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Abstract: In this study, we identify a recombinant pb1 gene, a recombinant MP segment and a recombinant PA segment. The pb1 gene is recombined from two Eurasia swine H1N1 influenza virus lineages. It belongs to a H1N1 swine clade circulating in Europe and Asia from 1999 to 2009. The mosaic MP segment descends from H7 avian and H1N1 human virus lineages and pertains to a large human H1N1 virus family circulating in Asia, Europe and America from 1918 to 2007. The recombinant PA segment originated from two swine H1N1 lineages is found in a swine H1N1 group prevailing in Asia and Europe from 1999 to 2003. These results collectively falsify the hypothesis that influenza virus do not evolve by homologous recombination. Since recombination not only leads to virus genome diversity but also can alter its host adaptation and pathogenecity; the genetic mechanism should not be neglected in influenza virus surveillance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Geocell mattresses are widely used in soil reinforcement due to their three-dimensional configuration, which can effectively confine and reinforce soil filled in their pockets. However, design of geocell mattresses has not been well described in the literature. In this paper, a decoupled iterative method is presented to assess the behavior of a geocell mattress subjected to symmetric loads by modeling the mattress as a geometrically nonlinear beam resting on a nonlinear foundation. The nonlinearity of the foundation soil is represented by an elastic-perfectly plastic model. The tensionless nature of the soil is also taken into account in the model. Classical Winkler foundation beam theory is extended to solve the geocell reinforcement problem, with consideration of the lateral interfacial shearing resistance at the top and bottom of the beam. This resistance is assumed to be linearly proportional to the relative lateral displacement of the beam. The solution presented in this paper is verified by comparison with the two other existing published solutions for this problem. The effects of the two nonlinear parameters, i.e., the soil yield displacement and the beam geometric nonlinearity coefficient, on the deflection and tensile force within the beam are discussed. The results indicate that both the nonlinearity of the subgrade soil and the geometric nonlinearity of the beam significantly affect the beam’s response, especially when the beam undergoes a large deflection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Stroke causes brain dysfunction and neuron death, and the lack of effective therapies heightens the need for new therapeutic targets. Here we identify prokineticin 2 (PK2) as a mediator for cerebral ischemic injury. PK2 is a bioactive peptide initially discovered as a regulator of gastrointestinal motility. Multiple biological roles for PK2 have been discovered, including circadian rhythms, angiogenesis, and neurogenesis. However, the role of PK2 in neuropathology is unknown. Using primary cortical cultures, we found that PK2 mRNA is up-regulated by several pathological stressors, including hypoxia, reactive oxygen species, and excitotoxic glutamate. Glutamate-induced PK2 expression is dependent on NMDA receptor activation and extracellular calcium. Enriched neuronal culture studies revealed that neurons are the principal source of glutamate-induced PK2. Using in vivo models of stroke, we found that PK2 mRNA is induced in the ischemic cortex and striatum. Central delivery of PK2 worsens infarct volume, whereas PK2 receptor antagonist decreases infarct volume and central inflammation while improving functional outcome. Direct central inhibition of PK2 using RNAi also reduces infarct volume. These findings indicate that PK2 can be activated by pathological stimuli such as hypoxia-ischemia and excitotoxic glutamate and identify PK2 as a deleterious mediator for cerebral ischemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We recently demonstrated that limb remote preconditioning (LRP) protects against focal ischemia measured 2 days post-stroke. Here, we studied whether LRP provides long-term protection and improves neurological function. We also investigated whether LRP transmits its protective signaling via the afferent nerve pathways from the preconditioned limb to the ischemic brain and whether inflammatory factors are involved in LRP, including the novel galectin-9/Tim-3 inflammatory cell signaling pathway, which induces cell death in lymphocytes. LRP in the left hind femoral artery was performed immediately before stroke. LRP reduced brain injury size both at 2 days and 60 days post-stroke and improved behavioral outcomes for up to 2 months. The sensory nerve inhibitors capsaicin and hexamethonium, a ganglion blocker, abolished the protective effects of LRP. In addition, LRP inhibited edema formation and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability measured 2 days post-stroke. Western blot and immunostaining analysis showed that LRP inhibited protein expression of both galectin- 9 and T-cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain 3 (Tim-3), which were increased after stroke. In addition, LRP decreased iNOS and nitrotyrosine protein expression after stroke. In conclusion, LRP executes long-term protective effects against stroke and may block brain injury by inhibiting activities of the galectin-9/Tim-3 pathway, iNOS, and nitrotyrosine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Geocell reinforcement has been increasingly applied to road embankment engineering. Deformation calculation is one of the major concerns during the design process. In this paper, the power-series method was employed to investigate the performance of a geocell-reinforced mattress under symmetric loads. The geocell-reinforced mattress was idealized as a beam on a Winkler foundation. In the analysis, the soil–foundation beam interface resistance, related to the horizontal deformation coupling with the vertical deformation, was considered. Semi-analytic solutions were developed to assess the deformations and internal forces of the foundation beam and verified against an existing finite element method . The results of the proposed method were close to the results from the finite element method. Moreover, the effects of various factors, such as height of embankment, horizontal and vertical foundation coefficients, composite elastic modulus and height of geocell-reinforced mattress, on the foundation beam settlement and the tension force within the beam are discussed. It was found that the interface resistance related to the horizontal deformation of the beam has a reduction effect on the embankment settlement, and it is beneficial to reduce the embankment settlement by increasing the beam rigidity and strengthening the subgrade soil body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Geocell reinforcement has been increasingly applied to embankment engineerings. Deformation calculation is one of the major concerns during the design process. Using Winkler foundation model and with consideration of the interface resistance effect, a deformation control differential equation for the geocell reinforced mattress under the vertical symmetric loads is presented in this paper. The corresponding power-series semi analytic solutions for the displacements and the internal forces of geocell reinforcement are also presented. Furthermore, the influence factors such as loads, length and flexural rigidity of geocell reinforcement, coefficient of subgrade reaction and the interface resistance on the stress-deformation characteristic of geocell reinforcement are discussed. Finally, two examples are employed to verify the presented method. This study suggests that the effect of the interface resistance on the deformation of geocell reinforcement should be considered in engineering design. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Bioleaching liquors usually contain low concentration valuable metals and a major impurity (magnesium or calcium), and therefore it is a heavy burden and involves a complicated process to separate and enrich valuable metals from these liquors. An alternative process of selective precipitation of metals using H2S produced by sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) is put forward. In this paper, sealed flasks were used to study the influence of Mg2+ in the form of MgCl2·6H2O and MgSO4·7H2O on the growth and activity of SRB, and the sulfide precipitation of bioleaching liquors was also studied. The experimental results show that Mg2+ ion concentration from MgCl2·6H2O or MgSO4·7H2O is a significant and favorable factor for SRB growth and activity. It is also demonstrated that enhanced activation of SRB by adding NaCl in liquor and the SRB have a high tolerance to salinity from NaCl. Adding MgSO4·7H2O provides a predominant condition for SRB growth, due to providing higher concentration of sulfate. The sulfide precipitation and separation of magnesium with H2S produced by SRB is found to be mainly dependent on the pH value and the H2S concentration. SRB culture solution can effectively precipitate Cu2+, Ni2+ and Fe3+ from synthetic leaching liquor in 2 min, while Mg2+ ions remain in the liquid phase. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A continuous and heavy photochemical pollution episode when Typhoon Nari occurred during Sep. 14–19, 2001 in Hong Kong was studied by use of the new generation of regional air quality model WRF–chem V2.1, in which the meteorological model (WRF) and chemical model (chem) are fully coupled on line. In this episode, the regional air quality monitoring stations in Hong Kong recorded high concentrations of O3, CO and NO x for six days, the maximum concentration of O3 reached 191ppb, and the atmospheric visibility dropped to 1.8km. Investigations showed that WRF–chem can basically simulate this continuous photochemical pollution episode, with the best correlation coefficient of the simulated and the observed O3 concentrations being 0.84. The production and loss of O3 were significant in this episode, and the largest rates were 22.7 and −17.6ppbh−1, respectively. The simulated meteorological conditions showed high temperature, lower relative humidity, strong solar radiation, northerly airstream, and stable boundary layer structure in Hong Kong during the episode, these weather factors were conducive to formation and maintenance of photochemical pollution. It was also clear that the vertical transport played an important role in this episode. As controlled by downdraft at the outside of Typhoon system with more stable atmosphere, air pollutants were limited and accumulated in the low level of boundary layer, leading to high O3 concentration from photochemical formation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • The PtO@Ti 3 C 2 /TiO 2 composite is obtained via Ti 3 C 2 MXene in-situ conversion and following PtO nanodots photo-deposition. • The Ti 3 C 2 MXene and PtO nanodots effectively separate the photogenerated electrons and holes. • The PtO nanodots also largely suppress the hydrogen back reaction. • The PtO@Ti 3 C 2 /TiO 2 composite demonstrates remarkable photocatalytic H 2 production efficiency. Increasing the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers and preventing the hydrogen back oxidation are two key challenges in photocatalytic hydrogen production. Herein, we report a promising PtO@Ti 3 C 2 /TiO 2 photocatalyst to overcome these two challenges by in-situ growing TiO 2 nanosheets on Ti 3 C 2 MXene (to improve charge separation) and depositing PtO nanodots (to diminish hydrogen back reaction) for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production. Within this design principle, the photogenerated electrons and holes in the PtO@Ti 3 C 2 /TiO 2 composites flow in opposite direction into PtO and Ti 3 C 2 respectively, resulting in effective separation of the photogenerated electrons and holes. Beyond, the higher oxidation state of PtO nanodots also largely suppresses the undesirable hydrogen back oxidation reaction. Thereby the PtO@Ti 3 C 2 /TiO 2 composite demonstrates remarkable hydrogen production efficiency. Our work here indicates that rational design of dual co-catalysts could not only promote the separation of photogenerated carriers for enhanced hydrogen production, but also inhibit the reverse reaction of hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Toxic inhibition was explored as a potential control strategy to achieve stable nitritation. • The inherent toxic pollutants in the coking wastewater were utilize to eliminate NOB. • A mathematical model was developed to resolve the feasible OLR range for nitrite accumulation. • A joint OLR region of 0.80–1.35 kg·m−3d−1 was found favorable for nitritation. • DO regulation further benefit in achieving partial nitritation. The presence of toxic compounds in coking wastewater is challenging for water treatment, but it also offers opportunities for the selection of specific bacterial populations based on different sensitivities. The potential selective inhibitory effect of toxic compounds in coking wastewater was employed here to inhibit nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB), allowing stable nitritation in a long-term experiment using a biological fluidized bed reactor. The main challenge was to identify the appropriate toxic compound loading range that would effectively inhibit NOB but allow ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB) to work, by variation of organic loading rate (OLR) and dissolved oxygen (DO). An OLR of 0.80–1.35 kg·m−3d−1 permitted nitritation with a nitrite accumulation rate (NAR) above 80.5%. DO regulation was used to control the extent of nitritation which resulted in different NH 4 +-N/NO 2 −-N ratios. The bacterial populations present under the various operation conditions were characterized by high-throughput sequencing, demonstrating presence of Nitrosomonas species as the main AOB, while Nitrospira species (typical NOB) were successfully suppressed. Batch activity experiments with the sludge demonstrated stronger inhibition from SCN− on NOB (IC 50 = 40.01 mg·L−1) than on AOB (IC 50 = 308.12 mg·L−1). A mathematical model was developed based on the differential inhibition by SCN− and phenol on NOB and AOB, which predicted the optimal conditions for stable nitritation, in line with the experimental data. These findings may help to promote the design and optimization of operation condition for nitritation of coking wastewater, and has potential for nitrogen removal via nitrite (e.g. Anammox) in the treatment of industrial wastewater containing toxic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is driven by the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). An unmet need in the field is the translation of the genomic landscape into effective TSG-specific therapies. Methods: We correlated genomes against transcriptomes of patients' MPM tumors, by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The identified aberrant biochemical networks and potential drug targets induced by tumor suppressor loss were validated by integrative data analysis and functional interrogation. Results: CDKN2A/2B loss activates G2/M checkpoint and PI3K/AKT, prioritizing a co-targeting strategy for CDKN2A/2B-null MPM. CDKN2A deficiency significantly co-occurs with deletions of anti-viral type I interferon (IFN-I) genes and BAP1 mutations, that enriches the IFN-I signature, stratifying a unique subset, with deficient IFN-I, but proficient BAP1 for oncolytic viral immunotherapies. Aberrant p53 attenuates differentiation and SETD2 loss acquires the dependency on EGFRs, highlighting the potential of differentiation therapy and pan-EGFR inhibitors for these subpopulations, respectively. LATS2 deficiency is linked with dysregulated immunoregulation, suggesting a rationale for immune checkpoint blockade. Finally, multiple lines of evidence support Dasatinib as a promising therapeutic for LATS2-mutant MPM. Conclusions: Systematic identification of abnormal cellular processes and potential drug vulnerabilities specified by TSG alterations provide a framework for precision oncology in MPM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed an efficient method for synthesis of substituted N-benzoylindole via Pd(II)-catalyzed C–H functionalization of substituted N-(2-allylphenyl)benzamide. The reaction showed a broad substrate scope (including N-acetyl and N-Ts substrates) and substituted indoles were obtained in good to excellent yields. The most distinctive feature of this method lies in the high selectivity for N-benzoylindole over benzoxazine, and this is the first example of Pd(II)-catalyzed synthesis of substituted N-benzoylindole. Notably, this new method was applied for the synthesis of key intermediate of indomethacin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language has been one of the most effective ways of human communication and information exchange. To solve the problem of non-contact robust speech recognition, recovery, and surveillance, this paper presents a speech recovery technology based on a 24 GHz portable auditory radar and webcam. The continuous-wave auditory radar is utilized to extract the vocal vibration signal, and the webcam is used to obtain the fitted formant frequency. The traditional formant speech synthesizer is selected to synthesize and recover speech, using the vocal vibration signal as the sound source excitation and the fitted formant frequency as the vocal tract resonance characteristics. Experiments on reading single English characters and words are carried out. Using microphone records as a reference, the effectiveness of the proposed speech recovery technology is verified. Mean opinion scores show a relatively high consistency between the synthesized speech and original acoustic speech. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preoperative assessment of tumor invasiveness is essential to avoid overtreatment for patients with small-sized ground-glass nodules (GGNs) of 10 mm or less in diameter. However, it is difficult to determine the pathological state by computed tomography (CT) examination alone. Aberrant glycans has emerged as a tool to identify novel potential disease biomarkers. In this study, we used a lectin microarray-based strategy to investigate whether glycosylation changes in plasma immunoglobulin G (IgG) provide additional information about the invasiveness of small GGNs before surgery. Two independent cohorts (discovery set, n = 92; test set, n = 210) of GGN patients were used. Five of 45 lectins (Sambucus nigra agglutinin, SNA; Datura stramonium agglutinin, DSA; Galanthus nivalis agglutinin, GNA; Euonymus europaeus lectin, EEL; and Vicia villosa agglutinin, VVA) were identified as independent factors associated with pathological invasiveness of small GGNs (p < 0.01). Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated the combination of these five lectins could significantly improve the accuracy of CT in diagnosing invasive GGNs, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.792 (p < 0.001), a sensitivity of 74.6%, and specificity of 74.4%, which was superior to current clinical biomarkers. These results suggest that the multilectin assay based on plasma IgG glycosylation may be a useful in vitro complementary test to enhance preoperative determination of the invasiveness of GGNs and guide surgeons to select proper clinical management to avoid overtreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a promising method for postoperative surveillance of lung cancer. However, relatively low positive rate in early stage patients restricts its application. Aberrant methylation of ctDNA can be detected in blood samples, and may provide a more sensitive method. This study is designed to systematically evaluate and compare the detection of aberrant methylation and mutations in ctDNA among surgical non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, aiming to investigate the feasibility of ctDNA detection as a means of lung cancer surveillance.Methods: This is a prospective observational study. Consecutive surgical NSCLC patients will be recruited. Blood samples will be collected both before and after surgery (during the follow-up period), while matching tumor tissues and tumor-adjacent normal tissues will be collected during surgery. Quantitative analysis of aberrant methylation and mutations of ctDNA will be conducted in combination with a three-year follow-up data.Discussion: This is the first registered prospective study designed to investigate the feasibility of ctDNA methylation detection as a means of postoperative lung cancer surveillance. We will systematically evaluate and compare the quantitative detection of ctDNA mutations and ctDNA methylation in surgical NSCLC patients, combining with the follow-up information. By integrating genetic and epigenetic information of ctDNA, more effective strategies for postoperative surveillance may be defined.Trial Registration: This study (MEDAL, MEthylation based Dynamic Analysis for Lung cancer) was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov on 08/05/2018 (NCT03634826; Pre-results). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During the acute stroke phase, neutrophils from the peripheral blood are first to arrive in the ischemic brain, which then attracts other immune cells that exacerbate neuroinflammation in the ischemic tissue. Myosin1f was reported to specifically mediate neutrophil migration in the peripheral tissues, but whether it plays a critical role in the neuroinflammatory response after ischemic stroke remains unknown. In this study, we aim to test the hypothesis that myosin1f-mediated neutrophil migration is critical in acute neuroinflammation induced by ischemic stroke.Methods: Myosin1f -/- and wild type (WT) mice were subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). To determine which cells determine myosin1f's transmigration ability, bone marrow transplantation, neutrophil depletion, and adoptive neutrophil transfer were performed. The myosin1f RNA level was assessed in peripheral neutrophils by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at 1 day and 3 days after stroke. The infiltrating neutrophils were quantified by immunofluorescence staining and FACS at 72 h after reperfusion.Results: The myosin1f -/- mice had significantly smaller infarctions than the myosin1f +/+ mice. Bone marrow transplantation from myosin1f -/- mice to recipient mice also had smaller infarctions compared to animals receiving bone marrow from myosin1f +/+ mice. By performing neutrophil depletion and adoptive transfer, we confirmed that myosin1f acts mainly in circulating neutrophils. RT-PCR showed that myosin1f gene expression was increased in the circulating blood neutrophils at 3 days after ischemia. The confocal immunostaining and FACS results confirmed that fewer neutrophils infiltrated into the ischemic brain in myosin1f -/- mice compared to WT mice.Conclusions: Myosin1f determines neutrophil migration into the ischemic hemisphere, which directly affects stroke outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vitamin D (VD) insufficiency or deficiency is a frequent comorbidity in Chinese women with postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO). The present study aimed to investigate 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH) D] improvement and calcium-phosphate metabolism in Chinese PMO patients treated with 70 mg of alendronate sodium and 5600 IU of vitamin D3 (ALN/D5600).Methods: Chinese PMO women (n = 219) were treated with 12-month ALN/D5600 (n = 111) or calcitriol (n = 108). Changes in 25(OH) D at month 12 were post hoc analyzed by the baseline 25 (OH) D status using the longitudinal analysis. The main safety outcome measures included serum calcium and phosphate and 24-h urine calcium, and the repeated measures mixed model was used to assess the frequencies of the calcium-phosphate metabolic disorders.Results: Absolute change in mean serum 25(OH) D level was the greatest in VD-deficient patients and least in VD-sufficient patients at months six and 12 (both, P < 0.01). Serum calcium level remained significantly lower in the ALN/D5600 treatment group than in the calcitriol treatment group throughout the 12 months. Mean 24-h urine calcium slightly increased in the ALN/D5600 treatment group and significantly increased in the calcitriol treatment group (+ 1.1 and + 0.9 mmol/L at months six and 12; both, P < 0.05). Calcitriol treatment was associated with more frequent hypercalciuria at month six (9.4% vs. 18.5%, P = 0.05), but not at month 12 (12.3% vs. 13.0%).Conclusion: Baseline VD status predicted 25(OH) D improvement in PMO patients on 12-month ALN/D5600 treatment. The daily use of 0.25 μg of calcitriol was associated with more frequent hypercalciuria at month six, compared to ALN/5600 treatment, necessitating the safety re-evaluation of calcitriol at a higher dosage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Huntington’s disease (HD) is characterized by preferential loss of the medium spiny neurons in the striatum. Using CRISPR/Cas9 and somatic nuclear transfer technology, we established a knockin (KI) pig model of HD that endogenously expresses full-length mutant huntingtin (HTT). By breeding this HD pig model, we have successfully obtained F1 and F2 generation KI pigs. Characterization of founder and F1 KI pigs shows consistent movement, behavioral abnormalities, and early death, which are germline transmittable. More importantly, brains of HD KI pig display striking and selective degeneration of striatal medium spiny neurons. Thus, using a large animal model of HD, we demonstrate for the first time that overt and selective neurodegeneration seen in HD patients can be recapitulated by endogenously expressed mutant proteins in large mammals, a finding that also underscores the importance of using large mammals to investigate the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and their therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Laron syndrome is an autosomal disease resulting from mutations in the growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene. The only therapeutic treatment for Laron syndrome is recombinant insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), which has been shown to have various side effects. The improved Laron syndrome models are important for better understanding the pathogenesis of the disease and developing corresponding therapeutics. Pigs have become attractive biomedical models for human condition due to similarities in anatomy, physiology, and metabolism relative to humans, which could serve as an appropriate model for Laron syndrome.Methods: To further improve the GHR knockout (GHRKO) efficiency and explore the feasibility of precise DNA deletion at targeted sites, the dual-sgRNAs/Cas9 system was designed to target GHR exon 3 in pig fetal fibroblasts (PFFs). The vectors encoding sgRNAs and Cas9 were co-transfected into PFFs by electroporation and GHRKO cell lines were established by single cell cloning culture. Two biallelic knockout cell lines were selected as the donor cell line for somatic cell nuclear transfer for the generation of GHRKO pigs. The genotype of colonies, cloned fetuses and piglets were identified by T7 endonuclease I (T7ENI) assay and sequencing. The GHR expression in the fibroblasts and piglets was analyzed by confocal microscopy, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR), western blotting (WB) and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. The phenotype of GHRKO pigs was recapitulated through level detection of IGF-I and glucose, and measurement of body weight and body size. GHRKO F1 generation were generated by crossing with wild-type pigs, and their genotype was detected by T7ENI assay and sequencing. GHRKO F2 generation was obtained via self-cross of GHRKO F1 pigs. Their genotypes of GHRKO F2 generation was also detected by Sanger sequencing.Results: In total, 19 of 20 single-cell colonies exhibited biallelic modified GHR (95%), and the efficiency of DNA deletion mediated by dual-sgRNAs/Cas9 was as high as 90% in 40 GHR alleles of 20 single-cell colonies. Two types of GHR allelic single-cell colonies (GHR-47/-1, GHR-47/-46) were selected as donor cells for the generation of GHRKO pigs. The reconstructed embryos were transferred into 15 recipient gilts, resulting in 15 GHRKO newborn piglets and 2 fetuses. The GHRKO pigs exhibited slow growth rates and small body sizes. From birth to 13 months old, the average body weight of wild-type pigs varied from 0.6 to 89.5 kg, but that of GHRKO pigs varied from only 0.9 to 37.0 kg. Biochemically, the knockout pigs exhibited decreased serum levels of IGF-I and glucose. Furthermore, the GHRKO pigs had normal reproduction ability, as eighteen GHRKO F1 piglets were obtained via mating a GHRKO pig with wild-type pigs and five GHRKO F2 piglets were obtained by self-cross of F1 generation, indicating that modified GHR alleles can pass to the next generation via germline transmission.Conclusion: The dual-sgRNAs/Cas9 is a reliable system for DNA deletion and that GHRKO pigs conform to typical phenotypes of those observed in Laron patients, suggesting that these pigs could serve as an appropriate model for Laron syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waterlogging has been suggested to affect carbon (C) turnover in wetlands, but how it affects C allocation and stocks remains unclear in alpine wetlands. Using in situ 13CO2 pulse labelling, we investigated C allocation in both waterlogged and non-waterlogged sites in the Zoigê wetlands on the Tibetan Plateau in August 2011. More than 50% of total 13C fixed by photosynthesis was lost via shoot respiration. Shoots recovered about 19% of total 13C fixed by photosynthesis at both sites. Only about 26% of total fixed 13C was translocated into the belowground pools. Soil organic C pool accounted for 19% and roots recovered about 5-7% of total fixed 13C at both sites. Waterlogging significantly reduced soil respiration and very little 13C was lost via soil respiration in the alpine wetlands compared to that in grasslands. We conclude that waterlogging did not significantly alter C allocations among the C pools except the 13CO2 efflux derived from soil respiration and that shoots made similar contributions to C sequestration as the belowground parts in the Zoigê alpine wetlands. Therefore, changes in waterlogging due to climate change will not affect C assimilate partitioning but soil C efflux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary intrathoracic liposarcoma is an extremely rare malignancy as well as a rare histologic subtype of intrathoracic sarcoma. Relatively few reports appear in the world literatures. We explored the clinicopathologic features and prognostic factors of this tumor in this study.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological data of 23 patients with primary intrathoracic liposarcoma who were treated in Shanghai chest Hospital affiliated to Jiao Tong University, from January 2003 to March 2013. These patients were classified into three groups according to the distinct tumor locations, including mediastinum, pleura and lung liposarcoma. Also, these patients could be divided into four types, including well-differentiated, myxoid, dedifferentiated and pleomorphic liposarcoma. The influences of age, sex, tumor size, tumor location, tumor histologic type and therapy on the prognosis of the patients were analyzed.Results: There were no significant difference for survival among distinct liposarcoma locations. However, significant difference for survival among distinct liposarcoma types were observed. Poor disease-free survival (DFS) was observed in the myxoid, pleomorphic and dedifferentiated types as compared to well-differentiated type (P = 0.038). Inferior overall-survival (OS) was observed in dedifferentiated, pleomorphic and myxoid types relative to well-differentiated type (P = 0.027). The radical surgery was a favorable prognostic factor for OS, as demonstrated by the better OS of the radical surgery group as compared to that of the non-radical surgery group ( P = 0.029). Notably, there were no significant differences for DFS and OS in other clinical parameters including tumor size, gender and age. In addition, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy could not improve the prognosis of the patients receiving non-radical surgery or suffering from relapse.Conclusions: The histological type and the radical surgery are the factors that influence the behavior and prognosis of liposarcoma. In general, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are believed to be ineffective therapeutic modalities for survival. So it is essential to completely resect the primary intrathoracic liposarcoma as radical cure of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cantrell syndrome is a rare syndrome of congenital defects, which can be complicated by severe pulmonary hypertension and left ventricular diverticulum; it has proved difficult to treat in clinical practice.Case Presentation: A 6-month-old Han Chinese baby girl weighing 3.5 kg was diagnosed, using ultrasonography and radiography, as having Cantrell syndrome complicated by severe pulmonary hypertension. For safety, we divided management into two stages. For the first stage, we dealt with the left ventricular diverticulum and pulmonary hypertension. Three months later, we performed diorthosis for an intracardiac malformation.Conclusions: Cantrell syndrome with pulmonary hypertension may respond well to this novel two-stage operation, which needs more verification via clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report describes a giant pleural lipoma that arose from the pleura of the 7th anterior intercostal space and occupied approximately 75% of the right pleural cavity in a 49-year-old woman. The tumor was completely excised by right thoracotomy. The complete histopathological investigation showed pleural lipoma, and we made a review of literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Elderly patients with severe cardiopulmonary and other system dysfunctions are unable to tolerate pulmonary lobectomy. This study aimed to evaluate the risk and efficacy of wedge resection under video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) on elderly high-risk patients with stage I peripheral non-small-cell lung cancer (PNSCLC).Methods: Elderly patients (≥70 years) with suspected PNSCLC were divided into high-risk group and conventional risk group. The high-risk patients confirmed in stage I by the examination of positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET-CT) and the postoperative patients in stage I PNSCLC with negative incisal margin were treated with VATS wedge resection. The conventional risk patients were treated with VATS radical resection and systematic lymphadenectomy. The clinical and pathological data were recorded. The total survival, tumor-free survival, recurrence time and style of patients were followed up.Results: The operative time and blood loss of the VATS wedge resection group (69.4 ± 15.5 min, 52.1 ± 11.2 ml) were significantly less than those of the VATS radical resection group (128 ± 35.5 min, 217.9 ± 87.1 ml). Neither groups had postoperative death. The overall and tumor-free survival rate of the VATS wedge resection group within three years were 66.7% and 60.0%, and those of the VATS radical resection group were 93.8% and 94.1%, without significant difference (P > 0.05). The recurrence rates of the VATS wedge resection group and VATS radical resection group were 14.3% and 3.0%, without significant difference (P > 0.05).Conclusion: It is safe, minimally invasive and meaningful to perform VATS wedge resection on the elderly high-risk patients with stage I PNSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]