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Delirium is the most common neurological complication after cardiac surgery with adverse impacts on surgical outcomes. Advanced age is an independent risk factor for delirium occurrence but its underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Although increased A1 astrocytes and abnormal hippocampal networks are involved in neurodegenerative diseases, whether A1 astrocytes and hippocampal network changes are involved in the delirium‐like behavior of aged mice remains unknown. In the present study, a mice model of myocardial ischemia–reperfusion mimicking cardiac surgery and various assessments were used to investigate the different susceptibility of the occurrence of delirium‐like behavior between young and aged mice and the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that surgery significantly increased hippocampal A1 astrocyte activation in aged compared to young mice. The high neuroinflammatory state induced by surgery resulted in glutamate accumulation in the extrasynaptic space, which subsequently decreased the excitability of pyramidal neurons and increased the PV interneurons inhibition through enhancing N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptors' tonic currents in the hippocampus. These further induced the abnormal activities of the hippocampal neural networks and consequently contributed to delirium‐like behavior in aged mice. Notably, the intraperitoneal administration of exendin‐4, a glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist, downregulated A1 astrocyte activation and alleviated delirium‐like behavior in aged mice, while IL‐1α, TNF‐α, and C1q in combination administered intracerebroventricularly upregulated A1 astrocyte activation and induced delirium‐like behavior in young mice. Therefore, our study suggested that cardiac surgery increased A1 astrocyte activation which subsequently impaired the hippocampal neural networks and triggered delirium development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring high‐safety but convenient encryption and decryption technologies to combat threats of information leakage is urgently needed but remains a great challenge. Here, a synergistically time‐ and temperature‐resolved information coding/decoding solution based on functional photonic inks is demonstrated. Encrypted messages can be stored into multiple channels with dynamic‐color patterns, and information decryption is only enabled at appointed temperature and time points. Notably, the ink can be easily processed into quick‐response codes and multipixel plates. With high transparency and responsive color variations controlled by ink compositions and ambient temperatures, advanced 3D stacking multichannel coding and Morse coding techniques can be applied for multi‐information storage, complex anticounterfeiting, and information interference. This study paves an avenue for the design and development of dynamic photonic inks and complex encryption technologies for high‐end anticounterfeiting applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel and rapid fabrication method for Al2O3 ceramics by the DCC‐HVCI method via microwave heating was proposed. Effects of microwave heating temperature on coagulation time, micromorphology, as well as performance of the green body and ceramic sample were studied. As the microwave heating temperature rises, the coagulation time gradually reduced and compressive strength of green sample decreased while relative density and flexural strength of ceramics rose at the beginning and then dropped. The 50 vol.% Al2O3 suspension was coagulated and demolded after treating at 60°C for 800 s by microwave heating. The compressive strength of green samples reached 1.12 ± 0.13 MPa. The relative density of Al2O3 ceramic samples reached 99.39%. And the flexural strength of Al2O3 ceramics reached 334.55 ± 26.41 MPa. The Weibull modulus of Al2O3 ceramics reached 19. In contrast with the ceramic samples heated through water bath, the ceramic samples treated through microwave possessed uniform microstructures. Microwave heating could reduce the coagulation time by 77%. Meanwhile, it could significantly raise the compressive strength of green bodies by 65%. Additionally, it could increase the flexural strength of ceramics by 30%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the relay selection problem and proposes a three‐stage relay selection strategy with power allocation (TRSPA) for a spectrum‐sensing‐based full‐duplex (FD) user relaying cooperative non‐orthogonal multiple access (CNOMA) scheme. Uniformly‐distributed strong user relays in the investigated scheme help a weak user communicates with the base station in an efficient and reliable way. The proposed TRSPA strategy maximizes the transmission data rate of the selected relay while ensuring successful transmissions for the weak user by precisely narrowing down relay candidates step‐by‐step and dynamically allocating optimal power coefficients. Exact and asymptotic outage probabilities and ergodic rates are worked out. Accordingly, diversity orders and spatial multiplexing gains are derived. We further exploit the impact of self‐interference (SI) on TRSPA for FD‐CNOMA and then compare its performance with TRSPA applied in other relaying modes, that is half‐duplex and orthogonal multiple access. Finally, simulation results reveal that: (i) theoretical derivation results are correct; (ii) TRSPA always outperforms other relay selection strategies in terms of outage probability and ergodic rate; and (iii) TRSPA for FD‐CNOMA in a real‐world scenario achieves better performance than other relaying modes in spite of the adverse effect of SI in FD mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gut microbiome is integral to the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. A novel probiotic Lactobacillus intestinalis (L. intestinalis) exerts a protective effect against dextran sodium sulfate‐induced colitis in mice. Based on flow cytometry, colitis‐associated Th17 cells are the target of L. intestinalis, which is supported by the lack of protective effects of L. intestinalis in T cell‐null Rag1−/− mice or upon anti‐IL‐17‐A antibody‐treated mice. Although L. intestinalis exerts no direct effect on T cell differentiation, it decreases C/EBPA‐driven gut epithelial SAA1 and SAA2 production, which in turn impairs Th17 cell differentiation. Cometabolism of L. intestinalis ALDH and host ALDH1A2 contributed to elevated biosynthesis of retinoic acid (RA), which accounts for the anti‐colitis effect in RAR‐α ‐mediated way. In a cohort of ulcerative colitis patients, it is observed that fecal abundance of L. intestinalis is negatively associated with the C/EBPA‐SAA1/2‐Th17 axis. Finally, L. intestinalis has a synergistic effect with mesalazine in alleviating murine colitis. In conclusion, L. intestinalis and associated metabolites, RA, have potential therapeutic effects for suppressing colonic inflammation by modulating the crosstalk between intestinal epithelia and immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel forming method-aqueous gelcasting was used to assist conventional solid-state method to prepare 45 wt% Ba0.6 Sr0.4 TiO3-55 wt% MgO ( BSTM) ceramic powders. For comparison purpose, conventional solid-state method was also used to synthesize the same powders. It is found that the BSTM ceramic powders prepared by our method are more uniform with smaller and more sphere-like particles than those prepared by the conventional method, whereas the phase compositions are completely the same no matter what powder preparation method is adopted. In addition, the BSTM green samples and ceramics from powders prepared by our method are more uniform than those from powders prepared by the conventional method. Moreover, it is found that using this novel method to prepare BSTM ceramic powders could not only improve the dielectric properties of the BSTM ceramics, but also decrease their sintering temperature. Aqueous gelcasting-assisted solid-state method could be a novel promising method to prepare high performance ceramic powders in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZTM ceramics comprising of 0.75ZnAl2O4–0.25TiO2 and MgTiO3 at a ratio of 90:10 wt.% are widely used in the field of communication as filters and resonators owing to their excellent microwave dielectric properties. However, the development of such dielectrics with complex structures, as required by microwave devices, is difficult using traditional fabrication methods. In this study, ZTM microwave dielectric ceramics were prepared using the digital light processing (DLP) technology. The influence of the sintering temperature on the phase composition, microstructure, and microwave dielectric properties of ZTM ceramics was investigated. Results showed that with an increase in the sintering temperature, the dielectric constant (εr) and quality factor (Q × f) of ZTM ceramics initially increased owing to the increase in the density and diffusion of ions. However, when the sintering temperature was excessively high, the abnormal growth of crystal grains and micropores led to a decrease in εr and Q × f. The ZTM ceramics sintered at 1450°C exhibited the optimum microwave dielectric properties (εr = 12.99, Q × f = 69 245 GHz, τf = −9.50 ppm/°C) owing to the uniform microstructure and a high relative density of 95.02%. These results indicate that DLP is a promising method for preparing high‐performance microwave dielectric ceramics with complex structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

* Premise of the study: We developed microsatellite makers for Parakmeria nitida to investigate its population structure and conservation genetics. * Methods and Results: A total of 25 microsatellite primer pairs were developed using the Fast Isolation by AFLP of Sequences COntaining repeats (FIASCO) protocol, and polymorphism was assessed in three natural populations of P. nitida. Among these markers, 11 were monomorphic and 14 showed polymorphism. * Conclusions: These markers are potentially useful for future population genetic analyses of P. nitida and will serve as an important tool for conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with individuals with hearing loss, tinnitus patients without hearing loss have more psychological or emotional problems. Tinnitus is closely associated to abnormal metabolism and function of the limbic system, a key brain region for emotion experience, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unknown. Using whole‐brain microvasculature dynamics imaging, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is identified as a key brain region of limbic system involve in the onset of salicylate‐induced tinnitus in mice. In the tinnitus group, there is enhanced purine metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and a distinct pattern of phosphorylation in glutamatergic synaptic pathway according to the metabolome profiles, quantitative proteomic, and phosphoproteomic data of mice ACC tissue. Electroencephalogram in tinnitus patients with normal hearing thresholds show that the functional connectivity between pregenual anterior cingulate cortex and the primary auditory cortex is significantly increased for high‐gamma frequency band, which is positively correlated with the serum glutamate level. These findings indicate that ACC plays an important role in the pathophysiology of tinnitus by interacting with the primary auditory cortex and provide potential molecular targets in the ACC for tinnitus treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Sevoflurane is widely used for general anesthesia in children. Previous studies reported that multiple neonatal exposures to sevoflurane can induce long‐term cognitive impairment in adolescent rats, but the underlying mechanisms were not defined. Methods: Postnatal day 6 (P6) to P8 rat pups were exposed to 30% oxygen with or without 3% sevoflurane balanced with air. The Y maze test (YMT) and Morris water maze (MWM) tests were performed in some cohorts from age P35 to assess cognitive functions, and their brain samples were harvested at age P14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 for measurements of various molecular entities and in vivo electrophysiology experiments at age P35. Results: Sevoflurane exposure resulted in cognitive impairment that was associated with decreased synCAM1 expression in parvalbumin (PV) interneurons, a reduction of PV phenotype, disturbed gamma oscillations, and dendritic spine loss in the hippocampal CA3 region. Enriched environment (EE) increased synCAM1 expression in the PV interneurons and attenuated sevoflurane‐induced cognitive impairment. The synCAM1 overexpression by the adeno‐associated virus vector in the hippocampal CA3 region restored sevoflurane‐induced cognitive impairment, PV phenotype loss, gamma oscillations decrease, and dendritic spine loss. Conclusion: Our data suggested that neonatal sevoflurane exposure results in cognitive impairment through decreased synCAM1 expression in PV interneurons in the hippocampus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to optimize the microencapsulation method for a functional oil using high amylose corn starch (HACS) and assessed its structure and antioxidant capacity. The results showed that the optimal microencapsulation condition is achieved by using 28.5% of functional oil, 15.75% of HACS, and 57.86% of proportion of monoglyceride in emulsifier with 94.86% microencapsulation efficiency. Scanning electron microscopy and particle size measurement showed that the functional oil microcapsules were uniform size, smooth surface, spherical shape, and without cracks in the wall of the capsules. In vitro oil release of microencapsulates results showed that microencapsulated functional oil containing HACS has a better sustained release effect. The microcapsules containing HACS exhibited a lower lipid oxidation rate during storage. In conclusion, microencapsulation of HACS as wall material improved the stability of functional oil and this formulation of microcapsules was satisfactorily applied in powdered food for diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyse the computed tomography (CT) images of spiral neuron T‐type calcification channels and the mechanism of action in patients with sudden deafness in the elderly, the artificial intelligence (edge algorithm) algorithm was applied to the embedded system to analyse the CT images of the sudden deafness of the elderly, and then the mechanism of the spiral neuron T‐calcification channel was studied. The results showed that among the 48 patients with labyrinthitis, 26 were acute labyrinthitis, 14 were chronic labyrinthitis, and 8 were sclerosing labyrinthitis. α1G, α1H, and α1I were expressed on the cochlea and spiral neurons in the 66–68‐year‐old population, but the expression levels were significantly different. The expression of the three receptors on spiral neurons was slightly higher than that of the cochlea. α1H was most expressed on spiral neurons compared with the other two calcium channel receptors (p < 0.05). In addition, the minimum intensity projection method, multi‐layer reconstruction method, and surface reconstruction method can fully display the bony labyrinth, cochlea, cochlear duct (2.5 weeks), and shape and edge damage. In summary, the adoption of artificial intelligence algorithms based on embedded systems to analyse CT images can comprehensively and accurately reflect the three‐dimensional structure of the inner surface of the inner ear labyrinth. It can also fully display the scope, shape, density, and edge of the lesion. T‐type calcium channel receptors were expressed on the cochlea and spiral neurons of the C57BL/6J elderly, and decreased with age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A putative ribosomal RNA-processing factor consisting of two KH domains from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3 (PH1566; 25 kDa) was crystallized by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method using PEG 3000 as the precipitant. The crystals diffracted X-rays to beyond 2.0 Å resolution using a synchrotron radiation source. The space group of the crystals was determined as primitive orthorhombic P212121, with unit-cell parameters a = 45.9, b = 47.4, c = 95.7 Å. The crystals contain one molecule in the asymmetric unit (VM = 2.5 Å3 Da-1) and have a solvent content of 50%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Flawless porous fibrous alumina ceramics with high performance were fabricated via a novel approach involving direct coagulation casting and lost‐mold method. Stable alumina suspensions were prepared by adding sodium tri‐polyphosphate as dispersant using alumina fibers as raw material and K2SO4 as sintering aid. Resin‐coated sand molds with designed shapes for suspension casting were fabricated through 3D printing with subsequent post‐treatments. Alumina green bodies were obtained by in situ coagulation of the suspension after treating at 90°C within 40 minutes. Porous alumina ceramics were obtained after direct furnace sintering of green bodies without demolding, in which the molds would collapse automatically at around 650°C with less exhaust emission. The effect of various K2SO4 contents and sintering temperatures on mechanical properties of porous ceramics was investigated. The SEM results showed that the fibers interconnected with obvious interfacial bondings on junctions when sintered at 1450°C. The XRD patterns showed that the sample sintered with various K2SO4 additions consisted of different phases, mainly including aluminosilicates. Porosity of ceramic samples increased slightly whereas the compressive strength enhanced significantly with increasing K2SO4 addition. The density of sintered samples with different K2SO4 contents was in accord with the porosity variation tendency. The ceramic samples had uniform pore size distribution with average size from 3.18 to 7.24 μm as increasing K2SO4 addition to 40 wt%. This approach may provide a convenient and general route to fabricate various dense and porous advanced ceramics with complex shapes and good composition homogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel fabrication method for glass foams has been introduced based on colloidal suspension foaming method using waste glass as starting materials. It is demonstrated for the first time that foam stabilization via in-situ hydrophobization of waste glass particles is possible. The fabrication conditions for stable glass particle-stabilized foams are optimized by investigating the influences of pH value, concentration of propyl gallate and ball milling time, respectively. It is demonstrated that this is a versatile method for fabrication of stable foamed glass suspension and final glass foams with small pore size of dozens of microns, which is much smaller than that of most glass foams in previous literatures. This novel method enables both closed pore structure and open pore structure simply by tailoring solid loading of glass suspension. A "sieve-like" hierarchical pore structure can be achieved by adjusting sintering temperature. The glass foams with controllable structure could be applied in thermal insulation fields for closed pores, and in catalyst loading, filtration, and separation fields for open pores and hierarchical pore structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1 − x)CaTiO3–xLa(Mg2/3Nb1/3)O3 (CT–LMN; x = 0–1.0) solid solutions were prepared by a solid‐state reaction method. A phase transition from a disordered orthorhombic (Pbnm) structure to a 1:1 ordered monoclinic (P21/n) structure was observed when x increased from 0.5 to 0.6. Some new parameters, such as ionic polarizability in a polyhedron and ionic packing fraction in a polyhedron, were defined to explain the structure–property relationships of CT–LMN ceramics based on the Rietveld refinement results. The measured dielectric constant (εr‐mea) decreased monotonically with B‐site ionic polarizability in the [BO6] octahedron (αDT(B)/V[B]$\alpha _{\rm{D}}^{\rm{T}}({\rm{B}})/{V_{[ {\rm{B}} ]}}$) when the x value increased from 0 to 1.0. The quality factor (Qf) was dominated by the packing fraction of B‐site cations in the [BO6] octahedron (PF[B]), and both presented an increasing trend. The temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τf) decreased from +588.5 to −79.7 ppm/°C, and it was highly correlated to the tolerance factor (t), αDT(B)/αDT(B)V[B]V[B]${{\alpha _D^T({\rm{B}})} \mathord{/ {\vphantom {{\alpha _D^T({\rm{B}})} {{V_{[ {\rm{B}} ]}}}}} \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {{V_{[ {\rm{B}} ]}}}}$ and PF[B]. The highest Qf value is obtained at x = 1.0 when sintered at 1600°C for 10 h with εr = 23.65 ± 0.2, Qf = 33517 ± 2000 GHz (@7.8 GHz), and τf = −79.7 ± 2.0 ppm/°C. Moreover, a near‐zero τf value was achieved at x = 0.4 with εr = 43.52 ± 0.2, Qf = 17239 ± 2000 GHz (@5.2 GHz), and τf = −10.2 ± 2.0 ppm/°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the hallmarks of plant senescence is the global transcriptional reprogramming coordinated by a plethora of transcription factors (TFs). However, mechanisms underlying the interactions between different TFs in modulating senescence remain obscure. Previously, we discovered that plant ABS3 subfamily MATE transporter genes regulate senescence and senescence‐associated transcriptional changes. In a genetic screen for mutants suppressing the accelerated senescence phenotype of the gain‐of‐function mutant abs3‐1D, AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 2 (ARF2) and PHYTOCHROME‐INTERACTING FACTOR 5 (PIF5) were identified as key TFs responsible for transcriptional regulation in the ABS3‐mediated senescence pathway. ARF2 and PIF5 (as well as PIF4) interact directly and function interdependently to promote senescence, and they share common target genes such as key senescence promoting genes ORESARA 1 (ORE1) and STAY‐GREEN 1 (SGR1) in the ABS3‐mediated senescence pathway. In addition, we discovered reciprocal regulation between ABS3‐subfamily MATEs and the ARF2 and PIF5/4 TFs. Taken together, our findings reveal a regulatory paradigm in which the ARF2‐PIF5/4 functional module facilitates the transcriptional reprogramming in the ABS3‐mediated senescence pathway. Synopsis: The late endosome‐localized ABS3 subfamily of MATE transporters regulates senescence and senescence‐associated gene expression through mechanisms which are not well understood. Here, developmental transcription factors ARF2 and PIF5/4 are found to interact to control transcriptional regulation in the ABS3‐mediated senescence pathway.Mutations in ARF2 and PIF5 suppress precocious senescence caused by abs3‐1D, a gain‐of‐function mutant allele of ABS3.ARF2 and PIF5/4 can regulate senescence both together and independently.ARF2 and PIF5 physically interact and share common target genes, such as the key senescence‐promoting genes ORE1 and SGR1.ABS3‐subfamily MATEs and the ARF2‐PIF5/4 functional module regulate each other's activity to fine‐tune senescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) blockade plus radiotherapy may be a promising strategy to improve the prognosis of patients with metastatic non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the optimum combined scheme, treatment time of radiotherapy, and irradiated lesion have not been fully determined. Methods: A total of 321 metastatic NSCLC patients treated with immunotherapy were identified. Among them, 107 patients received PD‐1/PD‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) inhibitors with radiotherapy, while the remaining cases did not receive radiotherapy. Data on overall survival (OS), progression‐free survival (PFS), treatment response and adverse events were collected. Comparisons based on type of radiation, timing of radiotherapy and number of irradiated lesions were performed. Results: The median OS in PD‐1/PD‐L1 inhibitors plus radiotherapy was longer than in nonradiotherapy (22.8 vs. 16.6 months, p = 0.022). The median PFS showed a similar trend in this study (9.4 vs. 6.2 months, p = 0.042). Moreover, the combined strategy demonstrated a superior disease control rate and abscopal control rate versus without radiotherapy (both p ≤ 0.001). Further multivariate analysis in the immunotherapy and radiotherapy groups revealed that age below 65 (p = 0.004), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance scores of 0–1 (p = 0.001), oligometastasis (p = 0.006), concurrent combination (p = 0.002), and treated with SRT (p = 0.013) were associated with longer OS. There was a similar incidence of adverse events between the two groups (both p ≥ 0.05). Conclusions: The combination of PD‐1/PD‐L1 inhibitors plus palliative radiotherapy demonstrated favorable survival and good tolerability in metastatic NSCLC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the title compound, [Mn2(C8H4O7S)2(C10H8N2)2(H2O)2], pairs of hexacoordinated manganese(II) centres are bridged by 2-sulfonatoterephthalate(2−) anions to form cyclic centrosymmetric dimers, which are linked into sheets by O—H...O hydrogen bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been increasing concern that the overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming is contributing to the burden of antimicrobial resistance in people. Farmed animals in Europe and North America, particularly pigs, provide a reservoir for livestock‐associated methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA‐MRSA ST398 lineage) found in people. This study is designed to investigate the contribution of MRSA from Chinese pig farms to human infection. A collection of 483 MRSA are isolated from 55 farms and 4 hospitals in central China, a high pig farming density area. CC9 MRSA accounts for 97.2% of all farm isolates, but is not present in hospital isolates. ST398 isolates are found on farms and hospitals, but none of them formed part of the "LA‐MRSA ST398 lineage" present in Europe and North America. The hospital ST398 MRSA isolate form a clade that is clearly separate from the farm ST398 isolates. Despite the presence of high levels of MRSA found on Chinese pig farms, the authors find no evidence of them spilling over to the human population. Nevertheless, the ST398 MRSA obtained from hospitals appear to be part of a widely distributed lineage in China. The new animal‐adapted ST398 lineage that has emerged in China is of concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been increasing concern that the overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming is contributing to the burden of antimicrobial resistance in people. Farmed animals in Europe and North America, particularly pigs, provide a reservoir for livestock‐associated methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA‐MRSA ST398 lineage) found in people. This study is designed to investigate the contribution of MRSA from Chinese pig farms to human infection. A collection of 483 MRSA are isolated from 55 farms and 4 hospitals in central China, a high pig farming density area. CC9 MRSA accounts for 97.2% of all farm isolates, but is not present in hospital isolates. ST398 isolates are found on farms and hospitals, but none of them formed part of the "LA‐MRSA ST398 lineage" present in Europe and North America. The hospital ST398 MRSA isolate form a clade that is clearly separate from the farm ST398 isolates. Despite the presence of high levels of MRSA found on Chinese pig farms, the authors find no evidence of them spilling over to the human population. Nevertheless, the ST398 MRSA obtained from hospitals appear to be part of a widely distributed lineage in China. The new animal‐adapted ST398 lineage that has emerged in China is of concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been increasing concern that the overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming is contributing to the burden of antimicrobial resistance in people. Farmed animals in Europe and North America, particularly pigs, provide a reservoir for livestock‐associated methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA‐MRSA ST398 lineage) found in people. This study is designed to investigate the contribution of MRSA from Chinese pig farms to human infection. A collection of 483 MRSA are isolated from 55 farms and 4 hospitals in central China, a high pig farming density area. CC9 MRSA accounts for 97.2% of all farm isolates, but is not present in hospital isolates. ST398 isolates are found on farms and hospitals, but none of them formed part of the "LA‐MRSA ST398 lineage" present in Europe and North America. The hospital ST398 MRSA isolate form a clade that is clearly separate from the farm ST398 isolates. Despite the presence of high levels of MRSA found on Chinese pig farms, the authors find no evidence of them spilling over to the human population. Nevertheless, the ST398 MRSA obtained from hospitals appear to be part of a widely distributed lineage in China. The new animal‐adapted ST398 lineage that has emerged in China is of concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant interphase cortical microtubules (cMTs) mediate anisotropic cell expansion in response to environmental and developmental cues. In Arabidopsis thaliana, KATANIN 1 (KTN1), the p60 catalytic subunit of the conserved MT‐severing enzyme katanin, is essential for cMT ordering and anisotropic cell expansion. However, the regulation of KTN1‐mediated cMT severing and ordering remains unclear. In this work, we report that the Arabidopsis IQ67 DOMAIN (IQD) family gene ABNORMAL SHOOT 6 (ABS6) encodes a MT‐associated protein. Overexpression of ABS6 leads to elongated cotyledons, directional pavement cell expansion, and highly ordered transverse cMT arrays. Genetic suppressor analysis revealed that ABS6‐mediated cMT ordering is dependent on KTN1 and SHADE AVOIDANCE 4 (SAV4). Live imaging of cMT dynamics showed that both ABS6 and SAV4 function as positive regulators of cMT severing. Furthermore, ABS6 directly interacts with KTN1 and SAV4 and promotes their recruitment to the cMTs. Finally, analysis of loss‐of‐function mutant combinations showed that ABS6, SAV4, and KTN1 work together to ensure the robust ethylene response in the apical hook of dark‐grown seedlings. Together, our findings establish ABS6 and SAV4 as positive regulators of cMT severing and ordering, and highlight the role of cMT dynamics in fine‐tuning differential growth in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, different posttreatment methods, including silica‐sol infiltration (SI), vacuum silica‐sol infiltration (vSI), debinding (DB), and pressure‐less sintering (PS), were combined with selective laser sintering (SLS) to fabricate Al2O3‐SiO2 ceramics. The macro‐morphology and microstructure of sample fabricated under different laser processing parameters and posttreatment process were investigated. Results show that the geometric dimension accuracy and surface quality of the final samples can be effectively improved with appropriate SLS parameters and posttreatment. The optimal SLS processing parameters are determined to be 0.15 mm, 10 W, 0.1 mm, and 1500 mm/s for the hatch spacing, laser power, layer thickness, and scanning speed, respectively. The SLS/DB/vIN/FS samples have the smallest linear shrinkage ratio (<1%), the least warpage degree (<3%), and the best surface quality (surface altitude difference <170 μm). Mullite, quartz, corundum, and cristobalite composed the phases of the sample, of which cristobalite came largely from the infiltrated silica‐sol. Since a higher amount of silica‐sol infiltrated into the sample under SLS/DB/vIN/FS process, more cristobalite phase formed in the pore of the sample during sintering, which avoided excessive microstructure shrinkage during sintering and ensured the high geometric accuracy and surface quality of the final sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pore structure of oil shale during microwave heating significantly determines the flow behavior, the transformation products and the ultimate recovery regardless of ex situ retorting or in situ development methods. In this experimental study, the effects of microwave heating parameters including heating time, reaction temperature and output power on the heating behavior, surface morphology and pore roughness of oil shale were investigated based on the nitrogen adsorption/desorption and scanning electron microscope (SEM) experiments. Fractal dimension D1 and D2 (at relative pressures of 0‐0.5 and 0.5‐1, respectively) were calculated according to the fractal Frenkel‐Halsey‐Hill model. The relationships between specific surface area, cumulative pore volume, average pore diameter, and fractal dimension have been studied. The results demonstrated that the pore structure of oil shale was greatly influenced by microwave heating parameters due to the decomposition of kerogen, the internal pressure caused by the steam and volatiles, the complicated reactions and the thermal stress induced by microwave. Moreover, fractal dimension also changed correspondingly with different heating parameters. The variations of fractal dimension D1 was consistent with the evolvement of specific surface area and the changes in fractal dimension D2 showed negative correlation with average pore volume. The relationships between D1 and surface roughness, D2 and pore structure were verified based on the comparison of SEM images. The fractal theory is reliable to describe the surface morphology and pore structure of oil shale and thus supports the application of microwave heating on the oil shale development. After microwave heating, both surface morphology and pore space of oil shale became complicated, showing the increase of fractal dimenstion. This phenomenon would be more significant with higer output power and reaction temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of the microwave heating method combining with hydraulic fracturing for the in‐situ exploitation of oil shale, this article investigates the effects of iron oxide nanoparticles on the performance improvement of foamed pad fluid, heating efficiency enhancement under microwave irradiation and potential reservoir damage after microwave treatment. Different products were also analyzed under multiple heating parameters by using gas chromatograph‐mass spectrometer (GC‐MS), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Heating experiments showed that foamed pad fluid was better than water based pad fluid in terms of energy conservation. Results have demonstrated that iron oxide nanoparticles can not only increase nearly 75 seconds of half‐life of the foamed pad fluid, but also slightly enhance the viscosity of foamed pad fluid. Fast heating rate and energy saving were also accomplished by iron oxide nanoparticles. In the presence of iron oxide nanoparticles, it took less than 10 minutes for oil shale to reach 750°C at 1000 W, showing extremely low energy consumption. SEM experiment showed that microwave induced the creation of pores and micro fractures, and the retention of iron oxide nanoparticles inside the oil shale would not cause reservoir damage. By analyzing the products, it is recognized that reaction temperature and heating method had a great influence on the distribution of the noncondensable gases. The production of spent shale was controlled by heating method, reaction temperature, heating time, and output power. The results from this study are important to the in‐situ exploitation of oil shale and environmental protection. This investigation combines microwave heating method, hydraulic fracturing, and nanotechnology together to efficiently in‐situ exploit oil shale and studies the effects of iron oxide nanoparticles and the production process during microwave heating, which is very novel. Iron oxide nanoparticles can not only enhance the performance of foamed pad fluid, but also efficiently help the transformation of oil shale under microwave irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel method for fabrication of highly porous barium strontium titanate (BST) ceramic foams based on particle‐stabilized foaming method was developed for the first time, in which propyl gallate (PG) was employed as BST particle modifier. The results showed that the stability of wet BST foams closely depends on the pH value and PG concentration, which could be explained by the adsorption behavior of PG on BST particle surface. BST ceramic foams with dense, uniform, and closed pore and defect‐free wall were obtained. The pore size and porosity can be well controlled by adjusting solid loading and sintering temperature. It was revealed that not only sintering temperature but also solid loading significantly influenced the growth of BST grain. The BST ceramic foams exhibited high porosity in the range of 81%‐95%, low dielectric constant in the range of 47‐150, and low dielectric loss below 0.0025. The BST ceramic foams with higher porosity presented a tendency of lower dielectric constant and the fitting results indicated that the natural logarithm of dielectric constant was linear correlated with porosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni-Al2O3-MoS2 composite coatings were prepared on the surface of aluminum alloy substrates by an integrative method of electrophoresis and electrodeposition from the electrolytic solution with different MoS2 concentrations. The surface morphology and compositions of the coatings were studied by scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy dispersive spectroscope. The microindentation hardness and tribological properties of the coatings were tested using a Vickers hardness tester and friction performance tester in dry sliding condition, respectively. Results showed that the cross-sections of the coatings exhibited smooth morphology and uniform distribution of the compositions. Al2O3 and MoS2 particles were uniformly dispersed in the Ni matrix. The coatings were sufficiently adhered on the aluminum alloy substrates. The addition of MoS2 particles can significantly improve the wear resistance of the coatings. When the MoS2 concentration is 1.0 g/L, the Ni-Al2O3-MoS2 coatings exhibit superior mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims This study explored sFasL expression in neurons and the potential role of neuronal sFasL in modulating the microglial phenotypes. Methods In vivo, middle cerebral artery occlusion ( MCAO) was induced in both FasL-mutant ( gld) and wild-type (wt) mice. In vitro, primary cortical neuron or microglia or coculture from wt/ gld mice was subjected to oxygen glucose deprivation ( OGD). sFasL level in the supernatant was evaluated by ELISA. Neuronal-conditioned medium (NCM) or exogenous sFasL was applied to primary microglia with or without FasL neutralizing antibody. Protein expression of JAK2/ STAT3 and NF-κB pathways were determined by Western blot. The effect of microglia phenotype from wt/ gld mice on the fate of ischemic neurons was further elucidated. Results In vivo, compared with wild-type mice, M1 markers ( CD16, CD32 and iNOS) were attenuated in gld mice after MCAO. In vitro, post- OGD neuron released more sFasL. Both post- OGD NCM and exogenous sFasL could trigger M1-microglial polarization. However, this M1 phenotype shift was partially blocked by utilization of FasL neutralizing antibody or gld NCM. Consistently, JAK2/ STAT3 and NF-κB signal pathways were both activated in microglia after exogenous sFasL treatment. Compared with wild-type mice, M1-conditioned medium prepared from gld mice protected neuron against OGD injury. Conclusions Ischemic neurons release sFasL, which contributes to M1-microglial polarization. The underlying mechanisms may involve the activation of JAK2/ STAT3 and NF-κB signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural selection endows animals with the abilities to store lipid when food is abundant and to synthesize lipid when it is limited. However, the relevant adaptive strategy of lipid metabolism has not been clearly elucidated in fish. This study examined the systemic metabolic strategies of Nile tilapia to maintain lipid homeostasis when fed with low- or high-fat diets. Three diets with different lipid contents (1%, 7%, and 13%) were formulated and fed to tilapias for 10 weeks. At the end of the feeding trial, the growth rate, hepatic somatic index, and the triglyceride (TG) contents of serum, liver, muscle, and adipose tissue were comparable among three groups, whereas the total body lipid contents and the mass of adipose tissue increased with the increased dietary lipid levels. Overall quantitative PCR, western blotting and transcriptomic assays indicated that the liver was the primary responding organ to low-fat (LF) diet feeding, and the elevated glycolysis and accelerated biosynthesis of fatty acids (FA) in the liver is likely to be the main strategies of tilapia toward LF intake. In contrast, excess ingested lipid was preferentially stored in adipose tissue through increasing the capability of FA uptake and TG synthesis. Increasing numbers, but not enlarging size, of adipocytes may be the main strategy of Nile tilapia responding to continuous high-fat (HF) diet feeding. This is the first study illuminating the systemic adaptation of lipid metabolism responding to LF or HF diet in fish, and our results shed new light on fish physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT • Whether corticosteroid use induces peptic ulcer disease (PUD) remains uncertain. • Helicobacter pylori infection in steroid users has not been well evaluated in the past. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS • Prednisolone 60 mg daily for 3 months caused few endoscopic ulcers (1.6%) and no ulcer complications in 60 nephrotic patients, which was comparative with the controls, with an odds ratio of 0.5. • Corticosteroid therapy did not to increase PUD in nephrotic syndrome patients. Further larger studies are needed to clarify the role of corticosteroid in PUD. AIMS Whether corticosteroids induce peptic ulcer disease (PUD) remains uncertain. The study evaluated and compared the occurrence of PUD between nephrotic patients receiving oral prednisolone therapy and nephritic patients without steroid therapy. METHODS The prospective case control study compared 60 nephrotic syndrome patients who received 60 mg daily prednisolone therapy for 3 months with 30 age-and sex-matched nephritic patients without steroid therapy. Each patient underwent endoscopic examination and tissue and blood sampling before and after the study. Examined parameters included Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori) infection, and gastric and serum prostaglandin (PG) E2 and thromboxane (TX) B2 concentrations. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of endoscopic peptic ulcers between the two groups, while the secondary end point was the occurrence of ulcer complications. RESULTS The two groups were comparable in sex, age, smoking habits, alcohol drinking, past history of PUD, H. pylori infection rate and serum creatinine. There were no differences in the occurrence of endoscopic peptic ulcers (1.6% vs. 3.3%) and ulcer complications (0% vs. 0%), pre-therapy gastric PGE2, and pre- and post-therapy gastric TXB2, serum PGE2 and serum TXB2 between the two groups. However, there was significantly lower post-therapy gastric PGE2 concentrations in the prednisolone group. CONCLUSIONS Three-month therapy with 60 mg daily prednisolone caused few endoscopic ulcers (1.6%) and no ulcer complications in nephrotic patients. Corticosteroids therapy did not increase PUD in nephrotic syndrome patients [odds ratio 0.492 with 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.03, 8.142, P= 0.620]. Further larger studies are needed to clarify the role of corticosteroids in PUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intermingling of larval functional neurons with adult-specific neurons during metamorphosis contributes to the development of the adult Drosophila brain. To better understand this process, we characterized the development of a dorsal cluster (DC) of Atonal-positive neurons that are born at early larval stages but do not undergo extensive morphogenesis until pupal formation. We found that Baboon(Babo)/dSmad2-mediated TGF-β signaling, known to be essential for remodeling of larval functional neurons, is also indispensable for proper morphogenesis of these adult-specific neurons. Mosaic analysis reveals slowed development of mutant DC neurons, as evidenced by delays in both neuronal morphogenesis and atonal expression. We observe similar phenomena in other adult-specific neurons. We further demonstrate that Babo/dSmad2 operates autonomously in individual neurons and specifically during the late larval stage. Our results suggest that Babo/dSmad2 signaling prior to metamorphosis may be widely required to prepare neurons for the dynamic environment present during metamorphosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the title compound, [V4O8(SeO3)2(C10H8N2)4], there are two distinct vanadium coordination environments. Alternating corner-shared VO4N2 octahedra and SeO3 pyramids result in eight-membered centrosymmetric V2Se2O4 rings. In addition, pairs of V centres form centrosymmetric V2O6N4 clusters via edge-sharing. These two kinds of secondary building units are linked in an ABABAB fashion to give an infinite chain whose nature is unprecedented in Se–V–O systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]