Search

The AA5052 aluminum alloy is widely used in automobile and aerospace manufacturing, and with the development of light-weight alloys, it is required that these materials exhibit better mechanical properties. Previous studies have demonstrated that the addition of Sc to aluminum alloys can improve both the microstructure and properties of the alloys. In this study, the effect of Sc on the Fe-rich phase and properties of the AA5052 aluminum alloy was studied by adding 0%, 0.05%, 0.2%, and 0.3% Sc. The results show that with the increase of Sc, the coarse needle-like Fe-rich phase gradually transforms into Chinese-script and then nearly spherical particles, reduce the size of Fe-rich phase, and refine the grain with increase of high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs). These microstructure changes enhance the strength of the AA5052 alloy through Sc addition. The ductility of the alloy is obviously improved because the addition of a lower amount of Sc changes the morphology of Fe-rich phase from needle-like into a Chinese-script, and it is subsequently reduced as a result of significant increase in HAGBs with increasing Sc content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To measure the changes of macular microcirculation in cases with unilateral acute primary angle closure (APAC) who were managed by phacoemulsification. Methods: Patients with unilateral APAC and managed by phacoemulsification were enrolled. The contralateral unaffected eyes were served as fellow group, and normal individuals were recruited as control group. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) was performed to analyze the macular whole image vessel density (wiVD) and parafoveal vessel density (pfVD). The retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) thicknesses were assessed using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Results: A total of 36 APAC patients and 35 eyes from 35 normal individuals were recruited. In the APAC eyes, the mean wiVD (42.1% ± 3.7%) and pfVD (45.2% ± 3.8%) in the superficial layers (wiVD-SL and pfVD-SL) were both significantly reduced, compared to fellow eyes (45.7% ± 3.1%, 48.7% ± 3.1%) and control eyes (44.4% ± 4.7%, 47.4% ± 5.1%) (P < 0.05). They were all statistically correlated with RNFL, GCC, visual field pattern standard deviation (PSD), and mean deviation (MD). Conclusion: The macular OCT-A parameters including wiVD-SL and pfVD-SL were significantly reduced in the eyes with APAC compared to the fellow unaffected eyes and normal control eyes. They were correlated well with RNFL, GCC, PSD and MD. The macular vessel density parameters may help monitor the progression of APAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Obtaining tumour-free margins is critical for avoiding re-excision and reducing local recurrence following breast-conserving surgery; however, it remains challenging. Imaging-guided surgery provides precise detection of residual lesions and assists surgical resection. Herein, we described water-soluble melanin nanoparticles (MNPs) conjugated with cyclic Arg-Gly-Asp (cRGD) peptides for breast cancer photoacoustic imaging (PAI) and surgical navigation. Methods: The cRGD-MNPs were synthesised and characterized for morphology, photoacoustic characteristics and stability. Tumour targeting and toxicity of cRGD-MNPs were determined by using either breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231 tumour-bearing mice or the FVB/N-Tg (MMTV-PyVT) 634Mul/J mice model. PAI was used to locate the tumour and guide surgical resection in MDA-MB-231 tumour-bearing mice. Results: The cRGD-MNPs exhibited excellent in vitro and in vivo tumour targeting with low toxicity. Intravenous administration of cRGD-MNPs to MDA-MB-231 tumour-bearing mice showed an approximately 2.1-fold enhancement in photoacoustic (PA) intensity at 2 h, and the ratio of the PA intensity at the tumour site to that in the surrounding normal tissue was 3.2 ± 0.1, which was higher than that using MNPs (1.7 ± 0.3). Similarly, the PA signal in the spontaneous breast cancer increased ~ 2.5-fold at 2 h post-injection of cRGD-MNPs in MMTV-PyVT transgenic mice. Preoperative PAI assessed tumour volume and offered three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction images for accurate surgical planning. Surgical resection following real-time PAI showed high consistency with histopathological analysis. Conclusion: These results highlight that cRGD-MNP-mediated PAI provide a powerful tool for breast cancer imaging and precise tumour resection. cRGD-MNPs with fine PA properties have great potential for clinical translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many functional activities of endometrium epithelium are energy consuming which are very important for maintaining intrauterine environment needed by early embryonic development and establishment of implantation window. Glucose is a main energy supplier and one of the main components of intrauterine fluid. Obviously, glucose transports in endometrium epithelium involve in for these activities but their functions have not been elucidated. In this research, we observed a spatiotemporal pattern of sodium glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1) expression in the mouse endometrium. We also determined that progesterone can promote the expression of SGLT1 in the mouse endometrial epithelium in response to the action of oestrogen. Treatment with the SGLT1 inhibitor phlorizin or small interfering RNA specific for SGLT1 (SGLT1-siRNA) altered glucose uptake in primary cultured endometrial epithelial cells, which exhibited reduced ATP levels and AMPK activation. The injection of phlorizin or SGLT1-siRNA into one uterine horn of each mouse on day 2 of pregnancy led to an increased glucose concentration in the uterine fluid and decreased number of harvested normal blastocysts and decreased expression of integrin αVβ3 in endometrial epithelium and increased expression of mucin 1 and lactoferrin in endometrial epithelium and the uterine homogenates exhibited activated AMPK, a decreased ATP level on day 4, and a decreased number of implantation sites on day 5. In embryo transfer experiments, pre-treatment of the uterine horn with phlorizin or SGLT1-siRNA during the implantation window led to a decreased embryo implantation rate on day 5 of pregnancy, even when embryos from normal donor mice were used. In conclusion, SGLT1, which participates in glucose transport in the mouse endometrial epithelium, inhibition and/or reduced expression of SGLT1 affects early embryo development by altering the glucose concentration in the uterine fluid. Inhibition and/or reduced expression of SGLT1 also affects embryo implantation by influencing energy metabolism in epithelial cells, which consequently influences implantation-related functional activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although inhibitors targeting CDK4/6 kinases (CDK4/6i) have shown promising clinical prospect in treating ER+/HER2- breast cancers, acquired drug resistance is frequently observed and mechanistic knowledge is needed to harness their full clinical potential. Here, we report that inhibition of CDK4/6 promotes βTrCP1-mediated ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of RB1, and facilitates SP1-mediated CDK6 transcriptional activation. Intriguingly, suppression of CK1ε not only efficiently prevents RB1 from degradation, but also prevents CDK4/6i-induced CDK6 upregulation by modulating SP1 protein stability, thereby enhancing CDK4/6i efficacy and overcoming resistance to CDK4/6i in vitro. Using xenograft and PDX models, we further demonstrate that combined inhibition of CK1ε and CDK4/6 results in marked suppression of tumor growth in vivo. Altogether, these results uncover the molecular mechanisms by which CDK4/6i treatment alters RB1 and CDK6 protein abundance, thereby driving the acquisition of CDK4/6i resistance. Importantly, we identify CK1ε as an effective target for potentiating the therapeutic efficacy of CDK4/6 inhibitors. Acquisition of CDK4/6i resistance represents a major clinical challenge. Here, the authors report that inhibition of CK1ε can prevent acquisition of CDK4/6i resistance, potentiating the therapeutic efficacy of CDK4/6i in human breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel metal–organic compounds have been prepared via altering metal ions under the hydrothermal conditions, i.e. [Zn(HL)(4,4′-bipy)(H2O)2]n (1) and [Cd(HL)(4,4′-bipy)]n (2) (4,4′-bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine and H3L = 5-(4-carboxyphenoxy)-isophthalic acid). Moreover, the luminescent performances and stabilities of the two compounds were also investigated. For the prevention and treatment evaluation of compounds 1 and 2 in this present research, serious of biological experiments were performed in this study. Firstly, the non-invasive blood pressure monitoring was used for blood pressure determination. In addition to this, the real time RT-PCR assay was conducted in this study for the assessment of the α receptor expression on the vascular endothelial cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the changes and evaluate the diagnosis value of circumpapillary vessel density (VD) in cases of acute primary angle closure (APAC). Design: Case–control study. Methods: APAC patients with a history of unilateral acute attack were enrolled. The eyes with acute episode constituted the case group while the contralateral eyes without attack consisted of the control group. Ophthalmic examinations including slit-lamp examination, best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure and visual field were carried out. Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) were measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, while VD was assessed by optical coherence tomography angiography. Results: The whole en face image vessel density (wiVD), circumpapillary vessel density (cpVD) and inside disk VD for both all vessels and capillary were all significantly lower in the APAC eyes compared to the fellow eyes (P < 0.01 for all). In APAC eyes, the wiVD, inside disk VD and cpVD both for all vessels and capillary were all positively correlated with RNFL and GCC thicknesses but negatively correlated with the mean deviation (MD), pattern standard deviation (PSD) and the duration of acute attack (all P < 0.01). From the ROC curve, the cpVDcap, wiVDcap, cpVDall and wiVDall all showed comparable diagnostic ability with RNFL, GCC and MD to differentiate eyes with APAC from the fellow eyes (all P > 0.05). The inside disk VDcap and VDall demonstrated significant lower diagnostic ability than the cpVDcap, wiVDcap, cpVDall and wiVDall (all P < 0.001). Conclusions: In APAC eyes, circumpapillary VD decreased significantly compared with the fellow unaffected eyes. They were significantly correlated with thicknesses of RNFL and GCC, and visual field MD and PSD in the APAC eyes. The patients with longer duration of acute attack were more likely to have lower cpVD. For APAC, the diagnostic ability of wiVD and cpVD was similar with RNFL, GCC and MD and was higher than inside disk VD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the early changes in retinal microcirculation after uncomplicated cataract surgery using an active-fluidics system. Materials and methods: Patients underwent uncomplicated cataract surgery for both eyes were enrolled. The two eyes of the patients were randomly assigned to two groups, the active-fluidics group and the gravity-fluidics group. One eye using an active-fluidics system, and the other using a gravity-fluidics system. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was performed at 1 day, 7 days, 30 days, and 90 days after surgery. Results: Fifty eyes (25 patients) were included in the final analysis. A significantly lower cumulative dissipated energy (CDE), estimated fluid usage (EFU), and total aspiration time (TAT) were observed in the active-fluidics group (all P<0.05). The superficial vessel density at parafoveal region increased at 7 days and 30 days after cataract surgery in the eyes of both the active-fluidics and gravity-fluidics groups, with the fluctuation in eyes of the gravity-fluidics group more significant. The vessel density of deep capillary plexus remained stable during the follow-up period. Significant changes of retinal thickness in macular region (fovea, parafovea) were observed in eyes of the gravity-fluidics group through the comparison of corresponding values at different time points (p = 0.008, 0.005). No significant change in retinal thickness was observed in eyes of the active-fluidics. Conclusions: Retinal microcirculation and thickness were disturbed after cataract surgery using the gravity-fluidics infusion system. The active-fluidics system not only improved the surgical efficacy but also protected the retinal vasculature during cataract surgery. Clinical trials registration: The study has been registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov with its clinical trial accession number of NCT0130500. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a disease characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from insulin resistance. In recent years, the incidence of T2DM has been increasing. Women with T2DM often suffer from infertility and early miscarriage; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Insulin is the most important regulatory hormone of glycogen metabolism. In addition, 5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an important regulator of glycogen metabolism. Patients with T2DM have inhibited AMPK expression in the liver, which leads to impaired glucose metabolism. However, the role of AMPK in endometrial glycogen metabolism has not been reported. In this study, a mouse model of T2DM was established to investigate whether altered endometrial glucose metabolism affects early embryo implantation. Metformin and insulin were used for therapy; the resulting changes to glycogen metabolism and embryo implantation were examined. The results indicate that the concentrations of glycogen decreased significantly in T2DM mice, resulting in insufficient energy supplies for proper endometrial function, and thereby impeding embryonic implantation. Interestingly, endometrial AMPK was not found to be overactivated. Insulin treatment was found to partially resolve the embryo implantation defects in T2DM mice. Metformin improved blood glucose but did not have a significant effect on local endometrial glucose metabolism. This study explored the changes in endometrial glucose metabolism in T2DM mouse, and the effects of these changes on embryo implantation. We found that insulin, but not metformin, significantly resolved embryo implantation problems. These findings will help to increase our understanding of the pathomechanisms of infertility and early miscarriage in women with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of diabetes in women of childbearing age has been increasing recently and implantation failure and early abortion are important reasons for infertility in diabetic women. Glycogen synthesis and decomposition are the cores of glucose homeostasis in endometrium and AMPK is activated when cellular energy consumption increases. Embryo implantation is a complex process required huge energy. Yet the changes of glucose metabolism in endometrium and its impact on embryo implantation in diabetic women are still unclear. In this research, we established diabetic pregnancy mice model by intraperitoneal injecting streptozotocin on pregnant day 1. We first tested the changes of endometrial glucose homeostasis and embryo implantation. Next, we demonstrated abnormal activation of AMPK in the endometrium of diabetic mice and its affecting endometrial glucose homeostasis. Finally, we compared the endometrial glucose homeostasis and embryo implantation outcome in diabetic pregnant mice treated with insulin or insulin combined with metformin. The results indicated that there was disturbed glucose homeostasis associated with excessive activation of AMPK in endometrium of diabetic pregnant mice. AMPK inhibitor improved the over-activation of AMPK pathway in the endometrium, meanwhile, partially corrected the abnormal glycogen metabolism and improved the implantation. Insulin improved the disorder of endometrial glucose homeostasis and implantation of diabetic mice. Our research explores the causes of high abortion and infertility rate in diabetic women which is to provide a therapeutic reference for patients with diabetes complicated with infertility and early abortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasonic vibration assisted tungsten inert gas welding was applied to joining stainless steel 316L and low alloy high strength steel L415. The effect of ultrasonic vibration on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a dissimilar metal welded joint of 316L and L415 was systematically investigated. The microstructures of both heat affected zones of L415 and weld metal were substantially refined, and the clusters of δ ferrite in traditional tungsten inert gas (TIG) weld were changed to a dispersive distribution via the ultrasonic vibration. The ultrasonic vibration promoted the uniform distribution of elements and decreased the micro-segregation tendency in the weld. With the application of ultrasonic vibration, the average tensile strength and elongation of the joint was improved from 613 to 650 MPa and from 16.15% to 31.54%, respectively. The content of Σ3 grain boundaries around the fusion line zone is higher and the distribution is more uniform in the ultrasonic vibration assisted welded joint compared with the traditional one, indicating an excellent weld metal crack resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A series of novel substituted hydrazone-bearing (unsymmetrical azines, RR1C=N-N=CR2R3) tricyclic quinazoline derivatives are reported. All novel compounds were characterized by 1H, 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) analyses. An important intermediate (E/Z)-hydrazono-1,2,3,9-tetrahydropyrrolo[2,1-b]quinazoline (8) was synthesized from tricyclic quinazoline-4-thione 7 using 80 % of hydrazine hydrate. In addition, the antimicrobial activity of all synthesized novel compounds against three types of pathogenic microorganism was tested, revealing that some compounds showed satisfactory good activity and could serve as lead compounds for further drug discovery and development.Graphical abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The supercritical circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler, which combines the advantages of CFB combustion with low cost emission control and supercritical steam cycle with high efficiency of coal energy, is believed to be the future of CFB combustion technology. It is also of greatest importance for low rank coal utilization in China. Different from the supercritical pulverized coal boiler that has been developed more than 50 years, the supercritical CFB boiler is still a new one which requires further investigation.Without any precedentor engineering reference, Chinese researchers have conducted fundamental research, development, design of the supercritical CFB boilers independently. The design theory and key technology for supercritical CFB boiler were proposed. Key components and novel structures were invented. The first 600 MWe supercritical CFB boiler and its auxiliaries were successfully developed and demonstrated in Baima Power Plant, Shenhua Group as well as the simulator, control technology, installation technology, commissioning technology, system integration and operation technology. Compared with the 460 MWe supercritical CFB in Poland, developed in the same period and the only other supercritical one of commercial running in the word beside Baima, the 600 MWe one in Baima has a better performance. Besides, supercritical CFB boilers of 350 MWe have been developed and widely commercialized in China. In this paper, the updated progress of 660 MWe ultra-supercritical CFB boilers under development is introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniform chitosan fibers (CS/PEO) with diameter of 398±76 nm were prepared by electrospinning with merely 5 wt.% of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) loading, and then annealed at elevated temperature without the use of additional crosslinker to improve the thermostability and solvent resistance. Swelling test shows that the CS/PEO composite fibers annealed at 200 oC were stable in 50 wt.% acetic acid aqueous solution. The mechanical strength test shows that the annealing temperature can affect the tensile strength of CS/PEO composite fiber mat. The cross-linked CS/PEO composite fibers provide a useful platform for the immobilization of palladium catalyst to catalyze the Mizoroki-Heck reactions of aromatic halides with olefins. Moreover, these CS/PEO composite fibers could be post modified with special ligands to chelate palladium species efficiently to further improve the catalytic activity and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepcidins are small cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides that play an important role in fish immunity against pathogens. Most fish species have two or more hepcidin homologs that have distinct functions. This study investigated the immune functions of mudskipper (Boleophthalmus pectinirostris) hepcidin-1 (BpHep-1) and hepcidin-2 (BpHep-2) in vitro and in vivo. Upon infection with Edwardsiella tarda, the expression of BpHep-1 and BpHep-2 mRNA in immune tissues was significantly upregulated, but the expression profiles were different. Chemically synthesized BpHep-1 and BpHep-2 mature peptides exhibited selective antibacterial activity against various bacterial species, and BpHep-2 exhibited a stronger antibacterial activity and broader spectrum than BpHep-1. BpHep-1 and BpHep-2 both inhibited the growth of E. tarda in vitro, with the latter being more effective than the former. In addition, both peptides induced hydrolysis of purified bacterial genomic DNA (gDNA) or gDNA in live bacteria. In vivo, an intraperitoneal injection of 1.0 μg/g BpHep-2 significantly improved the survival rate of mudskippers against E. tarda infection compared with 0.1 μg/g BpHep-2 or 0.1 and 1.0 μg/g BpHep-1. Similarly, only BpHep-2 treatment effectively reduced the tissue bacterial load in E. tarda-infected mudskippers. Furthermore, treatment with 1.0 or 10.0 μg/ml BpHep-2 promoted the phagocytic and bactericidal activities of mudskipper monocytes/macrophages (MO/MФ). However, only the highest dose (10.0 μg/ml) of BpHep-1 enhanced phagocytosis, and BpHep-1 exerted no obvious effects on bactericidal activity. In conclusion, BpHep-2 is a stronger bactericide than BpHep-1 in mudskippers, and acts not only by directly killing bacteria but also through an immunomodulatory function on MO/MФ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the therapeutic effect of Yishen Qufeng Shengshi Recipe (益肾祛风胜湿方, YQSR) in patients with glomerular proteinuria Methods: A total of 145 patients with glomerular proteinuria were selected and randomly assigned to the treatment group (108 cases) and the control group (37 cases) according to a random number table in a ratio of 3:1. All patients received conventional and symptomatic treatment. In addition, patients in the treatment and control groups were given YQSR (200 mL, twice per day, orally) and losartan (50 mg/d orally), respectively for 6 months. The 24-h urine protein quantity, blood urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine in the two groups were measured at multiple time points before and after treatment. Results: At the end of the study, 5 cases were lost to follow-up in the treatment group and 1 in the control group. Finally, the statistical data included 103 cases in the treatment group and 36 cases in the control group. The total effectiveness after 2, 4, and 6 months was 81.6% (84/103), 87.4% (90/103), and 92.2% (95/103), respectively, in the treatment group and 47.2% (17/36), 55.6% (20/36), and 61.1% (22/36), respectively, in the control group, with significant difference between the two groups ( P<0.01 at all observation points). In the treatment group, the curative effect after 6 months was better than that after 2 months ( P<0.05). The 24-h urine protein quantity was significantly lower in the treatment group at 3, 4, 5, and 6 months than that in the control group ( P<0.05 or P<0.01, respectively) Conclusion: YQSR could significantly reduce the amount of glomerular proteinuria in the early stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phototherapy with psoralens as photosensitizers is the commonly used method for the treatment of vitiligo. Considering the structure similarity between psoralens and thieno[2,3- d]pyrimidinones, a series of novel sulfonamide derivatives containing tricyclic thieno[2,3- d]pyrimidinone were synthesized and evaluated for melanin synthesis in murine B16 cells. All new compounds were characterized by H NMR, C NMR, IR and HRMS (ESI). Among them, 6 compounds demonstrated excellent activity than positive control (8-methoxylpsoralen, 8-MOP) with more than 1.5-fold potency. Compound 11w with dichloro substitution at meta-positions in the benzenesulfonyl moiety was the most potent one (658.3 ± 8.7%), exhibiting 5.0-fold stronger activity than 8-MOP (130.9 ± 8.6%). The difluoro analog compound 11o increased melanin synthesis in murine B16 cells with a 4.35-fold potency as compared to 8-MOP. These compounds may serve as lead compounds for further drug discoveries for the treatment of vitiligo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish generally perform routine swimming behaviors during food digestion; thus, changes in swimming performance and adjustments to spontaneous behavior resulting from digestion can have important ecological significance for wild fishes. The effects of feeding on metabolism, spontaneous activity, fast-start escape movement, and critical swimming speed ( U ) were investigated in five cyprinids with different habitat preferences, specifically the Chinese crucian carp ( Carassius auratus), common carp ( Cyprinus carpio), black carp ( Mylopharyngodon piceus), Chinese bream ( Parabramis pekinensis), and qingbo ( Spinibarbus sinensis). Generally, species in still water exhibited increased feeding metabolism, whereas species in flowing water showed higher spontaneous activity and locomotion performance. Digestion had no significant effects on either spontaneous activity or fast-start escape movement in the five cyprinids. These results could be due to the small meal sizes (approximately 2% body mass) and active foraging modes of cyprinids. The changes in aerobic swimming performance due to feeding were more complex. No effect of digestion on U was observed in crucian carp (still water, high feeding metabolism, and low U ), common carp (widely distributed, high feeding metabolism, and high U ), and qingbo (flowing water, low feeding metabolism, and high U ), but digestion resulted in a significant decrease in the U of Chinese bream (moderate feeding metabolism but high U ) and black carp (moderate feeding metabolism and low U ), suggesting no connection between postprandial U changes and feeding metabolism (or between U and preferred habitat). The maximum metabolic rate (MMR) of common carp and crucian carp increased after feeding, whereas the corresponding values for the other three cyprinids remained the same. The oxygen uptake capacity appears to meet the oxygen demand of both aerobic swimming and digestion in common carp and crucian carp, whereas qingbo sacrifices digestion for locomotion, and black carp and Chinese bream sacrifice locomotion for digestion under postprandial swimming conditions. The locomotion-priority mode of qingbo is adaptive to its active foraging mode in the demanding swimming habitat of rapidly flowing water, whereas the high respiratory capacities of postprandial crucian carp and common carp and hence the maintenance of their aerobic swimming performances might be a by-product of natural selection for hypoxia tolerance rather than for swimming speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate that a seven-particle entangled state can be used to realize the deterministic asymmetric bidirectional controlled quantum information transmission by performing only Bell-state measurement and two-particle projective measurement and single-particle measurement. In our protocol, Alice can teleport an arbitrary unknown single-particle state to Bob and at the same time Bob can remotely prepare an arbitrary known two-particle state for Alice via the control of the supervisor Charlie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progesterone (P4) is an important ovarian hormone that inhibits estrogen-dependent proliferation of endometrial epithelial cells (EECs). miR-152 has been reported to be a cell cycle regulator. In this study, we first demonstrated that P4 induced the expression of miR-152 in ovariectomized mice and Ishikawa cell. miR-152 was detected in the human endometrial cell lines that were stably transfected with P4 receptor. Results showed that P4 induced its expression through its receptor B subtype. Then, using the specific miRNA mimic and inhibitor, we proved that miR-152 impeded G1/S transition in the cell cycle of EECs and inhibited cellular proliferation via downregulating WNT-1 in mice and human endometrial cancer cell lines (Ishikawa, HEC-1-b, and KLE). miR-152 induced by P4 is an important inhibitor for the proliferation of EECs. miR-152 may be an important tumor suppressor microRNA in endometrial cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the functional role of microRNA-20 (miR-20) and its potential target, Kir6.1, in ischemic myocardiocytes. The expression of miR-20 was detected by real-time PCR. Myocardiocytes were stained with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TU-NEL) reagent for apoptosis evaluation. Western blotting was used to detect the Kir6.1 protein in ischemic myocardiocytes transfected with miR-20 mimics or inhibitors. Luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to confirm the targeting effect of miR-20 on KCNJ8. The results showed that miR-20 was remarkably down-regulated, while the KATP subunit Kir6.1 was significantly up-regulated, during myocardial ischemia. The miR-20 overexpression promoted the apoptosis of ischemic myocardiocytes, but showed no such effect on normal cells. Under ischemic condition, myocardiocytes transfected with miR-20 mimics expressed less Kir6.1. On the contrary, inhibiting miR-20 increased the expression of Kir6.1 in the cells. Co-transfection of miR-20 mimics with the KCNJ8 3'-UTR plasmid into HEK293 cells consistently produced less luciferase activity than transfection of the plasmid alone. It was concluded that miR-20 may regulate myocardiac ischemia by targeting KATP subunit Kir6.1 to accelerate the cell apoptosis. Therefore miR-20 may serve as a therapeutic target for myocardial ischemic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we have demonstrated that a six-qubit cluster state can be used to realize the deterministic controlled remote state preparation of an arbitrary two-qubit state by performing only the special two-qubit projective measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a deterministic protocol for remotely preparing an arbitrary four-qubit entangled cluster-type state. In our protocol, a seven-qubit cluster state is employed to link the two senders (Alice and Bob) and the receiver Charlie. The to-be-prepared state is realized successfully with the probability of 100 % by performing the local unitary operation and classical communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a scheme for asymmetric bidirectional controlled teleportation by using a six-qubit cluster state as quantum channel. In our scheme, Alice can transmit an arbitrary two-qubit entangled state to Bob and at the same time Bob can teleport an arbitrary single-qubit state to Alice under the control of the supervisor Charlie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thymosin β4 (Tβ4) is a key factor in cardiac development, growth, disease, epicardial integrity, blood vessel formation and has cardio-protective properties. However, its role in murine embryonic stem cells (mESCs) proliferation and cardiovascular differentiation remains unclear. Thus we aimed to elucidate the influence of Tβ4 on mESCs. Target genes during mESCs proliferation and differentiation were detected by real-time PCR or Western blotting, and patch clamp was applied to characterize the mESCs-derived cardiomyocytes. It was found that Tβ4 decreased mESCs proliferation in a partial dose-dependent manner and the expression of cell cycle regulatory genes c-myc, c-fos and c-jun. However, mESCs self-renewal markers Oct4 and Nanog were elevated, indicating the maintenance of self-renewal ability in these mESCs. Phosphorylation of STAT3 and Akt was inhibited by Tβ4 while the expression of RAS and phosphorylation of ERK were enhanced. No significant difference was found in BMP2/BMP4 or their downstream protein smad. Wnt3 and Wnt11 were remarkably decreased by Tβ4 with upregulation of Tcf3 and constant β-catenin. Under mESCs differentiation, Tβ4 treatment did not change the expression of cardiovascular cell markers α-MHC, PECAM, and α-SMA. Neither the electrophysiological properties of mESCs-derived cardiomyocytes nor the hormonal regulation by Iso/Cch was affected by Tβ4. In conclusion, Tβ4 suppressed mESCs proliferation by affecting the activity of STAT3, Akt, ERK and Wnt pathways. However, Tβ4 did not influence the in vitro cardiovascular differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of CXCR3 and IL-10 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI). ALI was induced by LPS injection (10 mg/kg) via the tail vein in C57BL/6 mice. Mice were sacrificed after 2 or 12 h to examine the levels of inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and histopathologic assessments. At 12 h after LPS injection, mice exhibited more severe lung infiltration by CD8+ T cell and less infiltration by CD8+CD122+ regulatory T cells than at 2 h after LPS challenge or in the control (mice not exposed to LPS). At 12 h, IFN-γ, CXCR3, and CXCL10 were significantly higher in the lungs. IL-10 in the lungs was significantly lower. CXCR3 may help to recruit CD8+ T cells and promotes IFN-γ and CXCL10 release. Such effects could be inhibited by IL-10 secreted by CD8+CD122+ regulatory T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide various schemes for quantum teleportation by using the four and five qubit cluster states. Explicit protocols for the perfect quantum teleportation of three and four qubit states are illustrated. It is found that the four-qubit cluster state can be used for perfect quantum teleportation of a special form of three-qubit state and the five-qubit cluster state can be used for perfect quantum teleportation of a special form of four-qubit state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an experimentally feasible scheme for implementing controlled quantum secure direct communication by using six-qubit entangled states. According to the results measured by the sender and the controller, the receiver can obtain different secret messages in a deterministic way with unit successful probability. In our scheme, the information-carrying qubits do not need to be transmitted over the public channel. Therefore, the scheme is determinate and secure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycosylation is often used to improve a natural product's properties such as water solubility, chemical stability, pharmacological potency, and structure diversification. In this study, we studied the enzymatic synthesis of novel isobavachalcone glucosides using a UDP-glycosyltransferase (YjiC) from Bacillus licheniformis DSM-13. The chemical structures of compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated by spectroscopic techniques, including LC-MS, MS, and NMR. Meanwhile, the parameters of glycosylation reaction such as incubation time, UDP-glucose concentration, and pH of buffer were also optimized during this study. Furthermore, the compounds 1 and 2 exhibited weak anti-proliferative activities against five human cancer cell lines, with IC values ranging from 58.6 to 86.6 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an experimentally feasible scheme for implementing controlled quantum secure direct communication by using a five-atom cluster state in cavity QED. According to the results measured by the sender and the controller, the receiver can obtain different secret messages in a deterministic way with unit successful probability. In the communication processes, one only need separate measurements with the assistance of a strong classical driving field. In addition, the scheme is insensitive to the cavity decay and the thermal field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma has very high incidence and high mortality worldwide. MiRNA is related to the tumorigenesis and metastasis of a variety of tumors. In the present study, we verify that the expression of miR-494 in NPC tissues and NPC-derived cells was down-regulated, respectively. The proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion of NPC-derived cells were suppressed, while the cell apoptosis was promoted, when miR-494 was over-expressed in these cells. GALNT7 and CDK16 were confirmed to be the direct targets of miR-494. These results suggested that miR-494 play an inhibitory role in the tumorigenesis of NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a scheme for preparing a seven-atom maximally entangled state (Zha et al., J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 45, 255, ) in cavity QED, where the atoms interact simultaneously with the highly detuned single-mode cavity and the strong classical driving field. Thus our scheme is insensitive to both the cavity decay and thermal field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a scheme to realize the deterministic quantum teleportation of an arbitrary two-ion state by using a genuine four-ion entangled state in ion-trap systems. The scheme does not involve Bell-state measurements and only needs to make the single-ion measurements. Our scheme is insensitive to both the initial vibrational state and heating, which is of importance in view of experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a seven-ion entangled channel that can be used to realize the deterministic controlled teleportation of an arbitrary three-ion state in ion-trap systems. We describe the construction of this channel and explicitly demonstrate how the protocol works. In our scheme, it does not involve Bell-state measurement and only needs to perform the single-ion measurements and single ion unitary operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the polymorphisms of PTPN22 and the variants of CTLA-4 have been reported to be the susceptibility genes, which increased risk of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), the results remained inconclusive. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the association between the polymorphisms of two genes and LADA. We performed a systematic review by identifying relevant studies and applied meta-analysis to pool gene effects. Data from ten studies published between 2001 and 2013 were pooled for two polymorphisms: rs2476601 in the PTPN22 gene and rs231775 in the CTLA-4 gene. Data extraction and assessments for risk of bias were independently performed by two reviewers. Fixed-effect model and random-effect model were used to pool the odds ratios; meanwhile, heterogeneity test, publication bias and sensitive analysis were explored. The minor T allele at rs2476601 and the minor G at rs231775 carried estimated relative risks (odds ratio) of 1.52 (95 % CI 1.29-1.79) and 1.39 (95 % CI 1.11-1.74), respectively. These alleles contributed to an absolute lowering of the risk of all LADA by 4.88 and 14.93 % when individuals do not carry these alleles. The estimated lambdas were 0.49 and 0.63, suggesting a codominant model of effects was most likely for two genes. In summary, our systematic review has demonstrated that PTPN22 rs2476601 and CTLA-4 rs231775 are potential risk factors for LADA. An updated meta-analysis is required when more studies are published to increase the power of these polymorphisms and LADA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solid-state phase equilibria of the V-Si-Gd ternary system at 973 K (700 °C) were experimentally evaluated. The existence of nine binary compounds, namely, VSi, VSi, VSi, VSi, GdSi, GdSi, GdSi, GdSi, and GdSi, was confirmed, and no ternary compound was found at 973 K (700 °C). The homogeneity ranges of VSi and GdSi were investigated. It is worth mentioning that the GdSi compound was discovered through changing the experimental conditions, and its crystal structure was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To minimize the number of solutions in 3D resistivity inversion, an inherent problem in inversion, the amount of data considered have to be large and prior constraints need to be applied. Geological and geophysical data regarding the extent of a geological anomaly are important prior information. We propose the use of shape constraints in 3D electrical resistivity inversion. Three weighted orthogonal vectors (a normal and two tangent vectors) were used to control the resistivity differences at the boundaries of the anomaly. The spatial shape of the anomaly and the constraints on the boundaries of the anomaly are thus established. We incorporated the spatial shape constraints in the objective function of the 3D resistivity inversion and constructed the 3D resistivity inversion equation with spatial shape constraints. Subsequently, we used numerical modeling based on prior spatial shape data to constrain the direction vectors and weights of the 3D resistivity inversion. We established a reasonable range between the direction vectors and weights, and verified the feasibility and effectiveness of using spatial shape prior constraints in reducing excessive structures and the number of solutions. We applied the prior spatially shape-constrained inversion method to locate the aquifer at the Guangzhou subway. The spatial shape constraints were taken from ground penetrating radar data. The inversion results for the location and shape of the aquifer agree well with drilling data, and the number of inversion solutions is significantly reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a scheme for preparing a genuinely entangled six-atom state (in J. Phys. A 40:13407, ) in cavity QED, where the atoms interact simultaneously with the highly detuned single-mode cavity and the strong classical driving field. Thus our scheme is not sensitive to both the cavity decay and thermal field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible job shop scheduling problem (FJSSP) is generalization of job shop scheduling problem (JSSP), in which an operation may be processed on more than one machine each of which has the same function. Most previous researches on FJSSP assumed that all jobs to be processed are available at the beginning of scheduling horizon. The assumption, however, is always violated in practical industries because jobs usually arrive over time and can not be predicted before their arrivals. In the paper, dynamic flexible job shop scheduling problem (DFJSSP) with job release dates is studied. A heuristic is proposed to implement reactive scheduling for the dynamic scheduling problem. An approach based on gene expression programming (GEP) is also proposed which automatically constructs reactive scheduling policies for the dynamic scheduling. In order to evaluate the performance of the reactive scheduling policies constructed by the proposed GEP-based approach under a variety of processing conditions three factors, such as the shop utilization, due date tightness, problem flexibility, are considered in the simulation experiments. The scheduling performance measure considered in the simulation is the minimization of makespan, mean flowtime and mean tardiness, respectively. The results show that GEP-based approach can construct more efficient reactive scheduling policies for DFJSSP with job release dates under a big range of processing conditions and performance measures in the comparison with previous approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collecting duct carcinoma (CDC) is a rare and aggressive renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with extremely poor prognosis, which has been shown to have a poor response to several kinds of systemic therapy. Targeted agents have greatly changed the therapeutic landscape in advanced RCC. Nonetheless, patients with CDC are always excluded from the prospective trials with targeted therapies due to its rarity. We present a case of metastatic CDC that responded favorably to the multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitor, sorafenib, achieving a partial response in both lungs and retroperitoneal lymph nodes metastases. We also reviewed the limited number of reports of metastatic CDC treated with targeted agents and found that 33.33 % (4/12) of patients had favorable clinical activity. These suggest that targeted therapy should be considered for the treatment of metastatic CDC and its prospective evaluation is encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a scheme for bidirectional controlled teleportation by using a five-qubit composite GHZ-Bell state as quantum channel. Based on the C-not operation and single qubit measurements, Alice may transmit an arbitrary single qubit state of qubit A to Bob and Bob may transmit an arbitrary single qubit state of qubit B to Alice via the control of the supervisor Charlie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cavity quantum electrodynamics scheme for implementing the deterministic quantum information splitting of an arbitrary three-atom state is proposed. In the scheme, a genuine five-atom entangled state and a Bell-state can be used as the quantum channel, which does not involve Bell-state measurement and only needs to perform the single-atom measurements. Our scheme is insensitive to both the cavity decay and the atom radiation, and considered here is secure against certain eavesdropping attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heme oxygenase- 1 ( HO- 1) is a stress-responsive gene coding for an enzyme catalyzing the catabolism of heme to yield biliverdin IXα, carbon monoxide (CO) and iron. However, its biological role in regulating metal homeostasis, particularly the tolerance to toxic heavy metals is poorly understood. In this study, a novel gene encoding a Brassica juncea heme oxygenase-1 (designated as BjHO-1) was cloned and functionally identified. Spatial expression of BjHO- 1 showed that it was differentially expressed in cotyledon, hypocotyl, leaf and root. BjHO- 1 was found to be induced significantly by heavy metal Hg. To understand whether BjHO- 1 is able to regulate plant tolerance to Hg, we constructed transgenic B. juncea plants overexpressing HO- 1, and showed that 35S::BjHO1 plants confer the plant resistance to Hg toxicity by improving plant dry mass, reducing Hg accumulation, and attenuating Hg-induced oxidative stress. We further cloned a 1,099 bp promoter sequence upstream of BjHO- 1 using genome walking approach. Multiple stress-responsive elements were detected in the BjHO- 1 promoter regions. The promoter can be activated by Zn, Cd, Hg and Pb exposure. Our results indicate that up-regulation of BjHO- 1 is beneficial for limiting the uptake or accumulation of heavy metals into plants. This work also provides a new example for molecular breeding designed for plants that do not accumulate or minimizing accumulation of toxic trace metals growing on heavy metal-contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce the computational cost of implementing computer-based simulations and analyses in engineering design, a variety of metamodeling techniques have been developed and used for the construction of metamodels. Metamodels, also called approximation models and surrogate models, can be used to make a replacement of the expensive simulation codes for design and optimization. In this paper, gene expression programming (GEP) algorithm in the evolutionary computing area is investigated as an alternative metamodeling technique to provide the approximation of a design space. The approximation performance of GEP is tested on some low-dimensional mathematical and engineering problems. A comparative study is conducted on GEP and three common metamodeling techniques in engineering design (i.e., response surface methodology (RSM), kriging and radial basis functions (RBF)) for the approximation of the low-dimensional design space. Multiple evaluation criteria are considered in the comparison: accuracy, robustness, transparency and efficiency. Two different sample sizes are adopted: small and large. Comparative results indicate that GEP can achieve the most accurate and robust approximation of a low-dimensional design space for small sample sets. For large sample sets, GEP also presents good prediction accuracy and high robustness. Moreover, the transparency of GEP is the best since it can provide clear function relationships and factor contributions by means of compact expressions. As a novel metamodeling technique, GEP shows great promise for metamodeling applications in a low-dimensional design space, especially when only a few sample points are selected and used for training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]