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In the construction of a twin-shield tunnel in limited underground space, the design of the clear distance between the two lines needs to consider not only the safety issues related to the interaction during excavation but also the low-carbon effect, aiming to precisely shorten the distance and fully utilize the underground space, thus saving land resources. In this paper, the earth pressure patterns in a shallow-buried twin-shield tunnel with small spacing are clarified. Furthermore, based on the Mohr-Coulomb shear failure criterion of the middle bearing pillar, a theoretical decision model for safe clear distance in it, adaptable to different geological formations, is established. In addition, its accuracy is verified through numerical simulations. At last, the quantitative influence of various parameters on the safe clear distance is analyzed using the theoretical model. The results of the study offer a theoretical foundation for the design of a clear distance between a shallow-buried twin-shield tunnel with small spacing and the parameterized measurement of the ground reinforcement needed for its construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: For patients with severe cardiopulmonary failure, such as cardiogenic shock, veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is primarily utilized to preserve their life by providing continuous extracorporeal respiration and circulation. However, because of the complexity of patients' underlying diseases and serious complications, successful weaning from ECMO is often difficult. At present, there have been limited studies on ECMO weaning strategies, so the principal purpose of this meta-analysis is to examine how levosimendan contributes to the weaning of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Methods: The Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and PubMed were browsed for all potentially related research about clinical benefits of levosimendan in weaning patients receiving VA-ECMO and included 15 of them. The main outcome is success of weaning from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, with the secondary outcomes of 1-month mortality (28 or 30 days), ECMO duration, hospital or intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay, and use of vasoactive drugs. Results: 1772 patients altogether from 15 publications were incorporated in our meta-analysis. We used fixed and random-effect models to combine odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for dichotomous outcomes and standardized mean difference (SMD) for continuous outcomes. The weaning success rate in the levosimendan group was considerably higher in contrast to the comparison (OR = 2.78, 95% CI 1.80–4.30; P < 0.00001; I2 = 65%), and subgroup analysis showed that there was less heterogeneity in patients after cardiac surgery (OR = 2.06, 95% CI, 1.35–3.12; P = 0.0007; I2 = 17%). In addition, the effect of levosimendan on improving weaning success rate was statistically significant only at 0.2 mcg/kg/min (OR = 2.45, 95% CI, 1.11–5.40; P = 0.03; I2 = 38%). At the same time, the 28-day or 30-day proportion of deaths in the sample receiving levosimendan also decreased (OR = 0.47, 95% CI, 0.28–0.79; P = 0.004; I2 = 73%), and the difference was statistically significant. In terms of secondary outcomes, we found that individuals undergoing levosimendan treatment had a longer duration of VA-ECMO support. Conclusions: In patients receiving VA-ECMO, levosimendan treatment considerably raised the weaning success rate and helped lower mortality. Since most of the evidence comes from retrospective studies, more randomized multicenter trials are required to verify the conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In addition to diet and metabolism, the occurrence of foam cells and atherosclerosis are also related to environmental factors. Individual studies have shown that ultraviolet B (UVB) can regulate the progression of atherosclerosis, but with different results. Whether or not UVB has a dual effect on atherosclerosis and what mechanism is involved has not been reported. Methods: After THP-1-derived foam cells were treated with UVB in different ways, the effects of UVB on foam cells were investigated by western blotting, cholesterol efflux experiment, oil red O staining and other methods. Results: UVB plays a dual role on foam cell formation, and this effect is related to cholesterol efflux. UVB of 50 mJ/cm2 can promote cholesterol efflux in foam cells, while UVB of 200 mJ/cm2 can inhibit cholesterol efflux. UVB induces cholesterol efflux from foam cells in an autophagy-dependent manner, as the beneficial effect of UVB at 50 mJ/cm2 can be reversed by the autophagy inhibitor 3-Methyladenine (3-MA). In addition, silencing the expression of ultraviolet radiation resistance-associated gene (UVRAG) can inhibit autophagy and reduce cholesterol efflux, and overexpressing UVRAG yields the opposite result. Conclusion: In conclusion, our research proves that UVB exhibits a dual role in foam cell formation by regulating cholesterol efflux. Further more, we also reveal that UVRAG-mediated autophagy is the underlying mechanism of UVB-induced cholesterol efflux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by abnormal lipid metabolism. Foam cell formation is also known as an early event of AS. Cholesterol efflux is a process whereby cholesterol is excreted from foam cells through transporters, which serves as one of the effective regulatory mechanisms to prevent AS. Autophagy is a biodegradable mechanism, and lipophagy is a special form of autophagy that selectively degrades lipids. Cholesterol efflux is regulated by several mechanisms. Moreover, numerous studies have shown that autophagy is also process whereby cholesterol efflux is regulated. In early studies, scholars found that cholesterol efflux is related to autophagy. Subsequent studies have shown that various targeted molecules can induce autophagy and promote the expression of cholesterol transporters (such as LXRα, ABCA1, and ABCG1) through specific signaling pathways. Several novel treatments for AS use these small molecules as entry points for research and development based on autophagy. However, this autophagy-dependent cholesterol efflux involves many different molecular mechanisms. This not only indicates that cholesterol efflux is the result of multiple factors, but also that autophagy, which mediates cholesterol efflux, is a complex physiological mechanism. Through a literature review, we found that the role of autophagy in cholesterol efflux is related to cell type and is regulated by both the level of autophagy and the mechanism that triggers autophagy. In this review, we aim to discuss the role of autophagy in cholesterol efflux from many aspects based on recent relevant studies to aid in the treatment of AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biological pretreatment for the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomasses depends exclusively on the effective pretreatment process. Herein, we report a significant enhancement of enzymatic saccharification obtained with corn stover using a bacterial strain Bacillus sp. P3. The hemicellulose removal from corn stover by the strain Bacillus sp. P3 was evaluated for enhancing subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis. Therefore, our study revealed that an alkaline-resistant xylanase as well as other enzymes produced by Bacillus sp. P3 in fermentation broth led to a substantially enhanced hemicellulose removal rate from corn stover within pH 9.36–9.68. However, after a 20-day pretreatment of corn stover by the strain P3, the glucan content was increased by 51% and the xylan content was decreased by 35%. After 72 h of saccharification using 20 U/g of commercial cellulase, the yield of reducing sugar released from 20-day pretreated corn stover was increased by 56% in comparison to the untreated corn stover. Therefore, the use of the strain P3 could be a promising approach to pretreat corn stover for enhancing the enzymatic hydrolysis process of industrial bioenergy productions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants grown in stony soils have better developed root systems and higher crop yields. The roles of physical and chemical effects of stony soils on plant growth have been published, but the roles of soil microbiota have not been investigated. In this study, Tetrastigma hemsleyanum plants were cultivated for 2 years in stony soils and the same soils after removing rock fragments (non-stony soils). The composition of bacterial community and the tuber transcriptome were analyzed, using multiple bioinformatics methods. Compared with non-stony soils, stony soils supported a significantly different bacterial community, which was associated with larger tuber size of T. hemsleyanum. Stony soils had greater bacterial diversity, co-occurrence network complexity, and greater abundance of bacterial taxa belonging to Actinobacteria, Rokubacteria, Rhizobiales, Desulfarculaceae, and Chthoniobacteraceae than the corresponding microbiota in non-stony soils. The differential soil bacterial communities between stony and non-stony soils may be mainly driven by soil physicochemical properties, such as available S, organic matter, and pH. The discriminatory bacterial taxa of soils shaped the bacterial communities of rhizosphere soil, and tuber surface soil (TS), which was strongly correlated with tuber size parameters. In addition, the potential functions of the discriminatory bacterial taxa in TS corresponded closely with gene pathways of the host, like phytohormone biosynthesis, photosynthesis, and biotic stress resistance, which are crucial for the initiation and development of tubers. These results not only help us to better understand the role of stony soils in improving plant growth but also provide a reference for increasing tuber yield through the use of microbial inocula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eighty-one samples from both shallow and deep aquifers were collected and analyzed to reveal groundwater hydrogeochemical characteristics and estimate groundwater quality suitability for irrigation and drinking purposes based on groundwater quality indexes models including the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), solute sodium percentage (%Na), magnesium hazard (MH), permeability index (PI) and health risk model. The results from groundwater quality suitability assessment indicated that shallow groundwater in the most part of the study region was suitable for irrigation regardless of EC, RSC and MH, while groundwater from the deep aquifer was suitable for irrigation purpose in nearly all parts of the study region. 24.49% and 14.29% of the deep groundwater sampling locations presented high fluoride (F−) concentrations exceeded the Grade III value (1 mg/L) from Quality Standard for Groundwater of China and the maximum permissible value of 1.5 mg/L recommended by the WHO for drinking use, respectively. Non-carcinogens hazard quotient (HQ) values of NO3−–N, NH4+–N, NO2−–N, Fe, and Mn with the exception of F− were all within the acceptable safety limit (HQ < 1). Efficient strategies and scientific decisions were suggested for groundwater resource protection and water quality improvements should be adopted for sustainable groundwater exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isorhynchophylline (IRN) is one of the major tetracyclic oxindole alkaloids found in Uncaria rhynchophylla. Studies have found that IRN has diverse biological activities including antioxidant, anti-apoptosis, and neuroprotection. However, little is known about the effect of IRN on the development of cardiac hypertrophy. In this study, we investigated the change of the cell surface area and nascent protein synthesis of cultured H9c2 cardiomyocytes on exposure to phenylephrine (PE) plus IRN, and thus confirmed that IRN ameliorated cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by PE in vitro. Meanwhile, it turns out that IRN is also effective in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) stimulated with angiotensin II (AngII). We also showed that IRN prevented cardiac dysfunction in mice with pressure overload due to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) and attenuated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. IRN treatment improved the cardiac function assessed by echocardiographic parameters fractional shortening (FS) as well as suppressed the cardiac hypertrophy phenotypes, such as the increasing of ventricular mass/body weight and myocyte cross-sectional area. RT-PCR analysis showed that IRN treatment also alleviated the expression of fetal genes of ANP, BNP, Myh7, and the correlated fibrosis genes including TGF-β1, collagen I, collagen III, and CTGF in vivo. Meanwhile, IRN had anti-oxidative effects on cardiac remodeling with suppressed 4-HNE and MDA. Western blot analysis showed that the Nrf2 nuclear translocation and MAPK pathway were involved in the potential mechanisms of IRN on cardiac hypertrophy inhibition. The results of our study provide further evidence that IRN is a promising drug for the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To find a multifunctional lignocellulolytic enzyme-producing strain, ten bacterial isolates from paper mill wastewater were tested for their carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) hydrolytic ability. Bacillus sp. TPF-1, which exhibits the highest hydrolytic ability, was selected to produce lignocellulolytic enzymes using various biomass types as carbon sources. The highest CMCase (9.12 U/mL) and xylanase (102.55 U/mL) activities were obtained by green algae, and the maximum laccase activity (7037.28 U/L) was induced by Sargassum fusiforme. CMCase and xylanase showed the highest activities at 55 and 50 °C, respectively, with the same optimum pH of 5.4. The laccase exhibited optimum temperature of 40 °C and retained 60% more activity at 80 °C in extreme acid conditions (pH 2.2). To explore the multiple applications of these enzymes, crude enzymes induced by green algae were used to saccharify untreated algae. The reducing sugar produced by crude enzymes and commercial cellulase was 23 and 14% higher than that of the control, respectively, and it was 48% higher using crude enzymes with commercial cellulase (72 h). Additionally, the laccase induced by S. fusiforme was tested to decolorize two chemical dyes under an acidic condition (pH 2.2). The highest decolorization rates were 56.13 and 62.14% for Coomassie brilliant blue R-250 and Congo Red, respectively, in the presence of hydroxybenzotriazole monohydrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac hypertrophy is a compensatory response in reaction to mechanical load that reduces wall stress by increasing wall thickness. Chronic hypertrophic remodeling involves cardiac dysfunction that will lead to heart failure and ultimately death. Studies have been carried out on cardiac hypertrophy for years, whereas the mechanisms have not been well defined. Tamarixetin (TAM), a natural flavonoid derivative of quercetin, have been demonstrated possessing anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects on multiple diseases. However, little is known about the function of TAM on the development of cardiac hypertrophy. Here, we found TAM could alleviate pressure-overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy in transverse aortic constriction (TAC) mouse model, assessed by ventricular weight/body weight, lung weight/body weight, echocardiographic parameters, as well as myocyte cross-sectional area and the expression of ANP, BNP and Myh7. In vitro, TAM showed a dose dependent inhibitory effect on phenylephrine-induced hypertrophy in H9c2 cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, TAM reversed cardiac remodeling of stress overloaded heart by suppressing apoptosis and the expression of fibrotic-related genes, reduced oxidative stress and ROS production both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, TAM could negatively modulate TAC-induced nuclear translocation of NFAT and the activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. Therefore, these data indicate for the first time that TAM has a protective effect on experimental cardiac hypertrophy and might be a novel candidate for the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy in clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: A grafting response gene CcPIP1;2 was cloned from hickory plant, further functional characterization of the gene for water transport activity and abiotic stress tolerances were carried out through heterologous expression in Xenopus and Arabidopsis.Abstract: Plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) are multifunctional channel proteins belonging to the membrane intrinsic protein (MIP) family. In this study, a grafting-responsive gene from hickory (CcPIP1;2) was cloned and functionally characterized. Application of non-selective water inhibitors (HgCl2 and phloretin) led to the death of grafted hickory plants at 30 days after grafting (DAG). Furthermore, the transcript accumulation of the selected CcPIP1;2 gene was gradually decreased from 0 to 14 DAG in the grafted samples under inhibitor treatment conditions. Transient expression analysis of the GFP-CcPIP1;2 fusion protein showed that CcPIP1;2 was located at plasma membrane. Heterologous expression of CcPIP1;2 protein in the Xenopus oocyte system helped the access of water into the cells. Over-expression of CcPIP1;2 in Arabidopsis improved the percentage of seed germination when the seeds were grown in H2O2-, ABA-, and mannitol-containing media, but had no effect when grown in the salt containing media. CcPIP1;2 transgenic plants grew better under drought conditions. The expression of various ABA-related stress marker genes as well as cell wall expansin marker genes was significantly higher in CcPIP1;2 over-expression Arabidopsis lines than in the wild type (WT). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion : The molecular mechanism of low Cd influxes and accumulation in Miscanthus sacchariflorus is revealed by RNA sequencing technique. Soil cadmium (Cd) pollution has posed a serious threat to our soil quality and food security as well as to human health. Some wild plants exhibit high tolerance to heavy metals stress. However, mechanisms of Cd tolerance of wild plants remain to be fully clarified. In this study, we found that two Miscanthus species, Miscanthus ( M.) sacchariflorus and M. floridulus, showed different Cd-tolerant mechanisms. M. sacchariflorus accumulated less Cd in both root and leaf by limiting Cd uptake from root and showed superior Cd tolerance, while M. floridulus not only absorbs more Cd from root but also transports more Cd to shoot. To investigate the molecular mechanism of different Cd uptake patterns in the two Miscanthus species, we analyzed the transcriptome of M. sacchariflorus and identified transcriptional changes in response to Cd in roots by high-throughput RNA-sequencing technology. A total of 92,985 unigenes were obtained from M. sacchariflorus root cDNA samples. Based on the assembled de novo transcriptome, 681 DEGs which included 345 upregulated and 336 downregulated genes were detected between two libraries of untreated and Cd-treated roots. Gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analysis revealed that upregulated DEGs under Cd stress are predominately involved in metabolic pathway, starch and sucrose and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and metal ion transporters. Quantitative RT-PCR was employed to compare the expression levels of some metal transport genes in roots of two Miscanthus species, and the genes involved in Cd uptake from root and transfer from root to shoot were extremely different. The results not only enrich genomic resource but also help to better understand the molecular mechanisms of Cd accumulation and tolerance in wild plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C1q-TNF-related protein-9 (CTRP9) is increasingly recognized as a promising cardioprotective adipocytokine, which regulates biological processes like vascular relaxation, proliferation, apoptosis, and inflammation. We recently showed that CTRP9 enhanced carotid plaque stability by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines in macrophages. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of CTRP9 on anti-inflammatory response in macrophages still remains unclear. We demonstrated that globular CTRP9 (gCTRP9) significantly reduced oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)-induced tumor necrosis factor alpha and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 expression by suppressing nuclear factor-κB phosphorylation and nuclear translocation in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Treatment with gCTRP9 strikingly increased the level of phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK inhibitor abolished the anti-inflammatory effects of gCTRP9. Moreover, gCTRP9 increased the expression of adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1). Downregulation of AdipoR1 by siRNA could abrogate the activation of AMPK and the anti-inflammatory effects of gCTRP9. These results suggested that gCTRP9 protected RAW 264.7 macrophages from oxLDL via AMPK activation in an AdipoR1 dependent fashion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land subsidence usually bears strong relationship to abstraction of underground fluid. Land subsidence occurs commonly in the North China Plain (NCP) and has become a major environmental factor hindering regional sustainable development. This paper focuses on issues associated with mechanism of land subsidence in the NCP. The analysis shows that multi-layer aquifer systems with deep confined aquifers and the thick normally consolidated or unconsolidated compressible clay layers are the key of geological and hydrogeological conditions favorable for the development of land subsidence in the NCP. Groundwater withdrawal results in an increase in the distribution of effective stress within the strata and the compression of the aquifers and the confining layers, and then triggers land subsidence. In the middle-east plain of the NCP, the land subsidence volume approximately represents the amount of water released from compression of deep aquifers and aquitards in that land subsidence is primarily caused by excessive groundwater withdrawal in deep aquifer system. The percentage of water released from compression of aquifers and aquitards in deep groundwater abstraction is significant but distinct in Cangzhou City and in the whole middle-east plain. This is due to the difference in local lithological structure and recharge and discharge conditions of deep groundwater system. The hysteresis of land subsidence is also discussed in typical areas and the results reveal that the time for completing the primary consolidation ranges from less than one year to tens of years, and that the rate of secondary compression tends to increase with the moisture content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Li-rich Li[NiMn]O microspheres are firstly prepared and subsequently transferred into the AlO-coated Li-rich Li[NiMn]O microspheres by a simple deposition method. The as-prepared samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and charge/discharge tests. The results reveal that the AlO-coated Li-rich Li[NiMn]O sample has a typical α-NaFeO layered structure with the existence of LiMnO-type integrated component, and the AlO layer is uniformly coated on the surface of the spherical Li-rich Li[NiMn]O particles with a thickness of about 4 nm. Importantly, the AlO-coated Li-rich sample exhibits obviously improved electrochemical performance compared with the pristine one, especially the 2 wt.% AlO-coated sample shows the best electrochemical properties, which delivers an initial discharge capacity of 228 mAh g at a rate of 0.1 C in the voltage of 2.0-4.6 V, and the first coulombic efficiency is up to 90 %. Furthermore, the 2 wt.% AlO-coated sample represents excellent cycling stability with capacity retention of 90.9 % at 0.33 C after 100 cycles, much higher than that of the pristine one (62.2 %). Particularly, herein, the typical inferior rate capability of Li-rich layered cathode is apparently improved, and the 2 wt.% AlO-coated sample also shows a high rate capability, which can deliver a capacity of 101 mAh g even at 10 C. Besides, the thin AlO layer can reduce the charge transfer resistance and stabilize the surface structure of active material during cycling, which is responsible for the improvement of electrochemical performance of the Li-rich Li[NiMn]O. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenolic glucoside gastrodin (Gas), which is a main component extracted from the Chinese herbs Gastrodia elata Bl, is a well-known natural calcium antagonist with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions. It has long been used clinically for treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Previous studies have shown that gastrodin possesses comprehensive pharmacological functions. However, very little is known about whether gastrodin has protective role on cardiac hypertrophy. The aim of this study was to determine whether gastrodin attenuates pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy in mice and to clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms. Our data demonstrated that gastrodin prevented cardiac hypertrophy induced by aortic banding (AB), as assessed by heart weight/body weight and lung weight/body weight ratios, echocardiographic parameters, and gene expression of hypertrophic markers. The inhibitory effect of gastrodin on cardiac hypertrophy is mediated by ERK1/2 signaling and GATA-4 activation. Further studies showed that gastrodin attenuated fibrosis and collagen synthesis through abrogating ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Therefore, these findings indicated that gastrodin, which is a potentially safe and inexpensive therapy for clinical use, has protective potential in targeting cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis through suppression of ERK1/2 signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Given one instance of an $\mathcal{NP}$ -hard optimization problem, can we tell in advance whether it is exactly solvable or not? If it is not, can we predict which approximate algorithm is the best to solve it? Since the behavior of most approximate, randomized, and heuristic search algorithms for $\mathcal{NP}$ -hard problems is usually very difficult to characterize analytically, researchers have turned to experimental methods in order to answer these questions. In this paper we present a machine learning-based approach to address the above questions. Models induced from algorithmic performance data can represent the knowledge of how algorithmic performance depends on some easy-to-compute problem instance characteristics. Using these models, we can estimate approximately whether an input instance is exactly solvable or not. Furthermore, when it is classified as exactly unsolvable, we can select the best approximate algorithm for it among a list of candidates. In this paper we use the MPE (most probable explanation) problem in probabilistic inference as a case study to validate the proposed methodology. Our experimental results show that the machine learning-based algorithm selection system can integrate both exact and inexact algorithms and provide the best overall performance comparing to any single candidate algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intercalated discs (ICD), specific cell-to-cell contacts that connect adjacent cardiomyocytes, ensure mechanical and electrochemical coupling during contraction of the heart. Mutations in genes encoding ICD components are linked to cardiovascular diseases. Here, we show that loss of Xinβ, a newly-identified component of ICDs, results in cardiomyocyte proliferation defects and cardiomyopathy. We uncovered a role for Xinβ in signaling via the Hippo-YAP pathway by recruiting NF2 to the ICD to modulate cardiac function. In Xinβ mutant hearts levels of phosphorylated NF2 are substantially reduced, suggesting an impairment of Hippo-YAP signaling. Cardiac-specific overexpression of YAP rescues cardiac defects in Xinβ knock-out mice—indicating a functional and genetic interaction between Xinβ and YAP. Our study reveals a molecular mechanism by which cardiac-expressed intercalated disc protein Xinβ modulates Hippo-YAP signaling to control heart development and cardiac function in a tissue specific manner. Consequently, this pathway may represent a therapeutic target for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Intercalated discs ensure mechanical and electrochemical coupling during contraction of the heart. Here, the authors show that loss of Xinβ results in cardiomyocyte proliferation defects and cardiomyopathy by influencing the Hippo-YAP signalling pathway, thus affecting cardiac development and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater quality in overexploited and deep confined aquifers in the North China Plain may deteriorate due to saline groundwater leakage from the overlying saline aquifer. This study focuses on desalination mechanisms of saline groundwater through weakly permeable clay during infiltration. A hyperfiltration experiment was conducted for 212 days using an intact clay sample collected from the weakly permeable clay stratum to evaluate the desalination ability of the clay stratum. The results show that the weakly permeable clay similar to a semipermeable membrane can filter saline groundwater salt but the efficiency of this filtration was gradually weakened with the treatment of saline groundwater. Chemical osmosis during the experiment retarded the migration of the salt solution, but did not contribute to the desalination ability of the clay stratum. Ion exchange was an important mechanism of salt removal during infiltration. Especially in the later period of the experiment, the removal of Na+ was mainly the result of ion exchange with Ca2+ and Mg2+. Approximately, 30% of the Na+ removal in the experiment was caused by ion exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the primary causes of death worldwide. Among the numerous signaling molecules involved in CVDs, transcriptional factors directly influence gene expression and play a critical role in regulating cell function and the development of diseases. Activating transcription factor (ATF) 3 is an adaptive-response gene in the ATF/cAMP responsive element-binding (CREB) protein family of transcription factors that acts as either a repressor or an activator of transcription via the formation of homodimers or heterodimers with other ATF/CREB members. A appropriate ATF3 expression is important for the normal physiology of cells, and dysfunction of ATF3 is associated with various pathophysiological responses such as inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress, and diseases, including CVDs. This review focuses on the role of ATF3 in cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, atherosclerosis, ischemic heart diseases, hypertension and diabetes mellitus to provide a novel therapeutic target for CVDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cellulases played an important role in the production of bioenergy and bio-products. Cellulases from bacteria with some special characteristics drew great attention due to its fast growth speed, wide adaption to harsh environment, and production of multi-function cellulases.Results: An endoglucanase gene egls from Bacillus velezensis A4 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The recombinant enzyme Egls was partially purified using aqueous two-phase system. The highest recovery rate of the enzyme was 90.39% at PEG 4000 (25% w/w), phosphate buffer 8.08% (w/w) (pH 6.0), and NaCl (5% w/w). The enzyme molecular weight was 55 KD estimated by zymogram. The optimal pH and temperature of recombinant enzyme Egls were pH 6.0 and 55 °C, respectively. The enzyme was stable at pH range of 5.0-7.0 at 55 °C for 60 min. The enzyme exhibited Km, Vmax, Kcat values as 63.38 mg/ml, 55.6 mg/min, and 3.93 × 103/S, respectively. The addition of 10 mM of Mg2+, Mn2+, or 5% (w/w) of Triton-X 100 in the reaction system enhanced the enzyme activity significantly. The enzyme showed both endoglucanase and exoglucanase activity.Conclusions: An endoglucanase gene egls from B. velezensis A4 was cloned and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). The recombinant enzyme Egls was purified by aqueous two-phase system and characterized. The enzyme can be applied for the efficient pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for bioenergy and bio-products production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of the pectoralis major myocutaneous flap (PMMF) in head and neck reconstruction is challenged recently due to its natural drawbacks and the popularity of free flaps. This study was designed to evaluate the indications and reliability of using a PMMF in the current free flap era based on a single center experience. The PMMF was harvested as a pedicle-skeletonized flap, with its skin paddle caudally and medially to the areola, including the third intercostal perforator, preserving the upper one third of the pectoralis major muscle. The harvested flap was passed via a submuscular tunnel over the clavicle. One hundred eighteen PMMFs were used in 114 patients, of which 76 were high-risk candidates for a free flap; 8 patients underwent total glossectomy, and 30 underwent salvage or emergency reconstruction. Major complications occurred in 4 patients and minor complications developed in 10. Tracheal extubation was possible in all cases, while oral intake was possible in all but 1 case. These techniques used in harvesting a PMMF significantly overcome its natural pitfalls. PMMFs can safely be used in head and neck cancer patients who need salvage reconstruction, who are high risk for free flaps, and who need large volume soft-tissue flaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]