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Proline and serine–rich coiled-coil 1 (PSRC1) has been reported to function as an oncogene in several cancers by regulating mitosis, while there are few reports on the role of PSRC1 in lower-grade glioma (LGG). Thus, this study collected 22 samples and 1126 samples from our institution and several databases, respectively, to explore the function of PSRC1 in LGG. First, the analysis of clinical characteristics showed that PSRC1 was always highly expressed in more malignant clinical characteristics of LGG, such as higher WHO grade, recurrence type, and IDH wild type. Second, the prognosis analysis revealed that the high expression of PSRC1 was an independent risk factor contributing to the shorter overall survival of LGG patients. Third, the analysis of DNA methylation showed that the expression of PSRC1 was associated with its 8 DNA methylation sites, overall negatively regulated by its DNA methylation level in LGG. Fourth, the analysis of immune correlation revealed that the expression of PSRC1 was positively correlated with the infiltration of 6 immune cells and the expression of 4 well-known immune checkpoints in LGG, respectively. Finally, co-expression analysis and KEGG analysis showed the 10 genes most related to PSRC1 and the signaling pathways involved by PSRC1 in LGG, respectively, such as MAPK signaling pathway and focal adhesion. In conclusion, this study identified the pathogenic role of PSRC1 in the pathological progression of LGG, expanding the molecular understanding of PSRC1, and provided a biomarker and potential immunotherapeutic target for the treatment of LGG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corrosion behavior of D-class sucker rod in the production well of CO2 flooding in Xinjiang oilfield is investigated by using weight-loss methods and surface analysis technology. The main sensitive factor affecting the D-class sucker rod is determined and the novel safe service life model is established to predict the finite service life of D-class sucker rod. The results show that the temperature and Cl− content is the main sensitive of the steel. D-class sucker rod must be replaced in time after 2 years to prevent the sucker rod from breaking. Three corrosion inhibitors suitable for D-class sucker rod are selected, which can extend the service life of D-class sucker rod to more than 30 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The casual discharge of dyes from industrial settings has seriously polluted global water systems. Owing to the abundance of biomass resources, preparing photocatalysts for photocatalytic degradation of dyes is significant; however, it still remains challenging. In this work, a cuprous oxide/copper oxide composite was interpenetrated onto carbon nanosheets of cellulose-based flexible carbon aerogels (Cu2O/CuO@CAx) via a simple freeze-drying-calcination method. The introduction of the carbon aerogel effectively prevents the aggregation of the cuprous oxide/copper oxide composite. In addition, Cu2O/CuO@CA0.2 has a larger specific surface area, stronger charge transfer capacity, and lower recombination rate of photogenerated carriers than copper oxide. Moreover, Cu2O/CuO@CA0.2 exhibited high photocatalytic activity in decomposing methylene blue, with a degradation rate reaching up to 99.09% in 60 min. The active oxidation species in the photocatalytic degradation process were systematically investigated by electron spin resonance characterization and poisoning experiments, among which singlet oxygen played a major role. In conclusion, this work provides an effective method for preparing photocatalysts using biomass resources in combination with different metal oxides. It also promotes the development of photocatalytic degradation of dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dynamic model based on rotor dynamics was proposed to analyze the effect of workpiece-tool system vibration on the cutting accuracy of commercially pure titanium TA2. The proposed model considers the imbalance of mass and stiffness caused by material removal, regenerative chatter effect, the Johnson–Cook plastic material constitutive model of the workpiece, and coupled vibration between workpiece and tool. The differential equation of the rotating workpiece-tool system is derived by using D' Alembert's principle. The model's validity is verified by cutting tests and surface topography observation. Besides, the effects of different cutting parameters on cutting vibration characteristics and Processing quality are discussed. According to cutter-workpiece vibration response and the test results of surface roughness, chip morphology, and surface morphology, the causes of cutting vibration and the influence of cutting parameters on surface quality are revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retinoblastoma-binding protein 8 (RBBP8) affects the prognosis of patients with malignancies through various mechanisms. However, its function in gliomas is unknown. Our study explored the effects of RBBP8 on the prognosis of glioma patients, as well as its regulatory role in the glioma immune microenvironment. We used various bioinformatics methods to analyze the transcriptional profiles and methylation data of RBBP8 in gliomas from multiple databases. Our results showed that the mRNA and protein expression of RBBP8 in gliomas was higher than that in normal tissues and positively correlated with malignant clinical features such as age and WHO grade. A Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients with high RBBP8 expression had a poor prognosis. Cox regression demonstrated that RBBP8 was an independent risk indicator and had good diagnostic value for the poor prognosis of glioma. Importantly, RBBP8 was positively correlated with many well-known immune checkpoints (e.g., CTLA4 and PDL-1). Finally, a gene set enrichment analysis revealed that RBBP8 was remarkably enriched in cancer-related pathways such as cell cycle, DNA replication and so on. In conclusion, this study is the first to elaborate on the value of RBBP8 in the pathological process of glioma for anti-tumor immunotherapy. In addition, the expression of RBBP8 and its methylation site, cg05513509, may provide potential targets for glioma therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of three-dimensional (3D) printing to conventional surgeries in proximal humerus fractures (PHFs). Methods: Eight databases were comprehensively searched for data on clinical characteristics and outcomes, including operation time, time to bone healing, blood loss volume, number of intraoperative fluoroscopies, the reduction rate of anatomic proximal humeri, Constant scores, Neer rating, loss of humeral head height, and complications. These data were compared between 3D printing-assisted versus conventional surgeries to learn the efficacy of 3D printing-assisted surgery. Results: 3D printing-assisted surgery outperformed conventional procedures in operation time, blood loss volume, time to the union of PHFs, number of fluoroscopies, the reduction rate of anatomic proximal humeri, Constant scores, Neer rating, and complications. Conclusion: 3D printing-assisted surgery improves operation time, anatomic healing, pain, and motion, with less harm to patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of evidences have shown that the carcinogenic effect of DRAXIN plays an important role in the malignant process of tumors, but the mechanism of its involvement in glioma has not yet been revealed. The main aim of this study is to explore the relationship between DRAXIN and the prognosis and pathogenesis of glioma through a large quality of data analysis. Firstly, thousands of tissue samples with clinical information were collected based on various public databases. Then, a series of bioinformatics analyses were performed to mine data from information of glioma samples extracted from several reputable databases to reveal the key role of DRAXIN in glioma development and progression, with the confirmation of basic experiments. Our results showed that high expression of the oncogene DRAXIN in tumor tissue and cells could be used as an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in glioma patients and was strongly associated with clinical risk features. The reverse transcription-quantitative PCR technique was then utilized to validate the DRAXIN expression results we obtained. In addition, co-expression analysis identified, respectively, top 10 genes that were closely associated with DRAXIN positively or negatively. Finally, in vitro experiments demonstrated that knockdown of DRAXIN significantly inhibited proliferation and invasion of glioma cell. To sum up, this is the first report of DRAXIN being highly expressed in gliomas and leading to poor prognosis of glioma patients. DRAXIN may not only benefit to explore the pathogenesis of gliomas, but also serve as a novel biological target for the treatment of glioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fastening failures have frequently been found on China high-speed railway curved tracks in recent years. Thus the influence of fastening failures on high-speed train-track interaction in curved track needs to be analyzed. A train-curved slab track interaction model is built, in which the real shape of the curved rail is considered and modeled with reduced beam model (RBM) and curved beam theory, and the slabs are modeled with four-nodes Kirchhoff-Love plate elements. The present model is validated at first with different traditional models. Then the influence of fastening failure in curved slab track on train-track interaction dynamics is studied. A different number of failed fastenings is assumed to occur at the curved track, and different types of fastening failure including the fatigue fracture of the clip structure and failure of the rail pad are considered. Based on the calculation results, the fatigue fracture of the clip structure has little influence on train-track interaction dynamics. But when rail pad failure happens and its equivalent vertical stiffness and damping are less than one-tenth of its original, the fastening failure seriously affects the high-speed train operation safety, and it must be prevented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In cutting process, the insufficiency in grasp of the tool vibration characteristics of spindle system seriously hinders the improvement of machining quality and efficiency. Thus, this paper develops a novel dynamic model of spindle system in ball end milling process considering the nonlinear contact behavior of bearings. For the sake of coupling with the motion differential equations of spindle shaft, a general analytical expression for the nonlinear contact force of matched angular contact ball bearings is proposed. Then, dynamic cutting force model during ball end milling is established with consideration of the influence of tool vibration on the uncut chip thickness. Furthermore, the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed model is confirmed by some cutting tests. Finally, the effects of rotation speed, bearing preload, and cutting parameters on the tool end vibration response of spindle system are analyzed in detail. The investigations reveal that the main resonance frequency increases and the corresponding resonance amplitude decreases as bearing preload increases. The larger bearing preload can improve cutting stability and machining quality. It is also concluded that the change regarding axial depth of cut considerably affects the vibration behaviors of tool end. The proposed dynamic model can be applied to predict the vibration of spindle system during ball end milling, especially the tool vibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ball-end milling cutters are one of the most widely used cutters in the automotive, aerospace, die, and machine parts industries. Milling chatter reduced the surface quality and production efficiency, resulting in noise. It is particularly important to model the cutting force and analyze the flutter stability of ball-end milling cutters. In this study, a simplified milling force model of ball-end milling cutter with three degrees of freedom was established based on Merchant bevel cutting theory. The model simplified the milling force coefficient. The expressions of instantaneous milling area considering the vibration displacements in X, Y, and Z directions were derived. The nonlinear dynamic cutting force model of ball-end milling cutter with three degrees of freedom was proposed. The nonlinear chatter vibration mechanical model of ball-end milling cutter with three degrees of freedom was developed by introducing the time delay term, and the stability analysis is carried out by the stability lobe diagram. The proposed models were experimentally verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is industry tendency to accurately predict the dynamics of the mechanical systems with full consideration of errors. Based on the Hertz contact theory and general bearing modeling methods, this study proposed a more practical model using numerical method to investigate the influence of assembly error on the dynamics of linear guide slide platform. First, the modeling methods of five types of assembly errors are established, based on which, a nonlinear dynamic model is developed to investigate the influence of assembly error. In consideration of assembly error, the modeling method enables the sum of restoring forces and restoring moments equal to zero when no external load applied to the platform. Second, the simulation results indicate that the assembly error can cause uneven load distribution, change the dynamics of the system. In addition, different from previous research results, the stability of the system cannot be improved by simply increasing the preload. Last, in order to validate the proposed method, the proposed model is compared with previous fewer degrees-of-freedom model, and a series of experiments are conducted on a specialized platform to estimate the parameters of the system and verify the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface morphology has an important influence on the dynamic response and bolt loosening of bolted joints. In this paper, based on the fractal contact model, an original nonlinear dynamic model of the bolted joint structure including the piecewise restoring force and dry friction is proposed to predict the normal and tangential coupling vibration and investigate the dynamic characteristics. The relative sliding behavior between bolts and connected parts is considered for avoiding the bolt loosening failure, which is rarely mentioned in previous studies. Furthermore, normal and tangential fractal contact stiffness models are experimentally validated by comparing the modal test and finite element simulation with virtual material layer. The joint interface is equalized as the equivalent layer in the FE model, and its material parameters are deduced by the measured surface profiles. Numerical simulation is employed to investigate the effects of harmonic excitation, bolt preload and fractal parameters on the dynamic characteristics. The abundant nonlinear phenomena, such as quasi-period motion, chaotic motion and jump discontinuous, are captured. The predicted nonlinear vibration response is helpful for preventing the resonance and instability of system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a five-degree-of-freedom dynamic model of variable lead preloaded single nut ball screw is proposed. The proposed model considers the effect of excitation amplitude, deflection angle, the number of balls, and the preload into consideration. Moreover, to study the effect of working parameters on nonlinear dynamics, bifurcation diagram, 3-D frequency spectrum, phase diagram, and Poincaré section with different system parameters are shown in the Discussion section. The numerical analysis indicates that the system can exhibit different motion states, and the continuous frequency component can be observed. Moreover, a series of experiments are conducted to estimate the dynamic parameters and validate the proposed dynamic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incremental algorithms are among the most popular approaches for Delaunay triangulation, and the point insertion sequence has a substantial impact on the amount of work needed to construct Delaunay triangulations in incremental algorithm triangulation. In this paper, 2D adaptive Hilbert curve insertion, including the method of dividing 3D multi-grids and adjusting the 3D adaptive Hilbert curve to avoid the "jump" phenomenon, is extended to 3D Delaunay triangulation. In addition, on the basis of adaptive Hilbert curve insertion, we continue to optimize the addition of control points by selecting control points in every order and every grid level. As a result, the number of conflicting elongated tetrahedra that have to be created and deleted multiple times and the number of search steps for positioning inserted points can both be reduced. Lastly, a new comparison method is used in the point location process to solve the precision problem in 3D Delaunay triangulation. As shown by detailed experiments and analysis, compared with previous adaptive Hilbert curve insertion, CGAL, regular grid insertion, multi-grid insertion and random insertion, the proposed 3D Delaunay triangulation is the most efficient for both artificial and real surface sampling point sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern tendency of machine tools design requires more accurate model to predict the system dynamics, in order to anticipate its interaction with machining process. In this paper, a comprehensive dynamic model of ball screw feed system (BSFS) considering nonlinear kinematic joints is introduced to investigate the varying dynamic characteristics when worktable is subjected to combined load from six directions. The load–deformation relationship of each kinematic joint is dealt with a set of translational and angular spring elements. The nonlinear restoring force function of each joint involving coupling displacement is calculated. Based on the lumped mass method, the analytical 18-DOF dynamic equation is formulated by the analysis of the interaction force between joints. Model verification tests are conducted. The worktable response exhibits the abundant and fascinating nonlinear phenomena arising in nonlinear joint and coupling effect. The nonlinear behavior behaves significant difference owing to the variations of excitation, platform position, screw length, preload and damping of joints. Thus, the model is promising for comprehension of machine dynamic behavior and for development of sophisticated control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil microorganisms are essential for the long-term sustainability of agricultural ecosystems. However, continuous grapevine replanting can disrupt the stability of soil microbial communities. We investigated the bacterial and fungal abundance, diversity, and community composition in rhizosphere soils with continuous grapevine replanting for 5, 6, 7 (Y5, Y6, and Y7; short-term), and 20 (Y20; long-term) years with high-throughput sequencing. Results showed that diversities and abundances of bacterial and fungal communities in Y20 were significantly lower than in other samples. The bacterial and fungal community compositions were markedly affected by the replanting time and planting year. After short-term grapevine replanting, relative abundances of potential beneficial bacteria and harmful fungi in rhizosphere soils were higher compared to long-term planting. Bacterial and fungal communities were significantly correlated with available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus, available potassium (AK), and pH. AK and AN were the primary soil factors related to the shift of bacterial and fungal communities. Bacterial and fungal co-occurrence patterns were remarkably affected by replanting time, showing that fallow land harbored co-occurrence networks more complex than those in other groups, with the Y20 group showing the lowest complexity. Then, we isolated the dominant fungi in grapevine rhizosphere soil after continuous replanting and verified the harmful effects of three candidate strains through pot experiments. The results showed that 12 days post-treating the soil with fungal spore suspensions significantly inhibited grapevine seedlings' growth, whereas Fusarium solani inhibited plant growth. Overall, we showed that F. solani might be a potentially harmful fungus related to grapevine replant diseases. Key points: • Continuous grapevine planting reduced soil microbe diversities/abundances. • Beneficial bacteria and harmful fungi increased after short-term replanting. • F. solani may be a harmful fungus related to grapevine replant diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigation of the dynamic characteristics of linear guideway is essential for enhancing structural performance of machine tools. However, few mechanical models are established for vibration analysis of linear guideway when it is subjected to complex external loads. In this paper, we presented a five degrees of freedom dynamic model for investigating nonlinear vibration behavior of linear guideway subjected to external periodic excitation. The idea of coordinate transformation is adopted for the easier derivations of piecewise restoring force function and equation of motion. The numerical simulation shows a wide variety of fascinating phenomena linked to vibration system with the effects from harmonic excitation frequency and amplitude, preload and mass of carriage. The multi-period, quasi-period and chaotic motions are observed by the characterization tools of bifurcation diagram and 3-D frequency spectrum. Moreover, the dynamic experiments are presented for verifying the proposed model. The analytical model developed here can be used for optimal design for high-precision linear guideway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the total flavonoids of Radix Tetrastigma (RTF) on inflammation-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. Extracted RTF was diluted to different concentrations for subsequent experiments. HCC cells were cotreated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and RTF to investigate the effects of RTF on LPS-stimulated HCC cells. A CCK-8 kit was used to measure cell proliferation. Apoptosis was detected with a flow cytometer. Cell migration and invasion were quantified by wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. The expression of TLR4 and COX-2 and activation of the NF-κB pathway were determined by Western blotting. Treatment with LPS significantly enhanced cell proliferation and decreased the apoptosis rate, while cell migration and invasion were notably upregulated. RTF suppressed the proliferation and invasion induced by LPS stimulation and promoted HCC cell apoptosis. The protein levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 were decreased and that of Bcl-2 was increased by LPS in HCC cells, which could be rescued by RTF. RTF significantly inhibited the LPS-induced expression of the proinflammatory mediators IL-6 and IL-8 in HCC cells. Mechanistically, with RTF treatment, the upregulated expression of TLR4 and COX-2 induced by LPS was obviously downregulated. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of NF-κB/p65 was significantly decreased in LPS-stimulated cells after supplementation with RTF. Our study suggests that RTF exerts a significant inhibitory effect on the LPS-induced enhancement of the malignant behaviors of HCC cells via inactivation of TLR4/NF-κB signaling. RTF may be a promising chemotherapeutic agent to limit HCC development and inflammation-mediated metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Techniques for the fusion of real-world videos with virtual scenes are key to the augmentation of three-dimensional (3-D) virtual geographic scenes, which greatly enhances the immersive visual experience. When a 3-D scene is updated dynamically, the existing video projection-based method for real-virtual fusion is generally slow and inefficient, as all rendered objects must be traversed in the new scene to identify the objects to be fused in the user's new field of view (FOV). To address this issue, a fast, topology-accounting method for multi-video fusion with 3-D geographic information system (GIS) scenes is proposed. First, the topological models for video object and rendered object are constructed, respectively. Second, by using the topological models, a method that considering topological relationships is proposed to realize rapid identification of rendered objects during the dynamic update of 3-D scenes. Finally, real video and 3-D scene data in Tengzhou City were used to validate the method proposed in this paper. The experiments demonstrated that the method is fast and efficient in the fusion of videos with 3-D GIS scenes, and the computational cost of the proposed method is significantly lower than that of the current method. The proposed method is highly viable and robust, facilitating the fusion of videos with virtual environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational investigation was conducted to understand the effects of various parameters on nozzle flow and cavitation in a diesel fuel injector for a diesel engine. The effects of injector parameters were simulated for different conditions including the injection pressure, the outlet pressure, the position of the needle lift, and the length of the nozzle. Results show that some parameters have obvious influence on cavitation associated with nozzle flow. When the outlet pressure was constant, the velocity through the nozzle increased with the injection pressure, resulting in the cavitation at the injection pressure over 120 MPa. When the injection pressure was constant, the velocity inside nozzle decreased with the outlet pressure. As the needle tip moved closer to the bottom of minisac, the velocity inside nozzle decreased and the cavitation did not take place. The length of the nozzle hole had little effect on the velocity at inlet, but it affected the velocity distribution at outlet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Line integral convolution (LIC) is a useful visualization technique for a vector field. However, the output image produced by LIC has many problems in a marine vector field. We focus on the visual quality improvement when LIC is applied in the ocean steady and unsteady flow field in the following aspects. When a white noise is used as the input in a steady flow field, interpolation is used to turn the discrete white noise into continuous white noise to solve the problem of discontinuity. The "cross" high-pass filtering is used to enhance the textures of streamlines to be more concentrated and continuity strengthened for each streamline. When a sparse noise is used as the input in a steady flow field, we change the directions of background sparse noise according to the directions of vector field to make the streamlines clearer and brighter. In addition, we provide a random initial phase for every streamline to avoid the pulsation effect during animation. The velocities of vector field are encoded in the speed of the same length streamlines so that the running speed of streamlines can express flow rate. Meanwhile, to solve the problem of obvious boundaries when stitching image, we change the streamline tracking constraints. When a white noise is used as an input in an unsteady flow field, double value scattering is used to enhance the contrast of streamlines; moreover, the "cross" high-pass filtering is also adopt instead of two-dimensional high-pass filtering. Finally, we apply the above methods to a case of the surface wave field in typhoon condition. Our experimental results show that applying the methods can generate high-quality wave images and animations. Therefore, it is helpful to understand and study waves in typhoon condition to avoid the potential harm of the waves to people's lives and property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: ρ-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA) is one of the major autotoxins that cause grapevine replant disease. Root border cells (RBCs) play an important role in plant defense. Although RBCs have been investigated in many plants, relevant information in grapevines is limited. In this study, we aimed to investigate the developmental characteristics of RBCs in the grapevine (Vitis riparia × Vitis labrusca) 'Beta' and their response to 4-HBA stress. Methods: RBCs were observed under a laser scanning confocal microscope. The phenolic acid composition of RBCs slime was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The level of gene expression was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Grapevine RBCs have high biological activity, contain starch granules, and are surrounded by a mucilage layer. Root treatments using different concentrations of 4-HBA affected the development of RBCs and root growth, and induced the secretion of salicylic acid from the RBCs, which can stimulate, induce, and maintain the activity of antioxidant enzymes to some extent in the cells under 4-HBA stress. Conclusion: Grapevine RBCs may resist 4-HBA stress by increasing its number and enhancing their secondary metabolism and SA accumulation, which can induce the antioxidant defense system of the cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing evidence on the relationship between cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics and cardiovascular disease (CVD) was primarily derived from western populations. We aimed to evaluate the benefits of ideal CVH metrics on preventing incident atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) in Chinese population. This study was conducted among 93,987 adults from the China-PAR project (Prediction for ASCVD Risk in China) who were followed up until 2015. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of CVH metrics for the risk of ASCVD, including coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and ASCVD death. We further estimated the population-attributable risk percentage (PAR%) of these metrics in relation to each outcome. We observed gradient inverse associations between the number of ideal CVH metrics and ASCVD incidence. Compared with participants having ≤2 ideal CVH metrics, the multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CIs) of ASCVD for those with 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 ideal CVH metrics were 0.83 (0.74-0.93), 0.66 (0.59-0.74), 0.55 (0.48-0.61), 0.44 (0.38-0.50) and 0.24 (0.18-0.31), respectively (P for trend <0.0001). Approximately 62.1% of total ASCVD, 38.7% of CHD, 66.4% of stroke, and 60.5% of ASCVD death were attributable to not achieving all the seven ideal CVH metrics. After adjusting effects of ideal health factors, having four ideal health behaviors could independently bring adults health benefits in preventing 17.4% of ASCVD, 18.0% of CHD, 16.7% of stroke, and 10.1% of ASCVD death. Among all the seven CVH metrics, to keep with ideal blood pressure (BP) implied the largest public health gains against various ASCVD events (PAR% between 33.0% and 47.2%), while ideal diet was the metric most difficult to be achieved in the long term. Our study indicates that the more ideal CVH metrics adults have, the less ASCVD burden there is in China. Special efforts of health education and behavior modification should be made on keeping ideal BP and dietary habits in general Chinese population to prevent the epidemic of ASCVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linalool, α-terpineol, citronellol, nerol, geraniol, and geraniol acid are the main monoterpenes in the grapevine ( Vitis vinifera L.) with the concentrations of these substances differing in different varieties. This research performed association analyses using a core collection of 92 grape accessions to identify causal SNPs in the gene 1-deoxy- d-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase ( VvDXS), a regulator of monoterpene metabolism. We evaluated the free linalool, α-terpineol, citronellol, nerol, geraniol, and geraniol acid content of 92 grape varieties in two consecutive years (2014 and 2015). Twenty-two SNPs were found in the VvDXS coding region and were used in an association analysis. We found that the linalool, α-terpineol, nerol, and geraniol acid levels were higher in varieties with a G/T genotype at P852 than in varieties with other genotypes at this site. Additionally, we found a novel polymorphism site P1678 (A/G) with a functional effect on terpenoid content that was related to the regulation of gene transcription. This study revealed the relationship between VvDXS and aroma, with the identified polymorphism site potentially assisting in the screening of aroma compounds at early stages in fruit development in grapevines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With doping a bit of phosphorus (P) into the lattice of FeVO nanobelts, FePVO solid solution nanobelts have been successfully synthesized for the first time via a simple electrospinning process. The as-prepared products were characterized by thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis absorbance spectroscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS). The results demonstrated that the lattice constants of FeVO were changed and transport of charge carriers was improved after doping P element. Furthermore, the FePVO nanobelts presented an admirable one-dimensional morphology and the excellent photocatalytic properties for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) solution under the visible light irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One-dimensional BiMoWO (x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.67, and 1) photocatalysts have been successfully synthesized for the first time by a straightforward electrospinning technique with a calcination process. The as-formed BiMoWO nanofibers are composed of inter-linked nanosheets of 30-50 nm in size and characterized by thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetric, Fourier transform infrared, Raman spectra, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscope, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, transmission electron microscope, UV-Vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence, HPLC, and EIS. The photodegradation behaviors towards organic dyes, including rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) are investigated, and the results illustrate that BiMoWO nanofibers exhibit the highest photocatalytic performance under visible light irradiation than BiMoWO (x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.67, and 1) samples. The possible mechanisms of the enhanced photocatalytic properties are discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BaTiO-CoFe O composite thin films with different thicknesses were fabricated via chemical solution deposition. Magnetic annealing and non-field annealing processes were applied in the sintering process, respectively. Variations of the structure and magnetic properties of the composite films induced by the magnetic annealing were investigated. It is found that the mean grain size and grain boundary are increased and decreased, respectively. For the magnetic-annealed films, the internal strain is reduced with the increase of film thickness. Magnetic measurements show that the M is also increased with the film thickness and the magnetic-annealed films have bigger M values than the non-field-annealed films. Based on the experimental results, it can be concluded that the effect of magnetic annealing on the structure and properties of the composite films is decreased with the increase of film thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, one-dimensional FeVO nanobelts with the width of about 400 nm have been successfully prepared by a simple electrospinning process followed by the subsequent calcination process. The prepared products are characterized by thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetric, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectra, scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis absorbance spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms and total organic carbon. The results indicated that the as-prepared FeVO nanobelts belonging to the triclinic crystal system presented the one-dimensional belts structure. In addition, the morphologies, crystallite size and surface area of FeVO nanobelts were distinctly affected by the calcination temperature. And the FeVO nanobelts calcined at 600 °C for 2 h owned an excellent photocatalytic properties for the degradation of rhodamine B solution under the visible light irradiation. Graphical abstract: Schematic representation of electrospinning process and morphology evolution of FeVO nanobelts during calcination process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioma is the most common primary brain tumor in the central nervous system (CNS) with high morbidity and mortality in adults. Although standardized comprehensive therapy has been adapted, the prognosis of glioma patients is still frustrating and thus novel therapeutic strategies are urgently in need. Quercetin (Quer), an important flavonoid compound found in many herbs, is shown to be effective in some tumor models including glioma. Recently, it is reported that adequate regulation of autophagy can strengthen cytotoxic effect of anticancer drugs. However, it is not yet fully clear how we should modulate autophagy to achieve a satisfactory therapeutic effect. 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) and Beclin1 short hairpin RNA (shRNA) were used to inhibit the early stage of autophage while chloroquine (CQ) to inhibit the late stage. MTT assay was implemented to determine cell viability. Transmission electron microscopy, western blot, and immunohistochemistry were adopted to evaluate autophagy. Western blot, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry were used to detect apoptosis. C6 glioma xenograft models were established to assess the therapeutic effect (the body weight change, the median survival time, and tumor volume) in vivo. Quercetin can inhibit cell viability and induce autophagy of U87 and U251 glioma cells in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibition of early-stage autophagy by 3-MA or shRNA against Beclin1 attenuated the quercetin-induced cytotoxicity. In contrast, suppression of autophagy at a late stage by CQ enhanced the anti-glioma efficiency of quercetin. Therapeutic effect of quercetin for malignant glioma can be strengthened by inhibition of autophagy at a late stage, not initial stage, which may provide a novel opportunity for glioma therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WO nanoparticle and flower-like WO/graphene nanocomposite were successfully synthesized via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. The obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope techniques. The gas-sensing performance of the as-synthesized materials was also investigated. The experimental results revealed that the graphene plays an important role in the crystal structure evolution from WO nanoparticle to flower-like WO/graphene nanocomposite. The flower-like WO/graphene nanocomposite shows far better gas-sensing properties for aniline gas at 80 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy in children and teenagers, and its clinical outcome remains poor. Previous studies have investigated the association between excision repair cross-complementing (ERCC) and prognosis of osteosarcoma patients, but their results were inconsistent. We aimed to clarify the associations between ERCC polymorphisms and osteosarcoma prognosis by using meta-analysis. We searched relevant studies in PubMed, Embase, coupled with Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) in human osteosarcoma published prior to April, 2014. Hazard ratios (HR) together with their 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) were used to measure the relationship between ERCC mutations and prognosis in patients with osteosarcoma. Pooled results showed that polymorphism of ERCC2 Lys751Gln was associated with the overall survival of osteosarcoma (GG vs. AA, HR = 0.40; 95 % CI 0.18-0.86), and ERCC5 His46His mutation was associated with the event-free survival of osteosarcoma (CC vs. TT, HR = 0.37; 95 % CI 0.15, 0.93). In addition, there is no evidence of association on ERCC1 Asn118Asn, ERCC1 Gln504Lys, and ERCC2 Asp312Asn polymorphisms with prognosis in osteosarcoma. In summary, the ERCC2 Lys751Gln and ERCC5 His46His polymorphisms might influence osteosarcoma prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economy has developed rapidly in China, and the clustering of cardiovascular risk factors in subjects increased remarkably over the past two decades. However, no data are available regarding the temporal prevalence of hyperuricemia and its correlates in this rapidly developing area, especially in the inland area. The cross-sectional survey was based on a random sample of 4,218 residents aged 35-64 years in the Jinan area. Hyperuricemia was defined as serum uric acid ≥416 μmol/L in men and ≥357 μmol/L in women. Subjects underwent physical examination and fasting blood testing. Complete data were available for analysis from 1,979 men and 2,062 women. The age-adjusted prevalence of hyperuricemia was 6.4 % for men and 2.1 % for women. The prevalence of hyperuricemia was greater in urban (6.7 %) than in rural areas (1.7 %) of Jinan city. Multivariate logistic regression models revealed hyperuricemia associated with hypertriglyceridemia [men: odds ratio (OR) = 6.101, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 4.064-9.159; women: OR = 7.103, 95 % CI 3.578-14.099] and high serum creatinine level (men: OR = 2.603, 95 % CI 1.602-4.230; women: OR = 5.237, 95 % CI 2.667-10.284). Hyperuricemia was also significantly associated with male sex, urban residence, hypertension, obesity, and hypercholesterolemia. Age (1-year increase) was negatively associated with hyperuricemia in men but positively associated with hyperuricemia in women. In conclusion, the prevalence of hyperuricemia is higher in urban than rural areas of Jinan, China. Male sex, urban residence, hypertension, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and high serum creatinine level contributed to hyperuricemia in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incorporation of a bulk heterojunction is an effective strategy to enhance charge separation and carrier transport in solar cells, and has been adopted in polymeric and colloidal nanoparticle solar cells to improve energy conversion efficiency. Here, we report bulk heterojunction solar cells based on one-dimensional structures, fabricated by mixing CdS nanowires (CdS NWs) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to form a composite film with mutually interpenetrating networks through a simple solution-filtration process. Within the composite, the CNT network boosts charge separation by extracting holes generated from CdS NWs and also forms the transport path for carrier collection by the external electrode. At an optimized CNT loading of about 5 wt.%, the CdS NW/CNT bulk heterojunction solar cells showed three orders of magnitude increase in photocurrent and cell efficiency compared to a cell with the same materials arranged in a stacked layer configuration with a plain heterojunction. External quantum efficiency and photoluminescence studies revealed the efficient charge transfer process from photoexcited CdS NWs to CNTs in the mixed form. Our results indicate that the bulk heterojunction structure strategy can be extended to semiconductor NWs and CNTs and can greatly improve solar cell performance. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detailed magnetic measurements and geochemical analyses were performed on 114 sediment samples collected from the East Lake, Wuhan city, China, to establish a possible link between the enhanced concentration of anthropogenic magnetic particles and heavy metals with known sources. Relatively higher magnetic susceptibility values (mass-specific, χ, >150 × 10−8 m3 kg−1) were observed for samples near the pollution sources: e.g. the Wuhan Iron and Steel Company (WISC), the Qingshan Thermal Power Plant (QTPP), the banks (driveways) of the lake and near the sightseeing route of yachts on the lake. Moreover, χ is positively correlated to the concentration of Pb (correlation coefficient r = 0.682), but negatively or weakly correlated with both Zn and Cu. In contrast, anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) is significantly correlated with these major heavy metals ( r = 0.645 for Zn–ARM, 0.699 for Pb–ARM and 0.841 for Cu–ARM, respectively), which indicate that ARM serves a better indicator for the pollution of heavy metals in this lake. Thermomagnetic analysis combined with magnetic hysteresis measurements revealed that magnetites in the pseudo-single-domain/multidomain grain-size regions are dominant. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray examinations of the magnetic extracts showed that these Fe-rich particles have different morphologies: orange-peel structure, hollow structure with adhered smaller particles, Zr-rich melted-like irregular particles, pear-shaped spherules and spherules with slick surfaces. These features are typical for particles produced by anthropogenic activities. Because of the genetic relationship between the environmental setting of the East Lake and the nearby pollution sources, this study suggests that in situ magnetic surveys are sensitive to evaluate the environmental pollution on the lake bottom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the efficacy of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) in an educated cohort of pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Urumqi, China. VCT was given to women and their partners (experimental group) or women alone (control group). Both groups were given pre- and post-intervention questionnaires to assess HIV knowledge and willingness to get HIV testing. Multivariate analysis showed that all women improved significantly in HIV knowledge between baseline and follow-up. Moreover, HIV knowledge was significantly associated with HIV testing willingness. At follow-up, women in the control and experimental groups were 6.8 and 7.9 times more willing to receive HIV testing than at baseline, respectively. VCT seems effective in this cohort of educated pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper a Y-type four-level atom interacting with external fields system is investigated. It is shown that increasing the control field can reduce the probe absorption, the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and gain can be obtained if the parameters are taken appropriately. An interesting phenomenon is found that the system appears to be probe gain in a large region if the external fields Rabi phases are taken appropriately, too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between carotid wall shear stress (WSS) and renal function impairment (RFI) and albuminuria in aging adults. A total of 1,447 subjects aged 60 years and older with normal estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR ≥ 60 mL·min−1·1.72 m−2) and albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR < 30 mg·g−1) were enrolled between April 2007 and October 2009 in the Shandong area, China. Carotid WSS was assessed at baseline, and eGFR, which is based on serum creatinine and cystatin C, and ACR were assessed at baseline and at the annual follow-up visits. After an average of 62.9 months of follow-up, the reduction in eGFR and the increase in ACR were significantly higher in the Q1+2+3 group than the Q4 group, as classified by either the interquartile of the mean WSS or the interquartile of the peak WSS after adjustment for multi-variabilities, including the average blood pressures at every annual visit and baseline eGFR and ACR. For groups classified by mean WSS, the hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 3.45 (1.36-8.75, p = 0.008) in the incident RFI and 3.24 3.22 (1.37-7.57, p = 0.009) in the incident albuminuria for the Q1+2+3 group compared with the Q4 group. Similar results were observed among groups classified by peak WSS. The Q1+2+3 group was associated with endothelial dysfunction and inflammation with respect to the Q4 group as classified by mean or peak WSS. The results indicate that carotid WSS plays an important role in RFI and albuminuria progression in aging adults. Lower WSS was associated with a higher risk of RFI and albuminuria compared with higher WSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the association between empty-nest-related psychological distress and the progression of white matter lesions (WMLs) and cognitive impairment in 219 elderly subjects aged 60 years or over. Psychological distress was assessed using the University of California at Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) Short-Form. Cognitive function was evaluated using the MMSE and MoCA. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging. After 5.2-year follow-up, the reductions in MMSE and MoCA scores and the increases in periventricular (P)WMH, deep (D)WMH, and total WMH volumes in the empty-nest elderly were greater than those in the non-empty-nest elderly (P < 0.05). The reduced MMSE and MoCA scores and increased volumes of PWMH and total WMH in the empty-nest elderly living alone were greater than those in the empty-nest elderly living with a spouse (P < 0.05). UCLA-LS and GDS scores were significantly and independently associated with reduced MMSE and MoCA scores and the increased volumes of PWMH, DWMH, and total WMH. The results indicate that empty-nest-related psychological distress is associated with progression of WMLs and cognitive impairment in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]