Search

[Display omitted] Metal-free activation of peroxydisulfate (PDS) for degrading organic pollutants in water has received increasing attention because it can prevent secondary pollution. However, most of the catalysts that are efficient are derived from non-renewable fossil resources, are very expensive and have complex preparation processes. Also, the emerging non-radical mechanism is still unclear. Herein, 3D sucrose-derived N -doped carbon xerogels (NCXs) were synthesized by a simple and sustainable hydrothermal process and then employed as novel metal-free PDS activators to degrade organic pollutants. The structure, composition and performance of NCXs were regulated by changing the carbonization temperature. The sample carbonized at 900 °C (NCX900) exhibited the best catalytic performance, completely removing bisphenol A in 60 min. Quenching experiments and linear sweep voltammograms demonstrated that PDS was activated mainly through an electron-transfer non-radical mechanism. It was found that graphitic N played a critical role in activating PDS. With this non-radical mechanism, the NCX900/PDS system could adapt well to the wide pH range (3–11) and high Cl− concentration; it selectively oxidized organic pollutants with low ionization potentials. This work provides a sustainable approach to the low-cost and efficient metal-free catalysts for wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Case-controls studies are popular epidemiological designs for detecting gene–environment interactions in the etiology of complex diseases, where the genetic susceptibility and environmental exposures may often be reasonably assumed independent in the source population. Various papers have presented analytical methods exploiting gene–environment independence to achieve better efficiency, all of which require either a rare disease assumption or a distributional assumption on the genetic variables. We relax both assumptions. We construct a semiparametric estimator in case-control studies exploiting gene–environment independence, while the distributions of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposures are both unspecified and the disease rate is assumed unknown and is not required to be close to zero. The resulting estimator is semiparametric efficient and its superiority over prospective logistic regression, the usual analysis in case-control studies, is demonstrated in various numerical illustrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the impact of different methodologies in introducing the transition metal dopants into the thermoelectric Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 ceramics and their resultant nanostructure and electrical transport properties. The polycrystalline ceramics samples are with designed nominal composition of cation substitution of Ca 3 Co 4-x Cu x O 9 (x = 0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1) and cation non-stoichiometric addition of Ca 3 Co 4 Cu y O 9 (y = 0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1), respectively. At low-temperature regime, the electrical resistivity decreased to the lowest values for each set of samples, upon the minute Cu doping with x = 0.01, and the electrical resistivity increase with Cu doping level. The Seebeck coefficient presents little change among Ca 3 Co 4-x Cu x O 9 samples. By contrast, the Seebeck coefficient was significantly increased especially in the low-temperature regime in samples of Ca 3 Cu y Co 4 O 9 , when the Cu addition level is over y = 0.05. While the grain size and crystal texture status are almost unchanged among Ca 3 Co 4-x Cu x O 9 samples, non-stoichiometric Cu addition substantially triggered the grain growth, and essentially change the misfit relationship between the Ca 2 CoO 3 and CoO 2 layers within the unit cell. The present study demonstrates a novel approach for hierarchically modifying the structure of complex oxide ceramics to tune their thermoelectric properties through cation non-stoichiometric addition. This work presents that Cation addition in thermoelectric oxide Ca 3 Co 4 Cu y O 9 hierarchically modified the crystal structure from micron to atomic scales. Non-stoichiometric Cu addition substantially triggered the grain growth, modified the incommensurability of two subsystems in unit cell, and resulted in the significantly enhanced Seebeck coefficient. Image 1 • Cation addition in Ca 3 Co 4 Cu y O 9 hierarchically modified the crystal structure. • Cation addition modified the incommensurability of two subsystems in unit cell. • Ca 3 Co 4 Cu y O 9 ceramics are with significantly enhanced Seebeck coefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Electronic health records (EHR), containing detailed longitudinal clinical information on a large number of patients and covering broad patient populations, open opportunities for comprehensive predictive modeling of disease progression and treatment response. However, since EHRs were originally constructed for administrative purposes not for research, in the EHR-linked studies, it is often not feasible to capture reliable information for analytical variables, especially in the survival setting, when both accurate event status and event times are needed for model building. For example, progression-free survival (PFS), a commonly used survival outcome for cancer patients, often involves complex information embedded in free-text clinical notes and cannot be extracted reliably. Proxies of PFS time such as time to the first mention of progression in the notes are at best good approximations to the true event time. This leads to difficulty in efficiently estimating event rates for an EHR patient cohort. Estimating survival rates based on error-prone outcome definitions can lead to biased results and hamper the power in the downstream analysis. On the other hand, extracting accurate event time information via manual annotation is time and resource intensive. The objective of this study is to develop a calibrated survival rate estimator using noisy outcomes from EHR data. In this paper, we propose a two-stage semi-supervised calibration of noisy event rate (SCANER) estimator that can effectively overcome censoring induced dependency and attains more robust performance (i.e., not sensitive to misspecification of the imputation model) by fully utilizing both a small-labeled set of gold-standard survival outcomes annotated via manual chart review and a set of proxy features automatically captured via EHR in the unlabeled set. We validate the SCANER estimator by estimating the PFS rates for a virtual cohort of lung cancer patients from one large tertiary care center and the ICU-free survival rates for COVID patients from two large tertiary care centers. In terms of survival rate estimates, the SCANER had very similar point estimates compared to the complete-case Kaplan Meier estimator. On the other hand, other benchmark methods for comparison, which fail to account for the induced dependency between event time and the censoring time conditioning on surrogate outcomes, produced biased results across all three case studies. In terms of standard errors, the SCANER estimator was more efficient than the KM estimator, with up to 50% efficiency gain. The SCANER estimator achieves more efficient, robust, and accurate survival rate estimates compared to existing approaches. This promising new approach can also improve the resolution (i.e., granularity of event time) by using labels conditioning on multiple surrogates, particularly among less common or poorly coded conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Diabetic erectile dysfunction (DMED) is mainly attributed to oxidative stress, and Nrf2 plays an important role in cellular antioxidation and regulates NO production in the vascular endothelium. Probucol maintains endothelial function through its antioxidant activity. This study investigated the efficacy and mechanism of probucol in improving erectile function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Methods In our study, thirty 12-week-old Sprague-Dawley male rats were fasted for 12 h. All rats received a 1-time injection of intraperitoneal streptozotocin(60 mg/kg) or vehicle. After 72 h, STZ-treated rats (with random blood glucose concentrations consistently greater than 16.7 mmol/L) were considered diabetic. The diabetic rats were randomly assigned into 2 groups and treated with daily gavage feedings of probucol at doses of 0 and 500 mg/kg for 12 weeks. A positive control group underwent intraperitoneal injection of normal saline followed by daily gavage of saline solution. Erectile function was assessed by electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerves with real-time intracavernous pressure measurement. After euthanasia, penile tissue was investigated using immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and ELISA to assess the proteins of Nrf2/HO-1/DDAH/PPAR-γ/eNOS pathways. Results After treatment, the rats in the probucol group presented significantly improved erectile function (P < 0.05) than that of the diabetic group without probucol treatment (DM). Also, protein expression of Nrf2, DDAH, PPAR-γ, HO-1 and eNOS was significantly higher than that of the DM group (P < 0.05). CGMP concentrations and SOD concentrations of probucol-treated rats were higher than those of DM group (P < 0.05). The MDA levels and ADMA levels were significantly lower than those of DM group rats (P < 0.05). Conclusion Probucol can improve erectile function via activation of Nrf2, which coordinates the HO-1/DDAH/PPAR-γ/eNOS pathways in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To investigate the effect of multi-kinase kinase inhibitors (sorafenib; regorafenib; lenvatinib) on the invasion and metastasis of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, and the outcome of this effect on the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs), yet unclarified. Cells were subjected to four different treatments: blank control group, sorafenib (10 μmol/L) treatment group, regorafenib (20 mmol/L) treatment group, and lenvatinib (4 μmol/L) treatment group. Anti-invasion and anti-metastasis effects were tested using the wound-healing assay and transwell invasion assay. Real-time PCR and Western blot analyses were used to determine the impact of sorafenib, regorafenib, and lenvatinib on the gene expression of MMPs and TIMPs in the two HCC lines (Hep3B and SMMC-7721). Results from the wound-healing and transwell invasion assays showed the three tested anti-cancer drugs to have a significant inhibitory effect on the metastasis and invasion of HCC cells. Real-time PCR and western blot analyses revealed that sorafenib down-regulated the expressions of MMP-7,10,16 and up-regulated those of TIMP-1,3,4, regorafenib down-regulated the expression of MMP-1 and up-regulated TIMP-3 gene expression, and lenvatinib down-regulated the expressions of MMP-1,2,7,9,10,16 and up-regulated those of TIMP-1,3,4. However, these three targeted anti-cancer drugs seem to have no significant regulatory effect on the expressions of other MMPs and TIMPs family genes. In conclusion, sorafenib, regorafenib, and lenvatinib inhibit the invasion and metastasis of HCC cells by regulating MMPs/TIMPs expression levels. Highlights • The multi-target drugs of liver cancer bringing new hope for advance HCC patients. • Sorafenib, regorafenib, and lenvatinib have inhibitory effect on the metastasis and invasion. • They can down-regulate the expression of MMPs and up-regulate the TIMPs level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ZnO/Zn 3 In 2 S 6 /Pt photocatalyst with integrated S-scheme/Schottky heterojunctions exhibited an enhanced H 2 evolution and an efficient bisphenol A removal. [Display omitted] Photocatalytic water splitting has been identified as a promising solution to tackle the current environmental and energy crisis in the world. However, the challenge of this green technology is the inefficient separation and utilization of photogenerated electron-hole pairs in photocatalysts. To overcome this challenge in one system, a ternary ZnO/Zn 3 In 2 S 6 /Pt material was prepared as a photocatalyst using a stepwise hydrothermal process and in-situ photoreduction deposition. The integrated S-scheme/Schottky heterojunction in the constructed ZnO/Zn 3 In 2 S 6 /Pt photocatalyst enabled it to exhibit efficient photoexcited charge separation/transfer. The evolved H 2 reached up to 3.5 mmol g-1h-1. Meanwhile, the ternary composite possessed a high cyclic stability against photo-corrosion under irradiation. Practically, the ZnO/Zn 3 In 2 S 6 /Pt photocatalyst also showed great potential for H 2 evolution while simultaneously degrading organic contaminants like bisphenol A. It is hoped in this work that the incorporation of Schottky junctions and S-scheme heterostructures in the construction of photocatalysts would lead to accelerated electron transfer and high photoinduced electron-hole pair separation, respectively, to synergistically enhance the performance of photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. In investigating concerns brought up regarding the authenticity of the article, the editors reached out to the corresponding author for an explanation. The corresponding author failed to provide a satisfactory explanation. The editors therefore feel that the findings of the manuscript cannot be relied upon and that the article needs to be retracted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activation of mammalian melanocortin-2 receptor (MC2R) orthologs is dependent on a four-amino acid activation motif (LDYL/I) located in the N-terminal of mammalian MRAP1 (melanocortin-2 receptor accessory protein). Previous alanine substitution analysis had shown that the Y residue in this motif appears to be the most important for mediating the activation of mammalian MC2R orthologs. Similar, but not identical amino acid motifs were detected in rainbow trout MRAP1 (YDYL) and zebrafish MRAP1 (YDYV). To determine the importance of these residues in the putative activation motifs, rainbow trout and zebrafish MRAP1 orthologs were individually co-expressed in CHO cells with rainbow trout MC2R, and the activation of this receptor with either the wild-type MRAP1 ortholog or alanine-substituted analogs of the two teleost MRAP1s was analyzed. Alanine substitutions at all four amino acid positions in rainbow trout MRAP1 blocked activation of the rainbow trout MC2R. Single alanine substitutions of the D and Y residues in rainbow trout and zebrafish MRAP1 indicate that these two residues play a significant role in the activation of rainbow trout MC2R. These observations indicate that there are subtle differences in the way that teleost and mammalian MRAPs are involved in the activation of their corresponding MC2R orthologs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background To assess the efficacy and safety of alvimopan in conjunction with enhanced recovery strategy, compared with this strategy alone, in management of postoperative ileus in patients undergoing open abdominal surgery. Methods Electronic databases were comprehensively searched for relevant randomized controlled trials. We were interested in doses of 6 and 12 mg. The efficacy end points included the time to recovery of full gastrointestinal (GI) function (a composite end point measured by the time to first toleration of solid food [SF] and the time to first passage of stool, GI-2), the recovery of upper (SF) or the lower (the time to first bowel movement, BM) GI function, and the length of hospital stay (the time to discharge order written). Safety end points included GI-related, non-GI–related, and serious adverse events. These parameters were all analyzed by RevMan 5.3 software. Results Nine randomized controlled trials involving 4075 patients were enrolled in this study. The pooled results showed that alvimopan significantly decreased the time to GI-2 recovery (6 mg, hazard ratio [HR] = 1.45, P < 0.00001; 12 mg, HR = 1.59, P < 0.00001), BM (6 mg, HR = 1.54, P < 0.00001; 12 mg, HR = 1.74, P = 0.0002), and the time to discharge order written (6 mg, HR = 1.37, P < 0.00001; 12 mg, HR = 1.34, P < 0.00001) compared with the placebo group. However, SF was significantly reduced in 6 mg group (HR = 1.23, P = 0.008) rather than 12 mg group (HR = 1.14, 95% confidence interval 1.00, 1.30, P = 0.04). The incidence of some GI-related and serious adverse events were significantly lower in the alvimopan group than the placebo group, and the dose of 12 mg was superior to 6 mg in this regard. Conclusions Alvimopan can accelerate recovery of GI function (especially for the lower GI tract), shorten the length of hospital stay, and reduce postoperative ileus-related morbidity without compromising opioid analgesia in an enhanced recovery setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the biochemical characterization of the pituitary hormone, adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), in the 1950’s, a number of structure/function studies were done which identifies two amino acid motifs in ACTH, the HFRW motif and KKRR motif, as critical for the activation of the “ACTH” receptor on adrenal cortex cells. In the 1990’s the “ACTH” receptor was identified as a member of the melanocortin receptor gene family, and given the name melanocortin-2 receptor (MC2R). Since that time a number of studies on both tetrapod and teleost MC2R orthologs have established that these orthologs can only be activated by ACTH, but not by any of the MSH-sized melanocortin ligands, and these orthologs require interaction with the melanocortin-2 receptor accessory protein (MRAP) for functional expression. This review summarizes recent structure/function studies on human ACTH, and points out the importance of the GKPVG motif in ACTH for the activation of the receptor. In this regard, a multiple-step model for the activation of tetrapod and teleost MC2R orthologs is presented, and the evolution of gnathostome MC2R ligand selectivity and the requirement for MRAP interaction is discussed in light of a recent study on a cartilaginous fish MC2R ortholog. This review contains excerpts from the Gorbman/Bern Lecture presented at the Second Meeting of the North American Society for Comparative Endocrinology (NASCE). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Energy levels, line strengths, oscillator strengths, radiative decay rates, and fine-structure collision strengths are presented for the Zn-like ions Nb XII and Mo XIII. The atomic data are calculated with the AUTOSTRUCTURE code, where relativistic corrections are introduced according to the Breit–Pauli distorted wave approach. We present the calculations of atomic data for 110 fine-structure levels generated from fifteen configurations (1s22s22p63s23p63d10)4s2, 4s4p, 4p2, 4s4d, 4s4f, 4s5s, 4p4d, 4s5p, 4s5d, 4p4f, 4p5s, 4d2, 4d4f, 4f2, and 3d94s24p. Fine-structure collision strengths for transitions from the ground and the first four excited levels are presented at six electron energies (20, 50, 80, 110, 150, and 180 Ryd). Our atomic structure data are compared with the available experimental and theoretical results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Blockade of Notch signaling increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) in primary HUVECs. [•] Abruption of ROS generation abolished Notch blockade-induced HUVEC proliferation, migration and adhesion. [•] The enhanced generation of ROS after blocking Notch signal was accompanied by augmented expression of Nox4. [•] Increased expression of Nox4 led to enhanced phosphorylation of VEGFR2 and ERK in HUVECs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • New routes include the synthesis of a key phenolic-protected, functionalized benzophenone intermediate. • An alternative approach enables access to the new analogue. • Inexpensive starting materials, mild conditions, and excellent overall yield. • Reasonable, reliable, and suitable method for both bench and industrial scales. KGP94 is a potent, selective, and competitive inhibitor of the lysosomal endopeptidase enzyme (Cathepsin L) currently in preclinical trials for the treatment of metastatic cancer, which is a leading cause of cancer-associated death. Herein, we report two new synthetic routes for synthesizing the target compound through four consecutive steps, using a Weinreb amide approach starting from a common 3-bromobenzoyl chloride. A key step in the approach is a coupling reaction of a readily available Grignard reagent with amide 4 to produce 6 , a previously unreported coupling pattern. These new strategies offer an efficient and alternative approach to synthesis of target compound with an excellent overall yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The study aimed to investigate the effects of atrazine (ATR), chlorpyrifos (CPF), and the mixture of them on nitric oxide (NO) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the brain of common carp. The triazine herbicide ATR and the organophosphorus insecticide CPF are frequently and extensively applied in agriculture all over the world. 220 Carps were averagely divided into eleven groups according to the different treatments and concentration, including the exposure and recovery experiments. In the present study, we investigated production of NO, iNOS activity and iNOS mRNA and protein expression in the brain of the common carp after a 40d exposure to ATR, CPF, alone or in combination, and a 40d recovery treatment. The results showed that the activity of iNOS and production of NO were significantly higher in all groups of fish exposed to high doses ATR, CPF and their mixture compared to control fish. After a 40d recovery treatment, iNOS activity and production of NO were lower than in the corresponding exposure groups in all the recovery groups. The mRNA and protein levels of iNOS were significantly higher in the high-dose group of ATR and CPF compared to control group, but were significantly lower in the group of the mixture of ATR and CPF compared to control group. Results indicated that NO and iNOS were involved in oxidative stress and brain tissue damage induced by ATR, CPF, and their mixture. Thus, the information presented in this study is helpful to understand the mechanism of ATR-, CPF- and ATR/CPF-mixture-induced neurotoxicity in fish. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: When considering the interactions between the melanocortin peptides (i.e., ACTH, α-MSH, β-MSH, γ-MSH) and the melanocortin receptors (i.e., MC1R, MC2R, MC3R, MC4R, MC5R), it appears that the structure/function relationship between ACTH and MC2R is the most complicated. Human ACTH(1–24) and the human melanocortin-2 receptor provide a useful model system for understanding how ACTH emerged as the sole ligand for the melanocortin-2 receptor of bony vertebrates. This review will discuss how studies utilizing analogs of hACTH(1–24) have revealed two critical amino acid motifs in this ligand (HFRW and KKRRP) which are required for activation of the melanocortin-2 receptor. In addition, observations on the unique activation features of the melanocortin-2 receptor, as revealed from studies on Familial Glucocorticoid Deficiency, will be considered. Finally, the evolutionary implications of the relationship between MC2R and MRAP1 will be discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: There is general agreement that the presence of five melanocortin receptor genes in tetrapods is the result of two genome duplications that occurred prior to the emergence of the gnathostomes, and at least one local gene duplication that occurred early in the radiation of the ancestral gnathostomes. Hence, it is assumed that representatives from the extant classes of gnathostomes (i.e., Chondrichthyes, Actinopterygii, Sarcopterygii) should also have five paralogous melanocortin genes. Current studies on cartilaginous fishes indicate that while there is evidence for five paralogous melanocortin receptor genes in this class, to date all five paralogs have not been detected in the genome of a single species. This mini-review will discuss the ligand selectivity properties of the melanocortin-3 receptor of the elephant shark (subclass Holocephali) and the ligand selectivity properties of the melanocortin-3 receptor, melanocortin-4 receptor, and the melanocortin-5 receptor of the dogfish (subclass Elasmobranchii). The potential relationship of these melanocortin receptors to the hypothalamus/pituitary/interrenal axis will be discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Aphids cause much damage to Chinese cabbage in northern China. Over reliance on pesticides have large environmental and human health costs that compel researchers to seek alternative management tactics for aphid control. The component of aphid alarm pheromone, E-β-Farnesene (EβF), extracted from Matricaria chamomilla L., which attracts natural enemies in the laboratory, may have significant implications for the design of cabbage aphid control strategies. The purpose of this paper is to understand the effects of EβF on natural enemies to cabbage aphid control in Chinese cabbage fields. Ladybeetles on Chinese cabbage leaves in EβF released plots and Aphidiidae in EβF released yellow traps were significantly higher than those of in controls. No significant differences were detected in the interactions of different treatments and the two years for all natural enemies. More important, lower aphid densities were found in EβF released plots. Our results suggested that the EβF extracted from M. chamomilla L. could attract natural enemies to reduce cabbage aphids in the Chinese cabbage fields. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We have calculated highly excited fine-structure energy levels and their autoionizing widths for the 3pns 3P1(n=9–33), 3pns 1P1(n=9–27), 3pnd 3D1(n=9–35), 3pnd 3P1(n=8–26), 3pnd 1P1(n=8–26), 3dnp3D1(n=6,8–29), 3dnp3P1(n=6,8–29), 3dnp 1P1(n=6,8–28), 3dnf 3D1(n=7–28), 3dnf 3P1(n=7–27), and 3dnf 1P1(n=7–27) states of the magnesium-like ion Ti XI and for the 3pns 3P1(n=10–35), 3pns 1P1(n=10–25), 3pnd 3D1(n=10–35),3pnd 3P1(n=10–25),3pnd 1P1(n=10–24),3dnp 3D1(n=7,9–31),3dnp 3P1(n=7,9–31),3dnp 1P1(n=7,9–28),3dnf 3D1(n=9–30),3dnf 3P1(n=9–28), and 3dnf 1P1(n=9–28) states of the magnesium-like ion Fe XV. The calculations are based on the relativistic Breit–Pauli -matrix approximation combined with the QB method [L. Quigley, K. Berrington, J. Pelan, Comput. Phys. Commun. 144 (1998) 225]. We report many previously unpublished energy values and autoionizing widths for these magnesium-like ions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Analysis of the functional expression of the melanocortin 2 receptor (MC2R) from a rather broad spectrum of vertebrates indicates that MC2R is exclusively selective for the ligand, ACTH, and the melanocortin receptor accessory protein 1 (MRAP1) is required for high affinity ACTH binding and activation of MC2R. A phylogenetic analysis of MRAP1 suggested that tetrapod sequences and bony fish sequences may represent two distinct trends in the evolution of the mrap1 gene. To test this hypothesis, a frog (Xenopus tropicalis) MC2R was expressed in CHO cells either in the presence of a tetrapod (mouse) MRAP1 or a bony fish (zebrafish) MRAP1. The response of frog MC2R to different concentrations of human ACTH(1–24) was more robust in the presence of mouse MRAP1 than in the presence of zebrafish MRAP1. Conversely, the cAMP response mediated by the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) MC2R was almost twofold higher and occurred at 1000-fold lower ACTH concentration in the presence of zebrafish MRAP1 than in the presence of mouse MRAP1. Collectively, these experiments raise the possibility that at least two distinct trends have emerged in the co-evolution of MC2R/MRAP1 interactions during the radiation of the vertebrates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, the loop domain (aa 1–70) of the phycobilisome core-membrane linker, LCM, was found to interact with the glycosyl transferase homolog, Sll1466. Growth of a Sll1466 knock-out mutant was slightly faster in low light, but strongly inhibited in high light; the phenotype is discussed in relation to the regulation of light energy transfer to photosystem II. At the molecular level, the mutant shows the following changes compared to the wild type: (1) a smaller size and higher mobility of phycobilisomes on the thylakoid membrane, and (2) a changed lipid composition of the thylakoid membrane, especially decreased amounts of digalactosyl diacylglycerol. These results indicate a profound regulatory role for Sll1466 in regulating photosynthetic energy transfer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

One of the most frequent allelic deletions in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been found at chromosome 8p21–23. We reported here the identification and characterization of a novel gene for a hepatocellular carcinoma related protein 1 (HCRP1) localized at 8p22, which was isolated by positional candidate cloning. The expression of the gene for HCRP1 was most abundant in normal human liver tissue and significantly reduced or undetected in HCC tissues. The analysis of subcellular distribution showed that HCRP1 diffused in the cytoplasm with a significant fraction accumulated in the nuclei. After introduction of the sense and antisense cDNA of HCRP1 into HCC cell line SMMC-7721, we observed that the overexpression of HCRP1 significantly inhibited both anchorage-dependent and anchorage-independent cell growth in vitro. Using the transgenic short hairpin RNA (shRNA) to knock down the expression of HCRP1 gene in the other HCC cell line BEL-7404 resulted in the cell growth greatly enhanced. Moreover, reduction of the HCRP1 gene expression could also elevate the invasive ability of BEL-7404 cells. Our results strongly suggest that HCRP1 might be a growth inhibitory protein and associated with decreasing the invasion of HCC cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Perovskite calcium manganate CaMnO 3-δ is representative of an essential group of semiconductors with unique physical phenomena including colossal magnetoresistance and thermoelectric properties. For the large-scale applications that require the utilization of oxide ceramics, the polycrystalline materials' physical properties such as conductivity can be controlled and ultimately optimized through tuning the ceramics sintering conditions. In the present study, the impact of the sintering temperature on the structure and thermoelectric performance of CaMnO 3-δ is systematically studied. For the ceramics pellets made of precursors powders synthesized using the chemical sol-gel reaction, the increase in the sintering temperature dramatically increases the electrical conductivity by order of magnitude and simultaneously increases the Seebeck coefficient. Meanwhile, the thermal conductivity increases with the rise of the sintering temperature. Among the samples sintered at different temperatures, the peaking thermoelectric Figure of Merit ZT of pristine CaMnO 3-δ reached 0.28, which is a factor of 2.5 higher than the highest reported ZT for pristine CaMnO 3-δ and approached that of the doped single-phase CaMnO 3-δ. The electrical and thermal properties changes were interpreted based on the oxide ceramics hierarchical structure evolutions, from unit cell level to micron scales, induced by changes of sintering temperatures. Image 1 • Sintering temperature has a significant impact on the hierarchical structure. • Hierarchical structure changes affect the electrical and thermal conductivities. • Processing principle for perovskite thermoelectric ceramics. • Design guidance of the perovskite family oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, by solvothermal reaction of Cu(NO 3) 2 ·3H 2 O or Co(NO 3) 2 ·6H 2 O with the H 4 Tdada ligand in a mixed solvent of H 2 O and DMA, two novel coordination polymers (CPs) were prepared and their chemical formulae are {[(CH 3) 2 NH 2 ] 2 [Co(Tdada)](H 2 O) 3 } n (1) and {[Cu 2 (Tdada)(H 2 O)(DMA)](DMA) 3 } n (2 , H 4 Tdada ​= ​5,5′-((thiophene-2,5-dicarbonyl) bis(azanediyl)) diisophthalic acid). The single crystal X-diffraction studies show that compound 1 shows a 3D 2-fold interpenetrated framework with a 4-connected dia topology and compound 2 shows a non-interpenetrated framework with a 4-connected lon topology. The magnetic investigations indicate that the two compounds possess antiferromagnetic coupling between neighboring metallic ions, and the Curie-Weiss constant is −7.5 ​K for 1 and -6.04 ​K for 2 , respectively. Their treatment activity on viral myocarditis was evaluated and the related mechanism was discussed at the same time. First of all, the Cell Counting Kit-8 was carried out to evaluate the toxicity of compounds 1 and 2. The Annexin V-FITC Apoptosis Detection Kit was conducted and the apoptosis of the virus infected cardiomyocytes was measured. In addition to this, the ELISA detection was used to measure the hs-cTnT in the cardiomyocytes after compound 1 or 2 treatment. Image 1 • Two novel coordination polymers were solvothermally prepared. • The magnetic investigations indicate their antiferromagnetic interactions. • The apoptosis of the virus infected cardiomyocytes was measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate whether sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) can reduce important cardiorenal endpoints in type 2 diabetic adults without established cardiovascular disease (ECD), in those without heart failure (HF), and in those without chronic kidney disease (CKD). We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and clinicaltrials.gov. Event-driven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies were included. We conducted random-effects meta-analysis, respectively based on RCTs and cohort studies, on eight cardiorenal endpoints in three type 2 diabetic subgroups. Thirteen large studies were included. Meta-analysis of RCTs showed the high quality evidences: compared with placebo, SGLT2is significantly reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, cardiovascular death or hospitalization for HF, and progression of CKD in type 2 diabetic adults without ECD [HRs (95 % CIs): 0.88 (0.82, 0.94), 0.76 (0.70, 0.82), and 0.59 (0.52, 0.66), respectively; risk differences (95 % CIs): −1.6 (−2.4, −0.8), −2.6 (−3.3, −2.0), and −2.4 (−2.8, −2.0) per 1000 patient-years, respectively], in those without HF [HRs (95 % CIs): 0.89 (0.82, 0.95), 0.74 (0.67, 0.81), and 0.61 (0.55, 0.67), respectively; risk differences (95 % CIs): −1.7 (−2.9, −0.8), −5.8 (−7.3, −4.2), and −2.3 (−2.6, −1.9) per 1000 patient-years, respectively], and in those without CKD [HRs (95 % CIs): 0.88 (0.82, 0.94), 0.77 (0.71, 0.83), and 0.63 (0.57, 0.70), respectively; risk differences (95 % CIs): −2.4 (−3.6, −1.2), −6.1 (−7.6, −4.5), and −2.2 (−2.6, −1.8) per 1000 patient-years, respectively]. Meta-analysis of cohort studies also showed the benefits of SGLT2is on the three composite outcomes in the three diabetic subgroups. SGLT2is also significantly reduced some other cardiorenal endpoints in these diabetic subgroups. SGLT2is can significantly reduce important cardiorenal events in type 2 diabetic adults without ECD, in those without HF, and in those without CKD; which supports SGLT2is used in these diabetic subpopulations to prevent cardiorenal events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, carbon aerogels (CA) were prepared by a facile and eco-friendly approach from glucose, an abundant and inexpensive sugar molecule, and further activated by potassium hydroxide. An interconnected coral-like microstructure of carbon was built up in sol–gel process, and activation process resulted in a more efficient development of microporosity and mesoporosity. Thus, activated carbon aerogels (ACA) with specific surface area up to 2413 m2·g−1 were obtained. The unique morphology, ultrahigh specific surface area, and increased functional groups rendered the obtained ACA superior adsorption capacity (194.07–1030.05 mg·g−1) for several kinds of organic pollutants, such as phenols (phenol, p -nitrophenol and resorcinol), antibiotics (tetracycline, oxytetracycline, doxycycline and sulfamethazine), and dyes (methylene blue). Among them, the adsorption of p -nitrophenol onto ACA could reach 613.34 mg·g−1 (293 K) and had a broad pH application range from 2 to 10 with good regeneration ability. The adsorption kinetics studies implied that intraparticle diffusion and pore diffusion were the limiting steps of the adsorption rate. Adsorption isotherms showed that the interaction between p -nitrophenol and ACA surface was monolayer adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable and metastable vortex states in two-dimensional three-component Bose–Einstein condensates are studied in the presence of spin–orbit coupling. The ground states exhibit two skyrmion structures which respectively correspond to the d-skyrmion in antiferromagnetic or the F-skyrmion in ferromagnetic condensates. The half skyrmion and full skyrmion can be controlled by changing the strength of the spin–orbit coupling. We also find a stable composite vortex state which is associated to mixing of the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic manifolds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) plays an important role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. It is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern with a frequency of approximately 1:1,000,000 worldwide. Previous study has demonstrated that more than six genes underlie this disorder. In addition, copy number variants (CNVs) including disease-causing genes also play a crucial role in it. In this study, we have employed SNP-ARRAY chip technology to detect the pathogenic CNVs in a HTG patient who carried no meaningful mutations in HTG candidate genes. And we identified a de novo CNV interstitial 134.7 kb duplication of chromosome region 10q26.3 containing CYP2E1 . And this CNV also has been confirmed by Real-time PCR. CYP2E1 is a member of cytochrome P450 superfamily of enzymes which play an important role in fatty acid metabolism. Our study is consistent with previous research and further claimes that CNVs containing CYP2E1 may be related to HTG and obesity. Our study not only further confirmes the hypothesis that the CYP2E1 is a plausible candidate gene for HTG, but also may contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of these genomic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although it has been suggested that Dll3, one of the Notch ligands, promotes the proliferation and inhibits the apoptosis of cancer cells, the role of Dll3 in cancers remains unclear. In this study, we found that in the murine Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells, the level of Dll3 mRNA changed upon tumor microenvironment (TME) stimulation, namely, decreased under hypoxia or stimulated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Dll3 was also expressed at higher level in human lung carcinoma tissues than in the para-carcinoma tissues. Overexpression of Dll3 in LLC cells promoted cell proliferation and reduced apoptosis in vitro, and enhanced tumor growth when inoculated in vivo in mice. The Dll3-mediated proliferation could be due to increased Akt phosphorylation in LLC cells, because an Akt inhibitor counteracted Dll3-induced proliferation. Moreover, Dll3 overexpression promoted PI3K/Akt signaling through inhibiting Notch signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver organogenesis is a complex process. Although many signaling pathways and key factors have been identified during liver development, little is known about the regulation of late liver development, especially liver maturation. As a transcriptional repressor, SPEN has been demonstrated to interact with lncRNAs and transcription factors to participate in X chromosome inactivation, neural development, and lymphocyte differentiation. General disruption of SPEN results in embryonic lethality accompanied by hampered liver development in mice. However, the function of SPEN in embryonic liver development has not been reported. In this study, we demonstrate that SPEN is required for hepatocyte maturation using hepatocyte-specific disruption of SPEN with albumin-Cre-mediated knockout. SPEN expression was upregulated in hepatocytes along with liver development in mice. The deletion of the SPEN gene repressed hepatic maturation, mainly by a decrease in hepatic metabolic function and disruption of hepatocyte zonation. Additional experiments revealed that transcription factors which control hepatocyte maturation were strongly downregulated in SPEN-deficient hepatocytes, especially Hnf4α. Furthermore, restoration of Hnf4α levels partially rescued the immature state of hepatocytes caused by SPEN gene deletion. Taken together, these results reveal an unexpected role of SPEN in liver maturation. • SPEN expression was upregulated in hepatocytes during liver development in mice. • Hepatocyte SPEN ablation repressed hepatic maturation, manifested bythe impairment of hepatic metabolic function and disruption of hepatocyte zonation. • Transcription factors which control hepatocyte maturation were strongly downregulated in SPEN-deficient hepatocytes, especially Hnf4α. • Restoration of Hnf4α levels partially rescued the immature state of hepatocytes caused by SPEN deletion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] xtMC2R and acMC2R can be functionally expressed in CHO cells if a tetrapod MRAP1 ortholog is co-expressed. [•] Alanine substitution at any position in the H6F7R8W9 motif of ACTH(1–24) will block the activation of either xtMC2R or acMC2R. [•] The 2° structure of the G10K11P12V13G14 motif in ACTH(1–24) is important for the activation of xtMC2R and acMC2R. [•] Alanine substitution at either the K15K16 or the R17R18P19 motif in ACTH(1–24) disrupts activation of xtMC2R or acMC2R. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We investigate exact nonlinear matter wave functions with odd and even parities in the framework of quasi-two-dimensional Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs) with spatially modulated cubic–quintic nonlinearities and harmonic potential. The existence condition for these exact solutions requires that the minimum energy eigenvalue of the corresponding linear Schrödinger equation with harmonic potential is the cutoff value of the chemical potential . The competition between two-body and three-body interactions influences the energy of the localized state. For attractive two-body and three-body interactions, the larger the matter wave order number , the larger the energy of the corresponding localized state. A linear stability analysis and direct simulations with initial white noise demonstrate that, for the same state (fixed ), increasing the number of atoms can add stability. A quasi-stable ground-state matter wave is also found for repulsive two-body and three-body interactions. We also discuss the experimental realization of these results in future experiments. These results are of particular significance to matter wave management in higher-dimensional BECs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The melanocortin 2 receptor (MC2R) is unique in terms of ligand selectivity and in vitro expression in mammalian cell lines as compared to the other four mammalian MCRs. It is well established that ACTH is the only melanocortin ligand that can activate the ACTH receptor (i.e., melanocortin 2 receptor). Recent studies have provided new insights into the presence of a common binding site for the HFRW motif common to all melanocortin ligands. However, the activation of the melanocortin 2 receptor requires an additional amino acid motif that is only found in the sequence of ACTH. This mini-review will focus on these two topics and provide a phylogenetic perspective on the evolution of MC2R ligand selectivity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we report a useful protocol for cloning toxic protein genes. Use of the SOC medium, which is a glucose-containing rich medium, significantly improved the transformation efficiency of a recombinant plasmid containing a toxic plant subtilase SaSBT1 cDNA. Both glucose and rich nutrients present in the SOC medium prevented the unintended activation of the lac promoter carried on the cloning vector, and led to significantly improved transformation efficiency of recombinant plasmids containing toxic protein genes and an increased rate of transformant growth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The cellulose, which is one of the most abundant solid by-products of agriculture and forestry industry, has been successfully tested for the synthesis of nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped carbon-based metal-free catalysts (NPC) via freeze-drying the mixture of cellulose crystallite and ammonium phosphate, followed by annealing of the hydrogel under nitrogen atmosphere at 800 °C for 2 h. Different techniques including TEM, SEM, FTIR and XPS spectroscopy have been applied to characterize the as-prepared NPC, which presents flake-like morphology with N and P doping levels of 4.3 atom% and 10.66 atom%, respectively. The NPC exhibits excellent catalytic activity for the reduction of p -nitrophenol (p -NP). The turnover frequency (TOF) of the reduction of p- NP is as high as 2 × 10−5 mmol·mg−1·min−1 and the apparent kinetic rate constant was calculated as 0.0394 min−1 at room temperature. The catalytic mechanism is proposed by combining the density functional theory calculation and analysis of the experimental results. These findings open up new possibilities of valorization for cellulose-based by-product and treatment of p -NP-based wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose: Our study aimed to investigate whether the glutamatergic system in the hippocampus is correlated with depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy. Methods: Fifty patients with epilepsy were recruited and divided into three groups on the basis of their Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) scores. Single-voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) was carried out. Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were performed to investigate any correlation between the variables of hippocampal metabolites and HAMD scores. Results: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis showed that the ratio of glutamate/glutamine to creatine (Glx/Cr) in the right hippocampus was significantly increased in patients with moderate depression and correlated positively with HAMD scores. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the ratio of Glx/Cr in the right hippocampus was an independent risk factor relating to depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy. Conclusion: A disturbance of the hippocampal glutamatergic system may be involved in the pathogenesis of depression in epilepsy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

WHO suggests that colon cancer incidences are rising steadily, propelling researchers to search for novel chemotherapeutic options. Metal-based chemotherapy is a potential forte to explore ruthenium-based complexes, exhibiting the capability to influence a variety of cellular targets. We discovered the chemotherapeutic effects of ruthenium-rifampicin complex on HT-29 and HCT-116 human colorectal cell lines and on a chemically developed murine colorectal cancer model. Complex was synthesized and characterized by analytical techniques and evaluation of antioxidant potential along with DNA binding capabilities. The complex minimizes cellular propagation and initiates apoptotic events in the colon cancer cell lines of HT-29 and HCT-116. The results of the in vivo study suggest that the complex has been successful in minimizing the wide spectrum of aberrant crypt foci and hyperplastic lesions, as well as encouraging elevated amounts of CAT, SOD and glutathione. Along with that, p53 could be modulated by the ruthenium-rifampicin complex to interfere with apoptosis in colon carcinoma, initiated by the intrinsic apoptotic trail facilitated through Bcl2 and Bax, thus controlling the Akt/mTOR/VEGF pathway coupled through the WNT/β-catenin trail. Ruthenium-rifampicin chemotherapy could interrupt, retract or interrupt the progression of colorectal cancer through modifying intrinsic apoptosis including the antiangiogenic pathway, thereby achieving the function of a potential contender in chemotherapy in the near future. [Display omitted] • Synthesis of novel ruthenium rifampicin complex and their characterization • Chemotherapeutic efficacy of complex in colon cancer cells • Deciphering of signal transduction pathway of the complex in colon carcinoma • Evaluation of apoptotic events in colon carcinoma [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The LIM domain protein KyoT2 negatively regulates the Notch signaling pathway through interaction with RBP-J, the core element of the Notch signaling pathway in the nucleus. Here we show that PIAS1 (the protein inhibitor of activated STAT1) interacts with KyoT2 directly and attenuates KyoT2-mediated transcriptional repression. We demonstrate that KyoT2 is modified by SUMOylation at two lysine residues, K144 and K171. SUMOylation of the transfected KyoT2 is enhanced by PIAS1 but not hPc2, another KyoT2-interacting protein with SUMO E3 ligase activity, and is repressed by a PIAS1 mutant that is deficient of E3 ligase activity. Using mutants disrupting either or both of the SUMO sites, we show that SUMOylation of KyoT2 does not influence its expression, intracellular localization, or interaction with known partners. However, disruption of the K171 SUMOylation site does reinforce the transcriptional repression activity of KyoT2, suggesting that SUMOylation of this site counters the repression activity of KyoT2. Finally, we show that PIAS1 fails to attenuate the repression activity of the K171R mutant of KyoT2, suggesting that PIAS1 may potentially antagonize the transcriptional repression activity of KyoT2 through catalyzing its SUMOylation at K171. These results suggest that KyoT2 is a substrate of SUMO modification catalyzed by PIAS1, and that SUMOylation may modulate the transcriptional repression effect of KyoT2 on the Notch/RBP-J signaling pathway. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Chitooligosaccharides (COS), with a specific degree of polymerization, were evaluated for their effect on human fecal microbiota, as well as their metabolite, using an in vitro anaerobic batch fermentation model. COS increased the richness and diversity of the gut microbial community. More importantly, the microbial community structure of the COS groups was significantly different from the control and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) groups. COS specifically enriched the butyric and propionic acid-producing microbiota and targeted Faecalibacterium , Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 , C._sensu_stricto_13 , and Fusicatenibacter. Furthermore, COS increased the acetic, propionic, and butyric acid contents. The production of propionic acid was greater than that obtained using FOS. Metabolome analysis suggested that COS could upregulate allocholic acid, 1,3-butanediol, 3,4-dihydroxybutanotic acid, and 2-hydroxybutyric acid production and downregulate putrescine, ethanamine, hexanoic acid, and branched chain amino acid (l -valine and l -leucine) production in the fermentation broth. These differential metabolites were closely related to lipid, glucose, and amino acid metabolism. These results should inform further development of COS as potential raw materials for functional foods and health products. [Display omitted] • COS regulated the overall microbial community structure and short-chain fatty acid profile. • COS specifically enriched the butyric and propionic acid-producing microbiota. • The metabolites driven by COS were related to lipid, glucose, and amino acid metabolism. • COS altered the metabolome, and the changes correlated with those in gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]