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Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is among the most generally diagnosed cancers in males. A long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) called AC245100.4 has been discovered and linked to PCa carcinogenesis. However, its specific and potential mechanism is uncertain in PCa. In this research, we investigated the role of AC245100.4 in cell proliferation and the underlying mechanism in PCa cells. Methods: qRT-PCR assays were utilized to detect AC245100.4 expression and confirm its downstream target. The pathways related to AC245100.4 were identified by RAP-MS. PCa cell proliferation was experimented by Cell Counting Kit-8 and Colony formation assays. Western blot was performed to detect PAR2, AKT, p-AKT, Cyclin D1 and PCNA expression. Results: AC245100.4/PAR2 overexpression promotes PCa cell proliferation and the opposite results are obtained after AC245100.4/PAR2 knockdown. Mechanistically, we found that PAR2 is confirmed as the AC245100.4 downstream target and AC245100.4 promotes PCa cell proliferation by regulating PAR2. AC245100.4 promotes PCa cell proliferation via PI3K/AKT pathway. Rescue assays validated that PAR2 knockdown reversed the impact of AC245100.4 overexpression on increasing p-AKT protein levels. Conclusion: This research revealed that AC245100.4 enhances cell proliferation in PCa cells through modulating the PAR2/PI3K/AKT axis, which may offer novel tumor markers and potential therapeutic targets for PCa.

Summary: High myopia (HM) is one of the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness worldwide. Here, we report a whole-exome sequencing (WES) study in 9,613 HM cases and 9,606 controls of Han Chinese ancestry to pinpoint HM-associated risk variants. Single-variant association analysis identified three newly identified -genetic loci associated with HM, including an East Asian ancestry-specific low-frequency variant (rs533280354) in FKBP5. Multi-ancestry meta-analysis with WES data of 2,696 HM cases and 7,186 controls of European ancestry from the UK Biobank discerned a newly identified European ancestry-specific rare variant in FOLH1. Functional experiments revealed a mechanism whereby a single G-to-A transition at rs533280354 disrupted the binding of transcription activator KLF15 to the promoter of FKBP5, resulting in decreased transcription of FKBP5. Furthermore, burden tests showed a significant excess of rare protein-truncating variants among HM cases involved in retinal blood vessel morphogenesis and neurotransmitter transport.

We theoretically investigate light propagation in two coupled nonlinear waveguides with a certain static propagation constant detuning between two waveguides and with the linear refractive index modulated along the propagation direction. By slowly varying the amplitude of modulation, we steer the light to the desired output waveguide when equal amounts of lights are launched into each waveguide. We reveal that depending on the sign of the static propagation constant mismatch (detuning) between two waveguides, the launched light can be completely switched to either of waveguides. Additionally, we numerically examine the performances of light switching for general inputs and modulation amplitudes, and show that the localization of output light is robust against small to moderate variations in the final modulation amplitude, phase difference and intensity distribution of input field between two waveguides. More importantly, according to the principle of the proposed scheme, we are capable of steering the output light to the targeted waveguide at extremely low input power. In theory, our findings can be explained qualitatively by means of adiabatic navigation of the so-called nonlinear Floquet states. Keywords: Light tunneling, Adiabatic passage, Nonlinear waveguides

In this work, an abnormal phenomenon of the superelastic cycle in NiTi alloy with R phase is reported. The phase transformation of the 500°C-annealed-sample is B2-R-B19'. During the first superelastic cycle, the critical stress of stress-induced martensitic transformation (SIMT) is reduced to 305.5 MPa and the phase transition plateau is shortened. With the loading process, the transformation of R–B19′ and the elastic deformation of the B19′ occur. With the unloading process, martensite reversal transformation occurs and the high-density dislocation zone and residual martensite are formed. During the superelastic cycle, the R phase is consumed. The increase of irreversible residual martensite and crystal defects leads to the deterioration of superelasticity.

The COVID-19 pandemic seriously threatened human survival and development. It has also highlighted the significant correlation between ecological and public health. After three years of the COVID pandemic, Chinese consumers have become more aware of the importance of health. Especially in the Internet era, consumers' purchasing methods and health awareness have been changed. Consumers can buy nutritious and organic foods. To understand the impact of consumer psychology and health beliefs on the willingness to purchase organic food in the post-pandemic period, this study uses organic beef as an example and extracts key variables from three basic theories. The three basic theories include the Health Belief Model (HBM), the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and the Norm Activation Model (NAM), respectively. Specifically, perceived susceptibility and severity are combined to form a health belief variable that can drive organic food purchasing. In contrast, perceived benefit, moral norms, self-efficiency, and controllability are introduced as mediating variables to construct the health driving factors of organic beef purchasing. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and mediation effect tests are used to analyse 539 samples. Meanwhile, paths and mechanisms between health concern and other variables are explored. The results show that health concern is an important driving factor. Health concern can significantly promote the formation of willingness to purchase organic beef. Mediation effect tests suggest that health concern can indirectly affect the willingness to purchase organic beef through perceived benefit, moral norms, and controllability, but the mediation effect of self-efficiency is not significant. This study provides important references for government regulation and certification of organic foods as well as for enterprises'organic food marketing strategies.

It is necessary to identify differences among biaxial tensile mechanical properties to describe the plastic anisotropy and potential adjustment ability of yield criteria with the non-integer exponent for the yield surface. Therefore, in this study, uniaxial and cruciform biaxial tensile tests were performed under 17 different loading paths: uniaxial tension in seven different directions, cruciform biaxial tension in rolling/transverse and 45°/135° sampling directions with seven and three different stress ratios, respectively. Based on the BBC2008 yield criterion, the uniaxial yield stresses, rθ-values, yield loci on the normal plane, and shear yield loci on the diagonal plane, predicted using six parameter identification strategies, were quantitatively evaluated for MP980, DP490, 6016-T4, and 5182-O. Results show the constraining and regulation ability of the equi-biaxial tensile data for yield loci to be better than that of near-plane strain state data. The parameter identification strategy considering the non-integer exponent was observed to significantly improved the ability of the yield criterion to describe the anisotropic yield behavior. For a simplified evaluation system that considers only the prediction accuracy of the yield locus under the principal stress state, neglecting the prediction accuracy for the shear yield locus may lead to incorrect judgments regarding the best identification strategy.

As a complicated micro-ecosystem, gut microbes are closely related to metabolic disease, immune disease and tumor (such as constipation. Long-term constipation would cause intestinal mucosal injury, enteritis, ileus, etc., thus inducing intestine cancer). In this research, intestine cancer model group and Codonopsis foetens treatment group were successfully constructed, and the variation of intestinal microbes were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequence. Results showed that there were changes in bacteria abundance of Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Deferribacteres, Tenericutes, and Actinobacteria, etc. Codonopsis foetens could directly or indirectly affect the growth and metabolism of Deferribacteres by altering the nutritional ingredient and pH value of intestine “medium”, thus affecting the occurrence and development of intestinal microbes. Keywords: Codonopsis foetens, Deferribacteres, Intestine tumor, 16S rRNA sequence