Search

Difficulty in regularly analyzing marrow myeloma cells (MMCs) and low frequency of circulating myeloma cells (CMCs) in blood presents challenges for monitoring minimal residual disease (MRD) in multiple myeloma (MM). We have developed a set of method for enrichment of CMCs by immunomagetic beads (IMB) combined with flow cytometry (IMB-FCM) based on CD38-APC/CD138-APC antibodies in U266-spiked samples and in 122 patient samples. U266 cell capture efficiency of CD38/CD138-IMB-FCM (6.960, 2.574) was 6- and 2-fold higher than that of FCM (1.032), and the sensitivity of FCM and IMB-FCM was 0.01% and 0.001%, respectively. In MM cohort, the positive rate of CMCs by IMB-FCM increased from 60.5~70.0 to 85~87.2% in newly diagnosed/relapsed and partial remission (PR) patients compared with by FCM (P < 0.05). Two complete remission (CR) patients contain certain amounts of CMCs by IMB-FCM while no CMCs and MMCs were detectable by FCM. Patients exhibiting PR and CR upon therapy had much lower CMC and MMC counts than newly diagnosed/relapsed patients (P < 0.005). Based on MRD measurement in BM and PB samples, all FCM-negative BM samples were also paired with FCM/IMB-FCM-negative PB samples among newly diagnosed, relapsed, and PR patients, and FCM-positive BM samples were accompanied by IMB-FCM-positive results in 88% of corresponding PB samples. CMCs strongly associated with other clinical biomarkers of disease burden, including elevated MMCs, β2-MG, sCrea, and DS and ISS stages, and more serious anemia, bone destruction, and renal impairment (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that elevated β2-MG and moderate-to-more anemia were significant risk factors for the presence of CMCs (P < 0.05). As a noninvasive "liquid biopsy" of monitoring MRD, the potential of IMB-FCM for CMC detection may complement or minimize bone marrow aspiration in future treatment of MM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the continually increasing thermal load caused by the rising gas temperature in the inlet of radial-flow turbines, this paper proposes the use of axial hole air-entraining cooling to cool the turbine shaft and turbo wheel back-disc. The cooling effect of this technique, as well as its influence on the aerodynamic performance of turbines, were investigated through numerical simulations. The results demonstrate that the axial hole air-entraining cooling technique can significantly improve the local cooling efficiency of the turbine back-disc. Under a blowing ratio of 0.25 %, the local cooling efficiency increased by 154 %, and the temperature decreased by up to 233 K. The maximum temperature on the surface of the turbine shaft at the floating bearing location decreased significantly, thus reducing the coking risk of the lubricating oil. When the blowing ratio was within 0.5 %, the impact of this cooling technique on the overall turbine performance was negligible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the temperature profiles retrieved from the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) instrument onboard Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) satellite between November 2006 and April 2013, we studied the seasonal and interannual variability of Quasi-Stationary Planetary Waves (QSPWs) in the Martian middle atmosphere. The QSPW amplitudes in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) high latitudes are significantly stronger than those in the Northern Hemisphere (NH). Seasonal variation with maximum amplitude near winter solstice of each hemisphere is clearly seen. The vertical structure of the QSPW in temperature shows double-layer feature with one peak near 50Pa and the other peak near 1 Pa. The QSPW in geopotential height is clearly maximized in the region between two temperature peaks. The maximum amplitude of QSPW for s=1 is ∼8-10 K in temperature and ∼1 km in geopotential height in the SH high latitudes. The maximum amplitude at the SH high latitudes in Mars Year (MY) 31 is ∼2 K stronger than those in other MYs, suggesting the clear interannual variability. We compared the satellite results with those obtained from the Mars Climate Database (MCD) simulation version 5.0; a reasonable agreement was found. The MCD simulation further suggested that the variability of dust might partially contribute to the interannual variability of QSPW amplitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of transfer RNA (tRNA)-derived fragment (tRF) in various diseases has been established. However, the effect of tRF-3023b on inflammation remains unclear. Inflammation was imitated in RAW264.7 cells by adding Lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Cells were first divided into control, LPS, and LPS + Bulleyaconitine A (BLA) groups. The contents of TNF-α, IL-6, and MCP-1 were quantified using ELISA. The levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)-P65 (p-P65) were detected by Western blotting. RNA sequencing was utilized to find differentially expressed tRFs (DE-tRFs) among three groups. The levels of various tRFs were checked by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Cell cycle and apoptosis were checked by flow cytometry. Dluciferase reporter assay was applied to predict and confirm the interaction between tRF-3023b and Cullin 4A (Cul4a), subsequently RNA pull-down followed by mass spectrometry analysis were conducted. BLA treatment decreased the contents of TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, and the expression levels of COX2, iNOS, p-P65. We found 6 DE-tRFs in LPS + BLA group compared to LPS group, tRF-3023b was high expression in control and BLA groups, and the lowest in LPS group. Cul4a was a direct target of tRF-3023b. tRF-3023b mimic affected the cell cycle distribution, promoted cells apoptosis, and suppressed the TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, COX2, iNOS and p-P65. The suppression of Cul4a affected the cell cycle distribution, resulted in an increase of cell apoptosis while a decrease of TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, COX2, iNOS and p-P65. Furthermore, Cul4a overexpression reversed the effect of tRF-3023b mimic. Cul4a knockdown reversed the effect of tRF-3023b inhibitor. Our study positions tRF-3023b as a compelling candidate, through its interaction with Cul4a, the underlying mechanism on inflammation maybe related to NF-κB pathway. The study provides a basis for exploring new therapeutic strategies for inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to observe the demographic and clinical characteristics of immunoglobulin (Ig) G4–related disease (IgG4-RD). We aimed to compare different treatment methods and to identify the risk factors for non-response and relapse after treatment. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of 201 IgG4-RD patients initially diagnosed and treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University from January 2016 to December 2020. Patients' sex, age, clinical manifestations, baseline biochemical values, the number of organs involved, and the type of organ involvement were recorded. All patients received glucocorticoid (GC) monotherapy or GC + immunosuppressant combination therapy. The serum IgG4 concentration as well as the details of clinical response, relapse, and side effects were recorded at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. Results: The incidence of IgG4-RD was primarily centered in the age group of 50–70 years old, and the proportion of affected male patients increased with age. The most common clinical symptom was swollen glands or eyes (42.79%). The rates of single- and double-organ involvement were 34.83% and 46.27%, respectively. The pancreas (45.77%) was the most frequently involved organ in cases of single-organ involvement, and the pancreas and biliary tract (45.12%) was the most common organ combination in cases of double-organ involvement. Correlation analysis showed that the number of organs involved was positively related to the serum IgG4 concentration (r = 0.161). The effective rate of GC monotherapy was 91.82%, the recurrence rate was 31.46%, and the incidence of adverse reactions was 36.77%. Meanwhile, the effective rate of GC + immunosuppressant combination therapy was 88.52%, the recurrence rate was 19.61%, and the adverse reaction rate was 41.00%. There were no statistically significant differences in response, recurrence, and adverse reactions. The overall response rate within 12 months was 90.64%. Age (< 50 years old) and aorta involvement were significantly associated with non-response. The overall recurrence rate within 12 months was 26.90%. Age (< 50 years old), low serum C4 concentration, a high number of involved organs, and lymph node involvement were significantly associated with recurrence. Conclusion: The clinical features vary among different age groups and according to gender. The number of organs involved in IgG4-RD is related to the serum IgG4 concentration. Age (< 50 years old), low serum C4 concentration, a high number of involved organs, and lymph node involvement are risk factors for recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of transcripts longer than 200 bp, which have been emerged as essential regulators in numerous biological processes. Black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) is an economic fish that widely cultured in the coastal areas of China, Japan, and South Korea. With the expansion of aquacultural scale, various pathogens have threatened its industry and reduced its economic values. It has been reported that lncRNA were involved in the immune response and metabolic pathway in teleost, while no study is available on identification and functional analysis of lncRNAs in black rockfish so far. Herein, this study was performed to identify lncRNAs in the intestine of black rockfish after Edwardsiella tarda infection. In our results, a total of 9 311 lncRNAs were identified through high-throughput sequencing, and 102 lncRNAs were significantly regulated following challenge, which were predicted to target 3 348 mRNAs. Results of Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses of these target genes showed they were function in catalytic activity, hydrolase activity, defense response and peptidase activity, which involved in metabolic pathways and immune related pathways. In addition, 47 lncRNAs and 8 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) showed co-expression at two or more infection time points with metabolism and immunity functions. Moreover, real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to verify the reliability of sequencing gene expression analysis results. This research laid the foundation for further investigation of the regulatory roles of lncRNAs in the intestinal immune response of black rockfish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design, modeling, fabrication, and characterization of three types of printed circuit board (PCB)-integrated solenoid inductors using air core and two embedded magnetic cores are demonstrated in this paper. The fabrication applies a double-side PCB process to form the inductor windings. A cavity for accommodating the magnetic cores is created in the middle of the PCB. Two types of magnetic cores fabricated using in-house developed proprietary processes are applied as magnetic cores for the inductors. One of these cores is made out of FeSiAl magnetic powder, while the other is made out of laminated NiFe thin films. The size of the inductor is 5 mm × 3 mm × 1.56 mm. The quality factor of the FeSiAl powder core inductor reaches its peak value of 36.6 at 40 MHz. The NiFe multilayer thin-film core inductor obtains the highest inductance (22.48 nH) at 10 MHz but has a lower quality factor compared with the two other inductors. The tested saturation current of both magnetic core inductors is greater than 3 A. The inductors are also tested in a Buck converter switching at 10 MHz with an input voltage of 4 V, output voltage of 1 V, and load current of 1 A. The FeSiAl powder core inductor has the lowest loss of 115 mW, thereby suggesting that embedding the pre-made powder cores or multilayer thin-film cores is a good option for manufacturing PCB-integrated inductors. The powder core approach tends to yield an excellent high frequency performance, while the multilayer thin-film core option allows the integration of the magnetic thin-film process into the PCB fabrication flow to reduce costs and improve reliability for volume production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation and growth of surface film on AZ63 (Mg-6Al-3Zn) magnesium alloys were studied in 2 M MgSO aqueous solution using electrochemical methods. Surface examinations were carried out using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and microscopic Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Experimental results show that the corrosion current decreases with prolonged immersion time, the three stages of hydrogen evolution rate correspond with the growth processes of the surface film on AZ63 magnesium alloys, and charge transfer resistance increases with the accumulation of corrosion products. A layer of MgO with sulfate salt grains underneath seems smooth at first. However, a few surface micro-cracks caused by inner stress appear on the smooth base film after 5 h of immersion, followed by the aggregation of spherical grains and the formation of cracks after 12 h. It is suggested that sulfate salt, carbonate salt, and hydroxide of magnesium should be the main composition of the surface film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The one-pot dehydration/hydrolysis of mono- and disaccharides to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in the presence of several imidazolium ionic liquids was efficiently performed. The study aims to make a mechanistic insights on the direct transformation of sugars to HMF, including glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose, maltose and lactose. With the catalyst of [NMP][HSO], a HMF yield of 87 % was achieved from sucrose. In addition, [AMIM]Cl revealed a remarkable catalytic activity for the transformation of fructose to HMF without other catalyst or co-solvent and the yield of HMF was 91.1 %. Theoretical calculation results showed that [AMIM]Cl expressed a more efficient catalytic activity than [BMIM]Cl. Graphical Abstract: Fructose could directly convert into HMF in [AMIM]Cl without catalyst. Behaviors of disaccharides are largely determined by their basic units. The mechanism to explain the activity of [AMIM]Cl has been confirmed by using DFT method. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooperative (co-op) advertising is an arrangement between manufacturer and retailer, where two members initiate their respective advertising to help develop brand, motivate sales, and other purposes. This paper focuses on cooperative advertising in a supply chain consisting of one manufacturer and one retailer. As two basic elements of a supply chain, the channel power structure and information structure affect the firm's pricing and advertising decisions. We attempt to investigate how they optimally decide their marginal returns and advertising investments. Utilizing the Stackelberg game theory, we derive the equilibrium of five scenarios in two different cases, i.e., (1) either the manufacturer or the retailer is acting as the Stackelberg leader and (2) whether the Stackelberg leader knows the advertising investment of his follower. Then we make a comparison and obtain some managerial implications as follows: (1) the supply chain power structure and the relative advertising effectiveness coefficient exert great influence on the optimal supply chain decisions, (2) the supply chain members' profit is not parallel to their corresponding power structure, if the retailer's advertising effectiveness is greater than the manufacturer's, the Manufacturer-dominated Stackelberg game is a win–win strategy, and vice versa, (3) the dominant member can improve his and the overall performance of the supply chain by having the advertising information of the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore whether sex-specific abdominal visceral fat composition on CT can predict the Fuhrman nuclear grade of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).Methods: One hundred seventy-one patients (123 males and 48 females) from four hospitals (multicentre group) and 159 patients (109 males and 50 females) from the cancer imaging archive (TCIA-KIRC group) with pathologically proven ccRCC (multicentre: 124 low grade and 47 high grade; TCIA-KIRC: 79 low grade and 80 high grade) were retrospectively included. Abdominal fat was segmented into subcutaneous fat area (SFA) and visceral fat area (VFA) on CT using ImageJ. The total fat area (TFA) and relative VFA (rVFA) were then calculated. Clinical characteristics (age, sex, waist circumference and maximum tumour diameter) were also assessed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the association between general or sex-specific visceral fat composition and Fuhrman grade.Results: Females with high-grade ccRCC from the multicentre group had a higher rVFA (42.4 vs 31.3, p = 0.001) than those with low-grade ccRCC after adjusting for age. There was no significant difference in males. The rVFA remained a stable and independent predictor for females high-grade ccRCC in both the univariate (multicentre: OR 1.205, 95% CI 1.074-1.352, p = 0.001; TCIA-KIRC: OR 1.171, 95% CI 1.016-1.349, p = 0.029) and multivariate (multicentre: OR 1.095, 95% CI 1.024-1.170, p = 0.003; TCIA-KIRC: OR 1.103, 95% CI 1.024-1.187, p = 0.010) models.Conclusions: Sex-specific visceral fat composition has different values for predicting high-grade ccRCC and could be used as an independent predictor for females with high-grade ccRCC.Key Points: • Visceral fat measurement (rVFA) as an independent predictor for high-grade ccRCC had good predictive power in females, but not in males. • Sex-specific visceral fat composition was significantly associated with high-grade ccRCC in females only. • The rVFA could be considered one of the risk factors for high-grade ccRCC for females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The articular cartilage (AC) can be seen as a biphasic poroelastic material. The cartilage deformation under compression mainly leads to an interstitial fluid flow in the porous solid phase. In this paper, an analytical poroelastic model for the AC under laboratorial mechanical testing is developed. The solutions of interstitial fluid pressure and velocity are obtained. The results show the following facts. (i) Both the pressure and fluid velocity amplitudes are proportional to the strain loading amplitude. (ii) Both the amplitudes of pore fluid pressure and velocity in the AC depend more on the loading amplitude than on the frequency. Thus, in order to obtain the considerable fluid stimulus for the AC cell responses, the most effective way is to increase the loading amplitude rather than the frequency. (iii) Both the interstitial fluid pressure and velocity are strongly affected by permeability variations. This model can be used in experimental tests of the parameters of AC or other poroelastic materials, and in research of mechanotransduction and injury mechanism involved interstitial fluid flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message : The cucumber male sterility gene ms - 3 was fine mapped in a 76 kb region harboring an MMD1 -like gene Csa3M006660 that may be responsible for the male sterile in cucumber. Abstract: A cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.) male sterile mutant ( ms- 3) in an advanced-generation inbred line was identified, and genetic analysis revealed that the male sterility trait was controlled by a recessive nuclear gene, ms- 3, which was stably inherited. Histological studies suggested that the main cause of the male sterility was defective microsporogenesis, resulting in no tetrad or microspores being formed. Bulked segregant analysis (BSA) and genotyping of an F population of 2553 individuals were employed used to fine map ms- 3, which was delimited to a 76 Kb region. In this region, a single non-synonymous SNP was found in the Csa3M006660 gene locus, which was predicted to result in an amino acid change. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of Csa3M006660 was consistent with the fact that it plays a role in the early development of cucumber pollen. The protein encoded by Csa3M006660 is predicted to be homeodomain (PHD) finger protein, and the high degree of sequence conservation with homologs from a range of plant species further suggested the importance of the ms- 3 non-synonymous mutation. The data presented here provide support for Csa3M006660 as the most likely candidate gene for Ms- 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of polyethylene glycol-400-functionalized dicationic acidic ionic liquids (ILs) (PEG-DAILs) were synthesized and tested in the dehydration of fructose. Among these catalysts, hydrogen sulfate anion-based ILs showed the higher catalytic performance in the conversion of fructose. The highest HMF yield of 96.5 % with 100 % consumption of fructose were obtained after 60 min at 110 °C. The effects of catalyst concentration, reaction time, reaction temperature, and solvents were systematically investigated. In addition, the generality of the catalysts was examined by processing inulin and sucrose to HMF with yield of 71.9 and 52.1 % under certain conditions, respectively. PEG-DAILs possess modified physicochemical properties such as low viscosity, strong hydrophilicity and hydrogen bonding with sugars so as to improve activity for the dehydration of fructose into HMF. The used IL catalyst could be separated and recycled repeatedly without significant loss of catalytic activity. The research emphasizes preparation of the novel catalysts combining polymers with functionalized ILs for conversion of renewable biomass. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethylene plays an important role in the regulation of many growth and developmental processes of higher plants. In tomato, Le-ACS6, a member of the ACC synthase multigene family involved in system 1 ethylene biosynthesis during fruit ripening, is subject to negative feedback regulation by ethylene. To identify the cis-elements that are responsible for the negative feedback control, we established an in vitro transient assay system employing particle bombardment on mature-green tomato fruit pericarp to examine the expression of a luciferase (LUC) reporter gene driven by a 5'-serially deleted Le-ACS6 promoter. The results localized putative cis-elements required for negative ethylene-response between -347 and -266 upstream from the translational start site ATG. Several lines of stable transformation of the Le-ACS6 promoter and GUS reporter fusion gene containing internal deletion from -347 to -266 were generated. The expression pattern of the GUS reporter showed that removal of the nucleotides from -347 to -266 completely eliminated the response of the Le-ACS6 promoter to exogenous ethylene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The full length cDNA coding for a novel vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter (GmNHX1) was cloned from soybean and determined to consist of 2591 bp with a 5′-untranslated region of 464 bp, an open reading frame (ORF) of 1641 bp, and a 3′-untranslated region of 466 bp. The deduced protein sequence contains 546 aa with the typical characters of the vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporters, and shares high similarity with that of AtNHX1, OsNHX1 and AgNHX1. The soybean genome showed a single copy of the GmNHX1 gene. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that the expression of the GmNHX1 was tissue-specific, increased by ABA treatment, NaCl, KCl, LiCl and dehydration stress, and lower in leaves but higher in roots and hypocotyls of salt-tolerant than salt-sensitive cultivars. The GmNHX1 was overexpressed under the control of a tandem cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter in the model leguminous plant Lotus corniculatus L. and conferred salt-tolerance of the transgenic plants. Measurements of Na+ and K+ contents in both roots and shoots demonstrated that the plantlets of GmNHX1-overexpressing lines had lower Na+ and K+ content, and higher K+/Na+ ratio than the controlled lines that were transformed with the empty vector, which indicates that the salt-tolerance conferred by GmNHX1 is closely related with decreased accumulation of Na+ in the transgenic plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize Lis1 (lethal leaf-spot 1) gene and its Arabidopsis orthologue AtAcd1 have been suggested to encode pheide a oxygenase (PaO), a key enzyme catalyzing chlorophyll breakdown. To further elucidate the molecular mechanism that regulates chlorophyll catabolism during soybean leaf senescence, a soybean Lis1 homolog was cloned and designated as GmLis1 (GenBank Accession No. DQ154009). Database searches using the deduced protein sequence revealed that it was highly homologous to Lis1 genes or Lis1 orthologues in Arabidopsis, maize, cowpea and tomato. Structural analysis of the predicted GmLLS1 protein revealed typical Rieske [2Fe-2S] and mononuclear iron-binding domains as well as the C-terminus CxxC motif that were conserved in and featured PaO homologues. RT-PCR results showed that the transcription of GmLis1 was up-regulated in all the three tested senescence systems: the natural leaf senescence process, the dark-induced primary leaf senescence and senescing cotyledons. We have previously described the involvement of an LRR receptor-like kinase (RLK), RLPK2 in regulation of soybean leaf senescence. Here we report that the expression of GmLis1 gene was dramatically down-regulated by the RNAi-mediated suppression of rlpk2 and, as expected, greatly up regulated by the CaMV 35S promoter derived overexpression of this RLK gene. These results suggested that the expression of GmLis1 was controlled by the RLPK2-mediated senescence signaling pathway. The observation that the detached rlpk2-RNAi transgenic leaves exhibited light-dependent necrotic lesions, which featured the [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf senescence that occurs in the last stage of left development is a genetically programmed process. It is very significant to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that control the initiation and progression of leaf senescence and the way the senescence signal is transduced. In a previous study an artificially induced soybean leaf senescence, we cloned a novel gene designated rlpk2 (Genbank Accession No. AY687391) that encodes a leucine-rich repeat (LRR) receptor like protein kinase. The expression level of rlpk2 gene was shown to he strongly up-regulated during both the natural leaf senescence process in this report and the artificially induced primary-leaf-senescence process in our previous work. The RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated knocking-down of rlpk2 dramatically retarded both the natural and nutrient deficiency-induced leaf senescence in transgenic soybean. The transgenic leaves showed more cell-aggregated surface structure and higher content of chlorophyll. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]