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The present study aimed to investigate the effects of high-intensity ultrasound (HIU) on the activity and structure, as well as the catalytic characteristics of endogenous proteinase. Initially, the primary proteinase responsible for silver carp surimi modori was analyzed through the investigation of TCA-soluble peptides and sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) on surimi gels with different proteinase inhibitors. The results showed that cysteine proteinase was predominant. On this basis, cathepsin L (Cat L) was selected as a representative, and the corresponding changes in enzymatic characteristics under HIU were evaluated by enzyme activity, particle size, ultraviolet–visible spectra, and sulfhydryl (SH) contents. Moreover, TCA-soluble peptides, SDS-PAGE, and microstructures were conducted to explore the Cat L-catalyzed hydrolysis of myosin. HIU significantly reduced the particle size of Cat L (P < 0.05) and destroyed its tertiary structures, as evidenced by the increased exposure of amino acids. Moreover, some SH groups embedded inside the active sites were exposed, leading to a marked decrease in Cat L activity (P < 0.05). Furthermore, HIU suppressed the myosin hydrolysis induced by Cat L, as supported by reduced degradation of myosin heavy chain and a corresponding decrease in TCA-soluble peptides. Additionally, transmission electron microscope observations demonstrated that the microstructures of myosin induced by HIU-treated Cat L were less coarse. In summary, HIU destroyed the Cat L molecules, leading to a significant reduction in enzyme activity, which inhibited the deterioration of low-salt myosin gels induced by Cat L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term survival outcomes of esophagectomy with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) vs. esophagectomy alone. Methods: A total of 1798 patients who received esophagectomy between January 2010 and February 2020 were included and divided into the 38 patients who underwent OPCABG followed by esophagectomy (OP + ES group) and 1760 patients had only esophagectomy (ES group). Propensity score matching (PSM) and Cox multivariable analyses were performed to compare postoperative complications, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) between the two groups. Results: There were 37 patients in the OP + ES group matched with 74 in the ES group. The matched OP + ES group had higher total postoperative complications than the ES group, especially more pulmonary infections (P = 0.001) and arrhythmias (P = 0.018), but no other postoperative complications were the difference. The DFS was similar and the OS was a significant difference between the matching 2 groups (log-rank, P = 0.132 and 0.04, respectively). Although pT 3/4 stage, pN (+), and tumor length > 3.0 cm were independently associated with worse OS and DFS in multivariable analysis, CAD and EF < 55% were also found to be a predictive factor for OS and DFS in univariate analysis. Conclusion: OPCABG followed by esophagectomy for esophageal cancer associated with coronary artery disease has equivalent DFS and recurrence pattern to esophagectomy for esophageal cancer alone, but with a disadvantage in OS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the ameliorative effect and molecular mechanism of tilapia head glycolipid (TH-GL) on indomethacin (IDM)-induced gastric ulcer in male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. The gastric ulcer model was established by oral administration of 30 mg kg−1 IDM after 7 days of TH-GL or omeprazole (OME) administration in rats. Then the macroscopic gastric injury symptoms, gastric mucosa protective factor cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), the levels of oxidative stress, and inflammatory cytokine expression levels in the rats were analyzed. The experimental results showed that multiple ulcers appeared on the gastric surface of the rats in the model group. Compared to the model group, TH-GL significantly alleviated gastric ulcers and reduced the gastric damage index in rats. In addition, TH-GL significantly promoted the expression of constitutive enzyme COX-1 while inhibited the expression of inducible enzyme COX-2, and make PGE2 maintain at normal levels. TH-GL also inhibited oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione (GSH) content, decreased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the content of pro-inflammatory factor. In conclusion, these results suggested that TH-GL could maintain the expression levels of COX-1 and PGE2 while inhibit the expression of COX-2 in the gastric of rat and then prevent IDM-induced gastric ulcer, which may be related to the regulation of oxidative stress and inflammatory response. Therefore, TH-GL might be a new option for the prevention of gastric diseases induced by IDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pulmonary fibrosis is a characteristic of various interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) with differing etiologies. Clinical trials in progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) enroll patients based on previously described clinical criteria for past progression, which include a clinical practice guideline for PPF classification and inclusion criteria from the INBUILD trial. In this study, we compared the ability of past FVC (forced vital capacity) progression and baseline biomarker levels to predict future progression in a cohort of patients from the PFF Patient Registry. Methods: Biomarkers previously associated with pathobiology and/or progression in pulmonary fibrosis were selected to reflect cellular senescence (telomere length), pulmonary epithelium (SP-D, RAGE), myeloid activation (CXCL13, YKL40, CCL18, OPN) and fibroblast activation (POSTN, COMP, PROC3). Results: PFF or INBUILD-like clinical criteria was used to separate patients into past progressor and non-past progressor groups, and neither clinical criterion appeared to enrich for patients with greater future lung function decline. All baseline biomarkers measured were differentially expressed in patient groups compared to healthy controls. Baseline levels of SP-D and POSTN showed the highest correlations with FVC slope over one year, though correlations were low. Conclusions: Our findings provide further evidence that prior decline in lung function may not predict future disease progression for ILD patients, and elevate the need for molecular definitions of a progressive phenotype. Across ILD subtypes, certain shared pathobiologies may be present based on the molecular profile of certain biomarker groups observed. In particular, SP-D may be a common marker of pulmonary injury and future lung function decline across ILDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific experience is crucial for producing high-quality research, and the approach of acquisition can significantly impact its accumulation rate. We present a framework for scientific experience acquisition that outlines the dual dimensions of experience accumulation: self-accumulation and accumulation under senior expert guidance. To validate the framework, we conducted a case study using 2,957,700 papers from all 568 Chinese humanities and social science journals, taking into account the limitations of the international journal system. Our findings reveal that self-accumulation has been gradually declining, decreasing from 57.67% in 1980 to 4.55% in 2020. Conversely, accumulation under senior expert guidance has been steadily increasing, rising from 5.7% in 1980 to 28.69% in 2020. Furthermore, the proportion of the two approaches varies by discipline. Social sciences such as Psychology, Economics, and Management, which rely more on large teams and collaborative research, have a higher proportion of accumulation under senior expert guidance than humanities disciplines like Art, History, and Philosophy, which depend more on individual research. Finally, this research also offers a distinctive exploration of the question posed by the US National Science and Technology Council (2008): how and why do communities of innovation form and evolve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the changes in cross-linking of low-salt myosin mediated by microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) under high intensity ultrasound (HIU). HIU activated the fish endogenous transglutaminase by 14.11%. Meanwhile, HIU induced the conformational changes in low-salt myosin with decrease of α-helix and increase of β-sheet structures. At 0.1 mol/L salt, compared to solely treated MTGase/solely treated myosin, the most ε-(γ-Glu)-Lys bonds were formed in HIU-treated MTGase + myosin, evidenced by the lowest solubility. Correspondingly, the G' showed the highest increase rate. Consequently, the samples formed regular and continuous protein matrix structures. Specifically, the microstructures of HIU-treated MTGase + myosin samples at 0.1 mol/L salt were even more compact than those of control samples at 0.3 mol/L salt. Besides, HIU-treated MTGase + myosin improved the water holding capacity by 18.28%. In summary, HIU promoted the cross-linking between low-salt myosin mediated by MTGase through activating the enzyme, improving substrate dispersion, or both, with the largest improvement degree observed for HIU-treated MTGase + myosin group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dabie Orogenic Belt is rich in geothermal resources, while relevant research is insufficient. To further find out the reserves of geothermal resources and their sources in the Dabie Orogenic Belt, reveal the mechanism of thermal circulations, and conduct quantitative assessments of the recharge sources, temperature of thermal reservoirs and depth of thermal circulations in the research area, on basis of thorough understanding of the geological conditions of the geothermal resources in the Dabie Orogenic Belt, four groups of geothermal water samples and six groups of underground cold water samples were collected in Xifei Geothermal Field for quantitative calculation, so as to test the hydrochemical characteristics and analyse the evolution process of geothermal water. The calculation results show that the geothermal water in Xifei Geothermal Field can be classified into SO4–Na type, and the main anions and cations in it derive from the dissolution of silicate and gypsum minerals. The data of δD and δ18O shows that the geothermal water is mainly recharged by the percolation of meteoric water. The temperature of geothermal reservoirs calculated with quartz and chalcedony geo-thermometers and by simulated multi-mineral equilibrium ranges from 85.05 to 116.31 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the relationship between macro and meso parameters of the gas hydrate bearing coal (GHBC) and to calibrate the meso-parameters, the numerical tests were conducted to simulate the laboratory triaxial compression tests by PFC3D, with the parallel bond model employed as the particle contact constitutive model. First, twenty simulation tests were conducted to quantify the relationship between the macro–meso parameters. Then, nine orthogonal simulation tests were performed using four meso-mechanical parameters in a three-level to evaluate the sensitivity of the meso-mechanical parameters. Furthermore, the calibration method of the meso-parameters were then proposed. Finally, the contact force chain, the contact force and the contact number were examined to investigate the saturation effect on the meso-mechanical behavior of GHBC. The results show that: (1) The elastic modulus linearly increases with the bonding stiffness ratio and the friction coefficient while exponentially increasing with the normal bonding strength and the bonding radius coefficient. The failure strength increases exponentially with the increase of the friction coefficient, the normal bonding strength and the bonding radius coefficient, and remains constant with the increase of bond stiffness ratio; (2) The friction coefficient and the bond radius coefficient are most sensitive to the elastic modulus and the failure strength; (3) The number of the force chains, the contact force, and the bond strength between particles will increase with the increase of the hydrate saturation, which leads to the larger failure strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are limited therapeutic options for patients with advanced prostate cancer (PCa). We previously found that heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) expression is increased in PCa and is an actionable target. In this manuscript, we identify that HSF1 regulates the conversion of homocysteine to cystathionine in the transsulfuration pathway by altering levels of cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS). We find that HSF1 directly binds the CBS gene and upregulates CBS mRNA levels. Targeting CBS decreases PCa growth and induces tumor cell death while benign prostate cells are largely unaffected. Combined inhibition of HSF1 and CBS results in more pronounced inhibition of PCa cell proliferation and reduction of transsulfuration pathway metabolites. Combination of HSF1 and CBS knockout decreases tumor size for a small cell PCa xenograft mouse model. Our study thus provides new insights into the molecular mechanism of HSF1 function and an effective therapeutic strategy against advanced PCa. HSF1 regulates the conversion of homocysteine to cystathionine in the trans-sulfuration pathway by altering levels of cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS), and targeting CBS decreases pancreatic cancer growth while leaving benign prostate cells largely unaffected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global environmental concern surrounding microplastic (MP) pollution has raised alarms due to its potential health risks to animals, plants, and humans. Because of the complex structure and composition of microplastics (MPs), the detection methods are limited, resulting in restricted detection accuracy. Surface enhancement of Raman spectroscopy (SERS), a spectral technique, offers several advantages, such as high resolution and low detection limit. It has the potential to be extensively employed for sensitive detection and high-resolution imaging of microplastics. We have summarized the research conducted in recent years on the detection of microplastics using Raman and SERS. Here, we have reviewed qualitative and quantitative analyses of microplastics and their derivatives, as well as the latest progress, challenges, and potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Interoception plays an important role in maintaining body homeostasis, which is closely associated with emotional health and the function of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Tai Chi Chuan (TCC), as a typical mindfulness-based movement, is an effective integrative practice to alleviate negative emotions. This study aimed to explore the mediating role of different dimensions of interoception between TCC and emotional health. Method: This study employed quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test pattern. The sample included 86 college students, 50 in the TCC group and 36 in the control group. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) was administered at baseline and 12-week follow-up to evaluate negative emotions, while three dimensions of interoception, interoceptive sensibility (IS), interoceptive accuracy (IAc) and interoceptive awareness (IAw), were measured by the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA), heartbeat counting task and confidence rating, respectively. Additionally, heart rate variability (HRV) during the abdominal breathing state at baseline and 12-week follow-up was collected. Results: At follow-up, the TCC group showed decreased anxiety levels, increased IS and IAw, and increased HRV, while the control group showed increased DASS total score and score increases on all DASS sub-subscales. In the TCC group, increased IS was correlated with decreased negative emotions and increased HRV parameters. Moreover, the change in IS mediated the relationship between TCC intervention and decreased anxiety. Conclusions: These findings suggest that IS might be one of the mechanisms of decreased anxiety after TCC intervention. It also sheds light on the clinical intervention of emotional disorders from an entirely new perspective. Preregistration: This study is not pre-registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Knowledge on the impact of the temporary kindergarten closure policy under COVID-19 in 2020 on childhood overweight and obesity is inadequate. We aimed to examine differences in rates of overweight and obesity from 2018 to 2021 among kindergarten children aged 3–7 years. Methods: Overweight was defined as body mass index (BMI) > 1 standard deviation (SD) for age and sex, and obesity was defined as BMI > 2 SD for age and sex. Generalized linear mixed modeling was used for analysis. Results: A total of 44,884 children and 71,216 growth data points from all 57 public kindergartens in Jiading District, Shanghai, China were analyzed. The rates of obesity from 2018 to 2021 were 6.9%, 6.6%, 9.5%, and 7.3% in boys and 2.8%, 2.8%, 4.5%, and 3.1% in girls, respectively. The rates of overweight from 2018 to 2021 were 14.3%, 14.3%, 18.2%, and 15.3% in boys and 10.6%, 10.9%, 13.9%, and 11.6% in girls. The rates of obesity and overweight among kindergarten children in 2020 were significantly higher than those in 2018, 2019, and 2021. Compared to 2020, the odds ratios of the obesity rate in 2018, 2019, and 2021 were 0.67 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.58–0.77, P < 0.001], 0.72 (95% CI = 0.64–0.80, P < 0.001) and 0.81 (95% CI = 0.72–0.92, P = 0.001), respectively. The odds ratios of the overweight rate in 2018, 2019, and 2021 were 0.75 (95% CI = 0.69–0.82, P < 0.001), 0.78 (95% CI = 0.72–0.84, P < 0.001), and 0.89 (95% CI = 0.81–0.97, P = 0.008), respectively, compared to 2020. Conclusions: The rates of overweight and obesity significantly increased among kindergarten children in 2020 after the 5-month kindergarten closure. It was critical to provide guidance to caregivers on fostering a healthy lifestyle for children at home under public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L-Carnitine is widespread in nature, but little information is available on its metabolism and physiological functions in moderate halophiles. In this study, we found that Chromohalobacter salexigens DSM 3043 could utilize carnitine not only as a nutrient, but also as an osmolyte. When grown at 37 °C under salt-stress conditions, the strain utilized carnitine as an osmoprotectant by enzymatically converting it into GB. When grown at low and high temperature, both carnitine and its metabolic intermediate GB were simultaneously accumulated intracellularly, serving as cryoprotectants and thermoprotectants. The genes (csal_3172, csal_3173, and csal_3174) which were predicted to participate in L-carnitine degradation to GB were deleted to construct the corresponding mutants. The effects of salinity and temperature on the growth rates and cytoplasmic solute pools of the C. salexigens wild-type and mutant strains were investigated. 13C-NMR analysis revealed that GB was still detected in the Δcsal_3172Δcsal_3173Δcsal_3174 mutant grown in a defined medium with added DL-carnitine, but not with L-carnitine, indicating that an unidentified D-carnitine degradation pathway exists in C. salexigens. Taken together, the data presented in this study expand our knowledge on carnitine metabolism and its physiological functions in C. salexigens exposed to single or multiple environmental abiotic stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have already carried out the research on the pyrolysis kinetics and pyrolysis process mechanism of waste circuit board resin powder. In this study, we focused on the physical and chemical properties of solid–gas–liquid phase products from the pyrolysis of resin powder. The pyrolysis process of WPCB at different heating rates was analyzed by thermogravimetric analyzer (TG), and the parameters were statistically analyzed. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to observe the micro-morphology of the pyrolytic solid products under the high-resolution demonstration conditions of 5 μm and 1 μm, mainly the combination morphology of pyrolytic carbon and glass fiber, and the combination energy spectrum analysis was used to detect the elements C, Si, Al and Ca as the main chemical components of the solid substances. In order to further understand the composition and distribution of functional groups in the pyrolysis residues, the absorption vibration peaks of pyrolysis carbon were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and the attribution of different vibration peaks was interpreted. It was found that the key chemical substances were the substitutes of phenol, isopropyl phenol and bisphenol A. The chemical structure types and yield of liquid pyrolysis tar at pyrolysis temperature of 673.15 K were tested by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The major constituent of liquid-phase product was phenolic compounds, the total content of which is 74.63%. The composition of non-condensable gasses produced by WPCB under vacuum pyrolysis conditions was observed by GC–MS, mainly containing H2, CO2, CO and CH4. In addition, TG-FTIR was used to further observe the pyrolysis process of WPCB and to track the components of gasses escaping from the pyrolysis process, namely CO2, phenol and substituted phenol. However, TG-FTIR detected bromine in the gas, suggesting that HBr gas may exist. Therefore, when the pyrolysis gas is recycled as fuel gas, it is recommended to first perform the de-bromination treatment of the pyrolysis gas to avoid HBr escape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During postoperative follow-up, the visible range of maxillary sinus (MS) is limited, even combining 0° and 70° rigid endoscopes together. Flexible endoscope has been used in larynx examinations for a long time, but rarely in nasal cavity and sinus. We aimed to evaluate the application values of rigid and flexible endoscopes for visualization of MS.Methods: We followed up 70 patients with lesions in MS via both rigid and flexible endoscopes. In addition, we used thin-slice CT image of the sinus to create a MS model and divided it into two parts for 3D printing. The inner surface of the 3D-printed sinus was marked with grid papers of the same size (5 mm × 5 mm), then the visual range under rigid endoscopes with different angle and flexible endoscopes was calculated and analyzed.Results: In clinical follow-up, we found that flexible endoscopy can reach where rigid endoscopy cannot, which is more sensitive than medical imaging. Endoscopes showed the largest observation range of the posterolateral wall, more than half of which can be visualized by 0° endoscope. Almost all of the posterolateral wall can be revealed under 45° endoscope, 70° endoscope and flexible endoscope. The visual range of each wall under flexible endoscope is generally greater than that under rigid endoscopes, especially of the anterior wall, medial wall and inferior wall.Conclusion: There was obviously overall advantage of using flexible endoscope in postoperative follow-up of MS lesions. Flexible endoscopy can expand the range of observation, and improve the early detection of the recurrent lesion. We recommend flexible endoscope as a routine application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the high toxicity and widespread availability, it is of great importance to develop accurate, sensitive, and convenient assays for fluoride ion (F−) detection. Herein, a ratiometric fluorescent system is established for point-of-care testing (POCT) of F− with a smartphone as analyzer. The sensing system of calcein-QDs-Eu3+ contains two fluorescent probes of calcein (green emission) and ZnCdSe/ZnS QDs (red emission). The sensing system only presents red emission in that the calcein emission is quenched due to the combination between calcein and Eu3+. When F− is introduced, the fluorescence of calcein is recovered due to the stronger interaction between F− and Eu3+, which changes the emission from red to green. The ratiometric strategy offers an obvious fluorescence color change of the system, which eliminates interference and improves the detection accuracy. Specifically, the sensing system has excellent selectivity in that Eu3+ is more inclined to bind with F− rather than other anions. The developed assay was further used to prepare a test paper and hydrogel for POCT. To further improve the detection sensitivity and realize quantitative analysis, a smartphone installed with a color scan app is integrated as signal reader and analyzer, which is used for POCT of F− in real samples, showing great application potential in environmental protection and food safety evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orthosteric binding sites of olfactory receptors have been well understood for ligand-receptor interactions. However, a lack of explanation for subtle differences in ligand profile of olfactory receptors even with similar orthosteric binding sites promotes more exploration into the entry tunnels of the receptors. An important question regarding entry tunnels is the number of entry tunnels, which was previously believed to be one. Here, we used TAAR9 that recognizes important biogenic amines such as cadaverine, spermine, and spermidine as a model for entry tunnel study. We identified two entry tunnels in TAAR9 and described the residues that form the tunnels. In addition, we found two vestibular binding pockets, each located in one tunnel. We further confirmed the function of two tunnels through site-directed mutagenesis. Our study challenged the existing views regarding the number of entry tunnels in the subfamily of olfactory receptors and demonstrated the possible mechanism how the entry tunnels function in odorant recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hippo/Yes-associated protein (YAP) signaling pathway has been shown to be able to maintain organ size and homeostasis by regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The abuse of aminoglycosides is one of the main causes of sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). However, the role of the Hippo/YAP signaling pathway in cochlear hair cell (HC) damage protection in the auditory field is still unclear. In this study, we used the YAP agonist XMU-MP-1 (XMU) and the inhibitor Verteporfin (VP) to regulate the Hippo/YAP signaling pathway in vitro. We showed that YAP overexpression reduced neomycin-induced HC loss, while downregulated YAP expression increased HC vulnerability after neomycin exposure in vitro. We next found that activation of YAP expression inhibited C-Abl-mediated cell apoptosis, which led to reduced HC loss. Many previous studies have reported that the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is significantly increased in cochlear HCs after neomycin exposure. In our study, we also found that YAP overexpression significantly decreased ROS accumulation, while downregulation of YAP expression increased ROS accumulation. In summary, our results demonstrate that the Hippo/YAP signaling pathway plays an important role in reducing HC injury and maintaining auditory function after aminoglycoside exposure. YAP overexpression could protect against neomycin-induced HC loss by inhibiting C-Abl-mediated cell apoptosis and decreasing ROS accumulation, suggesting that YAP could be a novel therapeutic target for aminoglycosides-induced sensorineural hearing loss in the clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HBV infection is recognized as a serious global health problem, and hepatitis B virus infection is a complicated chronic disease leading to liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). New biochemical serum markers could be used to advance the diagnosis and prognosis of HBV-associated liver diseases during the progression of chronic hepatitis B into cirrhosis and HCC. We determined whether the 4210 Da and 1866 Da polypeptides are serum metabolite biomarkers of hepatopathy with hepatitis B virus. A total of 570 subjects were divided into five groups: healthy controls, those with natural clearance, and patients with CHB, LC, and HCC. The 1866 Da and 4210 Da polypeptides were measured by Clin-ToF II MALDI-TOF–MS. There were significant differences in 4210 Da and 1866 Da levels among the five groups (P < 0.001). For the differential diagnosis of CHB from normal liver, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 4210 Da and 1866 Da and their combination via logistic regression were 0.961, 0.849 and 0.967. For the differential diagnosis of LC from CHB, the areas under the ROC curve were 0.695, 0.841 and 0.826. For the differential diagnosis of HCC from CHB, the areas under the ROC curve were 0.744, 0.710 and 0.761, respectively. For the differential diagnosis of HCC from LC, the areas under the ROC curve of 4210 Da and 1866 Da were 0.580 and 0.654. The positive rate of 1866 Da was 45.5% and 69.0% in AFP-negative HCC patients and that of 4210 Da was 60.6% 58.6% in AFP-negative HCC patients of the study HCC vs. CHB and HCC vs. LC. The 4210 Da and 1866 Da polypeptide levels were positively correlated with HBV DNA levels (P < 0.001, r = 0.269; P < 0.001, r = 0.285). The 4210 Da and 1866 Da polypeptides had good diagnostic value for the occurrence and progression of HBV-related chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and could serve to accurately guide treatment management and predict clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male sterility is an important factor in improving crop quality and yield through heterosis breeding. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptomes of male fertile (MF) and male sterile (MS) alfalfa flower buds using the Illumina HiSeq™ 4000 platform. A total of 54.05 million clean reads were generated and assembled into 65,777 unigenes with an average length of 874 bp. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the MF and MS flowers at three stages of pollen development were identified, and there were 3832, 5678 and 5925 DEGs respectively in stages 1, 2 and 3. GO and KEGG functional enrichment analysis revealed 12, 12, 6 and 12 key branch-point genes involved in circadian rhythm, transcription factors, pollen development and flavonoid biosynthesis. Our findings provide novel insights into the mechanism of male sterility in alfalfa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) is a common mindfulness-based aerobic exercise. However, the evidence on the effects of TCC practice on mindfulness has been controversial. The aim of this study was to explore whether TCC practice with an emphasis on interoceptive awareness could improve mindfulness levels in a healthy adult population. Methods: Sixty-one healthy adults without mind-body practice experience were divided into the TCC and control groups. Participants in the TCC group received classic Yang-style supervised TCC practice for 8 weeks, whereas those in the control group did not receive any intervention. The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness were administrated at baseline, the end of week 8, and the end of week 24. Results: In terms of mindfulness, significant interaction between group and time was found in describing, acting with awareness, nonjudging, and nonreactivity. For interoceptive awareness, there were marginally significant interaction effects of time and group in attention regulation, self-regulation, and trust. TCC practice significantly improved the above-mentioned dimensions of mindfulness and interoceptive awareness. Moreover, we still observed increased describing, acting with awareness, and nonjudging in mindfulness, and trusting in interoceptive awareness for the TCC group at the end of week 24. Conclusions: This study indicated that 8-week TCC practice with a component of interoceptive awareness could increase mindfulness levels, which could still be observed in the 24th week. These findings are of great significance for health practice and treating emotional disorders utilizing mind-body practice as an alternative and complementary medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the differences in the microbial diversity and physicochemical properties of mushroom residue and cow manure to provide a theoretical basis for the use of mushroom residue as cow bedding. High-throughput sequencing was used to analyze the bacterial community composition of mushroom residue and cow manure bedding and determine the physical and chemical properties of these different bedding materials. The results showed that the bacterial communities in the two types of bedding materials could be categorized into 6 classes, 13 orders, 32 families, and 48 genera. The dominant genus in the mushroom residue bedding samples after use by cows was Lactobacillus (36.37%) followed by Corynebacterium (22.15%). The dominant group in the cow manure bedding samples after use was "other" (28.8%), followed by Solibacillus (8.76%). The different bedding materials contained varying number of bacterial species. After use, 499 bacterial species were present in the cow manure bedding, while only 345 bacterial species were present in the mushroom residue bedding. The utilization rate of the mushroom residue bedding by dairy cows was 79%, whereas that of the cow manure bedding was 61%. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the application of mushroom residue bedding for dairy cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular biology research often requires extraction of DNA fragments from agarose gels. In the past decades, there have been many methods developed for this purpose. Currently most researchers, especially novices, use commercial kits for this extraction, although these kits cost money and the procedures involved are not necessarily easier than some erstwhile methods. We herein reintroduce and reassess several simple and cost-free older methods. One method involves excising a slice of the gel containing the DNA fragment, followed by a thaw-and-freeze procedure to release the DNA from the gel slice into the gel-making buffer. The second method involves a dialysis tubing and requires electroelution of the DNA from the gel slice in the tubing. The third one is to centrifuge the gel slice to release the DNA. The fourth method requires electro-transfer of the DNA from the gel into a filter paper, while the fifth one includes either allowing the DNA in the slice to be dissolved into a buffer or dissolving the DNA-containing gel slice, followed by DNA precipitation with ethanol or isopropanol. The strengths and weaknesses of these methods are discussed to assist researchers in making their choice. We also point out that some of the end uses of the DNA fragment in the agarose gel may not actually require extraction of the DNA. For instance, a tiny DNA-containing gel block or filter paper can be directly used as the template in a nested or semi-nested polymerase chain reaction to preliminarily determine the identity of the DNA fragment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributed optical fibre sensors deliver a map of a physical quantity along an optical fibre, providing a unique solution for health monitoring of targeted structures. Considerable developments over recent years have pushed conventional distributed sensors towards their ultimate performance, while any significant improvement demands a substantial hardware overhead. Here, a technique is proposed, encoding the interrogating light signal by a single-sequence aperiodic code and spatially resolving the fibre information through a fast post-processing. The code sequence is once forever computed by a specifically developed genetic algorithm, enabling a performance enhancement using an unmodified conventional configuration for the sensor. The proposed approach is experimentally demonstrated in Brillouin and Raman based sensors, both outperforming the state-of-the-art. This methodological breakthrough can be readily implemented in existing instruments by only modifying the software, offering a simple and cost-effective upgrade towards higher performance for distributed fibre sensing. Performance of distributed optical fiber sensing is partially limited by the need for hardware changes. Here, the authors introduce a coding algorithm that enables enhanced performance through faster processing using only software-based methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Using the Reflux Symptom Index (RSI), this nationwide study aimed to investigate the incidence, diagnostic status, risk factors, and common symptoms of adult laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) at otorhinolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS) clinics in China. Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional survey began at the different institutions ranged from July to October 2017, and the duration was 12 months. A total of 90,440 eligible patients were finally enrolled from 72 medical institutions in China. All these patients completed the questionnaire based on RSI. In this study, LPRD was defined as RSI > 13. Results: There were 9182 with LPRD among the 90,440 eligible participants (10.15%). However, only 1294 had a history of LPRD diagnosis among those with LPRD (14.09%). There were regional differences in the frequency of LPRD (P < 0.001). The proportions of patients with LPRD in males (vs. females), middle- and old-aged patients (vs. young), with current smoking history (vs. no smoking), and current drinking history (vs. no drinking) were significantly higher (all P < 0.001). Middle and old age, current smoking, and drinking history were independent predictors of LPRD (all P < 0.001, OR 1.240, 1.261, and 1.481, respectively). "Sensations of something stuck in throat or a lump in throat", "clearing throat", and "excess throat mucus or postnasal drip" were the most frequent clinical symptoms in patients with LPRD. Conclusions: LPRD has a high incidence at the OHNS clinics in China. However, the diagnostic status of this disease is not optimistic. Older age, smoking, and drinking history were risk factors for LPRD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methionine restriction, a dietary regimen that protects against metabolic diseases and aging, represses cancer growth and improves cancer therapy. However, the response of different cancer cells to this nutritional manipulation is highly variable, and the molecular determinants of this heterogeneity remain poorly understood. Here we report that hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) dictates the sensitivity of liver cancer to methionine restriction. We show that hepatic sulfur amino acid (SAA) metabolism is under transcriptional control of HNF4α. Knocking down HNF4α or SAA enzymes in HNF4α-positive epithelial liver cancer lines impairs SAA metabolism, increases resistance to methionine restriction or sorafenib, promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and induces cell migration. Conversely, genetic or metabolic restoration of the transsulfuration pathway in SAA metabolism significantly alleviates the outcomes induced by HNF4α deficiency in liver cancer cells. Our study identifies HNF4α as a regulator of hepatic SAA metabolism that regulates the sensitivity of liver cancer to methionine restriction. The molecular determinants of differential responses of different cancer cells to methionine restriction are poorly understood. Here the authors show that hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α regulates sulfur amino acid metabolism and dictates the sensitivity of liver cancer to this dietary manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the exact rogue wave solutions for the Hirota equation are investigated on the Jacobi elliptic cn-function background. Under the Bargmann constraint, the differential constraints on the potential are obtained by the nonlinearization of spectral problem. Further, the eigenvalues are determined based on the differential constraint equations. The non-periodic solution of spectral problem is constructed, which can produce rogue periodic wave solutions of the Hirota equation. Moreover, the exact rogue periodic wave solutions are presented via the one- and two-fold Darboux transformation formulas. Finally, the generation mechanism and characteristics of rogue periodic waves are analyzed from the viewpoint of two- and three-dimensional structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the application value of continuous suture of the inferior turbinate in inferior turbinate submucosal bone resection. Methods: Twenty patients with chronic hypertrophic rhinitis with or without nasal septum deviation underwent inferior turbinate submucosal bone resection with or without septoplasty. The inferior turbinate was continuously sutured with or without nasal septum suture after surgery. The nasal cavity was not packed. The postoperative clinical outcome was evaluated using visual analog scales (VASs), saccharin test, nasal endoscopy, and nasal resistance test. Postoperative complications were recorded. Results: All 20 endoscopic surgeries were successfully performed. One day after surgery, the VAS scores of nasal pain (1.3 ± 0.5), headache (0.8 ± 0.4), tearing (0.3 ± 0.3), and bleeding (0.3 ± 0.3) in patients were low; 1 week after surgery, the nasal mucociliary transport time was not significantly prolonged compared to that before surgery (P > 0.05); 1 month after surgery, the symptoms of nasal congestion had improved significantly, as the VAS score for nasal congestion was lower than that before surgery (P < 0.05); the volume of the hypertrophied inferior turbinate of all patients was reduced, the mucous membrane was smooth and rosy, the nasal septum was centrally located, and the total nasal resistance values at 150 Pa pressure had returned to the normal reference range (0.282 ± 0.103 Pa/cm3/s); no complications such as bleeding, nasal infection, nasal dryness, and olfactory disorders occurred. Conclusion: After inferior turbinate submucosal bone resection with or without septoplasty, inferior turbinate continuous suture with or without nasal septum suture instead of nasal packing can significantly improve postoperative discomfort, improve nasal ventilation, protect nasal function, and accelerate postoperative recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foxg1 is one of the forkhead box genes that are involved in morphogenesis, cell fate determination, and proliferation, and Foxg1 was previously reported to be required for morphogenesis of the mammalian inner ear. However, Foxg1 knock-out mice die at birth, and thus the role of Foxg1 in regulating hair cell (HC) regeneration after birth remains unclear. Here we used Sox2CreER/+ Foxg1loxp/loxp mice and Lgr5-EGFPCreER/+ Foxg1loxp/loxp mice to conditionally knock down Foxg1 specifically in Sox2+ SCs and Lgr5+ progenitors, respectively, in neonatal mice. We found that Foxg1 conditional knockdown (cKD) in Sox2+ SCs and Lgr5+ progenitors at postnatal day (P)1 both led to large numbers of extra HCs, especially extra inner HCs (IHCs) at P7, and these extra IHCs with normal hair bundles and synapses could survive at least to P30. The EdU assay failed to detect any EdU+ SCs, while the SC number was significantly decreased in Foxg1 cKD mice, and lineage tracing data showed that much more tdTomato+ HCs originated from Sox2+ SCs in Foxg1 cKD mice compared to the control mice. Moreover, the sphere-forming assay showed that Foxg1 cKD in Lgr5+ progenitors did not significantly change their sphere-forming ability. All these results suggest that Foxg1 cKD promotes HC regeneration and leads to large numbers of extra HCs probably by inducing direct trans-differentiation of SCs and progenitors to HCs. Real-time qPCR showed that cell cycle and Notch signaling pathways were significantly down-regulated in Foxg1 cKD mice cochlear SCs. Together, this study provides new evidence for the role of Foxg1 in regulating HC regeneration from SCs and progenitors in the neonatal mouse cochlea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A waste biomass based hydrogel soybean residue-poly(acrylic acid) (SR–PAA) was prepared through a fast one-step reaction by UV radiation technology. SR–PAA was used to remove Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions. Effect of pH value, temperature, initial concentration, contact time, competitive ions in the solutions on metal ions adsorption and desorption/regeneration capacity of SR–PAA was discussed in detailed. It was found that the adsorption equilibrium was achieved within 20 min, and maximum adsorption for Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions were 1.43 and 2.04 mmol g−1, respectively. Besides, adsorption thermodynamic analysis indicates that the process of Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions adsorption was spontaneous, feasible and exothermic in nature. And experimental data fitted the pseudo-second-order and Freundlich isotherm model well. Moreover, XPS spectra analysis proves that the metal ions were adsorbed on SR–PAA due to the interaction of carboxyl, hydroxyl and amine with these ions as ionic bond, coordination bond and electrostatic interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infections caused by foodborne microorganisms are a great threat to the global environment and public healthcare today. Thus, rapid, portable and sensitive assays that can realize the identification of foodborne bacteria are highly desired. In this study, a smart fluorescent and colorimetric dual-readout sensing system has been established for simple and rapid E. coli determination by utilizing the Cu2+-triggered oxidation of o-phenylenediamine (OPD). Initially, Cu2+ can oxidize OPD to OPDox, resulting in an orange-yellow fluorescence and visible pale-yellow color. However, E. coli can effectively reduce Cu2+ into Cu+, inhibiting the Cu2+-triggered oxidation of OPD to OPDox. Consequently, the introduction of E. coli can turn off both the fluorescence and the UV-vis absorbance signals of the OPD-Cu2+ system, illustrating an original mechanism for fluorescent and colorimetric dual-channel detection of E. coli. Moreover, a filter paper-based visual sensor was built and coupled with OPD-Cu2+ solution under the assistance of a UV lamp. The as-prepared sensor can detect E. coli quantitatively with the help of a typical smartphone color-scanning application (APP). Thus, this study offers a valid dual-mode assay for sensitive and on-site visible detection of E. coli, guaranteeing the reliability of the results and is more attractive for practical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrition exerts considerable effects on health, and dietary interventions are commonly used to treat diseases of metabolic aetiology. Although cancer has a substantial metabolic component1, the principles that define whether nutrition may be used to influence outcomes of cancer are unclear2. Nevertheless, it is established that targeting metabolic pathways with pharmacological agents or radiation can sometimes lead to controlled therapeutic outcomes. By contrast, whether specific dietary interventions can influence the metabolic pathways that are targeted in standard cancer therapies is not known. Here we show that dietary restriction of the essential amino acid methionine—the reduction of which has anti-ageing and anti-obesogenic properties—influences cancer outcome, through controlled and reproducible changes to one-carbon metabolism. This pathway metabolizes methionine and is the target of a variety of cancer interventions that involve chemotherapy and radiation. Methionine restriction produced therapeutic responses in two patient-derived xenograft models of chemotherapy-resistant RAS-driven colorectal cancer, and in a mouse model of autochthonous soft-tissue sarcoma driven by a G12D mutation in KRAS and knockout of p53 (KrasG12D/+;Trp53−/−) that is resistant to radiation. Metabolomics revealed that the therapeutic mechanisms operate via tumour-cell-autonomous effects on flux through one-carbon metabolism that affects redox and nucleotide metabolism—and thus interact with the antimetabolite or radiation intervention. In a controlled and tolerated feeding study in humans, methionine restriction resulted in effects on systemic metabolism that were similar to those obtained in mice. These findings provide evidence that a targeted dietary manipulation can specifically affect tumour-cell metabolism to mediate broad aspects of cancer outcome. In two patient-derived xenograft models of colorectal cancer and a mouse model of autochthonous soft-tissue sarcoma, dietary restriction of methionine influences the outcome of cancer and interacts with antimetabolite and radiation therapies, through effects on one-carbon metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leakage and incompatibility of paraffin wax (PW) in hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) binders is a major obstacle to its application in polymer-bonded explosives (PBX). In order to solve this issue, we designed a microencapsulated PW (MePW)/PW/HTPB composite in this paper. Melamine-formaldehyde-shelled MePW (MF MePW)/PW/HTPB composites with different contents of MePW and PW were prepared by cast molding method. The chemical composition, crystallinity and microstructure of MePW/PW/HTPB composites were analyzed with Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope, respectively. The results showed that PW and MF MePW have been uniformly dispersed in HTPB without any chemical interaction. Moreover, differential scanning calorimeter analysis, thermal gravimetric analyzer, thermal cycling test, leaking test, tensile and compressive test were used to investigate the thermal and mechanical properties of these composites. The composites have high latent heat and good thermal reliability. The thermal stability, tensile and compressive strength of MePW/PW/HTPB composites were dramatically increased with the increasing mass fraction of MePW. The introduction of MePW can obviously prevent the leakage of PW in both HTPB binders and PBX. Consequently, it is anticipated that MePW can be used in the next-generation of paraffin-based high-temperature PBX systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turbulent mixing, in particular on a small scale, affects the growth of microalgae by changing diffusive sublayers and regulating nutrient fluxes of cells. We tested the nutrient flux hypothesis by evaluating the cellular stoichiometry and phosphorus storage of microalgae under different turbulent mixing conditions. Aphanizomenon flos-aquae were cultivated in different stirring batch reactors with turbulent dissipation rates ranging from 0.001 51 m/s to 0.050 58 m/s, the latter being the highest range observed in natural aquatic systems. Samples were taken in the exponential growth phase and compared with samples taken when the reactor was completely stagnant. Results indicate that, within a certain range, turbulent mixing stimulates the growth of A. flos-aquae. An inhibitory effect on growth rate was observed at the higher range. Photosynthesis activity, in terms of maximum effective quantum yield of PSII (the ratio of F / F ) and cellular chlorophyll a, did not change significantly in response to turbulence. However, Chl a/C mass ratio and C/N molar ratio, showed a unimodal response under a gradient of turbulent mixing, similar to growth rate. Moreover, we found that increases in turbulent mixing might stimulate respiration rates, which might lead to the use of polyphosphate for the synthesis of cellular constituents. More research is required to test and verify the hypothesis that turbulent mixing changes the diffusive sublayer, regulating the nutrient flux of cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) is the major cause of the development of both type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis. Regulated upon activation, normal T cells expressed and secreted (RANTES), a proinflammatory chemokine, is associated with atherosclerosis. We investigated the effect of atorvastatin on circulating RANTES in IGT patients with hypercholesterolemia. Methods: This study evaluated cross-sectional and interventional studies of 32 IGT patients with hypercholesterolemia (group A) and 32 controls (group B). Group A was treated with atorvastatin (20 mg/day) for 8 weeks. Platelet-free plasma (PFP) RANTES and clinical characteristics were examined. Results: PFP RANTES was significantly higher in group A compared with group B (9.76 ± 3.10 vs 6.43 ± 2.16 ng/ml, P < 0.001). PFP RANTES was positively correlated with total cholesterol (TC) ( r = 0.589, P < 0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ( r = 0.583, P < 0.001), triglycerides (TG) ( r = 0.450, P < 0.001), fasting blood glucose (FBG) ( r = 0.469, P < 0.001), 2-hour postchallenge glucose (2hPG) ( r = 0.397, P = 0.001), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ( r = 0.353, P = 0.004), and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) ( r = 0.616, P < 0.001), and negatively related to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ( r = −0.272, P = 0.029). After controlling for confounders, LDL-C ( β = 2.109, P < 0.001) and hsCRP ( β = 0.272, P = 0.029) were independently related to RANTES. After atorvastatin treatment, PFP RANTES significantly decreased in group A compared with baseline (from 9.76 ± 3.10 to 7.48 ± 2.78 ng/ml, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Atorvastatin decreased circulating RANTES in IGT patients with hypercholesterolemia, indicating that statins may play an important role in inhibiting inflammatory responses in patients with IGT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPAR-α) agonists can regulate metabolism and protect the cardiovascular system. This study investigated the effects of PPAR-α agonist fenofibrate on insulin resistance in patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Methods: This research evaluated cross-sectional and interventional studies. 191 subjects with IGT were divided into a hypertriglyceridemia group (HTG group, n = 118) and a normal triglyceride (TG) group (NTG group, n = 73). 79 subjects with normal glucose tolerance were recruited as a control group. The HTG group was treated with fenofibrate (200 mg/day) for 12 weeks. The homeostatic model assessment index 2 (HOMA2) and the McAuley index (McA) were calculated. Results: HOMA2 for β-cell function (HOMA2-%B) was 93.47 ± 26.28, 68.47 ± 21.29, and 79.92 ± 23.15 in HTG, NTG, and control groups, respectively. HOMA2 for insulin sensitivity (HOMA2-%S) was 48.40 (39.70, 68.70), 110.20 (62.55, 141.95), and 101.20 (79.90, 140.10) in HTG, NTG, and control groups, respectively. HOMA2 for insulin resistance (HOMA2-IR) was 2.09 (1.46, 2.52), 0.92 (0.70, 1.61), and 0.99 (0.71, 1.25) in HTG, NTG, and control groups, respectively. McA was 5.05 ± 0.76, 7.99 ± 1.79, and 8.34 ± 1.55 in HTG, NTG, and control groups, respectively. The HTG group had higher HOMA2-%B and HOMA2-IR, and lower HOMA2-%S and McA than NTG and control groups ( P < 0.001 for all). Fenofibrate decreased HOMA2-%B and HOMA2-IR and increased HOMA2-%S and McA in the HTG group (HOMA2-%B: from 93.47 ± 26.28 to 89.34 ± 23.53, P = 0.018; HOMA2-%S: from 48.40 (39.70, 68.70) to 56.75 (44.88, 72.53), P < 0.001; HOMA2-IR: from 2.07 (1.46, 2.52) to 1.76 (1.38, 2.30), P < 0.001; McA: from 5.05 ± 0.76 to 9.34 ± 0.88, P < 0.001). Conclusion: PPAR-α agonists improve parameters of glucoregulation in IGT patients with hypertriglyceridemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The protective effects of extracellular and intracellular polysaccharides from Hericium erinaceus SG-02 on the CCl-induced hepatic injury of mice were investigated in this work. By the analysis of GC, the extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) were composed of arabinose, mannose, galactose, and glucose with a ratio of 1:7:14:52, and the composition of intracellular polysaccharides (IPS) was rhamnose, xylose, mannose, galactose, and glucose with a ratio of 3:4:7:14:137. The model of hepatic injury of mice was induced by CCl and three tested levels (200, 400, and 800 mg/kg) of EPS and IPS were set as the experimental group. Results showed that the aspartate aminotransferase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase activities in serum were reduced by the supplement of EPS and IPS, while the blood lipid levels including cholesterol, triglyceride, and albumin were improved. In liver tissue, the lipid peroxidation and malondialdehyde were largely decreased, and the superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were significantly increased. The evidence demonstrated that the EPS and IPS of H. erinaceus SG-02 were protective for liver injury. The histopathological observations of mice liver slices indicated that EPS and IPS had obvious effects on liver protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several recent genome-wide studies showed that the genetic polymorphisms in the HLA-DQ region (rs9275572 and rs2856718) were related to chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We analyzed the two single-nucleotide polymorphisms for major HBV outcomes in Han Chinese. A total of 1291 samples were involved and peripheral blood samples were collected in this study. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry were used to genotype the single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the HLA-DQ region. Our study indicated the clear relationship between the HLA-DQ rs9275572 and HBV-related HCC after control for the effects of sex, drinking, and smoking. Health subjects with the HLA-DQ rs9275572 GA genotype would have a 0.641 (95 % CI 0.416, 0.985; P = 0.043) times lower odds of having HCC, and those with the AA genotype would have a 0.256 (95 % CI 0.106, 0.618; P = 0.002) times lower odds of having HCC, whereas the values of the other covariates were fixed. Whereas there was no significant difference found for the HLA-DQ rs2856718 AG and GG genotype. Our study suggested that HLA-DQ loci (rs9275572) were associated with HBV-related HCC as a protective factor in Han Chinese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatitis B virus-associated glomerulonephritis (HBV-GN) is one of the extrahepatic manifestations after HBV infection, which would cause great clinical harm to people. The present study was undertaken to investigate the HBV-GN genotypes and its clinical relevance in Chinese children. Methods: A total of 41 HBV-infected children diagnosed with HBV-GN were enrolled in the study. All patients underwent liver and kidney biopsy. The genotypes and cccDNA were detected in their serum samples to analyze the relationship between HBV genotypes and clinical characteristics, cccDNA, and pathology. Results: Among the 41 children with HBV-GN, 29 (70.7%) had genotype C, 10 (24.4%) had genotype B, 2 (4.9%) had genotype B/C, and none of them had genotype non-B/C. Most children had genotypes B or C; moreover, the genotype C was the most frequent one. The incidence of hematuria and albuminuria, reduction in complement C3, increase in serum alanine aminotransferase levels and renal insufficiency in the children with genotype C were significantly higher than those in the children with genotype B ( P<0.05); however, there was no statistically significant difference in hypertension and hepatomegaly ( P>0.05). The frequency of HBV cccDNA positive in the genotype C group was significantly higher than that in the genotype B group (72.4% vs. 30.0%, P<0.05). No difference was observed in hepatic inflammation grades and stages of fibrosis between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions: Genotype C was the most frequent genotype in the described group of patients with HBV-GN, and the liver and kidney damage indicators were more likely to occur in patients with genotype C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of DNS on the structure of nasal cavity. The paranasal sinus coronal view CT of 108 patients with DNS and 129 hospitalized patients without DNS was retrospectively analyzed. The transverse diameter of nasal cavity (a), transverse diameter of nasal cavity and paranasal sinus (b), angle between maxillary and palatal bone, interalveolar distance, and maxillary rotation distance were measured. The ratio of a/ b in experimental group was 0.367 ± 0.006 which was significantly ( P = 0.0023) less than that in control group (0.391 ± 0.005). For the angle between maxillary and palatal bone, there was no significant difference found between DNS and control group for both right and left sides. The interalveolar distance was 40.75 mm in experimental group, and 38.8 mm in control ( P = 0.0002). For the maxillary rotation distance, findings were considered as significant ( P < 0.0001) in experimental group (11.25 mm) compared with control (10.1 mm). The present study demonstrates that long-term DNS affects the development of nasal cavity and paranasal sinus, as well as increases the interalveolar distance and maxillary rotation distance. These influences may be caused by the alteration of airflow inside the nasal cavities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of cellulose 3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamates (CDMPCs) with different degrees of substitution (DS) and degrees of polymerization (DP) were homogeneously synthesized in 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AmimCl). Then, the CDMPCs were coated on silica gel and used as chiral stationary phases (CSPs), and their chiral recognition abilities for seven racemates were evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that DS and DP of CDMPCs had a great influence on chiral recognition abilities of the CSPs. The CSPs with the DS ≈ 1 gives a low chiral recognition to most racemates. On the contrast, the CSPs with the DS ≥ 2 exhibited high chiral separation abilities. For example, six racemates could be separated on the CSP with CDMPC of DS ≈ 2 (CSP-2). Especially, for the enantioseparation of 1-(2-naphthyl) ethanol and Tröger's base, CSP-2 gave the highest separation ability in all of CSPs. On the other hand, when the DP of cellulose was in a range from 39 to 220, the chiral separation abilities of CDMPCs increased as the DP increased. This work demonstrates that the structure of cellulose esters such as DS and DP has important effect on their chiral separation ability, and therefore provides a practical method to design and prepare desirable CSPs for different racemates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effects of TGF-β1 on the proliferation and apoptosis of cervical cancer Hela cells in vitro. Human cervical cancer Hela cells were cultured in vitro and divided into the experimental and control groups. In the experimental groups, Hela cells were stimulated with different concentrations of TGF-β1 (0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 ng/mL), while Hela cells cultured in serum-free medium without TGF-β1 were used as controls. The CCK8 method was adopted to detect the effect of TGF-β1 on Hela cell proliferation, and flow cytometry was used to determine cell apoptosis 72 h after TGF-β1 treatment. Compared with the control group, the CCK-8 tests showed that different concentrations of TGF-β1 had no obvious effect on Hela cell proliferation 24 h after treatment ( P > 0.05). However, upon 48 or 72 h of treatment, TGF-β1 significantly inhibited the proliferation of Hela cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner ( P < 0.05). The flow cytometry results indicated that TGF-β1 influenced the apoptosis of human cervical cancer Hela cells in a dose-dependent manner after 72 h of treatment ( P < 0.05). TGF-β1 significantly inhibited the growth and induced the apoptosis of human cervical Hela cells in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local functional homogeneity of the human cortex indicates the boundaries between functionally heterogeneous regions and varies remarkably across the cortical mantle. It is unclear whether these variations have the neurobiological and structural basis. We employed structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans from 482 healthy subjects and computed the vertex-wise regional homogeneity of low-frequency fluctuations (2dReHo) and five measures of cortical morphology. We then used these metrics to examine regional variation, morphological association and functional covariance network of 2dReHo. Within the ventral visual stream, increases of 2dReHo reflect reduced complexity of information processing or functional hierarchies. Along the divisions of the prefrontal cortex and posteromedial cortex, the gradients of 2dReHo revealed the hierarchical organization within the two association areas, respectively. Individual differences in 2dReHo are associated with those of cortical morphology, and their whole-brain inter-regional covariation is organized into a functional covariance network, comprising five hierarchically organized modules with hubs of both primary sensory and high-order association areas. These highly reproducible observations suggest that local functional homogeneity has neurobiological relevance that is likely determined by anatomical, developmental and neurocognitive factors and should serve as a neuroimaging marker to investigate the human brain function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aberrant expression and structural alterations of microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in tumorigenesis. The miRNA-196a2 polymorphism is associated with tumorigenesis, but its association with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) remains unexplored. We evaluated the association between the miRNA-196a2 T>C polymorphism (rs11614913) and NHL risk in a case-control study of 318 NHL cases and 320 healthy controls. We also examined miRNA-196a expression in tissue samples from NHL patients ( n = 59). The TC and CC genotypes were associated with cancer risk in NHL [odds ratio (OR) = 1.384, confidence interval (CI) = 1.010-1.898 for TC vs. TT, and OR = 1.822, 95 % CI = 1.163-2.853 for CC vs. TT]. Analysis of the association between this polymorphism and the clinicopathology of NHL showed that the combined TC/CC genotypes were associated with Ann Arbor stage (OR = 1.852, 95 % CI = 1.139-3.010), bone marrow invasion (OR = 1.850, 95 % CI = 1.062-3.223), and B symptoms (OR = 1.852, 95 % CI = 1.154-2.972), but not with immunohistological subtype, lymph node size, age, or gender. In addition, the CC or CC/TC genotypes were associated with significantly higher levels of mature miR-196a ( p = 0.002 or 0.008) in a genotype-phenotype correlation analysis. Our findings suggest that the miR-196a2 polymorphism may increase the risk of NHL by altering the expression of mature miR-196a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new molecularly imprinted polymer was prepared on the surface of ethylenediamine-poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) particles by thermal polymerization method using 1-methoxyethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide ([EOM][TfN]) as template, acrylamide as functional monomer, and chloroform as porogen. The influence of porogen, monomer, and the ratio of [EOM][TfN] to monomer and cross-linker was systematically investigated, and the microstructure was characterized by Fouier transform infrared spectrum and scanning electron microscopy. The selective recognition performance of the imprinted polymer for target was investigated by the static adsorption and HPLC. It was shown that the surface imprinted material had excellent selectivity towards [EOM][TfN] and the short chain imidazolium ionic liquids, but its adsorption towards the molecules without imidazole ring was quite low. The maximum binding capacities of [EOM][TfN] on the imprinted and non-imprinted polymers were 137.2 and 23.4 µmol g, respectively. The adsorption equilibrium was achieved in 35 min, and the kinetic adsorption process could be described by pseudo-second order model. From high pressure liquid chromatography measurements, it was found that using the imprinted polymer, 84-91 % [EOM][TfN], 10 % 2,4-dichlorophenol, and 3 % N-butylpyridinium chloride could be separated from the mixtures of [EOM][TfN] + 2,4-dichlorophenol and [EOM][TfN] + N-butylpyridinium chloride, respectively. By contrast, the non-imprinted polymer could adsorb only less than 10 % [EOM][TfN], 10 % 2,4-dichlorophenol, and 3 % N-butylpyridinium chloride, respectively, from the mixtures. The imprinted polymer coupled with HPLC was applied for the selective extraction and determination of [EOM][TfN] in complex mixture samples. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ionic liquid (IL) surface molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was prepared using 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Cmim]Cl) as the template and acylated ethylenediamine-poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) particle as the supported material. The obtained MIP material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The adsorption property and selective recognition performance of [Cmim]ClMIP were studied by static adsorption and solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography. Next, the effect of alkyl chain length of imidazolium cations on the adsorption characteristics of [Cmim]ClMIP, [Cmim]ClMIP, and [Cmim]ClMIP was examined in detail. It was shown that the adsorption selectivity of the three IL MIPs was significantly affected by the alkyl chain length. [Cmim]ClMIP exhibited broad recognition characteristics for all the imidazolium chloride ILs studied ([Cmim]Cl, n = 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16), and the adsorption equilibrium was achieved within 40 min. [Cmim]ClMIP could enrich [Cmim]Cl ( n = 2, 4, 6, 8), but [Cmim]ClMIP could only recognize [Cmim]Cl and [Cmim]Cl selectively. It is obvious that the adsorption selectivity of the IL MIPs increased with the decrease of alkyl chain length of the template molecules. Furthermore, the possible recognition mechanism was suggested. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The main objective of this work was to purify the exopolysaccharides (EPS) of Flammulina velutipes SF-06 and investigate the relationship between the different purified fractions and bioactive activity. Two fractions (EPS-1 and EPS-2) were separated and purified by DEAE-52 cellulose and Sephadex G-100 cellulose column chromatography. Monosaccharides composition analysis by gas chromatography indicated that EPS, EPS-1 and EPS-2 were heteropolysaccharides in which rhamnose was a major component. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis detected furanose-ring in EPS-1 and EPS-2. All fractions possessed considerable antioxidant activity, while EPS-2 has stronger antioxidant activity than EPS and EPS-1 in vitro. The EPS also exhibited potent anti-aging activation in mice, such as increased catalase and total antioxidant capacity, and decreasing the malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Both the antioxidant in vitro and anti-aging in vivo potentials of EPS could be further utilized in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]