. HOXC11, belongs to the homeobox-C (HOXC) gene cluster, has been reported to play important roles in the development of several cancers. However, its expression and clinical value in pan-cancer remain elusive. Bioinformatics analysis, CCK-8 assay, Flow cytometry and Western blot were used to analyze gene expression and patient survival, cell proliferation, cell apoptosis and protein level, respectively. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the expression profile and prognostic value of HOXC11 in human pan-cancer using online The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. HOXC11 was widely up-regulated in tumor tissues when compared with the normal tissues in pan-cancer across nine cancer types. In addition, high mRNA level of HOXC11 predicted poor overall survival (OS) of patients with adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), colon adenocarcinoma (COAD), kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), mesothelioma (MESO) and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD), respectively. By comparative analysis, we found that HOXC11 was up-regulated and closely correlated patient OS in COAD and KIRC. Functionally, down-regulation of HOXC11 inhibited cell proliferation but promoted apoptosis of COAD and KIRC in vitro. Mechanistically, HOXC11 promoted cell proliferation of COAD and KIRC might by inactivating the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) signaling pathway. Our findings suggest that HOXC11 may act as a tumor driving gene in COAD and KIRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroinflammation plays important roles in the pathogenesis and development of neurodegenerative disorders. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces neuroinflammation and causes neurotoxicity, which results in cell damage or memory impairment in different cells and animals. In the present study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of MG53, a member of the TRIM family proteins, against LPS-induced neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. MG53 significantly protected HT22 cells against LPS-induced cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest by inhibiting TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β expression. In addition, MG53 ameliorated LPS-induced memory impairment and neuronal cell death in mice. Interestingly, MG53 significantly promoted newborn cell survival, improved neurogenesis, and mitigated neuroinflammation evidenced by lower production of IL-1β and IL-6, less activation of microglia in the hippocampus of LPS treated mice. Further studies demonstrated that MG53 significantly inhibited TLR4 expression and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) phosphorylation in LPS treated HT22 cells and mice. Taken together, our results suggested that MG53 attenuated LPS-induced neurotoxicity and neuroinflammation partly by inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB pathway in vitro and in vivo. • MG53 protects HT22 cells against LPS-induced cell apoptosis and neuroinflammation. • MG53 ameliorates LPS-induced memory impairment and promotes neurogenesis in mice. • MG53 attenuates LPS-induced neurotoxicity and neuroinflammation via inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB pathway in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common neurotrauma leading to brain dysfunction and death. Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) hold promise in the treatment of TBI. However, their efficacy is modest due to low survival and differentiation under the harsh microenvironment of the injured brain. MG53, a member of TRIM family protein, plays a vital role in cell and tissue damage repair. The present study aims to test whether MG53 preserves hUC-MSCs against oxidative stress and enhances stem cell survival and efficacy in TBI treatment. Methods: In this study, we performed a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments in hUC-MSCs and mice to define the function of MG53 enhancing survival, neurogenesis, and therapeutic efficacy of stem cells in murine traumatic brain injury. Results: We found that recombinant human MG53 (rhMG53) protein protected hUC-MSCs against H2O2-induced oxidative damage and stimulated hUC-MSC proliferation and migration. In a mouse model of contusion-induced TBI, intravenous administration of MG53 protein preserved the survival of transplanted hUC-MSCs, mitigated brain edema, reduced neurological deficits, and relieved anxiety and depressive-like behaviors. Co-treatment of MG53 and hUC-MSCs enhanced neurogenesis by reducing apoptosis and improving PI3K/Akt-GSK3β signaling. Conclusion: MG53 enhances the efficacy of hUC-MSCs in the recovery of TBI, indicating that such adjunctive therapy may provide a novel strategy to lessen damage and optimize recovery for brain injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lower Cretaceous Yingcheng Formation in the southern Songliao Basin contains inorganic CO 2 , hydrocarbon, and mixed-gas reservoirs and is overlain by Denglouku Formation sandstone hosting secondary hydrocarbon gas reservoirs. We measured the diffusion coefficients of CH 4 and CO 2 in volcanic rock samples collected from five wells in the Yingcheng Formation. Our results show that the diffusion coefficient of CH 4 is greater than that of CO 2. Following the accumulation of hydrocarbon gas in the Yingcheng Formation, the region was affected by movement along deep-seated faults, resulting in the upward migration of mantle-derived inorganic CO 2 into hydrocarbon gas reservoirs in volcanic rocks of the Yingcheng Formation, displacing pre-existing hydrocarbon gas. The hydrocarbon gas was transported upward into Denglouku Formation sandstone (which has favorable physical properties for gas storage) and was then enriched to form secondary gas reservoirs. • Diffusion coefficients of CH 4 and CO 2 gas indicates that CO 2 can displace CH 4 in volcanic reservoirs. • The primary and secondary pores enhance the adsorption of CH 4 and CO 2 , which can greatly reducing CH 4 and CO 2 diffusivities. • The upwelling of mantle-derived CO 2 along deep faults was the primary controlling factor of gas reservoirs formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic structure and thermoelectric properties of monolayer Bi 2 Te 2 Se were studied by density functional theory and semi-classical Boltzmann transport equation. The band gap with TB-mBJ can be improved for monolayer Bi 2 Te 2 Se. Monolayer Bi 2 Te 2 Se have ultra-low thermal conductivity comparing with other well-known two-dimensional materials. The monolayer Bi 2 Te 2 Se can improve electrical conductivities. ZT increases with increasing temperature for monolayer Bi 2 Te 2 Se. Comparing to GGA, TB-mBJ has larger ZT value in p-type doping. Monolayer Bi 2 Te 2 Se have larger ZT comparing with other well-known two-dimensional materials. Our calculated results show that our calculation greatly underestimates ZT value, therefore, monolayer Bi 2 Te 2 Se should have a higher ZT value. • Monolayer Bi 2 Te 2 Se have ultra-low thermal conductivity. • The monolayer Bi 2 Te 2 Se can improve electrical conductivities. • TB-mBJ can't reduce the electronic thermal conductivity. • Comparing to GGA, TB-mBJ has larger ZT value in p-type doping. • Monolayer Bi 2 Te 2 Se have larger ZT comparing with other well-known two-dimensional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis is characterized as exceed inflammation response and multiple organs dysfunction. Many articles suggested that mesenchymal stem cells can alleviate the inflammation and improve the survival rate of inflammatory animal models, however, the mechanism is still unclear. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that rat adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) produce a amount of soluble tumour necrosis factor receptor 1 (sTNFR1), which ameliorated liver injury and inflammation and increased the survival rate of septic rat model.120 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: sham-operated (Sham), sepsis-induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), shNC (injected 1 × 106 ADMSCs with transfected with scramble shRNA 1 h after CLP), and shsTNFR1 (injected 1 × 106 ADMSCs with transfected with sTNFR1 1 h after CLP). The serum sTNFR1 levels were the lowest in Sham and highest in shNC group. ADMSCs could decrease the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6, AP-1 c-jun and NF-κB p56 after CLP administration, whereas this result was weaken by shsTNFR1 administration. Moreover, shNC had an increased levels of the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 compared with CLP, and this change could be weakened in shsTNFR1 administration. More importantly, ADMSCs could improve the survival rate of CLP-induced septic rats. Therapeutically administered ADMSCs secrete sTNFR1, which alleviated the liver injury and inflammatory response. Additionally, ADMSCs also ameliorated the systematic inflammation and increased the survival rate of septic rats. • ADMSCs could produce numerous sTNFR1 under inflammatory stimulation. • ADMSCs transplanted into the injury organ, liver. • ADMSCs could alleviate the liver injury and inflammation via secreting sTNFR1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid wireless mesh networks are more suitable to tunnels in underground mines because mesh clients can perform the routing functionality and provide end-user applications. Types of data transmitted among hybrid wireless mesh networks in underground mines are diverse and power supply of clients is limited. Using virtual potential field, a routing algorithm is proposed to support data-differentiated service in hybrid wireless mesh networks. Based on network parameters, the hybrid wireless mesh networks are abstracted as potential fields. The hop count is used to build the depth potential field. The residual energy of nodes is converted into penalty factor to symbolize the used buffer spaces of nodes, which is used to construct resource potential field to support different types of data. According to the different demands of data transmission, the proportion of these two potential fields is adjusted by a regulatory factor to form a hybrid potential field. The data packets are driven to move toward the gateway in the hybrid potential field at the same time to achieve high quality of service. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed routing algorithm has shown better performance on end-to-end delay, delivery ratio, and network lifetime, compared with similar algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid wireless mesh networks are suitable for complex environment communication in coal mine. Mesh clients with application service and routing function in hybrid wireless mesh networks can form a highly robust hybrid network with mesh routers. The processes of nutrient flux transfer and path choice in Physarum network are similar to data transmission and routing selection in hybrid wireless mesh networks. In this article, we use Physarum-inspired autonomic optimization model to design a Physarum-inspired multi-parameter adaptive routing protocol to improve the service quality of coal mine hybrid wireless mesh networks. Physarum-inspired multi-parameter adaptive routing protocol has achieved distributed routing decision by drawing the hybrid wireless mesh network parameters into Poisson’s equation of Physarum-inspired autonomic optimization model to measure the quality of link and implements two adjustment strategies to make the protocol more adaptive. The resource-dependent adjustment, which considers the irreversible energy consumption and recoverable buffer occupation, makes the energy consumption problem prominent when there is a lack of energy. The position-dependent adjustment makes routing decision efficient according to the load of different positions, which is caused by many-to-one data transmission model in coal mine. Based on NS2, simulation experiments are performed to evaluate the performance of Physarum-inspired multi-parameter adaptive routing protocol, and the results are compared with those of ad hoc on-demand distance vector, HOPNET, ANT-DSR, and Physarum-inspired routing protocols. The experimental results show that the route path selected by Physarum-inspired multi-parameter adaptive routing protocol is better than those selected by the other four protocols in the performance of average end-to-end delay and delivery ratio. The balance of energy consumption and network load is achieved and the network lifetime is effectively prolonged when using Physarum-inspired multi-parameter adaptive routing protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesh clients in hybrid wireless mesh networks can perform the routing functionality, as well as provide end-user applications that are more suitable for tunnels, to improve the connectivity of backbone networks. In this article, based on the diversity of data and limited power supply of mesh clients in hybrid wireless mesh networks in underground mines, we propose a multi-criteria routing metric to support data-differentiated service. This routing metric divides data into two types: urgent and non-urgent. End-to-end delay is calculated when transmitting urgent data, and hop count and link load are measured when transmitting non-urgent data. In order to optimize the utilization of mesh clients and to prolong the network lifetime, mesh clients and mesh routers are given different weights in the calculation of hop count. Based on the QualNet7.1 simulation platform, the performance of the proposed routing metric in transmitting urgent and non-urgent data is evaluated through numerous simulations. Simulation results indicate that the routes selected using the proposed routing metric can effectively reduce the average end-to-end delay when transmitting urgent data and reduce the utilization rate of mesh clients while simultaneously guaranteeing the capability of the network when transmitting non-urgent data. This finding satisfies the differentiated service requirements of data of different types for hybrid wireless mesh networks in coal mines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy is an extremely critical resource for battery-powered wireless sensor networks. Since data transmission typically consumes more energy than any other activities on a sensor node, it is of great importance to design energy optimized routing algorithm to achieve both energy efficiency and energy balance together, in order to prolong the network lifetime. In this paper, with the help of the concept of potential field in physics, we design a distributed energy optimized routing by constructing a hybrid potential field. The goal of this basic approach is to force packets to move toward the sink at the same time to achieve energy balance among neighbors. We adopt the social welfare function from social sciences to predict equality of residual energy of neighbors after selecting different next nodes, which is used to compute the potential value in energy balance potential field. Simulation results show that the algorithm effectively extends the network lifetime, has good performance on energy balance of sensors, and decreases the average hop of data transmission with the increase of the number of sinks, compared with similar algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]