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Establishing a quantitative relationship between modern pollen and vegetation remains a pivotal but intricate pursuit within the field of Quaternary palynology. The R-value, a well-established and traditional metric characterized by its simplicity and direct applicability, serves to calibrate the nonlinear disparities between surface pollen and modern vegetation. This study entails the construction of a comprehensive pollen R-value dataset for China derived from R-values published between 1987 and 2021. The dataset, compiled after rigorous screening, calibration, and standardization processes, encompasses 898 modern pollen sampling sites and 2115 pollen R-value data entries, encapsulating 152 pollen taxa spanning 65 families and 113 genera. Synthesizing the extracted R-values yielded the following insights: (1) A macrospatial analysis validates previously established knowledge at a site-specific scale. Evidently, pollen R-value variations across China are statistically significant. Approximately two-thirds of pollen taxa exhibit underrepresentation (e.g., Taxodiaceae, Corylus, Nitraria, Tamarix, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and Fabaceae), while the remaining one-third display overrepresentation (e.g., Pinus, Picea, Betula, Ephedra, Chenopodiaceae, and Artemisia). The degree of underrepresentation surpasses that of over-representation, and the representation patterns of Castanea, Quercus, Polygonaceae, and Asteraceae are contingent upon vegetation types. (2) Pollen R-values follow distinct spatial distribution patterns within China. In the woody vegetation region of eastern China, R-values progressively decline from north to south, correlating with rising temperatures and precipitation. Conversely, in herbaceous vegetation regions of northern and western China, R-values decrease from east to west and from northeast to southwest, corresponding to increased aridity. Nevertheless, pollen R-values manifest variation contingent on pollen taxa, vegetation types, and climatic regions, even differing for the same taxa across varying vegetation types and climatic conditions. This highlights the intricate nature of pollen R-values and their interpretation of pollen-vegetation relationships. (3) Pollen R-values and relative pollen production estimates exhibit resemblances and a modest positive correlation. However, adjudicating between them as representatives of vegetation requires nuanced consideration, as both metrics convey pollen representation within vegetation, demonstrating the multifaceted relationships they share with modern vegetation. Further recommendations suggest that when assessing pollen representation in modern vegetation, fossil pollen content should be weighted using either the median or log-transformed R-value. This approach underscores the necessity of comprehensively accounting for divergences and convergences across various spatial scales and vegetation types, particularly the disparities observed within identical pollen taxa across dissimilar regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "In vivo evaluation of Mg–6Zn and titanium alloys on collagen metabolism in the healing of intestinal anastomosis" published in Scientific Reports. The correction states that there were errors in the assembly of Figure 4 and Figure 5 in the original article. The corrected figures and accompanying legends are provided in the correction notice. The authors of the article are Xiao-hu Wang, Jian-shu Ni, Nai-long Cao, Song Yu, Yi-gang Chen, Shao-xiang Zhang, Bao-jun Gu, and Jun Yan. [Extracted from the article]

The motivation for this paper is to investigate the use of three promising types of recurrent neural networks (RNNs), i.e., the long short-term memory (LSTM) network, the bidirectional LSTM (BiLSTM), and gated recurrent unit (GRU), when applied to the task of copper price prediction. This is done by deploying these RNNs with adequate data slicing and augmentation procedures to extract useful information from both domestic and international copper-related market indices for forecasting out-of-sample copper price movements. These RNN models are then empirically tested under various input window lengths, with the memory-free ANN model serving as a benchmark. The results show that the RNN models with memory units are superior to the memory-free ANN model, but the choice of a longer input window length may not produce a better prediction performance. To optimize the prediction results, the RNN models with relatively low forecasting errors are further combined using various ensemble averaging approaches (i.e., AVG or OLS, with the former being simpler) to integrate different model forecasts. Empirical findings show that the best ensemble prediction model is formed by combining just two RNNs (LSTM and BiLSTM) with shorter input window length, through the simpler AVG approach. Our results therefore suggest that in a sense, the "simpler is better" philosophy should apply for the deployment of RNN models for the task of copper price prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the deformation of the skull base and fronto-temporal soft tissue in the patients with anterior plagiocephaly over 1 year of age by three-dimensional (3D) imaging after fronto-orbital advancement (FOA).Methods: We quantitatively analyzed the surgical results and outcome of FOA performed in 10 patients with anterior plagiocephaly. The measurements of the skull base and fronto-temporal soft tissue were performed based on 3D computed tomography (CT) scan. We assessed symmetry of the skull base and fronto-temporal soft tissue change.Results: The mean age of patients at FOA was 38.9 months. A significant asymmetry of the skull base was found in all the patients. The growth of the anterior and middle fossae was restricted and the deformation of the fronto-temporal region was marked by soft tissue measurements in different grades. On the follow-up CT images 23.6 months after surgery, there was prominent change (p < 0.05) between the two hemibases (CSO^ ratio) and between the lengths and angles of the anterior and middle cranial hemi-fossae (CX, CSX^, XSM^, XM ratio), especially in grade IIA. Anterior cranial vault asymmetry index obviously decreased to − 1.2 from 12% after surgery (p < 0.05). What’s more, ACA^ was also proved to be less after surgical correction (19.91° versus 8.29°, p < 0.01) in grade IIA. The change of fronto-temporal soft tissue was significant such as the frontal angle, the angle of the frontal plane, the fontal-temporal angle, and the angle of the temporal plane in different grades.Conclusions: The asymmetry of the skull base and the deformation of the fronto-temporal region can be presented by intracranial view at over 1 year of age in different grades. FOA can correct the skeletal malformation of the fronto-temporal region as well as soft tissue and the asymmetry of the skull base was improved after surgical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the growing use of financial hedging among competitive firms nowadays, we develop a game-theoretical model to investigate the problem of applying financial hedging to improve a firm’s competitive strategy. A distinctive setting of the model is that the firm value is a concave function of the firm profit, which is consistent with the empirical evidences in finance literature. After proving the unique existence of the Nash equilibrium, we examine the effects of financial hedging on the equilibrium and yield some novel results. In particular, our analysis suggests that in a competitive market, financial hedging is not just to protect a firm’s bottom line; perhaps more importantly, effective financial hedging schemes can help increase the firm value by boosting the firm’s production, raising the market share, and improving its profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual offline robot teaching provides a flexible and more economic robot programming solution to belt lapping. Due to the elasticity of the components, the applied force directly influences the polishing result, and the corresponding reaction force sensed by the user affects his or her decision on next operation. However, most of the simulation works reported so far focus mainly on the machining effect of belt lapping but not the contacting force. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel force feedback model for virtual robot teaching of belt lapping. By analyzing the force conditions at different process stages, three kinds of forces, namely natural force, colliding force, and resistance force, are defined to facilitate users with continuous force feedback during a virtual lapping process. To validate the model, a comparative study is done between the actual force measured during the belt lapping process and that simulated by the proposed force model. Moreover, evaluators are involved to conduct the virtual lapping of a mechanical part using the prototype developed. Both the quantitative and the evaluation experiments have validated that the force model is able to provide users with realistic force feedback and better ergonomic feelings of immersion. Moreover, they are also positive on the flexibility and efficiency of using the prototype for virtual robot teaching of belt lapping processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) of two dominant species, one deciduous tree ( Platycarya strobilacea) and one evergreen tree ( Machilus cavaleriei), was estimated based on the tree-ring width and the girth increment as well as allometric functions in a karst evergreen and deciduous broadleaved mixed forest in central Guizhou Province, southwestern China. Results showed that the ANPP increased from 1961 to 2015, especially during the last 20-30 years, but with strong variations. The deciduous tree had higher ANPP than the evergreen tree according to two kinds of estimates by the tree ring and girth increment. The averaged ANPP for these two mature trees was 2.27 kg/individual/year, ca. 8 t/ha/year considering the normal stand density. Such karst forest productivity was lower than the natural subtropical forests in China and in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Negative-contrast CT cholangiopancreatography (nCTCP) has been introduced into clinical practice recently. In the present study, we compared CT with nCTCP vs. MRI with MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) for the differential diagnosis of periampullary carcinomas. Methods: Fifty-nine patients with pathologically proven periampullary carcinomas who had received both CT and MR examinations before operation were reviewed retrospectively. Two reviewers independently interpreted the two image sets [the two-dimensional (2D)-CT with nCTCP set (CT set) vs. the 2D-MRI with MRCP set (MRI set)] in differentiating periampullary carcinomas, and the results were compared to the final pathologic records. Results: An interobserver agreement with a weighed κ value of 0.868 for the CT set and 0.701 for the MRI set was obtained for both reviewers in this study. No statistically significant differences were observed in the accuracy of identifying each of the periampullary carcinomas of four origins ( P values of 0.250, 0.500, 0.500, and 1.000 for reviewer 1 in comparison with 1.000, 0.625, 0.687, and 1.000 for reviewer 2 on the two image sets, respectively). Conclusion: The CT set provides a comparable performance to that of the MRI set in differentiating periampullary carcinomas, and it may be an alternative to 2D-MRI with MRCP in assessing malignant biliary obstruction in patients who are not suitable for MR examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is an important region for the global study of carbon because of its vast territory with various climate regimes, diverse ecosystems, and long-term human disturbances and land-use history. Carbon storage in ecosystems in China has been estimated using inventory and modeling methods in the past two decades. However, different methods may result in varied magnitudes and forms of carbon storage. In this study, the current status of carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems in China, including the impacts of land use, is summarized in the national, regional, and biome scales. Significant differences in data have existed among studies. Such differences are mainly attributed to variations in estimation methods, data availability, and periods. According to available national-scale information on Chinese terrestrial ecosystems, vegetation carbon in China is 6.1 Pg C to 76.2 Pg C (mean 36.98 Pg C) and soil carbon is 43.6 Pg C to 185.7 Pg C (mean 100.75 Pg C). The forest sector has vegetation carbon of 3.26 Pg C to 9.11 Pg C (mean 5.49 Pg C), whereas the grassland sector has 0.13 Pg C to 3.06 Pg C (mean 1.41 Pg C). Soil carbon in the forest and grassland sectors exhibits more significant regional variations. Further studies need a comprehensive methodology, which combines national inventory, field measurement, eddy covariance technique, remote sensing, and model simulation in a single framework, as well as all available data at different temporal and spatial scales, to fully account for the carbon budget in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the predictive value of the combination of bone marrow (BM) proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and liver R2* for osteopenia and osteoporosis and the additional role of liver R2*. Methods: A total of 107 healthy women were included between June 2019 and January 2021. Each participant underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and chemical shift-encoded 3.0-T MRI. PDFF measurements were performed for each lumbar vertebral body, and R2* measurements were performed in liver segments. Agreement among measurements was assessed by Bland-Altman analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to select optimised cut-offs for BM PDFF and liver R2*. Univariable and multivariable logistic regressions were performed. The C statistic and continuous net reclassification improvement (NRI) were adopted to explore the incremental predictive ability of liver R2*. Results: Bone mass decreased in 42 cases (39.3%) and nonbone mass decreased in 65 cases (60.7%). There were significant differences among the age groups, menopausal status groups, PDFF > 45.0% groups, and R2* > 67.7 groups. Each measurement had good reproducibility. The odds ratios (95% CIs) were 4.05 (1.22–13.43) for PDFF and 4.34 (1.41–13.35) for R2*. The C statistic (95% CI) without R2* was 0.888 (0.827–0.950), and with R2* was 0.900 (0.841–0.960). The NRI resulting from the combination of PDFF and R2* was 75.6% (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The predictive improvement over the use of BM PDFF and other traditional risk factors demonstrates the potential of liver R2* as a biomarker for osteopenia and osteoporosis in healthy women. Key Points: • Liver R2* is a biomarker for the assessment of osteopenia and osteoporosis. • Liver R2* improved the ability to predict osteopenia and osteoporosis. • The intra- and interobserver measurements showed high agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe here a newly identified member of the human B7 family, designated B7 homolog 3 (B7-H3), that shares 20?27% amino acid identity with other B7 family members. B7-H3 mRNA is not detectable in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, although it is found in various normal tissues and in several tumor cell lines. Expression of B7-H3 protein, however, can be induced on dendritic cells (DCs) and monocytes by inflammatory cytokines and a combination of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) + ionomycin. Soluble B7-H3 protein binds a putative counter-receptor on activated T cells that is distinct from CD28, cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), inducible costimulator (ICOS) and PD-1. B7-H3 costimulates proliferation of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, enhances the induction of cytotoxic T cells and selectively stimulates interferon γ (IFN-γ) production in the presence of T cell receptor signaling. In contrast, inclusion of antisense B7-H3 oligonucleotides decreases the expression of B7-H3 on DCs and inhibits IFN-γ production by DC-stimulated allogeneic T cells. Thus, we describe a newly identified costimulatory pathway that may participate in the regulation of cell-mediated immune responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Major depression is a serious, but common, psychological disorder, which consists of a long-lasting depressive mood, feelings of helplessness, anhedonia, and sleep disturbances. It has been reported that rats with bilateral olfactory bulbectomies (OBXs) exhibit depressive-like behaviors which indicates that the olfactory bulb (OB) plays an important role in the formation of depression. However, which type of OB neurons plays an important role in the formation of depression remains unclear. Objective: To determine the role of OB neuronal types in depression and related sleep-wake dysfunction. Methods: Firstly, we established and evaluated a conventional physical bilateral OBX depression model. Secondly, we used chemical methods to ablate OB neurons, while maintaining the original shape, and evaluated depressive-like behaviors. Thirdly, we utilized AAV-flex-taCasp3-TEVp and transgenetic mice to specifically ablate the OB GABAergic or glutamatergic neurons, then evaluated depressive-like behaviors. Results: Compared with measured parameters in sham mice, mice with OBXs or ibotenic acid–induced OB lesions exhibited depressive-like behaviors and sleep disturbances, as demonstrated by results of depressive-like behavior tests and sleep recordings. Selective lesioning of OB glutamatergic neurons, but not GABAergic neurons induced depressive-like behaviors and increased rapid eye movement sleep during the light phase of the circadian cycle. Conclusions: These results indicate that OB glutamatergic neurons play a key role in olfactory-related depression and sleep disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have been gradually attracting attention, because they are inexpensive and abundant; thus, they are favorable choice for energy storage system. Layered vanadium oxides have excellent zinc-ion storage capacity; however, significant challenges, such as poor conductivity and slow zinc-ion intercalation/deintercalation reaction, remain. Herein, we fabricated a material comprising V2O5 and Ag (Ag0.3V2O5, AVO) with a high conductivity and stable structure. Using this strategy, the ZIBs based on the AVO electrode achieved a high capacity of 340 mAh g−1 at 0.10 A g−1, long-term cyclic stability with over 93.75% retention after 1600 cycles and a nice rate performance (135 mAh g−1 at 2.0 A g−1). The nanowire structure was hardly corroded after the reaction. These results indicate that Ag+ can become "pillars" for V2O5, thereby improving the stability of the material. Moreover, Ag+ is involved in the reaction of aqueous zinc-ion batteries; thus, the cyclic performance and battery capacity are improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid simulation of grinding surface topography at different machining conditions can assist users to determine appropriate grinding parameters. Most simulation methods reported so far are time-consuming and can only simulate the surface topography on a micro-scale, which are certainly not effective and intuitive enough. Hence, in this work, a novel GPU-based prediction and simulation method of the grinding surface topography is proposed. With the method, an artificial neural network (ANN) model is first developed to model the grinding surface roughness and fractal dimension. Then, the Cook-Torrance illumination model is introduced to render the color and glossiness of the grinding surface, and a normal map generation method is proposed to render the rugged detail features of grinding surface topography. Finally, a GPU-based prediction and simulation algorithm is developed. A performance evaluation experiment of the ANN model and a comparative experiment between the simulated and actual grinding surface topography are conducted. The experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve fast prediction and photorealistic simulation of the grinding surface topography for the whole part surface, which provides a more intuitive and effective way to evaluate the surface quality under given processing parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a great clinical need for biodegradable materials, which were used as pins of circular staplers, for gastrointestinal reconstruction in medicine. In this work we compared the effects of the Mg-6Zn and the titanium alloys on collagen metabolism in the healing of the intestinal tract in vivo. The study included Sprague-Dawley rats and their effect was compared on rat's intestinal tract, using serum magnesium, radiology, and immunohistochemistry in vivo. Radiographic and scanning electron microscope evaluation confirmed the degradation by Mg-6Zn alloy during the implantation period. Biochemical measurements including serum magnesium, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and glutamic-pyruvic-transaminase proved that degradation of Mg-6Zn alloy showed no impact on serum magnesium and the function of other important organs. Superior to titanium alloy, Mg-6Zn alloy enhanced the expression of collagen I/III and relatively suppressed the expression of MMP-1/-13 in the healing tissues, leading to more mature collagen formation at the site of anastomosis. In conclusion, Mg-6Zn alloy performed better than titanium alloy on collagen metabolism and promoted the healing of intestinal anastomosis. Hence, Mg-6Zn may be a promising candidate for use of stapler pins for intestinal reconstruction in the clinically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate estimation of forest carbon storage is crucial in understanding global and regional carbon cycles and projecting future ecological and economic scenarios. Guizhou is the largest karst landform province in China; 61.9% of its land area is characterized as karst. However, monitoring its field biomass and carbon storage is difficult. This study synthesized and analyzed a comprehensive database of direct field observations of forest vegetation and soil carbon storage in Guizhou Province by using data from existing literature. The total vegetation carbon storage in Guizhou Province was 488.170 TgC, the average vegetation carbon density (VCD) was 27.866 MgC hm−2, the total amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) (20 cm) was 1017.364 TgC, and the average SOC density was 58.074 MgC hm−2. Among all vegetation types, needleleaf forest had the highest vegetation carbon stocks, and scrub presented the highest SOC storage. The vegetation and SOC storage values of the karst landform were 282.352 and 614.825 TgC, respectively, which were higher than those of the non-karst landform. VCD was concentrated at 10-40 MgC hm−2, and SOC density was concentrated at 40-60, 60-80, and 80-100 MgC hm−2. This comprehensive regional data synthesis and analysis based on direct field measurement of vegetation and soil will improve our understanding of the forest carbon cycle in karst landforms under a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) have been used as a valuable neurophysiologic index of neuronal dysfunction in the level of the brainstem. BAEPs are also useful in subdividing evoked potentials into normal, slight, or pronounced in patients with vertebrobasilar insufficiency. We investigated the changes of BAEP after vertebrobasilar artery ischemia in rabbits and its significance in clinical work. A brainstem ischemic model was made by unilateral extracranial occlusion of vertebral artery to monitor BAEPs at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min after occlusion. We found that peak latencies (PL) of I, III, and most notably V were gradually extended. In addition, we observed a significant ( P < 0.05) delay of interpeak latencies (IPL) of waves I-III, III-V, and I-V after occlusion. This delay became more significant in IPL I-V 60 min after occlusion. Our results also demonstrate that the amplitude of I and V had no obvious change ( P < 0.05). In the rabbit with bilateral extracranial occlusion of vertebral artery, BAEP waveforms disappeared 10 min after occlusion. Our results showed that vertebrobasilar insufficiency caused brainstem ischemia, which induced BAEP abnormity. Taken together, our findings suggest that BAEP has important significance for the clinical diagnosis of vertebrobasilar insufficiency. Therefore, early detection of neuronal change after transient cerebral ischemia is important in initiating treatment within the therapeutic window. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The binding of an azo dye, acid chrome blue K (ACBK) with double-stranded DNA was systematically investigated in Britton-Robinson (B-R) buffer solutions by spectroscopic and electrochemical methods. Cyclic voltammetry results showed that noteworthy changes took place in the irreversible oxidation peak of ACBK after reacting with double-stranded DNA, while only tiny changes appeared after reacting with single-stranded DNA, suggesting that ACBK can selectively combine with double helix DNA. Furthermore, a hydrophobic groove-binding mode between ACBK and double-stranded DNA was proposed from UV-Vis analysis. Moreover, binding parameters such as the binding constant ( K) and the binding site size ( s) between the two species were further determined to be 1.9 (±0.6)×10 L⋅mol and 2.1 (±0.1), respectively, using a voltammetric titration method. Agarose gel electrophoresis showed that ACBK can effectively promote the photo-cleavage of supercoiled plasmid pBR322 DNA to the nicking form, indicating the potential genotoxicity of this dye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a multi-proxy reconstruction of the climate change in Caotanhu wetland using pollen, phytolith and charcoal records, and the data of loss of ignition (LOl), grain size analysis, and susceptibility. Results reveal that between 4550 and 2500 cal. a BP, a dry climatic condition was not favorable for the accumulation of peat. Since 2500 cal. a BP, the climate became humid and the wetland developed with abundant freshwater aquatic plants, which contributed to peat accumulation. Nevertheless, alternate periods of rain and dry climate occurred during that period. Between 2500 and 1810 cal. a BP (550 BC-140 AD), the climate was more humid than at present. A lot of emerged plants, such as Phragmites, Typha and Sparganium, and freshwater green algae grew in the wetland which was surrounded by desert-steppe vegetation composed mainly of Chenopodiaceae, Artemisia, Compositae and Thalictrum. However, from 1810 to 1160 cal. a BP (140-790 AD), the water level started to decrease and hydrophyte species reduced greatly, but some Phragmites still grew in the wetland and around it was desert vegetation with high proportion of Chenopodiaceae and Artemisia. Then from 1160 to 650 a BP (790-1300 AD), it entered a period of desert-steppe with abundant mesic and xerophytic plants. And a lot of aquatic plants prevailed in the wetland. Here, what is noticeable is that percentages of arboreal pollen, consisting mainly of Betula and Picea, increased greatly and reached a maximal value of 27.2%, in which, Betula percentages rose to 23.2%. Hence, it is reasonable to conclude that Betula grew in the highland of the wetland, or Picea timberline shifted downward resulting in the increase of percentages of Betula and Picea pollen, which were transported into the wetland by flood or wind. But since 650 cal. a BP, desert vegetation prevailed around the wetland again with dominant Chenopodiaceae and Artemisia, and the climate was similar to modern one. Despite some aquatic plants still growing in the wetland at that time, their amounts diminished greatly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xinjiang Autonomous Region is located in the arid area of westerly of China and there are many arguments about the changes of past temperature and moisture. Most of the lakes on the plain in northern Xinjiang are sealed lakes and terminal lakes. They can evidently reflect the changes in palaeoclimate. The palaeoenvironmental changes of some plain lakes in northern Xinjiang during the late Holocene will be analysed mainly based on the data of pollen, sedimentary facies, loss on ignition (LOl), susceptibility and grain size from the Sichang Lake, Dongdaohaizi Lake and Aibi Lake. Results reveal an assembled pattern of temperature and moisture dominated by cold-wet and warm-dry. In addition, the impact factor will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a source of genetic variation, almond germplasm resources are of great significance in breeding. To better reveal the mutation characteristics and evolution patterns of the almond chloroplast (cp) genome, the complete cp genomes from six almond species were analyzed. The lengths of the chloroplast genome of the six almond species ranged from 157,783 bp to 158,073 bp. For repeat sequence analysis, 53 pairs of repeats (30 bp or longer) were identified. A total of 117 SSR loci were observed, including 96 polymorphic SSR loci. Nine highly variable regions with a nucleotide variability (Pi) higher than 0.08, including rps16, rps16-psbK, atpF-atpH, rpoB, ycf3-rps4, rps4-ndhJ, accD-psaI and rps7-orf42 (two highly variable regions) were located. Based on the chloroplast genome evolution analysis, three species (P. tenella, P. pedunculata and P. triloba) and wild cherry (P. tomentosa) were grouped into clade I. Clade II consisted of two species (P. mongolica and P. tangutica) and wild peach (P. davidiana). Clade III included the common almond (P. dulcis), cultivated peach (P. persica) and GanSu peach (P. kansuensis). This result expands the researchers' vision of almond plant diversity and promotes an understanding of the evolutionary relationship among almond species. In brief, this study provides abundant resources for the study of the almond chloroplast genome, and has an important reference value for study of the evolution and species identification of almond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their essential function in terminating translation, readthrough of stop codons occurs more frequently than previously supposed. However, little is known about the regulation of stop codon readthrough by anatomical site and over the life cycle of animals. Here, we developed a set of reporters to measure readthrough in Drosophila melanogaster. A focused RNAi screen in whole animals identified upf1 as a mediator of readthrough, suggesting that the stop codons in the reporters were recognized as premature termination codons (PTCs). We found readthrough rates of PTCs varied significantly throughout the life cycle of flies, being highest in older adult flies. Furthermore, readthrough rates varied dramatically by tissue and, intriguingly, were highest in fly brains, specifically neurons and not glia. This was not due to differences in reporter abundance or nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) surveillance between these tissues. Readthrough rates also varied within neurons, with cholinergic neurons having highest readthrough compared with lowest readthrough rates in dopaminergic neurons. Overall, our data reveal temporal and spatial variation of PTC-mediated readthrough in animals, and suggest that readthrough may be a potential rescue mechanism for PTC-harboring transcripts when the NMD surveillance pathway is inhibited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: MnO2@Ce6 nanoprobes-loaded-iPS cells (iPS-MnO2@Ce6) were developed for enhanced photodynamic and immunotherapy against cancer. Under the guidance of multi-mode real-time imaging, iPS-MnO2@Ce6 achieved an enhanced photodynamic therapeutic effect and stimulated a strong anti-tumor immune response in the tumor-bearing mouse. How to trigger strong anti-tumor immune responses has become a focus for tumor therapy. Here, we report the human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSs) to deliver MnO2@Ce6 nanoprobes into tumors for simultaneous photodynamic therapy (PDT) and enhanced immunotherapy. Ce6 photosensitizer was attached on manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanoparticles, and resultant MnO2@Ce6 nanoprobes were delivered into mitomycin-treated iPSs to form iPS-MnO2@Ce6 nanoprobes. The iPS-MnO2@Ce6 actively targeted in vivo tumors, the acidic microenvironment triggered interaction between MnO2 and H2O2, released large quantities of oxygen, alleviated hypoxia in tumor. Upon PDT, singlet oxygen formed, broken iPSs released tumor-shared antigens, which evoked an intensive innate and adaptive immune response against the tumor, improving dendritic cells matured, effector T cells, and natural killer cells were activated. Meanwhile, regulatory T cells were reduced, and then the immune response induced by iPS-MnO2@Ce6 was markedly stronger than the immune reaction induced by MnO2@Ce6 (P < 0.05). The iPS-MnO2@Ce6 markedly inhibited tumor growth and metastasis and reduced mortality in mice models with tumor. Human iPSs loaded with MnO2-based nanoprobes are a promising strategy for simultaneous PDT and enhanced immunotherapy against tumor and own clinical translational prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properties of woody debris (WD) vary across different forests under various soil conditions. Owing to the relatively shallow and low amounts of soils on karst terrains, it is necessary to determine the WD carbon inventory of karst forests. In this study, we recorded WD with a basal diameter for standing snags and the large-end diameter for fallen logs of ≥ 1 cm. The carbon density of WD in a secondary karst mixed evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved forest that had been clear-cut 55 years ago in southwestern China were inventoried in a 2 ha plot. Woody debris carbon density calculated using specific gravity and carbon concentration was 4.07 Mg C ha−1. Woody debris with diameters ≥ 10 cm (coarse WD) constituted 53.8% of total carbon storage whereas WD < 10 cm in diameters (fine WD) accounted for more pieces of WD (89.9%). Lithocarpus confinis contributed the most WD carbon (26.5%). Intermediate decayed WD was relatively more abundant, but WD with final decay contributed the least to the total pieces of WD (6.7%). The contribution of WD to carbon storage of karst forest was low compared to other forests worldwide. Significant positive correlations were found between WD carbon and biodiversity (R2 = 0.035, p < 0.01) and elevation (R2 = 0.047, p < 0.01) and negative correlations was found in outcrop coverage (R2 = 0.034, p < 0.01). Further studies are needed to elucidate the ecological functions of WD to better understand their roles in maintaining biodiversity, enhancing productivity, and controlling vegetation degradation in karst forest ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bai Le Mian capsule (BLMC), which is composed of fifteen kinds of traditional Chinese Medicine, is a popular traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of insomnia with anxiety. This study was to investigate the anxiolytic effect of BLMC in mice. BLMC (81, 162, and 325 mg/kg, i.g.) was given once or consecutively for 2 weeks, and anxiety behaviors were tested by the elevated plus maze, open field, and light/dark box, in normal mice and anxious model mice by meta-chlorophenyl-piperazine, a compound with known anxiogenic actions. In normal mice, single administration of BLMC at 325 mg/kg prolonged the time spent in central area by 2.1-fold in open-field test. Repeated administration once a day for 2 weeks, BLMC at 325 mg/kg increased the time spent in central area, open arms and light box by 2.8-, 2.0-, and 1.7-fold, respectively. Similarly, in anxious model mice, single treatment of BLMC at 325 mg/kg increased more time in the open arms by 2.1-fold. Consecutive administration for 2 weeks, BLMC at 325 mg/kg increased the time spent in open arms and light box by 2.3- and 2.1-fold. Immunohistochemical study showed that mCPP increased c-Fos expression in the central nucleus of the amygdala and bed nucleus of stria terminalis by 57% and 60%, and the mCPP-induced c-Fos expression could be reversed by single administration of BLMC. These results indicate that BLMC is an effective treatment for anxiety in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We fabricated inverted polymer solar cells (PSCs) with the structure of ITO/ZnO NPs/Active layer/MoO3/Ag, in which ZnO NPs act as electron transport layer (ETL), poly{4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b0]-dithiophene-2,6-diyl-alt-3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophene-4,6-diy (PTB7) as donor and [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric-acidmethyl-ester (PC71BM) as accepter. It is found that the temperature employed during the annealing process of ZnO NPs has significant impact on the efficiency of the resulted PSCs. The optimized PSC with ZnO NPs annealed at 150 °C based on PTB7:PC71BM (1:1.5 w/w) exhibited a power-conversion efficiency of 7.37% with open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.722 V, short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 15.38 mA cm−2, and fill factor (FF) of 66.4%. The effects of the annealing temperature on photovoltaic performances were further illustrated with transmission spectrum, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction and PL spectra, meanwhile electrical performance were illustrated with conductivity. Our result indicated that the improved efficiency is due to the optimized ETL/active layer interface, the enhanced transparency and electron transport of the ETLs. As its facile preparation process, this kind of ETL is compatible with roll-to-roll manufacturing of larger area flexible PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent global warming is pronounced in high-latitude regions (e.g. northern Asia), and will cause the vegetation to change. Future vegetation trends (e.g. the “arctic greening”) will feed back into atmospheric circulation and the global climate system. Understanding the nature and causes of past vegetation changes is important for predicting the composition and distribution of future vegetation communities. Fossil pollen records from 468 sites in northern and eastern Asia were biomised at selected times between 40 cal ka bp and today. Biomes were also simulated using a climate-driven biome model and results from the two approaches compared in order to help understand the mechanisms behind the observed vegetation changes. The consistent biome results inferred by both approaches reveal that long-term and broad-scale vegetation patterns reflect global- to hemispheric-scale climate changes. Forest biomes increase around the beginning of the late deglaciation, become more widespread during the early and middle Holocene, and decrease in the late Holocene in fringe areas of the Asian Summer Monsoon. At the southern and southwestern margins of the taiga, forest increases in the early Holocene and shows notable species succession, which may have been caused by winter warming at ca. 7 cal ka bp. At the northeastern taiga margin (central Yakutia and northeastern Siberia), shrub expansion during the last deglaciation appears to prevent the permafrost from thawing and hinders the northward expansion of evergreen needle-leaved species until ca. 7 cal ka bp. The vegetation-climate disequilibrium during the early Holocene in the taiga-tundra transition zone suggests that projected climate warming will not cause a northward expansion of evergreen needle-leaved species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative proxy-based and high-resolution palaeoclimatic datasets are scarce for the lower reaches of the Yangtze River (LYR) basin. This region is in a transitional vegetation zone which is climatologically sensitive; and as a birthplace for prehistorical civilization in China, it is important to understand how palaeoclimatic dynamics played a role in affecting cultural development in the region. We present a pollen-based and regionally-averaged Holocene climatic twin-dataset for mean total annual precipitation (PANN) and mean annual temperature (TANN) covering the last 10,000 years for the LYR region. This is based on the technique of weighted averaging-partial least squares regression to establish robust calibration models for obtaining reliable climatic inferences. The pollen-based reconstructions generally show an early Holocene climatic optimum with both abundant monsoonal rainfall and warm thermal conditions, and a declining pattern of both PANN and TANN values in the middle to late Holocene. The main driving forces behind the Holocene climatic changes in the LYR area are likely summer solar insolation associated with tropical or subtropical macro-scale climatic circulations such as the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), Western Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH), and El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Regional multi-proxy comparisons indicate that the Holocene variations in precipitation and temperature for the LYR region display an in-phase relationship with other related proxy records from southern monsoonal China and the Indian monsoon-influenced regions, but are inconsistent with the Holocene moisture or temperature records from northern monsoonal China and the westerly-dominated region in northwestern China. Overall, our comprehensive palaeoclimatic dataset and models may be significant tools for understanding the Holocene Asian monsoonal evolution and for anticipating its future dynamics in eastern Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High boiling point solvent additive, employed during the solution processing of active layer fabrications, impact the efficiency of bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells (PSC) by influencing the morphological of the active layer. The photovoltaic performances of the PSCs based on the donor of poly{4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]-dithiophene-2,6-diyl-alt-3-fluoro-2-[(2 ethylhexyl)carbonyl] thieno[3,4-b]thiophene-4,6-diy (PTB7) and the acceptor of [6, 6]-phenyl-C71-butyric-acidmethyl-ester (PCBM) was optimized using 5 vol% high-boiling-point solvent additive of 2-Bromonaphthalene (BN). The optimized air-processed PSC based on PTB7:PCBM (1:1.5 w/w) with 5 vol% BN exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 7.01% with open-circuit voltage ( V ) of 0.731 V, short-circuit current density ( J ) of 13.79 mA cm, and fill factor (FF) of 69.46%. The effects of the additive on photovoltaic performances were illustrated with atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscope measurements. Our results indicate that the improved efficiency is due to the optimized PTB7/PCBM interpenetrating network and the enhanced absorption of the active layer using the BN as solvent additive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic/Si hybrid heterojunction hybrid solar cells have got a great progress. The hybrid device may be promising in terms of reducing cost due to its simple technological process. It is crucial for high efficiency solar cells to form better coating films on the Si substrate. Here, the performance of organic/Si heterojunction hybrid solar cells is obviously enhanced by adding surfactant (FS300) into poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) film and the device with amorphous silicon as back surface field is successfully fabricated. The proper amount of surfactant addition improves the uniformity and homogeneous of the polymer film that can be reflected by scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope, which allows good contact on the texture-Si substrate resulting in excellent device property. Also, the power conversion efficiency of cells is boosted to 9.37 from 7.31% displayed a 28% enhancement by embedding amorphous silicon thin film layer at rear interface as holes blocking layer. The insertion layer of amorphous silicon enhances the extraction of photon-generated carrier and suppresses the recombination of hole-electron at the rear cathode. Which results all improvement in the short-circuit current density, the open-circuit voltage and the fill factor. By optimizing the polymer film property and inserting the hole blocking layer, the performance of hybrid Si/organic hybrid solar cells is greatly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare CT with negative-contrast CT cholangiopancreatography (nCTCP) using subvolume minimum intensity projection (MinIP) versus MRI with MRCP in differentiating noncalculous periampullary obstruction. Methods: Sixty-four patients with clinically proven noncalculous periampullary obstructions who had undergone both MDCT and MR examinations before operation were reviewed retrospectively. Two reviewers independently interpreted the two image sets (the CT with nCTCP set [CT set] vs. the MRI with MRCP set [MRI set]) in differentiating both benign from malignant obstruction and pancreatic head carcinoma (PHC) from non-PHC, and the results were compared to the final clinical records. Results: In this study, no statistically significant differences were observed in the accuracy of differentiating benign from malignant periampullary obstruction ( p = 0.754 for reviewer 1 and p = 0.508 for reviewer 2) on the two image sets. The accuracy of differentiating PHC from non-PHC was also statistically insignificant ( p = 0.125 for reviewer 1 and p = 1.000 for reviewer 2) on the two image sets. Conclusion: The CT set provides a comparable performance to that of the MRI set in differentiating noncalculous periampullary obstruction. Key Points: • nCTCP with subvolume MinIP is a practical tool in evaluating biliary obstruction • Two image sets have a comparable performance in differentiating noncalculous periampullary obstruction • MDCT could serve as an alternative in patients not eligible for MRI [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent conductive tin-doped indium oxide (InO:Sn, ITO) thin films with various Sn-doping concentrations have been prepared using the low cost reactive thermal evaporation (RTE) technique at a low growth temperature of ~160 °C. The structural characteristics, optical and electrical properties of the ITO thin films were investigated. These polycrystalline ITO films exhibited preferential orientation along (222) plane and possessed low resistivities ranging from 3.51 to 5.71 × 10Ω cm. The decreased mobility was attributed to the scattering by ionized and neutral impurities at high doping concentrations. The optimized ITO thin film deposited with 6.0 wt% Sn-doping concentration exhibited a high average transparency of 87 % in the wavelength range of 380-900 nm and a low resistivity of 3.74 × 10Ω cm with a high Hall mobility of 47 cm Vs. A hydrogenated amorphous silicon and silicon-germanium (a-Si:H/a-SiGe:H) double-junction solar cell fabricated with the RTE-grown ITO electrodes presented a conversion efficiency of 10.51 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) have been used as a valuable neurophysiologic index of neuronal dysfunction in the level of the brainstem. BAEPs are also useful in subdividing evoked potentials into normal, slight, or pronounced in patients with vertebrobasilar insufficiency. We investigated the changes of BAEP after vertebrobasilar artery ischemia in rabbits and its significance in clinical work. A brainstem ischemic model was made by unilateral extracranial occlusion of vertebral artery to monitor BAEPs at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min after occlusion. We found that peak latencies (PL) of I, III, and most notably V were gradually extended. In addition, we observed a significant (P < 0.05) delay of interpeak latencies (IPL) of waves I–III, III–V, and I–V after occlusion. This delay became more significant in IPL I–V 60 min after occlusion. Our results also demonstrate that the amplitude of I and V had no obvious change (P < 0.05). In the rabbit with bilateral extracranial occlusion of vertebral artery, BAEP waveforms disappeared 10 min after occlusion. Our results showed that vertebrobasilar insufficiency caused brainstem ischemia, which induced BAEP abnormity. Taken together, our findings suggest that BAEP has important significance for the clinical diagnosis of vertebrobasilar insufficiency. Therefore, early detection of neuronal change after transient cerebral ischemia is important in initiating treatment within the therapeutic window. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a good indicator of Holocene climate, the fluctuation of alpine timberline is a synthetical result of impacts of many environmental factors during geological and historical periods and modern times. As the dominant tree species of mountainous conifer forests on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, the distribution of Picea schrenkiana and its population size are sensitive to climatic change. The typical natural profile of Huashuwozi and the nearby Xiaoxigou archaeological profile, located in Quanzijie Township, Jimusaer County in Xinjiang, were chosen to analyze and compare the relative high-resolution pollen records, and to measure 14C dating and SEM (scanning electron microscope) microstructure for charcoal fragments contained in Xiaoxigou profile's cultural layers. The results show that in these two profiles, the high percentages of Picea (more than 20% and 35%, respectively) appeared in the stratum of the same period (2000-1300 a BP), which corresponds to the charcoal fragment's age of Picea schrenkiana contained in Xiaoxigou cultural layers. These results convincingly revealed that during the period of 2000-1300 a BP, the timberline for Picea schrenkiana on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang declined by about 330m compared with the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LIGHT was recently described as a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) 'superfamily'. We have isolated a mouse homolog of human LIGHT and investigated its immunoregulatory functions in vitro and in vivo. LIGHT has potent, CD28-independent co-stimulatory activity leading to T-cell growth and secretion of gamma interferon and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Gene transfer of LIGHT induced an antigen-specific cytolytic T-cell response and therapeutic immunity against established mouse P815 tumor. In contrast, blockade of LIGHT by administration of soluble receptor or antibody led to decreased cell-mediated immunity and ameliorated graft-versus-host disease. Our studies identify a previously unknown T-cell co-stimulatory pathway as a potential therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently a new member of the human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family named as VEGI was reported. However, very little is known about the biological activities displayed by this cytokine. In this report, we show that in myeloid cells VEGI activated the transcription factor κB (NF-κB) as determined by the electrophoretic mobility shift assay, induced degradation of IκBα, and nuclear translocation of p65 subunit of NF-κB. VEGI also activated NF-κB-dependent reporter gene expression. In addition, VEGI activated c-Jun N-terminal kinase. When examined for growth modulatory effects, VEGI inhibited the proliferation of breast carcinoma (MCF-7), epithelial (HeLa), and myeloid (U-937 and ML-1a) tumor cells; and activated caspase-3 leading to PARP cleavage. VEGI-induced cytotoxicity was potentiated by inhibitors of protein synthesis. VEGI also induced proliferation of normal human foreskin fibroblast cells. The activity of VEGI could neither be neutralized by antibodies against TNF, nor could it compete with TNF binding, indicating that the activity of VEGI is not due to TNF and it binds to a distinct receptor. These results suggest that VEGI, a new member of the TNF family, has a signaling pathway similar to TNF and is most likely a multifunctional cytokine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a source of genetic variation, almond germplasm resources are of great significance in breeding. To better reveal the mutation characteristics and evolution patterns of the almond chloroplast (cp) genome, the complete cp genomes from six almond species were analyzed. The lengths of the chloroplast genome of the six almond species ranged from 157,783 bp to 158,073 bp. For repeat sequence analysis, 53 pairs of repeats (30 bp or longer) were identified. A total of 117 SSR loci were observed, including 96 polymorphic SSR loci. Nine highly variable regions with a nucleotide variability (Pi) higher than 0.08, including rps16, rps16-psbK, atpF-atpH, rpoB, ycf3-rps4, rps4-ndhJ, accD-psaI and rps7-orf42 (two highly variable regions) were located. Based on the chloroplast genome evolution analysis, three species (P. tenella, P. pedunculata and P. triloba) and wild cherry (P. tomentosa) were grouped into clade I. Clade II consisted of two species (P. mongolica and P. tangutica) and wild peach (P. davidiana). Clade III included the common almond (P. dulcis), cultivated peach (P. persica) and GanSu peach (P. kansuensis). This result expands the researchers' vision of almond plant diversity and promotes an understanding of the evolutionary relationship among almond species. In brief, this study provides abundant resources for the study of the almond chloroplast genome, and has an important reference value for study of the evolution and species identification of almond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: MnO2@Ce6 nanoprobes-loaded-iPS cells (iPS-MnO2@Ce6) were developed for enhanced photodynamic and immunotherapy against cancer. Under the guidance of multi-mode real-time imaging, iPS-MnO2@Ce6 achieved an enhanced photodynamic therapeutic effect and stimulated a strong anti-tumor immune response in the tumor-bearing mouse. How to trigger strong anti-tumor immune responses has become a focus for tumor therapy. Here, we report the human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSs) to deliver MnO2@Ce6 nanoprobes into tumors for simultaneous photodynamic therapy (PDT) and enhanced immunotherapy. Ce6 photosensitizer was attached on manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanoparticles, and resultant MnO2@Ce6 nanoprobes were delivered into mitomycin-treated iPSs to form iPS-MnO2@Ce6 nanoprobes. The iPS-MnO2@Ce6 actively targeted in vivo tumors, the acidic microenvironment triggered interaction between MnO2 and H2O2, released large quantities of oxygen, alleviated hypoxia in tumor. Upon PDT, singlet oxygen formed, broken iPSs released tumor-shared antigens, which evoked an intensive innate and adaptive immune response against the tumor, improving dendritic cells matured, effector T cells, and natural killer cells were activated. Meanwhile, regulatory T cells were reduced, and then the immune response induced by iPS-MnO2@Ce6 was markedly stronger than the immune reaction induced by MnO2@Ce6 (P < 0.05). The iPS-MnO2@Ce6 markedly inhibited tumor growth and metastasis and reduced mortality in mice models with tumor. Human iPSs loaded with MnO2-based nanoprobes are a promising strategy for simultaneous PDT and enhanced immunotherapy against tumor and own clinical translational prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite films with full coverage and negligible roughness have been obtained by the two-step sequential thermal evaporation (TSSTE) process, which are further applied to fabricate thin-film transistors (TFTs). To gain the optimal electrical characteristics in our TFTs, the effect of the evaporation amount of PbI2 on the crystallization and thickness of CH3NH3PbI3 films is studied during the process of TSSTE. As a result, we demonstrate a thin-film field-effect transistors possessing a hole field-effect mobility of 3.55 cm2 V− 1 s− 1 as well as on/off ratio greater than 105 with the optimal CH3NH3PbI3 films as the channel layer. Through a further comparative analysis, MoO3 buffer layer is inserted between the perovskite channel layer and the source-drain electrode to improve the contact resistance of TFTs. As an understanding of device mechanism, a fact that insertion of MoO3 buffer layer into the Au/perovskite interface significantly reduced the contact resistance from 705 to 0.2 kΩ cm is unveiled. By inserting MoO3 buffer layer, the hole field-effect mobility of the CH3NH3PbI3 organic-inorganic hybrid TFTs can reach to 7.47 cm2 V− 1 s− 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. RNA nanotechnology has recently emerged as an important field due to recent finding of its high thermodynamic stability, favorable and distinctive in vivo attributes. Here we reported the use of the thermostable three-way junction (3WJ) of bacteriophage phi29 motor pRNA to escort folic acid, a fluorescent image marker and BRCAA1 siRNA for targeting, imaging, delivery, gene silencing and regression of gastric cancer in animal models. In vitro assay revealed that the RNA nanoparticles specifically bind to gastric cancer cells, and knock-down the BRCAA1 gene. Apoptosis of gastric cancer cells was observed. Animal trials confirmed that these RNA nanoparticles could be used to image gastric cancer in vivo, while showing little accumulation in crucial organs and tissues. The volume of gastric tumors noticeably decreased during the course of treatment. No damage to important organs by RNA nanoparticles was detectible. All the results indicated that this novel RNA nanotechnology can overcome conventional cancer therapeutic limitations and opens new opportunities for specific delivery of therapeutics to stomach cancer without damaging normal cells and tissues, reduce the toxicity and side effect, improve the therapeutic effect, and exhibit great potential in clinical tumor therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]