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• A dynamic weighted phase shift migration (DW-PSM) phased array imaging method is proposed for hybrid fiber reinforced composites. • A modified K-K relation is established by introducing weighting factors for the attenuation and dispersion respectively. • A signal pre-processing procedure is applied to provide an instantaneous equal phase difference for imaging. • Wrinkles in depth can be quickly and accurately characterized by adjusting the weighting factor at only 1.6 s per frame. A dynamic weighted phase shift migration (DW-PSM) is proposed to detect wrinkles of high depth, i.e., larger than 10 mm, in thick fiber reinforced composites with ultrasonic phased arrays. The weighting factors are first introduced for the attenuation and dispersion respectively into modified K-K relations. A pre-processing procedure is then applied to correct the instantaneous phase difference into equal between adjacent layers. After evaluating the effective attenuation coefficients by averaging through all the phased array elements, an optimal weighting factor ratio is determined for each sample. Different to the depth information loss with classical PSM, wrinkles located at 11 mm, 15 mm, and 16 mm can be identified eventually in 18 mm hybrid carbon/glass fiber composite samples based on DW-PSM. A great resolution can be obtained by adopting appropriate frequency, weighting factors and migration steps. The detection errors of wrinkle angles are only 1.97 %, 2.38 %, and 2.42 %, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Most coronary smooth muscle cells(CoSMCs) are differentiated from epicardial progenitor cells(EPCs), but the specific mechanism is not fully investigated. Previous studies have shown that autophagy plays an important role for smooth muscle cells(SMCs) differentiation, yet whether autophagy is involved in the differentiation of EPCs into CoSMCs remains unclear. In the present study, We first isolated and cultured EPCs and continuously cultured them for 72 h. Then the autophagy induction and inhibition experiment was established by using the autophagy inducer Rapamycin(RAPA) and the inhibitor 3-Methyladenine(3-MA). And further animal experiments were conducted to observe the effects of autophagy on the development of coronary arteries. Our data showed that autophagy occurred in the differentiation of EPCs into SMCs. Over activation of autophagy may lead to early transient differentiation of EPCs, enhanced migration ability and weakened systolic function, but overall, CoSMC development is still inhibited. However, inhibition of autophagy may delay the differentiation of EPCs, thus reducing the number of coronary arteries. Together, all these processes indicate that autophagy may regulate the differentiation of EPCs into CoSMCs by affecting the time point of differentiation, and appropriate autophagy intensity is required during the development of CoSMCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer represents the most lethal malignancy that threatens the health of females. Metastasis is the fatal hallmark of breast cancer, and current effective therapeutic targets of metastasis are still lacking. Aberrant O-GalNAcylation, which is attributed to alteration of polypeptide N -acetylgalactosaminyl transferases (GALNTs), has been implicated in cancer metastasis. However, GALNTs that drive metastasis in breast cancer and their underlying mechanisms are largely unclear. In the present study, a negative correlation between GALNT8 and the prognosis of breast cancer patients was observed in multiple groups of Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. We then constructed a stable GALNT8 knockdown MCF7 cell line and performed transcriptome analysis using RNA sequencing, which revealed that the expression of multiple migration-related genes was changed. GALNT8 was identified as a regulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, including E-cadherin, N -cadherin, ZO-1 and vimentin. Moreover, loss- and gain-of-function GALNT8 assays demonstrated that this glycosyltransferase inhibited the metastatic potential of breast cancer cells. Interestingly, the O-GalNAcylation of EGFR, which is the key factor related to the metastasis cascade, was impacted by GALNT8. Furthermore, our results suggested that the GALNT8-mediated O-GalNAcylation led to the suppression of the EGFR signaling pathway and metastatic potential in breast cancer cells. These results suggested that GALNT8 acts as a tumor suppressor, represses tumor metastasis and inhibits the EMT process through the EGFR signaling pathway. This finding may provide insight into the mechanism by which aberrant O-glycosylation modulates breast cancer metastasis. • GALNT8 participates in the EMT process and inhibits the metastatic potential of breast cancer cells. • O-GalNAcylation of EGFR was modulated by GALNT8. • GALNT8 modulates the expression of E-cadherin by inhibiting EGFR activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gait disturbance is a manifestation of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). The posterolateral thalamus (PL), whose blood is mainly supplied by the P2 segment of posterior cerebral artery (P2-PCA), plays pivotal roles in gait regulation. We investigated the influence of the distance between P2-PCA and PL on gait with varying CSVD burden. 71 participants were divided into low and high CSVD burden groups. The distance from P2-PCA to PL was measured using 7 T TOF-MRA and categorized into an immediate or distant PCA-to-thalamus pattern. Functional connectivity (FC) and voxel-based morphometry were assessed to evaluate functional and structural alterations. In the low CSVD burden group, immediate PCA-to-thalamus supply strongly correlates with longer step length and higher wave phase time percent, and exhibited enhanced FCs in left supplementary motor area, right precentral cortex (PreCG.R). While in the high CSVD burden group, no association between PCA-to-thalamus pattern and gait was found, and we observed reduced FC in PreCG.R with immediate PCA-to-thalamus pattern. Higher CSVD burden was associated with decreased gray matter density in bilateral thalamus. However, no significant structural thalamic change was observed between the two types of PCA-to-thalamus patterns in all patients. Our study demonstrated patients with immediate PCA-to-thalamus supply exhibited better gait performance in low CSVD burden populations, which also correlated with enhanced FCs in motor-related cortex, indicating the beneficial effects of the immediate PCA-to-thalamus supply pattern. In the higher burden CSVD populations, the effects of PCA-to-thalamus pattern on gait are void, attributable to the CSVD-related thalamic destruction and impairment of thalamus-related FC. • The vascular structure of the brain may potentially influence gait performance of individuals with CSVD • A shorter distance between the P2-PCA and the posterolateral thalamus prompts better gait performance in patients with a low CSVD burden • This correlation between PCA-to-thalamus vascular supply pattern and gait is not observed in those with a high CSVD burden • Neuroimaging can be instrumental in identifying individuals at a high risk of gait disturbances with low CSVD burden [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two {AsO 2 (OH)}-bridging lanthanide(Ln)-incorporated arsenotungstates (ATs) [H 2 N(CH 3 ) 2 ] 8 LnNa 5 {[W 3 Ln 2 (H 2 O) 8 AsO 8 (OH)][B-α-AsW 9 O 33 ] 2 } 2 ·65H 2 O [Ln = Er III ( 1 ), Yb III ( 2 )] were synthesized by reaction of Na 2 WO 4 ·2H 2 O, Ln(NO 3 ) 3 ·6H 2 O and NaAsO 2 in the presence of dimethylamine hydrochloride. The common structural features of 1 and 2 are that the As III ions not only act as heteroatoms of the AT fragments but also function as the bridging groups to link two identical {[W 3 Ln 2 (H 2 O) 8 AsO 8 (OH)][B-α-AsW 9 O 33 ] 2 } half-units. The results of TG analyses indicate that 1 and 2 undergo the similar three-step weight loss procedure between 25 and 800 °C. The first-step weight loss is attributable to the liberation of sixty-five lattice water molecules, the second-step weight loss corresponds to the release of sixteen coordination water molecules, ten protons as well as eight dimethylamine groups, and the third-step weight loss can be assigned to the sublimation of three As 2 O 3 molecules. In addition, the solid-state photoluminescence properties of 1 and 2 have been investigated and mainly demonstrate the characteristic emission behaviors of Er III ions and Yb III ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epicardial progenitor cells (EpiCs) have a crucial role in cardiac development and vasculature formation. Here we detected the expression of Angiotensin II (Ang II) receptors AT1 and AT2 on EpiCs and demonstrated that AngII could increase the expression of smooth muscle specific markers, including α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and myosin heavy chain 11 (Myh11) in EpiCs. Moreover, the expression of α-SMA and Myh11 induced by Ang II was blocked by pretreatment of EpiCs with the AT1 receptor antagonist losartan, but not the AT2 receptor antagonist PD123319. We further showed that the AngII-induced cells showed significant contractile responses to carbachol. These results implied that AngII could effectively induce EpiCs to differentiate into vascular smooth muscle-like cells through the AT1 receptor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Surgery induces cognitive impairment in aged rats. [•] Surgical trauma activates the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) in aged rat hippocampus. [•] Prophylactic RAS inhibition by candesartan mitigates postoperative cognitive decline. [•] Candesartan improves BBB function and promotes resolution of neuroinflammation. [•] Candesartan may have a therapeutic value for cognitive function in aged brain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]