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Conspiracy theories tend to be prevalent, particularly in societies with high economic inequality. However, few studies have examined the relationship between economic inequality and belief in conspiracy theories. We propose that economic inequality leads people to believe conspiracy theories about economically advantaged groups (i.e., upwards conspiracy theories) and that moral evaluations of those groups mediate this relationship. Study 1 (N = 300) found support for these ideas in a survey among Chinese residents. Study 2 (N = 160) manipulated participants' perceptions of economic inequality in a virtual society. The manipulation shaped moral evaluations of economically advantaged groups, and conspiracy beliefs, in the predicted manner. In Study 3 (N = 191) and Study 4 (N = 210), we experimentally manipulated participants' perceptions of economic inequality in real Chinese society and replicated the results of Study 2. In addition, in Study 4, we find that economic inequality predicts belief in conspiracy theories about economically disadvantaged groups (i.e., downward conspiracy theories), which was mediated by anomie. We conclude that perceived economic inequality predicts conspiracy theories about economically advantaged groups and that moral evaluations account for this effect. Also, upward and downward conspiracy theory beliefs are associated with different psychological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pituitary is a vital endocrine organ for synthesis and secretion of gonadotropic hormones (FSH and LH), and the gonadotropin showed fluctuations in animals with different fecundity. Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as regulatory factors for the reproductive process. However, the profiles of lncRNAs and their roles involved in sheep fecundity remains unclear. In this study, we performed RNA‐sequencing for the sheep pituitary gland associated with different fecundity, and identified a novel candidate lncRNA LOC105613571 targeting BDNF related to gonadotropin secretion. Our results showed that expression of lncRNA LOC105613571 and BDNF could be significantly upregulated by GnRH stimulation in sheep pituitary cells in vitro. Notably, either lncRNA LOC105613571 or BDNF silencing inhibited cell proliferation while promoted cell apoptosis. Moreover, lncRNA LOC105613571 knockdown could also downregulate gonadotropin secretion via inactivation AKT, ERK and mTOR pathway. In addition, co‐treatment with GnRH stimulation and lncRNA LOC105613571 or BDNF knockdown showed the opposite effect on sheep pituitary cells in vitro. In summary, BDNF‐binding lncRNA LOC105613571 in sheep regulates pituitary cell proliferation and gonadotropin secretion via the AKT/ERK‐mTOR pathway, providing new ideas for the molecular mechanisms of pituitary functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Cross‐electrophile coupling of triazine esters with aryl bromides could be facilely accomplished by employing nickel as catalyst, magnesium as metal mediator, and lithium chloride as additive. The reactions proceeded efficiently in THF at room temperature through C—O bond activation to afford an array of structurally different diaryl ketones in moderate to good yields with wide functional group tolerance. Control experiments showed that nickel, magnesium, lithium chloride, and THF are all indispensable for the good performance of the coupling reaction. Preliminary mechanistic exploration indicated that in situ formed arylmagnesium reagent by the insertion of magnesium into aryl bromide might serve as the key intermediate of the cross‐coupling. The method which avoids the utilization of moisture‐labile and relatively difficult‐to‐obtain organometallics is step‐economical, cost‐efficient, and operationally simple, potentially serving as an attractive alternative to documented methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The impact of donor age on the immune reconstitution of patients with hematological malignancies who underwent hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is unclear. Method: We retrospectively compared the outcomes of 381 patients who underwent allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) from 308 donors under 50 years of age and 73 donors over 50 years of age. IVIG was regularly supplemented for patients in the first 3 months post‐HCT. Results: The counts of CD8+CD45RA+ naïve T cells were significantly lower in patients of the older donor group than in the younger donor group in the first year after PBSCT (190.6 cells/μl vs. 239.6 cells/μl, p =.018). Patients in the older donor group had significantly fewer CD19+ B cells on day +270 (123.4 cells/μl vs. 183.5 cells/μl, p =.021) and day +365 (169 cells/μl vs. 271.1 cells/μl, p =.01) after PBSCT. Serum IgA (.76 g/L vs..97 g/L, p <.001) and IgM levels (.75 g/L vs. 1.04 g/L, p <.001) were significantly lower in patients in the older donor group from day +60 to +365 after PBSCT. The EBV reactivation rate within the first 3 months after PBSCT was significantly higher in patients in the older donor group (48.6% vs. 38.3%, p =.034). However, the incidences of CMV reactivation, II‐IV acute graft‐versus‐host disease (aGvHD), chronic GvHD (cGvHD), 3‐year relapse rate, 3‐year transplant‐related mortality (TRM) and 3‐year overall survival (OS) were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: In conclusion, donors ≥50 years old were associated with inferior immune reconstitution and higher EBV reactivation in patients after PBSCT, but no change in OS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The I eIF4E i has become a major target for engineering viral resistance using the CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9) genome-editing technology. Keywords: wheat (Triticum aestivum); barley (Hordeum vulgare); eIF4E; host factor; genetic resistance; genome editing EN wheat (Triticum aestivum) barley (Hordeum vulgare) eIF4E host factor genetic resistance genome editing 893 895 3 04/19/23 20230501 NES 230501 Viruses, one of the most agriculturally important groups of plant pathogens, account for 47% of all emerging plant infectious diseases (Anderson I et al i ., [1]). CRISPR/Cas9-guided knockout of eIF4E improves Wheat yellow mosaic virus resistance without yield penalty This study reported CRISPR/Cas9-guided genome editing of wheat orthologous of the barley susceptibility factor gene I HveIF4E i . [Extracted from the article]

The development and application of information and communication technology in distribution networks (DNs) brings new and abundant measurement data, and this has inspired many solutions for the monitoring, protection and control application of DNs. Against this background, a novel fault location method based on structure‐preserving state estimation (SPSE) is proposed to enhance the fault location performance of DNs. A SPSE model that reflects the change in the network topology during fault incidents is constructed by combining classical measurement equations with newly introduced topology equations. Then, a unified faulted structure‐preserving topology model that eliminates the influence of uncertain fault location point is presented. According to the calculated measurement residual indices and the equivalent fault current for each state estimation (SE) section, the location of the fault is determined. Considering different fault scenarios in a distribution network, the performance of the proposed method is tested by using MATLAB software. Moreover, the factors of sensor accuracy, the bad data and data missing issues are considered. The test results demonstrate that the method can precisely determine the real location of fault and has good robustness to possible data anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a rare case of multiple giant coronary artery aneurysms combined with anomalous aortic origin of left coronary artery in a 30‐years old man precisely diagnosed by multimodality imaging, including echocardiography, coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA), cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), and selective coronary angiography. The imaging results were finally confirmed by surgery. We present the clinical value of multimodality imaging in diagnosing coronary artery aneurysm and anomalous origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The standard 5 years of endocrine therapy has demonstrated additional benefits compared with short‐term (2‐3 years) treatment in patients with estrogen receptor (ER)‐positive breast cancer; however, data specific to ER‐low positive breast cancer (1%‐10% by immunohistochemistry) are limited, and it is unclear whether long‐term treatment is still necessary for this subgroup. Methods: The authors used the prospectively maintained Breast Surgery Database of Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center for this propensity‐matched analysis. The primary end point was disease‐free survival. Multivariate Cox regression analysis and propensity score‐matching methods were used to minimize bias. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. All statistics were 2‐sided. Results: From 2012 to 2017, 22,768 consecutive women had pathologically confirmed, early stage breast cancer, and 1013 (4.45%) were identified with ER‐low positive disease. Among these, 634 patients met the inclusion criteria and were divided into 3 groups: those who received no endocrine therapy (n = 89), those who received 2 to 3 years of endocrine therapy (n = 185), and those who received approximately 5 years of endocrine therapy (n = 360). At a median follow‐up of 65 months, there was no significant difference in disease‐free survival between patients who received 2 to 3 years and 5 years of endocrine therapy (HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.51‐1.33; P =.43). The findings were consistent after multivariate Cox analysis of the propensity score‐matched samples (5 vs 2‐3 years of treatment: HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.41‐1.31; P =.30). Conclusions: Short‐term endocrine therapy for 2 to 3 years might be an alternative for patients who have ER‐low positive breast cancer instead of the standard 5 years of treatment. Short‐term endocrine therapy for 2 to 3 years might be an alternative for patients who have estrogen receptor‐low positive breast cancer instead of the standard 5 years. More extensive studies and translational research on identifying endocrine‐sensitive cases within this population are still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: barley; genome editing; host factor; recessive resistance; soil-borne viruses; virus resistance; wheat EN barley genome editing host factor recessive resistance soil-borne viruses virus resistance wheat 340 344 5 03/22/22 20220415 NES 220415 Acknowledgements We would like to thank the Federal I Ex situ i Gene Bank (IPK Gatersleben) for providing the seeds of wild relatives, Dr Xingguo Ye and Dr Ke Wang (Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences) for assistance on wheat transformation, Zhentian He and Shiqiang Chen (Agricultural Sciences Institute in Jiangsu Lixiahe Area) for help on field trials of wheat relatives, and Simon G. Krattinger (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) for critical comments. Simultaneous editing of host factor gene TaPDIL5-1 homoeoalleles confers wheat yellow mosaic virus resistance in hexaploid wheat Furthermore, this study demonstrates a strategy to recover recessive resistance genes against viruses in an allopolyploid species by identifying the susceptibility genes in its diploid progenitors (e.g. I T. urartu i , I A. speltoides i , and I A. tauschii i ) or relatives (e.g. I Triticum monococcum i and I H. vulgare i ), followed by manipulation of their homoeologues in transformable varieties via genome editing. More than 90% of genes in the wheat genome generally have two or three homoeologues with an average of 97.2% identity in their coding sequences (International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium, 2018), showing high levels of functional redundancy (i.e. wheat powdery mildew resistance gene I MLO i ) (Wang I et al i ., 2014). [Extracted from the article]

Background: Meat quality and flavour are important criteria for judging fresh pork and processed products. However, there have been few studies on meat quality and volatile flavour substances of different parts of binary hybrid pigs. Objective: To study the differences in meat quality and volatile flavour substances between different cuts of pork, which could provide the basis for consumer decision‐making when purchasing pork. Methods: Twenty Du‐Ba binary hybrid pigs (first filial [F1] generation) bred from Duroc and Bamei pigs were used. This study systematically compared and analysed the basic nutritional components, amino acid composition, fatty acid composition and flavour profiles of longissimus dorsi, rib muscle and tendon meat of four Du‐Ba binary hybrid pigs; all assays were repeated in triplicate. Results: Crude protein, calcium and phosphorus content in tendon meat were higher than that in the longissimus dorsi. The intramuscular fat content of the rib muscle was higher than that in the longissimus dorsi and tendon meat (p < 0.05). The amino acid content was highest in the tendon meat. The levels of essential amino acids and flavour‐associated amino acids per kilogram of longissimus dorsi were higher than those in the rib muscle and tendon meat. Moreover, the content of aspartic acid, serine and cystine were higher in the longissimus dorsi than in the other two parts. The type of saturated fatty acids and the type and content of unsaturated fatty acids in tendon meat were higher than in the longissimus dorsi and rib muscle. The total content of volatile flavour compounds was higher in the longissimus dorsi than in the rib muscle and tendon meat. Conclusion: The rib muscle contains high deposits of fat, and tendon meat has a relatively high nutritional value, while the longissimus dorsi has a stronger flavour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total synthesis of the anticancer peptide natural product yaku'amide A is reported. Its β‐tert‐hydroxy amino acids were prepared by regioselective aminohydroxylation involving a chiral mesyloxycarbamate reagent. Stereospecific construction of the E‐ and Z‐ΔIle residues was accomplished through a one‐pot reaction featuring anti dehydration, azide reduction, and O→N acyl transfer. Alkene isomerization was negligible during this process. These methods enabled a highly convergent and efficient synthetic route to the natural product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total synthesis of the anticancer peptide natural product yaku'amide A is reported. Its β‐tert‐hydroxy amino acids were prepared by regioselective aminohydroxylation involving a chiral mesyloxycarbamate reagent. Stereospecific construction of the E‐ and Z‐ΔIle residues was accomplished through a one‐pot reaction featuring anti dehydration, azide reduction, and O→N acyl transfer. Alkene isomerization was negligible during this process. These methods enabled a highly convergent and efficient synthetic route to the natural product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the morphological characteristics of the nailfold capillaries in glaucoma patients with those in healthy subjects. To evaluate the relationship of nailfold capillary morphology with retinal thickness and retinal vessel density in patients with primary open‐angle (POAG) and primary angle‐closure glaucoma (PACG). Methods: Fifty‐one patients with normal‐tension glaucoma, thirty‐two patients with hypertension glaucoma, thirty‐two PACG patients and sixty‐one healthy subjects were included in this cross‐sectional study. Patients with connective tissue diseases or taking anticoagulation or antiplatelet agents were excluded. Nailfold capillaroscopy, spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography were used to evaluate the nailfold capillary morphology, retinal thickness and retinal vessel density, respectively. Results: Nailfold capillary morphological features, including lower capillary density, greater tortuosity, more dilated capillaries >50 μm and more avascular zones >100 μm, were more common in POAG and PACG patients than in control subjects (all p < 0.001). In the POAG group, nailfold vessel density was negatively correlated with ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness (odds ratio [OR] = 0.908, p = 0.010) and radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) density (OR = 0.787, p = 0.025). Tortuosity degree was negatively associated with RPC density (OR = 0.804, p = 0.016). In the PACG group, no evident relationship between nailfold capillary morphology and retinal thickness or retinal vessel density was detected (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: Nailfold capillary bed abnormalities were observed in both POAG and PACG patients. The nailfold capillary features, especially microvascular density and tortuosity degree, had a significant association with GCC thickness and RPC density in subjects with POAG but not in those with PACG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Silkie chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus brisson) is also named Chinese Taihe chicken, characterized by blue comb, green earlobes, black skin, meat and bones. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of spirulina feeding on the nutritive value and flavour of silkie hens eggs. Methods: A total of 280 Silkie hens of 42 weeks old were fed 4 different diets, including basal diet and basal diet containing 0.1%, 0.3% and 0.5% spirulina. Each diet group was divided into 70 Silkie hens experimentally. The production performance of silkie hens, the nutritional compositions [e.g., amino acids (AAs) and fatty acids] and flavour substances of silkie hens eggs were compared with control. Results: A 0.3% and 0.5% spirulina feeding significantly increased the average egg production rate and average egg weight, while only 0.3% spirulina feeding decreased both the average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio of silkie hens compared with the controls (p < 0.05). The contents of crude protein, fat, cholesterol and Ca in silkie hens eggs were significantly increased by 0.3% spirulina feeding (p < 0.05). Only fat and cholesterol were significantly increased by 0.5% spirulina but had no significant difference compared with 0.3% spirulina. The flavour, amino acids/total AAs, and saturated fatty acids/unsaturated fatty acids in silkie hens eggs were significantly increased by 0.3% spirulina feeding than other groups (p < 0.05). A total of 46 volatile substances were identified in silkie hens eggs, and the substances of total acids, alkanes and aldehydes were significantly increased by 0.3% spirulina feeding. Conclusion: Spirulina feeding at a proportion of 0.3% improved the production performance of silkie hens, and nutritive value and flavour of silkie hens eggs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: Management of cystic bleb leak is difficult. It would be essential to look for a method to strengthen the original pathological conjunctiva and reverse bleb leak. Background: To evaluate the long‐term efficacy and safety of collagen crosslinking in patients with leaking cystic bleb. Design Prospective interventional case series at a university‐based hospital. Participants: Twelve eyes in 12 subjects with late‐onset bleb leak from cystic bleb, without indications for prompt surgical interventions were included. Methods: The subjects underwent crosslinking with 0.1% riboflavin application to bleb surface, followed by ultraviolet irradiation for 30 minutes. The subjects were followed up at baseline and at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months post‐treatment and then every 6 months afterwards. Main Outcome Measures: Interval from treatment to cessation of bleb leak, recurrence rate of bleb leak and side effects of treatment. Results: The mean follow‐up after crosslinking was 29.33 ± 12.45 months. Bleb leak subsided in 11 (92%) of 12 patients after a single session of crosslinking, after 1 to 8 weeks (median 3 weeks). Time to leak cessation was significantly correlated with the number of prior glaucoma interventions (R = .71, P = .014). Bleb wall at 3 months was significantly thicker than at baseline (0.70 ± 0.67 vs 0.81 ± 0.62 mm, P = .008). None of the patients experienced any complications. Conclusions and Relevance: Crosslinking achieves resolution of cystic bleb leak which lasts for at least 12 months, without the need of subsequent surgical interventions. Crosslinking is a simple, non‐invasive treatment for bleb leak. It aims to restore the integrity of conjunctiva. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HLA‐C*03:04:74 differs from HLA‐C*03:04:01:01 by one nucleotide in exon 6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Third‐generation irreversible epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR‐TKI), rociletinib (CO‐1686), is great efficacy against EGFR‐mutated patients bearing the T790M resistance mutation. However, acquired resistance may emerge. There is a need to characterize acquired resistance mechanism(s) and to devise ways to overcome CO‐1686 resistance. Experimental Design: MTT assay, ki67 incorporation assay, transwell assay and TUNEL assay were employed to analyze the effects of metformin to reverse CO‐1686 resistance in vitro. The NF‐κB activity was measured by the antibody of p50, p65, p‐IKBɑ, and p‐IKKɑ/β. Western blotting was used to analyze the proteins in cells. Results: We have established CO‐1686‐resistant cell lines of PC‐9GRCOR and H1975COR from two parental cell lines of PC‐9GR and H1975 by long‐term exposure to increasing doses of CO‐1686. Compared with the parental cells, PC‐9GRCOR cells and H1975COR cells showed 90‐folds and 20‐folds higher resistance to CO‐1686, respectively. Critically, we showed that the nuclear factor kappa‐light‐chain‐enhancer of activated B cells (NF‐κB) signaling molecular proteins subunits of p50, p65 and its inhibitor proteins of IKBɑ, IKKɑ/β in phosphorylation levels in resistant cells were higher than parental cells. Accordingly, inhibition of NF‐κB activity used TPCA‐1 effective in decreasing viability and inducing apoptosis of resistant cells. Moreover, metformin overcame the acquired resistance to CO‐1686 by reducing cell proliferation and invasion. Metformin combined with CO‐1686 synergistically inhibited the p‐IKBɑ, p‐IKKɑ/β, p50, and p65. Conclusions: NF‐κB signaling activation induced acquired resistance to CO‐1686. Metformin sensitized resistant cells to CO‐1686 via inhibiting NF‐κB signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite its rarity, studies have shown the incidence of gastric neuroendocrine tumors (G‐NETs) is increasing. This study investigated the risk factors affecting the survival of G‐NETs patients and their prognosis over time. Method: A retrospective analysis of 506 G‐NETs patients who underwent surgery for nonmetastatic disease from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result database from 1988 to 2011 was conducted. Multivariate Cox regression analyses identified the prognostic factors affecting overall survival (OS) and disease‐specific survival (DSS). Three‐year conditional survival (COS3 and CDS3) estimates at "x" year after treatment were calculated as follows: COS3 = OS(x + 3)/OS(x) and CDS3 = DSS(x + 3)/DSS(x). Results: The 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year OS rates of all patients after surgery were 90.2%, 77.3%, and 68.8%, respectively. The 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year DSS rates after surgery were 93.9%, 84.5%, and 80.9%, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, age, tumor grade, and T stage were independent prognostic factors of OS and DSS (all P < 0.05). With 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year survivorship, the COS3 improved by +5.2 (82.2%), +7.2 (84.4%), and +8.5 (85.5%), respectively, and the CDS3 improved by +4.4 (89.4%), +9.1 (94.1%), and +12.5 (97.5%), respectively. Notably, the CDS3 improved dramatically among patients with advanced stage disease (eg, N0 stage: 93.0%‐98.9%, Δ5.9% vs N1 stage: 52.0%‐95.7%, Δ43.7%). Conclusion: For G‐NETs patients, age, tumor grade, T stage, and N stage were the clinicopathological factors significantly associated with prognosis. There were excellent outcomes for most G‐NETs patients, with a CDS3 of greater than 90% across all independent prognostic factors after 5 years of survival. Our study showed that age, tumor grade, T stage, and N stage were the prognostic factors of patients with G‐NETs, whose survival improves gradually with each year of survival after surgery. The patients with poorer initial prognosis, the gap between the actual DSS and CDS3 or OS and COS, become increasingly significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cylindrical vector beam (CVB)‐pulsed fibre laser with compact linear‐cavity configuration has been demonstrated, using a two‐mode fibre (TMF) Bragg grating (TM‐FBG) for mode discrimination and a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) for passive mode‐locking. As a result, mode‐locked CVB pulses with fundamental repetition rate of 10.295 MHz have been obtained. Besides, with increased pump power harmonic, mode‐locked CVB pulses have been achieved, for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Amphiphilic cationic poly(ethylene oxide)‐S(polylysine)‐poly( d, l‐lactide) (mPEO‐S(CKn)‐PLA) tri‐arm star copolymers were synthesized by a combination of ring opening polymerization (ROP) and a thiol–disulfide exchange. The mPEO‐S(CKn)‐PLA copolymers were found to be non‐cytotoxic and could effectively condense GFP plasmid DNA into nanometer‐sized complexes, as characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), suitable for endocytotic cellular uptake. In vitro DNA transfection studies showed that the amphiphilic structure is capable of DNA transfection and GFP expression. Addition of chloroquine into the medium further enhanced the DNA transfection efficiency. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018, 56, 635–644 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexity of a quantum state may be closely related to the usefulness of the state for quantum computation. We discuss this link using the tree size of a multiqubit state, a complexity measure that has two noticeable (and, so far, unique) features: it is in principle computable, and non-trivial lower bounds can be obtained, hence identifying truly complex states. In this paper, we first review the definition of tree size, together with known results on the most complex three and four qubits states. Moving to the multiqubit case, we revisit a mathematical theorem for proving a lower bound on tree size that scales superpolynomially in the number of qubits. Next, states with superpolynomial tree size, the Immanant states, the Deutsch-Jozsa states, the Shor's states and the subgroup states, are described. We showed that the universal resource state for measurement based quantum computation, the 2D cluster state, has superpolynomial tree size. Moreover, we showed how the complexity of subgroup states and the 2D cluster state can be verified efficiently. The question of how tree size is related to the speed up achieved in quantum computation is also addressed. We show that superpolynomial tree size of the resource state is essential for measurement based quantum computation. The necessary role of large tree size in the circuit model of quantum computation is still a conjecture; and we prove a weaker version of the conjecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton transfer is crucial for electrocatalysis. Accumulating cations at electrochemical interfaces can alter the proton transfer rate and then tune electrocatalytic performance. However, the mechanism for regulating proton transfer remains ambiguous. Here, we quantify the cation effect on proton diffusion in solution by hydrogen evolution on microelectrodes, revealing the rate can be suppressed by more than 10 times. Different from the prevalent opinions that proton transport is slowed down by modified electric field, we found water structure imposes a more evident effect on kinetics. FTIR test and path integral molecular dynamics simulation indicate that proton prefers to wander within the hydration shell of cations rather than to hop rapidly along water wires. Low connectivity of water networks disrupted by cations corrupts the fast‐moving path in bulk water. This study highlights the promising way for regulating proton kinetics via a modified water structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton transfer is crucial for electrocatalysis. Accumulating cations at electrochemical interfaces can alter the proton transfer rate and then tune electrocatalytic performance. However, the mechanism for regulating proton transfer remains ambiguous. Here, we quantify the cation effect on proton diffusion in solution by hydrogen evolution on microelectrodes, revealing the rate can be suppressed by more than 10 times. Different from the prevalent opinions that proton transport is slowed down by modified electric field, we found water structure imposes a more evident effect on kinetics. FTIR test and path integral molecular dynamics simulation indicate that proton prefers to wander within the hydration shell of cations rather than to hop rapidly along water wires. Low connectivity of water networks disrupted by cations corrupts the fast‐moving path in bulk water. This study highlights the promising way for regulating proton kinetics via a modified water structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim It has been shown that glycolytic metabolism is increased in malignant cells. Cancer cell growth is an energy-related process supported by an increased glucose metabolism. In addition, p63, a known homolog of p53, is expressed predominantly in basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of glucose transporter protein 1 ( GLUT1) and p63 in patients with serous ovarian tumor (benign, borderline and malignant) and study their close relationship with the malignant transformation of serous ovarian tumors. Methods Two hundred formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections were immunostained with rabbit anti- GLUT1 polyclonal antibody and mouse anti-p63 monoclonal antibody using the streptavidin-biotin method. The samples were as follows: 40 normal ovarian tissues, 40 serous cystadenomas, 40 borderline serous cystadenomas and 80 serous cystadenocarcinomas were stained. Result Normal ovarian tissues showed completely negative staining for GLUT1 and p63. However, from benign serious cystadenomas, borderline cystadenomas to cystadenocarcinomas, the expression of GLUT1 and p63 grew stronger ( P < 0.05). Moreover, the intensity staining of GLUT1 maintained a significant association with the expression of p63 ( P < 0.05). In χ2-test analysis, expression of borderline cystadenomas and cystadenocarcinomas, intraperitoneal implants, ascites, lymph node status and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics ( FIGO) stage and GLUT1 expression levels have an appalling significance ( P < 0.05), while FIGO stage, intraperitoneal implants and lymph node status except patient age and ascites have a statistical significance with the expression of p63 levels ( P < 0.05). Conclusion Our findings show a progressive increase in the expression of GLUT1 and p63 from the benign serous cystadenomas, borderline cystadenomas to cystadenocarcinomas. Overexpression of GLUT1 and p63 are associated with the histology FIGO stage and metastasis of the tumors. These data suggested that the expression of GLUT1 and p63 may be closely related to the malignant transformation of serous ovarian tumors. However, the relative importance of GLUT1 and p63 in ovarian serous tumor development and tumorigenesis remains mostly unclear and awaits further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of non-cutaneous vascular lesions in the syndrome of multiple enchondromas and subcutaneous hemangiomas, also named Maffucci syndrome, is exceedingly rare. Until now, non-cutaneous vascular lesions have been described in nine patients, while only three cases were present in the oral cavity; they were found in the tongue in two patients and in the lower lip in one patient. Herein, we report the second case of vascular lesions localized in the mucosa of lower lip in a patient with Maffucci syndrome. Histopathologic examination showed spindle cell hemangioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To determine the function of Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 2 (Smurf2) on the development of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. METHODS: In vivo Smurf2 expression in fibrotic and cirrhotic rat and human liver tissues were measured using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot (WB) and immunohistochemistry. In vitro Smurf2 levels were determined in LX-2 cell line with or without transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 treatment; I, III, IV collagen and laminin levels were determined by ELISA. The recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1-Smurf2 was transfected into LX-2 cells, and WB and ELISA were utilized to analyze the expression of TGF-β receptor type I (TβRI), Smad7, collagens and laminin with or without proteasome inhibitor MG-132. Coimmunoprecipitation was utilized to characterize the interactions among these factors and the ubiquitination levels. pcDNA3.1-Smad7 vector was transfected and subsequent examinations were conducted just as Smurf2. RESULTS: Smurf2 levels were elevated in the early period of fibrotic rat liver and TGF-β1-treated LX-2 cells but were reduced in the cirrhotic livers. Smurf2 overexpression in LX-2 cells reduced TβRI and Smad7 levels, which was accompanied by decreased collagen and laminin levels. Coimmunoprecipitation demonstrated that Smurf2 interacted with TβRI and Smad7, which increased TβRI and Smad7 ubiquitin levels. Smad7 overexpression reduced the TβRI level and was accompanied by decreased collagen and laminin levels. MG-132 could antagonize these effects. CONCLUSION: Smurf2 interacts with Smad7 to suppress TGF-β-mediated liver fibrosis through the ubiquitin-dependent degradation of TβRI during the early period of liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary This prospective clinical study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the pre‐emptive treatment modality of azacitidine in combination with interferon‐α (IFN‐α) in AML/MDS patients post‐transplantation. Forty‐seven patients aged 17–62 were enrolled with 14 patients having completed the planned 12 cycles. Following initiation, 72.3% responded positively after the first cycle, peaking at 77.2% by the fifth cycle. Notably, 24 patients maintained sustained responses throughout a median follow‐up of 1050 days (range, 866–1234). Overall survival, leukaemia‐free survival and event‐free survival probabilities at 3 years were 69.5%, 60.4% and 35.7% respectively. Cumulative incidences of relapse and non‐relapse mortality were 36.5% and 4.3% respectively. Multivariate analysis identified that receiving pre‐emptive treatment for fewer than six cycles and the absence of chronic graft‐versus‐host disease after intervention was significantly associated with poorer clinical outcomes. The combination of azacitidine with IFN‐α was well‐tolerated with no observed severe myelotoxicity, and the majority of adverse events were reversible and manageable. In conclusion, the use of azacitidine in conjunction with IFN‐α as pre‐emptive therapy is a safe and effective treatment to prevent disease progression in AML/MDS patients with MRD positivity post‐allo‐HSCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featuring high theoretical capacity, low cost, and low preparation temperature, Li‐free cathodes are considered promising for all‐solid‐state thin‐film lithium microbatteries (TFBs). In this work, a Li‐free cathode of amorphous FeOxSy film is prepared, followed by the fabrication and investigation of FeOxSy/LiPON/Li TFBs. It is found that the structural degradation at both the LiPON/Li and FeOxSy/LiPON interfaces results in a rapid capacity loss for the TFB during electrochemical cycling. To achieve both high rate capability and long cycle life for the TFB, a dual‐interface modification approach using amorphous Al2O3 as an interlayer is proposed. During the TFB cycling, the Al2O3 interlayer not only enables robust LiPON/Li contact by preventing the formation of Li voids but also blocks the diffusion of Fe element from FeOxSy to LiPON electrolyte, effectively suppressing the interfacial resistance growth. Consequently, the dual‐interface modified TFB achieves greatly improved rate capability (194.3 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1) and cycle performance (71% capacity retention after 800 cycles), which are superior to the pristine TFB and single‐interface modified TFB. This work advances the fundamental understanding of the failure mechanisms at the solid‐solid electrode/electrolyte interfaces, offering a feasible interfacial modulation strategy to develop advanced all‐solid‐state lithium batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three snail family genes snail, escargot and worniu, encode related zinc finger transcription factors that mediate Drosophila central nervous system (CNS) development. We show that simultaneous removal of all three genes causes defective neuroblast asymmetric divisions; inscuteable transcription/translation is delayed/suppressed in the segmented CNS. Further more, defects in localization of cell fate determinants and orientation of the mitotic spindle in dividing neuroblasts are much stronger than those associated with inscuteable loss of function. In inscuteable neuroblasts, cell fate determinants are mislocalized during prophase and metaphase, yet during anaphase and telophase the great majority of mutant neuroblasts localize these determinants as cortical crescents overlying one of the spindle poles. This phenomenon, known as 'telophase rescue', does not occur in the absence of the snail family genes; moreover, in contrast to inscuteable mutants, mitotic spindle orientation is completely randomized. Our data provide further evidence for the existence of two distinct asymmetry‐controlling mechanisms in neuroblasts both of which require snail family gene function: an inscuteable‐dependent mechanism that functions throughout mitosis and an inscuteable‐independent mechanism that acts during anaphase/telophase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD), mainly mediated by B cells and AQP4 antibody, has a high rate of recurrence. Telitacicept is a novel drug specifically targeting the upstream signaling for the activation of B cell with its following production of autoimmune antibodies. Thus, it may be a promising approach. Our study preliminarily explored the potential safety and effectiveness of Telitacicept following plasma exchange in the treatment of recurrent NMOSD. Methods: This was a single‐center, single‐arm, open‐label study enrolling eight patients with recurrent NMOSD in China. All patients received plasma exchange three times, followed by Telitacicept 240 mg every week for 46 times. The primary endpoint was the time of first recurrence after enrollment. Secondary end points included: changes in Expanded Disability Status Scale score, Optic Spinal Impairment Scale score, Hauser Ambulation Index, number of lesions on MRI, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measured by optical coherence tomography, latency and amplitude of visual evoked potential, titer of AQP4 antibody, and immune parameters of blood. Safety was also assessed. The study was registered with Chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR1800019427). Results: Eight eligible patients were enrolled. Relapse occurred in two patients (25%) and five patients (63%) remained relapse free after 48 weeks of treatment. The time to first recurrence was prolonged and the number of recurrences was reduced (p < 0.001, power of test = 1). One patient withdrew from the study due to low neutrophil count. No serious adverse events occurred. Conclusions: In this small, uncontrolled study, Telitacicept following plasma exchange has the potential to be a safe treatment for patients with recurrent NMOSD. It may prolong the recurrence interval and reduces the annual count of recurrences. A multicenter randomized controlled study with a larger sample is thus feasible and needed to further assess its safety and efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Records of the Lomagundi–Jatuli Event (LJE) are well preserved globally, but high δ13Ccarb carbonates have not been identified in the North China Craton (NCC). Our results on ~3–4 km thick carbonates from the newly confirmed Palaeoproterozoic successions in Fanhe Basin in the northeastern NCC show that the ~2.20–2.06 Ga carbonates have positive carbon isotope excursion and those deposited after 2.06 Ga have normal carbon isotope. Specially, carbonates from the Daposhan Formation have δ13Ccarb values of 10.2‰–11.8‰, which is the largest positive carbon isotope excursion in the NCC. The ~2.20–2.06 Ga carbonates in Fanhe Basin have similar δ13Ccarb values as those contemporaneously deposited in other cratons and their δ13Ccarb values exhibit a decreasing trend from ~2.20 Ga to 2.06 Ga. Our identification of carbonates with high positive δ13Ccarb values in Fanhe Basin not only casts new lights on records of the LJE in the NCC, but also provides important constraints on global significance of the positive δ13Ccarb excursion of LJE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the crystallization of the compound enoxacin hydroiodide. The compound formed consists of protonated enoxacin cations and iodide anions. In the crystal structure the carboxyl OH group forms an intramolecular hydrogen bond with the carbonyl oxygen atom of the naphthyridine system. In the experiment enoxacin and lead iodide were mixed and heated at 373 K to give light-yellow crystals of the compound.

Seed dormancy is agronomically important trait that associates with plant survival and seed production. Wild species present long dormancy to protect their seeds from unfavourable climate conditions until the next growing season. In contrast, shortened dormancy extends crop adaptability and promotes crop rotation in agriculture. However, the shortened dormancy brought about the risk of preharvest sprouting (PHS) on cereal crops in temperate and subtropical regions. Recently, two major quantitative genetic loci Qsd1 and Qsd2 that control the seed dormancy in barley have been cloned. In this study, two kompetitive allele‐specific PCR (KASP) markers were developed and applied in a genotypic survey among 859 accessions of cultivated barley. Long‐dormancy‐associated alleles at both loci were over‐represented within East Asian accessions. Both Qsd1 and Qsd2 had significant genetic effects on seed dormancy variations in cultivated barley. Thus, the two KASP markers could be applied in selecting favourable alleles in breeding practice to optimize the seed dormancy duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we theoretically and experimentally reported a lead‐free pyroelectric infrared (PIR) detector using (Bi1/2Na1/2TiO3)‐BaTiO3(BNT‐BT) ferroelectric ceramics as the sensitive material. The variation of noise density, voltage response rate (RV), and specific detection rate (D*) with the modulation frequency under the current mode amplification circuit was investigated, and it was found that the lead‐free PIR detector showed high RV in the low frequency band. The RV and D* reached 1.51 × 105 V/W and 2.02 × 108 cmHz1/2W−1 at 10 Hz, respectively. The results were much superior to the PIR based on traditional commercial pyroelectric ceramics, indicating that BNT‐BT lead‐free ceramics have great potential in application to PIR detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrafast laser‐induced thermalization‐cooling of carriers in plasmonic nanostructures has been extensively explored in the development of high‐speed photonic switches with a broad operating bandwidth. However, potential laser damage arising from the strong light–matter interaction remains a tremendous obstacle for practical applications of most colloidal processed plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs). Here, it is demonstrated that titanium nitride (TiN) NPs, with a broadband localized surface plasmon resonance in the near infrared (NIR) region, can be exploited as an ultrafast optical switch based on transient photo‐bleaching, which manifests as a saturable absorption behavior with strong optical nonlinearity. The developed TiN‐based optical switches exhibit high robustness against laser damage (up to peak power of 557 GW cm−2) and enable both Q‐switched and transform‐limited mode‐locked pulse generation in the NIR spectral region in either fiber or solid‐state lasers with pulse duration down to 763 fs. The results may stimulate further exploration of metal nitride materials for applications in nonlinear optics and ultrafast photonic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed a data set containing functional brain images from 6 healthy controls and 196 individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD), who were divided into five stages according to illness severity. The goal was to predict patients' PD illness stages by using their functional brain images. We employed the following prediction approaches: multivariate statistical methods (linear discriminant analysis, support vector machine, decision tree, and multilayer perceptron [MLP]), ensemble learning models (random forest [RF] and adaptive boosting), and deep convolutional neural network (CNN). For statistical and ensemble models, various feature extraction approaches (principal component analysis [PCA], multilinear PCA, intensity summary statistics [IStat], and Laws' texture energy measure) were employed to extract features, the synthetic minority over‐sampling technique was used to address imbalanced data, and the optimal combination of hyperparameters was found using a grid search. For CNN modeling, we applied an image augmentation technique to increase and balance data sizes over different disease stages. We adopted transfer learning to incorporate pretrained VGG16 weights and architecture into the model fitting, and we also tested a state‐of‐the‐art machine learning model that could automatically generate an optimal neural architecture. We found that IStat consistently outperformed other feature extraction approaches. MLP and RF were the analytic approaches with the highest prediction accuracy rate for multivariate statistical and ensemble learning models, respectively. Overall, the deep CNN model with pretrained VGG16 weights and architecture outperformed other approaches; it captured critical features from imaging, effectively distinguished between normal controls and patients with PD, and achieved the highest classification accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent chronic diseases characterized by formation of osteophytes and degradation of articular cartilage. Previous evidence has identified the regulatory effects of microRNAs (miRNAs) in OA. The goal of this study is to clearly explore the biological function of miR‐1207‐5p in OA. Methods: MiR‐1207‐5p and C‐X3‐C motif chemokine receptor 1 (CX3CR1) expression in OA cartilages were revealed by accessing to Gene Expression Omnibus database. In vitro OA model was established by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. Western blot and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction were conducted to detect the expression level of genes. Cell counting kit‐8 (CCK‐8) and flow cytometric experiments were performed to investigate the proliferation and apoptosis capacities of CHON‐001 cells. Bioinformatics analysis was applied to predict the binding site of miR‐1207‐5p and CX3CR1, the connections of which were ascertained using luciferase reporter assay. Results: MiR‐1207‐5p expression was decreased while CX3CR1 was increased in OA cartilages. Up‐regulation of miR‐1207‐5p alleviated the LPS‐induced damage in the view of cell proliferation, apoptosis and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. A target of miR‐1207‐5p CX3CR1, its down‐regulation intensified the impacts of miR‐1207‐5p mimic, promoted proliferation and mitigated apoptosis. LPS exposure increased the protein expression of the phosphorylated IκBα and P65, and this phenomena was reversed due to miR‐1207‐5p up‐regulation and CX3CR1 knockdown. The treatment of Betulinic acid (BA; an activator of nuclear factor‐κB pathway) reversed the miR‐1207‐5p mimic‐induced inhibitory effect on apoptosis in LPS‐treated CHON‐001. Conclusion: Our results highlight that miR‐1207‐5p can prevent CHON‐001 from LPS‐stimulated injury, providing a novel biomarker for OA progression and further advancing treatment of OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the genetic architecture underlying phenotypic variation in natural populations and assessing the consequences of polymorphisms for individual fitness are fundamental goals in evolutionary and molecular ecology. Consistent between‐individual differences in behaviour have been documented for a variety of taxa. Dissecting the genetic basis of such behavioural differences is however a challenging endeavour. The molecular underpinnings of natural variation in aggression remain elusive. Here, we used comparative gene expression (transcriptome analysis and RT–PCR), genetic association analysis and pharmacological experiments to gain insight into the genetic basis of aggression in wild‐caught jumping spiders (Portia labiata). We show that spider aggression is associated with a putative viral infection response gene, BTB/POZ domain‐containing protein 17 (BTBDH), in addition to a putative serotonin receptor 1A (5‐HT1A) gene. Spider aggression varies with virus loads, and BTBDH is upregulated in docile spiders and exhibits a genetic variant associated with aggression. We also identify a putative serotonin receptor 5‐HT1A gene upregulated in docile P. labiata. Individuals that have been treated with serotonin become less aggressive, but individuals treated with a nonselective serotonin receptor antagonist (methiothepin) also reduce aggression. Further, we identify the genetic variants in the 5‐HT1A gene that are associated with individual variation in aggression. We therefore conclude that co‐evolution of the immune and nervous systems may have shaped the between‐individual variation in aggression in natural populations of jumping spiders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The late Mesozoic magmatism and associated ore deposits were extensively developed in the southern Great Xing'an Range (SGXR), northeastern China. The geodynamic evolution of the SGXR during the late Mesozoic, however, remains controversial. Here, we present new detrital zircon U–Pb and Hf isotopic data of the Late Cretaceous sandstones of the Yaojia and Qingshankou formations from the southwestern Songliao Basin, aiming at constraining their provenance and the late Mesozoic geotectonic evolution of the SGXR. The detrital zircon U–Pb ages of the sandstone samples display similar distribution patterns and mainly fall into two groups (i.e., 267–223 Ma and 169–122 Ma), indicating that they may have a common source area. Furthermore, these zircons have εHf (t) values similar to those of the magmatic rocks in the SGXR and northern North China Block (NCB). Integrated with zircon morphology, zircon U–Pb and Hf isotope indicate that both the SGXR and northern margin of the NCB (limited to the southwest of the Songliao Basin) have provided a dominant provenance for the Yaojia and Qingshankou formations. Similar age distribution patterns and the youngling age trend of the late Mesozoic igneous rocks from the SGXR to the northern margin of the NCB indicate that the Late Jurassic–early Early Cretaceous magmatism in the study area was associated with the evolution of the Mongol–Okhotsk Ocean. In addition, the age distribution patterns, distinct variability of zircon Th/U ratios and development of A‐type granites, volcanic rocks, and metamorphic core complexes demonstrate that the SGXR and northern margin of the NCB have undergone an extensional process since middle Late Jurassic. We therefore propose that the middle Late Jurassic–early Early Cretaceous magmatism in the SGXR and adjacent northern margin of the NCB was associated with an extensional regime induced by collapse or delamination of thickened continental crust corresponding to the closure of the Mongol–Okhotsk Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mutations in the fused in sarcoma (FUS) gene have been associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal lobar degeneration, and essential tremor. Among the FUS mutations, p.P525L as a hot spot variant has been reported in more than 20 patients with ALS. Apart from the typical ALS phenotype, patients with p.P525L mutation exhibit some atypical symptoms. However, movement disorders related to p.P525L mutation have not been emphasized currently. Methods: Two unrelated patients with ALS were evaluated through a set of clinical and laboratory tests. The genetic screening was performed through next‐generation sequencing. Muscle biopsies were performed on the 2 patients. Muscle samples were stained according to standard histological and immunohistochemical procedures. Results: The first patient presented with juvenile‐onset neurogenic weakness and wasting and simultaneously had dropped head, ophthalmoplegia, tremor, involuntary movements, and cognitive impairments. The second patient showed a typical ALS phenotype and prominent adventitious movements. Genetic screening disclosed de novo p.P525L FUS mutation in the 2 patients by family cosegregation analysis. Muscle biopsy showed neurogenic patterns and numerous lipid droplets aggregating in the fibers. Conclusion: Apart from the typical ALS phenotype, patients with p.P525L mutation in the FUS gene can present with great clinical heterogeneity including multiple movement disorders. Numerous lipid droplets in muscle fibers indicate that skeletal muscle is likely an important therapeutic target for ALS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary mulberry leaves on the transcriptome profiles of finishing pigs. RNA‐Seq was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the longissimus dorsi of 56 pigs fed either a traditional diet or diets supplemented with 3%, 6% or 9% mulberry leaf powder, and both gene ontology (GO) function and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed. Furthermore, protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and the subnet module analysis were used to identify genes with beneficial potential, and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) was used to validate the expression patterns revealed by RNA‐Seq. Results: Pigs fed with the 6% mulberry diet exhibited greater average daily gain, lower water loss and lower shear force than the control group and yielded 531 DEGs, including 271 and 260 upregulated and downregulated genes, respectively. Function analysis revealed that the DEGs were significantly enriched in functions related to muscle growth and development. Furthermore, several genes (i.e. ACOT4, ECHS1, HACD1, NPR1, ADCY2, MGLL and IRS1) were enriched in a KEGG pathway that was associated with fatty acid metabolism, and in the PPI subnet module, four of eight node genes, namely TNNC1, MYL3, TCAP and TNNT1, were associated with muscle formation and development. The upregulation of these genes, including TNNC1, TNNT1 and MYL3, was confirmed by qRT‐PCR. Conclusions: Dietary mulberry leaves (6%) may improve the muscle quality of pigs by modulating the expression of several key genes, such as TNNC1, MYL3 and TNNT1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mild protocol does not require toxic or hazardous reagents and tolerates a variety of functional groups including acid and base labile ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water shortage is a common problem around the world, especially in rural areas of developing countries. Water shortage is closely linked to natural and social conditions, and the linkages between these natural and social conditions and their underlying spatial and temporal variations are less well explored in rural areas. The water poverty index (WPI) is a holistic tool for resource planning and management and is an effective tool in solving water shortage problems in developing countries through water resources managements. This study defines five components and 19 indicators using the WPI and assigns integrated weights to measure water poverty in rural China from 1997 to 2016. The results show that the level of water poverty has been gradually declining over time, and the improvements in the coastal and inland water poverty situation are not harmonious. This study also analyzes spatial and temporal variations of water poverty in rural China by the kernel estimation (KDE) and the exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) models. Hence, specific areas require special policy interventions. The research findings are intended to provide a new insight for the evaluation of water poverty in the context of sustainable development and to provide a strategy for regional water resource management to relieve rural water poverty in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is now the most frequently diagnosed malignancy, and metastasis remains the leading cause of death in breast cancer. However, little is known about the dynamic changes during the evolvement of dissemination. In this study, 65 968 cells from four patients with breast cancer and paired metastatic axillary lymph nodes are profiled using single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) and spatial transcriptomics. A disseminated cancer cell cluster with high levels of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), including the upregulation of cytochrome C oxidase subunit 6C and dehydrogenase/reductase 2, is identified. The transition between glycolysis and OXPHOS when dissemination initiates is noticed. Furthermore, this distinct cell cluster is distributed along the tumor's leading edge. The findings here are verified in three different cohorts of breast cancer patients and an external scRNA‐seq dataset, which includes eight patients with breast cancer and paired metastatic axillary lymph nodes. This work describes the dynamic metabolic evolvement of early disseminated breast cancer and reveals a switch between glycolysis and OXPHOS in breast cancer cells as the early event during lymph node metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glacier surface albedo is a key parameter of the glacier mass and energy balance process. Many scholars have used the albedo method to study mass balance for an individual glacier, but less attention has been given to large‐area glaciers. Based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) retrieved glacier surface albedo and in situ mass balance, the correlations between albedo and mass balance are reported. The minimum/mean method (the whole glacier albedo is calculated by averaging the minimum/mean albedo of each grid cell), the MODIS snow albedo products (MxD10A1) and the MCD43A3 shortwave albedo were tested during the melt season (June–August) for four glaciers in the High Mountain Asia (HMA). Results reveal that albedo is well correlated with mass balance, the correlation (r) ranging from 0.41 to 0.90. Overall, the minimum method is better than the mean method, and MxD10A1 is better than MCD43A3. The albedo changes were calculated based on the MxD10A1 and the mean method, and a linear relationship is established between albedo changes and digital elevation models (DEMs) calculated mass balance from 2000 to 2016. A strong linear correlation (r =.9) is found between albedo changes and mass balance while excluding some areas that have insignificant seasonal variation in albedo, and the reconstructed albedo–mass balance relationship can be used to retrieve mass balance in large‐scale glaciers. Furthermore, the average loss of mass from 2000 to 2020 is calculated as −0.225 ± 0.040 m w.e.a−1. The greatest glacier mass loss is concentrated in the southeastern part of HMA, the mass loss in the north and west is less than that in the southeast, and the glacier mass is in a state of aggravated loss in recent years. Our study also offers a new method for estimating the large‐scale glacier mass balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of computer vision for fish monitoring in aquaculture fisheries has gained importance. It is crucial to obtain the object box, instance mask and landmarks of the fish to determine their status. There are well‐established methods to achieve these tasks, but running them in a serial sequence is inefficient and complex. A multi‐tasking framework is proposed that can implement the above three tasks in parallel, FishNet. Unlike other multi‐tasking frameworks that use one encoder with multiple decoders, the authors use only one encoder and one decoder to achieve multi‐tasking fusion and can be trained end‐to‐end. A multi‐task dataset for fish is produced to validate the framework. It achieved the best speed‐accuracy balance on object detection (a 95.3% box AP), instance segmentation (a 53.9% mask AP) and pose recognition (95.1% OKS AP), and reached real‐time inference speed (66.3 FPS) on the NVIDIA Tesla V100. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Pseudomonas chlororaphis is a non‐pathogenic, plant growth‐promoting rhizobacterium that secretes phenazine compounds with broad‐spectrum antibiotic activity. Currently available genome‐editing methods for P. chlororaphis are based on homologous recombination (HR)‐dependent allelic exchange, which requires both exogenous DNA repair proteins (e.g. λ‐Red–like systems) and endogenous functions (e.g. RecA) for HR and/or providing donor DNA templates. In general, these procedures are time‐consuming, laborious and inefficient. Here, we established a CRISPR‐assisted base‐editing (CBE) system based on the fusion of a rat cytidine deaminase (rAPOBEC1), enhanced‐specificity Cas9 nickase (eSpCas9ppD10A) and uracil DNA glycosylase inhibitor (UGI). This CBE system converts C:G into T:A without DNA strands breaks or any donor DNA template. By engineering a premature STOP codon in target spacers, the hmgA and phzO genes of P. chlororaphis were successfully interrupted at high efficiency. The phzO‐inactivated strain obtained by base editing exhibited identical phenotypic features as compared with a mutant obtained by HR‐based allelic exchange. The use of this CBE system was extended to other P. chlororaphis strains (subspecies LX24 and HT66) and also to P. fluorescens 10586, with an equally high editing efficiency. The wide applicability of this CBE method will accelerate bacterial physiology research and metabolic engineering of non‐traditional bacterial hosts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) tea has been used as an adjuvant treatment for diabetes in Pu'er, in the Yunnan province of China. The effects of sacha inchi tea on diabetes and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of a water extract of sacha inchi (P. volubilis L.) leaves (PWE) on hypoglycemic activity and gut microbiota composition in mice with streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). During the 6 weeks of the study, T1DM mice were administered PWE intragastrically at 400 mg kg−1 body weight (BW) per day. RESULTS: Treatment with PWE reduced excessive loss of BW and excessive intake of food. It significantly decreased blood glucose levels and improved oral glucose tolerance. The treatment caused protective histopathological transformations in sections of the pancreas, leading to decreased insulin resistance and improved insulin sensitivity. Treatment with PWE also significantly ameliorated disorders of the gut microbiota structure and increased the richness and diversity of intestinal microbial species in T1DM mice. At the genus level, the populations of several crucial bacteria, such as Akkermansia, Parabacteroides, and Muribaculum increased in the PWE treatment group but the abundance of Ruminiclostridium and Oscillibacter decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with PWE can ameliorate hyperglycemic symptoms in STZ‐induced T1DM mice, and the anti‐diabetic effect of PWE was related to the amelioration of gut microbial structural disorder and the enrichment of functional bacteria. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Correlation between fractional exhaled nitric oxide ( FeNO) and responsiveness to inhaled leukotriene D4 ( LTD4) and methacholine ( MCh) might be different. This study aims to determine the correlation between FeNO and airway responsiveness to LTD4 and MCh, and to compare the airway responsiveness to inhaled LTD4 and MCh and FeNO in non-smokers, patients without rhinitis and non-smokers without rhinitis. Methods In this cross-over study, asthmatic patients and healthy subjects underwent LTD4 and MCh inhalation challenge at a 2- to 14-day interval. The FeNO was measured by using NIOX MINO, a portable instrument, at the initial visit, before spirometry and inhalation challenge tests. Subgroup analyses were performed in asthmatic patients based on the categorisation of never-smoker group, non-rhinitis group and never-smoker without rhinitis group. Results Of 62 asthmatic patients enrolled, 43 did not have self-reported rhinitis (asthmatic patients without rhinitis), 56 were never-smokers (asthmatic non-smokers), giving rise to 37 non-smokers who did not have rhinitis (asthmatic non-smokers without rhinitis). Twenty-one healthy subjects were enrolled. Overall, Log10 FeNO correlated with Log10 PD20 FEV1- MCh but not Log10 PD20 FEV1- LTD4 or Log10( LTD4/ MCh potency ratio). Reduced FeNO was associated with significantly higher Log10 PD20 FEV1- MCh but not Log10 PD20 FEV1- LTD4, except for non-smokers. Compared with all asthmatic patients, asthmatic non-smokers without rhinitis were characterised by markedly reduced levels of Log10 PD20 FEV1- MCh but not Log10 PD20 FEV1- LTD4. The difference in all parameters did not reach statistical significance among asthmatic patients without rhinitis, asthmatic non-smokers and asthmatic non-smokers without rhinitis. Conclusion FeNO correlates with airway responsiveness to inhaled MCh but not LTD4, in asthmatic patients, particularly in asthmatic non-smokers without rhinitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the clinical potential, photodynamic therapy (PDT) relying on singlet oxygen (1O2) generation is severely limited by tumor hypoxia and endosomal entrapment. Herein, a proton‐driven transformable 1O2‐nanotrap (ANBDP NPs) with endosomal escape capability is presented to improve hypoxic tumor PDT. In the acidic endosomal environment, the protonated 1O2‐nanotrap ruptures endosomal membranes via a "proton‐sponge" like effect and undergoes a drastic morphology‐and‐size change from nanocubes (≈94.1 nm in length) to nanospheres (≈12.3 nm in diameter). Simultaneously, anthracenyl boron dipyrromethene‐derived photosensitizer (ANBDP) in nanospheres transforms to its protonated form (ANBDPH) and switches off its charge‐transfer state to achieve amplified 1O2 photogeneration capability. Upon 730 nm photoirradiation, ANBDPH prominently produces 1O2 and traps generated‐1O2 in the anthracene group to form endoperoxide (ANOBDPH). Benefitting from the hypoxia‐tolerant 1O2‐release property of ANOBDPH in the dark, the 1O2‐nanotrap brings about sustained therapeutic effect without further continuous irradiation, thereby achieving remarkable antitumor performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]