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Groundwater has been a relatively safe water source and associated with a series of global pressing issues. It can, however, be vulnerable to pathogen contamination and exhibit risks to public health. While groundwater has often been considered a relatively closed ecosystem, it is important to understand the transport of pathogens into and within groundwater and groundwater-dependent ecosystems in the context of their physiological characteristics, soil/sediment texture, hydrogeological and climatic conditions. The rapid progress in monitoring and modeling tools in recent years has facilitated the detection of pathogens and the prediction of their migration in groundwater, which aids the surveillance and remediation of health-related risks. This review aims to provide an updated understanding about groundwater pathogens, their impacts on human health, surveillance, risk assessment, and remediation strategies in the context of the global environment and climate changes. The challenges and perspectives in protecting groundwater biosafety are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how high-performance work systems (HPWSs) are related to Saudi employees' work and career outcomes. Drawing on the socially embedded model of thriving, we propose a model that includes the mediating role of thriving at work and the moderating role played by wasta in the relationship between HPWS and the employee outcomes of affective commitment, job satisfaction, and career satisfaction. To test the conceptual model, we collected data from 187 healthcare workers across Saudi Arabian hospitals at three time points. Our findings reveal that HPWSs positively affect employees' thriving at work, which in turn enhances their work and career outcomes. Our study also demonstrates that wasta is a boundary condition that buffers the strength of the effect of HPWSs on thriving and the indirect effects of HPWSs on employees' work and career outcomes via thriving. This study extends current theoretical knowledge of how and when HPWSs can exert a more positive influence on employee outcomes. In practice, these findings will inform managers of better approaches to leveraging HPWSs and individual cultural values to enhance employee outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of Earth Observation (EO) big data, interactive spatiotemporal aggregation analysis is a critical tool for exploring geographic patterns. However, existing methods are inefficient and complex. Their interactive performance greatly depends on large-scale computing resources, especially data cube infrastructure. In this study, from a green computing perspective, we propose a lightweight data cube model based on the preaggregation concept, in which the frequency histogram of EO data is employed as a specific measure. The cube space was divided into lattice pyramids by the Google S2 grid system, and histogram statistics of the EO data were injected into in-memory cuboids. Therefore, exploratory aggregation analysis of EO datasets could be rapidly converted into multidimensional-view query processes. We implemented the prototype system on a local PC and conducted a case study of global vegetation index aggregation. The experiments showed that the proposed model is smaller, faster and consumes less energy than ArcGIS Pro and XCube, and facilitates green computing strategies involving a cube infrastructure. Due to the standalone mode, larger dataset will result in longer cube building time with indexing latency. The efficiency of the approach comes at the expense of accuracy, and the inherent uncertainties were examined in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous study indicated that Clock gene could affect the thrombotic potential. In this present study, we examined the differential expression of proteins in Clock knockdown mice's plasma, including α1-antitrypsin as a potential target. The proteins were examined in AML12 cells with Clock gene being knocked down to confirm the differential expressions. RNAs of those cells were extracted every 3 h in 24 h. The transcriptional levels of α1-antitrypsin (Serpina1a) and fibronectin (Fn1) were analyzed with the least-squares fit of a 24-h cosine function by single cosinor method, but no circadian rhythm was determined in neither of these genes. The expressions of α1-antitrypsin and fibronectin in Clock knockdown cells were found upregulated in both transcriptional and translational levels. Then, we applied ELISA assay to detect the concentration of activated protein C in Clock knockdown plasma and found a risen concentration. Fibronectin was reported to play a role in inhibiting the platelet aggregation, while activated protein C was demonstrated to inhibit PAI-1. All these results indicated that downregulation of the Clock gene in the circulatory system might have effects on PAI-1 by upregulating α1-antitrypsin, and might play some roles in platelet aggregation by increased fibronectin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A telemetry system based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) was constructed to simultaneously collect locomotor activity and physiological signals of small animal cohorts for circadian rhythm experiments; it consists of miniature transmitters and mobile phone with customized App. The continuous sampling signals obtained from the 3-axis acceleration and temperature sensors in the transmitters are sent to the mobile phone in real-time through Internet of Things (IoT) for temporary storage and then imported into the computer for summary and rhythm analysis by the general open-source mathematical software. Unlike expensive and complicated commercial telemetry systems with industrial wireless standards, no special data receivers and software are needed. In our validation experiment, six rats were divided into two groups under natural dark and light-dark cycles. For two consecutive weeks, the transmitter mounted on the head of the rat-recorded locomotor activity, skin temperature, and ambient temperature of each rat at a frequency of 6 Hz. After processing with Local Weighted Regression Scatter Smoothing (LOWESS) and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) filtering, single cosinor and multi-components cosinor were then used to assess and characterize the circadian rhythm. The results showed that the rhythm values of the two groups of rats coincided with the corresponding light-dark cycle, and that the system was robust to data loss and error from BLE communication failures. Therefore, the proposed system provides a light-weight framework for long-term circadian rhythm monitoring in free-moving rodents to further simplify and promote experimental chronobiology animal studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circadian rhythm has been involved in the regulation of many physiological activities. Autophagy is the metabolic process that transports substances in the cytoplasm to the lysosomes for degradation, and involved in the process of many diseases, including cancer. Studies have shown that autophagy activity has a circadian rhythm feature. As the core gene of the circadian rhythm system, clock has participated in the occurrence and development of cancer. The expression of clock whether regulates tumor development by autophagy has not been illustrated at present. In this study, we established a stable clock-knockdown strain of mouse breast cancer cell 4T1 to explore the changes in autophagy activity. The results showed that autophagy-related proteins ATG9A, ATG7, LC3B and Beclin1 (ATG6) were down-regulated with clock-knockdown, and the p62, the key factors of autophagy, was up-regulated. Moreover, clock-knockdown caused significant up-regulation of p65, and inhibition of IκBα and p-AKT，which were the core factors of several signaling pathways involved in autophagy. Serum rhythm-inducing experiments behaved that the expression of LC3B and Beclin1 had rhythmic characteristics，differed from LC3A. The regulative gene clock was initially established to regulate the autophagy-related genes, and the suggested direction of its regulatory pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is one of the most prevalent types of malignancy-associated mortality of the world. Recently, the studies about over-expression circadian locomotor output cycles kaput gene will promote CRC progression and inhibit tumor cell apoptosis in vitro through the AKT-pathway (an antiapoptotic pathway have been reported). However, it remains to be studied the molecular mechanism of proliferation in CRC. In our present study, we attempt to study the clock gene which inhibits proliferation of CRC CT26 cells through p53-dependent pathway when the clock gene is suppressed in the CRC cell line CT26. Lentiviral vector binds to RNA target sequence, knocking down clock genes in CT26 cells with short hairpin RNA. For detecting their proliferation rates, we used CCK8 assay, plate clone formation assay, Western blot and mouse tumorigenicity assay. The results revealed that knocking down the clock gene has a negative effect on CT26 cell proliferation, depicted that low expression of clock gene reduced cylinD1 and c-myc expression, improved P21 and P53 expression in vitro and inhibited the growth of tumor in vivo. In conclusion, while silencing the clock gene can depress CT26 cell growth through p53-dependent pathway and c-myc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triplophysa baotianensis belong to the genus Triplophysa (Teleostei, Nemacheilidae), endemic to Guizhou Province, Southwestern China. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of T. baotianensis was sequenced and reported for the first time. The circular mitogenome was 16,576 bp in length and consisted of 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 1 non-coding control region. The overall base composition was 30.79% A, 27.62% T, 25.46% C, and 16.13% G with 41.59% GC content. Phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial genomes of 40 species showed that all Triplophysa species clustered as one monophyletic clade, and T. baotianensis was the closest to (T. nasobarbatula + (T. rosa + T. xiangxiensis)). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antecedents and outcomes of organizational commitment (OC) have been studied extensively over the last three decades. While the majority of research has focused on the OC of employees working in organizations based in a single country or region, studies have also emerged examining the OC of employees working in multinational corporations (MNCs). However, there has been no attempt to comprehensively review and synthesize the literature in this area, limiting our understanding on how to effectively manage OC in MNCs. The present study conducts a systematic review of empirical literature on OC in the MNC context. We review literature on the theoretical foundations, antecedents and outcomes of OC in MNCs, and evaluate empirical papers that expand our understanding of the nomological network of constructs to which OC is related in the MNC context. Building on the review, we then present a future research agenda, which targets opportunities for empirical and theoretical advancement of research on OC in the MNC setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social isolation usually affects the physical and mental health of the human and produces depression, whether it may relate with circadian rhythm still remains to be investigated. Two groups of mice were employed to this experiment to continuously monitoring their activities in a dark environment. Immunofluorescence was used to show the expression of the circadian clock gene in two groups of mice. The results demonstrate that the social isolation leads to decrease of mouse activities, phase advance of rhythm relatively and down-regulated of clock gene expression. We conclude that social isolation can affect the physiological function and the normal physiological rhythm of mice, which may be related to depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This empirical study is the first to explicitly examine cultural intelligence (CQ) as an antecedent of voice behavior and to explore the mediating role of leader-member exchange (LMX) in the CQ-voice relationship. Two hundred and sixtyone usable questionnaires were collected from migrant workers in Australia using an online survey. The data were analyzed with regression analyses and structural equation modeling. Results showed that migrant employees with higher CQ were more likely to engage in voice behavior. The positive relationship between CQ and voice behavior was partially mediated by LMX. These findings verify a relatively new individual antecedent (i.e. CQ) of voice behavior and reveal the underlying mediation mechanism that explains the effects of CQ on employee voice. This study also carries important implications for managing culturally-diverse workforces (i.e. migrant workers) regarding the promotion of voice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined how employee-orientated human resource management (EOHRM) is related to Chinese employees' voice. Drawing on the trust literature, we developed and tested an integrative model that involves the mediating role of trust in management in the effect of EOHRM on voice behavior and the moderating role of employees' moral identity in the EOHRM effects. Data were collected from 251 employees from a variety of occupations in China. Bootstrap-based regression analyses were used to test the research model. Results showed that trust in management partially mediated the relationship between EOHRM and voice behavior. The effect of EOHRM on trust in management and the indirect effect of EOHRM on voice behavior via trust were stronger in employees with higher rather than lower levels of moral identity. These findings suggest that organizations may promote employee voice by implementing HR policies and practices that focus on employees' personal and family needs and consider employees' moral identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transactivator (Tat), a regulatory protein of HIV-1, plays a very important role in HIV-1 infection by promoting the rapid replication of HIV. Research surrounding Tat protein function has mainly focused on inhibition of the immune system, promotion of growth of vascular endothelial cells, and nervous system damage. To date, very little research has addressed the role of Tat in circadian rhythms. Previous studies in our lab have found that the concentration of Tat protein in HIV patients’ blood was positively correlated with patients’ sleep quality and melatonin concentrations. In this study, we applied a Tat expression plasmid in mice. Result demonstrated that the locomotor activities of mice and the concentration of melatonin were significantly increased. Alternatively, the expression ofClockgene was markedly decreased. On the other hand, the expression of theCry1gene was significantly increased, while the expression ofBmal1andPer1genes exhibited no significant difference. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The circadian system regulates many important aspects of physiology, including the immune response to infectious agents, which is mediated by the activation of the transcription factor NF-κB. Thus, understanding the mechanisms by which circadian clocks regulate NF-κB is a necessary step toward the development of improved therapies underwritten by NF-κB manipulation. Previous reports have identified OTUD7B a deubiquitinase, as a novel regulator of noncanonical NF-κB signaling, largely through the maintenance of TRAF3, a negative regulator of NF-κB. In investigations in our laboratory, when theClockgene was repressed by shRNA, the results of microarray analysis demonstrated thatOtud7bwas down-regulated. Further research by real-time PCR and western blot revealed that thatOtud7bexhibits rhythmic mRNA expression. These findings confirmOtud7bas a novelclock-regulated gene. Additionally,Otud7bmay be an important bridge between the circadian system and noncanonical NF-κB pathway regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The circadian rhythm is one of the basic systems in an organism. It helps the organism maintain harmony with the daily changes of the external environment to ensure proper physiological activities. Previous studies from our laboratory have indicated that the miR-29a/b/c can bind to the circadian clock gene hPer1 at the 3 ′UTR region and regulate its mRNA and protein expression, affecting various organismal physiological processes. Meanwhile, it has been reported that the circadian gene Per plays a role in the regulation of the early growth response gene Egr2, which plays an important role during midbrain development. Here, we confirmed that miR-29a/b/c regulates Egr2 function through mPer1 binding, which elucidates a novel connection between mPer1 and Egr2. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Chemotherapy is a crucial adjuvant therapy of advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, enhancing sensitivity and tolerance of chemotherapeutics in NPC treatment have been challenging. Both Bcl-2 and Mcl-1, 2 pro-survival proteins of Bcl-2 family, play essential roles on the chemotherapy tolerance of numerous cancers. In the present study, we explored the influences of TW-37, a small molecule inhibitor of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1, on the efficiency of chemotherapy for NPC. Oncomine cancer database shows that NPC tissues have higher expression of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 than those of normal nasopharyngeal epithelial (NPE) tissues. And our results reveal that chemotherapeutics, Cisplatin (CDDP) and 5-Fluoracil (5-FU), result in the greater decrease of protein level of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 in NPC cells than those in NPE cells. TW-37 does not have significant impact on the chemotherapeutics-treated NPE cell viability at a dosage that efficiently reduces chemotherapeutics-treated NPC cell viability. Moreover, impacts of TW-37 on the cell viability of chemotherapeutics-treated NPC cells are dependent on the expression of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 in NPC cells. Further explorations suggest that TW-37 prominently promotes apoptosis in NPC cells under chemotherapeutics treatments but not in NPE cells. Meanwhile, TW-37 also remarkably reduces colony formation ability of chemotherapeutics-treated NPC cells. Importantly, in vivo models, TW-37 observably increases chemosensitivity of NPC tumors but has not markedly influence on the normal tissues in mice. In conclusion, our results point to TW-37 as a promising ancillary drug for the chemotherapy of NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In an increasingly globalized world, organizations that operate in more than one country are a substantial part of the world economy. It is therefore beneficial to understand the attitudes of employees in different countries and their impact on the organization. One important area is organizational justice and its relationships with organizational trust (OT) and organizational commitment. This empirical study collected survey data from university employees across China, South Korea and Australia. We proposed that OT would mediate the relationships between affective organizational commitment (AOC) and both distributive justice (DJ) and procedural justice (PJ) in all three countries. In Australia, we found that PJ and AOC were significantly related, and OT fully mediated the PJ-AOC relationship. In China and South Korea, both DJ and PJ were significantly related to AOC, and OT fully mediated the PJ-AOC relationship. OT partially mediated the DJ-AOC relationship in China but fully mediated this relationship in South Korea. Implications for theory and for management practitioners are discussed, and areas for future investigation are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gravity heavily influences living organisms on earth including their circadian rhythm, which is fundamentally important for coordinately physiology in organisms as diverse as cyanobacteria, fungus and humans. Numerous researches have revealed that microgravity in outer space can affect circadian rhythm of astronauts and rodent animals, but the mechanism remains unknown. Using rotary cell culture system to simulate microgravity environment, we investigated the role of simulated microgravity in regulating the circadian rhythm of NIH3T3 cells. Our experiments found that simulated microgravity can not only influence the mRNA level of some core circadian genes, but also modify the circadian rhythm ofPer1andPer2synchronized after phorbol myristate acetate treatment. Remarkably, MEK/ERK pathway was transiently activated after a 2-h simulated microgravity treatment, with a significant upregulation ofKras,Raf1and p-ERK1/ERK2. Moreover, U0126, a selective inhibitor of MEK/ERK pathway, could disrupt the circadian rhythm ofPer1andPer2synchronized after simulated microgravity treatment. Together, our results unveil that simulated microgravity could act like a zeitgeber to influence the circadian rhythm of NIH3T3 by acting on MEK/ERK pathway, indicating that MEK/ERK pathway may act as a bridge which connects cells mechanotransduction pathway and circadian rhythm regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) generally influences circadian rhythms and has been implicated changes in circadian rhythm. Whether TBI-induced changes in circadian rhythm may affect the prognosis or recovery from TBI remains to be investigated. Sixty-two patients with TBI were continuously monitored for intracranial pressure (ICP) during the first 24 hours after the implantation of ICP monitor. The data from each patient were analyzed using the least squares fit of a 24-h cosine function by single cosinor method. Parameters of circadian A (Amplitude)/M (MESOR) were used to evaluate the circadian rhythm of the patients. Student’st-test and Pearson’s chi-squared test were utilized to analyze the differences between good prognosis group and poor prognosis. A linear regression analysis was then applied to calculate the correlation between circadian A/M of ICP and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) before discharge, the Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS-E), the dosage of mannitol, and time spent in the intensive care unit (ICU), respectively. The results demonstrated that circadian A/M of patients’ ICP exhibited a positive correlation with GCS scores taken before discharge, GOS-E scores, and was negatively correlated with the amount of mannitol, and time spent in the ICU. We conclude that changes in the ICP circadian rhythm in TBI patients could reflect an internal signal of brain damage and, therefore, may be useful to predict a patient’s prognosis and recovery from TBI. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, large-eddy simulations of Vreman's model (VM) have been carried out to investigate its performances in a temporal transitional channel flow and in high Reynolds number turbulent channel flows. As a preliminary work, it is found that cubic root of the cell volume is the best choice of filter width for both VM and dynamic VM based on Germano identity (DVM), according to comparative studies and a-posteriori analyses atReτ = 590. VM and DVM are then used to simulate the temporal laminar–turbulent transitional channel flow, and the results turn out that VM and DVM are capable to simulate this temporal transient flow. In simulating high Reynolds number turbulent channel flows with a relatively coarse grid resolution, DVM itself shares the same weakness as the dynamic Smagorinsky model, while it can successfully predict the mean velocity profile and skin friction coefficient when it is coupled with the constrained large eddy simulation methodology. The coupling highly promotes the capability of Vreman's model, offering a new promising approach to simulate high Reynolds number wall-bounded turbulent flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estradiol mediates its actions by binding to classical nuclear receptors, estrogen receptor α (ER-α) and estrogen receptor β (ER-β), and the non-classical G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1(GPER). Several gene knockdown models have shown the importance of the receptors for growth of the oocyte and for ovulation. The aim of our study was to identify the pattern of GPER expression in human cumulus granulosa cells (CGCs) from ovarian follicles at different stages of oocyte maturation, and the differences of GPER expression between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients and non-PCOS women. Thirty-eight cases of PCOS patients and a control group of thirty-two infertile women without PCOS were used in this study. GPER’s location in CGCs was investigated by immunohistochemistry. Quantitative RT-PCR and western blot were used to identify the quantify GPER expression. Here we demonstrated that GPER was expressed in CGCs of both PCOS patients and non-PCOS women, and the expression of GPER was decreased significantly during oocyte maturation. But the expression levels of GPER in CGCs of PCOS patients and non-PCOS women were not significantly different. The data indicate that GPER may play a role during human oocyte maturation through its action in cumulus granulosa cells.Abbreviations:AMHRIIs: anti-Mullerian hormone type II receptors; BMI: body mass index; CGCs: cumulus granulosa cells; COH: controlled ovarian hyperstimulation; E2: estradiol; EGFR: epidermal growth factor receptor; ER-α: estrogen receptor; ER-β: estrogen receptor β; FF: follicular fluid; FSH: follicle-stimulating hormone; GCs: granulosa cells; GPER: G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1; GV: germinal vesicle; GVBD: germinal vesicle breakdown; HCG: human chorionic gonadotropin; IRS: immunoreactive score; IVF-ET:in vitrofertilization and embryo transfer; MI: metaphase I; MII: metaphase II; MAPK: mitogen-activated protein kinase; OCCCs: oocyte corona cumulus complexes; PCOS: polycystic ovarian syndrome; qRT-PCR: quantitative real-time PCR: qRT-PCR [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circadian clocks in organisms drive physiology and behavior, helping with adjustment to earth’s environment and human society. The generation and regulation mechanisms of circadian rhythms are starting to be understood. The transcriptional/post-transcriptional delayed feedback loop has been widely studied as the main regulation mechanism. But it cannot fully account for all circadian rhythms in cells. It has been reported that the “proto-clock” may have been a cytosolic metabolic oscillation and that the transcriptional translational regulation system, which provides robustness and amplifies circadian outputs, was developed during evolution. Research on circadian rhythms in cyanobacteriaSynechococcus elongatus, algaeOstreococcus tauri, and human red blood cells in the absence of transcription and translation indicates the existence of a non-transcriptional/translational regulation mechanism, in addition to the classical transcriptional/translational regulation mechanism. It revealed a close link between the two regulation systems of circadian rhythms, in which they might complement each other. And NAD, involved in energy metabolism, may be involved in their interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (Clock) gene is a core gene in the circadian rhythm system that is involved in cancer cell proliferation. However, the molecular mechanism ofClockgene participate in the cancer cell proliferation is unclear. Previous studies demonstrated that cell proliferation could be regulated by the canonical Wnt pathway (also known as the Wnt/β-catenin pathway), and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway had a relation with the circadian system. To investigate whether theClockgene affects the proliferation of breast cancer cell by regulating the expression ofβ-catenin, we knocked down theClockexpression of mouse breast cancer cells (4T1) by RNA interference. Then detected their proliferation rates using CCK8 assay and the expression of theβ-cateningene by real-time PCR and Western blot. The results showed that the proliferation of theClockknocked down 4T1 cells is slower than the control. The expression level ofβ-cateninof these 4T1 cells is reduced. Our study showed thatClockgene knocked down inhibiting the proliferation of the 4T1 cells, probably by suppressing the expression of β-catenin. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A photosensitizer tetra-α-(2,4-di-tert-butylphenoxy)-phthalocyaninato zinc [ZnPc(OAr)4] was successfully encapsulated in SiO2nanoparticle by the microemulsion method. The photosensitized composite nanoparticle was able to degrade 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) in aqueous solution. Under visible light irradiation, the nanoparticles efficiently generated reactive oxygen species; 95.4% of TCP was degraded after 270 min of reaction. Some aromatic compounds and aliphatic carboxylic acids were detected by mass spectrometry as the reaction intermediates. The results were different from those of previously reported photocatalytic reactions, in which valence band holes or hydroxyl radicals functioned as the main oxidants. The photosensitizing composite nanoparticle is potentially applicable to the oxidation of phenol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Al2(SO4)3and urea [CO(NH2)2] as the starting materials, the self-assembled boehmite (γ-AlOOH) sphere with hollow structure was successfully synthesized by hydrothermal process. The effects of urea/Al3+molar ratios and hydrothermal treated time on the crystal structure, morphology and specific surface area were investigated in detail. It showed that the boehmite (γ-AlOOH) formed when the urea/Al3+molar ratio was 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1 hydrothermally treated at 180°C for 24 h. The synthesized particles formed a hollow sphere structure with nano-flakelets surface and had the large specific area of 208 m2g−1and high pore volume of 1.23cm3g−1respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abundance, diversity, and relative distribution of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in high arsenic (As) groundwater aquifers of Hangjinhouqi County in the Hetao Basin, Inner Mongolia was investigated using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis ofdsrBgenes (encoding dissimilatory sulfite reductase beta-subunit). DGGE results revealed that SRB populations were diverse, but were mainly composed ofDesulfotomaculum,Desulfobulbus,Desulfosarcina, andDesulfobacca. The abundance ofDesulfobulbuswas positively correlated with the ratio of Fe(II)/Fe(III). Although qPCR results showed that thedsrBgene abundance in groundwater samples ranged from below detection to 4.9 × 106copies/L, and the highest percentage ofdsrBgene copies to bacterial 16S rRNA gene copies was 2.1%. Geochemical analyses showed that As(III) content and the ratio of Fe(II) to Fe(III) increased with total As, while sulfate concentrations decreased. Interestingly, thedsrBgene abundance was positively correlated with As concentrations. These results indicate that sulfate reduction occurs simultaneously with As and Fe reduction, and might result in increased As release and mobilization when As is not incorporated into iron sulfides. This study improves our understanding of SRB and As cycling in high As groundwater systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to determine the patterns of mortality from cardiac-cerebral vascular disease (CCVD) and how they relate to cosmophysical factors over a six-year span. The daily number of deaths recorded in Chengdu over 2192 consecutive days (2007–2012), together with several factors related to solar activity (SA), geomagnetic activity (GMA), and the interplanetary magnetic field, were analyzed by the extended cosinor to estimate the parameters of major cycles characterizing each variable. Estimates of their respective periods with a measure of uncertainty serve to find coperiodisms (i.e. shared rhythms). The results show that mortality of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and CCVD on days of GMA in quiet level was relatively higher on days of GMA in unsettled level. Whereas mortality data are characterized by a one-year synchronized component, most GMA and SA indices have periods differing from precisely one year. A half-year cycle is shared by almost all SA, GMA, and mortality variables with 95% confidence interval of the period covering 0.5 year. A transyear cycle (about 1.3 years) is found for all mortality data and many of the environmental variables. A cis-half-year (about 0.43 year) is shared between mortality from CCVD and flow pressure, sunspot numbers and storm-time variation. These results suggest the presence of complex temporal relations between patterns of CCVD mortality and cosmophysical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidences have shown that circadian rhythm can also be regulated by a nontranscriptional mechanism. In this study, we investigated thein vitrorhythmic characters of peroxiredoxin2 (PRX2) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) in red blood cells (RBCs) and/or in heparin anticoagulated plasma under different light conditions. Our results showed that NAD had a free-running rhythm in accordance with that of PRX2 in RBCs, and both rhythms were liable to light entrainment. A decreased expression of PRX2 in RBCs and a notable phase delay of locomotor activity were found in mice intravenously injected with NAD, suggesting that NAD in nontranscriptional oscillating systems could receive the light zeitgeber signal and influence the expression of PRX2. NAD may also act as a nonphotic zeitgeber, which could make an advanced phase shift ofper2, entraining the transcriptional oscillating system to make these two oscillating systems synchronized in a very short time. This zeitgeber might be of great significance as a mediator between these two oscillating systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bacterial diversity and community structure of high arsenic (As) aquifers was investigated using an integrated approach adopting both geochemistry and molecular biology (polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and 16S rRNA gene clone library analyses). Nine borehole sediments and one groundwater sample from the living place of a villager (affected by arseniasis) and 12 sediments from a control borehole in Hetao Plain were investigated. The As concentrations ranged from 33.6 to 77.6 mg/kg in high As borehole sediments and 1.5 to 5.8 mg/kg in those samples from the control. The As concentration in the groundwater was 744.8 μg/L. Ratios between As(III) and total As in high As sediments increased gradually with depth and ranged from 0.02 to 0.34. Similarly, the Fe(II)/total Fe presented the same increasing trend with depth. The correlation between TOC contents and total As was positive. High concentrations of total As, S, Fe and TOC were found in clay and low in sand samples. Phylogenetic analysis showed significantly different bacterial communities among high As sediments, control sediments and the high As groundwater. Both DGGE and 16S rRNA gene clone library results showed that the high As sediments were dominated byThiobacillus,Pseudomonas,Brevundimonas, andHydrogenophaga,withThiobacillusbeing distinctly dominant (63.5%). Whereas the low As sediments were dominated by some other genera includingPsychrobacter,MassiliaandDesulfotalea.The bacterial populations in the high As groundwater mainly includedPseudomonas,AcinetobacterandAquabacterium. These results improve our understanding of the bacterial diversity in high As aquifers in Hetao Plain and suggest how specific bacterial populations help mediate the mobilization of As into high As groundwaters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exposure to electromagnetic radiation (EMR) would increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Central nervous system, especially the suprachiasmatic nucleus in hypothalamus, is a sensitive target of EMR.Clockis a main circadian gene which plays an important role in the circadian system, while factor VII (FVII) plays a central role in the coagulation cascade in the cardiovascular system. To investigate the effect of a continuous EMR exposure on the circadian and cardiovascular systems, we had mature Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice exposed to EMR of different power densities. The intake of food and water, the physiological signs, and the motor activity were monitored to have no significant difference. And their expressions ofClockandfviigenes were detected. Our study showed that a series of EMR exposure to ICR mice would have some key gene expression changed without visible changes in physiological signs and activities. We assume thatClockgene could only regulatefviigene of some specific organ when the exposure to EMR in a certain range of power density. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The microbial diversity and community structure in twenty-one groundwater samples from high arsenic shallow aquifers of Hetao Basin, Inner Mongolia, China was investigated with an integrated approach including polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analyses. A total of 25 bacterial and 32 archaeal DGGE bands were exercised for sequencing. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the bacterial DGGE bands were dominated byProteobacteria, and the archaeal bands were dominated byThaumarchaeotaandEuryarchaeota. Based on arsenic concentrations, three samples (corresponding to low, medium, and high level of arsenic, respectively) were selected for construction of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. A total of 912 (468 and 444 for bacteria and archaea, respectively) 16S rRNA gene clone sequences were obtained and subjected to phylogenetic analyses. The results showed that bacterial communities of these samples were dominated byAcinetobacter,Pseudomonas,Massilia, Dietzia,Planococcus,Brevundimonas,AquabacteriumandGeobacter, and archaeal communities byNitrosophaera,ThermoproteiandMethanosaeta. The relative abundance of major groups varied as a function of changes in groundwater geochemistry.Acinetobacter,Brevundimonas, Geobacter,Thermoprotei and Methanosaetadominated in high arsenic samples with high concentrations of methane and Fe(II), and low concentrations of SO2−4and NO−3, whilePseudomonasandNitrosophaerawere abundant in low arsenic groundwater. These results imply that microbes play an important role in arsenic mobilization in the shallow aquifers of Hetao Basin, Inner Mongolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete mitochondrial DNA genome of Triplophysa nasobarbatula was sequenced and characterized. Triplophysa nasobarbatula revealed that the complete length of its mitochondrial genome was 16,316 bp, composed of A (29.71%), C (24.79%), G (17.22%), T (28.29%), AþT (57.99%), and CþG (42.01%). Its genetic constitution and arrangement were consistent with the taxon of the Teleost, including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 2 main non-coding regions, Dloop region and OL region. All genes were encoded by the H-strand, except for 1 protein-coding gene (ND6) and 8 tRNA genes (tRNA-Gln, tRNA-Ala, tRNA-Cys, tRNA-Asn, tRNA-Tyr, tRNA-Ser, tRNA-Glu and tRNA-Pro) are encoded by the L-strand. Our mitochondrial genome data may provide information for taxonomic resolution, taxonomic resolution, and other studies about this genus of Triplophysa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the effect of L-arginine on circadian system, ICR mice and AR4-2J cells were treated with L-arginine. The locomotor activity of the mice intraperitoneally injected with a high dose of L-arginine was observed. We also detected effects of arginine on Per1 and Per2 gene expressions in AR4-2J cells. Double-plotted actograms were applied to analyze the locomotor activity of the mice, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used in analysis of the expression of the major circadian genes Per1 and Per2 in AR4-2J cells. The results presented here indicate that the intraperitoneal injection of L-arginine would strongly disrupt the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity in mice. While the co-culture of L-arginine would also disturb the circadian rhythm of Per1 and Per2 genes which were induced by PMA in AR4-2J cells, the expression levels of both genes greatly decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrition is essential for health, and it has been widely studied and demonstrated to be related with circadian rhythm. To verify the effect of nutrient deficiency on the in vitro cultured cells, we had NIH3T3 cells cultured in diluted medium for 5 days, and detected the expression levels of Bmal1, Clock and Cry1 on each day. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (1PMA) was also applied to induce the circadian expression of Period genes, and the temporal expression levels before and after undernutrition treatment were analyzed by cosinor method. Our study showed that the expressions of circadian genes would be affected as soon as a nutritional deficiency occurred. This influence was not only on the expression level of Bmal1, Clock, and Cry1 genes but also on the PMA induction of circadian expression of Per1 and Per2 in the NIH3T3 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Homocysteine-induced endothelial cellular senescence may contribute to some cardiovascular disorders. Icariin (ICA), a flavonoid derived from Epimedium sagittatum Maxim. (Berberidaceae), has been reported to increase production of nitric oxide (NO) and reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Objective: To observe the effects of ICA on homocysteine-induced senescence and the underlying mechanisms in HUVECs. Materials and methods: ICA at concentrations of 0.1, 1, and 5 μM was added into homocysteine pretreated HUVECs. Cellular senescence was assayed by senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining and cumulative population doublings (CPDs). ICA (5 μM) was given orally to homocysteine-treated rats, luminal surface of aortic artery of rats was subjected to SA-β-gal staining. Protein expression was measured by western blot. Results: Homocysteine significantly increased cellular senescence both in vitro and in vivo. After treatment by ICA, the percentage of SA-β-gal-positive cells, and the ROS level significantly decreased. The CPDs were partially restored. ICA also significantly reduced the mean density of SA-β-gal staining in vivo. We found that NO production and phosphorylation of AKT, ERK, and endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) were elevated by ICA in HUVECs. Furthermore, the increased level of NO production was fully abolished by the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor wortmannin. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) inhibitor PD98059, which can inhibit phosphorylation of ERK, did not show this ability. Discussion and conclusion: Our results indicate that ICA delays homocyteine-induced endothelial senescence in vitro and in vivo. Activation of PI3K/Akt-eNOS-dependent signaling pathway may be responsible for this efficacy of ICA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been widely studied and demonstrated that circadian rhythm, as well as circadian clock genes, plays an important role in many physiological and pathological processes.Period1 (Per1)gene is a core gene in the circadian clock system that is involved in cell differentiation and apoptosis. To verify the role of PER1 on the proliferation of normal cells, we chose NIH3T3 cells to have their PER1 up-regulated by transfecting aPer1expression plasmid and determining their proliferation rates. Previous studies demonstrated that cell migration could be regulated by matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2), and this MMP2 protein had a relation with the circadian system. To investigate the function of PER1 on tumor cell migration, Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells were chosen to have their PER1 up-regulated, and the MMP2 level and the migration of LLC cells were tested. Our study showed that PER1 overexpression led to MMP2 down regulation in both NIH3T3 and CCL cells and inhibited the proliferation rate in NIH3T3. Migration of LLC cells could also be suppressed by the overexpression of PER1, probably by the down-regulation effect of PER1 on MMP2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circadian gene, Clock and Clif, not only maintain the circadian rhythm of cells but also regulate lipid and glucose metabolism in peripheral organs. The purpose of this study was to determine whether genetic variations (single nucleotide polymorphisms – SNPs) in the Clock and/or Clif genes were associated with hyperlipidemia in Chinese Han descent. The Clock variants (rs3840267, rs3749474, rs1052925) and the Clif variant (rs2289709) were analyzed in 205 patients with hyperlipidemia and 281 healthy controls by sequence-specific primer polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR). The Clock variant (rs1052925) showed significant association to hyperlipidemia (P alleo = 0.003, ORalleo =  0.529). We also found correlations between the Clock (rs1052925), the Clif (rs2289709), and types of hyperlipidemia (P alleo-IV = 0.043, ORalleo-IV = 0.525; P alleo-IIb = 4.738 × 10−4, OR alleo-IIb = 2.959). In addition, the Clock (rs1052925), the level of triglycerides in carriers of A/- heterozygote was significantly different from carriers of A/A heterozygote (1.27 ± 0.69 vs. 1.76 ± 1.22; P = 0.01). The Clif (rs2289709), the level of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol in carriers of G/A heterozygote wassignificantly different from carriers of G/G heterozygote (2.31 ± 1.81 vs. 1.11 ± 0.32; P = 2.33 × 10−8; 2.83 ± 0.98 vs. 1.63 ± 0.69; P = 5.83 × 10−15, respectively). Our findings indicate that Clock/Clif genetic variations might be associated with hyperlipidemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To determine the factors influencing length of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay among premature infants born after preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) with 24--34 weeks of gestation. Methods. Characteristic parameters of the pregnant women with PPROM and their premature infants were analyzed retrospectively using univariate and multivariate analysis. Results. The overall rate of PPROM was 1.3%% (323/24,173), of which 19.2%% (62/323) were premature infants with sepsis. Overall, the median NICU stay of the premature infants was 11 days. Multiple factor regression analysis identified factors influencing length of stay in premature infants: gestational age ( ββ == −−0.172, P == 0.000), parturition modes ( ββ == −−0.115, P == 0.000), infant''s birth weight ( ββ == −−0.728, P == 0.000), infant''s discharge weight ( ββ == 0.443, P == 0.000), bacterial culture of cord blood ( ββ == −−0.100, P == 0.011) and sepsis ( ββ == 0.192, P == 0.000). Additionally, latency period of sepsis diagnosis in neonatal sepsis between negative and positive cord blood culture was significantly discrepant, and 98.1%% specificity and 84.4%% positive predictive value for cord blood culture. Conclusion. We have identified several predictive factors for length of stay in cases of premature infants after PPROM, of which cord blood culture can be used as an additional diagnostic test to detect newborns at risk of infections, and be valuable in clinical application and generalization among neonate sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To remove estimation failure problems and pair matching failure problems in two-dimensional direction-of-arrival estimation, we propose a novel method employing a special L-shape array in this study. Two cross-correlated matrices can be used to complete two one-dimensional direction-of-arrival estimations. Based on array configuration and the definitions of azimuth and elevation angles, estimation in each dimension is completely independent. In this way, the estimation failure problems can be removed. Then, we calculate the estimation matrix and construct the expansion matrix of the steering matrix. Both the estimation matrix and the expansion matrix contain the 'generalised' permutation matrices. We use pair matching employing these 'generalised' permutation matrices instead of the 'beamforming-like' method. Simulation results verify that this algorithm can remove these problems and can also significantly improve performance without additional computational loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A zinc(II) phthalocyanine compound, tetra-α-(2,2,4-tirmethyl-3-pentoxy) Phthalocyanine Zinc (ZnPc(OR)4) was synthesized in this paper and this zinc (II) phthalocyanine compound was used as the photosensitizer in the photoinduced chemiluminescence (PCL) of lucigenin in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). The photoexcited ZnPc(OR)4 would produce singlet molecular oxygen (1O2), which would further react with DMF to form corresponding DMF radicals, such as CH3 and CH2N(CH3)CHO, or corresponding alkylperoxyl radicals. Then the carbon centred radical would react with lucigenin to initiate the chemiluminescence. These results would provide useful data to establish a method for evaluation of the ability of 1O2 generation of phthalocyanine. It was also found in this paper that the flavonoids could effectively inhibit this PCL system, which parallelled very well to flavonoids' radical-scavenging capacity. The mechanism of this PCL system and the relationship between the molecular structure of flavonoids and their radical-scavenging activity are also discussed in detail in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study investigates how the shortening or lengthening of the circadian period of the environmental lighting schedule affects the circadian and extra-circadian structure of locomotor activity in mice, with particular focus on the circasemiseptan, circaseptan, and circadecadian components with anticipated periods of about 3.5, 7, and 10 days, respectively. Methods. The locomotor activity of mice kept on different light - dark (LD) cycles was automatically monitored around the clock for about five weeks. The data were analyzed by linear - nonlinear rhythmometry. Results. As anticipated, in LD12:12, a prominent circadian rhythm was observed, with a marked 12-hour component qualifying the circadian waveform. By comparison, in LD10:10 and in LD14:14, the circadian rhythm had a reduced amplitude and a period close to that of the environmental synchronizer. Extra-circadian variation was then also demonstrated. In conclusion, circadian lighting schedules affect a broader-than-circadian time structure of locomotor activity in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circadian clock is the central timing system that controls numerous physiologic processes. The current model of these oscillators is based on autoregulatory transcription and translation feedback loops of these circadian genes in which Period1 (Per1) gene occupies a central position. The laminin receptor 1 (Lamr1) and its precursor are expressed in most tissues and play important roles in several physiologic and pathologic processes, including cell differentiation, growth, migration and cancer invasion. The present study showed that Lamr1 was a novel protein that interacted with human circadian clock protein hPer1 by the yeast two-hybrid system and co-immunoprecipitation, which was expressed in many tissues and did not display circadian rhythm. The expression of hPer1 was knocked down to 84.9% by the hPer1 RNA interfering test, but the expression levels of Lamr1 was not depressed by the hPer1 RNA interfering test. The results suggest that Lamr1 is a novel protein that interacts with human circadian clock protein hPer1 and Lamr1 is not a direct efferent element of circadian clock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adaptation of the endogenous rhythm of an organism to external cycles may influence the development of physiological processes in animals. Light not only synchronizes the circadian system, but also exerts profound direct effects: the immediate reduction of melatonin release at night-time and the inhibition of locomotor activity in nocturnal rodents after a light pulse are well-known examples, yet little is known about effects of different light/dark (LD) cycles on the level of corticosterone, growth hormone and growth rate. Mice were raised under different period length of LD cycle including LD5:5 (light: 5 h; dark: 5 h), LD12:12 (light: 12 h; dark: 12 h) and LD16:16 (light: 16 h; dark: 16 h) for four weeks. Mice in LD5:5 and LD16:16 groups manifested higher locomotor activity, plasma corticosterone and growth hormone concentrations and growth rate than the LD12:12 group. The results suggest that different LD cycles may affect many physiological processes including growth rate, food intake and hormones, and the change of growth rate in different LD cycles may be related to the level of corticosterone and growth hormone concentrations. The results also suggest that both the long-period LD cycle and short-period LD cycles can improve the growth of mice, but they disturbed the biorhythm stabilization and affected hormone secretion; in general, these conditions would not promote the animals' survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]