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Abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) converting enzyme (TACE) is a key enzyme involved in the proteolytic shedding of the ectodomain of several membrane-bound growth factors, cytokines and receptors. Here, we constructed a multiple short hairpin RNA (shRNA) expression vector containing four shRNAs against TACE. We found that in HeLa cells our multiple shRNAs vector produced a higher level of TACE knockdown than any single shRNA vector containing only one TACE shRNA. Silencing TACE expression in HeLa cells decreased their malignancy by decreasing the proliferation, adhesion and migration, as well as inducing apoptosis in these cells. Furthermore, our data suggest that the effects of TACE on the malignancy of HeLa cells may be mediated via activation of the EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) signaling pathway. Our findings suggest that using a combination of shRNAs within one vector to silence the expression of TACE might be a potential therapeutic strategy for tumors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To improve the segmentation performance on videos with large object motion or deformation, a novel scheme is proposed which has two branches. In one branch, the attention mechanism is first utilized to highlight objects‐related features. Then, to well consider the temporal coherence of videos, Conv3D is integrated to capture short‐term temporal features, and the designed attention residual convolutional long–short‐term memory is adopted to capture the long–short‐term temporal information of objects under the interference of redundant video frames. Meanwhile, considering the negative effect of background motion, in another branch, the optical flow‐based prediction model is introduced to predict objects regions in subsequent video frames with the annotated initial frame. At last, based on the fused results of two branches, the global thresholds and noising area clean method are employed to obtain segmented objects. The experiments on DAVIS2016 and CDnet2014 exhibit the competitive performance of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the gut microbiota (GM) has been shown to be a regulator of bone homeostasis and the mechanisms by which GM modulates bone mass are still being investigated. Here, it is found that colonization with GM from children (CGM) but not from the elderly (EGM) prevents decreases in bone mass and bone strength in conventionally raised, ovariectomy (OVX)‐induced osteoporotic mice. 16S rRNA gene sequencing reveals that CGM reverses the OVX‐induced reduction of Akkermansia muciniphila (Akk). Direct replenishment of Akk is sufficient to correct the OVX‐induced imbalanced bone metabolism and protect against osteoporosis. Mechanistic studies show that the secretion of extracellular vesicles (EVs) is required for the CGM‐ and Akk‐induced bone protective effects and these nanovesicles can enter and accumulate into bone tissues to attenuate the OVX‐induced osteoporotic phenotypes by augmenting osteogenic activity and inhibiting osteoclast formation. The study identifies that gut bacterium Akk mediates the CGM‐induced anti‐osteoporotic effects and presents a novel mechanism underlying the exchange of signals between GM and host bone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the risk factors for, and outcomes of, preoperative asymptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients ≥60 years old following delayed operation for hip fracture. Methods: From March 2017 to December 2018, 90 patients aged ≥60 years with hip fracture who suffered a delay in surgery were recruited to this prospective study following admission to our hospital. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) was used to detect preoperative asymptomatic PE and calculated its incidence. Time from injury to admission, baseline characteristics, medical comorbidities, and blood biomarker levels were evaluated as potential risk factors. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors. Mortality and major bleeding events were recorded and compared between individuals with PE and without. Data were analyzed by t‐test, Mann–Whitney U test, χ2 test, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression analysis. Results: The incidence of preoperative asymptomatic PE was 18.9% (17/90 patients). In the univariate analysis, the risk factors for preoperative asymptomatic PE were male sex, hypertension, cerebrovascular accident, smoking, plasma D‐dimer level, potassium level, urea level, creatinine level, and cysteine level. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of preoperative asymptomatic PE was higher in patients with hypertension (odds ratio [OR] = 10.048; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.118–90.333), cerebrovascular accident (OR = 20.135; 95% CI, 1.875–216.164), smoking (OR = 48.741; 95% CI, 4.155–571.788), high plasma D‐dimer levels (OR = 1.200; 95% CI, 1.062–157.300), and high plasma potassium levels (OR = 12.928; 95% CI, 1.062–157.300). All patients were followed up for 21.0 months (range, 2 to 36 months). Mortality within the first year postoperatively was higher in patients with PE (29.41% vs 9.59%, P = 0.046). Conclusions: In view of the high incidence of preoperative asymptomatic PE and the inferior prognosis in individuals with PE, routine CTPA examination for preoperative asymptomatic PE could be useful for patients aged ≥60 years with hip fracture for whom surgery is delayed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, metal–insulator–semiconductor field effect transistors (MISFET) with gate length of 350 nm were fabricated on hydrogen‐terminated polycrystalline diamond by a self‐aligned process. Aluminium film with thickness of 2 nm was evaporated on the sample and formed self‐oxidised alumina to act as the gate dielectric. The devices show good direct current and radio frequency performances with a maximum frequency of oscillation (fmax) of 34 GHz and continuous‐wave output power density of 650 mW/mm at 10 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scheme for nonreciprocal mechanical squeezing (NMS) based on the three‐mode optomechanical interaction is proposed. In this scheme, a mechanical mode couples to a spinning whispering‐gallery‐cavity (WGC) mode and to an optical mode. An external laser is coupled into and thus drives the WGC via a waveguide. Mechanical squeezing results from the joint effect of the mechanical intrinsic nonlinearity and the quadratic optomechanical coupling, which, in the presence of strong thermal noise, is still considerable, while the nonreciprocity originates from the optical Sagnac effect. There are two NMS areas in the parametric space, one works for the laser driving from the left of the waveguide and another, from the right. For a given spinning speed of the WGC, the squeezing values in these two areas are equal if the corresponding detunings of the WGC differ from each other by two‐times of the Sagnac–Fizeau shift. At the red‐detuning resonance, the analytical results for the mechanical squeezing and cooling are obtained. The NMS scheme is robust to the thermal noise of the mechanical environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological, genetic, and linguistic evidence has supported the idea that northern China is the original center of modern Sino‐Tibetan‐speaking populations. However, the demographic history of subsequent southward migration and genetic admixture of Han Chinese with surrounding indigenous populations remain uncharacterized, and the language shifts and assimilations accompanied by movement of people, or just an adaptation of cultural ideas among populations in central China is still unclear, especially for Tibeto‐Burman‐speaking Tujia and central Han Chinese populations. To resolve this, we genotyped over 60K genome‐wide markers in 505 unrelated individuals from 63 indigenous populations. Our results showed both studied Han and Tujia were at the intermediate position in the modern East Asian North–South genetic cline and there was a correlation between the genetic composition and the latitude. We observed the strong genetic assimilation between Tujia people and central Han Chinese, which suggested massive population movements and genetic admixture under language borrowing. Tujia and central Han Chinese could be modeled as a two‐way admixture deriving primary ancestry from a northern ancestral population closely related to the ancient DevilsCave and present‐day Tibetans and a southern ancestral population closely related to the present‐day Tai‐Kadai and Austronesian‐speaking groups. The ancestral northern population we suspect to be related to the Neolithic millet farming groups in the Yellow River Basin or central China. We showed that the newly genotyped populations in Hubei Province had a higher proportion of DevilsCave or modern Tungusic/Mongolic‐related northern ancestries, while the Hunan populations harbored a higher proportion of Austronesian/Tai‐Kadai‐related southern ancestries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: IPF is an ageing‐related lung disorder featuring progressive lung scarring. IPF patients are frequently identified with short telomeres but coding mutations in telomerase can only explain a minority of cases. Sex hormones regulate telomerase activity in vitro and levels of sex hormones are related to LTL. The objective of this study was to explore whether sex hormones were associated with LTL, whether they interacted with genetic variants in telomerase and whether polymorphisms in the exon of androgen metabolism genes were associated with plasma testosterone concentrations in male IPF patients. Methods: A case–control study was performed on 101 male IPF subjects and 51 age‐matched healthy controls. Early morning plasma sex hormones were quantified, and whole‐exome sequencing was used to identify rare protein‐altering variants of telomerase and SNP in the exon of androgen metabolism genes. LTL was analysed by PCR and expressed as a T/S ratio. Results: LTL, testosterone and DHT were decreased significantly in the IPF group. After adjustments for age and variant status in telomerase‐related genes, only testosterone was positively associated with LTL (P = 0.001). No significant interaction (P = 0.661) was observed between rare protein‐altering variants of telomerase and testosterone. No coding SNP in androgen metabolism genes were significantly associated with testosterone concentrations. Conclusion: Plasma testosterone is associated with LTL independent of age or rare protein‐altering variants of telomerase. No genetic variations of androgen‐related pathway genes are associated with androgen concentrations. Further studies are warranted to examine whether hormonal interventions might retard telomere loss in male IPF patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blueberry is an important agricultural crop with high nutritional, health, and economic value. Despite the well‐studied blueberry cultivation methods and soil requirements, little is known about how beneficial bacteria function in organic blueberry cultivation systems and their effects on acidic soils. In this study, a single bacteria Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JC65 and three biocontrol bacteria consortiums containing JC65 were applied to organic system. The effect of bacteria to blueberry growth, yield, fruit quality, and soil quality was investigated. A consortium of three mixed Bacillus (B. amyloliquefaciens JC65, B. licheniforims HS10 and B. subtilis 7ze3) showed the highest growth improvement efficiency. The bacterial inoculation increased blueberry leaf chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate by 21.50%, 13.21% at 30 days, and increased average plant height by 2.72% at 69 days. Compared with the control, the inoculated plants showed an increased yield of 14.56%. Interestingly, blueberry fruit quality was also improved with supplement of the bacterial consortium. Fruit anthocyanin, soluble sugar, vitamin C, soluble solids, and soluble protein content were increased by 5.99%, 4.21%, 17.31%, 2.41%, and 21.65%, respectively. Besides, beneficial bacterial consortium also enables sustainable agriculture by improving soil ammonium nitrogen and organic matter by 3.77% and 2.96% after blueberry planting. In conclusion, the combination of beneficial bacteria showed a synergistic activity in organic system to promote the blueberry yield, fruit quality, and soil nutrient preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Thalassemia is one of the most common autosomal recessive inherited diseases worldwide, and it is also highly prevalent and variable in southern China. Various types of genetic testing technologies have been developed for diagnosis and screening of thalassemia. Characterized genomic DNA reference materials (RMs) are necessary for assay development, validation, proficiency testing, and quality assurance. However, there are no publicly available RMs for thalassemia genetic testing as yet. Methods: To address the need for the publicly available DNA RMs for thalassemia genetic testing, the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control and the China National GeneBank established 32 new cell lines with three wild‐type genotypes and 29 distinct genotypes of thalassemia which account for approximately 90% thalassemia carriers in China. The genomic DNA of 32 cell lines was characterized by four clinical genetic testing laboratories using different genetic testing methods and technology platforms. Results: The genotyping results are concordant among four laboratories. In addition, the results of stability test demonstrated that the genotypes of these DNA samples are not influenced by preanalytical conditions such as long‐term exposure to high‐temperature (37°C) environment and repeated freeze‐thawing. Conclusion: We developed the first national panel of 32 genomic DNA RMs which are renewable and publicly available for the quality assurance of various genetic testing methods and will facilitate research and development in thalassemia genetic testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute vasoreactivity testing (AVT) which reflects the compliance of the pulmonary vascular bed has been proven to be of prognostic value. The purpose of the present study is to explore the sex differences of hemodynamics during the AVT and their impact on event‐free survival in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Methods: Eighty‐six patients underwent a right heart catheterization and AVT at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from February 2009 to February 2018. Univariate and multiple stepwise regression analysis were performed to determine the predictors of independent event‐free survival, and receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted to determine the cut‐off value of independent parameters in CTEPH. Results: There were no significant differences in both demographics and hemodynamics between male and female patients with CTEPH. Except ΔPVR/PVR showed a significantly higher difference in female than male patients (P = 0.034). Male patients had higher mRAP of pre‐ and post‐AVT than female patients in the event‐free subgroup, while, female patients showed higher PVR of pre‐AVT than male patients in the event subgroup (P < 0.05). The mRAP and SvO2 were independent predictors of event‐free survival in female patients both before and after the AVT, whereas ΔSvO2 was an independent predictor of event‐free survival in male patients. Conclusion: Hemodynamics during the AVT varied between male and female patients with CTEPH. Both sexes displayed unique hemodynamic responses that were independently able to predict event‐free survival. Therefore, better estimates of prognosis in CTEPH can be made when sex differences are also taken into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To effectively improve the computation efficiency in the strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS) alignment process, the authors propose a marginalised adaptive sparse‐grid quadrature filter (MASGQF). The filtering method combines the virtues of marginalisation technique and accuracy level switching structure to decrease the computational burden and improve the filtering precision simultaneously. With the adaptation criterion and the predefined tolerance value, different integration rules corresponding to the different accuracy levels nested in the proposed filtering method can be adjusted autonomously. It is proved that the MASGQF is exponentially bounded by theoretical analysis. The performance comparison of different filtering methods is demonstrated by the numerical results of the simulation and offline experiment. On the basis of the data performance of the online test, the validity of the proposed MASGQF is verified in the SINS alignment application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The content of protein components of glutinous rice significantly affects the quality of Chinese rice wine. Therefore, the effects of protein components on the quality of Chinese rice wine were investigated by adding the exogenous proteins glutelin and albumin individually or in combination RESULTS: Compared with the control, the samples with increased glutelin components exhibited improved formation of numerous alcohol esters with alcoholic and fruity representatives. The promotion rates of glutelin to total alcohols and total esters were 18% and 99%, respectively. The amount of 4‐vinylguaiacol characterized by a spicy, smoky odor was reduced to 40%. Correlation analysis between chemical composition and sensory characteristics showed a significant positive correlation between umami and amino nitrogen (r = 0.935) and total amino acid content (r = 0.729). The bitterness of Chinese rice wine was related to the change of alcohol content (r = 0.689) and total soluble solid (r = 0.904). Sensory analysis revealed that the increase of the glutelin component of Chinese rice wine increased its alcoholic, fruity, and honey‐like features, as well as its umami, acidity and bitterness. The increase also reduced the caramel‐like, herb‐like, and smoky sensory characteristics of Chinese rice wine and its Qu aroma and sweetness CONCLUSION: The protein content of glutinous rice significantly affects the quality of rice wine. The Glutelin has a significant relationship with fruity, honey, and umami flavors; the albumin has a significant relationship with medicinal, bitter, and astringent flavors. Therefore, reasonable adjustment of the glutelin content of glutinous rice can effectively improve the sensory quality of rice wine. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our aim was to clarify the incidence and risk of acute symptomatic seizures in people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). This multicenter retrospective study enrolled people with COVID‐19 from January 18 to February 18, 2020 at 42 government‐designated hospitals in Hubei province, the epicenter of the epidemic in China; Sichuan province; and Chongqing municipality. Data were collected from medical records by 11 neurologists using a standard case report form. A total of 304 people were enrolled, of whom 108 had a severe condition. None in this cohort had a known history of epilepsy. Neither acute symptomatic seizures nor status epilepticus was observed. Two people had seizurelike symptoms during hospitalization due to acute stress reaction and hypocalcemia, and 84 (27%) had brain insults or metabolic imbalances during the disease course known to increase the risk of seizures. There was no evidence suggesting an additional risk of acute symptomatic seizures in people with COVID‐19. Neither the virus nor potential risk factors for seizures seem to be significant risks for the occurrence of acute symptomatic seizures in COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transfusion of autologous blood is a timesaving, convenient, safe, and effective therapy from a clinical perspective, and often employed for the treatment of diabetic patients. Stabilization of HIF‐1α has been widely reported to be a critical factor in the improvement of wound healing in diabetes. Therefore, our study reveals the roles of improved autologous blood in wound healing in diabetes, through autologous blood transfusion in a mouse model. Initially, BALB/c mice were subjected to streptozotocin for diabetic mouse model establishment. Diabetic mice were transfused with improved or standard autologous blood in perfusion culture system. Roles of improved autologous blood in mediating HIF‐1α pathway were determined by measuring expression of VEGF, EGF, HIF‐1α, and HSP‐90. In order to assess the detailed regulatory mechanism of improved autologous blood in perspective of wound healing, cell proliferation, migration and cell cycle, fibroblasts isolated from diabetic mice were transfected with HIF‐1α siRNA. Mice transfused with improved autologous blood exhibited increased levels of CD31 and α‐SMA in skin tissues, and reduced TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6 levels, indicating that improved autologous blood promoted wound healing ability and reduced the release of inflammatory factors. Diabetic mice transfused with improved autologous blood presented activated HIF‐1α pathway. The survival rate, proliferation, and migration of fibroblasts were elevated via activation of the HIF‐1α pathway. Taken together, improved blood preservation solution could enhance the oxygen carrying capacity of red blood cells and wound healing in mice with diabetes, which is achieved through regulation of HIF‐1α pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Video segmentation has become a fundamental of various multimedia applications. Spatiotemporal coherence is important for video segmentation. In this study, to balance the spatiotemporal coherence in scenes with deformation or large motion, the authors propose a novel segmentation scheme based on the absorbing Markov chain (AMC) model named directed graph segmentation based on AMC. In their study, they first generate primary proposals per frame. Then, they train weight models by using a part of primary proposals with their features and feature scores. Next, they construct a directed AMC graph, in which states are the generated primary proposals and edge weights are decided by trained weight models. They subsequently perform the first proposal selection per frame by thresholding the modified absorbed time. Afterwards, they design a reselection algorithm to filter the selected proposals and ensure the proposals, which are the most likely to be the motion object in each frame, to be selected as candidates. Finally, they employ the graph‐cuts based optimisation algorithm to generate refined per pixel segmentation by using object and background models built by candidate proposals under the concept of Gaussian mixture models. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed scheme shows competitive performance compared with advanced algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of plant growth‐promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) has been considered as an environmentally friendly method for crop yield promotion as well as plant disease management. Efforts have been devoted to unraveling mechanisms involved in bacteria–plant and bacteria–pathogen interactions. However, little is known on the effect of the interaction among PGPR, soil, and plant. We compared growth and yield promotion capacity of biofertilizer Ning Shield, a consortium of bacterial preparation used as a biofertilizer (BF), and its mixture with compost of agricultural waste including spent substrate of Pleurotus ostreatus (SSP)/Volvariella volvacea (SSV), chicken manure (CM), and inorganic fertilizer (IOF) in a pepper field, respectively. The disease control efficacy, pepper fruit preservation time, and nutrients were also determined. Soil nutrient parameters including organic matter and available NPK of treatments were assayed before and after one growth season. All of the mixture of BF+organic compost treatment significantly enhanced the yield and quality of pepper fruit. Moreover, disease control capacity was promoted by the mixture of BF+organic compost, with BF+SSV reaching the highest control efficacy of 81% on 60th day after transplanting, and remaining 76% at the 105th day. The BF+SSV treatment showed soil fertility retention ability with higher soil nutrient contents after one growth season of pepper. This study provides evidence that, when combined with organic fertilizers such as spent mushroom substrate compost, beneficial microbes have the ability to promote plant growth and yield as well as suppress plant disease by sustaining soil fertility through complex bacteria–soil–plant interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoporous Carbons: Superior Multifunctional Activity of Nanoporous Carbons with Widely Tunable Porosity: Enhanced Storage Capacities for Carbon-Dioxide, Hydrogen, Water, and Electric Charge (Adv. Keywords: carbon-based electric-double-layer capacitors (EDLCs); carbon-dioxide capture; high energy supercapacitors; hydrogen storage; nanoporous carbon and multifunctional activity; water capture Carbon-based electric-double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), carbon-dioxide capture, high energy supercapacitors, hydrogen storage, nanoporous carbon and multifunctional activity, water capture. [Extracted from the article]

Characterization Transformation of Inclusions Using Rare Earth Ce Treatment on Al-Killed Titanium Alloyed Interstitial Free Steel After Ce treatment, irregular Al SB 2 sb O SB 3 sb inclusions with a size of 10-15 m are wrapped by rare earth and then gradually modified into spheroidal CeAlO SB 3 sb , Ce SB 2 sb O SB 3 sb , and Ce SB 2 sb O SB 2 sb S inclusions with a size of approximately 5 m and distributed into IF slabs. The disregistries between the two-dimensional lattice parameters of the nucleating phase (Ce SB 2 sb O SB 3 sb , and Ce SB 2 sb O SB 2 sb S) and the substrate( -Fe) at the interfaces are 6.21% and 5.77%, respectively. [Extracted from the article]

By using the thermodynamic calculation of evolution of inclusions that contain rare earths, industrial‐scale modification experiments are conducted. Energy spectroscopy analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry, original morphology analysis, and Factsage 7.2 software are used to analyze the evolution mechanisms of inclusions in Al‐killed titanium‐alloyed interstitial free steel. The results reveal that different substances are formed in the following order: Ce2O3(s) > Ce2O2S(s) > CeAlO3(s) > CeO2 (s), with the wt[%Ce] reaching a range of 0–0.01 according to thermodynamic calculation. After Ce treatment, irregular Al2O3 inclusions with a size of 10–15 μm are wrapped by rare earth and then gradually modified into spheroidal CeAlO3, Ce2O3, and Ce2O2S inclusions with a size of ≈5 μm and distributed into interstitial free slabs. A geometric model is developed for the formation of oxide inclusions to illustrate the process of modification. The disregistries between the two‐dimensional lattice parameters of the nucleating phase (Ce2O3 and Ce2O2S) and the substrate (δ‐Fe) at the interfaces are 6.21% and 5.77%, respectively, as measured by modified calculations performed during the heterogeneous nucleation phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulmonary hypertension patients with mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) ≥ 25 mm Hg had impaired cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Borderline mean pulmonary pressures (boPAP; 21‐24 mm Hg) represent early pulmonary vasculopathy. The CPET characteristics of boPAP are a matter of discussion. We aimed to determine the CPET profile of such borderline hemodynamics. Methods: A matched case‐control study was conducted on consecutive boPAP patients at the Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital between Jan 2012 and Jan 2017. Hemodynamics, echocardiography, the pulmonary function test (PFT) and CPET parameters were compared between boPAP patients and normal mPAP patients which were matched 1:1 by sex and age. Conditional logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the efficacy of CPET in detecting boPAP. Results: A total of 48 patients underwent RHC and CPET (24 Normal, 24 boPAP). There were no differences in the demographics, echocardiography and PFT. BoPAP patients had significantly decreased VO2 at the anaerobic threshold and peak VO2/kg (858.4 ± 246.5 mL/min vs 727.9 ± 228.0 mL/min, P = 0.037; 21.1 ± 6.4 mL/min/kg vs. 15.5 ± 5.6 mL/min/kg, P = 0.001, respectively). Significant differences were not observed in ventilation efficiency. A trend of impaired oxygen pulse and submaximal exercise tolerance were observed in boPAP patients. Conditional logistical regression analysis revealed the risk of boPAP increased by 2.493 (95% confident interval: 1.388 to 4.476, P = 0.002) with every 5 mL/min/kg decrease in peak VO2/kg. Conclusions: Patients with boPAP have a greater prevalence of exercise intolerance, a trend of impaired oxygen pulse and submaximal exercise tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small specimen creep testing technique has become a hot topic of research as bulk materials are not available in many occasions. The stress distributions in the small specimens such as small punch and 3‐point bending specimens are essentially nonuniform. As it is known, the creep deformation/damage accumulation mechanisms exhibited at a high stress regime are not the same as the ones at a lower stress regime for many engineering alloys. The potential measurement errors because of stress regime‐dependent creep behaviour, however, has not been considered in the determination of the creep parameters based on small specimen testing in the previous studies. In this paper, 2 kinds of materials that show different Norton's parameters at the corresponding stress regimes are examined. A simple case of 2‐bar structure is firstly adopted to illustrate the measurement error of creep strain rate because of stress regime‐dependent creep behaviour. Furthermore, clamped beam bending testing and small punch testing are investigated to demonstrate the significance of measurement error using the same materials. It is shown that an error of more than 8 times may occur near the transition point of creep deformation mechanism depending on specimen types and materials. Attention should thus be paid to the selection of stress level in the small specimen testing to avoid significant measurement errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activity of heterogeneous catalysis depends on charge transfer from catalyst surface to adsorbed molecules. Thus the influence of nanoparticle‐loaded heterostructures and core‐shell heterostructures on photocatalytic performance is significant to be demonstrated. In this work, Cu–Cu2O heterostructures were controllably synthesized by in‐situ reduction of Cu nanoparticles from octahedral Cu2O crystals and forming nanoparticle‐loaded heterostructures (partial coverage I and partial coverage II) and the core‐shell heterostructure (full coverage) by controlling the reaction time. The results indicate that optimal size and quantity of the loaded nanoparticles are required to attain the desirable performance by effectively separating and transferring photo‐excited carriers. Here we report a controllable two‐step synthesis method to design and fabricate Cu–Cu2O heterostructures, including the nanoparticle‐loaded structure and the core‐shell structure. It was found that optimal size and quantity of the loaded Cu nanoparticles could attain best photocatalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A broadband transition from microstrip line to spoof surface plasmon (SP) waveguide is proposed. The transition transforms the guided wave into a spoof SP polariton in a broad microwave frequency band. A back‐to‐back transition sample is fabricated using the proposed method. Good agreement between the measurement and simulation is obtained. The measured results show an insertion loss <2 dB and a return loss below −11 dB from 2.2 to 10 GHz. The proposed broadband transition may pave a way for advanced conventional plasmonic integrated microwave devices and circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Although there exists potential risk of bleeding, extended ‘lifelong’ conventional‐intensity [international normalized ratio (INR): 2.0‐3.0] warfarin anticoagulation is recommended for unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE) patients because of risk of recurrent VTE. Whether long‐term low‐intensity (INR: 1.5‐2.0) warfarin therapy reduced the risk of major bleeding without substantially lowered antithrombotic efficacy is not well understood. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta‐analysis to evaluate the risk‐benefits of low‐intensity warfarin therapy. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of electronic databases and included randomized control trials (RCTs) that reported efficacy (recurrent VTE) and safety (bleeding episodes) of low‐intensity warfarin therapy compared with conventional‐intensity warfarin or placebo from inception through Jun 2016. Results: Four RCTs reporting high GRADE quality evidence were included. Although the relative risk of recurrent VTE with low‐intensity therapy was significantly increased [2.96 (95% CI: 1.40 to 6.24), P < .004] compared to conventional‐intensity warfarin, there was significant decrease of relative risk when compared with placebo [0.37 (95% CI: 0.24 to 0.56), P < .00001]. As per included publications, no significant major bleeding episodes were observed in low‐intensity warfarin group. Conclusions: Although less effective than conventional‐intensity warfarin therapy this meta‐analysis indicates that long‐term low‐intensity warfarin therapy is highly effective for preventing recurrent VTE than placebo, along with reduced risks of major bleeding and minimizing potential complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential of the γ‐zein hydrolysate (γ‐ZH) as a new delivery system for hydrophobic bioactive molecules such as curcumin (Cur). γ‐ZH‐Cur complexes (γ‐ZH‐Cur) with a particle size of 50–60 nm were successfully formed via the hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. Compared to α‐ZH, the complexation of Cur in γ‐ZH showed a better improvement in the water solubility and physicochemical stability of Cur and showed sustained release and greater potential for absorption of Cur. The differences in the loading capability, the physicochemical storage and the bioaccessibility of Cur between γ‐ZH and α‐ZH may be associated with the differences in the amino acid composition and typical sequence of peptides. These results indicate that γ‐ZH has a better ability to serve as a novel delivery for the hydrophobic bioactive molecules compared to α‐ZH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper investigates attitude maneuver control issues of a flexible spacecraft with pyramid‐type single gimbaled control moment gyroscopes (SGCMGs) as the actuator. The LuGre friction model is adopted to precisely describe the nonlinearity of the SGCMG gimbal friction. Aiming at restraining the adverse effects of the friction existed in SGCMG on the attitude control performance, a robust adaptive attitude controller is proposed, and projection‐based adaptive laws are presented to estimate the friction parametric uncertainties and the bound of friction nonlinearity. By treating the flexible mode coupling effect and external disturbances as lump disturbances, the inertia uncertainties and the bound of the lump disturbances are also estimated and compensated simultaneously to reduce their adverse effect on the system. With the Lyapunov technique, the states of flexible spacecraft control system are proved to be uniformly ultimately bounded. Numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epoxy‐amine system is a type of important matrix material for preparation of carbon fiber composites. The amidation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been widely developed for enhancing the mechanical properties of the epoxy resin matrix. However, the various amino‐functionalized CNTs will produce different effect in the same epoxy matrix due to the diversity in reactivity, compatibility, and dispersion stability. In this paper, the amino‐functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs‐NH2) were prepared through surface grafting ethylenediamine and diethyltoluenediamine (DETDA; designated as MWCNTs‐EDA and MWCNTs‐DETDA), and dispersed into epoxy resin matrix in which the DETDA was also used as curing agent. Compared with MWCNTs‐EDA, the MWCNTs‐DETDA showed a better dispersion state and stability in the epoxy resin, and had a relatively small impact on the curing behavior of epoxy matrix. After adding 0.5 wt% MWCNTs‐DETDA, the unidirectional T700 carbon fiber composites exhibited the significantly enhanced interlaminar shear strength and flexural properties due to the uniform dispersion of MWCNTs‐DETDA and the modified interface bonding. The results indicated that the chemical compatibility between MWCNTs‐NH2 and resin matrix can exert an important influence on the microstructure, curing behavior, thermo‐mechanical properties, and mechanical properties of the epoxy resin and the resulting carbon fiber composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:E733–E744, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Recent evidence from genetic, cell biology, and animal model studies has suggested a pivotal role of autophagy in mediating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the genetic basis has not yet been thoroughly examined. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify additional susceptibility variants in autophagy‐related genes along with their functional significance. Methods: First, we performed a gene family–based genetic association analysis in SLE patients with the use of ImmunoChip arrays, and then we selected the most strongly associated polymorphisms for replication in additional cohorts. To identify regulatory clues, we analyzed publicly available blood expression quantitative trait locus data and Encyclopedia of DNA Elements data on transcription factor binding sites and cell type‐specific differential expression. Functional effects were tested by luciferase reporter assays, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and differential gene expression assays. Results: In 14,474 samples, we observed that the rare Chinese variant rs933717T was associated with susceptibility to SLE (0.11% in cases versus 0.87% in controls; P = 2.36 × 10–10, odds ratio 0.13). The rs933717 risk allele C correlated with increased MAP1LC3B expression; increased MAP1LC3B messenger RNA was observed in SLE patients and in lupus‐prone mice. In reporter gene constructs, the risk allele increased luciferase activity up to 2.7‐3.8‐fold in both HEK 293T and Jurkat cell lines, and the binding of HEK 293T and Jurkat cell nuclear extracts to the risk allele was also increased. Conclusion: We observed a likely genetic association between light chain 3B, a widely used marker for autophagy, and susceptibility to SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some reinforced concrete structures are subjected to repeated loads during their service lives, and the effect of repeated loads is stronger and more complex than static loads. This paper reports the results of the tests performed on cylindrical reinforced concrete specimens under uniaxial repeated loads. The effect of structural parameters (e.g., stirrup configuration, bond length, confinement method, and concrete cover) and loading parameters (e.g., amplitude, peak load, loading rate, and initial load cycles) on the bond properties of the reinforced concrete under repeated loads was studied in detail. In addition, the degradation mechanisms and failure modes of the specimens' bond stress were analyzed. It is found that the use of stirrups, increase of bond length, and concrete cover, as well as confinement can effectively curb the widening and expansion of cracks in concrete and significantly improve ductility and repeated load bearing capability. As the rigidity of confinement material increased, the enhancement effect of confinement on bond stress increases. Compared to the role of confinement (e.g., carbon fiber reinforced polymer), increasing the concrete cover can more effectively improve the bond stress. The rebar's subsequent residual bond stress declines as the number of early-stage load cycle increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we report the microstructure and rheological property of Pickering emulsions stabilised with zein nanoparticles prepared through phase separation from acetic acid solution. The fresh emulsions showed liquid-like behaviour and reasonable small droplet size. Interestingly, after 3 days of storage at 25° C, the emulsions changed into solid-like state. The viscosity remarkably increased, and the storage modulus was much larger than the loss modulus. These results indicate the formation of the gel-like network in emulsions. The droplet size also showed an obvious increase, while the big droplets could be disrupted into small ones in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. The particle network in the continuous phase was seen in the confocal laser scanning microscopy. Therefore, it is suggested that the gel-like network is formed by the flocculation of oil droplets and particle network in continuous, mainly through the hydrophobic interactions between the particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sensitive, reliable, and powerful ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for simultaneous quantification of the 15 main bio-active components including phenolic acids and flavonoids within 13 min for the first time. The proposed method was first reported and validated by good linearity ( r2 > 0.9975), limit of detection (1.12-7.01 ng/mL), limit of quantification (3.73-23.37 ng/mL), intra- and inter-day precisions (RSD ≤ 1.92%, RSD ≤ 2.45%), stability (RSD ≤ 5.63%), repeatability (RSD ≤ 4.34%), recovery (96.84-102.12%), and matrix effects (0.92-1.02). The established analytical methodology was successfully applied to comparative analysis of main bio-active components in the herb pair Danshen-Honghua and its single herbs. Compared to the single herb, the content of most flavonoid glycosides was remarkably increased in their herb pair, and main phenolic acids were decreased, conversely. The content changes of the main components in the herb pair supported the synergistic effects on promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. The results provide a scientific basis and reference for the quality control of Danshen-Honghua herb pair and the drug interactions based on variation of bio-active components in herb pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on China First Uranium Scientific deep Drilling project in China. It mentions that stratum model was considered while choosing Zoujiashan as drilling site. It states that the deep drill construction found four uranium mineralizations in the upper layers. It also mentions that Xiangshan deep polymetallic mineralization is a part of China polymetallic centralized area. It mentions Suichuan fault is important structure in the Xiangshan basin.

An unexpected polyhydroxyl-bridged tetranuclear ZnII complex and a benzoquinone compound derived from metal-ion promoted reactivity of Schiff base ligands were synthesized and characterized. The reaction of zinc(II) acetate dihydrate with oxime-type Schiff base ligand HL1 [HL1 = 1-(3-((3,5-dibromosalicylaldehyde)amino)phenyl) ethan-1-one O-benzyl oxime] in methanol, acetone and acetonitrile resulted in the chemoselective cleavage of the C=N bond of the Schiff base HL1 and then the further addition of acetone to two salicylaldehyde molecules derived from cleavage of the C=N bond in situ α,α double aldol reaction promoted by ZnII ions. The newly formed ligands H4L2 coordinate to four ZnII ions forming a defect-dicubane core structure [ZnII 4(H2L2)2(μ3-OCH3)2(μ-OCH3)2(CH3OH)2] (1) bridged exclusively by oxygen-based ligands. The similar ligand HL3 [HL3 = 1-(3- ((3,5-dichlorosalicylaldehyde)amino)phenyl)ethan-1-one O-benzyl oxime)] was employed to react with CdII acetate dihydrate under the same reaction conditions. No aldol addition occurred but a unexpected benzoquinone compound 2,5-bis(((3-(1-((benzyloxy)imino)ethyl) phenyl)imino)methyl)-1,4-benzoquinone (2) formed. The results provided interesting insights into one-pot routes involving in situ reactions act as a strategy for obtaining a variety of polymeric/polynuclear complexes which are inconvenient to obtain from directly presynthesizing the ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work was aimed to evaluate the potential of the gel-like Pickering emulsions (50%, v/v, oil) stabilised by zein/tannic acid (TA) complex colloidal particles (ZTPE) as a new encapsulation system of lipophilic ingredients. Compared with sodium caseinate-stabilised emulsions (SCE) and bulk oil, the better protective effects of ZTPE on the chemical stability of curcumin were observed when they suffered from UV light, and the lipid oxidation rate remarkably reduced in ZTPE. Also, the zein particle layers loaded with TA around the oil droplets can provide protection against harsh gastric environment, facilitating to slow down the release of free fatty acids (FFA) and curcumin during in vitro simulated digestion. These findings show that ZTPE have a good potential to act as an efficient encapsulating agent to protect functional ingredients from degradation and control their release during digestion, which can further improve the bioavailability of bioactive ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) availability is projected to increase in a warming climate. But whether the more available N is immobilized by microbes (thus stimulates soil carbon (C) decomposition), or is absorbed by plants (thus intensifies C uptake) remains unknown in the alpine meadow ecosystem. Infrared heaters were used to simulate climate warming with a paired experimental design. Soil ammonification, nitrification, and net mineralization were obtained by in situ incubation in a permafrost region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). Available N significantly increased due to the stimulation of net nitrification and mineralization in 0-30 cm soil layer. Microbes immobilized N in the end of growing season in both warming and control plots. The magnitude of immobilized N was lower in the warming plots. The root N concentration significantly reduced, but root N pool intensified due to the significant increase in root biomass in the warming treatment. Our results suggest that a warming-induced increase in biomass is the major N sink and will continue to stimulate plant growth until plant N saturation, which could sustain the positive warming effect on ecosystem productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three multi-dentate 1, 2,4-triazole derivative ligands containing different 4-substituted groups, namely N-1, 2,4-triazol-4-yl(pyridin-3-yl)methylenimine (L1), N-1, 2,4-triazol- 4-yl(pyridin-4-yl)methylenimine (L2), and 4-(2-pyridine)-1, 2,4-triazole (L3) were used to isolate five iron(II) and zinc(II) coordination frameworks, [Zn(μ2-L1)Cl2] ( 1), [Zn(μ2-L2)Br2] ( 2), [Fe(L1)2(NCS)2(H2O)2] ( 3), [Fe(L3)2(dca)2(H2O)2] ( 4), and [Fe(L3)2(μ2-dca)] ( 5) (dca = dicyanamide anion). When different zinc(II) salts were used to react with L1 and L2 under solvothermal conditions, two one-dimensional (1D) zinc(II) coordination frameworks 1 and 2 containing four-coordinate central zinc(II) atoms were isolated. 1 is a 3D achiral supra-molecular framework, whereas 2 is a 3D chiral supra-molecular framework containing helical chains on a 21 axis. 3 is a mono-nuclear iron(II) coordination framework containing six-coordinate central FeII atoms. When L3 was employed, mono-nuclear iron(II) framework 4 and 1D iron(II) chain 5 could be isolated when different amounts of Nadca were introduced into the reaction system. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility data of 3- 5 were recorded in the 2-300 K temperature range indicating weak anti-ferromagnetic interactions. The solid-state luminescent properties of coordination polymers 1 and 2 were also investigated at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: A novel soy protein aggregate enriched with isoflavones (SPA-IS), a mixture of soy protein and isoflavones (Mix), isoflavones (IS), and the soy protein were obtained to investigate the preventive effects on osteoporosis induced by retinoic acid in Kunming mice. RESULTS: The serum osteocalcin levels in the Mix and SPA-IS groups decreased compared with the model group (mice showing retinoic acid-induced osteoporosis) (P < 0.05). The trabecular analysis results showed an increased preventive effect of the SPA-IS group over the Mix group, the IS group, and the soy protein group. The results of both left tibial maximum load and the 4th lumbar structural strength differ between the IS and the SPA-IS groups. CONCLUSION: The SPA-IS exhibited obvious oestrogenic activities on retinoic acid-induced osteoporosis in Kunming mice compared toMix, IS, and soy protein. The results suggest that there is a potential use for SPA-IS in the treatment of osteoporosis induced by intake of retinoic acid. The improvement of bone indicators might be attributed to the formation of aggregate particles and the improvement of IS solubility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the bis-triazole ligand 2, 6-bis(1, 2,4-triazole-4-yl)pyridine (L), the triazole-iron(II) complexes [Fe(L)2(dca)2(H2O)2] ·2H2O ( 1) (Nadca = sodium dicyanamide), {[Fe(μ2-L)2(H2O)2]Cl2} n ( 2), and {[Fe(μ2-L)2(H2O)2](ClO4)2 ·L ·H2O} n ( 3) were isolated by solvent diffusion methods. When iron(II) salts and Nadca were used, compound 1 was isolated, which contains mononuclear Fe(L)2(dca)2(H2O)2 units. When FeCl2 or FeClO4 were used, one-dimensional (1D) cation iron(II) chains ( 2) and two-dimensional (2D) cation iron(II) networks ( 3) were isolated indicating anion directing structural diversity. Moreover, variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility data of 1- 3 were recorded in the temperature range 2-300 K. The magnetic curve of complex 2 was fitted by using the classical spin Heisenberg chain model indicating anti-ferromagnetic interactions ( J = -5.31 cm-1). Obviously complexes 1- 3 show no detectable thermal spin crossover behaviors, the lack of spin-crossover behavior may be correlated with FeN4O2 coordination spheres in 1- 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of the present study were to evaluate safety and tolerability as well as the effects of multiple doses of lanicemine on the pharmacokinetics of a CYP3A substrate, midazolam. A total of 46 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the open-label, fixed-sequence, nonrandomized study. All volunteers received an oral dose of 5 mg of midazolam alone or after 6 days of 150 mg daily intravenous infusion of lanicemine. Lanicemine reached a plasma Cmax of 1.51 μg/mL after 150 mg daily dosing to steady state. The geometric mean CL, Vss, and t1/2 of lanicemine were 8.1 L/h, 122.0 L, and 10.4 hours, respectively. The geometric least-squares mean ratios and 90% confidence intervals for midazolam AUC0-∞, and Cmax were within the 80% to 125% limits when lanicemine plus midazolam treatment was compared with midazolam alone, demonstrating that daily dosing with 150 mg of lanicemine for 6 days had no effect on CYP3A activity. Comprehensive physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling using in vitro and in silico findings also indicated lanicemine would have little impact on the pharmacokinetics of CYP3A substrate, such as midazolam. In addition, lanicemine and midazolam administered alone or in combination were generally safe and well tolerated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spathaspora passalidarum, a recently isolated native xylose-fermenting yeast, can ferment xylose faster than glucose, and can co-ferment glucose, xylose, and cellobiose. Studies on S. passalidarum have been reported in terms of fermentation conditions. However, to the best of our knowledge, the molecular modification of S. passalidarum has not been achieved. The lack of successful transformants may be attributed to the absence of an effective transformation method. In the current work, a genetic transformation protocol for S. passalidarum was established. Spathaspora passalidarum was transformed via the lithium acetate method with a plasmid containing the KmR as a selectable marker and the Saccharomyces cerevisiae 2 μ replicon as a replication origin. Several important parameters affecting transformation efficiency were optimized; these parameters included the strain growth period, heat shock time, lithium acetate concentration, and the amount of plasmid DNA. The transformation efficiency reached 170 ± 30 transformants/μg plasmid DNA with the optimized method. This novel transformation system will allow for the genetic analysis and metabolic engineering of S. passalidarum for industrial bioethanol production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Why animals mate multiple times, owing to the lack of immediate fitness benefits, presents an intriguing problem for evolutionary biologists. Yet, the profusion of this behaviour suggests it must be maintained by natural selection via increased performance. 2. The possible benefits of multiple mating using the leaf beetles Ophraella communa LeSage, the biological control agent of the invasive common ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., were studied and the fitness consequences of single, twice, three, four, and unrestricted mating events were assessed. 3. Overall, it was observed that the number of copulation events was positively associated with fitness parameters of the insects. Insects performed the best under unrestricted mating regimes, with average increases of 48% in longevity, 75% in fecundity, and 55% in egg hatch rate. In addition, females that experienced unrestricted access to mates maintained very high viability over their entire reproductive lives. Nevertheless, insects also performed better when allowed to mate four times compared with once or twice. 4. The present findings thus support the hypothesis that multiple-mating behaviour is maintained owing to increased fitness benefits in the current and the next generation. Selection for re-mating is, therefore, expected in field populations, which is likely to happen naturally owing to the aggregate lifestyle of O. communa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fermented soya milk (FSM) enriched with isoflavone aglycone ( FSM- SPIA) was prepared from heated soya protein isolate ( SPI)-isoflavone complex. After 48 h of fermentation, FSM- SPIA contained higher contents of living bacteria, free amino acids and aglycone compared with the FSM of SPI ( FSM- SPI) and the FSM of SPI-isoflavone complex ( FSM-Mix). In the in-vitro digestion experiment, FSM- SPIA showed higher antioxidant capacity and isoflavones ( ISO) bioavailability than FSM- SPI and FSM-Mix. This was likely due to the soya milk containing a higher level of amino acid, peptides and the presence of soya bean isoflavone. The improved protein digestibility, the interaction and binding ability between proteins and ISO may affect the properties of the protein and the fermented products. The FSM enriched with isoflavone aglycone can be used as a functional fermented drink, as well as an auxiliary food for menopausal women during a specific pathological period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Pancreatic acinar cell necrosis and subsequent inflammatory response aggravate acute pancreatitis ( AP). Tetraspanin CD9 has been reported to mediate inflammatory signaling by regulating molecular organization at the cell surface. This study aimed to investigate the role of CD9 in caerulein-induced AP ( CIP) in mice. Methods The expression of CD9 was detected in CIP in mice in vivo and cholecystokinin ( CCK)/recombinant mouse tumor necrosis factor (rm TNF)-α induced pancreatic acinar cell death in vitro by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and immunofluorescence. The roles of CD9 in pancreatic acinar cell death and inflammatory response were further studied through the deletion of CD9 expression using small interfering RNA (si RNA). Results CD9 was markedly upregulated in pancreatic tissues in mice during the early onset of CIP and was located mainly at the pancreatic acinar cell surface, which was associated with pancreatic damage. Additionally, incubation with CCK or rm TNF-α directly increased the expression of CD9 in isolated mice pancreatic acinar cells in vitro. The deletion of CD9 expression partially reversed both pancreatic acinar cell death induced by CCK and m RNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines produced by damaged acinar cells. Conclusion These results indicate that increased CD9 expression may be involved in pancreatic injury, possibly via the promotion of cytokine expressions in CIP in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease ( AD) is the most common form of dementia and displays the characteristics of chronic neurodegenerative disorders; amyloid plaques ( AP) that contain amyloid β-protein (Aβ) accumulate in AD, which is also characterized by tau phosphorylation. Epidemiological evidence has demonstrated that long-term treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs) markedly reduces the risk of AD by inhibiting the expression of cyclooxygenase 2 ( COX-2). Although the levels of COX-2 and its metabolic product prostaglandin ( PG) E2 are elevated in the brain of AD patients, the mechanisms for the development of AD remain unknown. Using human- or mouse-derived glioblastoma and neuroblastoma cell lines as model systems, we delineated the signaling pathways by which COX-2 mediates the reciprocal regulation of interleukin-1β ( IL-1β) and Aβ between glial and neuron cells. In glioblastoma cells, COX-2 regulates the synthesis of IL-1β in a PGE2-dependent manner. Moreover, COX-2-derived PGE2 signals the activation of the PI3- K/ AKT and PKA/ CREB pathways via cyclic AMP; these pathways transactivate the NF-κB p65 subunit via phosphorylation at Ser 536 and Ser 276, leading to IL-1β synthesis. The secretion of IL-1β from glioblastoma cells in turn stimulates the expression of COX-2 in human or mouse neuroblastoma cells. Similar regulatory mechanisms were found for the COX-2 regulation of BACE-1 expression in neuroblastoma cells. More importantly, Aβ deposition mediated the inflammatory response of glial cells via inducing the expression of COX-2 in glioblastoma cells. These findings not only provide new insights into the mechanisms of COX-2-induced AD but also initially define the therapeutic targets of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high Q‐factor substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity resonator and its application of X‐band low phase noise oscillator is proposed. Complementary split‐ring resonators are used to improve the Q‐factor of the proposed resonator. The size of the resonator is reduced by using quarter‐mode circular SIW cavity. The oscillator based on the proposed SIW cavity resonator can be easily designed and tested. Measured results demonstrate an output frequency of 10.11 GHz and a phase noise of −108.7 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offset. The oscillator is also able to deliver an output power of 4.6 dBm and harmonic rejection of better than 30 dBc. The proposed oscillator is suitable for low‐cost high‐frequency systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work focused on the effect of glycosylation on the gelation ability of β-conglycinin induced by microbial transglutaminase ( MTGase). Rheological results indicated that the gels of β-conglycinin-dextran conjugate products exhibited higher G′ value (172.2 ± 8.6 Pa) compared with those of dry-heated β-conglycinin (75.2 ± 5.1 Pa), β-conglycinin (53.3 ± 4.0 Pa) and β-conglycinin-dextran mixture (38.6 ± 2.6 Pa) after 4 h incubation with MTGase. The gels prepared from β-conglycinin-dextran conjugate products had higher hardness, fracturability, springiness and cohesiveness values determined by textural profile analysis. The turbidity of β-conglycinin-dextran conjugate products solution incubated with MTGase increased faster than those of the other three protein samples. The conjugated dextran in β-conglycinin-dextran conjugate products could inhibit extensive protein-protein interactions which might result in the formation of more ordered and stronger gel network structures during MTGase cross-linking process. A compact and homogeneous gel networks in β-conglycinin-dextran conjugate products gels were also observed by scanning electron microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A novel model of injection-locked dual optoelectronic oscillator (ILD-OEO) is proposed and verified by experiments in this article. We not only built an accurate model for ILD-OEO but also analyzed the influence of fiber length on the white noise-limited phase noise of ILD-OEO. Results show that the single sideband (SSB) phase noise would increase when fiber delay line is long enough. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:2568-2571, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus subtilis and other Bacilli have long been used as biological control agents against plant bacterial diseases but the mechanisms by which the bacteria confer protection are not well understood. Our goal in this study was to isolate strains of B. subtilis that exhibit high levels of biocontrol efficacy from natural environments and to investigate the mechanisms by which these strains confer plant protection. We screened a total of 60 isolates collected from various locations across China and obtained six strains that exhibited above 50% biocontrol efficacy on tomato plants against the plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum under greenhouse conditions. These wild strains were able to form robust biofilms both in defined medium and on tomato plant roots and exhibited strong antagonistic activities against various plant pathogens in plate assays. We show that plant protection by those strains depended on widely conserved genes required for biofilm formation, including regulatory genes and genes for matrix production. We provide evidence suggesting that matrix production is critical for bacterial colonization on plant root surfaces. Finally, we have established a model system for studies of B. subtilis-tomato plant interactions in protection against a plant pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]