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Desmoglein‐2 (DSG2) is a transmembrane glycoprotein belonging to the desmosomal cadherin family, which mediates cell–cell junctions; regulates cell proliferation, migration, and invasion; and promotes tumor development and metastasis. We previously showed serum DSG2 to be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), although the significance and underlying molecular mechanisms were not identified. Here, we found that DSG2 was increased in ESCC tissues compared with adjacent tissues. In addition, we demonstrated that DSG2 promoted ESCC cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, using interactome analysis, we identified serine/threonine‐protein kinase D2 (PRKD2) as a novel DSG2 kinase that mediates the phosphorylation of DSG2 at threonine 730 (T730). Functionally, DSG2 promoted ESCC cell migration and invasion dependent on DSG2‐T730 phosphorylation. Mechanistically, DSG2 T730 phosphorylation activated EGFR, Src, AKT, and ERK signaling pathways. In addition, DSG2 and PRKD2 were positively correlated with each other, and the overall survival time of ESCC patients with high DSG2 and PRKD2 was shorter than that of patients with low DSG2 and PRKD2 levels. In summary, PRKD2 is a novel DSG2 kinase, and PRKD2‐mediated DSG2 T730 phosphorylation promotes ESCC progression. These findings may facilitate the development of future therapeutic agents that target DSG2 and DSG2 phosphorylation. © 2024 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring efficient heterogeneous catalysts for catalytic oxidation of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) is highly desired. As a class of discrete anionic metal oxide clusters, polyoxometalates (POMs) provide abundant catalytic active sites, thus resulting their rich redox properties. Here, a family of known POM‐incorporated CuI‐resorcin[4]arene metal‐organic complexes, namely, [Cu4(TPTR4A)2][PW12O40](OH) ⋅ 0.5DMA ⋅ 5H2O (Cu‐PW), [Cu4(TPTR4 A)2][PMo12O40](OH) ⋅ 2DMA ⋅ H2O (Cu‐PMo) and [Cu4(TPTR4A)2][SiW12O40] ⋅ 2.5DMA (Cu‐SiW) were utilized as catalysts to promote the oxidation of 2‐chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES). Strikingly, compared to the novel compound [Cu3Cl6(TPTR4A)(DMA)] ⋅ CH3CH2OH (defined as Cu‐T), the three complexes exhibited excellent stability, indicating that the integration of POMs and metal–organic units could improve the stability of the compounds. Moreover, Cu‐PMo and Cu‐PW showed higher activities for the catalytic oxidation of CEES to CEESO with selectivities both of 99 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiomics is widely used in adult tumors but has been rarely applied to the field of pediatrics. Promoting the application of radiomics in pediatric diseases, especially in the early diagnosis and stratified treatment of tumors, is of great value to the realization of the WHO 2030 "Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer." This paper discusses the general characteristics of radiomics, the particularity of its application to pediatric diseases, and the current status and prospects of pediatric radiomics. Radiomics is a data-driven science, and the combination of medicine and engineering plays a decisive role in improving data quality, data diversity, and sample size. Compared with adult radiomics, pediatric radiomics is significantly different in data type, disease spectrum, disease staging, and progression. Some progress has been made in the identification, classification, stratification, survival prediction, and prognosis of tumor diseases. In the future, big data applications from multiple centers and cross-talent training should be strengthened to improve the benefits for clinical workers and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind turbines and associated parts are susceptible to cyclic stresses, including torque, bending, and longitudinal stress, and twisting moments. Therefore, research on the resilience of dynamic systems under such high loads is crucial for design and future risk-free operations. The method described in this study is beneficial for multidimensional structural responses that have undergone sufficient numerical simulation or measurement. In contrast to established dependability methodologies, the unique technique does not need to restart the numerical simulation each time the system fails. Herein, it is demonstrated that it is also possible to accurately predict the probability of a system failure in the event of a measurable structural reaction. In contrast to well-established bivariate statistical methods, which are known to predict extreme response levels for 2D systems accurately, this study validates a novel structural reliability method that is particularly suitable for multidimensional structural responses. In contrast to conventional methods, the novel reliability approach does not invoke a multidimensional reliability function in the Monte Carlo numerical simulation case. As demonstrated in this study, it is also possible to accurately anticipate the likelihood of a system failure in the case of a measurable structural reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electromagnetic transient programs (EMTPs) are widely used for simulating electromagnetic transient in power systems. With the increasing interest in integrated energy system (IES), it would be beneficial to extend the scope of EMTP‐type application to multi‐physics transients in integrated electrical and gas networks. An efficient and accurate model of gas pipeline is proposed in EMTP for the simulation of pneumatic transients. The pipeline is split into a number of segments using spatial discretization. Analogies between pneumatic and electric quantities, such as flow and pressure, current, and voltage, are used to create a circuit representation of pipe segment. The pipeline is represented by a distributed‐element model. In order to enhance the computational efficiency, the nodal equation for pipeline model is reformulated. The pipeline model appears as a two‐port Norton equivalent with constant admittances. Case studies are performed to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed pipeline model. The implementation of the proposed pipeline model in the EMTP‐type program power systems computer aided design (PSCAD) enables the analysis of diverse transients in integrated electrical and gas systems (IEGSs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a reply to a letter discussing the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in predicting tumor recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using preoperative MRI images. The authors of the reply address the concerns raised by the letter and clarify aspects of their study. Their study aimed to develop a deep learning model that accurately predicts microvascular invasion (MVI) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in HCC based on preoperative MRI images. The model demonstrated high predictive accuracy for RFS and MVI, and the authors believe it has the potential to enhance personalized treatment approaches. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: To evaluate the operative methods and clinical results of surgical treatment in a case series of 10 patients with hemophilic pseudotumors. Methods: Ten patients with hemophilic pseudotumors who received surgical resection treatment in our hospital from October 2017 to June 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were hemophilia A (factor VIII deficiency).The age range was 20–51 years. Preoperative imaging examination revealed the size of irregular mass from 8.2 cm× 3.3 cm× 2.3 cm to 22.3 cm× 15.5 cm× 17.0 cm. With the supplementary of recombinant coagulation factor VIII, five cases received complete resection; one received resection and skin grafting; one received cytoreduction surgery as the pseudotumor closing to iliac vessel and nerve; three cases received complete resection and construction as bone destruction. The perioperative variables were recorded and all the patients were followed in the outpatient clinic. Clinical and radiological assessments were conducted. Results: In these patients, the average intraoperative blood loss volume was 783.1 mL (range, 240–2100 mL). Six patients received blood transfusion during perioperative period. The average duration of surgery was 140.7 min (range, 110–240 min). All wounds healed smoothly and there was no infection or chronic sinus formation. The average length of hospital stay was 16.3 days (range, 12–25 days). There is no iatrogenic vascular nerve injury in our series. Complete follow‐up was performed in all patients. Mean follow‐up duration was 14.2 months (range, 6–26 months). One patient with pseudotumor in the thigh had a recurrence 1 year after operation, then secondary operation was performed. In three cases who received complete resection and construction, patient 8 obtained bone graft and late fixation. X‐ray examination showed bone formation in the lesion at the 2‐year follow‐ups after operation. Patient 9 underwent knee replacement, his left knee showed flexion deformity in preoparation. At the last follow‐up, range of motion was improved from 0° to 40° compared with preoperative status. Patient 10 had pseudotumor in the distal femur, received long bone graft and intramedullary nail fixation. Conclusions: Surgical resection for hemophilic pseudotumors is an effective and safe method. The choice of surgical procedure must be individualized according to the localization and progress of pseudotumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distributions of HLA allele and haplotype are various in the populations. Currently, the data for HLA alleles and haplotypes at three fields resolution level in Chinese Han population is rare. Here, the HLA alleles and haplotypes of the 1734 cord blood samples from Zhejiang Han population, China were reported at three fields resolution. All samples were randomly collected from the Zhejiang Cord Blood Bank, China. HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1, -DRB3/4/5 loci was genotyped using next generation sequencing method. The genotypes of the samples were assigned using the HLA TypeStream Visual Software version 1.2.0. The frequency of alleles, haplotype estimation and linkage disequilibrium analysis were performed with the Arlequin software 3.5.2.2. It was found that the top three frequent alleles of HLAA, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1, -DRB3/4/5 loci were A*11:01:01 (25.81%), A*24:02:01 (16.70%), A*02:01:01 (10.61%); B*40:01:02 (15.97%), B*46:01:01 (11.48%), B*58:01:01 (7.96%); C*07:02:01 (19.03%), C*01:02:01 (17.65%), C*03:04:01 (10.41%); DRB1*09:01:02G (17.96%), DRB1*12:02:01 (9.57%), DRB1*08:03:02 (9.54%); DQB1*03:01:01G (21.05%), DQB1*03:03:02 (19.15%), DQB1*06:01:01G (12.08%); DRB4*01:03:01 (25.72%), DRB3*02:02:01 (20.27%), DRB5*01:01:01 (10.96%), respectively. A total of 1528 distinct A~C~B~DRB3/4/5~DRB1~DQB1 haplotypes were estimated, and the top three most common haplotypes were A*33:03:01~C*03:02:02~B*58:01:01~DRB3*02:02:01~DRB1*03:01:01~ DQB1*02:01:01 (4.02%), A*30:01:01~C*06:02:01~B*13:02:01~DRB4*01:03:01~ DRB1*07:01:01 ~DQB1*02:02:01 (3.11%) and A*02:07:01~C*01:02:01~B*46:01:01 ~DRB4*01:03:01~DRB1*09:01:02G~DQB1*03:03:02 (3.05%). Some alleles of different HLA loci were shown strong linkage disequilibrium. In conclusion, the data of allele and haplotype of HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1 and -DRB3/4/5 loci at three fields resolution level were obtained in Zhejiang Han population, thus contributing to analyze the HLA ploymorphism in the populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Methods Result Conclusion The knee joint of hemophiliacs may face the result of local morphological changes due to long‐term irritation of synovitis. This study aims to elucidate the morphological characteristics of distal femur in hemophilic arthritis (HA) and compare the compatibility of three types of prostheses with the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) dimensions of the femoral osteotomy surface.This study retrospectively and randomly selected 50 patients with HA registered for treatment at our hospital from June 2016 to August 2022 as the study subjects, with an equal number of male osteoarthritis (OA) patients and healthy male individuals set as the control group. This study used medical digitalization software to simulate osteotomies on the distal femur during total knee arthroplasties (TKA) for 50 patients with HA, OA patients, and the healthy population, respectively, and measure the morphological parameters to compare with three commonly used femoral components of TKA in clinical practice. The differences between the femur resection of anteroposterior and mediolateral (FRAP, FRML) osteotomy surface and the prosthesis's BOX‐AP/ML were compared in three prostheses. One‐way ANOVA and multiple Kruskal–Wallis H test were used for the normal or non‐normal distribution data, and pairwise comparisons between groups were conducted using the Bonferroni method, and the linear correlation analysis was utilized to assess the relationship between section femoral morphological data and prosthesis parameters.In HA patients, the morphological characteristics of the distal femur were shown as shorter than femur AP (FAP), medial and lateral condyle anterior–posterior dimension (FMCAP, FLCAP), notch width (NW), posterolateral condyle height (PLCH), posteromedial condyle width (PMCW), and posterior condylar axis length (PCAL) dimension. They had comparatively smaller femur section aspect ratios (p < 0.005). They showed longer posterolateral condyle width (PLCW), anterior condyle mediolateral dimension (FRACML), anterolateral condyle height (ALCH), and femur resection anterior condylar mediolateral (FRACML) dimension (p < 0.005). They showed larger distal femur aspect ratio and resection aspect ratio (FAR, FRAR, p < 0.005). All selected prostheses showed ML undercoverage under similar AP dimensions, and ML undersizing of Attune systems was more obvious in three femoral prostheses.The distal femur morphological change of HA patient is shown as smaller AP dimension, narrow posterior condyle spacing, lower and shallower trochlear, thinner anterior condyle, wider and lower intercondylar notch and higher posterior‐lateral condyle. The selected prostheses showed ML undercoverage under similar AP dimensions. This typical morphological tendency of the distal femur seems to warrant consideration in the process of knee joint prosthesis upgrading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: curcumin consumption may have a protective effect against exercise‐induced muscle damage (EIMD) through stabilization of the cell membrane via inhibition of free radical formation. Evidence supporting a protective role of curcumin after physical activity induced muscle injury in humans, however, it is inconsistent. Methods: Medline, Scopus, and Google scholar were systematically searched up to May 2020. The Cochrane Collaboration tool for assessing the risk of bias was used for assessing the quality of studies. Random effects model, weighted mean difference (WMD), and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used for estimating the overall effect. Between‐study heterogeneity was assessed using the chi‐squared and I2 statistic. Results: The results revealed a significant effect of curcumin supplementation on reducing creatine kinase (CK) (weighted mean difference [WMD] = −48.54 IU.L−1; 95% CI: −80.667, −16.420; p =.003) and muscle soreness index decrease (WMD = −0.476; 95% CI: −0.750, −0.202; p =.001). Moreover, a subgroup analysis resulted in a significant decrease in CK concentrations and muscle soreness index, according to follow‐ups after exercise, dose of curcumin, duration of studies, exercise type, train status and study design. Conclusions: The current evidence revealed a efficacy of curcumin in reducing CK serum levels and muscle soreness index among adults. Therefore, curcumin may be known as a priority EIMD recovery agent in interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: An over-the-counter medicine product of China known as essential balm effectively repelled red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren. However, it was not clear which chemical component(s) accounted for the repellency, and whether they would effectively repel S. invicta in the field. RESULTS: Five components, eucalyptol, camphor,menthol, methyl salicylate, and eugenol,were identified in essential balmusing gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Each component elicited concentration-dependent electroantennography (EAG) response. Under field conditions, all components showed repellency against foraging ants. Interestingly, foraging ants managed to access the food items placed on a surface smeared with eucalyptol, camphor,menthol, ormethyl salicylate by depositing soil particles on the surface and then walking on soil particles. However, they failed to do so when the surface was smeared with eugenol. Repellency of eugenol lasted for> 24 h, which was much longer than that of the other four components of essential balm and is comparable to that of N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET), the standard for insect repellants. CONCLUSION: Olfactory response of S. invicta to all five components of the essential balm was confirmed. Each component showed repellency against S. invicta workers in the field. However, only eugenol significantly suppressed both foraging and particle-covering behavior within 24 h. The repellent effect of eugenol lasted much longer than the other four components. Particle-covering behavior has been largely ignored in studying fire ant repellants. Our study demonstrated that it is necessary to consider such behaviors in ant repellent bioassays in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) is one of the most important drugs metabolizing enzymes and accounts for the metabolism of about 13%-17% of clinical drugs. Like other members in CYP2 family, CYP2C9 gene exhibits great genetic polymorphism among different races and individuals. CYP2C9*18 is one CYP2C9 allelic variant identified in a Southeast Asian population and is estimated to cause the amino acid substitutions of I359L and D397A in CYP2C9 enzyme simultaneously. Limited by the low expression level in bacteria and COS-7 cells, no valuable enzyme kinetics have been reported on this CYP2C9 variant. In this study, the baculovirus-based system was used for the high expression of recombinant CYP2C9 s in insect cells. As a result, together with I359L substitution, D397A could significantly decrease the protein expression of CYP2C9.18 in insect cells, although substitution of D397A alone had no effect on the expression of CYP2C9 in vitro. As compared with that of wild-type enzyme, both CYP2C9.18 variant and D397A variant could decrease more than 80% of the catalytic activity of CYP2C9 enzyme toward three probe substrates, suggesting that caution should be exercised when patients carrying CYP2C9*18 taking medicines metabolized by CYP2C9 enzyme with a narrow therapeutic window. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal cancer is a leading cause of cancer‐related deaths worldwide. In the past few years, the roles of epigenetics in cancer have been fully accepted. Recently, there has been an increased focus on epigenetic alterations underlying esophageal cancer carcinogenesis, with several epigenetic drug and RNA interference therapies being tested. However, the conclusion that epigenetic alterations are linked directly to an increased or decreased risk of esophageal cancer is less certain. Therefore, there is an urgent need to test novel epigenetic biomarkers for diagnostic and prognostic significance and to explore their potential as therapeutic targets. In this review, the discussion is concentrated on epigenetic alterations involving super‐enhancers, DNA methylation, histone modifications, and multiple noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), and their impact on tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. Then specific instances of using epigenetic drugs, such as DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase inhibitors, to treat esophageal cancer are described. Recent developments in miRNA‐based therapeutic strategies, including antagomirs, lock nucleic acids, miRNA sponges, and microRNA replacement therapies, against esophageal cancer are also highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is still difficult to design efficient organic‐based room‐temperature phosphorescence (RTP). Here a facile strategy is reported to tailor efficient RTP by encapsulating trace amount of aromatic‐acid‐based phosphors within crystalline solvento matrices [Al(DMSO)6]X3 (X− = Cl− or Br−, DMSO = dimethyl sulfoxide, (CH3)2SO) in situ. The resultant single crystal complexes feature bright long‐lasting afterglows with maximum RTP peaks ranging from 430 to 580 nm and the best lifetime up to 1.9 s, as well as the highest yellow RTP quantum yield of 58.3%. The enhanced intersystem crossing and the suppression of nonradiation decay derived from the tight matrices are responsible for the appreciable RTP. White‐light emission is further realized in both prompt state and delayed state. In this case, data encryption and decryption applications are successfully performed by using these complexes. The design and construction strategy embodied here render this approach promising for the exploitation of versatile RTP species for specific applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the authors present a beam scanning lens antenna for 30 GHz applications, which is composed of a feed horn and a planar lens with parabolic phase distribution. Due to the parabolic phase compensation, the lens antenna can perform the scanning coverage of ±60° with a gain tolerance of 3 dB. The fabricated lens has a size of 10λ0 × λ0 × 0.2λ0 (λ0 is wavelength at the centre frequency of 30 GHz) and the focal length of 24 mm. The beam steering mechanism and the phase error of the lens antenna are analysed in detail. The total system has the advantages of wide scan angle, low profile and lightweight, and it can be readily applied to multi-beam or beam-scanning antenna designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Acrylate-containing polycarboxylate superplasticizers were synthesized by copolymerizing acrylic acid, α-methallyl-ω-methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) ether, and acrylic esters [hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) or hydroxypropyl acrylate (HPA)]. Their dispersing effects and fluidity-retaining capabilities were evaluated by spread tests of cement pastes. The temperature sensitivity of the performance was especially focused upon. It was found by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and specific anionic charge density measurements that the ester groups in the acrylate-containing copolymers hydrolyze in alkaline conditions, and thus additional RCOO− groups are continuously produced. The gradual production of RCOO− leads to increasing charge density and hence increasing adsorption of the polymer on the cement surface. The hydrolysis of HEA units is slightly faster than of HPA units in the corresponding copolymers. By this mechanism, a post-acting, or delayed, dispersing effect is realized. Such post-acting polymers alone or formulated with normal polycarboxylate superplasticizer can be used achieve a long fluidity retention of fresh concrete, especially under elevated temperatures. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45753. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, the authors propose a switchable all-dielectric frequency selective surface (ADFSS), which is composed of two periodically placed high-permittivity dielectric resonator (DR) arrays. If the two DR arrays are laminated together, the FSS presents band-stop property; while if the two DR arrays are separated by a narrow gap, the FSS exhibits band-pass property. The switching characteristic of the device can be explained with DR theory and effective medium theory. The experimental results of the switchable ADFSS demonstrate a fractional bandwidth of 22.2% and a large field of view in a wide band (from 11.9 to 14.8 GHz), which is consistent with the simulated results. The method can be readily extended to the design of on/off ADFSS at other frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biosynthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) from plant extracts is important in nanotechnology because the employed methods are environmentally friendly and cost-effective. In this study, silver NPs (AgNPs) were synthesised using Chinese tea (Oolong tea) extract. The effects of the relative content of the employed silver nitrate, the reaction temperature, the incubation time, and the tea-to-water ratio on the formation of the AgNPs were examined. The synthesised AgNPs were also analysed by UV-vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermo-gravimetric analysis. The NPs were observed to be highly crystalline, approximately spherical, and 10-50 nm in diameter. They were also tested for their use in preserving the postharvest quality of cherry tomatoes, with good results obtained. The tea AgNP treatment was specifically found to reduce the weight loss of the tomatoes, as well as changes in their total soluble solids, vitamin C, and titratable acid contents. The findings of this study indicate that postharvest tea AgNP treatment affords a clean, safe, high-quality, and environmentally friendly method for extending the shelf life of fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most interesting phenomena in coordination polymers (CPs) is the co-existence of different interlaced motifs. However, CPs having two different interlaced motifs at the same time are still rare. Colourless block-shaped crystals of the two-dimensional polymer poly[[aqua(μ2-naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylato){μ2-4,4′-[oxybis(4,1-phenylene)]dipyridine}cadmium(II)] monohydrate], {[Cd(C12H6O4)(C22H16N2O)(H2O)]·H2O} n, (I), was synthesized under hydrothermal conditions by the self-assembly of 4,4′-[oxybis(4,1-phenylene)]dipyridine (OPY) with CdII in the presence of naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (H2ndc). Each CdII ion is six-coordinated by two N atoms from the pyridine rings of two OPY ligands and by four O atoms, three of which are from two ndc2− ligands and one of which is from a water molecule. In (I), every two identical two-dimensional (2D) 63 layers are interpenetrated in a parallel fashion, resulting in an interesting 2D→2D framework with both polyrotaxane and polycatenane characteristics. The extension of these sheets into a three-dimensional supramolecular net is via O-H...O hydrogen bonds. The solid-state photoluminescence properties of (I) are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of adaptive practical finite-time control is considered for a class of single-input and single-output non-linear systems, in which the system non-linear functions are assumed to be unknown. By combining adaptive fuzzy control approach with the backstepping technology, a backstepping-based adaptive fuzzy finite-time control scheme is proposed. In the control design procedure, fuzzy logic systems are employed to identify the non-linear uncertainties. The stability analysis of the adaptive closed-loop systems is proposed based on the finite-time Lyapunov stability theory. The proposed adaptive fuzzy controller guarantees that all the closed signals are semi-global practical finite-time stability while the tracking error converges to a small neighbourhood of the origin. Finally, simulation results are presented to validate the effectiveness of our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein hydrolysis is widely used in the food industry to improve food or industrial quality, and processing is carried out concurrently or subsequently to starch pasting. Inthis study,QTLmapping of the pasting properties of natural wheat flour (NWF) and papain-treated flour (PTF) was performed in three environments. These analyses involved a set of 173 F9:10 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from "Shannong01-35×Gaocheng9411" witha genetic linkagemapconsisting of 6248 molecular markers. The additive, epistatic, and epistatic×environment interaction effects of QTLs for pasting properties were analyzed. A total of 43 and 31 additive QTLs for pasting properties were detected using NWF and PTF, respectively. QPv1A.4-1, QPv4B.4-17, QTv1A.4-1, QTv4B.4-17, QSb4B.4-17, QPt1A.4-1, and QPt4B.4-17 were identified using both NWFand PTF. In contrast, QPv6A.2-128, QTv6A.2-128, QFv6A.2-75, and QBd6A.2-128 were only identified in wheat flour; thus, these QTLs are related to the papain digestion site. Five and eight pairs of epistatic interaction QTLs were identified in NWF and PTF, respectively. QPv1A.4-1/QPv4B.4-17 and QTv1A.4-1/QTv4B.4-17 were identified in NWF and PTF, whereas, QInA1A.4-1 and QInA4B.4-17 were only detected in PTF. Two and three pairs of epistatic×environment interactions were detected inNWFandPTF, respectively. In the present study, two importantQTLclusters (≥3QTLs) were detected from NWF, and three clusters were detected from PTF. The results of the comprehensive evaluation of protein hydrolysis and starch pasting provide valuable information to facilitate the improvement of wheat flour quality and promote the molecular breeding of wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jiangshan-Shaoxing tectonic zone was the northeastern boundary between the Yangtze Block and the Cathaysia Block during the Neoproterozoic and was an intracontinental erogenic belt during late of the early Paleozoic. In this tectonic zone, there develops a lot of mylonite underwent strong ductile deformation and schist, gneiss, and amphibolite with medium and high grade metamorphism which was formed during the late of early Paleozoic. The research of geometry and kinematic of ductile deformation in Jiangshan-Shaoxing tectonic zone is very important to reveal the tectonic process of intracontinental orogeny. This paper uses the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) to determine the ductile deformation geometry and kinematic of Jiangshan-Shaoxing tectonic zone combing with the field survey. In this study, 190 specimens of 19 locations and 221 specimens of 23 locations from Wangjiazhai section and Lipu-Sizhai section were analyzed. The magnetic foliation over magnetic lineation in both Wangjiazhai and Lipu-Sizhai sections together with the field observations indicated a compressional deformation pattern. 3 and 4 strong ductile deformation zones can be established in the Wangjiazhai section and the Lipu-Sizhai section, respectively. According to the magnetic fabric and petro-fabric studies, the Northeastern Jiangshan-Shaoxing tectonic zone suffered two kinds of deformation patterns during the late early Paleozoic, i.e., the thrusting deformation followed by sinistral shear deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cool climate biomes in the Northern Hemisphere have evolved relatively recently. Temperature decline between the late Eocene and the Pliocene contributed to the evolution of many plant groups in modern cool climate biomes, such as mosses belonging to the Brachythecium novae-angliae-complex. The Brachythecium novae-angliae-complex comprises three species that have a disjunct distribution in temperate and boreal regions in the Northern Hemisphere. The core species in the complex have only recently been transferred from Bryhnia to Brachythecium and the delimitation of the complex and of species within it still remains uncertain. We reconstructed the evolutionary history of the group using molecular data and estimated the timing of the diversifications in the tree. In addition, we examined the morphology and compared morphological diversification with genetic diversity. The Brachythecium novae-angliae-complex diversified in East Asia in the middle Miocene, 9.1 Ma (HPD 95% 3.9-14.8 Myr). Bryhnia trichomitria and B. graminicolor were revealed not to be close relatives of the complex and are therefore transferred to Brachythecium and Koponeniella gen. nov., respectively. Both morphology and molecular data supported the position of Asian Brachythecium noesicum as sister to the Brachythecium novae-angliae crown elade that includes two species, B. hultenii and B. novae-angliae. The crown clade diverged at the end of the Miocene, 6.4 Ma (HPD 95% 2.4-11.6 Myr) and its taxa have a disjunct distribution in cool temperate and boreal areas in the Beringia region (B. novaeangliae subsp. hultenii), and eastern North America and northwestern Europe (B. novae-angliae subsp. novae-angliae). In the crown clade the majority of populations belong to one common haplotype present in all three disjunct parts of the distribution area. Despite low variation in DNA sequence data, morphology allows the distinction between B. novae-angliae subsp. hultenii and B. novae-angliae subsp. novae-angliae. Because of weak morphological and genetic differentiation, European Bryhnia scabrida is treated here as a synonym of Brachythecium novae-angliae subsp. novae-angliae. Glacial survival during the Quaternary and climatic oscillations during the late Tertiary and Quaternary in East Asia may have resulted in diversification of the complex and enabled adaptation to cool temperate and boreal climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium ions, which are important signaling molecules, can be detected in the endoplasmic reticulum by an engineered mutant of green fluorescent protein (GFP) designated CatchER with a fast off-rate. High resolution (1.78-1.20 Å) crystal structures were analyzed for CatchER in the apo form and in complexes with calcium or gadolinium to probe the binding site for metal ions. While CatchER exhibits a 1:1 binding stoichiometry in solution, two positions were observed for each of the metal ions bound within the hand-like site formed by the carboxylate side chains of the mutated residues S147E, S202D, Q204E, F223E and T225E that may be responsible for its fast kinetic properties. Comparison of the structures of CatchER, wild-type GFP and enhanced GFP confirmed that different conformations of Thr203 and Glu222 are associated with the two forms of ????? of the chromophore which are responsible for the absorbance wavelengths of the different proteins. Calcium binding to CatchER may shift the equilibrium for conformational population of the Glu222 side chain and lead to further changes in its optical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to the well-recognized loss of adherens junctions in cancer progression, the role of desmosomal components in cancer development has not been well explored. We previously demonstrated that desmocollin-2 ( DSC2), a desmosomal cadherin protein, is reduced in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma ( ESCC), and is associated with enhanced tumour metastasis and poor prognosis. Here, we report that restoration of DSC2 in ESCC cells impeded cell migration and invasion both in vitro and in vivo, whereas siRNA-mediated suppression of DSC2 expression increased cell motility. In E-cadherin-expressing ESCC cells, DSC2 restoration strengthened E-cadherin-mediated adherens junctions and promoted the localization of β-catenin at these junctions, which indirectly inhibited β-catenin-dependent transcription. These effects of DSC2 were not present in EC109 cells that lacked E-cadherin expression. ESCC patients with tumours that had reduced E-cadherin and negative DSC2 had poorer clinical outcomes than patients with tumours that lacked either E-cadherin or DSC2, implying that the invasive potential of ESCC cells was restricted by both DSC2 and E-cadherin-dependent junctions. Further studies revealed that DSC2 was a downstream target of miR-25. Enhanced miR-25 promoted ESCC cell invasiveness, whereas restoration of DSC2 abolished these effects. Collectively, our work suggests that miR-25-mediated down-regulation of DSC2 promotes ESCC cell aggressiveness through redistributing adherens junctions and activating beta-catenin signalling. Copyright © 2013 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the variations of dissolved N2O and emissions over diurnal and seasonal temporal scales in 2009, as well as the time series of riverine N2O export to estuary and emission to atmosphere in response to increasing anthropogenic nitrogen loads in the Changjiang River. For the diurnal study, N2O concentrations ranged from 0.26 to 0.34 and from 0.44 to 0.52 μg N-N2O L-1 in August and October 2009, respectively. The dissolved N2O was supersaturated with a mean value of 197%. Studies on N2O emissions, also taken in August and October, ranged from 2.67 to 11.6 and from 6.72 to 15.2 μg N-N2O m-2 h-1, respectively. For the seasonal study (June through December 2009), N2O concentrations ranged from 0.34 to 0.72 μg N-N2O L-1 and were supersaturated in all the samples (average 212%). N2O emissions ranged from 1.87 to 40.8 μg N-N2O m-2 h-1. Our study found no significant differences in diurnal patterns of N2O saturation but detected significant difference in seasonal patterns of N2O saturation: higher during summer while lower during autumn and winter. We found a significant relationship between dissolved N2O and river nitrate, which can predict the variation of N2O concentrations in the River. The net production of N2 ranged from 0.01 to 0.47 mgN-N2L-1. These excess N2 values were significantly correlated to the N2O production and are suggestive of denitrification in me river. Applying the Global News model to the river system using measures taken during the 1970 to 2002 period, we estimated N2O emissions to atmosphere increased from 330 to 3650 ton N-N2O yr-1. During that same 1970-2002 period, N2O exports to estuary increased from 91 to 470 ton N-N2O yr-1. Taken together, the findings reported here suggest that both the river N2O concentrations and emissions would increase in response to rising anthropogenic nitrogen loads. Our study showed that the mean emission factor based on the ratio of the total N2O flux to NOJ" flux is four times greater than the value of 0.0025 obtained with the methodology recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Thus, our findings reflect the open river channel rapid exchange of gases with the atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Directly starting from -lactic acid (LA) and -aspartic acid (Asp), biodegradable material poly(lactic acid- co-aspartic acid) [P(LA- co-Asp)] was synthesized via melt polycondensation. The synthetic conditions, including type and dosage of catalyst, temperature, and time of copolymerization, and influence of molar feed ratio were discussed. The structure and properties of the copolymer were systematically characterized with FTIR, H-NMR, GPC, DSC, and XRD. With the increase of Asp in the feed, [η] and M decreased, and the crystallinity of the copolymer disappeared gradually. Compared to the homopolymer, poly(-lactic acid) synthesized via melt polycondensation and the copolymer P(LA- co-Asp) had a higher glass-transition temperature ( T). The copolymer P(LA- co-Asp) with M of 4400-24300 Da was obtained, which could meet the demand as a drug-delivery carrier material. Compared to the ring-opening polymerization of the cyclic intermediates, including lactide, the novel direct copolycondensation method was a cheap and practical method for the synthesis of copolymer P(LA- co-Asp) as biomedical materials. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary 1. Many studies testing the evolution of increased competitive ability hypothesis have focused on whether plants from invasive populations of a species show reduced allocation to defence and increased allocation to growth than plants from native populations. But few have attempted to understand ecophysiological mechanisms by which decreased allocation to defence may increase growth. 2. Previously, we found that invasive Ageratina adenophora plants increase nitrogen allocation to photosynthesis and reduce allocation to cell walls compared with native Ageratina plants, suggesting a shift from defence to growth in invasive populations. Here, carrying this work forward, we measured construction costs and benefits associated with photosynthesis at light saturation to leaves. We hypothesized that invasive Ageratina populations might employ a quicker return energy-use strategy by increasing light-saturated photosynthetic rates and photosynthetic energy-use efficiency (PEUE) and by decreasing leaf construction costs. 3. Faster-growing plants from invasive populations (China and India) had significantly higher leaf nitrogen concentrations and specific leaf areas than plants from native populations (Mexico). Inconsistent with our prediction, leaf construction costs were not significantly different between plants from invasive and native populations, but higher light-saturated photosynthetic rates and in turn higher PEUE resulted in a significantly shorter payback time of construction costs, which allowed plants from invasive populations to grow faster. 4. Synthesis. Our results indicate that Ageratina plants from populations in non-native ranges have a distinct quick return energy-use strategy, a high PEUE and a short payback time but not lower construction costs, which might provide a mechanistic explanation for the commonly observed increase in growth when plants are introduced to new parts of the world. To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare energy-use strategy for plants from invasive and native populations of a noxious invasive species. We cannot exclude some alternative hypotheses for these patterns, such as founder effects, but these ecophysiological differences might provide mechanistic insight for how the evolution of decreased allocation to defence may increase growth and competitive ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the last decade, numerous epidemiological studies have demonstrated that endocrine disruptors are a possible cause for a decline in semen quality. Cypermethrin is a widely used pyrethroid insecticide, but little is known about its potentially adverse effects on male reproduction. In the present study, we investigated the effects of maternal cypermethrin exposure during lactation on testicular development and spermatogenesis in male offspring. Maternal mice were administered with cypermethrin (25 mg/kg) by gavage daily from postnatal day 0 (PND0) to PND21. Results showed that the weight of testes at PND21 was significantly decreased in pups whose mothers were exposed to cypermethrin during lactation. Maternal cypermethrin exposure during lactation markedly decreased the layers of spermatogenic cells, increased the inside diameter of seminiferous tubules, and disturbed the array of spermatogenic cells in testes of pups at PND21. In addition, maternal cypermethrin exposure during lactation markedly reduced mRNA and protein levels of testicular P450scc, a testosterone (T) synthetic enzyme. Correspondingly, the level of serum and testicular T at weaning was significantly decreased in pups whose mothers were exposed to cypermethrin during lactation. Although the expression of testicular T synthetic enzymes and serum and testicular T in adulthood had restored to control level, the decreased testicular weight and histological changes were irreversible. Importantly, the number of spermatozoa was significantly decreased in adult male offspring whose mothers were exposed to cypermethrin during lactation. In conclusion, maternal cypermethrin exposure during lactation permanently impairs testicular development and spermatogenesis in male offspring, whereas cypermethrin-induced endocrine disruption is reversible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skeletal fragility is common at metaphyseal regions of long bones. The cortices of this region are derived by coalescence of trabeculae around the periphery of the growth plate, not by periosteal apposition, as occurs in the diaphyses. We therefore hypothesized that trabecular bone in childhood predicted both cortical and trabecular morphology in adulthood. To test this hypothesis, we measured distal radial and tibial structure using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography in 61 daughter-mother pairs, mean age 12.5 years (range 7 to 19 years) and 44.1 years (range 32 to 50 years), respectively. The daughters' trabecular bone volume (BV/TV), thickness, number, and separation predicted the corresponding traits in their mothers. Their trabecular BV/TV also predicted their mothers' cortical thickness ( r = 0.32, p = .02). By contrast, the daughters' cortical thickness did not predict their mothers' cortical thickness. The daughters had higher trabecular BV/TV than their mothers (mean ± SD, radius 0.134 ± 0.024 versus 0.124 ± 0.033, p = .03; tibia 0.145 ± 0.021 versus 0.135 ± 0.032, p < .01) owing to greater trabecular number, not thickness, and less trabecular separation. Abnormalities in the development of metaphyseal trabecular bone are likely to influence fragility in both trabecular and cortical bone of this region in adulthood. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alport syndrome (AS) is a progressive renal disease characterized by haematuria and progressive renal failure. An accurate genetic diagnosis of AS is very important for genetic counselling and even prenatal diagnosis. We detected mutation of COL4An by amplifying the entire coding sequence mRNA of peripheral blood lymphocytes using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in five Chinese AS families who asked for genetic counselling and prenatal diagnosis, then performed prenatal genetic diagnosis for four families. Mutation analysis of the foetus was made using DNA extracted from amniocytes. Foetus sex was determined by PCR amplification of SRY as well as karyotype analysis. Maternal cell contamination was excluded by linkage analysis. Four different COL4A5 gene variants and two COL4A3 gene variants were detected in the five families. Because there was a de novo mutation in family 2, prenatal diagnosis was performed for the other four families. Results showed a normal male foetus for family 1 and family 4, respectively. Results showed an affected male foetus for families 3 and 5, and the pregnancies were terminated. An easier, faster and efficacious method for COL4An gene mutation screening based on mRNA analysis from peripheral blood lymphocytes was established. Prenatal genetic diagnosis was performed in four AS families in China. Prenatal genetic diagnosis was performed in Alport syndrome families in China. A rapid and efficacious method for screening of the COL4An gene mutation for Alport syndrome is presented, based on mRNA analysis from peripheral blood lymphocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcitonin (CT) is one of the hormones involved in vertebrate calcium regulation. It has been proposed to act as a hypocalcemic factor, but the regulatory pathways remain to be clarified. We investigated the CT/calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) family in zebrafish and its potential involvement in calcium homeostasis. We identified the presence of four receptors: CTR, CRLR1, CRLR2, and CRLR3. From the phylogenetic analysis, together with the effect observed after CT and CGRP overexpression, we concluded that CTR appears to be a CT receptor and CRLR1 a CGRP receptor. The distribution of these two receptors shows a major presence in the central nervous system and in tissues involved in ionoregulation. Zebrafish embryos kept in high-Ca-concentration medium showed upregulation of CT and CTR expression and downregulation of the epithelial calcium channel (ECaC). Embryos injected with CT morpholino (CALC MO) incubated in high-Ca medium, showed downregulation of CTR together with upregulation on ECaC mRNA expression. In contrast, overexpression of CT cRNA induced the downregulation of ECaC mRNA synthesis, concomitant with the downregulation in the calcium content after 30 hours postfertilization. At 4 days postfertilization, CT cRNA injection induced upregulation of hypercalcemic factors, with subsequent increase in the calcium content. These results suggest that CT acts as a hypocalcemic factor in calcium regulation, probably through inhibition of ECaC synthesis. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compound naphthoquine phosphate is a novel antimalaria drug tablet containing a fixed-dose combination of naphthoquine phosphate and artemisinin in a 1:2.5 ratio. A randomized, open study on the safety and tolerability was conducted in 28 healthy male volunteers using a single oral dose of 350 mg, 700 mg, 1400 mg, or 2100 mg of artemisinin-naphthoquine phosphate. Pharmacokinetics at the last 3 doses were examined in 30 volunteers. Food effects were also determined. Serial blood samples up to 216 hours after single oral dose administration were analyzed for plasma concentrations using a validated high-performance liquid chromatography—tandem mass spectrometry assay. The compound was well tolerated at single doses up to 2100 mg. Increased exposure to naphthoquine phosphate and artemisinin was less than dose proportional and linear. The half-life of naphthoquine phosphate was approximately 255 hours. The combination increased the AUC0-t and Cmax of both artemisinin (by 71% and 49%) and naphthoquine phosphate (by 135% and 104%) compared with mono-therapy. Food intake greatly increased the AUC0-t of artemisinin with a ratio of 77% and reduced that of naphthoquine phosphate from 955 ± 352 μg·h/L under the fasted state to 446 ± 231 μg·h/L in the fed condition. The pharmacokinetics and safety profile of the drug support its continued investigation in future clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]