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Background: Vupanorsen is a GalNAc3-conjugated antisense oligonucleotide targeting angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3) mRNA shown to reduce atherogenic lipoproteins in individuals with dyslipidemia. Objectives: The aim of this study was to satisfy Chinese regulatory requirements and support ethnic sensitivity assessment by evaluating pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and safety of vupanorsen in healthy Chinese adults with elevated triglycerides (TG). Methods: In this phase I, parallel-cohort, open-label study, 18 Chinese adults with elevated fasting TG (≥ 90 mg/dL) were randomized 1:1 to receive a single subcutaneous dose of vupanorsen 80 mg or 160 mg. PK parameters, PD markers (including ANGPTL3, TG, non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [non–HDL-C]), and safety were assessed. Results: Absorption of vupanorsen was rapid (median time to maximum concentration [Tmax]: 2.0 h for both doses), followed by a multiphasic decline (mean terminal half-life 475.9 [80 mg] and 465.2 h [160 mg]). Exposure (area under curve [AUC] and maximum plasma concentration [Cmax]) generally increased in a greater than dose-proportional manner from 80 mg to 160 mg. Time-dependent reductions in ANGPTL3 and lipid parameters were observed. Mean percentage change from baseline for the 80-mg and 160-mg doses, respectively, were – 59.7% and – 69.5% for ANGPTL3, – 41.9% and – 52.5% for TG, and – 23.2% and – 25.4% for non–HDL-C. No serious or severe adverse events (AEs), deaths, or discontinuations due to AEs were reported. Three participants experienced treatment-related AEs; all were mild and resolved by end of study. Conclusions: This study provided the first clinical vupanorsen data in China. In Chinese participants with elevated TG, PK and PD parameters were consistent with those reported previously in non-Chinese participants, including in Japanese individuals. No safety concerns were noted. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04916795. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequent changes in economic policy pose challenges to normal business production and operations. However, little is known about the non-market strategies adopted by firms in emerging economies, such as China, in response to economic policy uncertainty. This study proposes that firms in China respond to high levels of economic policy uncertainty by increasing philanthropic donations and bribery. In addition, this study argues that private firms and state-owned firms implement different strategies to cope with economic policy uncertainty. Specifically, the study suggests that state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are more likely, than non-SOEs, to respond to economic policy uncertainty by increasing corporate philanthropy, and less likely to respond by increasing expenditure on bribes. This study obtained empirical evidence to support these views, based on an analysis of a dataset of 2,904 listed Chinese firms from 2008 to 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contemporary society, career readiness holds paramount significance for individual life, exerting a direct influence on initial employment, job satisfaction, and the sense of career identity. Framed within multidimensional item response theory and text mining, this study embarks on exploring assessment methodologies for high school students’ career readiness by revising the “Career Readiness Questionnaire – Adolescent Version” and employing text mining techniques. Study One collected 1261 valid data points through cluster sampling. With the aid of Bayesian multivariate item response theory parameter estimation procedures and R language, the career readiness measurement tool was revised, yielding a concise scale that aligns with psychometric requirements. The research findings indicated that the concept of “career readiness” is more suitable for the multidimensional graded response model than for the bifactor model. The dataset’s discrimination parameters fell within the range of [1.59, 3.84], the difficulty parameters fell between [−2.91, 2.24], and the peak values of the maximum information functions fell within [0.24, 2.35]. After six items with the lowest peaks were removed (Items 4, 5, 6, 31, 32, and 33), the remaining 30 items composed the Chinese concise version “Career Readiness Questionnaire – Adolescent Version,” with discrimination parameters ranging from [1.45, 3.38], difficulty parameters between [−3.31, 1.76], and maximum information function peaks within [0.50, 2.64]. Building upon the effective participants from Study One, Study Two matched questionnaire data with textual information, resulting in 1012 valid participants. Leveraging text mining, a machine learning model was constructed to predict high school students’ career readiness based on essay texts. The results of Study 2 prove that the revised lexicon was more accurate in feature extraction. Building upon this, the machine learning model for essay text demonstrated excellent performance in predicting career readiness, with random forest outperforming the other algorithms. This study provides a novel approach for schools and parents to comprehend the state of career readiness among high school students, offering a convenient and effective tool for educational activities related to students’ career development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the specific electronic-redistribution and spatial proximity, diatomic catalysts (DACs) have been identified as principal interest for efficient photoconversion of CO2 into C2H4. However, the predominant bottom-up strategy for DACs synthesis has critically constrained the development of highly ordered DACs due to the random distribution of heteronuclear atoms, which hinders the optimization of catalytic performance and the exploration of actual reaction mechanism. Here, an up-bottom ion-cutting architecture is proposed to fabricate the well-defined DACs, and the superior spatial proximity of CuAu diatomics (DAs) decorated TiO2 (CuAu-DAs-TiO2) is successfully constructed due to the compact heteroatomic spacing (2-3 Å). Owing to the profoundly low C-C coupling energy barrier of CuAu-DAs-TiO2, a considerable C2H4 production with superior sustainability is achieved. Our discovery inspires a novel up-bottom strategy for the fabrication of well-defined DACs to motivate optimization of catalytic performance and distinct deduction of heteroatom synergistically catalytic mechanism.Principal interest lies in diatomic catalysts (DACs) for efficient CO2 to C2H4 photoconversion yet optimizing catalytic performance and exploring reaction mechanisms are impeded by heteronuclear atom random distribution. Here, a novel up-bottom ion-cutting architecture is proposed for fabricating well-defined DACs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Baicalin (BC) is a flavonoid reported to have various pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy, immune regulation, and anti-diabetic. This study examines the probable mechanism for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) brought on by streptozotocin (STZ) and the impact of BC on fetal development via AGEs (advanced serum glycation end products) and RAGE (the role of advanced glycation end products). Material and Method: STZ has been used in the current experimental study to induce diabetes mellitus in pregnant animals (gestational diabetes mellitus). GDM pregnant animals were separated into five groups and were treated with BC in a dose-dependent pattern for 19 days. At the end of the experiment, the fetus and blood samples were drawn from all the pregnant rats to assess the biochemical parameter as well as AGE-RAGE. Result: Administration of BC at varying doses leads to enhancement in the weight of the fetus body and placenta while gestational diabetic pregnant animals induced by STZ had a lower weight of the fetus body and placenta. The dose-dependent pattern of BC also enhanced fasting insulin (FINS), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), serum insulin, and hepatic glycogen. It also significantly enhanced the content of the antioxidant profile and pro-inflammatory cytokines and modulated the gene expression (VCAM- 1, p65, EGFR, MCP-1, 1NOX2, and RAGE) in various tissues in gestational diabetes mellitus pregnant rats. Conclusion: Baicalin demonstrated the potential impact on the embryo's development via the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in STZ-induced GDM pregnant animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the technical limitations of automatic coal and gangue detection technology in fully mechanized top coal caving mining operations, the low radiation level radioactivity measurement method is utilized to assess the degree of coal-gangue mixture in top coal caving process. This approach is based on the distinguishing radiation characteristics of natural γ-rays between coal and gangue. This study analyzed the distribution characteristics of natural γ-rays in coal and rock layers of thick coal seams and the applicability of this method, introduced the basic principle of coal-gangue detection technology based on natural γ-ray, developed the test system about automatic coal-gangue detection, studied the radiation characteristics of coal and gangue, proposed determination model of the coal-gangue mixed degree, combined with the time sequence characteristics of the top coal's releasing flow and the energy spectrum characteristics of different layers of rock, realized the precise coal-gangue detection technology in complex structure thick coal seam with multiple gangue. Field tests were conducted in Lilou, Xiaoyu and Tashan Coal Mine. The test results were well corroborated with the research results and achieved the expected results, which laid the foundation for the field application of intelligent coal mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and atrial fibrillation (AF) often coexist in clinical practice, and patients with these conditions often have a critical illness with high risk of both ischemia and bleeding. This study aims to report potential molecular markers for predicting the efficacy based on a meta-analysis of microarray data from the GEO database. In 40 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and atrial fibrillation (AF) treated with PCI, P2RX1's effects on platelet aggregation, medication resistance, and predictive value were examined. Twenty up-regulated genes in peripheral blood samples of ACS and AF patients were down-regulated after PCI, while 7 down-regulated genes were up-regulated. ACS affected eight potential genes. P2RX1, one of the four LASSO analysis-retrieved disease characteristic genes, accurately predicted AF patients' thrombosis risk and PCI's anti-thrombotic impact. Therefore, P2RX1 may be a molecular marker to predict the effect of anti-thrombotic therapy in patients with ACS and AF after PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the proposal of the carbon neutrality target, China's attention to carbon emissions has been further enhanced. Effective prediction of future carbon emissions is important for the formulation of carbon neutralization target and action plans in the region. Many factors affecting carbon emissions, cause their development trends may be nonlinear. To forecast the carbon emissions of coal and natural gas in the industrial sector more accurately, a new MGM(1,m,N|γ) model considering nonlinear characteristics is proposed in this paper. The new model introduces power function γ as nonlinear parameter, and the γ value is solved by nonlinear constraint function. We further deduce the simulation and prediction formula and then apply the improved model to the carbon emission forecast. The comparisons show that the nonlinear parameters can modify the trend of sequences and improve the prediction accuracy, which verifies the validity of the model. Finally, according to the influencing factors and forecast results, this paper analyzes the causes of high carbon emissions and puts forward reasonable suggestions for China's carbon governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduced the concept of perceived overqualification (POQ) to the group of college students. College entrance examination, which determines whether high school graduates can attend to universities, draws widely attention from students, parents and teachers in East Asia. Under collectivism culture, the results of the examination are given a broader social meaning. While we bestow glories and attentions on those who succeed, we know little about those who failed. In light of extant POQ studies and cognitive dissonance theory, we proposed a double-edged sword model of POQ's effect on college students' adaptation, and verified this model with longitudinal data. Results of path analysis revealed that learning motivation and life satisfaction mediated the relationship between POQ and adaptation, and those two indirect effects suppressed the effect of each other. Based on our findings, we critically discussed the meaning of POQ for individuals. Practical suggestions were also provided for school counsellors to help students who perceived themselves to be overqualified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) based on fixed-node approximation has enjoyed significant developments in the past decades and become one of the go-to methods when accurate ground state energy of molecules and materials is needed. However, the inaccurate nodal structure hinders the application of DMC for more challenging electronic correlation problems. In this work, we apply the neural-network based trial wavefunction in fixed-node DMC, which allows accurate calculations of a broad range of atomic and molecular systems of different electronic characteristics. Our method is superior in both accuracy and efficiency compared to state-of-the-art neural network methods using variational Monte Carlo (VMC). We also introduce an extrapolation scheme based on the empirical linearity between VMC and DMC energies, and significantly improve our binding energy calculation. Overall, this computational framework provides a benchmark for accurate solutions of correlated electronic wavefunction and also sheds light on the chemical understanding of molecules. An accurate ab initio calculation of molecules is fundamental to chemical and physical sciences. Here, the authors integrate a neural-network wavefunction into the fixed-node diffusion Monte Carlo, resulting in accurate calculations of a diverse range of systems, offering insights into complex many-body electronic wave functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a specialized circular structure, are deregulated in cancers and play essential roles in biological processes involved in tumor progression. However, the mechanism by which circRNAs affect lung tumorigenesis and progression remains largely unexplored. To investigate the role of circRNA in lung cancer, circRNA expression profile was screened by bioinformatics analysis. The levels of circTAB2, miR-3142, and GLIS family zinc finger 2 (GLIS2) were measured by quantitate real-time (qRT-PCR) or western blot. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion were detected by EdU, flow cytometry, and transwell assays, respectively. Bioinformatics, western blot, RIP, pull down, dual luciferase reporter and rescue experiments were used to verify the direct relationship between miR-3142 and circTAB2 or GLIS2. The xenograft assays were used to assess the role of circTAB2 in vivo.CircTAB2 exhibited low expression in cancer tissues. Gain and loss-of-function assays indicated that circTAB2 could inhibit cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Functional studies revealed that circTAB2 acted as a miRNA sponge, directly interacted with miR-3142 and consequently regulated GLIS2 /AKT. Taken together, circTAB2 serves as an inhibitory role in lung cancer through a novel circTAB2 /miR-3142 /GLIS2 /AKT pathway and could be exploited a novel marker in lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mirogabalin is a treatment option for patients with neuropathic pain; however, safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (PK) data specifically for Chinese individuals are limited to a single-dose study. We aimed to assess these for both single- and multiple-dose mirogabalin in healthy Chinese participants. Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase I study, 54 healthy Chinese men and women aged 18–45 years were randomly allocated to receive single- (5, 10, or 15 mg, daily) or multiple-dose (5 mg titrated to 15 mg, twice-daily, over 22 days) oral mirogabalin or placebo. In each of three single-dose groups, 10 participants received mirogabalin and 2 received placebo; in the multiple-dose group, 14 participants received mirogabalin and 4 received placebo. The primary endpoints were PK, safety, and tolerability variables, including treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), laboratory tests, and vital signs. PK data were collected for both single- and multiple-dose cohorts and evaluated by non-compartmental analysis. Results: Single- and multiple-dose mirogabalin was generally well tolerated with no deaths, serious TEAEs, or TEAEs leading to treatment discontinuation. Frequently reported TEAEs included dizziness, nystagmus, increased blood triglycerides, headache, and increased blood uric acid and creatine phosphokinase. Single-dose mirogabalin was rapidly absorbed (median time to maximum plasma concentration, 1.00 h) and eliminated (mean terminal elimination half-life, 2.57–3.08 h). The exposure was approximately dose-proportional. In the multiple-dose cohort, the trough plasma concentration increased dose-proportionally, and exposure and clearance were comparable to that following a single 15-mg dose. The mean cumulative amount excreted into urine up to 48 h post-dose increased in a dose-proportional manner, the mean cumulative percentage excreted into urine was 61.9%–74.3%, and renal clearance remained relatively constant. Conclusion: Consistent with previous phase I studies in other populations, mirogabalin was safe and well tolerated in healthy Chinese participants at single and multiple doses of up to 15 mg twice-daily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To circumvent a potentially dense two-body interaction tensor and obtain lower asymptotic costs for quantum simulations of chemistry, the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) basis set with a rectangular partitioning strategy was recently introduced [McClean et al, New J. Phys. 22, 093015, 2020]. We propose and numerically scrutinize a more general DG basis set construction based on a Voronoi decomposition with respect to the nuclear coordinates. This allows the construction of DG basis sets for arbitrary molecular and crystalline configurations. We here employ the planewave dual basis set as primitive basis set in the supercell model; as a set of grid-based nascent delta functions, the planewave dual functions provide sufficient flexibility for the Voronoi partitioning. The presented implementation of this DG-Voronoi approach is in Python and solely based on PySCF. We numerically investigate the performance, at the mean-field and correlated level of theory for quasi-1D, quasi-2D and fully 3D systems, and exemplify the application to crystalline systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the role of executive vertical pay disparity in explaining firms' choice of CSR activities (internal vs. external CSR). Based on tournament theory and the attention-based view, we first propose that vertical pay disparity leads executives to increase CSR activities, but in this process, compared to external CSR activities, executives are more likely to increase internal CSR activities. We then propose that the effect of executive vertical pay disparity on the choice of CSR activities will be moderated by three situational cues: state-owned enterprises (SOEs), litigation risk, and slack resources. Empirical analyses based on unbalanced panel data of China's listed manufacturing firms from 2010 to 2018 show that our hypotheses are largely supported. Our results show that vertical pay disparity drives executives to increase CSR activities that contribute to the long-term interests of shareholders; however, in the process, executives focus on certain stakeholders over others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with the single-phase wireless power transfer systems, the three-phase wireless power transfer systems have the advantages of large transfer power, high position offset tolerance, and small output ripple, etc., which have been widely used for high-power application. For a three-phase rail-type dynamic wireless power transfer system, the interphase cross-coupling mutual inductance, will lead to three-phase unbalance, difficult modeling and analysis. So, a new type of three-phase rail-type magnetic coupling structure is proposed and optimized. Firstly, a magnetic coupling structure for a three-phase rail-type dynamic wireless power transfer system is proposed. Secondly, the physical principle and mathematical tools are used to calculate the primary and secondary equivalent parameters of the system, and a fully decoupled equivalent mathematical model of the system is established. Thirdly, based on the model, the output characteristics of the system such as power and efficiency are analyzed. Finally, an experimental platform for a 1 kW three-phase rail-type dynamic wireless power transfer system is built to verify the theoretical analysis. The experimental results show that the magnetic coupling structure proposed in this paper can well solve the problem of system imbalance caused by interphase cross-coupling mutual inductance, and improve the power and efficiency of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Tegoprazan is one of the potassium-competitive acid blockers (P-CABs). It exhibits its anti-secretory effects by competitively and reversibly blocking the availability of K+ of the H+, K+-ATPase. This study was designed to investigate the safety and pharmacokinetics of tegoprazan in healthy Chinese subjects. Methods: Thirty-eight healthy Chinese subjects were recruited in this randomized, single-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, with a single ascending dose of 50, 100, 200 mg and a multiple dose of 100 mg for 10 days. The plasma concentration of tegoprazan was determined by a validated liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method. Pharmacokinetics were evaluated via non-compartmental and compartmental model analysis. Safety was assessed by physical examinations, vital signs, clinical laboratory tests, and electrocardiograms. Results: No serious adverse event was observed in this study. After single-dose administration (50, 100 and 200 mg), tegoprazan was rapidly absorbed with a median maximum measure plasma concentration (Tmax) at 0.5 h and declined with a terminal (elimination) half-life (t1/2) of 3.87–4.57 h. The maximum measured plasma concentration (Cmax) for tegoprazan was 813.80, 1494.60 and 2829.00 ng/mL. Meanwhile, the corresponding area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) from time zero to infinity (AUC0−inf) was 2761.00, 5980.05 and 11,044.72 ng∙h/mL in 50, 100, 200 mg group, respectively. Dose-dependent increase was observed in the value of Cmax and AUC after administration of tegoprazan 50 to 200 mg. The two-compartment model well described the pharmacokinetic profile of tegoprazan. In the steady state, no accumulation was found after repeated administration at the 100-mg dose level. No experimental differences were found based on gender. Conclusions: Tegoprazan was well tolerated in the dose range of 50–200 mg in single- and 100 mg in multiple-dose studies. Tegoprazan shows dose linearity with oral administration after a single dose of 50 to 200 mg and less drug accumulation after 10 days of continuous administration in 100 mg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because the valence state of metal with variable valences is sensitive to oxidation atmosphere, it is difficult to fabricate single-phased metal oxide with intermediate valence by vapor or vacuum deposition. In this work, the copper valence state in oxides was controlled by introducing a nitrogen flow into the sputtering chamber. The surface chemical potential of oxygen can be efficiently tuned through adsorption competition on the growth surface. The transition process from CuO–Cu2O mixture to single Cu2O was observed with increasing the nitrogen flow rate. For the single-phased Cu2O, the hole concentration was tuned in a range of 2.6 × 1017 to 1.1 × 1018 cm−3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe-3.3Si-6.5Cr powders were first treated by phosphoric acid solution and then mixed with epoxy-modified silicone resin uniformly, forming insulation coating. The Fe-3.3Si-6.5Cr soft magnetic composites were prepared by compaction and annealing treatment of the coated Fe-3.3Si-6.5Cr powders. The microstructure and composition of Fe-3.3Si-6.5Cr powders were analyzed by scanning electron microscope coupled with energy-dispersive spectrometer, Fourier-transform infrared spectra, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The magnetic properties were determined by the LCR bridge tester and an auto testing system for magnetic materials (MATS-2010SA). Results show that both proper phosphating treatment and annealing at higher temperature can improve the permeability and reduce the core loss of the Fe-3.3Si-6.5Cr SMCs. When the concentration of phosphoric acid was 0.5 wt% and the heat treatment temperature reached 500 °C, the Fe-3.3Si-6.5Cr SMCs showed the optimized magnetic properties, including the permeability (μe) of 44.7 H/cm, the core loss (P) of 521.8 mW/cm3 at the saturated magnetic flux density of 50 mT, and the frequency of 100 kHz. The Fe-3.3Si-6.5Cr SMCs with distinguished magnetic properties provide great application prospect in various fields such as filter inductors, transformers, and sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transfer efficiency is one of the most significant indexes of magnetic coupling wireless power transfer (MC-WPT) systems, which is severely affected by frequency splitting. In this paper, a novel method is proposed for MC-WPT systems to achieve the maximum transfer efficiency by introducing and controlling the circuit detuning factors while maintaining the operating frequency at constant. Firstly, the circuit model of tri-coil MC-WPT systems is established along with the derivation of some key concepts, including the transfer efficiency and circuit detuning factors. Then the analytical expressions of the optimal circuit detuning factors, maximum transfer efficiency and a comprehensive discriminant which could quickly and accurately determine the critical value for every system parameters are derived. Further, the physical interpretation of the maximum transfer efficiency is firstly elucidated from the perspective of energy flow: (1) when the system is in non-splitting region, the energy flow path of the maximum transfer efficiency is transmitter–relay–receiver; (2) when system is in splitting region, the energy flow path of the maximum transfer efficiency is directly from the transmitter to the receiver. Finally, simulation models and practical prototypes are designed to verify the theoretical results. The simulation and experimental results show that the proposed system can maintain an almost constant maximum transfer efficiency over a wide range of transfer distance. The derived discriminant is very useful for guiding the system design in the future, and the energy flow analysis method will be beneficial for maximizing the efficiency for multi-coil MC-WPT systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic strategy of absorbing boundary conditions for molecular dynamics simulations are presented. The exact boundary conditions for crystalline solids with harmonic approximation are expressed as a dynamic Dirichlet-to-Neumann (DtN) map. It connects the displacement of the atoms at the boundary to the traction on these atoms. The DtN map is valid for a domain with general geometry. To avoid evaluating the time convolution of the dynamic DtN map, we approximate the associated kernel function by rational functions in the Laplace domain. The parameters in the approximations are determined by interpolations. The explicit forms of the zeroth, first, and second order approximations will be presented. The stability of the molecular dynamics model, supplemented with these absorbing boundary conditions is established. Two numerical simulations are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of perovskite oxides SrBiMTiO (M = Fe, Mn, Cr) have been synthesized and characterized towards application as cathode materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns reveal that all samples are stabilized in $$ \mathrm{Pm}\ \overline{3}\mathrm{m} $$ space group. Electrical conductivity, AC impedance characteristics, and thermal and chemical stability have been studied in order to assess their possible use as SOFC cathode materials. In comparison with other low electrical conductivity cathodes of SOFC, our results suggest that SrBiMnTiO, which has the highest electrical conductivity (4.02 S cm) and moderate polarization resistance (0.104 Ω cm) at 850 °C, is the most promising candidate among the three perovskite oxides for further study and optimization as a SOFC cathode material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To screen the stable expression genes related to the stress (strong light, dehydration and temperature shock) we applied Absolute real-time PCR technology to determine the transcription numbers of the selected test genes in P orphyra yezoensis, which has been regarded as a potential model species responding the stress conditions in the intertidal. Absolute real-time PCR technology was applied to determine the transcription numbers of the selected test genes in P orphyra yezoensis, which has been regarded as a potential model species in stress responding. According to the results of photosynthesis parameters, we observed that Y(II) and F/ F were significantly affected when stress was imposed on the thalli of P orphyra yezoensis, but underwent almost completely recovered under normal conditions, which were collected for the following experiments. Then three samples, which were treated with different grade stresses combined with salinity, irradiation and temperature, were collected. The transcription numbers of seven constitutive expression genes in above samples were determined after RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis. Finally, a general insight into the selection of internal control genes during stress response was obtained. We found that there were no obvious effects in terms of salinity stress (at salinity 90) on transcription of most genes used in the study. The 18S ribosomal RNA gene had the highest expression level, varying remarkably among different tested groups. RPS8 expression showed a high irregular variance between samples. GAPDH presented comparatively stable expression and could thus be selected as the internal control. EF-1α showed stable expression during the series of multiple-stress tests. Our research provided available references for the selection of internal control genes for transcripts determination of P. yezoensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human lysozyme (hLYZ) has important potential applications as antimicrobial medicine and food additive. To develop a robust expression vector that ensures expression of large amounts of hLYZ in milk, here a 26,267 bp chimeric mouse whey acidic protein ( mWAP):: hLYZ cassette was constructed and used as a mammary gland-specific expression vector, in which a 3,010 bp genomic sequence in the 24,466 bp mWAP gene locus was substituted by a 4,811 bp genomic sequence of hLYZ, exactly from the start codon to the stop codon. Corresponding transgenic mice were generated, and enzymatically-active hLYZ was expressed at 18.4-35 g l in the milk of most transgenic mouse lines. Our transgenic mice carrying chimeric mWAP:: hLYZ represent a model system for cost-effective production of hLYZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock meat is generally low in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are beneficial to human health. An alternative approach to increasing the levels of n-3 PUFAs in meat is to generate transgenic livestock animals. In this study, we describe the generation of cloned pigs that express the cbr- fat- 1 gene from Caenorhabditis briggsae, encoding an n-3 fatty acid desaturase. Analysis of fatty acids demonstrated that the cbr- fat- 1 transgenic pigs produced high levels of n-3 fatty acids from n-6 analogs; consequently, a significantly reduced ratio of n-6/n-3 fatty acids was observed. We demonstrated that the n-3 desaturase gene from C. briggsae was functionally expressed, and had a significant effect on the fatty acid composition of the transgenic pigs, which may allow the production of pork enriched in n-3 PUFAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microsomal enzyme 1, 2-acyl CoA: diacylglyceroltransferase-1 (DGAT1) plays an important role in triglyceride storage in adipose tissue and expresses in skeletal muscle as well. The primary goal of the present study was to investigate the effect of porcine DGAT1 on intramuscular fat (IMF) content of transgenic mice produced by pronuclear microinjection with muscle specific promoter of porcine muscle creatine kinase ( MCK). In normal chow-fed diet, 4 month-old male transgenic mice expressed more DGAT1, ACC1, UCP1, and FABP4 mRNAs and proteins in skeletal muscle than control mice by real-time PCR and western blot. No significant changes were detected for ACC2, CD36, ADRP, PPAR gamma and LPL. Triacylglycerol assay and soleus muscle sections showed overexpression of porcine DGAT1 in skeletal muscle increased intramyocellular triglyceride and percent of the total cell surface covered by lipid droplets. Thus, upregulation of porcine DGAT1 in skeletal muscle increases IMF content. The present study may further serve to develop transgenic pigs with higher IMF content and improved meat quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recombinant production of human serum albumin has been challenging due to the low unit price and huge amount needed, for the commercial production of rhSA at an economically feasible level, It will be well worth the effort to exploit new method for the extremely high level expression of rhSA. To this end, here a hybrid gene locus strategy was employed, a 37 Kb mWAP-hSA hybrid gene locus was constructed and used as mammary gland specific expression vector, in which the 3 Kb genomic coding sequence in the 24 Kb mouse whey acidic protein (mWAP) gene locus was substituted by the 16 Kb genomic coding sequence of human serum albumin (hSA), exactly from the start codon to the end codon. Corresponding transgenic mice were generated and rhSA was secreted into the milk at an extremely high level of 11.9 g/L. Our transgenic mice carrying the mWAP-hSA hybrid gene locus represent a model system for the cost-effective production of human serum albumin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgene expression for the mammary gland bioreactor aimed at producing recombinant proteins requires optimized expression vector construction. Previously we presented a hybrid gene locus strategy, which was originally tested with human lactoferrin (hLF) as target transgene, and an extremely high-level expression of rhLF ever been achieved as to 29.8 g/l in mice milk. Here to demonstrate the broad application of this strategy, another 38.4 kb mWAP-htPA hybrid gene locus was constructed, in which the 3-kb genomic coding sequence in the 24-kb mouse whey acidic protein (mWAP) gene locus was substituted by the 17.4-kb genomic coding sequence of human tissue plasminogen activator (htPA), exactly from the start codon to the end codon. Corresponding five transgenic mice lines were generated and the highest expression level of rhtPA in the milk attained as to 3.3 g/l. Our strategy will provide a universal way for the large-scale production of pharmaceutical proteins in the mammary gland of transgenic animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is a conserved serine/threonine protein kinase that plays pivotal roles during the cell cycle and cell proliferation. Although a number of important targets have been identified, the mechanism of Plk1-regulated pathways and the bulk of the Plk1 interactome are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that Plk1 interacts with the DExH/D RNA helicase, UAP56. The protein levels of UAP56 and Plk1 are inversely correlated during the cell cycle. We also show that Plk1 phosphorylates UAP56 in vitro and in vivo and that Plk1-dependent phosphorylation of UAP56 triggers ubiquitination and degradation of UAP56 through proteasomes. This result suggests that Plk1-mediated phosphorylation of UAP56 regulates the stability of UAP56. Our results will be helpful in further understanding mRNA metabolism, cell cycle progression, and the link between mRNA metabolism and cellular function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]