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Peripheral nerve injury (PNI)-induced neuropathic pain (NP) is a severe disease with high prevalence in clinics. Gene reprogramming and tissue remodeling in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and spinal cord (SC) drive the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain (NP). However, our understanding of the NP-associated spatial molecular processing landscape of SC and the non-synaptic interactions between DRG neurons and SC cells remains limited. We here integrate spatial transcriptomics (ST) with single-nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq) and bulk RNA-sequencing (bulk RNA-seq) to characterize regional pathological heterogeneity of the SC under NP conditions. First, the SC of NP mice manifests unique spatial atlases of genes, cell populations, cell-cell cross-talks, signaling pathways, and transcriptional regulatory networks compared to sham mice. We further report that injured DRG sensory neurons and the corresponding ventral horn of the SC show similar expression patterns after PNI. In addition, for the first time, we systematically exhibit "cross-talk omics" between the DRG neurons and SC dorsal horn neurons and glial cells, indicating an altered communication profile under NP conditions. Together, our findings decode the spatial and cellular heterogeneity of molecular pathological mechanisms underlying NP, providing a foundation for designing therapeutic targets for this disorder. Mechanistic modeling of enhancer-RNA sheds light on the role of transcription factors and their interactions in the context of estrogen- induced transcriptional program in breast cancer. Integrating snRNA-seq and spatial transcriptomics data reveals spatially altered profiles of genes, cell populations, intracellular molecular networks, cell-cell and cell-afferent cross-talks, in the spinal cord during neuropathic pain [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetracycline (TC), as a new type of environmental pollutant, poses a great threat to human food safety and health, thus becoming the focus of human environmental protection issues. In this study, we selected an environmentally friendly microbial remediation method to degrade the residual TC in soil. An experiment was conducted with Funneliformis mosseae (F. mosseae) and artificial TC-contaminated soil to analyze the physiology, antimicrobial enzyme activities, and TC residues in soybean plants and rhizomatous soil. The results showed that the presence of TC in the soil inhibited the enzyme activities of soybean root system and soil, and suppressed the biomass of soybean. Inoculation of F. mosseae in TC-contaminated soil promoted the degradation of TC in the soil, enhanced soil resistance enzyme and urease activities (12.53–43.48%) around the root soil, and enhanced the soil resistance enzymes and promoted the uptake of nutrients in the soybean root system.We conclude that F. mosseae may reduce antibiotics or promote nutrient uptake to enhance plant resistance by altering inter-root enzyme activity. Therefore, this study provides a new theoretical basis for using AMF to remediate TC-contaminated soil and retard the stress of TC on the growth of soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, machine learning (ML) techniques have been shown to be effective in accelerating the development process of optoelectronic devices. However, as "black box" models, they have limited theoretical interpretability. In this work, we leverage symbolic regression (SR) technique for discovering the explicit symbolic relationship between the structure of the optoelectronic Fabry-Perot (FP) laser and its optical field distribution, which greatly improves model transparency compared to ML. We demonstrated that the expressions explored through SR exhibit lower errors on the test set compared to ML models, which suggests that the expressions have better fitting and generalization capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetracycline Resistance Genes (TRGs) have received widespread attention in recent years, as they are a novel environmental pollutant that can rapidly accumulate and migrate in soil plant systems through horizontal gene transfer (HGT), posing a potential threat to food safety and public health. This article systematically reviews the pollution sources, enrichment, and migration characteristics of TRGs in soil. The main sources of TRGs include livestock manure and contaminated wastewater, especially in intensive farming environments where TRGs pollution is more severe. In soil, TRGs diffuse horizontally between bacteria and migrate to plant tissues through mechanisms such as plasmid conjugation, integron mediation, and phage transduction. The migration of TRGs is not limited to the soil interior, and increasing evidence suggests that they can also enter the plant system through plant root absorption and the HGT pathway of endophytic bacteria, ultimately accumulating in plant roots, stems, leaves, fruits, and other parts. This process has a direct impact on human health, especially when TRGs are found in crops such as vegetables, which may be transmitted to the human body through the food chain. In addition, this article also deeply analyzed various factors that affect the migration of TRGs, including the residual level of tetracycline in soil, the type and concentration of microorganisms, heavy metal pollution, and the presence of new pollutants such as microplastics. These factors significantly affect the enrichment rate and migration mode of TRGs in soil. In addition, two technologies that can effectively eliminate TRGs in livestock breeding environments were introduced, providing reference for healthy agricultural production. The article concludes by summarizing the shortcomings of current research on TRGs, particularly the limited understanding of TRG migration pathways and their impact mechanisms. Future research should focus on revealing the migration mechanisms of TRGs in soil plant systems and developing effective control and governance measures to reduce the environmental transmission risks of TRGs and ensure the safety of ecosystems and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mountainous region of southwest China is rich in mineral resources; however, its complex topography and geological conditions make underground mining susceptible to triggering geological hazards. To comprehensively understand the mechanisms of mining-induced slope instability, generalized models of linear, concave, and concave-convex slopes were developed. The progression from the formation of mining-induced fissure networks to slope failure was analyzed using base friction tests, digital photogrammetry for deformation measurement (DPDM) technology, and fractal theory. The results indicate that an increase in mining area, number of layers, and depth leads to continuous adjustments in fissure networks and formation dislocations, resulting in diverse interactions and developmental trajectories. Fissures propagate toward the surface, increasing the fractured rock mass and decreasing slope stability. The maximum displacement occurring in the direct roof and the upper-middle part of the slope, and the maximum shear strain concentrated in the direct roof, the leading and trailing edges of the slope, and the shear failure zones. Slope shape influences deformation and failure modes: linear and concave slopes undergo creepsliding and fracturing, whereas concave-convex slopes are more prone to bending and fracturing. The fractal dimension is directly proportional to mining depth, while the probability distribution index is inversely proportional to mining depth, indicating that the fissure development mechanism evolves from micro-fissure formation to large-scale fissure. The increasing complexity in the boundaries of fissure networks is accompanied by expansion, compaction, and penetration. These findings provide a foundation for the accurate assessment of mining-induced geological hazards in slopes with similar geometric configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the background noise interference in GNSS-RTK during prolonged structural monitoring, the integration of the complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN) and the standard deviation (STD)-based principal component analysis (PCA) method (CEEMDAN-PCA-S) is proposed for de-noising. The CEEMDAN-PCA-S aims to de-noise the internal random noise by leveraging its white noise characteristics and subsequently extract the multipath error by leveraging its periodic repetition characteristics. The efficiency of CEEMDAN-PCA-S is verified with a simulation and a field experiment. The simulation results demonstrate that the STD-based PCA (PCA-S) could achieve superior amplitude consistency with the original signal compared to traditional PCA. Additionally, the correlation coefficients of the multipath error obtained with different algorithms are PCA-S (0.9243) < CEEMDAN (0.9582) < CEEMDAN-PCA-S (0.9945). Moreover, the residual error of CEEMDAN-PCA-S is minimal in terms of amplitude and root mean square error (RMSE), confirming its superior de-noising performance compared to CEEMDAN and PCA-S. The outcomes of a field experiment utilizing the GNSS-RTK indicate that the correlation coefficients between the multipath error extracted with CEEMDAN-PCA-S and the CEEMDAN residual errors are all above 0.94. The CEEMDAN-PCA-S decreases the RMSE of residual error to 0.1599 cm, marking a 79% reduction from the original signal. Moreover, both the amplitude and mean value are reduced by 83% and 16%. In conclusion, the proposed CEEMDAN-PCA-S could effectively remove white noise and subsequently extract the multipath error, enhancing the accuracy of GNSS-RTK for long-term structural monitoring and safety warnings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of strain hardening and recovery/recrystallization on the hardness of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) in multilayer welded austenitic stainless steel SUS316 were investigated in this study. The results revealed that strain hardening due to welding strain and softening due to recovery/recrystallization were the dominant factors affecting the hardness change in the HAZ during multilayer welding process. Furthermore, the relationship between the strain and dislocation density and that between the recovery/recrystallization and dislocation density were quantitatively investigated using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. Based on these results, a new hardness prediction method based on the change in dislocation density in the HAZ during multilayer welding was proposed. The hardness values in the HAZ after the multilayer welding were predicted based on the simulated strain and thermal history, and the calculated hardness values agreed well with the measured results. This indicates that the newly proposed hardness prediction method based on the dislocation density change behavior in the HAZ during multilayer welding is valuable and effective for selecting the appropriate welding conditions before actual welding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implicit polynomial (IP) fitting is an effective method to quickly represent two-dimensional (2D) image boundary contour in the form of mathematical function. Under the same maximum degree, the fractional implicit polynomial (FIP) can express more curve details than IP and has obvious advantages for the representation of complex boundary contours. In existing studies, algebraic distance is mainly used as the fitting objective of the polynomial. Although the time cost is reduced, there are problems of low fitting accuracy and spurious zero set. In this paper, we propose a two-stage neural network with differentiable geometric distance, which uses FIP to achieve mathematical representation, called TSEncoder. In the first stage, the continuity constraint is used to obtain a rough outline of the fitting target. In the second stage, differentiable geometric distance is gradually added to fine-tune the polynomial coefficients to obtain a contour representation with higher accuracy. Experimental results show that TSEncoder can achieve mathematical representation of 2D image boundary contour with high accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implicit polynomials (IPs) are considered as a powerful tool for object curve fitting tasks due to their simplicity and fewer parameters. The traditional linear methods, such as 3L, MinVar, and MinMax, often achieve good performances in fitting simple objects, but usually work poorly or even fail to obtain closed curves of complex object contours. To handle the complex fitting issues, taking the advantages of deep neural networks, we designed a neural network model continuity-sparsity constrained network (CSC-Net) with encoder and decoder structure to learn the coefficients of IPs. Further, the continuity constraint is added to ensure the obtained curves are closed, and the sparseness constraint is added to reduce the spurious zero sets of the fitted curves. The experimental results show that better performances have been obtained on both simple and complex object fitting tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maximizing the productivity of arable land, providing high-quality food, and reducing negative environmental impacts are paramount importance to the agricultural sector. This study used the life cycle assessment (LCA) method to assess the environmental impacts of liquid digestate application and quantitative fertilizer application on the agri-food chain in a rice production system in Guangze County, Fujian Province, China (one of "Zero-waste City" pilots). Results showed that the 100-year global warming potential (GWP100) was reduced by 60%, 49%, and 35% by replacing chemical fertilizer application with 25%, 50%, and 100% of digestate application, respectively. In general, the 25% digestate replacement scenario was the most favorable alternative in terms of GWP100, acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential (MAETP), and abiotic depletion, fossil (ADP-fossil) with a 1.52-fold, 67%, 55%, 43%, and 1.63-fold decrease compared to the current status. The application amount of nitrogen fertilizer was reduced by 75%, and applying the remaining 25% nitrogen in liquid digestion mode had a good positive effect on guaranteeing the high yield and quality of rice. The results can provide a basis for promoting the application of liquid digestate in rice-planting system and the recycling development mechanism of rice agri-food chain system in "Zero-waste City." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endocytosis is controlled by a well-orchestrated molecular machinery, where the individual players as well as their precise interactions are not fully understood. We now show that syndapin I/PACSIN 1 is expressed in pancreatic β cells and that its knockdown abrogates β cell endocytosis leading to disturbed plasma membrane protein homeostasis, as exemplified by an elevated density of L-type Ca2+ channels. Intriguingly, inositol hexakisphosphate (InsP6) activates casein kinase 2 (CK2) that phosphorylates syndapin I/PACSIN 1, thereby promoting interactions between syndapin I/PACSIN 1 and neural Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASP) and driving β cell endocytosis. Dominant-negative interference with endogenous syndapin I/PACSIN 1 protein complexes, by overexpression of the syndapin I/PACSIN 1 SH3 domain, decreases InsP6-stimulated endocytosis. InsP6 thus promotes syndapin I/PACSIN 1 priming by CK2-dependent phosphorylation, which endows the syndapin I/PACSIN 1 SH3 domain with the capability to interact with the endocytic machinery and thereby initiate endocytosis, as exemplified in β cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroimaging studies have displayed aberrant brain activities in individual sensory- and emotional-linked regions in postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) patients. However, multi-dimensional dysfunction in chronic pain may rely on the interplay between networks. Little is known about the changes in the functional architecture of resting state networks (RSNs) in PHN. In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 31 PHN patients, 33 RHZ patients and 34 HCs; all participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. We investigated the differences of within- and cross-network connectivities between different outcomes of HZ patients [including PHN and recuperation from herpes zoster (RHZ)] and healthy controls (HCs) so as to extract a characteristic network pattern of PHN. The abnormal network connectivities were then correlated with clinical variables in respective groups. PHN and RHZ patients could be similarly characterized by abnormal within-default mode network (DMN), DMN-salience network (SN) and SN-basal ganglia network (BGN) connectivity relative to HCs. Of note, compared with RHZ patients, PHN patients could be characterized by abnormal DMN–BGN and within-BGN connectivity. Furthermore, the within-DMN connectivity was associated with pain-induced emotional scores among PHN patients. Our study presented that network-level imbalance could account for the pain-related dysfunctions in different outcomes of herpes zoster patients. These insights are potentially useful for understanding neuromechanism of PHN and providing central therapeutic targets for PHN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In oilfield development, vertical longitudinal multipole conductance sensors (VLMCS) have been widely used to measure the water holdup in the oil-water two-phase flow. When water is a continuous phase and oil is a discrete phase, the oil phase distribution has a great influence on the VLMCS output. In this paper, a 3D theoretical model of the VLMCS is established, and the output response characteristics are studied, considering an oil bubble behavior in the 3D model. The task is performed by establishing a spherical coordinate system and a cylindrical coordinate system with varying mesh sizes and axial and radial positions. At the same time, finite element analysis is used to study the VLMCS output response characteristics of multiple oil bubbles. The results reveal the effect of oil bubble size and position on the VLMCS output response characteristics, which is of great significance for the measurement of the oil-water two-phase flow parameters and optimization of the VLMCS design. The established model provides a theoretical basis for the engineering applications of the VLMCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prismatic-like LiMn2O4 (LMO-P) cathode material was successfully synthesized via precipitation-freeze drying route. Polyethylene glycol 20000 (PEG 20000) was used as a surfactant. Physical and electrochemical performances of prismatic-like LiMn2O4 were investigated. The results confirm that prismatic-like LiMn2O4 exhibited better electrochemical performance: the discharge capacities were 125.8 (0.1 C), 116.7 (0.5 C), 110.7 (1.0 C), 103.5 (2.0 C), 93.1 (5.0 C), and 75.3 (10 C) mAh g−1, respectively. The capacity was 90.2 mAh g−1 at 2.0 C-rate over 500 cycles with capacity retention of 87.1%. Prismatic-like LiMn2O4 had a high discharge capacity, outstanding rate performance, and stability. It is concluded that the facile precipitation-freeze drying route with PEG 20000 as surfactant is a promising route for preparation of LiMn2O4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, oxidation doping modification of tin-graphite composite anode material, discussing the effect of doping different oxidants on the properties of composites. The structure and morphology were measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical properties of the samples were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and galvanostatic charge and discharge tests. The results showed that the oxidation effect of H2SO4 was better than HNO3 and H2O2. When the tin-graphite composite was oxidized by H2SO4, the material had better electrochemical properties, of which initial specific discharge capacity reached 859 mAh·g−1 at the rate of 0.1C, increasing by 113 and 76 mAh·g−1 compared with the HNO3 and H2O2. The initial discharge specific capacities at rates of 0.2, 0.5, and 1C were 809, 761, and 627 mAh·g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced food intake is common to many pathological conditions, such as infection and toxin exposure. However, cortical circuits that mediate feeding responses to these threats are less investigated. The anterior insular cortex (aIC) is a core region that integrates interoceptive states and emotional awareness and consequently guides behavioral responses. Here, we demonstrate that the right-side aIC CamKII+ (aICCamKII) neurons in mice are activated by aversive visceral signals. Hyperactivation of the right-side aICCamKII neurons attenuates food consumption, while inhibition of these neurons increases feeding and reverses aversive stimuli-induced anorexia and weight loss. Similar manipulation at the left-side aIC does not cause significant behavioral changes. Furthermore, virus tracing reveals that aICCamKII neurons project directly to the vGluT2+ neurons in the lateral hypothalamus (LH), and the right-side aICCamKII-to-LH pathway mediates feeding suppression. Our studies uncover a circuit from the cortex to the hypothalamus that senses aversive visceral signals and controls feeding behavior. Food intake can be attenuated by visceral aversive stimuli in pathological conditions. Here the authors identify a unilateral neural circuit from the CamKII-positive neurons in the anterior insular cortex to the vGluT2-positive neurons in the lateral hypothalamus that controls feeding responses to visceral aversive stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LiFePO4/C cathode material was prepared via high-temperature ball-milling route with ultrasonic dispersion as mixing process using eutectic molten salt (0.76 LiOH·H2O-0.24 Li2CO3) as lithium source. Box-Behnken design was used to study the combined effects of ultrasonic time, ball-milling temperature, and ball-milling time on the discharge capacity to obtain the optimum predicted conditions. The optimum conditions were as follows: ultrasonic time was 63 min, ball-milling temperature was 638 °C, and ball-milling time was 7 h. LiFePO4/C prepared from the optimized experimental conditions exhibited a well electrochemical performance; its discharge capacity was 161.3 mAh g−1 at a 0.1 C-rate which was in consistence with the predicted discharge capacity of 160.2 mAh g−1. Moreover, its capacity retention rate achieved 93.6% at a 10 C-rate over 100 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper briefly describes the preparation of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 by ultrasonic chemistry and its doping modification. The physical and electrochemical properties of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 were studied by SEM and electrochemical tests. The results show that the particles doped with graphene had smaller particle size and uniform distribution. The initial discharge specific capacity of 0.1C was 187 mAh g−1. The discharge specific capacity after 30 cycles was 181 mAh g−1, and the capacity retention rate was 97%. Graphene-doped samples had high capacity, excellent rate performance, and significant cycle stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To understand the health status and problems of left-behind children (LBC) in rural China, those whose parents have moved to urban areas without them, and to focus on ways to improve their physical and mental health.Methods: The study examined 827 children between 7 and 15 years old, selected using stratified cluster random sampling from five towns in Xiji County of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Each child was classified as either LBC or non-LBC. Measures included age- and sex-specific height and body mass index (kg/m2), a food preference questionnaire, the Revised Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and the Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran-My Memories of Upbringing (EMBU).Results: Malnutrition rates for LBC and non-LBC were 14.83 % (70/472) and 7.04 % (25/355) (χ 2  = 11.86, p < 0.01). More LBC reported hating vegetables and fruits. Eysenck Personality Questionnaire profiles of LBC revealed a significantly higher degree of neuroticism and psychoticism, and a significantly lower lie scale score (p < 0.01). LBC's EMBU profiles showed that the paternal approach lacked emotional warmth and understanding and the maternal approach was characterized by favoritism, over-interference and overprotection. There were a significant negative correlation between the personality characteristic of neuroticism and liking vegetables and fruits (p < 0.01), and a negative correlation between psychoticism and liking vegetables (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The health status of LBC is problematic. Food preferences, personality type and parenting styles should be taken into account when measures are developed to improve the health of these children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monosaccharides are polyhydroxyl compounds containing several chiral carbons, giving rise to tens of isomeric forms. Only minority of them are natural carbohydrates existing in nature abundantly, and most of them are rarely in nature, called rare sugars. These rare sugars attract increasing attention because of their low-calorie property and promising beneficial effects. Izumoring strategy has been established for linking all monosaccharides by three types of enzymes including ketose 3-epimerases, polyol dehydrogenases, and aldose isomerases. Recently, more attention has been paid on the Izumoring of hexoses, especially the D-zone hexoses. So far, at least ten isomerases have been used for the isomerization reactions between D-aldohexoses and D-ketohexoses. In this article, the interconnections and potential physiological effects of D-ketohexoses and D-aldohexoses are summarized, the D-zone hexose Izumoring is shown by giving the exact biocatalysts, and importantly, the isomerases for D-hexose biotransformation are reviewed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The voltage-gated Ca (Ca) channel acts as a key player in β cell physiology and pathophysiology. β cell Ca channels undergo hyperactivation subsequent to exposure to type 1 diabetic (T1D) serum resulting in increased cytosolic free Ca concentration and thereby Ca-triggered β cell apoptosis. The present study was aimed at revealing the subtypes of Ca1 channels hyperactivated by T1D serum as well as the biophysical mechanisms responsible for T1D serum-induced hyperactivation of β cell Ca1 channels. Patch-clamp recordings and single-cell RT-PCR analysis were performed in pancreatic β cells from Ca1 channel knockout and corresponding control mice. We now show that functional Ca1.3 channels are expressed in a subgroup of islet β cells from Ca1.2 knockout mice (Ca1.2). T1D serum enhanced whole-cell Ca currents in islet β cells from Ca1.3 knockout mice (Ca1.3). T1D serum increased the open probability and number of functional unitary Ca1 channels in Ca1.2 and Ca1.3 β cells. These data demonstrate that T1D serum hyperactivates both Ca1.2 and Ca1.3 channels by increasing their conductivity and number. These findings suggest Ca1.2 and Ca1.3 channels as potential targets for anti-diabetes therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apolipoprotein CIII (ApoCIII) not only serves as an inhibitor of triglyceride hydrolysis but also participates in diabetes-related pathological events such as hyperactivation of voltage-gated Ca (Ca) channels in the pancreatic β cell. However, nothing is known about the molecular mechanisms whereby ApoCIII hyperactivates β cell Ca channels. We now demonstrate that ApoCIII increased Ca1 channel open probability and density. ApoCIII enhanced whole-cell Ca currents and the Ca1 channel blocker nimodipine completely abrogated this enhancement. The effect of ApoCIII was not influenced by individual inhibition of PKA, PKC, or Src. However, combined inhibition of PKA, PKC, and Src counteracted the effect of ApoCIII, similar results obtained by coinhibition of PKA and Src. Moreover, knockdown of β1 integrin or scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) prevented ApoCIII from hyperactivating β cell Ca channels. These data reveal that ApoCIII hyperactivates β cell Ca1 channels through SR-BI/β1 integrin-dependent coactivation of PKA and Src. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To research the effects of silencing transcription factor SNAI1 on the in vitro biological phenotypes of breast cancer cell line MCF-7, based on the gene sequence of SNAI1, we linked shRNA with the green fluorescent protein-expressing eukaryotic expression vector pGCsilencer™ U6/Neo/GFP, and transfected it into MCF-7 cells. The SNAI1 gene-silencing effect was authenticated by RT-PCR and immunofluorescence. We then examined the effect of gene silencing on the expression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers and on their biological phenotypes of the target cells. Finally, we explained that SNAI1 was bound to E-cadherin in MCF-7 cells by ChIP. Silencing SNAI1 upregulated the expression of epithelial markers claudin-4, claudin-7, and E-cadherin, while expression of the mesenchymal marker matrix metalloproteinase-2 was downregulated. The capacity for proliferation, migration, and invasion was diminished. SNAI1 binds to the E-cadherin gene promoter and inhibits its transcription. We can conclude that silencing gene SNAI1 inhibits expression of properties that are associated with the malignant phenotype of MCF-7 cells and reverses the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process by regulating relevant target gene E-cadherin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic Fe nanoparticles were fabricated using a magnetron-sputtering-based gas-phase condensation method, and they have an average size of 20 nm. The Fe nanoparticles were modified by 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane, and were subsequently activated by glutaraldehyde, and then amino modified DNA oligomers were loaded on glutaraldehyde activated Fe nanoparticles. Their surface was investigated and confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The concentrations of 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane and glutaraldehyde play important roles for subsequent DNA immobilization, and their optimal concentrations are 0.5 vol% and 5.0 wt%, respectively. The loading level of DNA oligomers on Fe nanoparticles was quantitatively evaluated. We found that the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant can significantly increase the DNA loading level and the highest loading value reached to 47 mol DNA/mol Fe nanoparticles. The DNA-Fe complexes can be selectively hybridized to the DNA functionalized surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the water-based ferromagnetic fluid and magnetic resin made from chitosan and cerium complex (MRCCC) were successfully prepared by using the chemical co-precipitation technique and by the reversed-phase suspension cross-linking polymerization. MRCCC presented uniform and narrow particle size distribution as determined by the Laser Particles Sizer. The Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) study demonstrated that there were iron and cerium existing in MRCCC. The movement of MRCCC under magnetic field proved its magnetic property. The swelling kinetics in water or solutions with different pH indicated that MRCCC could be applied in solutions with pH greater than 1.0. The ferromagnetic fluid particles were stable in MRCCC soaked in solutions with pH >2.0. In view of these results, MRCCC can be used as material for separation, clarification, adsorption, sustained release and hydrolysis activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to study the thermodynamic behavior of resins of chitosan microspheres (RCM) in adsorbing Cu2+, so that the theoretical basis of the application of RCM to eliminate metal ions in wastewater or fruit and vegetable juice can be obtained. First, RCM were prepared from chitosan as a raw material by using reverse phase suspension cross-linking polymerization, and some physicochemical properties of RCM were characterized. Second, the adsorption behavior of Cu2+ onto RCM was investigated by the batch method. The results show that the diameter of the microspheres was relatively uniform and the surface of microspheres was compacted with pores. The physical properties of the RCM were as follows: water content 51.982%, skeletal density 1.212 g · cm−3, pileup density 0.862 g·L−1, porosity was in 0.554 and crosslinking degree was in 13.581%. The saturated adsorption capacity of RCM for Cu2+ was 0.993 mmol·g−1. At the same time, the results also indicated that the adsorption of RCM for Cu2+ followed the Langmuir isotherm equation: Ce/ Q = 11.614 + 1.0075 Ce at 313 K and the adsorption appeared to be of the monomolecular type. The adsorption was found through thermodynamic study to be a spontaneous endothermic process of increased entropy. The adsorption potential decreased gradually as Cu2+ concentration increased at the same temperature and it increased as temperature increased at the same initial concentration of Cu2+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the practices of cryobiology, selection of an optimum freeze/thawing program and an idealistic cryoprotective agent often requires rather tedious, time consuming and repetitive tests. Integrating the functions of sample preparation and viability detection, the concept of biochip technology was introduced to the field of cryopreservation, aiming at quickly finding an optimum freezing and thawing program. Prototype devices were fabricated and corresponding experimental tests were performed. It was shown that microflow-channel chip could not offer a high quality solution distribution. As an alternative, the spot-dropping chip proved to be an excellent way to load the sample quickly and reliably. Infrared thermal mapping on such a chip showed that it had a rather uniform heat transfer boundary. Applying the spot-dropping chip combined with the thermoelectric cooling device, the final output of cryopreservation of multiple samples was tested, and the optimal freeze/thawing program as well as the potentially best concentration of the cryoprotective agent was found by analyzing the results. Further, application of this technique to measure the thermo-physical properties of the cryo-protective agent was also investigated. The study demonstrated that a biochip with integrated automatic loading and inspection units opens the possibility of a massive optimization of the complex cryopreservation program in a quicker and more economical way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrolysis activities of PACC (particle of agarose-Ce4+ complex, newly made through double emulsification) for compounds containing phosphodiester or peptide bonds were studied. The results showed that PACC could hydrolyze organophosphorous pesticides not only in water but also in vegetable juice or tea extract. Hydrolysis rates of methamidophos, omethoate and chlorpyrifos in water are 32.39%, 27.12% and 46.62% respectively, those of chlorpyrifos and methamidophos in mung sprout juice 38.28% and 35.45% respectively, and that of chlorpyrifos in tea extract 59.76%. Hydrolysis rates of BSA (bovine serum albumin) in water and protein in tea extract by PACC increase by 54.30% and 86.46% respectively as compared with the control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel resistive random access memory device is designed with SrTiO3/ La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 (LSMO)/MgAl2O4 (MAO)/Cu structure, in which metallic epitaxial LSMO is employed as the bottom electrode rather than traditional metal materials. In this device, the critical external compliance current is no longer necessary due to the high self-resistance of LSMO. The LMSO bottom electrode can act as a series resistor to offer a compliance current during the set process. Besides, the device also has excellent switching features which are originated in the formation of Cu filaments under external voltage. Therefore it provides the possibility of reducing power consumption and accelerating the commercialization of resistive switching devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT and mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades play an important role in cell proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, and metastasis of tumor cells. In the present report, we investigated the effects of licochalcone A (LA), a flavonoid extracted from licorice root, on the PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK activation pathways in human gastric cancer BGC-823 cells. LA increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, which is associated with the induction of apoptosis as characterized by positive Annexin V binding and activation of caspase-3, and cleavage of poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). Inhibition of ROS generation by N-acetylcysteine (NAC) significantly prevented LA-induced apoptosis. Interestingly, we also observed that LA caused the activation of ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPK in BGC-823 cells. The antitumour activity of LA-treated BGC-823 cells was significantly distinct in KM mice in vivo. All the findings from our study suggest that LA can interfere with MAPK signaling cascades, initiate ROS generation, induce oxidative stress and consequently cause BGC cell apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]